by Annie Rains
And Josie wasn’t.
Josie cleared her throat as she sat on a stool at the kitchen island. “I mean, I know this town is small but I couldn’t find anywhere with an availability,” she continued, roping the conversation back to something that didn’t make her heart ache.
“Hello, ladies,” Mitch said as he walked into the room. He headed immediately to Kaitlyn’s side and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Josie could see the attraction for men in uniforms. It was hot but, in her opinion, not as much as sexy American Indian physical therapists in jeans and T-shirts.
“No luck, huh?” Mitch asked Josie, when he finally pulled away from Kaitlyn. “I overheard when I walked in.”
Josie shook her head. “None.”
“Well, if nothing else, we can pull out the air mattress and set it up in our room,” Kaitlyn suggested. “We won’t let you go homeless.”
Mitch’s expression pinched.
Josie didn’t blame him for being less than thrilled by Kaitlyn’s offer. He and Kaitlyn were a new couple. They didn’t need her crashing their love nest. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll figure something out. And I’ll be out of here by tomorrow for the guest who’s reserved my room.” Even if she had no idea where she’d go.
Kaitlyn grimaced. “I wish I’d known. I wouldn’t have booked it.”
“Who would’ve predicted I’d be staying here for any length of time? Certainly not me,” Josie said.
Mitch braced his body weight on the kitchen counter in front of him. “I might know of a place you can rent,” he said hesitantly. “But I need to see if it’s actually available.”
“Where?” Kaitlyn looked up at him. “And why haven’t you mentioned this sooner?”
Mitch shrugged. “It didn’t occur to me. Honestly, I thought Josie would have no problem finding a place. And I didn’t realize you were going to move her into our room if she did.”
Kaitlyn punched his shoulder playfully. “Where?”
“Well, Tuck has been thinking about renting out his garage apartment. He hasn’t listed it yet, and he might have changed his mind.”
“Oh, that’s perfect!” Kaitlyn clapped her hands together at her chest. “He has an empty room, and Josie needs one. And they already know each other.”
“No.” Josie was already shaking her head. “I’ve already imposed on him so much. I’ll keep looking.”
“Nonsense,” Kaitlyn objected. “Call Tuck now,” she said, turning back to Mitch. “Unless you want me to pull out that air mattress for the next couple of weeks. Could even be a month.”
Mitch stiffened and pulled out his cell phone. “Okay, okay. I’ll ask and let you ladies know.” He walked out of the kitchen.
Josie guessed it was because he didn’t want them to hear Tuck’s loud objections through the receiver.
“I can’t stay with Tuck,” Josie muttered.
“What? Why not? He’s a great guy. You already know that.”
“Yes, and he’s not on the market, remember?”
Kaitlyn laughed. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Josie cringed. “I may have invited him out for a drink yesterday,” she admitted.
“What?” Kaitlyn squeaked. “You asked him out?”
“No.” Josie covered her face. “Maybe. Kind of. It was just a casual invitation. I thought I was leaving so I put the idea out there. He rejected me though. He doesn’t like me. Not in that way, at least.”
Tuck’s words begged to differ in the back of Josie’s memory though. If I wasn’t your physical therapist.
Heat swam through Josie’s body, starting at her toes. She never should’ve asked him out. It was foolish. She wasn’t what he was looking for, and she wasn’t exactly looking. Not in Sweetwater Springs at least.
“It’s his garage apartment,” Kaitlyn said. “It’s not like you’d be living with him. And maybe you can get a little extra physical therapy while you’re there.” She bounced her brows playfully. “Tuck might not be a dating option for you but it doesn’t mean you can’t hang out and enjoy the view.”
Josie laughed and shook her head. Her best friend was right though. Josie needed a place to stay so, if Tuck agreed, she’d be adult about moving in temporarily. But there would definitely be no more physical therapy between them. Dr. Miles had recommended only a couple of sessions anyway and her knee was doing so much better. If Tuck agreed to house her, she’d just do her best to stay out of his long, sexy hair altogether.
