North of Heartbreak (10 page)

Chapter Ten

As soon as Liam was gone, Willa sank onto her receptionist’s chair and plopped her face on her hands.

She needed her head examined.

They’d practically had sex on the waiting room floor. So what if they’d kept most of their clothes on? It was still sex. What had seemed like a good, wonderful, even brilliant idea at the time, now, in the light of sanity, looked like an incredibly stupid thing to do.

She didn’t want a relationship with Liam. Did she?

He was everything she’d learned the hard way to avoid; rich, handsome and occasionally violent. Yet he’d controlled the violence not the other way around.

How often had her good-looking, wealthy ex-husband hit her until she cowered on the ground? She’d learned quickly to get down as soon as he lost his temper, which often happened without warning. But she stayed with him for three years despite the abuse, always believing him when he apologized and said it would never happen again.

It had taken a near lethal beating, abuse that caused her miscarriage, for her to leave her husband.

Willa got up and finished cleaning the waiting area and exam room with zombielike precision.

She needed to be sure, needed to know her judgment was sound.

She sat, picked up the phone and punched in a number. “Jason, it’s Willa.” She blew out a deep breath then said softly, “I need to see you. Tonight. Can you meet me at my apartment?”

“What’s wrong?” His cranky voice sounded concerned.

“I’ll explain at my place. In an hour?”

“Sure.”

She hung up and got moving.

“You look like crap.”

Willa quirked an eyebrow at Jason’s acerbic greeting. “Tell me something I don’t know.” She stepped aside so he could enter her apartment. “I didn’t interrupt anything did I?”

He grunted. “Nope. Eddie flew home a couple hours ago. I was enjoying the silence and contemplating my ceiling paint.”

She gave him a sharp look. “Alcohol and diabetes don’t mix.”

“It was only one beer.”

“One is all it takes.”

Jason pinned her with a hard look. “Stop nagging and tell me what’s wrong.”

Willa shrunk in on herself, wrapping her arms around her middle. She sat on her comfy chair. “I may have made a mistake.”

He took a seat across from her. “A medical error?”

“No. Nothing like that. It’s personal.”

“Something to do with Liam?”

She lifted her gaze to Jason’s eyes, so like Liam’s. “I…we…” She swallowed. “Does he have a temper? Would he ever hurt someone?”

Jason’s eyebrows rose. “Only in the defense of himself or someone else.”

“That’s not an answer nor is it reassuring. Defending oneself could be interpreted many different ways.”

“What are you getting at? Liam’s a good man. One of the best. I wouldn’t have him up here if he wasn’t.”

She laughed humorlessly. “What a man does behind closed doors, where his friends and his family can’t see…” She shook her head. “Sometimes, Jason, you only think you know someone.”

He regarded her steadily for a few seconds. “What did he do?”

“There was a fight in the waiting room today. Virgil and Sam. And with so many people down with the flu, they were in danger of hurting someone else as well as themselves. Liam stepped in the door and in seconds had them lying on the floor, stunned. He used some kind of martial art on them.” She stared at Jason with wide eyes. “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast.”

Jason nodded. “He’s been taking lessons almost since he could walk. He loves that stuff.”

Willa sucked in a painful breath. “What kind of man loves fighting?”

Dumb question. She knew exactly what kind of man liked fighting.

“It’s not the fighting. It’s the discipline, the focus, he loves.”

“Focus? He overpowered two men in just a few seconds. That’s not the result of a hobby. That kind of skill comes from practice. Lots and lots of practice.”

Jason shook his head. “Martial arts isn’t just about throwing a good punch. In order to be any good—and Liam is very, very good—you have to train your mind, as well. They don’t just teach you how to fight, they teach you when
not
to fight.” He reached forward offering her an open hand.

Willa ignored it. “But he didn’t give himself a chance to find out what was going on. He just dived into the fray.”

“You said you were trying to break up the fight?”

“Yes.”

“He walked in, saw you in danger and reacted?”

She frowned. “But what if I hadn’t been in any danger?”

“Should he wait until you’ve been injured to do something about it? I wouldn’t have.”

