“Not that I know of,” Montana told her, even as the W word bounced in her head. A wife? He’d never said and she’d never thought to ask. “He’s never mentioned anything.” He’d more than hinted he was alone. But still. A wife?
It was a question that needed an answer very, very soon.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SIMON WAS IN HIS OFFICE when he heard the page. He called down to the nurses’ station.
“Montana Hendrix would like to see you, if you have a second.”
The anticipation was instant. A tightening in his body, a rush of heat. He quietly cleared his throat before speaking. “Please send her here,” he said, then hung up the phone and stood.
His office was on the small side, with a desk, a couple of chairs and a mostly empty bookcase. He wasn’t on staff, so he didn’t deal with a lot of paperwork beyond his patient charts. The hospital had provided a computer and printer. He didn’t need much more.
Now, as he looked around at the stark room, he wished it were some color other than plain white, with a picture on the wall or a plant in the corner. Something to make it seem less institutional.
He told himself he was being an idiot. Whatever Montana wanted to talk about, it had nothing to do with his office. No doubt she wanted to discuss bringing a pony into the hospital, or perhaps juggling monkeys. Whatever it was, he would listen. Hearing her discuss a tax audit would be appealing. He liked the sound of her voice, the way she moved her hands when she talked. He liked the flashes of emotion in her brown eyes and the way she always seemed on the verge of smiling.
She was alive in every sense of the word. Alive and vibrant, and she saw a world filled with possibilities. No one had hurt her, not in a way that had left her broken. He found himself wanting to stand between her and reality, to make sure that didn’t change.
He crossed to the door and held it open. A few seconds later Montana turned the corner. She’d replaced her customary summer dresses with jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. Both hugged the shape of her body, showing off curves and making it more difficult than usual for him to maintain any semblance of control.
Her long blond hair hung down her back in a cascade of waves, making him want to tangle his fingers in the silky smoothness. Her smile both pleased and taunted him. He wanted to know the feel of every inch of her. He wanted to know her because in the knowing he believed he would find solace.
“Hi,” she said as she approached. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“If you were, I wouldn’t have had the nurse send you to my office.” He motioned for her to step into his office, then followed her. He was careful to leave the door partially open. Perhaps knowing that people could see in would allow him to maintain his distance.
She stopped in the center of the room and turned to face him. Her brown eyes danced with amusement. “You’re not a big believer in social niceties are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know that if you were busy, you wouldn’t have seen me. You don’t have to say it.”
“What’s wrong with saying it? It’s the truth.”
She laughed. “I know, but my comment about hoping I wasn’t interrupting was—”
He waited patiently.
“You’re not supposed to say it,” she said.
“Why not?”
“You’re just not.”
“As long as the rules are clear.”
She laughed again and he found himself smiling, even though he couldn’t say why.
“I heard you were in to see Kalinda the other day,” he said. “I appreciate you taking the time.”
The humor faded from her eyes. “Fay called me and sounded pretty desperate. I guess it’s been difficult. I’m glad Cece and I could help. Well, mostly Cece.”
“Having that little dog around makes a difference.”
“I’m glad.”
Somehow they were standing closer together than they had been before. He consciously took a step back, wanting more space between them. No, he thought. Not wanting it, but apparently needing it.
They stared at each other. He could feel the tension crackling in the room. His gaze was riveted on her mouth, and the need to kiss her nearly overwhelmed him. He took another step back.
“Is that why you stopped by?” he asked, his voice sounding more stressed than pleasant.
She blinked. “No. I was thinking about the town. You haven’t seen very much of it. There’s so much more than what you saw on our mini-tour. You’re only here for a short time. It would be a shame for you to miss seeing the real Fool’s Gold.”
“Of course,” he said. “How would my life be complete?”
The humor returned to her eyes. “Mock me all you want, but you just wait. Fool’s Gold is a special place. We have a varied history that includes Spanish pirates and Mayans. Specifically, female Mayans.”
“You mentioned them before. It sounded intriguing.”