“We could see each other for dinner.”

Avery frowned, shifting the chart in her hands. “Maybe socializing isn’t such a good idea with me being your physical therapist.”

“Why not? Because you said everything outside of the office was fair game.”

Her face flushed. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

His male instincts urged him to stalk closer, crowd her in and make her admit she was just as attracted as he was. Instead he forced himself to remain still, using words to reel her in. “Come on. You want an adventure. I want to help you find one. Let’s talk about it over dinner.”

“Well…” Her flush deepened, but she also straightened her shoulders. “I guess I could do dinner one night.”

As he came to his feet, Avery’s quizzical little smile distracted him. He saw nothing else. Not taupe walls, nor yellow scrubs. Just pale blue eyes and bow-shaped lips as she moved closer.

Before he could reach for his cane, his legs gave him the old heave-ho and collapsed. Avery had moved close, too close to miss out on his game of timber. Down they both went.

“Sweetheart, you’re the softest landing place I’ve had in a while.”

* * *

The Renegade Returns is part of the Mill Town Millionaires series from Dani Wade.

The Renegade
Returns
Dani Wade

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DANI WADE astonished her local librarians as a teenager when she carried home ten books every week—and actually read them all. Now she writes her own characters, who clamor for attention in the midst of the chaos that is her life. Residing in the Southern United States with a husband, two kids, two dogs and one grumpy cat, she stays busy until she can closet herself away with her characters once more.

To My Mother

You instilled an early love of reading in me that has shaped who I truly am. Your encouragement throughout my life has helped me believe in myself, even when it was hard. Every day I use the dedicated work ethic and practicality you taught me to make my dreams a reality. Thank you.

I’ve watched up close as you’ve fought hard, worked steadfastly, prayed with belief and loved with everything in you. I only hope someday to be able to do the same half as well as you. All my love…

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Extract

Copyright

One

Ignoring stares and whispers was an art form Lucas Blackstone had perfected. The more wins he claimed as a stock car racer, the more attention he attracted. Which was normally fine by him. In fact, he thrived on it.

Used to thrive on it.

Tonight, he wished he could fade into the wainscoting on the walls so people would stop staring. Stop whispering about his arrival at the country club. Stop measuring the difficulty with which he walked to his family’s chosen table. Stop speculating about whether his racing days as Renegade Blackstone were permanently over.

Just as he did during the long, dark hours of every night.

Instead, he pretended this was a normal night, a normal dinner with his family. Not his debut before his hometown after having his body broken into more pieces than any man should experience.

His back straight, he vowed to himself that he would beat this with every single step.

“You’re doing so well,” Christina softly encouraged him as he carefully placed each footfall on the way to their table. As their resident nurse and his brother Aiden’s wife, she had been tracking Luke’s progress since his accident earlier this year. “But by the end of the evening, you might be wishing for that wheelchair you refused.”

“No,” he said through teeth he tried not to clench. He didn’t quite succeed.

He would not resort to invalid status. The marble-handled cane he leaned on was his single concession to his still-healing legs. The plonk every time it met the floor sounded loud in his head, even though he knew it hardly made a sound.

“All that macho stoicism will lead to one thing,” she warned as they reached their destination. Then she rolled her eyes when the men all booed. “I’m serious, Luke. Pretending you don’t need help will just make getting out of bed tomorrow more painful.”

“You’re so cute when you’re concerned,” he cooed back, laughing when she stuck out her tongue.

The reality couldn’t always be covered by his teasing mask—but he sure tried. He’d become a close buddy with pain since his car accident. During everyday tasks, during rehabilitation. Sometimes it shot through him under the cloak of a dead sleep. He hated it, but pain could be good. The sharp sting reminded him he was alive. Not just a shell, a body that would never feel again.

Luke lived for high speeds. Recovery at a snail’s pace could only be described as pure torture. Some days, he’d give anything to take his mind off his present state.

“You keep babying him, and he’ll wish he’d never consented to coming home,” Aiden teased his bride.

All the attention aside, Luke knew being back in Black Hills would be good for him. Helping his brothers out at the mill that supported the entire town would surely blunt the aching need to return to his race car. After a year of what they all suspected was sabotage to their business by an inside source, the family needed all hands on deck.

This is only temporary...

To his relief, he managed to seat himself after only a minor skirmish with the long tablecloth. Damn accoutrements. But the formal atmosphere had been the deciding factor in choosing to eat here tonight. Hope against hope it might keep nosy, small-town people in their seats—for a while.

“Stop pulling at your collar, Luke,” his twin brother, Jacob, reprimanded.

But Luke couldn’t help it. He was as ill at ease as his brother was comfortable in a suit. Even now his hand crept back up to tug at the tie around his neck—give him a racing suit any day. “This damn thing is almost as uncomfortable as all the people staring,” he grumped. His comfort zone had always been his car—not polished silver, gold-rimmed china and fresh flower centerpieces.

“Well, most of these people are family friends, but they still love a celebrity. They can’t help the need to watch,” Aiden explained in his tolerant older-brother voice.

“I just enjoyed it more when they were in awe of my good looks.” Instead of speculating about my doom.

Luke’s teasing tone left his brothers and the women laughing, and gratitude added another layer to his self-defense. The maudlin martyr was not his most sought-after role. Only he knew there was a kernel of truth in his humor, and he would keep it that way. So he covered his discomfort as carefully as he draped his cloth napkin over his lap.

After ordering, Luke deemed it safe to let his gaze skim the softly lit room. A lot of faces had aged since he’d been in high school, though they were still familiar. It had been many years since he’d left town to start an incredibly successful racing career but he’d returned for a few events. Some fund-raisers. Anything to make his visits home more bearable. He had spent time with his incapacitated mother and Christina, who was her nurse. After that, his only thought had been getting himself out of the house without running into his domineering grandfather.

Escape. If his life had a theme song, that would be the refrain. Now that the old man had kicked the bucket, Blackstone Manor had transformed into a home—thanks to the people around this table.

About halfway across the crowded space Luke’s gaze snagged on a tawny, upswept head of hair. The woman’s profile was sharper than it had been in high school, more refined. Gone was the softness of a young woman, now honed into a sphinxlike silhouette that immediately captured his eye.

Avery Prescott. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen her on any of his visits home. Which was odd—and from the looks of her, a total shame.

As if feeling his gaze, she glanced his way with pale blue eyes. Despite the distance between them, something jolted through his body. Deeper than an I know you, but not a lightning flash. More a wash of awareness that flooded over all his uncomfortable emotions, muting them to radio silence. When she quickly turned back to her dining companions, he had an urge to stand, to command her attention.

This was a pleasant surprise. Luke had always enjoyed women—the sight, sound and smell of them—but there’d been nothing since his accident. Not even when surrounded by a hospital floor full of pretty nurses. Oh, he’d flirt and play, but it had covered a storm of pain, worry and frustration that he didn’t know how to calm now that his one mode of escape had been snatched from him.

But tonight, watching Avery as she smiled and conversed with her dinner companions sent an electric spark of attraction tingling down his spine. Her frequent glances in his direction made him wonder if she felt it, too, but their eyes never met again.

Avoiding him, huh?

Throughout dinner and conversing with a few brave visitors, his awareness remained. Finally she stood to leave, giving him his first unhindered look at her slender figure. Her sheath dress showcased curves right where he liked them, proportionate to her delicate bone structure.

She made her way through the tables with elegant grace, pausing to smile and speak to several people, but never for long. The candlelight from the centerpieces reflected off her earrings, lending sparkle to her slight glow. Her black sequined dress reminded him of her family’s wealth and the undeniable fact that she belonged in this place. Still she refused to look his way.

