Summer on Lovers' Island

by Donna Alward

  Except that it did make her blush, because she actually had noticed Josh that morning and found him quite attractive.

  “Your uncle and I work together, that’s all,” she said with a polite smile. “And you, Susan, are perfectly healthy. It was good to meet you.”

  Susan hopped down from the examination table. “You won’t tell Uncle Josh what I said, will you? About Summer?” She looked a little worried. The bravado of earlier had been curbed by her mother’s sharp admonitions.

  Lizzie smiled reassuringly. “Of course not.” Like she’d repeat the notion to Josh, or talk about her personal life at all. That was strictly off-limits. She winked at Susan. “Doctor-patient confidentiality. It’s our secret.”

  Susan smiled … and so did her mom.

  As Susan tied her shoes, Sarah picked up the conversation. “So, how are you enjoying Jewell Cove?”

  Lizzie thought of her morning run along Fiddler’s Beach and had to admit the fresh air and space were growing on her. “It’s very beautiful. And everyone has been so friendly.” Too friendly. Even out at Fiddler’s Rock, her arrival had prompted a basket of baked goods and a casserole showing up from well-intentioned neighbors. So much for privacy.

  “Our Fourth of July celebrations are in a few days. There’s always lots happening on the docks, and there are fireworks, too. You won’t want to miss it.” Sarah angled her head a little. “In fact, our family always throws a picnic on the Fourth. You should come. Charlie and Dave have accepted an invite, and you are Josh’s coworker after all. You could meet some people in town.”

  Way to put her on the spot. She certainly didn’t want to horn in on a family event, especially since she and Josh had only shared a few sentences today that weren’t about work.

  “I’ll definitely think about it,” she offered, trying to be positive but noncommittal. “Thanks for the invitation.”

  Sarah nodded. “Our family is always coming up with excuses for get-togethers. If you can’t make it, there’s always the next time.”

  After Sarah and Susan were gone, Lizzie took a moment to sit on the rolling stool and let out a breath. How did Charlie manage to keep the patient/doctor relationship professional in such a small, intimate town? Lizzie had already noticed how residents waved and greeted each other on the street. The gossip mill was alive and well, too, if the chatter at the café was anything to go by.

  This wasn’t her style at all. And yeah, maybe she needed the change of pace to de-stress, but the thought of staying here indefinitely? Not in a million years.

  She left the exam room and went to the reception desk to find Robin and instead found a wicker basket covered with a pretty napkin sitting on the middle of the counter. She lifted a corner and saw plump, golden muffins tumbled about the inside. There was a small card attached to the handle and she removed it, sliding the little cardboard note from the envelope.

  Welcome to Jewell Cove, Dr. Howard.

  It was signed from the Jewell Cove Business Association. Good heavens, a welcome wagon?

  At that moment Josh came from his office and stopped, lifting his nose to the air. “What’s that smell? I’m starving.”

  “Muffins,” she answered.

  He sauntered out, curiously examining the basket and lifting the napkin. “Banana chip. Yum. Welcome present?”

  She swallowed. “How’d you know?”

  He chuckled as he selected a muffin from the assortment. “That’s Jewell Cove for you. Always there with a warm welcome and a helping hand.”

  There was something in his voice that made her think he didn’t necessarily consider that a perk. “I think it’s a lovely gesture,” she answered.

  “Hey,” he said, taking a bite of the muffin and chewing thoughtfully. He swallowed and frowned a little. “I obviously love this place. I grew up here. I moved back, right? But I’ll be the first to admit it can get a little too small and well-intentioned sometimes. “

  Hmm. Curiouser and curiouser. “But you’re the town golden boy, aren’t you? I mean Charlie said—”

  And then she stopped talking, rather abruptly, because she’d been about to say “after your wife died” and had realized how callous it would have sounded.

  “Charlie said what?” One eyebrow lifted as he took another bite of muffin, catching a few crumbs in his hand.

  She scrambled to come up with better words. “She just said that when you moved back, everyone was happy about it. That you belong here.”

