by AJ Quinn
Kellen nodded and shrugged.
“Okay. Why don’t I go get my medical bag? When I come back, we can decide what’s best for your arm. After that, I’ll still want to take a look at your leg as well as any other damage you may have incurred.”
She looked at Kellen’s face, a complex mixture of frustration, embarrassment, and unhappiness. Watched the lines around her mouth tighten and saw her look away before she looked back at her with shadowed eyes. “No need.”
“Kellen—”
“No need for you to go get your medical bag, Doc. There’s a fully stocked first-aid kit on the shelf in the front closet. It’s in a tackle box. Not to say we’re accident prone, but between the girls and me, it pays to keep one handy.”
Dana smiled. “Damn, Kellen. I think I just might like you.”
Kellen grinned. “You mean you’re not sure?”
“Fishing for a compliment?” Not waiting for a response, Dana walked to the closet and opened the door. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a black backpack. This would be the backpack Annie had talked about. The one Kellen kept packed just in case she needed to run. The temptation to bring it down and ask about it was nearly overwhelming. But now was not the time. Ignoring it for the time being, she spotted the tackle box and reached for it.
“Dana?”
She turned and looked at Kellen, still standing by the sink. “Yes?”
“Thank you.” She hesitated, trailing off as if searching for better words. “I’m not sure why you’re here, but for some reason, it helps. So thank you.”
“You’re welcome. We can talk about why I’m here later. First things first.” Dana brought the first-aid kit to the kitchen and set it on the table. “Can you get out of those jeans on your own or do I need to cut them?”
Kellen looked down at her bloodstained jeans and grimaced. She struggled out of them and a minute later stood swaying in her sports bra and boy shorts. Poised between movement and total collapse. “Not quite how I imagined getting out of my clothes with you,” she murmured.
“You imagined getting naked with me?” Dana teased as she picked up Kellen’s arm and examined the cut.
She took an audible breath. “Sorry. A couple of days in backcountry with no one around except Bogart, and I forget how to talk around people.”
“No worries.” Dana grabbed an alcohol wipe and cleaned the damage Kellen had done to her arm. The bleeding was minimal and on closer examination the cut didn’t look too bad. Her skin was warm, soft. “Does that mean you didn’t imagine getting naked with me?”
“No—I mean, yes. Yes, I’ve imagined it, but never would I have imagined having this conversation with you. Or anyone. And just so you know, you have no reason to fear the imaginings of my inner teenager.” She choked out a laugh. “So can we please forget it?”
“Forget you want to get naked with me?” Dana finished wrapping Kellen’s arm, all too aware of the simmering arousal she felt having a barely dressed Kellen this near.
And why not? Kellen was intelligent, passionate in her beliefs, and beautiful. A combination in a woman that was deadly to Dana’s self-control. With effort, she turned her attention to Kellen’s leg. “Sweet Jesus.”
A deep crimson flushed Kellen’s face. “I’m aware I’m a scarred mess—”
There are critical moments when the right or wrong word can irrevocably change the course of a relationship, Dana thought. This was definitely one of those moments.
“Kellen, darling, at the moment I’m not looking at any scars you might have. And were this any other more personal situation where I found myself with you inches away and nearly naked, I might be inclined to tell you just how damned beautiful I think you are,” she said as she forced herself to return her focus to a set of parallel lines. Twin rows of tiny black stitches on a well-muscled thigh. “But right now I’m a doctor examining your leg. You stitched this yourself?”
Kellen swallowed visibly. “Yes. Why? Is there a problem?”
“Problem? No, I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. It’s just that I’ve seen emergency department doctors unable to do as good a job. Where the hell did you get your medical training?”
“The street.”
Chapter Ten
The girls hugged Kellen until her ribs ached when she stopped by their cabin and woke them up just before sunrise. But she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
She made them an early breakfast and talked with them about what she’d seen and done until the sun peeked over the mountains and broke through the tall pines, leaving the sky streaked with pink. And then, ignoring the pull of stitches on her leg and the ache in her head, she took them with her and put them to work, helping her with the finishing touches in the medical center.
She was pleased with how much progress had been made since she had last checked in. The exam and treatment rooms were finished, as was the dimly lit room dominated by a huge X-ray table. And the small surgery gleamed. In fact, most of the work remaining was cosmetic and limited to the main reception area, the on-call room, and the small offices to be shared by the doctors, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners that would eventually staff the clinic.
She put Cody to work painting the offices, then pointed Ren in the direction of the large blank wall in the waiting room. Ren stared at the wall Kellen had indicated before looking back at her. “A mural?”
Kellen nodded and smiled.
Ren continued to stare at the wall, wide-eyed. “Anything? Really?”
There was so much hope and pride in that one word.
“Really. Whatever you do, I guarantee everyone will love it,” she answered. “There’s your canvas.”
For the next few minutes, they worked to cover the new wide plank flooring with a tarp and set out the paints Ren would use. She then left Ren to create something she knew would be unique as the girl herself and wonderfully spectacular, while she assembled and moved the filing cabinets, bookcases, and desks that would go into the doctors’ offices.
