Dancing With the Doc

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “All right,” she said with an amused grin. “We’ll come up with something.” She held up a finger. “I know. You can run the hostess stand. That’ll free up Andi to wait tables, which is where I’m staffed shortest.”

  The lunch shift had already wound down when they entered the restaurant. “How ya doing?” Andi asked, her expression one of concern.

  “She still has her hand attached,” Harper said with a dry chuckle.

  “I can see that,” Andi retorted. “Is everything okay?” she asked, directing her attention to Cat.

  “Just a few stitches. All in all, I got pretty lucky.”

  “I’ll say,” Harper said coyly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  Andi shook her head. “I don’t get it.”

  Cat rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing,” she said nonchalantly, shooting Harper an annoyed look. Harper only laughed. “Andi, would you mind waiting tables tonight so ole gimpy hand here can hostess?”

  A large smile tipped Andi’s lips. “Sure, I’ll be happy to.” She pumped her eyebrows. “I’ll enjoy making some tip money.”

  After the last patrons of the dinner shift trickled out, they locked the door and were putting up the chairs when Cat’s phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket with her uninjured hand. When she saw the name on the caller ID, she about wet her pants. “It’s Chase,” she said to Harper who was standing nearby. Her heart began to pound.

  “Answer it,” Harper urged.

  She swallowed, sliding her finger over the face of the phone. “Hello?”

  “Hello,” he said in a warm, mellow tone. “How’s my first patient?”

  “Technically, I’m Dr. Simpson’s patient.”

  “You just had to rub that in, didn’t you.” His tone had a good-natured zing to it.

  A smile spread over her lips. “You were there … observing … so I guess that counts for something.”

  “Ah, I did score a few brownie points then.”

  “A few,” she sang.

  “Seriously, how are you feeling?”

  Cat was impressed that he was asking. “Much better,” she said decisively, “thanks to two ibuprofen tablets that I took an hour ago.”

  He chuckled. “It’ll be sore for a while.”

  “Thanks for the diagnosis, doc,” she teased. The conversation lagged for no longer than a half a second, but to Cat, it felt like forever as her brain scrambled for something to say. “How was your first day on the job?” She wanted to tell him she was surprised and pleased to hear from him so soon. A few minutes ago, she’d felt exhausted, but now she was energized.

  “Thrilling.”

  She smiled at his enthusiasm.

  “I’m exhausted though,” he continued. “I wouldn’t want to do ER work like this for the rest of my life, but for the next three months it’ll be fine.”

  Three months? He’d only be here that long? Her heart sank at the thought. It made sense. Chase said he was on rotation, but it hadn’t connected in her brain until just now that he was here temporarily.

  “What’re you up to?”

  “I’m still at work. We’ve just closed the restaurant. We’ll be cleaning up for a while, and then heading home.” Later, she would chide herself for her boldness, but the words seemed to slip out of their own accord. “Hey, you could come over if you want. We could go for a walk or something.” Silence came over the line as a hard knot formed in her throat. “You’re exhausted,” she stammered, repeating what he’d already said. “We can do it another time.” She felt her cheeks flame. Crikey! This was awkward! “I just thought it would be nice to get together … as friends, for old time’s sake.”

  “Sure, I’ll come.”

  “You will?” she squeaked then cleared her throat. “Um, that sounds good,” she added nonchalantly, silently cheering inside.

  Harper threw her a large smile and gave a thumbs up.

  “What was the name of the restaurant again?”

  “The Magnolia in Clementine. It’s a twenty minute drive from the hospital.”

  “Alright. See ya soon. My car’s a white Ford Fusion.”

  “Don’t worry. There won’t be many cars out in this little burg. You’ll stick out like a Yankee in South Alabama.” She heard him laugh. “Are you sure you’re not too tired to get together tonight?” She held her breath.

  “I’m sure. I don’t have to be at work until six o’clock tomorrow morning. I’ll be fine. Maybe we can just go get an ice cream cone or something. What’s showing at the theatre over there?”

