Page 24 of A Twist of Faith
Well, he reckoned the university got a winner when they hired Doc. Single-Minded. Motivated. Career and advancement over the needs of a family—or at least in her case. Rainey seemed to make it work—even as a single-mom. But did Doc really want her job to be her whole life?
He slammed the blade back into the wood with extra force, slicing through the logs with new fervor.Stop thinkin’ about Adelina Roseland.But his mind went right back to the cow-birthing madness and her sour-apple hair. He needed to finish up before he came face to face with the brunette when she returned home. Maybe he’d just leave the firewood on her porch. Would she remember how to start a fire?
A rumble from the gravel road warned him thinking proved a poor substitute for action. Her blue Jetta came into view, hobbling down the dusty road like a wounded calf. Poor woman needed a new car. He turned to finish up the last few pieces of wood, tossed a large pile in his wheelbarrow, and met her as she stepped from the car.
“Mr. Mitchell.” She nodded her greeting.
Her red jacket brought out the soft white of her skin and the rich hints of caramel in her hair. There wasn’t much else to do but stare just a second longer to admire the view, since all he’d seen the last two hours was the handle of an axe and the inside of a split tree.
He jerked to attention, shocked at his traitor-mind. “Doc.”
They stood in awkward silence.
“Brought you some wood.” He lifted a load from the wheelbarrow into his arms.
“Yes.”
Great, Mitchell. As if the woman didn’t have eyes in her head. “It’s supposed to get cold tonight.”
“Well, thank you.” She spoke softly and the sound made him do a double take.
An expression he’d mistaken as aloof suddenly transformed into something fragile upon deeper inspection. She even looked close to tears. He turned to mush on the inside and took a step back to protect her. He wasn’t too good with fragile things.
“Mama left you a casserole on the counter. Chicken. Thought you might be ready for another meal.” A good dose of Mama’s cookin’ helped everybody.
“Another meal?” Doc walked passed him to the front door, entranced, words nearly lost in a whisper.
Maybe she reallywascrazy. Pretty and fragile, but crazy. That would explain a whole lot about this country-turned-city-girl who didn’t like dogs. Of course, Mama’s cookin’ did have a strange effect on folks sometimes.
He tried to follow Dee, but his wood-laden arms blocked the door. When Doc looked up from the casserole and saw him struggling, she snapped out of her food-induced stupor and rushed to help.
“I’m sorry, Reese.”
She blinked. So did he. She’d called him Reese? Something warm and dangerous flickered to life right around his heart.Daggone-it.
“Um, I think formalities are past since we’re neighbors, don’t you?”
“Makes sense.” He stepped around her and took a few strides to the fireplace. Some distance between him and those large-and-lonely eyes would do him good. “I ain’t too good with formalities anyway.”
“That’s a shock.” Her sarcasm slapped him in the face.
He dumped the firewood with a noisy crash by the fireplace and restacked it as loudly as possible. Getting soft with the likes of Adelina Roseland proved her craziness was either rubbing off on him or he was just plain stupid.
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” Her sigh drew his attention. “I’m just not very good with ...” She waved a hand toward him. “… um… people.”
He wasn’t certain how to respond. The admission closed in on an apology and he wasn’t inclined to hold a grudge—unless it involved Jana and a certain no-good former brother-in-law.
Dee stared at some sheets of paper, shaking her head. One looked like a long row of words.
“If you need some groceries, Mama or Rainey can show you some of the best places.” He rested an arm on his knee and offered another smile. A peace offering?
“No, thank you. I mean, this isn’t a grocery list. One is my teaching list, the other is my clinic list, and this third one is a list—” She bit her lip. “Never mind. I’m sure those things aren’t very interesting to you.”
“You like lists, don’t ya?”
“It helps me remember and stay on track.” Her shoulders stiffened. “You have no idea the stress and responsibilities of a university position.”
Moody too. One minute she spoke right near friendly and the next … He asked one question and she jumped to all high and mighty again. Fine. He’d start this fire, finish his therapy with her the next two months, and try not to talk to her again. Reese slammed more pieces of wood into the pile, positioned a few in the grate, and pulled a lighter from its place near the hearth. “Want me to light your fire tonight?”
