Page 2 of Come to Me

He got out of the vehicle, looking hotter, in a sweaty way, than she felt. He’d buttoned his shirt for reasons she couldn’t fathom except maybe manners. But in her world, sometimes comfort trumped manners.

“You got your tire changed,” she called down.

He looked up, his hand guarding his eyes from the sun. “I did.”

“I wasn’t sure you would.”

He frowned.

“Will you hold the ladder for me?” She moved to the edge of the roof and began her descent.

When she was three rungs up from the bottom, she stopped, turning to him as he held the ladder in place. His eyes were dark, as was his hair. He was handsome, in a dark broody sort of way. She smiled, just to see if he’d smile back.

His brows knitted, as if he couldn’t figure out what she was doing. Then he smiled. It was tentative and she had a feeling he didn’t smile much.

Sighing, she finished going down the ladder. “You look like you could use some water. Come on in and we’ll get you some, and then get you settled into your cabin.”

“You know who I am?”

“Dr. Patrick Andres, right? We don’t get many city slickers up here. At least not ones still in a suit.”

He looked down at his sweat-soaked shirt. “I’m usually more presentable.”

She laughed. “This is about as good as I get.” She held her hands out like she was presenting herself in her overalls and red Converse sneakers. “We’re in the country, Dr. Andres. I hope you brought more comfortable clothes.”

She opened the door, feeling relief at the blast of cool air from the recently repaired air conditioning unit. Dr. Andres let out a groan of relief.

“Mom, Dr. Andres is here.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Michaela, but everyone calls me Micki.”

Micki’s mom appeared.

“This is my mom, Mrs. Kincaid.”

“Please call me, Lori.” She held her hand out to Patrick. “Welcome to Kincaid Lake.”

He shook her hand. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to get him some water.” Micki headed back to the kitchen.

“I’ll check him in,” Lori said. “Would you like to wait in here and I’ll bring the registration materials to you? Micki and Logan got us all set up with fancy electronic registration we can do from a tablet.”

“I wouldn’t mind sitting for a moment.”

In the kitchen, Micki grabbed a glass filling it with the filtered water they kept in the large refrigerator. When she returned, her mother was sitting next to him on the couch going over the registration.

He looked uncomfortable and Micki wondered if he’d ever been so bedraggled in his life. There was no doubt he came from money as his clothes and groomed hair cut gave away his socio-economic status. Even sweaty and with oil on his hands and shirt, he carried himself with the air of money. Not a snob necessarily. Drake Carmichael, Lexie’s husband and another regular visitor to the lake, had a similar air about him. He filled a room and commanded attention simply with his presence.

Micki handed him the water, which he gulped down like a man dying of thirst. He gave her a sheepish smile, as if he thought his gulping was poor manners.

“Let me get you more.” She took the glass.

“You don’t have to go out of your way?—”

“It’s not a problem and you look like you could use it. I don’t want you dying of heat exhaustion on your first day.” She headed back to the kitchen, refilling his glass, and returning.

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