Shiver(33)
“So what have you learned?”
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” He wasn’t ready to share what he’d come up with so far. And he knew without a doubt she wasn’t ready to hear it. He noticed they were getting closer to Fairbanks, coming up on Hagelbarger. “Do you think we could pull in for a minute?”
“Sure.” She slowed and hit her blinker.
“I was in a hurry when I landed at the airport. I only made one stop before heading to Chatanika.”
“Food Factory?”
He laughed. “You do know me well.” The words, while said in jest, seemed to sober her.
She turned onto Hagelbarger’s scenic overlook, one of Fairbanks’ prime make out places. Hills sat protective as Fairbanks nestled contently in the valley. In the winter, the Hagelbarger Lookout was the perfect place to watch the splay of Northern Lights dance across the sky. During the day, Fairbanks sparkled like a winter jewel. The University of Alaska stood on the hill to the east, the airport to the west, and the Chena River like a frozen ribbon meandering sleepily through town.
“You’ve missed it, haven’t you?” Raven asked.
He nodded. A lump in his throat. “I never thought I would. Hell, a few days ago this is the last place I ever wanted to be again.” He turned from the view and looked at her. “I’ve found there are things here that I’ve missed more than I realized.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze and glanced away, put the Suburban in gear, and merged back onto the Steese. They traveled in silence, Aidan taking in the sights, an ache in his chest.
Raven turned onto Airport Way, stopping at every stoplight on the way to the doctor’s office. Pulling into the Physician’s Plaza, she turned off the engine, jumped out of the SUV, and grabbed his crutches from the back.
He’d obviously said the wrong thing when they’d been overlooking the city. He’d pushed too hard, too fast. Just as he had last night. He’d done the same things with Sonya, and look how that had turned out. Time to learn from his mistakes. He opened his door as she came around with the crutches. The cold slapped him. With the sun shining so brightly, reflecting on the snow, it seemed warmer than it was. While they were in town, he needed to shop for a better winter coat.
“Thanks.” He took the crutches from her. She held the door open until he made his way clear, then she rushed to open the doctor’s door.
He stopped and looked down at her before entering. “I’m sorry if what I said upset you. But it was the truth.”
She tightened her lips but didn’t respond. He waited a heartbeat then entered the doctor’s office. Raven took control of the doctor visit, going up to the counter and signing him in. It didn’t take long before a nurse called his name. He stood, while Raven stayed seated.
“Are you coming?” he asked.
“No.” She looked up at him, her eyes hard. “I’m not your friend, your family or your wife. I’ll wait out here.”
The words stabbed at him repeatedly. Repetitive, like a bad record inside his head, each run-through tearing fibers from his heart. She was right. She was none of those things.
And he wished she were all of them.
CHAPTER NINE
Raven thumbed through a magazine. Her vision blurred as she blinked back tears. The hurt on Aidan’s face when she’d thrown those hurtful words at him, cut her deep. Why had she done it? Because he’d said he’d missed her?
She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the waiting room wall. What if he needed her in the exam room? To hold his crutches? Hold his hand if the leg was broken and had to be reset? By now the bone would have tried to heal, built a bridge that would have to be broken in order for the leg to heal right. They’d give him a shot to help with the pain, but…
No more buts. She’d needed to reestablish boundaries. Since she’d done such a great job of busting them down last night when she’d been moaning under him and grabbing his tight backside. She mentally groaned. She was going to kill Lynx for making her drive Aidan to town. They’d had a deal. She didn’t care about some damn injured eagle. Well, she did, but why did it have to be injured on the day the roads were finally cleared to travel to town? Was it fate? Was fate against her now too?
The door to the inner exam rooms opened and out hobbled Aidan, carrying the crutches. His leg was strapped in a walking medical boot, his face pinched with pain.
“What did the doctor say?” she asked, getting to her feet.
He reached in his pocket for his wallet, and without answering, headed to the counter and took care of the bill. She waited patiently, arms folded across her chest.