“Fine, show me these exercises and I’ll give them a whirl.”
“Hey,” she tossed out, leading him over to the pulleys. “It’s not my fault you were reckless enough to chase after rustlers by yourself. I wasn’t even here when you behaved so foolishly.”
At the reminder, Connor reached out and took her arm, turning her to face him. “About that morning at my place, Tam, you’ve never let me apologize in person and…” Before he could finish, she pulled from his light clasp and stepped back, her eyes cutting to his in a quick glance filled with chagrin and then sliding away again.
“Water under the bridge, Con. You don’t need to say anything. I accepted your texted apology, several of them, if you’ll recall. Now, why don’t you try a few stretching maneuvers using this pulley? Concentrate on moving straight up and then all the way down. If it becomes too uncomfortable, stop. I need to check the rest of my schedule for today.”
Instead of following her instructions, he took hold of her stubborn chin and turned her to face him again. Tilting his head, he asked, “I didn’t like it and I get why you avoided seeing me after I blew up at you, but why wouldn’t you talk to me after your father’s funeral?”
She sucked in a deep breath, her lips tightening before she replied, “I was a mess, Con, devastated, grief-stricken and not thinking straight. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
He didn’t want to dredge up painful memories for her and drew on a fonder memory to lighten the sudden tension between them. Releasing her soft chin, he drawled, “That wasn’t the first time I saw you when you were a crying mess. I helped then.”
“Yes, well I’m not a seventeen-year-old whose prom date turned out to be a groping jerk,” she countered with a small smile. It was her turn to cock her head as she asked, “Did I ever mention when I saw Billy Wilcox at school a few days later he’d been sporting a black eye?”
“You don’t say. Let’s hope he learned his lesson and kept from walking into any more doors. Let’s do this.” He nodded to the pulleys.
Connor’s mention of that day at his barn and then when they’d seen each other last year shook Tamara; she hadn’t expected him to bring those days up, didn’t want him to resurrect either painful episode. She’d been having enough trouble remaining both friendly and professional due to the shock of his unexpected presence. Their reunion had been inevitable, she’d known that, but even so, she still wasn’t prepared for the impact of that searing blue gaze warming at the sight of her or her body’s quick response to his nearness, to the feel of his strength under her hands.
Keeping one eye on his efforts at the pulley, she scanned the schedule, relieved to see the busy day ahead. With luck, concentrating on her new patients would keep her mind occupied enough to put off fretting over how she would ever get on with her life if she couldn’t get past this infatuation without relinquishing a friendship she cherished. The hardest part about being away these past few years had been refusing to see Connor. At the time, she’d thought severing all communication with him had been the key to letting go of her hopes for a different kind of relationship with the man she shared a special bond with. Time, distance and allowing another man into her life had proved her wrong and it was disappointing to learn how poorly that sacrifice had failed. Her father’s unexpected death was just one regret that showed her here was where she needed to be, where she now knew she wanted to stay.
Despite his weakened condition, Connor’s deltoid and triceps brachii muscles still bulged under his light blue denim shirt as he worked through the stretching exercises. The muscled bulk he had amassed working the ranch would aid in his recovery, and she didn’t doubt he would be up to par in no time and wouldn’t require too many appointments with her.
A light sheen of perspiration spread over his tanned face as he grimaced with the last three repetitions. Shaking her head at his bullheadedness, she returned to his side and put her hand on his arm, halting the stretch in motion.
“I said to stop if it became too uncomfortable. You will do more damage than good if you push too hard.”
“I’m fine,” he returned with a touch of irritation.
Pushing to his feet, Connor’s towering, broad-shouldered height of six-foot-three dwarfed her smaller, ten-inch shorter frame and sent a rush of familiar heat through her. His nearness had always given her a sense of comfort and safety, but it hadn’t been until the summer she turned twenty that she experienced a pleasurable warmth from his closeness and the tenderness in his gaze to go along with those feelings for the first time. It was disconcerting to learn running away hadn’t shaken the
m and time proved to be as ineffective.
Stepping back, Tamara returned to her desk and flipped through the schedule book. “We can do a follow-up next Monday morning, same time, if that works for you.” That would give her a week to come to terms with her continued desire for a man who refused to regard her as anything more than the neighbor girl he was fond of.
“I can do that.” Picking up his Stetson off the desk, he put it on and leveled his intent, probing gaze from under the lowered brim on her long enough to make her uncomfortable.
“What?” she snapped when he said nothing else.
Shaking his head, a rueful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I was wondering where the years went. Wasn’t it just yesterday you were a scared, gangly kid sliding off your first horse?”
“No, it wasn’t. Twenty years have passed, Con, and I’m no longer a kid, haven’t been for years now,” she reminded him, for what little good it would do.
“But you’re still young, and refreshingly innocent. I like that about you, sweetie.”
Narrowing her eyes, she bit off, “Don’t call me that.” At his puzzled frown, she added, “It’s not professional.”
Another slow smile swept across his face and tightened the knot in her stomach. “Since when are we on a professional basis? Besides,” he pivoted, tossing over his shoulder as he strode toward the door, “that’s what I call all the girls.”
“I know.” Tamara assumed her whispery sigh fell on deaf ears as he walked out with a wave the same cocky grin and twinkle in his blue eyes that had turned her adolescent crush into a raging hormonal lust-fest the first time he aimed it her way and she’d been old enough to know what the clutch between her legs meant. That was her Connor, careless and carefree, and happy to stay that way. She’d grown up but doubted he ever would, or even wanted to.
Tamara did her best to put him out of her mind as she spent the rest of the day getting to know her patients and the staff at Willow Springs medical facility. She couldn’t count how many times her over-protective father had rushed her to an emergency care clinic in Billings long before their small town boasted their own. Once she’d grown comfortable in the saddle and had fallen in love with the entire equine species, there had been no keeping her off horses. Her daredevil stunts earned her reprimands and hugs from her dad, rueful shakes of her stepmother’s head and a few lectures from Connor as he gave her lessons on how to master the feat that sent her toppling off.
The first ten years of her life were marred by sadness and loneliness because of her mother’s neglect, but the second decade made up for it. She had entered her twenties with a thrilling bang, falling head over heels in love and lust with her friend and oftentimes rescuer. But the last few years had been fraught with devastating pain and heartbreak that had begun with the rift between her and Connor and had escalated last year with her father’s death.
While she drove home that afternoon happy about reconnecting with Connor again, the resurrection of her strong feelings reinforced her determination to find a way to get him out of her system once and for all. If she could just figure out how to do that.
After completing a few errands around town, Connor entered Dales Diner at noon. One whiff of Ed and Clyde’s cooking emanating from behind the long counter improved his already upbeat mood. Even though the workout Tam had put him through left his shoulder throbbing more than usual, he was so pleased the two of them had reconnected and agreed to put that last harmful incident behind them it was easy to ignore the aching soreness that irritated him. After hearing about her return, he’d guessed she was the new physical therapist and refrained from hightailing it over to the Dunbar ranch yesterday to put their relationship back together. He figured she wouldn’t be able to avoid him at the clinic as easily as at home.