One Summer in Santa Fe

by Molly Evans

  Something in his chest cramped as he watched her catch up with Alex. If he’d been too busy to notice a woman as lovely as Piper, there was something seriously wrong with him.

  After lunch, Piper returned to the ER to relieve another nurse for her break. Emily, the charge nurse, called her aside to make the assignment. “By the way, I hope I’m not intruding here where I don’t belong,” she said, and chewed thoughtfully on her lip a moment. “But I think I need to give you a warning.”

  “A warning? What did I do?” Piper stared transfixed at Emily, unable to think of any infraction so far.

  Emily touched Piper’s arm in a friendly gesture and Piper relaxed somewhat. “No, not in your work. Sorry. But I happened to notice that you had lunch with Taylor.”

  Still not sure of what to make of this conversation, she said, “Is that against the rules or something?”

  “No. But just to give you a heads up, Taylor’s a player, got a reputation with the ladies, especially the nurses who come through here.”

  “I see.”

  “He’s got CDD.”

  “You mean ADD? Attention Deficit Disorder?” Piper asked, puzzled at the mistake.

  “No.” Emily shook her head. “I mean CDD. Commitment deficit disorder. He hasn’t stayed with one woman for more than a few weeks at a time.” She patted Piper’s arm. “He’s a wonderful man and a great doctor, but he acts as if he’s at a dating buffet. He keeps going back for more.” She waved a hand. “Anyway, you’re a grown woman, but before you proceeded any further with him, I wanted you to have that information. Take it or leave it, at least you have it.”

  “Thanks.” Piper said, then tried to change the subject, certain she wasn’t going to have to worry about Taylor getting too interested in her. He was just grateful and had bought her a burger. But Emily’s warning was certainly something to consider.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “OKAY, so rock-climbing camp it is,” Taylor said as he clicked the “send” button on the computer and registered Alex for the camp with before- and after-care programs, starting tomorrow. No more bored days spent at the hospital.

  Alex raced through the living room at full speed. “Yeah! I’m going climbing!” He raced back to the office and nearly flung himself at Taylor. “Thanks, Uncle T. I’ll never ever forget this.”

  Taylor caught the boy to him before he knocked them out of the office chair and stood Alex in front of him. “Whoa, there. It’s okay, Alex.” He gave Alex a pat on the shoulder, surprised at the amount of enthusiasm sparking off the boy.

  “I’m serious. You have no idea how totally cool this is.” He looked wide-eyed at Taylor. “Wait. You do know how cool this is, ’cause you already go rock climbing. Duh,” Alex said, and slapped himself on the forehead.

  “It’s okay. I’m just lucky we got you in.” When Taylor had been Alex’s age, and living under the domineering thumb of his father, he had been lucky to get out of the house without an altercation of some sort. There had been no camps for Taylor. Climbing trees and rock formations had saved his sanity in his pre-teen years, challenging himself in ways that his father couldn’t understand. After that, progressing to bigger and more dangerous excursions had seemed natural. Honing his muscles and growing into his height, his father had no longer been able to control him. That’s when things had really changed between them, and they hadn’t spoken for years. Thankfully, he’d had an uncle help him figure out how to get what he wanted out of life. He hoped to pass that gift on to Alex. Perhaps not medical school, but whatever the kid wanted to pursue in life.

  “Let’s finish this conversation another day. Time you’re off for a shower. You don’t want to smell like a polecat your first day at camp, do you?”

  “No, I don’t wanna smell like a polecat,” he said, and frowned, staring up at Taylor. “I…I don’t even know what a polecat is.”

  Taylor gave a laugh. “It’s a kind of skunk. Hit the shower, kiddo, just to make sure,” he said, and tousled Alex’s hair.

  “Okay.”

