Marrying Dr. Maverick

by Karen Rose Smith

  As she’d watched yesterday, Brooks had done some fast talking to both their parents about why they weren’t taking a honeymoon yet—what with setting up both clinics and so much to do, they thought they’d wait. With a sigh, Jazzy realized she didn’t even know where Brooks would like to go on a honeymoon. She wouldn’t care. Anyplace holed up alone with him overnight would be terrific.

  If last night had really been their honeymoon—

  Once outside in Brooks’s truck, their gazes met and she could easily see Brooks was thinking about last night’s kiss, too. Yet he obviously didn’t want to talk about it or their marriage. He started the truck and aimed it in the right direction.

  This tension between them was more than she’d bargained for. This tension between them felt as if it could explode at any moment. She just hoped when it did, they were both ready for the consequences.

  When they arrived at the Bar S, Brooks pulled around back to the clinic. But when he rounded the curve in the driveway, he spotted his dad’s truck and his father climbing into it.

  “What the hell?” he mumbled, as if this was one more stress he didn’t need.

  Jazzy clasped his arm. “He might be just driving into town to get something at the General Store. His doctor said it was safe for him to drive.”

  “Jazzy, I know what the doctor said,” Brooks snapped. “But I also know Dad always pushes the boundaries, so it’s never as simple as it seems. He wouldn’t have driven the truck around back unless he wanted to load up a few supplies. I know him. You don’t.”

  That stung because she felt as if she’d come to know Barrett pretty well over the past couple of weeks. True, she didn’t know all of his habits, but she did know he wanted to feel better. The two of them had talked about what he needed to do for that to happen. She was hurt Brooks would dismiss her so cavalierly.

  “I might not know your dad as well as you do, but during the time we spent together, we talked, probably more than you’ve talked to him in the past few years.”

  Brooks looked startled at that observation, but he obviously didn’t want to have a conversation about it now. He climbed out of the truck and jogged over to his dad.

  Jazzy got out and followed him. All right, so she was going to let him handle it. Let’s see how well he did that.

  “Where are you going this early, Dad?”

  With the door to his truck hanging open, Barrett looked from Brooks to Jazzy. “The better question is, what are you two doing here so early? It seems to me you’d be late on the day after your wedding.” There was a twinkle of slyness in his eyes that made Jazzy feel uncomfortable.

  “Off-topic, Dad. Where are you headed to?”

  “It’s not like I’m going to drive across the state. Stewart Young called. He has a horse that went lame and he wants me to look at him.”

  “I can do that,” Brooks said in an even voice that told Jazzy he was keeping what he really thought under control.

  “Stewart doesn’t want you, he wants me. I’m the one who’s handled his horses for thirty years. I’m the one he trusts. Besides, I’ve got to start getting out again. I’m not going to sit in that house like an invalid. That’s no better for me than doing too much.”

  In a way, Jazzy knew he was right. Yet she could also see Brooks was afraid his dad would do something he shouldn’t, get involved in something he shouldn’t, overexert himself in a way he shouldn’t.

  Mediating, she suggested, “Why don’t both of you go?”

  They both swung their gazes toward her in a challenging way. All right, she’d take on two Smith men at once if she had to.

  Focusing on Brooks’s dad, she suggested, “You can consult with Stewart while Brooks does the actual physical exam. That way you can get out, but Brooks won’t worry about you. I can hold down the fort here until you get back. If something comes up at Brooks’s clinic, I’ll call you. That’s what cell phones are made for.”

  Barrett didn’t look happy but he wasn’t protesting, either. Still, he eyed them suspiciously. “So tell me again why you’re here so early.”

  Brooks pushed up the rim of his Stetson. “We’re here early so maybe we can finish early.”

  Barrett harrumphed. “I guess the whole evening together would suit the two of you.” He noticed the watch on Jazzy’s wrist. “That’s pretty.”

  “It was a wedding gift from Brooks.” She knew that would please Barrett.

  “It’s good to know my son does have a romantic bone in his body. I guess there’s hope.”

  When Jazzy looked down at the watch, but then back at Brooks’s expression, she wasn’t so sure.

  * * *

  With troubling insight, Brooks realized whenever he was with Jazzy, he felt like a different person. Sometimes stronger. Sometimes way too unsettled. Their kiss last night weighed on his mind. His brusque attitude this morning did, too. Somehow they had to figure out this marriage.

  After his visit to Stewart Young, he’d dropped her at the Buckskin Clinic. She’d taken care of calls that had come in and referred patients to his dad’s clinic where Brooks could see them. It was all a bit confusing for now, but they’d get into a routine, and slowly as his dad came back to work, he’d spend more time at his own clinic.

  Eventually his father would say to him, “Let’s join our practices,” and then they’d get a partner that would take some of the load off them both. It was easy to see the way this should go. He just wished his dad wasn’t being so stubborn about it.

  After he finished at his dad’s, he picked up Jazzy. On the drive home, they decided to order pizza instead of worrying about cooking. They’d been silent in the truck again, though, and Brooks wished they could get back the easy camaraderie they’d had at the beginning of their relationship. What had happened to their friendship?

