Page 8 of The Texas Cowboy's Rescue

Brooke saw him shake hands with his hosts and hostesses, and she made a fast move to intercept him at the gate to the patio. “Why are you leaving? You didn’t go swimming. I was hoping you could show me how to dive.”

“Really? I didn’t know we had discussed that.”

“Well, I thought we might. You know that we can use the pool here anytime. My mom is related to the Burkitts, and now you’re related to the Hawkes, too, so that makes us all kinda family, right? So we could come swimming here when you aren’t busy and you could teach me, maybe?”

He shook his head. Those huge violet eyes were truly going to be killers as she grew older. In the meantime, they made it very difficult to turn down her wistful plea.

“Did I hear correctly?” Kenzie had joined them on the sidewalk and evidently had heard part of the conversation. She looked directly at her daughter, who managed to try for innocence on her face. “And you can save time and come clean with it, young lady.”

“We’re talking about Mr. Deke teaching me how to dive so I can be like the bigger kids. I can do it. I know I can.” Those eyes turned in his direction again.

“I did mention I could dive earlier after I first arrived.”

Kenzie, hands on hips, turned her gaze on him. “But I am thinking that was the basic conversation and my daughter has embellished it to her benefit. And put you on the spot, which she will apologize for right now.” She looked back at Brooke.

“I’m sorry, Mama. I’m sorry, Mr. Deke.”

“Apology accepted. But I’d like to speak to your mom for a moment, okay?”

Brooke nodded quickly, then walked slowly back toward the party area. When she was out of earshot, he spoke again.

“There’s no harm done. In fact, if you don’t have any objections, I would be willing to give her some help with her diving. I saw a pool in town that we could meet at, and it shouldn’t take too long to teach her.”

Kenzie looked surprised... and hesitant. “You truly were placed on the spot by a master manipulator. I know the routine too well. She’ll live without diving lessons.”

“Unless you have a problem with me, personally, teaching her, then I truly am being honest when I say it would be my pleasure to help her out. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”

“Well, finding time will be the key to this working. I’d have to check the schedule that my supervisor maps out and all. He can be strict.”

She had him. And that cute little half dimple was betraying the fact that she was joking at his expense.When did he ever notice cute dimples?He cleared his throat that had gone dry for some reason.

“I think he can be reasonable in certain situations.”

“We’ll see,” she replied. “And we can use this pool... less crowded and closer to our homes. We can see how the schedule works for each of us next week. And thank you. This will make her very happy.”

“That’s the goal.”

*

“If I didn’tknow better, I’d probably have a bruised ego or something. You look like this is us having some sort of clandestine assignation in the back of a bar. When, in fact, this is two coworkers at a table, albeit in the farthest corner of the hospital cafeteria, at an hour when most people are either gone or beginning their shifts for the evening. I’d take it personally that you have a thing about being seen in my company, but then I’d just be paranoid... correct?”

Hit the nail on the head.But she wouldn’t give that answer. “I chose a quiet spot where perhaps we will have five uninterrupted minutes in order to plan out these diving lessons. I didn’t think being in the office with people coming and going would be the best. I wouldn’t have figured you for a person to have such an active imagination.”

“Most people don’t. Suppose I’ve gotten complacent behind the silent façade. Although I do talk a good deal with Ranger. He and I have similar viewpoints most of the time.”

“You mean he doesn’t ever disagree or talk back to you. The perfect companion, in your estimation?”

His gaze fell to his coffee cup. Why did she think she had said something that wasn’t taken as lightheartedly as she’d meant it to be? He was such an enigma at times. Perhaps something in his past? Sometimes she tended to forget that he had spent a good deal of time in the military, and there was some secrecy attached to some of it. She wished she had listened when other members of the staff had been sharing gossip, although that wasn’t a usual habit of hers.

Still, it might give her an insight into this man. But then, why should she take that time? Her service rotation was brief... another couple of months and then Dr. Damien would ask her preference for a more permanent placement. But there was something that made her wish she knew what was really going on sometimes behind those deep-blue eyes. Eyes that reminded her of the deep depths of the swimming hole where she grew up and spent so many happy, carefree hours... until she made a bad choice and things changed. And that was where her thoughts stopped. The matter at hand involved swimming... her daughter’s and not hers.

“It would seem that perhaps a Thursday afternoon or a Sunday evening might be the best? There are Saturday mornings and afternoons here and there, but you might prefer to use those for errands, social plans or whatever? What do you think?” She placed the decision back in his court.

“Social plans? Those would be few and far between. That’s something that would be more of a concern on your part, I’m sure.”

“My part? Well, then we have no worries about conflicts on either of our social calendars. I can’t remember the last time that I...” she replied and then caught herself... a bit too much information.

“The last time you had a date? Was that what you were going to say? I doubt that, unless your standards are a bit too high.”

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