Winning the Doctor

by Harmony Evans

  He gestured toward the old motel and nodded in agreement. “Time to bury her.”

  “Trent loves demolishing buildings, isn’t that right?”

  Trent stuck the rag back in his pocket and set his helmet on the seat of his motorcycle.

  “Damn straight,” he grunted and made a fist. “Destroying things is my favorite part of the construction process.”

  Liza grinned. “Boys will be boys, won’t they? Let me give you a tour before you run off and get your dozer.”

  The two men started to walk away.

  “Wait!” she exclaimed. “I brought my tablet with the design renderings so you can get a better sense of the scope of this project.”

  “Sounds good,” Trent said distractedly as his phone started to ring. He unclipped it from his belt and glanced at the screen.

  “Do you mind if I take this call?”

  Liza shook her head. “Take your time.”

  She watched as Trent walked some distance away in the opposite direction for what was obviously a very private call. Then, she leaned into the open window of her truck, but she couldn’t quite reach the device.

  “Need some help?”

  Liza turned around quickly. Just the sound of Anthony’s voice made her weak in the knees, and she savored the pleasure he unknowingly caused, glad they were alone, where Trent couldn’t see them.

  “Y-yes,” she stuttered. “I can’t reach it.”

  “I’ll get it. I have long arms,” he said, in a low, sexy tone.

  Liza had plenty of room to step back, a foot or two, a yard or twenty, to give him extra space. But she stayed exactly where she was, rooted in desire that she couldn’t explain, but wanted to continue to dwell in.

  She wanted him to touch her.

  Anthony maneuvered his body between the passenger-side mirror and her. As he reached into her truck, his arm grazed slowly against her breasts, and underneath her thin T-shirt, her nipples hardened instantly. She knew he could probably feel them, and if he could feel them, she knew he’d want to touch them again.

  His abdomen leaned against the metal of her truck. She pressed her hand against his back, and could feel his muscles tense and move. He didn’t shrink away, and neither did she, until he emerged from the open window.

  He handed her the tablet, his eyes on her lips, as if tasting them again in his mind, like she had done so many times since their first kiss.

  Suddenly he traced his finger along her jaw, to the middle of her chin, down her neck and over her right breast, making a tiny, swift circle around her nipple.

  A breathless moan escaped from her lips, and she clamped one hand over her mouth at the sound of Trent’s footsteps on the gravel.

  Liza blushed, clutched the tablet in her arms and stepped back just as Trent reached the two vehicles.

  Though he’d unknowingly interrupted a private moment, she was glad that he did. Being alone with Anthony, even for a moment, always made her feel like she was on the edge of losing control.

  “Sorry about that folks,” said Trent.

  Liza cleared her throat. “No problem.”

  Anthony led them through the archway to the back of the property. “Let me show you around while Liza powers up her device, although I suspect it might be warm enough already.”

  The two men strode away, but Anthony looked back briefly, a devious smile on his face, and she felt her cheeks heat up again.

  At the sight of the Pacific Ocean, Trent hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans, and whistled low. “I wish I’d rode here in my dozer instead of my motorcycle. I’d tear this whole place down right now, just for that view right there.”

  “I told you it was fabulous, didn’t I?” Liza said, hugging her tablet to her chest.

  “There really are no words,” Anthony commented. “And with Liza’s design, my clinic will be just as beautiful.”

  Her insides warmed at his compliment, and she swiped across the screen of her tablet.

  “Here, Trent,” she said, navigating to the app that held all her blueprints. “Let me show you.”

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, the trio was back in front of the motel, and the two men were shaking hands goodbye.

  “I assume Liza has already informed you of our construction budget?”

  Trent nodded. “It’ll be tight, but I’ll make it work. I’ve lived in Bay Point for a while and have built up a tight crew of local guys. We’ll get it done.”

  “Looking forward to getting that contract, Liza.”

  She smiled. “It will be in your inbox this evening.”

  “Terrific. The sooner my men and I can start pounding this old motel back into dust, the better.”

  Trent turned away and put on his motorcycle helmet, and then a pair of black leather gloves she hadn’t seen before.

  As much as she wanted to, Liza didn’t dare stick around and wait until Trent was gone so that she could be alone with Anthony.

  After waving goodbye, she got into her truck and carefully set the tablet onto the passenger seat. She put the key into the ignition, turned it and nothing happened. She tried multiple times and...nothing.

  Anthony came up to her open window on the driver’s side, while Trent stuck his head in the open window on the passenger side.

  “Want me to try?” Anthony asked.

  “And if the doc can’t do it, let me have a go.”

  She nodded and got out of the truck, and handed her keys to Anthony. But after several tries, it wouldn’t start for him either.

  “It might be a dead battery,” he said and got out of the truck, a grim look on his face.

  “If that’s the case,” Trent said, “then my magic fingers won’t work either.”

  Liza lightly smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm. “It probably is. I saw an indicator light on the dashboard last week, but I didn’t pay any attention to it.”

