5. Caro

FIVE

Caro

Nobody really knows that this time I’ve moved here for good so far except the doc. Doctor Monroe was looking for a new nurse at the clinic when I walked in the door and basically it was fate. He hired me on the spot as soon as he called my previous employer. The man’s not an idiot.

Lord knows I’m happy with my career, but there’s something about this little town. I love the quiet, small-town feel of it.

And then there’s Ricky.

I really tried. I knew that he wasn’t going to be happy, but I didn’t want to hide anything from him when I came back.

Except for my sister’s crazy-ass shit.

I tried to forget about him. I really did. And I’m not ready to jump back into dating. Haven’t dated anyone in the six years or so since my divorce. I finished my schooling in record time and my parents helped me. But they divorced a month before my graduation and were still trying to keep separate from each other. They couldn’t figure out who got to attend my graduation. I had nobody there in the crowd when I walked across the stage. And my son waited happily with his coloring book behind the stage with one of the teacher’s aides who took pity on me.

I’ve been working since then in Oklahoma City and I love it but I hate city life. I want my son to grow up where the air is crisp and clean and the life is simpler, the streets are safer.

So today was my first real work day and I’m closing up my computer and gathering up my purse and sweater. The nights are starting to get chillier and I shiver as I walk to the door and open it.

“Caroline! Hey, can you come with me to help me with a patient? Maybe if he’s got something pretty to look at, he won’t be such a huge pain in the ass,” doc grumbles.

I grin. “I don’t think that I’m gonna swing this for you but I’ll be happy to help you with anything I can.”

He laughs. “You never know, Caroline. I’ll drive since you’re relatively new to the area. Don’t want you getting lost.”

I could mention that I was here a while ago so I do know some of the area but I don’t really want to get into that discussion, so I keep my trap shut and follow him to his old SUV.

He opens the door and I climb inside, waiting until he starts the car and we’re both clicked in and on the road before I sigh.

“Who is it that we’re on our way to see and what happened?”

“We’re actually going to see Ricky Rowe. He’s had an accident. I’m not really sure what’s happened but his cousin Sebastian called for me to come. We’ll see pretty soon.” He glances over at me with a smirk. “I was mostly joking about Ricky’s attitude. He’s a decent guy but he can be a little squirrelly with women sometimes. And when he’s hurt.”

My heart leaps into my throat. “Ricky’s hurt?” I whisper roughly, a million terrifying thoughts about ranch life and what kind of accidents can happen running through my head.

His sharp eyes lock on me. “You know him?”

I nod my head, too stunned and upset to fake that I don’t.

“He’ll be alright. He’s an asshole but he’s too stubborn to be anything but alright.”

I nod my head and settle back into the seat, finally realizing that I tensed up so much that I sat up straight, like I was about to bound out of a moving vehicle.

The rest of the drive is quiet and I don’t say much when he parks and then looks at me. “If you don’t think you can handle this because of some feelings that you have for Ricky, I can take care of this by myself. You can wait out here in the car. I didn’t know that you knew anyone in town.”

His kind blue eyes watch me shrewdly and I smile wryly, knowing that I am not as good at hiding things as I wish I was. But I sigh, “I’m good. It was just a surprise. He’s a friend.”

He nods his dark head and I step out of the car, watching when Misty comes out on the porch.

Her brow lifts. “Well, well. I’m guessing that you’re why Ricky is a bit of a bear today. Other than the fact that he was tangling with a bear.”

He was hurt by a bear?

My mouth drops open as the doc sighs. “Jesus. Well, let’s take a look at my patient.”

Misty grins. “You’re lucky. Sebastian’s already got a couple of shots of whiskey in him. Otherwise, he’d be a lot more cantankerous than he is right now.”

Monroe grins. “Yeah. Here’s hoping he’s passed out.” He runs his lean fingers along his rock-hard jaw. “I seem to remember the last time I had to work on Ricky he had a helluva punch. Bastard broke one of my teeth. Had to get a damn crown.”

“And you’re gonna treat him? While he’s still awake?”

Doc grins. “I’m it around here, Caroline. I have a lot of cranky patients. Cowboys and ranchers are a breed apart. You just have to expect a bit of a scrap with them!” He laughs. “Come on.” He steps up on the wide front porch, grinning. “I promise you. He’s not that bad. He won’t bite.”

I snort. “If you say so, doc.”

But I follow along behind him and my eyes dart back and forth in the gorgeous wood foyer. The big house is old but super well-kept and clean. The maple floors glow with warmth and the soft blue walls are soothing, calming. All the times we were together, we never came back here. We were always too rushed. Too hungry for each other.

We enter into a huge, open main room with the kitchen off to the right side and a hallway off to the left that I’m assuming leads to at least one bedroom.

But it doesn’t keep my attention for long. Because there’s something else that I can’t look away from.

Ricky Rowe. He’s sprawled, lounging on a soft leather recliner chair and I gasp when I see the blood on the shoulder of his shirt. Sebastian sits on the sofa across from him and they’re both in front of a huge stone fireplace.

Sebastian stands and his lips quirk. “I’m gonna guess that he’s not expecting to see you right now, Caroline.”

My own mouth firms and I glare at him. “No, he’s not.”

He chuckles roughly. “Well, good luck to the two of you. He’s a little crabby tonight.”

Doc grunts but it doesn’t slow him down. He looks at me. “Can you get everything ready for me to clean him up and find out what we’re dealing with? Go ahead and get sutures ready too just in case. I don’t really know what we’re dealing with but I want to be ready for anything so that we can get this taken care of as quickly as possible.” He eyes the sleeping man. “I hope he stays asleep. Grab the scissors so we can cut him out of that shirt.”

I grab the scissors and kneel beside his chair, delicately plucking at the fabric to pull it away from his bloodied skin. Just as I slip the fabric between the shears, his pain-filled, sleepy eyes open, blurry and unfocused.

“Why did you leave me, angel?” Then his dark eyes close and he sinks lower into the chair.

Doc huffs out a soft breath. “Thank goodness! He’s passed out. Maybe I’ll miss getting another broken nose.”

Ricky snores lightly and we set to work taking care of his shoulder. And I try to ignore what looks like acres of tanned, muscular arm and shoulder right in front of me.

He looks good enough to eat even covered in blood. He smells like wild forest and horse which doesn’t smell as bad as you’d expect it to.

Doc cleans out his wound and then I hand him the fish hook and thread and he quickly lines up and puts several stitches in his shoulder. His perfectly beautiful shoulder.

Then he hands it back for me to take care of. He grunts and wipes his hands off with a towel. “Just put a bandage on that and then I’ll take you back to the clinic so you can pick up your car.”

I nod and put a large, flat, white bandage on his shoulder, my mouth watering. I mentally smack the hell out of myself because the man’s not a damn piece of meat and I need to get my raging hormones under control.

He might never forgive me for leaving. And I’m just gonna have to learn to live with that.