Thankfully, the furry patient was a good boy, allowing me to give him both the light sedative and the IV without causing me any trauma. I remained right by his side, stroking his fur until he fell into a nice slumber. Even then, I stayed a little longer.
When I finally glanced at my telephone, I realized over an hour had passed. Maybe I was trying to avoid my guest now that I’d locked myself into dinner with him.
What could be so bad about that?
He’d remain silent and brooding. I’d chat about nothing.
Talk about a match made in heaven. Wouldn’t Darlene have a lot to say about the predicament I’d put myself in? I’d invited a stranger to dinner and I didn’t know anything about him.
I couldn’t stay locked inside the clinic, for God’s sake. After gathering what courage I could muster, I headed outside, noticing he’d brought his truck closer. But there was no sign of him anywhere.
Ellie May finally barked, pointing me in the right direction, which was the corral. As soon as I was close, I noticed he wasn’t working on the gate. Instead, he was repairing the fence. Whatthe hell? I dared inch a little closer, shocked at the work he’d already completed.
My mouth was hanging open, which wasn’t the greatest look for a woman under the best of circumstances.
He’d taken it upon himself to try to make my life better when I was attempting to find additional reasons to keep him at arm’s length. Who was this man?
And why had he removed his shirt, allowing me to enjoy the view of a big strong hunk of muscle consumed with doing a job?
I loitered a little longer than I should or maybe I should have stopped him, but I didn’t, instead returning to the house before Ellie May, who seemed content in supervising, noticed me. Once inside the house, I leaned against the door.
Not only did I have a flurry of emotions keeping my stomach in knots, but the clear and present desire was about to do me in. He was far too handsome, his sex appeal unavoidable.
I hurried into the kitchen, pulling out the steaks I’d purchased just in case, trying to figure out how best to season them. Other than inviting Darlene over to hold my hand when I’d returned, no one had been inside the house.
Once the simple task was finished, I moved into the living room, groaning openly. My ice cream bowl and wineglass remained on the table, my slippers nearby. The quilt was on the floor, Ellie’s toys spread everywhere.
Like a hurricane, I moved through the house like a tornado, shoving the items into the dishwasher and yanking my slippers into my hand. As soon as I walked into my bedroom, which hewouldn’t visit but might notice if he went to the bathroom, a rush of adrenaline had me close to panicking.
I’d never been a slob before. Not once in my life. Yet I’d had no energy or desire to make the house mine. Why should I? I wasn’t entirely certain the bank wasn’t going to claim the ranch at some point. Or maybe I’d just been unable both mentally and emotionally to deal with boxing up their things.
That’s why I remained in the guest room, which technically was my old room when I’d lived here. Complete with my high school cheerleading banner on the wall and posters of Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake, one who I’d insisted I was going to marry.
Ha.
I noticed how that had worked out.
The mirror with photos stuck from my high school days was a stark reminder of the happy girl I’d been. At least for the most part. There was no time to rip them off. Nor was there time to change the fluffy pink comforter to another one.
All I could do was pick up the dirty clothes and when the hamper was full, I tossed them into my tiny closet, forced to shove the door closed. I stood in front of it, gasping for breath and worried it would pop open like a can of worms.
When the place was presentable, I rushed into the bathroom, opening a drawer and raking my arm across the counter, dropping my makeup, hairspray, gel, lotion, and all the other beauty products I barely used inside.
Thankfully, I had a couple of clean towels, replacing the damp ones.
After the room was presentable, I glared into the mirror. Holy crap. I looked terrible, dark circles under my eyes carrying their own baggage. That’s what long hours and sleepless nights did to you.
I fluffed my hair, powdered my nose, and applied a little lip gloss before returning to the kitchen and glancing out the window. He must still be working. After grabbing two cold beers, I took a calming breath and headed out.
Only I wasn’t so calm.
This time when I headed toward the corral, I noticed he wasn’t there. But he’d repaired six sections of fence.
And the gate was…
When I was standing right in front of the swinging door, I was absolutely floored. Viper hadn’t managed a temporary fix. What he’d accomplished appeared permanent. He’d even managed to put the new fastener on. Floored, I tried to figure out where he was, turning in a full circle.
This time, Ellie May didn’t give away the location, but an electric saw did. I heard it running from around the side of the clinic, which had several missing pieces of siding. The surprises about the man never stopped. I moved around the end of the clinic, inching around the corner while holding my breath, slowly lifting my head to see the work he’d done. He was currently on a ladder, juggling a piece of siding by himself and nailing it by hand.