* * *
Tuck wiped a hand across his brow.
Since Josie was no longer on his caseload, he’d used the open hours in his schedule to begin work on the stables behind Hope Cottage. They were empty right now but he’d already contacted a few people with horses for sale.
In the last hour and a half, he’d fixed a broken gate to one of the stalls. Now the door swung easily. He still wanted to give the outside a fresh coat of paint—maybe this summer—but otherwise, the stables were ready to house his therapy horses once he found them.
Temperament was key in buying a therapy horse. Not just any horse would do. It needed to be a horse that didn’t get spooked easily. One that provided a smooth, steady ride for his patients. A cousin of his was a trainer who’d already agreed to help him prepare the horses to work with patients after Tuck got them settled into their new home.
As he exited the barn, buzzing with excitement, his cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Tuck? How are you, buddy?” Mitch asked.
“Pretty good, I guess. Not really in the mood to meet up for drinks tonight, if that’s why you’re calling.” Tuck cut through the field and headed into the kitchen for a cool glass of green tea.
“That’s not why I’m calling. But you might change your tune about that drink after you hear my reason.”
Tuck chuckled dryly as he pulled a glass from his cabinet. Then he opened the fridge door and grabbed the pitcher of tea. “Go for it.”
“Are you still thinking about putting your garage apartment up for rent?”
Tuck paused in filling his glass. He’d had so much going on this past week that he hadn’t given the idea much more thought since dinner with the guys the other night. “Yeah, eventually. To the right renter.” The extra money would be helpful for purchasing the horses and their supplies. Later, it would help with upkeep costs.
“This person wouldn’t be any trouble, and she’ll only be here for a couple of weeks.”
“She?” Tuck’s brain was already connecting the dots. “You’re not talking about Josie, are you? I thought she left town today.”
“Yeah, about that. There was a slight change of plans,” Mitch said. “She’ll be staying a little longer, and the inn is booked up for the upcoming festival. She’s great, man, but I don’t want her sleeping in my and Kaitlyn’s room for the rest of the month.”
“Thought you said two weeks.”
“Probably.”
Tuck was shaking his head, causing Shadow to go on alert at his feet. “I don’t think…”
“Everywhere in town is full.”
“Sorry,” Tuck began again but Mitch cut him off.
“Okay, I didn’t want to have to do this, because I don’t believe in having your buddies pay off their debts to you, but you owe me,” Mitch reminded him.
“Owe you?” Tuck reached out to pet Shadow’s head, letting her know that everything was okay. Just fine. But there was no way he was going to rent his garage apartment to Josie. Living with that kind of temptation might be more than he could handle.
“That’s right—you owe me big, buddy. Remember that time you were out past curfew and freaking out because your mom was going to kill you?”
“High school? You’re reaching as far back as high school?” Tuck asked in disbelief. He walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.
“You would’ve been grounded for months, and Dustin Robinson would’ve taken Renee to the prom instead of you. You always said that’s what would have happened, and that yo
u were indebted to me for life.”
It was true. That night was the reason that Mitch had been Tuck’s best man at his wedding. Well, that and the fact that Mitch was one of his best friends. Mitch had saved the day when Tuck would’ve otherwise been locked in his room for the rest of his senior year. Instead, Tuck had gone to the prom with Renee, and they’d fallen in love under the silvery strobe lights that night. Tuck’s entire life had changed, and in some way, he had Mitch to thank for it.
Tuck closed his eyes. Was there a way to get out of this without Josie coming to live at Hope Cottage? It wasn’t that he didn’t like her but more that he did, and that was a little scary.
“She’ll be in the garage apartment tapping away on her computer. You probably won’t even know she’s there. She’s been with us all week, and I’ve barely noticed. Granted, I’ve spent a lot of time at the police station. Plus, she’ll pay you rent. Extra money is always nice, right?” Mitch added with a note of desperation in his voice.
