The Doctor Who Made Her Love Again

by Susan Carlisle

  “You had a funny look on your face when I came in. Is something wrong?”

  “Just daydreaming.”

  He came to stand beside her. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a daydreamer. I see you as far more practical than that.”

  “Maybe I’m full of surprises.”

  He wrinkled his brow in thought. “Maybe you are at that. Uh, about last night. I know I overstepped the boundaries with that kiss. I hope you don’t think that’s going to happen again. I’d like us to be friends. I don’t what that to stand between us.”

  She swallowed. Obviously he hadn’t reacted to that moment like she had. China mentally shook herself. Payton was a co-worker and the type of man she needed to be involved with on a personal level. They were professionals and it needed to remain that way.

  “How about we start over and try for friends?” Payton offered.

  That sounded safe enough. She smiled. “Friends sounds good to me.”

  * * *

  Payton wasn’t so sure he was completely comfortable with China’s ready agreement to them just being friends. He shouldn’t have kissed her but, still, he had enjoyed it. It was just as well they didn’t become more involved. She knew too much about him. What if he started to care and she realized she couldn’t deal with his health issues? No one would have that kind of power over him again. Remaining friends was a good plan.

  He pulled into China’s drive. “Who lives here?” Payton indicated the house.

  “Mrs. Waits.”

  Payton studied the yard and the lush greenery around the house. “You do her gardening for her, don’t you?”

  Taking on a bashful look, China said, “I help her.”

  “You have a green thumb. The yard is beautiful. Would you consider helping me with my place? Pick out a few plants?”

  A glow to compete with the lights of New York on a clear night came over her face then faded. “I don’t think I can.”

  She didn’t need to get mixed up with him. Despite appearances, he might leave just as quickly as he’d arrived. What kind of person just picked up and left everything they knew and loved? Her brother had but, then, he’d just been a kid. Kelsey had in every sense of the word, except the physical. Did the fact she was still in town give her a chance to get to know her sister again?

  “Why not?” Payton demanded. “I can see you want to.”

  “You can’t.”

  “China, can’t you help out a guy that’s clueless?” He made a pitiful face. “We could go shopping on our next day off. Have a friendly outing.”

  “Outing? That sure is an old-fashioned word.”

  “It’s a friendly word. Like one friend helping another pick out plants.”

  “You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”

  “I’d rather not.”

  She grinned. “Okay. I’m off Thursday. How about you?”

  “Yep.”

  “I promised to help my mom that morning but I’m free that afternoon.”

  He tapped the steering wheel with his palm. “Then it’s a date. I mean, a friendly outing.”

  China looked as if she might back out for a moment before she said, “I’ll be ready.” She opened the door and stepped out but leaned down again to look at him. “See, it isn’t so hard to ask for help.”

  “Are we back to that?” He didn’t want to talk about what had happened last night.

  “I just don’t want you to get into trouble.”

  He grinned. “So what you’re saying is that you care about me.”

  “No. What I’m saying is that even I would stop and help a dog if it was hurt.”

  Payton couldn’t contain the laugh that burst from him. “So is that a move up or down, in your estimation?”

  She glared at him. “Bye, Payton.”

  Payton was disappointed to hear the car door click closed. The sudden silence wasn’t as peaceful as it had been before China had come into his life. He drove away with a feeling flooding him he’d not experienced in a long time—happiness.

  He’d made the right decision. Their kiss the night before hadn’t been his smartest move. China was the type of woman he had no business trifling with. She was permanence, stability, and he’d just come out of a hurtful relationship with no intention of returning to one any time soon. China, of all the females he knew, wouldn’t accept half measures. She was marriage, a house, car and two children sort of person. He wasn’t that guy, at least not anymore.

  At one time he’d believed that he and Janice would settle down together and have a family. His illness and her inability to deal with it had ended that dream. Now all he wanted was to make the most out of life, live to the fullest. To stay away from anything more emotional than how he felt about his boat. If he did get involved with China and they became serious, she’d be the type to stay with him out of guilt if he became sick again and he wouldn’t accept that, on any level.

  The next morning Payton arrived at the clinic feeling better than he had since he’d been told he had cancer. Yesterday’s sail in the bay had been stimulating. It had felt good, being active again. Despite his aggravation with China, he’d done just as she’d instructed and made sure to drink plenty of fluids and wear sunscreen.

  Leaving his lunch in the office, he made his way to the front to check in for the day and was disappointed to find that China wasn’t standing at the counter, as was her habit.

  “Good mornin’, Payton.”

  “Morning, Doris. Any patients for me this morning?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll have one soon.”

  “Hey, Payton,” Robin called, as she came out of Jean’s office.

  “Good morning.” He worked to keep his regret off his face. If Robin was working the early shift, China wouldn’t be in until two.

  Going through his usual routine for the day, Payton caught himself checking his watch more often than he was comfortable with to see if it was time for China to come in. He’d managed to ask discreetly if it was her or Luke who would be there that afternoon.