  His gaze sharpened, as if he was trying to puzzle her out. She wasn’t quite comfortable with the intensity of it. It made her feel rather transparent. A little bit naked.

  “It can be a little claustrophobic at times. Very little privacy.”

  She smiled at that. “Really? So you didn’t plan for your niece to have her checkup on my first day in the office?”

  The answering grin he gave her made her catch her breath. It lit up his whole face, transforming it. He looked younger, despite the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Lighter, less burdened.

  “Suze is great, isn’t she? A real firecracker.”

  “She asked if I had a boyfriend.” She wasn’t sure what prompted her to admit that, but Josh’s answering laugh made her glad she had.

  “And do you?” he asked, and the smile slipped from her face. He put the nearly finished muffin on the countertop. “Bad question to ask?”

  “It’s no biggie. I was seeing someone a few months back. It didn’t exactly end well.” She hoped Josh would leave it at that. How humiliating to admit that she’d been dating her boss. Particularly when she was talking to her new boss.

  “Sorry,” he offered kindly. “That sucks.”

  Truly, she felt way worse about the bigger situation in Springfield. The relationship had just been a casualty of that, really. No permanent damage. Not like that poor family—

  “Elizabeth? You okay?”

  He was looking at her with concern now, so she shook off the disturbing thoughts and smiled. “I’m fine. And call me ‘Lizzie.’ Please.”

  “Lizzie,” he repeated, and their gazes caught once more.

  CHAPTER 4

  Josh loved the feel of the wind in his hair, the smell of the water, the taste of the salt on his lips. He loved pulling away from the dock in the morning, the vibration of the engine beneath his feet, sometimes in a secretive mist, sometimes to a bright-blue sky that somehow sharpened the lines of the rocks, cliffs, even the whitecaps on the waves. There was freedom in the openness that he craved. No orders to follow beyond his own. He could take the route he wanted, up the coast, out to the small islands, wherever the seals bathed in the sun, or out farther into the bay, searching for whales feeding. Being at the wheel, feeling the rise and fall of the swell beneath his feet, was just about as perfect as he could handle.

  As he steered the Jewell’s Constant toward the slip, he wiped a hand over his face and pushed all his stress away. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the brisk, salt-scented air. Focus on the positive, that’s what he needed to do. Live in the present. The afternoon had been a good one. The trip out of the bay had been smooth, and he’d encountered a pod of humpbacks after the first hour. Intrigued, he’d quietly adjusted his position and waited for the awesome moment when over thirty tons of mammal breached and splashed back into the water with incomparable force. He’d finished the trip by piloting around Aquteg Island, getting close enough to the south beach that he could see the seals, hear them grumbling bad-naturedly at each other. He and his cousins, Tom and Bryce, and best friend, Rick, had spent hours upon hours on the rock locals had dubbed Lovers’ Island, looking for the treasure rumored to have been buried there in the 1800s. They’d never found a thing, but Josh had good memories.

  He enjoyed his life, and his level of contentment was one more thing he felt guilty about now and again. He was happier here than he’d ever been in Hartford. The life he’d planned with Erin was over. When it was all said and done, he’d wanted to be home. To have a small
practice, a little boat where he could get away, get lost in the vastness of the ocean. At least there he could breathe.

  Once the Constant was secure, he hopped out onto the dock and gave a long, satisfying stretch. If he was honest, he wasn’t really grieving anymore. He could look back on the night the news had come and put it in perspective.

  He remembered the slow footsteps, the hollow sound of them on the verandah, then the knock on the door. Not the doorbell. A fateful, heartless knock. He’d known what he would find on the other side before he ever put his hand on the doorknob. An officer. And a chaplain.

  Josh had his whole life blown apart in the space of two minutes. There’d been shock, and anger, and more than a little guilt. But there was peace now. Particularly between himself and his cousin Tom.

  Josh’s truck was parked in the wharf lot and he got inside, starting the engine with a growl. What he needed was some music, something upbeat to drive home to and shake away the doldrums. He flipped open the glove box and shoved his hand in, looking for a CD when a flash of pain shot through his hand.