  “In Clementine? There’s no theatre here. The Magnolia is closed. I think the Dixie Freeze is closed too. We can just go for a walk around the square or go to my house, which is nearby.”

  “Sounds great. I’m on my way.”

  “Okay. See you then. Bye.”

  She ended the call with a mile-wide smile.

  “Well done,” Harper said appraisingly. She motioned with her head. “Your shift’s over. Go home and put on something nice.”

  As she hurried to the door, Cat said, “I hope he’s still wearing his scrubs. There’s nothing more irresistible than a man in scrubs.”

  “I’m sure Sam would agree with you,” Harper said with a laugh as she shook her head and pointed. “Go.”

  Cat bounded out the door with a spring in her step, eager to change clothes and get back ASAP.

  6

  Cat was back at The Magnolia in fifteen minutes. Together she, Andi, and Harper watched out the window. Another twenty minutes passed. Nothing.

  Andi suppressed a yawn. “Well, girls, as much as I’d like to stick around and see the man in scrubs, I’d better get home before I turn into a pumpkin.”

  Cat nodded in understanding. It was ridiculous, getting this worked up over Chase. The two were friends in elementary school. Sure, she’d had a huge crush on him, but that was eons ago. Chase had hesitated when she asked him to come. It would be naïve of her to assume that he wanted to jump into a romantic relationship with her, just because they happened to reconnect. Get real, Cat, her mind screamed. For all she knew, he probably had a significant other in his life. How could a man like Chase Brooks not be attached?

  When Andi left, Cat turned to Harper. “I’m sure you’re tired and ready to get home to Sam. You don’t have to hang out here and wait.”

  “Not trying to run me off, are you?” Harper asked.

  “No, not at all,” Cat answered quickly. “It’s just that I don’t want you to hang out all night, waiting for someone who may not even show up.” Disappointment rose in her throat.

  Harper nudged her arm. “What do you make of that?”

  Cat’s pulse went into high gear when Chase’s car turned the corner of the square.

  Harper flashed a knowing smile. “See, you can’t be so quick to throw in the towel.”

  Cat let out a shaky laugh. “I guess you’re right.” She couldn’t believe how nervous she was.

  Frank hadn’t gone home yet. He came out of the kitchen and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll check this guy out for you,” he said in his gruff, paternal voice.

  A wave of panic rolled over Cat, and it must’ve shown on her face because Harper took Frank’s arm. “You’ll do nothing of the sort. Get out of here and go home.” She gave him a shove toward the door. He went out just as Chase was coming in. The two exchanged pleasantries. Thankfully, Frank didn’t say or do anything out of the ordinary.

  Cat’s pulse was thrashing so hard against her ears that she felt like she could hardly breathe. She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

  “Hello, again,” Harper said congenially when Chase entered.

  “Hello,” he responded cordially before his gaze settled on Cat. “Hey,” he said, his tone going more intimate.

  Cat ordered herself to speak. “Hey,” she said, wincing slightly at how squeaky that came out.

  “Are you hungry, doc?” Harper asked.

  “I’m good. I grabbed something in Daphne as I l
eft the hospital.”

  That explained why it took him a while to get here. “Nice scrubs,” Harper observed.

  “I didn’t have time to change,” Chase said offhandedly as he glanced down.

  Cat shot Harper a look that said pipe down, but Harper only smiled, her eyes glittering mischief.

  Chase looked around. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

  “Thank you,” Harper said with a touch of pride. “You’ll have to come back when we’re open, and we’ll make you a plate of food … on the house.”

  “I’ll do that,” Chase said with a broad grin that showcased his dimple. Chase had always been cute, which is why Cat had such a crush on him. However, now he was very much a grown-up man. He really was strikingly handsome with his messy hair and piercing blue eyes. Not to mention the fact that he filled out those scrubs rather nicely.

  “I’ll lock up,” Harper said. “You kids go have fun.”