  Anthony handed her keys back to her. “I’d give you a jump but I have to be at the hospital soon.”

  “I can take you home, Liza,” Trent offered. “Then you could call a tow truck and have them bring it back to the service station.”

  Liza breathed a sigh of relief. “Can you, Trent? I’d appreciate it, though I don’t want to be any trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble at all, just as long as you don’t mind hopping on the back of my cycle and wearing my helmet.”

  He walked away as if the matter was settled.

  Liza’s truck was so old that she had to manually roll up the windows. Once that was done, she locked the passenger door from the inside, grabbed her tablet and got back out. She was locking the driver’s side door when Anthony came up to her.

  “Change of plans. I’ll take Liza home,” he announced. His authoritative tone seemed to dare anyone to challenge him.

  Liza’s heart began to pound again, with more excitement than uncertainty. Wasn’t this what she really wanted? To be alone with Anthony?

  Trent tucked his helmet under his arm. “Are you sure? I thought you had to be at the hospital.”

  Anthony nodded, and opened the passenger door of his truck, as if Liza was immediately supposed to get in. She did anyway, just to avoid an argument.

  “It’s okay. I’ll have someone cover for me until I get there.”

  Liza put her tablet on the spotless floor mat, and waved goodbye to Trent, who shrugged, strapped on his helmet and rode away.

  Anthony got in, started the ignition and draped his hand across the front seat as he backed out.

  A few minutes later, he pulled onto the entrance ramp of Highway 101 and eased into the flow of traffic.

  “When can we break ground?”

  She settled back in her seat. “It’s going to be a few months, Anthony.
I’ll know more soon. Luckily, Trent knows his way around the sea of permits we’re going to have to get before we even bulldoze the place.”

  “Remember, I’m hoping the project will be completed in eighteen months or less.”

  She nodded. “I know. It’s an aggressive timeline, but I’ll do everything in my power to meet it.”

  When he pulled up in front of the bed-and-breakfast, Liza was sorry she had to leave.

  “You didn’t have to give me a ride, Anthony.”

  He glanced over at her. “Trent is a nice guy. But motorcycles are dangerous,” he replied, flipping on the air-conditioning.

  She raised a brow. “Oh, is that all? You’re just concerned about my safety?”

  “No, I’d just rather have your arms around my waist than his.”

  “A little jealous?” she teased.

  “That depends,” Anthony said, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel. “Has he kissed you?”

  “No!” she answered, appalled. “I don’t go around kissing contractors.”

  “But you do kiss cosmetic surgeons, hmm?”

  “Only when they kiss me first.”

  His lips brushed softly against hers, and though Liza wanted to return his kiss more than anything, she pushed him away gently.

  “Stop. What about our agreement?”

  “A man can change his mind, can’t he?” He leaned over, and stroked the back of her neck. “Now I’ve just got to change yours.”

  Liza touched the tip of her finger to his mouth.

  They were two people in lust, and one person falling in love, she thought.

  “It’ll be fun trying,” she said, with a coy smile.

  Before he could kiss her again, she picked up her tablet and hopped out of the truck.

  Chapter 10

  Liza looped her arm through Maisie’s and helped her down the stairs of the bed-and-breakfast.

  “You sure you don’t mind walking with me?” Maisie asked, holding on to the railing.

  They were on their way to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of the new Bay Point City Hall.

  “Don’t be silly, Maisie. We’re going to the same event. Why shouldn’t we go together?”

  “Because I know a young man who would be a much more good-looking escort.”

  Liza waited until they had reached the redbrick pathway before speaking again.

  “If you’re talking about Dr. Marbet, might I remind you that he and I are business partners only?”

  Maisie tugged on her arm. “Oh, so what about those flowers he sent you this week?”

  The arrival of the bouquet, a mix of red roses, white daisies, baby’s breath and eucalyptus, had brought a smile to Liza’s face and a lot of confusion to her mind.

  She’d placed them on the bureau in her room. The fragrance filled the small space, and reminded her of him every night when she fell asleep. There was no note, only his signature on the florist’s card.

  “Congratulatory only,” Liza interjected. “In celebration of our partnership.”

  “Wait a minute. He’s your client. So shouldn’t you be the one sending him the flowers?”

  They stepped out onto the sidewalk, turned left and headed down Magnolia Avenue. They passed a variety of shops, including Blooms in Paradise and an antique store that she loved to browse.

  Maisie was right. Since she was now self-employed, there were no stupid corporate rules that said she couldn’t send a token of appreciation to a new client.

  But Anthony was different. He was a client, yet in her heart, he was so much more.

  All week, she’d thought about going to the shop and asking Vanessa if Anthony had purchased them himself, or if he’d had one of the hospital’s administrative assistants do it. If he picked out the types of flowers, or if Vanessa had taken care of that, but she never worked up the nerve.

  In a town like Bay Point, asking too many questions could land her smack in the middle of the rumor mill, if she wasn’t churning there already.

  “Dr. Marbet’s going to have most of my time for the next eighteen to twenty-four months as his clinic is being built. Trust me, he doesn’t need any flowers.”