  His heart beat faster when China’s voice carried down the hall from the front as he came out of an exam room. This wasn’t good. The woman had become an infatuation he couldn’t afford. He was making more of a few cordial moments on his porch the day before and his ability to convince her to help him buy plants. For heaven’s sake, he’d never cared about a plant in his life. Had all that chemo affected his brain? He was enamored with China and he was acting like a schoolboy on Valentine’s Day.

  He had to put a stop to it. Someone who was easy and uninvolved was what he was interested in. That didn’t describe China. He didn’t want to hurt her, and he would if he continued on this path. So why had he been looking forward to seeing her with such anticipation? It was time to find some female company that wasn’t China. Plan made, he was out of the clinic in thirty minutes.

  Payton was on his way to the front desk when a booming voice said, “My China doll.”

  Sid. Payton couldn’t help but grin. The man was a character.

  “Come on back,” China said. “I’ll find Dr. Jenkins and let him know you’re here.”

  Payton met them coming down the hall. He had to force himself to take his gaze off China. He was going out tonight to meet some women. “Hi, Sid. I thought I might have to go to the restaurant to check on your hand.”

  “China told me to wait until she was here. She said you’d still be around.”

  “Good. Come on in here and let me have a look.” Payton headed into an examination room. Sid followed and China came in behind him. “So, have you been keeping it clean and dry?”

  “The best I can,” the older man said in a noncommittal tone.

  Payton gave him a pointed look.

  “I’ve not been cooking, I promise. I do ha
ve to take a bath sometimes, but even then my wife made me wear a plastic bag over it.”

  Payton smiled. “Understood.” He turned to China. “Please get some antiseptic liquid. I’d like to rinse Sid’s hand in that just to make double sure it doesn’t get infected. Then I’ll rebandage it.”

  China nodded and left.

  Sid watched China leave. “That’s a good girl there. She sure hasn’t had it easy.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know her that well. Let me see you hand.”

  Sid swore and lifted his injured hand. “With China what you see is what you get. Pure goodness through and through.”

  “She is nice.” Payton found that he meant that. Too much so. China had been great to him when he’d been sick and had cared enough to go out of her way to check on him yesterday. Against his better judgment, he liked her attention.

  “Smart, too. Top in her class at nursing school and while taking care of her family.”

  Panic filled him. China has a husband? Children? No one had ever said anything. Had he kissed a married woman?

  “I didn’t think China was married.” The statement came out with a little waver in his voice.

  “She’s not, but her parents depend on her. Still do. Far too much, in my opinion. Since she was twelve until she moved out last year, she’s pretty much held the family together.”

  Relief filled Payton as the last of the gauze dropped into the garbage can. Seconds later China entered with a plastic bottle in her hand and bandages in the other.

  “It looks like you hand is healing well. Continue doing what you’re doing, Sid. China, I’m going to let you handle washing Sid’s hand and the rebandaging,” Payton said.

  At China’s surprised “Okay,” he glanced at her. Hadn’t she ever been trusted to do more?

  “We good?” he asked her.

  She straightened. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Payton headed toward the door. “Good to see you again, Sid.”

  “Hey, I want to give you these.” The man handed Payton some cards. “A couple of free meals on me in thanks.” He nodded his head toward China. “Maybe you and China can come in together.”

  “Sid.” China tried to shush him.

  Had China told Sid about Payton kissing her? No, that wasn’t something she’d share.

  “Thanks Sid, I might just do that. Take care of yourself.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A FEW MINUTES LATER Payton joined China in the hall as Sid headed for the front door.

  “How does it sound if I pick you up at two on Thursday?”

  China looked behind her. Had anyone heard? She didn’t want the others to know that she and Payton were doing something together. They would make more of it than there was.

  “You’re not thinking of backing out on me, are you?”

  She was but she didn’t plan to tell him that. “Uh, no. Two sounds fine.”

  “Good, I’ll see you then.” He strolled toward the employee entrance.

  China groaned when Robin came out of the back room. Telephone, telegraph, tell Robin. Now everyone would know she and Payton had plans.

  “So, you and Payton have a date?”

  China managed to turn a groan into a low moan. “No date. He just wants me to help him buy some plants for his house.”

  “Well, that’s a new twist on ‘let me show you my etchings’. I thought you didn’t even like him.”

  “I never said that. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to be nice to a new person in town. Show some southern hospitality.”

  Robin gave her a knowing grin. “If you say so.”

  Against China’s better judgment she was starting to like Payton, far too much. That kiss that gotten her to thinking what if... More than once Payton had proved that he wasn’t the controlling person that her father was. Just now he’d handed over Sid’s care, believing she could handle it without him looking over her shoulder. It was a simple thing that signified what he thought of her abilities and that meant the world. She’d grown up with a father who’d ruled with a thumb firmly on her, no trust. She smiled. Payton trusted her at least with his secret and patients.

