“I can imagine why,” Jerica murmured.

  “Right.” Embarrassment flashed through Bridget’s chest, rising to a flush in her cheeks. She always seemed to forget that Jerica had met her parents. She forgot most people outside of town had met them—or rather, she chose to ignore that fact.

  They got to the den, and Bridget stopped short. She’d forgotten about the stairs. Two fucking stairs down into the den, and she could then get to the couch and sit down, where she was far less likely to fall on her face. Pressing her lips together hard, Bridget moved off the knee scooter and dropped it down the stairs. She would not sit down and scoot. That was her one requirement. She had to not embarrass herself completely.

  Before Jerica could say anything, she leaned forward with her good hand on the scooter to hold herself up and kind of halfway jumped down the two steps on her one good leg. Except the wheels to the scooter flew from where she’d put them, forcing Bridget’s upper body to slide with it. She knew she was going down, and there was no way to stop it. No railing to grab onto, nothing to do with her one good arm as she clung onto the handle of the scooter, but it moved so far away from her.

  Bridget was falling hard. She knew it, she knew Jerica knew it, and she was going to be beyond embarrassed. Turning to her good side, she tucked her arm against her chest and hit the wood floor, with her shoulder taking the brunt of the hit. Grunting and groaning, she clenched her eyes tight as Jerica swooped in, squatting next to her.

  “Don’t move. Give it a second.”

  Breathing through the pain and shock, Bridget closed her eyes as she heard Eli’s thumping footsteps on the stairs from the basement. Fuck, this is so embarrassing. “I’m fine.”

  “Just give it a second, then we’ll see if you’re fine.” Jerica put a hand on Bridget’s cheek, turning her face so Bridget stared up into those light brown eyes. “Take a deep breath.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You just fell down.”

  “She what?” Eli’s shrill voice echoed through the den. “What were you thinking?”

  “I said I’m fine!” Bridget nearly yelled it but bit back most of her volume at the last minute.

  Both Jerica and Eli backed up, thankfully, giving Bridget the much-needed space. Her ankle hurt the worst, but that was probably from twisting it as she landed and having it land perfectly on the fucking step. Without a word, Bridget bent her knee and moved her injured ankle so she could put it into a better angle.

  “Help me up, Eli.” Bridget shot Jerica a look, knowing she’d be better at this, but she trusted Eli. She knew Eli. She couldn’t very well have Jerica help her up on their date. Eli got her standing, held onto her hips while Jerica moved the scooter over. Bridget remained silent as she used the scooter to get to the couch, where she sat, absolutely ashamed. The date needed to end, and she needed to manage to get herself into the basement where she could crawl in a hole and never come out.

  “Bridge, you okay?” Eli asked.

  “I’m fine,” she answered, her face covered by her hands.

  She wasn’t sure what happened next, but someone left and someone sat next to her. When she dared to peek, she found Jerica watching her carefully. “What card game are we playing?”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Pretend like this is fine. It’s a disaster and we’re not even ten minutes in.”

  Jerica pressed her lips together, then reached out and settled her hand on Bridget’s thigh. “Here’s the thing, Bridget, and I want you to understand this. I really like you. I don’t know what it is about you, because you were my patient, and I’ve never done anything like this before with a patient, but…I really like you. I realize you’re not exactly at the best place to woo me like you may be used to with other women, but I don’t need to be wooed. I need you to be you.”

  Bridget’s lips parted unexpectedly. She didn’t know what to say, other than she didn’t quite know who she was, but she knew that wouldn’t go over well. Nodding, Bridget eased the tension in her muscles. “The cards are on the bookshelf over there.”

  “Good.” Jerica winked before she got up to retrieve them.

  They were halfway through their game of poker when the front door flung open, slamming into the far wall. Bridget jumped, every nerve in her body on edge as she reached for the weapon that wasn’t on her hip. Jerica stared wide-eyed at the door as a black bull with white horns and dark beady eyes stared them down. He snorted at them as he put one hoof inside the house, then the next.

