my fault. She’ll believe that.”
Mischief glinted in his eyes, and she couldn’t help laughing. “Okay, but it has to be quick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She couldn’t imagine what he had in mind, and she was surprised when he headed for the well-worn field road that led to the center. Instead of going in the front door of the clinic, he took her around back and paused by a door that looked as though it hadn’t been used in years. Oddly, the glass set into the weathered oak had been freshly cleaned, and new curtains hung across the window next to the door.
Drew dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a dull brass key, which he promptly held out to her.
Stunned by the implication, she reflexively shook her head and started backpedaling. “What did you do?”
“You need a place to stay,” he replied in a reasonable tone. “We need a night manager for this place. It’s a win-win.”
She couldn’t deny that, for her, the solution was ideal. Buried here on this farm in the middle of nowhere, she’d be impossible for anyone to find, even if they knew where to look. Beyond that, she already loved working at the center, caring for the animals who needed a little boost to get healthy enough to be adopted or returned to where they belonged.
Having been injured and grounded in her own way, Bekah felt a special kinship with the creatures who were biding their time until they were strong enough to be back on their own.
While she debated with herself, she noticed Drew watching her closely. He must think I’m a complete loon , she groaned silently. Hoping to prove him wrong, she shook off her reservations and summoned a grateful smile. “Is this where you’ve been disappearing to lately?”
“Yeah.”
“And getting scolded for skipping work at the farm?”
“Actually,” he confided with a charmingly crooked grin, “it wasn’t that bad. Mike growls a lot, but ever since he married Lily, he’s more teddy bear than grizzly.”
She doubted that, but it was nice of him to downplay the scolding he must have gotten from his older brother on her account. She couldn’t remember anyone ever going out on a limb like that for her, and his thoughtfulness touched her in a way that she hadn’t felt in ages. Since he’d gone to so much trouble for her, she figured the least she could do was view the result of his hard work. “Well, let’s see how it looks, and then we’ll go from there.”
He didn’t take the key from her or muscle past her to do the manly open-the-door routine. Instead, he let her unlock the old knob and enter the small space on her own. When it occurred to her that he intended to wait outside, she turned to him and asked, “Are you coming in?”
“Only if you like it.”
For all those rugged looks of his, he was a real sweetheart. The seeming contradiction actually suited him pretty well, she thought with a smile. Not to mention, it made him even more appealing to her. It seemed that there was more to this country boy than a quick smile and an easygoing personality. Despite her plan to keep some distance between them, she couldn’t help wondering just how much there was to discover about him.
She left the door open in a silent invitation, then walked into what appeared to be an old office with a small bathroom at the back. Although it was connected to the baby barn by a short walkway, the separate entrance offered some privacy, and the thick wall blocked out most of the noise. None of the furnishings were new, but the bedding and curtains looked freshly laundered, and a vintage refrigerator was humming away in the corner of the tiny kitchen.
For several seconds, she wasn’t sure how to react. When she realized he must be waiting for her to respond somehow, she said, “This is incredible.”
“You might want to hold your applause till I show you this.” He strode to the small kitchen sink, turned the cold handle and waited.
And waited.
After about ten seconds, a horrible
Mischief glinted in his eyes, and she couldn’t help laughing. “Okay, but it has to be quick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She couldn’t imagine what he had in mind, and she was surprised when he headed for the well-worn field road that led to the center. Instead of going in the front door of the clinic, he took her around back and paused by a door that looked as though it hadn’t been used in years. Oddly, the glass set into the weathered oak had been freshly cleaned, and new curtains hung across the window next to the door.
Drew dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a dull brass key, which he promptly held out to her.
Stunned by the implication, she reflexively shook her head and started backpedaling. “What did you do?”
“You need a place to stay,” he replied in a reasonable tone. “We need a night manager for this place. It’s a win-win.”
She couldn’t deny that, for her, the solution was ideal. Buried here on this farm in the middle of nowhere, she’d be impossible for anyone to find, even if they knew where to look. Beyond that, she already loved working at the center, caring for the animals who needed a little boost to get healthy enough to be adopted or returned to where they belonged.
Having been injured and grounded in her own way, Bekah felt a special kinship with the creatures who were biding their time until they were strong enough to be back on their own.
While she debated with herself, she noticed Drew watching her closely. He must think I’m a complete loon , she groaned silently. Hoping to prove him wrong, she shook off her reservations and summoned a grateful smile. “Is this where you’ve been disappearing to lately?”
“Yeah.”
“And getting scolded for skipping work at the farm?”
“Actually,” he confided with a charmingly crooked grin, “it wasn’t that bad. Mike growls a lot, but ever since he married Lily, he’s more teddy bear than grizzly.”
She doubted that, but it was nice of him to downplay the scolding he must have gotten from his older brother on her account. She couldn’t remember anyone ever going out on a limb like that for her, and his thoughtfulness touched her in a way that she hadn’t felt in ages. Since he’d gone to so much trouble for her, she figured the least she could do was view the result of his hard work. “Well, let’s see how it looks, and then we’ll go from there.”
He didn’t take the key from her or muscle past her to do the manly open-the-door routine. Instead, he let her unlock the old knob and enter the small space on her own. When it occurred to her that he intended to wait outside, she turned to him and asked, “Are you coming in?”
“Only if you like it.”
For all those rugged looks of his, he was a real sweetheart. The seeming contradiction actually suited him pretty well, she thought with a smile. Not to mention, it made him even more appealing to her. It seemed that there was more to this country boy than a quick smile and an easygoing personality. Despite her plan to keep some distance between them, she couldn’t help wondering just how much there was to discover about him.
She left the door open in a silent invitation, then walked into what appeared to be an old office with a small bathroom at the back. Although it was connected to the baby barn by a short walkway, the separate entrance offered some privacy, and the thick wall blocked out most of the noise. None of the furnishings were new, but the bedding and curtains looked freshly laundered, and a vintage refrigerator was humming away in the corner of the tiny kitchen.
For several seconds, she wasn’t sure how to react. When she realized he must be waiting for her to respond somehow, she said, “This is incredible.”
“You might want to hold your applause till I show you this.” He strode to the small kitchen sink, turned the cold handle and waited.
And waited.
After about ten seconds, a horrible
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