Angel's Rest Read Free Page A

said, uneasy over how appealing he found the idea.
    “That dog’s been running wild. At the very least you need the wounds flushed and examined.” She pointed toward the table.
    He hesitated, and she scowled at him. “Now.”
    Gabe gave in to both their desires. He tugged off his shirt and it wasn’t until he heard her shocked gasp that he realized just what he’d done. The scars had been a part of him for so long now that he forgot he even had them. He unconsciously straightened, bracing himself against the barrage of questions sure to come. Questions he had no intention of answering. That part of his life was a closed book.
    The pretty veterinarian surprised him. But for that one betraying inhalation, her professionalism never slipped. Maybe her gaze was a bit softer, her touch as gentle as the snowfall, but she never once recoiled or eyed him with pity. Gradually Gabe relaxed. For a few stolen moments he allowed himself to pleasure in the sensation of human touch upon his skin.
    “I’ll quarantine the boxer,” she said. “You should drive into Gunnison and see Dr. Hander at the medical clinic. He’ll put you on prophylactic antibiotics. When was your last tetanus shot?”
    “Last year.”
    “Good.”
    Next she ran through a series of basic questions about his medical history, and then asked him to lie on his back. “Your legs will hang off the table, I’m afraid, but this way will keep your pants dry.”
    His jeans had been wet since he wrestled with the dog, but he kept that detail to himself and studied her through half-closed eyes as she prepared to bathe his wounds with saline. Her beauty was the wholesome, girl-next-door type. He figured the lack of a ring on herfinger was due to work-related safety factors rather than marital status. Bet she was married with a couple of kids.
    Pain sliced through him as she applied the solution, and Gabe sucked in a breath.
    “Sorry,” she murmured. “It’s important to clean all these scratches.”
    “Wouldn’t want them to scar,” he replied, his tone desert dry.
    He saw the question in her eyes, and she must have seen the answer in his, because she kept quiet. She moved a step closer and caught a whiff of her scent. Summertime peaches, ripe and juicy. Now there was an incongruous item for a cold autumn day.
    Her gentle finger brushed across a hard ridge of scar tissue and she softly said, “More than a hundred and thirty bacterial diseases can be transmitted to humans from a dog’s mouth, Mr. Callahan. Dr. Hander will tell you what to watch for, but as long as you take the antibiotics he’ll prescribe, I doubt you’ll have a problem.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    She paused and waited for him to meet her stare. “You’re not going to go see Dr. Hander, are you?”
    “It’s a long drive. Can’t you give me antibiotics?”
    “I’m a vet.”
    He held her gaze and said, “Woof woof.”
    As she rolled her eyes, he pressed, more from curiosity about how she’d react than a desire for drugs. “It’s two hours to a hospital from here. I’ll bet you have an emergency stash.”
    “This isn’t an emergency.”
    Her teeth tugged at her lower lip and she looked torn with indecision. His gaze settled on her mouth until Gabe abruptly lost interest in the game. He rolled to a sitting position. “Don’t worry, Dr. Sullivan. I’ll be just fine. I know. I’ve had worse.”
    Her gaze dropped to his chest, and this time he saw a flash of pity she couldn’t hide before she finally asked, “What happened to you?”
    He pulled on the bloodied, tattered shirt and ignored the question. He needed to get out of here. “What about the dog? Will he be okay?”
    She accepted the dodge with a nod. “He’ll be uncomfortable for a while, but he should make a full recovery. I’ll keep him quarantined in case he has underlying issues we can’t immediately identify.”
    He slipped his wallet from the pocket of his jeans, removed a few bills, and set them on the counter.