Her entire body deflated on an exhale, as if she had withered inside. “I have a backup. It’s crappy, but it’ll get me through until I can justify a replacement for my good one. Shouldn’t be a big deal since I can’t see patients right now with the clinic in its current condition anyway.”
“I’d like to accept your generous offer.”
She blinked. Twice.
“If it’s still on the table,” he quickly added. A fierce need to protect her had risen inside him the moment she admitted she was worried about going home. Didsheneed to know that? No. Intuition told him any vigilance on his part might make her stubborn little ass send him away.
“Okay, then.” With a quick bob of her head, she hopped into her SUV, and he followed behind her, thankful she hadn’t put up a fight.
Neve lived in the quieter part of town, one block from the ice rink, where it wasn’t unusual to see her skating alone over its rutted surface. He’d once asked her if she did that for the exercise and fresh air. With an extra dose of smug, she’d replied, “I’m practicing my strides to help my team skate circles around the boys and give them a good beating.” They both played rec league hockey, her on the ladies’ team—the Margaritas, salty and sweet—and him on the men’s team. His team had no formal name; they were simply “The Boys,” so named by the girls.
He pulled into her gravel driveway and parked. She had let Pearl out of the car and was headed for the front door, but she came to an abrupt standstill mere feet from it. Reece hustled after her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “If you want to give me the key, I’ll have a look-see first.”
“Pearl’s not acting weird, and nothing looks out of place.” Her protest was a meek one.
“And hopefully nothing is. Why don’t you get Mr. Whiskers out of my truck while I double-check?” As if Reece had prompted him, Mr. Whiskers let out a raspy meow. “See? He’s complaining about being stuck in the truck.”
Neve handed over her key and angled for his vehicle while he let himself inside. He’d set foot in her house a million times before, but he’d never reallynoticedit. The place was a typical 1893 miner’s bungalow that Charlie had fixed up, so while the floor plan was a little funky and the doorways too small for Reece’s frame, the place had a cozy feel with modern touches that blended in seamlessly.
After a thorough sweep, he looked around, taking in the art on the walls and the antique furniture.Eclectic. Though each piece was different from the next, they all reflected Neve and her love of animals and the wild San Juan Mountains—like the watercolor of the Lizard Head Wilderness hanging above a wooden sideboard with carved felines for legs. The words “comfortable” and “unique” rolled around in his head.
A plush navy couch dominated the living room beside an Old World fireplace, and Reece had a sudden urge to stretch out and nap, like someone had sprinkled sleeping dust in his eyes.
“Um, are we good to come in?”
Her voice from the front door caused him to spin in place. “Yeah, sorry. It doesn’t look like anything’s been disturbed.”
“Follow me. You’re in the guest room.” Neve sounded almost back to her regular self.
Reece took the cat carrier from her. “How does Pearl feel about cats?”
“She’s fine with them, but I’m not sure the cat will be fine with her.” She stuck a finger through the carrier’s grill and tickled the cat’s ear. “For now, let’s play it safe and leave him in your room. His whiskers are growing in nicely. It’s obvious you’re taking good care of him.”
“Did you ever find out where he came from or how he got injured?”
“No. We have his picture up on our website, but so far no takers—except Cade, and we know that won’t work.” She stepped into the guest bedroom and began clearing books and papers from the bedspread. Then she peeked under the covers. “Oops. I need to put some sheets on the bed.”
“It’s fine. Don’t go to any trouble on my account. I’ll just sleep on top of the quilt or grab a sleeping bag.”
Her hands went to her curvy hips. “Reece Hunnicutt, you’re not bivouacking on Red Mountain. You can sleep in an actual bed with actual sheets and blankets on it. Pillows too.”
“Fine, but making a bed is overrated. Why bother when all you do is mess it up again?”
“Is that why your loft bedroom looks so … lived in?”
His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I’m usually not such a slob, but I’ve been busy. If I’d known you were going to be in the apartment, I would have picked up a little more.”
He’d let himself slip into bad habits after living alone in temporary places where he never entertained guests. His nomadic lifestyle—one he’d never envisioned for himself—had led him to a who-cares mentality he wasn’t exactly proud of.
“I’m not judging, Reece. Now why don’t you go get your cat’s food and litter box and set him up in there?” She nodded toward a door that stood slightly ajar, revealing a white-tiled bathroom beyond.
He set the carrier on the floor, and Pearl trotted in and gave it a sniff. Meanwhile, Neve opened the closet and pulled down neatly folded sheets while he rolled back the spread. She snapped open the fitted sheet, and he grabbed one corner and secured it to the mattress. Her hands flew over the linens.
He glanced down at the band still on his finger. “Hey, uh, where did your ring go?”
“I didn’t want anyone else to see it, so I zipped it up in my pocket. Besides, it’s so big it was getting caught.” She flashed him a contrite smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend. I mean, it really is beautiful, and it was very generous of you, but I shouldn’t be wearing it anyway.”
He should have ignored her comment, but the insult jabbed at him. “Why not?”