  Taylor laughed as Alex headed for the bathroom. Maybe this thing with Alex was going to turn out okay after all. Caroline was right. He didn’t really know his nephew, and he should. Even though his life was a little on the wild side, Taylor was the only stable male influence in the boy’s life. But now, spending so much time with Alex stirred up feelings that he thought he’d put to rest long ago. His relationship with his father was not much different than the one Alex had with his own father. More like they tolerated each other than liked each other’s company. Whatever. Over and done with for him. Rising from the chair, he changed into jogging pants and his running shoes. The last two days he’d been off his exercise schedule and desperately needed the release it gave him. Endorphins, here I come. He knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Alex, I’m going for a jog. I’ll be back in an hour.”

  “Okay.” Alex called through the door.

  Once out into the evening air, Taylor drew in deep breaths and stretched a few minutes before walking to the park. Exercise and strength training had made him physically strong, and he needed that endorphin kick he’d been missing the last few days. Sometimes that was all that got him through some very long and intense days at work. Though he worked with a lot of very good nice people, he had few truly close friends. A few guys he climbed with, a few doctors like Ian McSorley, and a few women he’d had casual relationships with. Nothing serious. Nothing long-lasting and that was how he needed it. At least at this point in his life.

  In minutes he reached the nature park, filled with desert flora and fauna native to the high desert of New Mexico. Breathing in the cooling evening air, he relaxed into his pace and sought the zone that had been his salvation for many years.

  Piper watched as Taylor loped around the sand-filled track. She’d never catch up with him with the pace he set, so she just walked along behind him, enchanted with the plant life and terrain that was so different from any place she’d ever been. Now she understood what was meant by high desert. Muted browns and greens covered most of the ground, but here and there were fabulously colored blooms, usually attached to thorny cacti. There was beauty here, you just had to look for it. Up ahead, a jackrabbit zigzagged in a crazy move to dash away and hide beneath a bush. Unaccustomed to the 7000-foot elevation of Santa Fe, Piper was winded after a few minutes, so she found a large rock to rest on, took in the nature scene and caught her breath.

  She kept her eye on the lone jogger working his way up and down the hills through the park. There were no trees to speak of, just clumps of large bushes, so she could see him as he moved around the park. Numerous other people walked and ran past her on the trail, but no one captured her attention as Taylor did.

  The man was intense. As intense as any doctor she’d ever worked with, and her heart noticed every time she’d been close enough to smell his spicy cologne. She wondered how he was going to cope the entire summer with his nephew at his side, but she was not willing to take a bet as the other staff had done. Men like Taylor valued their freedom and independence more than anything. That had been her ex-boyfriend exactly. Another physician. Another assignment. Another town, miles away. Another heartbreak she was not going to repeat. She’d never been enough for him. He’d made that clear from the start. She’d never be enough for a man like Taylor, either.

  Taylor dropped behind a hill, and Piper lost sight of him, then he reappeared on the next rise, closer to where she was. The man in motion was definitely a wondrous sight.

  Eventually, he jogged right up to her. “Hey, Doc.”

  “What?” He looked at her then. “Oh, hey, Piper.” He stopped and bent over to catch his breath. “What are you doing out here?”

  She caught herself looking at his lean, muscled legs, bared by almost indecently short jogging shorts, and the way his chest pumped with each breath he dragged in and pushed out. “Er, just reviewing my anatomy.”

  “What?” He tilted his head up to look at her, a frown on his face
.

  “Nothing. Don’t let me interrupt your exercise. I just wanted to say hi.” Embarrassment flooded her. She hoped he hadn’t caught her looking at his legs or that magnificent chest. Working with someone and finding them physically attractive could be a snag. Not that she couldn’t be professional about it, but it could certainly make her assignment, uh, interesting. A perk she hadn’t thought of. Working with a handsome man could never be termed a hardship.

  “No problem.” He waved away her concern. “I was just about through anyway, ready to cool down.”

  “Did you find a camp for Alex?” Distraction. That’s what she needed to keep her mind off of Taylor’s gorgeous body revealed by those shorts and tight T-shirt.

  “Yep. Got him all signed up, and he starts tomorrow morning. Thanks again for that suggestion. I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise.”