  “Shit!” He pulled out his hand and scowled. It was already bleeding—a lot. He grabbed a roll of paper towels from the back and tore off a strip, wrapping it around his middle finger. Carefully he checked the glove box and found an open utility knife.

  “Goddammit.” He rolled the blade back into the handle and shut the glove box. Blood was already soaked through the towel and he took it off, staring at the deep gash before tearing off a new strip and wrapping it around his finger.

  Waiting for stitches in an emergency room on a Friday night was not how Josh wanted to spend his evening, and suturing his own wound didn’t hold much appeal, either. He checked his watch. If he was lucky, Dr. Howard would still have the office open and could stitch him up in a flash. Josh put the truck in gear and headed to the office.

  The streets were full of tourists, the annual season of clogging the roads and alternately bolstering the economy in full swing. It was part of Jewell’s lifeblood. The vibrancy was part of what drew him back here. Life went on.

  A silver convertible was the only vehicle outside the doctor’s office—Lizzie’s ridiculous excuse for transportation that was a little too flashy for his liking. She was wicked good at her job, though. Perhaps she was seeing a last patient for the day, Josh thought. He wrapped another square of towel around the already-soaked clump on his finger and headed to the door. Unlocked. A few stitches and they could get on with their weekend plans. The waiting room was empty, though, and a quick glance down the hall showed both exam room doors open. Josh frowned.

  “Hey, Doc, you here?”

  There was a shuffling sound in the back, and the clunk of a drawer closing.

  “Sorry, I’m closing up,” her voice said, and Josh spun to the left and the reception desk. She took one look at the bloody towel and her lips dropped open.

  As soon as he saw her stunned expression, Josh’s knees went watery. Shit.

  She recovered quickly. “You’ve lost some blood there. Let me have a look.”

  Josh gazed stupidly at his finger and back at Lizzie. He took a few steadying breaths, feeling ridiculous. It was just a cut finger. Lizzie stepped forward, took his hand firmly in hers, and turned it over, examining the slice, her fingers cool and soft on his. She was close enough that he could smell her light perfume and as she looked down at his hand he looked at her face, marveling at the fine cheekbones and long eyelashes … but more than that, her hair was down. It had been pulled back yesterday, but today she’d left it loose. It was glorious, just as he’d imagined.

  “You’re going to need stitches,” she said.

  “What?” Josh struggled to come back to the present. He’d been thinking about sinking his hands into the thick mass of her hair, tilting her head back, exposing the pale column of her neck. Wow. He had to be light-headed, because those thoughts were really inappropriate, considering she was a new doctor in his practice.

  “Oh. Stitches. Yeah, I know. I was hoping you could do it and save me a trip to the ER.”

  Lizzie circled his wrist with her fingers and led him into the first exam room. “You’d better sit down,” she said gently. “You look like you’re going to faint.”

  It was enough to pull him out of his stupor and he shook his head, looking up at her clearly. “I don’t faint at the sight of blood,” he replied, his tone suggesting the very idea was preposterous. He’d be damned if he’d explain that it was her turning his brain to mush rather than any blood loss.

  She raised one eyebrow. “You sure?” She moved to a cupboard and took out a tray. “When was your last tetanus?”

  “Tetanus?”

  “You hurt your hearing as well as your hand?”

  He heard the smile in her voice and tried to relax. “No, ma’am. Last year. I was updated last year.”

  “Well, I can forego sticking you with a booster, then. Lucky for me I still get to poke you when I freeze your finger.” Her smile looked a little bit smug, he noticed, liking the way her lips titled a bit at the corners as she teased him. He found the hint of sassiness crazy sexy.

  In no time flat she’d given him a local anesthetic and grabbed a suture pack and was sitting on a rolling stool putting four stitches in his finger.

  “Nice stitches.”

  “And you’re done.” She pushed back and peeled off her gloves. “Keep it clean and I’ll take those out for you next week.”

  “I can take them out myself, you know.” He sent her a sarcastic grin. “Easier than putting them in.”

