Healing the Doctor’s Heart

by Kirk, Cindy

  “Why don’t you ask her?”

  “Ask me what?” Chloe asked, sliding into the booth when Kate rose to let her in.

  “Did you speak with your friend in Montana yet?” Kate asked.

  Chloe smiled broadly, showing her prominent canine teeth. “She was so excited to hear my voice she almost peed her pants.”

  “Chloe,” Joel chided.

  “That’s what she told me, Daddy.”

  A half smile tugged at his lips.

  Kate leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “What else did she have to say?”

  Chloe had just finished going through the entire conversation sentence by sentence when a red-haired girl with a Perfect Pizza T-shirt and an anxious expression stopped at the table.

  “Did you order a large ham and pineapple with cream cheese?” the restaurant employee asked.

  Kate smiled at the girl. “I did.”

  “There was a problem.” The teen’s cheeks turned as red as her hair. “But the new pizza is in the oven now. It will be ready in about ten minutes. I’m sorry for the delay.”

  “No worries,” Kate said, feeling guilty she wasn’t more distressed. “Just bring it out when it’s ready. And if you could put it in a to-go box that would be wonderful.”

  “Guess you’re stuck with us a little while longer,” Joel said, not looking sorry.

  Kate wasn’t sorry either. Even though she was still convinced keeping her distance would be best for all concerned, she was enjoying her time with Joel and Chloe. The conversation moved to braces and all things orthodontic. When her stomach growled—even more loudly—Kate finally gave in and accepted a piece of their hamburger pizza.

  She’d finished her first piece and had been laughing about something Chloe said when she heard her name being called from across the room.

  Sarabeth Brown, one of Kate’s patients, waved wildly.

  Kate swallowed a groan and waved back. That was one thing she’d quickly discovered after moving to Jackson Hole. Her pediatric patients—and their parents—were everywhere. Restaurants. Grocery stores. Gas stations. It was one reason she always liked to look her best when she went out.

  Not today, she thought with a rueful smile. Today she looked…approachable.

  As Sarabeth and her mother crossed the dining room, Kate hurriedly wiped her lips with a paper napkin.

  “We don’t want to interrupt your meal.” Mrs. Brown offered an apologetic smile. “Sarabeth saw you and insisted on coming over to say hello.”

  “Well, I’m happy she did.” Kate smiled at the blond-haired child who looked adorable in tan shorts and a hot-pink top. “Hi, Sarabeth. How are you this evening?”

  If Kate remembered correctly, the child was about Chloe’s age. She wondered if they knew each other.

  “Mom ordered the vegetarian pizza.” Sarabeth wrinkled her nose. “I like pepperoni.”

  “Sarabeth,” her mother said sharply. “Dr. Kate doesn’t want to listen to you complain when she’s out with—”

  The brunette paused, her curious gaze settling on Joel.

  “Oh, forgive my poor manners,” Kate said. “I thought you knew Joel and Chloe.”

  Before Kate could proceed with introductions, Sarabeth piped up. “I know Chloe, but I didn’t know you were her mom.”

  There was a respect in the little girl’s eyes that hadn’t been there a second before.

  “My mom died.” Chloe tensed beside Kate. “Dr. Kate is—”

  “A very good friend,” Kate said, looping an arm around Chloe’s shoulders.

  Sarabeth pulled her sandy-colored brows together. “Oh.”

  “Honey, your dad is sitting by himself. We need to go.” Mrs. Brown placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow at day camp,” Sarabeth said to Chloe. “Maybe you can be on my kickball team.”

  “Maybe.” Chloe’s tone was offhand, but the look in her eyes said she was pleased.

  After a few moments more of polite conversation, the mother and daughter headed back to their table.

  “Sarabeth is the one who didn’t invite me to her party.” A thoughtful look stole across Chloe’s face. “You know what, Dr. Kate?”

  “What, honey?”

  “You’re a good friend to have.”

  * * *

  Joel tucked the sheet up close to his daughter’s neck and brushed a kiss across her cheek. Instead of rushing off, like he’d done for much of her young life, he took a seat on the edge of her bed.

