The Doctor Returns

by Stella MacLean

  She was free to go ahead with her plans, confident in the belief that the worst was over. She could look forward to her job in Portsmouth and her new life.

  CHAPTER TWO

  AS SHERRI APPROACHED the outpatient clinic nurses’ station the next morning, her mind was made up: from now on she’d refuse any shifts outside the clinics she normally worked. Now all she had to do was finish her shift in the outpatient clinic and then she was off for a couple of days.

  She was going to Portsmouth to look for a place to live and to meet with the members of the nursing department she’d be working with in her new job. During the interview a few weeks ago, she’d discovered that she and the nursing coordinator shared the same approach to risk management, a key function in modern hospitals. She might even go to Bangor tomorrow and buy something special for the trip. Just thinking about her new job and the potential it held for a career in nursing management excited her.

  Seeing Neill with his daughter, being aware of how focused he was on his life now, had made one thing clear. Neill Brandon had moved on; he had made decisions in life to meet his own personal goals. And so should she. When she’d told her friend Gayle Sawyer about meeting Neill, Gayle had been shocked to learn he hadn’t recognized her.

  Gayle’s take on the situation was that the sooner she resolved her feelings around Neill, the easier it would be for her to move on with her life. In Gayle’s mind, there were unfinished issues between them. What Gayle didn’t seem to get was that Sherri had moved on. She wasn’t interested in resuscitating an old relationship. Neill’s presence in her life would be fleeting and of no real importance in the end.

  After work yesterday, Sherri had dropped into her mother’s house before going home to her condo. Colleen had been preoccupied with the fact that her son, Ed, was about to be paroled and what that would mean in their lives. With her mother’s attention on Sherri’s older brother, it wasn’t difficult to talk about seeing Neill again. Her mother had been curious about the incident, but Sherri had convinced her that everything had gone well, that they had been perfectly civil with each other. Nothing more.

  Her mother didn’t know that Neill was her baby’s father. Even back then, her mother’s attention had been on Ed, who’d just been jailed for drug smuggling. Sherri didn’t want to give her mother any more reason to worry.

  Sherri’s husband, Sam, had died five years ago. She’d let her mother assume that her baby had been Sam’s. He’d been in love with Sherri for years, and when she’d met him again in Bangor, they’d started dating. When she could no longer hide the fact that she was pregnant, she’d confided in him what had happened. He proposed to her that night. Feeling she had no other option, she’d accepted.

  Sam wanted to be a father very much, and was delighted to have her son carry the Crawford name. She was so grateful for everything he had done for her, and it seemed the right thing to do under the circumstances. He’d supported her by telling everyone that the baby was his. He’d even gone along with fabricating a story about the date she’d conceived. But all of the small lies and minor fabrications had been unnecessary in the end when her son died only hours after he’d been born.

  Sam’s parents and his brother Charlie still lived in Eden Harbor, and she saw them at church on the Sundays she wasn’t working. Charlie and his wife, Freda, included her in their children’s birthday celebrations and the Crawford family always invited her for Christmas. She would forever be thankful that Sam was the kind of man he was, despite his problems with alcohol, and that his family treated her like a daughter.

  Neill’s arrival in Eden Harbor had complicated her life, but it was nothing she couldn’t manage. She’d decided six months ago to leave Eden Harbor, long before she’d heard that Neill was moving back. She was not leaving because she didn’t like living there; she loved it. But she needed to expand her horizons, find a more challenging nursing job and meet new people. The social scene in Eden Harbor consisted of married couples and twenty-year-olds. Obviously, she didn’t fit into either category.

  As Sherri approached the desk, Gayle Sawyer glanced up, her mass of black curls bouncing around her high cheekbones. Any other day Sherri would’ve arrived early for her shift so that she and Gayle could start the day off with a quiet chat. Although Gayle had only arrived in Eden Harbor a year ago, they’d developed an instant rapport that had led to a very close friendship. There were few secrets in Sherri’s life that she hadn’t shared with Gayle, including her relationship with Neill.