He thought she was going to avoid their table altogether, until Christina stood to wave. “Avery, over here,” she called.

Avery’s hesitation was noticeable, at least to Luke. But then again, he’d barely taken his eyes off her to look at his plate. Why didn’t she want to stop and say hi?

His memories were of a gawky girl, shy, always on the fringes. Under direct attention, she would stumble over her words, drop things, trip over her own feet. Tonight she moved with a type of deliberate grace. Head high. Steps secure. This new Avery fascinated him.

Her greeting included them all, when a need inside Luke wanted her to rest those pale blue eyes on him. He kept his body on lockdown, refusing to draw her attention until it was freely given.

“Having dinner with Doc Morris again, I see?” Aiden said with a grin.

“If his wife wasn’t with us, some rumors might have started by now.”

Luke soaked in the slight movements of her hands, the shrug of those delicate shoulders as everyone chatted around him. This is crazy—the last thing you need is to get involved with someone here. You’re recovering. Still he couldn’t look away, couldn’t ignore the draw he felt growing deep inside.

“Doc says someone has to make sure I’m eating. We don’t want to lose a community asset after he worked so hard to get me into good schools and internships,” she added in a decent replication of the older man.

As a round of chuckles rose from the table, she finally glanced his way—and those sparks inside him multiplied. “Um, hi, Luke.” With that slight stall, the first small chink in her sophisticated armor appeared.

He remembered those same words spoken to him with the enthusiasm of a young girl trying hard to hide her crush, but not quite succeeding. Now, that awkward innocence had morphed into a sophisticated woman with a restrained politeness, as if by keeping herself under tight control she could prevent a repeat of the embarrassments of her youth.

Somehow, he didn’t like this as much as his memories.

“Are you a doctor now?” Luke asked. How could he have been home so often and never thought to ask what had happened to the young girl who had hung around the edges of their social circle?

Her gaze touched on his before skittering away. “Actually, I’m a physical therapist.”

Ouch. His recent painful visits for therapy did not make that a happy revelation. Very unexpected. Very unwelcome.

“In fact,” Aiden said with an amused tone that set Luke’s nerves on edge, “she’s your physical therapist.”

In a flash, Luke relived the agony of his therapy sessions over the last three months and winced. Pain forced things to the surface, compelled a man to reveal way more emotion than he wanted other people to see. “Oh, hell no,” he muttered.

Apparently his words weren’t low enough, because Avery’s elegant features took on a hint of frost. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. I’m the only physical therapist in Black Hills. Or within fifty miles of it.”

Damn. “I didn’t mean...”

Her body straightened, gaining only a slight inch in stature. “And I’m a damn good one, too.”

“Everyone around here knows that.”

Luke had been so focused on Avery that he hadn’t noticed the approach of anyone else. Next to her now stood Mark Zabinski, an old high school friend of Jacob’s and part of the upper management at Blackstone Mills.

“So the Renegade is back,” Mark went on, ignoring Luke’s lack of welcome. “And causing quite the stir.”

“That I am.” Might as well own it.

Avery glanced around the table, surveying the reunited Blackstone family. Her voice was hushed compared to Mark’s forceful tone. “It must be strange, having all of you back here, together again.”

Very few people would notice the phenomenon, much less mention how each brother had left, then returned to find their place in Black Hills now that their grandfather was dead. But this was Avery. He remembered glimpses of her standing on the edge of the crowd in high school, alone but not missing an ounce of what occurred.

Aiden’s dark gaze swept over them all before he smiled. “Yes, but family is good. Very good.”

Luke wouldn’t have gotten through the last few months without family, including both his brothers, Christina and Jacob’s fiancé, KC. “Amen,” he agreed.

But as the conversation continued around them, Luke didn’t miss the dark shadow that clouded Avery’s eyes, the subtle shift of her expression. And he certainly didn’t miss Mark’s hand casually lying against the small of her back. A sign of ownership, possessiveness, protection. Comfort for a friend? Or something more?

Avery didn’t move away, but she also didn’t relax into the touch, either. Interesting.

“Mark,” Jacob said, his tone firming to one of authority, “I’m glad you stopped by. The computer gurus are finally coming to install the new computer system at the plant. Time for an upgrade like we talked about last month,” Jacob continued. “We’ll meet early tomorrow morning to discuss it.”

Mark shifted on his feet, his dress shoes squeaking under the stress. “Great.”

Mark smiled as he said it, but Luke suspected he wasn’t as thrilled as he tried to look. Something about the overstretch of his smile, giving his face a slightly Joker edge.

“Avery, let me escort you to the valet,” Mark said, using that damnable hand to steer her away. She nodded, her gaze making a warm sweep of the table...while studiously avoiding Luke.

Why did that leave him feeling cold?

Escorting a woman—something Luke couldn’t do with ease anymore. As if she knew his thoughts followed them, Avery glanced back over her shoulder, but a cool mask still protected her emotions.

Great. Just what he needed—a ticked-off physical therapist with the ability to visit pain on him with a simple twitch of her wrist. His dismissal of her abilities had given her motivation aplenty for inflicting a twinge or two on him.

But Luke was used to using his charm to get out of sticky situations—turning them into something positive, something entertaining. Despite the complication, his curiosity grew. So did his unexpected need. He’d been lost in a miasma of pain and frustration that seriously weighed him down. But this kick-start to his motor had lifted him up, exhilarated him. A relationship was nowhere on his agenda, but a little battle of wills would definitely liven up his current dull existence.

A few fireworks to dull the pain. What could be more fun than that?

* * *

How could anyone look so cute in scrubs? Not that Avery was the type to appreciate being categorized as cute. She probably preferred capable. Her sunny yellow scrubs were paired with a no-nonsense expression and friendly, but impersonal, tone. Her detachment caused him to itch after the receptionist brought him through the double doors into the heart of the therapy facility.

If Avery thought her all-business attitude would keep him at arm’s length, she’d get a surprise. He’d just tease his way through whatever crack he could find in her armor. The challenge brought a surge of energy. Besides, befriending her might keep her from taking any vengeance out on his bones.

An impressive workout room occupied an open central space in the main part of the building. Top-of-the-line equipment gleamed from careful upkeep. Avery gestured him through a side door and closed them inside. The treatment room had the same look of quality, including a padded table, small desk and comfortable chairs. “This place is really nice. You’ve done well for yourself, Avery,” he said.

The compliment garnered him his first genuine smile. No pretense. “Thank you. This building has been a blessing to me and to my patients.”

And it obviously meant a lot to her. “You named the clinic after your mother.”

“Yes.” Her smile dimmed a little, awakening an urge to give her a comforting hug just as he would Christina, who’d proven to be a true friend.

Avery continued. “We became exceptionally close during her illness. Besides, she provided the funding for a bigger, better clinic for the community in my inheritance. We’re very lucky to have it.”

Her pride in her accomplishment added a glow to her expression, awakening jealousy in Luke’s gut. He remembered being proud of what he did, but the memories were fading from sharp to hazy, obscured by the turmoil of recent months.

This woman used her healing talents every day in a community that needed her. How fulfilling must that be? “You have plenty of patients?”

She nodded, sending her thick ponytail swinging. “I like to think it’s because I do good work, and not just because I’m the only convenient choice.”

“I bet it is. You must be good with your hands, huh?”

To his surprise, that professional demeanor slipped and she fumbled the chart from her hands. It hit the ground with a clatter. “That’s really inappropriate, Luke,” she warned with a frown.

He hadn’t meant it to be, but now that he thought about it that way... He watched as a flush of pink swept up her neck and into her cheeks. Oh, she could be proper all she wanted, but now he knew—she might’ve grown up, but this chickadee was still as easily flustered as she’d been in high school.

