Sierra laughed at Ronni’s dramatics. She had grown accustomed to them over the years. “It’s not that bad, but it’s not the most appetizing thing I’ve ever smelled.”
“You’re welcome to try a bite,” he offered with a proud grin. Axel dipped the spoon into the pot and held it out, only to be met by a hand waving him off.
“No, really, but thank you. I’m a little hung over and I’m pretty sure that’s not going to help.”
“Your loss.” Taking the spoon into his mouth, Axel rolled his eyes in ecstasy. “Perfect.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“So, how’s it going with that woman you’ve been drooling over?”
Shock poured across Sierra’s face. Her hand fell to her chest. “I have not been drooling over her!” Had she been that obvious? Is that why Kara had gotten cold feet?
“Oh really?” Axel let out a cackle as he slapped his thigh. “I have never seen you so awestruck. You are positively infatuated with her. And if I may say so,” he added, “you have good taste.”
A pink flush swept up her neck to her cheeks. That was new. Since when was she so shy? “I definitely like her a lot, and thank you. Kara’s smart, sexy, fun, and good with her hands,” she beamed and then wiggled her brows suggestively, before turning contemplative. “Now, if I could just get her to let me in.”
“She’s definitely interested. That much was obvious both times you’ve been in here. She lights up when you’re around. Be patient. All good things are worth waiting for.” He gave her a supportive pat on the shoulder.
“Thanks. I’m going to head over and check on her. She was pretty trashed last night. You should’ve seen her in drunk nerd mode. So cute,” she gushed and then rushed off.
“Ah, young love.” Axel propped his elbows on the bar and rested his chin, drifting off to another time and place.
As Sierra reached her bike, her cell alerted her to an incoming text. She pulled the phone from her back pocket and smiled like crazy when the display beamed Kara’s name. Her fingers couldn’t work fast enough to open the message, but her bright smile faded as her eyes skimmed the black and white words etched in simple Arial font.
Thank you for taking care of me last night. I promise I don’t usually get that drunk, but I enjoyed spending the day with you and your friends. I have a few things to take care of today, but I will see you again soon.
An ache seeped into Sierra’s chest. She had really been looking forward to seeing Kara again soon. But at least she had gotten a text. That meant Kara had thought enough to reach out to her. Sierra smiled as she read the words again, chuckling that the message was so grammatically correct. After careful consideration, she typed out an equally precise reply.
You are most welcome. I’m happy to have you back among the living. I enjoyed spending time with you too and look forward to doing it again soon. Don’t work too hard.
She paced, killing time in hopes of a reply. What she was hoping to achieve beyond more contact, was unknown, but she couldn’t help the pull she felt toward Kara. Five minutes and no text. Sierra came to a stop. How sad was she? A few weeks ago, she would’ve been happy with a quick fling and now she was wearing a circle around her bike in an empty parking lot, chewing her fingernails to the bone.
Sierra was never one to sit and wait. Perhaps she had come on too strong last night, but when she wanted something, she went all out. First thing tomorrow, she would head to the one place she’d be sure to find one Dr. Davies—the lab. There might still be many unknowns about the doctor, but her passion for work was not among them.
With a plan in place, Sierra straddled her chopper and fired it up. The roar of the engine brought her back to life. It never mattered if her bike was powered by motor or pedals, the one thing that could always chase away her blues, was a ride on two wheels.
***
The next morning, Sierra hopped into her car and headed to the lab. Upon arriving at the desk of the creepy, ogling receptionist, she was shocked to find the workaholic doctor had taken the day off. Deflated, she stepped outside and dialed Kara’s number, but was sent straight to voice mail. She left a brief message to give her a call back, but as she hung up, worry set in. What if something was wrong? Was there anything she could do to help? Facing Christie again was not on her wish list, but unless she wanted to wait it out, she had no other choice. Sierra was good at many things, but waiting was right at the bottom, next to following rules.
