Page 81 of Tumbleweed Temptation
She willed herself not to shiver, and stepped away. “I’m fine,” she said. “It’s not too late. Thanks, though.”
And she turned and fled.
Chapter Eighteen
Austin practicallyskipped down the stairs the next morning. He knew today might be a little awkward around Ginny, but he was determined, especially after last night, to show her they could work together and be together. She made him the happiest he’d been since he’d come back to town. He just liked being with her.
He unlocked the office door, wanting to have coffee and everything ready when she came in, but he saw the envelope that had been slid under the door, the express mail envelope giving him pause. They must have come by when he was over at the diner getting ready for the contest. Surely they hadn’t been here this early in the morning.
He picked up the envelope and looked at the return address. Labs. Okay. Not something he wanted to deal with on a Friday, when he had patients only until three, but he’d work it out.
He started the coffee and as the aroma filled the office, he stepped behind his desk to open the envelope. He rifled through the names until he came to the one he was most concerned about.
Vic McKay.
Diabetes, yes. High white blood count. He reached for his phone. The number, thankfully was on the lab report, but the call went to voicemail just as Ginny walked into the front office.
Damn, this was not how he thought today was going to go.
“Hey, Ginny, I need to go make a house call,” he said, deciding then and there he needed to talk to the man face to face. “Can you call my appointments and reschedule them, or at least let them know I’m going to be about an hour or an hour and a half behind?”
She tucked her bag under her desk and straightened. “Sure, I can, but—is everything okay?”
“I don't think so.” He patted the front pocket of his jeans. Nope, his keys were upstairs. “I don't know yet. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way back, okay?”
“Okay.” Her brow was still furrowed as she started to sit down, but he gripped her elbow to stop her before dropping a soft kiss to her lips. Not the way he’d wanted to greet her, but really, he couldn’t kiss her the way he wanted, not when he had to go share some bad news.
“Austin—“
He could hear the hesitance in her voice. He held up a hand. “Later, okay? I’ve got to do this.”
He was already planning what he would say when he ran up the stairs to get his car keys, as he drove out to the ranch. He called twice more, because he was second-guessing his decision. Did Mr. McKay even tell his family he was feeling ill, that he’d gone to the doctor? Austin didn't want to reveal that information if he hadn’t. The two men already had a rocky relationship, he didn't want to make it worse by telling something Mr. McKay wanted untold.
Thankfully, though, the man himself was by the fence on the drive up to the ranch house. A big man still, he was jamming a posthole digger into the earth. He forced it down twice more before he turned to acknowledge Austin’s arrival.
Austin climbed out of the Jeep and approached.