Teasing her was gonna be entertaining. And her all-business attitude screamed for him to bring a little fun, a little laughter into her life. Since he could use some fun, too, he’d be doing them both a favor. Right?

“I’m pretty well known for saying whatever comes to mind,” he said with a grin. “And being handsome. And charming.” It wasn’t bragging, ’cause it was true.

“And obnoxiously self-absorbed?” The contrast between her words and sickly sweet tone made him laugh. A true laugh. Man, that felt good.

He conceded with a sexy grin. “Maybe. Occasionally.”

That professional mask slipped a fraction more before she smoothed her palms over already sleek hair, back to her ponytail.

He was getting somewhere now. Just a little more ribbing, and she might actually laugh like a real person instead of a robot.

She pulled out a rolling stool and sat, propping his folder on her lap. Guess it was down-to-business time, which wasn’t nearly as amusing. Luke had worked hard at recovery, but this was the first time fun had appeared anywhere in his current nightmare. He didn’t want to leave it behind.

“Goals?” she asked, focusing her attention on the papers.

That was easy enough. His one goal had been blazing in his brain since the accident. “To be back in my car. ASAP.”

Avery glanced up, those gorgeous eyes wide, drawing him in. “That’s pretty decisive.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Her tone left him defensive, when there was no need for it. Then again, Luke’s life had been spent on goals other people just didn’t get. “You asked. I answered.”

Her frown and longer-than-polite stare awakened an urge to squirm he hadn’t encountered since third grade.

“Most of my patients are more worried about walking unaided again,” she mused, as if talking to herself rather than him.

Alarm streaked along his nerves. He didn’t want her thinking too hard, digging too deep. So he grinned. “Oh, I have other goals.”

After a minute of silence, she made a speed-up gesture with the pen in her hand. “And...”

“Having a good time doesn’t sound nearly as professional, if you know what I mean.”

The pen hit the floor. Instant color stained her creamy cheeks. Wow. When was the last time he’d seen a blush like that? It must have been— A memory burst inside his brain. High school.

* * *

“Do you need some help with that?”

The jolt that rushed through him had to be from surprise. After all, who would have expected Little Miss Perfect to offer to help him change clothes? A blush spread over her rounded cheeks to match the heat racing over his body.

He looked from the dry shorts in his hand back to Avery in the first bikini he’d ever seen her wear. Must have been bought special for this final summer bash for seniors at the lake before everyone flew off to the colleges of their choice. Everyone except him—his destination was North Carolina and any racing track they’d let him drive on. But even the prospect of finally leaving home hadn’t made him reckless enough to initiate the greenest girl in their group. No matter what her pale blue eyes were begging for. “Honey, helping me would involve a lot more than a change of clothes.”

“I know.” But that flush on her fair skin, bright enough to see in the dim light this far from the bonfire, told him she didn’t truly know what she was offering.

To his surprise, a shot of adrenaline flashed through his veins. The same kind that came with hundred-mile-an-hour speeds and the feel of the wheel beneath his palms. Not the sexy slide into arousal he usually got with girls. Even his alcohol-soaked brain knew this was a bad idea, despite his body’s approval. Better to stop this before it began, even if it meant being harsh...

“I think somebody with more experience would be a bigger help to me.”

* * *

Oh, no. How could Luke have forgotten that long-ago summer night? Without thought, he said, “Holy— Avery, I can’t believe you came on to me that night.”

The little rolling stool shot backward, as far across the tiny exam room as she could go. The thump as she hit the opposite wall went unnoticed by her. She only stared, her flush deepening, spreading down her neck and chest to disappear under the yellow scrubs. “I—”

Why had he said that? Whatever he thought usually slid out of his mouth without any semblance of a stop sign in between, that’s why. Most people found it funny. But her utter mortification was not what he’d wanted.

“I’m sorry, Avery. I should never have said that.” His mama had taught him to own up to his mistakes. People might think he was all ego—and he let them keep believing it—but he’d never dishonor a woman or ignore her distress. “Seriously, I may not always play the gentleman, but I would never intentionally embarrass a friend.”

Her recovery was quick. She straightened on the stool and crept forward with her heels until she’d crossed half the little room. He couldn’t help but notice she still kept some distance between them. The return of the professional mask took a little longer, though. “Friends, huh?”

He grinned, hoping to put her at ease. “I’d like to think so.”

She nodded, as if that settled things. But it took her a few moments to say, “So I wanted a little walk on the wild side.” She shrugged those delicately built shoulders, keeping her eyes trained on his chart. “What high school senior doesn’t?”

His libido urged him to ask if she’d gotten it, but for once he kept his trap shut. He sifted through his memories for any gossip he’d heard about her, but came up empty. All Jacob had supplied last night were the directions to the therapy center. No bad behavior. No scandalous liaisons.

Was there no gossip to be had? Last night she’d been at dinner with Doctor Morris and his wife, who were seventy if they were a day. She’d had no date accompanying her, even though Mark had joined her to walk out. No wedding ring on her long, slender fingers. Her last name hadn’t changed. Maybe there hadn’t been any wild times...

Maybe he should change that?

Oh. Hell. No. The last thing he needed was a casual hookup with the least casual woman he knew. He tried to erase the seductive thought as she spoke again.

“We’ll start each session with a warm-up, then build strength with resistance exercises—first using just your body weight, then moving up,” she was saying, using her pen to check off her points. Her precision marks were a little too perfect, holding her interest a little too much. “Your therapist in North Carolina gave me your records. You’ve come an incredibly long way, but today I’d like to see what’s happening for myself...”

Luke didn’t want to think about any of it—so he distracted himself with the fall of soft yellow scrubs that skimmed her curves. If she knew what he was thinking right now, she’d probably give him an exaggerated frown and tell him that activity wasn’t on his approved list.

Maybe he’d have to prove her wrong.

“Okay, Luke?”

“Yep,” he automatically answered.

“You weren’t listening, were you?”

“Nope.”

The look on her face implied he’d been naughty, but it was her big sigh, the one that lifted her nicely rounded breasts, that drew his attention. Not the sigh, just the— Boy, he was in so much trouble.

“I guess I’ll explain as we go along,” she said, ignoring his distraction. She rose to her feet and turned to open the door. “Let’s see what you’re capable of...”

That didn’t sound good, and his previous experience with physical therapy told Luke it wouldn’t be. She started him on a slow walk around the room, moving alongside him. Her soothing voice washed over him, almost relaxing despite the awkward coordination of his uncooperative legs and the cane.

Except he knew what was coming.

The upper body work wasn’t an issue. Moving and challenging those muscles actually felt good. His hips and legs—not so much. Avery put him through some resistance training, range-of-motion work and stretching. An hour later, drenched in sweat, he had to wonder if a sadistic grin lurked behind her ardent expression. Her encouraging words said she wanted to help, but was she secretly satisfied by his pain?

After all, he’d humiliated her in high school. That he’d done it for her own good didn’t seem like adequate justification now that he was an adult. But maybe he could make it up to her somehow?

Or would spending time with Avery outside of his therapy be the equivalent of playing with fire?

Two

Avery ignored the shake of her hands as she removed electrode pads from Luke’s legs and lower back. Thank goodness she didn’t have to do anything complicated. Otherwise she’d surely have made an idiot of herself. The sight of his body in nothing but athletic shorts was a test to her professionalism.

She cleared her throat, trying to ease the constriction. “I’ll let you get dressed and then meet you up front.”

Except thoughts of Luke and clothes only reminded her of their earlier conversation, and her immature offer to help him dress. Ah, there are those stomach-twisting nerves again. She hurried out the door with only a small bump against the frame.

Luke was so much like she remembered—only ten times more dangerous. Obviously, he’d figured out that these joking innuendos were the way to get beneath her guard. She needed a way to counteract them.

