LUCAS (11 page)

Expecting searing pain, carefully, she cracked first one eye, then the other. In the darkened room, it took time for her vision to adjust. Gradually, the outline of wide shoulders and a tapered waste became more than evident. Lucas was sitting on the edge of the bed watching her.

“I’ll turn the light on in the adjoining bathroom so you can see better.”

She watched as he crossed the room and flicked the switch. In the blink of an eye, he pulled the door shut, leaving it open a tiny bit, just enough to let in the barest amount of light. 

He crossed the room and settled beside her again. With the additional light, she was able to see his familiar handsome face. Concern was evident in the lines and shadowed eyes. He obviously hadn’t made it from the room, before she woke. His hair was slightly messy with a few strands falling across his eyes. Slowly, laugh lines formed at the edges of his incredible blue eyes.

Suddenly, it occurred to her, if he had bed hair what must she look like? Horrified, she dove beneath the covers again.

How the heck had she ended up in his bed? At least she assumed it was his. The last thing she remembered was kissing him on the couch and watching the movie. She’d been kissing him! The thought more may have happened the night before surfaced again with renewed force. Desperately, her brain grasped at straws. Maybe she was in a guest room? Lord, she prayed she was in a guest room.

“Cher,” he said, trying not to laugh, “please come out and talk to me.”

The covers moved left and right as she shook her head. All that achieved was tiny knives stabbing her brain. Apparently, the nasty cure didn’t account for rapid movements.

“Please?” he asked.

She could feel him gently pulling on the covers. Holding onto the blanket with one hand and raking her fingers through her hair with the other she tried to tidy up. If luck held, she wouldn’t have raccoon eyes. From the heat radiating from her face and neck, she knew she was beet red. Stupid pale skin.

She couldn’t stall any longer. Sighing in resignation, she loosened her grip on the blanket and let him pull it away.

“There’s my gorgeous lady. Do you feel any better?”

“Yes, surprisingly. What was in that stuff?”

“Trust me, you really don’t want to know. My brothers and I spent a lot of years perfecting that horrid brew, but it works. And personally, I would rather suffer a few seconds to drink it than have a hangover from hell all day. I assumed you would feel the same. Was I right?”

“Yeah. I had no idea hangovers were that bad. I thought I was dying when I first woke up.”

“Wait. This was your first hang over?”

Kensie nodded, moving her head as little as possible.

“It seems I’m supplying a lot of firsts. I’m sorry that one had to hurt so much. Didn’t you ever tie one on in college?”

Kensie started to roll her eyes.
Damn!
She gave that idea up instantly.
Shit, that hurt.
Looked like she was going to have to speak. “I had an eight year old at home. When was I supposed to tie one on?”

“Shit. I’m sorry, I forgot. You had it really tough.”

“I’m just glad I had her. She’s the only family I have left. Both our parents were only children. We have no aunts, uncles, or cousins to turn to. It’s just her and me.”

Lucas ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t even begin to imagine that. I have six brothers, and as many cousins. Plus, some of them have married and now I have sisters–in–law and step nephews and a niece.”

She tilted her head to see his face better. “You’re lucky, you know that, right?”

“Oh, yeah. I do. I love my family.”

“That’s nice to hear, so many of my coworkers constantly complain about their families. Their willingness to throw away something so precious tears my heart out.”

Kensie self-consciously straightened the blanket across her lap.

Lucas knew she was wondering what had happened between them, but was afraid to ask. He stilled her nervous hands and caught her gaze. “Cher, nothing happened last night except the kissing on the couch. You fell asleep and I didn’t think you wanted to be seen being carried to your cabin at midnight. All we did was sleep. Fully clothed.”

“Thank God,” she breathed.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Would making love to me, be that horrible of an experience?”

Her head shot up and she stared into his eyes. “No. No, I didn’t mean it that way. I simply meant I was relieved it didn’t happen when I was basically unconscious. When I do something so personal, I like to be awake for it.”

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. For a minute there I thought I grossed you out.”

Kensie’s mouth fell open, and then she busted out laughing. “Did you just use the term, grossed you out?”

He scuffed a bare foot on the floor. “Yeah.”

She grinned as he blushed. “You, Mr. Le Beau, are an interesting dichotomy.”

“I suppose if you live long enough, that’s bound to happen.”

Kensie frowned, but didn’t ask what he meant by his comment.

Damn, he would have to watch what he said around her until he was able to tell her the truth. Best to change the subject. “So, about last night. Let me fill in the gap. You fell asleep after a few glasses of wine. I carried you up here and put you to bed. Fully clothed as you can see. Your virtue remains intact, my lady.” He bowed dramatically, making her laugh again. Goddess, he loved her laugh.

She suppressed a giggle fit and then checked him out from strong arms to thickly muscled thighs. Cocking her head, she asked. “You really did carry me from the couch to the bed didn’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m sorry you had to do that. I know I’m a large girl. Did I hurt your back?”

