when you’re cooped up in a hotel room trying to recover from jet lag or get enough sleep to remain alert. When I felt as if I couldn’t sleep in another strange bed or eat another precooked restaurant meal, I decided it was time to get out.” Kenyon followed Mia into the bedroom. “It was years before Selena would allow me or her brothers to come up here.”
“Did she have a sign on the door that read No Boys Allowed?”
He nodded, smiling. “How did you know?”
“My friends had brothers who used every trick in the book to get into their bedrooms.”
“What about your brother?”
Mia eased her hand from Kenyon’s loose grip. “I don’t have a brother.”
“Sister?”
She shook her head. “I’m an only child.”
“So you’re a spoiled brat.” Kenyon had spoken his thoughts aloud.
Mia gave him a withering look. If she had been Medusa he would’ve turned to stone on the spot. “So, that’s where the questions and snide remarks are coming from. It’s because you believe I’m a snob.”
“Unless you show me differently, then yes.”
“Why? What have I said or done to make you say something so asinine?”
“When you came here for Selena’s wedding you walked around with your nose in the air. At first I thought you were probably not used to the smell of hay, but when you didn’t bother to interact with any of my relatives I knew then you were looking down on us. And, it didn’t help that you kept looking at your watch.”
Kenyon’s assessment of her left Mia speechless. He’d judged her without knowing anything about her. “You are so wrong,” she whispered.
“Am I, Mia?”
Heat that began in her chest, washed over her face, bringing with it a light sheen of moisture. She wanted to smack the smirk off Kenyon’s face instead of attempting to explain who Mia Eaton was, then decided it wasn’t worth the time disclosing why she’d been so distant that night.
She waved her hand. “Forget it. Let me get you the key.”
Reaching out, Kenyon’s fingers circled her upper arm, pulling her close. “No. I’m not going to forget it. If I’m wrong, then I want to know why.”
Tilting her chin, Mia felt the moist warmth of his breath over her lips. Their mouths were close enough where each could swallow the other’s breath. Her gaze moved slowly over sharply defined features that made for an arresting face. However, it was his steely gray eyes that pulled her in, holding her captive. He looked like a large black cat with hypnotic, luminous orbs that had the power to penetrate her thoughts and see how much his presence unnerved her. She didn’t want to find herself drawn to a man who had a woman in his life. It unknowingly had happened to her once, and Mia wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.
“Selena is waiting for us.”
“Stop stalling, Mia.”
She jerked her arm away. “Right now I’m not Mia, but Dr. Eaton. If you want to talk, then we can do that later.”
Kenyon stared at her from under lowered lids. She was right. They could talk later because it wasn’t as if they were going anywhere—at least not until it stopped snowing and the roads were plowed. He nodded, acquiescing.
“We’ll talk later. But it will have to be after the football games.”
“Okay.” Turning away, she retrieved her tote. Searching in the cavernous leather bag, she found the key chain and handed it to Kenyon. “The key is magnetic, so you have to put them in the right grooves for the lock to disengage.”
Kenyon extended his hand, and he wasn’t disappointed when Mia placed her smooth palm on his. Tightening his grip, he led her out of the bedroom and down the staircase to the front door. He stopped, sat on a low bench and slipped into his boots.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked Mia when she reached for her boots.
“I’m going out with you.”
“No, you’re not.” Standing, he reached for his jacket on the coatrack. “This will go a lot faster if I go by myself. What good would you be to your patients if you’re laid up after a bad fall?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What if you fall?”
Leaning down, Kenyon brushed his mouth over her parted lips. He winked at her shocked expression. “Maybe I’ll fall on purpose just to see how good a doctor you are. It will be the first time we’ll have a doctor in the family.”
Her jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”
“My cousin married your cousin, and in my book that makes us cousins.”
“Where I come from cousins don’t kiss cousins.”
Kenyon smiled. “And where I come from they do. Besides, that really wasn’t a kiss.”
Mia didn’t want to debate him. “Whatever,” she drawled.
She waited on the porch, trying to see beyond the curtain of white as Kenyon made his way gingerly down the steps and around the house to the carport. Leaning over, she noticed that the carport had been constructed to accommodate at least half a dozen vehicles and that snow had accumulated only around the tires. Thankfully her Volvo was the last one parked beside Kenyon’s black Yukon. It took all of three minutes for him to retrieve her bag and make it back to the house.
“Nice bag,” he said, handing it to her.
“Thank you.” Her parents had given her the more feminine version of the medical bag in brown crocodile with her monogram in gold as a gift when she passed the examination to earn her medical degree. A combination lock had replaced the regular key-type lock.
She headed for the kitchen, walking in and finding Selena sitting on a stool while her mother and grandmother were basting a large, fresh ham. Mia motioned to Selena to follow her.
“I’m going to give you a small paper cup. Void in the cup and then leave it on the vanity in the bathroom. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Selena held up the cup. “It’s so small.”
“I only need a few drops.”
“We’ll use the bathroom off the family room.”
Mia followed Selena into the family room. She sat down to wait on a leather sectional arranged in front of a large flat-screen television. There were club chairs with matching ottomans, floor and table lamps and a commercial popcorn machine. She glanced around the room, looking for a refrigerator that would be stocked with beer. The space wasn’t as much a family room as a man cave. Ashes in the fireplace were evidence of a recent fire.
Selena had mentioned her great-grandfather and grand father had built the house, and she wondered how many years it had taken them to complete the three-story, multi room farmhouse. There was no doubt they’d taken meticulous care in selecting the wood for the floors, staircase, banister and newel posts. They weren’t carpenters or furniture makers, but artisans. “It’s done.”
She turned to find Selena standing only a few feet away. The expectant look on her face spoke volumes. Selena wanted to be pregnant.
“I’ll be back with the results in a few minutes,” Mia said. She removed a pair of gloves from her bag and a box with a wand. She walked into the bathroom. The space contained a free-standing shower, commode, sink and vanity. Slipping on the gloves, she removed the wand, dipping it into the cup. By the time she’d emptied the remaining liquid into the toilet then rinsed and discarded the cup in a plastic-lined wastebasket, the results of the test were visible.
“Selena,” she called. “Come and look.”
With wide eyes, the pastry