Spring River Valley: The Spring Collection (Boxed Set)

by Wynter, Clarice

  *

  The blood on Taylor Croft’s shirt was the first thing Aiden saw when he arrived in the ER waiting area. Aiden had never been squeamish at the sight of blood, but the condition of the veterinarian’s shirt made his pulse race. That was Samantha’s blood.

  Gillian, Taylor’s other receptionist, sat in one of the visitor chairs, her face in her hands. Taylor seemed to be trying to comfort her.

  Aiden didn’t like the look of this at all. Tanner had said Sam would be fine. Why did everyone look so awful? “Doc, how is she?” he demanded when he reached the two. He tried to avoid looking at the dark red smears on Taylor’s shirt, but he couldn’t help staring.

  “Aiden, I’m glad Tanner got in touch with you. Sam was worried you’d think she stood you up.” Taylor took a seat next to Gillian and let out a weary sigh. “It’s been a rough day.”

  “Is she going to be okay? What happened? All Tanner said was a dog bit her pretty badly.”

  “Someone brought in a stray. She met them at the back entrance. The dog seemed friendly, but something must have spooked him, and when she got near him, he lunged for her. He got her arm and shook it a few times. She and Gillian screamed, which seemed to scare the dog even more. The man who brought him in tried to pull him away, but that made things worse. I finally got something into the dog’s jaws to get him to let go, and I was able to wrap Sam’s arm, but the bite was pretty bad. I’ve never had an incident that bad in my clinic before, even with injured animals.”

  Anger stirred in Aiden, but he wasn’t sure why. He wanted to blame Taylor for this. Someone had to be at fault for Sam getting hurt. He swallowed back a growl of annoyance. “Can I see her? Where is she?”

  “She was getting stitches. Her friend Brenda went in to see her, so we have to wait. Here she comes now.”

  Aiden turned to see a pretty brunette coming down the hallway. She was talking with a doctor and directed him to the group in the waiting room. The Indian man offered his hand to Taylor as the two approached.

  “I’m Dr. Chomandra. Ms. Samms tells me you are Dr. Croft from the animal clinic.”

  Taylor rose and shook the resident’s hand. “Yes, sir. Ms. Wilton is my employee. Can you tell me how she is?”

  “She will be fine as far as the wound is concerned. The bite was quite deep and very ragged, but I’ve contacted a reconstructive surgeon to take a look. I believe scarring can be minimized and muscle damage is minor. My concern right now is the condition of the animal that bit her.”

  Aiden couldn’t take anymore. This was ridiculous. “Why are you worried about the dog?”

  Dr. Chomandra turned his benign gaze on Aiden. “Are you with Ms. Wilton?”

  “I am…I’m…a friend. Why are you worried about the dog?”

  Taylor made a calming gesture. “It’s okay, Aiden. These questions are necessary.” He turned to the resident. “The dog was a stray, so I have no vaccination records. I was able to do a quick examination, and there were no obvious signs of illness. I contacted a rescue house, and they can keep the dog quarantined for the next ten days.”

  “Oh, man, you think it had rabies?” Aiden asked.

  “No, I don’t. The dog bit her because he was scared. Dr. Chomandra, will you have to give Samantha the rabies vaccine?”

  The resident shook his head. “Not unless the dog exhibits any symptoms. I will give you my card, and you can please call me if anything comes up during the quarantine period. I will give Ms. Wilton instructions to return if there are any problems.”

  “Sam was worried about the dog. He’ll be taken care of? They’re not going to put him down, are they?” Brenda asked.

  “No. He’ll be taken care of by people who specialize in handling traumatized animals. When I get back to the clinic I’m going to call around to surrounding towns and see if there are reports of missing dogs. We may still be able to find an owner and see if he has a vaccination record. Don’t worry. Sam isn’t going to get rabies.”

  Aiden wanted to be relieved by the news, but the way the two doctors were talking didn’t seem very conclusive. “How is she?” he asked Brenda.