“I…” Willa dropped her gaze. She hadn’t waited when they bowled over the teenager in the waiting room. Rather, she dived in and grabbed an ear without hesitation.

“Liam isn’t like me, an old loner, and he isn’t his dad, a pain in the ass jerk,” Jason told her. “He’s a good man who’s had to find his own road. It hasn’t been easy for him.”

She sighed. “I don’t know what to think anymore. You say he’s a good man, but what I saw him do today frightened me.”

“The world is full of scary things. Who would you rather have on your side, some sissy momma’s boy or a man who knows when it’s time to get down and dirty?”

Her ex-husband had been his mother’s favorite. She’d spoiled him rotten then beat him if he didn’t make his bed the way she wanted. As an adult he had a criminal need to control everything and everyone around him. Something she’d discovered too late.

Jason’s words echoed through her mind, but was he right?

“Liam isn’t capable of acting like a bully.” Jason touched her knee briefly. “You and he have a lot in common.”

She snorted at that. “We’re nothing alike.”

“I disagree. You both have integrity. That’s a rare commodity these days.” Jason stood. “Whatever happened between you two, don’t make any knee-jerk assumptions. Don’t judge him against someone else’s actions.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?”

Jason opened the door. “It’s happened to me a time or two.”

“Wait,” she said before he could walk out. “Thanks for coming over. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

He nodded. “You’re a smart woman, Willa. My nephew couldn’t do better and neither could you.”

She stared at the closed door for a long time after Jason left, uncertain if he was endorsing Liam or her.

“Sleep well?”

Willa looked up from where she knelt in front of her largest toolbox of supplies. Liam’s grin lit a fire in her belly that took her by surprise. Lord help any woman who saw that smile today.

She let one eyebrow rise slowly. “Yes, thank you, and you?”

“Oh yeah.”

Willa sighed. “Liam, tone it down or everyone’s going to know.”

“Know what?”

“They’re going to know you had a little too much fun yesterday. And since I’m the only female you spend time with, they’re going to assume it was with me.” She turned her back to him, stood and went into the storage room to grab some extra prepackaged sterile suture trays.

“Are you ticked at me?”

He sounded confused.

Willa glanced over her shoulder at him. He was watching her with guarded eyes that reminded her he’d been hurt too.

Don’t judge him against someone else’s actions.

She put the trays on the toolbox and faced him. He appeared safe enough. No posturing, no pressure-cooker questions and no intimidation of any kind, but could it be all an act? Was he hiding a darker side?

She’d learned through bitter experience that constant fear of a man destroyed a woman’s self-worth. She wouldn’t live like that again. She had to find out what Liam Reynolds was capable or not capable of, and if she didn’t like his answers she’d insist he stay away from her. “I need to ask you something.”

He tilted his head to one side. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t going to be an easy question?”

“I don’t know about easy, but it’s important to me.”

“Fair enough. Shoot.”

“Yesterday the way you incapacitated those miners was…a little scary. Do you jump into the middle of a fight like that often?”

“Hell, no,” he said with a snort. “When I walked in and saw them going at it with you in between, I panicked.”

“Panicked?”

“Yeah.” He swallowed hard. “I saw you get clocked, go down and thought you were going to get trampled too.”

“Actually, they had already knocked one of the patients over.”

Liam nodded. “Two big guys like that would squash you flat. I had to do something.”

“
Had to?
You could’ve yelled or called the police. You didn’t have to use violence yourself.”

“Calling the police would’ve taken too long and yelling wouldn’t have done anything. I’ve seen guys break bones without flinching in the middle of a fight. They don’t feel or hear anything when the adrenaline’s pumping.”

Willa’s stomach rolled. He sounded like an expert on the subject. “How many fights have you been in?”

“You mean me personally in a real fight, not a practice or competition bout?”

“A real fight.”

“Including the one yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“One.”

Willa just looked at him.

He smiled grimly. “I’ve seen plenty of knock-down-drag-outs, participated in lots of demonstration bouts, competed a few times and done more sparring sessions than I can count, but using martial arts in a real fight is strictly against the code unless it’s to defend myself or someone else.”

