All she had to do was say the word and she’d have company for the night. Something to take her mind off Tim. So very tempting, and stupid.
“Thanks, Matt.” Her voice was husky and sounded way too needy. Not clinging needy, but woman-wants-a-man needy. “See you then.”
“Yeah.” A few seconds later she pushed the protesting front door shut, catching one last glimpse of Matt as he headed for his truck before it closed all the way and the latch clicked.
The house was still, so the sound of the truck engine sounded overly loud when it started. Liv listened as the Dodge swung past the house then bumped over the cattle guard.
Heaven help her, part of her truly wished she’d asked him to stay.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING Liv was at the hospital early. Andie was not there, but Dr. Bates, the man who was handling Tim’s case, was.
“I hope to operate later today,” he said. “You father is responding to the antibiotics, the fever has dropped significantly, so yeah. Later today unless something happens.”
“I have clients,” Liv said. “Could you have someone give me a call when you make a final decision?”
“You bet.” Dr. Bates touched her upper arm with his clipboard. “I think we’re in good shape here. I’m just glad he didn’t put off coming in any longer than he did.”
If he could have, he would have.
Liv shook off the aggravating thought as she left the hospital for the short drive to Andie’s clinic. As she pulled out of the hospital parking lot, a familiar truck pulled in.
Margo?
Liv hit the brakes, watching in her rearview mirror as Margo parked in the same spot she had just pulled out of, then got out of her truck and marched through the front doors of the hospital like a woman on a mission.
Liv felt an instant urge to turn around and try to protect her father, to demand to know what Margo was doing there.
It might not be related to Tim.
But it seemed reasonable that it was. Liv stayed where she was, blocking the entrance and debating, when the doors opened again and Margo came back out.
She stepped on the gas and continued out onto the street. Maybe it was time for her and Margo to have a talk. Maybe at the next practice. She would not have that woman upsetting her father while he was trying to recover.
* * *
LIV DIDN’T CALL, so Matt didn’t go to her place to help with chores. He recognized her as a woman who would disappear from his life if he pushed too hard, and it startled him to realize how much he didn’t want her to disappear.
“Hey, Matt!” Craig bellowed from the living room.
Matt poked his head out of his office, where he’d been reading the mail. “What?”
“Mom just sent a text. She got the job! Benefits and everything! She’ll call later tonight, but I don’t have to register for school here. She’s taking care of all that up there!” Craig punched his fist in the air, grinned and said, “Ah, the joy of financial security.”
Matt smiled. “Excellent.”
Craig jumped to his feet. “Maybe I’d better pack.”
“As in close your suitcase?”
“Something like that.” He headed past Matt, down the hall to his bedroom. Matt watched him go, aware of an odd knot forming in his gut.
He was really going to miss the kid. Go figure.
“Hey, you want to go to roping practice tonight?” he called.
“Here?”
“No. In Dillon.”
“I don’t think so. The next season of Star Crusher starts tonight and I don’t want to miss the first episode.”
“All right.” Matt went back into his office. Maybe all for the best. He was going to stop by McElroy’s house, get an injection, continue on to the arena. He was going to have to see about doing the injections himself on the road, something that was not all that legal, but he figured he might be able to talk the good doctor into cooperating—for a fee, of course.
Tonight was Liv’s drill practice, but she probably wouldn’t be there.
Fine. It’d give him a good excuse to stop by on his way home. He’d proceed with caution, not push things. See where this journey took him, because frankly, this was a journey he was very interested in taking.
* * *
IN SOME REGARDS, Liv was glad she hadn’t cleared her morning schedule—only the afternoon—because focusing on patients kept her from worrying about Tim. “He’ll be fine” was her silent mantra through the three appointments she had before lunch.