In the Doctor's Arms

by Carol Ross

  Let the wooing begin! The fact that he was following advice from two geriatric playboys gave him only the slightest pause. Most of their suggestions seemed sound, if a little dated. But he could tweak those for the circumstances.

  Ryder and Jessie came out to greet them. Ally introduced everyone who hadn’t met. Within minutes, they’d unloaded the supplies and packed them beside the house, where a large expanse of neatly trimmed lawn sloped gently toward the lake. A grill sat on the deck. Two picnic tables were pushed together under one large awning. Farther away, near a line of trees, Hazel and Seth arranged lounge chairs under another smaller canopy.

  Bering arrived with his wife, Emily, his sister, Janie, her husband, Aidan, and Laurel Davidson, longtime family friend and owner of the local newspaper, Rankins Press. Jonah, Shay, Hannah, her husband, Tate, and their cousin Adele arrived soon after. They were followed closely by Tag’s friend and second groomsman, Cricket Blackburn, and Janie and Aidan’s teenaged sons, Gareth and Reagan.

  A few more vehicles pulled up, guests unloaded, more greetings were exchanged. Soon everyone grew impatient with small talk and three groups began to form—one to kayak to the opposite shore and take a hike to the waterfalls, another to go fly-fishing and still another smaller bunch who’d opted to stay back and swim, float or enjoy the sun. Ryder and Jessie’s horseshoe pit looked freshly raked and a badminton net fluttered gently in the breeze.

  Flynn watched Iris conversing with Cricket. Flynn knew the guy was like family, but still, he and Iris seemed awfully tight lately. Did he have something to worry about there?

  She drifted away from the crowd and settled in a lounge chair under the shaded awning. Digging in her bag, she removed several items—hat, book, sunglasses and a bottle of some sort. After dousing herself with a thick mist from the bottle, she arranged the hat on her head, slipped on her sunglasses and picked up the book.

  Flynn waited a few minutes and then approached her. “Hey.”

  “Hi,” she answered, an uncharacteristically tight smile on her face.

  He sat on the edge of her chair. “Are you all right?”

  “Sure.”

  “You were awfully quiet on the ride here.”

  “Was I?” She looked up and then away, and Flynn tried to follow her rapidly bouncing gaze, which didn’t seem inclined to meet his. “Is that a mosquito?” She picked up the bottle, aimed and gave the pump a squeeze. “I don’t understand why mosquitos even exist.”

  Flynn leaned sideways, ducking out of the way of the misty cloud. He fanned the air. “You know you were. And no, I think it’s a fly. Birds eat mosquitos, so you could argue that they’re an important food source.”

  “You know very well that there are ten quintillion species of bugs on this planet, ninety-one thousand in the United States alone. The birds can eat something else.”

  “Although, I think Alaska only has, what, like three hundred insect species?”

  “Three hundred and four.” Iris graced him with a genuine grin.

  Flynn gave himself silent props because he knew she was thinking about the biology project they’d done together her sophomore year. Like he wanted her to. They’d turned it into the winning entry in the science fair that year.

  “See? Exactly. Poor birds. Very limited options up here. They need the mosquitos.”

  “Then they should relocate. I don’t know why anyone, human or avian, would want to live here, anyway. And then choose a lake in the middle of nowhere to nest.”

  Flynn tried not to laugh. “Because it’s beautiful, peaceful, uncrowded and not corrupted with urban sprawl like the places you claim you want to live.” He added a wink to soften the statement.

  “Oh, you mean civilization?” she joked.

  “I mean smog and pollution and viruses and a mob of people.”

  “Ahh...” she drawled with a knowing nod. “That would be Heaven you’re referring to.”

  He gave up and chuckled. “I do love arguing with you. Except when I know you’re doing it to avoid the real issue. Tell me why you were so quiet.”

  “Motion sickness.”

  “Really?”

  “No.” Tipping her head thoughtfully, she added, “That’s actually a problem I don’t have.”