  Cat had taken her purse home and placed her phone and house key in her pocket. Also, she’d brought a light sweater. Fall was around the corner and while the winters were ridiculously mild compared to Chicago, Cat had acclimated to the warmer temperatures. Now, she too, got cold when the temperature dropped below sixty degrees. Chase held open the door for her as they went down the steps. Tonight, the slight chill in the air was actually refreshing.

  “Which direction should we go?” Chase asked.

  Cat smiled. “Well, since it’s a square, it really doesn’t matter.”

  “True,” Chase acknowledged, cocking his head. “Let’s go this way.”

  Cat looked at his bare arms. “Are you cold?”

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  She held up her yellow sweater, which was draped over her arm. “You could always wear this.”

  He laughed. “Thanks, but if I put that on, I’d stretch it out and ruin it. You should put it on. Here, I’ll help you.”

  “So, you think the injured girl can’t put on her own sweater?”

  “Something like that.” He reached for it and helped her get it on. His arm brushed against hers in the process, sending a jolt of awareness through her.

  “Thanks,” she murmured.

  “This is a nice town square,” Chase observed as they strolled past the storefronts.

  Cat’s eyes settled on the prominent courthouse that made up the center section of the square. Large, leafy trees were clustered around it, and a blanket of verdant grass finished off the picture. “When I first got here, I felt I was walking around in a movie set.”

  “Yeah, kind of like The Truman Show.”

  “Exactly.”

  “The question is … does everyone watch you 24/7 like they did Truman?”

  “Yes,” she laughed. “They do, actually. It’s a small town and people are keenly interested in one another.”

  He grimaced. “That must be stifling.”

  She thought for a minute. “Not really. I kind of like how people look after one another.” She’d almost added that it helped take away the sting of losing Mami, but she didn’t want to put a damper on the conversation. It felt surreal to be out here at night on the deserted square with Chase Brooks. Her cells danced with the knowledge that he was right beside her.

  “So, tell me about your dance studio,” he prompted.

  “When we round the next corner, you’ll see it on the end.”

  He turned to her. “It seems like you’ve done well for yourself.”

  Cat was shocked at how much his praise meant to her. “Thank you. I feel very fortunate with how things came together. You seem to be doing well too, Mr. MD.”

  He grinned. “Not quite yet, but I’m getting there.”

  “You’re a far cry from the boy who cut his hair in Mrs. Steven’s class.” Her lips twitched as she looked at him.

  “You would have to bring that up,” he groaned.

  “I remember it like it was yesterday. Mrs. Stevenson had to leave the room and gave everyone a direct order not to touch their scissors.”

  “Under no circumstance are you to touch those scissors,” Chase mimicked in the whiny tone of their first-grade teacher.

  “The minute she walked out of the room, you took those scissors and cut a chunk out of the front of your hair.”

  “Then Miriam blabbed to Mrs. Stevenson when she came back into the room.” He shook his head. “I got in so much trouble for that.”

  “Yes, you did.” She shook her head, grinning.

  “It took me until the third grade to forgive Miriam for that.”

  “You were always the little menace,” she teased.

  He pulled a face. “From the way Mrs. Stevenson carried on, you would’ve thought I’d done something terrible like cut up my birth certificate rather than just cutting a section out of my hair.”

  “You got a buzz cut after that.”

  “Yep, my mom took me to the barbershop that afternoon.”

  Cat pointed. “There’s my studio.”

  “Wow,” he drawled. “You’re up town.” He went to the glass doors and cupped his eyes to peer inside. “It looks nice.”

  “Thanks,” she said, feeling a burst of appreciation for Harper and Douglas Foster for helping her get set up here. Cat had always liked the inset door and large display windows. It reminded her of an old five and dime store. Also, the wooden planks beneath the front door creaked when people entered.

  “I’m looking forward to taking my first salsa lesson.”

  Good, he was actually coming to the lesson! “I hope you’re not disappointed.”

