by Cate Beauman
“Hey. Nice digs we’ve got.” He gestured toward the cabin.
“It’s pretty great. I guess if you’re going to ask people to spend several months in a place with no amenities they have to provide something.” She put the speculum back and slid the drawer closed.
“It looks like you’re busy.”
“A little.” She swiped at a strand of hair tickling her cheek.
“When you have a minute I’m hoping I can get a quick tour. I’m trying to get a lay of the land so we can figure out how we want to do things.”
She frowned. “Do what exactly?”
He stepped farther into the room and leaned against the doorframe, showing off his broad shoulders and bulging biceps beneath the short sleeves of his white tee as he crossed his arms. “I figured you and Tyson had a chance to talk.”
“I’ve been in here pretty much since I arrived Monday. I’m afraid we didn’t see much of each other, which reminds me—I forgot to tell you about the order sheet on the kitchen counter. We have to submit our food and supply list to some company in Lexington by tonight. I guess someone brings the stuff down bi-weekly.”
“I’ll take a look.”
She nodded. “So what exactly is it that you and I need to figure out?”
“We’ll, you’ve got a shit-ton of pills locked up in a safe somewhere around here that a lot of folks would love to get their hands on.”
“I’m aware of the drug problems here in the area.”
“My job is to keep the pharmaceuticals where they belong.”
“Okay, but I can’t have you compromising my patients’ privacy by randomly popping your head in at inconvenient times.”
He raised his brow as he glanced around the messy space.
“When I have patients, which I will.” And the idea terrified her.
“We’re going to have to come up with something.”
For forty-eight hours straight she’d been distracted with the chores of preparing her new place. Shane was forcing her to think beyond that, and she wasn’t ready. “I need—I’m taking a break.” She brushed passed him and stepped outside, sitting on the step in the slowly fading sunlight.
Moments later Shane stood behind her. “Look, Doc, I’m not sure what I just said to get under your skin, but we’re going to have to work together here. Part of my job—the majority of my job—is to waste the next three months of my life guarding a safe full of painkillers.”
She looked up, meeting his gaze, trying not to be disappointed in a man she didn’t even know. “You don’t want to be here.”
He shrugged. “I am, so I’ll make the best of it.”
They both looked toward the road as a branch snapped. Raising her hand, Reagan waved to the man walking by, as she did everyday. He never waved back.
“Friendly folks.”
She looked up again. “They don’t know me or trust me.” But they would eventually. “The ‘doctor’ who was here before me didn’t do his job. It doesn’t sound like anyone did. That’ll make doing mine harder. If you don’t want to be here you should go too.”
“Unfortunately that’s not an option. I’m not losing my job because I walked away from an obligatory stint in the woods.”
She shook her head and let out an exasperated laugh. “No wonder this entire program has been a joke. If everyone’s attitude has been as poor as yours, I can’t blame the people for staying away.” She stood. “I don’t want you in my clinic during hours of operation. My goal is to help this community, not drive the families further away. You can come in and count your pills or do whatever you have to when I’ve left for the night.” She closed herself inside and flipped the lock in place, determined to get back to work and make a difference.
Chapter Three
Shane dug deep, puffing his way through the last hill on his ten-mile trek on the treadmill. He’d slept like shit, tossing and turning for most of the night. Instead of lying in bed staring at the ceiling, he’d thrown back the covers, pulled on his socks and shoes, and started his workout before the crack of dawn. His arms and pecs still ached from the grueling reps he’d paced himself through, but the mild discomfort of one too many sets was better than focusing on his behavior yesterday.
He winced, remembering Reagan’s exasperated words and disapproving eyes as she thoroughly shamed him before locking him out of the clinic. Puffing out another breath, he slowed his pace to a jog, waiting to catch her before she disappeared for the day. He definitely owed her an apology. Reagan had called him out on his shitty attitude, and now he would be forced to eat a little crow. Western Kentucky was his home for the foreseeable future. It was time to stop being a whiny ass and get the hell over it.
He powered off the treadmill as Reagan walked by wearing brown-cuffed cargo capris, white Keds, and a simple fitted white t-shirt. She’d pushed back her hair with a headband, leaving her knockout face unframed. “Doc.” Grabbing his towel, he started toward the kitchen, wiping his drenched chest and stomach as he moved her way. “Hey, good morning.”
She glanced up as she filled her glass at the sink. “Good morning.” Shutting off the faucet, she picked up her carton of Greek yogurt.
“I made dinner last night, but you never came in. You were out pretty late.” He’d waited for her until well after eleven.
“Yeah, I have a lot to do.” She started toward the door, grabbing the stack of papers on the table. “Still do. I’m heading over to the mine.”
“If you wait a few minutes I’d be happy to come with you.” He wiped at the sweat trailing down his forehead.
“I’m all set.”
He settled the towel on his shoulder, reading her cues to piss off easily enough. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”
“Yeah. Bye.” She closed the door behind her.
