by Judy Duarte
“That’s why the door is locked?”
Again Caleb paused, but this time he merely shrugged. But Tammy wasn’t appeased.
“Did it have anything to do with Savannah?”
Caleb slowed to a stop, then turned and crossed his arms. “What about her?”
The handsome ranch hand was too young to have known Savannah personally, but clearly he’d heard of the woman—whoever she was.
“Who was she?” Tammy asked.
Caleb chuffed. “Who really knows? Savannah’s about as legendary as that fool bed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve only heard rumors, so I’m not going to repeat them or speculate. You’ll have to get your scoop from someone else.”
As Caleb started toward an old pump, which was about fifty yards to the east, Tammy hiked to the knoll and beyond to the lone cabin, with its rickety but quaint porch.
Bushes and shrubs grew wild along the exterior walls, and as Tammy approached the entrance, she caught the scent of honeysuckles. She was half tempted to pluck a blossom, but instead, she climbed the single step to the porch.
The door had been secured with a rusted padlock. And the front window had been boarded up. At one time, the cabin might have been a happy place, with gingham curtains and a pot of geraniums at the door. But after nearly thirty-five years of neglect, it appeared sad and forlorn.
Undaunted at being locked out, Tammy slipped around to the back of the cabin, checking for another way inside.
She spotted a back door, which was also boarded up. But just as she’d hoped, she found a window. It, too, had been boarded up at one time, although a couple of the slats had come loose. Tammy tugged at one of them, and with very little effort, managed to remove it. The others came off just as easily.
How was that for luck?
As she peered through the dusty, grimy glass, she couldn’t see much—just the legendary bed, a single nightstand and a bureau.
As she tried to open the pane, the latch gave way.
“Hot damn,” she said, realizing she was in luck. But she was going to have a difficult time climbing up that high without a boost or something to step on. So she scanned the yard.
Near a sycamore tree, she spotted an old battered bucket nearly covered by overgrown grass. So she went after it and placed it upside down against the wall. Then, using it as a step, she pulled herself through the window, scraping her tummy on an old nail while she was at it.
“Ow,” she cried out before catching herself. Caleb wasn’t that far away, and she didn’t want him to know what she was doing—although he’d probably guessed.
Her belly stung from the scrape, but she ignored it as she climbed down into the small, dusty bedroom. Her presence alone seemed to stir up the dust. Her nose itched, and she sneezed twice.
Boy, did this place need a good cleaning.
Nevertheless, she made her way to the legendary antique bed. She didn’t believe any of the claims of magic, but she felt something, just being inside the cabin.
Or maybe she was just getting a feel for the woman who’d once lived here.
Unable to help herself, she went to the bureau and opened the drawers, finding them all empty. Next she checked the nightstand, which held a couple of books, one of which was a small cookbook entitled Romantic Dinners for Two.
Tammy took a seat on the feather mattress and scanned the pages filled with pictures of various candlelit table settings and a slew of menu ideas. Since she’d done all the cooking on her dad’s ranch, she’d become a pretty good cook, if she did say so herself. And some of the recipes looked pretty darn tempting.
She imagined bringing Doc out to the cabin for a romantic dinner, but she’d probably have to hogtie him first. She’d also have to spend hours scrubbing the place, but since her brothers wouldn’t be arriving until Sunday, she had plenty of time on her hands.
But before she could plan anything romantic, she had to find her cousins and convince them to help with a makeover—even if it was just a quick lesson in applying lipstick and mascara.
So she shoved the books back into the nightstand drawer, then returned to the open window and began her climb down. But when her denim jeans snagged and caught on the nail, throwing her off balance, she fell to the ground with a rip and a thump.
Pain shot through her shoulder, which took the brunt of her weight, and she wondered if she’d broken something.
Aw, man. This was going to be hard to explain....
Caleb, who’d apparently seen her take the tumble, rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”
Never one to let any of the men know when she was hurting, she scrunched her face and tried to bite back the tears.
Caleb placed his hand on her injured shoulder, which hurt like a son of a gun, and she winced. “Never mind,” he said. “Let me help you up. Then I’ll drive you into town and let Doc check you out.”
Tammy opened her mouth to object, but when she thought about walking into Doc’s clinic, having him examine her and offer some TLC...
Well, heck. She may as well milk her injury for all it was worth.
* * *
Even though Mike spent a lot of time making house calls to various ranches in the area, he still kept office hours at the small clinic in town. And today was no different.
According to the list Eleanor Watkins, his receptionist, had given him when he’d arrived this morning, he had several appointments scheduled between ten and noon, but nothing sooner.
So he poured himself a cup of the coffee Eleanor had just brewed, then went back to his cramped office in the rear of the clinic, where he took a seat at his desk and began to look over the lab reports that had just come in.
He’d no more than picked up the first one when his cell phone rang. He was so focused on the results before him that he answered without first checking the lighted display.
