The Doctor's Instant Family

by Mindy Neff

  “How come the kids haven’t had a pet before now?”

  “Steve didn’t want animals in the house.”

  “You married a guy who didn’t like animals?”

  “I didn’t know he didn’t like them.”

  “Hmm. Guess the kids had to make do with their friends’ pets, then?”

  “Not too many of those, either. Friends, that is. Jessica went to a private school and none of her classmates lived nearby. All of this is very new to them—sleepovers and outside activities. Actually it’s taking some adjustment for me to accept that they always want to spend time away from home.”

  “It’s good for them. It’s normal and natural for kids to want to get away from their parents, to spend time with their peers. Besides, Santa’s got to have some privacy to do his thing.”

  “Santa did a pretty good job tonight.” She snuggled closer to his side. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Again.”

  She smiled, lulled by the heat of the fire and the festive Christmas lights and the joy of her daughters playing with their new puppy.

  If she hadn’t been in the Christmas spirit before, she was definitely in it now. She’d never looked forward to, nor dreaded, something so much in her life. She wanted to experience it all, soak it up, revel in the atmosphere.

  But with the holiday would come an end. When the gifts were unwrapped and the lights came down, it would be time to leave. To go home.

  Later that night, in Chance’s bed, she snuggled into his arms, held him tight. Even though he assured her the intercom system would pick up the sound of the girls if they needed her, she never spent the whole night in his room. But each night she stayed longer and longer, reluctant to let go.

  He tucked her beneath him, raised above her and stroked her hair back from her temples. “What is it?” he asked softly.

  Tears stung her eyes. She might have known Chance would tap into her emotions. He was so attuned to her. She shook her head. “I have to go back to my room. But, just for another minute, would you…would you just hold me.”

  And he did. “For as long as you’ll let me, sweetheart.”

  AT THE CLINIC they saw the usual colds and flu, but other than that, business was starting to slow and Kelly was barely even working part-time hours. That was fine with her. She’d only intended to fill in for a few months, anyway. Chance really should be advertising for a nurse.

  Today, though, Chance talked her into going on his house calls again and Kelly didn’t refuse. The kids were so enamored with their puppy, they hardly seemed to even know when Kelly was home.

  After gathering up food and toys, they headed out to the trailer park outside town.

  “Are you going to play Santa?” Kelly asked him, glancing back at the boxes of supplies and goodies in the back seat.

  “The holiday gives me an excuse to help out. These people are proud and hate to take charity. This is my way of trying to make a little bit of a difference without stepping on their pride.”

  “Is someone in the household sick?”

  “Lanette’s one of my regulars, more of a complimentary checkup just to stay on top of things. She’s in her late twenties and has two kids. You know how quickly they can pick up and pass along germs.”

  She nodded. From the time her own girls had entered day care, then kindergarten for Jess, it had been one bug after another.

  They came to a stop in front of a single-wide trailer perched sadly on small patch of land with clumps of weeds poking up through the muddy snow. Kelly retrieved the box of food, diapers and wrapped gifts, while Chance grabbed his medical bag.

  A young woman held the door open as they went through, giving Kelly an uninterested glance. A boy of about two clung to her skirt.

  “Hey, Doc Hammond. I wasn’t expecting you today.”

  “I told you I’d be around, Lanette.”

  “I musta forgot. I been doing that a lot lately.”

  Her skin had an unwashed look. Anemia, Kelly suspected, rather than dirt.

  “This is Dr. Kelly Anderson,” Chance said. “She works at the clinic with me.”

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” Lanette said and led them into the kitchen where a baby lay sleeping in a bassinet in the small dining alcove that apparently doubled as a nursery. The linoleum floor was discolored and buckled, and dishes were piled in the sink. Grains of toast speckled the margarine tub where someone had been too impatient to clean off the knife.

  “How are things?” Chance asked.

  Lanette sighed, sitting at the fifties-style dinette table as Chance checked her eyes and the glands in her neck. The metal rim around the Formica surface was popping loose, and the brown floral plastic covering the chairs was taped in places to hold in the stuffing, but the surface was relatively clean.

