A Marriage In Wyoming. Lynnette Kent
intend to join them.
By the time she returned to the waiting room, Lena had awakened. She was calm, though Rachel saw the fear of an uncertain future in her eyes. When her dinner arrived, she ate a few bites, which was a good sign. After a night on insulin, she would probably wake in the morning ready to finish her entire breakfast and more. Rachel said as much to Garrett on their way back to Bisons Creek.
âIâm glad to hear her appetite will improve,â Garrett said. âSheâs always been slender, but I didnât realize until today that she was losing weight. I should have noticed.â
âYou wouldnât necessarily recognize the signs,â Rachel assured him. âUnless something brought it to your attention.â
âI hate leaving Lena in the hospital alone,â Justino said from the backseat. âShe looked so scared.â
Garrett blew out a breath. âI know. But sheâs got the television for a diversion. Sheâll probably fall asleep pretty fast.â
âCan we go see her early in the morning?â
âWeâll leave after breakfast.â
Though Rachel didnât have her bearings yet about locations in and around Bisons Creek, she was surprised when Garrett turned onto the Circle M Ranch drive before taking her to the clinic. He stopped the truck at the house to let Justino out.
âMiss Caroline will have saved you some dinner,â he told the boy. âTry to take it easy tonight and not worry too much. Lenaâs being well cared for and sheâs getting better.â
âI hope so.â
âHe doesnât sound convinced.â Garrett drove back toward the ranch entrance. âI guess I canât blame him.â
âHe would have stayed with her all night if you had let him,â Rachel said. âTheyâre very close for such a young couple.â She paused for a moment. âDid you want to talk to me about something? You could have dropped me off first.â
He shrugged one shoulder. âIt occurred to me that neither of us has had lunch or dinner. I thought maybe youâd be interested in getting something to eat.â
âOh.â The suggestion should have been simple enough, except for the combination of excitement and reluctance ambushing her brain. Garrett Marshall was way too appealing for her to spend a lot of time with. The last thing she wanted to do was get closer to him.
âIs that a yes or a no?â
Still, she was hungry. âUm, okay. Sure. Food sounds like a good idea.â
âGreat. Weâve got a diner here in townâthe only restaurant, actuallyâwhere the cooking is really excellent. You might as well get familiar with it on your first day here.â
âIt is still my first day, isnât it?â She sighed. âI havenât even unpacked the car. Or gone to my apartment. Thatâs the way medicine is sometimes.â
âWe appreciate your being here for what was clearly an emergency.â He pulled the truck into a parking space beside a building with the sign Kateâs Diner. Then he looked over in the dim light and grinned. âThe least I can do is buy you dinner on your first night in town.â
Alarms went off in Rachelâs headâhe made it sound way too much like a date. But she could hardly retreat at this point. Maybe she could talk him into splitting the check.
Garrett opened the door for her, a courtesy that upped her discomfort level. Then he pulled out a chair at the table and invited her to sit. Short of staging a fight, there wasnât much she could do other than take the seat he offered.
She met his gaze directly as he sat down across the table. âThis isnât a date.â
His eyebrows rose. âNot technically. No.â
That response didnât reassure her. âNot even remotely.â
He folded his arms on the table. âWould it be such a bad idea?â
âWe arenât a couple. Arenât going to be a couple.â
âThatâs a pretty sweeping prediction. We only met this morning. Do you dislike me so much already?â
She had to tell the truth. âNo, of course not. But the two of us are incompatible.â
âI disagree. I think weâve had a good day together.â
A pretty, brown-haired woman came to their table. âHey, Garrett. Long time no see.â
âHi, Terri. Yeah, weâve been pretty busy out on the ranch with the kids plus the regular chores. Let me introduce you to the newest citizen in townâthis is Dr. Rachel Vale. Sheâll be operating the Bisons Creek Medical Clinic.â
Terriâs face brightened. âI heard we were getting a doctor. Welcome! It will be so great to be able to visit a clinic in town when one of the kids has an ear infection instead of driving half an hour just to get a prescription.â
Rachel smiled. âIâm glad to be here. I look forward to helping you out when you need medical advice.â
âIâll be sure to call. But for right now, what can I get you two to drink?â
âWater,â she and Garrett both said at the same time.
âGot it.â Terri scribbled on her notepad. âWe still have some of the special available, which is meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and Kateâs slow-cooked green beans. Iâll be back in a minute to take your orders.â
âSo,â Garrett said when the server had left, âyou were going to tell me why weâre incompatible.â
âWe have different worldviews.â Rachel clasped her hands on the table. âAs a minister, you operate on the assumption that faith will make things right. But as a doctor, I use science and facts to deal with the world.â
Terri reappeared with a glass of water for each of them. âAnd what will you have to eat?â
Once they both ordered the meat loaf, Rachel resumed her explanation. âPeople with such opposite perspectives canât find common ground for a relationship.â
Laughter sparked in his blue eyes. âAre you hoping to persuade me or yourself?â
She glared at him. âYouâre awfully sure Iâm attracted to you, arenât you?â
âI wasnât, till you started trying to convince me we canât go on a simple date.â
âThereâs nothing simple about dating.â
âSo youâve had some bad experiences?â
âHasnât everybody had a bad date?â
âSure. A few years ago, I went out with a woman who brought her grandmother along with us to dinner.â
Rachel had to laugh. âYouâre kidding, right?â
âAt first, I figured her grandmother just wanted to check me out. But when Nana showed up for the second go-round, I decided Iâd had enough of the two-for-one program.â
âIâm not surprised.â
âEspecially since Nana monopolized every conversation with details of her surgical adventures.â
âOh, no.â
âCan