Just Kate: His Only Wife (Bestselling Author Collection) (31 page)

In the kitchen, Gage patted the end of a long counter inlaid with colorful ceramic tile. “Sit her down here why don’t you.”

“Hi, Mandy, honey.” Hannah, who was serving up the last of the pie, greeted them. “What happened?”

The little girl clutched a tattered stuffed toy to her side and sniffled. “I hurt my foot.”

“Aw, that’s too bad. Well, Uncle Gage will fix you right up.”

“I don’t want no stitches.”

“Who does?” Hannah licked a dribble of pie filling from her finger.

Gage pulled a chair from the breakfast set over to the counter and sat down in front of Mandy. He tickled the back of her ankle and when she automatically lifted her leg, he deftly captured her foot in his hand.

Mandy giggled. “Quit it, Uncle Gage.”

“What have we here?” He removed the bandage Chase had put on the cut and tsk’d as if her injury was something awful to behold. “I say surgery’s in order. What about you, Dad?” He looked to Chase for confirmation.

She squealed and tried to jerk her foot away. “No!”

“I’m kidding, pumpkin.” He tickled her ankle again, glad to see she wasn’t in a lot of pain. “It’s not so bad. I’m sure a butterfly bandage will be enough.”

“You don’t by chance have any?” Chase asked. “I’m out.”

“Not here. Maybe at the station. We could ride over and dig through the first-aid supplies.” Gage reexamined Mandy’s cut. “Has she had a tetanus shot recently?”

“When she started kindergarten. I called SherryAnne before we left the house.” Chase’s flat answer discouraged any further questions about his ex-wife. “What about antibiotics? Do you have any of those at the station?”

“Just topical.” Gage reapplied the bandage. “But I agree she should have some. Lacerations on the foot are prone to infection.”

“I don’t want a shot.” Mandy’s bottom lip protruded in a pronounced pout, and her eyes brimmed with tears.

“No shot,” Gage said. “Just some bad-tasting medicine.”

Mandy scrunched up her face but didn’t object.

“Doc Ferguson won’t be back in town until Tuesday.” Chase gathered his daughter in his arms. “Maybe I should take her to the E.R. in Pineville after all. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how it went.”

“You won’t get home until ten or later,” Hannah said. “Stay and have some pie with us. You can leave in the morning.”

“I have appointments all day.” Chase was a veterinarian, the only one for thirty-five miles in any direction.

“Maybe Mom can take Mandy,” Hannah suggested.

“She’s working tomorrow.” Gage stood and returned the chair to the table.

“Thanks anyway.” Chase headed out of the kitchen with Mandy in his arms. “But it’s probably better for everyone if we just go tonight.”

“Wait.” Gage reached for his cell phone. “I have an idea.” He hit a speed dial number on the key pad and waited while the call went through.

“Hello.”

A small jolt of anticipation went through him at the sound of Aubrey’s voice. “Hi, it’s Gage. Are you busy at the moment?” He winked at Mandy. “I have a patient who requires the services of a good nurse.”

* * *

Aubrey leaned her back on the front door of the clinic and shielded her eyes against the setting sun. In the distance, Gage’s pickup truck rumbled down the road, headed straight for her. Grandma Rose had insisted she’d be fine alone for a short while, leaving Aubrey with no legit excuse to refuse Gage’s request.

Not that she would have refused to help Chase and his daughter.

She’d met Mandy only once, at her grandfather’s funeral. Mandy had been a toddler then, Chase and SherryAnne happily married. Aubrey liked Gage’s older cousin, though she hadn’t known him well and SherryAnne hardly at all. During her summers in Blue Ridge, Aubrey’s attention had been fixed exclusively on Gage.

The truck swung into the drive and parked beside her SUV. Both doors opened and Gage emerged from the driver’s side. He paused, his bare arm resting on top of the open door.

His searching gaze landed on Aubrey where it remained. She could feel the effects of his intimate scrutiny clear to her toes. A very small, very wistful sound escaped her lips, and for one fleeting moment, she considered disregarding every one of her resolutions about Gage.

“Thanks for agreeing to see us.”

Chase appeared by Aubrey’s side, intruding upon her and Gage’s interlude—for which she was grateful. Something went haywire with her reasoning every time she found herself near Gage. It was a distraction she didn’t need, especially while working.

