Page 9 of Operation Wolf: Hunter
“Oh, dear.” Mrs. Miller clucked her tongue as she inspected Kia. “We’d better get you inside. The doctor’s seeing a patient right now, but he should be done soon. Let’s get you off your feet.”
She settled the two of us in the parlor with tea and cookies. Then she bustled off into the back to tell her husband about our arrival. Kia’s face was looking a little paler than before as she sipped her tea, but it didn’t stop her from raising an eyebrow at me.
“Hunter Golden? That’s quite a name you’ve got there.”
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically, raising my own cup before I took a sip of the sweet black tea Mrs. Miller had brewed.
As usual, the comment stung whenever someone brought up my family name. My father had loved money far more than his children, and it had been a bitter disappointment to him when I didn’t live up to his legacy.
Kia bit her lip. “I’m sorry,” she said after a moment. “I’m being an ass, aren’t I?”
I laughed, the tension suddenly draining out of me. There was something about the way she bit down on her plump lower lip, those gorgeous eyes of hers downcast, that made it hard for me to be angry with her.
“You are, but considering that you’ve had such a rough time of it so far, I’m willing to forgive you.”
She smiled, just a slight curve of her lips, but it was the first smile I had seen her give, and it softened her angular features. A surge of protectiveness swept through me, and I frowned.
What the hell am I doing, developing feelings for this woman?
She was definitely not my type, and I still hadn’t figured out what her agenda here was.
Is she planning on settling down at the ranch? Or selling it?
Questions burned my lips, but I held them back. Now was not the time to ask, not when she was in pain and possibly suffering brain damage.
“Miss Nash?” Dr. Miller came out of the back room. He was an older man, dressed in a red-and-brown plaid shirt tucked into a pair of jeans, his light-brown hair liberally streaked with gray, and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. His eyes widened as he caught sight of me. “Why, hello there, my boy! It’s been so long since I last laid eyes on you. Is this your lady friend here?” he asked, gesturing to Kia.
I stood up and shook Dr. Miller’s hand. “Great to see you, Doc, and, no, this is not my lady friend. Her name is Kia Nash, and she’s the new owner of Bridle Hill Ranch.”
“Ah.” The doctor’s friendly gaze grew calculating. “So, you must be that mysterious relative we’ve been hearing about. But enough small talk,” he said, helping Kia to her feet. “I can see that you’re in pain. Let me take you back to the examination room.”
He led her to the back, leaving me alone in the parlor with tea, cookies, and a heap of questions.
