A Marriage In Wyoming

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“He doesn’t sound convinced.” Garrett drove back toward the ranch entrance. “I guess I can’t blame him.”

“He would have stayed with her all night if you had let him,” Rachel said. “They’re very close for such a young couple.” She paused for a moment. “Did you want to talk to me about something? You could have dropped me off first.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “It occurred to me that neither of us has had lunch or dinner. I thought maybe you’d be interested in getting something to eat.”

“Oh.” The suggestion should have been simple enough, except for the combination of excitement and reluctance ambushing her brain. Garrett Marshall was way too appealing for her to spend a lot of time with. The last thing she wanted to do was get closer to him.

“Is that a yes or a no?”

Still, she was hungry. “Um, okay. Sure. Food sounds like a good idea.”

“Great. We’ve got a diner here in town—the only restaurant, actually—where the cooking is really excellent. You might as well get familiar with it on your first day here.”

“It is still my first day, isn’t it?” She sighed. “I haven’t even unpacked the car. Or gone to my apartment. That’s the way medicine is sometimes.”

“We appreciate your being here for what was clearly an emergency.” He pulled the truck into a parking space beside a building with the sign Kate’s Diner. Then he looked over in the dim light and grinned. “The least I can do is buy you dinner on your first night in town.”

Alarms went off in Rachel’s head—he made it sound way too much like a date. But she could hardly retreat at this point. Maybe she could talk him into splitting the check.

Garrett opened the door for her, a courtesy that upped her discomfort level. Then he pulled out a chair at the table and invited her to sit. Short of staging a fight, there wasn’t much she could do other than take the seat he offered.

She met his gaze directly as he sat down across the table. “This isn’t a date.”

His eyebrows rose. “Not technically. No.”

That response didn’t reassure her. “Not even remotely.”

He folded his arms on the table. “Would it be such a bad idea?”

“We aren’t a couple. Aren’t going to be a couple.”

“That’s a pretty sweeping prediction. We only met this morning. Do you dislike me so much already?”

She had to tell the truth. “No, of course not. But the two of us are incompatible.”

“I disagree. I think we’ve had a good day together.”

A pretty, brown-haired woman came to their table. “Hey, Garrett. Long time no see.”

“Hi, Terri. Yeah, we’ve been pretty busy out on the ranch with the kids plus the regular chores. Let me introduce you to the newest citizen in town—this is Dr. Rachel Vale. She’ll be operating the Bisons Creek Medical Clinic.”

Terri’s face brightened. “I heard we were getting a doctor. Welcome! It will be so great to be able to visit a clinic in town when one of the kids has an ear infection instead of driving half an hour just to get a prescription.”

Rachel smiled. “I’m glad to be here. I look forward to helping you out when you need medical advice.”

“I’ll be sure to call. But for right now, what can I get you two to drink?”

“Water,” she and Garrett both said at the same time.

“Got it.” Terri scribbled on her notepad. “We still have some of the special available, which is meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and Kate’s slow-cooked green beans. I’ll be back in a minute to take your orders.”

“So,” Garrett said when the server had left, “you were going to tell me why we’re incompatible.”

“We have different worldviews.” Rachel clasped her hands on the table. “As a minister, you operate on the assumption that faith will make things right. But as a doctor, I use science and facts to deal with the world.”

Terri reappeared with a glass of water for each of them. “And what will you have to eat?”

Once they both ordered the meat loaf, Rachel resumed her explanation. “People with such opposite perspectives can’t find common ground for a relationship.”

Laughter sparked in his blue eyes. “Are you hoping to persuade me or yourself?”

She glared at him. “You’re awfully sure I’m attracted to you, aren’t you?”

“I wasn’t, till you started trying to convince me we can’t go on a simple date.”

“There’s nothing simple about dating.”

“So you’ve had some bad experiences?”

“Hasn’t everybody had a bad date?”

“Sure. A few years ago, I went out with a woman who brought her grandmother along with us to dinner.”

Rachel had to laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

“At first, I figured her grandmother just wanted to check me out. But when Nana showed up for the second go-round, I decided I’d had enough of the two-for-one program.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Especially since Nana monopolized every conversation with details of her surgical adventures.”

“Oh, no.”

“Can you top that?”

“I don’t think so. Most of my bad dates were with guys who thought buying dinner entitled them to play doctor afterward.”

“Rude.” He waited while Terri set their plates down and left again. “I promise to keep my hands to myself.” After a moment, he winked. “Tonight.”

Rachel frowned at him. “You’re a problem.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes, giving the delicious food the appreciation it deserved. “At least now I know where to come for a decent meal,” she said when her hunger had been eased. “I don’t have to depend on peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.”

“You’re not a cook?”

“I can make a salad, boil pasta or bake a potato in the microwave. Being a doctor hasn’t offered much opportunity to develop complex cooking skills.”

“So what do you do on your days off?”

“There haven’t been many of those. But I usually go for a run if I’ve got an hour of daylight. And I like to read.”

Garrett grinned at her. “See, we do have something in common. I like to read, too. What do you read?”

“Not religious texts.”

“We were talking about free time. And you’re determined to pigeonhole me, aren’t you?”

She pushed her empty plate away. “I’m a doctor. That role defines my whole life. You’re a minister. Wouldn’t you say the same?”

“But you’re also a runner and a reader. And probably a few other things I’ve yet to discover. I’m a minister, yes, but I also work on a ranch. I rode bucking broncs in the rodeo. I volunteer with at-risk kids. I’m a brother and soon to be a brother-in-law to a friend of yours. Do you have family?”

