by Amy Ruttan
“Sure. I can come for dinner.”
“Great!” Mo beamed.
“Will Joe Jr. know where you live?” Evelyn asked, her stomach swirling as every fiber of her being told her she was foolish for agreeing to have dinner with a widower and his daughter.
Derek nodded. “Yes, he’ll know. We’ll see you at seven?”
“Bye, Evie!” Mo chirped happily as Derek walked out of the exam room with his daughter in his arms.
Evelyn let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding as she tried to figure out a way to get out of it without hurting Mo’s feelings, but the more she thought about it the more she realized she was stuck.
What harm can come from one little dinner?
She sighed, thinking those were famous last words—because she knew exactly what the harm could be. How it could tear someone’s heart apart.
She needed to find a way out of this. Not only for her sake, but for little Mo’s heart too.
CHAPTER SIX
WHAT DO YOU bring to dinner with a man who probably hates you and his cute five-year-old daughter? That was the crux of the matter.
And that was an overreaction. Derek didn’t hate her. He didn’t know her. He tolerated her, and that was something different.
She couldn’t blame him for being a bit cool.
She got why he was defensive about his practice—especially in light of Dr. Pearson messing up earlier. It was hard trying to protect your patients and raise a child on your own. She’d seen her father struggle. And if she was in the same position she would be untrusting of temporary doctors creating more work for her or jeopardizing her patients.
So, she was not really looking forward to this dinner, but she’d put on her best face and get through it.
And if there was one thing her grandmother had taught her about attending dinner parties it was that you didn’t go empty-handed, but Evelyn had no idea what to bring. She finally settled on a bottle of wine that she’d found in the apartment and then went next door to Sally’s before the bakery closed and bought the cupcakes that Sally told her Mo particularly liked.
Joe Jr. picked her up in the cab.
“Hey, Evie, I was surprised to get your call.”
Evelyn slid in beside him. “Why is that?’
Joe shrugged. “The other doctors never went out. Never really socialized. Well, except Dr. Pearson—but he had his own car and usually he went to Hoonah or a bigger community to socialize.”
“I guess I’m the exception.”
“Where are you headed?” Joe asked.
“Dr. Taylor’s place. He said you would know the directions.”
“I sure do,” Joe said, nodding. “It’s just outside of town.”
“Great.”
Joe headed down the main street and they chatted easily about things, but when they turned off the main road toward a gravel road that wound its way through the forest Evelyn’s pulse kicked up a notch.
The trees were denser, but she recognized each curve and bend in the road.
It can’t be.
Her stomach flip-flopped and then bottomed out when Joe pulled up at the end of the road and she found herself staring at the little log house that was set in the forest near the water.
She knew this road.
She’d memorized it in her dreams, though as the years had gone on it had faded, but now, as she gazed at the little cabin, she knew without a doubt where she was.
The place she’d dreamed about. The place she’d longed for. One of the last places she’d truly been happy because her father had been alive and they had been happy together.
Home.
Except it wasn’t home. Not her home. Not anymore.
“Here we are!” Joe said.
“Thanks, Joe.” Evelyn paid him and then slipped out of the taxi. She waved as Joe drove away and then just stood in front of the place she’d once called home. If she closed her eyes she could almost see herself running from the front door and down toward the water to greet her father.
She could still smell the scent of pine in the wood stove on those cold winter nights.
And she could remember how empty the house had felt when she’d realized that her father was never coming home.
The door opened and Derek stepped out.
“Evelyn? Have you been standing out here long?”
“Not long.” Evelyn smiled and held out the box of cupcakes. “For Mo. How is she feeling?”
“She’s asleep,” Derek said, taking the cupcakes.
“Do you want me to come back? I can call Joe...” In fact she was slightly relieved that maybe she’d be able to get out of this dinner and she wouldn’t have to spend any time in this house.
“No, come in.”
“I’m not sure I can,” she said.
“Why?” Derek asked, confused. “Is it because of me?”
“No.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Then what is it? It was Mo’s invitation, wasn’t it? It freaked you out. Look, it shocked me too. She’s never really taken to someone like that before.”
“It’s not Mo’s invitation. It’s complicated.”
A warm smile tugged at his lips and it sent a zing of electricity through her. His smile made her weak in the knees, and he was so much more tempting when that smile was directed at her. It was a potent smile.
“Complicated I get,” he said gently.
Evelyn chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear in a nervous twitch. “I just didn’t expect... I didn’t expect you to live here.”
Derek turned and looked back at his house. “Something wrong with my house?”
Evelyn bit her lip and then sighed. “I used to live here, Derek. This used to be my home before I was taken away.”
* * *
There were a lot of excuses that Derek had been expecting to hear from her.
Before Vivian, women had come on to him all the time, even if he hadn’t been interested in them, but they’d soon lost interest in him when he’d told them his plans to move to Alaska.
