“Look at her.”
“I am. She’s easy enough on the eyes, if that’s what you mean.”
Stone shot him a shocked look. “She’s like twelve.”
“Actually, I’m more than twice that.” The auburn-haired “twelve-year-old” lifted the stethoscope from Katie’s chest and set it around her own neck, reaching for Katie’s wrist to check her pulse. “I’ll be thirty next week. And are you pouting because I turned you down the other night at Moody’s, or because I beat you down Wilder’s Run?”
Cam lifted a brow in Stone’s direction.
“I didn’t ask you out,” Stone said. “I asked if you wanted a drink. That was me being polite. You weren’t the same in return.”
“Because I said no?”
Stone appeared to grind his back teeth together. “And you didn’t beat me down Wilder. My binding broke.”
“Ah.” Emma was probing the wound on Katie’s head. “Well, then.”
At that, Stone made a noise as if his head had gotten a flat tire.
Cam had no idea what had crawled up his brother’s ass, but he didn’t care. “How is she?” he asked Emma.
“Not concussed.” Emma dug through a black bag and pulled out Steri-Strips, which she used on the gash on Katie’s eyebrow.
“The shoulder?” Cam asked.
“Strained. Icing it will help. Oh, and before I forget”-she tossed a brown bag at Stone-“for your aunt.”
If Cam hadn’t been so concerned about Katie, he might have been amused at the look on his brother’s face. Stone, the middle child, the people person, the peacemaker, didn’t soften or offer his usually charming smile, didn’t work the magic that he usually had in spades when it came to women. Instead, he ignored Emma and came around the couch. “You better?” he asked Katie.
“Yes.” She offered a weak smile. “I’m sorry to be such a PITA.”
“Nah. Now Cam? He’s the pain in the ass around here.” He said this gently, with all his usual charm firmly back in place for her. “But maybe you should stay away from cliffs until you go home on Sunday, what do you think?”
She laughed softly, but Cam didn’t. Because, Jesus Christ, Sunday was almost here. “That’s a really bad day to travel,” he said.
“Why?” Katie asked.
“Because…” Why? “Because there’s always traffic on Sundays.”
Stone gave Cam a shit-for-brains look that said, “Really? That’s the best you got?” before shaking his head in disgust. With one last gentle squeeze of Katie’s hand, Stone straightened and headed for the door.
Emma followed him out.
Which left Cam alone with the patient.
“You know,” she said quietly, staring at the flames rip-roaring in the fireplace. “It’s funny. I should have felt so out of place here.” She turned to him. Her eyes were filled with things that made him swallow hard and feel torn between running like hell and grabbing her tight.
“But it fit,” she said. “Being here fit. I feel so good about that. So damn good. I hope I get as lucky next time.”
Struggling for words, he came closer and sat next to her. “Having you here fit.”
“I’m glad.” She went to stand up, but he held her still.
“I’m sorry, Katie.”
“I’m a big girl. And this was a job. It’s got some nice perks, I’ll admit.” She flashed him a small, tight smile as she pulled free. “But all of that is nearly over now. And I’m ready to move on.”
“Where to?”
“LA first, to visit my parents. Then…” She lifted her shoulder, then winced in pain. “You know, maybe I should let Riley come back early.”
“No, don’t.” He’d done this. He’d pushed and pushed, and she’d given up on him. “Don’t leave early because of me.” He looked into her eyes. “My life’s not ever going to be the same, Katie. I want you to know that. You’ve changed me.”
“How?”
“Well, for one thing, you turned me into this person who tells people how he feels.”
“And how do you feel?”
He tugged at his sweatshirt, sticking to him from the snow. He’d rushed out after her without grabbing his jacket. “A little cold and wet at the moment.”
She didn’t look impressed, and in fact, turned away, but he caught her hand and met her frustrated gaze. “Okay, listen.” He struggled to find the right words. “I feel bad about this morning.”
“Are you referring to when you ran out of my place like a bat out of hell because we had great sex?”
“It was great sex.” He let out a breath. “And, yes, okay, it unnerved me because it was also more.” He paused, thinking she’d be pleased at that admission.
But she wasn’t. In fact, she looked just about the polar opposite of pleased. And something else unusual, she didn’t say a word. That was not a good sign. “Yeah, see, now I sort of thought you’d have something to say about that.”
“Maybe if you’d expanded on that thought, I would.”
He let out a breath. “Expand?” Okay, he was going to run into trouble now. He wasn’t much of an expander. “I just poured out my soul and you want me to go on?”
“Pouring out your soul, Cam, would be telling me a lot more than that you’re unnerved. It would be telling me why, and what that more is.”