“Whatever you do, don’t remind her, although, to be honest, she’s a huge asset. If I need something done, no matter how simple or difficult, she’s the one to ask. She’s great at greasing bureaucratic wheels.”
“You’re lucky. Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know.”
“Exactly. I hear that the office girls in the County Clerk’s office run when she comes in. She’s had the best luck when it comes to appealing her property tax valuations. Personally, I think everyone’s afraid of her.”
“Really? She seems so sweet.”
“She is,” he said, “but she grew up in Hope and knows all the skeletons in people’s closets, especially the folks in City Hall.”
“How convenient.” “Definitely. But here’s a word to the wise…organizations fight to have her on their fund drive campaigns. She single-handedly brought in the most donations last year for the Cancer Society.”
“I’ll keep my checkbook under lock and key,” she promised.
“Good idea.”
“Speaking of growing up, are you a Hope native?”
He shook his head. “I’m a transplant, along with about half of the town. I moved here three years ago after I finished my residency.”
“And your family?”
“Scattered across the country. Along with a set of parents, there are four of us. Two boys and two girls, although my sister Alison and I are twins.”
“A built-in playmate. How nice. It must be wonderful to have a large family.”
“It has its moments, but I can’t imagine not having a single one of them around.”
“You’re very fortunate. Ned and I had different enough interests that as we grew older we drifted apart.”
“You’re both doctors. I’d say that was a similar interest.”
“He was the athlete and I wasn’t. I had to study for my grades and he didn’t. He was brilliant when it came to competitive speech and debate and I was woefully tongue-tied at public speaking of any kind. He won awards for anything and everything and I didn’t.”
And yet, Mark thought as he leaned back to nurse the rest of his drink, she’d been given the responsibility of looking after Ned—a responsibility that she still shouldered without hesitation. She was clearly loyal to a fault.
And if loyalty was her fault, it was the only one he could see. She might claim not to be athletic, but she certainly had an athlete’s form. He knew, because he’d noticed a great deal when he’d half carried her up the sidewalk.
Now, that had been an experience he wouldn’t mind repeating. Next time, though, he’d like to do it without the barrier of heavy coats. She’d fitted against him as if she were his other half and if the weather hadn’t been so dratted cold, he would have kissed her at the top of the steps until the heat they’d generated melted the ice under their feet.
As it was, he’d hardly been able to take his hands off her once he’d touched her. He’d only managed because he’d remembered his reasons for being there in the first place. Her safety had been on his mind, of course, but his motive went beyond that.
Just tell her why you’re here and get it over with.
He should, he knew, but it was rather nice to imagine she was simply a new acquaintance who’d attracted him, rather than a potential answer to a problem. He wasn’t quite ready to let that fantasy disappear. It would soon enough.
Sitting at the table in the home of this gorgeous woman, he tried to recall the last time he’d been on an official date. As luck would have it, he’d been on call on the nights when everyone had hosted their Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties, so he’d attended alone and had mingled with couples so that his single state hadn’t appeared quite so obvious.
“I’m surprised you didn’t visit Ned over the holidays,” he commented.
“I was on duty.” She shrugged. “It seemed more important to let the people with families have time off.”
He finished off his coffee, knowing that he probably should go, even though he hated their time together to end. A hundred things were waiting for his attention at home but, strangely enough, he couldn’t think of a single one on his list. He was too caught up with watching Dixie’s skin color return to its healthy glow after being out in the cold, noticing her graceful—and ringless—hands, and wishing that he could taste the coffee on her lips.
He wondered what she’d do if he leaned across the table and succumbed to his impulse.
She’d think he was crazy, he thought. And yet he could have sworn when they’d been standing on the porch that she would have welcomed his attentions.
Yes, he wanted to kiss her, and more, but he simply had to play it safe for now. Acting impulsively always caused him grief. He hated to think of the number of times he’d met a woman who’d seemed to understand him, only to discover that she had a hidden agenda. Since then he’d vowed to wait for a partner who was interested in Mark Cameron the man, rather than Mark Cameron the doctor.
As for Dixie’s agenda, he didn’t have to wait to discover what it was. She’d made it plain that she wanted him to give her cousin a second chance, which, short of evidence that he was working as an undercover operative for a government agency, wouldn’t happen. By the same token, it would be interesting to see just how far she’d go to ensure that Ned wouldn’t lose his job.
Was that why she’d seemed so eager to kiss him?
Was he doing the right thing by coming here, hat in hand, asking for her help?
Miranda had seemed to think so, but now, considering what might have happened if he hadn’t practiced self-control, he’d harvested an entire crop of new doubts.
His watch beeped the hour and he glanced at the time. He could hardly believe that sixty minutes had passed so quickly, but he’d never been more grateful for an interruption than now. Dixie presented too great a temptation, and until he got to know her better he’d be a fool to act rashly.
“I’d better go,” he said, rising and carrying his mug to the sink. “I still need to drop in at the hospital to check on Mrs Valesquez and her baby.”