Sierra steeled herself for another encounter with the woman who simply would not take a hint, but this time she’d play it to her benefit. Sauntering back to the desk with her famous smile on wide display, she leaned on her elbows and gave the woman a magnificent view of the feature she couldn’t seem to peel her eyes from. “Dr. Davies said she’d be here all week,” she stated in her sexiest voice. “Any idea when she’ll be back?”
Unable to stop staring at the soft swell of flesh before her, Christie mumbled, “Said she needed to take care of some things at her clinic. She’ll be back in a day or two.” She licked her lips without shame and met Sierra’s eyes. “You sure there isn’t anything I can do for you?” There was nothing professional in her tone or demeanor.
“No thanks, but if you talk to her, be sure to tell her Ms. Cody came by.” Sierra turned and high-tailed it out the door, anxious to put miles between her and the lecherous receptionist in a hurry. Maybe she would use that memory as motivation on her next race start. That would surely get her out the gate in a hurry.
When she had reached the safety of her car, she released a heavy breath and considered her next move. Kara had mentioned her clinic and if she recalled correctly, it wasn’t too far away. She yanked her phone from her pocket. Her fingers moved with precision as she pulled up a search for “Dr. Kara Davies, Oregon chiropractor.” She waited, not-so-patiently, chewing on her lip as the screen loaded.
Seconds later, the corner of Sierra’s mouth tugged up into a grin as the location of Kara’s clinic popped up. Eugene was only a couple hours away, and the McKenzie River mountain bike trail was nearby. The perfect cover story. If she left now, she could grab her bike and get there by lunch. There was no way she could wait a few more days to see Kara. The woman had invaded her entire being, filling her with a desperate ache to be near her again and Sierra was never one to deny herself.
***
Kara entered her clinic for the first time in weeks and smiled at the familiar face standing behind the front desk reviewing a claim. The woman dressed in gray slacks and a black polo was a good six-foot tall with fine features that never failed to turn heads. The fact that she was a fitness nut with the body of an Olympian didn’t hurt either, but she was more than just physically strong. There was no one in Kara’s life with more character than her best friend and business partner, Dr. Nicole Miles.
“Hello, Nic.”
The doctor swept her long chestnut hair back over her shoulder and then glanced up. Her blue eyes widened in surprise. “Kara? I didn’t expect to see you back this week. How’s everything going at the lab?” Her modest southern accent carried like a melody.
“Actually, really well. The place is a dream come true for a nerd like me.”
“Oh, come now.” Nicole circled the desk and headed toward her. “You’re brilliant and this world wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if it wasn’t for nerds like you making cool stuff.” A teasing smirk followed her words.
Kara rolled her eyes. An amused laugh trickled out. “Thanks. I just need to grab a few things and take care of something at home. Looks like everything is running smoothly here. You don’t even miss me.”
Nicole swung her arm around Kara’s shoulders and gave her a firm squeeze. “Of course we miss you, but you’re usually holed up in your office anyway. The new doc we hired is doing well, so you can relax and enjoy your research while we handle the patient flow. Oh, and Jamie has been asking for you incessantly. Are you guys still on a break?”
Avoiding eye contact, Kara glanced
around the office as she admitted, “That’s the main reason I’m here. She’ll be coming home at four and I want to officially break it off. It’s not fair to her and I’m…well…I’m not in love with her anymore. I’m not sure if I ever was. I know that’s sounds horrible.”
“I’m so sorry, Kara.” Nicole’s long arms pulled her in for a hug. “She’ll be heart broken, but if you’re not all in, then you’re doing the right thing.” Pausing for a moment, she pulled back and studied Kara carefully. “Pardon my asking, but is there someone else?”
Dropping her eyes to the floor was a dead giveaway and Kara hated that she had such an easy tell. “There wasn’t, until the other day.” Slowly, she raised her eyes, which glimmered with hope and fear. “I knew I hadn’t been feeling it with Jamie. That’s why I asked for the break. But you know me, I preferred to focus on getting set up in the new lab and enjoying all the places this new adventure would take me professionally, rather than dealing with a break up.”
