The Doctor Wears A Stetson (Contemporary Western Romance) (2 page)

The noise in the gym quieted when the band
struck up the first tune. Amanda dragged Lester to the dance floor.
Jessie laughed at the comical look he threw Cameron.

All desire to laugh ceased when Cameron
pushed back his chair and stood. "Shall we join them?" He gave her
one of his special smiles and held out his hand.

The heat from his fingers burned her flesh
as he led her to the dance floor. How in the world was she going to
survive when Cameron held her in his arms for the slow dances?

For the first two sets, the band played rock
and roll. Jessie enjoyed moving to the music. She loved to dance.
But then the beat changed, the tempo mellowed and the time of
reckoning had come. Cameron pulled her into his arms and held her
close. They swayed to the soft music of a love song. She held
herself rigid, afraid to breathe, afraid she'd do something
foolish.

"Relax," Cameron whispered in her ear.

Jessie forced herself to ease her strained
muscles. She tentatively laid her head against Cameron's chest and
sighed deeply. This was like a piece of heaven.

When Cameron suddenly stiffened, Jessie
jerked her head back and looked up at him. He was staring at
something or someone across the gym. She quickly scanned the
dancing couples and found the object of Cameron's fierce gaze. Near
one of the doors, Patti Nichols and Bubba Garrison were locked in
an intimate embrace. Jessie wasn't familiar with the details of the
big break up, but Cameron certainly wasn't happy with his
ex-girlfriend's behavior.

He forced a smile when he caught Jessie's
look of concern. "Sorry about that." With a shrug, Cameron turned
with the music and held her close.

The rest of the evening passed in a dreamy
blur for Jessie. Cameron never looked Patti's way again. Instead,
he focused all his charm and attention on Jessie. She, in turn,
lost her heart.

When the prom ended, Jessie and Cameron
walked out into the starry West Texas night with Lester and
Amanda.

Lester had his arm around Amanda's waist,
whispering in her ear, making her giggle. He punched Cameron's arm.
"Some of us are going up to Lover's Point. Why don't y'all come
along?"

Jessie, acutely aware of Cameron's big hand
on the small of her back, tried not to panic
. Lover's
Point?

Cameron glanced down at her before
answering. "I don't know, Les . . ."

Amanda laughed nastily. "I bet Jessie's
never been to Lover's Point. Her experience with parked cars is
strictly mechanical."

"Unlike yours. Right, Amanda?" Cameron
said.

Amanda sputtered, caught Lester's arm and
hurried away.

Cameron helped Jessie into the truck and
braced an arm on the doorframe, searching her face. "Why don't we
go for a little while? We don't have to stay long," he said softly.
"It's up to you."

Jessie swallowed hard. Did he really want to
take her to Lover's Point? Was he offering her a way out or
himself?

Amanda's words stung. Jessie raised her
chin. "I guess we can go if you want to."

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded.
She trembled at the thought of being alone with Cameron in the
parked truck.

Lover's Point was a large precipice
overlooking a deep gorge west of town. After maneuvering his truck
on the bluff, Cameron dimmed his headlights and rolled down the
windows.

Jessie hoped she didn't look as nervous as
she felt. When Cameron swung his arm over the back of the seat and
turned toward her, it was all she could do not to open the door and
run.

"You should wear a dress more often."
Cameron's deep velvet voice oozed over Jessie's heart, causing it
to miss a beat. He gently caressed the nape of her neck and his
muscular thigh pressed against her own, the satin fabric of her
gown offering little protection from the heat of his body. When had
he moved so close? And why?

Oh my God, he's going to kiss me
.

Good lord, what was she doing on Lover's
Point with Cameron McCade? She had never kissed a boy in her whole
entire life. She had no idea how to go about it. Did it come
naturally? Was there a certain technique or skill to it?

Cameron leaned toward her, his eyes on her
lips. A husky laugh from one of the cars floated on the warm
breeze. Jessie felt Cameron's body go rigid as he stared at the
couple in the next car. She knew without a doubt it must be Patti
and Bubba.