  “She wants to see Gillian, but…Aiden, I think she’d like to see you first. Come on, I’ll take you to her.”

  Finally. Aiden left the waiting area on Brenda’s heels. She showed him to a small room in the emergency department and told him to go in. “I have to go home for a bit, but Sam knows I’m coming back to take her home. Someone has to stay with her tonight.”

  “I’ll do that,” Aiden said. “I can take care of her.”

  Brenda’s expression morphed from worry to amusement. She eyed him up and down. “I’m sure you can. If it’s okay with her, it’s okay with me. Just tell her to call me, okay?”

  “I will, thanks.”

  Brenda left, and Aiden took a moment to compose himself. He didn’t want Samantha to see how worried he was, but he did want her to know he planned to be there for anything she needed.

  *

  Sam’s heart fluttered when she heard Aiden’s voice in her ear. She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep, and even now, she wasn’t quite sure she was awake. She forced her eyes open and met his startling green gaze. “You found me…”

  He smiled and brushed one finger along her cheek. “Yes, I finally found you. And you’re finally awake.”

  “How long was I sleeping?” Her grogginess seemed to be clearing. The room came into focus, and she realized she could move her head without feeling dizzy. Maybe all she’d needed was a quick nap.

  “About an hour and a half.”

  She bolted up. “That long? Gillian…and Dr. Croft…”

  “They went home. I told them you would call them both later. Brenda went home too. I told her I’d take care of you. If you don’t object. I’m waiting for the nurse to come in with the discharge papers. She said it would be another twenty minutes or so. If you’re feeling up to it, you can sit up and get your shoes on.”

  Sam’s thoughts spun, but at least her head didn’t anymore. The pain in her arm had subsided to a very dull ache which would probably get worse as the painkillers wore off. She eyed the bloodstains on her shirt and a wave of embarrassment swept over her. What must she look like? She tried to cover the stains with her good arm. “I look like something the cat dragged in.”

  “Or the dog.” Aiden offered his hand to help her sit up. “Are you sure you’re okay? The nurse said you can stay a little longer if you still feel dizzy.”

  “No, actually I’m much better.” She let her legs dangle over the side of the bed and looked up at Aiden. His skin looked a little pale. Clearly he didn’t care for hospitals. “Are you sure about this? Brenda was fine with taking me home.”

  “I’m sure. Everything’s under control. In case you’re wondering, Taylor said the dog is being taken care of by a rescue house, and he’ll be okay. He didn’t want you to worry about it.”

  “Oh, good.” She tried to gather her thoughts, but the sight of Aiden kneeling down in front of her to slip her discarded shoes onto her feet made her heart skip a beat. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and tell him she’d thought of nothing but him since the moment the whole incident had happened. How could she confess that she’d worried more about disappointing him than about her own injury?

  How could she admit that whatever physical discomfort she’d been in had disappeared the moment she saw his face? She took a deep breath. Maybe if she just told him the truth, that her feelings for him were a little more complicated than they’d planned—maybe…

  No. She remembered the strange tone in his voice when he’d called earlier. And now, the tight smile on his face made her wonder what he was really thinking. Did he feel obligated to take care of her? He helped her off the bed and wrapped one arm around her waist to steady her for a second.

  “Aiden…I just want you to know—”

  Audrey breezed into the room just then, a sheaf of papers in her hand and a bag of medical supplies. “That went faster
than usual, so you’re all set. Here are your instructions.” She handed Sam the papers and explained how to use the supply of bandages and disinfectant to change the dressing on her wound twice a day for a week. “You need to call the surgeon who will take a look at your arm and determine how to minimize the scar. And you need to pick up more antibiotics at the pharmacy. Here’s the prescription. Start these tomorrow morning and take all of them.” She spoke to Aiden next. “Someone should stay with her at least for tonight. In the bag are two more doses of painkiller. The surgeon will prescribe more if you need them. Get some sleep, and don’t lift anything with that arm.”

