by Beth K. Vogt
Sully circled her legs, whining and nudging her toward the door.
“Sorry, Sully. We’re not going for a walk now.”
She noted the time on the oven clock. Just after eight. Hmm. Heath should be done by now. He said he had two quick physicals to do for his friends and then he looked forward to spending time with her. Warmth tingled across her neck and face when she remembered the kiss that accompanied his words. The man certainly knew how to say hello—and to let her know he’d missed seeing her.
But, as she told Evie, she was old enough to take care of herself. She could resist temptation in the form of Heath Parker. Not that she had a whole lot of experience resisting temptation. The last few years had been more about work than romance. And growing up? She didn’t even need to try to maintain her reputation—much less her purity. After the embarrassment at her homecoming dance, no guy wanted to ask her out.
She wandered back to her bedroom, all the way to the farthest corner of her walk-in closet. Hidden behind the few fancier dresses she owned—bought out of necessity for residency celebrations that she attended solo—was her first-ever little black dress. Truth was, she could probably still fit into it. Some women would be proud to say they wore the same size they had in high school. But really, what woman wanted to be in her thirties and still shopping in the juniors’ department?
Kendall pulled the covering off the dress, the thin film of plastic clinging to her hands, creating static in the dry air. She held the dress up against her body, turning to the right and to the left. After all these years, the tiny sparkles woven in the black material still glinted when she held it up to the light. Wearing this dress, with its thin spaghetti straps and feminine sweep of fabric just to her knees, had made her sixteen-year-old self feel so grown up, especially when she’d slipped on the pair of black three-inch heels.
“You look stunning, Ken.” Her father stood behind her as she faced the mirror over her dresser, his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Kendall closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of grease and oil and sweat from the auto repair shop that always clung to her father’s clothes. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“So, who’s this boy that’s picking you up? He didn’t even come over and ask permission to take you to the dance.”
Kendall positioned a silver bobby pin with a tiny floral rhinestone in her hair, hoping it would make her look more feminine, despite how short her cut was. “He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just going to homecoming. His name’s Phillip and he’s a junior, like me. You’ll meet him when he comes to pick me up.”
She stepped back, wishing she had a full-length mirror so she could see the overall effect of her hair, her dress, her shoes. Maybe when Phillip saw her tonight he would have the same look of approval in his eyes that her dad did. Maybe they would go from “just friends” to something more. He asked her to homecoming—that had to mean something.
Kendall discovered exactly what Phillip’s invitation meant when he arrived at her house. They were double-dating with his best friend, Brian, and his girlfriend, Heather. From the minute she got into the car until she insisted Phillip bring her home early from the dance, she watched Heather flirt with both Brian—and Phillip. For a teenager, the girl certainly knew how to play one guy against the other.
At the high school gym, decorated in the school colors of white and green, Phillip danced with her one time, all the while watching Heather dance with Brian. Then he deserted her to go try to separate his best friend from his date.
Kendall retreated to the girls’ bathroom—and that’s where Heather found her. Heather wore her hair in long, loose curls over her shoulders. She opted for an icy blue dress that matched her eyes and shimmered against her long torso and legs. It was easy to forget Heather was the sophomore and Kendall was the junior.
“Having fun?” Heather leaned into the mirror, checking her makeup.
“Sure.” Kendall could only hope the other girl couldn’t tell she’d been crying.
“Well, you can thank me for arranging it for you.”
“What do you mean? Phillip asked me to the dance.” Although Kendall couldn’t figure out why now.
“He asked you to the dance because I told him to.”
“That’s a mean thing to say.” Kendall moved toward the exit, but Heather blocked the way.
“It’s the truth. He likes me, but I’m dating his best friend—at least for now. So I told him if he came to homecoming with someone else we could still have a chance to dance together.” The girl’s arctic-blue eyes dismissed Kendall. “But just about everyone else was already asked to the dance, so he decided to ask you.”
“You’re lying.” Kendall shoved past her, yanking the bathroom door open.
“Who is he dancing with? You or me?” Heather’s taunt followed her out into the gymnasium.
The faint scent of cinnamon pulled Kendall from the memory. She had watched Phillip that night. He jockeyed for position with his best friend, dancing every dance he could with Brian’s date. Kendall stood in the corner, wishing she were truly invisible instead of just feeling that way. She finally demanded that Brian take her home. When her father asked her why she was home before eleven, she told him she had a migraine. It was the only time she ever lied to him.
Kendall slipped the dress back behind the other dresses, hiding it from view. Why did she even keep it?
Exiting the closet, Kendall noticed the aroma of cinnamon grew stronger, tinged with the smell of something burning. Her cake!
An acrid billow of smoke rolled out of the oven when she opened it. Why oh why had she gotten lost back in high school? Turning off the oven, she slammed the door shut. Best to leave the ruined cake in there. Heath would have to settle for coffee.
Where was he? He should be finished with two physicals by now.
Was he having problems shutting down the computer system? Kendall slipped on a pair of teal ballet flats, deciding to go downstairs. Wait. He wasn’t planning on accessing medical records. He said that he would do a simple history and physical, using paper documents. Although he expressed admiration for Kendall’s electronic medical records system when he found her working on patient notes. Despite Kendall’s assuring him the system was easy to work—even showing him the first few steps—Heath insisted plain old paper and pen were fine for him.
