Badland Bride (Book 2 - Dakota Hearts) (4 page)

“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. I talked with a lot of people today. I do remember talking to a man named Ian. I didn’t make the connection.”

“There are quite a few of us in these parts.”

“I guess so. I look forward to meeting them while I’m here.”

He nodded. “I would like to see you again.”

“I don’t think I’ll really need a follow-up appointment for this. I should be able to wrap this myself now that I’ve seen you do it twice already.” She reached for her cell phone so she could check her calendar. “To be quite honest, I don’t think I could fit—”

“I wasn’t thinking of an office visit. I was thinking more alone the lines of having dinner again.”

She eased the cell phone back into place on the night table. “Excuse me?”

“I enjoyed being with you tonight. I thought you might like a repeat.”

* * *

The deer-in-the-headlights expression was back on her face, Hawk realized. Regis was staring at him, wide-eyed with her lips slightly parted. He waited for her to respond but he wasn’t altogether sure she was even breathing until she finally spoke.

“I don't like to get…involved,” she said.

“You’re never in one place long enough for that, are you?”

“No.”

“You eat alone every night?”

“Most of the time, yes. Sometimes I have dinner with one of my colleagues if they’re in the same town, but most of the time we’re all too exhausted and have too much paperwork to do.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“It’s the nature of the beast.”

“It doesn’t have to be. Especially when someone is offering you a home cooked meal.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Home cooked?”

“Yeah, my house. Okay,

“Your house.”

“Well, not exactly home cooked like my mother’s. But I have a pizza stone that needs breaking in. We can be creative.”

She shook her head. “I...when I’m on the job, things get complicated.”

“You don’t like complicated?”

She sighed slowly, seeming to choose her words carefully. “Sometimes I have to deliver bad news, like with the Proctors. I hate it. It’s the worst part of my job. But it’s a fact. It makes things easier if I just keep to myself.”

A grin tugged at his mouth. “I didn’t propose marriage, Regis. Just pizza.” He kept his tone matter-of-fact, trying to ignore just how badly he wanted her to say yes. He’d been watching her all night, wondering if the intrigue he’d felt earlier in the day would be gone. She’d greeted him with messy hair, make-up smeared down her cheek, and old gray sweats that were probably two sizes too big and still she looked like the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He looked at that cluster of freckles on her cheek and wanted to rub his thumb across it as he looked into her eyes.

Hawk watched the choices play across her face. But then she was shaking her head again. “Thank you for the offer, but I have to decline. And thank you for this tonight. I was wondering if I was going to get to eat more than just Cheetos and peanuts from the vending machine outside.”

He forced a smile he didn’t feel. “Well, I’m glad we had the chance to talk tonight then.”

She started to get up off the bed, but he held her back with his hand.

“I’ll let myself out. You stay off your leg at least for tonight. Make sure you come back to the office if your leg gives you trouble.”

Hawk had his hand on the doorknob when Regis stopped him.

“Thank you for tonight. I’m not…I don’t usually have to depend on people. I’m glad you stopped by.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Hawk whistled as he left Regis’s room and made his way to his truck in the motel parking lot. She’d turned him down, but he could see that she was conflicted. To him, that just meant he’d have to win her over another way. One thing was for sure, he was more intrigued with Regis Simpson than he was when he’d arrived tonight. And that only made him want to see her more. And he would. He was sure of it.

He slammed the truck door closed and turned the key in the ignition, whistling while the engine fired to life. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d whistled.

# # #

Her leg was bleeding again. It wasn’t even noon and she’d already managed to get off schedule after brushing up against the fender of her car while taking pictures of a house with roof damage. It should have been a quick appointment, lasting no more than ten minutes to talk to the owner and take pictures. Instead, she needed mending. Again.

Disgusted with herself, Regis pulled her sedan into the clinic parking lot. She killed the engine and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She should have gone back to her hotel and just patched her leg up herself. But…

But she was here at the clinic to see Dr. Keith McKinnon again. Yeah, the reason for that wasn’t too big of a mind stretch for her. She’d thought of nothing but him since he’d shown up at her motel room last night.

