by J. H. Croix
I bit back another curse. Even if she made me tense, I wasn’t an asshole and prone to telling women to go to hell. I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair as I let my breath out in a sigh. I might’ve been annoyed, but I wasn’t an idiot. “Fine. I get your point. Helen said the same thing. She’s just a little easier to persuade than you,” I said, flashing a grin.
I couldn’t say why, but that streak of purple relaxed me. I supposed it cued me to the fact Dr. Lane might not be as uptight as I’d assumed. Dr. Lane‘s lips twitched, but she didn’t say anything. Something about her made me want to ruffle her feathers. Big time.
Except for days like today, the only other times I’d seen her had been on the heels of shift when I was dirty and grimy from dealing with a fire. Perhaps that was why she set me off—the contrast of her tidy form in comparison to mine. I was a hotshot firefighter, so when I came in after a day’s work, I was about the opposite of tidy. It also annoyed me to no end to deal with injuries. I’d now landed in Dr. Lane’s office twice due to dislocating my shoulder.
“So you don’t mind waiting another two weeks?” she asked.
I shrugged, my shoulder giving a slight twinge as I did, which should’ve been my cue that waiting was smart. I was bored out of my fucking mind being off of duty. It wasn’t that I couldn’t work. There was plenty to do, but I was relegated to light duty tasks when I preferred myself to throw myself into work. I loved my job as a firefighter. I loved the hard work and the physical challenge.
“I’ll manage it,” I finally said, sliding my hips off the examination table and standing.
It just so happened that Dr. Lane stepped off of the rolling stool at precisely the same time. When I lifted my head, I found her standing barely more than an inch away from me. Remember how I said she made me tense?
Lust slammed through me at her nearness. She smelled good, a wisp of lavender drifting up to me. Her eyes flicked up to mine, widening slightly. This close, I noticed her gray eyes contained a hint of violet. Her mouth parted slightly when she gasped, drawing my eyes right to her lips. I’d never even noticed her lips before.
Just now, I became acutely aware that they were full and soft. Damn, I wanted to kiss her. She stepped back quickly, her hips bumping into the counter against the wall behind her. The clipboard she’d been holding clattered to the floor.
“Oh shit!” she blurted out as she leaned over to pick it up.
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how I looked at it, I leaned down reflexively at the same time. Our hands brushed and a jolt of electricity zinged through my arm. Her head bumped into my shoulder.
When she straightened, her cheeks were flushed pink. If I thought I’d wanted to kiss her a minute ago, now it was close to irresistible. I shackled the urge.
Meanwhile, the tidy Dr. Lane looked flustered and embarrassed. For the first time, I wasn’t annoyed with her. She finally seemed human.
“So you swear,” I said with a wink.
Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. “Obviously I swear,” she finally said.
It was almost as if I could see her internally gather herself back together. She straightened, smoothed a hand over her hair, and then adjusted her glasses. I was starting to get the idea that might be a nervous habit of hers. I’d have given just about anything to see her hair loose.
My words were ahead of my brain. “Do I make you nervous?”
Slick dude. Because that’ll help her relax.
I caught myself about to roll my eyes at my own thoughts.
Dr. Lane looked taken aback by my question. She adjusted her glasses again, looking down at the clipboard I held in my hands. I handed it over to her, and she clutched it tightly to her chest.
“I don’t know if nervous is the right word,” she finally said. “You seem annoyed whenever you’re here, and I’m sorry for that.”
Her answer took me off guard. “Oh.” For a moment, I almost denied that I’d been annoyed both times I’d been here. But what the hell? It was the truth. Until now that was.
I shrugged. “Sorry about that. It’s not your fault I dislocated my shoulder twice. I don’t like being injured.”
She smiled—and promptly took my breath away.
