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But after it was said and done…that’s when they’d have to pay the price.
She stepped a fraction of an inch closer, her breath hitching when her gaze strayed to his lips. “Sign the papers, Adam, and we can go back inside.”
His name on her tongue nearly had him reaching for the first available pen to sign whatever damn papers she wanted. Even if she didn’t mean what she seemed to be implying, it would almost be worth it just for the possibility.
But he couldn’t give in.
Maybe someday, when his past had caught up to him and done with him what it would. Maybe then.
Though, she’d made it clear enough that she didn’t want him, not permanently. Whatever her reasoning for marrying him, she didn’t want him to stay with her forever. Even if he could offer her forever. But he couldn’t even offer her for now.
He sighed and stepped away. She was right. Unless they wanted this marriage between them to stick, they would be better off keeping their distance. And if that meant sleeping in the barn with a brood of clucking chickens instead of the nice, warm, clean house, so be it.
…
Adam was beginning to think getting a good night’s sleep had been a mistake. At least if he’d been overly tired, he wouldn’t be so aware of every detail of what was going on around him now in Doc’s patient room. Instead, he was awake and alert. And…was going to be sick again.
He darted out the back door for the third time that morning. The eggs and bacon that Nora had made him in a surprisingly generous gesture had left his stomach long ago, and there wasn’t much left to do but dry heave over the bushes in Doc’s back garden.
“Are you all right, Mr. Brady?” Doc called out the door.
“Just fine,” he said with a groan.
Doc gave him an amused grin, though there was nothing mocking about it, for which Adam was very grateful.
“I’ve got the abscess in Mr. Terletter’s toe drained. If you feel you’re up to it, I could use some help while I bandage him up.”
Adam nodded and took several shallow breaths, trying to force back a new wave of nausea. “I’ll be right there.”
“Good man,” Doc said with another grin.
The door to the front of the clinic slammed, and someone called “Doc!”
“Damn,” Doc said, shooting Adam a glance that, while sympathetic, also suggested he’d greatly appreciate it if Adam could pull himself together.
Adam took a deep breath, swallowed hard against the urge to vomit again, and headed back inside to see what other fresh hell awaited him.
He should have stayed outside.
Mr. Vernice sat on a chair, his foot propped up in front of him. Sticking out of his foot, boot and all, was a nail that the poor man had apparently stepped on during construction.
Doc was finishing up wrapping Mr. Terletter’s toe, apparently having decided it was easier to just do it himself, especially with a worse patient waiting to be seen.
“Adam, I need you to grab me a few things.” He rattled off a list of items that he’d need to remove the nail and properly cleanse and patch Mr. Vernice’s foot.
Adam rushed about the clinic, trying to grab everything in one go as time seemed to be of the essence. And of course, the last item needed was on the top shelf of the small storeroom in the back. Not an issue for him normally. But with his hands full… Perhaps he should have taken the few extra seconds to deposit everything he’d already been carrying before reaching for the bottle of alcohol that Doc kept to cleanse wounds.
“Hey there,” said a voice behind him. A voice he’d know anywhere.
Startled, his hand jerked as he grabbed the bottle, juggling it a bit before getting a solid grip. But he knocked into the bottle next to the alcohol on the shelf, and he watched it in horror as it teetered for half a breath before crashing to the floor.
He closed his eyes, biting his lips against the groan of frustration that clawed its way up his throat.
“Nora,” he said, turning to face her.
“Oops.” She looked at the mess on the floor. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to…” Her nose wrinkled, and she put her hand to it to block the fumes coming off the floor. “What exactly is that?” she asked, nodding to it.
He frowned down at the broken bottle. “I’m not sure.”
