âYou look beautiful.â And that was an understatement. She took his breath away. The more heâd thought about it in the past twenty-four hours, the more he really wanted her to say yes to his idea.
Ben backed the SUV out of the space and headed for the exit that would take them to downtown Blackwater Lake.
âIs there a reason weâre not going to Fireside here at the lodge?â she asked.
He glanced over at her and smiled at her expression. âYes. My criteria for tonight is a locals favorite because itâs always busy.â
âI havenât agreed to this insane charade yet.â
âIâm aware of that. But I think I can win you over.â
âPretty confident, arenât you?â
âPower of positive thinking.â He grinned at her. âPlus whatever your decision, being seen together will keep everyone off balance and that canât hurt.â
âBy âeveryoneâ you mean women.â
âMen talk, too.â He parked and shut off the ignition, then got out and walked around to open the passenger door.
âIâm in so much trouble.â
Ben McKnight sat in the twilight shadows on the rear second-story deck of Blackwater Lake Lodge. The angry blonde whoâd just stomped up the wooden stairs from the lush grounds below obviously was too caught up in her snit to notice him. She continued to mumble to herself as she paced back and forth in front of the redwood railing.
âIs it me?â she grumbled. âDo I attract trouble like black pants pick up pet hair? Or lint? Or fuzzballs? What is my problem?â
Then she lashed out with her foot and connected with one of the sturdy, upright posts anchoring the railing. It was a solid kick and after a few seconds the message traveled to her brain. When it got there, she blurted out, âDamn it! Now my footâs broken.â
Beautiful, angry women who talked to themselves were not in Benâs wheelhouse, but broken bones he knew something about. He stood and walked out of the shadows into the circle of light cast by the propertyâs perimeter lights.
âMaybe I can help.â
She turned and gasped. âGood Lord, you startled me. Where the heck did you come from? I didnât know anyone was here.â
âI figured that. The talking to yourself sort of gave it away.â
âThat happens when you donât want to talk to anyone else.â She limped closer. âWho are you?â
âBen McKnight. Doctor McKnight. Iâm an orthopedic specialist at Mercy Medical Clinic.â
âCall me crazy, but I didnât think it was in a doctorâs job description to scare a person to death.â
âTrue. Do no harm is the cornerstone of the Hippocratic Oath.â
She pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. âThen your bedside manner could use a little work, Doctor.â
âSorry.â He watched her put weight on the foot and wince. âFor the record, I donât recommend kicking things as a communication technique. Especially when youâre wearing four-inch heels. Next time Iâd use my words if I were you.â
âWhat am I? Five?â The tone was full of irritation that seemed completely self-directed. âOkay. That was childish.â
âWould you like me to take a look at the foot?â
âNo. Iâm fine. Completely over it. Iâm calm and tranquil.â
âI could tell,â he said dryly. âAll the pacing, stomping and trash talk were a clear indication that youâre totally in your Zen place.â
âI didnât mean for anyone to see that. Itâs been a bad day and when that happens, I come up here to decompress. Pretty much every night. My serenity spot isnât normally occupied.â
âSince Iâm trespassing, the least I can do is listen.â It would give him a chance to look at her mouth.
âThanks, but I really have nothing to say.â
âAll evidence to the contrary. Look, whether or not you feel like talking, you should probably sit for a few minutes and elevate the foot. There could be swelling.â
âDid you learn that in medical school?â She limped toward the two chairs nestled in the shadow of the lodge.
Ben put his hand under her elbow, mostly to help take some of her weight, but partly to touch her. âActually, thatâs basic first aid. Every coach of every team Iâve been on since I was five has preached ice and heat for an injury.â
âHow many teams have you been on?â
She lowered herself into the Adirondack chair and leaned back with a sigh. There was a matching naturalwood ottoman and he cupped her ankle in his hand, then lifted it, resting it on the flat surface before slipping off her high-heeled shoe.
âA lot.â Ben sat on the ottoman beside hers.
âWhat sports did you play?â
âSoccer. Basketball. Football. My senior year I was on the Blackwater Lake High School team that won state about fifteen years ago.â