Was she jealous of Jason’s prominence? Part of her had always been ambitious. Without that drive, she’d never have made it through medical school.
Heather tried to imagine what it would be like if Maurice Cocteau had come to Serene Beach to woo her instead of Jason. It would be flattering, but her strongest response was a sense of discomfort.
She wasn’t some celebrity. She was a doctor who belonged with her patients, a woman who cared about her friends and a grandmother who didn’t want to put any more distance then necessary between herself and Ginger.
The lights of an arriving vehicle flared by. Heather ignored it, too absorbed in soaping the car to care who might see her. It felt good to perform manual labor, even though she had to stand on tiptoe atop her stool to reach the roof.
She’d climbed down and was washing mud off the flaps when she heard masculine footsteps approaching. Jason.
The way his business suit outlined his broad shoulders sent a rush of desire through her. His shirt collar stood open and his tie was loosened, an open invitation for a woman to touch him.
This was not the way Heather wanted to react. Swallowing hard, she tried to act casual. “You’re home on the late side.”
“I had to make up for the time I took off at lunch,” he said. “You know, the car ahead of me nearly drove into a wall because of you.”
“Excuse me?” Heather hadn’t noticed any cars until his. Subconsciously, she must have recognized the purr of Jason’s engine.
“The guy got an eyeful of how you look in a wet T-shirt and nearly lost it,” he said with a chuckle.
“This isn’t a T-shirt.” Heather glanced down. The damp sweatshirt threw her breasts into prominence, but she didn’t know how anyone could have noticed when, for the most part, she’d been pressed against the car. “Guys must spend all their time ogling women’s bodies.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself.” Jason planted himself on the blacktop, his laptop in one hand. “And don’t tell me women don’t check out men’s bodies, either.”
“Yours is looking good,” she said before she could stop herself.
His eyebrows rose. “Would you care for a closer inspection?”
“I’m kind of in the middle of something here.” Heather indicated her car.
“I could change and come help you,” Jason said. “As long as you promise we’ll work very closely together.”
The air crackled between them, the heat almost visible against the evening coolness. He was so much fun to be around, Heather thought.
And her arms would be so very, very empty when he went away.
“I enjoyed meeting Dr. Cocteau today.” She adjusted the hose nozzle and began rinsing the car.
“We’re moving on to that subject, are we?” Jason stepped back, protecting his computer. “Well, you were right. He made me an offer.”
Heather nearly dropped the hose, grabbing it just in time to prevent a rather nasty mess. She doubted Jason would ever have believed she hadn’t intend to douse him. “Oops. I mean, what kind of offer?”
“Are you licensed to operate that thing?” In the fading light, he became a powerful silhouette with an alluring voice.
“I haven’t lost any bystanders yet,” Heather said. “So did he try to hustle you off to Paris?”
“He offered me a three-month research stint next summer,” Jason said. “It’s only temporary. I wouldn’t have to abandon Doctors Circle.”
“It’s a carrot.” She hosed the last dribs of soap off the hood.
“A carrot?”
“Dangled on a stick.” She wondered how long she dared let the car drip before attempting to dry it. It was a tradeoff: less work vs. more spots.
“Maybe so,” Jason conceded. “Nevertheless, there’s no reason I can’t take leave occasionally. For one thing, it would add to the clinic’s prestige.”
“That’s true.” From a professional standpoint, Heather supposed her opposition to his accepting the offer might seem unreasonable. Surely Patrick had known when he hired Jason that the man was going to remain in demand.
“You’d like Paris,” Jason said. “Ever been there?”
“Travel wasn’t in my budget.” When she was younger, Heather had dreamed of touring Europe, but paying for medical school had put it out of the question. “I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with having toured the Paris Hotel in Vegas.” The wedding party had eaten dinner at the replica Eiffel Tower.
“You could visit while I was on staff,” he said. “Think of the educational value.”
“Think of the gossip,” she said.
“Are you going to let other people’s nosiness ruin your life?” Jason asked.
“If I visited you for a short time, I wouldn’t learn much,” she said, avoiding a direct response. “And I couldn’t stay long, because we’d already be short one doctor.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Jason conceded. “But you shouldn’t take it personally if I go.”
“Why would I take it personally?”
“Because we have a relationship.”
“That depends on your definition,” Heather shot back. “The Hatfields and the McCoys had a relationship, too.” She supposed that was a bit unfair, so she added, “If we were truly in a relationship, we’d want to be together, not spend months apart.”
“It doesn’t have to work that way.” Jason seemed surer of his ground now. “Lots of couples give each other elbow room. Look at Lisa Arcadian. She accepted a position here while her husband is working in Europe.”
“Someone told me they’re separated,” Heather said. It was amazing how fast stories had spread about the new staff members.
“I didn’t know that. They’re not a good example, then.” He considered for a moment. “Nevertheless, people don’t have to be joined at the hip. With two professionals, it’s inevitable for them to spend some time apart.”
Even if he was right, the problem was that, judging by Jason’s past, he had a tendency to leave permanently when the going got tough. How could a woman be sure he’d ever come back? Heather wondered.