  “I’m just so tired all the time.”

  “Do you have help with the kids?” he asked. The smell of urine from a pile of soiled diapers in the corner permeated the room. Two yellow dogs lay on the worn carpet, heads on their paws.

  Kelly had never been exposed to this side of life, and she wasn’t sure how to react, so she kept quiet and simply watched.

  The young woman shrugged. “Dody helps, but he’s got his work, you know. And I just don’t feel like doing…it, so he says how can I expect him to want to help when I don’t want to do it.”

  Kelly realized the woman was talking about sex. Chance obviously figured out the same thing.

  “That’s normal when you’re feeling tired.” He had his stethoscope just inside the button front of her shirtwaist dress, listening to her heart. “How old’s the baby now?”

  “Three months. Dody said I shoulda been better at six weeks.”

  “Some women take longer.” He put the stethoscope back in the medical bag. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “Oh, no! It’s just…” She hesitated. “Sometimes I just want to lay down and not get up.” Tears welled in her eyes.

  Chance patted her knee. “I can give you a vitamin shot, have you start taking some iron supplements.” He squatted in front of her, took her hands in his. “Have you heard of postpartum depression, Lanette?”

  Eyes rimmed in dark circles widened. “I heard about a woman over in Idaho who killed her babies because of that. I’m a good mama, Doc. I’m not gonna hurt my babies.”

  “I know, Lanette. The medicine I’d like you to try will just balance the chemicals in your body, put a little sunshine back in your step.”

  She looked away. “The good Lord knows I could use a little more spring in my step, but we can’t afford no extra expense for medicine. We need the money for the kids.”

  “It won’t cost you a thing. We get free samples from drug reps all the time. I’ll just run them out to you.”

  Lanette brightened. “You can do that?”

  “Sure.”

  Just like with Barney Heppermill, Kelly knew the cost of the medication would come out of Chance’s own pocket.

  Not wanting to intrude, Kelly stood back and watched him finish up with Lanette, then coo over the little boy and the baby, examining them and passing out toys and food, taking a moment to play and visit and giving every impression that doctors all over the world dispensed Christmas gifts as a natural part of their service.

  He was an amazing man, Kelly thought. An amazing doctor. Tall and strong and sexy and compassionate.

  And with her heart melting right there in the shabby kitchen, Kelly fell in love with him all over again.

  This was the worse mess she’d ever gotten herself into.

  Damn it, she was going to break her own heart, and she had no way to prevent that from happening.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next day, with Jessica and Kimberly in tow, Kelly headed toward King’s Western Wear to do some last-minute shopping.

  She’d used the Internet to make most of her purchases for the girls. It still gave her pause not to have all the conveniences she’d always taken
for granted—malls around every corner, mailboxes every two blocks.

  In Shotgun Ridge, UPS picked up and dropped off at Tillis’ General Store. A trip to pick up her purchases meant half a day of visiting, as everyone and their sister, it seemed, wanted to stop and talk and discuss what was in the packages. Nosiness didn’t even enter into the equation. Friendship did.

  It was something Kelly was starting to look forward to. In California she was merely a number at the post office; here she was greeted by name and welcomed with big smiles.

  “How come Snowball couldn’t come with us?” Jessica asked for the twentieth time.

  “Honey, Snowball’s still little. He’s not crazy about cold weather and he likes to stay in his nice warm basket. Besides, he doesn’t have any money to spend.”

  “We could give him some.”

  “If we’d brought him, then he’d know what you bought him for Christmas. You want him to be surprised, don’t you?”

  “Well, don’t get mad at me if he eats the popcorn on the tree,” Jessica said with an innocent look.

  Kelly sighed. The puppy was worse than a baby. And in her daughters’ eyes, he could do no wrong.

  “I’m sure Maria will keep him away from the tree.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jessica shared a look with Kimmy, and Kelly didn’t even try to decipher it. “Where are we going now?”

  “To buy a gift for Chance.”

  That perked her up. “Can me and Kimmy get him something, too?”