He tried once to date, a couple of years after Vivian had died, but the woman had learned he had a daughter, emotional baggage in the form of a deceased wife, and a practice that took up a lot of his time. It had been enough to scare her away and had soured him on dating anyone.
Which had always been fine with him. Until now.
He’d seen the look of shock in Evelyn’s eyes when he’d explained that Mo was his daughter and that he was a widower. He’d seen that pity and he didn’t want it. Not from her.
He wanted something completely different from her. Derek didn’t want Evelyn just to see him as a single dad and a widower. He enjoyed working with her. It felt natural and she kept him focused. She chased away the nightmares. The numbness. He wanted her to see him as just himself.
Who he really was.
And who is that?
He wasn’t sure he knew anymore.
All he knew was that look of pity with the head-tilt, and he didn’t want to see it from her.
He’d honestly been expecting her to call and cancel the dinner, even though such a call would have absolutely devastated Mo. So he was happy she was here, because of Mo’s feelings, but when she hadn’t come in right away he’d been pretty sure she was going to bolt.
He hadn’t been expecting her to say that his home had once been hers. And he’d had no idea that he was living in Dr. Thorne Saunders’ home. Evelyn’s childhood home. He’d bought it from a logger who’d worked here in Wolf’s Harbor for a few summers and then decided to join a crab fishing boat. He’d sold the home to Derek when he’d first arrived and then Vivian had moved in.
He knew about Evelyn’s past—sort of. Different people had told him about her parents dying and her having to leave Wolf’s Harbor, but that was it.
> People didn’t talk about Thorne Saunders besides saying he’d been an excellent doctor. And no one had told him this was Thorne’s former home. The name on the deed before the man he’d bought this house from was L. Yazzie, and he’d assumed it had belonged to the Yazzie family at one point. He hadn’t known the connection between the Yazzies and Thorne until recently.
Now it made perfect sense. He just hadn’t seen it before, even though Evelyn had had that emotional reunion with Joe Yazzie when she’d first arrived.
He could only imagine what she was going through, but though he knew he should tell her it would be OK to leave or call Joe to come get her, he didn’t want her leaving.
He was lonely, and Evelyn was someone bright, vibrant. Someone who excited him. And he wanted her to stay. He wanted to talk to an adult. To have a conversation and enjoy a glass of wine.
“Come inside,” he said, surprising himself.
This was not treating Evelyn like all the other doctors who’d come through town. He’d never invited them over. They’d never known he had a daughter.
Yeah, but none of them had really cared about this place beyond serving their time.
Evelyn came from Wolf’s Harbor. She had an emotional investment in the people. She cared. And it was nice to have that in common with another physician in town.
Derek wanted her to stay, even if he knew it would be hard for her and for him. He liked working with her. He liked talking with her about medicine. He was lonely for that.
Evelyn coming here was like a breath of fresh air—one he didn’t want to end.
He’d felt as if he was suffocating before.
Evelyn nodded and he gently placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her in. Just that simple touch did something to him. It sent a zing of anticipation, of electricity through him and he was taken aback by it.
It made him think things that weren’t chaste.
Don’t think of her like that.
Only around her, it seemed, he couldn’t help himself, and constantly thought about her like that. He thought about what it would be like to run his hands through her hair, to taste her lips and feel her body flush against his.
You’re treading on dangerous ground.
Derek snatched his hand back as quickly as he’d placed it there. Then shut the door as Evelyn stood in the foyer and stared up at the exposed beams.
“Wow, it’s brighter in here. I don’t remember the exposed beams.”
“Yeah, I did some renovations when I first bought the place. It was a bit dark...” He closed his eyes, cursing himself inwardly. Maybe her father had built this home and he was insulting it.
Evelyn smiled at him and unwound the scarf she was wearing to hang it up on the hook by the door. “Yes, it was. It was cozy, but I like the exposed beams and the skylights. That’s a nice touch.”
“Thanks. The kitchen is in the back still.” Derek started walking toward the kitchen that he’d updated as well.
Evelyn followed him silently and it was awkward. You could cut the tension with a knife.
Why couldn’t this be easier?
You know why. It’s because you find her attractive and you hate yourself just a little right now.
There was no time for him to think of his selfish wants or desires. He was a dad first and a doctor second. That was all.
He didn’t deserve anything else.
He couldn’t get involved with someone who would leave town in a couple of months, and he certainly didn’t want Mo to get attached to someone who was leaving soon.
He set the box of cupcakes down on the counter and ran a hand over his head, unsure of what to do. It had been long time since he’d been on a date.
This is not a date. It’s a dinner for a colleague. It’s a thank-you dinner.
“Is everything okay with you?” Evelyn asked, standing in the kitchen door.
