Page 44 of Baby For The Billionaire Silver Fox

It took a second for the words to register, but I slipped into trauma mode.

“Coming.” I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noted the messy bedhead. I shrugged. No time to worry about my appearance.

Dan was in the kitchen holding his hand wrapped in a towel. “I cut myself instead of the box,” he said calmly. “I’d like your opinion on whether I need stitches. I’d prefer not to go to the ER if I don’t have to.” He stuck his toweled hand out to me, and I looked at him with concern. His color looked fine, and he didn’t appear to be freaked out about seeing blood.

I washed my hands first, then unwrapped the towel. On the side of his ringless ring finer was a cut. It didn’t look too deep, and I cleaned it up in order to examine it closely. “It doesn’t look so bad now that it’s cleaned. No stitches needed. I am going to put a few steri-strips over it for good measure. Then I’ll wrap it with gauze, and you should be good.”

I could feel his eyes on me as I worked. Maybe I should have brushed my hair. “All finished. Get to a doctor if you have swelling or heat or see any red streaks because that could mean an infection.”

“Thanks. I usually know how to hold a knife. I use them every time I work. But I may have been a little aggressive today.”

“Were the boxes attacking you?”

“No. They were innocent bystanders who just happened to be on the tracks in front of my train wreck.”

I knew he wasn’t talking about the boxes anymore.

It was time for him to go. Now. He turned to look at me, but I stared down at my bare feet, not wanting to get into anything right now.

“Nicole, can we talk?”

“Now’s not a good time. I’ve got a… thing,” I said shortly.

“A thing?”

“Yes. Heather wants to get together to talk about Cooperstown. Maybe as a realtor, she’s hoping I’ll stay, and that might mean me buying real estate from her at some point.”

“Heather is great—as a person and a real estate agent,” Dan said.

“I like her. Well, see you later.” I started to shut the door, but Dan raised his bandaged hand to stop it.

“How about later? There’s an area I’ve never shown you—Queen Estates Winery—that has the most beautiful garden. More like a park with paths through the foliage as well as a small pond. Very relaxing. And I know you’re not drinking, but the winery is known for its restaurant too. The place is really spectacular. It even has rooms and an area for weddings they rent out. What do you say?” His eyes looked imploringly at me.

I paused for a minute, struggling internally to make a decision. “How can I possibly resist that? A winery with a garden, a pond, and good food? Sign me up.”

He grinned in that way that made my insides quiver. “Great. Dress warm because it looks like we might be getting a windstorm tonight. Hopefully not until much later in the evening, though.”

I took the stairs two at a time, heading for my room to see what I had that was suitable attire for the evening.So much for backing off. I sighed. I’m just going to go meet Heather now and get my mind off Dan.

I spotted Heather the minute I walked into the cafe she’d chosen. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her outfit was all business. She had the aura of a successful woman, but I knew she liked to have fun too.

We chatted briefly before she asked, “So I know quite a few people in this town. Anyone in particular you’d like to meet or get to know?”

I thought about it. “I’ve been meeting people, and everyone has been so friendly. I don’t know who I don’t know if you know what I mean.”

“I get it. Well, don’t you want to know who the hot single guys are in town?” Heather asked and grinned. “I keep a very informal list for my girlfriends.”

“Well, that’s always good information to have,” I agreed, only because I wanted to know if Dan was on her list.

“There’s Bennett, who you might have met, Dan, who you know, and a handful more if you’re interested. And by the way, the list is fromFriendHeather, notRealtorHeather. Keep it on the down-low.“ Heather laughed.

I held up my hands. “I’m a travel nurse, remember? I’m not sticking around for long.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun, enjoy some male company.”

“I like fun. I’m getting the grand tour of Queen Estates Winery tonight from Dan.”

“Nice! You’ll love the place. It’s in the foothills outside of town. “Meanwhile, anything I can do for you, Nicole? I have lots of connections,” said Heather.

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