Paging Dr. Right

Extracted 1 threads from 9780373248438-exw.PDFUntitled Article 01: UntitledWas this his lucky day or what? Using the back of his arm, Marshall Cates wiped the sweat streaming into his eyes and peered a second time at the woman sitting on a boulder some twenty feet below. From his precarious position on the rock ledge, the only view he had was of a portion of her back, the long fall of her raven-black hair and her nipped-in waist; but those tempting glimpses were enough to tell him it wasthe heiress. For the past three weeks every male employee at Thunder Canyon Resort had been talking and fantasizing about the mystery guest. So far Marshall had only gazed at her from afar and wondered what a beautiful young woman with money to burn was doing here alone in Thunder Canyon. True, the small western Montana town was growing in leaps and bounds and Thunder Canyon Resort, where he worked as staff doctor, was garnering a reputation for fine hospitality surrounded by scenic splendor. The clientele was becoming ritzy, flying in from all corners of the nation. Still, Marshall couldnt help but figure a woman with her apparent class would rather be vacationing on the French Riviera than in the middle of a cowmans paradise. The fact that she appeared to be here without an escort intrigued him even more. This morning, Marshall had risen early, wondering what to do with his off-duty time. With his brothers and his buddies all tied up with other interests, hed even- tually decided to do something he loved, climbing, and had headed up one of the mountains near the resort. When hed set out on this trek, hed never dreamed that the chance to meet Ms. Heiress would present itself on the edge of a rocky bluff. Since hed only ever spotted her lounging around the lodge, he hadnt figured her for a nature girl. Quickly, he rappelled the last few feet of the layered rock until his boots hit solid ground. Once there, he gathered up his climbing equipment and left his ropes, rings and anchors in a neat pile with his backpack. As Marshall walked over to the woman he noticed she was sitting near an opening in the trees, looking out toward the endless valley that swept away from the mountain range. The view was majestic, especially to someone whod never seen the landscape before. But this woman didnt appear to be enjoying the scenery; she was deep in thought. So much so that she was com- pletely unaware of his presence. Fearing his approach might scare her so badly shed fall from the boulder, he stopped ten feet from her and called out. oeHello there. The moment she heard his voice, her head whipped around and her palms flattened against the rock in preparation to push herself to her feet. Surprise was etched upon her parted lips and wide eyes, telling him shed definitely believed herself to be totally alone on this particular piece of mountain. She was dressed in khaki shorts that struck her mid-thigh, a pale pink T-shirt that hugged her breasts and sturdy brown hiking boots. Her hair hung like shiny satin against her shoulders. An enchanting princess sitting on her throne, he thought, as he felt every male particle in him begin to buzz with excitement. oeSorry if I scared you, Marshall went on before she could gather herself enough to speak. oeI saw you sitting here and thought Id say hello. Slowly, warily, she eased her bottom bBagwell, Stella is the author of 'Paging Dr. Right ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373248438 and ISBN 0373248431.