Читать книгу Struck By The Texas Matchmakers - Judy Christenberry, Judy Christenberry - Страница 9

Diane stiffened. It was one thing for old friends to question her, but she’d just met this man. Whether she wanted to live in Cactus or not was none of his business. Still, she felt compelled to answer. “You’re wrong. I’m delighted to have found a good job here in Cactus.”

“Didn’t sound like it to me,” he muttered, not looking in her direction.

“You don’t know me.”

“True, but part of a doctor’s job is to pay attention to what’s not being said.”

She stared out the window, trying to ignore him.

Which explained why she heard the sirens at once. She whipped her head around, staring over her shoulder. “That sounds like the fire truck.”

When she’d left Cactus, the town had one fire truck and a volunteer group who tried to protect the town from fire. Had Rick Astin, their local millionaire, also staffed the fire department while she was gone?

“You’re right,” Jeff agreed with a frown, checking his rearview mirror.

The flashing lights appeared behind them and Jeff pulled to the side of the road. The truck sped by.

“What could be on fire?” Jeff muttered as he pulled back onto the road.

“Might be a field,” Diane suggested. “I know we’ve had a lot of rain recently, but things are starting to dry out. A flick of a cigarette is all it would take.”

“I hope that’s it. Otherwise, there might be injuries. I’d better follow them as soon as I drop you at your car.”

Since they were almost to her car, she gathered her purse, ready to get out quickly. “Thanks for the ride.”

“I’ll wait until you’re safely in your car,” he said.

“That’s not necessary. I can—”

“Hurry,” he said, ignoring her words.

The man irritated her, but she did as he asked. Once she was safely locked in her Volkswagen, he sped down the road in the direction the fire truck had taken.

Which also happened to be the direction of her home.

She wondered which of their neighbors was having difficulties. She knew her mother and stepfather would be there offering their assistance, so she’d probably have some time alone when she got home.

The closer she got to her house, however, the more she worried. There was a red glow that indicated the fire—and it appeared to be very close to her place.

When she turned the corner and her childhood home came into view, she discovered it couldn’t be any closer. Her house was on fire.

JEFF WATCHED AS SMOKE continued to rise from the Peters’s home. He’d arrived just after the fire trucks and had soon determined that everyone seemed to have gotten out okay. The firemen, however, were still battling the fire in the back part of the house.

Jeff turned to see Diane’s car reach the house. The car jerked to a stop and she scrambled out, running toward the burning building, screaming, “Mom? Mom?”

He reached her and wrapped his arms around her. “Your family is safe. They’re over here, Diane. Come on, I’ll take you to them.”

His words seemed to work magic over her. She sagged against him, no longer fighting his hold. He led her toward the woman and teenager sitting huddled together on the back of an old pickup.

“Diane!” Margaret Ledbetter shouted as soon as she saw her daughter.

Diane ran into her arms, hugging her and her younger sister. “Mom, is everyone all right? Where’s Jack and Paul?”

“They’re over there, fighting the fire. Dear, it started in your room. All your clothes and—everything is—oh, I’m so sorry. Jack had suggested we check the wiring for the air-conditioning unit we added, but I thought— I’m so sorry.”

He could tell Diane was fighting back tears, but she hugged her family closer. “The important thing is that you’re all safe.”

A few moments later, several cars pulled up near the house. Katie and Gabe Dawson got out of one and Katie rushed to them, comforting and hugging her mother and sisters.

Gabe approached Jeff and asked, “Hell, how did this happen?”

“Margaret was just telling Diane that it was electrical. Something about an older air-conditioning unit they’d just installed in Diane’s room.

“Damn! I should’ve insisted they let me install proper air-conditioning,” Gabe said with a sigh. “But Margaret and Jack don’t want any help.”

Jeff knew Katie’s bakery was doing well, and Gabe was a wealthy businessman, but people around Cactus were proud. Handouts were unacceptable except in dire straits.

Even as the two of them talked, the men who’d worked to put out the fire were packing up their equipment. Jeff and Gabe moved over to speak to them.

“Is it completely out?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah. Jack and his boy had it under control before we even got here,” one of the firemen said.

“Did any of you get injured?” Jeff asked.

“I think Paul had a burn on his arm,” the man who’d spoken earlier said.

Jeff looked for Diane’s younger brother. He’d met him before, a few months back.

“Paul?” Jeff called when he spotted him. “Heard you got burned. Let me look at it,” Jeff said as he made his way over to the younger man.

“Aw, it’s nothing,” Paul assured him.

With a smile, Jeff said, “Humor me. I’ll feel better if I check you out.”

Jack Ledbetter, Paul’s stepfather, came over with a flashlight. “Need some light on the subject?” he asked as he turned it on.

“Yeah, thanks, Jack.” After looking at the burn, Jeff said, “I’ll need to treat it, Paul, and bandage it up so it won’t get infected.”

When Paul started to refuse, Jack said, “Don’t be macho, boy. That’s your throwing arm. How will you support me and your mom in our old age if you can’t play football anymore?”

His accompanying grin was matched by Paul, who reluctantly surrendered himself to Jeff’s care with no more resistance.

