by Mia Dymond
She allowed herself to push suspicion to the side for the moment and smiled. “I’ll call her in the morning.”
“You’ve got to relax, Doc. Seaside Point is a neighborly place. I’m willing to bet Mrs. Templeton knows a whole lot more than she lets on.”
“You mean about you and me.”
He nodded. “We’re not fooling her.”
“Probably not,” she conceded. “And, your sisters are working double time to interrogate me about our relationship.”
“It’s only a matter of time until we’re ousted.” He chuckled while he shrugged. “Once they dig in, there’s not much to do other than sit back and wait.”
“I’m glad you’re taking this in stride. It means a lot to me.”
His emerald gaze softened. “Only because I love you, Verity.”
Although she knew deep in her heart Travis loved her, hearing him say the words aloud for the first time seemed to make it official.
“I love you too.”
“I stopped by to say good night and make sure you were in one piece after the party.”
She giggled. “Much better than after the last one.”
“I don’t know.” He pulled her back into his embrace and buckled his hands around her midsection. “I seem to remember tucking a warm, willing woman into bed that night. And if my memory serves me correctly, she wore a damn sexy pair of panties.”
“You undressed me to see them,” she reminded him.
“Beside the point.” He eased her back until their gazes met. “Do you want me to stay?”
Her heart screamed yes but her brain intervened. “I want you to, but we both have an early morning at the Festival. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, but tomorrow night is ours. I owe you one, remember?”
“I remember.” She led him back to the door and opened it. “Sleep tight.”
He leaned to give her one last peck on the lips. “You too.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Leaning back against the bright red ladder truck, Travis crossed his arms over his chest and watched Verity, thankful he could hide behind his sunglasses. With her long, black hair pulled back into some sort of complicated knot and her slender body tucked into her usual white lab coat, she represented the picture of professional. Sexy and smart – a lethal, libido-boiling combination.
Her short black skirt grazed the skin of her lower thighs as she wrapped her patient’s arm tightly in a blood pressure cuff and squeezed the black ball to inflate it. Even with all the activity around her, she remained insanely focused while she poked the eartips of her stethoscope into her ears and moved the chestpiece to the bend of an arm to monitor the heartbeat.
A grin split his lips. Time could not pass quickly enough until they could be alone tonight. Maybe he’d ask her to wear her lab coat – and nothing else – to bed. His pants tightened and he reached between his legs to make a necessary adjustment.
He stood, sorely impatient for her victim to leave so he could steal a few private moments with her. That victim, however, was the mayor and he knew from experience that once the mayor began talking, the conversation was not short. He blew a puff of frustration out of his lips and walked to the middle of the truck to make sure the extended ladder was still secure. A lame attempt at looking busy, but maybe it would give Verity time to move the mayor out of the way. He gave the lever one last glance to assure it was in the locked position and then turned to look at Verity’s booth one more time. As luck would have it, the mayor was no longer there. Verity now stood alone for the first time in hours, her back turned to him.
He didn’t waste time in covering the distance between them, sneaking up behind her and placing his hands on her hips.
“I think I’m having a heart attack.”
He felt the small pulse of her muscles, a telltale sign he’d taken her by surprise. Yet, she didn’t scream or better yet, clobber him.
“Oh, yeah? And what would you like me to do about it?”
“Check my heartbeat.”
She reached into her pocket and then attempted to turn to face him.
“No.” He squeezed her hips to keep her in place. “Not like that.”
“I can’t do it from here,” she drawled.
“Yes you can.” He stepped closer and pressed his pelvis against her. His greedy cock stood at attention the moment it touched the swell of her ass. Blood pounded through that particular muscle. “My heartbeat is pretty strong.”
“I’d say so,” she agreed, her voice now somewhat of a breathy whisper.
“Don’t move.”
“We’re standing in the middle of town square in broad daylight.”
“I know.”
“And if I do?”
A low chuckle moved the air between them. “Then everyone will see what an exhibitionist you are.”
“Hardly.”
“Oh yeah?” He stood on his tiptoes and then lowered himself so that his dick rubbed against her skirt. “I think you like being naughty in public.”
“Maybe,” she murmured as she pressed back against him.
He took a few seconds to look both left and right and then move his gaze around the square to assure himself no one appeared interested in the activity in the medical booth. Confident no one suspected their afternoon hanky panky, he gave her left ass cheek a soft slap and then squeezed it in the palm of his hand, amused when she gasped. He swore he heard her heartbeat pounding in the seconds of silence that followed and although he couldn’t see her breasts, he was willing to bet her nipples were hard.
Slowly, she turned her head to look over her shoulder and gave her hips a slight wiggle. “Do that again.”
Dangerously tempted to repeat the gesture and then yank her skirt up and over her hips, bend her over the chair and take her strong and hard, he resisted. Instead, he lifted his hands from her body and turned her to face him.
“You’re a naughty little minx.” He released a sigh, partly to regulate his breathing but mostly in frustration. “I came for your money. The pie auction is getting ready to start.”
