Cressa gauged her reaction. If this was the case, did she want Spencer involved with her parents and in her home? And what about her budding feelings for him? She drowned that thought in her recollection of Owen and Lindsey’s new revelation.
The memory of Spencer and Lindsey’s interaction from the day of his first visit crept into Cressa’s mind. Lindsey was warm and charming, almost flirty with her honeyed smile and friendly teasing, while Spencer was aloof.
Like most marital and family dramas, Cressa was sure this one held many layers, but the last thing she needed was someone else’s theatre in her life. She gave Lindsey a professional and polished expression of sympathy. “I’m sorry things aren’t all that amicable between Spencer and your sister, but this really isn’t my business. Is there anything else?”
Lindsey blinked, and Cressa could tell this conversation wasn’t turning out as the receptionist had hoped. “Ummm, no.”
“Well, then, why don’t you just send him back to get his stitches out, and please, don’t follow him back or come to retrieve him. I’ll send him out when I’m finished. I wouldn’t want either one of you to be uncomfortable.”
Lindsey’s jaw tightened. Her face grew red as her voice took a hard edge. “I can look after myself.”
Cressa concurred. “Oh, I don’t doubt that, but we want to make sure our patients have a professional experience. If there’s so much history between the two of you, the less you see of him, the better.” Cressa smiled. “Is there anything else?”
Lindsey’s eyes turned to cold glass. “No.” Her tone was clipped.
“Okay, then. I guess we should both get back to work.” She placed Spencer’s chart in the crook of her arm and left the break room.
Marietta, the RN on shift, caught her in the hall. “I’m not sure where Lindsey got off to, but I put your next patient in room six.”
“Perfect. Thanks,” Cressa replied as her heart skipped a beat.
Her thoughts drifted toward Spencer. They’d shared a couple of texts since their last meeting, where he outlined the ranch schedule for her approval. Andrew would look after the cattle on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, while Spencer would take on Thursday and Friday. The men would switch weekends. Whoever was looking after the cows would arrive at seven in the morning and leave at six in the evening. The other man would come in a little before eight and leave at five.
Cressa approved of their decisions. She was anxious to get the work started.
Standing just outside room six, she took a deep breath as she looked down the hall toward the front desk. Lindsey watched her, making Cressa wonder exactly who was doing the stalking.
Eight
Spencer tried to keep his eyes away from the door as he waited for Cressa to appear. Instead, he glanced at the clock. Two minutes after three. He hoped she wouldn’t be too late, but it wasn’t because he had someplace to be. He just wanted to be near her.
When he heard the knob turn, he sucked in his breath and smiled as she entered. She was so pretty! Even her stark white lab coat and professional manner didn’t detract from her loveliness.
“So, how are we doing?” Cressa asked as she entered the room.
Her attention was immediately drawn to his hand. A trickle of disappointment moved through him. He wished she would look him in the eyes.
She put down the chart she was holding and moved toward him as she continued to focus on his bandaged hand. Gently removing the gauze, she murmured, “You’ve done a good job keeping the wound clean and covered.”
Spencer gave up the hope for eye contact. “Only during the day,” he replied. “I took the bandages off at night. I think it’s healed well.”
The room air brushed against his hand. Spencer reveled in the feeling.
“It looks good,” Cressa said. “Now to get those stitches out.” Working with small sterilized scissors and tweezers, Cressa patiently snipped and removed the sutures. A gentle pull and an occasional sting accompanied her work, but it was the smell of jasmine that drew his mind away from the snipping and pulling. The aroma of those small white flowers wafted around him. He wished he could stay rooted in exam room six or anywhere else Cressa happened to be with her cradling his hand in hers.
A new idea flicked into Spencer’s head. Maybe he could ask to see her outside of work. The idea was so startling that he jerked in surprise.
“Careful now,” Cressa soothed, without looking up.
“Sorry,” Spencer said.
Pulling out the last stitch, Cressa looked closely at the wound. Spencer bent forward also. A thin red line ran the length of his hand along the meaty part of his thumb. Cressa palpated the wound. The touch of her fingers sent a wave of pleasure through him. Other than Lyla, it had been so long since he’d enjoyed a woman’s touch on his skin. He fought the desire to return the act by caressing Cressa’s cheek as her small, graceful fingers gently massaged his hand.
“Everything feels good in there,” she said. “I don’t feel any knotted muscles or scar tissue, yet. You’ll want to keep the hand bandaged for another day or two and give it a gentle massage as often as you can. It’ll keep the scar tissue down while maintaining suppleness through the hand.”
Spencer nodded as she removed her fingers. He missed her touch immediately. “Is that everything?”
“Yep. I don’t see any reason you’d need to come back, unless something develops. But it shouldn’t. Everything looks good.” Cressa began picking up the tools.
Spencer hopped off the exam table. He wanted to rush to Cressa and pull her close so he could surround himself with the sweet smell of jasmine while the warmth of her body seeped into his. He refused to entertain that thought. She was a professional. He was a day laborer. What could he possibly be thinking?
