The Doctor's Choice~Badlands (Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense) Read online

  “You might want to go on inside, Cami,” he said quietly.

  “Miss Carmichael.” Eldon Kincaid stepped out of his truck. “Pardon me, I mean Dr. Carmichael.” He gave Breck the slightest of nods.

  “Mr. Kincaid,” she said. “I’d forgotten you were coming.”

  He grabbed at his chest. “Young lady, you wound an old man. We were going to continue our negotiations.”

  Breck turned sharply to Cami.

  “No,” she said. “We’re not negotiating. If I stay, I’ll keep the ranch. If I go, it belongs to Mr. Ryan.”

  “I see.” His jaw twitched as he glared at Breck.

  She started up the steps with her parcels. “Most likely, you’ll be dealing with Mr. Ryan, so don’t get your hopes up.” She smiled at both men and crossed the porch to the front entrance. She stamped the slush off her new boots and opened the door. She dropped the packages inside and peeked out through Aunt Silky’s lace curtains.

  Breck and Kincaid seemed to be engaged in a heated dialogue. Frank and T-Bone came out of the barn and hovered within earshot near the fence.

  Eldon Kincaid climbed back into his truck and slammed the door. He revved his engine and spun his tires as he left the circle.

  Breck watched his departure, his gaze narrowed. He turned back to his truck and carried the dog and cat food onto the porch. He nodded at T-Bone and Frank and departed in a more sedate manner.

  Cami stepped out onto the porch to watch the truck turn off onto the caliches road leading to the highway. She turned to T-Bone and Frank lounging against the fence. They suddenly sprang to life and T-Bone disappeared into the barn. Frank touched his finger to the brim of his hat in a salute, his eyes dancing.

  She waved him over to the porch.

  When he spoke puffs of steam came from his mouth. “Let me carry this inside for you, Miss Cami.” He hefted the dog food onto his shoulder and tucked the smaller bag under his arm.

  She held the door and followed him to the pantry. He set the bags down and turned to leave.

  “What was going on between Breck and Mr. Kincaid?”

  “It was like, you know?” Frank hung his head and glanced at her, grinning. “Like two roosters in the chicken yard.”

  She threw her head back and laughed. It was the first time she’d noticed Frank’s grin. He was really cute. “What do you know about the dance at the Eagle’s Hall?”

  He shrugged and then grinned again. “It’s the place to be on Friday nights in Langston. They always have a live band.”

  She nodded and Frank headed outside. The place to be, huh? She wanted to be in a position to meet the townsfolk, so she figured this was a good opportunity to do just that. She heaved a big sigh. She just wasn’t sure she could handle dancing with Breck.

  She put away her groceries and looked over the haul of food people had dropped off. The most reasonable thing would be to feed Breck the smoked ham he’d brought. She found a green bean casserole and a couple of potatoes to bake. And she could cut into the cherry cheesecake brought by the Secretary of the First Baptist Church. That should feed him.

  #

  In spite of his encounter with Eldon Kincaid, Breck was grinning when he got back to his ranch that afternoon.

  His father was leaning back in his recliner, his usual position. “What’s going on, son? How come you’re smiling from ear to ear?”

  Breck crossed to give him a hug. “I’ve got a date, Dad.”

  “A date?” Zachery Ryan drew back in mock amazement. “Who’d of thought? Is this someone I know?”

  “I don’t think so. I’m going to dinner at Silky Carmichael’s house and I’m taking her great-niece to the Eagle’s hall for a little opportunity to polish my belt buckle.”

  The elder Ryan raised his brows. “I think I met her one summer when she was a teenager. Pretty little thing, but shy. She wouldn’t say a word.” He pushed his glasses up on top of his head. “As I remember she was a mite skinny.”

  Breck considered. “She may have filled out a bit since then, Dad. She’s slim, but she’s got some nice curves going for her now.”

  Breck looked in the refrigerator and nodded to Carmen, the woman who lived with them to manage the house and care for his father. He selected a soda for himself and poured a cup of decaf for his dad.