  He shook his head. “What is it then?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Iris—”

  She slapped her leg and then pointed triumphantly at the spot. “That was a mosquito.”

  “I think it was a fruit fly.”

  “Or a tiny mosquito.”

  “You know very well there are no tiny mosquitos in Alaska.”

  She snuffled out a laugh. “True. I heard they were training some for use as military drones.”

  He laughed, and then went for it. “How about a canoe ride, just me and you?”

  It was hard to see her exact reaction behind the sunglasses, but it looked like she winced a little. “Oh, um, no thank you. Canoes are real tippy, have you noticed that? One wrong move and you’re fish food.”

  “How about a hike? The falls are amazing. We can ride over there in the boat.”

  Scrunching her nose, she pitched her tone to schoolmarm disapproval. “Flynn, please don’t use the H word with me. It’s right up there with the C word. Both of where it is not uncommon to encounter the dreaded B word.”

  “And that would be what? Canoeing and...bugs?”

  After an exaggerated huff, she corrected, “Camping and bears.”

  Barely swallowing his laughter, he gestured toward the fishing crowd now climbing into Bering’s raft. “So I’m guessing the F word is out, too?” he joked.

  She laughed, hard, and Flynn used the time to fantasize about leaning forward and kissing her.

  “So, so far out. Like I’d-rather-gargle-burning-hot-lava out.”

  “Wow. That is far. Swimming?”

  “Cold,” she countered smoothly. “I don’t do cold. Bad circulation.”

  “Huh.” He eyed her doubtfully. “I feel like you might have made that up.”

  “That’s possible,” she admitted with a shrug, while her lips fought a losing battle with a smile. “I sometimes forget that you’re a doctor and can probably tell these things.”

  Affection and desire twisted impatiently inside of him as he and Iris exchanged grins. He resisted the urge to kiss away her arguments, opting instead to focus on a modified version of Doc and Caleb’s courting advice and let her suggest how they’d spend the day. “What do you want to do?”

  “Me?” She seemed surprised by the question. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” Doing nothing in this virtual paradise of a setting was not part of his plan. “Come on, Iris, there has to be something that you like to—”

  “Sorry, Flynn,” she interrupted. “I’m not interested in hiking or fishing or kayaking or water...frolicking of any kind. Honestly, thank you for asking, but Mother Nature and I share a mutual and abiding dislike of one another.”

  “Seriously, Iris, how could you grow up here in Alaska, and with the family you did, and not want to do any of this stuff?”

  * * *

  AND, THERE IT WAS. Forcing a smile through gritted teeth, Iris said, “Well, Flynn, I...” What would he do if she told him the truth? Pity her, probably. And then try to convert her. Neither of which she wanted.

  “I guess you could say I’m like the duckling in a family of swans. Just not a sporty, outdoorsy person. I know it’s a difficult concept for people like you.”

  The stare he leveled at her made her heart hurt a little even though she couldn’t quite decipher its meaning. Disappointment? Frustration? Confusion? All three of those and then some.

  “People like me?” he repeated.

  “Yeah, you know, good at everything.”

  “Iris, I am not good at everything.”

  “Reall
y?” She adjusted the back of her seat. “That’s not how it looks from where I’m sitting.”

  “Maybe that’s because you always insist on sitting on the sidelines.”

  Iris glanced away and squirted the bottle at nothing because that did hurt. That always hurt. “Which is where I want to be,” she said quietly, hating how petulant she sounded. Even though that was not exactly how she felt. She felt sad and pathetic and left out. Like she often had as a kid.

  Seth’s voice rang out from the shoreline. “Hey, Ramsey, are you coming?”

  Keeping his focus on her, he held up a finger in a wait-a-sec gesture. “How about this—I promised your cousin Reagan I would show him some fly-fishing stuff, so he can catch more fish than Seth. Do you want to ride along at least? I won’t make you fish.”

  “That is sweet,” she said. “I’d love to see someone catch more fish than my braggy brother for a change. But you know what I’d love even more? To hear about it after the fact.”

