by Judy Duarte
But he hadn’t come back. And she’d had to face the hurt, the disappointment.
Jeremy’s eyes locked onto Kirsten’s, revealing that he might not be as hopeful as he’d said he was, as if he’d needed her agreement and support. It was the kind of emotional reaction she’d always hoped to get from her brother—the sense of unity and understanding, the realization that she was connecting with someone she cared about. Yet it was all that and more.
Something else simmered in his gaze, something warmed by the glow of the candlelight, by the romantic music playing softly in the background and by the hum of pheromones that permeated every breath they took.
Jeremy Fortune was a man to take seriously. And with time, he might even prove to be a man that she could promise to love, honor and cherish—given the chance to get to know him better. But time was a luxury they didn’t have. He was only in Red Rock temporarily and would be going back to California soon.
So she slowly drew her hand away, her fingertips skimming over the top of his knuckles as she did so.
She shouldn’t get any romantic ideas. This might be the date of a lifetime for her, but it was just a diversion for him. He wasn’t in any position to form a relation ship right now, so she’d be foolish to let her thoughts drift in that direction. After all, he’d be leaving town eventually.
And where would that leave her?
Jeremy’s skin continued to tingle where Kirsten had touched him—and so did his heart. Her compassion, her understanding, did something to him. But before he could ponder just what that might be, the waiter who’d introduced himself as Gordon when they’d first been seated, asked, “Are you ready for me to take your plates?”
“Yes, I’m finished,” Kirsten said. “Thank you.”
Jeremy let the waiter pick up his dinner plate, too.
“Can I interest you in our dessert menu?” the young man asked.
Jeremy wasn’t ready for the evening to end, so he said, “Sure. Let’s see what you have.”
The waiter had no more than walked away when Jeremy’s cell phone vibrated.
Ever since his father’s disappearance, he made sure the phone was always handy. There was no telling when a call might come in, saying his dad had been found. So he checked the display and, after noting the Sacramento area code, recognized a familiar number.
“Excuse me a moment,” he told Kirsten. “This is a colleague from Sacramento.”
“No problem. I understand.”
When Jeremy answered, Jack Danfield said, “How’s it going? Any word on your father?”
“No, not yet. I’m in the middle of dinner. Can I give you a call back later?”
“Yes, but first let me tell you the reason for my call. I have a twelve-year-old boy in the E.R. who was involved in a car accident. He has multiple fractures in both legs.
He’s had some arterial damage, and I’m afraid we might need to amputate. But I wanted to talk to you first. You had that case last summer that was similar, and you were able to save the limb.”
Jeremy looked at his watch. He needed more details, and the consult would not only take time, but it was also going to require all of his concentration. “I’ll give you a call in about ten minutes, Jack. Will that be okay?”
“Certainly.”
When the line disconnected, Jeremy glanced across the table at his dinner companion, who seemed to be growing prettier by the minute. “I’m really sorry, Kirsten.
I’ve got a long-distance consultation that just might help save a boy’s leg, and it’s important that I spend some time on it. I’m afraid I’m going to have to end our dinner early.”
She reached for the strap of her purse that hung on the back of her chair. “There’s no need to explain, Jeremy.
I understand.”
He motioned for the waiter, who returned to the table with the menus in hand.
“I’m sorry,” Jeremy told him. “We’re going to have to pass on dessert. And I’ll need the bill as soon as you can bring it.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be right back.”
Five minutes later, Jeremy and Kirsten were in his car and on the road.
“I’m really sorry to end our evening like this,” he said.
“Don’t be. I understand. Your patients come first. I just hope everything turns out okay for that poor boy.”
So did Jeremy.
He pulled along the curb in front of her house and parked. After getting out of the car, they walked to her front door. He really needed to return Jack’s call as quickly as possible, but he couldn’t help lingering on the porch just a moment longer.
Did he dare kiss Kirsten good-night?
How deeply did he want to get involved with her?
At this point, he could pretty much cut bait and run.
But he’d enjoyed their time together so far, and there was so much more he wanted to know about her. “Thank you for dinner,” she said. “Bernardo’s was a great choice.”
“You’re welcome. But I still owe you a dessert.”
“No, you don’t.” She looked up at him and smiled, her blue eyes glimmering in the porch light. “The food was so good, I didn’t leave room for anything more.”
They stood like that for a moment—gazing at each other, hanging on to the moment. If Jeremy had all the time in the world, would she invite him inside?
Again, the question of a good-night kiss returned full force. Should he or shouldn’t he?
He wasn’t sure why he bothered to even ponder the question. The urge to kiss her was almost overwhelming.
Oh, what the hell. He placed a hand on her cheek, felt the silk of her skin, the curve of her jaw.
As her head tilted up slightly and her lips parted, it was all the encouragement he needed.
Chapter Four
Kirsten didn’t know what she’d expected to happen when Jeremy walked her to the front door, but certainly not this, not a soul-stirring good-night kiss.
