A loud crash sounded outside the bus. Axel didn’t flinch.
“We need to get out of here.”
“Okay.”
“Do you need some help?”
It took Cruz a moment to realize that he wasn’t talking to her, but Haven, the woman she was caring for.
“I’m helping her,” Cruz said a little more sharply than she should have, but seeing him so unexpectedly had rattled her. She felt like she was nearly twenty again, when he’d finally noticed her as a woman, and her giddy crush had bloomed into an intense, all-encompassing, bone-deep love for the man.
Her girly reaction pissed her off. She was a woman now. Tall, dark, and silent cowboys no longer had any power over her.
“She’s a nurse,” Haven said, her voice a little stronger. Even though she was shaken, hurt, and worried about her brother, she clearly was not immune to the power of an over-the-top handsome cowboy who oozed confidence and masculinity. Figured, Cruz thought, a little disgusted with her gender.
She still couldn’t wrap her head around it. Axel was here! At the scene of the horrific accident! And he didn’t even have the decency to be slightly soft in the middle. No. Somehow, he was even harder, more muscled. With a stronger jaw. And bluer eyes.
It was an injustice hurled from spiteful gods.
How the hell had she had the strength to walk away from that?
“A nurse?” Axel demanded, his voice like a gunshot.
Her cheeks burned. Yes, he would be surprised at the way her life had turned out. But Axel had no right to judge. He hadn’t been there. He’d been off riding into his dream. She’d been slammed out of hers by two opposing forces. She couldn’t help notching her chin up and staring him down.
“It’s been a lovely reunion,” she mocked. “But Haven wants to ride to the hospital with her brother. And you don’t make a good door.” She flicked her left hand at him, urging him to back up and let them through although she knew the concept of backing up had never been in Axel Wolf’s vocabulary.
Axel grabbed her hand, his touch like an electrical current, and Cruz lit up like a Christmas tree. She’d forgotten his intensity. He’d always made her feel like she was the only woman in the room. Heck, the only woman in an arena. But now his hard gaze unnerved her. She couldn’t read him at all.
“You’re married.” His voice had a tone she didn’t recognize. It sounded like an accusation.
She opened her mouth to deny it, but then tossed her braid over her shoulder—a stupid and childish habit from her teen years that she hadn’t employed since…since she’d set her stubborn heart on catching Axel’s fancy.
“I need to escort my patient to the ambulance.” Cruz dug deep for strength. It was embarrassing to feel the need for so much armor against a man she hadn’t seen or spoken to in over seven years.
“No, no, don’t leave me alone.” Haven clutched her arm, her voice quavering. “I don’t want to go to the hospital and be on my own, having to make decisions about Brent. He’s my only family left,” she whispered tragically.
Cruz automatically soothed her, murmured reassurances, and after a brief hesitation, she promised to meet Haven at the emergency room. That was going to be a trial by fire introduction to her new job. But the whole time she was talking to Haven, she was conscious of Axel’s fixed scrutiny, and was surprised he hadn’t burned a hole in her skin.
“Well, that’s the last of them.” Dr. Graham McBride, whom she recognized from her research on Jameson Hospital’s website, followed the medical team with a patient on a stretcher. “Do you need any help here?” He approached her and Axel.
“We got this Doc.” Another group of medics descended around Haven. “Your brother’s asking about you. Would you like to ride to the hospital with him?” one of the medics asked.
Haven looked at all of them blankly and then appealed silently to Cruz.
“Sure,” Cruz said. “I will follow and check in with you at the ER. Promise,” she said gently. “And I have my orientation at the hospital on Monday so if he stays for a day or two we can still chat.”
“Thank you,” Haven said shakily.
If Axel kept staring, she was definitely going to combust. He did a double take at the latest piece of info.
“Locums,” Cruz croaked out. “The position is only temporary.” And if Axel didn’t stop throwing off so much heat and attitude, she was going to get back in her car and keep driving.
