by Judy Duarte
Sam seemed to think on that a moment, then said, “That actually might work. The whole idea was to not only offer the retirees a familiar environment, but to make them feel useful.”
“I can see the change that took place in you when you took this position. I also noticed a robust glow on Gerald McInerny, the guy who works in the garden.”
“Good point. And boy do we appreciate his contributions to our meals.” Sam didn’t say any more, but Blake could tell he was seriously considering the idea while they worked.
After he and his uncle repaired the broken slats on the stall gate and reattached the hinges, Sam nodded toward the black mare. “Bring Lady Luck here so we can stable her again.”
Blake did as instructed, but just as he was going to release the horse into the stall, thunder rumbled in the distance, and Lady Luck reared, then bucked and kicked.
“Steady, girl.” Sam tried to calm her, but she wasn’t convinced that he’d keep her safe from the threatening sound.
When another roar of thunder sounded through the barn, Lady Luck reared again, desperate to get away. In the process, her rear hoof struck Blake square in the knee and knocked him to the ground.
He swore under his breath, not only from the pain, but in frustration because Sam was left to calm the horse on his own. Moments later, Lady Luck had been stabled, although she was still fidgety.
“You okay?” Sam asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
Sam eased closer. “Can you walk?”
“Yeah.” Maybe. Blake stroked his knee, which seemed a bit swollen already. “Just give me a minute or two.”
“All right. Once you’re on your feet, go into the house and let Shannon have a look at it.”
“That’s not necessary.” At least, he hoped the injury wouldn’t inconvenience him very long.
Sam clucked his tongue. “Don’t pull a Nate on me.”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t like to seek medical attention.”
“I thought that was because he wanted you and everyone else to think he was tough.”
“Partly, but I suspect there’s a little more to it than that.” Sam reached out his hand, and Blake took it.
With his uncle’s help, he was able to stand up, but he couldn’t put his full weight on his right leg.
“Slip your arm around me,” Sam said. “I’ll help you into the house.”
Blake complied, but he wasn’t happy about it. He never liked to show any sign of weakness or to allow anyone to see his vulnerability. He supposed it wouldn’t be so bad if that person was a medical professional, but he’d prefer to face Doc Nelson and admit that he’d been a little careless and had gotten on the wrong side of a frightened horse.
But Shannon? Blake didn’t blame Nate for risking infection and hiding from the pretty nurse in the barn after he got cut on that beer bottle.
When Blake faced Shannon, he wanted to do so standing tall and whole, a man at his finest.
Still, even though he found himself leaning on his uncle and hobbling into the house, it wasn’t just his physical appearance or virility he wanted Shannon to admire. It was the man inside, the man Melissa had failed to see, let alone value.
Chapter Nine
Shannon had just hung up the phone after talking to Doc Nelson when Sam and Blake entered the office. Blake’s brow was creased as he leaned against his uncle and limped into the room.
“What happened?” She closed the patient file in which she’d just made a notation and rose from her desk.
Sam looked at Blake, apparently waiting for the younger man to answer. When he didn’t, Sam spoke for him. “Blake had a run-in with Lady Luck and lost.”
She gazed at the California attorney in disbelief. “You were gambling?”
“With my life, it seems.” Blake’s grimace morphed into a wry grin, albeit one that appeared to be forced. “Apparently I’ve been away from the ranch life so long that I reverted back to my greenhorn days. A mare kicked, and I didn’t get out of the way soon enough. She got me in the knee. But it’s not serious. It’s just a little bruised and sore.”
“A greenhorn, huh?” She couldn’t help but smile. “You sound like most of the seasoned cowboys around here. None of them want me to know when they’re sick or hurting.”
Sam led Blake near the chairs that lined a wall, although neither of them took a seat.
“Now that you’re in good hands,” Sam said, “I’m going back to the barn.”
Shannon might be competent and able to handle most of the injuries that occurred on the ranch, but for the first time in her short career, she felt a little unbalanced by a patient. And when Sam left, closing the door behind him, the walls seemed to close in on her, on them.
“You know,” Blake said, “this really isn’t necessary.”
“Sam thinks it is. And so do I.” She glanced at his dusty denim jeans, which hid his injured knee.
She moved close to Blake, close enough to examine him. Close enough to catch a hint of his musky, leather-laced scent. But she shook off her attraction and assumed her best professional stance.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to remove your pants,” she said, “Otherwise, I’ll have to cut them.”
She expected him to object, to insist again that there was no need for her to examine his knee. Instead, she watched a crooked, playful grin stretch across his face.
While he unbuckled his belt, his eyes never left hers. He continued to watch her, to unravel her, as he unbuttoned his waistband.
Then he reached for the zipper. Zzziiip.
Her feminine senses sharpened and desire soared. This was so not what she’d expected when she’d told him to remove his pants.
As he peeled off his jeans, his gaze remained locked on hers. She was both tempted to watch the unveiling and afraid to look at the same time. What if she made a giddy, breathless fool out of herself, like a drunken bridesmaid at a wild bachelorette party?