  He flashed a boyish grin. “No chance of that.”

  Her heart did a little flip as their eyes connected. “I still can’t believe we’re both here.”

  “Pretty crazy, huh?”

  They continued walking. It’s a good thing Cat’s left hand was injured. Otherwise, she might’ve been tempted to reach for Chase’s hand. For so long, she’d put off entering into a relationship, but now that Chase was here, she was ready to jump in full force. Was it because she felt comfortable with Chase and the history they shared? Or maybe it was simply because Chase was the whole package. At any rate, she needed to proceed cautiously. For all she knew, Chase was here merely as a friend to reminisce about the good ole days. “Tell me about your life … after you and your family moved from the neighborhood.”

  “Hmm … let’s see, I’ll give you the two-second version. We moved across town because my dad got a new job, and he wanted to be close to work. Also, we got a good deal on a new house.”

  “Makes sense.”

  He frowned. “It was hard though … to leave the neighborhood and all of my friends.”

  She caught a trace of something in his tone, wondered—hoped—that she was one of the friends he’d found it hard to leave.

  “After high school, I went to U of Illinois. Now, I’m here. That’s about it.”

  “How do you like med school?”

  "It's great. I mean, it’s tough, but it’s worth it. The more I learn the more I realize how much I don't know.”

  “I could’ve told you that,” she joked.

  “Hey,” he protested, nudging her.

  It was comforting how easily they’d slipped back into their old pattern of friendship.

  “The good news is that I passed the board section exams, so I remembered at least enough to get by."

  “Your modesty isn’t fooling everyone. You’ve always been a great student.” His silence was his admission that she was right. "I’m sure you'll be a great doctor.” She shoved her uninjured hand into her pocket.

  A teasing smile played on Chase’s lips. “Well, I made it through a whole shift at the ER today and haven't killed anybody yet."

  Laughter bubbled in her throat. "That's a plus."

  “How about you? Tell me about your life.”

  “I went to high school,” she said with a cheeky grin.

  “I figured that.”

  “I got really into dance.”

  “Yep
, I was so glad to hear that. You always loved to dance.” He chuckled. “Remember how you used to line up kids on the playground? You’d make them pretend that they were your students.”

  An embarrassed laugh escaped her lips. “I didn’t make them pretend.”

  “Oh, yes you did. You even tried to make me dance.”

  A smile stretched over her lips. “Yeah, but you were always too stubborn to cooperate.” Their eyes met as a strong connection buzzed through her veins. “Are you still stubborn?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said, with a surly grin, “more so than you can imagine.”

  “I can imagine a lot,” she joked. A light breeze ruffled Cat’s hair. She looked up at the sky. Clouds obscured the stars, but there was a hint of a golden moon peeking through. They were almost back to The Magnolia. Cat wasn’t ready for the evening to end.

  “Do you think that you’ll stay here in Clementine?”

  “Yeah … maybe. I have wonderful friends. My business is growing. I feel like I’m making a contribution. That matters a lot, you know.”

  "Sure does."

  When, they reached The Magnolia, Cat noted that all the lights in the restaurant were turned out and Harper's car was gone. It was only her and Chase. He looked around, probably looking for her car.

  "How are you getting home?"

  “I live close by.” She pointed to a tall steeple in the distance. “Behind the church.”

  “That’s nice to live so close to work.”

  “Yes, it is. I can just walk. Care to escort me home?”

  “But of course, milady,” he said ceremoniously with a slight bow. A second later, he turned to Cat and asked in a subdued tone, "Do you miss her?"

  "Who?"

  "Your mother."

  Cat was surprised at how quickly emotion rose in her throat. "Only every day.” A sad smile touched her lips. “It used to be every minute, but time has made things a bit easier."

  He nodded. "I still think about that day when I came with the EMS crew.”

  She hugged her arms. “That was a rough night.” She offered an appreciative smile. “I was glad that you were there.”

  “Me too. Your mother was a kind lady.”