He moved toward the door. “Well, doc, thanks for stitching me up.”
Cressa moved away from her medical tray and faced Spencer, taking his breath away with her direct gaze. Her jade-green eyes were framed in long brown lashes, penetrating him to his very soul. He wished to sit down again.
During this visit, he had longed for eye contact, and now that she had given it to him, he was at a loss.
He cleared his throat and looked away. She was his doctor. He was a patient. The rules of engagement were already determined. He placed his hand on the knob, but he couldn’t quite leave. “I guess I’ll see you next week?”
Cressa smiled at him, her eyes taking on the color of warm summer grass. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Could she mean she was excited to see him? His hopes climbed up the steep cliff of doubt. Just maybe … “Well, then …”
“Yes, until then,” Cressa said.
Spencer’s gaze lingered, and she held it without turning away. A scrape outside the door caught his attention, and the spell was over. With reluctance, he opened the door and headed down the hall.
Lindsey was on the phone. Relief spilled inside him. If Lindsey was occupied, maybe he could just sail by her with a wave, but as he was about to look away, she caught his eye, raising a finger. “Just a minute,” she mouthed.
Spencer’s heart sank. He didn’t have a long wait before Lindsey hung up.
“So, how is the hand?” she asked.
“Pretty good,” Spencer said as he moved his fingers and thumb while watching them work. “I just need to be careful for the next few days. Then I’ll be as good as new.” He faced Lindsey. “Need anything from me?”
She leaned forward and motioned Spencer to do the same. Placing his elbows on the counter, he bent toward Lindsey.
“Just a word of caution,” she said.
Spencer furrowed his brow. “Look, if this is about the bill, I can make payments.”
“No. I trust you for that.” Her eyes smiled as she beckoned him closer with her finger.
Thank goodness Lindsey understood his situation and knew him well enough to know he would never let a bill go unpaid. He held his breath as he leaned closer.
Spencer’s hope plummeted as he stepped back, but only for a second before anger laced his thoughts. He leaned in toward the small circle Lindsey had created for the two of them. “Let’s not forget that I owned a successful construction company before your sister took my daughter away from me,” he murmured. “And what makes you—”
“I know, Spencer,” Lindsey broke in, holding her hand up. “And it was the best thing for you to move up here. Everyone agrees. But I also know what interest in a woman looks like on you, and I’m just trying to spare you and Kimber any unnecessary heartache.” She smiled and moved back. “I’ll be sending you a copy of your bill, and you can pay monthly.”
Spencer blinked at her rapid change from personal to business and how easily she dismissed him. He stepped away and looked around the waiting room, grateful it was empty before making his way outside.
Sitting in his truck, he rubbed the wound in his hand. At least the physical cut was healing, but he couldn’t deny that another had just opened.
Nine
Cressa put on a pot of coffee before pulling out the pans to start breakfast. She was grateful that her work didn’t start until eight-thirty. It allowed her to get her parents settled without rushing, and now that she was to meet Spencer, she was especially glad for the extra time.
She heard his truck drive in. She smiled as a small flutter started in her heart and her thoughts roamed back to their last exchange in the urgent care office. At first, she’d tried to avoid his eyes, concentrating on his hand, her job of removing sutures, and Lindsey’s warning. But with the touch of his hand in hers, Lindsey’s words had retreated to a question that could be answered with time as she cautiously got to know him. Raising her face to his, she was once again awash in the ruggedness of him and his intriguing gaze.
Thinking back to that day, Cressa couldn’t remember the last time she felt such a rush of tender feeling. Her emotional well-being had been dead for so long, both the exquisite joy and searing pain of the moment shocked her. Connecting with Spencer through just that one look stole her breath, while also reminding her of everything that scared her.
Emotions were frightening things, and during her last few months in Salt Lake City, she’d found it easier not to feel. If she didn’t feel, she quit worrying about her patients and what would happen to them after she patched them up. When she didn’t feel, it was easier to forget how Owen stood up from their last real conversation and walked out of the brightly lit cafeteria and out of her life. It was better not to feel those things. But within seconds, Spencer’s presence tore a small hole through all of that well-laid logic, while at the same time, thoughts of Owen shrank to a pinpoint in her heart.
The cows began to moo as Spencer got them breakfast and checked their water. She looked out the window in the grayish-blue pearl of predawn as he took care of the animals. Had he eaten breakfast yet?
Pouring a mug full of coffee, she wrapped herself in her mother’s shawl, slid into her rubber boots at the door, and made her way to the gate, where Spencer was finishing up with the small herd.
She handed him the mug. “I thought you might need to warm up.”
Spencer gave her a generous smile that brought her heart into her throat. She smiled through it and took a sip from her mug, hoping to settle the fluttering feeling in her chest.
“Thanks,” Spencer said after taking a drink.
“I’m going to start some breakfast. Would you like some?”
Spencer shook his head. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble. I need to cook for my folks. Ham and eggs with toast sound okay?”