“Mike?” a familiar voice sounded. “It’s me, Katrina.”
He didn’t respond right away, but not just because he hadn’t expected his former fiancée to call him again.
“Hey,” he said, surprised at how casual he sounded. “How’s it going, Kat?”
This time, Katrina was the one to let a couple of beats pass before answering.
“Not so good,” she finally said. “Philadelphia isn’t the same without you.”
He’d hoped she would have come to that conclusion before he’d left, but she hadn’t. In fact, when he’d suggested she come to Buckshot Hills with him so they could be together, she’d refused to even consider a temporary move or even regular visits. Her life, she’d told him, was in Philadelphia. And while he understood she was a city girl through and through, he’d kind of hoped her “life” would have been with him.
“When are you coming back to civilization?” she asked.
Mike was torn between defending the folks in Buckshot Hills and admitting that a part of him was eager to return to Philadelphia and to all the city had to offer.
“It could be another month or two,” he said. “Maybe longer. It all depends upon how Dr. Reynolds’s treatment goes.”
“That’s not so long, I suppose.”
Mike leaned back in his chair. That was another conclusion he’d wished she’d come to earlier. But she hadn’t, and knowing that she hadn’t been willing to sacrifice her comfort so they could be together, even temporarily, had hurt. And he’d had to reconsider making a lifetime commitment to her, no matter how much she claimed to love him. Or how much he’d thought he loved her.
Sure, there were still feelings involved—both ways. But he’d fought too long and too hard to achieve a medical degree and to make a place for himself in a social circle that hadn’t always been open to him. And now that he had, he wasn’t going to let anyone try to map out his future—even Katrina. An
d that’s what she’d been trying to do ever since the start of their relationship.
As he was ending his residency, she’d urged him to accept a position with a renowned medical group that specialized in plastic surgery, even though she’d known that he would have preferred a more traditional practice. And when she found out that he’d felt an obligation to cover for Dr. Reynolds for a few months, she’d flipped out, setting their breakup in motion.
“In the scheme of life,” Mike said, “a few months really isn’t that long, Katrina.”
Just long enough to miss out on a medical opportunity of a lifetime, though. And while Katrina hadn’t been wrong for pointing that out when it had come time for Mike to repay his debt to George Ballard, she hadn’t understood that Mike owed the wealthy man more than just the cost of his med school tuition.
George had gone above and beyond for Mike’s mom, too. And some kindnesses could never be repaid.
Mike had tried to explain this to Katrina when they’d talked over his decision to go to Buckshot Hills. She hadn’t understood at the time, but now she seemed to be having second thoughts.
“I miss you,” she said. “I just wanted you to know that.”
His bruised ego liked hearing it. Was she going to tell him again that their breakup had been a big mistake, that she was sorry she’d been so hasty in letting him go?
But even more important, would that change anything?
He wasn’t sure. And he wasn’t about to commit one way or another. After all, it had taken her nearly four months to come to that conclusion.
Or was it merely the fact that she realized he’d be returning to Philly soon, and that she was hoping they could take up right where they’d left off?
He glanced at the clock on the wall of his office. It was 9:05 a.m. in Texas, an hour later on the east coast. He didn’t expect a patient to come in for nearly an hour. Still, he didn’t feel like poking at old wounds—or creating new ones and merely said, “I appreciate the call, Katrina.”
“I know you’re busy now, honey, so I’ll let you go. I’ll call back later. Probably this evening.”
He could have admitted that he wasn’t all that busy now, but it seemed as if he was the one needing some space and time to sort things out.
“All right,” he said. “Have a good day, Kat. I’ll talk to you later.”
The line had no more than disconnected when a light rap sounded. The only one in the office, as far as he knew, was his receptionist/office manager. “Come on in, Eleanor.”
The door swung open, and the matronly woman poked her head inside. “Dr. Sanchez, Tex Byrd’s granddaughter had an accident on the Flying B. One of the hands just brought her in. I put her in the exam room.”
Oh, no. His gut clenched. He had no idea which girl it was—hopefully not Tammy. But either way, the poor family didn’t need any other complications.
“I’ll be right there,” Mike said, as he set the lab reports aside, rolled back his chair and stood. Then he headed down the short hall.
When he stepped into the small exam room, he spotted Tammy seated on the table. She was wearing a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans that had a jagged tear at the knee. Her hair was a bit windblown and had a leaf stuck in the strands.
“Tammy?” he asked with concern. “What happened?”
“I...” Her cheeks, one of which bore a smudge of dirt, flushed. “I took a tumble.”
“Off a horse?”
“Actually, I...” She bit her lower lip, then gave a little shrug. “I fell out of a window.”
Tammy was one of a kind—a real novelty, it seemed. And he couldn’t help but grin. “Pray tell, what were you doing? Climbing in or out?”
“Out.”
“Was there a reason you didn’t use the door?” His smile broadened, as he neared the exam table.
