by Lori Ryan
Aaron fidgeted in his seat.
Oh, shit. She’d wanted to take the attention from her, not be a buzz kill. “It’s okay, you don’t have to answer.”
He remained silent and she let him sit for a while.
“I needed a break. Rest and relaxation I guess you’d call it.”
“Life of a high-profile cardio thoracic surgeon can get to you, huh?”
“It’s not high-profile. And it doesn’t seem to be any more stressful or busy than your practice.”
“But I’m just saving animals.” She winked.
He shook his head. “Whatever, pet doc.”
She laughed. “But you’re not here permanently, are you?”
“No,” he said quietly, with no hesitation. He wasn’t staying.
When he spoke again, though, his words sounded doubtful. “It’s not my plan, anyway.”
Kayleigh wondered if he even knew himself.
Aaron lifted his head. “Why?”
What was the harm in testing the waters with him? Aaron was hot, obviously incredibly brilliant, and he wasn’t staying in town. Despite Maggie’s warning, Kayleigh could definitely see something happening.
“What’s that look for?” he laughed.
“You said you were here for rest and relaxation, right?”
His mouth tipped in a grin. “Yeah. Why?”
“That suggests you’re stressed.”
“Maybe.”
She nodded but stared straight ahead as she turned down the road toward the Lodge at Canyon Creek.
“And?” He cocked his head and stretched out the word.
She rounded the circular drive and stopped under the portico in front of the lodge. “We play Hot Tub Hockey tomorrow night. You interested in coming?”
Aaron unbuckled and leaned back against the door. “I’m almost afraid to ask what Hot Tub Hockey is.” He laughed.
“You should be.” She winked. Kayleigh didn’t want to tell him everything about the game for fear he wouldn’t come. Especially that the winning team got to impose any penalty they wanted.
“I guess hot tubs are relaxing, right?”
Kayleigh laughed. Their hockey nights were anything but relaxing. But they were a lot of fun.
“Does it involve you in a bikini?” His eyes roamed over her body.
Chill bumps spread across her skin, but she felt heated. “Maybe.”
He cocked one brow. “Maybe? What would be the option if you’re not in a bikini?”
“Guess you’ll have to come and find out.”
“Aaron,” someone shouted from the entrance.
Kayleigh glanced around him and saw Maggie standing with hands on hips.
Great.
“Text me the info about the hot tub hockey thing and what I should wear. Or not wear.” He winked as he grabbed the door handle. “And thanks for getting the strep test to Izzie. I’ll check on it in the morning.” Aaron leaned over the console and kissed Kayleigh on the cheek. “Manny was right.” He slid out of the Jeep and stood, holding the door open.
“Right about what?”
“You really are incredible.” He gave her a quick smile and shut the door, making his way toward Maggie.
Kayleigh lifted her hand to her cheek and sat in silence.
You really are incredible.
They were the words she’d always longed to hear from her family but never had. And now, coming from a virtual stranger, they felt even more special.
Maggie walked up to the passenger side and Kayleigh rolled down the window.
“I heard yoga sucked balls this morning.” Maggie laughed.
“Did you also hear that Sally got me here under the guise of caring for your cat?”
Maggie nodded. “Sorry about that.” She glanced over her shoulder. “So, what’s the story with Aaron?”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw him kiss your cheek.”
“I know, mom, you already warned me.”
“Just…be careful, okay? You’re one of my best friends and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“How the hell could I get hurt, Mags? He’s only here for a little while.”
“Well, still, I worry about you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Hey, how’s Izzie?” Maggie asked.
“How did you know about Izzie?”
“Valerie saw George in town this morning and said she wasn’t feeling well. You and Aaron went to the Rutherford ranch right?”
“Aaron went to check on her. Manny said he was great with her.”
“That’s awesome. I know when he was here for Valerie’s heart attack scare a few months ago, he was incredible with the hospital staff.”
Kayleigh smiled. She could definitely see that about Aaron.
