by Tasha Jones
Dedicated
To All The Readers Who Are Making My Dreams Come True
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Copyright © 2015 Tasha Jones. All rights reserved. Including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author.
WARNING: This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. It may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults ONLY.
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Other Titles By Tasha (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
Saving The Cowboy
African Attraction
My Caring Cowboy
Books By Friends (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
Violet Jackson
The Nurse's Secret Love
Heart of Fire
Country Vibes
Doctor's Love
Falling For The Doctor
The Billionaire's Bodyguard
Jamaica, I Love You
City Vibes – Complete Series
About Tasha Jones
Hey,
I'm Tasha and thank you so much for taking the time to take a read through my book. I'm a young mother of one, with a loving husband, currently living in Jacksonville, and am a big reader. I've decided to turn my love for books into something more, and have started to passionately write more and more. I recently went on a trip to Africa with my fam, and got many ideas for stories on that trip. I also love traveling and cooking and hope it shows in my writing. I really hope you enjoy my writing and I can bring just a tiny bit of joy into your day.
Thanks,
Tasha
About This Book
Malia was heartbroken and decided to run...
After finding the love of her life, our heroine Malia thought she would be set for life. But when she caught her love cheating on her, the world around her started crashing down.
Broken, and at a new low she decided she needed a change, planned to get away from everything she knew and made her way to the farthest part of the country possible. A small town in Alaska.
As a caring doctor, Malia was met with open arms in Alaska as the new physician in a small town of only a few thousand. She loved her new life as it was a big change to the city life and allowed her time to heal and get it together emotionally.
But when one day she is hit by a truck her life turns upside down all over again. She blacks out, but when she regains consciousness she realizes the person that hit her was a local rancher who's father she had been treating. He was rugged, handsome and one of the most sought after bachelors in town.
Something inside Malia told her that this encounter was fate, but had she healed enough to let another man back into her life?
This hot and steamy BWWM romance is for adult audiences 18+ only
Chapter 1
I didn’t think I would ever get used to the weather or abundant darkness in Alaska. Growing up in Florida, there was always plenty of sunshine and warmth, even in the winter months. Here it felt like perpetual winter, and my body and spirit missed the warm days. Luckily, the days filled with more sunlight were upon us, and I was hoping it would breathe some new life into me.
My life and career took me on a path I never imagined when I ended up near Fairbanks, Alaska in a small town full of farmers and ranchers. I grew up next to the ocean in a condo, surrounded by tall buildings and bustling crowds. Here everyone moved at their own pace, which to me seemed like slow and stop.
I answered the call for a small-town family physician about six months ago, feeling like I desperately needed to get away. The big hospital where I worked in the ER was a constant frenzy of drama and trauma, which included the patients and the staff. My three-year relationship with Darren, a physician’s assistant, ended abruptly when I found him with his scrubs around his ankles with an intern wrapped around him. I cried for two weeks straight, and then decided the best thing for me to do was get away. The humiliation of having to work with Darren and his new conquest every day was getting in the way of my work, so I went on some job sites and found this position in a town of about 1,000 people. I would be the one and only doctor, and the nearest hospital was about 45 minutes away.
I couldn’t complain about how wonderful the people had been to me since my arrival. They had gone without an actual doctor for over a year, relying heavily on the nursing staff to get the treatment they needed. They gave me a house to live in, and my practice was located in a beautiful old home. Baked goods were dropped off on a daily basis, and I never paid for coffee at Mick’s Diner on my way to the office. It was obvious that I filled a very big void, and I was happy to do it.
However, that didn’t mean that my new life was perfect. I still missed Darren terribly and wondered if I should have given him another chance. Did I do something to push him away? Maybe I went to work on one too many days without makeup and with my hair a mess. Maybe I didn’t show him enough love and attention. My confidence was shot, and I spent most nights locked up in my house like a spinster with my cat, Einstein. We watched a lot of Netflix, going back and forth between tear-jerker love stories and hard core action movies, depending on my mood. Luckily, I turned to the treadmill instead of ice cream when the nights got too hard.
It was just getting light out when I finished up my early morning run through the streets of the small town. I caught a glimpse of my caramel skin in one of the store windows and knew that I looked like a sweaty mess. My old college sweatshirt hung off of one shoulder and pieces of my untamed hair stuck to my forehead. The streets were just starting to fill with people, and the smells from the diner made my stomach growl. In this moment, I was reminded again of the city.
Lost in my own day dream, I didn’t bother to look before I crossed the road. The sound of a horn woke me from my daydream, and I fell forward onto the pavement as the front bumper of a truck grazed the back of my left calf. I felt sharp pain in both my knees as they hit the pavement, and my reaction time was too slow to prevent my head from hitting the ground. I heard footsteps coming toward me, and a male voice was calling out for help.
