by Barbara Gee
“I hope so, too.”
“What about your family?”
Jolene told him that she was one of three kids, the only girl and the youngest. Her brothers were twelve and ten when she came along very unexpectedly, but she’d always felt loved and wanted. When she graduated from high school, her parents had moved from Grand Forks to Santa Fe. She didn’t see them much, but tried to call every week. They were very busy retirees, and although Jolene sometimes worried they were overdoing it, keeping busy made them happy, and that was what mattered.
* * *
Boone listened to her talk, enjoying the sound of her voice. She was an incredibly beautiful woman, and being with her was a breath of fresh air. He’d forgotten there were women who didn’t have ulterior motives, who weren’t determined to get him to sleep with them just so they could brag about it to their friends, or try to trap him into a relationship he didn’t want. For many years now he’d avoided getting involved with anyone, because he didn’t know who he could trust. When he needed a date for an event, Jax would call one of his and Sarah’s acquaintances to fill the role, no strings attached. A couple of times he’d been interested enough to go on a second or third date, but in the end things had always fizzled out.
As he sat across from Jolene, enjoying the sight and sound of her, he suspected his interest in her wasn’t going to fizzle out anytime soon. He liked the way she smiled and laughed so easily, how her dark eyes sparkled, and how she looked shy and a little embarrassed when he caught her staring at him. Of course he was doing his share of staring back.
It suddenly seemed a shame that his secrets precluded him from starting a relationship right now. Especially one with Jolene Tolley. His shoulders slumped a bit when he found himself wondering what she would say if she knew his real reason for being at the Full Heart Ranch. How would she react to the truth?
For one rash moment he considered blurting it all out. Keeping it inside had been eating him up over the last three months, and Jolene had already shown she was a good listener. Would she keep his secret if he confided in her?
The waitress delivered their pie right then, and he decided the interruption was a good thing. Although it was awfully tempting to bare his soul, he had to be careful it didn’t backfire on him. If he had any reason to believe Jolene wouldn’t completely freak out, he might actually do it.
But she probably would. So he didn’t.
* * *
Boone tried to pay for their meals, but Jolene insisted on covering the tab. It was his “welcome to town” meal, after all. He didn’t bother with the sunglasses when they left, and no one in the diner seemed any wiser.
“Can we drive by your place?” he asked as he fastened his seatbelt. “Or is it too far out of the way?”
“It’s only a block over from Main Street.”
She took him past her cozy little two bedroom ranch style house, with its big front yard and tall, shady trees. “It’s kinda old, but I love it. It has character, and it’s just the right size for me.”
He gave her a sideways look. “Think I’ll get to see inside sometime?”
Jolene turned back onto Main Street, silently acknowledging that the idea of having Boone in her house was a lot more appealing than it should have been. “Um, maybe. I’m not there much. I often stay at the center for dinner, and sometimes I go back to my office for another hour or so of work after I eat. It seems I’m never quite caught up.”
“So you basically just go home to sleep?”
“I’m usually home by seven or eight. Earlier if the Wild are playing. I can’t watch at the center, because their games aren’t broadcast locally. So I subscribe to the hockey channel at home.”
Boone’s eyes narrowed. “So that means I won’t be able to get the games in my cabin.”
She shook her head. “We don’t have cable or satellite TV on the campus. We don’t want people to hole up in their rooms, and when older kids come along with their parents, that can be a problem. Having limited wi-fi access and only a few TV channels helps with that. Even the most sullen, anti-social kids eventually get bored out of their minds and come out.”
“Yeah, I get that, but we play tonight,” Boone said worriedly. “I have to be able to watch.”
Jolene raised a brow. “You said earlier that watching the games when you’re not able to play drives you crazy.”
“Yeah, it does, but it’s a lot worse when I’m in the locker room, so close to the ice but not on it. Now I’m way removed from all that, and I have to be able to watch.”
By this time Jolene was pulling into the parking lot of Barlow’s only grocery store. “Hmm, that could be a problem,” she teased.
His green eyes held a mixture of panic and hope. “Come on, Jolene. Invite me over. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“You won’t yell at the TV when the other team scores or plays dirty with your guys? Or when the refs make a bad call?”
He looked appalled. “Well of course I will. Don’t you?”
She laughed. “Of course I do. I’m just not used to having someone around to witness it.”
“If you let me come, I’ll bring pizza. Or at least I’ll try—is there a pizza place in this town?”
“Yep. It’s pretty good, too. Take-out only, but that’s okay for watching games. It’s one block down from here, on the right. Ty’s Pies.” She grinned. “That’s what it’s called.”
“Catchy,” he said. “So can I come?”
He was obviously genuinely worried about not being able to watch his guys play, and Jolene didn’t have the heart to drag it out any longer. “Of course you can come. I’d hate to miss out on free pizza.”
He looked at her, his expression a little bit hurt. “So I’m playing second fiddle to the pizza? Come on now, how often do you get to watch a game with an actual Wild player?”
She laughed again as she got out of the car. “You know I never have.”
“I’m fun to watch games with,” he assured her. “Unless the guys aren’t clicking. Then it might get a little challenging.”