Her current method wasn’t working very well.

Teasing from any man under sixty flustered her, but her reactions to Luke were too strong—a tempest compared to a sprinkle of rain when it came to other men. The fact that she found him amazingly attractive only made her nerves worse. Her interest had nothing to do with him being a local celebrity and everything to do with him being, well, Luke.

His charm and ready smile had drawn her from the moment she’d met him. Whenever they’d seen each other as teenagers at country club dinners or various gatherings, Avery would follow him around, subtly watching him. Unlike his brother Jacob, who had surrounded himself with a businesslike wall, Luke knew how to make himself comfortable in any social situation.

A skill Avery had never developed.

Oh, she could chat with people in town, people she’d known all her life. Her genuine interest in and sympathy for her patients made interacting with them easy. And she had a few girlfriends, like Christina, whom she could turn to when she really needed to talk.

But drop her into a bunch of strangers and Avery simply froze. She reverted back to her high school speech class, with all those eyes staring at her, waiting for her to say something brilliant—and all she could do was squeak.

“So how often do I need to be here?”

As Luke approached, Avery looked up from the chart she wasn’t really reading. Even with the cane, she could have sworn a sexy male model had invaded her territory. Her breath caught in her throat once more, before she released it on a sigh.

Who was she kidding? She’d tried to ride that train once, and Luke had made it plain she wasn’t his type. If he never brought that night up again, it would be too soon. Besides, Luke wouldn’t be sticking around for long. He’d made that perfectly plain during their discussion.

Why risk more humiliation by reading into his teasing more than he could possibly mean? She knew from countless hours of observation that, for Luke, flirting was a way of life.

She forced herself to erase any mooning, wistful tendencies from her voice. She kept it short and, okay, maybe a little stiff. “Let’s get you set up for Wednesday, shall we? I won’t have an exact plan until I’ve looked over my notes from today.”

Avery’s receptionist was flirtier than usual, giving Luke a run for his money. Cindy had all the outgoing personality that had passed Avery by. She chatted and giggled with Luke as she scheduled his next appointment. Normally Avery appreciated that Cindy made their patients smile, but today their laughter left her feeling like an outsider—though she’d never admit that to anyone.

“And what’s this?”

Avery barely quelled the instinctive grab for what she didn’t want him to see. She narrowed her eyes at Cindy. They’d been looking at the brochure earlier and Avery was pretty sure she’d asked Cindy to put it away. Yet there it was, sitting on the checkout counter, as pretty as you please.

“Cindy...” Avery warned. That innocent expression didn’t fool Avery.

She tried a glare, but Cindy just laughed it off. “Rock climbing and rappelling—not far from here,” the receptionist said. “Can you believe it? Avery’s been on a search for ‘adventure’ lately.” The air quotes didn’t help Avery feel better.

“Really?”

Luke’s drawl should not send shivers down her spine. And his slow perusal over her body should not make her mouth water. As if satisfied with what he saw, he broke out a wicked grin. “Lucky for you, adventure just walked through your door.”

“I’m doing just fine on my own, thankyouverymuch,” Avery said, embarrassed by the childish huff that ended her words.

Luke’s glance across the counter at Cindy was answered with a sad shake of the woman’s head. As Avery flushed from head to toe, she vowed to murder her receptionist—as soon as she got Luke out the door.

Those amber eyes swung back to study her. “You sure about that?” he asked.

The intensity of his gaze caught her, held her. His expression was still amused, but gone from his eyes was the teasing, smiling Luke. In the amber depths she saw darkness simmering beneath the surface.

“I keep telling you,” Cindy said, “what you need is a nice man who will give you lots of fun without having to resort to stunts like this.” She waved the recovered brochure in the air.

With a single lift of his brow, Luke added, “What are the men in this town thinking?”

“They sure don’t know what they’re missing,” Cindy teased.

Had Avery’s blush reached lobster levels yet? “I don’t need sex to have fun.” Oh dear, had she really just said that out loud?

“Nobody said you did, sugar,” Luke said. His teeth bit into his full lower lip, but that didn’t stop his grin. “But why don’t you tell me exactly what kind of adventure you’re looking for? I might be able to help.”

The ring of the door chime saved her from answering. “Gotta go,” she mumbled as she moved, only to stumble over her own feet.

Luke was quick to catch her arm, helping her upright again. “Why don’t we talk about it over dinner?” he asked, too soft for anyone else to hear.

Or maybe not. Cindy’s happy dance in the background had Avery’s face burning once more.

“Nope,” she said. “I’m good.”

Again his husky voice played along her nerves. “I’m sure you are, but with me it would be better.”

Oh, Lordy. Avery almost choked. She wanted nothing more than to get out of here. Forget whoever had come through the door.

Twisting out of Luke’s grasp, she chose the other direction and the safety of the therapy room. She threw an “I’m sure you have better things to do,” over her shoulder as she escaped, praying she didn’t damage her dignity by falling flat on her face.

Heaven help her, Luke Blackstone was gonna be a handful.

* * *

“Has she made you cry like a girl yet?”

Luke quelled his sudden urge to smack his twin. After all, they weren’t twelve anymore. “No. There’s been no crying.” Though his control had been shaky sometimes, he’d held it together. Jacob was teasing, but thankfully he didn’t know how close to home his statement hit.

As the oldest brother, Aiden obviously thought he had a say, too. “I thought for sure she’d pulverize you after what you said at the country club.”

Of course, someone had to bring that up. “I’m too cute for her not to forgive me.”

Aiden smirked, then made a quick retreat behind his desk before Luke’s swing could connect. So his restraint hadn’t lasted long. He’d always been a big kid.

Unlike Aiden, who looked perfectly at home behind the heavy desk in the study at Blackstone Manor—though the studious furniture and shelves full of books were slightly deceiving. Aiden had been born too big for his britches. Luke’s earliest memories were of Aiden being punished in this very room by their grandfather for some teenage rebellion or another. The adult Aiden refused to back down, either. It was there in the artistic tumble of his dark hair and lack of a tie.

His brothers shared a grin that awoke suspicions in Luke’s mind. “Spill it.”

“Just be careful, that’s all,” Aiden said.

Luke looked from one to the other, settling on the familiar face of his twin. “What’s he mean? What could little ol’ Avery do to me?”

“Oh, it’s not Avery you need to watch out for,” Jacob said. “It’s the town.”

Huh?

Jacob went on. “Avery is notorious in Black Hills. This entire town has tried to marry her off ever since her mother died. They’re relentless.”

“Why?”

Aiden smirked. “You’ve been away from a small town for too long if you have to ask. She’s young, pretty and single. Every matron in the county sees her as a princess in need of someone to take care of her.”

They both eyed Luke, who quickly held up his hands in surrender. “The last thing I need is a princess.” He moved over to one of the long windows, hiding his reaction from the others, because deep inside he couldn’t deny his attraction. He could ignore it as long as he wanted, but it was there all the same.

“Just be careful,” Jacob said. “They’ll marry you off before a first date.”

“Not. Me.”

His twin just laughed, making him look more like Luke despite his close-cropped hair. “Yeah, right. The princess and the local celebrity—they’d eat that up.”

Definitely time to change the subject. “Didn’t we meet here to talk about something more important than local gossip? Like this spying job you have for me?”

Aiden choked, so Jacob answered, “Well, I wouldn’t call it that.”

“Why not? Don’t think I can pull off the James Bond bit?” He mimed straightening a suit jacket and tie, just for kicks.

“I don’t think he went in for corporate sabotage. A little too tame for him.”

Luke shrugged. “Hey, I’ve got to start somewhere.”