“No, cher. And you’re not nearly as large as you think you are. The only thing I regret about last night was having to lay you down. I would rather have held you in my arms the entire night.”

Kensie blushed and dropped her eyes. She always did that when she was uncomfortable with something he said or did. He couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. The only reason she would be affected by him would be because she had feelings for him.

When he remained quiet, she looked up again. “What?” she asked suspiciously.

“You like me, Miss Brown.” His joyful answer brightened the room like an intense ray of sunshine had broken through a cloud.

“Well…I…”

His grin grew into the biggest smile she’d ever seen on his face. His dimples were so deep, her heart tripped. He loomed over her, gripping the headboard on either side of her head. “You’re incredibly gorgeous and I’m hopelessly in love with you. How could I not be overjoyed? I just spent the night with you in my bed.”

Kensie began to sputter. She couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought.

“You take a minute to think about that. In the meantime, how does breakfast sound?” he asked, pushing himself upright and giving her the space she needed to collect herself.

She accepted the hand he held out to her and followed him to a large country kitchen. They must be in the private section of the main house.

He settled her on a stool where she could watch him and sip coffee as he made omelets. With him busy at the stove, she had time to analyze his behavior and words. She was surprised to admit, she hadn’t felt threatened in the least when he’d loomed over her. In fact, he’d made her feel small and feminine. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt that way.

He was a big man with the widest shoulders, she’d ever seen and thighs like tree trunks. Then it hit her, he reminded her of her father. Both were large, strong men, but gentlemen to the core. They both valued family above all else and treated their women with respect. Damn, why hadn’t she made the connection before?

But what was she supposed to do with his declaration of love? She’d just met him. There was no way she could even say for sure she liked him. Wanted to lick him from head to toe, yes, but allow herself to become more involved than that. How could she? She was leaving in a few days. Why couldn’t he live in Rochester, Minnesota?

“Earth to Kensie,” he chuckled, waving a hand before her eyes, “breakfast is ready.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” She took the plate he held out to her and waited for him to join her at the counter. 

Her gaze remained glued to him, unable to look away, as he filled a plate for himself. After last night, there were so many things she wanted to ask and discuss. The problem was, she wasn’t sure where to begin or what was appropriate. In her heart she wanted to stay right there, in that moment, forever. Her logical mind told her otherwise. She had a job and patients waiting in Minnesota. Bills to pay. Grown up responsibilities. There was no way she could just up and move to Texas, right?

She shook those foolish thoughts from her mind and heart. She wasn’t an irresponsible teenager with a wild crush. She was Dr. Kensie Brown, next in line to be Chief Surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. It would be best to remain proper. Keep things on the kissing friends level and avoid the friends with benefits option that, truth be told she wanted to explore badly.

If he was any other man, she wouldn’t hesitate, but Lucas was different. He was... special.

The last forty-eight hours had played havoc with her emotionally. She felt like she’d been riding a roller coaster. No fault of Lucas’s; he was steady as a rock. 

Suddenly, her heart was working overtime to make up for all of its unused years. As if it had been waiting for this moment of realization. She loved him!

Ah, hell. When did that happen?

Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. If she didn’t get her panic under control, she would hyperventilate. She hadn’t done that since she was a child. Concentrating on her breathing, she forced her lungs to slow down and take big, deep breaths.

“Are you all right, cher?” Lucas asked as he took the stool beside her.

“Yes. Fine. Breakfast looks and smells delicious.”

“You sure? You went very pale for a second.”

“Of course. Oh, and by the way, I haven’t thanked you.”

Lucas frowned. “For what?”

“Last night. Thank you for taking care of me and being mindful of my reputation.”

“You’re very welcome. I’ll always take care of you, mon amour. No matter what.”

He was very earnest, his eyes searching hers filled with… Longing? Love? She wasn’t sure and didn’t dare get her hopes up. He said he loved her, but was that just the heat of the moment? She just wasn’t sure.

The omelets were amazing. Lucas had filled them with left over jambalaya and cheese. She’d never tasted anything like it. They sure didn’t have food like that in Minnesota, home of lutefisk and Friday night fish fries. In the north, most seafood was heavily breaded and deep-fried. She hadn't known seafood could taste that good without a thick layer of tartar sauce.

Draining her coffee cup she checked the time. Kensie was shocked to see it was ten thirty already. Drinking alcohol was way more trouble than it was worth.

“Need to be somewhere, cher?”

“No, not really. But I’m sure Jojo will be wondering where I am.”

“Okay. Give me a minute to rinse these dishes and I’ll walk you home.” He picked up their plates, and set them in the sink before refilling her coffee cup. “You just sip on that while I clean up.”

Watching him be all domestic she couldn’t help but comment. “You’re very different from the men I know back home.”

“How’s that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The men I know wouldn’t lift a finger to cook, much less clean. They hire maids and housekeepers for that.”

Lucas shook his head. A look of disgust on his face. “Then their momma’s didn’t raise them right.”

