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Kendrick locked up his house and made his way to the car. He was closed up today and had plans that were going to take him out of town. At least, that was his plan right now. He could barely go anywhere without someone asking him what a mark was on their hand or if they needed stitches in a cut. Being a doctor had its ups and downs, but today, he was going to be out of his doctor wardrobe and into fun clothing.

“Hey, Doc Kendrick? Whatcha doing today?” He told the little Shaver boy that he was going out of town. “Who you got covering for you? Momma said you’re the only thing that keeps us kids from the hospital all the time.”

“I don’t need anyone to cover for me, Sammie. I’m going to have myself an adventure today.” He looked at him strangely. “You’ll be fine for a few hours, but do me a favor, don’t get into trouble while I’m gone. You’ll have to hold off on your own adventures today.”

“That’ll be hard to do. I like adventures.” He got into his car before the little bugger hurt himself and delayed his trip. He was still standing in the street when he pulled onto Main Street to get out of town.

Stopping to get gas, he hurried through the process and paid. He didn’t want to be caught now that he was almost out of town. As soon as he was back in his car, his brother reached out to him.

“Whatever it is, I don’t want to deal with it. It’s my first trip out of town in a couple of years. I kid you not, I’m going out of town today and find something that interests me.” Conri laughed. “It’s not funny. I’m serious here. I need some me time, or I’m going to quit being a doctor and become a monk or something.”

“I was going to invite you to hang out with Cass and me. We’re going to go to the flea market in Rainersville today. They had all kinds of fair food we’re going to have.” He asked when they were leaving. “We’re leaving the house now. Why don’t we meet up in the little town and drive together to the market? It’ll be fun.”

“I’ll do it. But I’m not taking my cell phone in. I’m off today, and I have my service directing everyone to call 911 if they need assistance that bad.” He told him it was a good idea. “I’ll meet you at the gas station right inside of town.”

It was an hour’s drive from Dresden to Rainersville, but it usually was well worth it. They had sales on everything from ducks and rabbits to guns and ammo. And everything in between. The last time he was there, he’d gotten some really good deep-fried pork rings. And he’d been able to pick up some really nice flowering baskets for his front porch. Now that he had a destination in mind, he was about as excited as he’d been when he left his house this morning.

Pulling into the gas station, he filled up his car and got permission to leave it on the lot, out of the way, so that he could ride with his brother and Cass. Getting him a couple of bottles of water, the humidity of the day making him doubly thirsty, he drank the first one down too quickly and felt a little off. Careful of the second one, he watched as the people got their gas and sodas while in the little convenience store that was in every small town across the state.

Conri pulled in about twenty minutes after he did. By that time, he was finished with his second bottle of water and needed to use the restroom. While they got drinks to take the edge off, Cass said, he went to the bathroom and washed up his face. He was still excited about his day but was being careful of the heat and humidity of the day. A person could get really sick on days like today if they didn’t take care of themselves.

The first half hour, they walked around the booths. People were selling all kinds of junk—to him, anyway. But there were some nice treasures in among the things that they were selling. He found a nice knife that he could carry around for five bucks. There were tools galore that you could pick up for less than ten bucks. He found L.E.D. lights that he got so that he could line his kids’ office. They would change colors with just a twist of a dial that came with it. Then they got to the trees that shaded the animals for sale. Mostly, it was chickens and hunting dogs that were under the trees, but there were other things as well.

Someone was selling eggs. There were also rabbits and ducks. He wanted some ducks for his pond on his land, but he didn’t want to purchase them here and have to lug them all the way back home in his car. And guns. There were so many young people carrying guns that he noticed that they were far more careful with them than they were keeping an eye on their children.

When they decided to have lunch, he knew just what he was getting. A bucket of fries and a hamburger to go with it. There were so many fries in his bucket that he was glad to share them with his family. Then, the fire department for the area was having a bake sale, so he got him some cookies to go with it for dessert. The lemon shake he got hit the spot better than anything else he’d been drinking along the lanes of tents and caravans put up.