Dixie grabbed one of the crutches she’d propped against the table and stood. Although her expression was a little puzzled by his brusque tone, she didn’t press him to stay.
“Thanks for everything. I appreciate all your help.”
“Before I go, where do you want your suitcase?”
“I can manage.”
“Probably,” he agreed, although he doubted it. “But why bother if you don’t have to?”
She brushed a curly lock off her forehead and he wondered if her tawny hair felt as soft as it looked. “Fine. If you can carry it to the spare bedroom?”
“No problem.”
He retrieved her case and followed her to the room in question. As he swung the battered piece of luggage onto the bed, one of the latches popped open and a pile of filmy fabric in an array of bright colors that ranged from dusky rose to red spilled onto the floor.
“Damn,” she muttered.
He bent down to pick up the scraps of lace and realized that chivalry might be dead but he obviously wasn’t. Handling silk panties that smelled of her fragrance wasn’t a wise thing for him to do when he was already trying to maintain his emotional distance.
He tossed the offending articles onto the bed and convinced himself that seeing Dixie’s lingerie wasn’t any different than seeing his sisters’ hanging from the rod in his bathroom. As for Dixie, he was a doctor, for Pete’s sake. There wasn’t anything regarding the female body that he hadn’t seen.
Yet as she leaned over the bed and he caught a glimpse of delicious curves he realized that his medical objectivity had taken a vacation where Dixie was concerned.
It was far too easy to wonder what color she was wearing next to her skin.
Worse yet, he wondered what color she’d choose to wear tomorrow.
He scooped up the rest of the intimate apparel and tried not to notice how soft and silky and sheer the articles were. “I’m going to look
for a garage door opener while you take care of…your unpacking.”
Hurrying down the hall, he forced his mind on where Ned might have stashed his spare electronic opener. Considering Dixie’s knee surgery, it would be so much easier if she parked her car in the garage until this cold snap passed. She could step out of her car, walk into the house and bypass the icy steps completely.
He started in the laundry room and checked the drawers and cupboards near the washer and dryer. No luck. By the time he came into the kitchen, Dixie was rummaging through the drawers there.
“Maybe he doesn’t have a spare,” she said after they’d hunted through every logical place.
“I’ll bet he does. We’re just not looking in the right spot.”
“Where else can it be?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll get around it,” he said decisively. “I know a guy who installs automatic openers. He’ll program a new control box for you.”
“Ned might not like it,” she warned.
“He isn’t here to complain, is he?”
“I guess not.”
“In the meantime, I’ll move your car inside.” Without giving her time to protest, he found his coat, went into the garage via the door through the kitchen, and raised the garage doors manually. A few minutes later, he drove her car inside.
“Thanks so much,” she said as he rejoined her. “You really don’t need to go to all this trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“I know this is a small way to repay you, but Ned has a huge supply of frozen dinners. Would you like one before you leave?”
“Your famous enchiladas sound better.”
“They do, don’t they?”
“I’ll have to take a rain-check for now, if that’s OK with you.” He shouldn’t, but nothing said he couldn’t spend a few pleasant hours with a colleague.
“I’ll plan on later in the week, then. Thursday?”
“Thursday it is. As for you, you need to make tonight an early one.”
She shrugged, as if she didn’t consider his advice important enough to take. “I have a lot to do before I can crawl into bed.”
She would have to mention that particular three-letter word. “I’m serious,” he insisted. “You won’t be much of a help to me tomorrow if you’re dead on your feet.”
She blinked, clearly taken aback by his announcement. “Excuse me?”
He clearly hadn’t led her to this moment very well. Instead, he’d simply blurted out his plan. “I’m accepting your offer to work for me.”
She stared at him in obvious surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Sure. I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock, sharp.” She shook her head. “Wait a minute. I’m missing something.”
“What’s to miss? I need another physician and you volunteered. If your credentials check out tomorrow morning, you’re my new temporary partner.”
A knowing gleam appeared in her eyes. “Your locum canceled, didn’t he?”
He hated to admit she was right, but if he didn’t she’d see right through his excuses. “Yes.”
“I can’t stay more than a month,” she warned. “That’s all the sick time I’ve requested.”
“A month should be adequate. I may not need you that long.”
“And Ned’s job? Will you hold it open for him?”
“No,” he said firmly. “You’re here until I can hire a locum or a permanent replacement. Period. Ned is on his own.”
“I see.” She glanced at the floor as she chewed on her upper lip. After a second’s hesitation, she met his gaze. “If you haven’t changed your mind about that, why did you change your mind about me working for you?”
“Because I’m desperate,” he said bluntly, determined to stop her from getting the wrong idea. “As Miranda also pointed out, I’d be a fool to let someone qualified slip through my fingers.”
“I see.” She glanced away and Mark was afraid that she saw more than he would like.
“She threatened you, didn’t she?” Dixie clearly understood Miranda’s role in their office far better than he’d thought she did. Hating to hit her full blast with the truth, he hedged. “Sort of.”
“Was she going to quit?”
