Author: Jaci Burton

So maybe they could just go back to the friends thing. Like running with the dogs after work.

As he climbed into his truck, he glanced up at the front door of her parents’ house. Emma was still there, watching him.

She waved, and as he backed out of the driveway, he waved back.

His gut told him Emma was way more than a friend.

And he couldn’t wait to see her again.

Chapter 10

FORTUNATELY, EMMA HAD a particularly busy day, including performing a double ACL repair on a very overweight rottweiler. The surgery had been complicated, but successful. Leanne was currently overseeing the recovery of Delbert the rottweiler, while Emma spoke to the pet’s owners, advising them that Delbert would need to go on a restricted diet, since the dog’s obesity had been one of the contributing factors to his leg injuries.

Once that was done, she had a full patient load that took up the remainder of her day. She didn’t even get a chance to stop for her planned lunch with Jane and Chelsea at Bert’s. Instead, she grabbed a protein bar and a glass of juice while she slipped out of one patient room and into another.

“Business is good,” Rachel whispered as Emma breezed through the reception area late that afternoon. The waiting area was full, and several customers smiled and waved.

Her heart squeezed.

At the end of the workday she checked on Delbert, washed her hands and blew a stray hair out of her face, then met up with Rachel and Leanne in the back room. “It was good today, that’s for sure.”

“It’ll be good every day, Dr. Emma,” Leanne said. “Doc Weston was busy like this all the time, and word’s getting around that you’re here and you’re an awesome doctor. Trust me, you’ll be swamped.”

She hoped so. She liked being busy. It kept her mind occupied and, she hoped, it would keep her bank account full.

She hung out with Rachel and Leanne for a few minutes, then looked at her phone.

“Crap. I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Got a hot date, Doc?” Rachel asked, waggling her brows.

“Um, not really. I’m meeting Luke for a run in the park with the dogs.”

“Officer Luke McCormack? That Luke?”

“Yes. That Luke.”

Rachel took a big breath in, and let it out. “Now he is definitely hot.”

“Agreed,” Leanne grinned. “Tell us all about him.”

“It’s not a date, if that’s what you’re wondering. We’re just friends. And you two can quit giving me that look.”

Leanne looked at Rachel. “Look? What look?”

Rachel shrugged. “I have no idea. I think she’s seeing things.”

Rolling her eyes, Emma hollered for Annie and Daisy. Daisy came running. Annie, of course, didn’t, so she had to search her out. She was chewing on one of the clinic towels.

“Annie,” she said, shaking her head. She scooped Annie up and slid the pup into the crate.

“Would you two mind locking up?” she asked as she grabbed her purse.

“Not at all,” Leanne said, “seeing as you have a hot date with the very sexy cop.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Not a date.”

“Sure, Dr. Emma,” Rachel said. “Keep on denying.”

“Gossips.” She headed out the door, then hurried home, fed the dogs, and ran Annie outside. She changed into her capris and tank and slid on her running shoes. Since the sun was going down and there was a chill in the air, she grabbed a hoodie. Annie gave her a sad look.

“Yeah, you’re not trained to run yet, missy, so off to the crate you go.”

Annie went willingly into the crate, curled up on her towel and next to her toy, and seemed ready to go back to sleep. Since the puppy had run amok all day at the clinic, Emma knew she’d be ready to crash again. Besides, she was sure she wouldn’t be gone more than an hour. Just a quick run with the dogs and she’d be back. Luke probably had other plans after their run.

A hot guy like him had to have women waiting to go out with him, right?

She shivered as she recalled his hands on her, the way his mouth had moved over her skin, the way she had felt when he’d moved inside her.

Yeah, he likely had other plans. With other women.

And didn’t that just suck?

Shaking off thoughts she had no business thinking, she put Daisy in her truck and headed over to the lake. One of the things she loved the most about Hope was its nearby proximity to some awesome water. There was a bigger lake for boating in the next town over, but there was a smaller lake and a park in town. She found Luke’s truck already parked in the lot when she got there, so she pulled up next to it.

Luke was sitting on one of the cement benches, Boomer calmly waiting beside him.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said as Daisy bounded up to Boomer and greeted him with excited sniffs. “It was crazy busy at the clinic and I lost track of time.”

“No problem. I haven’t been here long. We had an accident up on Third just as I was ready to go off duty. I thought you’d be the one waiting for me.”

She finally exhaled. “Sounds like we both had a stressful day.”

He gave her a smile that sent skitters of awareness down her spine. “Then let’s go run it off.”

They warmed up, Luke leaning over the cement picnic table to stretch out his long, lean body. Emma couldn’t help but drink in the sight of him in his gray sweats and T-shirt. The sweats hung loose on him, the shirt snugged tight against his muscled chest. His arms had some guns that had nothing to do with the hardware he usually had attached to his hip when he was in uniform. Even dressed casually like this, he took her breath away.