Jacob threw up his hands and dropped into one of the chairs, obviously knowing when he’d been verbally outmaneuvered. But Aiden didn’t give up. “I’m hoping, if you come in with the stated purpose of inspecting the mill to bring you up to snuff as a full partner, then maybe you’ll see something Jacob and I have missed.”

The brothers, along with their new head of security, Zachary Gatlin, had been secretly investigating a saboteur who seemed intent on ruining Blackstone Mills. The brothers had eliminated several suspects, but still had no clue who the actual culprit was. Or if they were even still out there. Whoever it was intent on destroying Black Mills would end up destroying the whole town in the process, since they were the biggest supplier of both jobs and housing in the area—heck, the whole county. Without the mill, Black Hills would cease to exist.

It had been a grueling year for his brothers, dealing with all of that on top of Luke’s car accident. “Anything new?” Luke asked.

“Nothing I can prove, yet,” Jacob said, his amber eyes darkening.

“That sounds promising.”

His twin nodded. “Zach has one of his men following the trail, but it looks like we also have some embezzling going on.”

“That’s bold,” Luke said. “The orders, company equipment, our cotton supply and the Manor itself...now money. Is there anything this guy isn’t afraid to put his hands on?”

“Not that we can tell,” Aiden said with a slow shake of his head. He pressed his palms against the desktop. “As soon as we cut off one avenue, he finds another. All too easily.”

Luke paced across the room despite some lingering muscle pain from his therapy session. His rising anxiety made the walls close in, leaving him eager to move, to escape. An all-too-familiar feeling. “That’s disheartening.”

“Well,” Aiden said, “I hope I can cheer you up with my news.”

“Yeah?” the twins said in chorus.

“The legalities of Grandfather’s will are all finished. The mill is now mine,” Aiden said.

“Wow. That was quicker than you thought,” Luke said. “Congratulations.”

“It was quicker than I thought,” Aiden conceded. “But I’m glad, because now I can move on to plan B.”

A short glance at Jake didn’t provide any clues as to what that might be. He looked as expectant as Luke felt. Aiden pulled a thick envelope out of his inner jacket pocket.

“I’ve had my personal lawyer pull up this paperwork,” he said. “I’m changing the ownership of the mill to all three of us, instead of just me.”

Luke simply stared, not fully comprehending.

Jacob spoke for both of them. “But Aiden, this is your inheritance.”

“It shouldn’t be. It should be ours. Not just mine. Not a weapon to turn us against each other, as Grandfather intended.” He took a solid breath. “A family investment. We’re all putting our lives into the mill, the town. We’re sharing the responsibility. We should share the benefits.”

“Whoa. Wait a minute.”

Jacob’s smile faded as he looked over at Luke, but Luke couldn’t give in just to make his twin happy.

“I’m not staying here,” he reminded them. “The only thing I plan on investing my life in is my racing career—the minute I’m cleared to get behind the wheel. I’m here only because I have to be.”

Luke could almost feel Jacob’s emotions fall along with his expression. Aiden remained more stoic as he said, “You never know what might happen in the future, Luke.”

“Is this why you insisted I come home?” Luke asked, panic rising in his chest. “Did you think you could force me home, force me to find something of value here, and then I’d never want to leave? Like you two have?”

He didn’t even realize his voice had risen until he stopped talking. The three of them stared at each other in silence. Embarrassment swept over Luke like a heated blanket. Where had that come from? “Look, I’m sorry. I know y’all would never do that to me.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Aiden agreed quietly. “I would never trick you into coming here. After all, I know very well how that feels.”

Their grandfather had faked his own death, bringing Aiden home to care for their sick mother, but it was only a trick to force Aiden and Christina into marrying. Even though the man really was dead now, Aiden faced what James Blackstone had done to him every day. Luckily, he’d been given a happy ending.

Luke didn’t want one. Not here.

Aiden wasn’t finished. “I’d never force you to sign this paperwork,” he said, giving the envelope a little shake. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish you would. Regardless of what your immediate future holds, you’re still a part of this family. I hope one day you can willingly put your name on the mill, and reap the benefits along with the rest of your family.”

All the work would be done by Aiden and Jacob. They should have the rewards—they would have the rewards. And Luke would have his freedom. He loved his brothers, loved the new family they’d built. But how could he stay here and still feed his love for the road?

Unbidden, an image of Avery’s face as she flushed with embarrassment came to him. He shook the enticing image away. He had never let anything in Black Hills hold him back. He certainly wasn’t going to start now.

He and Avery would have a little fun, something to liven up his time here, but he could still walk away on his own terms. When he was good and ready.

Three

All work and no play made Avery a dull girl—and apparently made Luke a frisky boy. Just the look on his face as he settled into one of the treatment rooms warned her he would be trouble.

Avery experienced a lot of feelings during her therapy sessions with clients: pride, sympathy, joy...but never this mixture of irritation and interest. How did he get under her skin with such little effort? A few words and she was tripping over her own feet.

His very presence seemed to inject her with pheromones that clouded her mind and drew her thoughts where they shouldn’t go in a professional setting. Especially when her work required her to have her hands all over him.

Then there was the return of the awkwardness. She’d stopped dating because of it. Better to avoid it than to wonder if she had a medical condition—one that caused shaking, clumsiness and unintelligent muttering—all with a single look from any eligible, attractive man. The sight of a handsome man shot her adrenaline up, and if he spoke to her, she immediately became all thumbs. Her considerable intelligence didn’t help at all. And her fellow citizens’ determination to marry her off meant she’d had a wealth of humiliating experiences.

Dropping things, stumbling into door frames, bumping into all manner of furniture, and—her favorite—jerking her fork so that food ended up in all kinds of crazy places. One time, she’d actually flicked pasta onto her date’s eyebrow. She couldn’t remember that incident without cringing. So Mark escorted her to many functions, which gave her a reprieve from the matchmaking mamas.

The only time it didn’t happen was when she put on her scrubs and became her professional self—comfortable in her knowledge and authority.

Until Luke. And he knew it, too.

Luke—with his sexy stare and flirty ways—jump-started the phenomenon quicker than any guy ever had. Which was why she approached him for this second session with her professional facade firmly in place. And it would stay that way. “I’ve worked up a comprehensive plan for you,” she said, “now that I’ve had a chance to evaluate you firsthand—”

“Firsthand evaluation?” he asked, bending to catch her gaze. “How did I miss that? Can I have a do-over?” His wiggling brows didn’t help her nerves. She gripped his chart hard before it could get loose.

“Behave,” she said in her sternest voice.

“Oh, honey, I don’t know how,” he said with a wicked grin that sent shivers racing over her.

How could he derail her so easily, so completely? She dared not speak for a moment, afraid she’d get out no more than a croak as her throat tried to close. That would be humiliating.

Finally, she cleared the constriction. “Look, in this clinic, I’m the boss. This is my career.” She adopted a stern look, despite the amusement on his face. “Here, I’m not your friend, family, or—” She almost said girlfriend. Where the heck had that come from? “So stop playing and get busy.”

He didn’t respond right away, which surprised her. Luke always seemed quick on the draw. But she could feel him watching her. Probably preparing for battle.

Lord, have mercy. His teasing made her want to combust from the inside out. Her cheeks burned in a flash fire she couldn’t control. She hadn’t felt like this since, well, since Luke had jokingly teased her in high school. Good or bad, she wasn’t sure. The mixture of irritation and utter fascination with someone who could dive right into the good parts of life while she was left hugging the walls in fear confused her.

“You know what I mean,” she finally said, swallowing her emotions down. “We can be friends elsewhere—”

“We can?”

“—but here, business only.” Maybe the less she spoke the better. He seemed intent on twisting her words for his own amusement.

