Playing Doctor (Bandit Creek Books) by Julie Rowe Page B

had.”
    “I’m glad it saved your life.”
    “Part of me wants to let the sniper kill me,” she whispered.
    “That part needs to wise up. You’re a doctor and a lot of people depend on you, depend on you being there for them for a long time to come. You can’t afford to commit suicide by sniper.” He all but chewed and spit out the words. “Besides, it would piss me off.”
    “God forbid inconveniencing you.”
    “I’ve put in too much time and effort keeping you safe for you to throw it all away because you feel guilty or whatever.”
    “Ya know, sometimes I want to punch you in the mouth.”
    “Give it your best shot, doc.”
    “I’ve got brothers you know, you shouldn’t feel so confident about letting me punch you.”
    He slid her a glance that could have set her clothes on fire. “How ‘bout a wrestling match?”
    She snorted. “Naked I’m sure.”
    “Well, if you insist.” He leaned forward a bit. “Is this it?”
    “Yep, the end of the road and the family farm.”
    “Big place,” he said looking at all the buildings, barns and vehicles. “What do your parents farm?”
    “A little bit of everything, but dad considers himself a rancher. He grows his own feed grain, hay and makes his own silage.”
    “Silage?”
    “It’s fermented hay and grain. It’s what the cows eat in the winter.”
    “Huh, sort of a bovine version of a beer?”
    She laughed at that. “No, not that fermented.”
    Several tall male figures came out of the house and the main barn. Five in all.
    “Wonderful, my dad, brothers and even a couple of uncles are here. Be prepared to run the gauntlet.”
    “I can handle them.”
    “I don’t think you can handle my Aunt Marie if she’s here.”
    “Why not?”
    “She doesn’t have an edit button. So don’t be surprised if she asks you your intentions toward me in a rather straightforward way.”
    “I like straightforward.”
    “On second thought, it might be fun to watch you squirm for once.”
    He stopped the Jeep fairly close to the house and got out. She barely had time to close the passenger door before her oldest brother enveloped her in a bear hug from.
    “Doug, you’re squishing me.”
    “Sorry Abs.” He let her go, but took at good look at her face. “Geez, you did get cut up good.”
    “Thanks.”
    She was hugged next by her other brother Harold and her Uncles Lee and George. When she turned around Smitty was nowhere to be seen.
    “Where’s Smitty?”
    “I think Dad took him inside to meet the women.”
    She sighed. Her mother and Aunt Marie were going to rip him to shreds. “Well, I did warn him.”

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    A bby went on the hunt, but it didn’t take long for her to find her quarry. Smitty was in the kitchen laughing with her mother, aunt and her brother’s wives.
    “Oh sweetheart,” her mother said clapping her hands together. “I’m so glad you found a man who can cook.” Her blue eyes were warm with excitement.
    What was she talking about? “Huh?”
    “He just gave us his recipe for hollandaise sauce and I can’t wait to try it.”
    Her mother, aunt and sisters-in-law were staring at him with identical expressions of admiration and glee. “He makes a pretty good eggs Benedict.”
    They laughed like she’d said the funniest thing. On purpose. Which she did not.
    “Well ladies,” Smitty said to the group. “I hate to say it, but we need to be going.”
    “Of course,” her mother said, scurrying over to the fridge and pulling out a bag. “I’ve made some sandwiches for you. There’s a couple of stocked coolers and a crate of food for you to take to the cabin.”
    Coolers? A crate? “Mom, we’re not going to be there that long.”
    She blushed and winked. “Well, you never know.”
    She didn’t k now what he said to them, and given the reactions of her female relatives, it really didn’t matter. Smitty was a dead man.
    “Right, thanks mom.” She turned and stomped outside. Low and behold, there were the