Chapter 20
Despite being flattened by Hurricane Vaughn, Mariah felt super duper fabulous as she trudged through a never-ending day of work on Friday.
Truthfully, a lot of the collapse of the Very Good Night had to do with her hang-ups, where her past and her past relationships were concerned. Poor guy had no idea about the minefield he'd wandered into and pretty much got caught in the blast zone.
But his mixed messages didn't help, either. He was right: he needed to get a grip on his seesawing emotions. And he needed to get a grip on his past and stop it from affecting the future. Or the present.
They were a hot mess separately, but together?
She had an inkling about his past mistakes, so that was exhibit A. Then last night's sexy not-sex served as exhibit B. Guy went out of his way to help out, protected her from moron ranchers with guns, provided light counseling duties, and then spent the night letting her use him as a security blanket.
What woman wouldn't be all goo-goo eyed over that tender scenario?
A woman with massive abandonment and confinement issues, that's who.
Granted, she had good reason for her personal issues. But her history wasn't anything she'd project on her worst enemy, much less a warm, delicious-smelling, hard-muscled rancher. Who fit perfectly into worn jeans.
Mariah sighed as her ovaries squirmed. Down, girls. She had strict parameters for what she did and did not require from an acceptable partner, and not sticking around town removed Vaughn from the checklist early.
She turned back to the computer and clicked on her patient list. A few more people to see and then she could take her coworkers up on the offer to get drinks after office hours. Working tomorrow's local MMA bout would bring a nice change of pace to this bizarre week.
Pushing open the exam room door, she brightened at the sight of her next two patients.
"Hi, Shelby. Eric. How are you two doing?"
"Feeling great. When can I drive again?" The bruises on half of Eric's face moved as he talked, making an interesting light purple, green, and yellow rainbow.
Shelby elbowed him and squinted. "If you can drive, then I can drive."
"You have bolts of metal attached to your leg. Besides, you still can't see," he protested.
"Hey, I can see a lot better than a few days ago. Besides, you're not a doctor." She shot him an impish smile with a lift to her chin.
"You know, I can be. If you're lucky." He winked at her.
"Dude. Here? Seriously?" A corner of Shelby's mouth quirked as she raised a shoulder. "Sorry," she said to Mariah. "Head injury and all. He doesn't know what he's saying." She shifted in her seat, readjusting the leg with the external fixator, and groaned.
The sound flipped Eric's flirty grin into a tight grimace, and he wrapped a hand around her shoulder.
Mariah's chest twisted in on itself. She cleared her throat. "So, tell me how things have been going since you both left the hospital."
Shelby's vision had improved to the point where she could see blurry faces. Mariah unwound the bandage from the metal and pins around Shelby's lower leg, checking the wound edges and the stability of the external fixator frame. The ex-fix would stay on for another week or so until orthopedics removed it and readjusted the internal hardware. For now, there was no evidence of infection, thank goodness.
Eric passed his neurologic tests with flying colors. Per the specialist's recommendations, he had to stay on light duty, with no driving for another week until Mariah could retest him. One look at Shelby's fierce scowl, and he closed his mouth on whatever he was about to say.
"Need help getting out to the car?" Mariah asked.
"No, my brother's in the waiting room."
"Vaughn?" Heat climbed her neck as the word escaped before she could stop it.
Shelby smiled like a Cheshire cat. Mariah groaned to herself.
"No. Kerr's doing the driving today." An eyebrow rose. "Vaughn's at the fight weigh-in tonight."
"Weigh-in?" A weird prickle walked down her spine. No.
"The MMA bout in Lander tomorrow. Poor guy turned himself inside out this morning trying to make the last bit of weight."
One: How did Mariah not pick up the clues that he was an MMA fighter going to that fight?
Because he had focused on Mariah during their conversations.
Two: Why did he have to make weight at the last minute?
Because he had been helping Mariah with the house call and ministering to her neuroses. Great. The guy had spent time he didn't have helping her out.
Tucking her tail between her legs and slinking into the corner sounded really good right about now.
Oh no. She would have to see him tomorrow night. It had to be the same event. Her pulse skipped a beat. Hey, it wasn't her fault that she didn't know he was a local fighter. She had only been working the Wyoming fights for the past few months. Still learning the various local characters. Like Linc McDowell.
Who she would also have to see. She shuddered.
Time to don the professional armor.
The beats in her chest finally slowed down. She pasted a bland smile on her face. "That sounds interesting." Interesting? Who the hell said interesting? Like a bug collection interesting? Or maybe a car accident on the side of the road where the EMS crew had to use the freakin' Jaws of Life interesting?
Shelby flicked her gaze toward Mariah as a ghost of a smirk lit her face. "So are we okay to get on out of here?" She balanced on one leg and fitted the crutches under her arms.
Eric hovered until Shelby glared at him and he backed off. Then she flashed a big grin at Mariah. "Have to keep the men off-balance." She tilted her head toward him. "Don't let them know you're into them or they'll want to get all squishy and caveman on you."
Mariah's mouth gaped. "What?"
"Squishy?" Eric crossed his arms. "I'm head injured. I have zero memory of anything I might or might not have said to you in the past."
"Don't worry. I'll remind you of all the sappy stuff you said, dude." She shook her head, moving the wild orange curls. "See you later, Dr. West." She slowly made her way out of the exam room.
Behind her back, Eric circled his temple with a finger and mouthed sorry. Then he shrugged and followed her out the room.
Mariah might as well have given Shelby her journal. Was nothing private in this town?
Had Shelby been talking to Vaughn? Unlikely. That guy didn't strike her as the sharing type, even with his family.
She shook her head as she went into the next exam room.
Tomorrow night she'd see Vaughn again. Chances were, he wouldn't be thrilled by her presence.
Yay. Something to look forward to.
The drinks after work tonight with friends had ceased to be optional. Mariah was going to need them.