Her stern expression melted into a smile. I knew that meant a hug was coming, and I stifled the urge to step back. Instead, I braced and returned the sweet gesture.
“You’ve changed my life, Kit,” she said softly. “You’ve changed my son’s life. Please, just let me do the job you hired me to do.”
This was not the third or even the seventeenth time she’d made this plea, but . . . she was right. I made it harder for my employees when I tried to do their jobs for them. Lane, as my land manager, had similar complaints. Thankfully, he wasn’t here to double team me.
As she drew back from the hug, her eyes widened. “Oh! Skylar’s here! And I love his new car!”
Even though Skylar and I texted about his business fairly regularly, it’d been almost a month since he’d been by, and both Sadie and Lane had wondered aloud when he was coming back to work on my knee. Guess they’d been a bit more observant than I’d realized.
Worse, I had to school my expression so Sadie couldn’t see how excited and . . . relieved? I felt seeing him again. I turned as Sky drove up in his pretty Bronco, stopping right in front of us under the porte cochere.
He hopped out and the first thing I noticed, aside from the fact that he was wearing scrubs, was that he wasn’t wearing anymakeup, and his nails were short and unpolished. He looked so young and fresh-faced, the only evidence of makeup a bit of shine on his full lips.
He must’ve seen something in my expression, because he covered his face. “I know, I’m hideous. No makeup, no nails. I just don’t want to be shot by some homophobic cowboy.”
“Skylar, you could never be hideous,” I said, readily stepping into his effusive hug. I surreptitiously inhaled his scent. “And a lot of folks out here are more progressive than you’d think.”
“That’s kinda what I was hoping.”
Remembering the text thread from a few days ago, I gestured at the Bronco and asked, “Did you come up with a name for her?”
“I sure did! Betsy!”
“I like it,” I said, hugging him again. “It fits you perfectly.”
His cheeks went pink. “Thanks.”
“So, are you out here to check on my knee again?”
He shook his head, his smile widening. “Guess what I’m doing this morning?”
“Assisting with a surgery?” I plucked at his scrubs.
He chuckled. “Nope. I’m about to see my very first client.”
“Already?” I asked, confused. He hadn’t even worked out the name of his business yet. “How is that possible?”
“You know how much Dr. Kleinfeld loved the idea, and she didn’t hesitate to sponsor me. Then you and I went over my big list of things, which wasn’t so big after all. Plus, Dr. Kleinfeld actually knew a few people out here already and reached out to them. The guy I’m seeing this afternoon has been especially stubborn about an issue with his elbow, but she got him to agree to have me come by.”
“Wow,” I said, trying to shove down the nerves I felt for him. “That’s amazing. I’m glad your managing doctor’s being so supportive.”
I was also grateful he’d toned down his look, but I didn’t say that out loud. I was—secretly—worried about how some of the more conservative folks out here would treat him.
“Then I told her about your knee, and she said she can’t believe you haven’t gotten any imaging yet.”
Sadie snorted behind me, and I turned around and narrowed my eyes at her.
She only laughed harder. “Good luck getting him in to get that knee looked at.” She pursed her lips at me, like I was some sort of lost cause. “He is the most stubborn man I’ve ever met in my entire life.”
Sky lifted a shoulder, then thumbed a gesture in my direction. “Oh, this sexy rock is about to hit a hard place. I’ve already got him scheduled for an MRI Thursday after next.”
“Youwhat?” I protested automatically. “I can’t go then. I’m booked solid?—”
“No, you aren’t,” Sadie countered, pulling her phone from her back pocket. “I know you have a hard time remembering that I am, in fact, your office manager.”
“Sadie—”
She held up one hand, furiously thumbing through her phone with the other. “I’ll remind you by rescheduling your appointments so you can get the care you need.”
