Crazy Little Thing Called Matchmaking

by Maggie Van Well

  Before she could respond, he left the lab, fully expecting her to follow. He stopped outside the room and said, “Watch and learn.”

  As soon as he entered, Sherry burst into tears. Jake’s heart leapt to his throat, but he knew, within minutes, she’d be smiling.

  “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” He gave the little girl’s mother a reassuring nod as he searched through the cabinets for the prize box.

  “I’m scared!” Large tears traveled down her cheeks.

  Jake offered a smile. “Aw, it’s no fun to be scared. How old are you?”

  Sherry held up five fingers.

  “You’re that old? I better check, just to be sure.” Jake pressed his fingertips from behind her ears to her throat, feeling for any swelling or abnormalities. When he was done, he flicked his wrist and produced a sticker with a glittering red five on it. “Yup, you’re five alright.”

  Sherry’s eyes grew wide as she took the prize from him. “How did you do that?”

  “It’s a secret, but I can show you something else.” He blew on the end of his stethoscope and put it against her chest. “Hmmm, just as I thought. You have a heart in there. Wanna listen?”

  Awe brightened her face as she nodded.

  Jake pulled the head-frame from his ears and gently put it in hers. He placed the disk against her chest.

  “Wow,” she whispered.

  “Pretty cool, huh?”

  Jake could feel Kate’s stare. He didn’t dare look at her for fear he’d break out in a flaming blush. Sheesh, he’d never been suave around women, but this was ridiculous. He wanted to impress her, show her that he wasn’t some guy who happened to have an MD after his name.

  When he finished the examination, he hopped up onto the table next to his patient. “I have to tell you something.”

  “What?”

  He took a deep breath. “I gotta give you a shot.”

  “It’s gonna hurt!” Her little face crumpled.

  “For a second, but after that, you can pick a prize.”

  She wiped her eyes. “I can?”

  “Yup, but you have to be a big girl for Dr. Jake. Can you do that?”

  “I think so.”

  “I know you can.” He leapt off the table and took the syringe Kate handed him, making sure Sherry never saw it. “Do you like dolls?” He sterilized Sherry’s upper arm with an alcohol wipe.

  She nodded, her face buried against her mother’s shoulder.

  “Who’s your favorite?”

  “Barbie.” With that one word, the little girl sat up straighter. “She’s so pretty and has the best clothes…” Jake waited until Sherry was fully into her description of Barbie’s dream house before he injected the vaccine. She barely flinched.

  He held a piece of cotton over the needle prick. “My sister used to love Barbie dolls, too.”

  “All girls do. We have to. My brother says it’s the law.”

  He nodded, loving the way kids thought. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kate’s grin. She loved kids just as much as he did. “Interesting, I didn’t know that.”

  “I don’t mind following that law, ‘cause it’s a good one.”

  “One of the best, I think.” Jake took down the jar of lollipops from the upper cabinet. “Time for your reward.”

  Sherry picked a red lollipop and handed it to him before taking one for herself.

  “Thank you! How did you know red lollipops are my favorite?”

  “Because you’re a boy and so is my brother and he likes the red ones.”

  He tore off the wrapper and sucked on it for a second before smiling at Mrs. Golden. “She’s doing great and up-to-date on her immunizations. Any questions or concerns?”

  He chatted with the mother for a few minutes. When she and Sherry left, Jake turned to Kate, grinning.

  She stared at him with her mouth open. “You’re creepy.”

  He laughed, glad to see her patronizing attitude from before was nowhere in sight. “No, just in touch with kids.”

  “Sherry is one of our more challenging patients, and the fact that she left here laughing and sucking on a lollipop is nothing short of a miracle. No wonder they call you ‘The Child Whisperer.’”

  He groaned. “God, that stupid nickname followed me here?”

  Kate placed her hand on his arm, and damned if it didn’t tingle from the heat. “Take it as a compliment.”

  “I will.”

  Jake hummed as he enjoyed his cherry-flavored treat, heading for the next exam room with a bounce in his step.