“You prefer work to anything relationship related, my dear.”
Kara glared, but couldn’t argue. After their many years of friendship, Nicole had seen all her failed relationships and she had spoken the truth. “Until I met her. God, it was like, wow! I can’t even explain it,” she gushed. “But I knew it was something I never had with Jamie…with anyone, for that matter. I even took a Saturday off.”
“No!” Nicole blurted out, shocked.
“Oh yes,” Kara answered, a laugh flittering through her. “And before you ask, no, we haven’t done anything, but I had to fight like hell not to. That’s when I decided to get up here and end it. I won’t be known as a cheater.”
“Well, you’re trying to do the right thing. I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end. I cannot wait to meet this woman.”
Hearing the front door open, Nicole swung around intending to greet their guest, but the athletic-looking woman with dark-hair and tattoos standing in the entrance had her eyes glued to Kara.
“I bet she could take your mind off work for a while.” Nicole snickered under her breath as she nudged Kara with an elbow.
“Huh?” With no idea what Nicole was talking about, Kara turned her attention to the entrance and fell into instant paralysis. Her jaw fell slack and her face froze somewhere between horror and the best surprise ever. Sometimes there was a thin line between the two.
There stood Sierra, with those gorgeous golden eyes and that damned haunting smile that made Kara melt like chocolate on a hot summer day. “Shit,” Kara muttered under her breath.
“What’s shit?” Nicole whispered back, confused as to Kara’s sudden change in mood. “What’s wrong?”
“That’s her, the woman I mentioned. That’s Sierra.”
CHAPTER TEN
Kara never would have taken Sierra for the stalker type. She appeared to be too much of a free spirit for that kind of behavior. Nicole cleared her throat and only then did Kara realize she and Sierra had been wordlessly staring at one another for an unknown amount of time. Sierra had a way of rendering her dumb. That hadn’t been their first awkward moment and she was certain it wouldn’t be their last.
“Sierra? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. I uh…” Rapt attention had dissolved into something akin to embarrassment as she spoke low and soft. “I’m sorry. This was stupid. You probably think I’m a creepy stalker or something.” She folded her arms tight to her chest and shifted her eyes to the floor. “I should go.”
Despite the weirdness of the unexpected arrival, Kara was happy to see her. The timing was just so wrong. Kara stuffed her fidgeting hands into her pants pockets and shook her head. “Don’t be silly.” A light chuckle fell out to disguise her distress, while a slew of thoughts flashed through her mind. How did she know I thought she was a stalker? Thank goodness Jamie isn’t here. What time is it anyway?
A gentle nudge from her best friend broke Kara’s loop of internal monologue. Her best defense against life in general had always been doctor mode, so she stood taller and centered herself. “It’s nice to see you again.” Kara invited Sierra to approach the desk. “This is my business partner, Doctor Nicole Miles. She runs the clinic while I’m off being a research geek.”
“Nonsense, Kara. You’re a fantastic doctor who happens to enjoy the science behind the adjustment, that’s all. If not for people like you, who would advance the world of chiropractic?” Nicole’s pride was unmistakable. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sierra. What brings you to our neck of the woods today?”
Sierra relaxed and let her hands fall to her sides. “Nice to meet you too. I was headed to McKenzie trail for a training ride. I had stopped by the lab to ask Kara if she had any tips after last week’s tests, but she wasn’t there.” She turned her focus to Kara. “Christie said you were here. I hope you don’t mind that I looked up the address?”
Kara bristled at the mention of the lab receptionist. She was certain that visit had also included an obscene amount of unwanted sexual advances on Christie’s part. While the lack of professionalism alone was a huge pet peeve of Kara’s, this instance struck her on a deeper level. Could she truly be jealous? She hardly even knew Sierra.
