The sincerity in his eyes shouldn’t have surprised her. She raised her brows. “Of course, you’d offer. But the facility has someone coming out. They should be here in about an hour.”
Lars nodded, his gaze searching her face, as if he were worried she’d start crying again. “Then we’ll wait with her and help her with the transition.”
Kellie bit her lip. Could she ask him for another favor?
“What is it?” he asked.
It was like he could read her mind. “I was hoping you could head back to the ranch and grab her stuff. Robyn can get it packed up.”
“Sure thing,” Lars said. His hand moved over her shoulder and down her back, resting at her waist.
This was nice, Kellie decided, being in Lars’s arms. But it was also … turning into something more intimate than comforting. She was feeling a little light-headed, and it wasn’t because she was hungry or thirsty or anything. It was because Lars Jackson was solid and smelled like soap and the campfire they’d been at.
“Thank you.” She stepped away, even though she didn’t want to move out of his arms. “You can take the day off tomorrow.” It wasn’t like he was officially her employee or anything; he’d just agreed to help while he was in Lost Creek. “You’ve done double duty tonight. Besides, you’ve got the rodeo tomorrow.”
“Not a chance, Sunshine.” Lars leaned close and kissed her cheek. The stubble of his jaw rasped against her skin, and he straightened all too soon. “See you in a bit. I’ll go grab Mallory’s things.”
Kellie opened her mouth to reply, but he’d already turned and walked away. That kiss on her cheek … It had been … really nice. And totally sweet.
She wrapped her arms about her torso as she stood on the sidewalk and watched his truck drive away. Something had happened tonight. Between their hug and that kiss on her cheek. Something inside her had shifted, then bloomed. And it felt like a bit of hope.
She headed back into the clinic and found Mallory still in the exam room. Her wrists had been cleaned up and rebandaged, and now she was sitting with a cozy blanket about her. Even though there was nothing cold about Texas in August, it was a comforting touch.
Mallory had also washed her face clean of makeup, which made her look years younger.
“How are you, hon?” Kellie asked, sitting next to her.
Mallory smiled, almost shyly. “I feel relieved. I know it’s weird, but I guess I didn’t know how to ask for the right help.”
Kellie grasped one of her hands. “I’m feeling better now, too. I didn’t want you to leave at first, but I know it’s for the best.”
Mallory’s eyes filled with tears, and so did Kellie’s. They hugged for a long time. When a nurse came into the room, she asked if anyone wanted a drink. Mallory asked for some water, but Kellie didn’t want anything.
After the nurse left, Kellie said, “Let’s keep in touch, okay?”
“Okay.”
And Kellie hoped it would be true. Many of the clients at the ranch fell out of touch after they left, so the only thing she could do was hope things were going better for them. It was crazy how fast close friendships formed. But Talia had stuck around and now attended Sam Houston Community College, and Ryan spent every spare minute he had with the woman.
It made Kellie happy to see her brother in a good relationship.
Maybe someday, it would happen for her. Maybe.
The nurse came back with the water bottle. “Sorry that took so long. I had to help another patient.”
As she left, Lars stepped into the doorway, carrying a suitcase. “I think I got everything,” he said.
The man should look tired, but he didn’t seem to be at all. With all the confidence of his usual cowboy self, he walked into the room and set the suitcase down. His gaze shifted from Kellie to Mallory.
“Do you need help with anything else?” he asked in a gentle tone.
“No,” Mallory said. “Thank you so much for everything.” She gave a half-laugh. “I’ll bet you’ve never been around so many tears.”
Lars slipped his hands into his jeans pockets. “Not exactly. But I wish you all the best. Take care of yourself, okay?”
“Okay,” Mallory whispered. Then she was on her feet and hugging him.