“Women love battle scars,” Rob assured Brianne with a straight face.
She couldn’t help but laugh. That’s when Rob asked Jed, “Well, aren’t you going to introduce us? She’s a lot prettier to look at when she’s playing pool than you are.”
Brianne felt herself flushing.
After introductions were made, Jed asked Rob, “Do you want to join us? We can cool our cue sticks and have a drink.”
His friend thought about it for a moment. “Nope. Think I’ll watch.”
Jed gave him a suspicious look, but Rob just smiled, and Brianne knew she’d be even more nervous if both men were watching her.
Picking up the cue stick again, Jed murmured close to her ear, “Ignore him.”
Actually, as she thought about it, she decided she probably could ignore Rob—but not Jed. Especially not when his arms went around her or his lips practically brushed her ear.
In spite of being a novice at the game, Brianne had fun and learned quickly as both men gave her pointers. Finally she and Jed actually played a game, with Rob advising her. Once he came over beside her and pointed out the angle from which she should shoot. His cologne was heavier than Jed’s, and nothing about his proximity made her pulse race. His winks and smiles were sheer flirting, and she saw a frown come over Jed’s face once or twice. But the three of them laughed a lot and had a good time.
Jed won the game, of course, and Rob promised to order them a round of drinks. Wanting to freshen her lipstick and regroup, Brianne excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.
After the men found a table in the bar area, Jed sat across from Rob, not altogether sure he liked this idea. He’d never intended tonight to be an actual date with Brianne. He’d intended to take her to dinner to thank her, and that was it. But somehow it had turned into more. He had to admit he was enjoying himself. At least he had been until Rob had come along and begun flirting with Brianne. Jed knew it was second nature to his buddy, and it had never bothered him before. Yet it did tonight.
“Is she from the Barrington family?” Rob asked, with a wave toward the ladies’ room door.
“If you’re asking if her father was Edward Barrington, yes he was.”
“And her mother was Skyler Barrington? She came from money, too. Her parents owned a couple of hotels or something, didn’t they?”
“Yes, they did.”
Rob tilted his chair back on two legs. “Well, I guess you’re in her league now, anyway, with that fancy practice you had in L.A. Couldn’t believe it when I heard you went to Alaska. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking my life needed a drastic change. You’ve always known what you wanted. It’s taking me a while to figure it out.”
Rob nodded. “I wanted to be a big fish in a small pond and I’ve done that. You, on the other hand, made a name for yourself in the big pond.”
Changing the subject from his life, Jed said, “Dad told me you weren’t married yet. Are you seeing anyone?” The question was as nonchalant as he could make it.
“No one in particular. I’ve been dating a college professor from Madison pretty regularly, but I don’t think it’s going anywhere.” Rob gestured again toward the ladies’ room door. “Are you trying to protect your turf?”
“Brianne isn’t my turf. She works at Beechwood Family Practice with me. That’s all.”
“It didn’t look that way when I came in and you two were huddled over that pool table.”
“She’s too young,” Jed said dismissively, reminding himself of that fact once again.
“Is that it? Or are you using her age as an excuse not to get involved? Believe me, I can recognize the signs.”
Was Rob right? Was he using Brianne’s age as a reinforcing reason not to get entangled with a woman again? He still remembered the nights that he and Caroline had lain on separate sides of the bed, as if there was a giant barrier between them. Jed was sure if they hadn’t had Trisha, their marriage would have disintegrated sooner than it had.
Possibly Rob’s observation was on the mark and he was using Brianne’s age as an excuse to cool his desire. He had enough on his plate with his practice and his father.
Still, as Brianne returned to the table, he felt his reaction to her in every atom of his being. Tonight he’d felt…happy, for the first time in a while.