“Okay, well drive safely.”
“Will do.” Kayleigh said. “We still doing Hot Tub Hockey tomorrow night at the bed and breakfast?”
“I’ve been practicing my moves all week.” Maggie moved her hips. The object of the game was to get the ball to touch any member of the opposing team on any body part but you weren’t allowed to use your hands to hit or throw the ball.
Maggie was the most spastic of the bunch, and often accidentally touched the ball with her hands in a frantic effort to get away from it. She was learning to move other parts of her body instead.
“Ben helping you with those moves?” Kayleigh laughed.
“Maybe.” The wide smile that spread across her face told Kayleigh everything she needed to know.
Kayleigh was happy for Maggie and Ben. They’d found their happily ever after. It gave her hope to know those kinds of endings weren’t exclusive to romance novels. Didn’t mean one would happen for her, but still, it was nice to see it happening for her friends.
“See ya, girl.” Maggie waved.
“Bye.” Kayleigh rolled up the window and drove away, thinking of Aaron’s lips pressed against her cheek again.
You really are incredible.
Aaron needed to relax. She needed to relax. Sex helped people relax, didn’t it?
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled to the side of the road, fearing it might be an emergency about Izzie. The text was from Aaron.
AARON: Just found out what Hot Tub Hockey is. I’m a surgeon. I’m good with my hands.
Kayleigh laughed.
KAYLEIGH: You can’t use your hands.
AARON: Even better. Boys vs. girls?
The thought of seeing Aaron in board shorts, or less, was even better.
KAYLEIGH: You’re on.
Chapter Twelve
Aaron entered Canyon Creek Medical Clinic, the chime of the front door a familiar reminder of his youth.
The small waiting area was nearly filled to capacity. When he entered, the entire room went quiet for two seconds as they surveyed him, then quickly went back to their own business of waiting.
Doc Olson’s clinic had always been busy, but Aaron had never seen it this packed.
“Can I help you?” a young woman behind the receptionist counter asked.
He noticed the interior had changed. Doc must have knocked down an exam room to accommodate the expanded waiting area. And instead of a large oak desk, a long counter lined the right side of the room.
“Excuse me?” the woman asked again.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m—”
“Aaron Sumner!” a familiar woman’s voice hollered from somewhere behind the counter.
“Mrs. Olson?”
Aaron saw her beehive hair before he saw Doc’s wife. She was older now, a little heavier, but she still wore that warm smile that made patients feel at ease.
“Well, I declare,” she said, swatting at her leg. Before he could acknowledge her, she slipped around the corner and was gone. He was about to ask where she’d gone when a side door opened, and she reappeared, arms opened wide.
“It is so good to see you,” she exclaimed, clamping her small arms around him in a bear
hug, the feel of which far exceeded her small size.
“Hello, Mrs. Olson,” Aaron said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “It’s great to see you, too.”
“Oh, Glen will be so excited to see you. He’s in with a patient right now but he should be out soon. Come, come, I’ll take you back to his office.”
Aaron smiled at the familiarity of his home town. In Chicago he was just another number, a doctor climbing the professional ladder. But in Canyon Creek he was something more.
“Dr. Aaron,” a smiling voice said beside him.
Aaron glanced down and saw Izzie. She looked better than she had a day ago but she still looked tired and worn out.
“Hey, Izzie,” he said, squatting down beside her. “How are you feeling?”
She smiled, shyly. “Okay.”
“How’s Miss Beezus feeling?”
Izzie glanced down at her doll and stroked back the bear’s hair. “Better,” she whispered.
“Oh, that’s great news.”
“Are you gonna look in my throat again?” she asked.
Aaron’s gaze went from Izzie to Mrs. Olson.
“Her strep culture came back negative, so Glen is sending a culture out and we wanted to check her tonsils before he prescribed antibiotics.”
Aaron nodded in understanding. Many doctors were quick to prescribe antibiotics. For some people, their bodies became resistant to their affects because they’d been prescribed needlessly too many times. He was thankful Doc Olson erred on the side of caution. He always had.
