“My bedroom is across the way.” She pointed to a door but didn’t stop. “The bath is back here.”
It was a small room with all the basics. The large two-person claw-foot tub was the showpiece of the room. What he wouldn’t give to share that with her. Stop those thoughts. You made a promise. “Nice tub.”
“Yep. The shower is out back.” She remarked it as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking and wanted to remind him of his place.
“Got ya. You said you had a few things to do. How can I help?” He moved to a window to look out. There were two outbuildings behind the house.
“I didn’t bring you out here to put you to work.” She fussed with a towel near the sink.
He met her gaze. “Why did you bring me?”
She shrugged. “You sounded desperate to get out and I happened to be coming here. I thought you could rest and see something different than the four walls of your living room. It’s also a good idea for someone to keep an eye on you for another day and make sure you’ve fully recovered.”
Matt put his hands in his back pockets and gave her a quizzical look. “Are you sure those are your only reasons?”
Shay turned away. “Yes, that’s it. You don’t believe me?”
Matt grinned. He made her nervous. She wasn’t as unaffected by him as she acted yet she made sure she held him at arm’s length. “Unfortunately, I do. Now tell me what you want done.”
Shay looked as if she wanted to say more, but she didn’t. “I need the yard mowed.”
He winced and looked down at his legs. “I’ll take care of it with my new knowledge in hand. I know how to stay out of the ants’ way now. Where’s the mower?”
“It’s in the smokehouse. The larger building out back.” She pointed out the back door. “If your legs start bothering you, stop.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
Matt had the yard half-finished when he pulled off his shirt and wiped his face with it, then slung it over the wooden fence. He had made a few passes around the yard and he’d looked over to see Shay outside beside the window she’d been repairing. Instead of working on it she stood with a screwdriver in hand watching him. He waved and she quickly turned away.
Exactly why had Shay brought him here? He wasn’t her type. She wanted hearth and home while he was all about ambition and work. How could they ever find common ground?
* * *
Shay gulped. Matt had removed his shirt. She couldn’t help but stare. The last time she acted this muddleheaded about a man with a bare sweaty chest she’d been a teen. Actually, it hadn’t been this bad when she’d been high school crazy about her eventual husband. Where Matt was concerned, she’d lost her sense of perspective.
He smiled at her on his next round.
She pursed her lips and turned her attention to the window. The worst part was that he recognized her desire. After giving him time to make a turn so his back was to her, she looked at him again. He stayed fit. That she would give him. Shay went back to scraping the window seal. With little enthusiasm, she planned to paint before he turned to come back her way. She refused to be caught ogling him.
By the time he had finished cutting the grass, she had gone inside to prepare their evening meal. At the slam of the car door, she guessed Matt had gone after his bag. Not long after the shower started running. That only added to her agitated nerves. The thought of naked Matt standing under the water had her hands shaking.
Subconsciously, had she had an ulterior motive for bringing Matt to her hideout? Was she that desperate? How pitiful. Especially after she’d told him to keep his distance. Why couldn’t she just admit she was attracted to him? That she’d liked having his attention even for a little while.
“Hey.”
She jumped at the sound of Matt’s voice. Had what she’d been thinking been written all over her face? He’d changed into a T-shirt and jeans, but his feet remained bare. His hair stood out, messy and damp. Sexy would be how she’d describe him, if asked. “Hi.”
“What’re you up to?”
“I’m preparing our supper.” She held a bowl in her hand.
He leaned against the door casing as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Like he spent every weekend at a woman’s home. “You’ve done enough for me already. I should take you out to dinner.”
“No way. Coming out here is about getting away.” She forced her hands not to tremble.
“Okay. I can live with the rules.” He stepped farther into the kitchen.
“I thought if you didn’t mind, we’d have a picnic. The weather’s great.” She pulled the large hamper off a shelf and placed it on the table.
“That sounds nice. What can I do to help?” He came close enough she could smell the soap she’d left in the shower rack. He wore it well.
“We need a quilt. There’s one in the bottom drawer of the chest in your room. If you would get it.” She put the bowl on the counter. It rattled to a stop.
“I’m on it. By the way, I brought your bag in and set it by your door.”
“Thanks.” As he left she called after him, “You might want to bring a jacket or sweatshirt if you have one.”
By the time Matt returned, she had the hamper and small cooler ready to go. He’d put on tennis shoes and had a sweatshirt in hand. “What do I need to carry?”
“If you can get the cooler off the counter, I think we’ll be ready.” She picked up the hamper.
“Where’re we having this picnic?”
“There’s a nice spot down by the river. While we’re there I need to check on a dying tree my neighbor told me about.”
“Dying tree? I’ve never had to check on one of those before. Shay, you do have fascinating ways of entertaining a man.” His heated gaze locked with hers.
Her heart pumped faster. “Come on, we need to load the four-wheeler. It’s in the shed.”