  It had gotten sidetracked by circumstances that had taken on a life of their own.

  At his place, he decided against a fire tonight. No more cozy atmosphere. No more thinking about pleasing Jazzy with flowers or champagne. That had given off the wrong signals. He wasn’t interested in romance, he told himself, just in an easy companionship between them. Jazzy got herself a glass of water, and he called the pizza establishment he favored most.

  He put his hand over the phone. “What do you want on your pizza?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said without her usual enthusiasm.

  “Tell me something, Jazzy, or I’m going to load it up with what I want.”

  “Pepperoni,” she shot at him. “And plenty of onions.”

  Okay, so she wasn’t interested in romance, either.

  After he placed the order, she said, “I’m going to give Jordyn a call in my room. Let me know when the pizza arrives.”

  Before he could blink, she was gone from the kitchen into her bedroom and had closed the door.

  For some reason, that closed door annoyed him. Not that he wanted to listen in on her conversation, but it set up another barrier between them.

  Restless, he grabbed two plates and set them on the table. Then he rummaged in the drawer for silverware and pulled napkins from the counter. Next on his list was to find an apartment in Rust Creek Falls. It would definitely be more convenient. He could call Rhonda Deatrick now and leave a message. Going to the phone again, he was about to do that, when his doorbell rang.

  Couldn’t be the pizza already.

  When he opened the door to Gage Christensen, he smiled. He’d invited Gage to the wedding but he hadn’t been there.

  “I know, I didn’t show up for the big shindig. I had an emergency call and had to go out. And Lissa’s in New York. So I thought I’d stop by now and congratulate you both.” He had a package in his hands. “Something I thought you could use other than a toaster.”

  “Come on in.” But as soon as Brooks said it, he reali
zed he shouldn’t have. Not because he didn’t want Gage there, but because Jazzy was in her own room, not his master suite. Gage had been here before. He knew the setup.

  At that moment, Jazzy emerged from the guest bedroom. When she saw Gage, she stopped. Gage handed her the wedding present, but exchanged a look with Brooks.

  “You two haven’t known each other very long. You weren’t dating when Jazzy and I had dinner.”

  They both kept silent.

  “You fell hard overnight?”

  “Didn’t you?” Brooks shot back.

  Gage’s face turned ruddy. “Maybe. I suppose it does happen.” After another long look at both of them, he said, “If the two of you need to talk about anything, I’m around.”

  Suddenly, his cell phone beeped. He gave a shrug and said, “Excuse me,” and checked it. “I’ve got to get back to the office. Now.”

  Halfway to the door, he stopped. “Are you coming to the meeting tomorrow night at the town hall? Nate Crawford is supposed to have an important announcement.”

  They hadn’t talked about it, but the meeting would give them something to think about other than this marriage of convenience. “Sure, we’ll be there,” Brooks responded.

  After Gage was gone, Jazzy looked at Brooks. “Do you think he guessed that...this isn’t a real marriage? Are we doing the best thing for everyone?” she asked.

  “It’s too late to have second thoughts now.” Though he was having second thoughts. Being married to Jazzy for a year and keeping his hands off her was going to be torture.

  “Why don’t you open Gage’s present? We really should open the rest of the stack tonight.”

  Jazzy sat on the sofa, the box in front of her on the coffee table. She tore off the wrappings and on the outside of the box they could read PRESSURE COOKER.

  “Oh, it’s one of those advanced foodie pressure cookers that’re supposed to be easy. You can brown everything right in it then let it steam. A meal is supposed to be ready in about half the time,” she explained.

  “Sounds practical.”

  “Gage put some thought into this. It’s a great newlywed gift.”

  Yes, it was. When Gage had decided on it for them, he hadn’t realized how appropriate it would be. A pressure cooker. Brooks felt as if he were inside a pressure cooker right now, just waiting for it to blow.

  * * *

  The community meeting was just getting underway when Brooks and Jazzy slipped inside the town hall. Jazzy kept stealing glances at Brooks to try to guess what he was thinking. Gage’s visit stretched like a wire between them. Was what they were doing wrong, or simply advantageous to them both, as well as Brooks’s dad? She wasn’t sure anymore. But if it was right, why didn’t it feel right?

  The folding chairs were packed tight together to fit the most people in. Jazzy’s shoulder rubbed against Brooks’s but he didn’t look her way, though she did look his. He’d dropped her at his clinic this morning while he went to his dad’s. All of the appointments Jazzy had made for Brooks at Buckskin Clinic were set up for tomorrow. That seemed to be the easiest way to handle this for now. So they’d be working together tomorrow. Maybe some of this tension would dissipate then.

  Irene Murphy saw them and waved. “Congratulations,” she called, a few feet from where she was sitting. A gentleman seated in back of them clapped Brooks on the shoulder and wished them all the best, too. Gage was across the room and just raised his brows. Jazzy didn’t know what he was thinking.

  Nate Crawford was running the meeting. He banged his gavel on the podium for some order. After thanking everyone for coming, he read a list of the community’s accomplishments since the flood. Utilities had been restored, roads repaired, bridges rebuilt.