“The room doesn’t compare to the ones you have at the bed and breakfast. It isn’t even furnished but I do have a bed and dresser in storage that I can put up there.”
“Perfect. Give me the keys to your storage building, and I’ll set it up for you myself. So it’s a yes?” Mitch asked, hope lilting in his voice.
Tuck leaned forward in his chair, propping his elbows on his knees. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”
“No. And after this, I’ll owe you. I’ll let the women know you agreed. Then I’ll drop Josie off tomorrow afternoon. Kaitlyn is letting her borrow her bike too. Your place on the creek is only a mile’s ride to anything she needs so it should be fine,” Mitch said, seeming to have all the answers.
The physical therapist in Tuck wondered if bike riding was a good idea for Josie. It would be fine if she didn’t overdo it. The last thing she needed was to reinjure her knee, which would put her back under his care. That wouldn’t be good for either of them because he needed to keep his eyes and hands to himself.
“Fine,” Tuck relented.
“Thanks, bud. See you tomorrow.”
The call disconnected, and just like that, Tuck had a woman coming to live in his garage apartment. And not just any woman—the only woman who’d sparked his interest since his late wife.
* * *
Josie stared out Mitch’s car window, memorizing the path to her new home. At least temporarily. They’d passed a grocery store, turned right, and were now on Blueberry Creek Road. The creek bordered her on the right side with tall pines and sweeping willows interspersed alongside it. The water was a murky brown color, and she wondered where it ran to. Maybe into Silver Lake downtown?
It was beautiful but everything inside of her was still fighting this. Living above someone’s garage? Out in the middle of nowhere?
“Where will I get coffee?” she asked, turning to Mitch with sudden worry. Because she couldn’t work without coffee. It was crucial for lubricating her creative gears.
Mitch turned to look at her. He had mirrored sunglasses hiding his eyes, which she guessed would be rolling at her panicked voice. “I set you up a pot in the apartment. Found it in Tuck’s storage building. If that doesn’t suit you, it’s about a one-mile bike ride to the Sweetwater Café. Not sure what Emma’s secret ingredient is but it’s coffee on steroids. You’ll be hooked.”
Josie nodded on an inhale. Okay, coffee crisis averted. She had a place to work and coffee at the ready. There was also a place to walk and clear her head. Maybe she could even take her laptop and sit beside the creek. Sometimes a change of scenery refreshed the mind.
Yes. Everything will be okay. I can do this.
Mitch slowed his truck as they passed a large fenced-in field of wildflowers with a rust-colored stable set in the back. Then he pulled into a driveway in front of a beautiful one-story red cottage that sat inside that same fence. Flowers of every kind and color bloomed along the pebbled walkway leading up to the front door. They even climbed up the front of the house.
Josie blinked, hoping her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. The image in front of her was absolutely charming. And not at all what she was envisioning. “Tuck lives here? All alone?”
Mitch nodded. “Nice, isn’t it?”
“Nice is an understatement.” It had a large front porch with swings that hung from the roof of the veranda. The home was capped off with a white tin roof that she imagined made a delicious sound in a rainstorm, not that she’d be sleeping under that roof. To the left of the home was a disconnected garage with stairs leading up the side to what she guessed was the apartment where she would stay. “What is a single man doing living in a place like this?”
Mitch grinned and gestured behind them. “See that creek back there? Tuck may as well pitch a tent and live right next to it. The man loves his nature.” He nodded his head at the window over the garage. “You’ll have a nice view of Blueberry Creek too.”
Personally, she would’ve preferred to look out over the field of wildflowers near the stables. They looked like something straight out of a magazine ad, inviting people to the simple mountain life.
She pushed out of Mitch’s truck and stood for a second as he went to grab her bags from the back. Voices caught her attention from the other side of the house. Male and female. Josie craned her neck, and her heart jolted at the sight of Tuck. He was talking with a young, dark-haired girl on crutches. Off to the side of them was a wheelchair.
