by Marin Thomas
Alonso stared at the man’s scratched face and the knot in his gut that he’d brought home from Afghanistan with him slowly loosened. It was a good feeling to know that Joseph wouldn’t waste his second chance. His gaze wandered around the room. The sparse rural clinic was nothing fancy or as exciting as the hustle and bustle of a hospital ER, yet what he’d done tonight in this small room was on par with what he did every day at the hospital.
Voices sounded in the hallway outside the door.
“Sounds like Sheriff Miller,” Doc said.
Knuckles rapped on the door and the sheriff stepped inside the room. “Joseph’s kids are here,” the sheriff said. “Can they see him?”
Before Doc answered, five youngsters pushed their way past the sheriff and entered the room. The eldest couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen.
“Be careful,” Doc said. “Don’t touch your papa. He’s sleeping.”
The littlest girl climbed into Doc’s lap and stared fearfully at her father. “It’s okay, Elsa.” Doc patted the girl’s back. “Your papa is going to be just fine.”
An older woman with a long gray braid falling down her back stepped into the room. As soon as she saw her son she began crying.
Hannah hovered in the hallway, staring helplessly at the sobbing family. The sheriff nudged Alonso in the arm. “Do you speak Spanish?”
Alonso’s gaze shifted between Doc, Markham, the sheriff and Hannah—none of them spoke Spanish. So Alonso told Joseph’s mother what had happened to him and that he’d be fine once he healed. Mrs. Rodriguez asked how soon he’d be able to return to work, and Alonso advised her that his arm would need to heal for several weeks. The news bought more tears to her eyes.
The sheriff offered to drive Joseph home in the morning, but when Alonso conveyed the message, the older woman asked if she and the children could stay the night at the clinic. Alonso translated their request and Doc agreed then sent the sheriff across the street to pick up snacks for the kids from the convenience store. There was never any mention of who would pay for what.
“Doc, where do you keep the extra blankets and pillows?” Hannah asked. “I’ll get them out for the kids.”
“The room at the end of the hall,” Doc said. “There’s a cot in there that I sleep on sometimes.”
“Is Joseph going to be okay?” Markham asked.
“He will, but he won’t be able to use his arm for a while.”
“I’ll find him something else to do until you give him the okay to go back to work.” Markham glanced at Alonso. “Maybe you can tell him that when he wakes up tomorrow.”
“I’ll call Alonso in the morning and have him speak to Joseph over the phone before he leaves the clinic.”
“Thanks, Doc.” Markham left through the back door.
There was no excuse for how the rancher had deceived and hurt Hannah, but at least he wasn’t a total ass if he was willing to give his employee a paycheck until the man could work cattle again.
“Would you like me to stay?” Alonso asked Doc.
“We’ll be fine,” Doc insisted. “Keep your phone by you tonight. I’ll call if I need you.”
Hannah appeared in the doorway with the bedding. “Tell the kids to come with me and we’ll make a fort.”
Alonso conveyed the message and the kids followed Hannah back to the front room. Alonso wrote his cell number on a prescription pad and left it on the counter, then went out to the waiting room, where Hannah and the kids were draping blankets over the chairs. The little ones crawled under the covers and Alonso told them to get some rest so their father could sleep, then he told Hannah he’d wait for her outside.
When Alonso left through the back door he noticed Markham’s truck still parked in the lot. The driver’s side door opened and Markham stepped out. “I’ve been waiting to have a word with you.”
This ought to be good. “Yeah, and what is that word?”
Markham glared. Too bad. Alonso had saved a life tonight—that entitled him to be sarcastic.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing with Hannah, but you’d better not hurt her.”
The rancher was one to talk.
“If you try anything with her, I’ll—”
Alonso grabbed Markham by his coat collar and shoved him against his truck. The rancher was a few inches taller, but Alonso had been in numerous scuffles during his life and he wasn’t intimidated. “What Hannah and I do is our business. Not yours. You had your chance with her and blew it.” He released the coat collar and stepped back.
Markham jabbed his finger at Alonso. “I’m watching you, Marquez.”
I’m shaking in my combat boots, buddy.
Markham got into his vehicle and sped off.
“Marlene’s bringing Doc and Joseph’s family supper, and she said she’d stay at the clinic and help watch the kids so Joseph’s mother can sit with Doc in the exam room.”
“Who’s Marlene?” Alonso held open the driver’s side door for Hannah.
“Doc’s wife.” Hannah slid behind the wheel and Alonso sat on the passenger side. She turned on the radio and neither of them spoke during the drive back to the ranch.
Alonso used the time to mull over the events of the past week. He was surprised that he’d felt the same sense of satisfaction at putting Mel’s dislocated shoulder back into place as he did suturing Joseph’s torn vein. He wondered if the good feeling inside him was a result of whom he’d helped. Mel and Joseph hadn’t just been names on a patient chart—they’d been real people. Good people. People family and friends depended on—not people who hurt others.
“I wonder if my Crock-Pot lasagna is still edible,” Hannah said when she parked in front of the house.
“I’m hungry enough to eat anything.” Alonso opened the door for Hannah. Once they stepped into the kitchen, she hugged him. “Doc said you were amazing and that you saved Joseph’s life.”
