The Renegade Returns (Mill Town Millionaires) by Dani Wade Page A

said.
    “Are you leaving now, too, girlie?”
    “I’m hoping to get home before it pours,” she said. “You sure you’ll be okay, Avery?” she asked with a quick glance at Luke.
    Avery appreciated the support, since her shaky insides were making her wish that her sassy receptionist would stick around for once. “Yeah,” she said instead. “I’ll get everything closed up.” She ushered them to the door, eager to get any conversation over and done with. “Y’all be safe.”
    She and Luke stood side by side as they exited the door and walked slowly to Mr. Hutchens’s daughter’s car. The wind from the coming storm whipped at their clothes.
    “What’s the matter with him?” Luke finally asked in a low tone.
    Avery matched it, though there wasn’t anyone left to hear. “It’s not a secret. Pancreatic cancer. Not too much longer now.”
    “Any insurance?”
    “Yes, but therapy benefits can run out pretty quickly.” Something that frustrated Avery to no end. Not because she needed money, but because it kept her patients from seeing her as often as they needed to.
    Luke glanced across at her. “Why wouldn’t you let him pay?”
    “Because then he’d use not having enough money as an excuse to not show up.” She shrugged. “I’m not really helping with the cancer anyway. Just trying to keep him as mobile as possible for as long as we can. Manage the pain a little. He’s got a great attitude despite a terrible prognosis.”
    “That’s wonderful, Avery…what you’re doing.”
    She dismissed the compliment, because tooting her own horn wasn’t ladylike. “Somebody needs to take care of them.” And she’d been doing it all her life, right? That was her place. And her joy.
    “I see.”
    She couldn’t tell if he was agreeing with her statement or what, so she simply nodded. But his next words caught her attention.
    “So who takes care of you?”
    Her gaze shot to his, clashing with those amber eyes while the implications hit her hard. Who did take care of her? Who ever had? No one since she was a kid. At least, not that she could remember.
    Uncomfortable exploring the question any deeper, she walked back toward the checkout counter. “I know you didn’t have an appointment this afternoon. What do you need, Luke?”
    “I’m here,” he said with a charming grin, “because I thought it would be more fun to create mischief than be tortured.”
    She should have teased back, slipped into casual mode. But a flood of remembered sensations from the night before held her immobile.
    Luke tried again. “I think it’s time for another adventure.”
    Oh, Lord help her. “I don’t think an adventure is a good idea.”
    Considering how much she wanted a repeat of yesterday’s kiss—definitely not.
    Would she even survive another? Between the fun and the fear of hurting him from last night, she wasn’t sure her heart could take it.
    Could it? “Definitely not a good idea.”
    Luke took her concern in stride. “It rarely is but that’s what makes it fun. The danger.”
    Oh, it was dangerous all right. This was getting out of hand.
    A taste, remember? Oh, yeah. She’d almost forgotten that little pep talk to herself—and she desperately wanted a taste like she’d had last night. But was she willing to put herself out there, to risk making herself vulnerable again to Lucas Blackstone, of all people? She tried to clear the tightness from her throat. “What did you have in mind?”
    Luke didn’t blink. “How about the drive-in? They always have something fun to see.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. “Something spooky, for good cuddling. And it won’t be open too many more weekends before closing for the winter.”
    Before she could respond, the lights blinked out. Avery froze. Then the emergency lights clicked on, lending an eerie green glow to the room. Only then did Avery notice that the world outside had darkened to midnight and rain had started coming down in heavy drops.
    “I don’t