you'd laugh.
Katie
had always been the outgoing one of them. Joan had spent her childhood quietly
playing with dolls in her room, while the neighbor lady babysat. But, not
Katie. She lived life at a run.
She
barely remembered a time before Katie was born, even though she'd been eight
years old when her mom died, leaving her and Dad responsible for taking care of
a baby. Her chest tightened. Now it was just her to look after her sister, and
she was failing.
Trace
groaned and opened his eyes. "Did I fall asleep?"
"You
needed the rest. Going to the doctors takes a lot out of anyone when they've
been through what you have." She set the magazine down. "Can I get
you anything?"
"Yeah.
A new leg. Preferably one that hasn't been broken before." He sat up.
She
grinned. "I can't do that, but I saw some ice cream in the freezer. Want
some?"
***
Joan
went into the kitchen, and Trace relaxed on the couch and took a long breath.
He hadn't felt the inclination to make conversations with a woman in his life.
At thirty-four years old, he'd never desired to have a relationship that lasted
more than an hour or two, and never fully clothed. Being around Joan, he knew
what he wanted was impossible, but it didn't stop him from imagining what it
would be like to come in the house in the evenings and have her asking him how
his day went.
He
wasn't an easy patient for her to take care of, but she'd molded her bedside
manner to appease him. She'd bolstered his confidence, while leaving him his
dignity. Any doctor or hospital would be glad to have someone who adapted to
any situation the way Joan had done with him.
"Here
you go." She carried over a bowl and handed him a spoon. "I'm going
to pretend I didn't see the name Brody on the side of the carton."
"You
got into his maple nut ice cream?" he said, chuckling.
"Yep."
She lifted up the spoon, stuck it in her mouth, and sucked the ice cream off
the utensil. "Remember, you can't tell or I'll confess how it was your
idea and you threatened to fire me if I didn't go in there and make us each a
bowl."
Joan's
lips were shiny from her stolen treat, and her eyes turned up at the corners,
hinting at a devilish side of her that enjoyed bending the rules. She
fascinated him, and he wondered what other things she would do for something
bigger than a bowl of ice cream. He'd enjoy finding out how far she'd go, but
he shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts.
"I'm
sorry about earlier," he said.
"For
what?"
"For
snapping at you and being a pain in the ass."
She
didn't pause in her eating, but talked around the bite in her mouth. "It's
okay. I know this isn't easy for you."
"No.
It's not okay." His eyes met hers. "I usually stay away from others
so I don't overstep my boundaries, but it's hell when I can't walk away to be
by myself."
He
was the first to glance away. She understood. It wasn't his imagination or the
fact that she was the only woman who'd spent time around him lately.
Joan
had no way of knowing where his thoughts were taking him, but she seemed to
connect with him at the most basic level. He scooped another bite into his
mouth. Her compassion confused him.
She
knew nothing about him, yet she stayed. He'd tried to push her away, so she'd
leave and forget about the job of nursing him back to health. He glanced at her
and the tension eased in his shoulders. She was just too damn stubborn to take
the hint that he didn't want her here.
Chapter Nine
The
tall grass tickled Joan's legs as she forged her way through the field, and
beyond the stables of Lakota ranch. By mutual vote, the men of the house agreed
to take turns staying with Trace to give Joan a much-deserved day off. No
protest came from her, she needed to think, and she couldn't do that when Trace
was always there.
She
didn't want the fascination she had for Trace to go any further than it already
was and after three weeks, she wasn't sure if she could stop. She had enough to
worry about dealing with her current
Katie
had always been the outgoing one of them. Joan had spent her childhood quietly
playing with dolls in her room, while the neighbor lady babysat. But, not
Katie. She lived life at a run.
She
barely remembered a time before Katie was born, even though she'd been eight
years old when her mom died, leaving her and Dad responsible for taking care of
a baby. Her chest tightened. Now it was just her to look after her sister, and
she was failing.
Trace
groaned and opened his eyes. "Did I fall asleep?"
"You
needed the rest. Going to the doctors takes a lot out of anyone when they've
been through what you have." She set the magazine down. "Can I get
you anything?"
"Yeah.
A new leg. Preferably one that hasn't been broken before." He sat up.
She
grinned. "I can't do that, but I saw some ice cream in the freezer. Want
some?"
***
Joan
went into the kitchen, and Trace relaxed on the couch and took a long breath.
He hadn't felt the inclination to make conversations with a woman in his life.
At thirty-four years old, he'd never desired to have a relationship that lasted
more than an hour or two, and never fully clothed. Being around Joan, he knew
what he wanted was impossible, but it didn't stop him from imagining what it
would be like to come in the house in the evenings and have her asking him how
his day went.
He
wasn't an easy patient for her to take care of, but she'd molded her bedside
manner to appease him. She'd bolstered his confidence, while leaving him his
dignity. Any doctor or hospital would be glad to have someone who adapted to
any situation the way Joan had done with him.
"Here
you go." She carried over a bowl and handed him a spoon. "I'm going
to pretend I didn't see the name Brody on the side of the carton."
"You
got into his maple nut ice cream?" he said, chuckling.
"Yep."
She lifted up the spoon, stuck it in her mouth, and sucked the ice cream off
the utensil. "Remember, you can't tell or I'll confess how it was your
idea and you threatened to fire me if I didn't go in there and make us each a
bowl."
Joan's
lips were shiny from her stolen treat, and her eyes turned up at the corners,
hinting at a devilish side of her that enjoyed bending the rules. She
fascinated him, and he wondered what other things she would do for something
bigger than a bowl of ice cream. He'd enjoy finding out how far she'd go, but
he shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts.
"I'm
sorry about earlier," he said.
"For
what?"
"For
snapping at you and being a pain in the ass."
She
didn't pause in her eating, but talked around the bite in her mouth. "It's
okay. I know this isn't easy for you."
"No.
It's not okay." His eyes met hers. "I usually stay away from others
so I don't overstep my boundaries, but it's hell when I can't walk away to be
by myself."
He
was the first to glance away. She understood. It wasn't his imagination or the
fact that she was the only woman who'd spent time around him lately.
Joan
had no way of knowing where his thoughts were taking him, but she seemed to
connect with him at the most basic level. He scooped another bite into his
mouth. Her compassion confused him.
She
knew nothing about him, yet she stayed. He'd tried to push her away, so she'd
leave and forget about the job of nursing him back to health. He glanced at her
and the tension eased in his shoulders. She was just too damn stubborn to take
the hint that he didn't want her here.
Chapter Nine
The
tall grass tickled Joan's legs as she forged her way through the field, and
beyond the stables of Lakota ranch. By mutual vote, the men of the house agreed
to take turns staying with Trace to give Joan a much-deserved day off. No
protest came from her, she needed to think, and she couldn't do that when Trace
was always there.
She
didn't want the fascination she had for Trace to go any further than it already
was and after three weeks, she wasn't sure if she could stop. She had enough to
worry about dealing with her current
Similar Books