“Yeah. I... I didn’t think that you would come,” he admitted.
Evelyn chuckled. “Truth?”
“Yeah.”
“I almost didn’t,” she said.
He smiled and then they both laughed nervously, the tension melting away.
“I will say it’s not because of Mo. That’s not the reason why I almost didn’t come.”
“Then what is it?” he asked, shocked but secretly pleased. Usually it was his status as a single dad that threw women off.
“You haven’t exactly been friendly or welcoming to me since I arrived. Though if you had to deal with Dr. Pearson for the last month I can understand a fraction of that and I don’t even know the man.”
“Ah, yes. I have to apologize about that.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
He nodded. “I have control issues when it comes to my clinic.”
She laughed gently. She had a beautiful smile.
“I hadn’t noticed.”
“I care a lot about my patients.”
“I have noticed that, and I admire it.”
His pulse kicked up a notch at the compliment. “You do? Most people...they don’t understand that.”
“I do.”
“I know. It’s refreshing.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Most doctors who come through here don’t care. They do their time, don’t interact and move on. You seem to care. You put yourself out there to get to know your patients.”
“I love my job, and an important part of the job is trust. I give it my all. And Wolf’s Harbor was my home once. My father loved his patients too. Coming here is a way to honor him.” She looked away, pink coloring her cheeks, as if she was afraid of him seeing her get emotional.
It touched him. Deeply.
There was much to admire about Evelyn Saunders.
Dammit. It was going to be hard to treat her like all the others who’d come before her.
“Well, I’m truly sorry if I’ve been cold to you. Thank you for coming here and making Mo’s night—despite the fact you think I’m an intolerable grump.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Take a seat in the living room and I’ll bring it out.”
Evelyn nodded and headed to the living room while Derek pulled down two wineglasses from a cupboard. He opened the red wine she’d brought and poured two glasses. He looked at the label and was surprised she’d been able to get such an expensive bottle of wine in Wolf’s Harbor.
He picked up the glasses and set them on a tray that also held some cheese and crackers.
Evelyn was sitting on the large sectional couch that was set in front of the fire that he’d started. She was staring up at the wooden beams in awe. Or at least he hoped it was awe and not something like boredom.
He thought again how it really had been a while since he was on a date.
This isn’t a date. Remember that.
He cringed inwardly. This wasn’t a date. He was not on a date.
“This still looks the same,” she remarked. “I’m glad you kept this the same.”
“I didn’t really change this room. I liked it cozy,” he said as he set the tray on the coffee table and then handed her a glass.
“Wow,” she said.
“What?” he asked, sitting down next to her.
“You are so neat and organized. Your house is immaculate. Very smooth compared to what Dr. Pearson left me.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled.
“Well, my mom has a very successful catering company in Chicago so I grew up learning how to entertain, I suppose. I was a waiter for many years when I was working my way through college. As for the cleanliness—that’s thanks to a cleaning lady and the fact that Mo and I don’t spend much time here. I’m sure if I were a stay-at-home dad t
his place would be a lot more disorganized.”
“Order is something you can control.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“The clinic is immaculate too. You like to be able to control things, and when things are out of your hands you don’t like it. I get it. I respect it. Because I’m the same way.”
“I’m glad,” Derek said quietly, and they sat in silence, listening to the fire crackle and trying to ignore the awkward silence between them.
“Thanks for your help today and for cleaning up the mess I left,” she said.
“It’s okay. It’s just...it was intense today, but you were there for Christina and you were amazing.”
“Yeah, she’s stable now, and they fixed the tear in her uterine wall. She had a fibroid, and with the force of her labor and a frank breech birth it tore. I didn’t know she had fibroids. Of course, she was supposed to have the baby turned by Dr. Pearson and that never happened.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not too impressed with him.”
“There’s something else.” Evelyn set her wineglass down on the table. “Jennifer Yazzie’s measurements have been small.”
“Are you still concerned about intrauterine growth restriction?”
“Yeah.” She sighed sadly.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know a lot about that. You don’t encounter it much up here.”
“It’s okay. It’s just that you seemed bothered by it before when I brought it up,” she said.
“Well, I worry about... My wife died here after giving birth to Mo. If she’d been in a city she would’ve survived.”
“I’m sorry.”
And she reached out to touch him, placing her delicate hand on his thigh. There was no pity in her beautiful deep brown eyes. Just heartfelt sympathy.
He shrugged, but said nothing else. It still ate at him. He should’ve got Vivian to a hospital, but her pregnancy had been textbook and she’d wanted a home birth.
It’s your fault. You should’ve convinced her to go to Juneau.
“So is there anything else?” he asked, ignoring that voice in his head—the voice that kept him up at night, reminding him how he’d failed Vivian.
“Well, I see that Dr. Pearson suspected intrauterine growth restriction, but I don’t think he told her.”