“You’re not a doctor?” he demanded.
“Axel,” Dr. McBride inserted as he headed out of the destroyed business. “I’ll get you an update on August.”
Of course the doctor knew Axel. They’d probably gone to school together.
Fantastic.
What had she been thinking? She’d known Axel’s family ranch was big. He was probably a pillar of the community, maybe even on the hospital board. Oh, God.
As Haven was helped out, Axel’s entire attention was centered on her. She could handle this. He was nothing to her anymore. An ex. Millions of women had them and were fine!
Cruz tried to push past Axel to follow Dr. McBride and Haven out of the building, but he pinned her with his deep blue stare and blocked her path.
She might as well have tried to push aside a boulder. She sucked in a breath. Wrong. He smelled amazing—fresh like pine. And leather, which reminded her of how appetizing he’d looked wearing chaps. She remembered asking him more than a few times to put them on…just so she could take them off.
She pressed her lips together tightly. What on earth was wrong with her?
Another huge crash had her jumping practically into his arms. A large sofa had fallen through the building’s ceiling and landed near the bus.
“I’m getting you out of here.”
With his body Axel herded her around some of the debris. She could feel the warm press of his thighs and flex of muscle—he was as hard as steel against her ass.
Her body temperature spiked.
So did her blood pressure, when he swung her into his arms.
“What…what are you doing?” She kicked her feet, but the movement made her feel childish, and she clamped her jaw shut, refusing to act undignified.
“I don’t need help. I was leaving.”
“You’re good at that.”
Her mouth dropped open. He was such a jerk. Why had she wasted a moment on regrets? She had so many, but Diego certainly wasn’t one of them. And now Axel wouldn’t be one, either.
“Put me down,” she ordered. This was humiliating. He was carrying her as if she were a child. He wasn’t even straining—and she was not a small woman.
“What’s up with the…are these shoes?”
She twisted, tempted to elbow him in the solar plexus at his tone. Big mistake. The move practically shoved her breasts in his face because he chose that moment, that exact moment, to turn his head and look at her.
God, he’s beautiful.
It was an odd adjective for such a masculine man, but it fit. He was all hard planes, hollowed cheeks and unexpectedly full lips that could say so much with just a slight quirk. And his eyes… They were the purple blue of the sky right before nightfall.
And he was a jerk, she all but shouted at herself. She dragged in a deep breath—another huge mistake. She smelled him, and his scent was so familiar, and heady that she ached. Her head swam with memories of him, making her dumb body forget that so much time had passed.
She stared at her dangling feet. Her metallic-gold sandals looked gaudy and ridiculously out of place in the rubble-filled building. And the bright pink toenail polish that Diego had picked out and painted on her toes looked unbearably girly.
“Pink. That’s new.”
She didn’t respond.
“It’s so you,” he goaded.
“It is now,” she lied, unable to disengage. Again, she wondered if he’d drop her if she slugged him…and if it was worth the risk of getting glass imbedded in her ass and having to have it removed her first day on the jo
b.
“You’re welcome to try it,” he invited, clearly reading her intentions in her furious expression and remembering how quick she’d once been to take offense. Axel had always been the calm one. Steady. Which shouldn’t have been so dang sexy.
“This is ridiculous. Put me down.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Too little, too late.
Glass crunched under his feet.
She was forced to hold on to him, hooking one arm around his neck and shoulders as if she wanted to be there. The flex of hard muscles that teased her with every step felt like a slap, reminding her of everything she’d lost.
She felt at home in his arms, and she wanted to kick herself for thinking like that. She’d spent so many lonely years convincing herself that she was happy being independent, building the life she wanted. And now, with one minute of contact, her body was shouting at her and reminding her of everything she’d left behind.
Finally, they were out of the building.
She blinked in the bright sunshine. Axel shifted his hand so that he shaded her face. The fact that he’d noticed she was uncomfortable, and had fixed it, made her eyes unexpectedly sting. No one had ever taken care of her before him or after.
