“Emily!” Kevin dropped to his knees beside her. “Are you okay?”
She groaned softly, rubbing the back of her head. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“Well, it’s a first for me, too. Never had a lady hurry just to avoid letting me help her get in. Guess that’ll teach me to take two women home at the same time, huh?”
Emily lay awkwardly on the cold ground trying to explain how she’d fallen, but finally her irritation won. “Oh, forget it,” she said, trying to get up gracefully. “Would you mind helping? Please.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her still and leaned closer to examine her head. “You sure we should move you?”
“Who’s the doctor here?” She squirmed, struggling to get to her feet. “I’m fine.”
Kevin pulled her away from the truck door, trying to ignore the way her auburn hair tumbled from the curved silver clip and shimmered in the moonlight. “Hang on.” Kevin put one hand under her knees, the other behind her back, and lifted her off the ground. The touch of her hands on his neck brought back dangerous memories he would just as soon have kept locked away. He didn’t move. He couldn’t. His gaze dropped to her lips. All he could think of was the unthinkable.
“Kevin. Don’t even…” she scolded, at the same time sending him a calculating gaze that half dared him to try.
He smiled, thinking about accepting the challenge, and his foolishness for even tempting fate. “Don’t worry, Doc, I wouldn’t dream of it.” It didn’t help when he saw the heart-shaped opening in the back of her otherwise conservative crushed-velvet dress.
She loosened her embrace, sudden panic in her eyes. “I think you should put me into the truck before your irate girlfriend finds us like this and gets the wrong impression—again.”
He paused, then not-so-gently dropped her onto the seat and slammed the door closed. What was he thinking? He knew better than to play with fire.
They drove in silence for the first five minutes. “I’ve told you already, she’s not a girlfriend. I mean, she was, but… She’s not.”
Her eyes glimmered with amusement. “You can say that again.” Emily tugged the hem of her dress closer to her knees and began fishing around on the floor. “She certainly acted like she thought she was your girl, didn’t she?”
I don’t owe you any explanation. You can’t even be civil! “What are you doing?” he asked instead to change the subject.
Emily continued to dig around on the floor. “Trying to find my evening bag and shoe.”
“Your what? When did you lose those?” He pulled the truck to the curb and shifted into Park. Once the dome light was on, he joined the search.
“Sorry, but I wasn’t thinking of my feet when you tossed me into the truck and slammed the door in my face.”
Kevin muttered under his breath when he realized he had no choice but to turn around and go back to Kristen’s. When they arrived, they saw both items laying in the driveway. Glancing at the glowing windows to see if Kristen was looking, Kevin jumped from the cab, retrieved the dainty black bag and high heel, then returned to Emily.
“What would Kristen think if she found these? She already believes there’s something between us,” Emily said with concern.
Kevin slipped the shoe onto her foot and set the purse in her lap, giving in to the temptation to flirt. He quirked his eyebrows and smiled. “I’d say she’s a mind reader.” Emily yanked her foot away from his hand and turned away.
“Let’s get you home, before anything else goes wrong.” He should have known better than to tease her—even after all these years. The sooner I get you home the better.
Emily clutched her door when he spun the truck around, making it lumber over the bumpy curb. “We’d have been fine if you had taken me home first. Everyone would have been happy. I wouldn’t have a concussion, Kristen wouldn’t be furious with you, and you…well, you wouldn’t be stuck here yelling at me over something I had no control over.”
“A concussion?”
She cleared her throat. “Okay, so I exaggerated.”
Kevin let out a deep breath, silently assessing her fall. “First of all, if there’s a chance you have a concussion, we should take you to the hospital and have you checked out.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, impatient for Emily to say something.
“I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
He wasn’t about to leave her alone until he was sure she was okay. He’d had enough experience with injuries in college football to know the risks. It was too dark to tell much in the truck. It would have to wait until they got to her house.
“Second, I’m not concerned with how furious Kristen is. The only reason I called her is that Bryan insisted I should have a date.” This was his fault. He should have called Emily a cab. Not that he cared one iota that this definitely ended any chances with Kristen.
He had known seeing Emily tonight would be rough, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. It was a constant battle to remind himself that there was no longer any use trying to make the stubborn doctor swoon. It was obvious that she was convinced the breakup was his fault. Thinking back, he guessed it probably was as much his fault as it was hers, but would she see it that way? He doubted it.
In the long run, the family business was gone along with the original proprietor. His family hadn’t been the same since.
She reminded him to turn south on Main Street. A few blocks later, he pulled into her driveway and ran around the truck to help her out. She stepped down, brushing him away. “I’m fine. I can see myself in.”
“I’ll leave just as soon as I’m sure you’re okay, and not a minute earlier. Besides, you haven’t told me about Laura yet.”
Emily winced as she put her weight on her foot. She couldn’t let Kevin see her limping or she’d never get him to leave. And the last thing she could handle tonight was Kevin MacIntyre playing nurse.
“I couldn’t help but notice that you showed up with Dr. Walker. Are you and he…you know.”