“So out there you’re fair game?” he asked with a quirk of his brow. Smart-ass.

“Down to work. Now,” she said, holding out the folder, open to the plan she’d worked up for him.

“Can I just say one thing before the friendship blackout starts?” he asked.

Knowing anything she said would just encourage him, she simply watched him without responding.

“Look, I wasn’t kidding about dinner,” he said, bending a little to look her in the eyes.

Startled, she met his gaze without hesitation, getting a spark of deep connection before turning away. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, hoping to shoo the subject away like an unwelcome bug.

“Look, you said you wanted to have some fun, an adventure—”

“Actually, Cindy said that.”

“And I can help.”

She remembered his whispered words from the other day. There was no doubt in her mind that any adventure would be incredible with Luke along for the ride. “What are you talking about?”

“Hey, every day is an adventure for me. And I don’t need to climb the side of a mountain for a thrill. I’d go so far as to bet that there are some pretty interesting adventures right here close to home that you haven’t even thought about.”

“And you plan to show them to me?”

He straightened a little. “Why not?”

She couldn’t raise her voice above a whisper. “Why are you doing this?”

“In my book, I owe you. I acted like a jerk...before...but I’ve always seen you as a friend. Besides, this sounds a whole lot more interesting than what I had planned—jaunts over here for my therapist to torture me, and... Nope, that’s about it for the next few months.” His smile was hopeful. “Let me do this for you.”

“I don’t know...”

“Scared?”

Heck, yes. “Maybe.”

His teasing smirk said he knew he would win. “That’s okay. It’s all part of the fun.”

Suddenly it was all too much—the teasing, the attraction, the nerves. She desperately needed to shift gears. Holding up her hands, she said, “Look, today, we’re talking about you. Not me.”

“Um, not so far.”

“Stop playing and pay attention.” Her schoolmarm demands only made him smile wider, but this time he actually cooperated. Miracle of miracles.

That grin said he wasn’t finished with her yet, sparking anticipation low in her core, but he finally reached his hand out for the chart.

With relief, she let him read because she didn’t have any starch left for her voice.

“This plan is mapped out for ten months.”

His unexpected dark tone warned her she might need starch for her backbone, too. “Yes. This is a reasonable prognosis to have you completely healed, strengthened and back on the racing circuit for the season after next.”

“That’s too long.”

She frowned. “But your other therapist projected that from the time of his initial evaluation it could be a year or more before your body is strong enough to return without a risk of further injury. I have to agree.”

Luke was shaking his head before she was even half-finished. “Not an option.”

She could totally sympathize as the last of the teasing disappeared from his eyes, replaced by frustration. “Our bodies don’t always agree to the timelines we want,” she reminded him, her voice going soft with sympathy.

“This one damn well better.” There was no room for anything but determination in Luke’s voice. “I will be back on the racing circuit this next season. No later.”

Avery knew when pushing would gain her ground, and this definitely wasn’t the time. So she let his remark go. She’d found when men got something in their heads, especially something they were passionate about, there wasn’t any argument that would do much good.

And she was frankly relieved that his determination got his focus off her. By the time they moved into the workout room, her control was firmly back in place. A return to the comfortable fit of her therapist persona.

Luke’s rippling upper body muscles distracted her at times—clearly he worked out regularly. His body was slim but strong, deceptively so when hidden beneath his clothes. But it met every challenge she gave him and more. His lower body performed, though it was obviously not to his satisfaction.

He gave it his all—she couldn’t fault him for not trying. About halfway through the circuit, she started thinking of him as Tough Guy. No matter the demand, he did it without question. He never asked to stop, never cried—almost 90 percent of her patients did in the early days. He just kept pushing forward.

His expression was the most serious she’d seen on him since his return, except for the stoic one she’d glimpsed as he’d made his way across the dining room floor that first night. She’d seen similar expressions on many patients—that determination to ignore the stares, ignore the pain and force yourself to move regardless of your body’s protests.

As they came to the end of his session, she bent and twisted his legs, pulling them into positions that would ease the tension, improve his range of motion and hopefully lessen his pain. Time and again she forced her gaze away from glistening muscles and sexy hollows. Not to mention the scars that had her heart cramping in sympathy.

But he’d worked hard today and there was a much better way to help him recover than a simple muscle stimulation session, even though she knew she shouldn’t touch him any more than necessary. But it would help. By morning, Luke would appreciate anything that would make it easier for him to get out of bed.

At least, that’s the excuse she gave herself.

* * *

“Come on,” Avery said, urging Luke to his feet after helping him stretch. He’d always had a love/hate relationship with stretching. He’d rather be running or pumping weights, but one of his former trainers had convinced him how good it was for his body. After that, he’d been able to relax into it.

But somehow stretching with Avery was different. It should feel good, did feel good, but not in the way he’d experienced before. Male hands, male strength—his other physical therapist had a no-nonsense touch that did the job at hand and nothing else.

Avery’s hands during their sessions gave him a sense of comfort, as if he could feel her desire for him to heal within each touch. Even through the pain he caught a hint of awareness beneath his skin, an itch for more. And always, that low-level hum distracted him.

“Reward time,” she said.

Too bad that couldn’t mean what his body hoped it did. Nope. It would be the usual post-therapy ritual that included heat and some electrical muscle stimulation to reduce pain and atrophy. Sad when getting shocked was the highlight of his visit.

He assured his disappointed body that this was a good thing. After all, he had rules of his own. Namely, he was not staying in Black Hills—which meant no entanglements. No relationships. His body would simply have to mourn the loss of more intimate contact.

Her rules challenged and intrigued him. Professionalism was very important to her, especially when dealing with a lot of people who had watched her grow up. Still, he longed to break through her professional facade. One, because she needed some fun more than any person he’d met in forever. Someone to push her buttons, force her to loosen up.

Two, he needed a distraction from the first true attraction he’d felt in a long time. Especially since it was toward a woman he would not be able to get away from in the coming months. But they could be friends, right? Just friends.

“So how come I never saw you when I came home?” He chuckled. “It’s almost like you were avoiding me.”

He almost bumped into her backside as she halted. The odd look she threw over her shoulder smothered his teasing. Had she really—?

“Why would you avoid me?” he asked.

“Do you want your reward?” she countered in a cool tone.

“Um, yeah.”

“Then don’t ask irrelevant questions.”

She just might have found the key to making him fall in line. But that didn’t stop him from being curious. He’d bet his racing car that she had avoided him...and didn’t want him to know it.

As she walked away, she said, “I guarantee you won’t want to miss this.”

Just like that, his mouth watered, hunger rising out of nowhere to overwhelm him. It was totally out of character for him, this physical need to be close to someone. If it had been anyone else, he’d have let the hunger lead him, but he couldn’t. Not with Avery. Indulging in something physical with her wouldn’t be fair, knowing he would never make his home here.

But now curiosity had joined the mix of anticipation and arousal, so he leaned a little heavier on his cane to gain speed. What could be better than the usual after-workout routine? At least it eased the soreness long enough for him to get home. By tomorrow morning, he’d be stiff again. Even the massive whirlpool tub Aiden had installed in his suite didn’t help for long. His body resisted what he wanted.

He’d been told he pushed too hard before, but each moment without definitive recovery ramped up a panic inside. Getting back on the track was a need that called to him day and night. He couldn’t rest for the jitters beneath his skin.

An itch to escape.

It only subsided when he was with Avery. With her, he felt a constant, low-level hum that drew his gaze, his attention—hell, his body—in her direction. An illusion that, if he could just get close enough, all the fears and doubts and nerves would stop. Dangerous territory. Which gave him one more reason to keep his hands to himself.