  Bridget’s heart raced. She shifted on the couch, spinning so she could keep the bull in full view. His head was down as if he was going to charge, in which case she wouldn’t stand a chance. Her voice caught in her throat, otherwise she would have yelled for Eli, even though that probably wasn’t a good idea. She could scare him or piss him off more, and then he would come right at her.

  Jerica gripped Bridget’s hand tightly, her fingers squeezing as she gripped hard. Bridget took slow breaths, moving into work mode. The bull stepped all the way inside the front entrance, his huge body blocking the entire door. They were lucky no one else was down there except the two of them.

  “Eli!” Bridget croaked out. The bull jerked his head right at her. She didn’t look him right in the eye, scared it would set him off, but she kept her gaze in his direction so she would know if he started coming at her. She tried again. “Eli!”

  “Wha—for fuck’s sake, Buddy, get the hell out of my house.” Eli came around the corner with her hands on her hips, glaring at the giant bull. She clapped her hands at him and walked closer as he backed up. “Get out! You know better than this!”

  The bull snorted but raised his head at her twice before he was out on the porch. Eli frowned and shut the door, turning on them. “Sorry. He has zero manners.”

  “I’ve never…” Jerica lost her voice. “I’ve never had that happen before.”

  “Well, they get pretty friendly around here sometimes, but this asshole takes the cake. I knew I should have sold him when I had the chance.”

  “Why didn’t you?” Bridget asked, not sure she was ready for the answer.

  “Love.” Eli spat the word out like it was a curse. Then she grabbed her jacket off the hook and went out the front door.

  Jerica and Bridget sat in stunned silence for a full minute before Bridget finally spoke. “I feel like we should end this and never speak of it again.”

  “Are you kidding?” Jerica’s eyes went wide. “This is epic first date material.”

  “This is an awful first date.”

  Jerica giggled. “Bridget, look on the bright side for once.”

  Bridget was about to object when Jerica lifted her hand and curled it around Bridget’s cheek, bringing their mouths together in a sweet and quick kiss. Stunned, Bridget wasn’t sure what to do or say, and Jerica backed away, sheepishly.

  They looked at each other awkwardly for a few tense seconds before Bridget broke the silence. “Dinner should be ready soon.”

  “Good.” Jerica wouldn’t look her in the eye, and Bridget knew she’d ruined whatever moment Jerica had been going for.

  Chastising herself, she picked up the cards and shuffled them, not sure what to do or say.

  “I would like a second date, maybe a redo if you don’t think this was a good one.”

  Surprised, Bridget cocked her head to the side. “Why? I mean, everything about this date has gone wrong.”

  “Not everything. I got to spend time with you, outside of the hospital, and see some of where you live, even if this isn’t your house. I got to know you better, and isn’t that the entire purpose of dating?”

  “I guess,” Bridget mumbled. “The only person I really dated I knew from childhood so there wasn’t a whole lot to get to know.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Eli.” Bridget moved her thumb over her shoulder. “She’s the only other person I’ve dated.”

  “Oh.” Jerica pursed her lips. “Just to be clear, you’re not…”

  “No. She’s getting married to Sarah. We broke up almost five years ago now. It’s taken time for us to be able to talk again, but I think we’ve made a lot of steps in that direction lately.”

  “Good, I suppose. It’s hard to be without our best friends.”

  “Harder still when you’re the asshole who screwed it up.”

  Jerica laced their fingers together. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes.”

  “I suppose.”

  She leaned her head against Bridget’s shoulder, and they stayed there, mostly in quiet, until Eli came back in with a mission. “Dinner will be ready in five!”

  Bridget smiled.

  “I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile.” Jerica echoed the smile. “I like it.”

  Bridget was racked with guilt. This time when she took the stairs out of the den, she let Jerica help her so she didn’t fall flat on her face again. She’d had enough embarrassment for one day. Maybe they would survive dinner unscathed.