Slowly, more help arrived. Tim, Gabe, and Sam came by, free because team two was on call. She got caught up on local news, learned they’d missed her, and that Annie and Dana were interviewing staff for the clinic all day. Even better, she thought as she put them to work helping her.
She found the competing scents of wood, paint, varnish, and coffee, plus doing physical work, the steady rhythm of it and the kind of concentration it required, helped anchor her mind.
It was just what she’d wanted. Needed. Then why wasn’t it helping?
Because it definitely wasn’t helping. She remained unable to generate any great insights or plans of action. At best, she confirmed what she didn’t want.
She knew she didn’t want to strike out on her own again.
As she and Gabe attached the hardware and hung the last door, she felt hot all of a sudden. Felt the need to go outside and stand in the cool fresh air. And it had nothing to do with the work she’d been doing all morning.
It was because of Dana Kingston. Just thinking about her.
It was rare that she found herself even remotely comfortable with someone she didn’t know. And rarer still that she found herself wanting to get to know someone better, and just maybe letting someone get to know her. Really get to know her.
But her reaction to Dana last night had nothing to do with getting to know her better or being hurt and in need of medical attention. It had been far more elemental than that. The woman attracted her on so many different levels. And sooner or later, she would have to deal with it. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. In between dodging the FBI and an unknown killer who wanted her dead.
Sure, she thought wryly. I’ll get right on it.
*
By the time Dana and Annie finished with the last scheduled interview, they were both smiling.
After a day filled with close but not quite right, the last candidate had been perfect. Elizabeth—my friends call me Liz—Shaw. A physician’s assistant, midthirt
ies, with dark red hair and intelligent eyes with laugh lines in the corners. Her references were excellent. And she was clearly not frightened by the prospect of practicing in a remote area.
“My last job was through USAID. We were in Nigeria charged with providing basic care—which translated mostly into HIV counseling and testing, and administering vaccinations.”
“Why did you leave?”
“No choice, really. We got pulled out after the clinic we had set up was firebombed,” she said mildly. “If you’re interested, it means I’m available to start immediately.”
Dana and Annie turned to each other, but it was obvious they were on the same page.
“Everything I own is in my truck,” Liz added with an infectious grin. “Just tell me where I can park my stuff and I’m yours.”
“Then let’s get your things taken care of and we’ll show you the clinic,” Dana said, extending her hand in welcome. “I need to be honest with you. The clinic is a work in progress. But when it’s finished, I think you’ll be quite happy.”
“I’m happy already.”
Pleased, Dana led Annie and Liz to the main office only to find it strangely deserted. “Where is everybody?”
Annie paged the Incident Command room. In a moment, she had the answer. “It seems everyone is at the clinic.”
“The clinic?” Dana prompted.
Annie shrugged but the corners of her eyes crinkled with humor. “Sorry. No idea. That’s as much as I’m being told.”
“Then I guess this is as good a time as any to show Liz what we’ve got.”
In spite of the cold, the front door to the clinic was open, and as they drew near, the scent of paint and varnish grew stronger. Once inside, Dana could only stop and stare at the obvious improvements made since yesterday. The walls in the main reception area were freshly painted. The furniture was in place along with a couple of large potted plants.
But more noteworthy was an enormous mural covering the west wall. It was a stunning masterpiece featuring Haven and the surrounding mountains beneath a star-filled sky. “Oh, my God.”
In the act of putting finishing touches on the mural, Ren froze.
Before Dana could move to reassure the girl that nothing was wrong, Kellen appeared. “It’s all right, Ren,” she said softly. “I think what the doc’s trying to say is that she likes what you’ve done.”
“Like it?” Dana choked. “It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”
Ren turned to Dana, swallowing nervously while visibly fighting an innate desire to flee. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” Dana murmured. “Nobody has ever done something for me like this before, and if you let me, I’d like to give you a hug to say thanks.”
She didn’t have a chance to say more. An instant later, she found herself wrapped in a bone-crushing hug while Ren buried her tearstained face in Dana’s shoulder. Looking over the girl still clutching her, and aware her own eyes had filled, Dana’s gaze drifted to Kellen, who was watching her with a gently amused expression.
After a moment, Kellen moved closer until she could begin to disengage Ren’s octopus-like grip on Dana. “Come on, wild child. Go finish your mural while I show the doc what else we’ve been doing with her clinic.”
Ren stepped back, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and gave Dana a tremulous smile. “I’m glad you like it, Doc D.” She relaxed visibly when Cody appeared and grasped her hand as the crowd parted, allowing them both to ease away.
Kellen turned to Dana. “Thank you for what you just did. Ren is unbelievably bright and talented, and she’s come so far from where she was. But she’s still uncertain in a lot of situations, still dealing with a lot of ghosts.”
“Not a problem, and if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know,” Dana said softly. “It looks like you’ve been busy.”
Kellen shrugged, smiled, and tucked paint-spattered hands into the front pockets of her jeans. “I heard you and Annie were interviewing, and I thought it might be an easier sell if you could give people a better idea of what we have to offer.”
Dana smiled. “Well, your timing is perfect. Allow me to introduce Liz Shaw, the newest member of our clinic. Liz, this is Kellen.”
