by Laura Scott
Distant sounds of laughter wafted up from the lake, where locals and tourists were enjoying the water. She lived in a small apartment building outside of town without direct access to the lake, although buying a small house on the water was one of her goals.
Maybe next year, she thought with a smile. She’d come to Crystal Lake to escape a bad relationship and to get far away from the high crime rate of Chicago. The night the cops busted up a drug deal going down in the apartment across the hall from hers had pushed her over the edge.
So far, she absolutely loved it here in Crystal Lake.
Her peaceful run was abruptly interrupted by the harsh roar of a motorbike. She hugged the side of the trail, peering over her shoulder to make sure she saw the cyclist before he came upon her unexpectedly.
The growl of the engine became louder, and she stifled a sliver of unease. One wrong move on this dirt-packed, hilly trail could result in disaster.
The motorbike abruptly crested the hill, heading straight toward her. She leaped off the trail to get out of harm’s way. But she landed off balance, her foot slipping on loose rocks and branches. She went down hard. The motorbike swerved around a curve, the driver letting out a loud whoop.
“Idiot,” she muttered, assessing for injuries. Her knees and the palms of her hands were scraped raw from her tumble, but it could have been worse.
She stood, and her right ankle zinged with pain. Great. Just what she needed—a sprained ankle roughly two and a half miles from home.
The sound of the motorbike grew louder again, and she stared at the trail, unable to believe the guy had the nerve to come back after the reckless stunt he’d pulled. Sure enough, he was riding down the trail, once again headed straight for her.
For a split second, she had the distinct impression that he was purposely trying to run her down. She scrambled out of the way, grasping the trunk of a tree for support as the motorbike whizzed by, so close that she could feel the heat from the engine blasting against her legs.
She clung to the tree for several long moments, afraid the motorcyclist was going to come back for a third time. She sent up a silent prayer, thanking God for her safety, before she finally let go of the tree and hobbled back onto the trail. She limped as pain reverberated up her leg with every step. Finding a thick tree branch, she improvised, using it as a walking stick.
The soft thud of footsteps on the trail made her tense. She forced herself to relax; there was no reason the driver of the motorbike would decide to come back on foot. It wasn’t unusual to pass other joggers on the trail.
Sure enough, a runner came into view. A tall man, wearing a sweaty orange T-shirt and navy blue shorts, with ear buds tucked into his ears blocking out the noise. Personally, she didn’t get why anyone would want to listen to music while running when the peace and quiet was so much more soothing. But to each his own.
As the jogger approached, she grimaced when she recognized Gabe Allen. She shouldn’t have been surprised; she’d passed him on the running trails before, and they’d exchanged brief greetings before heading their separate ways.
When he caught sight of her, he frowned and immediately slowed down, tugging the ear buds from his ears. “Larissa, are you all right? What happened?”
She willed her heart rate not to jump as he stepped closer, concern darkening his warm, brown eyes. She cleared her throat and strove for a light tone. “Did a hotshot on a motorbike fly past you?” she asked wryly. “Because he ran me off the trail—twice.”
“Yeah, I saw him.” Gabe dropped down to a crouch to examine the scrapes on her knees before he gently prodded her ankle. She sucked in a swift breath, and he glanced up at her. “This looks like a bad sprain.”
“Thanks for the diagnosis, doc,” she said lightly. “I realize I’m just a nurse, but I kinda figured that out all by myself.”
Gabe didn’t take offense but sent her a lopsided smile. “You should probably get an MRI to rule out ligament damage.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, but I can’t do that until the swelling goes down, anyway, right?”
“Right. You’ll get a better picture if you wait a few days,” he agreed, rising to his feet. “Come on, lean on me, and I’ll help you get home.”
“What?” His offer was so unexpected she nearly lost her balance. The last thing she needed was to cozy up to Gabe for two and a half long miles. “There’s no need for you to cut your run short because of me. I have my trusty walking stick. I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not leaving you here like this. Leaning on me is way better than using a stick, and my place isn’t that far, just a mile and a quarter from here.”
A mile and a quarter still seemed like a long way, but it was better than going all the way to her apartment. She reluctantly nodded. “All right. But I’m hot and sweaty,” she warned as he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist.
“Me, too,” he said easily, shortening his stride to match hers.
Their progress was still awkward, and she was far too aware of being so close to Gabe. “I wish I knew who that motorbike driver was,” she muttered in an attempt to distract herself from his nearness. “I’d report him to the police. He’s a menace on these trails.”
“I’m pretty sure that was Tommy Hinkle,” Gabe said. “I’ve taken care of him a few times in the ER.”
“Annie’s son?” The knowledge almost made her feel sorry for him. “Do you think his father hits him, too?”
Gabe was silent for several moments. “Actually, I think the kid is probably too much like his father,” he said finally. “The last time Tommy was in the ER was because he was under arrest for driving under the influence. He bragged that his dad would bail him out, no problem. I got the impression his dad lets him do whatever he wants. Maybe even encourages him.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Poor Annie. I’m getting the feeling it’s two against one in that household.”
