help?”
“Maybe.” Jackson looked at Kristi. “You mind if Rio gives me a hand?”
When she looked uneasy, Rafe asked, “Do you know where the tracker is located, Jackson?”
“Not an exact location, but if it’s embedded under her skin I should be able to feel it.” He shifted his gaze to Kristi. “May I check your lower back?”
“Just find the tracker, and get rid of it.”
Her gaze shifted to Rafe. Despite her words, Kristi’s voice conveyed her discomfort. “I can keep my gaze averted and stay with you,” he said. “Or I can wait in the hall with Cal. The choice is yours, Kristi.” He knew which option he preferred, but his preferences didn’t matter.
“Stay.”
More gratified than he should be, Rafe turned to Jackson and Rio. “What do you want me to do?”
Rio inclined his head toward the exam table. “Help her up. Kristi, lie on your stomach. Once Rafe closes his eyes, Jackson will see if he can find the tracker while I gather supplies to remove it.”
At the exam table, Rafe lifted Kristi to the flat surface. Once she was situated on her stomach, he stood near her head and closed his eyes. A second later, her small hand slid into his.
He closed his fingers around hers. Okay, he couldn’t lie to himself. Holding her small, soft hand felt better than good. It was amazing. Rafe squashed the guilt rising inside of him. Callie was gone. He didn’t have a reason to feel guilty, except for the fact that another man wanted to marry her and had asked for that privilege.
He reminded himself again that Kristi hadn’t accepted his proposal and wouldn’t. If she’d waited this long to think about marrying Ward, she wasn’t as invested in the relationship as the other man wanted.
Besides, just because he enjoyed holding the woman’s hand didn’t mean he was ready to move on to a dating relationship or that she’d give him a chance if he asked for one. Although Callie hadn’t cared about Rafe’s rough background, Kristi might.
“Do you mind holding my hand?” she asked.
He squeezed. “Of course not.”
“Good, because I’m not a fan of needles or knives.”
Rafe chuckled. “Neither am I. You can take my word for it, though. Rio and Jackson are great medics. They’ll take good care of you.”
“I’ll remind you of that the next time I stitch you up,” Jackson said.
“You’ve had stitches, Rafe?” Kristi’s hand trembled in his.
“A time or two.” More times than he could count. His career was tough on the body. “Privacy screen is up, Jackson?”
“Yep. Kristi, I found the tracker. It’s embedded under the first layer of skin so it should be easy to remove. I’m going to apply a topical medicine to numb your skin. Once the medicine takes effect, I’ll make a small incision and remove the tracker.”
“Will I need stitches?”
“I don’t think so. The tracker is the size of a grain of rice, and the incision will be small. The cut should heal on its own. I’ll put a bandage over it to keep the cut clean. Ready?”
“Do it.” A moment later, she hissed. “That’s cold.”
A chuckle. “Wolf Pack says the same thing when I use it on them.”
Rafe snorted. “We’re usually in the middle of the jungle or the desert, where the temperature is hot enough to melt your bones.”
“You’re such a whiner, Torres.”
“Bite me, Conner.”
“Ha. No, thanks, buddy. You’re not my type. Kristi, can you feel this?”
She yelped.
Rafe scowled. “Did you use enough?” he asked Jackson.
“This isn’t a heart transplant, Torres. You keep the pretty lady calm. Rio and I will handle the medical stuff.” Amusement filled the medic’s voice.
His cheeks burned. “She’s already uncomfortable enough. I don’t want her to hurt more.”
“I’m all right, Rafe,” she said.
“We’ll give it another minute,” Rio said, his tone mild. “The tracker won’t take long to remove, Kristi.”
“Good. I want it out of my back as soon as possible.”
Rafe squeezed her hand again. “A few more minutes. Tell Rio and Jackson the story about your father and the bridal show.”
“Sounds like a good story,” Rio said.
Kristi laughed, the sound of her laughter doing odd things to Rafe’s heart again. “I loved the outing. My father didn’t.” She relayed the story of the bridal show to the men. The medics chuckled.
“What inspired you to ask to attend the show for your birthday?” Jackson asked.
“I was interested in wedding dresses as a teenager. Not the normal dreaming of marrying a dark, handsome prince someday. I dreamed of designing and making the dresses. I