But then, she was jumping far too ahead of herself, Paige thought glumly. Luke wasn’t thinking of her in a forever kind of way, so it hardly mattered what he thought about the McCrea farm.
Gideon was right. Luke did need to see how she lived away from Tahoe General. Even if it meant the end of their relationship.
Chapter Ten
Late the next day, shadows were lengthening across Luke’s bed as he lazily watched Paige stand and pull on a purple silk robe. The garment was one of a few things she’d started leaving here since they’d become lovers.
For the past few days, Luke had considered asking her to move in with him. The argument being it would save her a lot of driving back and forth from her place to his, which in turn would give them more time together. As for the other reasons, Luke wasn’t quite ready to admit that he was reaching the point where he didn’t want to live without her. But he was getting darned close.
Still, a part of him hesitated. He figured she would view the invitation as a commitment and he wasn’t sure how she would feel about that notion. Or she might even consider it his way of avoiding marriage and turn him down flatly.
So what are you going to do, Luke? Just keep holding private rendezvous with Paige until the two of you are both old and gray? When are you going to recognize she deserves more than that? When are you going to step up and be the man she needs?
Not wanting to think about the daunting questions his conscience was throwing at him, he rolled onto his side and patted the empty spot next to him.
“It’s still a while before we have to leave for the hospital,” he told her. “There’s no need for you to leave me here all alone.”
Grinning saucily, she tossed her red hair to the back of her shoulders and sat down on the edge of the mattress. The sweet scent of her drifted to him and though he’d finished making love to her only a few short minutes ago, the ache to do so again was already building inside him.
He wasn’t sure how it had happened, but something about Paige had taken complete control of him. He didn’t feel like the man he’d been a month ago. Nor did he act like that same man. She had pulled him out of a lost fog and he never wanted to go back.
“I think you’ll survive while I make some coffee. Would you like for me to nose around in your refrigerator and make you something to eat?”
“I’d rather eat you.”
“Be serious!” she scolded, then squealed as he snagged her wrist and tugged until her upper body toppled over his.
The movement separated the opening of her robe and he used the opportunity to slip his fingers beneath the fabric. As he caressed the tender slope of her breast, he said, “I am being serious. Do you think a sandwich can compare to you?”
She chuckled as he used his other hand to tug her head toward his. “I wasn’t going to offer you a sandwich. I was going to cook you a plate of sausages, eggs and toast.”
“Forget it,” he murmured. “Nothing tastes as good as this.”
He placed a lengthy kiss on her lips and was about to pull the lower half of her body back onto the bed, when she suddenly pried herself back to a sitting position.
Wrinkling her nose at him, she said, “I’m trying to talk to you.”
He folded his arms across his bare chest. “All right. I’ll keep my hands to myself until we finish talking. Go ahead.”
She straightened the gap in her clothing, as though hiding her breasts was going to keep him focused on her words. The idea made him smile.
“Well, it’s about Sunday,” she said. “I’ve not seen the work roster yet, but if we’re both off duty I wanted to offer you an invitation.”
That caught his attention and he propped a pillow against the headboard of the bed, then settled himself comfortably against the makeshift lounge. “Now. Tell me what you’ve planned for us. A picnic in some secluded spot where we can make love all day?”
She slanted him a coy look. “You naughty doctor. What would your patients think of you?”
He rubbed the back of his hand against her cheek. “They’d think I was completely human. Especially the male patients.”
Clearly bemused, she tilted her head to one side as she studied his face. “I have to confess, Luke. I used to think you were inhuman.”
“Yes, I know. You made a point of telling me so. Remember?”
“I’d rather not.”
He laughed, then seeing she really meant it, he slid his hand up and down her arm in a soothing gesture. “Darling Paige, calling me inhuman was the best thing you could’ve ever done for me.”
Her brows arched with wry skepticism. “If I recall correctly, you weren’t too happy with me.”
“Paige, at that time I was living on automatic pilot. I thank God you pulled a mutiny. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here like this, together…making love,” he murmured huskily.
He started to tug her down beside him, but she held back. “Hold it, Doc. You’re getting off track. I haven’t given you the invitation yet.”
He shot her a wicked grin. “Oh, yes, the invitation. Tell me.”
“I’d like for you to come out to the farm on Sunday. I’ll cook dinner for you and Grandfather.” She let out a short laugh. “Maybe I’d better ease your mind and tell you that Grandfather will help me with the cooking.”
This was definitely not what Luke had been expecting. Going to her home and meeting her grandfather was like a serious suitor meeting the parents for the first time. He wasn’t sure he was ready for such a step. But then he could be making too big of a deal out of the whole thing, he mentally argued with himself. Besides, he couldn’t expect her to want to spend all their free time together here at his house. For her sake, he needed to show her that he wasn’t just about making Luke Sherman happy.
Smiling now, he pulled her down and pressed a long kiss on her soft lips. “I’d very much like to see your farm. I only hope your grandfather approves of me.”
She eased her head back to look at him and Luke couldn’t miss the soft light in her eyes. And suddenly he was wondering if he was jumping into deep waters. Was Paige expecting more from him than he could possibly give? He couldn’t answer that question. But for the moment it made him feel mighty damn good to know he’d made her happy. If that made him a big sap, he couldn’t help it.
