Ready, Willing and Abel (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnon Sisters Book 3)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  Abel’s lips twitched as he lifted a hand to stroke Patience’s cheek. “Is that so? Sounds like her disposition might rival yours when she’s been provoked. I think I’ll leave her to Zeke since I’ve got my own handful sitting right here with me,” he stated softly as his thumb swept back and forth over the apple of her cheek. “Forgive me?” he asked after a few seconds.

  She wanted to accept his apology and just move on past the hurt, but Patience also wanted to be clear about who she was. “I’m never going to be serene like Faith, poised like Harmony is, or be selfless like Honor. I don’t appreciate being compared to them by the man I’m sleeping with. I’m not perfect, but I have never pretended to be anything more than what I am. If that’s not good enough for you, Abel, then you need to get your boots out from under my bed with all possible haste. I told you when you insisted on pursing this convoluted relationship that I wouldn’t…that I couldn’t change for you. That hasn’t changed.”

  Patience watched as Abel’s eyes closed and his face twisted with regret. “I bought this,” he acknowledged softly.

  “You bought what?” Patience asked, confused.

  “Your doubt. A few careless words and now you think that we’re not good together… and that’s all my fault,” he muttered. “It’s funny. I’m actually renowned in legal circles for my silver tongue, but with you it seems I’m most fluent in bein’ an asshole,” he shared quietly. “All I can say is that I’m sorry, darlin’, and I’ll do my best to never speak to you like that again. You are everything a man could ever want, Hellion. Makin’ you doubt that… even for a second… it’s not my proudest moment. You belong with me, baby. Only me. I’m ashamed of myself for making you feel otherwise.”

  Stubbornly deciding to ignore his heartfelt plea, Patience concentrated instead on learning what the hell had put him in this god-awful mood to begin with. “Who was on the phone with you anyway?”

  “Zeke,” Abel admitted tiredly, running a hand down his face as he leaned his head against the headrest.

  Patience’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why?” she questioned.

  Abel exhaled heavily. “Just a difficult case that I’m helping to try.”

  “And you’d need the Sheriff because…..”

  Abel shifted uncomfortably under Patience’s scrutiny. “Honey, you don’t need to worry about this. I’d say you’ve got enough on your plate right now,” he returned, openly eyeing her belly with a faint smile. “Let’s just focus on getting you to your appointment and hearing what the doc has to say about this swelling you’ve been doing at night.”

  Patience recognized that he was trying to distract her, but she wasn’t so easily diverted. “So drive,” she invited with a nod at the steering wheel. “I know for a fact that you can both talk and steer a vehicle at the same time.”

  Abel groaned as he twisted the key in the ignition. “Patience, you know I can’t talk about my cases. My clients have an expectation of confidentiality.”

  “Fine. Your reticence is noted,” Patience snapped. “But your girlfriend has an expectation of complete honesty. And that paper that you shoved in your pocket was a lot more than just a court document, wasn’t it? It looked like a handwritten note and it was under the windshield wipers of your car. I don’t think that’s a common delivery system for anything case related, is it?”

  Offering her a sidelong glance as he navigated Paradise’s semi-busy streets, Abel sighed. “You’re right, Hellion. It wasn’t any court document that got me angry; it was a threat.”

  “A threat?” Patience repeated sharply. “About what? Who sent it?” she asked worriedly as Abel turned into the parking lot of Dr. Daniel’s practice.

  “It was sent anonymously though both Zeke and I have our suspicions and again, it’s related to a case that I’m not at liberty to discuss with you,” Abel replied calmly, shutting off the car as he turned to look at the woman beside him. “I don’t want you worrying about this, Patience. I’m handling the situation.”

  “So, suddenly this now qualifies as a situation, does it? Exactly how long have you been handling this so-called situation, Abel? Patience retorted, crossing her arms over her chest as her concerned gaze collided with Abel’s. “Are you in danger? Why the hell have you not told me any of this?”

  “You just saw me on the phone with Zeke, and I’ve already left a message with Jake’s security office to get his help. Everything is going to be fine.”

