Read Online Love in Bloom by Karen Rose Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen Rose Smith
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, Medical, History, State & Local, Women physicians, Middle Atlantic, maryland
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an ache, her eyes pricked.
She still couldn't say good-bye, but she managed, "Good night, Clay. I'll call after I talk to Ben."
He nodded and she opened the door. Walking into the evening, she took in a cool breath of air, waiting for it to blow out fires that both frightened and excited her.
****
Clay glanced at Paige beside him as he drove to the teenager's house. For Paige and Ben's sake, Clay hoped the outing would go well. He reminded himself he was going to watch his step today. He'd been incredibly stupid the other night, touching her like that. He'd only meant to...Hell, it didn't matter what he'd meant. He'd seen the surprise passion flare in her eyes, and he'd experienced his own body respond all too vehemently.
His aim today was to give Ben Hockensmith a pep talk and stay unaffected by Paige. As easy as paddling a canoe...he hoped. He took another look at Paige. She wore red shorts and her legs were every bit as lovely as the rest of her--tanned, smooth, curvy, and long. He could see the outline of her swimsuit's scooped neck under her navy top. He wondered what the rest of it looked like. What the rest of her looked like....
He shut off the thought and asked, "How's Ben's family reacting to the accident?"
"Better than Ben. His dad says he'll take a second mortgage on the house and send him to college anywhere he wants to go. His mom makes sure he does his exercises and encourages him to get out. He's an only child, so he has all their attention."
"Is his dad having a problem now that football is out of the picture?"
"I don't think so. He wants Ben to get on with his life."
Clay wished his own father had wanted that for him. But his situation and Ben's were entirely different. Ben's father didn't feel as if he'd lost a son.
Ben was waiting outside along the curb. Paige could see his mother standing inside the screen door. She waved as Ben made his way to Clay's SUV.
Ben was quiet as they drove to the lake. Paige tried to draw him out, but his answers were monosyllabic. Clay could feel the teenager staring at him and probably wondering about him. Paige had told Ben that Clay had been in an accident too.
They found a weather-worn table in a grove of trees. Clay carried the picnic basket to the table. With his cane, Ben's carrying ability was limited, but he managed the jug of lemonade and his rolled towel. Paige brought her duffel bag and Clay's and the blanket for the grassy beach. They left the cooler in the SUV for the time being.
The late afternoon sun shone in the cloudless azure sky. "How about a swim first?" Paige asked cheerfully.
Clay said, "It's up to Ben. That water's still cold."
"I'm not afraid of cold water," the teenager muttered.
That might be true, but Clay knew he was afraid of other things. He watched Ben's eyes dart around the swimmers on the grassy shore. Then Ben looked down at his leg still encased in his jeans. Clay imagined what the teenager was thinking.
Clay took the blanket from the picnic bench. "Let's go sun on the beach. We can play a card game until we decide if we want to get wet."
Ben seemed thankful for the reprieve.
Paige exchanged a look with Clay that said she appreciated his thoughtfulness. He didn't want her appreciation. He didn't want anything from her that would increase the attraction between them. Because it couldn't go anywhere.
They settled on the blanket. To combat the awkwardness of strangers getting to know each other, they concentrated on a game of gin rummy.
After three rounds, Clay wiped his brow. "I don't know about you two, but it's too hot to sit here with clothes on. Ready for that swim?"
When neither Ben nor Paige answered, Clay lifted his shirt over his head.
"Jeez! What happened to you?" Ben asked.
Paige's gaze didn't seem to be drawn as much to the long jagged scars around Clay's shoulder as to his chest. Her eyes on him made the eighty-degree
She still couldn't say good-bye, but she managed, "Good night, Clay. I'll call after I talk to Ben."
He nodded and she opened the door. Walking into the evening, she took in a cool breath of air, waiting for it to blow out fires that both frightened and excited her.
****
Clay glanced at Paige beside him as he drove to the teenager's house. For Paige and Ben's sake, Clay hoped the outing would go well. He reminded himself he was going to watch his step today. He'd been incredibly stupid the other night, touching her like that. He'd only meant to...Hell, it didn't matter what he'd meant. He'd seen the surprise passion flare in her eyes, and he'd experienced his own body respond all too vehemently.
His aim today was to give Ben Hockensmith a pep talk and stay unaffected by Paige. As easy as paddling a canoe...he hoped. He took another look at Paige. She wore red shorts and her legs were every bit as lovely as the rest of her--tanned, smooth, curvy, and long. He could see the outline of her swimsuit's scooped neck under her navy top. He wondered what the rest of it looked like. What the rest of her looked like....
He shut off the thought and asked, "How's Ben's family reacting to the accident?"
"Better than Ben. His dad says he'll take a second mortgage on the house and send him to college anywhere he wants to go. His mom makes sure he does his exercises and encourages him to get out. He's an only child, so he has all their attention."
"Is his dad having a problem now that football is out of the picture?"
"I don't think so. He wants Ben to get on with his life."
Clay wished his own father had wanted that for him. But his situation and Ben's were entirely different. Ben's father didn't feel as if he'd lost a son.
Ben was waiting outside along the curb. Paige could see his mother standing inside the screen door. She waved as Ben made his way to Clay's SUV.
Ben was quiet as they drove to the lake. Paige tried to draw him out, but his answers were monosyllabic. Clay could feel the teenager staring at him and probably wondering about him. Paige had told Ben that Clay had been in an accident too.
They found a weather-worn table in a grove of trees. Clay carried the picnic basket to the table. With his cane, Ben's carrying ability was limited, but he managed the jug of lemonade and his rolled towel. Paige brought her duffel bag and Clay's and the blanket for the grassy beach. They left the cooler in the SUV for the time being.
The late afternoon sun shone in the cloudless azure sky. "How about a swim first?" Paige asked cheerfully.
Clay said, "It's up to Ben. That water's still cold."
"I'm not afraid of cold water," the teenager muttered.
That might be true, but Clay knew he was afraid of other things. He watched Ben's eyes dart around the swimmers on the grassy shore. Then Ben looked down at his leg still encased in his jeans. Clay imagined what the teenager was thinking.
Clay took the blanket from the picnic bench. "Let's go sun on the beach. We can play a card game until we decide if we want to get wet."
Ben seemed thankful for the reprieve.
Paige exchanged a look with Clay that said she appreciated his thoughtfulness. He didn't want her appreciation. He didn't want anything from her that would increase the attraction between them. Because it couldn't go anywhere.
They settled on the blanket. To combat the awkwardness of strangers getting to know each other, they concentrated on a game of gin rummy.
After three rounds, Clay wiped his brow. "I don't know about you two, but it's too hot to sit here with clothes on. Ready for that swim?"
When neither Ben nor Paige answered, Clay lifted his shirt over his head.
"Jeez! What happened to you?" Ben asked.
Paige's gaze didn't seem to be drawn as much to the long jagged scars around Clay's shoulder as to his chest. Her eyes on him made the eighty-degree
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