The lights in the office were dimmed, the area quiet. As she walked down the hallway toward one of the back exam rooms, she heard Heath’s voice.
“Kupu has proven to be extremely helpful in building up immunity. I was very pleased by my preliminary tests and have no reservations about recommending that you use the minimum daily dosage.” He stepped out of the room as he spoke with a middle-aged man and woman. Must be his friends who were just back from the mission field.
Seeing her, Heath stopped short, before his welcoming wide grin spread across his face. “Dr. Haynes. I didn’t know you’d come back into your office.”
Dr. Haynes? Well, he was seeing patients, after all. It was probably best to maintain a professional demeanor.
“Dr. Parker. I just wanted to make certain you had everything you needed.” She held out her hand to the two other people waiting beside Heath. “Hello, I’m Dr. Kendall Haynes.”
“And these are the Bensons. I kept them much too long tonight.” He moved the couple toward the front of the office.
“Oh.” Kendall stepped aside. “Sure. Well, the door will automatically lock behind them.”
“Right. I remember you saying that.” Heath tossed a grin over his shoulder. “Be right back. I’ll walk them out.”
Kendall watched Heath escort his friends to the front door. Well, that was a bit . . . abrupt. But then, it was later than she’d expected. And really, there was no reason for Kendall to be introduced to the Bensons. It wasn’t like she’d meet them again.
After ensuring that the door was locked, Heath came back and enveloped her in a warm hug.
“I’m so
rry I kept you waiting.” He groaned. “You know how some people talk and talk and talk.”
Kendall leaned back to look at Heath. “So you knew the Bensons on the mission field?”
“Yes. I knew them when I was over in Africa.” Heath pulled her close, nuzzling her neck. “You smell delicious.”
“Oh, that. Well . . .” Kendall bit her bottom lip. Time to confess. “I was hoping to invite you to share some coffee and cinnamon streusel Bundt cake after we took Sully for a walk.”
“But?” He linked his fingers through hers as they walked up the stairs to her loft.
“I got sidetracked and the cake got, um, singed. Sorry. I can still offer you coffee.”
“Coffee it is then.” He paused outside her door. “I’m sorry things ran so long. I hate to keep a beautiful woman waiting. Wow. That sounds so clichéd.”
“I don’t mind a cliché every now and then.”
He traced the outline of her face. “Believe me, Kendall, you are anything but typical. I am so glad I found you.”
Memories of last evening lingered in Kendall’s mind as she walked into the office the next morning. Being with Heath helped her shove memories of Griffin—and his impetuous kiss—out of her mind. And why not? With his charismatic personality and low-key sense of humor, Heath helped her relax while at the same time making her feel special. It wasn’t until she’d kissed him good night and settled into bed that Griffin Walker invaded her thoughts. Then the lurking memory of his kiss refused to be ignored.
Why was she letting Griffin—a man who seemed to regret kissing her before it happened—distract her from Heath, the man who wasn’t afraid to admit he cared about her? Kendall wasn’t going to let Griffin’s kiss disrupt her life—well, more than a few nights’ sleep. Thoughts of Griffin Walker had derailed her long enough. She was tired of being the girl—the woman—no one wanted. And Heath’s actions showed that, at least to him, she wasn’t that woman. But why wasn’t Heath the one invading her dreams at night? She needed to focus on everything right in her life. Her practice. Her patients. And all the possibilities with Heath.
Griffin was her friend. Nothing more. Because that was all he wanted—friendship. The kiss had been . . . what? Some sort of glitch on his emotional radar? Kendall should thank Ian for interrupting them. And Griffin said he was only going to kiss her one time, so she didn’t have to wonder if he’d ever kiss her again. All she had to do was stop thinking about Griffin.
Just. Stop.
She’d keep telling herself that until it happened.
Kendall stood in the doorway leading into the Rocky Mountain Family Practice. Evie and Renee were already at their desks. Kendall couldn’t help but notice that Evie looked as if she’d spent the entire night sitting up watching movies. Her wavy black hair was pulled back in a careless bun at the nape of her neck, and she’d forgone her normal makeup routine. That wasn’t like her receptionist.
“Do you need anything?” Kendall placed a hand on Evie’s shoulder.
“Hmmm? I’m fine. Long night.” Evie focused on powering up her computer.
“Everyone at home doing well?”
“Now that I’m here, yes.”
“Evie, about Javan—”
“I can’t talk about it now, Dr. Kendall. Please.” A sheen of tears caused Evie’s eyes to glitter.
Kendall squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” How could she salvage this conversation? Put it back on more normal footing? “Would you check something out for me when you get a chance?”
“Sure. What do you need?” Evie pulled a notepad forward and picked up one of the bright-colored Sharpie pens she preferred to use.
“Dr. Parker was talking to the missionary couple he met with last night. He mentioned a supplement to them . . .” Kendall tried to remember the name. “I’m not sure what he called it. I think it was something with a k.”