  All because he’d impressed Kate.

  ***

  As the clock struck ten, Kate stood by the back door of the old Victorian home that housed the doctor’s offices. Arms crossed tightly and shifting from foot to foot, waiting.

  Moments later, the door opened, and a tall, thin woman entered, along with the mini-suitcase she called a purse. Many likened her to Bea Arthur, until they heard her speak. Then images of Kathleen Turner came to mind.

  Gladys Clecs stopped just over the threshold, gasped, and then placed a hand over her heart. “Dear, you startled me! You should know better than to do that to an old woman.”

  “Ha! You’re in better shape than I am.”

  Gladys grinned as she patted her silver-gray pixie cut, but her oh-so-knowing brown eyes were guarded. “Something tells me you weren’t waiting on pins and needles because you missed me so much.”

  “You’re damn right!” Kate jerked her arms to her sides, her hands balled into fists. “How could you not tell me Dr. Harris moved in next door? And that he was about as young as Alex!”

  “Don’t be silly. He has to be at least twenty-two.” She moved past her and headed for the front reception desk.

  Kate followed, knowing better than to take any of Gladys’s assumptions seriously, but the fact her boss didn’t look a day over twenty didn’t help. “That’s not the point. How could you not tell me?”

  “I did tell you.” She tossed her purse under the desk and greeted the office staff. As soon as she was done, Kate took her arm and led her into an empty exam room.

  “I don’t think ‘Doogie’ would constitute you telling me he was young. And what about him living next door?”

  “Dear, this was the first vacation you’ve taken since William died, and if I’d told you about Jake buying the Goldbergs’ home, you would’ve obsessed over it and ruined precious time with your children.”

  Kate unclenched her hands, her stiff spine relaxing. God, she hated when Gladys made sense. “Okay, you’re right, but couldn’t you have at least prepared me for it? I felt like an idiot when he showed up at my door Saturday morning.”

  “Really? So he’s already been to your house and met your kids. I’m sure you had a nice chat, you got to know him, and now your first day working for him is a piece of cake.”

  “Well…yes—”

  Gladys placed a sturdy hand on Kate’s wrist and winked. “No need to thank me, dear.”

  Kate shook her head as Gladys left the room. How the hell did she do that?

  ***

  The delicious aroma of chicken greeted Kate as she entered the foyer of her home. She tossed her keys and purse onto the small table just inside the entranceway, closing the door with her foot.

  Peeking into the dining room, she saw Alex and Drew sitting at the table. Candlelight reflected off her good china and wine glasses sparkled at each setting. A roasted chicken sat as centerpiece.

  Kate held back a gasp as she entered the room. “You did this for me?”

  “No, we did it because we were bored,” Drew answered with a grin.

  Alex swatted his brother upside the head. “It’s your first day back after vacation. We figured we’d help.”

  Her heart burst with love for these boys. They reminded her of William in many ways, yet each was so different. Both were tall and slim, sharing her dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes, but Alex’s hair was coarse and curly, like his father’s, while Drew’s wa
s soft and pin-straight.

  Ever since the day his friends at school had counted how many pencils his hair could hold when he kept it long and springy—twenty-seven to be exact—Alex had worn it short. Drew, on the other hand, would let his hair grow down his back if she didn’t chase after him with scissors.

  She walked over to Alex and hugged him. “You’re the best.” She kissed his cheek.

  Then she leaned down to Drew, offering the same greeting. “You’re the best.”

  Her younger son laughed. “We can’t both be the best.”

  “Yes, you can, because you are.”

  “How was your day, Mom?” Alex sipped ginger ale from his wine glass.

  “Hectic.” And stressful. She’d been so worried about how she’d react to Dr. Harris, and the instant attraction, she’d been nothing short of a condescending bitch to him. But he’d sure put her in her place, hadn’t he? The thought made her grin.

  Child Whisperer indeed.

  “Do you like the coach?” Drew asked.