  Patience just stared at him with accusations shining in her eyes. “You’ve been hiding this from me, haven’t you? This isn’t some new development. This has been going on for a while. I can see the guilt in your eyes.”

  “Patience, attorneys are some of the most hated people on Earth – especially the good ones. They rank right up there with politicians in the most despised of professions category. In this area, I’m considered one of the best lawyers around. This isn’t the first time that I’ve received hate mail, and it won’t be the last. It’s not the slightest bit uncommon. I’m taking the necessary measures to get things under control. You concentrate on keeping you and our babies well and safe, and I’ll worry about everything else.”

  He was saying all the right things, but there was something he wasn’t saying. She could tell by the way his eyes avoided hers. She was also intelligent enough to know that she’d gotten about as many answers as Abel was willing to give right now. “Okay, Abel, I’ll let this go for now. But I’m gonna be watching you,” she warned, pointing a finger underneath his nose. “If anybody is going to successfully threaten to hurt you, it’s gonna be me. I’ve earned it.”

  “Message received, Hellion,” Abel agreed softly, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Now, let’s go see how our babies are doing today. We’re already running about ten minutes late.”

  “Whose fault is that?” Patience grumbled under her breath as Abel got out of the car and circled around it to help her out of the vehicle. Taking his hand when he opened the door, Patience heaved her body out of the seat, steadying herself against the side of the car. Waddling toward the entrance to the office, she heard Abel’s footsteps trailing behind her.

  She knew he was trying to protect her from whoever had threatened him in that note, but what he didn’t understand was that a threat to him was a threat to her…and to their growing family. And that wasn’t something she could pretend she didn’t know. Hadn’t he realized yet that burying their heads in the sand had never gone well for the McKinnon girls?

  Knowing that there was nothing she could do about Abel’s attitude or the threat looming over him right now, she instead focused on the smiling receptionist behind the counter. “Hi, Dot,” she greeted the younger woman who’d gone to school with Honor, “How you doing?”

  “Just fine, Patience,” the shapely girl replied as she rose from her desk chair to pass the sign-in sheet across the counter. “If you’ll just drop your name on the sheet, I’ll pull your chart and we’ll get you back in a room. There’s only one patient ahead of you and she’s already in with Dr. Daniels so it shouldn’t be long.”

  Patience offered the other woman a small smile before bending her head and scribbling her name on the sign-in sheet. By the time she was finished, the door leading to the examination rooms was already opening.

  “Patience McKinnon,” a light voice drawled from the doorway.

  Looking up, Patience grinned as she spotted Dr. Daniels’ newest hire, Millie Robbins. “Mills!” she greeted the other woman, genuinely excited to see her. “Harmony told me you got the job. I’m so happy for you,” she told the pretty redhead that she and Harmony had both attended school with. Patience had been a year behind them, but she’d been in choir with Millicent and they’d had a ball together. The young woman was now a single mom like her own sister and had just graduated from nursing school this past spring.

  “Thanks, doll,” Millie replied, returning the hug Patience gave her. “But I’ve got a major bone to pick with you,” she murmured against Patience’s ear.

&n
bsp; Drawing back, Patience frowned. She couldn’t imagine what she could have done to the other woman. She hadn’t even seen her since she’d gone to her graduation party a few months back. The only contact she’d had with her since then had been through the reference she’d given Millie when Dr. Daniels’ office manager had called her. “What’s up?”

  “You didn’t tell me what an un-freakin’-paralleled delight it would be to work for the world’s grumpiest obstetrician, Patience. Shame on you. You should have warned a girl before giving her such a glowing reference. Especially if she’s gonna be working for the Tyrannosaurus-Rex of Tyrants,” she ground out through her forced smile.