Kendall didn’t miss how Evie stopped writing for a moment, seeming to almost want to ask her a question. “Have you heard of this supplement before, Evie?”
“Not directly, no.”
“But?”
“Well, a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Parker came by to pick up the first two boxes he had shipped here. I found him talking to Peter Harrington’s parents. He was saying how this supplement he knew of was supposedly so beneficial for kids with allergies and asthma.”
“This same supplement?”
“I can’t say for sure. I couldn’t hear the name—it sounded like cup of or something like that.”
“Odd.” Not that anything was wrong . . . just odd that Heath would suggest a supplement to some of her patients without mentioning it to her first. “Anything else?”
“It’s probably nothing—”
Kendall stepped closer, lowering her voice. “What, Evie?”
“You know how Dr. Parker stopped by earlier this week, looking for the third package? Paul told me that when he stepped out of an exam room, Dr. Parker went into the exam room.” Evie fiddled with the pen in her hand. “He didn’t realize it until he went back in to finish up his notes on the patient he’d just seen. Dr. Parker was sitting at the desk.”
Kendall’s mind scrambled to understand what Evie was telling her. “What did Heath . . . I mean, Dr. Parker say?”
“He was on his cell phone. He told Paul that he’d ducked into the room because it was empty and he’d gotten an unexpected overseas call.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
Didn’t it?
“Dr. Parker apologized and left the room right away.”
“And that’s it?” Kendall ran her fingers through her hair, tousling the ends.
“As far as I know.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing. But do me a favor and call the Harringtons and get whatever information you can for me—starting with the name of the supplement. And then do some investigating on your own.”
Evie reached for the phone on her desk. “Sure thing. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“That should just about do it, Ian.”
Kendall stepped back, hands on her hips, checking the fender of her CJ5. Ian stood beside her, surveying his work. It was warm for the second week in May—a perfect day to be outside and smoothing out the dent on the Jeep. Sully lounged in the grassy area near the back door of the building, chewing on a bone.
“Did I do a good job, Dr. Kendall?” Anxiety threaded through Ian’s voice.
They’d spent the morning removing the damaged front fender of her CJ5. Then she instructed Ian how to pound out the dent. The last step? Some touch-up paint. Her dad always told her to take pride in her work.
“Yep. It doesn’t have to be cherry—that’s car lingo for ‘perfect.’ But it looks great. As soon as I can manage a free weekend, I’m heading up into the mountains with this thing.” Kendall told Ian to pick up the rubber mallet and the block of wood they’d used to bang out the dent while she grabbed her dad’s dent puller.
“Do you off-road?”
“I did some—for a while. But it’s a pricey hobby. You’re always breaking something on a boulder. And, while I don’t mind doing my own repairs on my Jeep, I don’t like doing them on the side of a mountain.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” She held open the door into the building, nodding for Ian to go ahead. “Come on, I’m ready for a break. It’s hot for May. What happened to the typical ‘Springtime in the Rockies’ weather?”
“If it was snowing, we would have to do the repair in our garage.” Ian waited while she unlocked the closet where she stored her tools.
“True.” And the last thing she needed was to be hanging around Ian’s house—and his older brother. Griffin had dropped Ian off earlier and left with a quick wave and barely a glance in her direction. “What time did Griffin say he’d be back?”
Ian checked his cell phone. “About now.”
“Let’s go wash up then. Do you want something to drink?”
“Got a Mountain Dew?”
“Funny thing—I just happen to have a six-pack.”
As Ian sat beside Sully and chugged down the soda, Kendall placed a bowl of pretzels in front of him. “These are for Ian—not you, Sully.” She shoved the dog’s face away from the food. “So, what’s the latest on you staying in Colorado?”
“I’m not.” Ian stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the Front Range. Even with it being the second week in May—and warm—snow still covered the Peak with a scattered pattern of white.
“Griffin didn’t change his mind?” Kendall sat beside him, drawing her legs up underneath her.
“Wouldn’t matter if he did. I want to go to the Jamisons’.”
“Really?”
“Yep. It’s no big deal.” Ian grabbed a handful of pretzels. “I’m used to moving around. I did that a lot before I came to live with Mom and Dad.”
“How old were you when that happened?”
“Four—that’s when I first came to them as a foster kid. They adopted me a couple of years later.”
“Were you in the foster care system before the Walkers adopted you?”
Ian drained the bottle of soda before answering. “On and off. Sometimes I was with my mom. Most of the time, I wasn’t. You get used to it.”
“I bet you loved becoming part of the Walkers’ family.”
“Not at first.”
“What do you mean? Weren’t you glad to have a mom and dad?” Kendall watched the younger Walker brother, trying to imagine what his life had been like.
“I didn’t trust anybody by that time. My mom? She’d be there—and then she was gone. I don’t know who my dad is, but I had a lot of ‘uncles.’ ” Ian used his fingers to make quote marks in the air. “I didn’t believe the Walkers—Mom and Dad—would keep me. The first year I stayed with them, I slept in my clothes and kept my suitcase packed.”
“Oh, Ian . . .”
“Yeah, I made them miserable—especially Mom.” He sniffed, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand. “But she told me she could love me longer than I could hate her. And she was right.”
