Love in Bloom by Karen Rose Smith Page B

trying to still his shaking hands.
    "Would you like me to start a fire in the fireplace?" Paige asked tentatively.
    A fire, shadows, warmth, flames flickering on Paige's face.  Talk about temptation.  His first thought was no way.  But then he looked at her bare feet, her arms wrapped around her as if she was cold.  Maybe the hot shower hadn't taken away her chill.
    "That's fine.  There's kindling in the box behind the sofa."
    She nodded.
    Clay opened the door to the basement.  She was one capable lady.  One kiss wouldn't throw her off balance for long.  As he descended the steps, he told himself that's what he believed.
    ****
    Two days later, Paige was cooking supper when the telephone rang.  She looked at it expectantly, hoping the caller would be Clay.  She hadn't heard from him since he'd brought her home after the storm.  Soon after she'd started the fire, Doc had called, saying the township office had sent men to remove the tree blocking the road.
    The time she'd spent with Clay after the kiss had been awkward and stilted.  She blamed her inexperience with men for believing the kiss had affected Clay as much as it had her.  She'd felt excitement from the top of her head to her toenails.  Her breasts had tingled and she'd wanted to press them against Clay.  She relived the moments when his desire was hard against her.  Her own deep, dark arousal had astounded her.
    Somehow in the midst of all that, she'd known Clay possessed a strength she needed and that her feelings for him went deeper than she ever could have imagined.
    But then he'd said...
    She picked up the cordless handset and saw "out of area" on the caller ID.  Her mother asked,  "Paige, are you there?"
    "Yes, Mom."
    "I'm not having much success getting volunteers long distance.  So I'm coming to the States for two weeks."
    Paige's stomach lurched.
    "There are a few doctors I want to speak with in Los Angeles," her mother went on.  "They might be interested in working here for six months or a year.  I'm also going to give presentations to classes of residents.  Maybe I can wake up their social consciousness."
    "You're flying just to Los Angeles?"
    "Oh, no.  Texas and Ohio, too.  Then I thought I'd end up in Langley and we could fly back together."
    Paige's heart skipped a beat.  "When will that be?"
    "Around the beginning of July.  I can't give you exact dates because I'm going to mine the wealth wherever I find interested doctors."
    "I might not be able to fly back with you.  If Doc's not fully recovered--"
    "Is he there?  I'd like to talk with him."
    "No, he's not.  He drove to a friend's in Baltimore."
    "It sounds like he's getting around just fine."
    Paige could see improvement in Doc day by day.  He was getting out more, visiting, walking.  Just yesterday he'd started back at the office on a part time basis.  But she didn't want to push him.  "He's recuperating nicely.  But I don't know if he's ready for a full-time practice yet."
    "Of course, I understand that.  But you know, Paige, at his age and in his condition, with the blockage fixed, he's in better shape than he was before the open-heart surgery."
    Her mother, like always, was pushing to get what she wanted--Doc back in practice, her daughter by her side.  Paige thought she'd at least have until the end of July to put her life in perspective.  But it didn't look that way now.
    "Mother, we have to talk."
    "Yes, I know we do.  We have plans to make.  I've outlined our options for the next year and sent them to you.  When I get to Langley, we can discuss them.  I miss you.  It's not the same without you here."
    "Mom, the reason I left.  I'm not sure I've resolved--"
    "We'll talk about it when I get there.  You just think of this time as a long vacation.  I really have to go.  You take care.  I'll be in touch."
    Paige clicked off the phone, wondering if her mother was right.  Was this just a long vacation?  It didn't feel like a vacation when she was seeing