He relished Hannah’s hug, letting her warmth seep into his tired body.
“While you take a shower,” she said, “I’m going to salvage supper.”
Alonso used the shower in Luke’s bedroom and stood under the warm spray, letting the water ease the tension in his shoulders. During all the chaos tonight Hannah had remained calm and steady. She hadn’t swooned or panicked at the sight of Joseph’s bloody body. She’d make a great doctor’s wife.
After his shower he threw on a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt, then padded barefoot into the kitchen. Hannah stood at the sink shoving food down the garbage disposal. He peered over her shoulder. “That bad?”
She laughed. “That bad.” She rinsed out the sink, then shut off the water and dried her hands on a towel.
He should have thought to stop somewhere for fast food on the way home. “Do you have a backup plan?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She inched closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I thought we could feast on each other.”
He grinned. “I like this plan.”
She grabbed his hand and tugged him after her, hitting the light switch on the way out of the room. It took fifteen minutes to climb the stairs—too many stops to kiss and take off their clothes. By the time they tumbled onto Hannah’s bed, they were naked and starving.
Hours later, Alonso stared into the darkness, holding Hannah close. He’d never felt more at peace with himself than he did at this moment, and it wasn’t because he’d saved a man’s life tonight. This feeling of contentment had Hannah written all over it, and that scared him to death.
Chapter Eight
“Looks as if I arrived just in time,” Doc Snyder said when he stopped at the Blue Bison Thursday morning and caught Hannah and Alonso filling the backseat of her pickup with plastic food containers. For the past two days Hannah had been baking up a storm—all of Luke�
�s favorite cookies. Alonso got a kick out of how excited she was to visit her brother.
“We’re driving out to the boys’ ranch to spend Thanksgiving Day with Luke,” Hannah said. “What brings you all the way out here, Doc?”
“Thought I might have a word with Alonso.”
“Did something happen to Joseph?” Alonso had called the day following Joseph’s injury and Doc had assured him that there had been no complications.
“Joseph’s doing fine.” Doc motioned to the rockers on the porch. “Mind if I sit a spell?” He hobbled up the steps.
Hannah disappeared into the house and Alonso propped himself against the porch rail. “What can I do for you?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
Alonso noticed the way Doc rubbed his thigh. “What’s the matter with your leg?”
“You don’t miss a thing, do you?”
“Your limp is pretty obvious.”
“That’s why I’m here. I’ve got a proposition for you.”
A red flag went up inside Alonso’s head, but he held his tongue.
“I’ve been needing hip-replacement surgery for the past three years but there’s never been a good time.”
Alonso dropped his gaze. Damn. He knew what was coming next.
“I was hoping to have the surgery after Thanksgiving, but I need someone to fill in at the clinic for me.”
“I can’t.”
“You have a license to practice, don’t you?”
“I do, but the hospital in Albuquerque needs me back by December first.” He had three days left before he took off. He and Hannah hadn’t discussed his impending departure but it was there in every look and every touch they shared.
He was torn about leaving. He didn’t like to think of Hannah alone while Luke was at the boys’ ranch. There hadn’t been any more mischief but he worried about her safety. And if that wasn’t enough reason to call his boss and inform him that he couldn’t return just yet, then the fact that he didn’t want to go was. Alonso was starting to feel revived, and he attributed his improved attitude to plenty of fresh air and physical labor even though he suspected it had more to do with Hannah.
“I’d be happy to make a call to your boss and explain the situation. Maybe he’d be willing to let you stay.”
“I doubt your patients would appreciate an outsider evaluating their health.”
“A person in pain doesn’t care who helps them.”
Couldn’t Doc take no for an answer? “I’m a trauma surgeon. I don’t have experience with everyday medical ailments. You’d be better off finding a primary-care physician to take over your practice.”
Doc looked disappointed but he didn’t badger Alonso. He left his chair and limped down the steps. “Who’s doing your surgery?” Alonso asked.
“Edward Albertson. His practice is in Albuquerque.”
“Hope it goes well.”
Doc grumbled something unintelligible, then got into his truck and took off.
“What did he want?” Hannah asked when she stepped outside with more cookie containers.
He rushed over to help her. “Luke is going to get sick eating all these sweets.”
“He’ll share them with the other boys.”
Once they’d stacked the tubs in the backseat, Alonso said, “Doc needs someone to fill in for him while he recovers from his hip-replacement surgery.”
Hannah’s eyes lit up. “Are you going to help him?” Her excitement made Alonso feel like crap.
“I can’t. I leave in three days.”
Hannah forced a smile and tossed the keys to him. “You drive.” She secured her seat belt. “I’m excited to see Luke. He’s sounded so positive when we’ve talked on the phone.”
For Hannah’s sake, Alonso hoped Luke had turned a corner. He admired Hannah for not badgering him about his decision not to help Doc. He sensed she wanted him to stay as much as he wanted to stay but they both knew anything long-term was out of the question.
