time she’d seen him, when he’d finished his medical degree and made a brief visit home to see his parents and friends before moving on to a job in LA.
He’d dropped by to see Tamsin, unaware that Tam hadn’t been home since she left for college. They’d been good friends once, Tam and Bryce. Tam had had the biggest crush on him and Cilla had seen the attraction.
Six-three, muscular, with wavy dark hair and piercing ebony eyes, Bryce had been memorable. Now, with the man in question smiling at her like she’d bestowed a gift basket of her best remedies on him, she could see that not much had changed. Sure, grey streaked his hair to make it almost match her color, and grooves bracketed his mouth, but he was just as handsome in an obvious kind of way.
“Bryce, this is a surprise. How are you?” She held out her hand, feeling foolish when he ignored it to step closer and kiss her cheek.
That foolish feeling was quickly replaced by another feeling altogether: shock. Since when did her daughter’s friend greet her with a kiss?
“It’s good to see you, Cilla,” he said, his deep voice triggering a memory of him strumming a guitar in her backyard, singing some soulful song that had Tam almost swooning. Her too, if she’d been completely honest.
Having Tam at eighteen meant she’d openly shared her daughter’s crushes on actors and rock-stars. She’d liked it. It had bonded them in a way she’d never envisaged, having a child so young. But she’d never had a crush on Bryce. It would’ve been too weird, secretly lusting over her daughter’s crush.
It should still be weird, despite the fact the eighteen years between them now didn’t seem as great as it had back then.
Increasingly uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she glanced past him to see an expensive black convertible parked in her driveway. “If you’re looking for Tamsin, she’s not here.”
“I didn’t come to see her.”
“Oh?” It came out an odd squeak and Cilla cleared her throat, wondering what it was about Bryce that had her so off-kilter.
He took a step closer. “I came here to see you.”
Cilla wondered if it was his proximity and the intoxicating smell of his crisp, citrus aftershave or the fact she hadn’t been this close to a man in twenty years that overpowered her sensibilities, but she found herself actually grinning at his bizarre proclamation.
“Why on earth would you want to see me?”
He touched her arm, a glancing brush that made her skin tingle. “Because I’m the new locum in town and I want to hear more about the amazing natural remedies my patients raved about yesterday.”
Cilla didn’t know which snippet of information to process first. The fact Bryce had moved back to town. The fact he’d be here for the foreseeable future. Or the fact he’d come to see her on his second day here. Albeit professionally, and for an insane moment she was almost disappointed.
Heck, what had she expected—that he’d actually come all this way out of town to see her?
She really was turning into a silly old woman.
“Sure, come on in. I’ll make coffee and we can talk.”
He glanced at his watch. “Actually, I’ve got a home visit to make shortly, so I was hoping you’d agree to have dinner with me.”
“Dinner?” Cilla mimicked, making it sound like he’d asked her to run through her herb garden naked.
The smile that curved his lips transformed him from handsome to devastating, and damned if her heart—and other body parts long neglected—didn’t twang. “Yeah, dinner. You do take time out from curing the town to eat?”
“I don’t cure the town,” she snapped like a schoolmarm, sounding every one of her sixty years and way too defensive. “That’s your job, isn’t it?”
“It will be for the next three months.” His smile broadened. “I’ve got loads of catching up to do with patient files, trying to familiarize myself with everything, so I’m busy the next few nights. But how about Friday?
He’d dropped by to see Tamsin, unaware that Tam hadn’t been home since she left for college. They’d been good friends once, Tam and Bryce. Tam had had the biggest crush on him and Cilla had seen the attraction.
Six-three, muscular, with wavy dark hair and piercing ebony eyes, Bryce had been memorable. Now, with the man in question smiling at her like she’d bestowed a gift basket of her best remedies on him, she could see that not much had changed. Sure, grey streaked his hair to make it almost match her color, and grooves bracketed his mouth, but he was just as handsome in an obvious kind of way.
“Bryce, this is a surprise. How are you?” She held out her hand, feeling foolish when he ignored it to step closer and kiss her cheek.
That foolish feeling was quickly replaced by another feeling altogether: shock. Since when did her daughter’s friend greet her with a kiss?
“It’s good to see you, Cilla,” he said, his deep voice triggering a memory of him strumming a guitar in her backyard, singing some soulful song that had Tam almost swooning. Her too, if she’d been completely honest.
Having Tam at eighteen meant she’d openly shared her daughter’s crushes on actors and rock-stars. She’d liked it. It had bonded them in a way she’d never envisaged, having a child so young. But she’d never had a crush on Bryce. It would’ve been too weird, secretly lusting over her daughter’s crush.
It should still be weird, despite the fact the eighteen years between them now didn’t seem as great as it had back then.
Increasingly uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she glanced past him to see an expensive black convertible parked in her driveway. “If you’re looking for Tamsin, she’s not here.”
“I didn’t come to see her.”
“Oh?” It came out an odd squeak and Cilla cleared her throat, wondering what it was about Bryce that had her so off-kilter.
He took a step closer. “I came here to see you.”
Cilla wondered if it was his proximity and the intoxicating smell of his crisp, citrus aftershave or the fact she hadn’t been this close to a man in twenty years that overpowered her sensibilities, but she found herself actually grinning at his bizarre proclamation.
“Why on earth would you want to see me?”
He touched her arm, a glancing brush that made her skin tingle. “Because I’m the new locum in town and I want to hear more about the amazing natural remedies my patients raved about yesterday.”
Cilla didn’t know which snippet of information to process first. The fact Bryce had moved back to town. The fact he’d be here for the foreseeable future. Or the fact he’d come to see her on his second day here. Albeit professionally, and for an insane moment she was almost disappointed.
Heck, what had she expected—that he’d actually come all this way out of town to see her?
She really was turning into a silly old woman.
“Sure, come on in. I’ll make coffee and we can talk.”
He glanced at his watch. “Actually, I’ve got a home visit to make shortly, so I was hoping you’d agree to have dinner with me.”
“Dinner?” Cilla mimicked, making it sound like he’d asked her to run through her herb garden naked.
The smile that curved his lips transformed him from handsome to devastating, and damned if her heart—and other body parts long neglected—didn’t twang. “Yeah, dinner. You do take time out from curing the town to eat?”
“I don’t cure the town,” she snapped like a schoolmarm, sounding every one of her sixty years and way too defensive. “That’s your job, isn’t it?”
“It will be for the next three months.” His smile broadened. “I’ve got loads of catching up to do with patient files, trying to familiarize myself with everything, so I’m busy the next few nights. But how about Friday?
Similar Books
Sophie's Path
Catherine Lanigan
The War Planners
Andrew Watts
Her Counterfeit Husband
Ruth Ann Nordin
Mudshark
Gary Paulsen
The Wise Book of Whys
Daven Hiskey, Today I Found Out.com
Polar Reaction
Claire Thompson
The Mystery of Olga Chekhova
Antony Beevor