Before she could turn to look, Jessie was
locked in a vise-like embrace. Cameron's lips came down on hers
hard, demanding. He forced her mouth open, plunging his tongue
inside, grinding his lips against hers until she thought she would
smother.

Jessie realized Cameron was hurting and
angry. She felt an overwhelming need to give him comfort. But the
punishing force of the kiss frightened her, and she tried to push
him away.

Immediately, the kiss changed. The pressure
of Cameron's lips gentled and Jessie stopped struggling. Abruptly,
he released her.

She opened her eyes slowly, then quickly
closed them again. All traces of fear had faded, replaced by a
vague flickering of desire. Her breasts felt heavy and full. A
churning sensation began in the pit of her stomach and traveled all
the way to her toes. It was a new and intoxicating feeling.

"Look at me, Jess."

Gripping her hands in her lap, she peeked up
at Cameron. His sexy blue eyes were fixed on her face. Jessie's
stomach ricocheted and she looked away.

Cameron cupped her chin, forcing her to meet
his gaze. "You've never done this before, have you?"

She felt her cheeks flood with color.
"No."

"Was that your first kiss?"

Jessie nodded miserably.

Cameron slammed his palm against the back of
the seat, making her jump. He stifled a curse. "I'm sorry, Jess. I
shouldn't have done that to you." He raked his fingers through his
hair. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been acting like a
jealous jerk all night long. Hell,
I
was the one who wanted
to break up with Patti."

He reached for Jessie and gathered her in
his arms again. He traced her lips with a thumb, and she shivered
in response.

"Let's try this again," he said. "A first
kiss should be something special."

The sound of Cameron's voice, his gentle
touch, and his breath on her cheek--all were threatening Jessie's
control. She had already had her first kiss, thank you very much.
She wasn't sure she liked it.

Cameron tightened his hold on her. His
heartbeat both comforted and excited her. "I'm going to kiss you,
okay?"

Jessie had barely nodded before his mouth
took hers a second time. This kiss was very different from the
first. It had nothing to do with jealousy or anger. Cameron was
kissing her for her own sake. Her world turned upside down.

Slowly, she raised her arms and clasped them
around Cameron's neck. He adjusted their position, cradling Jessie
closer into his shoulder.

The kiss deepened and soon turned into a
sweet wild passion. Jessie hung on for dear life, allowing the
exhilarating feelings to consume her. Cameron pushed her backward
until she was lying flat on the seat.

Jessie gloried in the feel of his big body
covering her. She drew the powerful shoulders closer until his
chest rubbed against her breasts. She hadn't worn a bra with the
halter-topped evening gown. Every movement produced exciting new
sensations.

Just when she thought she might die from the
exquisite torture, Cameron pulled back. He stared down at her, his
breath rasping in his lungs. He quickly sat up, bringing Jessie
with him.

Still lost in a fog of passion, she reached
for him, but he caught her hands and shook his head. "No more," he
said, keeping her away.

Jessie tried to gather her wits as she
straightened her gown. She didn't want to look at Cameron, but she
had
to look at him; she had to say something. "I think you
better take me home."

Cameron gripped the steering wheel. He was
still breathing hard, and his eyes glittered hotly. "I'm sorry,
Jess. I didn't mean to take advantage of you. You're a special kind
of girl. Don't ever change." He reached across the cab and traced
her lips with his thumb again.

"You're too young, too damned young," he
said. "I'm leaving for college after graduation. I have to get out
of this town, Jess. Away from the ranch. I want to be a doctor. I
want to help people. I want to heal them, make them better. I've
planned my future and I'm never coming back."

Jessie nodded in understanding; he was
leaving and taking her heart with him. She lifted her chin. "You
know, you're not the only one with a plan. I'm going away to
college, too, when it's time. I want to major in journalism and
work for a newspaper some day."

Cameron smiled and flicked her nose. "Not
going to be a grease monkey all your life?"

"No, I want to write," she said. "And I
don't want to live in Salt Fork forever, either."

Cameron started the truck. "Thanks for going
with me, Jess. It was fun."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes,
it was."

The drive home was silent. Cameron pulled
around to the back of Kincaid's Garage, where the porch light
glared yellow in the darkness. He led her up the walk.