Scratching at his damp hair, he steamed out a breath. “That went well.” He rubbed his jaw, listening to the SUV start and drive away. Doc was still frosty, and he couldn’t blame her. The Appalachia Project had fallen to shit. The lack of oversight was glaringly obvious. In little more than two years, the small school in town had closed almost before it opened, the dentistry office had been scaled back to a once-a-month walk-in clinic. The only program that was still fully operational, yet dysfunctional, was Doc’s place. Clearly she had a big heart and passion for the project’s mission. If Reagan was going to go full-throttle, he was going to help…after he showered.
~~~~
Reagan rolled into the last quarter mile of her eight-mile trek, following the directions to the main offices of Corpus Mining Company—at least, she hoped she was following them. During her fifteen-minute drive she’d realized street signs were few and far between the farther she traveled off the beaten path.
Nibbling her lip, she guessed, taking the first available left, and made her way along the bumpy dirt road, smiling her satisfaction when the mining facility came into view. She slowed, studying metal buildings and several tall, sloping structures scattered around the land, realizing they were conveyer belts as she watched the huge machines spew black chunks onto mountain-sized piles of coal.
Returning her attention to her objective, she pulled into a spot next to a white Toyota Tundra and got out, grabbing her stack of flyers. She paused, listening to the warning beeps of trucks backing up and the rattling of the long belts carrying coal to the top. Turning, she moved to what appeared to be the office and stepped in, smiling at the fifty-something receptionist typing on a computer, her nameplate identifying her as Josephine. “Good morning.”
Josephine returned her smile. “Mornin’, honey.”
“I was wondering if Phil McPhee might be available.”
“I think he might have a few minutes. Can I tell him your name?”
“Yes. I’m Reagan Rosner, the new physician with the Black Bear Gap Clinic.”
The warmth in Josephine’s smile dimmed several notches. “Just a minute please.” The heavyset woman stood and walked off, giving a quick rap on the door behind h
er desk, and stepped in. Moments later she reappeared with a thin, balding man dressed in a pale-blue button-down and jeans.
“Can I help you, ma’am?”
Reagan stepped forward, trying another smile. “Mr. McPhee, I’m Reagan Rosner.” She outstretched her hand. “I’m the new doctor at the Black Bear Gap Clinic.”
He returned her shake. “What can I do for you, doctor?”
“Well, I know your company employs several members of the Black Bear Gap community. I wanted to come out and introduce myself and pass along these flyers.” She handed over the stack she’d made. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to work together to help the folks here in The Gap improve their health.”
“Ms. Rosner, I’m sure I don’t have to be tellin’ you people ‘round here aren’t much for outsiders.”
“Yes, I understand. That’s why I was hoping—”
“I imagine I should also be tellin’ you we here at Corpus Minin’ have our own doctor who comes to check up on our men every few months or so.”
“Yes—”
“We’re a dyin’ breed, Ms. Rosner. Kentucky minin’s not as strong as it once was. Our company’s small—doesn’t pay near as much as many of the others—but we take care of our own. We’re doin’ our best to keep operational for as long as we can.”
“That’s wonderful. I came today hoping you might be able to help me extend an invitation to your employee’s families and let them know I would love to help them manage their health. If your miners need anything in between visits from your own physician—”
“Like I said, we take care of our own.” He handed back the papers.
“Yes, but preventative care is—”
“Good day to you. I’m sure you know how to see yourself out.”
She wanted to make him realize how important regular medical care was, but nodded instead, knowing that pushing the issue wasn’t the right approach. “Yes. Thank you.” She opened the door, walking out into a cloud of smoke as three men stood around puffing on cigarettes. She barely stifled a groan of frustration as she took her seat behind the wheel and turned over the ignition, catching sight of Mr. McPhee watching her from the window as she reversed and made her way back toward the clinic.
“He wouldn’t even listen,” she steamed, huffing out a breath. She wasn’t foolish enough to think she could change people’s minds overnight. Never did she have illusions that the community would flock to her practice right away, but she’d hoped for support from The Gap’s biggest employer. Maybe she was an outsider affiliated with a project most of the folks around here didn’t trust, but the least Mr. McPhee could have done was give her a chance. She was reaching out, wasn’t she? She was nothing like the others who’d headed the program before her—or the man still here.
She turned on the dirt road that would take her back to the cabin, narrowing her eyes as she thought of Shane. It was people like him that were making it extremely difficult for her to do her job. She took the last curve to her new home and pulled into her spot next to the other government-issued SUV, got out, and went into the clinic, adjusting the thermostat by a few degrees. Today was going to be hot.
She glanced out the window into the bright sunshine, thinking of the small card table she remembered seeing in the storage area. Perhaps setting up a clean water station outside for anyone walking by might not be a bad idea. She set down her stack of flyers, scribbled the latest to-do on her long list, and moved to the last room in need of organizing. She’d gotten a large majority accomplished yesterday evening, working off most of her anger by the time she called it quits sometime after midnight. Shane had pissed her off with his crappy attitude, but he’d also renewed her sense of purpose.