“If it’s any of your business, no, we’re not!” Tempting as it was to make Kevin wonder, the thought of willingly allowing anyone to mistake her and Bob for a couple was out of the question. “I had a flat tire when I came out of the office tonight, and he gave me a ride.” She took a step, tentatively lifting the good foot. Her leg crumpled, and Kevin caught her. “It’ll be fine. I probably just twisted it a little.”
“Yeah, yeah, it’ll be good as new in a few days.” He offered an arm to lean on and helped her to the front door. She had no choice but to accept. “Where are your keys?”
She opened the tiny bag, but realized she’d forgotten to move the keys from her carry-all in her rush to avoid letting Bob into the house. She let out a sigh of frustration. “They’re inside. I was in such a hurry, I forgot to move them to my evening bag.”
“Where’s your extra key hidden?”
She closed her eyes and rubbed the lump on her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think I have one.”
“Any windows open?” he drilled impatiently.
She shook her head. “Too cold out.”
Before she could argue, he swooped her into his arms again and headed back to the truck, mumbling under his breath.
“Put me down, Kevin. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Are you going to play Casper the Ghost and go right through the door?” He stood by the truck and looked her in the eye. “You have three choices, Emily. I can leave you on the porch, I can call a locksmith, or you can come to my place for the night.”
“I don’t think so!”
He laughed cynically. “I thought you’d see it my way. Now listen here, lady. You have a lump on your head, a sprained ankle and a very cold porch.”
“A sprained ankle? And what did you base your diagnosis on, Dr. MacIntyre?”
He paused, and a twinkle of moonlight caught in his eyes as his gaze met hers. “I’ve had seventeen of them. And amazingly enough, I limped just like you. As much as I’d love to stand here holding you, it isn’t getting us anywhere. Open that truck door for me so you can sit inside, and we can take care of one problem at a time. I’ll use the phone in the truck, since I assume you don’t have your cell phone in that itty-bitty bag of yours.”
Emily looked sheepishly at him and opened the door. Her mouth gaping open. It’s over between us, isn’t it? He abandoned me once, he’d do it again.
He watched her struggling for words. “Must be my charm, huh?” He laughed, but she couldn’t. That was exactly what it was. She couldn’t think with him holding her, helping her, taking care of her.
He set her down with care and closed the door lightly this time. She watched as he walked past the hood of his hunter-green truck, thinking she was the one who took care of people. No one took care of her. Even when they’d been engaged, he’d never taken care of her. Maybe you never gave him the chance, said a voice inside her.
Emily realized Kevin was talking, and turned her attention to the arrangements he was making for the locksmith to come to her address. He started the truck and turned on the heater.
“You warm enough?” Kevin switched on the dome light, then lifted his arm to the back of the seat and reached for her hair clip. “May I?”
An unwelcome chill went up her spine and she chastised herself. He only wanted to check her head. “I thought we agreed, you won’t play doctor, and I won’t play builder.”
“Yeah, well, maybe next time, Doc. It’s either me, or the hospital staff. Take your choice.” Emily hesitantly turned her head so he could look for any swelling. He unfastened the clip and slipped his fingers through her hair.
She pressed her eyes closed, refusing to let herself think of the old days. He carefully touched the perimeter of the goose egg and let out a little whistle. “That’s one nasty bump. Let’s check your eyes.”
She couldn’t bear the thought of him looking into her eyes. It was simply too much. “I’m fine.”
“Hmph,” he said, handing her the clip. “It’ll be a while ’til the locksmith can get here. Why don’t you recline the seat while I dig an ice pack from my first-aid kit. I’ll be right back.”
She felt the truck bounce as he slammed the metal box behind the cab closed and climbed back in beside her. He broke the inner sack of the disposable ice bag and mixed the contents, then placed it behind her head.
Suddenly there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Their few attempts at a conversation went dry. A few minutes later, the locksmith pulled into the driveway behind them. After confirming ownership by checking Emily’s identification, he opened the front door. Kevin paid the man and came back to the truck for Emily.
Once inside the house, he deposited her on the sofa and closed the front door.
“Thank you for the ride home, Kevin. I don’t want to delay you any longer.”
Ignoring her, he loosened his tie and turned away, pacing the room. “I know you don’t want to believe me, but I’m really not the louse your mother made me out to be. Yet I’m not here tonight to start over, either.”
She stared at his broad shoulders, at the curls of blond hair, at the tension in his jaw. Part of her wanted to cry at his admission, and another part wanted to laugh. Not as much had changed about Kevin as she’d originally thought. Cynicism might have overshadowed his sense of humor at times, but he was still as open as could be. “Thank you for clarifying that.” She didn’t know whether to be hurt or relieved. “However, you don’t need to stay. I can take care of myself—been doing it all my life.” She didn’t mean to sound harsh, but the words had an unavoidable bite to them.
“I just want you to understand, there’s no room for dreams of family in my life. We both have other things we have to do now. Life goes on.”
“Why don’t we just avoid seeing each other altogether?” she snapped. How dare he presume she was even remotely interested in a relationship with him again?
