Perfect Stranger (Serendipity's Finest 2.50)

She let out a Texas whoop. “I’m proud of you! So what else did you and Sawyer do? Pick up any hot chicks while you were there?”

Luke weighed just how much to tell her, then decided to go for broke. He needed to talk about it and Ash needed the distraction from her own life. “Cleaned out Sawyer’s dad’s house, though I think he’s gonna do some work on the place and keep it instead of selling. And, yeah, I met someone.”

Ashley sat up and turned in her seat, her eyes slitted as she stared at him.

“What?” he asked, uncomfortable under her narrowed gaze.

“I asked if you and Sawyer picked up any hot chicks. You countered with I met someone. Big difference. What gives?”

Luke glanced up at the cloudless sky. “Been asking myself that same question since I laid eyes on Alexa.”

“What makes her special?”

Luke could list a million things, but the ones that came to mind were too personal for him to share, even with his sister. Like Alexa’s stunning vulnerability. For a doctor who held lives in her hands, she’d been manipulated her entire life and didn’t know her own self-worth. He’d tried to give her that in a few short days, then he’d invited her out here, and when she didn’t jump at the chance like the other women in his life—the women who meant nothing to him and who he easily left behind—he threw those insecurities in her face and told her she needed to figure out what she wanted.

Nice of him, he thought, with no small amount of regret and an even healthier dose of self-directed disgust.

“Oooh, silence,” Ashley said with a grin on her previously sad face. “You’re in deep and you can’t even say why. You’ve fallen hard!” She clapped her hands in glee, suddenly back to being the sister who liked to tease him when they were kids. “I want to meet this girl.”

No chance of that, Luke thought, frustrated. “Cool it,” he muttered, instead of letting her in on what he’d done.

“Sorry.” Ashley settled back in next to him. “What’s she like?”

“She’s a doctor. Busy. Not sure she loves the work situation she’s in. She’s loyal, saw her step up to take care of her best friend when she was attacked, then stayed overnight at the hospital to look after her. Pretty. Auburn hair—”

“Brown with reddish highlights? About my height? Does she ever wear her hair in a ponytail and would she look uncomfortable at a Texas barbecue?” Ashley asked, a too-big grin on her face.

Luke jerked his body around and there she was. Dr. Alexa Collins, walking across his parents’ big Texas spread, talking to his mother, as she led Alexa to where Luke and Ashley were sitting.

“I’ll be damned,” he muttered.

“Since I always know everyone at these shindigs, I figured that had to be her. What’s she doing here?” Ashley asked.

“I invited her,” Luke said, stunned.

“What? You didn’t tell me she was coming!” Ash punctuated this with a shot to his shoulder.

“That’s because she said no.” Luke rose to his feet as the women approached.

“Lucas Thompson, you didn’t tell me we were having a guest!” His mother, Louise, who ruled this ranch along with her family, glared at him like he’d committed a crime.

“He didn’t know, Mrs. Thompson.” Alexa spoke softly.

“He invited you. That means you’re important to him, and that means he should have told me.”

“Ma!” Luke knew he’d better call her off before she scared Alexa away.

Alexa grinned and, man, Luke had missed that smile. “It’s fine,” she assured him.

Luke shook his head. Nothing about his mother’s form of torture was fine. “Alexa, this is my sister, Ashley. Ash, this is Alexa.”

His sister jumped up and shook Alexa’s hand. “He was just telling me all about you!”

Luke rolled his eyes. “God save me from the two of you,” he muttered. “Ash, take Mom away, would you? Go eat. Drink. Something.” He met and held Alexa’s gaze. “We need to talk.”

“We’re going,” Ashley said, understanding in her tone despite her earlier teasing. “Come on, Ma. You can talk to Luke’s girl later.”

“Ash!” Luke’s voice vibrated with annoyance, but to his surprise, Alexa’s eyes were lit with amusement as she obviously held back her laughter.