Page 24 of Intangible
Knox: You’re not very attached to those testicles after all, I see.
Memphis: You sure seem to be fascinated by them. She’s safe with me. I think she needs some space from what happened.
Knox: Understandable. I’m trying to chase down any leads on who masterminded the ordeal. I can’t come get her for a couple of days.
Memphis: I’ll make sure she’s fed and gets some rest. She’ll be fine, I give you my word.
Knox: Make sure she is. Contact me if anything happens. Until we find who did this, it’s important that you keep her with you. I’m trusting you to keep her safe.
* * *
Thayer was still standing in front of the fire when Memphis returned. Not only had he slipped on a fresh T-shirt making his biceps look huge, he had also changed out his contacts in favor of his glasses.
As if they had a mind of their own, her eyes slowly slipped down until they took in the gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips, leaving a hint of what lay beneath the material. Being an English major, she had a very vivid imagination that instantly went to work filling in the picture. It was saying this was no ordinary country vet.
“My God,” Thayer whispered to herself.
“Everything good?” he asked, raising one eyebrow. She nodded, wondering if that had come out louder than intended. Walking into the kitchen, he pulled down two bowls, filling them with their dinner. Balancing the hot bowls in one hand, he reached into the fridge, grabbing two fresh beers.
“Come on, I usually eat over here.” Thayer followed him the short distance, flopping down on the couch. Taking the other end, he set the beer down before handing her a bowl. “It’s nothing great, but I have ice cream in the freezer for later.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the offered bowl. Thayer hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she started eating. She had been living off of vending machines and snack bars for several days getting here. Reaching the bottom of the bowl, she suddenly became aware of being watched. Looking up, she found Memphis with his bowl still half full watching her.
“I’ll take the couch so you can have the bedroom. I can put fresh sheets on the bed,” he said with a smile as he took her bowl. Standing, he refilled it before taking his seat again next to her.
“I’ll be fine at the hotel. I don’t want to put you out of your bed,” she answered, taking her time with her second helping of stir-fry.
“I’d feel better if you stayed here. The hotel can be a little sketchy. Do you want to go on a couple of farm calls with me tomorrow? I can find you some boots at the office.”
“That sounds amazing!” Thayer answered with an enthusiastic nod. She had needed to get away from all of the press, psychiatrist, and her smothering father. He had waved at her as he pulled away from the dorm, leaving a bodyguard behind, thinking everything was fine. How could he not? She had said all the right things and smiled at all the right times. He just didn’t realize the self-defense lessons Knox had given her also included how to evade someone tailing you.
She had spent one night in the room before temporarily withdrawing from school to catch a train west. It had taken some work to locate him, but she figured there could only be so many Dr. Memphis Prescotts in rural Minnesota.
When a Google search turned up the town his vet clinic was in, she mapped out her route. One train and two busses brought her to the town closest to him. She found the address of his vet office online at a local coffee shop before some well-meaning waitress provided her with directions to his house.
She just wanted to be around someone for a little while; someone who was there with her as the ordeal was unfolding, but didn’t expect anything from her. No more questions from doctors, no more sympathetic looks from well-meaning neighbors, no more awkward pats from school professors. She jumped when Memphis interrupted her train of thought.
“Would you like more?” Looking down, she didn’t even realize that she had plowed through every bite of her second bowl.
“I think I’ll hold out for the ice cream later.” With a nod, he stood, taking their bowls to the kitchen. Murphy took the opportunity to jump on the couch next to her, giving her a wet kiss across her face.
“Murphy!” Memphis growled at him. Thayer pulled the dog against her, giving him a big hug. Memphis leaned against the sink, watching.
“You helped find me too, didn’t you? You’re a good boy.” He barked and gave her one more sloppy kiss before jumping off the couch to curl back up on his dog bed. Murphy had stayed by their side after checking the cellar first. He had stood watch, pressed against her, as Knox had opened fire, then raced down the stairs to bring them out. The dog would always hold a special place in her heart.
Standing, she walked over to Memphis. “Let me help clean up.”
He just stood against the counter, looking down at her. She loved looking into his bright green eyes, he never seemed to be able to hide his emotions behind them. He looked at her with soft concern instead of pity, like everyone else. Well, everyone but Knox, maybe it was impossible to hide anything behind his green eyes too. Though his eyes usually just blazed with anger or irritation.
“I can get this. You look exhausted.” With a deep sigh, she smiled up at him.
“Do you have a bathtub? I would kill to soak in a tub. Or are you a shower-only guy?”
“Well,” he said, taking her hand. Pulling her toward the bathroom, he continued, “I am usually a shower-only guy, but I put in a soaker tub anyway when I remodeled the bathroom. I occasionally have to soak bruises out.”
He led her into a beautiful bathroom finished in masculine grays with a river stone shower, granite counter and a deep soaker tub at one end.
“I don’t have anything to make the water smell fancy except Epsom salt.”
