16. Snuggling

SNUGGLING

T he long lowing of a cow breaks the silence. I turn toward the setting sun and look upon a group of cattle who graze near the fence-line some distance away.

"Do you think they know what we're grilling?"

He laughs. "Let's hope not. I don't want them giving me the eye all night long."

"Well, it looks wonderful. Smells amazing. And I can't wait for our feature to begin. You'll rewind to the beginning once it's dark?"

"Absolutely."

"I really love this place."

"Do you?"

"Yes. Open sky. Rolling hills. I loved coming here as a kid. It always felt so relaxed compared to home."

"It's definitely not full of people. I guarantee we're the only humans within fifty acres."

"Do you have something against people?"

There's no sign of a tent. Other than the fire, the chairs, the generator, and screen it doesn't look as if he intends to spend the night. And that's when I realize all the snow from the blizzard is gone.

Green grass waves in the evening breeze.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"The snow. What happened to it?"

"It melted." He shakes his head like I've said something crazy.

"That fast?"

"It was barely a dusting, city girl."

A dusting? The snow was several inches thick, but then, there wasn't much snow on the highway when I drove my uncle home from the hospital.

"Come, let's sit." Drake takes the seat closest to the fire. He turns the spit holding the skewers of meat. "Dinner will be done in a few." He fishes around in a bag next to the chair and brings out a bottle of wine. "You said you liked wine. Bert promises this is a good Merlot."

"No whiskey?"

"I figured if you were brave enough to try whiskey, I can try some of this fermented grape juice people rave about." His eyes twinkle with mirth.

This man thinks of everything.

Paper plates, plastic wine glasses, and a roll of paper towels complete our tableware. We sit together, watching the sunset, and feast on steak, grilled onions, tomatoes, and peppers.

The symphony of crickets, birds, cicadas, the soulful lowing of the distant cows, and even the wind whispering in the trees lulls me into a state of deep relaxation.

Drake pours the wine, takes a sip from his cup, then screws his face up with distaste. "This stuff is foul." He tosses the rest of his wine on the ground.

"Hey!" I shout, "Wine foul."

"Yes, the wine is very foul."

"No. I mean you wasted it. This is a fabulous merlot."

"Oh." He looks funny hunching his shoulders and looking apologetic. "You mean, I could've given that to you? If you drink the whole bottle, does that mean you get loose as a goose?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Not really."

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm hoping to get lucky tonight, and that only happens if we're both sober. So, probably good that I dumped that wine."

Holy rocking that confidence, he totally thinks he's getting lucky tonight.

After that kiss in the barn, there's only one way this evening ends, but I can't be too easy.

"But it's an awesome merlot." I push out my lower lip in a pout, then laugh at his expression. He stomps back to the truck and returns with a flask of whiskey.

"And this is awesome whiskey. I'll share if you want some."

"I'm good with the wine." I cup the plastic wine glass, holding it close to my chest.

Whiskey will knock me off my feet. I plan on staying, if not completely sober, then pleasantly flushed with the wine.

We finish our meal, trading conversation with ease. He asks about the moose and my accident, warning me to be careful on the roads. I thank him for helping me and avoid mentioning the wolves.

"How often do you have blizzards like that?"

"Blizzard?" He pokes at a log on the fire. "I don't even think we got a foot of snow."

"If that wasn't a blizzard, what does one look like?"

"I think you're going to be in for a shock once winter comes. We need to put together an emergency kit for you. You'll keep it in your car year-round. Never trust Montana weather. We can have snow in the higher elevations year-round. As the town doc, I assume you'll be making house calls, and you don't want a repeat of that night."

"I suppose so."

Honestly, house calls never crossed my mind. I assumed my practice would be nearly identical to how it was in Redlands. I'd have an office where I saw routine appointments and something for urgent-care after-hour's visits. I figure I'll be tied to a beeper most of the time, taking calls by phone.

But house calls?

That's something I'll have to ask my uncle about. There's so much to learn, and I no longer have the years I thought I'd have to get myself situated. I press a hand to my sternum as a pang of grief rips through me. He's my last living relative, and I'm not ready to lose him.

"What's wrong, city girl?" Drake notices the change in me immediately. He's observant of everything.

"It's nothing." I suck in a breath and make a vague gesture.

"Doesn't look like nothing. You were all sunshine and smiles, then a cloud settled over you. What's wrong?"

"I don't want to bother you…"

"You're not bothering. Anything that affects you interests me. This may be our first date, but I can already tell where this is headed."

"You can?"

"Sure as shit, I can."

"Very colorful." A smile flips my frown around, and Drake eases back in his seat.

"Now, that's more like it. My girl should never wear a frown. Now, tell me. What's wrong?"

I'm not ready to talk about my uncle. That's something I need to work up to, and I have the perfect way to do that.

"Where is this headed?" I gesture between us.

Despite the overland trek, the wolves, and sleeping in the same room—granted in separate twin beds—we're still practically strangers.

"Don't act like you don't feel it." The tone of his voice changes, heating the air while sending shivers down my spine.

He makes me tremble when he touches me and when he speaks to me in that deep baritone. Everything about Drake makes me tremble. He's overwhelming in the best possible way.

"Feel, what?" I'm curious and don't want to guess.

What I know about Drake is he'll answer all my questions directly, never once beating around the bush. I suppose I know him better than I think.

"The air crackles when we're together. Instant chemistry. That kiss in the barn?" He leans back and shakes his head. "Nuclear hot."

"Is that right?"

