Summer of Love Marie Ferrarella (easy books to read in english TXT) 📖

stroll. It was obvious to him that this time around, Lila was attempting to assert her independence. Not that he could blame her. In her place, he’d try to do the same thing.

Everett took a step back, allowing her space so she could get out of bed. However, he still kept a watchful eye on her.

On her feet now, he could see that Lila was still rather unstable. She took a single step and her right knee buckled.

Everett’s arms were around her instantly, keeping her from landing on the floor. When he drew her back up, her body slid ever so slightly against his.

It was only for a second, but it was enough. Enough to send sparks flying between them and throwing old longings into high gear.

Everett caught his breath, silently ordering himself to remain steady instead of pulling her closer to him and kissing her the way he wanted to.

Instead of making love with her the way he desperately wanted to.

Only extreme self-control kept him from acting on the impulses that were urgently telegraphing themselves throughout his whole body.

“I know you wanted to do this alone, but maybe I should just walk with you to the bathroom this one more time,” he suggested.

“To keep me from doing a pratfall?” she asked ruefully.

Her ego stood as much of a chance of being hurt as her body, so he tactfully rephrased what she’d just asked. “So you don’t risk bruising anything if you do happen to fall,” he told her. “So, is it okay?” he asked, waiting for her to give him the go-ahead on this.

She sighed and then smiled at him. She realized Everett was trying to spare her feelings. “Well, the old saying is that pride always goes before a fall and I don’t want to fall, so I guess I’ll have to just tuck away my pride and let you walk me to the bathroom one more time.”

Everett laughed softly. “Good call,” he congratulated her. “You’ll be doing solo runs again before you know it,” he promised.

Sitting on the edge of Lila’s bed, Everett set aside his stethoscope. He’d just finished giving Lila her latest examination.

“Well, your fever’s gone,” he told her. “You’re keeping your food down and your color’s definitely back. And when you talk, you no longer sound like someone who starts their mornings with a shot of scotch and a cigarette. Although I have to say that I was getting kind of used to hearing that sexy voice. I might actually miss it,” he admitted, smiling fondly at her.

“Well, I won’t,” Lila assured him with feeling. “I thought I sounded like some kidnapper placing a ransom call.” She looked at him hopefully. “Does this mean that I’m being cleared for work?”

Everett nodded. He closed his medical bag and set it on the floor.

“Our little unofficial holiday is over,” he told her, then in case there was any doubt, he added, “Yes, I’m clearing you for work.”

Lila didn’t take her eyes off him. “And you’ll be going back to Houston?”

“I will,” Everett confirmed. He knew he had to be getting back, but there was a part of him that didn’t want to leave.

If he were honest with himself, he’d admit that he’d used nursing Lila back to health as an excuse to spend more time with her.

The last thirteen years had been filled with work, at times almost nonstop. He knew now that he had been trying to fill the emptiness—the gaping void that losing her had created—with work. Work and the occasional woman. None of them ever measured up to Lila simply because no one had ever even come close to making him feel the way Lila had.

The way she still did.

“But I’ll still be coming back to Austin a lot,” he told her, never breaking eye contact. “To see Schuyler and help her out with some things,” he added, not wanting to scare Lila off. He paused for a moment, then, despite the advice Schuyler had given him, he asked, “Is it all right if I call you when I’m in town?”

After the way that he had put himself out for her, she hadn’t expected Everett to ask permission to call her. She assumed he’d think he’d earned the right to call her any time he wanted to.

“How can I say no to the man who nursed me back to health?” she asked, trying to sound as if she was amused by his question.

“I’m not asking you to see me as the man who nursed you back to health,” Everett pointed out. “I’m asking you to see me—” he paused for a moment, looking for the right phrasing “—as an old friend.”

The silence between them grew until she finally said to him, “I couldn’t say no to that, either.”

“Glad to hear it,” he told her.

He let out the breath he’d been holding. Honestly, he really hadn’t known what Lila would say in response to his question. He wouldn’t have put it past her feelings of self-preservation to tell him that seeing each other again wouldn’t be a good idea.

But now that she had agreed, he saw that there was something far greater than self-preservation going on between them.

He could feel it.

And it was not just on his end. Nor was it just wishful thinking.

There was something tangible and real pulsating between them, ready to spring to life at the slightest bit of encouragement.

But even with all that, Everett knew he had to tread lightly. One wrong step and it could all crumble right beneath him, sending him plummeting head first into an abyss.

“Hi, are you free for dinner tonight?”

“Everett?” Lila was immediately alert. She’d answered her cell phone just as she’d walked in her front door, thinking it was someone at the Foundation working late, calling with a question.

But it wasn’t.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you this soon,” she said.

It had been six days since she had gone back to work and he had returned to Houston.

“Well, I’m only