Healing Hearts: A Second Chance, Small Town Romance Novel

Chapter 22

Sage

He is just getting on my nerves now, being this close to me. I am not sure what irritates me more, the fact that he thinks I'm going to call him stud-a-million again, which by the way is never going to happen, or the fact that I still find him so irresistibly attractive. God, I wish I could just fall off the mountain already.

And as for working with him in the practice, I hate that idea. Can you imagine being in such close proximity to one another? Ugh, it makes me shudder. For a start I don't think I can even trust my own senses being around him. Also, I don't plan on sticking around Willowbrook so there is no point allowing anything I feel or this ridiculous attraction to take hold. No. I need to be firm. I need to stand my ground and when I get back home to my folks, I am going to slap myself left, right and centre. That should knock any of these thoughts out of my head.

Yet, I can't help noticing him by myside with this long muscular legs striding away. He's keeping to my pace another thing that is irking me. Can't he just walk faster? I can even smell his citrus and musky fragrance, of course it's masculine just like every inch of him. His jaw is strong and square and that damn stubble is doing weird stuff to my insides. My fingers are literally itching to reach out and touch him. I clench my fists. No way. Absolutely not.

"So, how are you finding it being back?" Is he talking to me again? Honestly, hasn't he got the hint?

"It's only been a couple of days. But already I can feel everybody nosing around. If someone asks me again, how long I'm staying for I'm going to start charging them." He chuckles. Damn it. It's deep and throaty. I have a vivid flashback of him between my legs when were younger and the sound he used to make when I'd come right into his mouth. Holy Mother. Please throw my off this mountain right now.

"Well, it is a rarity to see you around. I can't remember the last time I saw you at Bluebell's. Also, Daisy will probably try to get you to go out with her and catch up. I know she has missed you. You kind of left in a hurry." His voice tails off like a whisper, it cuts my heart. I did leave in a hurry. Everything was so exciting back then, there was a big world out of Willowbrook waiting for me. I didn't stop and think, I wanted to grab it. Never in a million years did I imagine that Logan wanted to stay. Sure, I knew his dad's practice would be his one day but at eighteen what do you really know? It seemed like it would be forever away. I carry on walking lost in my own thoughts. It would be nice to hook up with Daisy but not if it brings me closer to Logan. The man needs a warning sign on his head.

Don't get too close, you'll fall in love with me.

"Are you going to at least think about the practice? On a serious note, Sage I need someone to help out and you're a good doctor. You needn't get attached, it's just a job offer not a marriage proposal." I am trying my best to ignore him. It's really difficult since part of me wants to just feel his arms feel around me again, the other part wants to slap him hard for being so damn gorgeous and sexy. I wonder how many other women he has been with other than his wife?.

His wife. That makes me feel jealous inside, the one who finally claimed him, the one he spooned with every night, the one he said the words I love you, too. The woman he laughed and cried with, the one person who was his world. Shit, how can I even feel jealous of a woman who has recently passed away and what must he be going through?

The least I can do is be civil surely, only I am struggling with that. Why can't I simply not feel knotted up around him? Why can't I let the past be the past? I hate this internal conflict, it's eating me alive. What I need is to get out of town fast, maybe I could rent somewhere in Copper town and get out of Willowbrook.

"Logan, I don't think it would work. I don't want to be anywhere near you."

"You're so stubborn, Sage. You always have been. What's the problem? Frightened my animal magnetism will draw you in to my bed again?" Right? He is so not funny. What he deserves is a slap.

"You need to get over yourself, Logan. I told you. If you were the last man alive I'd not be jumping in your bed at night to get warm. So take that and shove it wear the sun doesn't shine."

I huff off, now he's just made me madder than hell all over again. For a smart man he says some dumb rubbish.

"Hot headed still. I love that you haven't changed a bit, Sage Bennett." My name on his tongue, oh how it rolls and sounds so sexy.

"Well don't get loving anything else about me, Logan. We were over a long time ago, you know when you didn't want to be with me. You chose this godforsaken town over me. Over our relationship." I bite back at the words that want to fly off my tongue but think better of it. No need to be an ultra bitch. We've still got an hour hike to get through and then back down.

Hector is walking slowly in front of us and I am wondering if the heat is getting to him. Maybe Logan should take him back down and leave me to my hike. I need headspace, time to think.

"I think you'll find I loved you both. Willowbrook and you, Sage. You gave me an ultimatum – your or my life here. You knew from the beginning of time, I'd be taking over dad's practice."

"Doesn't mean you couldn't have come back to it. Hell, maybe we would have come back together." I bite back furious at him. Perhaps it's all the years of it being bottled up coming to the fore, that and Miles being a super asshole.

"What's happened has gone, Sage. We're adults for goodness sake, let's start acting like it. You are more stubborn that an ass. You need a job, I need a doctor. Let's just make this work and if you prefer I can work a different shift to you. There's no problem with you working mornings and I work afternoons."

"Nope, I'd rather not work mornings."

"Ah, so you are considering it then?"

"I didn't say that did I?"

"That's settled then. I will do the mornings and you can come and fill in during the afternoon. That gives me the afternoon's free to do all the other stuff that needs doing. Great, you can start on Monday."

"Not likely."

"Stubborn. Just you wait Sage, you'll be begging me for a job in a few weeks' time along with a place in my bed. Trust me, I know you."

Jeez-us, is he for real? I am spitting feathers right now, I am so ready to pull his tongue right out of his goddamn mouth.

"Ha. You have got to be kidding me. You take yourself and your britches off to Copper town and find some other woman to lay with. That should take your dick out of the conversation." Oh. My. God. His laugh is so loud, so deep and throaty it knocks me off guard and sends fluttering butterflies through my stomach.

A place in his bed. He is the biggest joker I've come across.