Free Summer Rose by Elizabeth Sinclair Page B

woman that threatened to make him forget all his resolve about family.
    Keeping away from her this past week had been torture. He’d lain in bed at night, knowing she lay in her bed only a few hundred yards away in the apartment. He worked in the back of his office all too aware of the scent of her perfume that wafted into the back room every time he opened the office door. How could he possibly keep his emotions under control with the temptation of having her close, yet not nearly close enough?
    The sun had gone down and a soft breeze blew up through the valley. In the distance, the silhouette of Hawks Mountain loomed against the deep purple night sky. Hunter couldn’t remember when he’d felt more relaxed and content.
    “You’re some kind of chef, Dr. Mackenzie.” She saluted him with her soda can.
    He returned the salute and took a drink.
    Rose traced circles in the sweat on the can, and then tilted her head. “May I ask a question?”
    A bit anxious about what the question would be, he lowered the glass and nodded. “Sure.”
    Rose hesitated, looked down at the can, then met his gaze with her own. “Why did you get so upset about Pansy’s pregnancy?”
    Knowing he would eventually have to offer some rational reason why he’d acted like a jerk, he put his half-empty wine glass on the table and leaned toward her. “Rose, about that . . . I am really sorry for my attitude this afternoon. I know you haven’t had much experience with animals, and you couldn’t have known what would inevitably happen between Pansy and Thomas.”
    She nodded and smiled. “Apology accepted.” Then she looked as if she wanted to say more.
    He tilted his head. “But?”
    “Well, it just seemed . . . I felt it was . . . a little over the top.” Rose spit out the last words as if afraid she’d lose her nerve. “I mean, you seemed to take it personally.”
    Stalling for time, Hunter refilled his glass. Then he stood and walked to the edge of the patio, his back to Rose, his face lifted to the sparkling night sky. In retrospect, he agreed with Rose. His reaction had been over the top . . . and personal. But having a family thrust upon Pansy seemed to have brought back the painful memories of the days when he had fought for a life of his own. The days of laundry, grocery lists, homework, sports schedules, and curfews and two semi rebellious teenagers who needed a parent figure. None of which Pansy would have to contend with, but nevertheless a grim reminder of how his own life had been stolen from him by a man who’d had too many beers and not enough sense to stay out from behind the wheel of his car.
    “Hunter?”
    Rose’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. He sighed and returned to the table.
    Taking a sip of wine to stiffen his backbone, he began his tale. “When I was twenty, both my parents were killed in a car accident with a drunk driver, leaving me to raise my sixteen-year-old sister Janice and seventeen-year-old brother Kenny . . . alone.”
    Rose’s hand closed over his. “I’m so sorry.”
    As if he were afloat in unfriendly waters and her hand was a life preserver, he curled his fingers around hers. “Thanks.” He took a deep breath and continued. “As the oldest, the responsibility for keeping the remains of our family together and taking on the responsibilities of both mother and father fell to me.” He dropped her hand and leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately, that meant putting my life on hold until my siblings had theirs in order and stretching what little money my parents left us to cover college expenses”
    “That must have been very hard on you.”
    Hunter laughed derisively. “I didn’t mind . . . at first. Thank God, both of them were reasonably good kids so I never ended up at the police station at four in the morning bailing them out. But it got harder and harder as the months went by. There never seemed to be enough money for everything. Janice did what she could around