“I have nothing against travel or sabbaticals,” she said, climbing onto the stool and applying a towel to the car’s roof. “It’s a question of knowing where your roots are.”
“Some plants don’t need roots,” Jason shot back. “They grow in the air.”
“Name three.”
“Name three what?”
“Three kinds of plant that grow in the air.” Heather dried the side window in front of her.
“Horticulture is more your field than mine,” he said.
“Well, I don’t know of any,” she said. “I think it’s an urban legend.”
“I’m not going to leave Doctors Circle any time soon,” Jason told her. “But I can’t promise to tie myself down forever.”
“Who’s asking you to?” Heather kept her face averted as she worked her towel around to the windshield.
There was a long pause, and then she heard him say quietly, “Frodo needs attention and I haven’t eaten, so I’ll bid you good night.”
“Have a good evening,” she called without turning.
“Did you mean…?” He stopped without finishing the sentence. “See you tomorrow.”
Did she mean what? That she didn’t want to be a dead weight around his neck? Sure, she’d meant it.
After his footsteps receded along the path, Heather muttered a few choice words about the poor quality of the overhead light. She could hardly see a thing.
Then she blinked, and discovered the problem wasn’t the light. It was the tears clouding her vision.
BY FRIDAY MORNING, Jason still hadn’t made up his mind whether to accept Dr. Cocteau’s offer. He’d never had this much trouble making a decision before.
As he strode toward the clinic from the parking garage, he tried to picture himself in Paris. There was a rush of exhilaration, followed by a hollow feeling. The reason was unmistakable: He didn’t want to lose Heather.
> Perhaps he already had. She’d made it clear that she didn’t want him sticking around for her sake.
She’d also said she didn’t oppose the occasional sabbatical. Why, then, was she so upset about the possibility of his going to France for a few months? There was no reason that two professionals couldn’t work out an arrangement without sacrificing their careers.
Jason needed the stimulation that came from surrounding himself with new opportunities and new people. At the same time, he could see how seductive it was to work in a clinic like this. Not only was it fulfilling to help couples create children but he felt a strong sense of loyalty to his less fortunate patients, who showed dedication and perseverance in the face of frequent disappointment. It would be all too easy to bury himself in the day-to-day details and lose sight of his goals.
Yet, more and more, he was finding it hard to imagine a future without Heather. He felt more truly alive in her company and more masculine than with any other woman he’d known.
He even had an absurd impulse to protect her, although she could obviously take care of herself. The other night, he’d considered borrowing the hose and washing the roof of her car, no doubt drenching himself in the process, so she wouldn’t have to teeter on top of that footstool.
But he couldn’t stop being who he was. To become less than his best, to lose his edge, would ultimately make Jason and everyone around him miserable.
As he entered the East Wing, Loretta bustled in behind him. She greeted him and pushed the elevator button to the second floor, which housed the administrative offices.
“You heard about my husband and me adopting Cynthia’s twins, didn’t you?” she asked, her face aglow.
“Heather told me,” he said. “Congratulations. How’s it going?”
If she’d grinned any more broadly, she might have required plastic surgery. “It’s wonderful. We may be able to take them home from the hospital in a few days.”
“Your family must be excited, what with your sister having triplets and you adopting twins.” He’d seen for himself last weekend what an enthusiastic crowd they were.
“You know what? My family astounds me,” the public relations director said. “I wasn’t sure how they’d react to my adopting, but they ‘got it’ right away.”
“Got what?” Jason asked.
“The fact that I’m not settling for second best,” Loretta said. “I simply changed my goal to do what was right for me. These little girls were meant to be Mario’s and my daughters.”
“I’m very happy for you,” he said. “I only wish I could have done more.”
“Please don’t feel like you failed,” she told him. “Maybe that advanced technique would have given me a baby or maybe not. It doesn’t matter.”
“Congratulations.” Jason supposed it would have been nice to have another success story at the clinic. But this was a success story. “I hope you’ll bring them to work sometimes so I can see them.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be watching them grow up,” Loretta said as the elevator door opened. “See you later!”
“Good-bye.” As he watched her go, Jason regretted that he probably wouldn’t be around to watch those little girls grow up. Despite his resolve to stick by the clinic, that didn’t mean forever. Loretta might be able to switch her goals and still find satisfaction, but Jason didn’t see how he could.
He put aside his musings as he approached the nurse’s station. He was scheduled solidly all morning and his clients required one hundred percent of his attention.
It was after one o’clock by the time Jason came up for air. He still had a stack of administrative tasks to handle.
On the way into his office, he called to Coral, “Pick up a sandwich for me, would you? Corned beef on rye, please.”
A small voice said, “Why don’t you pick it up yourself?”
Jason nearly stumbled over his own feet. “What did you say?”
His secretary cleared her throat. “Fetching your lunch isn’t part of my job description.”
What on earth had gotten into the woman? Jason wondered. On the other hand, it wouldn’t do him any harm to go to the cafeteria. The adjacent patio area was a restful spot where he could dine while reviewing paperwork.