“Now that sounds like fun.”
“Have you ever ridden on one?” She led him to a small shed and unlocked it.
“Nope. But I’ve always wanted to.”
She set the hamper on the ground beside Matt’s feet. “I’ll back out then we can load the food.”
When she had the four-wheeler out, they strapped the containers on a rack behind the seat. Shay climbed on and Matt got on behind her. She put the machine in gear, and they headed down a path she used to the river. She hadn’t anticipated how intimate it would be to ride with Matt’s thighs pressed against hers or his hands at her waist.
A couple of times she stopped for large limbs that had fallen in the path. Matt quickly climbed off and removed them. The nicest thing about him was that she didn’t have to ask him to help. He knew what needed doing and did it. She’d forgotten what it was like to have someone as a partner.
He asked close to her ear so he could be heard over the motor, “Are all these trees yours?”
“They are. They were so close to the river they weren’t cleared for farming land. I’m lucky to have them. Most landowners don’t have any. Over the years the river has changed course.”
“They’re amazing.”
“They’re one of the reasons I love this place so much.” She continued driving over the pine needle bed and down into a dry creek and out again. She slowed as she came to a stand of trees. Stopping, she turned off the four-wheeler.
“This is where the tree is supposed to be.” She looked up, studying the tops.
Matt came to stand beside her. “What’re we looking for?”
“Some indication the tree is dying. See the top of the tree is turning brown.” She walked to the tree.
He followed.
She pointed to a mass of sap running out of the tree. “This shows where the bugs have been boring into the wood.”
Matt reached as if to touch it. Shay caught his arm, stopping him. “You don’t want to get sap on your
hands. You’d have a devil of a time getting it off.”
“What’s the big deal about bugs in one tree?”
“The bugs will spread. In no time they would kill a number of these trees. I’ll have to have this one removed and spray the others. These trees have been around too long to lose them now.”
“I’ve never thought about trees or tree-eating bugs.” He put his hands in his pockets and looked up.
“I don’t guess there’s a big call for concern about either in Chicago.”
He continued to look at the tree. “There isn’t. But who knows, one day that might change and now I know what to look for. Once again, I’ve learned something from you. Knowledge is always a good thing.”
Shay smiled and continued walking as she studied the trees. “I’ve learned a few things from you too.”
“That would be?”
“That I need to stop and listen when someone offers learned help. That there are people who are willing stand up for what’s right even if it may hurt them.” She grinned at him. “That Uncle Henry has good taste in friends.
“What I don’t know is why you don’t talk about your family. I’ve not heard you say anything about your stepfather. What’s the deal there?”
By the look on Matt’s face, she may have ruined the entire day. His jaw tightened and his lips thinned.
She touched his arm. “Hey, you don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to.”
“It’s no problem.” He shrugged. “My stepfather is a man with a well-defined list of what life should consist of. He believes in doing the right thing. That we have to protect those who can’t take care of themselves. We should always be the best at what we do.”
“He sounds like a good man.”
“Yeah, I just wished I recognized that sooner. It took me growing up to understand him better. By then there was such a distance between us I don’t know if we will ever find common ground now.”
“It’s never too late to try.” Shay’s soft suggestion held hope.
“Maybe so. But I been so busy since I left home and seen so little of them I feel more like a stranger than a family member.”
“I can’t imagine that ever happening with my family. But everyone makes time for what they want to do.”
Matt winced. “I guess I’m just making weak excuses for being a jerk.”
Shay touched his arm again. She didn’t want him to think she was criticizing him. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I know your work takes dedication, but family and our friends are important as well.”
He continued to look at the trees for a moment before he said, “Are you ready to go? I want to see the river.”
They climbed back on the four-wheeler.
Shay understood Matt better. He’d seen his family so rarely in the last few years that he feared he didn’t fit in anymore. She hated that for him. His family must miss him. He needed them and didn’t realize it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MATT WATCHED WITH interest as they continued down the path. They broke out into open land on a bluff with the river beyond. He made an effort not to think about what he’d revealed about himself to Shay. How he’d treated his family. They all deserved better. How had he convinced himself it was a good idea to stay away? Because of his hang-ups he had hurt them. That only made matters worse.
He climbed off the four-wheeler, then helped Shay off. They stood looking out over the river with its steady current flowing to the south.
“Damn, this is amazing. I know the Mississippi is a huge river just from the few times I’ve driven over it, but this is unbelievable.”
“It’s impressive, isn’t? Wait until you see it against the sunset.” She nudged him with an elbow.
“And this spot,” Matt said with awe as he looked around them.
“Yeah, it’s my special place.” And she’d chosen to share it with him. He felt honored.
“You brought me to your special place, huh?” He didn’t look at her, instead letting his voice let her know what that meant to him.
“Hey, don’t let your head get too big. I had planned this trip before I let you tag along.”
