never could get the hang of that. I think I have two left feet.”
“But you’ve tried it?”
“Oh, sure. Country’s big in Texas, too.”
She blushed. She should have realized that. “Do you like country?”
“Some. I like jazz, Nickelback and Paul McCartney, too.”
And so the conversation went as they ordered, waited a short time and then enjoyed their meals. Knowing a big meal would make her sleepy and that was the last thing she needed, she ordered a taco salad. But Dillon dug into his ribs and coleslaw like an enthusiast. His plate was empty before she’d finished.
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it down beside his plate. “I’ve got to admit, the ribs here are good, but D.J.’s are better.”
Dillon’s cousin D.J. Traub owned the Rib Shack, located near the lodge. Actually, he not only owned the Rib Shack at the resort, but other Rib Shacks across the U.S. From what she knew of D.J. and his brother, Dax, they hadn’t come from wealth. They’d both found their niche and made the most of it. She wasn’t going to hide the fact that she knew Dillon was indeed more than a doctor.
“Tell me why you went into medicine,” she requested. “From the rumors I’ve heard, you could have been CEO of the company your father started.”
He arched a brow, but didn’t look upset or annoyed at her question. “There are a ton of reasons why I wasn’t the one to manage Traub Oil Industries. My mother took over the business after Dad died. My brother Ethan is the CFO now and he fits the part.”
There was obviously a story there, but Dillon didn’t seem about to confide in her. Of course, they didn’t know each other all that well, so why would he?
However, he surprised her when he added, “My father died on an oil rig when I was twelve. He took a fall and his injuries were serious. Even as a twelve-year-old, I wondered if I had been a doctor, could I have saved him? That’s the reason I went into medicine.”
She was remembering more details she’d heard about Dax and D.J. Traub and didn’t know if she was stepping into dangerous territory. But Dillon had opened the door.
“Your cousins—didn’t their mom die when they were kids?”
“How I forget the gossip mill in Thunder Canyon,” Dillon remarked with a rueful smile. “No one’s history is private. To answer your question—yes. I think that was one of the reasons we were close, even though I only saw them summers when we were growing up. We shared a difficult experience, and I guess it created a bond between us.”
A country ballad began playing on the jukebox. Dillon nodded to the familiar melody. “I think this conversation’s gotten a little serious. Would you like to dance? I can slow dance much better than I can line dance.”
She hesitated, knowing she should say no. But the urge to feel like a desirable woman again was strong. “Yes, I would,” she replied.
Before she could rise to her feet, he was behind her chair, helping her up. He definitely was a gentleman … or a good pretender.
The dance floor was crowded and that made her feel more comfortable for some reason. No one she knew was in sight.
She had to admit that she’d imagined Dillon holding her. But the real deal was something else entirely. As soon as his arm went around her and his large hand took hers, she knew she was indeed in trouble. He was at least six inches taller than she was—the top of her head just came to his nose. In his arms she could feel the strength of his muscles. Did he work out? At dinner he’d told her he tried to go riding many mornings. To top it all off, at this time of day, his jawline was becoming slightly stubbly. The scruffier look suited him.
When she looked up and her gaze collided with his interested brown eyes, nerves in her body tingled—nerves that she didn’t even know she had.
Too much … too soon … too fast.
After taking a deep breath, she eased away from him slightly to start another conversation. It was the only way she could distract herself from what was going on in her body, let alone the fantasies in her mind. He didn’t try to hold her close, but kept his eyes on hers as she moved away. Those few inches mattered a lot. She could breathe a little easier. And think. What was wrong with her tonight? She’d been so calm and cool-headed ever since Scott.
“You said your mom took over your dad’s business,” she began. “I think that’s wonderful.”
“Lots of men in the company didn’t share your opinion, but she made it clear they either had to come aboard with the program or they’d be gone.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“I have four brothers and one sister.”
“Wow! Your mom handled all of you and a career, too?”
His silence told her this wasn’t a question he was comfortable with, yet he didn’t duck it. “Two years after my dad died, my mom remarried. Peter was working on the rig when my dad fell. He helped her through all of it and they got close.”
His hand ruffled through the waves on her shoulders and she wondered if he did it to distract her. If he did, he was succeeding. “Today’s the first time you’ve worn your hair down,” he noticed.
When she kept it tied back or in a chignon, she felt more professional. But this morning, she’d been running late. “I was a bit rushed this morning so I let nature take its course.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to recall them. Nature. Attraction between a man and a woman was exactly what was going on here. They both knew it.
Dillon’s thumb played teasingly against hers. The sensual sensation raised her temperature a couple of notches.
So she tried again with conversation. “Are you planning to spend much time with your cousins, now that you’re here again?”
“Back to that, are we?” he asked teasingly.
“I’m just curious. There are so many stories floating around about Dax and D.J., their feud, their fistfight, the women they married. Were you part of all that?”
“No, I wasn’t. I was busy establishing my practice.”
Again something that she couldn’t decipher passed over his expression.
But he continued, “We did have a family reunion in June and we had a great time.”
“Do they have children?” She shouldn’t have asked, but she might as well know where he stood on that subject.
A shadow crossed Dillon’s face. “Dax has a six-year-old and a two-year-old. D.J.’s little boy is two, also. I haven’t been around them much. But I’m looking forward to some time with them while I’m here.”
Dillon’s tone didn’t match his words. He was being polite about it.
Erika’s blood felt like ice water. All she could think was that he was another man who didn’t like responsibility. He was another