“The prodigal son returns,” a robust, high-pitched voice called from the door leading down to the exam rooms. Aaron didn’t have to look up to see it was Fiona Thompson, Doc Olson’s nurse, and Mrs. Olson’s sister. They’d been in practice together for over thirty years, almost as long as Aaron had been alive.
“I don’t know if I’d say prodigal.” Aaron winced at the term. When he’d left Canyon Creek to pursue medicine, he’d always had the intent to return one day to bring his knowledge back to his small community. Somewhere along the way, his path had changed.
“Well, come on. I know Doc will want to see you.”
“I was going to take him to Glen’s office,” Mrs. Olson said.
“Sounds good,” Fiona said. “We’ve got a packed house, as you can tell.” She waved her arm around the waiting area. “If you loiter out here much longer, someone might grab you and put you to work.”
All eyes were on them now and Aaron couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious. “Is this usual?”
“Not every day,” Fiona said, “but Doc was out in the surrounding areas yesterday on an emergency call, so we had to reschedule all these people. Means he’s double booked today.”
Aaron nodded, trying to shove away his feelings of guilt. There was a time when he thought he’d be here helping Doc Olson but he’d chosen a different path of medicine.
“I can come back some other time,” Aaron said.
“Nonsense,” Fiona grabbed him by the elbow.
“She may even put you to work,” Mrs. Olson said as she ushered him through the doorway.
Aaron laughed nervously. He’d only done one rotation in family medicine. It had been after his rotation in cardiology where he’d instantly fallen in love with the heart. By that time, all thoughts of returning to Canyon Creek had slipped his mind. He’d always thought being able to be the best cardio thoracic surgeon would help him do more good, save more lives. Looking around the packed waiting area, he wasn’t so sure.
The room was filled with people of all ages and he assumed all sorts of illness, from mild to severe.
“He’s not licensed to practice in Colorado,” Fiona said.
“Actually,” Aaron said, “I am.”
“How’d you manage that?” Fiona asked.
“I’m part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact,” he said “I applied shortly after I passed the boards. It allows me to do tele-med services with other physicians around the country.”
“Hmph,” Mrs. Olson said. “You’re never too old to learn new things I guess.”
“Besides,” a deep voice rang behind them. “It would only take him sixty days to get a Colorado medical license, if he needed one. Barring any malpractice suits that is.”
Aaron turned at the husky voice of his youth.
Dr. Glen Olson, his mentor and friend.
“Aaron, it’s good to see you.”
Aaron stuck out his hand, but Doc Olson grabbed it and tugged him into a bear hug just like his wife had.
“That’s Dr. Sumner to you, Glen,” Mrs. Olson said.
“Well, yes, I suppose you’re right, Bernie. Dr. Sumner.” Doc Olson stood back and eyed Aaron with pride. “I always seem to forget.”
“Aaron is fine, Doc.” Aaron smiled, shaking his hand.
Fiona pushed passed them both. “Sorry, Doc, but this will have to be a short visit. Thanks to the emergency yesterday, you’ve still got a packed house.”
“Would you like to stay and assist, for old times’ sake?” Mrs. Olson asked.
Was she serious? Aaron had volunteered at the clinic for several years as a teen. He realized after he’d gone to medical school that Doc Olson had allowed him to do a lot more than most kids his age, sometimes more than he should have. Still, Aaron had always appreciated his confidence in Aaron’s ability to figure things out on his own.
Doc Olson raised a brow, much like he did when Aaron was a boy and he wanted his opinion on a diagnosis. “What do you say, Doc Sumner? You up for the challenge?”
Aaron thought about what waited for him at the lodge. Half-crazed brides, full-crazed mothers of brides…Yeah, the clinic seemed a much better option.
“Let’s do it,” he said, rolling up his sleeves.
“Bernie, get him a white coat.”
