The Rebel Doc Who Stole Her Heart

“Yes, there is. I can hear it in your voice.”

His heart constricted and he let out a heavy breath. What would she think when he told her? How could she not think less of him? Be disappointed. “You won’t let it go until you hear the whole sordid story, will you? If you must know, I had a younger brother. Joey had asthma. My parents thought it would get better with rubs and warm weather. After a while he got worse. My parents wouldn’t take him to the doctor. Even though I thought they should I didn’t say anything. Didn’t make them take him. I was there when he drew his last wheezing breath. Now you know it all.”

For a long time all he heard was the lap of the waves against the sand and the scream of seagulls and relived the pain.

Michelle’s hand came to rest on top of his, which lay on the chair arm. She stroked his fingers until he spread his so that hers weaved between his. For once in his life he felt as if someone understood his broken heart.

“I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”

Ty turned his hand and took hers in his. “I am too.”

They sat for a long time, neither of them saying a word. There was healing to just having Michelle’s touch.

“You’re getting burnt,” Ty said. “Let’s go in.”

Michelle didn’t feel like she was but she didn’t question him. She put their leftover stuff from lunch into the cooler. Ty stood and helped her to her feet. She reached for the chair.

“Leave it. We’ll get them later.” He picked up the cooler and took her hand as they walked back to the house.

While passing through the kitchen, he placed the cooler on the island. He led Michelle into the master bathroom. She didn’t ask any questions, seeming to understand that he didn’t want to talk. He turned on the shower and guided Michelle under it. She didn’t say anything as he stripped her suit off and then his own as they rinsed. Turning off the water, he snatched a towel from the rack and dried Michelle’s hair then her body.

“There’s a robe in that closet,” he said, indicating a small door with his chin. He flipped the towel over his shoulder and pulled it across his back. Michelle put on a robe and handed him the other. He shrugged into his and followed her into the bedroom. She opened the door, letting in the breeze, and stood on the threshold. Pushing her damp hair away from her face, she looked out towards the ocean.

Ty came to stand behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. There was something about holding Michelle that made the sadness of his childhood disappear. That made him think that, with her, happiness might be possible.

They watched as a spring storm darkened the sky and slowly rolled towards them. As the first drop of rain hit the deck, Ty stepped backwards, taking Michelle along with him. He kept moving until the bed hit him behind the knees. Letting go of her long enough to remove her robe and his, he pulled the covers back. Slowly they sank to the bed.

* * *

Hours later Michelle lay awake curled in Ty’s arms, looking out at the ocean. His breath brushed her cheek each time he exhaled.

Their lovemaking had been extraordinary. The passion had been powerful, searing and exquisite. Ty had taken his time to bring her close to the pinnacle and had then held her there, only to let her slide down to send her upwards again. She had never felt more worshiped, cherished, as if he was making sure that she had no doubt who was loving her. Had he intended to brand her with his mark, ruining her for anyone else?

Still he whispered nothing about the future.

A few minutes later he woke up. She felt his lips on her shoulder and his length pressed against her bottom. “I have no strength where you are concerned,” he uttered in a rough, sleep-laden voice.

She smiled. There was nothing like being wanted. It was a perfect moment and she sought to capture it and never let it go but she had her heart to consider. It would burst as sure as a glass shattering on the floor but she had to know. Had to prepare.

“Ty.”

“Mmm.”

“What’re we doing?”

He kissed her earlobe. “You mean you don’t know?” His fingers trailed along the curve of her hip.

She rolled over to face him. “I mean us. Where does this go?”

His eyes flickered with something she couldn’t put a name to before he grinned.

“Ma belle, can’t we just have some fun together while I’m here? Enjoy each other. See where that leads.”

She already had an idea of where things would go. She’d be left behind to stitch up her gaping wounds while he rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle. But she couldn’t resist him. She’d learned that life was too short not to grab happiness when she could. Right now she wanted to seize that with Ty. Live a little. No, live a lot. “I guess so.”

He kissed her and made her forget about everything but the moment.

Some time later Ty said, “Why don’t we stay here tonight? My case is the late one and yours is too. We could drive back early in the morning. We could eat fresh seafood and enjoy the sunset. What do you think?”