“There are rules?”

“Of course.”

“I didn’t realize…what happens if you break the rules?”

“You’re barred from the dojo. Humiliated. Answering violence with more violence is stupid. I’ve never met a problem that couldn’t be solved with a simple conversation. If Sam and Virgil had just talked, they could’ve avoided that whole mess.”

Willa opened her mouth then closed it again. This wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. She stared at him, weighing every word. Yesterday, he’d used enough force to set Virgil and Sam on their backs, but he hadn’t actually hurt them. He’d protected her, but he hadn’t lost his temper. “Thank you for taking the time to explain it to me.” She took in a deep breath then dived into the deep end of the pool. “My ex-husband was violent, and I’m afraid it’s left me…cautious.”

“I’m sorry.”

The ice melted after a couple of seconds. “Me too.”

Liam cleared his throat and glanced around. “So what can I help you carry to the plane?”

She hesitated a moment. “As soon as I finish stocking this box, could you load it?”

“No problem. Is this it for supplies?”

“No. I have the feeling I’m going to need a few extra IV sets if the flu is as bad in Summerset Inlet as it was here. I wish I had those supplies promised to me, but the money for them won’t be available for another couple of weeks.” She shook her head. “Is there room for two more boxes this size?”

“Yep,” he replied without pause.

Willa nodded, already busy packing suture trays into the box and closing the lid. “Here you go. I should be ready to leave in ten minutes. Is that okay?”

“I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”

“Thanks.” She smiled at him, and blushed at how fast his eyes darkened.

He grinned at her and picked up the toolbox. “Anytime, all part of the fast friendly service here at Tundra Air.”

“I’d ask for a complete list of the services you provide, but I think I’m better off not knowing.”

“You don’t trust me?” he asked, one eyebrow arched, then he froze as if remembering what she’d said minutes ago.

“No,” she said, working hard to keep a smile off her face. “I trust you.” She paused. “I’m just not sure if all the services you offer are—how shall I say—fit for general consumption.” She winked.

Liam sidled close and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “How about your consumption? Hungry for new things? Or would you prefer something you’ve already tried?”

Willa patted him on the arm. “I’ll let you know at lunch time.”

He grinned, grabbed the toolbox and loaded it into the plane.

The trip to Summerset Inlet was uneventful, but the hamlet seemed almost deserted as they drove to the tiny clinic with the car left at the airstrip for them.

The first thing Willa saw as she opened the door was a child vomiting in the doorway. He couldn’t have been more than six years old. The foul smell was overwhelming, so much so that she suspected he wasn’t the only one who’d been physically sick inside.

The clinic was more than full. It was standing room only. She angled her head, trying to catch the eye of her receptionist.

“Susan,” she called out to the harried woman. “How many patients have we got?”

“Twenty and counting.”

“All flu?”

“Yes.”

Willa nodded and began making her way through the waiting area but realized after a few steps that Liam wasn’t behind her. She glanced back. He stood entranced, watching the boy throw up again with a pale face. “Liam?”

“Yeah,” he said, dragging his gaze away. “I’m coming.” He caught up to her. “If I don’t barf first.”

She led the way to the rear and opened up her toolboxes.

“This place is a lot smaller than the other clinic,” Liam said, looking around. “How are you going to manage everyone?”

“We’re going to have to set up a couple of gurneys out here. I have the feeling I’m going to need all those IV sets I brought. Can you stick around?”

“I can help for most of the day. I have to do a maintenance check on the plane sometime before we leave, but that shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

“Whatever you can spare would be great.”

“Where’s the mop in this place?”

“In that closet.” She pointed in the right direction with her nose.

Liam stripped off his jacket and hauled out the cleaning supplies, showing off his wide shoulders. Willa let herself look for a second. He’d said all the right things this morning, but she still had some lingering doubt. How could any man be as perfect as Liam appeared?

The sound of the door opening and closing again jerked her back into the here and now. She had patients to take care of.

“Okay, Susan. Who’s first?”

Willa saw patients steadily for almost an hour before the receptionist interrupted an examination.