Always (16 page)

      "Hello?"

      "Taylor, Rick Miller here."

      "You're quick," she said, amazed to hear from him so soon.

      "I went over and looked at your Bug."

      "How bad is it?" She leaned against the counter, acutely aware of Gordon's rapt attention. "Is it terminal?"

      Rick laughed into the phone, then said, "Nothing a tank of unleaded won't solve."

      "But..." Taylor replayed her actions of last night. She'd stopped for five dollars worth of gas, then bought a huge chocolate bar when she paid for the gas. She remembered killing the better part of a ten. "I got gas last night. Is there a leak somewhere?"

      "I checked your fuel lines. No leaks."

      "You're sure?"

      "Positive, but I'll hook her up to the computer this afternoon and run her through her paces, just to be sure."

      "Sure, thanks." Taylor made arrangements to stop for her car in the morning, then hung up the phone and faced Gordon. "That's so weird."

      "Somebody siphon your tank?"

      "In Digby?" She laughed nervously and returned to the table and took a drink of tea. "I only bought five dollars worth, but that should've lasted me a week in this town."

      He nodded and took a sip of tea. "Either there's a fuel leak, or somebody swiped it."

      "That's what Rick said, too."

      Gordon glanced at his watch. "I think it's time we headed back to the salt mine."

      "All right." Taylor rinsed the dishes and left them in the sink, then collected her medical bag and purse from the hall closet. "I'm ready."

      Gordon held the door open for her, then Taylor made sure it locked behind them. If someone would steal gas from her car, then Digby wasn't the same safe little town she remembered.

      "At least the rain stopped." He paused on the front lawn and stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets.

      The sight of him standing in front of the same house where she'd grown up, staring off at the horizon, reopened all her wounds. She couldn't take her eyes off him as he spread his arms out to his sides and drew a deep breath.

      "It smells so good." He flashed her a crooked grin, his turquoise eyes twinkling.
 

      Sunlight broke through the clouds and a rainbow appeared behind Gordon, framing him. What woman wouldn't stare at a man who looked like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

      All the times she'd waited for him on this porch flooded her mind. Nothing in her youth had meant as much to her as seeing Gordon Lane.

      Nothing.

      And nothing had ever hurt as much as losing him.

Chapter 8

      Gordon holed up in his office most of the afternoon, seeing only two more patients and calling the University of Northern Colorado about Patches. Unfortunately, the UNC lab hadn't found anything either. The mutt had to be allergic to something, but what?

      Deciding to go though the dog's entire chart one more time before giving Sue the lab results, he leaned back and stared at his copious notes. The words blurred and ran together and Taylor's face took their place in his mind's eye.

      
Damn
. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Maybe Sue was right. After all these years, he should be able to confront Taylor about her abandonment and the truth. They were both adults now. Professionals. Mature. Reasonable.

      Well, where Taylor was concerned, he was far from reasonable. With a sigh, he dropped the chart to his desk and rubbed the back of his aching neck. He could've left hours ago–assuming his Jeep would start–but he hadn't.
 

      And he knew why he was still here. "Go ahead and deny it, Lane," he muttered, knowing it was past time to put this mess to rest. The only way to deal with this was to face it. He still had feelings for Taylor. Strong feelings. And he suspected she still cared about him, too.
 

      Remembering the way she'd felt in his arms last night in front of City Hall ignited his blood. She'd responded to his kiss enthusiastically. She wanted him, and he sure as hell wanted her, but it was more than that. Much more.

      Lust was simple.

      Love was a real pain.

      
Yes, love
. Had the past poisoned them both too much to go back? Could there ever be anything between them again? The thought warmed him, and he drew a long, slow breath. He wanted this.

      He wanted Taylor.

      And not just sexually either. He wanted her in his life as a friend, a confidante, and–he hoped–a lover. His body sprang to life at this thought, reminding him how far he'd backslid on self-control since Taylor's return. He felt like a teen again. Next thing he knew, his face would break out and his hair would
un
gray. He rubbed his chin. Hell, maybe he could give up shaving, too.

      "I've got it bad." At least he'd faced it. He stood and poured himself a cup of coffee, then went to stare out the window. The sun had shone all afternoon following this morning's storm–a perfect summer day in the Rockies.
 

      Yes, he would talk to Taylor this evening. He'd face the ghosts of their past, tell her why Sue believed what she'd told Taylor, and that it wasn't true. Then he'd wait for her to explain why she ran away without at least talking to him. If she had, things would've been so different.

      He knew without a doubt that they would be married by now, and maybe they'd be starting a family. The thought of Taylor bearing his child made his chest ache with longing. He'd denied this long enough. Yes, Sue was right. He was still crazy about Taylor Bowen.

      Suddenly eager to carry out his plans, he set the cup on his desk and opened the door. He'd been hiding from everything far too long. With a spring in his step, he made his way to the reception desk, smiling when he found the waiting room empty.

      "Wow, that's different." He flashed Sue a grin. "Thanks for handling everything today."