  Kate tasted her wine. A cheap Pinot Grigio she’d bought from the local liquor store, but it tasted like heavenly nectar. “He’s very nice to work with.”

  They chatted like three adults throughout the meal. Her sons surprised her once again when they offered to do the dishes.

  Kate went to her room and ran a hot bath. After pouring in some bath beads, she sank beneath the bubbles and sighed.

  Glancing around the room, she smiled sadly. William had always loved this bathroom with its Jacuzzi for two and separate stall shower. She lost count of the times they had made love in this tub.

  She put her hand over her mouth, trying to choke back a sob… and the anger. It killed her to think she would eventually lose this home, but every month was a struggle to make ends meet. William had been a successful architect, but careless spending and foolish decisions had eaten away at their savings. A part of her hated him for not preparing for the unthinkable. For not making sure she and their sons would be taken care of in the event he was no longer with them. She hated herself more for allowing it.

  Never. Again.

  After he died and she had to face the mounting bills and dwindling savings alone, she’d decided she would always do everything for herself, because, in the end, she was the only one she could count on.

  Just the idea of telling her boys they had to leave the only home they’d ever known tormented her. They’d grown up in Seashore Cove. She’d grown up here, knew everyone in her small town. To leave it would be like amputating a limb.

  Kate shook her head. She wouldn’t think about that. She’d managed to dodge having the electricity shut off, but the mortgage was still a month behind. How long before it was two months, then three?

  Maybe she should get a second job. Ed probably needed help in the pharmacy, at least for the summer. Sean Donovan, who owned Donovan’s Pub in town, wouldn’t turn her away. Shirley, one of Kate’s oldest friends and Ed’s soon-to-be wife, was sure to need help at the local café over the next few weeks. But Kate barely saw her kids now. They’d already lost their father. She couldn’t take their mother away, too. Closing her eyes, she sank beneath the bubbles and let the hot water wash her anguish aside.

  After her bath, she sat at the vanity and combed her hair before securing it in a ponytail. Making her way around the bed, she reached for the blinds and paused.

  A light shone in the house next door. Jake’s house. That would take some getting used to.

  She was about to pull the cord when a masculine form walked past the window. Oh, God. Was that his bedroom? When the Goldbergs’ owned the house, the upstairs master bedroom had been their grandchildren’s playroom since the elderly couple didn’t like going up and down stairs. They definitely didn’t have privacy in mind when they’d chosen those practically transparent custom shades.

  With a jerk to the string, the blinds dropped. She hoped he changed the window treatment to something more opaque. Being able to see distinct shadows would be like trying to look away from a train wreck.

  Kate sank to the edge of her bed and stared at the picture that held a prominent place on her nightstand. An eight-by-ten snapshot of her and William at Susan and Rob’s wedding, their last big event before they found out about the cancer.

  Picking up the wooden frame, she pressed her fingertips against the cold glass and traced the lines of his face. Despite her anger that he’d left her to face so much alone, she missed him. She missed the way he kissed her good morning. She missed slow dancing and having him there to hold her when she’d been jarred awake by a fierce thunderstorm. He knew how much she hated them. While others had teased her about her phobia, he’d understood.

  He’d always known how to make her happy.

  Simple things, like helping her do dishes when the dishwasher was broken or folding laundry. She missed having him to share her silly adventures during the day or her pride when the boys did well in school. Kate stared off into space. She missed the way he made love to her.

  Her eyes welled, and she shook her head in hopes of unclogging her brain. She replaced the picture with a sigh. A lonely life lay ahead of her, for no other reason than no man alive could ever compare to William. He’d been her high school sweetheart, her confidant, her only lover. He loved her flaws as well as her strengths.

  What other man could ever compete with that?

  Lying on her side, she tugged William’s pillow against her chest and hugged it. Her eyes burned. Her lungs struggled for air. She fought the pain, but eventually she let it win.

  Just one more night she’d cry herself to sleep.