When Avery opened the door to one of the smaller rooms around the perimeter and Luke glimpsed a thickly padded massage table, he wanted to groan. Have mercy. Now he had an itch for something completely different.

“Take off your shoes. I just want to work some of the tension out of your legs and back,” she said.

He wanted to joke, to throw something stupid out there to break the tension building under his skin. But nothing came to him. “Is massage an extra perk?” he tried, his voice sounding strained.

A slight choke had him glancing at her with a tight grin, but she’d turned away.

“Um, no,” she finally said, though her voice was muffled. It took him a minute to realize she was off balance, uncertain. Did she not normally do this?

That settled him down, and he was able to tease her again. “So am I simply special?”

Her obvious embarrassment was so cute he wanted to kiss it away. Her flushed cheeks and shaky hands made him warm, awoke a need to hug her and share a grin. Not the reaction he was used to, but definitely safer. Shucking his shoes and socks, Luke approached the table with a breathless anticipation that was exponentially higher than the situation warranted.

To his surprise, she launched a comeback. “It’s not actually on the fee schedule, but I do need to put my massage therapy license to use now and then.”

With those words, every muscle in his body went taut. For someone who already had mobility issues, it was not the best state of affairs. But how could he relax knowing Avery had even more skills in her arsenal that could slay him in an instant? He lay facedown as best he could and breathed through the pain of getting his legs prone. That took his mind off the ache forming in his groin pretty quick.

“Moving a little more slowly would make changing positions easier,” Avery chided.

“Can’t hide anything from you, huh?”

Her voiced softened as she drew closer. “Oh, I’m a bit more observant than most.”

What did she see in him? He was used to projecting the fun-loving, hard-playing athletic image. This wasn’t his finest hour. Could she spot the desperation, the bone-deep need to get back behind the wheel? The fear that lingered beneath his determination? His thoughts opened up a dark cave he’d rather not explore.

The sound of a cabinet door broke the silence, then familiar heat blanketed his upper back in a thick weight. His whole body automatically melted into the cloth-covered table beneath him. Then Avery’s hands found the small of his back and thinking ceased—he could only feel.

Definitely not like a dude. He’d never before had a therapeutic massage where he had to bite his lip to keep from begging his masseuse for more. Hell, her technique was flawless. Now his body wanted to take this far away from the office to a much more private setting.

Yep, he was in a heap of trouble here.

Those slender fingers traced and kneaded every inch of every muscle on his legs and lower back. Every one except the one he wanted her to touch with an ache that was inherently male. Trapped beneath him, that essential part of his body throbbed in an attempt to gain attention. Luke was grateful for the safeguard, even while he reveled in the return of his body’s most basic demands. So much better than his struggle with fear and loathing.

He’d enjoyed a steady stream of sexual encounters until the accident. But why did this feel like the perfect unique blend of innocence and sensuality to spur his body into hyperdrive?

Oh, yeah, she was definitely trying to torture him.

Her fingers traced over muscles, hills, and into valleys. Smoothing out the tension, working out the knots, drawing out the moans. This girl had some hidden talents.

“You have magic fingers,” he moaned.

She dug particularly deep into his thigh.

“Ouch, woman.”

“Behave.” The prim schoolteacher voice was back. Not the direction he was looking for.

“It was a compliment. I swear.”

He lifted a little to glance over his shoulder, only to find her cheeks flushed, eyes a little heavy-lidded. But all of it disappeared when her gaze met his. Then one brow lifted and her lips pressed together.

Even as he settled back in place, the image of that aroused look on her refined features wouldn’t disappear from his mind. That expression like she’d enjoyed touching him as much as he’d enjoyed being touched. It was a temptation he didn’t need. Then the slide of her hands transformed from a baker kneading dough to the skilled glide of a woman savoring the skin beneath her fingers.

The very air around him grew heavy. His breath sped up to match his heartbeat. Could this torture continue forever? But certain parts of him demanded it end quickly, in a very satisfying way. Time to change the tempo.

“You never did say why I haven’t seen you around...”

He left the sentence hanging, hoping to introduce some sane conversation before he went out of his ever-lovin’ mind. She paused midstroke, his thigh muscle twitching before she continued again.

“I didn’t really socialize much until my mother died,” she said, her voice low. “There wasn’t really time—or rather, when there was, I was too exhausted to care. I stuck close to home mostly. And establishing a practice takes a lot of work, even with the ready-made clientele here.”

Which was no doubt true, even if he still sensed a cover-up. His heartbeat slowed as he focused on her. “I’m sure she was very grateful for all you did for her.”

“I know she was. She told me every day.”

Luke thought of his own mother, Lily, who had been comatose since a stroke. She’d already sustained injuries from a car accident that had left her unable to walk. There’d been more than once that Luke had wished his mother could tell them something, anything to let them know she was okay—even if it was goodbye. But she couldn’t.

“You’re lucky,” he mumbled, then realized how callous that might sound and glanced over his shoulder.

Avery met his look, understanding in her gentle eyes. “I know.”

She pressed her palms flat against his skin, sending that tingle through him once more. A confusing mix of arousal and comfort.

Some people didn’t know, could never understand what it was like to lose a parent...but not really lose them. To wish so badly that you could speak to them, but realize it would never happen again. But Avery understood. Her observant ways had probably told her far more about the situation than anyone else knew.

Then she threw him into the fire. “What about you? Did you ever think you’d be moving back here, even for a temporary hiatus?”

Luke was glad his face didn’t show. Being home was still a touchy subject for him—more than he wanted anyone to know. “Nope.”

“But it’s better now, right?”

His body stilled even more. “How did you know?”

“Everyone knows James Blackstone was a difficult man—”

“Try demon...”

“—but the way he treated you boys was unconscionable.”

He shouldn’t ask. He really shouldn’t. “How did you know?”

“Just from the sheer amount of time I spent watching those around me. It’s amazing what people will say in front of you when they don’t realize you’re there.”

Ouch. Despite the magic of her fingers, Luke rolled to his side. “Did we really do that to you, Avery? Ignore you? Make you feel invisible?”

“Luke, y’all weren’t the only ones. I was shy, and worked very hard to fade into the woodwork. Do it often enough, and people expect it.”

He remembered seeing her walk across the country club dining room and realized just how far she’d come. That walk was probably as hard for her as his own had been. “How did you become so smart?”

“Smart? No. Just...practical.”

“Practical, huh? Doesn’t that ever get boring?”

This conversation was way deeper than he’d planned.

She shook her head, a slight smile tilting the corners of her pink bow lips. “No,” she said. “There isn’t time to be bored.”

He wanted to ask if she felt the same way in the dark of night, when she was home alone with no one to laugh and cuddle with, but he didn’t. He couldn’t.

The deep stuff wasn’t what he was here for.

“Let’s get you set up for your next appointment,” she said as she moved away from the table.

The fun was over.

Flipping over on the narrow table proved harder than he thought, but at least he had the coward’s comfort of knowing Avery faced away from him. Easier was getting himself upright with his legs hanging off the table. Boy, her magic hands had turned his muscles to jelly.

When Avery turned back, she was studying his chart. He could have called her on avoiding him, but he let it go. For now.

She was back to being all business. “Let’s shoot for three days a week.”

“Sure.” Not like he had much else going on. “However often it takes.”

“That means we will see each other on Friday. Monday, Wednesday, Friday good for you?”

He nodded. Deep in his brain, he searched for a way to instigate himself into other parts of her life. She might have forgotten about him helping her have fun, but he hadn’t. “We could see each other before then. You know, for dinner?”

“Are we back to that again?” she asked, her face completely blanking for a moment.

“Mary makes a mean prime rib up at Blackstone Manor. Why don’t you join me? I could even ask her to make her famous chocolate chip cookies.”