“Come on, Emily. It may be over between us, but we can try at least to be civil, can’t we?” He straightened his back, and his eyes narrowed. “Once I’m sure you’re okay, I’ll be out of here. But until then, sit back, relax, and tell me where I could find your coffeepot. We’re going to need something to keep us awake.”
“Don’t bother, Kevin. I’ll be fine.”
Kevin glanced around the room, from the checkered sofa to the fresh flowers on the dining room table. Trying to close the door on his curiosity, he looked back to Emily, who was now falling asleep.
“Open your eyes, Emmy.”
They popped open.
“What day is it?” he asked.
She looked at him, annoyed. “Friday.”
“How old are you?”
She hesitated.
“Come on, Emily. It’s not like we have any real secrets, is it?”
“Thirty-two,” she admitted reluctantly, as if it would be news to him. He knew she’d be thirty-three in two months. Surely Emily didn’t think he’d forgotten her birthday.
“Your sisters’ names?”
“Lisa and Katarina. See, I passed the test.”
“Your boyfriend’s name?”
She laughed. “Nice try.”
He smiled. “Never hurts to ask.” He looked into her green eyes, noting there was no difference between the pupils. He continued to examine them, while stealing a peek at the woman inside—the woman he had known and loved long ago. There was an impenetrable wall there, and he felt a shock of disappointment zap him back to reality.
“You’re free to go home. I know what to watch for—headache, nausea, dilated pupils.”
“Time will tell, won’t it?” He moved to a chair across the room. “Humor me, prove me wrong.”
“It’s been a very long day, Kevin, and I’d like to go to bed—er, get some sleep.” She turned her body, dropped her feet from the sofa to the floor.
“You know I can’t let you do that. Come on, Emmy, pretend eight years ago never happened, just for tonight. I’m not going anywhere.” He slipped his loafers off and set them neatly next to the chair. After an uncomfortable silence, Kevin leaned back and crossed one ankle over the opposite knee. “So what’s wrong with Laura?”
He saw a sad and pained expression flash in her eyes. “I think that’s for them to say.” She ran her fingers through her hair, allowing it to veil her face.
“Bryan said you’d explain. You have his blessing.”
“She’s my patient. You’ll have to talk to them.”
He’d never before seen her squirm like this.
“I’m going to go change. Feel free to leave.” She stood, stumbling as she did so.
He stood up and took hold of her arm, steadying her, but she shook loose. “What’s wrong, Emily?”
She hobbled down the hall and slammed the door behind her. Kevin felt his own stomach tighten. He checked his watch, confirming his suspicion that it was too late to call Bryan. Storming after her, he felt the panic rise inside. “Emily. What is wrong with Laura?”
On the other side of the door, he heard her crying. “Go home, Kevin. Just go!”
He turned the knob and stepped inside the room. “You okay?”
Her answer was clear as she blew her nose. Tears streamed from her eyes.
“Come on, Emily, you’re scaring me. Is Laura sick?” Kevin took her by the shoulders and turned her toward him.
“She’ll be fine.”
“Tears and a diagnosis of ‘fine’ don’t go together, Doc. So what’s going on?”
Emily pulled away. The delicate straps that formed the heart-shaped cutout on her dress tightened as she hugged her arms to her body. Her long fingers wrapped around the black velvet, and she dropped her chin to her chest, exposing the delicate sprinkling of freckles between her shoulder blades.
He felt his strength waning and stepped behind her, tentatively placing his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Emily. Of course you can’t break your professional confidence. I’m worried, is all. I don’t want to see Bryan hurt again.”
“It’s not going to hurt him, Kevin. It’s a joyous occasion.”
He heard the slight hitch in her voice when she said “joyous,” and realized what she was saying, or, more to the point, what she was feeling. What could he say without making things worse?
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She needed a friend, and, the way he figured it, so did he. So many times he’d tried to convince himself that he was doing the right thing in avoiding any serious relationship, but holding Emily like this, doubt reared its ugly head again.
He and Emily had dreamed of a large family at one time. Now that was gone. It had to be.
Kevin closed his eyes, wishing he, too, could shut out the pain. Watching his mother’s health fail after his father’s death, he had promised he’d never let anyone suffer the same way. And when his sister had lost her baby and home to a fire the next year, he knew he could never bear the pain of losing another love, and especially not a child. “Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all” was a total fabrication.
He held Emily in silence, leading her back to the living room. He sure wasn’t the person to comfort his ex-fiancée on this one. She didn’t want or need to hear his prescription for avoiding love.
Where’s a joke when I need it?
They sat in silence, Kevin holding Emily, realizing too late that he was brushing the hair off her face and that his lips were near hers. He gave her a chaste kiss, and backed away. “I’m sorry.”
She didn’t meet his gaze. “Don’t be. Even a doctor needs a little TLC occasionally. Thanks. I really shouldn’t keep you any longer.”
He felt his chest pounding; his mind could only think of escaping unscathed. Or was it already too late?