  “Of course.”

  “And for Nikki and Ian? And…” Jessica took a moment to think, then named off half the people in town and their pets, too.

  Kelly realized her gift-giving list was growing considerably. But instead of worrying about it, she embraced it, enjoying herself. Past Christmases had been harried. She’d almost resented having to go out and choose gifts.

  This year she felt different. There was a spirit of giving and goodwill that she’d never known before.

  Even during the daytime, the town was festive. It was too early for the lights to be on, but windows and doorways sported wreaths and painted glass and colorful displays.

  King’s Western Wear shop had a Santa in the display window wearing a cowboy hat and pointed-toe leather boots. Bells jingled above the door when they entered, and Jessica and Kimberly immediately spotted Mildred and Opal Bagley. Thrilled, they raced across the room to the widows, who happily enveloped the girls in hugs and kisses.

  “Land’s sake,” Mildred said. “I’ve missed having you sweet baby dolls staying at my house. How are things out on the ranch?”

  “We got a new puppy! His name’s Snowball and he got borned from Lady—that’s Ian’s border collie. Chinook’s a boy doggy, so he can’t have babies, but that’s okay. Snowball’s just little. Skeeter said he was a runt. But I don’t think he’s a runt. He’s so be-au-teeful!”

  “Well, then,” Opal said. “I’m certain he’s just perfect. Isn’t it the luckiest thing that you’ve got all that room on Dr. Chance’s ranch.” She included Kimberly in her greeting, gently caressing the little girl’s cheeks.

  “Yep,” Jess said, eyes shining. “And Marcy loves him, too, and she likes the ranch.”

  “Marcy?” Mildred asked.

  “For heaven’s sake, sister,” Opal chided. “I do worry about your brain. How could you forget Marcy, the angel?”

  “Oh, worry about your own brain, Opal.”

  Opal sniffed. “If you weren’t so obsessed with your silly fingernails, maybe there’d be room in that gray head of yours to keep up with the residents of our town.”

  “At least I have fingernails.”

  Kelly bit her lip to keep from laughing. An imaginary angel was hardly a resident of the town. It had taken some getting used to, the way these sisters openly bickered over the craziest things. And they did it mostly for show, to raise an eyebrow, distract or simply entertain.

  They were absolutely lovely.

  “Kelly,” Opal said, “you’re positively glowing. Ranch life appears to be agreeing with you, too.”

  “It is—not that it wasn’t delightful living in town at the boardinghouse with you all.”

  “You’ll stop by sometime on Christmas Eve, though, won’t you? We’ll be serving a bit of cheer—hooch for Mildred,” she said in a stage whisper, “and cider and cocoa for the children. We’ve gifts to pass out, too.”

  “We’d love to stop by.”

  “Wonderful,” Mildred chimed in. “And don’t let sister kid you. She nips into the hooch more than anyone. It’s a wonder she can even walk a straight line to the bathroom—which she uses more than the rest of us, I’ll have you know.”

  Kelly did laugh then. “It’s so wonderful to see you both. You’re taking care of some last-minute purchases?”

  “Just finished up.” Opal rolled her eyes. “Sister’s been rushing me like an old woman bent on pushing through the pearly gates. She’s got an appointment over at Arletta’s to get those ridiculous little Christmas trees touched up on her fingernails. Fake, every last one of them.”

  “Well, we’ve company coming in tomorrow,” Mildred defended. “At least I’m feminine enough to pay the beauty shop a visit and look my best. If you’d let that shorn hair grow out a bit like Arletta’s been urging you to, you might feel a touch feminine yourself.”

  “And then where would we be?” Opal argued. “We’d both be primping, and not a lick of work would get done at the inn.”

  Mildred snorted.

  Kelly decided to head off the conversation before there was bloodshed. “Who’s coming in?”

  “Eden’s folks. Wonderful people. Beverly’s a judge and Sam is a chef. Delightful, both of them. And there’s other happy news. Emily Bodine’s mother and stepfather are coming to town. Not to stay at the boardinghouse. They’ll stay at Cheyenne and Emily’s. Isn’t that just wonderful? It was Emily’s fondest hope that her mother would come around and be a grandmother to those sweet babies.”