  “I’m sure he’s thrilled.” A warm feeling pulsed through her that he’d taken her advice. Though it had been a little thing for her to make the suggestion, she had been glad to do it.

  “Yeah. He about hugged me to death.” A frown briefly crossed Taylor’s brow, and he looked away.

  “Hugs bother you?” she asked, watching him closely. Many men weren’t comfortable with affection. They wanted sex, sure, but real affection was another thing. Intimacy? Forget about that, too. She’d found that out with her doctor ex-boyfriend. Sex equated intimacy, then you rolled over and went to sleep. Right. While your partner stared at the ceiling for a few hours.

  “Not usually. Just not used to them.” He placed a foot up on the rock beside her and stretched out his leg, then switched to the other side. “I’m not very demonstrative by nature.”

  “There’s a theory out there that we need four therapeutic hugs a day for survival, eight a day for maintenance and twelve for growth,” she said. “I read that somewhere. Stimulates the immune system and fosters well-being.”

  “That’s a lot of hugs in a day.” He trained piercing eyes on her and raised his brows.

  “I kind of like it. And there are documented benefits of therapeutic touch.”

  “There’s a lot of that stuff going on in Santa Fe, but not much in the traditional settings. More in the outpatient setting, though I think there could be benefits for inpatients, as well.”

  Piper nodded. “I took a few courses on healing touch and have used it successfully for pain control when nothing else works.” The touch was a form of meditation and self-healing that some people responded to.

  “Really? There is a school for healing touch here, and I think it’s mostly for nurse-type people if you’re interested.”

  “I’ll think about that, but as I’m only going to be here a few weeks, I probably won’t have the time.” She’d witnessed too many incidents of success with the technique to doubt it. “Works for me when I need it.” Boy had she needed the human touch over the years. Raising her sister, losing her parents at a young age. That had been a brutal loss to her and her sister. That single event had changed her life. She’d been forced to grow up overnight.

  The loving hands of her aunt Ida had sustained her when she’d needed it. Those loving touches were a thing she missed now. Unfortunately, the current ache in her life couldn’t be filled by the simple touch of family. She was beginning to suspect that she craved a satisfying relationship, that she just hadn’t found and wasn’t willing to stick her neck out for. Maybe loneliness was something she’d just have to get used to, like an ache that would never go away. By now, it was certainly her constant companion. Sure, she had friends and people to do things with, but she always went home alone. That hollow ache could be dulled, but never seemed to go away completely. Looking at Taylor, she knew he’d never be able to fill that void. She wasn’t what someone like him craved.

  He took a step closer, but then stopped, recalling his conversation with Alex about personal hygiene. “I’m hot and sweaty now, but I’d be willing to give the hug thing a try another time.” His gaze dropped to her mouth and lower and the breath that had returned to him after his run was somehow stuck in his throat.

  Hugs, huh? He’d have never thought that hugs were beneficial, just some sort of activity that made people think they felt better. Denial was powerful, especially during emotional situations, which was why he tried to avoid them. But standing here looking at Piper and how attractive she was, the hint of a flush on her face and neck, he’d be willing to consider testing her theory at some point. Her full lips curving up at the corners nearly made him reconsider. It had been way too long since he’d been in a relationship, considered having another one. Not that he’d do that with Piper. She was a coworker and a temporary staff member. As he glanced over her figure again, he reflected she was a fine-looking staff member.

  “So, I know you’re a traveler, but what brings you to Santa Fe? Family, boyfriend?” This wasn’t like him, he thought, and frowned at that. He wasn’t this interested in people and generally didn’t make polite conversation. Something about Piper made him want to know more.

  Before answering, she tucked her hair behind one ear and shot a quick glance at him. “Oh, I’m not really sure. I’ve been a lot of places, but not New Mexico. This short assignment seemed like a quick way to see the area and grab a bonus, too. And you?”