  He went on, talking about the progress on the elementary school and how volunteers had come from all over to help.

  The side door to the town hall opened and shut. To distract her attention from Brooks, Jazzy turned to look to see who the newcomers were. A couple walked in followed by—

  Jazzy felt her whole body go a little cold. Oh, my. What was Griff Wellington doing here?

  As if his eyes were drawn by a magnet, they came to rest on her. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was here to see her. He must have heard about her marriage.

  Nate was still speaking and everyone was listening to him. Jazzy raised her hand to Griff, an acknowledgement that she’d seen him, but she wasn’t going to disrupt the meeting to go to him. That would look odd.

  Brooks nudged her shoulder. “Who’s that?”

  Maybe he was as aware of her as she was of him. She stayed silent, trying to figure out how to explain.

  Before she could, Brooks noted, “You’ve gone pale.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s just a little cold in here.”

  “Not with all these people, it isn’t. Who is that guy?”

  Some of the other meeting-goers had turned to look at them. Jazzy whispered, “Not now. I’ll explain later, okay?”

  Brooks gave her a look that said he would indeed expect an explanation later. She wished now she had told him about Griff and her almost-engagement. She wished now she’d told Brooks she’d broken it off. But it just hadn’t seemed important. Or had the real reason for not telling him been she didn’t want him comparing her to the fiancée who had broken her engagement with him. Whatever the reason, the die was cast and she’d have to figure this out as she went.

  She felt Brooks’s gaze on her from the side and she felt Griff’s gaze on her from the back. He must have found a seat behind them. The hairs on her neck prickled and she had the feeling she was in for a stormy night. Not at all what she’d planned. She’d hoped she and Brooks could talk and maybe get back on an easy footing. But now this.

  Jazzy tried to concentrate on Nate’s words once more.

  “The reason we called this meeting tonight, the main one, anyway, is that I have some good news for this town. Lissa Roarke’s blog and personal diary about life in Rust Creek Falls since the flood has gotten some attention back in New York City. She’s going to be on a national morning talk show. I spoke with her myself this afternoon, and she believes that once she’s on that show, donations and even more help are going to come rolling in, which will be an even greater help with the reconstruction efforts. So maybe we can really be the town we were before the flood, even better.”

  Everyone applauded. Gage looked proud enough of Lissa to burst. But all Jazzy could think of was Griff standing in the back of the hall, waiting for her.

  Jazzy grew more antsy the longer the meeting went on. Brooks glanced at her more than once, and she tried to stay calm. She realized, although she’d dated Griff, she didn’t really know him very well because she didn’t know why he was here and she had no idea what his reaction was going to be to seeing her, to talking with her, to hearing the news of her marriage, if he hadn’t heard it yet. But she did know Brooks and the fact that she hadn’t told him about Griff weighed heavily on her.

  After the road construction foreman spoke, after a couple of ranchers had their say about what they still needed to get their places back to running in top shape, after Nate thanked everyone for coming, the meeting finally ended.

  Jazzy tapped Brooks’s arm. “I have to speak to someone. It will only be a few minutes.”

  After Brooks gave her a piercing look, she added, “I’ll be right back.” Then she slipped away before he could ask her any questions.

  When Griff saw Jazzy, his expression was somber. “Can we step outside?”

  This was a small town full of people who knew each other. At gatherings like this, they liked to chat. They started forming groups now, doing just that.

  Jazzy nodded. Though she started to follow Griff, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw that Brooks’s gaze was tracking her.

  Once outside
, Jazzy glanced up at the beautiful full moon that was lighting up the front of the town hall. It was a momentary distraction before she had to face Griff. However, squaring her shoulders, she did.

  “How are you?” she asked.

  “I’m good. How are you?”

  “I’m great,” she said brightly, but then dropped the pretense. “Why are you here, Griff?”

  “I ran into Abby, or rather she ran into me at the store. She made some excuse about needing new running shoes, but I don’t think she runs, does she?”

  “She might have taken it up lately.” Jazzy always defended her sisters and brother, no matter what.

  He nodded his head in concession. “Fair enough. Anyway, she told me you got married. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to ask you myself. Is it true?”

  “She wouldn’t have lied to you.”

  Griff looked up into the thousand stars, and then back at her. “No, I suppose not. Is it that guy you were sitting next to?”

  “Yes, Brooks Smith. He has a veterinary practice.”

  “Ah,” Griff responded, as if that made sense somehow. “A love of animals. Is that what bonded you together? This is awful quick.”

  “A love of animals is one of the things that brought us together.”

  “You never looked at me the way you look at him.”

  “Griff, don’t.”

  He sighed. “I should have seen our breakup coming. But I guess I was just hoping that I was as right for you as you seemed to be for me.”

  “Was I really right for you? Think about it. We became friends, but—”

  “We never had grand passion? I suppose not. Maybe I just wanted to settle down and start a family so badly that I ignored what I should have in favor of what we did have.”

  Jazzy had shared embraces and kisses with Griff, details of their lives, the hopes for a future, so it didn’t seem odd for her to take his hand now. “I never wanted to hurt you. That’s why I broke off our involvement when I did. Don’t you see?”