“I’m getting me some of the leather straps that the guy over there is selling. I’m going to use them to hang up things in the yard. He said they were durable.” Conri told Cass that they would dry out in the weather and the things would fall to the ground. “Oh. He didn’t say that part. Mean old man.” Then she laughed. “I’m going to get them anyway. I can use them for one season and come back next year for some more of them.”

The only thing that he’d bought so far was drinks, and he’d gotten a lot of those. He knew better than to be dehydrated in this kind of setting and was making sure he didn’t get sunstroke. He was also making sure that Cass and Conri didn’t either. Encouraging them to stand in the shade when they could and to drink as much as they could.

He enjoyed the rest of his afternoon, and when they were ready to call it quits, he was ready as well. Going to two of the booths that he’d wanted to get some flowers from, he was able to get a better deal because it was the end of the weekend for most of the people here. He got his flowers at both booths for half price and picked up some planters too that he was going to fill with fall cabbage, too. It was turning out to be a better day than he’d thought he’d have today when he left home.

Getting back to the gas station where he’d left his car, still there, thankfully, he put his purchases in the back of his car and went into the store to thank the woman who had let him park there. As soon as he was in the line, he knew something was going on. He could smell blood. And lots of it.

“She’s cut herself on the slicer.” The elderly woman was ringing out people while covered in blood. “I’ve called an ambulance, but they’re having trouble getting through the traffic.”

“I can help. I’m a doctor. I’ll just go get my bag.” He ran out to his car to get his bag and was back in the store in seconds. His brother had already left, so he didn’t need to stop and talk to him. He found the young girl in the back room holding paper towels over a good-sized slice in her hand. He asked her what she’d done.

“I was slicing meat when the turkey fell over, and I reached up before I could think that was a bad idea and adjusted the loaf. The slicer didn’t care that I wasn’t part of the turkey and sliced me through my hand. Am I gonna die from loss of blood?” He told her that he’d take care of her. “Good. I have a blind date tonight, and I didn’t want to go. Don’t you hate it when people set you up for a date when all you want to do is read a good book and go to bed early? If not, then I must be an odd woman out.”

“I’d rather read a book too. I don’t even care if it’s a terrible book so long as I don’t have to go out with a stranger when people are thinking that we’re getting married. Can you please hold your hand still? I’m going to stitch it up loosely to make sure that the blood stops flowing.”

He didn’t stitch it tightly but only closed the four-inch wound. They’d have to clean it out when she got to the hospital, and he didn’t want to put her through that twice. As soon as the ambulance showed up, he told them what he’d done and how she’d been reacting when they asked. He was asked if he could go to the hospital with her, and he said that he didn’t have any privileges at the local hospital here.

“We would like you to go in case someone has questions at the other end. Even if you could follow us in your car, that would be a great help to the doctors at the clinic in the event that they need you to answer things that we might not know.” He couldn’t help but feel like he was being bamboozled into going but ended up following the ambulance with a cruiser behind him to keep him out of trouble for following at the speed they were going. He really wanted to go home and read a crappy book over this.

It took another hour to get to the hospital in their town. He wondered how they were able to keep others from dying with it seemingly far away and the traffic being as bad as it was. When they pulled into the emergency department, he parked his car in the lanes, too, and went inside. He didn’t figure he’d be there very long if he was only answering questions for the people inside.

He should have known better.

After several hours in the department, helping treat others who had been brought in from the market days, he was ready to get a hotel and sleep it off before trying to get home. He was beyond exhausted, and he knew that his car was going to be towed as no one would allow him to go out and move it. The young woman that he’d come in with had been released hours ago after getting fifty-four stitches in her hand and sent home.

At three-thirty in the morning, he was given a room with a cot where he could sleep it off. Exhausted, he didn’t even care that the bed was hard as stone and the sheets were too small for his large frame. Almost as soon as he laid his head down, he was out. It had been a terribly long day, and he was glad that it was over.

~*~

Sharon didn’t know what to do about her hand and getting out of work. She’d been able to get out of the blind date, thankfully, and now she had to figure out how she was going to go to her job while being bandaged up like she was.