  Sam raised a brow, but Aiden seemed to take the instructions in stride. Next the nurse helped Sam put her arm in a sling so she wouldn’t be tempted to use it and put a strain on her stitches. She flagged down an orderly who appeared with a wheelchair to escort Sam out, and she sent Aiden off to bring his car up to the ER doors to pick her up. “He’s really cute,” she said to Sam as they approached the door. “How long have you two been together?”

  Sam had no idea what to say. The truth hurt, but a breezy lie would only weigh on her conscience. “We’re not…a couple. We’re just friends.”

  Audrey seemed shocked by her answer. A knowing smile grew on her lips, but she hid it carefully as Aiden’s car pulled up to the curb where they waited. “Hmm. Well, you may not be a couple…but trust me, the two of you aren’t ‘just’ anything.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Barkley misses you.” Bailey’s teasing words held just a hint of the question which Aiden preferred to ignore. For a week he’d been relying on his sister to take care of Barkley, only because he was spending most of his time at Samantha’s apartment. Even though she’d assured him numerous times that she wasn’t afraid of the Golden Retriever or of any dog despite her injury, he didn’t want to impose on her quiet haven.

  Her arm was healing, and she was starting to get bored hanging around at home, since Taylor had given her two weeks off. She wanted to go back to work, but her boss wouldn’t hear of it yet, and Aiden preferred it that way for now. While she pretended to be feeling much better, he noticed her pinched expression now and then when she had to use her left arm. He worried about her constantly, and Bailey had begun to pick up on that.

  “I’ll come by in the morning and pick him up. I’ve got to go back to my place and do some cleaning up, then I’ll take him to the park.”

  “How’s Samantha? Is she enjoying all this attention?” Again, it was clear Bailey was asking much more than innocent questions. What she really wanted to know was if their relationship had officially progressed beyond the friends-with-benefits stage now that they’d practically lived together for a week.

  “I think she’s getting tired of me hovering. But I can tell she’s still in pain.”

  “Well, I don’t mind helping out too. I can bring over dinner; that way maybe I can get to know the girl who finally domesticated my big brother.”

  Aiden made a disparaging sound. “How come you sound so much like Mom? I’m not domesticated. I’m helping out a friend. I’d do the same for one of the guys.”

  “So you’re sleeping on her couch, then?”

  “Bailey.”

  “What? What’s going on here goes a bit beyond friendship. And don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great. It’s about time.”

  “It’s not about anything. I’m just trying to help. Tell Barkley I’ll pick him up in the morning. Maybe I’ll bring him over here after the park. Sam wants to see him.”

  “Okay, fine. I get the message.”

  “And what message is that?”

  “That I should butt out. I will, for now, but be careful. It’s pretty obvious things are different than you planned them. Don’t let this get screwed up.”

  Aiden had a long-winded response planned, but Sam walked into the kitchen then, adjusting the sling she’d been wearing and complaining bitterly about for the past week. “I won’t. Gotta go,” he finished cryptically before hanging up. He shoved his cell phone into his pocket and crossed the room to where Samantha was rummaging in the cabinet.

  “Hey, Bailey says hi.”

  She smiled a bit wanly. “Hi back. When am I going to get to hang out with her? With all the food she’s sent over, we should invite her to dinner one night.”

  “Soon. She’s pretty busy these days. I told her I’d pick Barkley up tomorrow. Maybe I could bring him here for a bit.”

  Sam brightened. “I’d love that. Why can’t we go get him now? I need a distraction.”

  “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

  “If I take it any easier, I’ll be comatose.” She planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “I appreciate all this, but my arm is still attached.”

  “I know. I just…want to help.”

  “Well, then go to your class. You’ve been running late for your job all week because of me, and I feel bad. Go. I’ll be fine. I’m going to have some yogurt and watch a movie.”

  “I can hang around if you need me. I have a sub for my class on standby.”

  Sam met his gaze head on. “Aiden, I’m fine. Go to work.”

  “Am I smothering you?” He raised a brow, meaning the question as a joke, though he was mildly worried about her answer.