  “Sorry I’m late, but I got caught in the traffic on Higgins Road. There are days when I wonder why I bought a condo so far from the center of town, but I love waking up to the sound of the ocean.” Her condo building was designed as a series of semidetached units that wrapped around the edge of a hill with a view of the ocean.

  “They’re finally doing those road repairs they’ve been talking about. None too soon,” Gayle said, her smile anxious. “I’ve got some bad news.”

  Resting her arms on the raised counter in front of Gayle, she waited, fearful that Gayle’s teenage son, Adam, was in trouble again. “What happened?”

  “Dr. Brandon is working the clinic this morning.”

  “Neill’s here today? His daughter’s a patient on Pediatrics. What’s he doing here?” Sherri had a sudden urge to check her makeup; instead she controlled her rush of anxiety by tidying the already-neat pile of charts on the desk.

  “He’s covering for Dr. Keith, who’s been called away on a family emergency.”

  “They all seem to be having family emergencies,” Sherri said. “What’s next, I wonder?”

  “You’ll have an overwhelming urge to leave work early?” Gayle’s eyebrows twitched.

  “Not a chance. Neill’s return to Eden Harbor is just fine as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Sherri, it’s me, remember? What if someone starts gossiping about you and Neill? People have long memories, especially when it comes to a new doctor in town. Rumors can ruin lives.”

  Sherri suddenly remembered that her medical chart was in his uncle’s office—now Neill’s office—with her past health history, including what had happened in Bangor. Neill knew about the pregnancy, and if he read her chart, he’d learn how their son had had no chance of survival. The struggle she’d had to keep her sanity, and how that struggle had ended. What she didn’t want him to discover was what had happened after that. She was entitled to her privacy when it came to the man who had no right to know what she’d been through. “He won’t find out. I’m out of here in a couple of weeks, and I’m taking my chart with me.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “You worry too much,” Sherri cautioned, although she worried enough for everyone, including herself. But where had all that worrying gotten her? She still lived in the town she’d grown up in. She hadn’t traveled anywhere in her entire life. Another reason for getting out of Eden Harbor.

  Neill’s uncle, Dr. Nicolas Brandon, had been her family doctor all her life. Now it was Neill’s practice. And now people had reason to gossip about the newly divorced doctor and his past relationship with one of the nurses. Keeping her secret for twelve years had been tough, and all that effort would not be in vain if she had anything to do with it. She deserved to be able to move on with her life without becoming the subject of unfair gossip.

  How had she forgotten about her chart? Did she have time to drop by his office and pick it up? She could request it because she was moving—a simple explanation. She glanced at the clock.

  Gayle followed her glance. “Dr. Brandon hasn’t arrived yet, but he did call to say he’d be here in a few minutes.”

  Too late. She’d go to his office after her shift. “He’s probably on Pediatrics visiting with his daughter.”

  Gayle nodded, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “The building is buzzing with the news that Dr. Brandon’s ex
-wife is going to be here very soon. She’s a doctor, and she owns a medical supply company in Houston. It seems that even though they’re divorced, Neill and Lilly get along very well. Not your typical divorce in my experience.”

  The last person Sherri wanted to talk about this morning was Neill, and her second least favorite topic was his ex-wife. “Neill’s going through a difficult time right now. I hope his daughter is feeling better.”

  “I do, too. Anything else you’re hoping for?” Gayle asked sweetly.

  “After yesterday, I’d hoped to avoid seeing Neill again, but if I have to, I will.” She tapped the counter emphatically.

  “I just want you to know I’m here for you if you need me, that’s all.” Gayle’s smile was sympathetic as she answered the phone.

  There were lots of people in the small town of Eden Harbor who were curious about the new doctor—especially those who remembered him as a teenager growing up in the town. And of course everyone was interested in his personal life. Only Gayle knew the whole story about how her relationship with Neill had ended. Sherri intended to see that it stayed that way. After yesterday, there was no doubt that the past was over.

