“Mind if I join you?”

Winter looked up, startled at the male voice.

“Of course not.” She smiled in greeting at Dr. Price as he took a chair across from her.

“You look like you didn’t get much sleep last night.” He speared his fork into a mound of eggs. His tray was filled with a delicious-looking breakfast that had her stomach churning at the sight, her face going pale.

Giving her an anxious look, he handed her a piece of toast. “Eat that. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I’m fine.” She shook her head, but took the piece of toast when he refused to put it back on his plate. Nibbling on it, she began feeling better. “Thank you. My aunt isn’t the only one not eating well.”

The doctor studied her as he ate. “Have you been sick?”

“No. I’m healthy as a horse.”

“Could you be pregnant?” His curious gaze caught her surprised one.

Winter’s lips tightened unhappily as she raised the coffee cup to her lips. “No. I’m afraid there’s no chance of that.”

Dr. Price swallowed a bite, then said, “Don’t sound so shocked. I see more patients surprised by their pregnancy than those who planned them.”

“You have your own practice?”

“Yes, or I did before I moved to Treepoint. I’m an obstetrician. I took over my grandfather’s shift this weekend, because he wanted to go to the gambling boat in Ohio for his birthday.”

Winter smiled. “Your grandfather is a good doctor. He saved my life a few years ago.”

Dr. Price paused from eating, giving her his full attention. “That sounds interesting. What happened?”

“A deranged deputy decided I shouldn’t be breathing anymore. He nearly beat me to death.” Winter didn’t like to talk about the darkest moments of her life. Her body had healed despite the multiple injuries she had endured. That was all that mattered.

“You seem healthy now. I wish some of my patients looked as healthy as you do.”

“Tell my husband that.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she changed the conservation, asking how he liked Treepoint. Despite how hard she had worked to regain her health after the beating, Viper was vigilant over anything that concerned her welfare, to the point he believed if she fell down a step it would put her back in a wheelchair. She repeatedly told him she had grown stronger, but she saw him watching her with an eagle eye every time she went down the stairs. If he wasn’t there, then it was another member who watched out for her. She loved him, and she had grown to love the Last Riders, but their constant diligence was becoming suffocating.

He gave her a speculative glance. “There’s not much to it, is there?”

“We used to have a movie theater, but most of the town went to Jamestown, so it went out of business.” Winter mourned the busy town she had grown up in. Bit by bit, it was dying. If Viper hadn’t built the factory there, the town would probably be gone already. Its population was growing older as most of the younger generation were moving away, to nearby cities. “The town’s main economy was built on the coal industry. When it died, so did most of the town. Some of the residents are still hoping something will bring back their coal jobs.”

“I take you don’t believe it will happen?”

“No. There’s a saying in the mountains that the old leaves fall off the tree to make way for the new. Where Treepoint is concerned, the town needs to search for new opportunities that will replace the jobs at the coal mine. I don’t believe in putting all my eggs in one basket. If more businesses could be brought to Treepoint, it would give the townspeople better job opportunities, and if one went under, it wouldn’t place such a strain on the whole town. The factory is doing good, but sometimes I see the strain on Viper that so many people depend on him.” Winter stood up, tossing her paper cup away. “It was nice talking to you.”

Dr. Price smiled as he placed his finished tray alongside others on a nearby cart. “I’ll walk with you. I’m on my way to see your aunt, anyway.”

As they walked, several nurses stopped to talk with him. Some appeared disgruntled when he didn’t stay and chat.

When they finally went inside the elevator, he said, “Sorry. I didn’t think it would take so long just to get in the elevator.”

“You’re new… and single?” she asked. When he nodded, Winter laughed. “Get used to it. There aren’t many eligible bachelors in town.”

He smiled back. “I’ve noticed. They’re going to be disappointed, though. I’m gay.”

Winter was still laughing when she got off the elevator, coming face-to-face with her husband. Her smiled disappeared when he circled his arm around her waist. She wanted to jerk away from his touch, but she didn’t want to make a scene in front of the doctor.

“Nice to see you again, Dr. Price.” Viper extended his hand.

Dr. Price shook it. “Nice to see you, Mr. James.” He turned toward her. “I’ll go on to Mrs. Langley’s room. I’m going to leave her prescriptions with her nurse. Thanks for keeping me company at breakfast.” He nodded at Winter before he turned the corner that led to her aunt’s room.

Viper watched until he turned the corner, then said, “You look tired.”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she responded bleakly, giving up on trying to break Viper’s hold. “Let me go.”

“I see you’re not in a better mood this morning.” He released her, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I’m sorry that seeing you with another woman puts me in a bad mood.”

Viper sighed. “When is Aunt Shay getting released?”

“Soon. The doctor is signing her release papers.” While her emotions were raw and bruised, her husband’s sigh had shown he was becoming impatient with her for wanting to keep her distance.

“I don’t have the time to argue with you right now, nor is this the place. I dropped your suitcase off at Aunt Shay’s house. Beth is already in the room. She’s going with you to Shay’s house to help you get her settled, and she is going to stay a few hours so you can get some sleep.” When Winter went to protest, he gave her an uncompromising look. “I planned to eat breakfast with you. I didn’t expect you not to be in her room. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, so we can talk about this tonight.”

“Is Sasha at the clubhouse?”

“Yes.” Viper scowled viciously as he punched the elevator button.

“Then we have nothing to talk about.”

“I guess not.” He turned his back on her and went into the elevator. Turning to face forward after he had entered, his gaze locked on hers as the door closed.

Tearfully, she escaped into a restroom beside the nurses’ station. She washed her face before putting on a brave expression. Then she returned to her aunt’s room, seeing the doctor had already left after giving instructions for her care.

Beth found an orderly, who wheeled Aunt Shay to her car.

“I was hoping Viper would have brought me my car,” Winter told Beth, after they put Aunt Shay in.

Beth walked around the car. “Rider wanted to do some maintenance on it. He said it’s been a while. He was changing the oil when we left.”