by Leann Harris
The shock and sensual thrill that raced through Alex caused her jaw to go slack. Derek’s eyes danced in amusement as he surveyed her from her disheveled hair to the bottom of the running shoes she’d had on for the past twenty-four hours.
His mouth curved into a devastating smile. “How did you sleep?” he asked.
Alex’s brain was only operating on forty-percent capacity, and she wasn’t up to witty repartee at this time of the morning. Still, he’d asked a civil question.
“Fine,” she mumbled, keeping her head down for fear of breathing in his face. Her gaze swept over the sculptured planes of his chest. It was tanned, smooth, with the muscles of his abdomen well defined. When she realized that she was staring, she jerked her gaze to his face.
“Are you one of those persons who needs coffee in the morning before they can talk?” He sounded as if he was enjoying himself.
She really didn’t need this. It would be easier to deal with Derek’s masculine appeal after she had a shower and brushed her teeth. She motioned to the bathroom behind him. “Are you finished?” she asked through stiff lips.
“Yes.” He stepped aside. “By the time you’re done, Sarah and I should have breakfast ready.”
She nodded, then slipped past him and closed the door behind her.
For Derek, it had been quite a shock to open the bathroom door and find the good doctor standing there. With her mussed hair and sleepy-eyed look, she was like a dream come true. Luckily, when she opened her mouth, the image evaporated and her grumpy disposition became evident. At that point, the temptation to tease her had overwhelmed him.
As Derek pulled a clean uniform shirt from his closet he warned himself not to get involved with this woman. She was here temporarily, until her car was fixed. Besides, he wasn’t looking for another long-term relationship with a woman, not after the ugly divorce he’d been through.
When he entered the kitchen, Sarah had the pancake batter ready.
“Good morning,” Sarah greeted him cheerfully. “Is Alex up?”
“She’s getting ready in the bathroom. She should be here in a few minutes.”
“Oh.” Sarah poured the orange juice into the glasses and sat down. “I think she’s real pretty.”
Derek paused with a ladle of batter poised over the hot skillet. “Who?”
Sarah gave him an exasperated sigh. “Dr. Alex. Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
“I suppose,” he muttered as he finished pouring batter.
“Really, Dad.”
“Why don’t you get the butter and syrup,” he said, trying to get her off the subject of his fantasies.
“Sure.”
By the time he’d finished fixing the second stack of pancakes, Alex showed up.
“Good morning,” she greeted everyone in a much more approachable voice than she’d used with him earlier. “Am I too late to be fed?” Her stomach rumbled and she blushed.
“Nope,” Derek replied. “Take this stack of pancakes and I’ll make another.”
“Thanks.”
Alex sat next to Sarah. “I’ll bet these pancakes are as good as they smell.” As Alex buttered her stack, she glanced at Sarah several times but said nothing. After she took a bite, she moaned in delight. “These are wonderful, Derek.”
“The credit belongs to Sarah. She made the batter from scratch.”
“My compliments, Sarah. Personally, all I can cook is microwave stuff.”
The girl laughed. “Yeah, that’s Dad’s specialty, too.”
Alex took another bite and the flavor of banana melted in her mouth. “Banana pancakes?”
Sarah nodded.
“I never would’ve thought to put bananas in pancake batter.”
“That was Sarah’s idea,” Derek offered, pride ringing in his voice. “She came up with the idea one morning when we ran out of blueberries. My daughter is one smart girl.”
Sarah glowed under her father’s praise, and it was obvious that the deputy loved her.
The breakfast conversation passed pleasantly. As they lingered over juice and coffee, the telephone rang. Derek answered it.
“Good morning, Norma. Yeah, the doctor’s here. You want to speak to her?” Derek held out the receiver to Alex.
Alex took the white handpiece and lifted it to her ear. Norma’s call had brought back into focus the crisis the town might be facing. “How are you feeling this morning, Norma?”
