MacKenzie Fire(94)

He kisses me for a few seconds, and I soak up that love as much as I can. After being darted, I’m seriously grateful for any pleasure I can get in my life.

A doctor walks around the edge of the curtain and sees us both there. “So this is the happy couple,” he says, looking at my chart. “Looks like you dodged a bullet tonight.”

“More like a few darts,” Ian says. “Although I did get grazed by a bullet the other day …”

I jump into the conversation. “Everything’s going to be okay, I hope?” I’m trying to simultaneously change the subject away from the shooting incident and ignore the pain in my arm. I thought a cougar scratch was bad but it turns out a two-inch dart hole is pretty awful too.

“Yep. Didn’t hit any major arteries, we got you all cleaned out and the tetanus shot should keep you safe there. I’m just going to prescribe some antibiotics to ward off infection. Who knows where those darts were before they made it into your arm.”

“And my back,” Ian says.

The doctor nods. “And your back. Right.” He marks something on my chart. “I’ll be giving you both the same advice.” He looks up and smiles. “Avoid taking the pills without food and stay away from bars where they play darts.”

“Gotcha,” Ian says, shaking his hand. “Thanks, Doc.”

“You bet. Take it easy.” He leaves us in the cubicle behind the curtain.

“So you sure you want me hanging around with you in Florida?” he asks.

“It’s not whether I want you hanging around, it’s whether you’ll want to hang around with me.”

He reaches up and brushes hair out of my eyes. “How can you say that? You know I love hanging out with you.”

“But why?”

“Because. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re beautiful…”

“That’s true. I am those things.” I smile, too full of happiness to do anything else.

“And you’re practically an internet M.D.”

“I’m glad you appreciate my medical knowledge.”

“Hey, you totally called it. Tetanus shot and antibiotics.”

“Yeah, well that was an easy one. Did I tell you I diagnosed one of my clients with postpartum congestive heart failure once?”

“No.” He leans down to kiss me tenderly. “But I can’t wait to hear all about your medical interventions.”

I look down at the floor, my heart overwhelmed with fear.

“Come on, babe. Tell me what’s bothering you. Is it because I’m moving too fast?”

I shake my head and lift my eyes to look at him. I need him to know I’m telling the truth. “I’m actually okay with how fast you move. Maybe because I saw it happen with Andie or learned about it after, whatever … I mean, love at first sight happens, right?”

“We’re proof it does.” He kisses me once and then goes back to listening.

“I’m just worried that you won’t like my life back home. That you won’t like my business or my partner or my friends.”

“I’m sure if they’re a part of your life, I’ll love them. How could I not?”

I grimace a little. “They’re not like your friends out here.”

“Good. I need a change,” he says. “Besides, you know I didn’t go to school here. I’m used to big city life.”

“Eugene is big city life?” I know from Andie that’s where his college is, but I never Googled the place to learn anything about it.

“Big enough.” He takes me by the hand and goes down on one knee.

“What are you doing?” I ask, panic taking me over.

“Just trying to see you better,” he says. “Babe, I just want you to be comfortable. If this is too much, too soon, I’ll try to understand.”

I run my hands through his impossibly thick hair and lean over to kiss him on the forehead. I love the smell of him, even after he’s been in a dirty bar, stuck with darts, and then greased up with hospital cleanser.

“No, it’s going to be fine,” I reassure him and myself as best I can. “You can just come to Florida with me and you’ll meet my friends and see my salon and we’ll go from there. Maybe you’ll stay a little while and maybe you’ll just come back home to Baker City and we can be friends.”

My heart nearly breaks just thinking that, but I have to give him that out, that escape hatch. I have to know he’ll walk away if he isn’t happy, because the last thing I’d want is a guy pretending to love me when he doesn’t.

“When can we leave?” he asks.

I laugh. “After I spend some time with my god-daughter and cow baby. I have my ticket to leave in about a week.”

“Fine. A week it is.” He stands and holds out his hand for me to join him. “Ready to go back home?”

“Yep.” Home. I never thought I would consider Baker City my home, but tonight I can definitely see it as a home away from home, especially with Ian in it.

I step out of the ER and into the cold, but I’ve never felt warmer in my life, even when snowflakes cover my hair and shoulders.





Chapter Forty-Five





MY LAST WEEK IN BAKER City flies by. I rarely see Ian, with all the cows dropping babies in the snow, little Candy demanding to be fed all the time, and Andie finally getting some sleep and wanting visitors. Sarah has barely started looking around at things and it’s time for me to go. I’m just a tiny bit stressed to think she hasn’t adequately imprinted on me.