“You can run the register.” She supposed that she could expect to bag things up. “You’ll be fine. I can do the rest, and we just won’t have any sammiches for the day. I’ll have one of the others come in and slice meat up, and I’ll make them in between customers if it comes to that. You got yourself some pain pills, don’t you?”

“I do, but they make me woozy a little bit.” Daff, an apt name if she’d ever heard one, said that she’d make sure that she was up on her feet. “I just don’t want to cause you any more trouble than I already have.”

“This is my shop, and I do what I want. You don’t have to do anything with the people getting gas, so that’s gonna be all right. You just ring them out, and we’ll have a productive day today.” She said she’d try not to do too much that would cause her double work. “You just be you, honey. You’ll see that people can be kind when they wanna. I know a few people around here that sets stock in you.”

She had no idea what that meant but let it go. Sometimes, having Daff explain something was worse than having her just say it and move on. So here she was, running the register in the busiest part of the day, hoping to goodness that she could get a break soon so she could pee. Another hard job when you only had one hand to adjust and pull up your pants.

“Should you be working?” She’d heard that at least a dozen times today and always just nodded and said she was fine. Daff was doing a good job of keeping her from using her hand a great deal. When someone came into the shop, and they had pops and more stuff than they could carry, she’d have them bagged up and out the door sometimes before they got their change.

By lunch, she’d had enough and only wanted to sit down and have a break with a pain pill. Taking half of one was almost as bad as taking a whole one, but it did take the pain away for a little while. Coming out of the back room, she saw the doctor who had helped her last night.

“I wanted to check on you and see how you were doing? Should you be here?” She explained to him how she wasn’t doing anything but running the register for the place and that Daff had the rest under control. “I did notice last night that she seems to know what she’s doing. Today, I’m headed home. I was at the hospital until all hours last night, and all I want to do is check on you and make sure you’re all right, then head home.”

“I’m sure that the hospital was happy for your help. I know that I was when you came in.” She thought the man was about as handsome as she’d ever met. Even as tired as he looked, he looked good enough to snack on. Embarrassed, she changed the subject. “My hand doesn’t hurt too badly right now. I know that they had to put in a lot of stitches in it, and I’m grateful for what you did for me.”

“It wasn’t anything. Just getting the wound closed so that you’d stop bleeding was first and foremost. Then, once you were at the hospital, they got it cleaned up and sealed for you. You’re lucky you didn’t lose a finger. I hope you’re more careful next time.” She thought that he looked embarrassed and smiled a little. “Anyway, I just wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing.”

He looked hesitant to leave. She didn’t mind him hanging around, so when the next customer came in, she dealt with him and the next two afterwards. She was ringing out the next customer when he suddenly asked her if she’d like to have dinner with him.

“I mean, I know that we can’t go to a steak house. You’d be hard-pressed to cut up yours, but I could do it. It won’t be like a blind date for us since we know one another. Sort of. I’m Kendrick Valley. I’m a medical doctor for Dresden and the local hospital. And you’re Sharon.” She told him her last name. “Sharon Taylor. It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Same from me.” She felt silly again and rang out a couple more people. “I’d love to have any kind of dinner with you. And you’re right. It wouldn’t be like a blind date. Besides, I don’t have any bad books I can read at the moment.” They both laughed.

“Would tonight be all right with you? I’d understand if you just wanted to go home and rest your hand with some pain medication. We can do it some other night this week.” She said that she really was all right and wanted to have dinner with him. “I have a better idea. How about I pick up some pizza tonight, and then we can have dinner together on Friday night. That should be better for your hand and me getting a good day’s sleep in. I’ll call you too. If that’s all right?”

“It would be perfect. I love pizza.” She really did, too, and was glad that he suggested it so that she could rest her hand, too. It really wasn’t as great feeling as she said it was, and she was sure that he knew it. “I’ll write down my address for you, and since you don’t know the pizza places around here, I’ll order one for us so that we can get to know one another. What do you think of that?”