  Chapter Five

  “OPEN WIDE. That’s a good girl! Say, aaahhhh.” Jake pointed the otoscope down little Beth Ricks’ throat, her mother standing close—way too close—behind him. Deep red, but no puss. “Hm, she might have strep, but I need a test to be sure.”

  The mother’s elbow—please God, let that be her elbow—brushed his arm. Again. He inched away, her strong rose fragrance like a physical attack. “I thought so.”

  Mrs. Ricks was a pretty brunette—hell, she was smokin’ hot. Her tight blouse, with one too many buttons unfastened, offered an overt view of large breasts while snug jeans showed off a killer ass. Her brazen smile left him no doubt where her thoughts were.

  Anxiety twisted his gut.

  Jake gulped and backed toward the door. Opening it, he called out. “K-Kate, could you do-do a rapid strep test for me?” Over the last week, she’d become as important to him as his stethoscope.

  He sat on his stool, relieved when Mrs. Ricks stood next to her daughter, stroking the eight-year-old’s hair. Good, she got the hint.

  Kate entered the room with a kind smile and placed her hand on Beth’s arm. The soft reassuring caress made him wish he was the sick one. “I have to do a test, okay?”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “Not at all.”

  Jake made notes in the child’s file, then scooted to the door. “This should take about five minutes or so,” he said to Mrs. Ricks. “If the test is positive, I’ll write a prescription for antibiotics.”

  He hurried from the room, taking a deep breath before entering his office. He stood in front of his desk, sifting through the small pile of yellow message notes.

  “Dr. Harris?”

  At the sultry voice, Jake’s gut twisted tighter. Damn, he thought he’d made a clean escape. “Yes?” Don’t look at her. Aloof and nonchalant. That’s the way to go.

  Until the door clicked closed.

  The hair on the back of his neck rose seconds before she whispered in his ear. “I’d hoped we could have a moment alone to chat.”

  Jake spun around.

  Big mistake.

  “P-pardon?”

  She moved in, her hefty bosom pressed against his chest. “Maybe, after Beth’s better, you and I could go out for a drink?”

  Jake backed up against the desk. “I, uh, don’t think th-that would be appropriate.”

  “I ha
te appropriate.” She cupped his face in both hands and pulled his head down until their mouths collided.

  Shock froze him. She teased, adding just a bit of pressure, enticing him to open his lips under hers. He was too surprised and, well, downright scared to do anything more than tense up, let alone pull away. All he could think about was the invasion of her rose perfume and how his mother loved roses.

  A quick knock and then the office door clicked open. “Jake, have you seen—” Kate gasped.

  Mrs. Ricks pulled away and faced his nurse. “Does she have strep?” she asked, appearing unconcerned she’d just been caught feeling up her kid’s pediatrician.

  “It was negative,” Kate responded in kind, forever the professional. “Beth’s in the exam room, waiting for you.”

  “Thank you, Kate.” The child’s mother turned back to Jake. “Give me a call if you change your mind.” With a sway to her step, she left the room.

  Kate placed a file on his desk. “You have red lipstick all over your mouth.”

  “Oh, great.” Jake exited the office and rushed to an empty exam room across the hall. He yanked a paper towel from the dispenser, rubbing it over his lips and chin. He hated that his hands shook. Hated that he hadn’t taken control of the awkward situation.

  Hated that Kate witnessed it.

  He went into the hallway where she stood watching him with her brow raised. “Is it gone?”

  “No.” She took the towel from him and scrubbed.

  Damn, did she have to rub so hard?

  “It’s not coming off?”

  Entering the room, she ran the paper towel under the tap, added soap, and tried again. Geez, did she think she was scouring a floor? “It’s gone, but now your mouth is pink and swollen.” She glared.

  “It’s not my fault. She kissed me.”

  “I have less trouble with my kids.” Kate threw the cloth away and sighed. “You look like you’ve been necking in the back seat.”

  Jake attempted to get a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the stainless steel paper towel dispenser. His distorted image stared back at him. “What am I going to do? I can’t see patients like this. What will Gladys say? Oh, man, she’s going to think I’m a closet transvestite.”