thought of going back outside in the cold.
“I thought as much,” he said condescendingly. “Well, I’ll give you a few minutes to suit up so we can head out.”
It was the tone that sparked a vivid memory for her suddenly. She could see those dark blue eyes glittering above a surgical mask. Defying her.
Get out of my OR!
Not on your life.
No way. It couldn’t be him. It just couldn’t be him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Don’t like the cold?”
“It’s not that. I think I know you.”
He smiled. “Do you?”
“What’s your name?” she asked.
Don’t be him. Don’t be him.
Then he grinned like the cat who’d got the cream. “Dr. Luke Ralston.”
Damn, but then she was ticked. She’d put that memory of her time in Missoula far from her mind, not giving it much of a second thought because, really, what did it matter? She was in New York, let Luke Ralston have Montana.
Besides, Shane Draven had pulled through.
It was all trivial. Except now she was in Montana, working on their patient’s uncle’s resort and Dr. Luke Ralston was her coworker? This was a totally messed-up situation. Something she was not comfortable with.
“You knew exactly who I was.”
Luke shrugged. “Not at first, but when you fell into my arms it all came back to me.”
“And you didn’t say anything? Like, maybe, ‘Hey, we know each other, we’ve worked together before’ or something like that?”
He shrugged again and then hooked his thumbs into the belt loops on the waist of his tight, tight jeans. “What does it matter?”
“It matters a lot. You’re a jerk!”
“Why am I a jerk? I mean, I did save you from probably concussing yourself or something.”
“You were the guy I talked to in the hallway in Missoula. When I asked who Dr. Ralston was, you said you didn’t know where he was. You lied to me.”
“I didn’t really want to argue with you in the hallway. I was on my way to the ICU to check on my patient. To make sure he pulled through surgery.”
“He was my patient.”
He grinned, smugly. “I brought him down off that mountain. He was my patient. You were just a locum surgeon. You didn’t stay to make sure he made it through the night. You headed back east, to wherever you came from. I knew nothing about you and I didn’t trust you. Of course, now you’re going to be a regular here in town.”
“Had I known there was a Ralston in Crater Lake I would’ve turned the job down.”
Luke chuckled. “You must’ve taken this job on an impulse, then.”
“Why do you say that?”
“If you’d researched Crater Lake you’d realize the family practice in town is run by a Ralston. I wasn’t really hiding my identity. Not in my town.”
Damn. He was right. She hadn’t really looked to see what physicians were in town. She’d taken the job so quickly. She’d just been so eager to get out of New York City and away from her father’s control. Crater Lake had sounded like a nice small town, and a job catering to the rich and famous in a resort had sounded perfect. It was a chance to prove herself to those who moved in her parents’ circles.
Then maybe she could step out of her father’s shadow. She wouldn’t be Sarah Ledet, New York heiress and daughter of Vin Ledet, one of the wealthiest men on the eastern seaboard. She’d be Dr. Ledet, physician.
“You’re regretting your decision to take this job, aren’t you?” Luke asked. “I can see it on your face. You look absolutely horrified.”
“Not the job, just who I have to work with.”
He grinned and then laughed. “You’re still a spitfire.”
“Spitfire?”
“It’s a compliment.”
Sarah tried not to smile. She didn’t want to smile. He was the jerk who’d disrupted her OR, given her a hard time and then lied to her. He was the one who’d questioned her surgical procedure and every move she’d made on that patient until she’d snapped. Only his smile had been infectious and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed, even though she was ticked off that it was him. The thorn in her side from last summer, standing right there in her office.
She should just throw him out. As she should have done from her OR.
When she glanced back up at him the lighthearted mood had changed. He looked annoyed and uncomfortable.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Something changed. Just a moment ago you were complimenting me and joking. Now you look annoyed.”
“I’m annoyed we’re wasting the light standing around pointing fingers.”
“Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Well, I would gear up. I don’t have all day to wait around for you.” He walked out of her office leaving her standing there absolutely confused.
What had just happened?
Sarah wasn’t sure, but she knew it would be best to keep her distance from Luke Ralston, though that was going to be tricky seeing how she was about to be dragged out on the mountain in the bitter cold with a man who was a little bit dangerous.
Not just a little bit dangerous.
A lot.
DAMN. IT HAD to be the spitfire.
Luke had forgotten all about her when he’d returned to Crater Lake after Shane Draven had pulled through. For a while he’d thought of that trauma surgeon he’d butted heads with in Missoula, but as he’d dealt with the last messy stages of his divorce, he’d put her from his mind.
Dealing with his ex just reminded him of all the reasons why he didn’t trust women or romantic entanglements.
It hurt too much, but Christine wasn’t the only reason. Hurt went both ways. He liked his life too much and part of that was doing risky things to save lives up on the mountain.
He’d
