Chapter Six

Gwen’s heart was racing as she waited for Luke’s answer. It might have also been racing because Luke, standing in her apartment in only jeans, scruffy hair, and extra stubble was a little too much to handle. Also the fact that he’d slept in her bed last night and she’d clung to him for dear life.

It registered that he was looking at her strangely. Had he spoken?

“Well?”

“Well…what?”

“I said, Haley is my sister.”

“Oh.” Relief plummeted through her. Then she remembered that he’d sounded concerned for her. “Is she okay?”

He walked across the room to the kitchen, placing his phone down on the counter, and took the coffee canister out of the cupboard. He looked completely at home in her kitchen as he started a pot. “I don’t know. I think she will be okay once she leaves her husband.”

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He looked so worried for her. A second later his strong arms wrapped around her. “She’ll be fine. Is she coming here?”

He cleared his throat and nodded against her head. “Yeah. She’s tough, even though she shouldn’t have to be anymore.”

When he didn’t elaborate and neither of them spoke, she became very aware of their bodies. And the fact that his chest was naked and very, very delicious. She was also aware of how hard he felt. Everywhere.

“Gwen?”

“Yes,” she squeaked.

“You’re going to move away from me and get dressed.”

She turned her head so that it rested on his chest now. He smelled so good. “I’m all recovered now.”

The pounding on the door caused them both to jump apart. They both looked at each other. Neither were in any condition to answer the door.

“Gwen! It’s your mother and father! Open this door.”

“Well, that’s one way to kill the mood!” she said, running to her bedroom to grab her sweater. He followed her, pulling his own shirt on. What a shame, she thought as she looked at him all covered up.

“I swear to God, you’ve got the most expressive eyes on the planet,” he grumbled.

“This is all your fault,” she said as she ran out of the room. “Your ‘don’t fool around with the flu patient rules’ have ruined everything!”

“Gwen!”

Gwen whipped open the front door and her parents barrelled through. “I cannot believe you had the flu and didn’t call us! We would have come home early from our trip!”

“Seriously? That’s exactly why I didn’t call you! As if I’d want you to cut your vacation short to come home and take care of me,” she said. “Don’t hug me,” she said as they attempted to get close. “I don’t want you to catch it.”

Her father was looking around her kitchen, clearly putting his life on the line in search of food.

“Dad, there’s no pie. I was sick, remember?”

His face fell. “Right. Of course, sweetheart.”

She watched as their eyes widened. Luke. “Oh, and see I wasn’t alone. Luke took great care of me. Mom and Dad, this is Luke Thomson. Luke, these are my parents, Cassy and Edward.”

Luke came forward and smiled, shaking their hands. “Nice to meet you.”

“He’s a doctor,” Gwen said. “Actually, he’s the doctor who treated Lily and Jack the night of the storm.”

Gwen’s mother did the sign of the cross and Gwen resisted the urge to smile at the theatrics. “My goodness, you just keep saving my children!”

Luke coughed, an odd look on his face. He was probably mortified. “No, it was nothing really.”

His mother made a tsking sound. “No, no. This must have been a horrible week. Our Gwen is a delight, but she’s very stubborn. That can’t make for a good patient.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

Luke chuckled. “She didn’t protest once. She got a pretty nasty flu, so I don’t think she had it in her to argue.”

Gwen’s mother marched over to the kitchen and started taking coffee mugs out of the cupboard. She was taking over like she was ready to host brunch. “Well, it’s still kind of you. Why don’t you come over for Sunday dinner? It’s the least we can do.”

His face got that strange look again. Maybe he didn’t want to be around all of them. Too much family. They were rather overbearing. Maybe it was too soon. The man had shut down all her advances. The last thing he wanted to do was spend Sunday night with them too.

“Thank you very much, I, uh, will let you know. I’m expecting my sister in town this week and I don’t know the exact day she’ll be arriving.”

Her mother busied herself pouring coffees. “Oh, how wonderful. Then next Sunday. She’s welcome too, of course! The more the merrier.”

Wow, she didn’t miss a beat at all.

“Thanks, I’ll, uh, let Gwen know. You know I’m sorry to just run out of here, but I need to get back home and get to work later, so I’m going to have to skip the coffee.”

Her mother looked heartbroken. “Oh, well that’s a shame. But that’s okay, we’ll get to know each other on Sunday. Thank you again for taking care of our daughter. My goodness how nice of you.”

Luke was slowly backing away to her bedroom.

“I’ll be right back,” she said and followed him.

He was throwing his things in a duffle bag. “I better head out of here.”

“They scared you off, didn’t they?”

He stood and turned to her and again he had that closed-off expression on his face. “They are great people. It’s why you are too.”

“Well, there’s more of us. You’ll meet everyone next Sunday.”

She could have sworn she saw a flash of panic across his eyes. “I’ll let you know.”

She wasn’t going to be disappointed. She also wasn’t going to analyze this crazy relationship she was now in. So they were both attracted to each other. He obviously cared enough to nurse her back to health, without even being asked to. Yet, she knew he was conflicted about being in a relationship again.

She put her hands on her hips not getting why he was suddenly so cryptic. It did occur to her that she had no idea who he really was, where he was from, or about his family. “So, um, am I going to see you at the shop?”

He gave her a nod and walked out.

