Lover of My Dreams (16 page)

His explanation was brief but helpful, and Rachel was glad for it. He didn’t have to explain anything to her. She grudgingly admitted to herself that it was a kind thing to do. She could just imagine that he would give that same consideration to any patient.

Taking a wet cloth, Sam cleaned away the rest of the blood from her arm and dried it carefully with the towel beside him. His touch was gentle but firm, and she could tell that he was competent in what he was doing.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked her, his voice professional.

“I’m fine,” she answered quickly, pushing his hands away and leaning forward to get down from the bed.

She needed to get away from him. She couldn’t stand the pain of being this close to him once again. She had to keep her distance. She had to stay strong even if it meant acting as if she were angry when she knew in her heart that it was because she wanted to pull Sam into her arms and never let him go. Instead she gave him one last strong shove and quickly tried to stand.

He took firm hold of her arms and sat her back down on the bed. She was uncomfortably aware of the way that his biceps bulged as he detained her. It was painful to view his body. It was torture being so close to him that she could easily reach out and touch the washboard muscles of his stomach. She couldn’t prevent her eyes from traveling from the very attractive patch of black hair that covered his bulging pectoral muscles to follow the dark hair down the center line of his body, blushing slightly as it disappeared below his waistband to an area Rachel often dreamed about.

“Rachel, what is wrong with you?” he demanded, frustrated by her attitude.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” Rachel insisted, pushing at his chest to get him as far away from her as possible so she could get down from the bed and leave. “I just want to go back to my site.”

Sam stopped her with strong hands on her shoulders. He wasn’t hurting her but he was determined to have her remain where she was for the moment.

“If you won’t tell me where else you’re hurt, I’ll be forced to conduct a complete physical examination,” he told her calmly when she refused to talk.

“Just who do you think you are?” she demanded, roughly pulling herself free from his grasp. Her eyes bore into his and was somewhat surprised by his lack of reaction.

“Dr. Sam McCoy at your service,” he told her formally, bowing slightly at the unnecessary introduction.

“Shouldn’t you be working at a hospital somewhere instead of working in a campground for the summer?” she challenged him angrily. “Why are you here?”

“Because the police are looking for me for beating up a patient who refused to answer my questions,” he answered quickly.

Rachel had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She had to admire his quickness—that was for sure. If she wasn’t careful he would melt her resolve very quickly. She sat back slightly, folding her arms across her chest as she faced him. She looked at him silently and knew that she was going to lose this standoff.

“I twisted my ankle,” she said finally. “That’s
all
.” She stressed the last word, unable to stand it if he touched her anywhere else.

He nodded and reached forward to take her two legs gently within his hands then carefully turned her and pushed at her shoulder to force her to lie down on her back. He removed both sneakers and socks and examined her ankles in complete silence.

“Did you already soak your foot in the stream?” he asked her quietly when he felt the coolness of her skin.

“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a total idiot,” she told him angrily.

He smiled slightly and looked up to face her. “I don’t think you’re a total idiot,” he protested calmly. “Only a partial idiot.”

“You’re just full of charm, aren’t you?” she asked him, turning away from him when she saw the amusement that crossed his features. She turned her head to stare up at the top of the camper and ignore him while he wrapped her ankle with a compression bandage and replaced her socks and sneakers, tying the right one loosely so as not to put any more pressure on her injured foot. He turned then and started to put away the medical supplies. When he saw her trying to get down from the bed, he stood up quickly and faced her.

“Don’t put your weight on that foot,” he told her abruptly.

“And just how am I supposed to get back to my tent? Fly?” she asked him, barely able to control her temper.

Before she could stop him, he was beside her and lifting her into his arms once again. He carried her from his camper and walked the length of the campground toward her tent.

“How much do I owe you for your services, Dr. McCoy?” she asked him sarcastically.

“It’s on the house,” he said quickly, ignoring her as he carried her the remaining distance to her site.

He deposited her on the lounge chair beside her tent and straightened to look down at her. Turning, he unzipped her tent and disappeared inside it before Rachel could protest and came out with two pillows. Lifting her foot gently, he placed one pillow beneath it and one pillow under the crook of her knee then took a step backward.

“Keep your foot elevated and stay off it as much as possible. If you need anything just holler. I’ll be able to hear you from my camper. Loud noises carry in the mountains.”

“Ass,” Rachel muttered, ignoring the soft laughter that her comment caused.

He turned then and started to walk away. “I’ll check on you later,” he called to her without turning around.

“Your bedside manner stinks!” Rachel called after him angrily.

Sam stopped walking as soon as the words left her mouth. He turned around and walked slowly back toward her. Rachel’s heart began to beat a little faster as she saw the way his muscular body had tensed and his blue eyes had darkened.

Flashes of another angry man lashing out and hitting her face made her chest constrict in sudden fear and pain. She held her breath as he leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of her on the arms of her chair. He stared into her eyes, his face mere inches from her own.

“Honey,” he said quietly, his voice a husky calm. “My bedside manner would leave you weak and satisfied.” He looked at her silently for a moment, his eyes sparkling with humor and certainty. He searched her face silently then stood and turned to walk away. He didn’t look back.

Rachel sat there completely stunned. All her anger and fear were gone. As she watched him walk away from her, she found herself in awe of his controlled strength and sensuality. Goodness, she wanted to throw her arms around him and feel the safety of the comfortable friendship she had felt as a kid with him and Roy. She was also not ashamed to admit that being the recipient of his bedside manner was exactly what she had wanted for as long as she could remember.