“Perfect.” She gave him her address and a time. She’d order the pizza and make sure that it was delivered on time. When he reached for the piece of paper, their hands brushed one another, and she felt a tingling that she’d never experienced before. It was like a connection or something. After he left her. She did wonder what he was going to do for the rest of the day while he waited around for her to get off work.

~*~

Kendrick knew that she was his mate but wasn’t at all sure how to go about telling her that he was a wolf and that she was his other half. He didn’t even know if she knew what a shifter was. She hadn’t smelled like anyone that could shift had been around her, but then she had been covered in a good amount of blood, and that could have been it. It had taken him at least two hours to figure out why he kept getting drawn back to the area that she’d been in, and then it hit him. She was his mate. Kendrick thought about what his brother would say if he were to tell him.

They’d make fun of him is what would happen. They were relentless in their teasing of Conri, and he was their alpha. They’d be terrible with him if they found out, and he just didn’t want to hear it. Not until he got to know her better, anyway. Besides, he might well be mistaken.

“Nah, she’s the one. You knew it last night and then today, moron.” He put gas in his car and paid at the pump so as not to get in her hair again. But damn, but he wanted to. He felt the need to heal her, too. To make her pain, which was pushing at him, to make go away, too. “I’ll tell her tonight when I see her. I’ll just set her down and tell her that I’m a wolf shifter and that I’m mated to her. That should be good.”

It wasn’t good that he was talking to himself again. He only did that when he was nervous, and he was very nervous right now. Going back to the hotel that he’d rented this morning, he decided to go and find a place where he could get him some jeans and some other things to change into. He didn’t want to smell like blood, which he could smell on himself when having a date with his other half. He kept telling himself that. That he’d seen and met his other half and would spend the rest of his life with her.

He found a Walmart not far from where he was staying. Getting himself some jeans and other things that he was going to need, he put them all in a cart and made his way to the front of the store. He thought about getting a case of water, he did need one at home, but he thought about dragging it all the way back with him and decided that he’d get it later. Right now, it was up in the air when he was going to be going back home. He had a practice, sure, but he’d cleaned the next two days for himself so that he could get to know Sharon.

While in line, he found himself a book. It was one that he’d not read yet, and he tossed it into his cart. He had lots of time to waste between now and five-thirty and didn’t want to seem like a stocker by hanging around at the gas station. He didn’t want to scare her off before he’d even gotten to meet her.

Going back to the hotel, he took a long hot shower and changed into his new clothing. Shaving, too, he felt at least a little better about going out now and sat down on his bed to start on his book. It was hard for him to get into it because he kept thinking that he was going to forget the time, and he finally set an alarm. Fat lot of good it had done him.

He kept making sure that he’d set the alarm right. When that was correct, he had to make sure that his phone was charged up and wouldn’t die when he needed it to remind him when to go. Christ, this was worse than when he was studying for his exams. He’d been checking on things so much that he nearly overslept when he finally fell asleep in his dorm room.

At some point, he fell asleep and was awakened by the alarm that he had set correctly. Getting up and brushing his teeth and combing his hair, he was ready to leave when his cell phone rang. It was Sharon. Sitting down, just knowing that she was going to cancel, he answered the phone with his name.

“It’s Sharon. Sharon Taylor. I wanted to let you know that the pizza isn’t going to be delivered because they’re short-staffed at the moment, and I wondered if you could pick it up on your way to my house.” He said that he could do that and wrote down the address. “They said it would be all right if you picked it up and that I ordered it. The people there know that I order all the time and were worried that I was getting myself into something bad. So if they give you the fifth degree, that’s why. They’re slightly overly protective of me.”

“Good. You need to have someone watch over you sometimes. Right?” She said she supposed so and told him she’d see him in a little while. Just before she hung up, she asked him if he liked beer or tea with his pizza. “Both, but I’ll stick to tea with you. You don’t want to be drinking with those pain pills they gave you.”

“It’s funny, but after seeing you today, I’ve not had a bit of pain today. It’s like it’s all healed up.” He’d not thought of that him touching her might do that. “All right, I’ll see you soon. I’m really looking forward to this tonight.”