  “I started out in Albuquerque at the university there and migrated up to Santa Fe. My sister lives here, too.” Piper’s answer just generated more questions in his head. “I was wondering how you know so much about children. Do you have any?”

  “No. I don’t have my own children, but I’ve had to pretty much raise my little sister since our parents were killed years ago.”

  “I see. That must have been tough.”

  She gave a small, sad smile. “More brutal than you’ll ever know.” Unable to look away from the intensity of him, she met his gaze and held on, seeing how far it took them.

  The heat of attraction poured off Taylor as he stared at her mouth, and her heart skipped a beat just imagining long, slow body contact with him. She swallowed, a hint of desire crawling along her spine in reaction to him.

  Attractions between nurses and doctors happened. The intensity of their work lives pushed the attraction to higher levels. Unable to look away, she stared at Taylor, and he held her gaze, seeming unafraid of the connection forming between them. But then, according to Alex, he wasn’t afraid of anything. Someone like her wasn’t going to scare him one bit.

  In the distance, the faint yip-yip of a coyote signaled the fall of night. Desert nights were a sight to behold, especially, when she was out in one with Taylor in front of her.

  She blinked as the persistent yip penetrated the web of attraction between them. Oh, God. She was simply staring at him. And he was…staring back. She licked her lips, and pushed her hair behind her ear as her mouth went dry, feeling much like the desert around her. This wasn’t good.

  Then Piper sat up and listened, not sure what she had heard. “Did you hear that?” Whew. Anything to provide a distraction, divert Taylor’s attention from her and hers from him. Taylor seemed to break free of the hypnotic spell between them, took a step back from her and huffed out a quick breath. The tension stretching between them snapped.

  “Oh. Hear what?” Taylor asked, running his hands through his hair as he turned away. “I don’t hear anything.”

  “Kind of sounded like the noise I heard earlier. I was thinking it sounded like a coyote, but I’m not sure.”

  Sudden cries for help echoed through the park. “Now I hear something.” He paused a second, listening, and cries for help carried through the park. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

  They raced to the top of a small hill and found an elderly gentleman sitting on the ground, a pile of blood-covered fur at his feet.

  “Oh, dear,” Piper said.

  “What happened?” Taylor said as they approached the distressed man. Piper knelt beside him.

  “Coyote. Attacked my dog,” he said between wheezing gasps.

&
nbsp; Piper checked his pulse, then pressed her hand to his cheek. His coloring was a startling red. “Sir, do you have any medical conditions?”

  “Please. Just help. My dog,” he said, and tears flowed down his rounded cheeks.

  Piper looked up at Taylor, her blue eyes full of inquiry. He knew the question in her gaze, and when he looked down at the animal, he knew it was already too late and shook his head.

  “Let’s see what we can do about you first.” Her calm voice and soft tone was designed to comfort the man beside her.

  “Oh, no! Is Muffin dead?” he asked, and clasped her arm.

  Piper took his hand and drew his attention away from the site. “I don’t know. We’ll help Muffin all we can, but I think you need some help, too.”

  The man responded to Piper and nodded. “Okay. Okay.” He fumbled in his pocket and withdrew an inhaler. Piper held his trembling hand to his mouth as he took two puffs of the medication that would assist his breathing. Tears still trickled down his face. “I’m short…of breath.”

  “Were you bitten, too?” Taylor asked, and knelt beside them. The dog was past any help they could give it. A small dog was no match against a coyote that was probably rabid. The kind of behavior the man described was unusual for the normally reclusive coyote. They would have to report it after the man was seen to.

  “No. It just tore out of the brush and attacked poor Muffin.” He wiped his tears with his hands, which were covered in scratches. “I tried to pull it off.”

  Taylor assessed the man’s condition. Without medical equipment, he was limited as to what he could do. Basic first aid was about it. “That was a very brave thing to do, but it appears that the coyote got a piece of you, too.”

  “What?”

  Taylor pointed to the puncture wounds on the man’s hands and forearms. “It bit you, too.”