It was the mural, the note from Dr. Lee and several more pages stapled together. “The commission?”
She nodded, holding up the picture, then looking at the wall.
He sat, holding the pizza box in his lap. “You thinking about it?” He pulled a slice of pizza out, waiting, nervous.
She glanced at him, the picture, the wall, then him again. “You said it—the only guarantee in my future is uncertainty. I guess...” She swallowed, looking at the picture in her hands. “I guess I’m toying with the idea of staying. For a while, maybe.”
“Good plan,” he managed, taking a huge bite of pizza before his smile revealed how happy she’d just made him.
She turned to him. “It’s a lovely idea. The mural, I mean.”
He nodded. “You ready for that tour?” he asked,
grabbing another slice and standing. “Might help you make up your mind about the mural.” And staying.
She tucked all the papers back into an envelope. “Lead on doctor.”
And he did. They toured the exam rooms, the pre-op area, the post-op area, the operating rooms, the lecture halls—pretty much anything that would impress her, he showed her. The hospital was just as big a part of his life as the ranch, and her opinion mattered. And then he pulled out the big guns.
“These are Mars’s puppies.” He pointed to the three pups wiggling around on a heat pad wrapped in soft blankets.
“Poor little things.” Jo’s forehead creased. “Think they’re looking for their mom?”
He smiled. “That blanket belongs to Mars. They’re getting plenty of mama-scent and not having to fight to eat. Bottle-fed pups have it easy.”
“Where’s mom?”
“She’ll be sleeping for a while. If she’s all right, we’ll put them with her for a while tomorrow. We’ll just wait and see.” He reached into the box, cradling one of the pups in his hand. “She’ll do better with her babies around her.” He assessed the puppy, turning it over, lifting its head, running his fingers over the small stomach and smiling when it whimpered.
“Pass inspection?” Jo asked, watching him. Her eyes seemed to make note of everything he did without revealing a thing.
He set the puppy back on the mat. “This wasn’t what I had planned for tonight.”
“So I shouldn’t be flattered you arranged all this—” she pointed at the puppies “—for me.”
He stepped closer. “Is that what you’re feeling? Flattered?” Her cheeks turned a rosy red and hope bloomed in his chest. He reached up, pulling the pencils from her hair. It tumbled around her shoulders.
She held his gaze, her voice husky. “What are you up to, Dr. Boone?”
“Kissing you,” he answered, cupping her face in his hands.
Her breath hitched before she stepped in toward him, tilting her head back.
He bent his head, his mouth finding hers, sealing them together. He groaned and pulled her against him. Her curves made thought impossible, but he could hear alarm bells ringing in his head. He softened his kiss, keeping it tender, gentle and teasing.
Before he lost himself to the feel of her, he stepped back and drew air deep into his lungs. “It’s late,” he whispered. But the sight of her made the fire in his stomach burn higher. Her eyes were still closed, her face still angled for his kiss. “Jo?”
Her eyes opened, heavy-lidded and dazed.
He pulled her back against him. One hungry look was all it would take to make him forget about going slow. His arm kept her close while his fingers traced the side of her face. “I should get you home.” He needed to say it, out loud, so he’d do it.
She blinked in confusion. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she put some space between the two of them. She took his hand in hers and nodded.
* * *
“THANKS FOR THE RIDE,” Dara said, climbing out of Josie’s little red rental car.
“Thank you for all your hard work.” Jo put the car in Park. “Dad’s cookies always taste good, but I don’t think they’ve ever looked so pretty. I know people will be really impressed at the parade, Dara.”