“You play football?” he asked.

“I’m on an athletic scholarship at Texas Tech. Ouch!” Paul exclaimed as Jeff touched his burn. His face was already pale, in spite of his pretence of no pain.

“He’s really good,” Jack bragged. “Goin’ to play in the Superbowl someday.”

Jeff smiled. “I’ll expect free tickets in payment, of course.” He led Paul to his vehicle so he could get his medical bag.

As the three of them moved away from the house, the group of women spotted them and dashed across the front yard to meet them at Jeff’s truck.

“What happened? Who’s hurt?” Katie demanded.

“Paul has a minor burn,” Jeff said soothingly. “We’re taking precautions so it won’t get infected.”

The babble of relieved voices and supportive pats on Paul’s shoulders were interesting to Jeff. He’d moved to Cactus for several reasons. One of them was to feel connected again. He was alone, no family. The wealth of emotion this family shared was incredible.

Gabe rejoined them. “How is he?” he asked.

Paul grinned at his brother-in-law. “It’s nothing much. The doc’s being cautious so I won’t sue.” Everyone seemed to notice the slight wobble in the boy’s voice.

Jeff prepared to clean the burn, wishing he didn’t have such a large audience. It was going to be painful for Paul. “Son, this is going to hurt,” he said in a low voice.

Diane overheard him. “Just a minute,” she said softly. “Mom, you and Jack had better get what you need for the night from the house. You, too, Susan. Gabe, can you see if Paul has some clean clothes? And Katie, you’d better help Mom.”

In seconds, only Diane and Paul remained with Jeff.

“Thanks, sis,” Paul muttered. Then he looked at Jeff. “Okay, go ahead.”

Diane helped hold her brother’s arm while Jeff cleaned and covered the wound with salve. Then he began wrapping the arm in gauze. “I’m going to need to see you tomorrow, Paul, to check on this.”

Though the young man was still pale, he’d kept quiet during the process. Now, he cleared his throat and said, “Sure, Doc. I’ll be in tomorrow.”

“I’ll bring him,” Diane added, her hands still comforting her brother.

“Do you want some pills for the pain?” Jeff asked.

Paul said no.

Diane said yes. Before her brother could argue, she added, “Just in case. You’ll feel better if you get a good night’s sleep.”

Jeff took a couple of pills out of his bag and handed them to Diane. “One every four to six hours as needed.” Then he asked, “Where are you going to sleep tonight?”

Diane and Paul looked at each other, but before either could speak, Katie had returned, carrying her daughter, Rachel. “She woke up,” Katie announced. “How’s Paul?”

“All taken care of,” Jeff assured her. “We were just talking about where they would sleep tonight.”

“With us, of course,” Katie said, as if there was no question.

“But you only have one bedroom free, Katie,” Diane said, frowning. “Mom and Jack will take that. I guess we can put Paul on the sofa, and I’ll take the big chair to keep an eye on him, but—”

“I don’t need anyone to watch me,” Paul argued. “And I can sleep here in the barn.”

“We’ll manage,” Katie insisted.

Jeff interrupted. “Look, I’ve got three bedrooms empty. You,” he said, nodding to Diane, “Paul and Susan can stay with me tonight.”

“Oh, no, we can’t—there are other—”

“I’m sure there are,” he said, agreeing with Diane’s protest, “but it’s late. Tomorrow you can make whatever arrangements you want.”

Diane was acting like he wanted them in his home, intruding into his life, which was crazy. He liked living alone. And he wanted no part of Diane in his life. He sure didn’t want to give the local matchmakers any ideas. But this was Cactus and people helped each other here.

“Are you sure you don’t mind, Jeff?” Katie asked. “I’ll admit life is hectic enough since Rachel was born, but if—”

“It will be fine. I’m not a good housekeeper, but the beds are comfortable. And Paul needs to get to bed.”

“I’m fine,” Paul insisted, but Jeff noticed he swayed as he tried to reassure his sisters.

Diane’s arm went around him. “Sure you are, but we’re not going to take any chances. We’ll follow the doctor’s orders to a T.” She started leading Paul to her car.

“I can drive him,” Jeff called.

“No, I’ll drive,” Diane insisted.

He hurriedly gave her directions to his house, since she was determined to get Paul to bed at once.

Gabe, Margaret and Jack joined the group and Katie hastily explained the sleeping arrangements. Jack offered Jeff his hand in gratitude, and Margaret hurried after Diane and Paul to check on her son.

Susan approached with another girl, explaining her friend had invited her to spend the night with her. As soon as Margaret rejoined them and gave her approval, the youngest Peters child rushed away, seemingly unaffected by the night’s events.

“Jeff, are you sure about everyone staying with you?” Katie asked once more.

“I’m sure. The only problem I have is there’s not much food in the house. I usually eat out. But I’ll go shopping in the morning and—”

“Take the food we’ve got here,” Margaret said. “Jack, can you find a sack?”

Jeff started to protest, but Margaret shushed him. “It will go to waste here, and I doubt that Katie needs it. Gabe, can you—”

“Sure, Margaret,” Gabe assured her, turning to follow Jack.