"Damn straight." He leans toward me and lowers his voice, making me lean in, narrowing the space between us. That crackling in the air is real. I feel him everywhere. "You may be new in town, but you're mine. I'm staking my claim."

"Yours?"

"Most definitely." He sits back as if he speaks some great truth. No room for disagreement, not with that tone. Not with his unwavering confidence.

"Staking your claim?" I arch a brow, teasing him, but getting more turned on by the minute.

I've never been claimed by a man before. I've been possessed. That's what I was to Scott. I was his possession. Somehow, with Drake, being claimed sounds hot.

"Yup. Letting all the single men in town know you're off the market and making sure the married guys know it too. You're stuck with me, Dr. Abby Knight. This is definitely going to be a long-term thing."

"You sound so certain."

"I know what I like, and I know what I need. I'm even willing to forgive your horrible sense of direction." He pokes fun at my direction sense which had me walking away from town after the crash.

"Well, I guess I'll count myself lucky you'll forgive that egregious sin."

"Egregious?" He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "That's a mighty big word there, city girl. A small-town boy like me might not be able to keep up."

"Somehow, I have a feeling that's not going to be a problem."

"You finished?"

"Um, finished, what?"

"Delaying answering my question? Or have we bantered enough to circle back around to what's bothering you?"

"You, um, you saw that?"

"Luv, you're an open book to me."

"I hope not."

"Why's that?"

"Where's the mystery if you know everything about me?"

"Luv, being an open book only means the pages are available to be read. I'm on page one and loving the way our story is shaping up already. I'm hooked. But don't worry, there's plenty to discover along the way, and I'm in no hurry." He kicks back. "If you're not comfortable sharing, that's okay. You'll tell me when you're ready. In the meantime, we can watch the movie."

"You're nothing like I expect."

"That's good to hear. I've got a few secrets too. You're going to have to read the book to find them."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Get comfortable. It's a long book."

"How long?"

"A lifetime's worth, I would think."

Whoa!

People talk about feeling butterflies in their stomach; I've got a herd of elephants flying around in mine.

A lifetime?

That should scare me, but honestly?

It feels about right.

"You certainly don't mess around." I shift in my seat, aroused, cautious, and confused.

What is it about this man that hits all my buttons? It's like Drake's got a checklist, crossing off each and every point as he goes down the line. This is far more than country charm.

It's magic.

"Why should I?" He adds a log to the fire and sparks fly up in the air. "I've found the one I want sitting in front of me."

"You don't know anything about me."

"You're fierce. You stared down those wolves."

"I didn't have much of a choice."

"You're adventurous."

"How so?"

"You picked up your big city life to start over in a small town. That takes guts."

"It's a bit more complicated." He doesn't know about Scott.

I ran from Redlands. Scott may think I'll come crawling back to him, but that's never going to happen.

"You're smart. Like not just a little smart, but doctor smart. I respect a woman who takes the world by the horns and isn't afraid to put herself out there. You're not afraid to go after what you want."

"You got all of that from one night?"

"That and more. You're a fighter. Got grit."

"Grit?"

"Yeah, when things get tough, you do what's necessary. Not many chicks would've done what you did without a whole lot of bitching and complaining."

"It's not like that would've helped."

"It wouldn't have, but you figured that out all on your own. You know when you need help, and you're gracious in accepting it. You don't come off as entitled."

"Wow. I've never really thought about any of it like that."

"It doesn't take long to figure out what a person's like, especially when they're under stress. As for me, like I said, once I know what I want, there's no reason not to go for it. And if there's any question about what I want…" He leans toward me and lowers his voice to a near whisper. "I'm very interested in you, city girl, but if that's too scary for you and you need to pump the brakes, we can do that."

"I appreciate that."

That's what a smart person would do, but I don't disagree with Drake. I can say many of the same things about him. I know his character. I know his strength. I know he's a protector, a hero—if my suspicions about the scar are true. What else do I need to know?

"How about we slow down enough to watch the movie and see how the rest of the night goes."

"Sounds wonderful, and first thing tomorrow, after you know—we're going to town to get you a proper emergency kit for your car."

I don't believe him about the other night not being a blizzard. It sure seemed like a lot of snow. "That sounds like a plan." I don't even blink about the you know comment.

We're definitely going to have sex before we leave this place.

"You need to be ready for anything," he says.

With my mind on sex, I can't help the huge grin on my face. Drake reads me like an open book.

"I love where your mind went right there, but I'm talking about your safety. Now, as for your road kit… Flares would be a good thing. You'll need a blanket, jacket, gloves, gators, and boots. A flashlight too. People need to be able to see you if that ever happens again."

"Well, I wasn't expecting snow in May. I'm just glad I had my suitcases."

"Those layers saved your life."

I empty my wine and lean back with a sigh. "You tell me what to put in this emergency kit, and I'll get it done. I never want to go through that again."

"You never will, city girl. I can guarantee it."

Firelight flickers over his face as I try and parse what he said and what it might mean. There are layers to this man I don't fully grasp, but there's one thing I know for certain.

He's a protector of not only those he cares about, but those he just met. That says more about his character than anything else.

The sun is finally set. Dusk gives way to the darkness of night. The alcohol from the wine relaxes me, and I shed any lingering tension I may have.

He lifts a remote. "Now, what will it be? Star Wars marathon or Star Trek ?"

"Surprise me." I lean back, content and happy for the first time in years.

The opening lines, " In a galaxy far far away," scroll across the screen as Drake lightly strokes the back of my hand.

"I'm glad we met, city girl."

"I'm glad we met too."