…

Luke finished his shift at the small rural hospital, and for the first time since he’d arrived in Shadow Creek, missed the city hospital. Here, everyone seemed to care if you had an off day. People also wanted to talk to him. Patients and family members went out of their way to thank him. He supposed that was fine if you planned on making this your permanent home. He didn’t.

He shut his car door and sank into the frigid leather seat of his SUV. Normally he’d go to The Chocolatiers, but he thought twice about it today. It was Monday and he knew from Lily that Gwen would be back at work today. Yeah, he wanted to see her more than anything or anyone, but he didn’t know what the point would be.

He needed to tell them.

His phone buzzed and he was relieved to see his sister’s face. “Hey,” he said.

“I should be there next week,” she said, her voice sounding calmer than it had the other day. She wanted to make a few stops along the way and visit some different friends. He’d advised against it, but like the rest of the women in his life, she’d ignored his advice.

“Good. Everything okay?”

“I didn’t realize how okay until I started driving. I feel free, Luke.”

He leaned his head back, knowing he was going to have his hands full in the next few weeks between the Baileys and his sister. He wasn’t a guy who liked dealing with emotional crap and that’s exactly what would be on his plate shortly. “Good. Has John tried to contact you?”

“No. Not at all, and doesn’t that just say it all?”

“You’re better off without him.”

“I know. You were right about him.”

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you left, you’re taking control of your life, and you’re on your way to a safe place.”

“You’re the best, Luke.”

“Hardly,” he said. “Drive safe and text me updates.”

“Love you,” she said and hung up.

He put his key in the ignition and blindly drove in the direction of downtown Shadow Creek instead of his home. It looked like the need to see Gwen won out.

He swung the door open, the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and baking greeting him like a warm blanket. He paused for a second, taking in the sight of Gwen who was busy doing something behind the counter. Her light brown hair was piled up on her head and she was wearing a clingy knit pale blue sweater and jeans. She looked up and gave him one of her gorgeous smiles. He crossed the shop to the counter. “Morning.”

“Good morning.”

“You’re looking better.”

“This is very formal for a guy who has seen me at my worst, changed my sheets, and dragged me off the floor.”

He grinned, leaning across the counter, his internal conversation telling him not to get lured in. Clearly his body didn’t agree. “I’m trying to be polite.”

She tapped her pen against her chin. “That’s it? So that’s the plan? Be polite and pretend nothing ever happened?”

He sighed and straightened up. “Gwen.”

She waved that pen around his face. “That won’t work. You walked into my life, hotter than hell, and have lured me in with that kiss and then showed me this other side of you. You took days off work for me and took care of me and now you’re like, no way? I don’t think so, buddy. Bad timing. This is the year of the new Gwen, where I go after what I want, and I get the guy I want. And I want you.”

No one had ever accused him of being a saint. There was only so much a guy could take. He rounded the corner, not taking his eyes off her, watching the way she nervously licked her lips. He framed her face and kissed her. Who had he been trying to fool? There was no way he’d be able to walk away from her. He kissed her until she leaned heavily against the counter, until the bells jingling on the door became way too numerous to ignore, and the whistle jarring them too irritating to ignore.

They pulled apart reluctantly and he was satisfied in a purely male way to see that Gwen looked dazed and flushed and thoroughly content. They both turned to see a lineup of very amused regulars. He helped Gwen serve up some coffees to get through the backup of customers. When everyone had their caffeine and chocolate fix, she turned to him, handing him his usual order.

“So now what?’

He’d find a way to tell her and her family. Now, there was no walking away from this woman without a chance. He didn’t deserve her or her family. All he could hope for was their forgiveness and understanding. “I have Saturday night off. Why don’t I pick you up and we go out?”

Her eyes lit up but she frowned a second later. “I’d love to, but I promised I’d babysit Maggie for Chase and Julia. He hardly ever gets the night off…wait, why don’t you come with me? She goes to sleep at eight. We’d still have a night.”

Julia. That was one woman he wanted to avoid. “I don’t want to put them in an awkward position. I’m also not good with kids.”

“You’re a doctor. You have to be good with kids. And it’s probably good you meet them before Sunday dinner. Also, did I tell you I like that you’re a doctor now that I’ve gotten used to the fact that you’re not a woodsman?”

He coughed. “What’s a woodsman?”

“I’m not sure, really, but due to your disheveled appearance, rugged looks, and loner behavior that’s what I thought you were.”

He reached out to pull her closer, realizing how happy she made him. For the first time in five years, he found himself smiling multiple times a day either with her or thinking about her. She was looking up at him, slightly breathless, and he knew that the chemistry they had wasn’t the kind that could be ignored. It wasn’t anything like what he had with Lisa and he and Gwen had barely even done anything. This was off-the-charts chemistry, the kind that had him fantasizing about her all the time.

“You can’t kiss me here,” she said, poking his shoulder and then patting it and smoothing out his jacket. “Seriously, come with me Saturday night.”

“Gwen.” He didn’t want to go to Chase and Julia’s house.

“They won’t mind. I’ll ask first. If I even detect a bit of hesitation, I’ll let you know. I guess there is the off chance Chase wants to do a police check on you.”

He stopped breathing until she burst out laughing and poked him in the ribs.

“Just joking! Seriously, meet me there at seven. It’ll be fun.”

“It’ll also be PG,” he said, thinking that might be for the best.

She flushed. “What exactly were you planning for Saturday night?”

He hadn’t planned on Saturday night at all. None of this had been planned, but he couldn’t walk away from her and he knew, standing there, that that would be his downfall.