  He returned to the living room, handing the coffee to Zachery. “How come I didn’t meet Silky’s niece before?”

  Zachery frowned in recollection. “I think that was your freshman year at The University of Texas. You were doing two-a-days at that time.”

  Breck ran his fingers through his hair. “I wouldn’t have noticed a teen-age girl back then anyway. My head was into football and making the grades.”

  Zachery shook his head. “I think even you might have noticed this little one. She had the prettiest blue eyes but she always looked so sad and lonely. Quiet as a mouse. Kind of tugged at my heart. Silky told me the girl’s parents had been killed in a car wreck and that she was seeing to the girl. I remember thinking, ‘What does a wild woman like Silky Carmichael know about raising a young girl?’”

  Breck felt a pang of sympathy for Cami. Silky was a dear friend, an astute rancher and a local charmer but he didn’t think her character was filled with warmth and compassion. She’d probably have done better fostering a boy. Breck figured the shy, sensitive girl left in her care hadn’t experienced much in the way of motherly love.

  He headed for the shower, thinking that his imposed invitation to dinner hadn’t been exactly the smoothest thing he’d ever wrangled, but the important thing was that he’d have a good reason to be holding the enigmatic Cami Carmichael in his arms all night long.

  #

  Cami went upstairs and drew a bath. She unlaced her new boots and pulled off the brown wool socks. A warm feeling washed over her when she recalled the sensation of her feet being pressed against Breck’s warm muscled abdomen.

  Quickly shedding her clothes, she stepped into the tub. Soaking in the warm water was a luxury in the early afternoon.

  At home in Houston, she’d be at the hospital. She would most likely have missed lunch and be hitting the snack machine about now. Sometime after seven p.m. she’d try to remember where she parked her car and hope she had enough snap to maneuver through the ever-present Houston traffic. It was still dark when she left for work and again when she drove home. Crawling into her one-bedroom apartment, she’d grab a quick shower to wash off whatever clung to her before spreading a peanut butter sandwich and forcing it down with a glass of milk. Falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow was her usual mode of repose since high school.

  As she toweled off, she reflected that in two weeks she’d be right back at it in the Medical Center. Except she’d be starting the fellowship. She’d earned it.

  She went downstairs in her robe and put a couple of potatoes in the oven to bake. She set the ham on the bottom rack and set the timer.

  She dried her hair and dressed in a new pair of jeans and her new boots. Finally selecting a soft yellow sweater with a cowl collar to go on top, she’d barely had time for blush and mascara when she heard the doorbell.

  Grinning at her reflection in the mirror, Cami thought she was making too big a deal of this evening, but she grinned anyway.

  Opening the door, she felt a flutter where her heart should have been. Not anatomically possible. But Breck looked gorgeous standing there with his Stetson in hand and boots polished to a high shine.

  “Good evening, Cami,” he said. “You look…amazing.”

  “Is that okay?” She held the door open for him.

  “Trust me, its way better than okay.”

  He smells good. Oh, damn, he smells good. She smiled nervously and gestured to the parlor. “I hope you’re hungry,” she said.

  “I could eat.” He tossed his hat on the bentwood hat rack in the entry and peeled off his leather jacket. “Let me help you.” He rolled up the sleeves of his starched western shirt, exposing muscular forearms, as
he followed her to the kitchen.

  Cami opened the oven door, puzzled that no tantalizing aromas were filling the air. The oven wasn’t hot.

  “Oh my!” Cami stared at the foil wrapped ham and unbaked potatoes. “I thought it was lit.”

  Breck appeared to stifle a smile. “Lighting these old stoves can be difficult. Sometimes they go out. Why don’t we try the microwave?”

  Cami bit her lip, feeling like a complete failure. I bragged that I was a gourmet cook. She emitted an unwilling groan.

  “Come on,” he said. “It’s not fatal.” He pulled the ham out of the oven and set it on the countertop. “Could you hand me a carving knife?”