Brianne ordered wine, while the two men settled on beers. For the next hour she heard stories of their football glory days. With her attention focused on them, she seemed absolutely absorbed. Jed realized that was one way she was very different from Caroline. His ex-wife always needed to be the center of attention. Brianne didn’t. She was a good listener, and that was one of the reasons why she was a good nurse. She often put notes in patients’ files that were perceptive because she listened well.
When Jed checked his watch and saw that it was after midnight, he asked Brianne if she was ready to leave. She said she was.
As they bade Rob goodbye and walked toward Jed’s car, she said, “I had a good time tonight.”
“You mean learning how to play pool?” he teased.
“That, and getting to know your friend. Did you really share a motorcycle when you were in high school?”
“Yep. Found an ad in the paper and decided to pool our money. One week it was mine, the next week it was his.”
“Rob has his own contracting firm now?”
In spite of himself, Jed didn’t like the note of interest in her voice. “We worked on the same construction crews in the summer. Building fascinated Rob, and once he’d put enough money together, he started his own company.”
Jed walked her around to her side of the car and opened the door. When she was inside, he rounded the hood and climbed in the driver’s side.
After they’d fastened their seat belts, he warned her, “He’s not your type.”
Rather than looking offended, she smiled slightly. Under the parking lot lights he could see she was curious as she asked, “Just what is my type?”
After he thought about it, he shrugged. “An investment banker.”
Brianne burst out laughing. “I’d probably be bored to tears with an investment banker. From what I hear, they work long hours and have a passion for numbers.”
Jed didn’t ask where Brianne thought a man’s passion should lie. That would get him into deep, deep waters.
After he started the car and turned out of the bar’s parking lot, he asked, “Why do you live with Lily rather than in a place of your own?” She could have bought any house in Sawyer Springs if she’d wanted it.
“Why are you staying with your dad?” she replied.
“Because I might be here only temporarily.”
After a short pause, she answered him. “When I moved in with Lily, I didn’t know how long I was going to stay. I guess I needed friendship and a place to belong more than I needed my own house.”
As Jed thought about Brianne’s sentiments, he realized that between striving and escaping, he’d never really taken the time to belong.
Ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of the Victorian house and steeled himself against walking Brianne to the door. All night he’d denied the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He’d teased them both at the pool hall and had been rewarded with an ache that still hadn’t gone away. But his dad had raised him to be a gentleman, and he wasn’t about to let her walk up to that house alone.
Once they’d strolled to the porch, he noted only one small light was burning inside the entranceway. He could see it through the elongated foyer window in the door. “I guess Lily already turned in.”
“I’m usually the night owl, prowling about the kitchen at midnight for a glass of milk or a bowl of cereal.”
Immediately, the picture of Brianne in a nightgown entered his mind, and he thought about giving up the fight and hauling her into his arms. “Chamomile tea doesn’t work for you?” he asked, remembering the advice she’d given him for his dad the first day they’d worked together.
> “It does when I take the time to make it,” she said with a smile. “Why is it we often resist the cure?”
When she smiled like that, a dimple appeared. The longing to kiss it was so strong he took a step back. He wished he knew the cure for his attraction to Brianne. He’d certainly make use of it.
“I’m not sure why we resist what we know is best for us. It must be human nature.”
What was best for him now was a fast exit. Trying to forget what a good time he’d had tonight, he attempted to put the night back on track. “Thanks again for helping to clean Dad’s house. We both appreciated it.”
Brianne looked disconcerted for a moment, then recovered. “Give your dad my regards.” A little awkwardly, she shrugged. “I’ll see you on Monday.” Turning, she fitted her key into the lock and slipped inside the house.
When the door closed, Jed shoved his hands into his pockets and headed home, knowing he’d remember tonight for a long time to come.
Almost a week later, Jed and Brianne were coming out of a patient’s exam room when Lily passed them in the hall. She said, “Corbin Dustoff just gave Janie a bunch of raffle tickets from the fire department. If you want any, they’re on my desk. Oh, and Jed, you have a phone call. Dr. Davidson about Mr. Brown.”