“Oh. Here.” She pulled a wad of bills from her lab coat pocket. “Aren’t you going to ask me which ones I want?”
He lifted his glasses, gave her a wink, and then replaced them. “I know what you like.”
“You most certainly do,” she agreed with a sly smile.
“Be nice.” He gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Are you coming to the game?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll see you there.”
With his body still hot and bothered, he made his way through the crowd to the area roped off for the auction and found Maverick sitting in the front row, his feet stretched in front of him and making eyes at a slim blonde at the podium.
“You realize she’s the mayor’s daughter, right?” He took a neighboring chair.
“Yep.” His friend’s eyes never left the podium. “She’s a looker.”
“Not as pretty as Lexi, though.”
Just as he suspected, Maverick snapped his head around to face him. “Where did that come from?”
“Nowhere. Just an observation on my part.”
“You bidding today?” He noticed Maverick’s nonchalant glance toward Lexi’s booth.
“Yes, for me and Dr. Thomas.”
Suddenly his friend’s gaze met his. “Dr. Thomas?”
“Yeah. No big deal. She’s stuck at the medical booth.” Something about Maverick’s inquisition made him nervous. Nervous enough to change the subject. “Who’s auctioning the pies?”
“The mayor,” his friend mumbled. “We’ll be here forever.”
Travis silently agreed just as the mayor approached the podium with a pie.
“This lovely banana cream pie was made by Miss Emma Jones, who just happens to be my daughter. Who will make the first bid?”
“Twenty dollars,” a voice answered from the crowd.
“Ahh, twenty dollars. Who will raise it?”
“Twenty five.”
>
“Thirty five.”
Travis elbowed Maverick. “Aren’t you gonna bid? You love banana cream.”
Maverick shook his head and whispered. “No way. Haven’t you ever tasted one of her desserts?”
“Nope. Vanessa’s always kept me full.”
“They’re awful. I think she mistakes the salt for sugar or something.”
“But her pies always go for around one hundred dollars.”
“That’s only because her father is the mayor. I thought everyone knew that.”
Travis chuckled when the pie sold for one hundred and fifteen dollars. Several others were auctioned off before the mayor pointed at a cart parked next to the podium.
“Now we’ve come to several made by Vanessa Dupree.” He stepped near the cart and held up a dessert. “What’s my opening bid for this apple pie?”
Travis raised his card. “Fifty dollars.”
As usual, Vanessa’s pies brought the highest bids. And since the annual event raised money for the local children’s home, everyone was more than happy to pay outrageous amounts for all the homemade desserts.
After the last pie was auctioned, Maverick took a look at all he had bought and shook his head. “No way am I going to eat all these. Think I’ll take mine over to the station and change into my jeans for the game.”
“I’ll go with you. I can put mine and Verity’s in the refrigerator.”
It took them all of five minutes to walk the two blocks to the station and even less time to change. On their way out, Travis stopped in front of his office door and jammed the key into the lock. “Hang on. I need to grab my glove.”
“Hey, what’s this?”
Travis looked over his shoulder as he stepped inside and reached for his glove. Maverick picked up an envelope from the floor and handed it to him.
“Someone must have slipped it under my door.” He shrugged as he accepted it, not really interested in the contents, but curious about who had left it. He turned it over, noting there was no writing on either side. Finally, he slid one finger along the seam and then pulled out a typed note.
YOU CAN’T HIDE YOUR DIRTY LITTLE SECRET.
Maverick chuckled over his shoulder. “Dupree, you’re holding out on me.”
“Funny.” He wadded the note and tossed it into the trashcan.
“You think I had something to do with that?”
“I know all of you think you’re hilarious. I don’t have any secrets and if I did, they wouldn’t be secrets because the whole town would know.”
“I see your point but as far as I know, none of the crew were in on that.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He grabbed his glove, a teeny tiny bit guilty for lying to his friend. Then again, it was in his best interest to deny anything. “C’mon, the game’s about to start.”
He purposely jogged ahead of Maverick as they headed to the ball field, hoping to dispel any other conversation about the note or Dr. Thomas. Once they reached the dugout, conversation turned to the game.
“The field looks nice.” Dane met them at the corner of the dugout. “The dirt looks freshly combed.”
Travis agreed. “The town council takes pretty good care of it.”
“The town doesn’t own the field.” Casey tossed a ball in his glove.
Maverick frowned. “Since when?”
“Since last month. They sold it to some private benefactor.”
“I didn’t know that either.” Travis braced a foot on the bench. “Do you know who?”
Casey shook his head. “No.”
“It’s still going to remain a ball field, right?” Travis felt Maverick’s panic behind his question. Especially since the future of the Seaside Seagulls depended on it.
“As far as I know.” The sheriff shrugged. “I’m under the impression it was simply a change of title.”
Travis glanced out the dugout at a table positioned on the other side of the fence. “What’s Cindy selling?”
“She’s passing out samples of salsa. Sue’s considering putting it on the menu.” Dane gestured at the table with his head. “Better grab some before it’s gone.”
“C’mon, Mav.”
He and Maverick approached the table where Cindy stood with an oversized grin.