  Patience couldn’t help her laugh. Millie was probably one of the most laid back people she knew, but there was no doubt that Mack Daniels would be a challenge for any woman to deal with on a regular basis. The good physician might be handsome as sin in the summertime but his personality needed work. Gruff on his best day, he exuded an air of pissed –off that most folks would be hard-pressed to ignore. That’s why Patience had thought Millie would be such a good fit. She could soften even the roughest edges of a person with her sweet disposition and sunny smile. If Doc Daniels had managed to get on the redheaded nurse’s bad side already, he must have been in rare form these last few weeks. “Hey, it was his office manager that called me for the recommendation, not the good doctor, himself. So, technically, I didn’t serve you up to him. I just…”

  “You just got me a job in Hell, P!” Millie whispered violently. “Seriously, this guy is an admittedly brilliant doctor, but on a personal level…he sucks. Seriously, if he’s not in doctor mode, all he does is whine about our little backwoods, hick town. Those are his words, by the way, not mine,” she explained in a hushed voice. “Really, if he hates it so much, why is he here?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

  “I’m here because, like a fool, I signed an ironclad contract written by that ambulance chaser right there, Nurse Robbins,” Dr. Daniels interrupted from behind the redheaded woman, pointing an accusing finger over her shoulder at where Abel stood safely behind Patience. “Believe me, I’ve spent quite a lot of time and money looking for a loophole in the documents. None exists.”

  “Well, bless your poor little cotton pickin’ heart, Doctor,” Millie said in a sugary sweet voice as she turned to face her employer.

  “Nobody forced you to sign that agreement, Mack,” Abel stated evenly even as he kept Patience between him and the doctor, using her as a human shield.

  “I was coaxed here under false pretenses and you know it! You, the Mayor and this town’s esteemed Sheriff lured me here under false pretenses. You offered me a completely distorted picture of Paradise, Tennessee, Turner, and you know it! This isn’t some quiet, little country town, you asshole. It’s a Mecca of misguided Southern souls! And all those souls are a few crayons short of a full box! For God’s sake, the widow Lake brought me her fuckin’ cat this morning, Abel, and asked me if it was possible that the animal was experiencing menopause since the feline had been particularly moody of late. I’m telling you, this place is insane!” the white coated man raged as he shoved a restless hand through his sandy hair.

  “Personally, I’d say he fits right in here then,” Mrs. Verna Buckley, the office manager, remarked dryly as she walked down the hallway, waving at Patience and Abel as she passed them.

  “Are you trying to earn a pink slip today, Verna? If not, I’d keep walking,” Mack barked, glaring at the silver headed woman.

  “See what I mean?” Millie asked Patience under her breath. “As you can see, he’s just a freaking delight to be employed by, isn’t he?”

  “Would you rather be un-employed, Nurse?” Dr. Daniels growled, his blue eyes flashing as they stared down at the irritated nurse.

  “Is that an option?” Millie questioned eagerly, her eyes brightening. “You see, if you’ll just fire me, I can draw unemployment until I find another position. If I quit, I’m screwed, so if you’re willing….”

  “I’m not,” Dr. Daniels denied flatly, “Get to work, Nurse Robbins, and show our patient to her room,” the doctor ordered sternly. “Today will again, unfortunately, not be your lucky day.”

  “Damn,” Millie muttered under her breath before looking at Patience and jerking her head toward the exam rooms. “C’mon, Patience. I’ll get y’all settled,” she said, leading the couple toward a vacant room.

  “Oh, and Nurse Robbins,” Dr. Daniels called as they walked away from him.

  Exchanging a long suffering look with Patience as the woman walked beside her, Millie forced herself to cheerfully call out a, “Yes, doctor?”

  “In future, please refrain from holding a personal conversation on company time? My patients aren’t psychiatrists and this isn’t a counseling service. If you need advice, please get it on your own time.”

  Patience heard Millie’s low growl of anger and quickly grabbed her arm before she could charge the doctor like a bull chasing a red flag. “Remember, you’ve got a daughter at home to support,” she murmured as she pulled Millie toward an open door.

  “Yeah, and that daughter is the only one around here that man is even remotely nice to, P! I swear, he likes my kid better than me,” Millie grumbled as Abel chuckled behind her. “That man hates me.”

  Patience snorted as Millie shut the door behind Abel. Climbing up on the scale, she shook her head. “I don’t think so, Nurse Naughty,” she declared as the other woman fiddled with the scale and marked down her weight on the chart, thankful that Millie didn’t say the number out loud for Abel to hear. Lately, she’d been packing on the pounds, but she hadn’t felt it necessary to share just how much weight she’d gained carrying his two spawns. Some things a girl still wanted to keep private.