“Sounds delicious. I would really appreciate it.”
“It’ll be good for my folks to break bread with you, so they won’t be surprised when you stay.”
Several minutes later, when Cressa was settled at the table with her parents, she leaned toward Spencer. “We offer a prayer of thanks for our meals,” she said. “Are you comfortable with this?”
Spencer’s eyes widened for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah. It’s been a while, so thanks for asking.” After the morning prayer was said, everyone dug into their food.
Cressa listened while her father peppered Spencer with questions. She paid close attention to both his answers and the way he treated her dad. Spencer was attentive, thoughtful, and respectful as they discussed the tear-out of the bathroom.
When her mother chimed in with a question about his family, Spencer eagerly talked about Kimber.
“Oh, I hope we can meet your little one soon,” Janean said. “Our grandchildren live in Boston, and we miss them so much. Don’t we, Chris?”
“We sure do,” her father replied.
Concern wound its way through Cressa’s thoughts. Did she want Kimber here with Spencer? It spoke to a family intimacy she wasn’t sure she wanted to exist. But there was something else. Her mother had remembered that Janna was living in Boston. Something about Spencer’s presence invited her mother to remember.
Cressa didn’t fool herself. This could’ve happened on any random morning, and it sometimes did. And even if Spencer’s presence encouraged more lucidity from her mother, it wouldn’t last.
A deep well of cold sadness began to rise from Cressa’s belly, threatening to snuff out the dim flame of her soul. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her teeth and willed the sadness away. She didn’t have time for this. Her parents needed her to be strong and competent. “Well, I need to get to the office.” She stood and began gathering the empty plates from the table, quickly washing them and stacking them in the dishwasher.
Spencer came and stood beside her, holding his plate and coffee mug. The warm and cleansing scent of wild pine mixed with warm sage, overcoming her. She took a deep, intoxicating breath as the nearness of Spencer spun through herm awakening every cell.
“Thanks for breakfast,” he murmured.
Cressa’s heart fluttered, making it hard to speak. She nodded. “Yes, of course.” Her voice was soft.
“May I walk you to your car?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” She hoped she didn’t sound as if she was begging for his company.
Spencer followed her to the hall closet, where she placed her scarf around her neck. As she began to struggle into her coat, Spencer helped her, gently caressing her arm after she was finished. Even through several layers of fabric, the fire of his touch warmed her skin.
Once they reached her car, Spencer said, “Thanks again for breakfast.”
Cressa thrust her hands into her pockets as she resisted the urge to grab Spencer by his flannel shirt. “My pleasure,” she said. “You can plan on eating with us every morning, if you’d like.”
He grinned at her. “I’d appreciate that. Mornings at my place are a sad affair.”
“We can’t have that, now, can we?” Something about Spencer’s presence made Cressa want to smile every time she looked into his eyes.
“Is there anything you need me to do for your folks? Have they got lunch?”
She appreciated Spencer’s concerns. It was so nice to feel supported in her desire to take care of her parents. “I’ve made their lunch already,” she said. “It’s in the fridge, and Mom knows to get it out and heat it up when they’re ready to eat. She shouldn’t be working the stove, but she can run the microwave. I’ll make dinner when I get home.”
The silence between them grew heavy as light snow began falling in lazy patterns.
Cressa looked up in to Spencer’s warm brown eyes and felt him lean in. She met him part way and reached toward his face, gently pulling him into a kiss as a neglected and wild part of her soul overrode all challenges to rescind emotion. She felt the warmth of Spen
cer growing ever nearer, and her lips parted to receive his mouth on hers before a rush of noise caught her attention.
Andrew’s truck splattered through the muddy snow as he came to a stop in the drive. Spencer pulled away, leaving a vacuum of cold air rushing through Cressa.
Oh my gosh! What was she doing? Heated embarrassment flooded through her, making her welcome the slapping breeze. She stepped away and swallowed as she moved from Spencer.
“Andrew. Hello!” She studied Andrew’s expression as he got out of the truck. If her cousin had witnessed any affection between her and Spencer, his expression didn’t give him away.
He gave them both a friendly grin. “Are we ready?” he asked.
Cressa breathed with relief. In spite of the pinprick of embarrassment, Andrew’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time. He’d saved her from making a terrible mistake. Spencer worked for her. Their relationship couldn’t move past that reality, or it would become too complicated, and that was exactly what Cressa wished to avoid.
Without another look at Spencer, she moved toward Andrew’s truck. Spencer followed, and the three of them conferred about the work that was to be done that day. After the conversation, Cressa didn’t linger. Hurrying to her car, she put it in reverse and gave both men a bright smile and wave without seeing either one of them. Then she placed the car in gear and hurried out of the driveway.
Once on the road, she took several deep breaths and tried to focus on her upcoming day. The urgent care center was similar to the ER in that Cressa never knew what would walk through her door. She liked that uncertainty. It kept things interesting, and it was a thin and tenuous thread that kept her connected to Owen.
Sapphires And Sagebrush (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots) Page 6