  When they’d lived in Montana, Amy had done most of the “tucking in.” He’d been busy with his business, reviewing blueprints and lining up subcontractors for the next day. On the few occasions when he had gotten Chloe ready for bed, he’d made quick work of it.

  It wasn’t until Amy was gone and he and Chloe had moved to Jackson Hole that Joel realized how much he’d missed. His wife had tried to tell him how special these end-of-the-day times were, but he hadn’t listened. Now he understood. With the lights down low, and quiet filling Chloe’s bedroom, conversation and confidences came more easily. It was during these moments that he and Chloe had their best talks.

  Like so many nights since moving to Jackson, his daughter gazed up at him. Her lids were heavy, and there was a dreamy smile on her lips. She looked so young in her pink-and-purple-striped pajamas, surrounded by her favorite stuffed animals. “We had fun tonight, didn’t we, Daddy?”

  “We sure did, princess.” Joel thought back over the evening. It certainly hadn’t gone as he’d expected. He thought they’d eat quickly and head straight home. Then Kate had arrived and rushing through the meal was suddenly the furthest thing from his mind.

  Before the past couple of days, he hadn’t really known Kate. Nothing beyond the fact that she was a good and caring doctor. Even though they’d attended many of the same parties, she’d always seemed cool and unapproachable outside of her office. Whenever they had spoken, Kate had appeared to have little to say. Of course, she’d usually had a man at her side.

  After spending time alone with her, he realized she wasn’t aloof; she was shy. And she was good with Chloe.

  Joel couldn’t remember the last time his daughter had smiled so much. He knew her joy this evening had been due in large part to Kate McNeal. The doctor had kept the conversation focused on his child. Chloe had blossomed under the attention.

  “I’m glad Dr. Kate ate with us.” Chloe relaxed against her pillow, a smile of contentment on her face.

  “That was nice,” he said, still disturbed by his attraction to the doctor.

  Chloe’s lips turned upward. “I liked Dr. Kate’s ponytail.”

  “Uh-huh,” Joel murmured.

  Normally he’d have been thrilled to have his daughter so talkative, but not when all conversational roads seemed to lead to Kate McNeal. “So how’s day camp been going?”

  It was the wrong thing to say. The happiness spurted from Chloe’s face quicker than water flowing from a just-opened dam. “It’s…okay.”

  Joel remembered Kate asking him if his daughter had any friends. He recalled how embarrassed he’d felt when he had to admit he couldn’t say for sure one way or the other. What kind of father didn’t know something like that?

  “You and Sarabeth seemed to hit it off tonight.” He hesitated, feeling as uncertain as a soldier navigating a minefield. “Perhaps you could invite her over to the house to play sometime?”

  Chloe turned her face toward the wall. Even without speaking, the defeated slump to her shoulders gave him an answer he didn’t want to hear.

  “She—they—think I’m ugly.”

  Her answer was so soft that Joel didn’t understand what she’d said. He thought at first she’d said they all thought she was ugly. But that couldn’t be. His precious little girl was beautiful.

  “I’m sorry, princess,” he said. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

  With great reluctance, Chloe shifted to face him and propped herself up on her elbows. “Can I
have money to buy lip gloss?”

  The “no” had already started to form on Joel’s lips but he stopped himself.

  Did you ask her why she thought she needed makeup? Kate’s voice, whisper soft in his memory, helped him refrain.

  “Why is it so important to you to have this lipstick?”

  “Lip gloss, Daddy, not lipstick.” Her irritated huff made him want to simply say no immediately, but he silently counted to ten and waited.

  “Because all the girls wear lip gloss,” she said finally. “It makes them look pretty.”

  While Joel certainly didn’t consider himself wise to the ways of nine-year-old girls, he felt very certain that not all of the other girls her age were wearing makeup. He had to believe there were still a few sensible parents out there. And it disturbed him that his bright daughter seemed to be such a follower.

  “If everyone was jumping off a bridge, would you do it?” The second the words left his mouth, Joel realized it was the same phrase his father had used on him. And he’d always hated it.