What was wrong with her?
It’s just the sun.
She took care of herself—of her life, of Diego, of her patients. She didn’t want to be dependent on anyone—not financially or emotionally. Her father had made her feel like a burden every day of her life until she’d started winning at barrel racing, climbing in the ranks and coming home with prize money. Only then had he acknowledged her. And pushed her harder. And took her money.
She was done pleasing anyone but herself.
Axel stopped walking. He looked around as if searching for someone, but he hadn’t put her down yet.
“Axel.” She pinched his shoulder. “Now’s a good time to put me down. There’s no glass.”
Besides, people were staring.
Main Street was a hub of activity—fire trucks, paramedic trucks, ambulances, police cars, groups of people gathered. It looked so different from when she’d first arrived, it was disorienting.
He kept her tucked in to his body.
“What…?” She moistened her lips with her tongue, because her mouth had dried up like a Texas summer. But the way his eyes tracked her tongue was like lighting a match to her desire. “What are we…you doing?”
He should put her down. Now. Why wasn’t he?
“I’m waiting for your husband to deck me, I suppose.” His mouth briefly looked rueful, but then hardened, along with his eyes.
“My what?” It was like he was speaking a foreign language.
“What are you doing with my mom?” The voice was high and panicked. “Is she hurt?”
Diego. He’d gotten out of the car with all these emergency vehicles around. Of course, he had. Compliance was not in his DNA.
Axel slowly lowered her down his body, but his arm still bit into her waist, and her body was still plastered against his. The feel of his hot, hard imprint was as embarrassing as it was arousing.
He was turning her into a perv. Again. Seven years of near celibacy, and then, boom, all worked up in less than five minutes.
“I’m fine, sweetie,” she said.
“Why was that man carrying you?”
“Well…” The fierce disbelief in Axel’s face was throwing her off her game. What was his problem? They were nothing to each other now. He looked positively pissed.
Diego bristled as only a seven-year-old tall, skinny boy could, throwing attitude at a stranger who probably looked as big as a mountain to him.
“Axel is a cowboy.” Cruz dug deep for calm. “And rescuing people is part of the cowboy code. Didn’t you tell me that today?”
Both Axel and Diego stared at her. Okay. She sounded like an idiot. And Axel’s large hand was still branding her hip. She tugged free, but somehow, it felt worse that he let her go.
“Why did you need rescuing?”
Was Diego now thinking about becoming a cop with his relentless questions?
“I didn’t,” she said firmly. “Axel was mistaken.”
“There was glass,” Axel said.
Diego still looked wary. “I could have rescued you.”
Axel’s attention switched from her to Diego. Cruz had no idea what he was about to say, but another man who looked a lot like Axel, only rangier, with longer, shaggier hair, limped up.
“Axel can you give me a ride to the…oh.” His eyes were a lighter blue than Axel’s, but fringed by the same long, thick, dark lashes. He had laugh lines faintly fanning from the corners of his eyes, which probably creased his cheek when he smiled.
He wasn’t smiling now. He looked to be in pain, hugging his bent arm tight to his body. His gaze rested on Diego in shock and then he turned back toward his brother. But Axel’s face was remote, giving nothing away.
This had to be one of his brothers. She’d known he’d had them. She’d never met either of them, which should have told her the truth back then about where she stood in Axel’s life—off to the side and in the back.
“Never mind, I can…”
“Yes,” Axel interrupted his brother. “I’ll take you to the hospital. Give me a minute.”
His dark blue gaze bore into hers. Cruz squared her body and raised her brows. Brooding cowboys had lost their power over her years ago. What exactly was he thinking a minute would buy him?
Nothing.
“Diego, get back in the car now, please. And stay on the sidewalk.” She used her voice—the voice that had carried her through all of life’s trials. It had been honed by years of competition in the barrel-racing circuit, by putting herself through school, raising a son alone while working full time as a trauma nurse at a very busy urban hospital, all while continuing her education.
