Just Kate: His Only Wife (Bestselling Author Collection) (44 page)

When precisely she’d made up her mind, Aubrey wasn’t sure. It might have been when she saw Gage being lowered from the engine, or when he carried her sick grandmother into the house. For all she knew, it was the day they ran into each other at the convenience store, and this moment had been coming for the last six weeks. Pinpointing the exact second her life changed was irrelevant. Aubrey loved Gage and couldn’t—
wouldn’t—
leave him. Ever.

She sat up straight, steeled her resolve and blurted, “Like get married.”

“Are you proposing?” He shot up, or tried to shoot up, and got only as far as leveraging an elbow on the cot before Aubrey placed a restraining hand on him.

“Yeah, I am.” Brushing aside the last of her tears, she busied herself by checking his IV, intensely cognizant of everyone else in the tent watching them. “Any headache? Dizziness?”

“No and no. Aubrey, I—”

“Nausea?”

“Damn it, Aubrey!”

Freddy, who was still standing at the head of Gage’s cot holding the IV bag, didn’t bother to hide his amusement. Aubrey ignored him, along with the three other people sharing the tent who were also enjoying the show.

“Stop fussing for one lousy minute, will you?” Gage snapped.

She did stop fussing, and their gazes connected. So, it seemed to Aubrey, did their souls.

“You sure you want to marry me?” he asked. “Really sure? No running back to Tucson this time. Once you’re wearing that ring, you’re stuck with me for good.” As if to emphasize his point, he found her hand and folded it inside his.

“I’m sure.” She could hear the absolute certainty in her voice, and it pleased her. Bending down to kiss him again, she discovered yet another manner in which touch healed.

“I love you,” she murmured against his lips. “I have since I was four years old. And for the record, I don’t want to date long distance, and I don’t want to just live together.”

“Me, either.”

“Not so fast.” She placed a finger on his lips when he would have sealed their engagement with another kiss. “I expect the whole nine yards this time.”

“Meaning?”

“Diamond ring, long white dress and a romantic honeymoon in some fabulous, far-off locale.” She sighed, remembering the photograph of her grandparents. “San Francisco.”

Gage angled his head and said to Freddy, “Is it just me, or is she being bossy again?”

“Take my advice,
amigo.
Agree with whatever she says. You’ll stay married a lot longer this time.” When his buddies broke into raucous laughter, Freddy made a face. “What? Am I wrong?”

“Men.” Aubrey harrumphed and took Gage’s temperature, glad to see it was nearly normal.

Suddenly serious, Gage asked, “What about your job? And the promotion?”

“I’m considering a career change.”

“Since when? And to what?”

“Since I started working with my dad.” She turned toward her father and beamed. “I’m going back to school to become a physician’s assistant.”

“That’s great,” Gage said.

“Yeah, it is great.”

Her father winked at her, and Aubrey sensed the many pieces of her life coming together.

Leaving Marty’s side, her father came over to stand beside her. He stroked her hair, the gesture a familiar one that harkened back to when she was a little girl. “I’d ask how our patient’s faring, but it appears to me like you have everything under control.” He extended his hand to Gage. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

Gage didn’t hesitate and returned the handshake.

“You’re a fine man, Gage. What you did today took courage. Your family will be very proud of you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Her father nodded before releasing Gage’s hand. “Don’t you think it’s time you called me Alex, considering you’re about to become my son-in-law? Again.”

“Past time, Alex.”

Kissing the top of Aubrey’s head, he commented, “Your mother will be overjoyed. She’s been planning your and Annie’s weddings for years.”

Aubrey rolled her eyes, imagining the commotion her mother would soon be generating. “I’d forgotten about that.”

Every head turned when the tent flaps opened, and a tall, authoritative man squeezed into the tent.

The firefighters holding the IVs snapped to attention. Gage attempted to rise.

Before Aubrey could restrain him, the man said, “Relax, Raintree.” He approached the cot, his hand extended. “Ms. Stuart?”

“Yes?” She stood and accepted his handshake.

“I’m Commander Newcombe. Thank you for coming.”

“Happy to, sir. And this is my father, Dr. Alexander Stuart. He came with me.”

“I heard we had a famous heart surgeon on board.” Commander Newcombe went over to the other cot and shook Aubrey’s father’s hand. “We’re honored and grateful for your help, as well. How are our patients?” His glance traveled from Marty to Gage.

“They’re going to be fine,” Aubrey answered.

“I’ll be back on the line as soon as I can stand.” Digging his heels into the cot, Gage tried to rise. He didn’t get far.

“You’re not going anywhere for the next twenty-four hours, except to the infirmary at Fire Camp,” Aubrey interjected.