Aaron’s mouth fell open. Sure, he’d worn the illustrious coat for years now but this…being ceremoniously presented the physicians coat by Doc Olson. Well, for some reason being presented with this white coat, by his mentor and friend, somehow meant more to Aaron than he’d ever imagined.
“You serious?” Aaron asked.
“As a heart attack. And since you’re a top-notch cardio thoracic surgeon,” he nudged Aaron’s shoulder, “I’d say I’m in good hands.”
“Well then,” Fiona clapped her hands, “let’s get to it.” She pushed back the door and hollered, “Izzie, Manny, come on back.”
“Here you go, Doctor Sumner,” Mrs. Olson said, handing him a white coat with the Canyon Creek Medical Center logo embroidered on one side and “Dr. Glen Olson, Physician” on the other.
It didn’t escape Aaron’s attention that there was only one physician in their small town.
“It’s a spare,” Mrs. Olson said, “in case.”
She didn’t have to explain what “in case” meant. Getting stains on your clothing mid-shift was part of the job.
“Thanks,” he said, slipping on the coat over his jeans and buttoned-down shirt.
“Let’s get you into exam room four, Izzie my dear,” Fiona said, scooting past them as she ushered the young girl down the hall.
“Is Dr. Aaron gonna see me?” Izzie said, glancing back over her shoulder.
Fiona stared at Aaron, brows raised.
He nodded once.
“Sure is,” Fiona said.
“Then he can check Beezus, too, like last time. Beezus doesn’t feel well.”
Aaron watched as Fiona led Izzie and Manny into the exam room. She glanced out the door and gave him a wink.
“Impressive,” Doc Olson said, sliding up next to him.
“The coat?” Aaron smoothed over the starched material.
“No. The fact you were able to touch Beezus. No one can pry that doll out of that little girl’s hands.”
“It was nothing really.”
“Oh, it’s something, trust me. It’s the little things that make a great doctor, Aaron.”
Aaron nodded, remembering Doc Olson’
s words from when he was a teen.
“Now, let’s see if this new doctor can teach an old dog some new tricks,” Doc Olson said, shoving Aaron’s shoulder and leading them down toward the exam room. “It’s like I’ve always said, the man who thinks he knows it all…” Dr. Olson started glancing back at Aaron, waiting for his rote response.
“…Is the man who still has a lot to learn,” Aaron said, letting the words soak in. Yeah, he still had a lot to learn.
And part of him wondered if it couldn’t be done right here where it had all started, in Canyon Creek.
Chapter Thirteen
Kayleigh added two chicken breasts to the hot skillet, listening as meat sizzled in the oil. It was rare she was home in time to actually cook, and even rarer when she had food in the fridge.
Today she’d had a long day and Shelly had shooed her out of the clinic before she’d been able to dive into paperwork. She was meeting with her accountant next week and she needed to get her books in order. It was depressing to think about that, though.
Instead, Kayleigh headed home, eager to dive into her newest romance book. Well, it was new to her.
Paula had found the vintage ’80s romance novel about a rogue pirate and his sexy stowaway—a woman sailing the high seas destined for the United States. Once discovered, she’d been bound and held for ransom by a devilish sea captain, demanding money for her return. When discovered, the captain had been forced to return her safely or face prison. He obeyed, only to find he’d lost more than a captive, he’d lost his heart as well…or so the back cover read. Kayleigh smiled thinking of it.
She clicked on the wireless speaker on her counter and fumbled with the front pocket of her sweatshirt for her phone. She needed music to cook, and to get her mind off her rising worries over what she was going to do to increase the profit margin at the clinic.
She didn’t want to leave Canyon Creek, and she didn’t want to raise prices at the clinic. The work was there. She had plenty of clients every day, but things weren’t panning out despite the workload.
As she slipped the phone from her pocket and prepared to sync up the music, she glanced down at her screen. She’d missed a call from her father while she’d been in surgery that day. That was four hours ago and she still hadn’t checked his voicemail.