“Yeah, I’m afraid so.” They walked along in silence for a few minutes. Then Gabe’s arm tightened around her waist, drawing her to a halt. “There, see between the trees? That’s my place. Think you can make it that far?”
“Yes, I can make it,” she assured him, even though in truth, her right ankle still throbbed like crazy. Not to mention, being this close to him was wreaking havoc on her hard-won control.
Larissa knew she couldn’t afford to let her guard down with Gabe. No matter how much she wanted to.
____________
Gabe grimly paced off the distance to his place as they made their way along the trail. He couldn’t, in good conscience, leave Larissa to hobble along on her own, but holding on to her like this hadn’t been the brightest idea he’d ever had.
She fit against his side perfectly, her slight frame hiding a strength he couldn’t help but admire. Her ankle looked terrible, but she didn’t whine or complain. In fact, if he hadn’t offered to help her, he knew she would have continued on her way without asking for assistance.
He had to remind himself for the tenth time that she was an ER nurse, which meant she was off-limits. Permanently.
Knowing that Tommy Hinkle was the one who’d run her off the trail made him grit his teeth in anger. Larissa was right, the kid was a menace, but he suspected that there wouldn’t be much the police could do about it now.
“Gabe? Is something wrong?” Larissa asked.
He glanced down in surprise. “No, why?”
“Your arm around my waist is getting tighter and tighter,” she admitted. “You might want to lighten up a bit.”
He mentally smacked himself. “Sorry about that,” he said, relaxing his grip. “I was getting mad thinking about Tommy. How’s your ankle holding up?”
“Just peachy,” she said in a wry tone. “I’m trying to take heart in the fact that your house is slowly getting closer.”
“We’ll be there soon, and then you can relax,” he promised. His modest, wood-sided A-frame overlooking the lake was his private sanctuary, and while h
e wasn’t accustomed to having women over, it wasn’t as if he could drag Larissa all the way to town on foot. He knew she lived in the same apartment complex that Merry Haines and several of the other staff lived in because he’d overheard the nurses comparing notes one day about an exceptionally noisy neighbor.
“Your home looks very rustic,” she said as they finally approached the driveway. Only ninety more feet to go. “Somehow I expected something more...flashy.”
“Flashy?” He grasped his chest as if wounded. “Do I really look like the type that goes for flashy?”
She chuckled. “No, but doctors generally live a much higher lifestyle than the rest of us.”
He hid a stab of disappointment regarding her observation. Was she like so many of the other nurses? The ones who set their sights on marrying a doctor? And when they didn’t get what they wanted, stooped so low as to tell lies, not caring that they destroyed a man’s reputation?
“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured. “You must love the peace and quiet.”
“I do,” he agreed, refusing to waste any time thinking about Rebecca. She was out of his life, for good. Three more feet and they were up to his front stoop. “Can you navigate the step all right? Or should I carry you?”
“I can do it,” she responded quickly.
He held the door open for her, and she limped inside, heading for the closest chair. “Thanks,” she said with a sigh. “Feels good to sit down for a moment. I hate to ask for any more favors, but I’d appreciate a ride home.”
“I’ll drive you home as soon as we clean up those wounds.” Didn’t she realize there was blood oozing out from the dirt filled abrasions? “Sit tight, I’ll be right back.”
“Wait, you don’t have to—” she began, but he ignored her. He went to rummage through his bathroom cabinet, finding everything he needed: dressings, tape, antibiotic ointment. When he returned, he discovered she’d made her way into the kitchen.
“I don’t want to bleed on your carpet,” she said with a hint of defensiveness. “And I washed the scrapes on my hands with soap and water.”
He set the supplies on the table and then went over to fill up a bowl with soapy water. He brought it over and knelt beside her. “This might hurt,” he warned as he took a soft washcloth and began cleaning her knees.
The abrasions weren’t too bad, and she didn’t say a word as he cleaned them up. “What’s the matter?” he asked when he finished putting fresh dressings in place. “Did you think a measly doctor wouldn’t know how to dress a wound?”
“No, you did a fine job,” she said in a low voice. She avoided his gaze. “Thanks so much. It’s a good thing I’m off work for the next two days. A bit of rest and I’ll be as good as new.”
“You might want to see your doctor. He’ll write you an excuse to stay off work longer if needed.”
“I’ll be fine,” she repeated. “I’m sure you want to get back to your run, so if you could just drive me home, I’ll get out of your hair.”
She was acting a bit strange, and he thought she might be having more pain than she’d let on. He loosened her running shoe. “First, let’s wrap up this ankle.” The swelling hadn’t gotten too much worse, which was a good sign since she’d been walking on it for the past twenty minutes. Maybe there wasn’t any ligament damage. “Better?” he asked when he’d finished wrapping it snuggly.
“Much.” Her voice sounded strained. “Thanks. Again.”
He stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge her mood. He rose to his feet and crossed over to the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her. After taking a swig of his own water, he took a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer. “Here, use this as an ice pack,” he said, draping the bag over her ankle.
She let out an unexpected chuckle. “Too funny. I have a bag of frozen peas that I use as an ice pack, too.”
He couldn’t help but return her smile. “I bet every runner has a bag of peas in their freezer.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. She took a long drink of water before recapping the bottle. “So, is there anything else you think you need to fix, Dr. Allen? Or should we get going?”
He had the insane urge to offer to make her dinner but stopped himself just in time. “I’ll drive you home. Here, lean on me. My car is in the garage.”
“No problem.” She held on to the peas and the water bottle with one hand and held him around the waist with the other. It was a short distance, but he found he missed her touch once she was safely tucked into the passenger seat.
Larissa kept glancing out her window on the ride home, and he got the sense she was avoiding him for some reason. After about ten minutes, he pulled up to her apartment complex.
He insisted on helping her up to her apartment despite her protests that she’d be fine. “Do you need anything else?” he asked after she unlocked the door.
“Nope, but thanks again. See you later,” she barely got out before she shut the door firmly between them.
He stared at the closed door for several long seconds before turning to make his way back outside to his car. The thought that she’d been so anxious to get rid of him didn’t sit well.
And much like the way she’d interrupted his run—granted, through no fault of her own—she annoyingly infiltrated his thoughts for the remainder of the day.
Chapter Three
Larissa slid behind the wheel of her car, intending to attend Sunday morning church services. However using her right foot to drive proved nearly impossible. After several jerky attempts at driving with her left foot, she let out a frustrated groan, turned off the car, and awkwardly climbed back out from behind the wheel. No way was that going to work. She was more likely to hit something than not.
She stared up at the cloudless sky, fighting a wave of helplessness. This stupid ankle was going to ruin her few days off work if she couldn’t manage to drive a car. She propped herself against the vehicle, enjoying the cool breeze as she tried to figure out what to do next.
Less than one day and she was already heartily sick of being stuck in her apartment. Maybe she could manage to hobble down to Rose’s Café? Josie would keep her company at least for a while. There was nothing the café owner liked more than gossip.
“Larissa!”
She turned when she heard her name, surprise widening her eyes when she caught sight of Gabe Allen walking toward her. He’d parked his car a few spaces down from hers.
“Hi, Gabe.” She was glad that this time she didn’t smell like sweat and was dressed in a flowery skirt and a matching pink, short-sleeved top. She tried not to fidget with her clothing. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought over a pair of crutches in case you needed some help getting around.” He gazed at her attire and lifted his brow. “Are you headed somewhere special?”
She blushed and wished she could stop this ridiculous reaction to him. “I planned on attending church services, but driving is apparently not an option.” Had he mentioned crutches? She brightened with the possibility. “I bet I could walk to church, though, if you’re serious about allowing me to borrow those crutches.” Church and then Rose’s café. Much better than sitting around and staring at the four walls of her apartment.
“I think it would be better if I drove you to church,” Gabe said slowly. “Crutch walking isn’t easy for long distances.”
“Oh.” She was flabbergasted by his willingness to take her to church because she’d never seen him attend services in the past. “That’s very kind, but I don’t want to take you out of your way.”
“It’s no problem. Here, lean on me, and we’ll get you over to my car.”
She found it unsettling to realize she was standing close to Gabe with his arm anchored around her waist for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. She had no idea why God kept sending this man into her path, but for right now, she couldn’t think of an excuse not to go along with his offer. Other than the obvious one, that spending time with Gabe wasn’t smart.
Gabe looked past her, over his shoulder as he backed out of the parking space. “Is that a polite way of saying I’m not welcome?” he asked.
“No! Of course not.” She was horrified that he would think that. “I guess I just never noticed you attending church services before.”
A smile bloomed across his features. “Isn’t it the job of a good Christian to convince us non-goers to attend church and to rediscover our faith?” he asked in a teasing tone. “At least that’s what my sister always tries to do.”
She relaxed after hearing his sister was a Christian. “Yes, you’re right about that. I would love for you to come to church, but I can’t force you to believe in God. You have to come to that realization on your own.”
Gabe was silent for a moment. “I have to be honest with you. I haven’t been to church in well over a year.”
She wondered what had happened to cause his lapse in faith. And given what he’d just told her, she had no idea why he’d even offered to come with her in the first place. But she didn’t want to pry into his personal life by asking. She, better than anyone, understood the need for privacy. “Well, I have to tell you that out of all the church services I’ve attended in my lifetime, Pastor John gives one of the best,” she said lightly. “He’s down to earth and yet always helps remind us what God would want us to do. Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but I think you’ll like him.”
Gabe made a noncommittal noise but didn’t say anything more as he pulled up to the parking lot of the church. She struggled to get out of the car, which wasn’t easy, but within moments, Gabe was there, helping her.