“Okay, you have now put me in my place.”
“It wasn’t intentional. This spot always calms me. Makes me feel better. After John died, I spent a lot of time here. I wanted to have our wedding ceremony here. Just John and me, our families, but it wasn’t large enough for John, and the town wouldn’t have been happy if they weren’t invited.”
“You had the wedding that he wanted.” It was like the relationship had swallowed her up and taken her over. Where had the Shay he knew been then?
“Yeah. I guess I did.”
“Not to speak ill of the dead, but he sounds like he was a pretty self-centered guy.”
“I didn’t realize that then, but I can see it now.” It sounded as if she had just figured that out.
“Have you ever wanted to marry?”
“I thought I did. I had a girlfriend and even asked her to marry me but she turned me down.”
Shay turned to face him, sympathy on her face. “Why did she do that?” Her eyes widened. “Forget I asked that. It’s not my business.”
Matt hesitated a moment. Did he even understand enough about the why to answer? “I’m not proud to admit it, but I guess I was selfish too. I thought she was the one. We were both into our careers. When I realized I had to move I asked her to go with me. I hadn’t thought how doing so would affect her career. She said no. I didn’t think I could stay. I guess I didn’t care enough about her to stay. It’s taken me a while to figure that out.”
“That still had to have hurt when she said no.”
He shrugged. “It did, but I know now that it wasn’t meant to be.”
“I can’t say that the way John treated me doesn’t still hurt. We spent too many years together. What I will say is that I learned to be happy with myself, but it took a long time.”
Matt winced. Could he say the same about himself? He’d messed up his relationship with Jenna, expecting her to give up everything for him. Then there was his job situation. Could he have handled it differently to preserve his position? And his family? They deserved better than his avoidance. How had his life become such a twisted rope of wish I had, could I have and can I.
He couldn’t deny that it all hurt. Matt put his arm around Shay’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Enough of all that. Tell me what you know about the river.”
“Are you sure you want more of me expounding on history and stuff? Haven’t you had enough of that?”
“I can never get enough.” He took her hand. “Expound away.”
Shay cleared her voice as if she were about to present the knowledge of life. “It’s the lifeline around here. The Mississippi is the second largest river in North America. The Native Americans called it the Great River. It flows into the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve heard you can step over it where it begins. I’d like to do that sometime. I can’t imagine that since it’s so wide down here. Oh, there are only five bridges across it. The main ones are at St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans. Which means you have to drive a long way around to get to the other side depending on where you want to go.”
Matt chuckled. “I certainly hit on the right subject.”
She gave him a mortified look. “I told you.”
“Hey.” He waited until she looked at him. “I liked hearing all of that. I found it interesting.”
He stood behind her and put his arms around her waist, holding her securely. His cheek rested against the side of Shay’s head. She leaned back against him. They stood like that for a long time. Somehow being with Shay eased his burdens. It had felt good to share his pain over his family. To have her know all of him. The good and the bad.
At his stomach’s rumble, Shay giggled. “Let’s have dinner before your stoma
ch complains more.”
They unloaded the four-wheeler and laid out their meal. Each took a side of the blanket with the food between them. Shay served their plates.
When they were done Shay said, “I bet you think we don’t have bright lights like you do in the big city, but I’m going to show you different.”
His blood ticked up a notch. “That sounds interesting. What do you have in mind?”
“Help me clean up this food and I’ll show you.” A hint of humor filled her voice.
A few minutes later they had everything packed away and secured on the four-wheeler.
Shay returned to the quilt and sat down. She patted a spot beside her. “Hurry. You don’t want to miss it.”
Matt sat close, but not touching her.
“Now watch.” She pointed to the west where the sun hung low on the horizon.
He took her hand as they watched the bright yellow sun, then the burst of light turning orange and pink as it fanned out and slowly slipped beneath the land. “That was amazing. You win on the best light show.”
“Hey, we’re not done yet. The next show is coming up.” She pointed toward the river. A barge with lights burning slowly moved up the river. A few minutes later another came by going the other direction.
They watched in silence for a while.
“It’s so peaceful and calm here that it makes me not fear anything for just a little while.” Her voice was but a whisper, as if she spoke as much to herself as to him.
“What do you fear?”
She sighed. “Sometimes I worry that I’ll end up like Delta Dawn in the song. Wandering around town thinking about what was and not living in the ‘what is.’”
He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her that wouldn’t happen to her. But how could he say that? He wouldn’t be around to help make it any different for her. He didn’t want to hurt her. She’d had more of that than she deserved. Shay needed someone who would give her security and the assurance that she was the center of his world. He couldn’t even bring himself to see his family. He was in the middle of seeing where his life would go, and he had no right to involve Shay in the mess it had become. He wasn’t in any position to make promises.
Taming the Hot-Shot Doc Page 10