Her face transformed, her eyes tilting at the corners and her warm smile softening her sharp features. “I don’t suppose anyone likes being hurt. Plus, you have a demanding job, and I imagine it’s hard for you to take a break.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I answered wryly, shackling my body’s out of control response to her. I needed to get out of this small room because her scent was filling my head and making me crazy. Just as I considered what to say to quickly leave, there was a knock at her door.
Charlie
I stared into Jesse Franklin’s eyes, little charges of electricity tingling through me from where we’d collided. My cheeks were hot, and I was flustered. But then, every time I saw Jesse Franklin, I was flustered. His gaze held mine—a rich, clear green. I’d never seen a man with eyes like his. With his dark amber hair tousled and wavy, his fit body, and his rugged features—a strong jaw, a prominent nose and angular cheekbones—well, he was unnervingly handsome.
His eyelashes were so thick, they nearly curled to touch his cheeks. It didn’t seem quite fair for man to have eyelashes like that. Nature had been generous to Jesse Franklin in the looks department. His mouth had a sensual look to it, always making me think completely inappropriate thoughts. He was a patient for god’s sake. He’d only been to see me for his dislocated shoulder. But still.
I clutched the clipboard to my chest as if it could shield me from the heat dancing through my body. For the first time ever, he didn’t seem annoyed with me. As I tried to gather my scattered thoughts into something sensible, there was a knock at the door. Thank God. My body had been frozen in place about an inch from Jesse whose physical presence was so potent, it made me a little crazy.
I stepped back, nearly dropping the clipboard again. Quickly opening the door, I found my medical assistant Rachel there. She smiled, glancing between Jesse and me. “Mrs. Stan is here to see you.”
I stared at her, her warm blue gaze unable to calm the anxiety that suddenly swirled inside of me. Mrs. Stan was code for a personal issue that had become way too common in my life lately. Worry galloped through my thoughts. I started to hurry out the door, coming to an abrupt stop when Jesse said my name.
“Do I need to make another appointment?” he asked.
Flustered, I turned back to him, adjusting my glasses and trying not to sound too worried. “Of course you do. I’m sorry to rush off. Just a small emergency. Sandy in reception will schedule your next follow up. In the meantime, keep going to see Helen and I’m confident in two weeks, we’ll be able to clear you for work.”
Jesse held my gaze for a beat, and yet again heat bloomed through me. Under the circumstances, I couldn’t believe my body’s reaction to him. Because lately, my life had been anything but inviting for desire or romance. In fact, I’d put those ideas on ice.
As I started hurrying down the hallway, Jesse walked with me, easily keeping pace with his long stride. I was too frazzled to make polite conversation, turning into the door that led to my private office as soon as I reached it.
“I’ll see you in a two weeks,” I said quickly before stepping into my office and closing the door behind me. Leaning against it with a sigh, I took several slow breaths to calm my pulse. I couldn’t relax though. I hurried over to my desk, snatching my cell phone off of it and hitting speed dial.
My mother picked up on the first ring. “Where are you? Your father’s not home yet, and this doesn’t seem like home.”
A bite of grief slammed into me. I took a slow breath and swallowed my tears. “Hey Mom, I’ll be home in just a little bit, okay?”
“Where is your father?” she countered, her voice confused.
“He won’t be here tonight,” I finally said.
I listened as she asked me a fe
w more questions, and I answered with my usual rote answers, trying to keep my tone level and the worry out of my voice. After I hung up, there was a quick knock at my door. “Come in,” I called out.
Rachel stepped through the door, closing it behind her. “Everything okay with your mom?”
I looked up into her warm gaze. I wanted to burst into tears, but now definitely wasn’t the time. “She’s fine. I wish she would remember my dad’s dead.” My heart thumped another beat of grief.
Rachel’s eyes searched my face, but I battened down the hatches inside and took a deep breath. I could handle this. Snagging my coffee mug off my desk, I took a sip of the long cold coffee, the cool bitterness fortifying me.
“Hey, at least Jesse Franklin wasn’t too cranky with me today,” I said with a chuckle.