  CHAPTER 9

  As soon as Jerica had left the night before, Bridget’s stomach had plummeted. The date had been a disaster, and it wasn’t either of their faults—well, some of it was Bridget’s. She’d made an absolute fool of herself, trying to do things she couldn’t. Her cheeks still burned at the thought of it.

  Eli had tried to convince her everything was fine, that Jerica hadn’t seemed perturbed by what happened—except maybe with Buddy—but that hadn’t done anything to sway Bridget in another direction. The date had been awful from the start, and there had been no recovering from it. Even the kiss on the couch had felt awkward and out of place, and Jerica hadn’t seemed to want to try again after that.

  It must have been pity.

  Groaning, Bridget brushed her hands over her face and stared at the ceiling in her bedroom, something she was becoming quite familiar with. The knock on the door surprised her. Furrowing her brow, Bridget stared at the time on her phone, which told her it was mid-morning. Her new wake up time.

  The knock again.

  “Bridget?”

  “What?” Bridget pinched her nose and shifted to try and sit up a little better, but it was harder than she’d anticipated so she gave up.

  The door to her bedroom opened, and Eli popped her bright and cheery face in. “You awake?”

  “I am now.”

  “Good. Let’s get you dressed.” Without asking, Eli moved over to Bridget’s bag and rifled through the clothes until she found something and tossed it at her. “Want help?”

  “Why am I getting dressed?”

  “It’s mid-day.”

  “And I have nothing to do. I could just sit down here all day.”

  “Nope. I won’t let you. Do you want me to strip you or are you going to do it?”

  Groaning, Bridget grabbed the clothes. “Let me try this time.”

  “Okay. I’ll be out there if you need a hand.”

  Pouting, Bridget took her time changing from one pair of baggy clothes to another. She spent nearly thirty minutes in her room before wheeling herself to the bathroom. She was still half asleep, no caffeine in her system to help wake her up, and when she came out of the bathroom, she stopped short.

  Jerica sat in the La-Z-Boy facing the television. How long had she been there? More importantly, what the fuck was she doing there? At a loss for words, Bridget stared directly into those beautiful hazel eyes, much like when Jerica had shown up the day before. She had no idea what to say or do in that moment.

  Eli snickered from the bottom of the stairs, a coffee mug to her lips. “You have a guest.”

  “I can see that, asshole.”

  Laughing, Eli walked up the stairs and left them alone. Bridget faced Jerica again, still unsure of what to do or say. Jerica stood up and moved to the couch. “Want to talk?”

  “What is there to talk about?”

  “Well, I made a two hour drive up here, I’d think the least you can do is talk to me.”

  Sighing heavily, Bridget scooted her way around the couch and eased herself onto it. Jerica sat next to her, close. Their thighs touched, and Bridget clenched her hand tightly in her lap to prevent herself from reaching out. With her jaw tight, she stared at the blank television screen, trying to come up with something to say or do or just something, anything so they weren’t sitting there in awkward silence.

  “I know yesterday didn’t go like you thought it should,” Jerica stated.

  “That’s an understatement.”

  Jerica reached and turned Bridget’s chin up so they had to look at each other. “Yeah, but here’s the thing, nothing really goes to plan, does it? And while yesterday might have been a bit more adventurous than I’m used to, I enjoyed my time here. With you.”

  Bridget narrowed her eyes, not sure whether she wanted to believe Jerica or not.

  “I like you, Bridget. I told you that yesterday, and things don’t have to be perfect for me to like you.”

  Bridget mulled through that one. Had that been her issue the entire time? “Why did you come here today?”

  “Because I had an inkling you weren’t going to answer my texts or calls if I tried to get hold of you that way.”

  Snorting lightly, Bridget nodded her agreement. “Probably.”

  “Do you often ghost dates like this?”

  “I…” Bridget stopped and pivoted from what she was going to say. “I don’t often have dates.”

  “Well, I for one want a second date, and since I’m here, why don’t we do it right now.”

  “I don’t have anything planned.”

  “Bridget.” Jerica’s gaze softened, and she reached over, her hand covering Bridget’s clenched fist. “You don’t have to plan something fancy for a date to happen.”