“Hi, Mandy.” Aubrey smiled at the little girl in her father’s arms, clinging to both him and a velveteen pony for dear life. In a cheery voice, she said, “I bet you don’t remember me. You couldn’t have been more than two when we met.”

Mandy answered by burrowing her face in her father’s shirt.

“Don’t be shy,” Aubrey cooed and moved closer.

“I hate shots,” came a muffled reply.

“Want to hear a secret?” Aubrey uttered the last part in a conspiratorial whisper. “So do I.”

One eye peeked out and peered at Aubrey. “But you’re a nurse.”

Aubrey shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I like shots.”

The eye went back into hiding.

“You know what?” Aubrey was acutely aware of Gage as he passed by. She tried her best to hide the current of sensation winding through her. “Because I don’t like shots, I’m real gentle when I give them. The patients at the hospital took a vote, and they said of all the nurses, my shots hurt the least.”

The eye reappeared. “Is that really true or are you just making it up?”

“Well...” Aubrey scrunched her mouth to one side and squinted. “A little of both, maybe.”

The eye crinkled, and Aubrey suspected Mandy might be enjoying the teasing. She pivoted to face Gage, who was unlocking the clinic door.

“You have a key to this place?”

The dead bolt gave, and he pushed open the door. “Yeah, the volunteer fire department works closely with the clinic.”

Aubrey supposed that made sense. Just like she supposed Gage had received some EMT training.

“You understand I can’t dispense antibiotics to Mandy without Dr. Ferguson’s consent?”

“Give me just a minute.” Gage walked into the clinic and went straight to the phone sitting on a scarred metal desk that was more junk than antique. He referred to a list of phone numbers taped to the desktop and dialed.

Aubrey stowed her purse on the counter. “Let’s see about that foot.” She gestured toward the narrow examination table.

The little girl was loathe to leave the sanctuary of her father’s arms. He finally got her to sit on the table but not without a fuss.

Aubrey bent down to inspect Mandy’s foot. “I promise I won’t touch you, sweetie, unless you tell me it’s okay. Agreed?”

Mandy nodded, her mouth compressed into a tight bud.

“All right, hold your foot up so I can see it.”

She complied and, after more coaxing, allowed Aubrey to remove the bandage.

Halfway through her examination, Gage got Dr. Ferguson on the line. “He’ll talk to you.”

Aubrey went over to Gage and took the phone from him. His fingers lingered on hers far longer than necessary.

“H-h-hello, Dr. F-Ferguson.” She gripped the phone tight to counteract the sizzling effects of Gage’s touch.

“Hello, Aubrey. I wasn’t expecting to speak to you again so soon. How’s your grandmother doing?”

“She’s better.” A brief update on Grandma Rose gave Aubrey a chance to compose herself. Afterward, she filled in the doctor in Mandy.

“Give her some cephalexin.” He told Aubrey where the prescription medicines were stored. “Would you mind writing up a short report for me before you leave and putting it on the desk?”

“Not at all. Thank you, Doctor.”

“Thank you. This has been a great help to me.” For once his voice was warm. Almost friendly. “I’ve no right to ask but would you perhaps consider volunteering at the clinic one or two afternoons a week? I could really use someone with your skills.”

“I...” Aubrey’s refusal stuck in her throat.

In all honesty, she missed practicing nursing. Treating minor injuries and checking sore throats might not compare to the fast-paced environment of Tucson General’s E.R. and the addictive rush of adrenaline, but she’d no doubt enjoy herself. And heaven only knew the shabby little clinic could use a strong administrative hand.

From the corner of her eye she watched Gage talking to Chase. Could she handle something else that would put her in close contact with Gage? Doubtful. Nor did she need more ties to Blue Ridge—ties that would be hard to cut when the time came to leave.

“Aubrey?” asked Doctor Ferguson.

“I’m sorry. I got sidetracked.”
And how.
She swallowed before speaking. “As much as I’d like to volunteer, I’m afraid I can’t. I’m leaving the end of the month and would hate making a commitment only to break it.” She noticed Gage watching her and averted her head. Hadn’t she done as much to him when they were young—made a commitment and then broke it?

“I understand.” Doctor Ferguson’s voice was once again clipped. “If you change your mind, give me a ring.”

“I will.”