  China still had that smile hovering around her lips when Doris said, “I hear you and Doctor Hunky have a date?”

  “Doctor Hunky? When did you start calling Payton that?”

  “So you think he’s hunky, too?”

  Doris was watching her far too closely for her reaction. “I didn’t say that!”

  “You didn’t have to. You knew exactly who I was talking about.” Doris grinned at her.

  Jean came out of her office. “So what’s this I hear about you and Payton dating?”

  China put her hands on her hips. “It’s not a date. He asked me to lend a hand in finding some plants for his house.”

  Jean nodded. “Well, he asked the right person.”

  China could have kissed the woman. She at least accepted the idea of her helping Payton without any strings attached.

  “Have you ever been to his house?” Doris asked.

  China hated to lie but she’d promised Payton she wouldn’t tell anyone about the cancer. If she admitted she’d been to his house they’d want to know why. “No, but I guess we’ll go there before we go to the nursery.”

  “I heard it’s the big yellow one down on West Beach Road. I’ve always wondered what it looked like inside.”

  “Then maybe you should come for dinner some time,” Payton said from behind them.

  All their heads swivel to the sound of Payton’s voice.

  “I thought you’d left,” China blurted. What had he heard of their conversation? Her lie?

  “I forgot my lunch box. I just stopped back to pick it up.”

  Doris shook her head. “This is the last time I’m going to talk about you without letting you know first, or maybe I should put a cowbell around your neck so I’ll know when you’re coming.”

  Payton chuckled. China liked the sound.

  “I’ll try to stomp my way up the hall from now on. About that dinner. How about Saturday night at eight?”

  Embarrassment covered Doris features. “I can’t have you do that.”

  “Would you agree if I invited you all to dinner?”

  Doris looked at her and said, “China, you’ll come, won’t you?”

  She didn’t know how to gracefully say no, and Doris was giving her a pleading look.

  “I guess. I usually spend time with my parents on Saturday night, but I can change it to another night.”

  “Great,” Payton said. “I’ll see if Jean and Robin can make it. Maybe Luke and Larry.”

  The more the better as far as China was concerned. That way the larger the buffer between them. He’d given her one more reason to like him. Payton had to stop that. What was she going to do when she had to be alone with him on Thursday?

  By the time Payton arrived to pick China up three days later she’d worked herself up into a nervous tizzy. She’d changed clothes five times. Even more times she’d picked her phone up to call to say she couldn’t make it. Instead, she made up her mind that she was an adult and could do something as simple as going to a plant nursery with an attractive man.

  She was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs to her apartment, waiting, when Payton pulled into the drive. Her traitorous heart fluttered as he grinned at her when he climbed out of the car.

  He wore jeans that had seen better days, a blue collared shirt and his docksiders. His hair had grown to more of a military length. Pink colored his high cheekbones. He’d been in the sun earlier in the day. Payton looked the picture of health, and she’d never wanted to kiss a man more.

  Wow, those unruly thoughts would get her into trouble. Instead, she returned his smile as she stood and walked toward
him.

  “Hey, I thought I might have to knock on the door and beg you to come out.”

  She leaned her head to one side. “Why’s that?”

  “I know I make you nervous.”

  “You don’t make me nervous.” That was the biggest bald lie she’d ever told. He did make her jittery with awareness. His simple, far-too-short kiss had awakened something in her that she’d never felt before.

  “Okay, it’s too fine a day to fight. Friends?” He stuck out his hand.

  China took it. His fingers wrapped around hers, strong and confident, as if cocooning them. She mentally shook her head. Quit the dreamy teenage girl stuff and get with the program.

  She tugged her hand free. “Friends.” She looked at his car then back at him. “I think we should take my car. Yours is too perfect and you’ll not want to get dirt in it. I have mine set up to transport plants.”

  “Okay, if you think I can get into it,” he said, in the most agreeable tone. “You’re the boss.”

  He went up a notch in her estimation. It was her experience that men want a woman to do as they asked. Her father certainly believed that and the men she’d dated had wanted her to be agreeable all the time. She pursed her lips and cocked her head in question.

  “What?” he asked, in complete innocence. Maybe he was sincere.

  “I would have thought you’d fight me about going in my car.”

  “Why? You’re the leader of this outing, and I bow to your knowledge.”

  She laughed and he joined her. For one of the few times in her life she felt carefree. It was nice, very nice.

  “Okay, since you’re up for Mr. Congeniality then I guess you don’t mind me driving either.”

  “Not at all.”

  That’s right. He’d let Robin drive his car. It had surprised her at the time. Her father always did the driving. Woman couldn’t do as good a job, he’d say. Payton seemed perfectly content with the idea. They walked toward her car, which was parked along the street. “When I first met you I took you for one of those males who thought a woman should be two steps behind him.”

  He grinned as he opened the passenger door. “Well, you never know what surprises I have in store.”