Of course, she’d seen it coming when his gaze reached deep inside her, when he touched her cheek with a lover’s caress. And she’d been filled with anticipation as their lips met.
The moment was so heart-stopping, so magical, that she was afraid to breathe for fear it was all a dream and she’d wake up alone in her bed, her arms wrapped around her pillow.
And while it was really happening, she was spellbound by his heady, woodland scent, by the warmth of his breath and the heat of his touch.
As the kiss deepened and their lips parted, his tongue brushed hers, making her knees go weak. So she reached for his waist to steady herself. As she did so, he slipped his arms around her, drawing her close, kissing her until she was tempted to drag him inside and see what happened next.
Oh, lordy. If this was the way Jeremy kissed a woman good-night, she wondered what it would be like to welcome him into her bed, into her…life.
She’d have to get control of her runaway thoughts and emotions, though. She couldn’t allow herself to get swept away in a romantic fantasy with the handsome doctor, no matter how enjoyable their evening together had been, no matter how arousing his good-night kiss was.
It was crazy to think this was anything more than it was—a pleasant dinner that had come to a nice end. One day in the not-so-distant future, he was going to return to his medical practice in California, and she’d probably end up being a fleeting memory on his part. But there was a chance that he would mean a lot more than that to her. So for that reason alone, she needed to end this sweet assault before she lost her head completely.
Yet her body found it hard to comply with common sense, leaving it all up to him.
As Jeremy broke the kiss and released her from his embrace, she tried to shake off the effects of the lingering magic to no avail. Her pulse was racing and her mind was scrambling to imagine something romantic developing between them.
Still, she knew better than to waste her time thinking about those kinds of possibilities. Not when there were twice as many reasons a relationship bet
ween her and Jeremy would never work out.
But as he looked deep into her eyes, she couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around a single one of them.
“Thanks for a nice evening,” he said softly. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
Still stunned by the sweet but arousing kiss, she was afraid to speak for fear she’d stumble over the words, so she merely nodded.
When he turned and strode toward his car, she continued to watch him. She really ought to go inside the house, but her legs didn’t seem to be working any better than her voice.
Once he reached the street and stood beside the driver’s door, he paused long enough to look over the top of the sedan and smiled. “Good night, Kirsten.”
She lifted her hand to wave, realizing that her fingers had been resting against her lips, which still tingled from the kiss they’d shared.
“Good night,” she managed to say.
As he climbed into his car, she realized just how appropriate her parting words had been.
It had been a good night indeed.
After dropping off Kirsten at her house, Jeremy pulled into the nearest shopping center and parked under a fluorescent light, not wanting to wait any longer before returning Jack Danfield’s call.
Even though he was still reeling over the heated kiss he’d shared with Kirsten, he had to shake the giddiness and focus. As he did so, he dialed his colleague’s number.
Jack had been waiting with the results of the X-ray and CT scan, so they discussed the details of the surgery as well as all the complications that could arise. Thanks to the efforts of modern technology, Jeremy had been able to see the scans and pictures on his iPhone, although he would have felt better about his counsel if he’d been standing next to Jack, viewing the images together.
Nearly an hour later, Jeremy drove back to the Double Crown Ranch and parked near the barn, which had been rebuilt after an arsonist had set it on fire a couple years back.
There were still lights on in the expansive, eight-bedroom house, a solid adobe structure, with sand-colored walls and rough-hewn wooden beams, which meant Lily was still awake.
Good. That would give him a chance to talk to her and ask about her day. They’d both come to depend upon each other after William’s disappearance.
Using the key ring remote, Jeremy locked the car, then strode along the curved adobe walkway to the steps that led up to the large, antique wooden door.
Each time Jeremy passed through the arched entryway and opened the wrought-iron gate to the inner courtyard, with its abundant garden of native perennials and flowering vines, he felt as though he’d come home.
He had a lot of memories of the ranch where he’d spent most of his summer vacations as a kid, and whenever he stepped on the property, all those sunny days of hard work and cowboy fun came back to him.
Aunt Lily and Uncle Ryan had been good to him, as well as his brothers. So he was determined to “be there” for Lily now, while she was awaiting word from or about his dad.
After letting himself into the tiled foyer, he called out, “Lily? I’m home.”
The woman—who should have been his stepmother by now—said, “I’m in the great room, Jeremy.”
He followed her voice, finding her seated in one of the custom-made leather chairs, a tea service set out in front of her on a glass-topped table.
She brightened when he entered the room. “How was your day?”
“It was great.” Not only had he enjoyed having dinner with Kirsten, but he’d been part of the medical effort to save a young boy’s leg. “How about yours?”
“It was all right.”
Actually, Jeremy realized, nothing would ever be “all right” again until William Fortune returned to his family—one way or another.