  “You don’t understand.” Chloe’s eyes flashed. “You don’t care about me. All you care about is that stupid job. If Mom was here, she’d understand.”

  Joel felt as if he’d been shoved to the ground and kicked in the side with a steel-toed boot. Anger rumbled through him. Didn’t she realize how hard this had been for him? Didn’t she realize she wasn’t the only one hurting?

  He opened his mouth to tell her that but came to his senses just in time.

  She was the child.

  He was the adult.

  Chloe’s hands clenched into tiny fists. Every part of her body spewed defiance, from her stiffened shoulders to her eyes flashing amber fire.

  In that moment, he couldn’t see a trace—not even a glimpse—of the sweet little girl who’d insisted he come to her tea parties. The one who’d told him over and over how much she loved him.

  But Joel knew, behind the bravado, that little girl had to be in there someplace. He had to find a way to reach her.

  “How ’bout we talk more about this tomorrow, when we’re not so tired?” he said with a conciliatory smile.

  Chloe thought for a long moment, then nodded, her body relaxing again. In a few minutes her eyes fluttered shut. “I like Dr. Kate,” she murmured before falling asleep.

  “I do, too,” Joel muttered under his breath, the admission only adding to his frustration.

  While he’d enjoyed the evening immensely, the unfairness still rankled. It should have been Amy sitting next to Chloe and making her laugh. It should have been Amy casting teasing glances his way.

  And it should have been Amy he was trying to impress, not Kate.

  Joel let his gaze linger on his sleeping daughter for a couple more heartbeats before jerking to his feet, his odd mood tinged with an even more disturbing realization. Tonight, for the first time since Amy had passed away, his wife hadn’t been front and center in his thoughts.

  Instead of thinking about her, instead of remembering all the good times they’d had, he’d been fully in the moment with Kate. Her intellect and wry sense of humor had intrigued, her body had tantalized.

  Although slender as a willow branch, she had curves in all the right places. The biker shorts had shown off her slender legs to full advantage and her curves had sent his mind careening down a road he had no intention of traveling. He couldn’t be interested in Kate. Not in that way. She was Chloe’s doctor, for Christ’s sake.

  Casting one last look at his daughter, Joel stepped into the hall and quietly closed her door. The yearnings he’d experienced hadn’t been about Kate, he told himself; he’d simply been without a woman for too long. If he wasn’t careful, Widow Dombrowski at the Food Mart was going to start looking good.

  He smiled, wishing his attraction to the doctor could be so easily dismissed. The truth of the matter was, he liked Kate. He enjoyed her company. And God help him, he found her extremely sexy.

  But it had been only two years since Amy’s passing, and he and Chloe were still mourning her loss. It was much too soon to get involved with another woman. No matter how attracted he was to her.

  Chapter Six

  Kate let her hair fall loose from the clip it had been in all day and fluffed it with her fingers before pulling the keys from her purse. Since Mitzi was having dinner tonight with the doctors at her new practice, Kate planned to stop at the store on her way home and do her weekly grocery shopping.

  Grocery shopping on a Friday night? Even though it sounded pathetic, it would free up the weekend, which promised to be a busy one. Tomorrow she and Mitzi were shopping during the day and attending Travis and Mary Karen Fisher’s summer solstice party that evening. Then Sunday would be church and ice skating in the afternoon. At least if Mitzi got her way.

  Kate wondered if Joel would be at the party tomorrow. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since she sat with him and Chloe at Perfect Pizza on Monday.

  Not that she expected to, of course. He had no reason to contact her. Which is what she wanted, right? The thought was oddly depressing.

  “Dr. McNeal.” Lydia stood in the doorway. “I realize you’ve finished for the day, but one of your patients just showed up. The father thinks she’ll need stitches.”

  Kate hesitated. It had been a long week and she was ready to have it over. Still, if she didn’t see the child, the parent would be forced to take her to the E.R., which, depending on the girl’s age, could be traumatic.

  “Take her to room three, Lydia.” Kate dropped her keys back into her purse and locked the drawer. Reaching for her lab coat she rose to her feet. “Who’s the patient?”