Rachel grinned. “I noticed.” She paused, cocking her head to the side with a gleam entering her gaze. “I think he likes you.”
“Huh?” I asked as I shrugged into my jacket and snatched my purse off of my desk.
“Exactly what I said. He was watching your ass the whole time we walked down the hallway.”
A flash of heat scored me, but I ignored it.
“Um, I think you’re crazy. No way was Jesse Franklin checking out my ass.”
“Way,” Rachel countered with a grin. “He totally was.”
“So what? He’s my patient and the last thing I have time for is anything related to romance.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You know Dr. Johnson met his wife here in the clinic, right? We’re almost in the middle of nowhere, and the only thing you’ve treated Jesse for is a dislocated shoulder. Get over it.”
I reached her side, curling my hand around the doorknob. “I have a niece and a mother to take care of and that’s my whole life.”
Opening the door, I brushed past her. She called out after me. “Yeah, well maybe it would be good to expand your horizons.”
I didn’t reply because I couldn’t. I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed to go, or the tears pressing hot at the backs of my eyes and the emotion tightening my throat would let loose. Hurrying down the hallway, I mentally ran through what I needed to pick up at the grocery store before racing home as fast as possible.
Jesse Franklin, whether or not he had been staring at my ass, wasn’t a man I could consider. I barely had time for fantasies. Not to mention, if he knew anything about my crazy life, he’d run far and fast in the opposite direction. Any sane man would.
Jesse
A week had passed since my last appointment with the delectable Dr. Lane. Damn. She’d kept my thoughts occupied to say the least. Just a few seconds of her guard down and she’d set my body on fire. I was oddly looking forward to my next doctor’s appointment. I was still impatient to be cleared for work because I was bored out of my fucking mind.
Meanwhile, that afternoon my dog was pacing by the windows, whining and occasionally barking, his gaze focused on the trees to the side of my house. Waffle was a mutt, although the vet was pretty confident she was mostly hound. She had floppy ears and silky fur with black and gold markings. The last time she’d been like this, I’d discovered a few hikers on the back of my property. I didn’t mind the live and let live life style in Alaska, but I wasn’t cool with people walking on my property without my permission.
With Waffle at my side, I headed out into the trees through the melting, patchy snow. I knew I wouldn’t have to look too long because she’d lead me straight to whatever, or whoever, had her worked up. A few minutes later, I reached the back corner of my property. I watched Waffle sniff along a set of footprints following a trail that ran from my property to the adjoining property.
Puzzled, I followed her, eyeing the meandering path of footprints. They weren’t what I expected. I’d have expected hiking boot treads and most likely larger. These footprints were small and barely much larger than the size of my own hand. They were small enough, I even wondered if it was a kid just wandering around. Within a few minutes, the sound of Waffle bounding through the trees slowed.
Magpies chattered in the forest around me and nearby squirrels made all kinds of racket, clearly offended by our presence here. Glancing up, my mouth dropped open. An elderly woman garbed in a flowing skirt and blouse was looking down at Waffle and stroking a hand down her back. She stood on a small rise, looking out over a valley in the distance.
This part of Alaska was a mix of mostly spruce forest mingled with birch and cottonwood. Willow Brook was in the foothills of the Alaska Range, offering small valleys and openings amongst the trees. This section of land belonged to Claire Parker, who had moved out of state years back and rented the home on her property. I didn’t actually know who was renting it at the moment.
I approached the woman, completely puzzled as to what she was doing out here. She most certainly wasn’t dressed for the weather. It was early spring, technically, which didn’t mean much. There was still snow on the ground and winter held the air in its teeth, the sharp bite of cold still strong. A skirt and blouse would be no match against hypothermia if she were out here for long. She was engrossed in petting Waffle, talking to her softly.
“Hello?” I called as I approached.