“You listen to the young lady,” the commander warned. “She knows what she’s talking about.”

“Hey, I’ve been telling him the same thing,” Freddy chimed in.

Gage grumbled. “The fire will spread to our ranch if it’s not stopped.”

“One of the tankers radioed in a few minutes ago,” the commander said. “The backfire your men set and the line you dug is holding.”

Gage didn’t look convinced, but neither did he defy doctor’s orders, rip out his IV and make a run for it.

“You’re to be commended, Captain,” the commander told Marty. “You and your crew leader.” He turned to Gage. “You have a real future ahead of you, Raintree. Have you ever considered making firefighting a full-time career?”

“I have. Often.”

“Excellent. We can always use good instructors and administrators. Come see me when you’re ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. I have a message from your family. We’ve been in contact with them because of the fire’s proximity to your ranch.”

“A message?”

“Your mother sends her love and says not to worry about them. Take care of yourself.”

Gage smiled, and Aubrey thought it was just like Susan to put her son’s safety ahead of her own.

“And your father wishes you well.”

“My father?”

“Yes.” The commander quirked one eyebrow. “I believe his exact words were ‘good luck’.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Gage shook his head.

Aubrey reached down and put a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t want to read too much into the two words, but maybe—hopefully—Joseph Raintree was beginning to come around.

She walked the commander to the tent flap. “Do you suppose the fire will be contained soon?”

“Hard to say. But my guess is the worst is behind us.”

Aubrey pulled the tent flap aside and peered out. Flames could be seen sprouting from the tops of distant trees, and smoke climbed in billowy columns to the sky.

“May I inquire how long you’re going be in Blue Ridge?”

She grinned broadly. “A while.”

Another year and a half, at least. Once she and Hannah both finished school, then Aubrey and Gage would move to Pineville. Or not. She could always run the clinic.

“Can we count on your help during the next fire?” Commander Newcombe asked.

“You can.” Wherever she and Gage lived, she’d continue working part-time as a wilderness medic for the Forest Service.

He saluted her, then ducked and went outside. Aubrey returned to tend to her patients. Happiness filled her at the sight of Gage and her father, the two men she cared most about in the world, talking amiably and no longer at odds.

The whine of a distant siren sounded. Faint at first, it increased in volume.

“Gentlemen,” Aubrey’s father announced, “your limo has arrived.”

Aubrey grabbed one of the portable stretchers.

“No!” Gage’s objection halted her in midstep. “I may have been carried in here but I’m walking out.”

“You’re too sick and weak.” Her protest had no effect on Gage, especially since Marty, with the help of her father, was already standing.

“Fine.” She huffed. “Then let me help you.”

Gage relented with a shrug. “If it involves your arms around me, then okay.”

She and Freddy managed to hoist Gage to his feet but it was a struggle. They shuffled across the tent with Freddy on one side of Gage, holding the IV, and Aubrey on the other, holding the portable oxygen tank.

“Do I get to come to your wedding?” Freddy asked.

“Sure.” Gage grunted. “You can even be one of my groomsmen.”

“All right!”

Maneuvering the tent opening required considerable effort. Gage was out of breath and sweating profusely when they finally emerged on the other side where the EMTs waited.

“Ride with me?” Gage asked Aubrey.

“I...should...probably stay. In case there are more injured.” She wanted desperately to accompany him in the ambulance but duty called.

“Go,” her father said. “I’ll hold down the fort and drive your car home later.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. And don’t forget to call your mother.”

She blew him a kiss before crawling into the back of the ambulance after the EMTs had loaded Gage. The last thing she saw through the rear window of the ambulance as it pulled away was her father clapping Freddy on the back.

Then, looking down at Gage, she saw the rest of her life stretched out before her.

“You know where I want to go when this is over?” he mumbled as the EMTs took his and Marty’s vitals.

“The motor home?”

“There, too.” He had trouble keeping his eyes open. “I was thinking of the creek. We can celebrate.”

Aubrey smoothed a damp lock of hair from his face. After ten years, she had everything she wanted—could have
always
had, only she’d been too stubborn and too afraid to realize what really mattered in life. Not where she lived or what job she held, but being with Gage.

“I’d like that,” she murmured and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

After all, they had a lot to celebrate, and their secret spot was the ideal place.

* * * * *

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ISBN: 9781459249059

JUST KATE
Copyright © 2013 by Harlequin Books S.A.

The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:

JUST KATE
Copyright © 1989 by Linda Lael Miller

HIS ONLY WIFE
Copyright © 2007 by Cathy McDavid

All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical,
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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