What the hell was she doing? He’d asked her to dinner. And she’d emphatically said no. She never dated men while on the road. They’d get attached. She’d get attached. And then she’d move on to another town. That was the story of her childhood. She didn’t want to repeat it in her adult life.

Besides, long distance relationships never worked. She’d learned that one the hard way when she’d held on too long.

“And this is not a date,” she muttered, opening the car door. “I’m only here to have my leg wrapped again and then I’ll be back on the road.”

Oh, why couldn’t Keith McKinnon be a crusty old doctor? Instead she couldn’t stop thinking about the drop-dead gorgeous country doctor with a heart of gold she’d only seen in heroes in movies.

Ten minutes later she was sitting on the same examining table she’d sat on the day before, looking into those deep blue eyes that had haunted her all last night. He’d dispensed with wearing the white jacket he’d put on yesterday, making it hard to see him as the caring doctor he’d been. Instead, strong muscles were clearly visible beneath the fabric of his long sleeved gray shirt. The blue jeans he wore were faded and had stains that clearly had defied laundering.

“Am I keeping you from something?” she asked.

“You just caught me. I was heading over to the mill to help with some of the cleanup.”

She nodded. “That’s another thing on my list that I’m going to have to reschedule. Again.”

Regis fought the tears of frustration she’d been feeling since yesterday’s mishap. So many people were counting on her and she was failing.

“Come on. It’s not that bad,” Keith said, lifting her chin with his finger. The sympathy she saw in his eyes was more than she could take. She lost the battle with her emotions as the tears she’d been holding back fell down her cheek.

Reaching behind him, Keith grabbed a tissue box and held it out for her. She took two and nodded her thanks.

“I’m so embarrassed,” she finally said when she got her emotions in check. “I don’t normally blubber like this.”

“Why not? It looks like you were overdue.”

She shook her head. “I can hear my father in my head tell me to buck up. ‘Soldiers don’t cry.’” She lowered her voice in that deep way she always did when she mimicked her father’s admonition. She hadn’t done that in a long time.

“You were a soldier?”

“No, my dad is.”

“Oh.”

His sudden silence had her looking up at Keith. “What?”

He shrugged as he grabbed a fresh roll of gauze from the cabinet. “I don’t know your father, but I do know a lot of people in the military. Male or female, they do cry. How could they not? And plenty of people cry with them. There’s nothing wrong with some tears.”

His kind words only made Regis feel worse and her tears renewed.

“I can’t do what I have to do with this leg.”

“The longer you stay off it, the better chance the wound has to heal and stay closed.

“I can’t stay off my feet long enough for this to heal.”

“You don’t have sick time from work?”

“It’s not that. I’m sure I can call my office and they’ll send another adjuster out here to replace me. But…”

He cocked his head slightly to one side and waited for her to go on.

“I’ve been at this a long time,” she said. “There are a lot of people who do what I do who aren't thorough.”

She glanced up at him, hoping he’d get her meaning. After a second, he nodded.

“It’s very noble to be conscientious about your job. In fact, that’s something I got from you immediately. You care about what you do. I’m sure not everyone would be as dedicated.”

“Thank you. I just want to make sure these people get what they need first.” She took a deep breath and used the tissues to wipe her cheeks. “So what’s the prognosis? Am I back in the saddle when you get me patched up?”

His slow sigh gave her the answer. “If you want this leg to heal so you can really get around the way you need to, you’re going to need to stay off it for at least another day.”

“That’s not poss—”

“Or every time you bend your foot or rub up against something, you risk re-injuring yourself.”

“So warned.”

He finished inspecting her leg and then wrapped it up. He dropped his latex gloves in the trash and turned to her.

“Who do you have on your list today?”

“My schedule is in the car.”

“Then let’s take a look.”

Fifteen minutes later they were standing in the clinic parking lot. Regis pulled her tablet from the car and was now scrolling down the list of names of people she’d need to contact.