“So she said.” Mark knew that his nurse didn’t need a job. She was close to retirement age and her husband had provided well for her when he’d died. Miranda worked because she liked her position in the office and it gave her a reason to get up every morning. He knew the day would come when she’d decide to slow down, but he didn’t want that to happen while he was down two physicians. On top of everything else, breaking in a new nurse and teaching her all the ins and outs of Miranda’s duties was too horrible to imagine. Working with Dixie seemed the lesser of the two evils.
“I’m surprised you let her win this one.”
“It was a mutual decision.”
“Well, thanks for the offer but, no, thanks. I don’t work where I’m not wanted.” She met his gaze without wavering.
“Suit yourself, but you’ll have better luck with your search for your cousin if you have access to his office.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Meaning I won’t otherwise?”
He played a card that she couldn’t beat. “Patient confidentiality issues. You understand, don’t you?”
“Absolutely,” she snapped. “In that case, I accept.”
“Good.” He turned to leave. “Before I forget, I do have a few conditions.”
“Which are?”
“What happens with Ned’s job is between him and me. You aren’t our mediator, neither are you his defense attorney.”
She hesitated. “OK. Anything else?”
“I’ll expect complete and total honesty from you.” She appeared affronted. “Of course.”
“Your loyalty is to me. If you discover anything about Ned—anything at all, good or bad—I want to know.”
“No secrets. Agreed.”
“Then I’ll see you at eight a.m.” He dug in his shirt pocket and pulled out a pen and a scrap of paper. “Here’s my home number and my pager number.”
She placed his note on the table. “Thanks.”
He headed to the door leading into the garage so he could avoid the deathtrap porch steps. “Enjoy what’s left of your evening.”
“I will.”
“Close the garage door behind me,” he ordered.
“I will,” she repeated. “Goodnight.”
Acknowledging her comment with a wave, he hurried outside to his vehicle. He couldn’t believe he’d actually gone and hired Dixie Albright. Miranda might think her presence was the perfect solution, but he foresaw nothing but problems.
Dixie was simply too attractive for her own good and for his peace of mind. Although he’d gotten her to agree to his conditions about her cousin, it remained to be seen if she honored them.
If she didn’t, she’d be history, he consoled himself as he slid behind the wheel. However, that reassurance didn’t quite answer the question burning in his mind.
Had he simply exchanged one disaster for another?
CHAPTER FOUR
“YOU have to do something, Doctor,” Carrie Jamison begged as she placed her lethargic six-month-old son on the exam table. “He can hardly breathe.”
Dixie watched the infant’s chest rise and fall in short gasps as if he couldn’t catch his breath. Even without her stethoscope, he sounded wheezy, and every now and again he coughed pitifully. He was far too pale to suit her and she would have liked a pulse oximeter to test his oxygen saturation levels, but she wasn’t in the ER with all the high-tech equipment she normally had at her disposal.
“Is he eating?”
“No. He won’t take his bottle. At first I thought he just had the usual cold, with his stuffy nose and low-grade fever, but he’s getting worse. He pulls on his ears, too.”
Dixie warmed her stethoscope between her hands before she placed the flat surface on his chest and listened. “Joey has pneumonia,” she told his
mother, before she peered into his ears. “To treat him properly, I’m going to run a few tests so I know what we’re dealing with.”
“I’ve heard that RSV is going around. Is that what he has?”
“It’s possible,” Dixie admitted. “Respiratory syncytial virus is prevalent this time of year and our little people are getting hit hard. But whether his test is positive or not, Joey needs to be in the hospital where he can receive regular breathing treatments and IV fluids. How long did you say it’s been since he’s eaten?”
“A little over twenty-four hours. Are you sure, though, you can’t just give him an antibiotic? I’ll watch him really close at home.”
“He’s dehydrated and we have to get fluids in him right away,” she told Carrie kindly. “If he was taking his bottle, I’d be willing to try your idea, but he’s not. The hospital is the best place for him.”
“I can’t pay for him to stay there,” she said flatly. “My husband changed jobs and our new health insurance isn’t effective until the end of the month.”
“Joey can’t wait until then. You’re not the only one in these circumstances,” Dixie reassured her. “The hospital will work with you and I know there are charitable programs that can help, too. So don’t let finances stop you from giving Joey the care he needs.”
Carrie managed a tremulous smile. “OK.”
“As soon as I collect a sample of nasal drainage, you can go.”
“If you think it’s RSV, why test him?”
“Because we use different medications for viruses than we do for bacteria.”
Carrie held her son in her lap while Dixie aspirated some of the fluid out of his nose and placed it in a tube of saline. Joey didn’t fuss, which only proved to Dixie that he was one sick little boy.
“You can go on over to the hospital,” she said. “As soon as we finish running the test, I’ll notify the nurse.”
“Is he going to be OK?” Carrie’s voice wobbled.
“Almost everyone becomes infected with this virus before they’re two years old, so it’s really quite common. The thing we have to do is help Joey’s immune system do its job, which means we have to treat all the bugs that have decided to attack him at the same time. It’s going to take a while before you see improvement.”
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