“I’ve been wanting to try one of the pasta dishes anyway,” he said. “I think I’ll do that.” From inside, he grabbed a couple of files, then headed out.
The import of what had happened didn’t strike him until later that afternoon when he witnessed Edith giving Coral a high five. The chuckling nurse tried to pull a straight face when she spotted Jason, and failed.
What was the big deal? he wondered. His secretary had finally spoken up for herself, as she should have done long ago. It made life easier for everyone.
Jason managed to get caught up on his work by five-thirty. Other staffers were heading out, talking eagerly about the gala scheduled for tomorrow night.
The question of the day seemed to be, had the Endowment Fund met its thirty million-dollar goal? If not, how short had it fallen?
In the corridor, he passed Heather, who had flipped open a patient chart and was scrutinizing the contents. “Working late?” he asked.
“This is the last one,” she said. “My client has a tough work schedule so I offered to stay till she could get here.”
Jason had never doubted that the clinic would achieve an outstanding success ratio because of the staff’s technical expertise. It struck him now that a contributing reason would be the flexibility and caring of his staff members, particularly this one.
“Good for you,” he said.
“I hear Coral made a breakthrough today,” Heather added with a trace of a smile. “She said no and lived to tell the tale.”
“It shouldn’t surprise anyone,” Jason replied. “I’ve always said my bark is worse than my bite.”
“You never said that!”
“That’s because I prefer not to talk in clichés,” he said. “But I implied it. My reputation as an ogre is highly exaggerated. Just ask Edith. She gets away with murder.”
“Murder?”
“You wouldn’t believe the things that woman says to me,” Jason told her. “I don’t mind. As I’ve always said, I demand outstanding work and dedication. I never asked for humility or blind obedience.”
Heather closed the chart. “You know something? When Patrick hired you, I had to concede that your reputation was good for Doctors Circle and that there were techniques I could learn from you. What I didn’t expect was leadership.”
Jason hadn’t given the subject any thought. “I’m doing my best to get things organized.”
“More than that, you’re setting the tone of the clinic,” Heather said. “People admire you and they look to you for direction, including the other doctors. The nurses take pride in being assigned here. You’re contributing more than you may be aware.” With a grin, she added, “I would never have believed that, with your massive ego, you might actually underestimate your importance.”
“I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted,” Jason said.
“Good! I like to keep you off-balance.” With a smile brilliant enough to light a thousand Christmas trees, she whisked away to her appointment.
Was she right about his leadership abilities? Jason had no idea. One thing he was certain about, however, was that there couldn’t possibly be a woman, even in the beautiful and romantic country of France, whose smile could lift him three feet off the floor the way Heather’s did.
Chapter Sixteen
Had she said too much or not enough? As she made a last-minute check in the mirror before heading to the Endowment Fund gala, Heather wondered whether Jason had already accepted the research offer from Dr. Cocteau.
He hadn’t mentioned it yesterday, and she hadn’t wanted to quiz him. In fact, she’d been in a generous mood after witnessing Coral’s elation. She’d meant what she said about Jason’s leadership abilities, whether or not it influenced his decision.
&n
bsp; She had the uncomfortable sense that matters were going to come to a head this evening. There was no rational explanation for her premonition, except that an event like this sometimes encouraged people to make announcements of their own.
How would the other staffers react if Jason disclosed that he’d be spending next summer in Paris? They’d applaud and congratulate him, she supposed. They’d also probably speculate, as she did, that this might be the first step toward a departure.
Heather wrapped her arms around herself. In the full-length mirror, the gesture looked self-protective.
She was wearing the russet dress Jason had admired at the boutique. During the festivities in Las Vegas, it had won plenty of compliments and interested glances from males, none of which had given her much of a thrill.
It was foolish, of course, to imagine that the gown cast enough magic to affect Jason’s decision whether to stay at Doctors Circle. A man either loved you and wanted to spend his life with you, or he didn’t.
Despite her carefully erected defenses, she’d fallen for Jason. Now she had to get over him. There was no sense in throwing herself at a man who would only break her heart.
Heather picked up her beaded evening purse. In her twenty-year struggle to rise above a youthful mistake, she had learned to keep her head high and never let the public see her vulnerabilities. That wasn’t going to change even for Jason Carmichael.
She went forth determined to put a good face on whatever might happen.
DESPITE A busy day, Jason was one of the first guests to arrive at the Serene Beach Yacht Club. Although he’d driven past the Spanish-style stucco building several times, this was his first venture inside.
He was surprised to discover how large it was, sprawling along the harbor’s edge. Outside, palm trees and a two-story parking structure had obscured its dimensions.
The blue-carpeted lobby opened into a dining room, a bar and an array of party rooms. Doctors Circle had reserved the ballroom, a glittering expanse with a wall of windows facing the water. After seeing the other men’s formality, Jason was glad he’d worn the tuxedo he’d purchased in England.
An orchestra played in one corner, discreetly enough not to drown out conversations. White-covered tables had been set up, although no food was being served yet. Champagne had been uncorked and punch flowed in a fountain.
Prognosis: A Baby? Maybe Page 19