  “Yes, I remember. That’s fabulous news.”

  “Well, we’ve kept you from your business long enough. If we don’t scoot, Mildred will miss her appointment and I’ll never hear the end of it.” Both sisters hugged and kissed Kelly and the girls, then went out the door, tugging on hats and gloves and linking arms companionably as though they hadn’t been sparring for the past ten minutes.

  Feeling as though she’d been caught up in a comedic whirlwind, Kelly spoke to King Johnson, the owner of the store, and browsed through the merchandise, allowing the girls to select their own gifts.

  For Chance, they chose a new bandanna, a pair of gloves and a belt buckle. The dogs got bandannas too, and Nikki and Ian some fuzzy earmuffs.

  Just for fun, Kelly and the girls tried on cowboy boots, and when Jessica and Kimberly had streaked off to play with the saddles and feathered hatbands, Kelly quietly asked King to set aside the boots. She’d be back later to pick them up.

  She was examining a pair of leather gloves that her father might like when Ozzie Peyton came in the door.

  “Ought to get you a cowboy hat to go with them gloves, you bet.”

  Kelly smiled. King’s Western Wear was getting as busy as the General Store and Brewer’s. “The gloves aren’t for me. I was thinking about them for my dad.”

  “Right nice pair. Looks like a perfect fit to me, you bet. Won’t find better anyplace else.”

  “You’ve talked me into it, then.” She placed the gloves on the counter with the rest of her purchases.

  “So what do you hear from Bill?”

  Kelly had an idea Ozzie Peyton heard from her father more often than she did. Ozzie and Bill Dunaway had served in the war together—Ozzie a belly gunner, Bill a medic stationed at the same air base. It had been Ozzie that Bill had contacted when Kelly was looking for a change, a place to spend the holidays and step back from the turmoil in her life.

  “He’s flying in on Sunday.”

  “Cutting it close. That’s the day before Christmas E
ve. Need me to run over to the airport and fetch him?”

  “No, he said he’d rent a car.”

  “Well, that’s good. Looking forward to seeing him again, you bet. Still hard to believe he gave up his medical practice to dabble in them computers.”

  “Those computers have made him a bundle.”

  “And you became the doctor in the family.”

  “Yes.”

  “A good one, I hear tell. Bill brags on you.”

  Kelly smiled. “It’s embarrassing sometimes.”

  “Nonsense. If a daddy can’t brag on his girl, then the world would be a sad place.”

  A sad place, indeed, Kelly thought. Steve had rarely bragged on his daughters. He’d been too busy hobnobbing with the elite.

  But Chance bragged. And the girls weren’t even his daughters.

  Lord, there had been so many changes in her life she hardly recognized herself. Had it been only since late October that she’d arrived in this magical town? Become part of it?

  How was she ever going to leave?

  “DON’T GO POTTY on the rug,” Jessica admonished the little dog. Tongue hanging out, he gave her such a cute look Kelly decided she’d be happy to clean up any accidents. How in the world could they even think of scolding such an adorable little ball of fluff?

  She sighed. She’d always been a terrible disciplinarian with the girls. Thank heaven they were blessed with naturally good dispositions and a willingness to obey the rules. Otherwise they’d probably be on their way to delinquency at the ripe old ages of six and four. She imagined she’d be just as bad with the dog.

  As Jessica had warned earlier, the puppy had chewed the popcorn off the bottom branches of the tree. They were going to have to get a gate and fence it off—or pay closer attention to Chance’s instructions on training puppies.

  With newspapers spread all over the floor in Jessica and Kimberly’s bedroom, Kelly tucked the girls in to the double bed and Snowball into his box. Scout hopped up and made himself comfortable on the quilt, giving the puppy a look of superiority.

  “Can Snowball sleep with us, too?”

  Kelly looked at the little dog. He stood on his hind legs, his black-tipped front paws hanging over the lip of the box. “I don’t know…”