  “I don’t know if I trust myself with anything sharp right now.”

  She put the potatoes in the microwave while Breck carved two ample portions of ham. They carried their heated plates to the dining room. She set hers at the head of the table, still a little uncomfortable in her new role. “So much for my best laid plans.”

  “The outcome is almost the same.” Breck pulled the chair out for her.

  They ate and laughed as Breck told her stories of growing up in Langston. She suspected he was trying to put her at ease. It was working.

  After they’d cleared the dishes he looked at his watch. “The band starts at nine. We’d better get going.”

  She hesitated, thinking she should decline his invitation, but the fact that she hadn’t been dancing in years and was filled with curiosity about the locals caused her to give him a grin instead. “I’ll just run up and get my purse,” she said.

  “Do you have your house key?”

  She nodded, patting her pocket.

  “You don’t need anything else when you’re with me.”

  She took a deep breath to quell the tingling in the pit of her stomach. Breck held the leather jacket she’d borrowed from Aunt Silky’s closet. She slipped her arms in it, starting a bit when Breck wrapped his arms around her.

  He held her for a moment, gazing down at her with some unfathomable expression before releasing her. He opened the door and gestured for her to precede him.

  Unsettled, she stepped out into the cold night air, her breath coming out as puffs of steam. He ushered her to his truck and assisted her up into the cab. They drove onto the highway.

  Cami stared out the windshield, admiring the million stars flung across the black velvet sky. She realized how rare it was to see stars in Houston where the city lights outshone any display the heavens might offer.

  The town of Langston had closed up for the night. Only a convenience store, the Mexican restaurant and a steak house stayed open until ten. Otherwise, the businesses were darkened.

  The Eagle’s Hall was located on the far edge of town. When they pulled up, Cami saw that the unpaved parking area was filled with row after row of pickup trucks.

  “I’ll let you out in front.” Breck idled by the wooden double doors at the entrance. He leaned over her to swing her door open and Cami felt a surge of desire as his muscular torso pressed momentarily against her thighs. A rush of cold air gave her a much needed reality check. “I’ll see you inside,” he said.

  Watching the truck drive away, she felt bereft. Suddenly shy, she was loath to walk inside by herself. They weren’t dating. They weren’t a couple. She shouldn’t have any attachment to Breckinridge T. Ryan at all.

  “Hey, Miss Cami.”

  She spun around to find Frank trudging toward her across the gravel parking lot. “Frank! I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  He flashed his dimpled grin. “I told you this was the place to be. Can I walk you inside?” He held out his arm to her.

  She glanced around but didn’t see Breck and decided not to brave the elements any longer. Taking Frank’s arm, she felt steely muscles under his jacket. She realized the brown-eyed boy escorting her was a full grown man of approximately her same age.

  Entering the hall, she encountered a blast of heated air by the front door. She hurried inside and looked around. The lights were low and the band hadn’t yet mounted the raised stage. She was aware of a room full of people. Most were sitting at long tables ringing the dance floor. Others milled about visiting from group to group.

  A small table was set up close to the entrance and Delta Ruth Peabody sat behind it with a roll of tickets in her hand. “Come right on in here, Doctor Carmichael,” she said. “Frank, are you dancing with your boss tonight?”

  The door opened again with a blast of cold air and Breck appeared by her side.

  “This one is mine.” He slapped some cash on the table and received two tickets in return.

  Cami raised her eyebrows, meeting Frank’s amused expression with one of her own. She wasn’t sure if this was the time to remind Breck that she was most definitely not his.

  Grabbing her hand, Breck led her to a long empty table across the dance floor. He helped her take off the jacket and arranged it on the back of her chair.

  She wondered absently, if she would be able to resume performing these functions for herself when she returned to Houston.

  People strolled by, greeting Breck warmly and being introduced to Cami. She stopped trying to remember their names and tried to concentrate on the reference Breck made. “This is Jenna Lewis. She was Silky’s Veterinarian.” She leaned over the table to shake hands. Cami’s hand was clasped in a firm grip by the pert, redhead who settled across the table from her and engaged Breck in an animated discussion about a recent calving.