  “But…”

  “No. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to be a production.”

  Bridget’s stomach swirled.

  “Let’s just get to know each other, okay?”

  “Okay,” Bridget agreed, though she wasn’t entirely sure why she did it. “What are we going to do then?”

  “Mostly we’re going to talk and listen.” Jerica grinned. “Then I don’t know, maybe we can eat something, or go out on the deck. There’s supposed to be a storm coming in we can watch, but really, I want to spend time with you.”

  “I can do that,” Bridget whispered, unsure where her voice had gone except that the tenacity of this woman had stolen it. Bridget, for some reason, was perfectly comfortable with that.

  “Good.” Jerica leaned against Bridget’s good side. “I have a sister.”

  “Oh, we’re starting with family?”

  “Why not?”

  Sighing, Bridget grimaced. “I have a sister and a brother. I’m the youngest and the disappointment.”

  “Hmm…is your sister as bitchy as mine?”

  Bridget snorted. “She thinks the world revolves around her, and our parents gave her anything she wanted. I had to work for what I wanted.”

  “Isn’t it usually the opposite? The youngest gets everything and the oldest has to work for it?”

  “I think so.” Bridget reached over and threaded their fingers together. “But I was a surprise, and Mom didn’t want another kid. Her conservative beliefs prevented her from doing anything about it, however, so she just punished me for the rest of my life.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jerica gave her hand a squeeze. “My sister almost died.”

  “What?”

  “She was engaged to this guy, and it got bad. He killed himself and tried to take her down with him I guess. I was working that night when she came in. It was a bloody mess.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Bridget kept her hand firmly on Jerica’s. “I’ve seen my fair share of mangled bodies.”

  “I suppose you would have.”

  “Yeah. The worst was when a loader got stuck, the farmer went to try and get it unstuck, and it smashed down on top of him. His wife found him, and I can still hear her screams if I think about it too long.”

  Jerica’s look was soft, but Bridget detected no pity in her gaze. “I can’t imagine walking onto that scene.”

  “It was a mess, as you said.” Bridget shifted, her ankle bothering her until she could get it in a better spot. “Did you grow up out here?”

  “I did.” Joy flashed across Jerica’s face. “I went to Hays for school and came right home, finding my dream job in the ER. I never wanted to work in any other department.”

  “Really?”

  “Nope. I like the fast pace and never knowing what to expect.”

  “Same here.” Bridget found herself smiling, and it felt good. So much better than staring at the white ceiling of her bedroom. “It’s as if every day is different.”

  “It is.”

  They fell into a quiet silence, but it wasn’t awkward or tense. It was gentle and oddly soothing. They talked on and off for hours that day, Eli bringing them lunch and then Jerica helping Bridget up the stairs so they could sit out on the deck.

  Jerica pressed against Bridget’s side, her hands wrapped around Bridget’s arm as they watched the thunderstorm come in. The sky darkened, and the breeze turned colder. The conversation took meandering turns, and they were hours into their second date, albeit unofficial, when Bridget realized she was relaxed for the first time in as long as she could remember. Years for sure.

  “Hey,” Bridget interrupted.

  “Yeah?” Jerica turned her face up to look Bridget in the eye.

  Bridget stared down at Jerica, her gaze moving from her eyes to her lips. The memory of their kiss the day before flashed through her mind. That had felt wrong, but would it be the same today? Reaching up, Bridget brushed two fingers across Jerica’s lips.

  “May I—”

  Jerica didn’t hesitate as she surged forward, their lips connecting. Taken aback, Bridget held firm before her brain caught up with her body. Moving in more, she kissed Jerica back with as much emotion as she could muster.

  Rain pinged onto the tin roof of the deck as the scent of wet dirt floated up to them. Bridget sucked in a deep breath as she parted her lips, Jerica mimicking the move. She gave her one open mouthed kiss before pulling away and pressing their foreheads together. Shame swirled in her belly, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.