****
The remainder of the day passed quickly. Flint spent his time checking in with Jesse and Sam while Kendra counseled anxious clients through various animal emergencies. In between calls, they sat on the couch together and talked about anything and everything. Without the distraction of a television or books, there was nothing left to do in the cabin to ease the awkwardness of the silence but to entertain each other.
By the end of the day, the thought occurred to Kendra that she hadn’t spent so much time getting to know another man in a long time. Most of the dates she had been on the past few years had been centered around movies, sporting events, or even dinner in a fancy but very quiet restaurant, none of which were conducive to intimate conversations.
To her surprise, Flint was funny and had a wicked sense of humor that she found irresistibly attractive. He entertained her with stories of the crew and their various misfortunes with the old ladies in their lives. She could listen to him talk for hours with his deep Southern drawl with a touch of Tennessee twang.
The time passed quickly. When nightfall came, Kendra realized they would need to discuss sleeping arrangements. The cabin was tiny, with only a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a living area. From the bare furnishings, it was obvious the owner only used it as a hunting retreat rather than a vacation home.
After being forced to sleep sitting up in the recliner the night before, she wasn’t eager to try it again. Being the alpha male he was, she knew Flint would readily give up the couch for her to sleep on.
She walked into the living room where he was busy stoking the fire for the night. “Flint, I hate to be a party pooper,” she began. “But I’m exhausted and need to get some shut eye before I fall over.”
“I’m sorry for keeping you up all night.” Flint moved toward the couch. “Here, let’s pull the sofa bed out for you,” he said. “I saw some sheets for it while I was prowling around in the closet by the door.”
A sofa bed? Well, that made sense, especially since there wasn’t a separate bedroom. “I didn’t know it made out into a bed,” Kendra said. “You would have been much more comfortable last night if I’d known that.”
He let out a rueful laugh. “Don’t worry, I was comfortable enough with all those pain pills. Or at least I think I was from what I can remember.”
Kendra sucked in her breath. Oh God! Please don’t let him bring up the kiss again, she prayed. Together, they took the cushions off the couch and pulled out the bed frame. After retrieving the sheets from the closet, Kendra made the bed up.
“I’ll sleep in the recliner chair tonight,” Flint said to ease the awkwardness. “You’ve had your turn.”
Kendra was too tired to argue. After changing into a long flannel shirt that hung almost to her knees, she crawled under the blanket.
Flint turned off the lamp and pulled his chair closer to the fire. “What is your family like?” he asked in the dark.
“They’re great,” Kendra replied. “My mom and dad dote on each other. He retired last year from the textile mill where he worked his entire life. My mom is a stay-at-home mother and she spent her life taking care of all of us. I have two older sisters who still try to boss me around. They all live right across the state line in North Carolina.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It is. My parents sacrificed a great deal for me to go to veterinarian school. They always encouraged me not to give up even though money was so tight. Many times I almost dropped out. My parents are the best. I wish you could meet them.” The thought slipped out before she could catch herself. Oh crap! Did she really just say that?
“Me too,” Flint replied softly. “Me too, Kendra.”
“My dad took a second mortgage out on their house to loan me the money to buy into the vet practice. Dr. Henson wanted to retire and he preferred someone local to take over his clients. There aren’t a lot of veterinarians willing to work in a small country practice so I got lucky. I went on every vet visit with Dr. Henson for two years before he trusted me enough to turn the business over.”
“I remember Dr. Henson,” Flint said. “He was a good man.”
“Still is. He comes by the clinic every so often to check on me.” Kendra tried and failed to stifle a big yawn.
“You’d better get some sleep. No more questions from me tonight.”