And she was going to need that breath for the run they were about to take.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Let’s go.” She needed this run to shake off her rampant thoughts about Luke and his hot body and all the things she’d like to do with it. One taste of him hadn’t been enough. She was tense. It had been a rough day, and what was a better tension reliever than sex?

But she was absolutely not going to have sex with Luke again. So a run would have to do.

They took off down the trails at a relaxed pace, the dogs staying right with them. That night at her house, she’d been so easy, nearly throwing herself at him. But the sex had been so good, and she’d wanted it as much as he had.

And then she’d thrown him out of her house.

Some hostess she’d been. She was clearly conflicted. It was a wonder he wanted anything to do with her after that night.

But he had shown up at the adoption event at the clinic. And he’d come to her parents’ house for dinner. He’d been friendly with her at both events. And he had asked her to run with him today, so maybe things between them were back to normal again.

She was going to have to be more careful. She wasn’t practiced around men. She’d had exactly one long-term relationship in her life, a long time ago, and she sure hadn’t been in charge of herself in that one. She’d given up complete control of her life, her education, her sense of self . . .

This wasn’t helping reduce her tension, and she’d vowed never to think about him ever again. It was much better to sink back a little and focus on Luke’s fine form as he ran a few feet ahead of her. He was in prime physical shape, his long legs eating up the trail as he jogged with ease. Boomer stayed in perfect stride alongside him. It was easy to see why Luke and his dog were such great partners.

Daisy, of course, did the same, running devotedly right beside her, but Emma’s focus was on Luke’s very fine ass. So, of course Emma missed the curve in the road and the uneven pavement, her toe got stuck, and she took a very unflattering dive, skidding across the road. She threw her hands out to protect herself, feeling the stinging burn as her skin rubbed along the asphalt.

“Emma. Are you all right?” Luke was right there, crouching down next to her.

So was Daisy, licking her face in sympathy.

“Ow,” was all she could manage, trying to blink back the tears as the initial shock wore off and the pain intensified.

“What happened?”

“I tripped over . . . something.” She started to push up, but he placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

“Stay there and let me check you over.”

“I’m fine, really.” Except for her entire body trembling from shock and the oh my God excruciating pain.

“You’re not fine. You’re bleeding.” He looked down at her knees, which were raw and bloody.

“That’s not . . . too bad.”

He lifted his gaze to hers, and she knew as well as he did that, while the fall was definitely not life-threatening, she was a mess. Fortunately, she’d thrown her forearms down and not her hands, so while her jacket was torn up and she could feel some tenderness on her arms, she’d at least saved her hands. She used those at work and she needed them.

“How are your arms?”

“Throbbing. I don’t think anything’s broken.”

“Let me look.” He eased her jacket off and checked out both of her arms.

“See, I told you.”

“You’re right. You have a few scratches and your jacket is toast. You’re going to be bruised.”

“I’ve been bruised before. I’m pretty tough.”

He swept her hair out of her face. “I’m sure you are, Doc. Now let’s stand you up.”

He slipped an arm around her and lifted her. Her knees were throbbing, the pain like sharp needles pricking her skin. She bit her lip and focused on taking a few steps.

“Feel okay?”

“I’m fine.” It was agonizing.

He helped her walk to the nearest bench, then sat her down. “You stay here with Daisy. Boomer and I are gonna run up and get my truck.”

She thought about arguing and toughing it out, but they’d run a fair distance and she didn’t much feel like legging it out with her knees hurting so badly. Plus, blood was trickling down her shin. She nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

“I’ll be fast. Don’t move.”

She laughed. “I’m hardly going to run away.”

He smiled at her. “You’re right. I’ll be back in a hurry. Come on, Boom.”

She watched as he hustled away at a fast clip. She settled back against the back of the bench and tried to focus on anything but the constant burning and throbbing of her knees.

Stupid. If she hadn’t been looking at his butt, this wouldn’t have happened. Nothing good ever came out of focusing on a man. Lesson learned—again.

It didn’t take long for Luke to come back with his truck. He must have really run fast. He was sweating as he came around from the driver’s side to help her stand.

“I’m not dying, you know. You didn’t have to kill yourself running.”

“It’s good exercise.” He swept his arm under her legs and lifted her.

“Luke. This isn’t necessary.”

“Yeah, well, I say it is. So indulge me. Come on, Daisy.”

Daisy dutifully followed and climbed into the backseat of the truck. He set Emma down on the passenger seat and helped put her seat belt on, then climbed in and headed out of the park.

“I don’t think you need an ER visit since nothing’s broken. You have a good first aid kit at your house?”

“Of course.”

“Then we’ll go there.”

“What about my truck?”

He shot her a look. “I’m not letting you drive all banged up like that. I’ll get your truck back to you.”

She pursed her lips. “Fine . . . officer.”

His lips curved as he headed out onto the main road and toward her place. She might not like it, but he was right. If she was alone, she could have made it, but she was shaky and in no shape to drive, especially if there was someone else to take her home.