He drained the sink and hung the kitchen towel up to dry. “After you see Jojo, do I get to have you all to myself the rest of the day?”

“That remains to be seen. I need to see what she has planned before I can promise you anything.”

“Fair enough. I’ll walk you over and give you some time to discuss your day before I call on you.”

Kensie laughed. “You sure are a persistent buggar.”

He pulled her off the stool and into his arms. Running one finger down her cheek, he whispered, “Woman, you haven’t seen persistent, yet.” Then he claimed her lips in a kiss so sweet, she swore he’d just claimed her heart and soul.

Unbeknownst to her, that was exactly what he planned to do.

*****

Kensie paced across the cabin – again. She seemed to do that a lot did lately. It was uncomfortable to be so unsure of herself and indecisive.

She felt bad when she’d remained silent after he said those three little words this morning. She’d let the perfect opportunity to voice her feelings slip away But shiznit, she wasn’t sure telling him was the fair thing to do, knowing she would leave in a few days and probably never see him again. Was it kinder to leave him hanging? Should she have told him the truth so he knew he wasn’t alone in the way he felt? Hells bells! This situation was exactly the reason she never got emotionally involved with a man.

His declaration of love was definitely not an act.
I’d felt his depth of emotions when he looked into my eyes. HOLY MOLY!  How the heck had I felt that? Now that I think about it, that wasn’t the first time I’ve experienced his emotions or known things about him. Something is seriously not right here.
She wasn’t sure if it was him or the dang ranch, but something was eerily wrong.

Quickly, she locked that thought away. It was too scary to contemplate. Besides, understanding the strange goings on was a losing battle. Kensie snorted at her ridiculous thoughts. Heck, why not just call Dan Aykroyd and the Ghostbusters while she was at it.

Who you gonna call?
Lucas said in her mind. He laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe. He’d been listening to Kensie’s mini melt down and couldn’t help but chime in.

Kensie spun around. “Who said that?”

All she heard in response was more laughter.

“This place needs a priest,” she muttered. She took a deep breath and calmed her chaotic thoughts.

She decided to review what had happened over the last two days and how she felt about … well, everything.

*****

When Jojo finally came home, Kensie was hammering away on her keyboard. She lifted
her eyes as she sensed her sisters gaze “Hey,” she said half distracted “I was getting worried about you.”

Jojo glowered at the laptop. “I thought you promised you were done working during this vacation?”

“I am. I was researching local hauntings and trying to find a way to exorcise spirits.” She set the computer aside and scooted over so her sister could join her on the bed.

“Why in the world are you researching ghosts?”

“Don’t call the men in white jackets, but I’ve been hearing a voice in my head.”

“What?”

Kensie held up her hands in surrender. “I think I finally hit the wall. You’ve always said I work too much. I think the voice is some kind of hallucination. While I’ve been waiting for you to return, I was checking my schedule and I sent an email to my department head I’m taking an extra week. How do you feel about extending our vacation at the ranch?”

Jojo squealed and launched herself at Kensie, knocking her flat on her back. At least they were on a bed this time. Last time her sister flattened her, she hadn’t faired so well.

“Really! Do you mean it?”

“Yes, I do. I already sent my notice for time off. We still need to ask Krystal if the cabin is available though.”

“Oh, I know it is. She told me next week they still had a few vacant cabins to fill.”

“It’s settled then.” Kensie grinned.

“This vacation extension doesn’t have anything to do with a certain cowboy who kept you out all night does it?” Jojo smirked.

“Yeah, about that,” Kensie’s face fell and she became very serious. “I really need some advice.”

“Sweetheart, was he mean to you? Just say the word and I’ll kick his ass!”

“No! Just the opposite, Lucas was very nice to me. He was a complete gentleman.”

“Well, hell. Do I need to talk to him about that? Explain how kissing and sex works?”

“Goodness, no!” Kensie laughed and swatted Jojo’s arm. “Seriously though, he told me this morning he loves me.”

“Oh my gosh!” Jojo’s eyes became huge. “What did you say to him?”

“That’s the problem, I didn’t say anything.”

“You don’t have feelings for him?”

“No, actually, I think I love him, too.”

Her sister frowned. “You lost me somewhere along the way. If he loves you and you think you love him, what’s the problem?”

“I live and work in Minnesota and he is in Texas. That’s a rather large geographical problem.”

Jojo shrugged. “So fix it.”

“Just how am I supposed to do that?”

“Move to Texas. You mentioned last Christmas you might start your own practice and get out of the hospital rat race. So do it. Move down here and open your own clinic. I only have two semesters of nursing school left. You wouldn’t have to worry about anyone discovering your gift if I worked with you as your personal nurse.”

Kensie stood and began pacing again. She rubbed the back of her neck as she processed what her sister suggested. She had been thinking about leaving the Mayo for a long time now. Could she leave her patients behind? Was that a relative argument? People traveled to the Mayo Clinic from all over the world. She guessed if they really needed her, they could travel to her as well. She was sick and tired of the unreasonable demands her coworkers put on her.