A Nurse to Tame the ER Doc
Page 62
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“Where are you staying while you’re in Warrenville?” Taylor asked as they finished packing up their kayaks on the small trailer he pulled behind Jessica.
Jack made sure the straps holding the kayaks in place were properly tightened, then glanced up. “I’ve rented a farmhouse a few miles from the hospital. It’s too big for one person but was furnished and available for a few months while the deceased estate is settled so it works. Plus, I like the wide open space.”
“Oh?”
“Nothing around but rolling hills, farmland, and cows with a few barns, silos, and far-off neighbors. Once the estate is settled, the house and personal property will be auctioned off. At least, that’s the plan of the former owner’s children who inherited the place. I don’t think they’ll have any problems. It’s several acres and has a nicely stocked pond for fishing.”
“Fishing?”
He arched a brow. “Something else you’ve not done?”
“I wasn’t hinting for you to take me,” she said, looking cute in her braids and wet clothes.
Cute? Not exactly the right adjective to describe a woman as naturally beautiful as the one who’d barely been able to contain her enthusiasm during their ride down the river.
“I didn’t mean to imply that you were, but I’d gladly take you fishing, Taylor. Just say when.”
“Soon,” she replied, glancing around to make sure they had everything packed and nothing remained on the gravelly ground.
“I look forward to it,” he assured her, walking around the trailer to where she stood. “I had a great time today.”
She grinned up at him. “Even though I lost my paddle and you had to tow me until we caught up with it?”
Jack’s fingers itched to brush the tiny stray hairs back away from her face, to bend down to kiss her pert pink lips.
He cleared his throat, then said, “I’m just grateful that tree branch was low enough to snag it or I’d have been towing you the whole way.”
Not that either of them had had to do a lot of paddling as the current had been good on most of the river with only a few areas where they could idly float.
“Yeah, so was I until you teased me to watch out for snakes on low-lying branches.”
He chuckled. “Hungry?”
“Starved.”
He’d packed snacks for them on their river ride, but breakfast had been a long time ago and they’d burned off the energy from their snacks hours ago.
“Want to see the farmhouse? I have steaks in the fridge I could grill for us.”
Surprise lit her face. “Seriously?”
Not sure why she’d question his invitation, he asked, “Something wrong with steaks? I know you eat meat because I’ve seen you.”
“No, not that. I just meant us going to your place for you to cook for me. It seems...” she shrugged “...such a normal thing to do.”
He laughed. “Normal? Are you implying we don’t usually do normal?”
“Nothing about what I do with you is normal, Jack.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It’s meant as one and, yes, steaks sound delicious. I like mine medium to medium-well done. Please and thank you.”
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Jake’s rented farmhouse was like something straight out of a picture book. An old but well-maintained white siding house with a navy roof, shutters, and trim work rested down a gravel road that was fen