  “You’re very stubborn, do you know that?”

  She shrugged. “I guess. If not liking the outdoors makes me stubborn.”

  “Fine.” Standing, he raked a hand through his hair. “I hate leaving you here all alone. But I’ll see you later.” When he smiled it held too much of what looked like that pity she wanted to avoid. She pretended to swat at another mosquito.

  “’Bye, Flynn.”

  Iris watched him go as an inexplicable, smothering feeling came over her and left her chest aching. She knew she’d packed her inhaler because it was in her pocket. Like the mosquito spray, it was a constant reminder of her shortcomings. But she knew this feeling didn’t have anything to do with her mild asthma, a long-term condition due to the underdeveloped lungs of her premature birth.

  “Trust me,” she whispered to no one. “I’m good at being alone.”

  It was true. It had been true her entire life. She was good at being alone. In a room, a crowd, a family full of people—it didn’t matter where, she always felt at least slightly removed. So why did it bother her now? It didn’t, she assured herself. It was just that when she’d left Alaska, she’d thought she was done with these kinds of situations that left her the odd one out. Soon, she assured herself, she would be gone, and this day would be just another crappy memory.

  Flopping her head back, she closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the sounds of nature everyone was always raving about.

  Two minutes later, she was ready to give up when a voice penetrated her musing. “Hey, Trippa, are you sleeping?”

  Opening one eye, she watched Hazel pull a lounge chair closer.

  “Who can sleep with all this noise?”

  Frowning, Hazel looked around. “What noise?”

  Iris opened her other eye, let out a dramatic sigh and then gestured around helplessly. “The wind, the leaves rustling rudely in the trees, birds screeching in distress, bugs buzzing around and pointing out patches of my bare skin to one other, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard growling at least six times. I don’t know if it’s wolves stalking me, or grizzly bears discussing my choicest cuts.”

  Hazel burst out laughing. “I have missed you. So. Much.”

  Iris felt both her heart and her irritability soften. “I’ve missed you, too. But am I the only one who thinks it’s odd that Tag and Ally are having a party at the place where her cousin got attacked by a bear?”

  “Louis survived, and this is where they met. I think it’s romantic.”

  “Huh.” She hadn’t thought of it quite that way. “I guess I can see that. Sort of.”

  “There are no grizzly bears in Peru.”

  “But there is some kind of speckled bear.”

  “Spectacled,” Hazel corrected.

  “Oh, that’s great that they wear glasses,” she quipped. “All the better to see their prey. Also, jaguars, poisonous snakes and frogs, which is fundamentally wrong because frogs are cute and should not be feared. Then there’s that weird river dolphin that lives in the Amazon and makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It’s like Flipper’s demented cousin.”

  Hazel laughed again, then said, “My goodness, I had no idea you were an expert on Peruvian wildlife.”

  “We can also talk about crime and disease if you want. Dengue, zika, malaria, yellow fever—”

  Hazel held out a hand. “You know what? I’m good.”

  “Well.” Iris shrugged. “You know me, my sister is going there so I have to learn what evil dwells. Then I can worry about you appropriately.”

  “That is actually really sweet in your special, twisted way.” A restless finger tapped against her armrest. “But just so we’re clear, I’m not giving up. Someday you’re going somewhere with me. You can’t use school as an excuse anymore.”

  “I’ll go to Paris with you. You could hike up to the top of the Eiffel Tower while I wait at the bottom with un café et un croissant chocolat. I’ll totally cheer you on, though.”

  “Deal!” she fired back.

  “What?” Iris tipped down her sunglasses to get a better look at her sister’s face. “Really?”

  Hazel slid a smile her way. “Don’t look so surprised. I’d love to see Paris, especially if it means taking a trip with you. How would you feel about a stop in Prague?”

  “Um, sure. All that prewar architecture is supposed to be phenomenal.” A wave of affection swept through her. Her thrill-seeking, globe-trotting sister wanted to take a trip with her?

