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His gaze swept over her. As quick as the assessment was, a ripple of chills swept down her arms.
“You don’t look like you’re on your last legs,” he said in that smoky voice of his.
“You flatter me, sir.” Her cheeks went warm. How lame was her life if she considered that a compliment. And it would behelpful if she conversed in modern English. “Sorry. I guess I’ve been reading too much Jane Austen.”
The buzz from the clinic’s doorbell sounded above the whisper of the river. She welcomed the interruption, likely not an emergency as people called the posted number.
“Doesn’t anyone text anymore?” she muttered as she stood, then addressed Wes. “Be right back.”
Chapter5
Wes watched Avery go. She’d shed the lab coat, exposing a light-green top, and donned a pair of faded jeans. Her ponytail swung behind her. And then she was gone around the corner of the building.
She was an interesting woman. Obviously smart and confident about her work but also a little awkward. He thought of the way her cheeks flushed prettily when she was uncomfortable and the way her hair seemed brown under fluorescent lights and reddish in the sunlight. Did she have a significant other who appreciated those things?Knock it off, Garrett.As far as he was concerned, he was unofficially off the market.
Speaking of which, he needed to call Lillian and let her know he’d been delayed. She wouldn’t be annoyed. Even though he’d never met her in person, he knew her well from the letters they’d exchanged after Landon’s death. He’d known her well even beforethat since his buddy used to read his sister’s letters to Wes. Landon probably felt sorry for him because he didn’t get regular letters from anyone.
Even though they’d been written to her brother, Wes looked forward to Lillian’s letters and pictures. In return for his friend’s kindness, Wes would tease Landon about Lillian’s attractiveness. It was true. With curly brown hair, olive skin, and doe eyes, she was a natural beauty. But he got a kick out of laying it on thick just to get under Landon’s skin.
Landon would scowl. “Don’t even think about it, scrub.”
But that afternoon, when Landon lay helpless, his life seeping into the dirt, his words displayed the depth of his trust. “Take care of Lillian. Promise me.”
Wes swallowed against the lump in his throat. His agreement had been automatic. Of course he would look after her. He and Landon were as close as brothers and, letter by letter, he’d grown to care for Lillian too. All along he’d planned to settle in Albany after he and Landon finished out their contracts. He would keep to his plans and take care of Lillian.
But after exchanging many letters with her in the months since Landon’s passing, he’d found his commitment level growing. Wondered if he shouldn’t do more than check up on her and take her out to dinner on occasion.
It wasn’t until he’d called her from the States that his thinking had begun to shift. During that phone call she sounded so lost in grief. She was also worried about her day-care business as one of her moms—with three children—had just decided to quit her job and stay home with them. He didn’t want Lillian worrying about finances.
He was thirty-three and ready to settle down and start afamily. Why not do that together? They loved each other. He had yet to approach Lillian about a potential future together—that could wait until he arrived in Albany. But the moment he had that thought, he could almost feel Landon’s approval from beyond the grave. As often as his friend had claimed Lillian was too good for Wes, there was obviously nobody he’d trusted with her more.
He took a swig of water and checked the time. He had no idea what Lillian would be doing on a Sunday evening, but she wouldn’t be working. He hadn’t spoken with her since he called from Erwin, Tennessee, six days ago. She was still dealing with a lot of sadness over her brother’s passing.
He tapped her number and she answered on the second ring with her soft-spoken voice. “Well, hello there. You must’ve reached civilization again.”
“I have indeed. How are you doing?”
“Oh, you know. Pretty good. I try to stay busy—sometimes it keeps me ahead of the waves.”
He heard what she hadn’t said. “And sometimes it doesn’t?” He knew this well as he’d been going through it himself.
“These things take time. So where are you now? I’ll bet you’re glad for a shower and mattress.”
“For sure. I’m in a little town called Riverbend Gap in North Carolina. The trail runs right down Main Street.”
“Your voice sounds funny.”
“Well, that’s the thing. I seem to have a little virus going on. I’m afraid I’ve been held up a little bit.”
“Are you okay?”
“Sure, sure. Just need a little rest, and I’ll be on my way again.”
“Is there anything you need? Anything I can send you? A batch of my homemade chicken noodle soup maybe?”
He chuckled. She was such a caretaker. “I’m aiming to be on my way before it’d ever get here. But thank you for the offer.”
“All right then. I hate that you were delayed. You were making such good time too.”
