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Ashley quickly pulled on a long housecoat and hurried down the hall to her apartment door. Stepping outside onto the small iron deck, she leaned down over the rail. “What’s going on?”
Kiefer looked at her. “Harold and his crew are going to put a security light in for you.”
“I knew nothing about this.”
“I called in a favor.”
Ashley pressed her lips together. The light was needed but she didn’t want Kiefer taking it upon himself to see that she got it. She could take care of herself, get things done without his influence. After years of fighting against stifling concern, she wouldn’t let it take over her life again. She could grow to trust and depend on him. What if she did and he disappointed her? “I wish you hadn’t done that.”
He climbed the stairs. “What do you mean? You know this light is needed.”
“I do, but what I don’t need is someone trying to take care of me.”
Kiefer joined her on the landing. She suddenly felt small and underdressed with him standing next to her in his golf-style shirt, tan slacks and loafers. He made her think of things that could happen between them that were better left alone. Her nipples tightened in reaction to his nearness and she crossed her arms over her breasts.
“What brought that on? You said the other night that you’d been trying to get a light installed out here and I just asked the hospital administrator to give the power company a call.”
“Okay. I appreciate your efforts.” She turned to go inside.
“You still didn’t answer my question. What’s the chip on your shoulder about people being concerned about your welfare?”
She turned to glare at him. “I spent most of my life with overprotective parents, especially my father. It took me a long time to break away and I’m not going to let anyone control my life like that again.”
Kiefer’s shoulders and head went back. “Whoa, I didn’t expect that blast.”
“Then you shouldn’t have asked.” She opened the door, entered and closed it firmly between her and the man who saw too much and managed to send her emotions into a tailspin.
* * *
Kiefer hefted a cement urn out of the bed of his truck. He was glad he’d backed up to the front door, instead of trying to carry it across the parking lot. It weighed more than he’d anticipated. The man at the garden shop had loaded the two pots for him. He had asked for their sturdiest and apparently had got his request. Positioning the urn beside the door, he returned to the truck for a bag of potting soil.
After Ashley’s reaction to him arranging for the security light, he probably shouldn’t be replacing the flowers without discussing it with her, but he’d not seen her again. She’d left just after daylight, that much he knew, because her car was no longer parked near her stairs.
He poured half the bag of dirt into the pot. What he couldn’t figure out was her over-the-top reaction to him trying to help. The security light just made good sense. Was she one of those women who didn’t want anything done unless she was the one to do it? She probably wouldn’t like him replacing the flowers but she would just have to get over it. He’d tell her it was for the clinic and not her. That he was confident she would accept.
Why he cared he had no idea. After what Brittney had done to him he’d promised himself not to care about a woman one way or another and here he was planting flowers for one who wouldn’t be grateful. Brittney liked flowers. She’d kept fresh ones in a vase all the time. It had turned out some of those had been from Josh.
Stepping inside, he used more force than necessary and picked up the bucket with the dirt and flowers he and Ashley had rescued the night before. Kiefer took a deep breath then headed outside. He was doing this during the only lag in patients he’d had in the last two days. Instead of eating lunch, he was out here planting flowers, something that was well out of his wheelhouse. He really needed to get a move on so he was done before a patient showed up. He’d handle Ashley’s reaction when the time came.
That was sooner than he’d expected. He was in the waiting room, speaking to Margaret about how he would like the charting handled, when the sound of heels on the old pine planks of the floor headed in his direction. Kiefer didn’t have to guess who the clip-clip belonged to.
Ashley joined him and Margaret at the old office desk being used as Reception. “Hey, Margaret, how’s it going?”
“Fine. We’ve been busy.”
“Great. At least we can prove to the council that the clinic is needed.” She turned to him. “Dr. Bradford, could I speak to you for a minute?”
Kiefer didn’t like her tone. It reminded him of when he was in trouble and his mother used his full name. Ashley must have noticed the flowers, on which he believed he’d done an exceptional job.
He followed her down the hall. She wore a pencil skirt and dark hose that made her slim legs look sexy. He’d always been a legs man and hers were some of the finest he’d ever seen. The swish of her hips did something to his libido as well. He shouldn’t get involved with a controlling, political do-gooder. She wasn’t his type and even if she had been he’d sworn off women. He’d been kicked in the teeth and wasn’t going to put himself in that position again. Still, he could look and appreciate, couldn’t he?
Ashley stepped into his tiny office. He joined her and closed the door. She regarded at the door as if she feared she might have made a tactical error.
“What’s going on that you thought we needed to talk alone?” He was taking the offensive before she could.
“I, uh, I noticed the flowers out front. I’m assuming you did them.”
“I did.”
“You know that isn’t part of your job description...”
Kiefer took a step closer and she moved back until her bottom was against the desk. He pinned her with a look. “I do, but it needed to be done and I wanted the guys that did the destruction to know that the clinic was here to stay. I also had the security light erected for the patients as well as you. Soon it’ll be getting darker earlier.”
She gave him a perplexed look. Maybe he’d managed to stymie her. Something she’d not been for the entire time he’d known her.
“I thought—”
“That I’d done it for you?” He took a half a step closer. There was that fresh-baked cookie smell again. He wanted to breathe deeply, take it in. He raised a brow. “You made it perfectly clear the evening we met that you didn’t need my help.”
“I guess I did.”
Apparently when she didn’t have the upper hand she could be dealt with rather easily. “Well, if we have that cleared up then I’ll get back to my patients.”
“Before you go I have one other thing to discuss with you.” Her voice had taken on the tone of authority again.
“Yes?” He looked down his nose at her.
“Next Saturday is the community block party. You will need to attend.”
“Is that a request or a demand?”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “Why, I’m asking.”
“That’s not what it sounded like.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight, Doctor?”
He leaned toward her. “No, I’m just trying to remind you that I’m not one of your subjects.”
“S-subjects?” she stuttered.
Ashley truly looked as if she had no idea she’d become so wrapped up in what she wanted that she’d forgotten that others might have different ideas or plans. “I’m not employed by you. I like to be asked to do something, not told. Especially when it has to do with my spare time.”
She huffed. “Would you please come to the block party?”
He acted as if he was giving it a great deal of thought before he said, “I’ll be there. Do I need to bring something?”
“No, all the food will be taken care of. I just need the neighborhoo
d to see you as part of them.”
“I understand. Now, if you’re through with me, I have patients waiting.” He stepped toward the door, stopped and returned to face her. His hands cupped her face. “You know, it’s time I get this out of my system.” His mouth found hers. It was as sweet and perfect as he remembered.
Ashley made a small sound of resistance before she returned his kiss. Her hands went to his forearms and squeezed.
Yes, that fire was still there. Flaming.
He let her go almost as abruptly as he had taken her. She rocked back on her heels.
Ashley raised her head, giving him a haughty look. “I have an appointment downtown.”
Kiefer opened the door and spread an arm wide, indicating for her to leave first. Her shoulder brushed his chest as she moved past him. A buzz of awareness shot through him. To make it worse, her scent lingered behind her. He licked his lips.