After her nurse tucked tail and left, she’d worried that this whole situation was too much for her to take on alone. Then Shane reminded her that she was the only person the people here could count on, and she’d continued unloading supplies instead of packing her bags, promising herself that she would make a difference.
Perhaps she didn’t have the staff she needed to assist her, and maybe her confidence was still shaken, but she firmly believed that being in Black Bear Gap was right. Trauma rooms and fast-paced medicine were no longer for her, but this was…hopefully. She shook away her doubt as the front door opened.
Shane stepped in wearing carpenter shorts, a blue t-shirt, and flip-flops, the dark color of his shirt masking the magnificence of his spectacular body. He’d looked distractingly amazing standing in the kitchen with trails of sweat dripping down his cut chest and abs. And she hadn’t realized he had a tattoo—a sexy crisscross pattern encircling a solid inch of his upper right bicep. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come in here during office hours.”
“I brought you breakfast.” He held up a jumbo muffin on a napkin.
“Thanks, but I already ate.” She walked into the last of the messy rooms—this one she’d painted a soothing green—hoping Shane would get the hint that she didn’t want him around. They lived in the same house, but that was the end of their common ground.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday.” He followed her. “I was an ass.”
She dumped cotton balls into the glass jar on the table. “Okay. Thanks.”
“Doc.” He took her arm, halting her movements as he fought his way around a box, moving closer to her side. “I’m sorry.”
She dismissed the tingle of heat where his hand still rested. “I appreciate your apology.”
“But you don’t accept it.”
His gorgeous green eyes held hers as she breathed in his soap. “I think we both have jobs to do and should get to them.” She gestured to the stacks of supplies she had yet to put away. “I need to finish this room so I can start hiking tomorrow.”
He frowned. “Hiking? Where?”
“Into the hills. I want to introduce myself to the families.” If Mr. McPhee wouldn’t help her, she’d make things happen herself.
He shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
She pulled free of his grip. “There are at least fifty members of the community living in these mountains. Most don’t have access to running water and indoor plumbing, let alone cars, which means they aren’t receiving regular preventive care.”
“Are you going armed?”
“No. I don’t think carrying a weapon will send the right message. ‘I’ll shoot you, then heal you’ isn’t exactly the tone I’m going for.”
“More than one of my team members has been shot at.”
She grabbed a package of depressors, dumping them into the next glass container. “I’ll wear bright clothes.”
“It has nothing to do with hunting and everything to do with the fact that they don’t want you here.”
“But I am here.” She picked up the otoscope, checking the light against her palm, and put it back. “I need to show them that I’m here to help.”
“I’ll come with you.”
She shook her head. “That’s definitely not happening.”
“Reagan—”
“Shane—”
“I’m in charge of your safety, and I’m telling you this doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“No, you’re in charge of keeping the drugs out of the wrong hands.”
“As head of security, I’m also responsible for everyone on this property. That would include you.”
“So far I’ve avoided any local hostility.” She thought of Mr. McPhee’s chilly response, dismissing his rude behavior as slightly understandable. “Besides, you’ve made your thoughts on this project very clear. But more importantly, I can’t have non-medical personnel compromising confidentiality,” she added for good measure.
He picked up a blood-pressure cuff. “My entire career revolves around confidentiality.”
She took the cuff from him, setting it in the basket on the wall. “That may be, but you’re not medical personnel.”
“So add me to your staff. Teach me how to help you.”
She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure his angle. “Why would I do that?”
“You need the help, and I don’t have a whole hell of a lot to do.”
“I appreciate your offer, but I e-mailed the director of The Project last night. He said he’ll send someone out as soon as he can.” Which could be weeks or longer.
“It’s hard for me to put my money where my mouth is if you won’t give me a chance.” He leaned his butt against the edge of the examination table and crossed his arms at his chest. “I was a jerk yesterday; I fully admit it. I’m not crazy about being here, but I am, so let me do something worthwhile while I am.”
It was hard to argue with the unwavering determination in his eyes. Wasn’t she frustrated with Mr. McPhee because he’d written her off before he’d given her the opportunity to try? “Okay. Fine. I can use you in an unofficial medical assistant capacity for the time being.”
“All right. I’m not exactly sure what that encompasses, but sign me up.”
She nodded. “You can help me clean up this mess and familiarize yourself with where we’ll be keeping equipment, but before that I’ll need to be confident I can count on you to handle the clerical side of medicine as well as clinical.”
“Like?”
“Recording vitals—height, weight, blood pressure, basal temperature, and pulse.”
“Show me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“Come with me.” She flipped on the switch in the mauve room she would use primarily for her female patients. “Go ahead and hop up on the table.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “I like playing doctor as much as the next guy, but in the interest of full disclosure, I should probably tell you I had a complete examination last month.”
She smiled, trying not to be charmed by his easy humor. “Just get on the table.”
“You’re the boss.” He hopped up.