“So am I. I’ll see you soon, Sharon.” Leaving the hotel, he was on his way to the pizza place in a few minutes. As soon as he arrived and told them who he was picking up for, they did ask him a lot of questions. They didn’t seem impressed with him being a doctor because, of course, doctors could be predators, too.

“I know your name now, so you’d be better off behaving yourself. I like Sharon, and she’s a good girl. A little on the shy side, but she’s a good girl to everyone.” He promised the owner of the pizza place that he’d be on his best behavior. “See that you do. I’m not opposed to killing you if you hurt her.”

“I’d allow you to do that too if I were to harm a hair on her head. She means a great deal to me as well.” One of the others whispered in his ear, and the boss looked at him. Then he leaned over the counter and asked him if he was a wolf. “I am. And if you know that, you know that as my mate, I won’t harm her at all. I’m going to talk to her tonight about it.”

He nodded before speaking again. “You see that you do. And I don’t want to hear about you taking advantage of her just because she’s your mate, either. I know that it’s rare, but you behave yourself too. Like I said, she’s a good girl.”

“I promise you on the heart of my mother she’ll be as safe with me as she would be with you.” That seemed to satisfy him, and he handed over the pizza. “Call it a pre-wedding gift for the two of you. Now get on out of here before it gets cold. Pizza…my pizza isn’t good cold. You eat it hot or not at all.”

“Thank you.” He didn’t even feel jealous about the man drilling him about Sharon. He was glad that someone was out there watching over her for him. And when he got to the house, he was very glad when she asked who it was before opening the door to him. Yes, she was going to be safe with him forever.

“This is the best pizza, wouldn’t you agree?” He said that he’d never had one better. I never thought to ask you if you’d like a meat one. But then, I guess you eat a great deal of meat.” He asked her what she meant. “Grizzle called here after you left the pizza shop. He told me to have an open mind and that you were a shifter. A wolf shifter. And that you had something to talk to me about. Is that all true?”

“It is. And since I’m assuming you’re not flying off the handle or anything, you know what you are to me.” She nodded and suddenly found her pants interesting. “Look at me, Sharon. I won’t ever hurt you. Not in any way.”

“I know that. I don’t know why I know that, but I do. Also, you healed my hand for me, didn’t you?” He said that he didn’t know. He’d never had a mate before and didn’t know what he could do with just a touch. “It doesn’t hurt at all. I’ve been tempted to pull the bandages off and look for myself, but I’m afraid of what I might see. Is that something that mates are supposed to be able to do to each other?”

“I don’t know, honestly. What I do know was that today, when you passed me the note with your address on it, I felt something tingle. Did you feel anything?” She told him that she’d felt the same thing. “Then I can only assume. If it’s not healed up, I can put the bandages back on you. I never go without my medical bag. I even filled it out today when I was at the store. I’m always afraid of not having what I need the next time, so I always do that when I’m…I’m babbling. I want to see it, too.”

She undid the wrap and, with shaking hands, showed him what was left of her wound. Just black threads in the wrapping and nothing more. Even the cut looked healed. The scar was still pink, but it was about as good-looking as if it had happened months ago instead of last night. He kissed the area, and she inhaled sharply.

“You’re beautiful, Sharon.” She slid to the floor with him, and he kissed her again. This time on the mouth. “You’re so very beautiful that I’m excited for the next thousand years or so hanging out with you.”

“That’s a long time.” He’d tell her later that they had that much and more to be together. Tonight was for them. “I’m not much of a catch, I’m afraid. Daff was allowing me to work so that I could have some income. She’s good to me.”

“You won’t have to worry about money again, love. I have enough for us.” She nodded, and he smiled. “Can I kiss you again? You taste like pizza and beer, and that’s so good.”

He had to calm his wolf a couple of times when they got into kissing heavily. As soon as she got up to clean up their mess, he had a good talk with himself and his wolf. He didn’t want to make love to her on the night he promised to behave himself. No, he was going to be a good man and woo her first.

“I have some dessert. I have apple pie and lemon refrigerator cake. Which do you want?” Two of his favorites, how was he to choose? It was going to be difficult being a good man with a woman who spoke to his inner beast.