“I had a bad night, Doc. I was wondering if you got the test yesterday?”
“Yes, Deputy Grey and I did. Why don’t I meet you at the clinic in five minutes? Can you do that?”
“I can. I’ll see you there.”
The instant she hung up, Derek asked, “Would you like for me to drive you?”
“No. I’ll walk. Breakfast was wonderful.”
As Alex walked to the clinic she prayed that this time she’d missed the diagnosis and it wasn’t TB.
* * *
Derek drove his Jeep the one block from his house to the sheriff’s office. As he parked the vehicle, he saw the school bus waiting in front of the feed store.
“You better hurry,” Derek told his daughter.
Sarah grabbed her backpack and started to open the door.
“Don’t I get a kiss?” he asked.
Sarah leaned over and brushed a kiss across his cheek. “Bye.” She slammed the door and hurried toward the bus.
After waving goodbye, Derek walked down the street to the clinic. Inside, he found Alex sitting behind Doc Talbot’s desk. From the way she was slumped in the chair, he knew she was worried.
“Have you finished your test on Norma?” he asked, coming into the room.
The weight of the world seemed to rest on her slender shoulders. “Yes.”
“And you’re still convinced she has TB?”
She didn’t answer verbally, but what she felt was reflected in her eyes.
“Is that why you look so down in the mouth?”
“I look that bad?”
“C’mon, Doc. You’re a beautiful woman, but you got that look that says you’re not happy.”
“And since when are you an expert on a woman’s expression?”
“That one I know well. My ex-wife flashed me that look so many times, I know all its shades. Now, what are you not telling me?”
She pursed her lips and moved them from side to side, then heaved a sigh. “Norma’s very upset. She’s afraid she’s infected everyone in town.”
“And I suppose you told her not to borrow trouble.”
Alex’s eyes went wide.
“It’s your trademark line.”
She stood. “Well, it’s true. Tomorrow has enough trouble of its own. We need to deal with today’s.” She started toward the door.
“Where you going?”
Her footsteps halted. She didn’t look back at him. “I don’t know. Maybe I can find a good book over at the feed store.”
Laughter rumbled in Derek’s chest. “All you’re going to find at Fred’s store is a copy of a hardware catalog and the latest edition of Cattle and Feed magazine.”
She whirled. “Do you have a better suggestion on how to while away my day? There aren’t a lot of options open to me.” Her blue eyes turned an intriguing color of indigo when she was mad.
“Yeah, I do. I thought you might like to go out to my ranch and spend some time. I know I promised you that yesterday.”
“I thought you said it was your family’s ranch.”
“It is. My younger brother and I are fifty-fifty owners. Because of my job with the sheriff’s department, Todd runs the ranch and takes care of things. So, are you game, or do you want to try the feed store?”
She leaned against the doorframe. “Are you going to let me go horseback riding?”
“Sure.” He walked toward her. “I’ll even let you chase cattle if you want.”
“I’ll pass on the steer chasing, but I’ll hold you to the promise of a ride.”
Derek settled his Stets
on on his head. “Anything your heart desires, Doc. You got it.”
“What I want, Deputy, is my car repaired.”
“Sorry, ma’am, that’s one miracle that’s out of my control. But anything else you want, just let me know.”
She gave him a speculative look that gave him a chill up his spine. He just might have opened himself up to more trouble than he could handle.
Chapter 5
The first sight of the sprawling stone ranch house brought a painful little twist to Alex’s heart. As Derek’s Jeep sped over the unpaved road Alex wondered why her heart reacted in such a manner. This area of west Texas didn’t resemble Midland. Here there were mountains and hills, whereas the place she’d grown up was endless flatlands. So why did this place feel familiar, as if she was coming home after a long absence?
Fatigue, she told herself. She was tired, that’s all.
“My great-grandfather built the original structure some hundred and twenty years ago. Since then, each generation has added something to it, if only electricity and running water.”