  Maisie stopped and adjusted her bright pink hat over her frosted gray hair. The unique color combination brought out the beauty of her nut-brown skin.

  “No, what he needs is a wife,” she exclaimed, as if that little fact had just settled in her mind.

  Liza shook her head in disbelief. This was the second time the subject of matrimony had come up in the past few weeks.

  “I don’t think marriage is for me. It’s too...permanent.”

  “Mark my words, Liza. You’ll change your tune when you meet the right man,” Maisie predicted. “In fact, maybe you already have!”

  Even in the twilight, Liza could see the old woman’s eyes sparkling.

  “Now hold on to my arm tight,” Maisie instructed, as they headed toward the entrance graced by yellow and blue balloons. Liza was surprised to see a large crowd already gathered inside the rotunda, where the main festivities were being held.

  The Bay Point High School jazz band serenaded the attendees with a fairly decent rendition of Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue.”

  Mayor Langston approached, dressed in a tuxedo, his lovely and very pregnant wife, Vanessa, at his side. With their arms around each other’s waists, they both looked very happy, and according to rumor, it was not a public facade. Their love was as real and as true as it got, despite the pressure of being in the local political and social spotlight.

  “Hello, ladies, I’m so glad you’re both here.”

  Maisie touched the tip of her hat. “I wouldn’t have missed this event for the world, Mayor. Besides,” she said with a conspiratorial grin, “I’ve got DVR so I won’t miss any of my Saturday night shows.”

  He laughed. “And Liza, when I heard you’d gotten the contract with Dr. Marbet, I was really pleased. Your design was outstanding.”

  Liza smiled and shook his hand. “Thank you, Mayor. I worked hard on it. This project is really important to me.”

  And so was the man who hired her.

  She looked around to see if she could spot Anthony, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Maybe he’d gotten caught up at the hospital.

  “Liza, would you excuse me?” said the mayor, his tone urgent. “I’d like to talk to Maisie privately for a moment.”

  “No problem,” she said.

  “I’ll be right back, honey,” Mayor Langston said to his wife, before turning and leading Maisie away.

  “I wonder what that’s about,” Liza said to Vanessa.

  “Just a last-ditch effort to convince Maisie to cut the official ribbon.”

  “That’s odd. She usually wants to be the center of attention. She doesn’t want to do it?”

  “Apparently not.” Vanessa smiled, and added, “But my husband can be very convincing when he wants to be.”

  Liza grinned and extended her hand. “I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Liza Sinclair. I’ve only been in Bay Point a few months, but I know you own the flower shop in town.”

  Vanessa nodded. “Pleased to meet you. I’ve known Maisie for years. She’s such a doll.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  Liza gripped her white clutch purse tightly. “I received a bouquet of flowers from your shop, from Dr. Marbet. Did he place the order by phone or did he come in?”

  Vanessa’s smile widened. “Not only did he come in, but he personally picked out every flower in that arrangement. Wanted each one to be perfect. It took him about thirty minutes.”

  Liza’s heart thudded hard as realization dawned. “I can hardly believ
e it.”

  “I know, I couldn’t either, because let me tell you that it is so rare for someone to do that, especially a man.”

  Vanessa sighed and ran her hands over her baby bump. “The man definitely has good taste. It was very obvious that he cares about you and wanted you to like the arrangement.”

  “I loved it,” she admitted, but a pang of guilt struck her insides as she said the words.

  She’d thanked him via text, when he’d really deserved a phone call. But just hearing his voice set off pangs of longing deep in her belly, and after the kiss he’d given her in his truck, she’d tried to avoid personal contact.

  Since the meeting with Trent, she’d been communicating with Anthony primarily via email and text to negotiate the construction contract and timing.

  In hindsight, not calling him, especially after all the time and trouble he’d taken to select the perfect flowers for her, was downright rude.

  Vanessa cleared her throat, interrupting Liza’s thoughts.

  “If you’ll excuse me, my husband is motioning for me to join him at the podium.”

  Liza tilted her head toward Vanessa. “If you could keep what we discussed just between you and me, I would appreciate it.”

  Vanessa raised her brows. “No problem,” she said, nodding in agreement before walking away.

  Liza wove her way through the crowd to the refreshment table. She had no doubt in her mind that Vanessa would keep her inquiry a secret.

  She ignored the cookies and pastries table, even though they were donated by Ruby, and poured herself a cup of fruit punch. Then she faded into the back of the rotunda near where she and Maisie had entered, to people-watch.

  There were lots of animated and energetic conversations going on, and everyone seemed to know one another.

  Liza knew that if she was going to make Bay Point her permanent home, she was going to have to come out of her shell and talk to people.

  She was never very good at that, but perhaps it was time for a change.

  She was on her way back to the refreshment table, but stopped dead in her tracks halfway there.

  Anthony, and on his arm, a very blonde and very beautiful Eloise Bradshaw, were standing with their backs to the punch bowl, heads nearly touching, engaging in what looked to be a very private conversation.