  “Chloe Dennes,” Lydia said over her shoulder.

  For a second Kate froze. Then she jumped to her feet and hurried down the hall, pulling on her lab coat as she ran. She arrived just as Lydia was ushering Joel and Chloe into the room decorated with dancing hippos in tutus. Chloe’s green Earth Day T-shirt was stained with blood, as was the hand towel she held tightly pressed to the left side of her forehead. Joel’s face was as white as his shirt.

  “Kate.” He turned toward her and his eyes lit up. “Thank God you were still here.”

  Lydia glanced curiously at the handsome widower before returning her attention too Kate. “I’ll lock the door on my way out. Unless there’s something else I can do for you?”

  If the older woman had been a nurse or a medical assistant, Kate might have asked her to stay. But she was a front-office person who’d displayed a tendency to go woozy at the sight of blood. Thankfully the woman kept her gaze averted from Chloe.

  “We’ll be fine, Lydia. Thanks for offering,” Kate told her. “Have a good weekend.”

  Instead of immediately taking out any supplies, Kate wheeled a stool in front of where the child now sat. Joel had taken the chair next to his daughter, but Chloe had positioned herself in the seat as if to get as far away from him as possible. Kate also noticed the girl refused to look at him. Very odd.

  Kate looked into the girl’s tear-filled eyes and her heart overflowed with love. Mitzi had been right. This wasn’t just another patient. Kate would do whatever necessary to help her daughter.

  “I’m going to take good care of you, Chloe.” Kate kept her voice calm and soothing. “Understand?”

  The little girl sniffled, then nodded.

  With great gentleness, Kate removed the towel Chloe held against her head. In addition to a half-centimeter gash that had stopped bleeding, there was a nasty bruise beginning by her eye. A dark discoloration and swelling that Kate knew would look worse before it got better.

  It was the type of injury often seen after a punch to the eye or a hard slap to the side of the face. A sense of unease crept up Kate’s spine. She didn’t want to be suspicious, but between the injury and Chloe’s behavior, something wasn’t right.

  “Is she going to need stitches?” Joel’s eyes were filled with worry, his jaw tight with strain. Splatters of blood dotted his white shirtfront.


  Kate forced a smile to her lips. “Joel, would you mind leaving Chloe and me alone for a few minutes?”

  “Leave?” His brows slammed together. “Why would I leave? If you’re worried I’m going to faint I can assure you that—”

  “Nothing like that.” Kate placed a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. “I simply need to speak with Chloe for a few minutes.”

  “’S okay, Daddy.” Chloe’s gaze remained on the doctor. “Dr. Kate will take care of me.”

  Joel reluctantly pulled to his feet. “I’ll be right outside in the hall,” he said to his daughter, completely ignoring Kate.

  Kate knew she’d made him angry but it couldn’t be helped. With the cut above Chloe’s eye and the surrounding skin starting to blacken, their office protocol—and the law—required she interview the child alone. As much as it pained her to do it, she had no choice.

  Opening up an ice pack, Kate handed it to Chloe and had her press the coldness against her rapidly swelling eye. “I need you to tell me what happened.”

  Chloe’s gaze dropped to her lap. “I lost my balance and hit the edge of the coffee table.”

  That might explain the laceration. It didn’t explain the black eye and the way the child was acting.

  “What about your eye?”

  The child chewed on her lip. “I hit it on the floor when I fell?”

  Kate noted Chloe had answered with a question, as if searching for an acceptable explanation. Red flags began popping up in her head.

  “Is that what happened?”

  Chloe nodded vigorously, then winced.

  “What were you doing when you fell?”

  The little girl’s shoulders lifted together in a shrug. “I dunno.”

  A shiver of unease rippled through Kate. The fact that Chloe’s eyes refused to meet hers when she was answering told her the child was hiding something.

  She clenched her hands into fists. If Joel had hurt her…

  No, he wouldn’t hurt Chloe. There had to be another explanation. Kate drew in a deep, steadying breath. “Chloe, look at me.”

  After several long heartbeats the child lifted her gaze. Tears shimmered in the hazel depths.