  Hazel’s grin reminded her of a satisfied cat. “Perfect. I cannot wait. Now, what about you and Doc Ramsey the younger? How’s that going?”

  “What do you mean?” Iris fired off the question and added, “It’s fine. We’re friends.” She cringed inside at hearing the defensive edge to her tone. No way would her sister miss it.

  Hazel drew up one shoulder into a casual shrug as she fought a smile. “Nothing. I just meant that you two seem to be spending a fair amount of time together. Back in high school I got it, because you were both geek-leaning brainiacs, but since he’s a doctor now, too, I’m guessing he doesn’t need your help with calculus anymore. So, what’s the deal?”

  “No deal. And Flynn never leaned geek.”

  “Um, yes, he did. Granted, he did a good job covering it, but it was there. And, Iris, sharing the back seat with you two was electric, like riding with two coiled masses of balled-up lightning or—” forming her hands like she held a circular object, she kept them there for a few seconds before tossing them helplessly into the air “—something. I just can’t figure out exactly what it means.”

  “It means we’re in the wedding together. Ally isn’t exactly your typical bride, so we’ve been helping with the planning—picking out flowers, sampling cake, arguing about the menu, dress shopping, et cetera.”

  “Dress shopping?” Hazel repeated sharply. “He went dress shopping with you?”

  “Um, yes. Last week, the four of us went to Anchorage... And he and I... Flynn picked out my dress. He has really good taste.”

  “Good taste,” she repeated skeptically. “Okay, Flynn Ramsey, busy doctor and devoted outdoorsman, does not go dress shopping with a woman unless there are feelings. This means—”

  Iris made a chopping motion with one hand. “No, no, stop, stop. He does. Ally doesn’t shop. He was just helping her out by helping me. He picked out Ally’s dress, too.”

  “Shopping together is near the top of the list.”

  “You are so off base, you know that, right? With this intimacy-infringement list of yours.”

  Her sister had a laundry list of acts and deeds that she used to gauge a man’s degree of interest: giving flowers or thoughtful gifts—generally the less expensive and more thoughtful the gift, the more interested they were—calling or texting more than once a day, meeting and/or befriending family and friends, sharing drinks, sharing silverware, sharing dessert... The
list went on, and apparently included shopping, and any one of them would earn a guy his walking papers in Hazel’s world.

  Iris understood. Her sister had been badly hurt. But her rules didn’t apply here, not when she and Flynn were already friends.

  “How many times a day does he text you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Answer the question, please.”

  “What are you, channeling Jonah now? A few. But I told you we’re doing this wedding stuff together.”

  “A few,” Hazel repeated. “They can’t all be wedding-related?”

  “No, but—”

  “Has he been over for dinner?”

  “Of course. Mom loves him.”

  “Flowers?”

  “Absolutely not. See? Friends.” She hoped her sister didn’t ask about other gifts. She wasn’t going to volunteer the information that Flynn was already a champ in the thoughtful-gift category. The first week she’d been back in Rankins her family had thrown a party to celebrate her birthday and her doctorate. Flynn had brought her a framed photo of her with her cat, Jericho, who had passed away the month before.

  “Has he brought you lunch at work yet?”

  “We’re not talking about this anymore.”

  “So that’s a yes.”

  “What are you doing here, anyway? Why aren’t you fishing or kayaking or out provoking the bears like everyone else?”

  “I’m taking a rest day after hiking almost nonstop for the last three months. And changing the subject only makes me more curious, you know that, right?”

  Iris blew out a breath. “Yes. But in this case your curiosity is misguided. There’s nothing between Flynn and me except friendship. Aside from Ally, he’s the only friend I have in town. You and Seth haven’t been here, and the rest of our siblings are all attached now in case you haven’t noticed. Tag has Ally, Hannah has Tate and Lucas, Shay has Jonah. And now Hannah is running for the state senate and Shay is pregnant. That leaves me all alone. I can only spend so much time with Mom and Dad.”

  Hazel’s speculative gaze homed in on Iris like a laser beam. “If you say so.”