Read Online Only By Your Touch by Catherine Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catherine Anderson
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had.”
“Frank’s a good man.”
“Oh, you know him, then?” That was good. Very good.
“We went to school together.”
“Mr. Bower took me for a ride in his Bronco,” Jeremy chimed in. “I got to make the lights flash and talk on the radio!”
Longtree winked at the child. “It pays to have connections.”
“Yep.”
Chloe glanced pointedly at her watch. “We should be going. I told Tracy to call her dad if I wasn’t back in thirty minutes. I’d hate for Frank to drive all the way out here to find us.”
As Longtree studied her with cool detachment, his cheek muscle started to tic. In that moment, Chloe knew how hapless settlers must have felt when they came face-to-face with a Shoshone warrior.
“Are you threatening me, Mrs. Evans?”
Chloe’s stomach dropped. She had been threatening him, but she hadn’t meant for him to realize it. “Good grief, no! What on earth makes you think so?”
“Now, there’s a question.”
Chloe tried to laugh. The result was a thin, quavering cackle that sounded half-hysterical. “We just need to get going. I was just trying to explain.”
“What about Rowdy, Mommy?” Jeremy tugged his hand free from hers, ran to the table, and went up on his tiptoes to pet his puppy. “Will we come back later to see him?”
If she got her son out of here, she would never step foot on this property again.
Longtree turned to rest his narrow hips against the counter behind him. After crossing his ankles and folding his arms, he studied her for what seemed forever, staring first at her face and then taking another measure of her person with an insolent slowness that made her skin burn.
His eyes gave away nothing of his thoughts. “I have no intention of keeping you here. If you want to take Rowdy with you, that’s fine, too. However, before you make that choice, understand the consequences. The pup is burning up with fever and dangerously—” He glanced at Jeremy, fell silent, then changed course. “He’s dehydrated, and I felt mild cardiac fibrillationwhen I took his pulse. Neil Fenderbottom’s a good vet, but he’s got a heavy patient load. If you take Rowdy to the clinic, chances are they’ll put him in a cage and get to him as quickly as they can.” He lifted a black eyebrow. “Time is of the essence. If you’d like to chance it, that’s your choice.”
The word choice rattled around in her head. Her stomach, knotted with nerves, did a funny little bump and roll. He didn’t mean to keep them here then?
Searching his eyes, Chloe saw that he didn’t. She also realized that he was coldly furious because she’d thought he might.
“I see.”
“I would hope. My business is healing, not harming irrational women and helpless little boys.”
Chloe couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Longtree straightened, took a glass from the cupboard, and stepped to the refrigerator. “I’ll pour you each some lemonade. You can powwow at the table. Decisions are always easier to make if you can sit somewhere and think things through.” After refilling Jeremy’s glass, he set one for Chloe beside it, then returned the pitcher to the fridge. “There’s a pad on the counter with my number on it. If you decide to leave the pup, jot down your phone number and take mine so we can keep in touch. While you talk it over, I have work I need to be doing. The IV is easily removed. Just undo the tape, pull it out, and redo the bandage to apply pressure so he doesn’t bleed.” He smiled at Jeremy and thrust out his hand. “Jeremy, it’s been a pleasure. With your mom’s permission, I hope you’ll come see me again.”
Jeremy solemnly shook hands with the man. “Does this mean you aren’t gonna make Rowdy well for me?”
Ben flicked a hard look at Chloe. “That’s up toyour mother. If you decide to leave the pup, I’ll do everything I can for him.”
Chloe was beginning to feel like a worm. Oh, how she wished she’d never met Lucy Gant and listened to her
“Frank’s a good man.”
“Oh, you know him, then?” That was good. Very good.
“We went to school together.”
“Mr. Bower took me for a ride in his Bronco,” Jeremy chimed in. “I got to make the lights flash and talk on the radio!”
Longtree winked at the child. “It pays to have connections.”
“Yep.”
Chloe glanced pointedly at her watch. “We should be going. I told Tracy to call her dad if I wasn’t back in thirty minutes. I’d hate for Frank to drive all the way out here to find us.”
As Longtree studied her with cool detachment, his cheek muscle started to tic. In that moment, Chloe knew how hapless settlers must have felt when they came face-to-face with a Shoshone warrior.
“Are you threatening me, Mrs. Evans?”
Chloe’s stomach dropped. She had been threatening him, but she hadn’t meant for him to realize it. “Good grief, no! What on earth makes you think so?”
“Now, there’s a question.”
Chloe tried to laugh. The result was a thin, quavering cackle that sounded half-hysterical. “We just need to get going. I was just trying to explain.”
“What about Rowdy, Mommy?” Jeremy tugged his hand free from hers, ran to the table, and went up on his tiptoes to pet his puppy. “Will we come back later to see him?”
If she got her son out of here, she would never step foot on this property again.
Longtree turned to rest his narrow hips against the counter behind him. After crossing his ankles and folding his arms, he studied her for what seemed forever, staring first at her face and then taking another measure of her person with an insolent slowness that made her skin burn.
His eyes gave away nothing of his thoughts. “I have no intention of keeping you here. If you want to take Rowdy with you, that’s fine, too. However, before you make that choice, understand the consequences. The pup is burning up with fever and dangerously—” He glanced at Jeremy, fell silent, then changed course. “He’s dehydrated, and I felt mild cardiac fibrillationwhen I took his pulse. Neil Fenderbottom’s a good vet, but he’s got a heavy patient load. If you take Rowdy to the clinic, chances are they’ll put him in a cage and get to him as quickly as they can.” He lifted a black eyebrow. “Time is of the essence. If you’d like to chance it, that’s your choice.”
The word choice rattled around in her head. Her stomach, knotted with nerves, did a funny little bump and roll. He didn’t mean to keep them here then?
Searching his eyes, Chloe saw that he didn’t. She also realized that he was coldly furious because she’d thought he might.
“I see.”
“I would hope. My business is healing, not harming irrational women and helpless little boys.”
Chloe couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Longtree straightened, took a glass from the cupboard, and stepped to the refrigerator. “I’ll pour you each some lemonade. You can powwow at the table. Decisions are always easier to make if you can sit somewhere and think things through.” After refilling Jeremy’s glass, he set one for Chloe beside it, then returned the pitcher to the fridge. “There’s a pad on the counter with my number on it. If you decide to leave the pup, jot down your phone number and take mine so we can keep in touch. While you talk it over, I have work I need to be doing. The IV is easily removed. Just undo the tape, pull it out, and redo the bandage to apply pressure so he doesn’t bleed.” He smiled at Jeremy and thrust out his hand. “Jeremy, it’s been a pleasure. With your mom’s permission, I hope you’ll come see me again.”
Jeremy solemnly shook hands with the man. “Does this mean you aren’t gonna make Rowdy well for me?”
Ben flicked a hard look at Chloe. “That’s up toyour mother. If you decide to leave the pup, I’ll do everything I can for him.”
Chloe was beginning to feel like a worm. Oh, how she wished she’d never met Lucy Gant and listened to her
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