Oh, for Pete’s sake. This was no big deal. Lots of men had stripped down in front of her before, oodles of them. All but Michael had been for medical reasons. Still, this particular undressing threatened to be her undoing.
Heck, she felt almost...virginal. And while she’d had sex before, she really didn’t consider herself to be all that experienced.
His pants slid over his hips, revealing a pair of black boxer briefs that fit him perfectly, like those a sexy male model flashed in a magazine advertisement.
She tried to think of an excuse to either look away or to watch him drop his drawers further, but she couldn’t seem to do either.
When he swayed on his feet, no doubt because of his injury, her nursing instincts finally kicked into high gear.
“Here,” she said, reaching out to steady him.
His arm, strong and muscular, slid around her, setting off a jingle-jangle of emotions that had very little to do with his safety or her usual attempt to offer a little TLC to a patient.
“Maybe you better help me back into a chair,” he said. “My knee isn’t as painful as it’ll be if I try to step out of these pants.”
Once he took a seat, she knelt beside him so she could get a good look at his swollen knee, which bore a dark, nasty bruise. No wonder he was limping. It had to hurt like hell, although she didn’t think it was broken. Still, an X-ray was probably in order. And that meant he’d have to go to the Brighton Valley Medical Center, something she thought he might object to.
She fingered the tender area carefully. Even though she was further convinced that the injury probably wasn’t serious, she was reluctant to end the exam.
Or, to be more truthful, she was reluctant to stop touching him.
She reminded herself that she was just doing her job and wanted to be thorough. But if that were the case, why were her fingers trembling, her heart pounding and her blood rushing to her feminine parts?
Like it or not, it took all she could muster to remove her hands and keep them to herself.
<
br /> * * *
For a guy who’d been reluctant to enter Shannon’s office with a bum leg, Blake wasn’t so eager to skedaddle now. Not after being on the receiving end of her gentle fingers, her soft breath, the worried look upon her face.
In fact, he had a feeling she was doing more than examining his knee, especially since he was sitting here with his pants dropped down to his ankles.
Just seeing her kneeling at his feet, her hair a tumble of curls a man could get his fingers tangled up in, her citrusy scent wafting around him, was enough to relieve his pain altogether. In fact, he was sorely tempted to do something completely out of line. Did he have the nerve to reach down, to cup her jaw and draw her face up to his for another kiss?
Yes, but he’d better not risk it. The two of them didn’t have a chance in hell of striking up anything other than a one-night fling. And something told him Shannon wouldn’t agree to something like that.
Interestingly enough, making a commitment of any kind to her had been out of the question when they’d first met. But now that he knew her better, now that she’d kissed him senseless, he might be willing to reconsider.
But that was crazy. They lived halfway across the country from each other, so he’d better not even suggest it. Besides, he could hardly walk right now, and if he and Shannon ever made love, he wanted to be completely mobile and at the top of his game.
So rather than act upon his impulse, he tamped it down and focused on the reason he was here.
“So what’s your diagnosis?” he asked.
She withdrew her fingers from his skin, leaving it warm and still buzzing from her touch. When she gazed up at him, she flushed.
Was she embarrassed about the odd predicament they’d found themselves in? He certainly wasn’t, although he could easily become sexually frustrated.
She slowly rose from the floor and placed her hands on her hips. “You should probably stay off your feet for a while. I’m sure it hurts, so I can give you some ibuprofen.”
“That’s okay.” He wanted her to know he was tough, that he could suck up the pain. “It feels a lot better now.”
He bent forward, reached for the waistband of his jeans and pulled them up past his knees. Then he stood upright and tried to finish the job without putting his full weight on that right leg. But he struggled to keep his balance.
“Would you like me to help?” she asked.
Seriously? He shot her a wry grin. “If I was trying to take them off completely, I’d love to have your help.”
It had been a joke—well, kind of. But clearly, the truth of it struck them both, stirring up thoughts he shouldn’t allow himself to have. Thoughts he’d been having already.
He’d also kissed her before. And the door to her office was closed. Who was going to be the wiser?
Before he could consider the repercussions of what he was about to do, he removed his hands from his waistband, leaving it unbuttoned, and cupped her cheeks.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t back away, which was all the invitation he needed.
As their mouths met, her lips parted, allowing his tongue to seek hers, to tip and to taste, to tempt and to taunt.
She placed her hands on his waist, her fingers grazing his skin and lighting him on fire.
He slipped his arms around her, pulling her close, stroking her back, exploring the gentle curves that lay behind her baggy scrubs. The kiss deepened, intensifying to one that damn near screamed their mutual need.
But then what?
Shannon was on duty, and he wasn’t anywhere near 100 percent. So he slowly drew away, breaking the kiss and ending the spell she’d cast on him.
For lack of any other reasonable explanation or excuse, he said, “I’d better get out of here and let you go back to work.”
Then he left her gaping at him, probably pondering the same thing he was now wondering.
What in the hell were they going to do with the growing desire to be more than friends?
* * *
Hours after Blake had walked—or rather hobbled—out of Shannon’s office, she continued to relive that last kiss, to ponder what it had meant and why it continued to happen.