“Those are big improvements,” she said with heartfelt earnestness, having lived without such basic benefits for a prolonged time this past year.
He laughed. “You can’t tell me your daddy doesn’t have those amenities in his house.”
“You’re right, but I haven’t lived with my father for a long time.”
Derek’s gaze traveled over her face and Alex felt the heat and interest in his eyes. “You make it sound as if you’re ancient. From what I can see, you’re in the prime of your life.”
She wished she felt in her prime, but inside she felt old and tired. “Looks can be deceiving.”
He frowned and Alex turned away from his penetrating stare.
“I don’t know if anyone will see us coming,” Derek said as he turned the Jeep onto the pebbled driveway. “I tried calling before we left, but I didn’t get anyone. My brother and his wife are probably off working somewhere on the ranch.”
He stopped the Jeep before the front door. “Anyone home?” he called as he got out and walked around the front of the vehicle. “Cathy, Todd, you here?”
Derek opened the passenger door and helped Alex out.
A tall man emerged from a side building Alex guessed to be the barn. At the same time a petite woman opened the front door.
“Derek, what are you doing here, yelling your head off?” asked the man striding toward them. The closer he got, the more obvious it became that he was Derek’s brother. As tall as Derek, he had brown hair a little darker than his brother’s, but his grin was just as sexy as the deputy’s.
Ignoring Todd, Derek turned to the woman, giving her a big hug. “Hello, Cathy, you’re looking as pretty as ever.”
The young woman smiled, her eyes lighting with delight. “Thanks, you silver-tongued devil.”
Todd joined his wife. Derek grabbed Alex’s hand, brought her to his side and made the introductions.
After exchanging pleasantries, Todd asked, “So what are you doing out here in the middle of the week?”
Cathy elbowed her husband. “Mind your manners, Todd Grey. Ask them inside for coffee before you start grilling them.”
Todd shrugged.
“Alex, would you like a cup of coffee and a slice of some bread fresh out of the oven?” Cathy asked, ignoring both of the men.
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Good.” Cathy motioned for Alex to go with her. The men exchanged a look and followed.
The inside of the house was a cozy mixture of well-worn leather furniture and carefully cared-for antique wooden pieces. A Remington bronze of a cowboy on his horse sat on a side table. Warm colors and Western art decorated the living room. In front of the massive stone fireplace was a braided rag rug. An image of Derek and Todd as children popped into Alex’s head, and she could almost hear them laughing and running through this house. As she walked along, she wondered if Derek had any other brothers or sisters.
The bright, modern kitchen was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked bread. Todd poured coffee into mugs while Cathy cut slices of the bread.
When Todd placed a mug in front of Alex, Derek asked, “You sure you want coffee? I thought caffeine bothered you.”
“She doesn’t like coffee?” Cathy asked. “I’ve got regular tea and even some herbal tea.”
Last night’s conversation with Derek came to mind. Alex glanced at him and saw he was remembering it, too. Apparently Derek’s sister-in-law had more diverse tastes than he did. “Coffee is fine.”
“Are you sure?” Cathy asked. “Making you some tea would be no problem.”
“I’m sure.”
After everyone was seated, Todd repeated his earlier question. “So, why are you here?”
“A couple of reasons,” Derek answered. “First, I came out to talk to you about what I learned last night from the sheriff. DEA thinks there’s a smuggling ring operating in this part of the county. They’ve spotted a low-flying plane entering and leaving this area, but they lose the plane right around Split-Tree Rock.” He took a sip of his coffee.
“What? You mean someone is smuggling drugs close to our ranch?”
“At this point, we don’t know,” Derek answered. “The DEA wants to use the ranch as a base of operations to search for a landing strip. I told Wes that I had to check with you two since you are the ones who would have to put up with the agents. Do you have any objections?”
“Damn,” Todd said, rubbing his forehead. “I knew something was wrong.”
“What are you talking about?” Derek demanded.