Aubrey disconnected after saying goodbye. Expelling a long sigh, she spun around—and found herself nose-to-chest with Gage. When had he moved? Bracing a hand on the edge of the desk saved her from losing her balance and falling straight into him.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, giving her not one spare inch of space in which to maneuver.

“Fine.”

“You sure?”

It was obvious he wanted to ask her about her conversation with Doctor Ferguson, and he might have if not for Mandy.

“Am I gonna get a shot?” Huge, worry-filled eyes pleaded with Aubrey.

“No, sweetie. I promise.” Aubrey reassured her with a big smile. “And no stitches, either. But I’m going to have to wash your foot real good and put some medicine on it that might sting a little.”

The little girl hugged her stuffed pony to her like a shield.

Aubrey sympathized, wishing she, too, had a shield to protect herself from the man standing in front of her.

Chapter 8

G
age flung the spark-plug wrench he’d been using into the toolbox at his feet, swore in frustration and contemplated what kind of trade-in value he could get on the old tractor. Forty-five backbreaking minutes in the sweltering sun and he still hadn’t figured out why the worthless piece of junk kept stalling out.

Yeah, right.
Who was he kidding? The Raintrees could barely afford a new wheelbarrow much less a new tractor.

Climbing onto the front wheel, he leaned down and poked around the engine for the umpteenth time, hoping to identify the problem before his knees and his patience gave out.

He had his right arm buried up to his shoulder in the bowels of the engine when his cell phone rang.

“Great,” he growled, straining to reach a loose wire that hopped about with a life of its own. “Who could that be?”

As he reached around with his left hand to unclip his phone from his belt, it suddenly hit him how much he sounded like his father.

The thought took him aback. Way, way aback.

Before he could answer his phone, the radio on his belt emitted a series of tones. Instantly, Gage’s heart rate accelerated to Mach speed. He hopped off the tractor wheel and, listening to the radio, sprinted to the house.

By the time he reached the back porch, his phone had stopped ringing. Ignoring the number on the caller ID, he called dispatch.

“We have a fire,” the voice said upon answering his call. “Seventeen miles northwest of Saddle Horn Butte.”

“Where do I report?”

He was given the various details of the fire and the meeting location for his crew. Not bothering to stop for a pencil and paper, Gage committed the information to memory as he tore through the kitchen, gathering his keys and wallet. Anything else he needed was stored in a metal container in the bed of his truck. Within minutes, he was behind the wheel.

He didn’t make it to the end of the driveway.

His father hobbled toward him from the side yard, hollering and waving his arms. “Where are you going?”

Gage slammed to a stop and rolled down the window. “There’s a fire,” he called out. “I just got the call.”

“What about the tractor?”

“I’ll finish repairing it when I get back.”

“And when exactly will that be?”

“I don’t know.”

“You can’t just leave.” Joseph reached the side of the truck. He was panting slightly. “We need the tractor to move those boulders blocking the lower access road.”

“The access road’s been blocked for months. Another few days won’t make a difference.”

“Kenny Junior’s coming tomorrow to help dig post holes for the new fence. He can’t get his truck past those boulders.”

“Not now, Dad.” Gage started to roll up the window.

“Hold it right there, young man.” Joseph jabbed the air with his index finger. “Your first duty is to this family. Fighting fires is something you can do in your spare time.”

“And when do I ever have any spare time around here?”

Countless trees and brush were being destroyed while Gage and his father argued. Possibly summer homes and recreation sites. Ranches and grazing land by the acre. Gage couldn’t wait any longer. He let up on the brake, and the truck rolled forward.

“I’ll call when I have a minute.”

“You leave now, you might as well not come back.” Joseph’s scowling expression could have been carved from stone.

“Is that an ultimatum?”

“Yes.”

“Whatever.” Gage was in no mood for idle threats.

“I mean it this time, son.”

Did he? Gage didn’t think his father was any more serious than the last two times he’d issued similar warnings.

But Gage was—serious as a heart attack. He wasn’t just a firefighter these days, he was up for promotion to crew leader and not about to ignore his increased responsibilities.

“Be careful about giving ultimatums, Dad. You might not like the answer you get.”

Joseph’s jaw went slack, then clenched.

Gage peeled out of the driveway and barreled down the road. More than one rabbit and lizard saw him coming and executed a mad dash for safety.