  “Oh, trust me, where Dr. Daniels is concerned, I’m public enemy number one,” Millie murmured, gesturing for Patience to climb up on the table. “In case you didn’t hear me the first time, the guy hates me.

  Patience grabbed Abel’s hand and gave him a grateful smile as he helped her up on the examination table. “Listen, chickie,” Patience said as Millie wrapped her arm in the blood pressure cuff attached to the wall, “You may think the man hates you, but I can tell you, without doubt, that he definitely doesn’t hate your firm little ass. The way he watched it as you walked away from him? Let’s just say that the doc does a real good impression of a pantin’ dog on a hot, summer day,” she shared with a wide grin and a wink.

  “He does not look at me like that!” Millie denied, blushing furiously as she gaped at Patience. “Does he?” she wheezed, flashing distraught eyes toward Abel.

  Abel chuckled. “I’m afraid Patience is right on this one. Mack’s eyes were definitely glued to your butt when you walked away from him.”

  “How would you know? What were you doin’ lookin’ at Millie’s ass, Abel?” Patience asked, raising an eyebrow at the man leaning against the wall, watching them.

  “I wasn’t. I was watchin’ yours, Hellion, but it was hard to miss Mack leering at Millie’s derriere. Especially since it’s never happened since I’ve known him. Personally, I thought the guy was gay!”

  Both Patience and Millie gasped, shocked, and shook their heads furiously from side to side.

  “Nuh uh,” Patience grunted.

  “No way!” Millie denied.

  “How do you know?” Abel teased. “Before today, I’ve never seen him give a woman more than a passing glance. He could have been gay.”

  “No man that fine could be homosexual. God wouldn’t be that cruel to me,” Millie declared with a sigh. Seeing Patience and Abel’s collective smirks, she frowned. “He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s a sexy pain in the ass. Have y’all seen those broad shoulders and narrow hips? I’d have to be dead not to think he was hot!”

  “Amen!” Patience agreed with a jerky nod.

  “Hey! You’re taken, Hellion. Remember that. I think you need to keep your eyes focused on your own man,” Abel growled as someone knocked on the
office door.

  Laughing as Patience saw Dr. Daniels walk into the room, this time wearing a hockey helmet. Looking at the nurse, she rolled her eyes.

  “What in the world?” Millie whispered to Patience, looking from the patient to the doctor and back again.

  “Mule kick a doctor one time during an exam and this is what happens,” Patience grumbled, gesturing at where Dr. Daniels stood across the room wearing not only a helmet, but body pads as well. “Tell me, doc, you wearing a cup, too?”

  “Ms. McKinnon, if memory serves, you bruised both of my testicles and broke my nose the last time I deigned to see you without protective gear. I won’t be making that mistake again. And to answer your question, yes, I am indeed wearing a cup. You’re dangerous to my health!”

  “Wimp,” Patience muttered as she settled back against the table, taking Abel’s hand as she gave Millie a smile while the other woman took her blood pressure yet again. Frowning as the cuff tightened painfully around her arm for the second time, Patience wondered what was going on. “Any reason you’re trying to cut off my circulation, Mills? That can’t be good for the babies, can it?”

  “Just double checking to see if I’m getting an accurate reading,” Millie replied quietly, showing the doctor the chart she’d been making notes on.

  Patience flashed Abel a worried look when Dr. Daniels quietly asked how many times she’d taken her blood pressure.

  “That was the third time,” Millie murmured.

  “What’s going on?” Abel questioned, his deep voice worried as he and Patience watched Mack pull off his helmet.

  “We’re getting some elevated numbers on Patience’s blood pressure today,” the doctor answered bluntly. Looking over at his patient, he asked, “Have you been experiencing any headaches or feelings of light-headedness recently?”

  “I’ve gotten dizzy a few times lately,” Patience admitted reluctantly, seeing Abel’s face flush with anger.

  “What?” the attorney barked. “When did this happen?”