“He’s going to think you’re a special man. Just like I do,” she whispered.
With a hand at the back of her head, he drew her lips to his and in a matter of moments Luke forgot all about food or work or visiting the McCrea farm. The only thing on his mind was losing himself in the magic of her kiss.
*
As the Saturday night shift rolled into early Sunday morning, Paige carried a supply list to the nurses’ desk and handed it to Helen.
“We’re getting critically low on all these things, Helen. Maybe someone can raid the main supply room to restock the ER before the next shift starts.”
The older nurse hurriedly scanned the list, then picked up the telephone. After she’d barked a set of orders to someone on the opposite end of the connection, she turned back to Paige.
“They’ll be here in five minutes,” she said with a confidence that came from years of working at Tahoe General.
“Thanks, Helen. That will give me time to put everything away before our shift ends.”
She turned to leave, but Helen spoke, causing her to pause and look back at the veteran nurse.
“Was there something else on your mind, Helen?”
She smiled wanly. “Actually, I wanted to see how things have been going for you since you returned to the ER. From what I’ve heard, you and Dr. Sherman seemed to be getting on quite well now.”
Paige could feel her face turning a bright red. “Yes, we’ve been spending some personal time together. It was hardly anything I saw coming, but now—” She stepped closer to Helen and lowered her voice. “He’s like a different man, Helen. He says I woke him up, but I think he’s giving me too much credit.”
Her expression
gentle, Helen regarded her for long moments. “The other nurses tell me he’s had an about-face. Do you worry he might revert back to his old self?”
Paige looked at her with surprise. “No. Well, in the beginning I was afraid the change might be temporary. But I can’t see him going back to that unfeeling person now.”
“So things are getting a bit serious between you two?”
Helen wasn’t one to gossip or pry. Paige understood the other woman was asking these questions out of concern and not for any other reason.
“I’m not sure how to answer that. I’m thinking… I’m afraid all the seriousness is on my side,” Paige admitted. “Luke is—He likes me. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
Helen gave Paige’s shoulder a comforting pat. “I wouldn’t be too quick to assume something like that, Paige. Luke has been through more than his share of sorrow.”
“That’s true enough. His marriage ended and then he lost his parents at the same time. Although he’s not said why he divorced, I’m hoping he’ll share that with me.”
Two nurses from the day shift suddenly approached the nurses’ desk. After they’d greeted both women, Helen led Paige over to a more private spot away from their earshot.
Lowering her voice, she said, “It’s more than his divorce and parents, Paige. Something tragic happened back in Baltimore with a patient. Something that caused him to leave there.”
Paige felt as if someone had whammed the air from her lungs. “A patient? I don’t believe Luke could ever be negligent, Helen. In fact, I’ve never seen a doctor more thorough or meticulous. Where did you hear such a thing, anyway?”
“I’m not saying Luke did anything wrong,” Helen quickly amended. “Chet told me that Dr. Sherman had clashed with another doctor over a patient. The whole matter turned ugly and the patient ended up suffering because of it. Chet didn’t go into any details and I didn’t ask. He only told me this much because he wanted me to understand that Dr. Sherman was hiding some ugly scars. He wanted me to be patient with him. And God knows you and I have both tried to be.”
All those private moments they’d spent together, Paige thought, and he’d never uttered one word about any of this to her. Did he not feel close enough to share something that had affected him so deeply? Would he ever feel close enough?
“I’m glad you care about him, Helen. I only wish…well, I’ll just have to wait and see how things go,” she said. “For now, he’s coming out to the farm later today for Sunday dinner. I’m a little anxious about it. I don’t know how Luke is going to react to the place.”
Helen leveled a knowing smile at her. “Loving a man would be boring if you always knew what his reaction was going to be.”
Loving a man. Did Paige already love Luke? Was it already too late to wonder if he would ever feel more than sexual desire for her?
Before Paige could think of a suitable reply to Helen’s remark, an orderly stepped off the elevator pushing a loaded cart.
“There’s the supplies. I’d better get to work before the shift change.” She started off toward the orderly, then paused and looked back at the head nurse. “Thank you, Helen, for…helping me understand things. I’ll see you Monday evening.”
Helen nodded. “Good luck with your dinner, Paige.”
*
Since Luke had moved to the Tahoe rim five years ago, he’d not done much traveling east of Carson City. As he drove along Highway 50 toward Fallon, he was struck by the change in landscape, especially when the high desert hills opened up to green grass meadows and fields of melons. In spite of the arid climate, irrigation had turned the area into an oasis in the desert.
Paige had given him detailed directions on how to get to the McCrea farm, which had appeared simple to follow on paper, but now as his car bumped over a graveled road, he wondered if he’d taken a wrong turn. He couldn’t imagine Paige making this rough drive back and forth to the hospital every day.
Open fields of alfalfa lined both sides of the road, while ahead was more of the same. Paige had told him that her grandfather grew alfalfa, but he couldn’t imagine a man of his age maintaining this big of a crop. Luke must have turned onto a wrong road.