  “Yes!” She laughed as she circled around behind him and prodded him toward the kitchen door with her good hand. “Go. I’ll be okay by myself for a few hours. And when you come back, you’d better have Barkley with you.”

  Aiden rolled his eyes. “All right, but be warned, he’s going to be hyper.”

  “That’s okay. I can use some hyper. I’m bored.”

  “Then let’s do something fun. We can—”

  She stamped her foot. “Go to work. I mean it.” She steered him toward the door and opened it for him. The sparkle in her eye gave him some hope that maybe she was feeling better.

  He held up his hands in surrender. “All right. I’m going. But if you need anything…”

  “I’ll call you. Good-bye.”

  He left the apartment, grateful actually for the distraction. He’d thought of little else but Sam for a week, and Bailey’s words echoed in his head as he made his way to his car and started off for the Recreation Center. Don’t screw this up.

  He would have died before admitting it to his sister, but this week with Samantha had changed everything. He’d never wanted to be with someone twenty-four seven, never wanted to be responsible for someone else, other than Barkley, of course. And here he was taking care of another person and finding out it wasn’t the emotional burden he’d always convinced himself it would be. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel the familiar choke hold that inevitably took over when a relationship went past the fun-and-games stage. This felt right, normal.

  He wanted to tell her, but he was sure he’d lose her if he did. Don’t let this get screwed up, Bailey had said. Unfortunately, he feared it already had.

  *

  Sam let out a long, slow breath as soon as Aiden’s car pulled away. She sank into a kitchen chair and hung her head while she massaged the tight muscles of her injured arm. The pain of the wound had subsided to a dull but constant ache, nothing she couldn’t cope with, but the pain in the middle of her chest was far worse.

  Every time she looked at Aiden, she felt it. The hammer thud of her heart set off a twinge between her lungs that made it hard to breathe. He’d been amazing this week, driving her to see the surgeon, helping her with grocery shopping and cooking, and even helping her shower and dress. She might have been self-conscious about that, but every intimate thing with him seemed perfectly natural.

  She had to admit, it had been blissful. Waking up to him each morning, falling asleep with him at night, knowing he was there if she needed anything made her feel completely cherished.

  But she had to keep reminding herself they were only friends. Their arrangement wasn’t permanent. As much as he’d proven he’d make a wonderful husband and partner, he’d made it
clear from the beginning that he had no room in his life for commitment. A few days of service to someone in need was all this was. Just as she’d overheard him telling his sister, he’d do the same for any one of his friends. Sam had no business thinking his doting attention this week was anything more than his desire to help her recover.

  That was why she’d practically kicked him out tonight. Not because she particularly wanted to be alone, but because she needed to remember what it felt like not having him around. She had to get used to that and let him go.

  The bottom line was, she and Aiden were nothing more than friends with benefits. It didn’t matter that she’d fallen in love with him. She wasn’t what he wanted, and he could never be what she needed.

  She had to end their arrangement before she did something stupid like tell him she loved him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  To Aiden’s surprise, Barkley had behaved perfectly around Sam. The dog had greeted her happily when Aiden brought him to her apartment, but he hadn’t tried to jump up the way he greeted Aiden, and he hadn’t raced around the apartment like he often did in a new environment.

  After a quiet night, the dog lay under the kitchen table, warming Sam’s bare feet while she ate breakfast and Aiden washed the dishes from the night before.

  “Do you want to hang out at my place while I straighten up?” he asked as he put the last plate on the rack to dry. “Afterward we can go for a walk if you’re up to it.”

  “Actually, Brenda is coming by later.”

  “Oh, girls’ day? That sounds good. I won’t rush back so you two can have some time to talk.”

  Sam sighed and placed her cereal spoon carefully in her empty bowl. “About that.”

  Aiden turned away from the sink, tossing a dish towel over his shoulder as he did. “About what?”

  “Rushing back. Aiden…this week has been great, but I feel like I stole you from your life.”