Liz stepped forward and extended her hand, rolling her eyes when Kellen pulled her hand from her pocket and tried to wipe the paint on her equally spattered jeans. Both women laughed and shook hands.
*
As they toured the clinic and absorbed all the work that had been done that day, Kellen felt Annie looking at her with a frankness she’d learned to expect from her. Allowing Dana and Liz to get ahead of them, Kellen stopped. “Okay, let’s get it over with. What have I done?”
“You’ve done what you always do. You disappeared for days after being seriously ill. And when you finally come back, you spend all day working here, doing God knows what, to the point you’re limping. Why do you always push yourself so hard?”
Kellen sighed. “Annie, love, I’m all right. I was only gone for two days and I recruited lots of help today, or we would have never gotten this finished. All of team one and a couple from team two have been here at one time or another. As for limping, it has nothing to do with today. I got caught in a bit of a rock slide yesterday and my leg got cut and bruised, so it’s still tender.”
“Cut and bruised?” Annie’s eyes were suddenly worried. “How bad, Kellen?”
“Thirty stitches,” Dana answered as she came up behind them. “But not to worry, I checked out all the damage she did to herself, and she’s in surprisingly good shape, all things considered. And damned if she didn’t do a better job of stitching herself than half the doctors I graduated from med school with.”
“You put thirty stitches into your own leg?” Liz asked.
Annie groaned. “Oh, please, don’t encourage her, Liz. Lord only knows what she’ll do next. Thankfully, I think I’ve spied Gabe and Tim. Why don’t we get your things moved into one of the cabins and get you settled. Kel, which cabin is ready?”
“Number two,” Kellen mumbled, her eyes fixed on Dana.
“I’ll catch you later, Liz,” Dana added, as she met Kellen’s gaze.
Kellen did her best to appear attentive and engaged when members of team two came by and made comments about the work they’d accomplished. But she was unprepared for the onslaught of volatile emotions stirred up by having Dana so near. Part desire, part wariness.
She wasn’t ready for this. Not now when there was so much uncertainty, so much hanging in the balance.
“I need some fresh air,” she mumbled and pushed past the people still standing in the reception area, admiring Ren’s mural. The moment she stepped through the open door, the cold air hit her and helped clear her head, which was what she desperately needed. She stretched her tired back and drew in the scent of snow and pine trees and wood smoke.
“You’re going to freeze, standing out here without a jacket,” Dana said, coming up behind her. “We need to get you somewhere warmer.”
Kellen shook her head and stood staring without speaking. It had started to snow, but all she could see were the crystals sparkling in Dana’s hair. And in the shadows, it was as if the people and voices from the clinic simply disappeared.
“What is it, Kellen?”
“Come skiing with me tomorrow.” She paused and gestured to the mountains that stood like sentinels over the town. “Let me show you places most people never see, where the snow is pure powder and the views will take your breath away.”
Dana chewed her bottom lip. “You really know how to tempt a girl, don’t you?”
“Is it working?” Kellen grinned suggestively. “What do you say? Will you let me take you out of bounds?”
There was no hesitation. “Yes.”
With her gaze locked on the curve of Dana’s lips, Kellen’s grin faded. She hesitated, not quite certain how to proceed. Swallowed and slowly moved closer.
When Dana moistened her lips in anticipation,
Kellen knew she could no more stop herself than she could stop her next breath. Slowly, she slipped her hands behind Dana’s neck. Their faces lingered a fraction of an inch apart. And then Kellen pressed her lips against Dana’s.
Dana gasped against her mouth, melted into her, and Kellen could no longer think as she slipped into a liquid heat. So soft. So sweet. If she had only this one kiss, she wanted to remember it forever. Every lick, every taste. Every whimper. Dana’s lips parted and Kellen deepened the kiss. Drawing her closer, searching, coaxing, teasing.
She caught Dana’s moan and used her teeth to gently nip on a lush bottom lip. She kissed her as though she never wanted to stop. And then she slowly drew her mouth away, let out a heartfelt sigh, and stepped back.
Dana opened her eyes and quietly regarded her with an unreadable expression. “Kellen?”
She couldn’t answer. Couldn’t speak.
“Are you all right?”
No. She was not all right. Need rocked her. It was base, primal. Heat swirled inside her, making her knees go weak and leaving a restless ache in its wake.
“Yeah. I couldn’t breathe for a moment.”
“And now?”
“And now I can.” She took Dana’s hand and drew the inside of her wrist to her mouth before placing a gentle kiss. “I’ll see you in the morning. And don’t worry. I’ll look after getting you set up with equipment.”
Chapter Eleven
Dana had a hard time sleeping that night as her lips continued to tingle, her mind tried to make sense of what happened, and her body committed the sensations to memory. Sensations that had been intense. Hot. Stirring her so that recall alone made her groan.
As she lay in the dark, a little voice inside her head challenged her to name the last person to do that to her, with just a kiss. She failed miserably. In fact, she was challenged to think of the last time any woman had truly caught her interest and had to go back to medical school before she could come up with anyone at all.