Just as he was searching for a wide enough spot to turn the car around, he spotted a cluster of buildings in the far distance. At last, a sign of civilization, he thought with relief.
Five minutes later, his spirits plummeted as he peered out the windshield. Damn it! He’d driven for what had seemed like miles down a dusty road by mistake. This couldn’t be where Paige lived! The small farmhouse was very old and badly in need of repairs. Although there were up-to-date tractors and farm implements parked near a large barn, the structure had obviously been built years ago. The weathered boards were devoid of paint and the whole thing was listing slightly to the east.
Paige always talked about her grandfather’s farm as though it was paradise, he thought. He’d pictured it as a small but modern operation with a nice house and up-to-date outbuildings. This run-down property couldn’t be Paige’s home.
He drove past the tractors to a spot in front of the barn, where the open area was large enough to turn the car around. But just as he braked to a stop, movement on the porch caught his attention. A large dog bounded down the steps and began to bark. Behind the dog, a woman wearing faded blue jeans and a bright yellow shirt descended the steps. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, but there was no doubt of its color. The dark, fiery red glistened in the afternoon sun.
Paige! Oh, God, it couldn’t be! What was she doing here? At this place?
In a daze, Luke drove closer to the house and parked near a yard fence made of cedar posts and hog wire. By now Paige was already out the gate and as he climbed from the car to greet her, he called upon any acting ability he possessed to appear happy and normal. But inside he felt as though he’d suddenly been catapulted back in time and the shock left him queasy.
“Finally! You’re here!” she called out as she trotted up to him and flung her arms around his waist.
The happy smile on her face was enough to shake off some of his daze and he immediately bent his head and kissed her.
Once he lifted his head, he said, “I was beginning to think I was lost. I didn’t realize your home would be so far in the country.”
She let out a light laugh and Luke could see she was overjoyed to have him here. Which only made him feel even worse for the snobbish thoughts running through his head. This was the same woman who worked at his side to save lives. The same beauty who’d warmed his bed and pulled him back into the land of the living. The fact that she lived more modestly than he’d imagined didn’t change her as a person.
“Yes, if you’re not used to it, the drive is a long one. But you’re here now. And just in time. Grandfather and I were just putting the finishing touches on dinner when I heard Samson bark.” She looped her arm through his and tugged him toward the wooden gate she’d left swinging on its hinges. “Let’s go on in. I’ll show you around the place after you’ve met Grandfather and we’ve eaten.”
“Fine,” he said. “I am getting hungry.”
She led him across a patch of yard that was little more than bare dirt dotted with short tufts of buffalo grass. Except for a couple of planters filled with petunias sitting on the porch, there were no flowers or blooming shrubs to be seen.
“We have to be stingy with our water out here,” she said as she saw him eyeing the yard. “We irrigate the fields and the vegetable garden, but the lawn has to fend for itself.”
“I noticed all the irrigation systems on my way out here,” he told her. “It surprised me how the desert suddenly disappeared and everything was green.”
“Yes, this area in Churchill County is considered an oasis in the desert. And Highway 50 is designated as the Loneliest Road in America.”
“I saw that particular road sign. Is it literally supposed to be the loneliest?”
She laughed. “At one time it was dubbed that name because it crossed several dese
rts without any sign of civilization. It’s not quite as lonely as it used to be, though.”
Luke felt something wet touch the back of his hand and looked down to see the dog she’d called Samson walking alongside him. It had been years since he’d been within petting distance of a dog and even longer since he’d had one of his own.
The sight of the dog looking up at him, his tongue lolled to one side in a canine grin, unexpectedly touched a soft spot in Luke. He paused and bent to offer his outstretched palm toward the dog.
“Be careful,” Paige quickly warned. “He’ll lick you to death. Even though he barks when anyone arrives, he loves people.”
“Hello, Samson.” He stroked the dog’s head and Samson responded with happy whines and tail wagging. “Are you a good dog?”
“He’s the best,” Paige answered. “You should’ve seen him when we first brought him home from the pound. He was so happy he couldn’t race around the place fast enough.” She looked at Luke and winked, then, shielding her mouth with a cupped hand, she said, “Samson doesn’t know it yet, but Grandfather and I have decided to get him a gal pal. In fact, we’re planning to go to the pound in the next few days to see if we can find just the right girl for him.”
He gave the dog another pat on the head. “Hmm. Puppy love. Lucky Samson.”
Laughing, Paige urged him up the steps of the porch. The dog followed, but once they started through the door, the animal obediently flopped down next to one of the wooden rockers.
“I hope you weren’t expecting anything fancy around here,” Paige told him as they stepped directly into a living room. “It’s not much to look at, but we like it.”
The floor was covered with patterned linoleum while the textured walls were painted a pale blue. The small space was furnished with a green flowered couch, a brown recliner and a burnt orange wing chair with a matching ottoman. Shelves in one corner of the room were filled with an odd assortment of gadgets and knickknacks, but he hardly got more than a glance at them before she was guiding him out of the room and into a box-type hallway with three other doors leading off of it.
Her Kind of Doctor Page 13