Jolene grabbed a grocery cart on the way into the store. She had no doubt it would be a fun evening, but she feared enjoying Boone’s company too much on a social level might begin to pose a threat to their working relationship. After today, she really needed to make an effort to spend less time with him outside of their PT sessions. It was the smart thing to do. She’d talk to Tuck tomorrow and make sure he invited Boone over to his and Maddy’s place for the next game, so that coming to her house didn’t become a habit.
Her mind was so busy she almost forgot they were in the grocery store for a reason. She quickly got back on task, hoping he hadn’t noticed that she was a million miles away. “So what all do you want to get?” she asked,
Boone looked around the store. “Is this it?” he whispered. “It’s so tiny.”
Jolene chuckled. “Most people go to the next town over for their big shopping trips. There are two good sized supermarkets there. But you’d be surprised how much stuff they have crammed into this place. Tell me what you want, and I bet I can find it.”
His needs were pretty basic, and easily accommodated by the little store. Twenty minutes later they carried out three bags loaded with an assortment of food to tide him over between meals.
“Not a bad haul,” Boone said as he loaded the bags into her trunk. “That was kinda fun.”
“If you’re not careful, Barlow will grow on you.”
“I’m sure it has its charms.”
They got in the car and headed back to the ranch. “Do you spend the off season in Chicago?” Jolene asked.
“I’m there some. I have a condo close to my parents’ house. But I also have a place in Lake Tahoe, and that’s where I spend most of my time.”
“You don’t head to the tropics to warm up after spending your winter on the ice?”
“I can’t take the heat and humidity. I go to beaches for short trips occasionally, usually with some of the guys, but I ha
ve no desire to spend the whole summer there.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“Nope.”
Jolene sensed he didn’t want to elaborate on that, so she changed the subject.
“Well, Barlow’s no Lake Tahoe, but this is a beautiful time of year here. If you want to explore the area, feel free to sign out one of the staff cars. We have three of them, and they’re rarely all in use. The log is at the front welcome desk, and whoever is working can give you the keys.”
“Think there would be one available this evening? So you don’t have to pick me up and bring me back after the game?”
“There’s a good chance.”
“I’ll check it out.”
Jolene drove to his cabin to drop off the food, then took him back to the gym, parking her car back in the front lot where it had been before.
“Don’t forget your workout at five,” she said as they got out.
“I’ll be here. Just make sure we’re finished in time for me to get cleaned up and to your place by seven. I can’t miss any of the game.”
“We’ll be done in plenty of time.” She gave him a warning look. “Don’t forget the pizza. There’s no entry to my abode without the pizza.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled. “Ty’s Pies. Easy to remember.”
They went their separate ways, but she called back over her shoulder. “Make sure at least half of it has pepperoni.”
“All of it will have pepperoni,” he assured her.
Jolene sighed as she walked inside. Did the man have any flaws? Any at all?
CHAPTER 8
Later that afternoon, Jolene was at her desk when she heard Libby call her name. She groaned inwardly, because she knew exactly why her friend had ventured over to the PT area. She also knew Libby wouldn’t leave without getting the scoop on how things were going with their resident hockey player.
When the familiar blonde head popped through the doorway, Jolene forced a smile. “Hey, Libby. How’s it going?”
“Great. Really great. I just wanted to stop and say a quick hello before I head out. I have to leave a little early to go get Hank off the bus. Kay and Virgil left for that big horse show this afternoon, so she’s not around.”
“Does she still wait for the bus out by the road every day?”
“Yep. Hank’s trying to talk me into letting him leave his bike by the gate in the mornings so he can ride it up to the house when he gets off the bus, but it makes me nervous. The lane is almost a mile, and if he would wreck or something it could be a while before anyone sees him.”
Jolene smiled, thinking how lucky the little boy was to have Libby in his life. Ryan hadn’t known he had a son until almost two years ago, when the boy’s mother had died of cancer and her attorney had contacted Ryan to let him know he was a father. Ryan had immediately fallen in love with his five year old boy, and had taken him out of a bad situation with his step-father. Now Hank was thriving at the ranch with his dad and Libby, and all the others here who loved him.
“I haven’t seen Hank in a while,” Jolene said. “I’m going to have to stop in at the house one of these evenings to get reacquainted.”
“Well,” Libby said, drawing out the word with a sparkle in her eyes, “I was thinking maybe we should have a family dinner at the house to welcome Boone to the ranch. Kay would go all out and prepare a feast he wouldn’t soon forget. Do you think he’d enjoy doing that?”
Jolene gave a one shouldered shrug, determinedly keeping her expression bland. “I suppose he would. He seems pretty personable. I guess all you can do is invite him and see what he says.”
Libby perched on the corner of the desk. “So have you spent any time with him today?”
Jolene nodded. “We had an hour long workout session this morning.” She hesitated. “And I took him into Barlow for some groceries.” She hesitated again. “And we had lunch at the diner since we were in town anyway.”
