The Doctor Wears A Stetson (Contemporary Western Romance) (3 page)

Cameron quickly stepped away, and Jessie
wondered whether he was also feeling the electricity crackling
between them.

"It's been one hell of a trip," he continued
smoothly, slipping his cell phone from his belt. "I blew a tire
early this afternoon and wasted two hours getting that taken care
of. And now the damn car is overheating. I'll have it hauled to
Lubbock tomorrow. Dallas or Tyler can pick me up tonight." He
started punching in numbers on his phone.

"Don't call your brothers," Jessie said. "I
can drive you out to the ranch. It's on my way home." She didn't
know why she'd offered, but when he smiled, her heart revved up a
notch and alarm bells clamored in her brain, reminding her of the
danger of Cameron's smile.

At eighteen, he had been boyishly
good-looking. Now he absolutely stole her breath away. Tall and
powerfully built, he had broad shoulders and a muscular neck. The
wavy brown hair, strong jaw line, and hint of dimples when he
smiled . . . oh yes, a deadly combination.

Cameron hooked the phone back on his belt.
"I'd sure appreciate a lift to the ranch, if it's not too much
trouble. I really hate to bother Dallas. He's probably already in
bed, since he wakes up before dawn."

"No trouble," Jessie said. "You can pull
your car into the garage, and we'll get you to the ranch in no
time." She ran to the office, shut down her computer, grabbed her
keys and locked the door.

While Cameron parked the Jaguar, Jessie sat
and waited in her old Ford pickup truck.
Cameron McCade
. She
still couldn't believe it. Since leaving for college, he'd only
returned once or twice a year to visit his family at the
Diamondback Ranch. He'd stopped by her station a handful of times
to buy gas, but hadn't come near her in the last few years. She'd
often wondered why.

Jessie gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Cameron McCade had been the golden boy in high school. Everyone in
town had admired him, herself included. He'd been three grades
ahead of her and completely out of her league.

Jessie's thoughts flittered away when
Cameron climbed in the pickup and set a duffle bag on the seat
between them. "I locked the garage doors," he said, buckling his
seat belt. "The Jag should be safe."

She nodded, trying not to hyperventilate
from Cameron's close proximity. "I'm sure it would have been okay
where it was," she said. "But a car like that attracts a lot of
attention, and I wouldn't want to tempt anyone."

She shifted gears and started down the main
drag. The street and stores of the tiny town were deserted, with
only a couple of cars parked under the water tower. A group of
teenagers stood talking and laughing. Everyone else had closed shop
and gone home.

"Some things never change," Cameron said.
"Doesn't seem that long ago, it was me talking and joking with
friends under the water tower."

"It's always been a popular hangout."
Although, Jessie had never hung out there. Then again, she'd never
been one of the popular ones.

Soon the lights of Salt Fork were behind
them. Darkness surrounded the truck on the lonely highway. The
domed night sky spread from horizon to horizon heavily sprinkled
with tiny pinpoints of light. The full moon hung suspended against
the blackness, huge and yellow and bright.

Cameron leaned forward and stared out the
windshield. "Damn, the stars are beautiful. You can't see near this
many in Houston. The lights from the city make it impossible."

Was that regret she heard in his voice?
"Just one of the many benefits of living out in the middle of
nowhere," she said.

"You enjoy living here, don't you?"

"It's my home. And yes, I do enjoy living
here. Unlike you." Good lord, had she really said that out
loud?

"Yeah, unlike me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Jessie saw
Cameron frown and try to stretch his legs, but there wasn't room.
He settled by leaning his head against the glass of the rear
window. "It's good to be back, though," he said.

"You've been gone a long time."

"Too damned long."

Again Jessie thought he sounded regretful.
"It's been over a year since you've visited the ranch. Ruth sure
has missed you."

"I know. Mom's been on my case big time. I
usually don't wait so long between visits, but this past year has
been hectic and I just couldn't get away."

Jessie kept her eyes on the road, trying to
ignore the cramped confines of the truck. Every breath she drew
filled her lungs with Cameron's masculine scent, the musky
aftershave that had embedded itself in her brain a long time ago.
She tried not to inhale too deeply.