When she saw him disappear into his camper, she leaned her head back against her lounge chair and let out a groan of frustration. Closing her eyes did not shut out the picture of his incredibly sexy body or the feel of him holding her so tightly against him as he carried her.

The dream she had of waking up with him and making love with him was very clear in her memory. He had demanded that she belonged to him. He had made love to her with such fierceness she had been stunned by the level of desire and ownership. She remembered how she was pregnant with his baby. It was a beautiful dream, but she knew it was not something that could ever possibly be her reality. She had to ignore that dream. She had to deny her need for him.

What she wanted to do was to pull her to him and throw her arms around him. She wanted to kiss him within an inch of his life and pull him deep into her body. God help her.

She knew then that she would have to leave the campground. If she was this out of control after only being with him one day, she would not last a second. The very thought of being so close to him and having to keep herself away from him exhausted her. In her already weakened state since her attack, she knew she didn’t have it in her to fight anymore.

She had to stay angry with Sam. It was her only defense. But she was so tired. She wasn’t up to any more arguments. Besides, she knew that she really should be nice to him. He deserved it. She wanted more than anything to be nice to him. She wanted to do more than that actually. She sighed tiredly and rubbed her temples as an ache began to pound there. She needed rest.

“I’ll just close my eyes and relax for a few minutes,” she whispered as she settled herself more comfortably on the lounge chair. In a matter of minutes she was sleeping soundly.

“Do not be so filled with anger and suspicion, Rachel,” the angel Bernadette whispered to her as she slept. “Sam is a good and a kind man. He will value you. You need to give him the chance to show you just how important you are to him.”

Rachel moved restlessly in her chair, turning toward the gentle warmth and the sweet smell that surrounded her. “No,” she whispered as she slept. “He’ll hurt me and then leave me.”

“No, sweet child,” Bernadette said softly. “Sam is the man who is destined to be yours. Open your heart and allow your love to flourish. Sam needs you. You must help him heal. You must be the woman who is his future. You will have beautiful babies with him.”

Rachel smiled as she slept. Bernadette surrounded her with her pink wings, keeping her safe and warm as she sent her sweet dreams of Sam holding her tenderly and kissing her as she held their baby in her arms.

“I want that,” Rachel whispered, unable to keep the single tear from falling from the corner of her eye to slide past the crescent moon birthmark there.

“You deserve that,” Bernadette told her gently, reaching out and touching the single tear with the tip of her index finger. “Sam deserves that.”

“Sam,” Rachel said, moaning softly as she moved restlessly in her chair.

“You will have that, Rachel,” Bernadette promised. “Have faith, my child.”

Rachel relaxed, slipping into the dream that soothed her soul. She kissed Sam’s neck as he leaned in and kissed the top of their baby’s head. Yes, Sam did deserve to be happy. She wanted him to be happy with her.

Rachel felt warmth surrounding her. She snuggled closer toward the body that was leaning against her shoulder. Her eyes opened slowly as she tried to comprehend where she was. She found herself looking straight into Sam’s face and she couldn’t help but jump in fright at the surprise.

“Must you always sneak up on me?” she asked him angrily.

“I just came by to see if you were okay,” he explained, straightening up to stand beside her. “I can see that you are.”

He turned to walk away without another word. Rachel looked down and saw that she was covered with two of her own blankets and realized that Sam must have covered her. His thoughtfulness touched her, and she felt guilty for snapping at him. It was already getting dark and cold, and she would have frozen in her shorts and blouse if he hadn’t come by. He was already changed into a red flannel shirt with long sleeves and a down vest. He must have realized that she was not dressed for the coolness of the coming night.

“Sam,” she called to him hesitantly.

He turned and faced her stonily. “I won’t bother you again, Rachel. I promise,” he vowed with one hand raised.

“I’m sorry,” she told him sincerely. “I really do appreciate what you’ve done for me. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he told her, nodding. “It would be best if you got changed into some warmer clothes. It gets pretty cold here at night.”

“I remember,” she answered quietly. “Thanks.”

She leaned forward to pull herself up from the chair and found his hands there to help support her. Rather than dismiss his help, she accepted it gratefully and stood next to the chair on one foot. She started to hop toward the tent when he reached out and offered her his arm for support. She hesitated a moment then placed her cold hand on his arm, impressed by his strength and kindness despite her determination to keep her distance and not feel anything for this man. She hopped toward the tent while he carried the blankets.

They stopped at the tent entrance and she could tell that he was unsure how far to go with her. He opened the flap and held it back for her, letting her hold his arm while she hopped into the entrance.

“I have some chicken and potatoes cooking,” he said finally when she turned to face him. “If you’re up to it, you’re welcome to come over and eat with me—so you won’t have to worry about making dinner for yourself and you can rest your foot.”

His last words were added carefully, making Rachel know that he was hesitant to extend the invitation. She felt a deep sense of guilt at having been so rude to him, but she also acknowledged that Sam wasn’t completely innocent in the rudeness department. She hesitated only a moment then smiled sincerely at him.

The smile transformed her whole face and Sam found himself unable to look away from her. Rachel was absolutely beautiful, but it was the memory of her kindness and caring that drew her to him. He wanted that caring friend back in his life. He had missed her.

“I would appreciate the food,” she finally told him sincerely.

“I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” he said, nodding. Turning, he walked back to his campsite.

Rachel watched him walk away, then closed the flap of the tent and hopped toward the back of it to her suitcase. She sat down carefully on the cot and took out her warmest sweats. She laughed as she looked down at the old navy sweatshirt and realized that she had never worn such an outfit to eat dinner with a man before.