Rachel swallowed hard. “No.”

He studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “You lost somebody recently.”

She shook her head. “Not so recent. My mom died two years ago.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice was gentle. “You still miss her.”

Just like that, tears stung her eyes. For something to do, Rachel picked up her glass and took a long swallow of water. Blinking hard, she said, “Sorry. I must be tired.”

“No problem. Losing a parent is tough. If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll be glad to listen.”

“That’s okay.” She sent him a forced smile. “I’m fine.”

“Dessert?” Terri asked, appearing suddenly beside them. “We’ve got fresh lemon meringue pie.”

The idea of so much sugar after a day spent dealing with diabetes didn’t appeal to Rachel. “Just some coffee, please.”

“Me, too,” Garrett said. “Then I’ll help you get your car unloaded.”

“No, please,” Rachel started. “I can manage—”

“But it will go faster with two people working at it.” He winked again. “You can’t get rid of me. You might as well give in.”

“Then you can let me take care of dinner.” When Terri put the check on the table, Rachel managed to get her fingers on it first. “So there.”

He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I recognize when resistance is futile. But I will get even.”

Darkness had fallen before they arrived at the clinic. Rachel stared through the truck window at the building she’d visited only briefly this morning. “Seems like days ago I arrived.” She blew out a deep breath and turned to Garrett. “You should go home.”

“Soon. You don’t even know where your apartment is, do you?”

“Sure I do. Evans Street.”

“How do you get there from here?”

“Caroline sent me a map...”

“Just get in your vehicle and let me lead the way. You can worry about maps tomorrow.”

Suddenly too tired to protest, Rachel did as she was instructed. In five minutes, they pulled up at the curb in front of an older two-story house with a wraparound porch.

Garrett came to her window. “This is it. You’ve got Caroline for an upstairs neighbor, though she’s not here much this summer. Luckily, the first-floor tenant moved out just at the right moment to give you a home.”

“It seems to be a nice place.” She pulled the key she’d been sent out of her purse. “So far, so good.”

The interior was cozy, filled with secondhand furniture that appeared comfortable, if a little dated and dusty. The kitchen was bigger than Rachel would need, the bathroom smaller than she would have preferred. “This will work for me,” she said as she and Garrett approached her car. “Compared to the places I lived during med school, it’s a palace.”

He pulled a couple of suitcases out of the back of the SUV. “We make sacrifices when we really want something, don’t we?”

She didn’t answer because it disturbed her that he understood what she’d been through without having to be told. He was altogether too easy to talk to, too perceptive and too easygoing. It would be better if he got angry or at least annoyed when she resisted him. Instead, he just smiled.

In a few short minutes, all the belongings she’d labored to fit into her vehicle were set in convenient places around her new apartment. Garrett put the last box of books on the coffee table and straightened. “Do you have more stuff coming?”

“No, this is it. I got rid of a lot of things before I left Seattle. I wanted to start new here.”

“An admirable plan.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I should leave and let you settle in. Thanks again for helping out with Lena today—it made a big difference to have a doctor available to deal with this crisis. You’re going to be a real benefit to this community.”

“I’m glad I could help.” She followed him as he walked to the door. “Thank you for helping carry all this inside. It would have taken me a lot longer. And I’m pretty tired.”

“My pleasure.” He faced her at the door. “Justino and I will be heading to the hospital in the morning. Can I pick you up?”

“I’m meeting with my new nurse early tomorrow,” she said, determined to set some limits. “But I’ll check on Lena as soon as possible. I’m sure the doctors on staff have her condition under control. I’ve applied for privileges at the hospital, but I’m not currently Lena’s doctor. And—” she gave him a pointed look “—I’m not her family.”

“Of course. It’s just been such a relief to have someone around who really understands what’s happening.” His serious blue gaze captured hers. “Your support meant a lot to me today.”

The hall light was dim, and they stared at each other in the shadows. The moment seemed more intimate than it should, more important.

“Good night, Rachel Vale,” he said finally, his voice low.

“Good night, Garrett Marshall.” She wanted to break the connection between them but couldn’t quite seem to do it.

Then he bent forward and kissed her on the cheek. The press of his lips burned like a brand. “Sleep well.” His boot heels thudded on the porch floor as he walked quickly away.

Rachel didn’t watch him drive off. That would be foolish and romantic, neither of which she intended to be. She was practical and logical, she told herself as she went into the bedroom, rational and pragmatic.

Rummaging through her overnight bag for pajamas and a toothbrush, she assured herself that there wasn’t a mark on her cheek from that kiss, and proved it when she went into the bathroom and turned on the light over the sink.

But she could still feel his lips on her cheek when she put her head on the pillow and tried to fall asleep.

Chapter Three (#ulink_17c9567a-32f4-5d0b-a345-20e32bf6ccf1)

Garrett found himself whistling while he drove home. He recognized the tune as a love song by one of his favorite artists and grinned.

Not that he had fallen in love. Not yet. But all day long, even through the worry and distress over Lena, he had been aware of an effervescence in the air, a sense of excitement and anticipation he could only relate to Rachel Vale. Even when she gave him those cute frowns of hers, he wanted to smile. He appreciated her caring approach to Lena’s very real fears and her calm expertise in the face of a crisis. Her direct refusal to consider their dinner a date appealed to his sense of fairness. At least he knew where he stood with her.

He had to agree that their relationship would be complicated. His faith was the foundation of his life, and Rachel’s skepticism presented a serious obstacle. Garrett suspected the reason for her resistance had something to do with her mother’s death. He hoped she would confide in him about that reason and let him help her deal with her grief.