Jessie opened the screen door and turned
toward Cameron. This was it, then. The end. Her fairy-tale prom
night was over. "Thank you for a wonderful time," she said, holding
out her hand, feeling like a fool.

Cameron stared at her hand, then at her. His
face was taut, as if he were in pain. His blue eyes burned like
jewels. Jessie wondered what was wrong.

Suddenly, he reached out and pulled her to
him, arching her slender body into his. "I have to have one more
kiss, Jess. One . . . more . . . kiss."

His mouth crushed down on hers. This wasn't
an obligatory goodnight kiss, Jessie thought, her heart hammering
in her chest. This was a kiss like you read about in novels or
watched at the movies. He must feel
something
for her, or he
wouldn't be kissing her like this. How was she going to stand it
when he left forever?

Cameron broke the embrace and set her away
from him. "Good bye, Jess." He didn't look at her again, didn't
turn to wave. He got in his truck and drove away into the night and
out of her life.

Seventeen years later

Jessie Devine needed a miracle and the
sooner the better. Only a miracle would keep her from losing the
service station and garage she'd inherited from her father. She
loved the business and hated to think she might lose it. With taxes
and insurance coming due, plus a mountain of medical bills still
waiting to be paid, not to mention everyday expenses that were
eating her lunch, money was a top priority and a commodity she
sorely lacked. No matter how she tallied the columns on the
spreadsheets, the numbers just wouldn't add up. She'd been working
late every night for the past two months.

Face it, Jess. You're flat broke.

With a sigh, she set to work once more,
crunching the numbers on the computer screen, comparing them to the
ones in her account book.

The roar of a powerful engine outside the
station jerked her attention from the spreadsheets. With a frown,
she glanced at the ancient clock hanging on the wall.
Good lord,
it was nine-thirty
. Who could be stopping by so late, when she
was obviously closed? No one from Salt Fork, that was for sure.

Peeking out the window, she saw a shiny
black Jaguar with the hood up and a large man leaning over the
engine. A Jaguar in Salt Fork? A stranger in distress, no doubt
about it. She tucked several loose strands of hair under her
baseball cap and decided to investigate.

Jessie's pulse accelerated as she neared the
stranger and the Jaguar. What wouldn't she give to service a car
like that? The thought of working on that engine sent shivers down
her spine. Her fingers itched to explore and repair. With her eyes
glued on the expensive sports car, Jessie didn't realize the
stranger had come forward to greet her until she heard his deep
voice.

"Hello, Jess."

Her head snapped toward the man, and Jessie
found herself gazing into familiar blue eyes.
Oh, my God.
Cameron McCade.
Her heart shifted gears and her lungs stalled
in her chest.

What was
he
doing back in town? He'd
been gone a long time. Now suddenly he was standing only a few
inches away, his musky aftershave triggering old memories. Ancient
memories. It had only been one night, one night many years ago.

A sharp October breeze brought Jessie back
to her senses. Summoning a smile, she extended her hand, thankful
to see it steady. "Hey, Cameron. Wow. I sure didn't expect to see
you here."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said,
taking her hand in his.

When his strong fingers closed over hers,
Jessie swallowed hard. She remembered Cameron's touch . . . oh how
she remembered.

"Yes, it's been quite a while." Quickly, she
withdrew her hand and walked over to inspect the car. There was so
much to say. Or maybe there was nothing to say at all. Perhaps he
didn't remember.

Jessie ran an expert eye over the engine.
"Looks like the fan belt snapped and the radiator's overheating.
Have you driven all the way from Houston?"

He moved closer to get a better look at the
steaming radiator. "Yeah, I've been on the road since early this
morning."

When he brushed against her shoulder, Jessie
stiffened at the close contact, shocked by the sharp jolt of
awareness coursing through her veins. The heat from his body
penetrated the thick cloth of her coveralls, making her insides
turn all squishy. Cameron McCade had always affected her that
way.

Dragging in a deep breath, she fought for
control. Her reactions were ridiculous. She was thirty-two years
old, for crying out loud. Not fifteen, like before.