strong jaw. “I love you, too, Cal. I have ever since we were teenagers.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I was just too scared to tell you. Same as I was the other day when you told me you loved me.”
He smoothed her hair with his strong hand. “I will never hurt you, and I’ll never let anyone else hurt you again.”
“I know.” And she did. She knew he was speaking the absolute truth, and that made her love him all the more.
“What do you say we celebrate with cupcakes and coffee? It’s cold out here.”
She smiled. “I say that’s an excellent idea.”
Cal wrapped his hand around hers and led her inside, toward a future that looked brighter than she’d ever imagined. For the first time in her life, her heart felt full.
* * * * *
Keep reading for a sneak peek
at Trish Milburn’s next novel
,
THE DOCTOR’S COWBOY
,
available March 2015 from
Harlequin American Romance
wherever books are sold.
The Doctor’s Cowboy
“Is it possible to die of boredom?”
Dr. Brody gave him a quick smile as she lifted his chart from the end of the bed. “Afraid not, though I’m sure it feels that way.” She made a couple of notations on the chart before returning it to its previous spot.
“So, I think I’ve figured out your first name.”
“That so?” She walked around to the side of his bed and checked the fluids in his IV bags.
“Yeah. You look like a Carly.”
“Swing and a miss.”
“Christa.”
“Nope.”
When Wyatt started to guess again, she shook her head. “Only two guesses a day.”
He lifted a brow. “Just how long do you think I’m going to be in here?”
“That’s partly up to Dr. Pierce.” She pointed toward the IV bags. “But we’ll start gradually lowering the dosage on these as well as the painkiller.”
“So what do I get when I guess your name?”
A hint of a smile tugged at the edge of her mouth. “The satisfaction of a mystery solved.”
He laughed a little, and damn if it didn’t hurt his middle. “You must have gone to the medical school where they teach doctors to have an actual personality.”
“Oh, this is all me, there way before med school.”
“Naturally quick with comebacks, huh?”
“That’s what happens when you grow up with brothers. Couldn’t beat them up, couldn’t outrun them, but I could win in a smart-mouth contest any day.” She shifted as if leaving already.
“Seriously, when can I get out of this place?”
Her light demeanor fell away. “You sustained significant injuries. If that horn had cut a little deeper, you might not be talking to me right now. So you need to give your body time to repair itself.”
“That’s not a definite answer.”
“Because I don’t know a definite answer. It depends on how quickly and how well your injuries begin to heal.”
Frustration welled up within him. He was not good at lying around doing nothing, especially when he was pretty sure he’d exhausted his limited health-care coverage by the time he rolled out of surgery.
“Is there anyone we can call to let them know you’re here?” she asked. “Having visitors would make the days go by more quickly.”
Wyatt shook his head. Even if he were back in Wyoming, there wasn’t anyone close enough that he’d be able to call them up and have them sit in a hospital with him.
“Tell you what. I’m done with my rounds in a few minutes. I’ll bring you some magazines, maybe a crossword puzzle book. That will help pass the time until something decent comes on TV tonight.”
“Any chance I can at least go sit outside?”
He had to give her credit. She looked genuinely sorry when she shook her head. “Not yet.”
He was going to go stark-raving mad.
“I know it stinks. But I’ll be back with some issues of
Woman’s Day
before you know it.”
“You are evil,” he said, at least thankful that she was personable and he had her brief visits to look forward to.
“Who, me? I’m an angel.” She pretended to buff
Learning to Kill: Stories