Avery frowned, shifting the chart in her hands. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Luke had a pretty decent puppy-dog look when he tried.

“It’s just, um...”

Yep, the look was working.

She swallowed. “With me being, you know, your physical therapist, maybe socializing isn’t such a good idea.”

“Why not? Because you said everything outside of the office was fair game.”

Her face flushed and he knew he’d gotten her. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

His male instincts urged him to stalk closer, crowd her in and make her admit she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. Instead he forced himself to remain still, using words to reel her in. “Come on. You want an adventure. I want to help you find one. Let’s talk about it over dinner.”

“Well...” Her flush deepened, but she also straightened her shoulders. “I guess I could do dinner one night.”

Was that a slight squeak he heard in her voice? “Good. I know Christina has been dying to see you, too.”

A little of the starch drained from her posture. “Oh, um, yes. That sounds nice.”

Obviously she hadn’t been to a dinner with all of them home. Nice wasn’t the word he’d use. Chaotic, maybe. Just what she needed.

“It will be interesting, to say the least.” Not like the gloom and doom his grandfather had presided over. James Blackstone had demanded the appearance of a family dinner, but they had been mostly silent events with none of the laughing, joking and talking Luke associated with that idea. Especially not since his mother’s car accident.

As he came to his feet, the quizzical little smile Avery gave distracted him. He saw nothing else. Not taupe walls, nor yellow scrubs. Just pale blue eyes and bow-shaped lips moving closer as she stepped forward.

Before he could reach for his cane, his legs gave him the old heave-ho and collapsed. Avery had moved close, too close to miss out on his game of Timber. Down they both went.

He tried to twist, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. They hit the floor hard. Or rather, Avery did. Luke’s arms worked better than his legs, catching him before he landed on her. Oh, that elbow was gonna bruise. Of course, the rest of his body couldn’t help but tangle all up in hers.

They came to rest hip to hip, stomach to stomach, and all of Luke’s pent-up need was blatantly evident. Once more, the first thing that popped into his head came out of his mouth, even though he knew he’d pay for it later.

“Sweetheart, you’re the softest landing place I’ve had in a while.” The scary part—it was true.

Four

For once, Luke was able to walk into breakfast at Blackstone Manor like a normal person, albeit relying on his cane, instead of a hunched-over hobbit moaning in pain. He tossed Christina a grin as he approached the breakfast dishes on the mahogany sideboard.

Though she seemed a little pale and not her usual serene self this morning, she returned his smile. “Someone’s looking much better than the last time I saw him,” she teased.

Since neither of his brothers were there to rag him, Luke spoke freely. “I swear that woman has magic in her fingers.”

“I bet.”

Without thought, Luke whipped his head around, pinning her with a glare until he realized she was joking with him. Busted.

Christina raised her hands in surrender. “Just kidding.” But that smug smile said she’d gotten all the information she needed.

The pressure to explain rose. For once, he gave in. Maybe if he talked some of his thoughts out, he could make more sense of them. Somehow, he could share with Christina things he’d normally keep to himself. He attributed it to her peaceful bedside manner. His brother Aiden was one of the few people who could shake her calm attitude.

Yet he was grateful to be filling his plate as he spoke, instead of facing her across the lace-covered table. “Avery gave me a massage after my session yesterday. My muscles haven’t felt this good since before my accident.”

“Nice,” she murmured. Again she tossed him the knowing look, but thankfully she held her teasing. “She worked on my shoulder once. Definitely skilled. I’m glad she could help you out.”

Why did he remember his therapeutic massage with less-than-clinical nuances? He shouldn’t...he knew he shouldn’t. Trying to shake the memory, he finished filling his plate and settled across the table from Christina.

She went on. “This is the most pain-free I’ve seen you since you moved back.”

Luke was a little shocked himself.

Christina studied her plate for a moment. “I know it seems silly to be worried about a grown woman, but Avery has pulled away some since KC and I became involved with your brothers. Maybe hanging out with us makes her feel like a third wheel. But I think Avery needs someone to shake her out of her rut, so to speak.” She gave Luke one of her patented purposeful looks.

He didn’t disappoint. “Well, I do need a hostess for dinner.”

Christina lowered her fork despite the bite of waffle on the end. “She agreed?”

“Yes. She tried to brush me off, so I told her how much you missed her...and how disappointed you would be if she didn’t come.”

He leaned back in his chair, accompanied by a creak of wood. Part of him wanted to confess how conflicted he was, how much he wanted Avery to come to dinner for himself. He didn’t want to admit to the attraction that grew every time he saw her, but he was drawn to the chance to make the laughter, the spark of life in Avery’s eyes grow.

“She’s funny—so dedicated to her work, holding fast to this therapist-patient bit. But I think she needs someone to push her outside her safety zone.” A cohort in crime, so to speak. Luke didn’t want Christina to know how desperate he was for the job.

The whole time he spoke, Christina’s expression grew in excitement until she practically glowed. “So you are interested! I knew it.”

Uh-oh. Christina would be unbearable once she thought she was right.

“No, ma’am.” He would not let anything sexual even start between him and Avery. Not when he had no plans to hang around. She was obviously rooted in this town, and the last thing he could see himself as was a small town husband. “You can put that emerging matchmaker back in her cage, because it’s not gonna happen.” He waved his arms around the room. “This version of happily-ever-after is not for me.”

“That’s what Aiden and Jacob said,” she mumbled beneath a smile.

“I’m serious, Christina.” Christina’s astute look had him adding, “I just want to be her friend. I owe her that.” And much, much more. Even though he’d brushed her off as a teenager for all the right reasons, he still felt bad about it now.

“As long as you’re careful with her,” Christina gave the obligatory warning, but Luke could see her concern for her friend in her darkened eyes. “Honestly, she deserves more than a little bit of fun after all she’s been through.”

“Has it been rough since her mother died?”

“Oh, it was rough way before that.” Christina shifted the pieces of waffle on her plate as a thoughtful look softened her face.

“How come I haven’t heard anything about her when I’ve been home?”

“Because there wasn’t much to hear. She went to college and things were good until the summer after her sophomore year. Then her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She’d been dating a guy pretty steadily, but when she buckled down to finish her studies early, he lost interest.”

Ouch. Just what she needed—someone who abandoned her the minute she needed support.

Christina stared into space as she spoke. “She was home as much as her studies would allow, but she finished within a year and a half. Came home and started to build her clientele while taking care of her mom full-time.”

“How long was her mom sick?”

“She went into remission once, for a couple of years, I think?” Christina shook her head, sending her thick, dark hair swinging. “She died almost two years ago.”

Wow. “That’s a long time to be a caregiver.”

“Yeah,” Christina whispered, trailing off into silence that was punctuated by the clink of their silverware. Finally she said, “She’s given her all for Black Hills, but she deserves more—just for herself. I’m glad to see she isn’t going to settle.”

Luke thought of dinner and Avery’s lack of response to Mark’s hand at her back. “You mean that Mark guy?”

“Don’t get me started,” Christina groaned.

“Please don’t,” Aiden added as he strolled into the room. “Her opinion is less than stellar, I assure you.”

A pang stung Luke’s chest as Aiden kissed Christina on the temple, but he shook his head. Absolutely no touchy-feely stuff for him. No, sir. Settling down was not in his current timeline.

“Avery and Mark have gone to a lot of functions together since her mother died. I think it started out as convenient, especially for her, since she gets comments about a single woman needing to get married all the time, but I think he’s always been more interested than she realizes.”

Luke tried to ignore the burn of something unpleasant building in his gut. He hadn’t known they’d actually been such a “thing.” Part of him did not like that thought...at all.

“I’ve never cared for him, but Aiden says there aren’t any complaints at work,” Christina went on.

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