  She shrugged. “You’re the doc. But you’re also a man, and you’ll want to take them out before they’re ready.”

  She was right, not that he’d admit it out loud.

  She was up and tidying and he was still sitting on the chair. “You need something else, Josh?”

  Did he need anything else? He couldn’t think of a thing. Not one single plausible reason to keep her with him a moment longer. Except …

  “You settling in okay?” It was a fair question, right? She’d only been in town a few days.

  She put the used needle in the dispenser and dropped the rest of the mess in the garbage can. “What’s this, the end-of-the-first-week debrief?”

  “Jeez. Just making conversation. Sorry I kept you late. You probably have plans.”

  She laughed, the sound a little brittle for his liking.

  “Plans? In Jewell Cove? Just me and a glass of chardonnay. Real exciting.”

  She didn’t make it sound like a good thing, and he definitely didn’t want to pry. He got up and made his way to the front door but turned at the last minute. She was behind the reception desk again, the phone receiver to her ear as he raised his hand in farewell.

  She fluttered her fingers and smiled, the sharpness of a moment before gone. His heart did a little lurch again. Being attracted to her would be such a mistake. She was a coworker. And she was temporary. He got the distinct impression that she’d rather be back in the big city than killing time in his hometown. Hell, that smile and fluttering of her fingers was about as warm as she’d been the entire week.

  But it had been warm enough to fuel something he hadn’t felt in a long time. And that was very, very inconvenient.

  * * *

  July Fourth was as big of a deal in Jewell Cove as it was anywhere else in America. Lizzie’d seen that right away when she’d arrived in town, her suitcases piled into the back of her convertible, at the end of June. Red, white, and blue decorations appeared all week: flags, bunting, flowers, the works. By the time the actual day rolled around, celebrations were in full swing. Lizzie found herself accompanying Charlie and Dave to several events beginning at noon, charmed despite herself at the cheerful, patriotic mood that enveloped the town.

  The mayor, a crusty ex-fisherman named Luke Pratt, made a speech in Memorial Square, the statue of Edward Jewell looking on approvingly. There was a tribute to the members of the armed forces and the announcement of the Most P
atriotic Display for local businesses, which went to Cover to Cover Bookstore for their window featuring the Declaration of Independence as the centerpiece with a huge stars and stripes collage as a backdrop. All day long there were special events. A hot dog barbecue in the square; face painting sponsored by the local store Treasures. There was to be a ball game at the park between the current high school team and alumni and games for the younger kids down on the wharf where, incidentally, Sally’s Dairy Shack was giving out free soft ice cream with special tickets handed out by members of the business association.

  Dave was just finishing his cone when he looked over at Charlie and Lizzie. “Okay, you two. I’ve suffered through speeches and the two of you oohing and aahing over flowers and God knows what else. It’s time for some manly pursuits. Can we head over to the ball game? The first inning just started.”

  Charlie looked pained, but Lizzie nodded. “That sounds like fun.” She never made a big deal of it, but she and her dad had often enjoyed watching the Sox play and she liked the game. It was one of the things she’d missed this past spring. Besides, it was sunny and hot and what better way to spend the day than at America’s favorite pastime?

  Dave, bless him, looked relieved. “Charlie told Josh we’d show up to the postgame barbecue, so we can head over there afterwards.”

  Lizzie put her tote over her shoulder and hesitated. “Maybe I’ll just head back home after the game. I don’t need to play third wheel.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Charlie argued, nudging her elbow as they walked to the clinic where they’d parked. “Half the town was invited, including Robin from the office. Besides, I know for a fact that Sarah expects you.”

  Lizzie frowned. “How do you know that?”

  Charlie laughed. “Because I ran into her at the grocery store and she said to be sure I brought you with us.”

  Lizzie didn’t argue. She could always make up an excuse later if she didn’t want to go. Right now she was actually having fun. The sun was hot on her hair, her nose was sweating just a little bit around the nosepiece of her sunglasses, and she was thirsty for water now that she’d finished her vanilla soft-serve cone.