He’d never broached the idea of dating—or anything else for that matter. He’d be leaving soon, so maybe that’s why. But wouldn’t most men press for something more, even if they weren’t free to make a commitment?
Not that she’d agree to a one-time thing.
Or would she? Michael had been her one and only lover, and she’d thought their sexual relationship had been okay, but Michael’s kisses had never affected her the way Blake’s did.
At the time, she’d suspected that there’d been something missing, but she hadn’t been exactly sure what it was. But she certainly knew what it was now.
What would she do if she never had the chance to feel that kind of heat, that kind of desire again?
Oh, for Pete’s sake. That was silly. There had to be other men who could make her weak in the knees.
For the rest of the day, her thoughts had continued to bounce around like that, making her feel as though she were plucking daisy petals. I want him, I want him not. And when evening rolled around, she wasn’t any closer to having an answer.
By nine o’clock the residents had all gone to their rooms and turned in for the night. The sofa on which Shannon slept when she stayed at the ranch was located in a small room just off the office. So she could have gone inside, shut the door for privacy and tried to get some sleep. But since she still couldn’t seem to get Blake off her mind, she’d probably toss and turn for hours.
After helping Darlene pass out the bedtime medication and make a final check on the residents, Shannon headed for the kitchen to fix herself a snack and a cup of cocoa. There was probably some pie leftover. If so, she’d take it into the living room and turn on the television, setting the volume to low.
When she reached the main part of the house, she realized she wasn’t the only one still awake. Blake had beaten her to the TV and claimed a prime spot on the sofa. He’d yet to notice her, so she probably should have left him there and retired for the night. Only trouble was, now that she’d seen him, she was even more wide awake than ever.
Besides, shouldn’t they talk about what was going on between them? They’d already shared three heated kisses. What did it mean?
Determined to get an answer, she made her way to where he sat.
Upon hearing her footsteps, he glanced up and grinned. “Hey, are you up for a movie? It’s a Western—and a good one.”
“Maybe.” She returned his smile. “I’m going to fix a cup of hot cocoa. Would you like me to make one for you, too?”
“Sure, that would be great.”
Since everyone else had turned in for the night—other than Darlene, who was probably doing her homework for an online college class she was taking—they’d have an opportunity to talk during the commercial breaks.
When he’d left her office earlier today, after the kiss he’d instigated, he’d acted as though it hadn’t affected him at all. But if it hadn’t, then why had he done it?
And why had she let him?
Because she was seriously attracted to the man, drawn to him like a frisky kitten to catnip, that’s why. But there was so much more to a relationship than hot kisses, strong chemistry and raging hormones.
She’d always thought she’d marry a man like her father, a man she’d once thought wouldn’t be easy to find in a town like Brighton Valley. But now that she’d kissed Blake, she realized her dream lover would not only have to be kind and gentle, but he’d also need to set her body on fire. And that could make her Mr. Right nearly impossible to find.
But what was wrong with wanting a man who could not only touch her heart and calm her nerves, but who could also spark a flame in her soul? Was that too much to ask?
Ten minutes later, Shannon returned to the living room carrying a tray holding mugs of hot cocoa, as well as two small plates, each one beari
ng a slice of the chocolate-mint pie Joy had made for tonight’s dessert.
“Service with a smile,” she said, as she placed the goodies on the coffee table. Then she handed a cup to Blake.
He thanked her and patted the cushion beside him, so she took a seat.
“What are you watching?” she asked.
“It’s an old John Wayne movie called The Cowboys. I’ve seen it before. It’s about a rancher who has to take his cattle to market, but is abandoned by his ranch hands. So he hires a bunch of kids to help.”
Shannon blew across the rim of her mug and watched the steam rise. Then she took a sip. “Does it remind you of Sam taking on the young hands at the Rocking C?”
“I guess so. I was actually remembering what it was like to ride with him and the cowboys on his ranch.” A slow smile spread across his face.
“Sounds like you have some good memories,” she said.
“A lot of them. During the school year, I lived in the city, which had plenty of perks. But when summer came along, I’d get to ride and rope from sunup to sundown.”
“So you worked while on vacation?”
“It didn’t seem like it. I might have had a lot of chores to do, but on weekends, Sam and I would go fishing or down to the ball fields. Looking back, I had the best of both worlds.”
It sounded like he had. “Do you miss the city?”
“The funny thing is, when I’m there, I’m happy with that life. But when I’m here, I don’t have the urge to rush back to it. I guess that’s because I don’t miss the smog, the traffic or fast pace.”
Did that mean he was tempted to stay in Texas? Or even willing to come back to the ranch and visit more often? Sam would certainly like it if he did. And so would Shannon, especially if it allowed them to cultivate their budding friendship, if that was what you could even call it.
He must miss his work and his friends, though. Maybe even a lover. A man as gorgeous and successful as Blake must have at least one lady in the wings. Shoot, he probably had his choice of dozens. But she couldn’t very well ask, could she?
“I’m a little surprised you’re still here,” she said, prompting the discussion she wanted to have.