"Ruth told me you were busy at the hospital
and were up for a promotion. Seems like all of your plans have
worked out."

Cameron shifted in the seat. Jessie sensed
his pent-up energy, that restlessness that had haunted him all his
life.

"I got the promotion--"

"That's wonderful!" Jessie said, wondering
at his lack of enthusiasm. "Congratulations. You've worked hard for
it, I know."

"I've worked my ass off. If I decide to
accept it, I'll be working even harder."

"
If?
" Jessie asked, not believing her
ears. "Why in the world would you hesitate? It's what you've
wanted, isn't it? Ruth keeps me up to date on you and your
progress. She's very proud of you. Wow. Head surgeon at M.D.
Anderson. That's a big accomplishment, Cameron."

He dragged a hand over his face. "Yeah,
thanks."

Cameron didn't say anything more and Jessie
glanced at him, then away. "So . . . I'm guessing you're here for
Ruth's birthday?"

He took a deep breath and once more tried to
adjust his position on the hard bench of the truck. "Good guess.
It's the big six-o. Couldn't miss that, now could I? Mom's party
promises to be the party to end all parties, if Tori has her
way."

Jessie smiled. "Your sister usually gets her
way, doesn't she?"

Cameron smiled back. "Yeah, she does. You
going to be there?"

His low sexy voice oozed slowly over Jessie
like motor oil on a piston cylinder. She was aware of his eyes on
her, looking her over. Oh yes, the man was dangerous, his smile
lethal.

"Of course, I'll be there. Your mother
invited me a couple of weeks ago when she brought her car in for
inspection. She didn't mention anything about you coming home,
though."

Cameron shrugged. "I didn't know if I could
get away from the hospital until a couple of days ago."

"Is that when you found out about the
promotion?"

He nodded. "My boss--the man I'd be
replacing, my mentor--insisted I take time off to think about it
and decide. It's a big step."

"And one you're not sure you want to
take?"

"Sounds crazy, doesn't it?"

"You never were one to jump into anything
without a lot of planning."

"I've always been the man with the
plan."

"That's what they called you in high
school," Jessie said.

"Just like they called you
grease-monkey."

Jessie smiled at the old nickname.
"Right."

"But I understand that's not all you've been
doing," he said. "Mom keeps me updated about you, too. I hear
you're on the Chamber the Commerce. The president, no less."

"I got elected last year. More like coerced.
It was a unanimous decision."

"Hey, that's great. You really are involved
in the community."

And why wouldn't she be? "This is home,
Cameron. Salt Fork may be a small town, but I want it to be the
best it can be. I sit on the city council, too. That's how I'm
getting the new medical facility built here. Did Ruth tell you
about the clinic?"

"She mentioned something about it."

"Maybe while you're here, I can give you a
tour. I could use your opinion about a few things."

"Sure, Jess. I'll help anyway I can."

When he called her 'Jess' in that deep
baritone of his, her tummy fluttered like when she was a kid. She
gripped the steering wheel tighter. "How long are you staying?"

"Only until Monday. I have to get back to
Houston. I don't have the luxury of more than a few days off at a
time."

"Definitely not one of the perks of being a
busy surgeon."

He swiped his hand through his hair. "You
would not believe."

"But you like being a doctor?"

"Yes, very much. How about you? Still enjoy
working at the garage?"

She smiled. "Yes, I do."

"I'm sure your dad would have been proud of
you. Keeping the family business going. I know you must miss
him."

Jessie nodded. "Desperately sometimes, even
though it's been--gosh, eight years. But he was ready to go. He'd
been fighting the cancer for a long time. At least I had time to
say goodbye. Your dad died so unexpectedly, you didn't have the
chance."

"Yeah. It's damned hard to lose a parent.
Makes you think about things. Makes you appreciate the parent who's
left."

Jessie shook her head. "I wouldn't know
about that. I barely remember my mom."

"Damn, Jess. I'm sorry. I spoke without
thinking."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it."

He adjusted his position on the seat again.
"I was sorry to hear about TR's accident."

