Healing Trace by Debra Kayn Read Free Book Online Page B

walked out of Devon's part of
the house and returned to the common living area. Not wanting to stay away from
Trace too long in case he needed her, she went on a search to find him. Brody
had said he was outside, so she checked the backyard first. He wasn't there.
    She hurried through the house and
out the front door. At first she didn't see him, and she turned to go back
inside when she spied him leaning against his crutches at the end of the porch.
    Latching the door quietly, she
stepped to the left and sat down in the rocker without disturbing him. She
admired the strength in Trace's body. He balanced on one foot, eyes closed, and
his arms hung over the crutches and loose at his sides.
    His shorts hung low on his hips,
and she sighed in appreciation. She counted down the remaining days she had
left working here. Anything to distract her from the way her body tingled and
the urge to go to him, to connect, and get back the closeness they'd found together
yesterday while braiding each other's hair.
    He was a gorgeous male. She was a
healthy woman with sexual desires that she'd never explored fully. In any other
setting, she would've taken any attention he threw her way and enjoyed every
second of it. She raised her gaze and concentrated on his face. If not for the
way his jaw muscle flinched in pain, she'd think he had found his utopia.
    Her phone vibrated. She removed the
cell, gazed at the screen, and warmth filled her. Katie.
    Katie: Luv U.
    She smiled and texted back. Luv
U2
    Katie: Fingers crossed. Can't
wait to go home.
    She glanced at Trace, and then set
her fingers to typing. Don't worry. Soon! Miss U.
    Katie: Miss U1 doh U2 LOL BYE
    BYE She
waited and when no more messages came, she put her phone away.
    Every day without Katie seemed
harder. She tried to keep positive, but straightening her life out seemed
impossible. One thing at a time. Today, she was being paid to take care of
Trace.
    Not wanting Trace to strain his
leg, she approached him. When he didn't open his eyes, she rubbed his arm.
Trace startled, pitched forward, and grabbed the railing to steady himself. He turned
his head and glared at her.
    "What?" he snapped.
    She ignored his attitude.
"You're in pain. Please, come inside and I'll help you prop your leg up."
    He clamped his lips together and
hopped out of her reach. "I'm fine."
    "No you're not. You need to
rest and make sure the swelling stays down." She reached for him, but he
shrugged her off.
    He pinned her to the spot with his
gaze. "For once, can you leave me alone?"
    "Fine." She planted her
hands on her hips. "You obviously don't need me. You're perfectly healthy…it's
not like it's my job to make sure you follow the doctor's orders."
    "Joan…" He turned his
head away from her.
    She waited, but he didn't finish
his thought. "What? You want to tell me off, go ahead. I shouldn't have
kissed you. Is that what this is about? You've had me running all over this
ranch doing the stupidest things, so you don't have to deal with me. When all
you had to do is talk to me, and you'd realize what happened between us was no
big deal. I'm an affectionate person, there's no crime in that." She
crossed her arms. "Maybe you can't recognize when someone wants to thank
you. It didn't—"
    "Don't say it." He
swiftly inhaled. "Look. I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to come out
here. I wanted time to think, to relax, and for some reason when you're around
I find myself…forget about it, it's not important. I'm going inside."
    He hopped away on his crutches. She
followed him toward the door. She was beginning to think her six weeks couldn't
come soon enough.
    One minute he was snapping at her,
and the next he was welcoming her attention. It almost sounded as if he did
want her around, which she found interesting. Even more interesting was that it
bothered him. Why?
    Inside
the living room, Trace sat on the couch. Joan went to the kitchen and returned
with a glass of ice water. She didn't say a word, just handed him