I opened my eyes slowly and tried to sit up, but everything was fuzzy, so I lay back down on the hard, cold ground. The pain in my forehead and knees became more intense, and when I reached up to brush my hair out of my eyes, my hand was covered in blood. Suddenly I felt a hand on my arm and warm breath near my face.
Chapter 2
“Dr. Burke, are you okay? You just ran right out in front of my truck! I called for help. Shit, you’re covered in blood!” I tried to make out who was talking to me, but my vision wasn’t quite normal yet.
“I’m okay. Just a little banged up. I was daydreaming. Let me just stand up, and I’ll head home.” I sat back up and tried to steady myself. I felt okay in the sitting position, so I tried to stand up, but as soon I planted my feet, I went flying backward. This time I didn’t hit the ground because a pair of st
rong arms caught me and placed me gently back on the ground with something soft and flannel under my head.
“You’re far from ok, Doc. You have a nasty cut on your head and both knees are scratched up. We need to get you to your office.” After another minute or so lying on the ground, a few more people arrived. My vision began to focus, and I finally recognized the man who hit me as Eric Langdon. He was a local rancher who was taking over the family business from his father. The only time he ever came into my office was when he brought his father for checkups on his broken leg about three months before. Eric was always polite, but he wasn’t much of a talker.
What he lacked in words, he made up for in looks. He was well over 6 feet tall with dark brown hair and light green eyes. He always wore snug-fitting jeans and button-down shirts in various plaid patterns. Today the blue and green in the shirt made his eyes exceptionally bright, and they were wide with panic and concern.
Without warning, Eric swooped in and lifted me off the ground in one swift motion. I could feel the muscles in his arms flexing beneath my weight as he walked toward the open door of his huge Ford truck. He set me inside gently, and closed the door. Within seconds, he was behind the wheel, maneuvering us the short distance to my office.
He parked his truck half on the sidewalk and half on the street and came to my door once again. I tried to protest.
“I am perfectly capable of walking, Eric. I’m really just fine. Now just let me-" I started to climb out on my own, and everything went black.
***
When I came to, I was in one of my own exam rooms lying on a table. The nurse practitioner who worked closely with me every day stood over me. It took me a minute to find my words. My mouth was dry, and my head hurt like crazy.
“Jenna? What happened?” She smiled at me warmly for a second, then her look changed to one of concern.
“You almost got yourself killed on your morning run. You stepped right out in front of Eric Langdon’s truck! He said he grazed you, but the pavement still got the best of you.” She smiled a little bit in spite of herself, but I couldn’t be mad. Jenna had become my closest friend in town, and I probably would have laughed at her, too.
“Now I remember. I was daydreaming, and the next thing I knew, I was bloodied up and half conscious in the middle of the road. Then Eric brought me here, and I told him I could come in on my own.”
“Yeah, well he won that argument when you passed out and he carried you in. What a sight! You out cold, all bloody and sweaty in the arms of the hottest bachelor in town. He looked like he was ready to cry!”
“Poor guy! It was completely my fault. I stepped off the curb without a glance. For someone with a medical degree, I can be such an airhead sometimes. What’s the damage, Jen?”
“Well, you have a huge lump and a cut over your left eye. I had to put in five stitches. Both of your knees are scraped and bruised, and it looks like you have a severe sprain in your right ankle. You’re going to be on crutches for a bit.”
“Shit! I really messed up! I can’t let all of my patients down. Help me get out of this bed so I can get to work. People must be furious about the wait.” I tried to get up and the room spun out of control. My whole body felt like it was on fire.
“Nice try, Malia. For once, you’re going to have to listen to me and stop being stubborn. You need to go home and rest for at least a couple of days. If I really need you, I will e-mail or call for your opinion. I can also call the on-call docs in Fairbanks. You are no good to anyone in this town in the condition you’re in. I called in some prescriptions for you, and they will deliver them to your house shortly. Mrs. Daly is already coordinating your meals for the rest of the week. People will be checking in with you throughout the day to make sure you are okay. And don’t even try to argue. You’ve only been here for six months, but you know everyone in this town was dying for a chance to take care of you the way you’ve taken care of them.”
“I know, but I don’t think I can handle being away from the office!”
“You can, and you will. I’m going to get you into a wheelchair, and I have a ride waiting for you out front. You will go home and either get in your bed or on the couch. The more rest you get, the quicker you can get back to your patients!”