Brianne knew Jed had left a message for the cardiologist earlier in the morning and had been waiting for the return call.
He told Lily now, “My notes are out front. I’ll take it there.” Then he turned to Brianne. “Grab a twenty out of my wallet. It’s in my suit coat jacket at my desk. Buy a few raffle tickets for me, will you?”
With a smile for both women, he hurried to the front desk.
“Busy morning,” Lily remarked, as she walked with Brianne toward Jed’s office.
“Yes, it is,” Brianne said absently.
“Is he still treating you like a nurse rather than someone he took out on a date?”
The day after she and Jed had gone out, Brianne had admitted to Lily that she’d had a wonderful time. However, she’d explained Jed’s parting comment had told her in no uncertain terms he’d simply been repaying a debt. Lily hadn’t been so sure. However, Brianne’s conclusion had been confirmed when, on Monday morning, Jed had resumed his professional demeanor with her and acted as if they’d never had dinner or shared drinks…or talked about things that mattered. Except when she glimpsed him watching her, or when she saw the flare of heat in his eyes and it stirred a like desire in her.
Now she responded to Lily’s question. “I guess this is the way it’s going to be.”
Lily clasped Brianne’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then hurried on to tend to Dr. Olsen’s next patient.
Brianne ducked into Jed’s office and saw his suit coat draped over the wooden desk chair. She felt for the bulge of his wallet and found it in the inside pocket. The wallet was a soft, black cowhide one that looked as if it had seen a few years of wear. She opened it, extracting a twenty dollar bill. Before she closed it, she got a glimpse of the plastic window where most men kept their driver’s license. Jed’s wasn’t in evidence.
The picture that was there instead stopped Brianne abruptly, and she studied it. It was a photo of an adorable little girl of about three. She had black, curly hair and dancing green eyes. She was holding a stuffed dog that had only one ear, but Brianne could tell it was one of those favored, treasured toys…like her doll Penelope had been. The child was sitting on the grass, her legs crossed in front of her, the dog held against her Mickey Mouse T-shirt.
Who was this little girl? What did she mean to Jed?
All day long as Brianne worked with Jed, she wondered about the picture. Should she ask him about it? Had she invaded his privacy by looking at it?
No. He was the one who’d asked her to take money from his wallet. It wasn’t as if she’d searched through it. Still…
It was almost five-thirty when Jed and Brianne finished with their last patient. Janie quickly did the billing and then left.
Lily waved on her way out and called, “Mom’s sending lasagna with Megan, so we don’t have to worry about cooking tonight.”
Cooking was the last thing on Brianne’s mind as she nodded to her friend and glimpsed Jed in his office, taking off his white coat and donning his suit jacket once more.
Crossing to the doorway, she motioned to his desk. “Did you get the raffle tickets?”
He patted his jacket pocket. “Safe and sound. What can I win?”
“A pontoon boat.”
Jed laughed. “I don’t know if I can make Dad a boat captain or not. He might get a kick out of it.”
She hated to break the compatible if charged mood between them, but she had the feeling that picture was a key to Jed’s attitude about a lot of things. “When I took the money from your wallet…”
Jed sobered as he made the connections in his mind and asked, “Yes?”
“I saw the picture of the little girl. She’s adorable.” Then Brianne made a stab in the dark. “Is she yours?”
He’d told her that his sister and brother didn’t have any children, and she didn’t know of another connection she could make.
“She was mine. She died four years ago.”
As Brianne tried to absorb the shock of that, the telephone rang. The service picked up their calls after six, but it was only ten to the hour.
“I’ll get it,” Jed told her gruffly. It was clear he didn’t want to have a discussion with her about the picture she’d seen.
“Beechwood Family Practice,” he answered.
As Brianne watched and listened, she saw his face become pale. “How serious is it? Okay. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
When he hung up the phone, Jed rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s Dad. He fell down the basement steps. One of his friends found him there and called 911. They don’t think anything’s broken, but they’re taking X rays. Dad’s giving them a lot of guff, says he’s perfectly fine. His blood pressure’s up. I’ve got to get over there before he has a stroke.”