  Gayle made a quick note as she hung up the phone. “We’ve got a busy morning ahead,” she said, glancing past Sherri toward the main doors leading from the hospital.

  “All the more reason to keep personal issues out of the conversation,” Sherri muttered. She’d worked through all the hurt and pain that loving Neill had created in her life. She would never let him hurt her again.

  With determination bolstering her self-confidence, she turned as the doors connecting the clinic with the main hospital slid open and Neill strode in.

  His hair was still a deep auburn that kept threatening to curl if allowed to grow too long. He carried his six-foot frame with a clear sense of authority. His presence dominated the space, and the air seemed to pulse with expectation. Facing him across the expanse of corridor, she prayed her bravery of a few minutes ago would hold.

  He walked up to her, his smile warm and inclusive. “Sherri Lawson, I want to apologize for not recognizing you yesterday in the emergency room. It’s just that you look...well, you look so different.”

  His frank appreciation sent a fluttering sensation down the length of her body. This was a man who knew his impact on women. She’d experienced that impact firsthand and had lived with the consequences. Yet, did he really believe that he could walk in here, offer her a quick apology and everything would be fine between them? “It’s been...a while since we’ve seen each other,” she said stiffly.

  He was standing so close she caught a whiff of his cologne. She was acutely aware of how dark his eyelashes were against his perfectly clear skin. “And I was completely preoccupied with Morgan’s emergency. But my concerns for Morgan aside, I’m so pleased to see you here in Eden Harbor. The last I’d heard you were working in Bangor.”

  “I’ve been back in Eden Harbor for three years now.”

  His gaze registered surprise. “That long?”

  So much for wondering if he ever thought about her. She was dismayed to feel heat rising up her neck again.

  There was an awkward pause caused by her inability to come up with a response that would politely put this topic to rest. Engaging in conversation with Neill could lead to complications she didn’t need in her life. “You were focused on your daughter’s health. I’m not surprised that you didn’t recognize me. But it doesn’t matter.”

  The lie set her on edge. His lack of interest did bother her. With him standing so close, forcing her to face him, she cared deeply that he made her feel somehow...less of a person. It hurt to admit that he could so easily forget her, someone he’d claimed to love twelve years ago.

  Or was she looking for his approval? Did she want him to admire all the changes she’d made in her appearance? No. Definitely not. “It’s only right that you should concentrate on your daughter.”

  “I’m relieved to hear you say that. I really didn’t mean to upset you, especially when we’ll be working in the same hospital.”

  Not for long, she thought. She’d rather work in a garbage dump than share workspace with a man whose only response to her after all these years was to worry if he’d upset her. To block any further discussion between them, she changed topics. “Have you met Gayle Sawyer? She’s new to the clinics.”

  Neill’s face was alight with enthusiasm as he moved around the desk. “It’s nice to meet you, Gayle.”

  “Thank you. I understand you’re doing Dr. Keith’s clinic today,” Gayle said.

  “I am. Will you page me when my ex-wife arrives? I told her I’d be here instead of in our daughter’s room. Lilly was supposed to meet me in Morgan’s room an hour ago.” He glanced at his watch.

  Sherri wished she could leave, go anywhere that didn’t include Neill and his ex. Still, she was a little curious to know what the former Mrs. Neill Brandon was like.

  Just then the doors opened and a statuesque blonde walked into the clinic, her chocolate-brown business suit a perfect backdrop to her flawless makeup and hair.

  Neill walked toward her and they hugged. With their arms still linked, they came to the desk, stopping beside Sherri.

  The woman was breathtakingly gorgeous, the kind of woman men desired.

  Neill had obviously set his sights on the prettiest girl in his medical class, and he’d won her...at least for a time.

  Was Neill’s disinterest that fall day she’d called him, seeking reassurance that he loved her and their baby, due to his infatuation with Lilly? Or worse, had he been dating Lilly when Sherri had called to tell him she was pregnant?