I grumbled under my breath, but I knew she was right. Every inch of my body hurt, and I was already dreading the journey from the bed to the wheelchair. When Jenna wheeled it in and helped me into the seat, tears stung my eyes. All I wanted was to lay back down and go to sleep. On my way to the chair, I caught a glimpse of my swollen face and the bruising that was beginning to become obvious on my dark skin. My kinky curls had escaped from my ponytail and were sticking out wildly from my head. I looked like a tornado had sucked me up and spit me out after a five-mile joyride.
When we reached the front of the building, I was shocked to see Eric Langdon leaning against his truck, speaking in a quiet voice on his cell phone. When he saw me, he immediately ended the call and rushed over to where Jenna and I were.
“She’s all set, Eric. Make sure she gets home and gets right on the couch or in bed. She can be a stubborn pain in the ass, so don’t let her try to convince you that she needs to do anything but rest.” When I realized that Eric was my ride home, I felt a mix of excitement and embarrassment. Here he was looking drop-dead gorgeous, and I looked like the aftermath of a particularly gory horror film. He had done enough by getting me some help, and I’m sure I had caused him enough grief by scaring him half to death by running in front of his truck.
“I’m so glad you’re all right, Doc. I would have never forgiven myself if something happened to you. You are the best thing that has happened to this town in a long time. Let’s get you home to bed.” I might have been under the weather, but hearing Eric mention getting me to bed made me a little bit weaker in the knees. After giving Eric instructions about what I would need, Jenna went back inside the office to handle the patient load for the day. Eric got behind me and pushed the wheelchair to the passenger side of his truck.
“I’m gonna need you to wrap your arms around my neck, Doc. I’m gonna try not to hurt you and get you up in the truck as quickly as I can. Ready?”
I nodded in his direction as I tried not to stare at those pretty green eyes. He was so close that I could see tiny flecks of yellow in them. I locked my fingers behind his thick neck and braced myself as he lifted me with very little effort. Despite the intense pain, I was sad that it only took him seconds to lift me into the truck and put my seat belt around me. He smelled like soap and fresh air, and I wanted to get closer.
“I’ll have you home in just a minute, Doc. I’ll try to take it slow, but I’m afraid that riding in the truck is always a little bit bumpy.” He gave me a dazzling smile, and I had to remind my mouth to smile back. Bumping my head had apparently turned me into a hormonal teenager instead of the sophisticated woman in her late 20s who went out for a run earlier that morning. I was a city girl at heart. What could I possibly see in a man like Eric who was born and raised on a ranch and would live the rest of his life there?
I only lived a couple of blocks from the office, so Eric maneuvered his truck into my driveway behind my small SUV within minutes. I reached for the door handle, but he was already out and standing at my side before I could make a move. He held out his arms, and I half-fell into them. He carried me with such little effort, and I could tell his years of hard work had built his strength up. I fought the urge to rest my head on his shoulder and kept it up.
“The key is under the little frog statue over there. I can get down now.” He set me down gently on chair on my porch and grabbed the key. I hoped I hadn’t left the house a mess when I left early that morning. Once he got the door open, I tried to stand up, but he just swooped me right back up into his arms.
“What’ll it be, the bed or the couch?” I blushed when he mentioned my bed yet again and opted for the couch since it sounded like I would be having visitors. He set me down like I was a precious gem and f
ound a blanket to cover me with. Then he proceeded to get me the TV remote, a bottle of water, some crackers, and my cell phone.
“Thank you, Eric. You really don’t have to go to so much trouble. I’m the one who owes you. I’m so sorry for walking out in front of you.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about, Doc. I’m just glad you’re okay. I have to get back to the ranch. I find that things don’t get done if I’m gone too long. Jenna programmed my number into your phone, so if you need something, please don’t hesitate to call or text. I’m just a short truck ride away.” He gave me a smile that set a little fire deep in my belly despite the fact that I felt like shit. How a man as gorgeous and sweet as Eric was still single was a mystery. But I knew better than to let my mind or my heart go much farther. I didn’t need the drama or the hurt of another man.
Within minutes he was gone, and I switched on the TV for some background noise. My eyelids felt heavy, and I had to prop my very swollen ankle on a pillow. Mrs. Daly came by not long after that with a sandwich and my prescriptions. After she watched me eat and made sure I took my pills, I was alone again and I fell into another deep sleep, picturing the green eyes and easy smile of a man who could never be mine.
Chapter 3
I woke up from a dream where I was horseback riding with Eric around his ranch. The sun was shining, and his smile was just as bright. He held my hand, and helped me down from my horse. Just as he was brushing my hair off my face and leaning in, a nearby voice pulled me back to reality.
“Malia. Wake up. Time for some dinner and pain medicine.” I recognized the voice. When I finally pried my eyes open, Jenna was sitting on my coffee table smiling down at me.
“Hey. What time is it?”
“It’s about 6:30. How are you feeling?”
