Linda Goodnight - A Time To Heal

Seth crouched in front of her chair, bringing with him the woodsy scent of outdoors. Head cocked to one side, he raked her face with hawklike scrutiny. His strong jaw flexed a couple of times and his nostrils flared. She wasn’t sure if he was furious or worried.

A few times over the years, she’d fantasized about seeing him again, but this was one scenario that hadn’t occurred to her. Not even close.

“You okay?” His voice had matured into a gravelly baritone, the gravel probably the result of yelling at people to get down or get their hands in the air. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

If he’d scared her? Who was he kidding?

With a deep cleansing breath, she set the glass onto the tabletop and stiffened her spine. “If this is the way you say hello to old friends, I’d hate to be your enemy.”

The slightest glint of amusement lit his grass-green eyes. “Who said we were friends?”

His dark hair was cut short, but the springy waves that had given him fits in high school were still apparent. Here and there she spotted a single strand of silver amidst the black. She’d always liked his thick, wavy hair though he’d considered it too girly. She wondered if he still did and then inwardly laughed at herself. From wide, powerful shoulders to five-o’clock shadow, there was nothing girly about this new and mature Seth.

Off balance at noticing him at all, Kathryn fired back, “Too bad you never came into the E.R. when I was on duty. I would have stapled your smart mouth shut.”

He laughed then, a bark of sound that bounced off the tiny kitchen walls and straight into Kat’s memory. Seth had grown up tough, but in spite of his troubled home life, he’d been full of fun and laughter. Now she realized the behavior had probably been a coping mechanism. She hoped his adult life had given him real reasons for joy.

“Still the same snooty girl,” he said, which made her grin. She’d been focused, shy and studious, three qualities that some had mistaken for snobbery, including Seth at first.

He pushed to a stand, his six-foot frame towering above her, though she was not petite by any means. “So, how’ve you been, Kat?”

She didn’t want to tell him the truth. That the dreams she’d chased had turned to nightmares. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face, and Kat caught the scratchy sound of day-old beard. “I’m okay. I like the ranger job. The offer came at a time when I was ready for a change.”

Though curious, she didn’t ask if the move had anything to do with his broken marriage. Too many years and tears had flowed by to ask such personal questions. “So you moved back home. I never would have expected that.”

He lifted a uniform-clad shoulder. “Seemed like a good idea after—” He hesitated, and then smooth as a swan on water, redirected the conversation. Regardless, Kat caught his drift. A divorce would have been doubly hard on a steadfast man like Seth.

“Is there a legitimate reason why you decided to break into my house today?” he asked. “Or can I assume the medical field doesn’t pay as well as rumored and you’ve taken to a life of crime.”

She raised both hands to shoulder height. “Am I being interrogated, Officer?”

One corner of Seth’s mouth kicked up, and Kat gave up trying not to notice how attractive he still was. Maybe even more so now. Where he’d been all planes and angles as a teenager, today he was muscular, fit and sturdy with not an ounce of fat on him.

“No interrogation necessary. I caught you red-handed.”

“Would you really have shot me?”

His dark eyes went flat and cold as all the frivolity left him. A shiver danced up Kat’s spine. Criminals must tremble at the sound of his name.

“Probably not, but we have been experiencing some break-ins lately.”

“Susan didn’t mention that.”

“I’ve tried to keep things low-key for the time being. They mostly break in, mess the place up, help themselves to the food and booze, if there is any. A couple of places lost some cash and prescription drugs.”

“That explains your jumpiness.”

“I wasn’t jumpy. If I had been, we would be having this conversation in an ambulance.”

“Ouch. You’re scaring me.”

“Someone needs to. Even if your brother-in-law handles most of the property on the lake, you shouldn’t be going into someone else’s house when they aren’t there.”

“I admit that was pretty stupid. But actually, this is my house and I came over to talk you out of it.”

“This is your cabin?” When she nodded, he pulled a chair around and straddled it, facing her. “Danny didn’t tell me.”

Danny knew the history between Kat and Seth. Maybe he’d thought to let sleeping dogs lie. “Would it have mattered?”

“Nah.” He shook his head. “Should it?”

“Nah,” she said imitating him. “But the lake ranger’s house is down near the public entrance. Why aren’t you living there?”

“The place needed renovations. The last ranger kind of let things go. After living there for a while, I made a deal with the town to have some work done. I pay for this one while they fix that one. And in my spare time I do as much of the work myself as I can.”

“Ahh. Well, since you only need a temporary place, I’m sure Danny can find you something suitable.”

He gave her a funny look. “This place suits me fine.”

“But I’m back and I want my house.”

“I have a lease.”

“For how long?”

“Longer than your vacation.”

“I’m not here on vacation.”

He jacked an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

“I’ve moving back.”

An odd fire backlit his green, green eyes. A fire Kat could not interpret. “As in permanently?”

The familiar ache of indecision started up inside her head. She rubbed at her temples, confused and uncertain. Dr. Kathryn Elizabeth Thatcher was a highly skilled doctor who made decisions about other people’s lives all the time. Why couldn’t she figure out what to do with her own?

“Let’s just say I’m here for some much needed R and R while I figure out some things.”

“That’s what I figured. So why not stay with Susan?”

Why did everyone keep asking her that? “Remember the old saying that fish and friends stink in three days? I’ve been there four.”

Though she’d slept through most of them.

“Then ask Danny to find you a place.”

He was starting to tick her off.

“Seth,” she said as reasonably as possible. “I have a place. This place. Want to see the deed?”

“Want to see my lease agreement?”

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Why are you?”

“This is getting us nowhere.” With a huff, she jumped out of the chair and stalked to the long row of windows, gazed out at the breathtaking view for a moment and then turned to try again. “I’ll pay the rent on another cabin of your choosing.”

“I like it here.”

“I don’t remember you being this difficult.”

His jaw twitched and the fiery glint returned. “Time and experience changes a man, Kat. I’ve learned to fight a lot harder for the things I want.”

Surely he wasn’t referring to their long-ago relationship. They hadn’t seen each other for years, and the man had married someone else.

“It’s only a house, Seth. You can find another.”

“That’s what I keep telling you. Now if you don’t mind…” He let the sentence trail away in cool dismissal.

“You’re not going to give me back my cottage,” she said incredulously.

“Nope. I’m not.” He opened the front door and stood to one side. “Bye Kat. See you around.”

What else could she do? With one final, scathing glance, she gathered her dignity and left.