Why not? She’d decided to live some and today she was going to do that. “Sure. That sounds like fun. But we’ll have to be on the road early.”

“Sure thing.” He had such a boyish grin on his face she was glad she’d agreed to stay. He gave her a kiss on the lips before he got out of bed. “I’ll get what we need if you want to stay here and call your mother.”

He knew her far too well. “That would be nice. I’d like to check in with her and the hospital.”

CHAPTER NINE

TY LAY IN bed with Michelle curled against him. He lightly stroked her bare hip as she slept. The last few weeks had been wonderful. The best he could remember.

They had spent every minute together outside work. A number of times they had shared dinner with Michelle’s mother at her house. The more often he sat in the cozy kitchen with the mother and daughter over a hot home-cooked meal the more those old feelings of the need to belong pulled at him.

Michelle had even joined him at Buster’s when the band had played one weekend. There had been a number of curious eyes as they’d entered the bar but soon Michelle had joined the other staff members and blended in as if she had always been one of them. The two of them had even returned to the beach cottage for an entire weekend.

Michelle continued to give generously in her lovemaking and he’d rewarded her in return. The days had been nothing but pure bliss as far as he was concerned. Better than he deserved. But the nagging thought persisted that it couldn’t last. He wasn’t the guy to depend on, to trust when the going got tough. Michelle needed someone strong and sure who could be there for her no matter what came her way. She deserved that much.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” He jiggled Michelle lightly.

“Hi, there,” she muttered into his shoulder, which she was currently using as a pillow. He liked the fact she had to touch him when she slept. He found he liked a number of things about Michelle. If he had been a different man, he could be comfortable with her forever.

He’d sworn he wouldn’t allow himself to develop those feelings. He couldn’t let Michelle know how much he cared. It would only hurt her more when he left. Who was he trying to kid? It was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done to leave her. But they both knew the deal. Michelle had made her choice. He’d been nothing but up front with her.

Once during the past weeks she’d asked, “Have you thought about maybe taking a permanent job somewhere?”

“Not really.”

“What if one came open here? Would you consider staying?”

He’d kissed her and that had been the end of the conversation. She’d hinted a few additional times that she hoped he’d remain longer and he’d never made a comment one way or the other. He was dodging her questions, not wanting to take the joy out of their time together. Neither of them seemed to want to push a discussion about the future but it was racing towards them like a car at the Daytona 500 and it wouldn’t be waved off.

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; “Ma belle, you know that Schwartz will be back in a week.”

“I heard,” she mumbled as she kissed the ridge of his jaw. Her hand crept lower on his middle. Her lips moved towards his mouth and that was the end of the conversation again. Maybe he’d resist longer next time.

Some time later they were sitting on the couch in Michelle’s living room when she said, “I thought you were going to teach me how to play the guitar.”

“Did I say that?” He hesitated.

She twisted toward him. “Yeah, you did. How about showing me now?”

On some level Ty wished he’d never mentioned it. The last time he’d agreed to teach anyone to play had been when Joey had asked. He’d just learned his first chord when he’d started getting so weak it had been difficult for him to practice. Still, Michelle gave Ty such an imploring look that he couldn’t bring himself to turn her down.

“Get Emily and I’ll show you a few chords,” he said.

She uncrossed her legs. “I don’t know how I feel about fetching another woman for you.”

“Jealous, are you?” Ty quipped with a smile. After he’d chiseled through that thick cover of seriousness Michelle had built around herself, he’d found below a sense of humor waiting to see the light of day.

She gave him a smirk and headed out of the room.

With encouragement, Michelle had been willing to try something new more than once in the last few weeks. They’d gone indoor rock climbing. She’d agreed to go on a short afternoon ride with him on his motorcycle after it had been repaired. Now she was asking him to teach her how to play the guitar. It was as if she was trying to get caught up on all the things she’d missed out on since her father had died.

Michelle returned with his guitar. He stood and took the case from her.

“Have a seat.” He laid the case on the low table in front of the couch and removed the instrument then came to sit beside her. Strumming the strings a couple of times and tuning it, he offered it to Michelle.