Free Like Lightning by Charlene Sands Page B

stitches, Trey. Those wood bits ripped your hand up real good going in, and whoever yanked them out ripped your hand up again.”
    Again, Trey was silent.
    Maddie read straight through his poker face.
    â€œLet me guess, you’re the one who pulled out those splinters.”
    â€œGood guess.”
    She sighed. “Trey.”
    Trey leaned back in the chair, crossing his leg over his knee and watched as Maddie administered to hishand. With her head bent to the task, Trey stared at her coppery hair falling in soft waves onto her shoulders. She held him so carefully, mindful when the antiseptic stung and lifting apologetic eyes his way. She took gauze out of her medical bag, placing it over the wound then wrapped his hand with surgical tape, taking her time, using her skills as a healer.
    Whenever he looked at Maddie, he saw his future. But the vision was false, a deception of the mind, because Trey wasn’t the man for her. She deserved someone she could trust not to wound her gentle soul. He chalked up these unwelcome sentiments to being around Paul and Brittany all week. With the new baby coming, their excitement had rubbed off on him. He found himself longing for the same, a wife and family. And being with Kit wasn’t much help, either. That man was so doggone smitten with his new wife he barely spoke a sentence without mentioning her name.
    Trey knew people with successful relationships. That’s all it was—this wanting he’d been experiencing lately. But his father’s words haunted him daily. And Trey had vowed not to make those same mistakes. Trey was smart enough to realize that wanting and having were two different things. He wasn’t cut out for family life. He’d tried that once and had failed miserably.
    â€œPromise me something, Trey,” Maddie said when she was all through with the bandaging. “You won’t go busting up this hand I worked so hard on tonight. You won’t injure yourself again.” She held his wrapped hand in both of hers and stared at him with softness in her eyes.
    â€œHell, Maddie,” he whispered, leaning close, beckoned by her caring nature and her sweet, tentative smile. “When you ask me like that, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t promise you.”
    Maddie leaned in also, coming dangerously close, their eyes meeting. “There isn’t?” she asked breathlessly.
    Raspberry sweet and red-haired sexy, Trey had a mind to kiss her again, the need so strong that he couldn’t pull away. He stared at her heart-shaped mouth, glossy and full, parting slightly. He wanted to lift her out of the chair, put her onto his lap and brush his lips over hers until kissing wasn’t enough.
    Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted to lay her down on the kitchen table and…
    And then the phone rang.
    Trey jerked back in his chair and into reality. He’d almost made another mistake and although it would take his body a moment to adjust, he was glad for the interruption. He bounded up and answered the wall phone by the refrigerator. “Hello.”
    A few seconds later, he brought the receiver over to Maddie, stretching out the long cord. “Do you know a Nick Spencer?”
    Maddie’s face beamed with joy. She stood up, practically standing on her toes. “It’s Nick? Really?”
    â€œThat’s what he said,” Trey answered, handing her the phone.
    â€œNick, I can’t believe it’s you.” Maddie twirled the cord around her fingers. “How did you find me?”
    Trey walked out the back door and into the night air, giving Maddie some privacy and him a place to cool off. He told himself over and over he was glad he hadn’t kissed her again. He told himself he was glad Maddie had a personal life outside of her work. He told himselfhe was glad this guy Nick had called, interrupting the wild fantasy Trey had entertained.
    He glanced down at his bandaged hand, flexing his fingers