Scalloped potatoes, chili, black-bean soup and homemade bread were all very good and he complimented the chefs. These women knew how to stretch a dollar and do it well. From what he overheard, they seemed to rely on each other for babysitting and rides to work when their cars broke down. Here, Erika was among friends who supported her.
Erika was fielding Emilia’s attempt to run around the table when Dillon caught sight of a young mother. She was holding the hand of a little boy who looked to be about five. As Dillon observed the child, he wondered if the boy had a fever. There was a glassy look to his eyes that Dillon didn’t like at all.
The women were mostly finished eating and talking among themselves. He pushed his chair back and casually made his way to the young woman and her child.
When he crouched down by the little boy, he said, “Hi, there. What’s your name?”
The little boy looked up at his mother.
“It’s okay,” she said.
“My name’s Kevin.”
Dillon extended his hand to the boy’s mother. “Dr. Traub.”
She took his hand hesitantly and shook it. “I’m Sue. Sue Kramer. Kevin isn’t feeling well. He has a sore throat.” Her arm went around her son’s shoulders.
Dillon felt Kevin’s forehead, then he took the boy’s pulse. It only took a few seconds for him to be able to tell Kevin’s heartbeat was fast. It was possible he could have strep, or it could simply be a virus. There was no way to know without a culture.
“I can’t really do a proper examination here,” Dillon said. “I’d like to make sure he doesn’t have strep throat.”
“Oh, but we don’t have any insurance,” she said, looking embarrassed.
“Do you have transportation?”
“Yes, my brother’s pickup truck. Why?”
Erika came over to them then and asked curiously, “What’s going on?”
“Kevin isn’t feeling well,” Dillon explained. “I’d like to take him to my office so I can examine him properly.”
“Where’s your office?” Sue asked.
“Thunder Canyon Resort.”
“You’re kidding! You want me to drive up there?”
Dillon could see she was uncomfortable with the idea.
“You really should get him checked out,” Erika advised her. “If you’re not comfortable going up there alone, I’ll come with you. I really should drop off Emilia first then we can meet you there.”
Sue looked from her son to Dillon, then at Erika. “I can’t pay him,” she said, her eyes becoming shiny.
Erika’s gaze settled on Dillon.
He made a quick decision on how to handle this. “You made that black-bean soup, right?” he asked Sue.
She nodded.
“I thought it was great. How about if the next time you make it, you drop off a serving for me. The restaurants are great at the resort, but the truth is I get tired of restaurant food. Your soup would make a great lunch.”
“You’re serious? I mean I could easily make you some next week.”
Dillon held out his hand to her. “It’s a deal.”
A smile came to Sue’s lips and she shook his hand again. “Okay.”
“We need about twenty minutes,” Erika told her. “Then head up to the resort.”
“I’ll wait in my car until you get there,” Sue told them, obviously not wanting to go inside by herself.
Dillon didn’t try to convince her otherwise. “We’ll meet you there,” Dillon assured her, then he pushed Kevin’s bangs across his forehead, remembering too vividly doing the same thing to Toby.
A little over an hour later, Dillon and Erika stood outside the side entrance to the main lobby of the Thunder Canyon Resort and watched the taillights of Sue’s truck pull away.
“I’m glad it wasn’t strep,” Erika remarked as she watched the truck wind down the hill away from the resort.
“It will just have to run its course. But the vaporizer I gave her to use should help.”
“Will the resort mind you giving that out?”
“She’ll bring it back when she brings the soup. There are plenty more in the supply closet.”
Erika turned to Dillon then, placing her hand on his arm. “That was a nice thing you did tonight.”
“What? Acting like a doctor? She had a sick child. I had to do what I could for her … for Kevin.”
The way Erika was looking at Dillon made him feel as if he’d accomplished some great feat. What she did next totally surprised him. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek.
Before he could stop himself, his arm went around her. She was slim but curvy and felt just right in his arms. She didn’t pull away and he took that as a sign that she was as interested in him as he was in her. The light from the entranceway illuminated the area so he could see she was willing to stay just where she was. The wind lightly pulled a few strands of her hair from its mooring in her bun and they blew across her cheek. Her dark eyes sparkled.
“You’re a beautiful woman.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, still looking up at him.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you.”
“Dillon, we shouldn’t even consider a kiss.”
“You kissed me,” he teased.
“That was just a thank-you kiss,” she whispered.
“Maybe this could just be a thank-you kiss.”
He really intended the kiss to be short and light and simple. But when his mouth settled on hers, when his heat ignited hers, it became more than a thank-you, more than short, much more than simple.
Her arms twined around his neck and he embraced her tighter. His mouth opened over hers and she responded in kind. She tasted so good, and she responded so passionately that his blood heated. He was more aroused than he’d been in years.
Then in a flashing instant, he felt the change. Her response came to a halt. He knew exactly what was going to happen. When he released his hold on Erika, she pulled out of his arms.
“I never should have done that,” she murmured, her hand over her mouth. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t thinking, and neither was I.”
She was shaking her head. “I can’t get involved. I have Emilia to think of. I never should have kissed you.”
He could see the panic in her eyes. The desire that had risen up in him when he’d taken her into his arms had rattled him, too. “Erika, it’s okay. It was only a kiss.”
“Only a kiss,” she agreed, looking over his shoulder and a little less panicked. “I hope no one saw us,” she murmured.
That made him frown. He wasn’t ashamed of being with her. They hadn’t done anything wrong.
But before he could put those thoughts into words, Erika stepped farther away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The next moment she was running for her car, hopping inside, starting the engine. As she drove away, Dillon knew that taking advantage of her friendly kiss had been the wrong thing to do.