“During the past month I’ve heard a plane a couple of times late at night. Once, the noise woke me up. I told myself that it was nothing. You know how sound travels out here. I convinced myself it was air traffic going into El Paso. But I should’ve known better, as crazy as the world is these days.”
“Why didn’t you mention it to me? You know, Todd, that is part of my job.”
The younger man shrugged. “I guess I just didn’t want it to be true. I keep hoping that things will be like they were when we were kids.”
Alex saw regret at the passing of a simpler time on the faces gathered around the table. She could share their sadness. Somehow in the past few years it seemed as if everyone had gone crazy and there were no sane folks left in this world.
“Is it all right if the DEA guys set up shop here?” Derek turned to Cathy. “Can you put up with them roaming through your house? They’re on their way right now, but I can send them back if it’s a problem.”
“It’s fine,” Cathy replied. “Anything we can do to help, we’ll do.”
Todd’s expression darkened. “Do you think any of our neighbors are involved with this smuggling?”
The ugly prospect hung like a pall in the room. “I can’t say for sure that this is a smuggling case.”
“Then why’s someone flying into this part of the county?” Todd asked.
There was no reasonable explanation except smuggling activity. Derek lifted his mug to his lips and found it dry. “Could I have a refill?”
Todd retrieved the coffeepot and poured Derek more coffee. “You said there were two reasons you came out here today. What’s the second?”
“Alexandra. She’s stuck in Saddle for a couple of days and I thought she would enjoy spending some of her time out here. There’s not a lot to do in town, if you’re not a rancher or picking up your mail.”
At the mention of mail, Alex wondered if Derek would tell his brother about the possibility of Norma having TB. Alex hoped he wouldn’t. She didn’t see the point of worrying anyone needlessly until they got the test results.
“You going to have her out checking steers?” Todd questioned, his tone dry. “Or better yet, the vet from Marfa hasn’t been here this week. Maybe I could consult with her about that sick cow I have.”
Derek’s eyes narrowed. “I brought her out here, little brother, so she wouldn’t have to doctor every
one in town.”
Alex couldn’t help grinning. “I limit my practice to patients with two legs. And if they have a tail, well, that’s definitely out of my league.”
Before the brothers could exchange any more quips, they heard a car drive up out front. Derek stood and walked to the window.
“It looks like the DEA guys are here.” Derek turned to Alex. “As soon as I’m done with these guys, I promise we’ll go out riding.”
“I’ll be here.”
Oddly enough, she was looking forward to riding with him. The question that worried her was why?
* * *
The familiar smells of the barn—the hay, the warm horseflesh, the manure—reached across the years and touched Alex’s soul with warmth. When she was growing up, her father had kept horses for her and her sisters to ride. Alex had loved her quarter horse and they had won several ribbons in cutting competition. Once she’d gone away to college, then medical school, there had never been any time for this passion. It had fallen by the wayside, like so many other things in her life. After her youngest sister’s accident, medicine had been the end-all and be-all of Alex’s life.
A meow of a cat caught her attention. “Here, kitty,” she called softly. “Here, kitty, kitty.”
Searching the soft shadows of the barn, Alex tried to find the source of the meowing.
She was drawn to an empty stall. A large tabby cat was curled in the clean hay. “Hello,” she said, walking into the stall. “You’re a fat, contented fellow, aren’t you?”
“That he is.” Derek’s voice came from behind her. “Charlie, there, is one spoiled cat.”
She turned to him. “Is everything worked out with the DEA agents?”
“Yeah, they’re setting up.” From his tone and manner, Alex wondered what problems had occurred. He seemed to shake himself out of his dark thoughts and smiled at her. That smile of his always managed to make her heart skip a beat. “You ready for that ride?”
“Yes.”
Derek picked out two mounts and saddled them. Together he and Alex rode west into the rising hills. The tall mountains in the distance were beautiful, white peaks against the deep blue sky.