“It was locked, and I didn’t have a key.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
She gave another shrug, then winced.
He eased closer to the exam table. “What hurts?”
She lifted her right arm and pointed to her left shoulder.
“Okay, let’s get that shirt off of you so I can check your injury.”
As Tammy began to reach for the top button, her fingers struggled.
“Here,” he said. “Let me.”
Mike unbuttoned her shirt, then carefully pulled the fabric back, revealing...
Oh, wow. Tammy Byrd might look like a rough-and-tumble cowhand on the outside, but underneath...? She was definitely all woman.
He shook off the completely inappropriate and unprofessional thoughts and focused on her shoulder, on the slight abrasion, on the...
...softness of her skin, the contours along her throat...
As he gently probed along her collarbone, he asked, “Does this hurt?”
“Not too bad. It’s actually feeling much better now. I’m sure it’s just a bruise, but Caleb insisted I have it checked.”
“It’s best to get a medical opinion when in doubt,” Mike said.
After checking her mobility, which wasn’t impaired, he had to agree that she’d probably just bruised her shoulder.
“I can order an X-ray if you’d like me to rule out a fracture or tissue damage,” he said.
“That’s probably not necessary.” Tammy began to tug on the flannel shirt, hiding her femininity once more. Again, when it came time to button, she struggled.
“Let me.”
“Thanks.”
Again, Mike had to shake off his inappropriate thoughts, telling himself that his interest had been piqued by the surprise of it all—and nearly buying in to it.
Once she was completely buttoned up, he stepped back to make a note in her chart. “You can take some aspirin or acetaminophen for the pain and ice it when you get home. If you take it easy for a day or two, you should feel better soon. And if not, give me a call.”
“I will. Thanks, Doc.” Tammy smiled, those amazing blue eyes glimmering with...what? Appreciation? Respect? Maybe even a bit of adoration?
Mike had no idea what was going on in her mind, but something told him her wheels and cogs were turning. And he wasn’t sure what that meant. After all, the woman had been climbing in and out of windows on the ranch. He wouldn’t put much past her.
“Thanks, again,” Tammy said, as she began to climb from the exam table.
“Here.” Mike reached out his hand. “I don’t want you falling again.”
But when he touched her, an unexpected jolt of heat surged through him, and it took a moment to recover. What was that all about?
As she walked out of the room, Doc watched her go. There was something interesting about Tammy. Something...intriguing.
He’d actually had an arousing reaction to the cowgirl, although, under the exterior, she was woman through and through.
But after his breakup with Katrina nearly four months ago, Mike wasn’t interested in romance. And even if he were, it certainly wouldn’t be with a small-town tomboy who would never fit into Philadelphia society. Hell, it had taken Mike long enough to do that himself, and he’d at least grown up around it, even if he’d never been a part of it back then.
Still, after returning to his office, he found himself at the window, peering outside and watching Tammy climb into the passenger seat of one of the ranch pickups.
And imagining what she might look like if she’d removed the denim as well as the flannel.
* * *
On the way back to the ranch, Tammy couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face.
While Doc had examined her, when he’d caught a glimpse of the real Tammy, the part of her she usually kept under wraps, his breath had caught, and his voice had grown soft and husky. She wasn’t at all experienced when i
t came to romance or things of the heart, but there was definitely something sexual going on between them.
“I’m sorry for insisting that you see the doctor when your injury didn’t turn out to be serious,” Caleb said. “But I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Tammy had been thrilled to have an excuse to see Doc again. And just knowing that he’d seen her as a real woman was worth any effort it took to get to the clinic or any charge for an office visit. “You’re absolutely right about not taking chances.”
As they continued down the road awhile, Tammy thought about Doc and her plan to reveal even more of the true woman inside—and not just the physical part. Trouble was, she couldn’t quite get a handle on how to go about it.
She glanced across the cab at Caleb, saw him just as deep in thought, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his gaze on the road, his mind clearly somewhere else.
“What’s the matter?” Tammy asked. “Is something wrong?”
“Not really.”
She didn’t quite believe him, although she probably didn’t have the right to pry.
“I owe you for driving me into town,” Tammy said. “I’m a pretty good cook, since I prepared all the meals on my dad’s ranch. So while I’m here, I’ll ask Barbara if she’ll let me borrow the kitchen long enough to make you some brownies or chocolate chip cookies.”
Tammy would make a big enough batch to give some to Doc, too. Didn’t they say the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach? And Tammy was a pretty darn good cook—even if most folks didn’t know it.
“You don’t owe me anything,” Caleb said. “Besides, I’m going to be leaving soon.”
“Leaving?”
Caleb’s grip on the wheel loosened, and when he glanced at Tammy, his expression softened. “Well, not for good. I’ll be back. I have to settle a few family matters, so I’m just taking a leave of absence.”
Tammy could understand that. The Byrds had a few things to settle, too—like the rift between her dad, her uncle and her grandfather that had gone on way too long.