Diego’s dark blue gaze bounced back and forth between them. Yeah, he felt the tension. It was thick as river mud after a summer storm.
“It’s fine,” she said to her son, but she wanted Axel to know she meant the words. She was dismissing him and their past. “I’m coming with you. We’re going to make a quick stop at the hospital to check on a patient and then we’ll go on to Shell’s house.”
Diego didn’t budge. He stared at Axel and Cruz couldn’t blame him. Axel was a sight—tall, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, obviously muscular by the way his pressed jeans gripped his thighs, rodeo belt buckle, black boots. Top that with the Stetson that angled on his head just so and he really could be an ad for the iconic American Cowboy. Even Cruz was having a hard time not staring at him.
“You know my mom?”
“Yes.”
“No,” she said at the same time.
The skeptical look both Diego and Axel slung at her was identical and would have been hilarious if she was watching this on cable.
“Well, we…um…knew each other. A long time ago,” she clarified.
“You’re a cowboy.”
“Yes.”
“I’m gonna be one too.”
“That so?”
“Diego, we have to go.” Cruz decided to stop playing it cool and socially polite. She needed to get her head on straight and her libido under control. Apparently, seven years was not enough time for her body to forget Axel Wolf.
Diego balked. “Did you know my dad, too?”
Axel stilled, and just like that, all the clawing tension was back. He looked at her and his gaze dropped to her hand. She’d taken to wearing her grandmother’s ring on her left hand, to avoid questions. “I don’t know.” Axel’s voice was low, and his face tight. He looked back at Cruz, almost accusing. “Did I?”
The words sounded almost like a taunt and Cruz couldn’t help responding to the clear challenge. It was like waving a red flag at a bull.
“Maybe,” she said, just to see what he’d do.
His eyes went black. Stormy. His reaction shouldn’t have pleased her. She was ab
ove these childish games. After all, she was a woman, not a girl. And they were so over.
“We need to go, Axel, and your brother needs you.” She reached for a casual tone with just the right note of finality to it.
She placed her hand on Diego’s shoulders and propelled him back toward her car.
She felt a spurt of relief at her escape.
“Liar.” Axel’s breath was warm in her ear and his deep voice rumbled, setting off electrical charges that detonated with uncomfortable precision in her nipples and sex, which was totally inappropriate, considering the years they’d been apart. “You didn’t really want to be a doctor. You just didn’t want to marry me or have my kid.”
Chapter Four
So wrong.
So unfair.
Cruz made short work of the blocks between the accident and her car. Her steps were quick and angry as she tried to shed the tension that a few minutes in Axel’s presence had kindled. It didn’t help that Axel kept pace with her, after telling his brother tersely to stay, as if he were a dog. Typical. He acted like he was in charge of everything and everyone.
How could she have forgotten that?
And how dare he dismiss her dreams like that? Mock her. She’d given him up to become a doctor. She’d sacrificed everything! It wasn’t her fault that fate had intervened. And no way could she ever be selfish enough to turn her back on a child like her mother had. Twice.
Her gut burned with fury.
She wanted to turn around and slug him, wiping that serious expression off his beautiful mouth. Words—mean words—rolled around in her head and threatened to spill off her tongue. But she wouldn’t let them, not in front of Diego. Anger was not the answer. If it had been, her father and her brother… She shoved the ‘what ifs’ away.
“Stop following me!” she muttered in a low voice.
“Just walking you back to your car.”
“There’s no need.”
Cruz stopped in dismay. Her car was blocked in by a fire truck. One of their hoses was actually running through her window, and since the crew was hosing down the crashed truck as well as the buildings around the truck, she could hardly ask them to move it. A fire investigation SUV was parked at an angle in front of her car and a police car blocked her in from the back.
A Son for the Texas Cowboy Page 4