The Doctor's Damsel in Distress

He dug into his pocket to remove his utility tool, then clipped the end of the hook that held the line, leaving room to hold onto the metal tip with his pliers. He grasped the end of the hook and carefully pushed the hook forward, causing the tip to pierce her skin a second time, creating an exit wound.

Madison tried not to watch, but couldn’t help herself. She gritted her teeth as the end of the barb pushed through. She let out a whoosh of held breath, grateful the hook was out, wondering if she could be any more of a klutz around him, wondering why looking at him eased her pain, made her forget everything except that he was touching her, focused completely on her.

Frowning at the lightly bleeding puncture on her arm, he dropped the ruined hook into his tackle box. His eyes dark with concern, he brushed his fingertip across her jaw. “You okay? You’re looking a little pale.”

A little pale? No wonder, after he’d touched her. All her remaining blood had headed south at that tender touch. How did he do that? Electrify every nerve cell with the stroke of his finger? If he’d touch her like that again, perhaps in more interesting locations, she’d hook herself again. Lowering her gaze, she tried to look not so affected by his touch. “I’m a big girl.”

He eyed her curiously and she wondered if he somehow knew what she’d been thinking. Not about hooking herself but about his touch, about him and how he affected her. But that was ridiculous. He couldn’t really know, could he?

“You barely reach my shoulders.”

Okay, so he wasn’t reading her mind, just trying to distract her from her injury maybe. “You think I’m being a baby?”

“About this?” His eyes sparkled in that way that made her want to lick her lips. “No way. You’ve been a real trouper.”

She beamed at his praise, but even more so at her name on his lips. Oh, the ways she’d like to hear him say her name. Over and over. Again and again. She blinked, trying to clear her pheromone-laden brain so she could focus on the conversation and not her fantasies. “I did say ouch.”

“I’d have said a lot more than that. Most of which would have gotten my mouth washed out by my mom back in the day.” Having gathered the necessary supplies, he cleaned his hands, then set about caring for her injury. He opened another packet of disinfectant solution.

“Tell me about your family,” she urged, partially to distract herself from what he was doing to her arm, partially to distract herself from the direction her brain always seemed to go when he was involved. Partially because she wanted to know more about him. “You’ve mentioned your mother and your grandfather. Do they live close by?”

He swabbed the area, starting in the center of the piercing and working outwards in a circular motion meant to drag any germs away from the wound rather than into the opening. “My mother died when I was seventeen. My grandfather died the following year.”

Her heart ached for him. She placed her hand on his arm, gave a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Levi.”

Not looking up from his wound care, Levi nodded, wondering why he was telling her these things. He didn’t share personal information. Never. But he wanted a relationship and sharing this kind of thing was part of that, right?

“It was a long time ago.” He made as if the fact he’d told her was no big deal. “My parents were divorced and I rarely saw her except during the summers anyway.”

“Seriously? That’s sad.”

He glanced up at the sincerity in her voice.

“What about your father?”

Levi’s stomach plummeted. The last thing he wanted was his father encroaching on his day with Madison. Hadn’t he interfered enough this week?

“He travels a lot, but does keep a house in Angel Creek.”

“Oh, I’m glad you still have family, Levi. Family is important.”

“Your family live nearby?”

She shook her head. “No, not close. They live in Winston-Salem.”

“The town where you lived prior to moving to Angel Creek? Why did you move away?”

“Long story and not one for today, but it had nothing to do with my family. They’re great for the most part.”

But a story he’d like to hear.

“I’ve got time.”

“Sorry, not today.” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her gorgeous eyes. Her gaze flickered around then glanced toward her wound. “I can’t believe I caught myself.”

Levi glanced up from where he tended to her arm, studied the wary expression in her eyes and decided to let the subject go for now. “Best catch of the day.”

Her green eyes shone with gratitude at him letting her change the subject away from why she’d left Winston-Salem.