“You’re in luck, guys. I have two left.”
Maverick took one of the sample-sized bowls filled with salsa and chips. “What’s in it?”
“Peaches. Sue’s testing it to see if she should add it to the menu.”
Travis took the other bowl, dunked a chip, and then took a bite. “This is great, Cindy! Tell Sue to add it for sure.”
“That seems to be the consensus.” Cindy gestured to the empty table with one hand. “I’m all out. Have a great game, guys.”
Travis finished the contents in his bowl and then tossed it into a nearby trash can as he and Maverick returned to the dugout.
The umpire signaled to him from the pitcher’s mound and then turned to repeat the gesture to the opposite sideline.
“Game on, guys,” he told his team as he left the dugout to join the others on the field.
“Captain Dupree, your call.”
The umpire tossed a silver coin into the air.
“Heads.”
The official stooped to retrieve the coin as soon as it hit the dirt and then glanced at him. “Heads it is. Which position do you choose?”
“We’ll take the field.”
Travis cleared his throat several times as he headed back to the sidelines, bothered by a sudden tingling sensation in his mouth. Chalking it up to inhaling dust from the field, he coughed several times in an effort to clear his breathing passages. Except, in seconds he realized dust wasn’t the culprit.
With his tongue now heavy and a mouth full of cotton, speech was impossible. His chest tightened and his lungs gasped. He grabbed Maverick’s arm to get his attention just before he fell to the ground.
“Did I miss anything?” Verity took a seat next to Lexi on the bleachers where she, Annessa and Vanessa sat to watch the game.
“They just tossed the coin.” Lexi grinned. “Travis elected to take the field first.”
Verity returned the grin. “He wants to bat last.”
“Strategy, he claims,” Annessa drawled.
Verity moved her gaze along the sidelines, from one side to the other, scanning the participants just to make absolutely sure there wasn’t an outsider. Tucked into the safety of the crowd, she took an extra second to analyze her surroundings, just in case she needed to make a quick exit. Confident she could enjoy the game, she moved her gaze once more over the visiting crowd, this time catching sight of someone she hadn’t noticed earlier.
Richard.
Just as her nerves began to knot, Annessa interrupted her thoughts with a panicked scream. “Travis!”
Verity looked at the dugout just in time to see Travis hit the dirt. She took the bleachers two at a time on the way down, moving her gaze only once to the other side of the stadium – now devoid of Richard Danforth.
Too distracted to contemplate why, she crossed the dirt and knelt next to Travis, who now lay swollen while he struggled to breath. Annessa knelt on the other side.
Verity turned his head toward her. “Travis, can you hear me?”
He nodded and then lifted a hand to point at his throat.
“Cherries!” Annessa crammed her hand into his front pocket and then handed her a cylinder. “Jab him with this.”
Verity gave the tube a quick glance, relieved to see it was epinephrine. Without a second thought, she popped off the safety cap to expose a needle and then jammed it into his left thigh. As soon as the medication entered his body, his breathing began to regulate.
She removed the needle and then unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt to slide her stethoscope inside and placed it against his chest. He answered with a grunt.
“Cold?”
He gave her a half smile in response.
“You need to go to the hospi
tal.”
“I’m fine,” he wheezed as he attempted to rise.
“Slowly.” She slipped a hand beneath him and helped him ease into a sitting position. “You may need a second dose.” She glanced at Casey and Maverick. “Count of three, we’ll stand.”
Lexi palmed her phone while the two men bent to help Travis stand. “Do you need an ambulance?”
“No.” She grasped Travis’ biceps. “Since the hospital’s just around the corner, I’ll drive.”
Dane nodded. “We’ll follow you.”
Thirty nerve-wracking minutes later, Verity paced outside the cubicle while she flipped through Travis’ chart and attempted to piece together how in the world he ended up flat on his incredibly strong back. Annessa’s belief of an allergic reaction was extremely likely, it just wasn’t as believable that Travis would risk his health by eating the one fruit he knew would harm him.
She turned several more pages and then stopped on his lab report. Blood rarely lied. False positives were always possible yet, not in this case. Instinct told her that these results were valid.
Common sense told her Travis did not indulge – unless he didn’t know it.
She released a heavy, frustrated sigh and snapped closed the chart. Damn medicine for not being an exact science.
Although she didn’t have an explanation set in stone, she headed for the waiting room to update the others and paused just outside the double doors leading out of the treatment area. Her heart swelled at the sight of the six people gathered in the corner - two of whom were connected by blood and unconditional love, and the other four connected by love and respect so strong it might as well have been familial. To an outsider they were all a family unit with a bond so strong that no one dared to sever the ties.
Annessa stood as she approached. “Was I right?”
“Seems that way. We moved him to a private room and he’s resting now. Dr. Landon wants to keep him overnight for observation.”
“Dr. Landon?” Annessa frowned. “Aren’t you treating him?”
Very carefully, she swallowed hard. Ethics dictated she couldn’t treat Travis because of their relationship – the one she insisted they keep quiet. Thank God there was a way out.