Seeing Jed’s worry, Brianne asked impulsively, “Would you like me to come along? Maybe I can calm him down a bit.”
As Jed came closer to her, his gaze held hers and that heat appeared again. “I don’t want to ruin your evening.”
“If you don’t want me there, Jed, it’s fine. I just thought I might be able to help.”
The electricity between them was potent enough that it crackled in the small office. They both seemed to hold their breath.
The heat in Jed’s eye burned into a conflagration that troubled every part of her. They were both denying what they were feeling….
After interminable moments, Jed groaned and enfolded her in his arms. He pulled her close for an intense kiss.
Afterward, he set her away from him and gave a frustrated shake of his head. “Having you around is driving me nuts. I’m trying to keep distance between us for both our sakes.”
Still breathless, she didn’t know what to say.
Rubbing his hand up and down the back of his neck again, he finally concluded, “You probably can calm Dad down. He likes you. Seeing me will probably rile him more. If you want to come along, I’d be grateful.”
Jed’s kiss had stunned her in its intensity. Swallowing hard, she concentrated on what he’d said. Her heart felt incredibly light. For once in her adult life, she decided to forget about caution and follow her passion.
Smiling up at him, she said, “I’ll get my coat.”
Chapter Seven
The emergency room at Sawyer Springs General Hospital was bustling. When Jed inquired at the desk about where to find his father, a technician led them to a cubicle in the back.
Jed immediately spotted Ray Orndorff, one of Al’s old cronies, by his bed. Ray’s potbelly hung over his belt buckle, and he had his arms propped on it with his hands folded, as if he had nothing better to do than sit with an old friend and chew the fat.
But Al didn’t look so calm. He glared at Ray now. “Why did you
call him?”
Ray didn’t flinch at his friend’s tone. “Because I didn’t know how serious this was. He’s a doctor, Al. He can explain the medical mumbo jumbo they throw at us.”
Al sniffed. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Then he spotted Brianne, who had come into the room behind Jed. His face brightened a little before he aimed his frustration with the whole situation at his son. “Did you need reinforcements?”
Jed had always found honesty to be the best route with his dad. “Yes, if you want to know the truth. I figured you’d be a cantankerous grouch who wouldn’t let me help. Brianne seems to have a way with you.”
As Al’s face reddened, Jed wished this conversation had started off a little differently. Why did his father always make it so hard for him to help?
“Look, Dad. Brianne and I were finishing up at the office and she offered to come along. I didn’t know if Ray could stay, and I thought Brianne could keep you company while I found out exactly what was wrong.”
That seemed to mollify his father. Still, he grumbled, “Ray doesn’t have any place better to go.”
After Jed introduced Brianne to Ray, he moved toward the door. “I’ll see what I can find out. Hold tight and maybe I can get you out of here before midnight.”
In a matter of minutes, Jed found the orthopedic doctor on call, as well as the radiologist who was studying his father’s x rays. Thank goodness, he hadn’t broken anything.
The orthopedic physician returned to the cubicle with Jed. Brianne and Al were laughing as Ray related a story about walking to Al’s house on snowshoes last winter when the roads were closed. The three of them quieted as the specialist crossed to the bed to discuss Al’s condition with him.
He was Jed’s age and smiled kindly at Al as the older man ordered, “Give it to me straight, Doc.”
Dr. Ames chuckled. “Straight it is. You wrenched your knee. I want you to ice it, elevate it and stay off of it. If it’s not better in a week, we’ll do an MRI. We’ll fit you with a knee brace and teach you how to use crutches.” Taking a prescription from his pocket, he handed it to Al. “This will help the inflammation. Someone from PT will be here in a few minutes with the brace and crutches.”
The Most Eligible Doctor Page 9