They returned quickly with two grocery bags full. Jack put them in the front of Jeff’s truck. Gabe added another bag of clothes for Paul.

“There’s bacon and eggs and bread, plenty for breakfast, and other stuff,” Jack told Jeff.

“Thanks again. I’d better head on out or Paul and Diane will get there ahead of me.” He shook Gabe and Jack’s hands and nodded to the two ladies. Then he got in and backed out onto the road. Diane had already left, her brother beside her in her car.

When he reached his house, Diane and Paul were waiting in her car. He took his medical bag and unlocked the front door, ushering them in. “We’ll have to make up the beds,” he muttered. He really wasn’t much of a housekeeper. Once a week a lady came in to clean, so it shouldn’t be too bad, but he wasn’t used to guests. “I’ll be right back. I have to bring in the food your mom sent with us so you wouldn’t starve.”

Diane had made Paul sit down at the table. After patting his shoulder, she came after Jeff. “I’ll help.”

“I can get them,” he assured her, but she ignored him and took one of the bags away from him.

Once inside, she said, “I’ll put these away if you’ll find the linens for Paul’s bed.”

He knew she’d already had a long day, but she was emptying the two bags as she spoke. Paul gave him a ragged smile, as if recognizing his confusion. The boy needed to be in bed. With a pain pill, Jeff decided, as he noted the paleness of his face.

Jeff hurried upstairs to locate clean sheets. One bedroom had a king-size bed, like his own. Since he was six foot and Paul already topped him by an inch or two, he chose that bed for the boy. Before he’d gotten half the sheet on, Diane joined him and quickly pulled the other half into place.

“Aren’t you exhausted?” he asked, staring at her.

“I’m fine. Where’s the top sheet?”

He spread it out and Diane tucked in the corners.

“The pillow cases?”

He gave her one and took the other.

“If you’ll find a lightweight blanket, I’ll go down and get Paul.”

Jeff stood there, his hands on his hips as he watched her leave the room. He felt like saluting. Then he shrugged his shoulders. She was doing what had to be done. He shouldn’t complain.

He was spreading out the blanket when Paul and Diane returned. After pulling down the covers, he turned to help them.

Paul’s cheeks flushed, which alarmed him. Was he feverish? “Are you hot, Paul?”

“No, but—but I need to, uh, use the facilities,” the boy said awkwardly.

“Oh, I should’ve thought of that,” Diane exclaimed. “Come on, I’ll—”

“Sis!” Paul protested.

“What?” she asked, staring at him.

“As efficient as you are, Diane, I think Paul can manage on his own,” Jeff said quietly.

“I’m his sister!” she snapped. “I’m afraid he’ll pass out.”

“Di, please,” Paul begged.

“Oh, all right!” she said with a huff.

“Gabe put some of your things in my car,” Jeff added. “Go ahead to the bathroom while I run get them. I’ll find you some clean underwear and a T-shirt to wear to bed.”

Paul nodded, stealing a look at his sister.

Jeff looked, too, knowing Paul’s reluctance to let his sister help him had upset Diane.

She stared at both of them, her expression grim. Then she bent over to finish tugging the blanket into place.

“Where’s the bath?” Paul asked over his shoulder.

“Next door to the right,” Jeff said. Then he hurried downstairs.

When Paul was in bed, having swallowed the pain pill with no argument, Jeff and Diane left his room.

“If you’ll show me where the rest of the linen is, I’ll make my bed,” she said.

“I’ll help,” Jeff insisted. He could see the lines of weariness in her pale face.

“No! I don’t need you to take care of me. It’s enough that you’ve taken us in and doctored Paul.”

He recognized her stubborn pride and gave in to its demand. Opening the hall closet, he took out the sheets and a blanket and then escorted her to his third bedroom. It was smaller and had a full-size bed, a dresser and one bedside table. A bare room.

“Sorry it’s not very—” He shrugged his shoulders, unable to come up with a word to describe the room.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

“If you need anything, let me know.”

“I won’t need anything.”

She shut the door, managing a small smile before it closed completely.

He stood there, thinking about Diane Peters. She appeared to be a woman in control, like his wife. Only Jeff’s wife had given all her time to her work, leaving little time or attention for their marriage. Is that how Diane would be—if she ever married?

He spun on his heel and strode to his bedroom. He needed to put Diane Peters out of his head. Her tired hazel eyes, her sagging shoulders, her mussed dress that so faithfully followed her trim figure, the blond hair that added to her beauty drew Jeff, but she was going to be a career woman.

The last thing he needed.

JEFF WASN’T SURPRISED when he awoke later than usual around eight the next morning—he’d gotten up several times to check on Paul. What awakened him, however, was a surprise. The scent of fresh coffee and crisp bacon wafted up the stairs. Half awake, he imagined a picture-perfect breakfast scene, a lovely blonde standing by the stove, a dainty white apron tied around her waist. The table was set, a small vase of flowers in the center, orange juice at every plate.

In his half dream, the woman turned around and he was staring at Diane Peters. Immediately, he came fully awake, lunging upright, his eyes popping open. What was he thinking?