“Tuck sees some of his patients out here. He likes to use the great outdoors as his gym.”
“Well, he certainly has a lot of that to offer.”
“He’s planning to add a couple of horses too,” Mitch said as he carried her luggage to her temporary dwelling. “Tuck told me to show you up since he’s seeing patients. He’ll probably stop in and officially welcome you to Hope Cottage later.”
She attempted to take one of her bags from him. “I can take that.”
Mitch didn’t release it to her. “You shouldn’t carry these with that knee of yours. I’ll do it.”
“Right. Thanks.” She followed him up the set of steps. She’d nearly forgotten that her knee was even injured. She’d been icing and doing her exercises faithfully, and everything had settled almost back to normal just like Dr. Miles said it would. She’d probably still be sticking to flats and sneakers for the rest of her time here though, which was just fine with her. She mostly wore heels in the office, and only so she was taller than the guys who tried to push her around, aka Bart. She’d found she got a little more respect when she added a few inches of height.
Mitch pulled out a key, turned it in the lock, and the door released. Then he gestured for her to enter ahead of him.
Stepping over the threshold, Josie glanced around the open space. The front room held a single foldout chair and a small dining table. The living room blended with a minute-size kitchen. On the tiled countertop, she saw the coffeepot that Mitch had set up for her alongside a dorm-size refrigerator. Two doors exited the far side of the room.
Mitch pointed. “That one leads to the bathroom. That one to your bedroom.”
She walked toward the bedroom and flipped the light switch, taking in the twin-size bed with a solid blue comforter. “At least there’s a place to sleep,” she said more to herself than Mitch.
“I pulled it from Tuck’s storage yesterday. If you need something more, I might be able to find it in there. He has a lot of stuff. Couldn’t find a TV though. Sorry.”
Josie shook her head and turned back to Mitch. “I don’t watch anyway. I’ll be mostly working so this should be great. Thank you again.”
“Anytime. Call if you need anything,” he said as he headed for the door. “Reception is a little squirrelly here. At least, that’s what Tuck always claims, and I think he has the best carrier for the area. If you don’t have any cell phone bars, you might have to hunt around for a signal.”
Josie whipped her cell phone out to check. “Zero bars?” She looked u
p at Mitch, suddenly in a panic. “Zero bars? There’s no phone reception?” she asked in disbelief.
“I’m sure there is somewhere. Just need to find that magic spot. Good luck.” He crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him as if she might protest and climb back into his truck to leave with him.
Surely, there was reception somewhere, right? She couldn’t stay here without a line to the outside world. She’d go crazy.
She stepped to the window and looked out on the creek and then to Tuck on the front lawn with the little girl. Staying in close proximity to him might be enough to drive her crazy as well.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Over the last forty-five minutes, Tuck had realized that Maddie was eleven going on fifteen. She’d used every muscle in her face to relay her irritation with him but hadn’t flexed a single muscle in her right leg in response to any of his requests.
She was unmotivated and likely depressed, with good reason. Maybe she was having a bad day and her next scheduled visit would go better. He could only hope that was the case because this had been the longest physical therapy session of his career.
“Here. This is a printout of the exercises I want you to do.” He placed it in Maddie’s lap when she didn’t move to grab it. “You won’t get better unless you try, Maddie.”
“I know that,” she muttered.
It was just the two of them this afternoon. Beverly had dropped Maddie off so she could go to her own appointment in town. Tuck wasn’t sure how serious Beverly’s condition was but she’d taken to wearing a bandana over her thinning hair. Tuck had overheard her telling Maddie it was the hip grandma thing to do but he remembered when Renee had done the same. His late wife had been weak after her chemo treatments. She wouldn’t have been able to care for a child in a wheelchair, especially not at Beverly’s age.
“You’re the only patient I’ll be working with five days a week,” Tuck told Maddie. “That’s because I believe in you. But you have to believe too, okay?” He felt like he was talking to himself until Maddie gave a slight shrug.