She turned, a gentle smile breaking across her face. “Hello,” she replied as if it was perfectly normal to be standing in the woods this time of year wearing sneakers, but otherwise dressed as if she were going out for dinner. Her face was lined and weathered. She was quite lovely with long black hair shot through with silver, held back with a barrette on the top of her head. Her eyes were wide and gray with a hint of violet to them. She reminded me of someone, but the situation was so incongruous, I couldn’t put my finger on who.
“I’m looking for Danny,” she said as if I should know who that was.
I wasn’t familiar with anyone named Danny. She looked befuddled and was clearly oblivious to the fact that if she were out here for too long, she would easily get hypothermia. Even though I didn’t know this woman at all, I decided to just be as friendly and walk her back to my place to take her down to the hospital. Calling the station at this point wouldn’t get her there any quicker. We had a good half-mile walk to my house.
“Well, I’m not sure where Danny is, but my name is Jesse. Why don’t you come with me and then maybe I can help you find him?”
She seemed to like that idea, smiling brightly. “Okay,” she said with another stroke along Waffle’s back. She walked at my side as we headed back through the woods. Waffle seemed as concerned about her as I was, sticking close to her side as we trudged slowly through the melting snow. Shrugging out of my jacket, I draped it over her shoulders when I saw the fine shiver running through her.
“I don’t think I’ve met you before,” I said conversationally.
“Oh no?” she replied, as if puzzled by this. “I’m from here. Just down the road. Charlie, Emily, Danny and me.”
“I didn’t catch your name,” I replied, hoping she’d offer it up.
She stumbled slightly when her foot caught on a root, and I steadied her with a hand.
“Oh, I’m Olive. Do you know Charlie?”
“You know, I’m not sure I do,” I offered, running through the various Charlie’s I knew locally.
Despite the rest of Olive’s outfit not making a lick of sense for this weather, she had on good sneakers. They wouldn’t keep the moisture out and certainly wouldn’t have kept her warm if she’d stayed out much longer, but they were perfectly fine for walking. In short order, we reached my place. Once we were in my truck, I called our station dispatcher Maisie to let her know I was bringing Olive into the hospital. I was concerned about her and fairly certain she was completely lost.
As soon as I explained, Maisie sighed. “Oh thank God. I didn’t even know you were on duty.”
“I’m not, but Waffle was pacing, so I took her out. We found her at the back corner of my property. What’s up?”
Maisie started to reply, but then got another call. “Gotta go.
I’ll call when I can.”
We arrived at the hospital, and Holly Blake was the nurse who met us at the ER. For that, I was relieved. I’d known Holly for a few years, and she was steady as a rock. Her blonde hair was tied up in the slapdash ponytail and her brown eyes crinkled at the corners with her smile when she saw me. She seemed to recognize Olive. Before I had a chance to ask questions, she led us to an examination room and situated Olive in a chair.
“I’ll call Charlie in just a minute,” she said to Olive. Catching my eyes, she nudged her head to the side, indicating we should step out.
Once we were in the hallway, she started to speak, but we were cut off by Dr. Lane, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. She came hurrying down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of us. “Please tell me she’s okay.”
Holly nodded quickly. “She’s fine, Charlie. Go on in,” she said, gesturing to the door.
The pieces started to fall into place. This was the Charlie Olive was talking about. What the hell was going on?
Dr. Lane, as I knew her, didn’t even bother to say hello, her eyes flicking to me and then away as she hurried into the room.
“Who is that?” I asked Holly as soon as Dr. Lane closed the door behind her.
“That’s Charlie’s mother. She has dementia, and she gets lost. A lot.”
As I stared at Holly, absorbing the implications, a sad look crossed her face. “I can’t believe what that must be like. Lately, it’s been happening almost every few days. Where did you find her?”
“Waffle was restless, whining and barking, so I thought there were some hikers on my property. I headed out to the back corner to check, and we found her instead. She was asking where Danny was.”
Holly nodded as of all of this made perfect sense. “Yeah, they live right next door to you in Claire’s place. Danny is Olive’s late husband, but she forgets he passed away a few years ago. Anyway, we’re so glad you found her.”