“Would you like something to drink?” Lily asked. “I can pour you a cup of tea, but there are decanters of bourbon and Scotch in the bar, if you’d like something stronger.”
“Thanks, but I’ll just get myself some water. I’ll be back in a minute.”
When Jeremy returned with his glass, he took a seat on one of the chairs facing his aunt.
At sixty-five, Lily was still an attractive woman. Her Apache and Spanish heritage provided her with high cheekbones and large dark eyes, lending her an exotic beauty.
“I don’t like to think of you staying home all alone,”
Jeremy said, although he knew why she did. She wanted to be near the phone in the event that William called or the police had news about him.
Lily poured a spot of tea into her delicate china cup.
“There’s always a ranch hand in the yard. And Rosita is just a phone call and a short walk away. So I’ll be fine.”
Ruben and Rosita Perez lived in a three-bedroom house on the property, which was the only reason Jeremy felt comfortable leaving her to drive into town and volunteer at the clinic. But it wasn’t the same as having someone in the house with her, someone to keep her company and make sure she was eating.
“Why don’t you invite Maria to join you and Rosita for lunch one of these days?” he suggested.
A slow smile settled across her face. “That’s a nice idea. Maybe I should call them tomorrow and set some thing up.”
The clock on the mantel tick-tocked softly, letting them know that it would be bedtime soon.
As Lily lifted her china cup and took a sip, Jeremy asked, “Chamomile?”
She nodded. “I thought it would help me sleep.”
They’d both been plagued by insomnia lately, but he supposed that was to be expected. They had a lot on their minds.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a little tea or a night cap to help you unwind?” she asked.
“Not tonight. But thanks.”
He set the water on a ceramic, felt-lined coaster and scanned the room, with its traditional Western-style decor. The leather sofas and chairs were fairly new, but the rest of the furniture—the painted armoires, the long oak dining table with high-back chairs, the bookshelves and various pieces of pottery—were antiques that boasted a Spanish influence.
So did the plaster walls, which had been adorned with colorful paintings and hand-woven blankets that had been created by local artisans. One piece in particular had been made by Isabella, J.R.’s wife, and given to Lily as a gift.
Needless to say, J.R. and Isabella’s home had been decorated in a similar style, which appealed to Jeremy.
When he first came to Red Rock to celebrate what should have been his father’s wedding to Lily, he’d stayed in one of the many guest rooms at J.R.’s ranch. But several weeks after his dad went missing, he’d moved to the Double Crown, hoping to provide Lily with some comfort and support while they waited for William’s return.
Six years ago, Lily lost her husband, Ryan, to a brain tumor, and two years later, William was left a widower when Molly died. The surviving spouses had always been friends and had grieved for each other’s loss.
Over time, their friendship had deepened, and they gradually fell in love.
Jeremy couldn’t have been more pleased to learn of their plan to marry. William and Lily deserved to be happy and to spend their golden years together.
But now, at least for the time being, Lily was alone again, and Jeremy’s heart ached for her.
As he sat with her this evening, reflecting on the losses he’d had over the past six years, he wondered if it had been a mistake to pass on a nightcap.
Of course, he hadn’t actually lost his dad—not until they found a body—but it was becoming more and more difficult to remain positive that the man would eventually come home, and that the wedding would be rescheduled.
“We’ll find him,” Lily had said on several different occasions. “I can’t explain how I know, but I’m certain he’s still alive.”
Jeremy took comfort in her quiet faith, and he wondered if Lily might be the one providing support to him, rather than the other way around.
It was possible, he supposed.
Ther
e had always been something special about Lily, something that struck Jeremy as both strong and vulnerable at the same time. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that he admired the most or what it was that drew him to her, but she provided him with some kind of maternal link that he’d been missing ever since his mom died.
Was that what his dad had come to appreciate about Lily? That she took the edge off his loss, too?
So how was it that Lily held on to hope that William was still alive when even Jeremy was beginning to fear the worst?
Had she experienced a dream or had some kind of premonition?
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have asked for an explanation, but his dream and his date with Kirsten were too fresh on his mind, and he found himself quizzing her anyway.
“Can I ask you a question, Lily?”
She glanced up from her teacup and smiled. “Of course.”
“Do you ever have dreams that turn out to be real or that might even reveal the future?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I had a dream a few nights back. And in it, I saw a woman I’d never met before. I didn’t exactly see her face, but I got a glimpse of her hair color and part of her profile. Then, the next day, I met her—or someone who could have been her.”
Lily, who still held her teacup, cocked her head slightly to the side. The look in her eyes indicated that she suspected that there was more going on than a chance meeting.
He wouldn’t have shared his thoughts about Kirsten and the dream with anyone else, but he trusted Lily with the details. “I had the feeling that I was married in that dream—and that I was happier than I’d ever been before. So when I spotted the woman the next day, it left me a little unbalanced.”
“Did you get a chance to talk to her?”
He nodded.
“What’s her name?”
“Kirsten.”