      "It's my job." She narrowed her eyes and gave him a suspicious look. "What's up, Doc?"

      "I've been doing some serious thinking." He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels.

      "And...?"

      "I can't tell you." He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Is Taylor still here?"

      Sue smiled and released a long, slow breath. "Does this mean you've decided to be reasonable about..."

      "Maybe." Gordon shrugged. "Is she still here?"

      "Yes, with her last patient." She bit her lower lip. "Gordon, I'm so pleased about this."

      "No more Ms. Hyde?"

      She shook her head and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. "Sheesh, look what you made me do." Laughing, she mopped the tear away with a tissue. "I want a full report."

      "Some things a man doesn't even share with his receptionist," he teased, hoping there was really something to share. "Besides, we don't know that this will change things at all."

      "I'm sure everything will–"

      "No, don't jinx it."
 

      Sue laughed again. "Since when are you superstitious?"

      "Just being cautious. I gave Hank the night off, since we don't have any overnight patients. I have some paperwork to finish up." He turned to leave the reception area. "Oh, before I forget, the report from UNC on Patches didn't show anything at all. We're still at square one."

      "It has to be an allergy." Sue shook her head. "But to what?"

      "That's what I said. Start a diary of his diet, then we'll start examining his surroundings. Again."

      "I guess there's nothing else we can do."

      "Tell Ryan no table scraps, and would you mind letting Taylor know I need to see her before she leaves?"

      "Mind? My pleasure." Sue reached for the ringing phone. "Digby Veterinary Clinic." She rolled her eyes at Gordon. "Yes, it's also the Digby Medical Clinic. For now."

      He headed back to his office, feeling hopeful and truly happy for the first time since Taylor's return. Of course, she could make him crash and burn by refusing to give them a second chance, but at least then he'd know.
 

      "I'll give her the message," Sue said into the phone.

      The tone of her voice prompted Gordon to pause, and he turned around to watch Sue pick up the message she'd just taken. She read a fax number back to the caller, then said she'd remind Taylor to send written directions to find Digby from Denver.

      Was her brother coming to visit at last? He hadn't seen Mike Bowen since graduation. But why would Mike need directions? Curious about when he was coming, Gordon lingered until Sue hung up the phone.

      "Was that Mike?" he asked.

      Sue gasped. "I thought you went back to your office. You darn near gave me a heart attack."

      "Sorry." He gestured toward the message. "Is Mike coming to visit?"

      "No, the message was from someone else." She shoved the slip of paper to the side of her desk and pulled Gordon's appointment book in front of her. "You have a nine o'clock tomorrow." She arched a brow. "Is your Jeep going to make it?"

      "I don't even know if it'll make it home tonight." Had Sue deliberately changed the subject? "Nine. I'll be here. I can ride my bike if the weather cooperates."

      "All right, go finish your work so you'll be free to talk to Taylor when she's finished."

      "Slave driver." Gordon winked and headed toward his office. He must've been imagining things. Whatever the message was Sue had taken, it couldn't compete with his plans for this evening. Tonight, he would plot a course for the future.

      With Taylor. He hoped.

      Sue buried her face in her hands and groaned the moment Gordon was out of ear shot. Who the hell was Dr. Jeremy Cole, and why was he coming to see Taylor? Of course, it stood to reason that Taylor had a boyfriend. She was young and attractive, after all.

      "I have to
do
something." She looked at the message again and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Dr. Cole would need a tour guide. Sue leafed through Taylor's appointment book. And Dr. Bowen had a very full schedule. Or at least she would once Sue was finished with it.

      She wrote out rather creative directions to Digby from Denver, then fed the paper through the fax machine to Dr. Cole. He'd still get here, but it would take him a while.

      After the fax went through successfully, she leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh. She needed to plan Dr. Cole's itinerary now. After all, showing Taylor's visitor around Digby and making sure he didn't get bored was the least she could do to help.
 

      The very least.

*
 
*
 
*

      Taylor wrote an antibiotic prescription for her last–she hoped it was her last–patient of the day, and showed the woman to the door. "Make sure you take the entire prescription, Mrs. Odin."

      "I will."

      Taylor leaned against the door jamb and met Sue's gaze. "Are we finished now? Can I just drop right here and go to sleep?"

      Sue laughed and handed Taylor a stack of messages, then headed toward the front door with a ring of keys. She sent the lock home, then turned off the lights in the waiting room and drew the shades across the entire front of the building. "That's it. Only emergencies can find you now."

      Taylor smiled as memories flooded her. She and Sue had once been so close. They'd laughed and cried together from kindergarten through high school. Remembering that high school graduation had signaled the end of everything, Taylor cringed inwardly. She couldn't blame Sue exclusively for that, though. Gordon was far from innocent.

      Retreating into her emotional safe, Taylor looked over her messages. Pharmaceutical sales reps had found her. Somehow, she'd thought she might dodge that bullet in Digby, but patients appreciated free samples, and she would need supplies.