Keith was standing incredibly close to her. She felt the heat of his body as it shielded her from the March wind, and the light smell of aftershave. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but that was the difference about him today. She’d noticed the light scruff of hair on his jawline yesterday, but now it was cleanly shaven. Just standing so close to him made her head light, making it hard to concentrate.

“You were going to go to the mill today,” he said, seemingly unaware of his effect on her.

“That was the plan.” The wind whipped her hair around her face. She fought with trying to keep it from obstructing her vision for a few seconds. When it subsided, she noticed Keith was staring intently at her list.

“Okay, then,” he said, moving away from her and leaving her in the wind. He opened her driver’s side door and reached inside the car, pulling out her camera.

“Okay then what?” she asked.

“We’ll take my truck. This is the only camera you use?”

Confused, she said, “Yes. But don’t you have appointments?”

“I had them all this morning. I was just about to leave when you came in.”

“Doesn’t anyone else besides me need a doctor around here?” she said, chuckling.

Keith laughed too and the sound of it made her smile. Not just a smile on her face, but a smile she felt inside. Good Lord, when was the last time any man had made her feel that way? Ever!

“Hopefully not for the rest of the day. That way we can get through the list.”

“You’re going to come with me?”

“Yes. If it means you’re not going to hurt yourself again. Look, I know the area better than you. I also know the terrain. If there is any place that is too difficult to walk on or can cause you injury, I’ll go and take the pictures. Then you won’t get too far behind.”

She looked up at the strong features of his face, scrutinized the blue eyes she couldn’t stop thinking about, just to see if he was kidding. He was serious.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly.

“Why not?”

“You just met me. You don’t even really know me.”

He nodded and pointed out into the distance. “But I know them. And I do know that doing this right is important to you. So I figure the best way for me to help people I know and care about is to help you. It’s a win-win situation. Is there anything wrong with that?”

She drew in a slow breath, unable to find words of gratitude that seemed genuine.

“Thank you,” was all she managed.

* * *

The truck smelled like Regis. They’d been to three properties already on their way to the mill and each time Hawk climbed into the truck, the scent of her filled his head.

“Right over there is the Maitland ranch. That’s where I got on my first bull.”

Regis gave him a quick glance. “You were a bull rider?”

“I didn’t say that. I got on the bull and it immediately bucked me off. I don’t even think I lasted a second. But I did give it a second and third try, mostly because my brother, Wade, dared me to.”

“Wade?”

He caught himself. It wasn’t often he talked about Wade. And it occurred to him that Wade probably would’ve been angry at him for closing himself off that way. But even after nearly five years, losing his brother still felt as raw as it did the day they got the news.

“My oldest brother. He’s first, then me, then Sam, then the twins, Ethan and Logan.” He drove in silence for a few seconds, allowing himself to think about things he hadn’t thought of for a long time. “Wade was good at bull riding. He was never serious enough to go pro, but he had no fear of that bull.”

Regis smiled at him. “You admired him a lot.”

Hawk nodded. “He was the best friend I’ve ever had.” And Hawk had let him down.

His hand went to his chest to feel the small medallion and chain that Wade always wore from the time he was a teenager until before he’d gone on that trip with the Peace Corps that last time.

“I’m an only child,” Regis said. “I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to grow up with a houseful of boys like you all did. You must have driven your parents crazy.”

“We’re McKinnons,” he said laughing. “I can’t imagine what it would have been like growing up without noise and chaos. My parents seemed to thrive on it. You said you lived on military bases growing up. What was that like?”

She shrugged. “Different.” She turned her head to look at the side of the road. Hawk didn’t push it.

“Did you go to this high school?” she asked as they passed the school.

“Yes. On really hot days in the spring, Sam and I used to skip class and head down to the pond on through the woods with some of the other kids in school. Denny’s house was out there.” He pointed to a long driveway that disappeared into the woods. “Denny was really Ethan’s friend but we all hung out. And we always got caught when we did.”