  She remembered that call—his shock, his distracted response, followed by his bumbling suggestion that she come to Boston. What was even more humiliating was she’d seriously considered going. If she’d found Neill with another woman... What a fool she would’ve made of herself. In the end, of course, it hadn’t mattered.

  “I’d like you to meet Dr. Lilly Russell, Morgan’s mom.”

  Lilly smiled. Sherri smiled back. “It’s so nice to meet you,” Sherri said, and in the oddest way, she meant it. Somehow, she sensed that Lilly was someone who’d be a good friend, someone who would be kind to others. “How’s Morgan?” she asked.

  “She’s doing much better. And I understand you’re the nurse who was so caring and concerned about our daughter.” Lilly smiled at Neill before returning her gaze to Sherri. “Thank you for everything. I wish I could have been here, but having you with Morgan and hearing Neill sing your praises was so reassuring.”

  How could he be such a hypocrite? He had shown no interest in their little boy, but he could praise her nursing abilities to his ex-wife. “It was a pleasure. Your daughter is a wonderful little girl.”

  “She is. I’ve been concerned about how she’ll make out with the move here. So I’ve decided to stay for a few days to be with her. Neill got me a room at the Wayfarer’s Inn on Waterside Street.”

  “You’ll like it there.”

  “I’m sure I will. I’m so pleased to meet some of Neill’s coworkers. For months he’s hardly talked about anything other than practicing medicine here,” Lilly said with genuine friendliness as she smiled at each of them in turn.

  Sherri had to admit she could see what had attracted Neill to this woman. Besides being beautiful, she was outgoing, friendly and at ease with people. “We’re all pleased to have Neill back with us.”

  Now who’s being a hypocrite?

  “Are both of you from here?” Lilly asked.

  “Sherri went to school with Neill, but I’m new here,” Gayle offered, leaning her elbows on the desk.

  “Neill, you didn’t tell me you were surrounded by beautiful women,” Lilly teased.

  Well, what do you know? Lilly didn’t have the faintest clue that she and
Neill had been friends for years and had dated in high school. It was nice to know just how much he’d thought of their relationship.

  Once again, she was so thankful that Sam Crawford had been there for her, for her unborn child. Sam had been a wonderful man and a good husband who would have made a great dad.

  * * *

  NEILL COULD HAVE kicked himself for his stupidity as he watched his wife charm the two women. Seeing Sherri that morning, he’d wondered what she believed about him. Probably she saw him as a complete jerk, or worse, for not acknowledging her or giving her any indication what she’d meant to him.

  In his defense, he hadn’t expected to find her working in the emergency room of Eagle Mountain Hospital, not to mention being the clinic nurse this morning, at least until Mike Fennell had told him. He’d been having coffee with Mike an hour before, discussing Morgan’s condition, when Mike had said something about Sherri being the nurse in Emergency yesterday.

  As he stood there listening to the banter between the women, he focused his attention on Sherri, his heart hammering in his chest at the realization that she was easily the most attractive woman he’d met in a very long time. With her wide hazel-green eyes and her sun-streaked hair framing her face, she was beautiful. So different from what he remembered—the light brown hair, the large-framed glasses and a careless disregard for a few extra pounds. He’d actually found Sherri’s lack of concern over her weight a relief as his mother had always been obsessed with her weight and the refrigerator reflected her rigid diet concerns. The worst possible scenario for a teenage boy who was always starving.

  But he was delighted to see that Sherri had blossomed from the teenager he’d known into a woman whose body language suggested a very self-assured and confident person who knew what she wanted from life. He tried not to stare. He didn’t need to add another mistake to his first one of not recognizing her.

  “Well, it’s been lovely to meet you both. I’m going up to see Morgan, but I’m sure we’ll run into each other over the next few days.” Lilly turned to Neill, her smile bright. “You’ll be along when you’re finished here?”