Page 26 of Unpacking Secrets
With a sigh of resignation, I buckled my seatbelt and let him chauffeur me into Spruce Hill. My curiosity was piqued by the mention of an ex, as though it might shed light on his personal life. Blue swayed between our shoulders with each bump in the road and I closed my eyes to keep the blur of the passing trees from bringing on a fresh spell of dizziness.
The radio was set to some kind of alternative rock, and I made a mental note of it—one of the few things I knew about Henry. The list was painfully short.
Always prepared. Good with numbers. Kind to animals. Really freaking strong.Then, after a moment, I added,Smells like absolute heaven.
Aside from the whole clash of tempers upon our first meeting—and our second, and third—he was actually a pretty decent guy. He was tall, nearly a foot taller than me, and a bit on the lanky side. But damn . . . the way he had swept me into his arms.
If only I hadn’t been coated in crumpled leaves and bloodstains, it would've been a truly impressive image.
Before the truck even slowed, Blue’s whole rear end started wagging along with her tail, leading me to assume we were approaching the clinic. As if being found limping through the woods like that wasn’t enough humiliation for the day, now I would have to meet some stranger looking like—what had he said? An actor from a horror movie?
I reached up to surreptitiously smooth my hair back, plucking a leaf and a small twig from my disastrous curls in the process.
Henry pulled up in front of the clinic, a modern little building right on the main road through town. Blue jumped out the driver’s side door after him, but before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt, Henry opened the door and reached in to help me.
“My arms are fully functional,” I snapped at him, though my fingers were moving too sluggishly to press the release button before he got to it.
“So is your mouth,” he shot back, using the same sarcastic tone I recalled from our first meeting.
Flecks of gold mingled with the green cast in his eyes as he paused, our faces only a few inches apart. We glared at each other for the space of a few breaths, then a grudging smile tugged at his lips.
“If I don’t get you inside, Libby is going to march out here and demand to know what’s taking so long. You don’t want to get on her bad side, trust me.”
I conceded, allowing him to slip his arm around my lower back so I could slide down to solid ground. A dull throb had formed beneath the cut on my temple and, though I would never admit it to him, I was grateful for his support as we made our way slowly toward the giant glass door of the building.
Blue let out an excited woof and circled us several times, then sat in front of the door with an expectant look on her face. Even in a small town like this, I couldn’t imagine the dog would be allowed inside a medical office, but Blue seemed to know the drill better than I would.
Just before we reached the door, it slid open to reveal an exquisitely beautiful woman with dark, upswept curls. Her eyes were a deep, warm brown that glinted with good humor.
“Well then, what have you brought me this time, Henry?” she asked.
Surveying the two of us, she slipped her hand into the pocket of her lab coat and tossed some kind of treat to Blue, who snatched it expertly from the air. The doctor’s scrutiny was as intense as Henry's, scouring me from head to toe. With immense effort, I managed not to squirm.
“Found this lost waif wandering in the woods. She took a spill down the ravine at Cooper’s Point,” he told her. “She must have been bleeding pretty good from the cut on her forehead, but it had stopped by the time I found her. No nausea or loss of consciousness, though she got dizzy during the hike back to the truck. Banged up the right knee, sore left wrist. Damn lot of scratches but I ran out of gauze before I could clean anything except her forehead.”
I didn’t miss the swift look of shock that crossed Libby’s face when he mentioned the ravine. It wasn’t quite the horror of Henry’s reaction, but as a doctor, Libby probably had more practice schooling her expression.
Ahh, what a way to make a reputation for myself.
I fought a grimace. The woman who tumbled down the ravine—just lovely. So much better than being known as the unexpected heiress.
“It’s a good thing you found her, then,” Libby said after a beat of silence, her lips curving into a smile. She held out a hand. “I’m Henry's ex-wife, Dr. Elizabeth Bardot, but please, call me Libby.”
“Juliet Morrison. Nice to meet you.”
I took her hand with a weak smile. Libby’s grip was warm and strong. One of her dark brows quirked upward.
“I imagine it might have been nicer to meet under better circumstances, but welcome to Spruce Hill, nevertheless.”
Henry told Blue to stay put—and, to my surprise, the dog promptly obeyed—while he helped me inside. The clinic was bright and cheery, decorated in vibrant colors, but clearly closed for the night. We made a slow procession to an exam room.
Before I could protest, Henry placed his hands on either side of my waist to lift me onto the exam table. I glared at him, but his only response was a wink and that adorable half smile.
“I’ll take Blue home while you two, ah . . ." He trailed off, waving his hand vaguely in the air toward my injuries. “I’ll be back soon.”
Libby kissed his cheek, causing him to roll his eyes goodnaturedly. I lifted my hand in a brief wave and Henry inclined his head in my direction before swiftly exiting the room.
“All right then,” Libby said, smiling brightly. “Let’s have a look, shall we?”