The drive to the ranch should have taken less than two hours but Hannah had needed to stop three times to use a gas-station bathroom. She’d mentioned having an upset stomach when she’d woken in the morning and had skipped breakfast, instead drinking two water bottles on the road. Alonso hoped she wasn’t coming down with a virus. Then again, if she was and he caught it, he’d have a valid reason for delaying his departure another week.
When they finally arrived at the entrance to the ranch, Alonso lowered his window and pushed the security button on the gatepost. “Alonso Marquez and Hannah Buck here to see Luke Buck.” The lens on the camera attached to the top of the gate swiveled toward them, then a moment later the gate swung open and he drove through.
“How can they afford all this?” Hannah pointed to the holiday plants and decorations adorning the entrance.
“Riley’s family makes their money breeding Kentucky Derby horses.”
“Wow.”
As soon as Alonso navigated the pickup around a curve in the road, the ranch buildings came into view. “There are a lot of people here,” she said.
Several vehicles sat parked in the yard and Hannah’s excitement grew. As soon as they got out of the pickup, Maria appeared on the porch and waved. Hannah met her at the bottom of the steps and the women hugged. “Thank you so much for inviting us to spend the day here.”
“Luke’s doing great. You’ll be thrilled with his attitude.” Maria smiled. “I promise.” She gave Alonso a hug. “Luke and the other boys are getting things ready for the rodeo this afternoon while José and the fathers are cooking the Thanksgiving dinner in the mess hall.”
“Guess I better roll up my sleeves then and start peeling a few potatoes.” Alonso walked off to join the men.
Maria took Hannah’s hand. “The men think us ladies are baking pies in the house.” She winked. “But I ordered all the pies from a bakery and had them delivered yesterday. We’re playing Bunco and drinking margaritas.”
Hannah laughed and followed Maria inside. “Is this the original ranch house on the property?” she asked when she entered the home and noticed the old wood floors.
“It is. Riley and I have spent a lot of money renovating the house. He wanted to tear it down and start over but I hate to destroy someone else’s memories, so we added on to the structure.”
They walked into a noisy kitchen with a huge farmhouse sink and plenty of counter space. “Ladies,” Maria said. “This is Luke’s sister. Hannah, this is Cruz Rivera’s wife, Sara. Cruz and Alonso were friends in high school. Sara’s father, José, is the ranch cook and Sara is a registered nurse. She runs our new health clinic.”
Hannah and Sara exchanged greetings. Then Maria introduced Hannah to the mothers of the boys and wives of the ranch hands before sticking a margarita glass in her hand. “Help yourself to any of the appetizers. Dinner won’t be served for a while yet.” Maria held the cheese-and-cracker tray in front of Hannah and she helped herself to a cracker.
“That’s all you’re going to eat?”
Hannah didn’t want to share that her stomach was upset, so she lied. “We stopped and grabbed a bite to eat on the way here.”
Conversation resumed among the ladies and Maria left the room to set up Bunco tables. “I’m so glad you and Alonso came today,” Sara said as she helped herself to a piece of cheese. “Alonso and Cruz were best friends growing up in the barrio.”
“Barrio?” How come Alonso hadn’t told her that?
“Cruz always believed Alonso would make it out and do something important with his life.”
“Alonso hasn’t talked much about his childhood.” Hannah flashed a smile. “We’re just friends.”
Sara’s gaze made Hannah uncomfortable. It was as if the woman sensed Hannah’s feelings for Alonso went deeper than friendship. “Cruz and I s
tarted out as friends, too.” She smiled. “How did you two meet?”
“I almost ran over him.” Sara’s eyes widened and Hannah laughed. “Luke and I were arguing and I took my eyes off the road for a minute and I didn’t see Alonso hitchhiking on the shoulder.”
“Hitchhiking?”
“He took a leave of absence from the university hospital in Albuquerque.”
“Alonso is staying at your place, then?”
“He’s been helping me with ranch chores, but he has to return to the city in a few days.” The end of the month was fast approaching, and Hannah tried not to think about how lonely she’d be once he left. “So how did you and Cruz meet?”
“My daughter, Dani, and I were visiting my father-in-law for the summer when Cruz walked into his restaurant in Papago Springs. Lord, he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen.” She fanned her face. “At the time I was trying to convince my father-in-law to move to Albuquerque and live with me and my daughter, but he was stubborn. Then Cruz asked about the help-wanted sign in the window and I hired him to fix up the property in hopes of convincing José to put it on the market. It didn’t take long for Dani or me to see that Cruz was a special man.”
“Did he win over your father-in-law?”
Sara laughed. “It took José a little longer to come around.” Her expression sobered. “Dani’s father had passed away a few years ago, but José was still having a difficult time letting go of his son.”
“I’m sorry about your husband.”
“Thanks. Fortunately Cruz came into our lives at the perfect time and helped us all move on.”
The love in Sara’s voice when she spoke of Cruz tugged at Hannah’s heartstrings. If she allowed the affection she already felt for Alonso to have free rein over her heart, it wouldn’t be difficult to fall all the way in love with him.
Hannah took a sip of her margarita—a drink she normally enjoyed—but the bitter taste made her stomach churn and she set the glass on the counter.
“What’s the matter?” Sara studied her face. “You’re perspiring.”