  Cami saw Frank lurking in the shadows nursing a longneck. She caught his eye and waved him over. “Come sit with us, Frank.”

  “I wouldn’t want to intrude, Miss Cami.” He shot a glance at Breck who swiveled around when he heard Frank’s voice.

  “You’re not intruding,” she said. “I’d welcome a familiar face.”

  He pulled up a chair next to her. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  “Remember you? What do you mean?” She cocked her head to one side.

  He gave her a long look. “You were fifteen years old and you’d lost your parents. Miss Silky brought you out to the ranch for the whole summer. She took you riding every day. Sometimes you’d just sit on the porch with your feet propped up on the railing staring off into the clouds. T-Bone told me I was to address you as Miss Cami, but I never got the chance.” He sat smiling at her with a wistful look on his face. “I thought you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen but you never seemed to notice me at all.”

  “I do remember you,” she said softly, flashing her dimples. She was aware that Breck kept glancing at her but Jenna was talking non-stop and required his attention.

  Frank’s voice was low and his gaze held hers. “I was working on the ranch for the summer, mostly baling hay. I’d come back at dusk. Sometimes I’d catch sight of you. You never smiled.”

  “You filled out,” she said.

  He laughed. “I can say the same thing about you.”

  She felt her cheeks flame and was glad the lights were low. “You’ve worked at Moonshadows for a long time.”

  “Since I was sixteen. I came on full time when I graduated.”

  Cami ducked her head, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. “I remember a tall, skinny boy who stared at me, but didn’t ever get close enough to speak.”

  He leaned back in his chair, grinning broadly. “That would be me.”

  The band started tuning up. One of the Eagles officers made a few announcements and introduced the band. They led off with a rapid tempo, the fiddle player’s arm a blur of movement.

  “Come on, Breck,” Jenna shouted above the music. “Let’s show them how it’s done.” She reached for Breck’s hand across the table.

  He glanced at Cami, his face registering his confusion.

  She shrugged, stating plainly that they were not a couple and he could dance with whomever he pleased. She did feel a little miffed that the vet didn’t appreciate the fact that Breck had said, ‘This one’s mine’. And she experienced a sinking feelin
g in the pit of her stomach when he put his arms around the petite redhead and whirled her around the floor.

  “Would you like to dance, Miss Cami?” Frank asked close to her ear.

  “Actually, I don’t know how to dance to this. I haven’t been on a dance floor in a long time.” She glanced down and then smiled up at him.

  “Let’s get a beer?” he said. “We can walk around a while.”

  “Yes, I really would like that,” she said.

  He pulled out her chair and took her arm as he escorted her to the bar and paid for two longnecks. They made a circle of the room. Walking slowly and talking as they sipped their drinks. The next song was slower.

  “This must be our dance,” he said. “It’s a two step.”

  “I’ll try,” she said. They set the bottles on a table and Frank led her onto the floor. She felt the strength in his lean muscles as he wrapped his arm around her. He was easy to follow and she found herself grinning as they circled the floor. She’d forgotten how much fun it was to dance. Clay had never taken her dancing, but it wasn’t his fault. She’d always been too busy working or studying. Of course, he’d never asked.

  The two-step ended and a waltz began. She caught a glimpse of Breck standing beside their table as Frank whirled her around in a waltz. Breckenridge T. Ryan did not look happy.

  CHAPTER SIX

  When the dance ended, Frank retrieved their bottles and escorted her to the table. As they neared, Breck stood, awaiting their return.

  “Well, I see you can dance,” he said.

  “Frank is really good,” she said, smiling at Frank.

  “Apparently,” Breck said. “I didn’t realize you were such good friends.”

  “We met the summer we were fifteen and sixteen respectively.”

  Breck shot Frank an appraising glance. She recognized raw jealousy in his expression. She tried to stifle the tingle of excitement that knowledge stirred.