Rescued (A McKenzie Ridge Novel Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

make her smile? Huh, interesting.”
    Dawson could always count on Carigan to have his back, that’s why they worked so well together, they watched out for each other, understood each other. He knew the gang was just giving him crap, they were his family, and that’s what families do. He would partake if it were any of them, but for some reason he felt Sam was off limits to them. They weren’t dating, but they certainly were more than just colleagues, something about that was both exciting and frightening.
    ***
    It had been several weeks of mornings at Baker’s, it wasn’t even a question anymore, just a see you there standing arrangement. They even found themselves there together, on a couple days off, not breaking routine. He was really enjoying Sam, getting to know her, spending time with her, it was like they were old friends, rather than new friends. He didn’t know what this was, where it was going, but he really liked it, even if it was kind of like dating.
    Today was much different than those the past few weeks, their routine had been challenged and Sam didn’t like it. Dawson was one of the only EMTs that wasn’t attached, didn’t have family or consistent outside commitments to speak of, so he picked up a lot of the extra shifts to cover for those who needed the time off. He wasn’t going to be at Baker’s because he was picking up a few extra hours to help out one of the guys at the House.
    The sexual tension had been building. Far too many times had they found themselves in precarious situations, nearly in the throes of passion, before one of them broke the spell, remembering where they were, just in time. Having public get-togethers was their saving grace as neither was much of an exhibitionist, privacy would certainly lead to one thing. They would keep things very public, for now.
    Sam craved this regular daily custom, the idea of not seeing Dawson for breakfast left her with an unfamiliar and unwelcome sense of melancholy. She had the day off, her schedule was fairly open, so she suggested they meet for lunch at the pavilion in the park since she would already be over that way. It was the perfect solution, even if it did concern her that she needed a solution.
    The park was large, several acres, surrounded by the beauty that was McKenzie Ridge—full of nature, views of the surrounding mountains, and of course, lots of people. The pavilion was nestled at the far end of the park, near the local equestrian center, Sugar Pine Stables, that bordered the east side. Not only could you rent rafts, canoes, and inner tubes to take down the creek, as well as rods and bait to fish, but you could also find some of the best hoagies and fried anything in town.
    Dawson was elated by her desire to take this non-dating breakfast in a new direction, even if he was somewhat surprised. Even after all this time, and no matter how much she seemed to enjoy their non-dates, she was still pretty guarded with him. He would work on that, but this was progress, even if only slightly. Something in her past really made a mark on her. He briefly thought it was the mother that kept leaving her, but something said there was more to this elusive event that erected walls around Sam. What was she protecting herself from, really?
    It was a beautiful midsummer day, clear blue skies, and a gentle breeze to keep the day’s heat at bay. The park was alive with people and nature alike, and mind blowing views of surrounding mountain peaks, and landscapes—the perfect non-date spot. They ordered their food and found a nice table under a large, shady tree, picking up where they left off from their last non-date. The squirrels and birds provided the entertainment, fighting over the food they scavenged for, keeping the afternoon light and easy.
    “So what brought you to the park today anyway? You mentioned that you would already be over this way,” Dawson prodded, curious to find out the real reason they were there for lunch, rather than their