Читать книгу Committed to the Baby онлайн | страница 46

“We should walk.” She spoke up fast, before her temper could override her more rational side. Then she turned to offer him her arm so she could assist him getting down the short flight of steps leading from the porch to the yard.

Instantly, he scowled at her and stepped around her, the tip of his cane slamming down onto the porch. “I’m not completely helpless, Maggie. I can get around without holding on to your arm. You’re half my size.”

“And trained to help ambulatory patients get around. I’m stronger than I look, Justice. You should remember that.”

He shot her one hard, stony glare. “I’m not one of your patients, damn it.”

“Well, yeah,” she countered, feeling the first threads of her patience begin to unravel, “technically, you are.”

“I don’t want to be—don’t you get that?”

She felt the cold of his stare slice right into her, but Maggie had practice in facing down his crab-ass attitude. “Yes, Justice. I get it. Despite the great trouble you’ve taken in trying to hide how you feel about me being here, I get it.”

His mouth flattened into a grim line, and she glared right back at him.

“You still won’t leave, though, will you?”

“No. I won’t. Not until you’re on the mend.”

“I am mending.”

“Not fast enough and you know it. So suck it up and let’s get the job done, all right?”

“Stubbornest damn woman I’ve ever known,” he muttered darkly and, using his cane to take most of his weight, took the steps to the drive. The minute his feet hit the drive, both ranch dogs stopped their playing, leaped up, ears perked, then with yips of delight, charged at him.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Maggie jumped out in front of him to keep the too-exuberant dogs from crashing into Justice and bowling him right over, but it wasn’t necessary.

“Angel. Spike.” Justice’s voice was like thunder, and when he snapped his fingers, both dogs instantly obeyed. As one, they skidded to a stop and dropped to the ground, their chins on their front paws as they looked up at him.

Maggie laughed in spite of herself. Going down on one knee, she petted each of the dogs in turn, then looked up at the man watching her. “I’d forgotten just how good you were at that. The dogs always did listen to you.”