“Not at all. You just surprised me. I mean, it’s not like I’m hiding out here. We want people to find the clinic.” Kara laughed awkwardly. “I have to finish a few things in my office, but then I was headed for a bite. If you’d like to join me, we could talk then.”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
“Okay, well, I shouldn’t be long. Please feel free to have a look around while you wait.”
Sierra beamed that gorgeous bright white smile and then leisurely strolled off. Kara could get used to having that smile directed at her, a little fact that brought her back from fantasy land and into the reality that she had a break up to deal with in a few hours.
Dragging Nicole by the hand, she led them to her office and shut the door securely behind them. Kara fell back against the door fame, let out a deep breath, and shook her head. Her pensive expression drew a laugh from her partner, which earned Nicole a set of glaring eyes and a stern frown.
“That’s what you said no to the other night?” Nicole asked. “Kudos for your willpower, Kara. After being on a break for three months, even I would’ve had a tough time saying no, and I love my husband to death.”
“Thanks…I guess.” Kara dropped her head and ran her palms over her face as she mumbled, “But this is bad, really bad.” Already exhausted from the drama that had become her life, her arms fell limp against her sides and she looked up at Nicole. “I’m here to end things with Jamie. I like Sierra, but I don’t need this distraction right now. Tonight is going to be bad enough without me having to keep myself from jumping her this afternoon.” Sighing deeply, Kara shook her head. “I have never lacked control the way I do around her, Nic. It’s quite disconcerting.”
“You? Out of control? I never thought I’d see the day.”
Kara rolled her eyes, not at all amused. She was seriously stressed, and aroused, and worried. What if she messed everything up before it even got started? Should she dare give in to this growing impulse to be with Sierra? “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m way out of my element here, so a little help would be appreciated.”
She had never put herself out there before, not even with Jamie—a thought which filled her with shame. Jamie was smart, pretty, fun, and loved her, but they never had that ease between them. It always felt stressed, even though they mostly seemed happy. Work had been the sticking point. Jamie had always complained that work was Kara’s wife and she was her mistress. She told Kara that until she found someone who could compete with her passion for research, she would never have a real chance at a relationship.
Could Sierra be that woman?
After just one week, Kara had come running home to turn the never-ending break into an official split. That had to count for something, didn’t it? The fact she had taken time off work to
see Sierra and to finally deal with her least favorite thing in the world, drama, just to open the possibility of dating her…That counted for far more in her book.
It should be so simple, yet Kara was scared to death. She had spent her entire life avoiding these moments. Sex was fine. Dating, not too bad. But to feel so much for one person? Insanity! Chasing love, in her experience, was a sure-fire way to end up with nothing—unless misery counted. If she chased Sierra, misery would be her future. She could feel it in her bones. But she was powerless to stop.
Kara’s breaths grew quick and shallow, a sign of an impending anxiety attack. Nicole had witnessed that look twice before. After a quick and careful analysis of Kara’s predicament, Nicole took her hand, calming her as she said, “Look, I know you always like to have a plan, so go have a casual lunch and keep it business. Just riding and results. Don’t get close enough to tempt yourself. Then send her on her way. You can make a date for later in the week if you feel like you’re ready for that step. Afterward, you go home and settle things with Jamie. She still thinks you two can work things out, you know? It won’t be pretty, but be honest. How does that sound?”
Kara nodded quickly. Long, deep breaths served to clear her head and slow her racing pulse. “Yeah. Okay. I can do that. Thanks.”
“Good.” Nicole wrapped her in a strong embrace and then made her way to the door. She stopped and turned on a heel, then added, “Oh, and Kara? Remember I’m here if you need anything.” With a supportive tip of the head, she walked away, leaving Kara to ready herself for what lay ahead.
Kara had intended to go straight to lunch. She honestly had. But, not expecting Sierra to show up, the box of files she had brought with her was sitting on her kitchen table. Sierra followed Kara’s Jeep in an old black Subaru Outback with her bike mounted to the roof. When Kara parked outside her two-bedroom townhouse, she silenced the engine, sat back, and took a deep breath.
Switchback Page 8