Playing Doctor (Bandit Creek Books) Read Free Page B

It’s probably a stray shot from a hunter.”
    “In town?”
    “Well, what’s your explanation?”
    He paused then said with pinched lips. “I don’t have one.”
    “Doc, there’s a couple of minor lacerations on your scalp, but nothing you need stitches for,” Mike said. “I think I’ve got all the glass out of your hair, but you might want to have a shower.”
    “She lost consciousness for a few seconds, what caused that?” Smitty was back, her purse in his left hand.
    “What did you do, run there and back?” she asked him.
    He shrugged. “Yeah. So, loss of consciousness?”
    “I was only out a second or two. It was probably the shock of such a loud noise right next to my head.” She held out her hand. “Help me up.”
    He looked at it, but didn’t make any moves to assist. “Are you sure you should be getting on your feet?”
    “I was planning on leaning on you.”
    “All right then.” He grabbed her hand and helped her to stand.
    The world spun, her vision tunnelled and her hearing narrowed to a single wavelength.
    “Easy,” Smitty said from a great distance. “Breath deep.”
    After a couple of seconds the world got bigger again. She discovered she was sitting on the ground with her head between her knees. “Great, I passed out didn’t I?”
    “Not completely.” His voice was a low rumble next to her ear.
    She glanced up. He crouched in front of her, his knees outside hers, his hands rubbing up and down her back and shoulders.
    It felt way too comforting. Way too good. She could get used to having him around, taking charge, looking after her. But then she’d be lost when he left.
    “I’m in shock. I should go home, rest, shower and eat.”
    “Now that is a plan I can get behind.”
    She moved to rise, but his hands held her down. “Stay right where you are, doc. I’m going to get my Jeep.”
    She sighed. “Okay. I’m sure if I try to get up the Sheriff or Mike will sit on me until you get back.”
    “They better not lay a hand on you.” He stomped off.
    Abby watched him until he disappeared from view behind the crowd of people milling around outside the police tape. Oh God, it was only a matter of time until her parents descended on her. Then there were her aunts, uncles and assorted cousins. All of them were going to show up at her door to see how she was doing. They’d done it for the first two weeks after she’d returned home from Afghanistan until she finally had had enough and had a hissy fit about it.
    She wasn’t going to get any rest today.
    She stuck her head back between her knees.
    Voices approached, indistinct from the background noise at first, then settling into a conversation between two males she knew all too well.
    “…and keep her away from the windows.”
    “I know what to do, Sheriff.”
    “Do you? I know all you medical people have to go through basic training, but after that…”
    “I was part of Doc Abby’s team as security.”
    “Security? In the Army?”
    “I was a Marine.”
    “A Marine?”
    “On special detail.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means,” Abby interrupted. “That he’s really, really good at keeping people alive.” She looked at Smitty. “Can we go now?”
    “Sure, Doc.” He came forward and offered his hand again.
    She took it and he slowly helped her to stand.
    “Dizzy?”
    “A little.”
    “Okay, up you go then.” One arm scooped her up under her knees, the other supported her back.
    The first thing she noticed was his smell; woodsy and something distinctly his. The second was his dense musculature. Dense and proportionally symmetrical. Especially his shoulders and arms. Abs too. Probably his thighs as well. But she was so not going to find out.
    He headed toward his Jeep and spoke to the Sheriff at the same time. “Feel free to check me out. Call the unit’s commander.”
    “I’ll do that.”
    “Mind getting the door?”
    “Oh, sure.” The Sheriff opened the passenger side door and Smitty gently set