Jessie swallowed a lump in her throat at the
mention of her dead husband. Sorrow, mixed with guilt and regret. A
whole lot of guilt and a whole lot of regret. "I still can't
believe he's gone. It's been almost two years."

"You seem to be holding up all right.
Keeping busy and all."

"Helps keep my mind off things." She took a
deep breath. "Can I ask you a question, Cameron?"

"Sure. Ask away."

"Are you ever sorry you left Salt Fork? Do
you miss the ranch? Don't you miss your family?"

"That's three questions, not one," he said
with a smile.

"Math was never one of my strong suits." If
it were, maybe she'd be able to crunch the numbers on the
spreadsheets better. Only it wasn't the math that was the problem,
it was the lack of funds. Best not to think about that right
now.

"No, your strong suit has always been cars
and engines," Cameron said.

"And don't forget tractors."

"Oh right, can't forget the tractors."
Cameron was silent for a moment. "But what about writing? Weren't
you going to go to college? Study journalism or something?"

How did he remember that?
She
remembered every detail of prom night--every word spoken, every
kiss shared--but she hadn't expected Cameron to remember.

"Dad got sick my senior year. I couldn't go
off and leave him," she said. "So I stayed and took care of him,
drove him to Abilene for chemo treatments and kept the garage
running. The medical bills were astronomical. I'm still trying to
pay the last of them off. By the time it was all over, I was
twenty-four. Too old to go to college or so I thought. Besides, I
had the garage to consider."

"And that's when you married TR Devine."

He made it sound like she'd committed a
mortal sin or something. And in a way, maybe she had. "TR was a
tremendous help during Dad's illness."

"A good reason to marry someone. He was a
lot older than you. Did you love him?"

Jessie felt like Cameron had slapped her.
She'd thought he couldn't hurt her anymore. Boy, was she wrong.

"Of course, I loved him. But this isn't any
of your business, is it?" she said, lifting her chin and gathering
her defenses. She'd loved TR in a quiet, respectful kind of way.
"And he wasn't much older. Only ten years."

"Ten years. That's quite an age
difference."

She shrugged. "Like I said, it really is
none of your business."

Cameron raked his fingers through his hair
again. "You're right. I was out of line. I apologize."

They drove in silence along the highway for
several minutes. Jessie wondered at the tone of Cameron's voice. He
sounded angry . . . almost . . . jealous. But how could that be?
He'd certainly touched her young heart, the night of the prom. But
she didn't think for a minute she'd touched his. He hadn't been
able to leave Salt Fork fast enough after graduation.

Turning off the pavement onto a dirt road,
Jessie kept the truck steady, deftly avoiding the deep ruts in the
gravel surface. The headlights showed old tumbleweeds piled high
against the barbwire fences, standing at attention like sentinels
guarding the way.

The truck dipped as they crossed a gully and
Cameron grabbed his bag before it fell to the floor. "Damn, this
road is bad," he said.

Jessie dodged several loose tumbleweeds,
hitting one or two that she couldn't avoid. "Probably something you
haven't missed, huh?"

"No, I definitely don't miss the dirt
roads."

"So what do you miss? You never answered my
questions."

"Oh, I've missed a few things."

"Like what?"

"The clean fresh air, the Double Mountains,
the stars at night and . . ."

Cameron turned his head, and she felt his
eyes sweep over her. The cab of the truck seemed to grow smaller,
more intimate. Jessie's body hummed with expectation. "And what?"
she asked softly. "What else do you miss?"

He looked out the window again. "My family.
I've definitely missed my family."

So much for expectations. "Do you ever
regret leaving?"

"I'm not sorry I went away to college. And
I'm certainly not sorry about becoming a doctor, if that's what you
mean. I enjoy living in Houston, for the most part. What I do
regret is not coming home more often. I missed seeing my dad,
missed saying goodbye, like you said. Mom's not getting any younger
either. I wish I'd made more time to see her."

"Well, you're here now," Jessie said.
"Ruth'll be ecstatic."

Turning off the road, they passed beneath
the gates of the Diamondback Ranch, sixty-four hundred acres of
prime farm and ranch land. Soon, the barns and ranch house came
into view.