Libby chuckled. “It’s good to know I can count on you being honest with me, girlfriend. Because you see, I knew about your lunch, and even your stop at the store. Melody is working the front desk this afternoon, and she saw you at both places. I was testing you to see if you’d fess up.”
“Aw man.” Jolene groaned. “Small town life is something else.”
“It takes some getting used to,” Libby agreed. “I don’t have much time, so hurry up and tell me what he’s like. He seemed nice over dinner, but maybe he was just on his best behavior because Tuck and Ryan were there. Is his real personality anywhere near as attractive as the rest of him? Because honestly, Jolene, he is one fine man. And by fine I mean really, really, really fine.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” Jolene said drily.
“Right,” Libby scoffed. “You let me think he had a smashed up nose and no teeth, too. But seriously, Jolene, what’s he like? I only have five minutes before I have to go get Hank.”
Jolene considered her words carefully, then simply told the truth. “As far as I can tell, the fine-ness on the outside is matched by an equally fine inside.”
Eyes wide, Libby pressed her hand to her chest. “Really? He’s not an arrogant, stuck-up mess?”
“Nope,” Jolene said, shaking her head slowly. “Not from what I’ve seen so far anyway. It’s weird, because I feel as if I’ve known him for a long time, not just a day. We’ve talked a lot, and it’s not just the physical therapist to patient kind of talking, it’s about every day stuff and even some kind of deep things. He’s not at all what I expected.”
“Wow. This sounds promising. And, oh my word, how perfect would that be? The dedicated, talented physical therapist winning the heart of the big, bad, professional athlete.” Libby sighed dramatically. “I think maybe it was meant to be.”
Jolene stood up and leaned over the desk, her palms planted on the top. “Don’t even go there,” she warned. “Get it out of your head right now, or you’re going to end up saying something that will embarrass me to no end when Boone is around, and I can’t have that. I don’t want anything to get in the way of my ability to do my job with him. Promise me you won’t play match-maker, Lib. I’m not going to let you leave this room until you do.”
Libby tried to look apologetic, but her eyes still glittered with anticipation, ruining the effort. “I can’t commit to getting it out of my head. Not until I see you two together. Then I’ll know whether it’s right or not.”
“Well whatever you decide, keep it to yourself. I don’t need to know your verdict. I think Boone and I have a shot at being friends and having a good working relationship, and I don’t want to screw that up by hoping for more.”
“But what if he decides he wants more?”
Jolene sighed. “He’ll be gone in two months, back to his real life. I don’t want to be left here with a broken heart. So friends it is. Got it?”
Libby frowned, wanting to argue but knowing she shouldn’t. “Yeah, I got it,” she said dejectedly. “But I still want to do a dinner. I’ll talk to Kay when they get back next week and let you know.”
“Sounds good. Now go get Hank, and have a nice evening.”
“I will.” Libby slid off the desk and put a hand on her hip. “How about you? You gonna be here until all hours of the night again?”
“Nope. There’s a Wild game tonight, so I’ll be home by seven.” Jolene busied herself with some papers on her desk, not looking at her friend.
“Hmm. Why do I get the distinct feeling you aren’t going to be watching that game by yourself?” Libby asked slowly.
Jolene cleared her throat. “It’s only because Boone pretty much has to watch the game, and there’s no way to do it here on campus.”
Libby laughed. “So sweet of you to solve that problem for him.”
“He bribed me with a Ty Pie.”
“Oh, well that explains it.” Still smiling, Libby waved and headed for the door. “Have a wonderful night my friend. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Jo
lene sank into her chair and dropped her forehead to her desk.
That was exactly what she was afraid of. Having a wonderful night.
***
An hour later, right on time, Boone showed up at the PT room, dressed once again in shorts and a tee shirt. Jolene skipped the small talk and busied herself taking his blood pressure and checking his pulse rate.
“How’s your head?”
“Still about a three, and I haven’t taken any pain meds. Maybe this place really will cure me.”
He said it flippantly, but Jolene saw the glimmer of hope deep in his green eyes. She didn’t quash that hope, because she believed whole heartedly that he would indeed leave the ranch symptom free.
“I think you’ll continue to improve in this environment,” she told him. “I’d like to do some weight work this session, instead of the cardio. You up for that?”
He was agreeable to whatever she requested, and once again she followed him around with her clipboard and blood pressure cuff. She spent time on his shoulders, chest, core, and legs, amazed by the man’s strength. The physical therapist in her was fascinated by the play of well-defined muscles beneath his skin. Unfortunately the woman in her was, too, but she stubbornly refused to acknowledge that.
For his cool-down, she put him on the elliptical. “Keep it easy and slow, I want your heart rate to gradually go down. Level four should be good.”
As he obeyed, Jolene found herself staring at his legs. They were exceptionally long because of his height, well-muscled without being bulky. His movements were completely in sync and smooth as silk. She’d always been amazed by the human body, and becoming a physical therapist had been a natural choice for her. She could name every muscle and bone in the body, and she knew the placement of every tendon and ligament. When everything worked together in such perfect alignment, like in Boone’s long, strong legs, she was transfixed.
“You’ve played hockey since the age of six, and never had an injury to your knees?” she asked.
