“Does it hurt when you take out stitches?” Tucker wanted to know.
“Nah. And you know I would tell you if it did.”
“I know.” Tucker looked relieved.
“Thank you,” his mom said, helping her son off the exam table.
“You’re welcome. See you, buddy.”
Tucker looked up at him. “You’re a pretty good doctor.”
“You’re a pretty good patient.”
Dawn opened the door and said to the mom, “When you check out up front, Brandy will make a follow-up appointment. Remind her to give you the sheet with instructions on how to deal with the stitches.”
“Will do.”
After mother and son walked out Dawn started cleaning up the room, though she still wouldn’t look at him. This was as good a time as any to say what was on his mind.
“Dawn, I’d like to talk to you.” He slid his hands into the pockets of his white lab coat.
“All right.”
That was the appropriate response but the stubborn look in her eyes and the step back she took clearly reflected her attitude.
There was no point in beating around the bush. “You obviously have a problem with me.”
“What makes you say that?”
At least she didn’t flat out deny it. “You’re exhibiting all the symptoms. Refusing to call me by my first name. Avoiding me when possible. Remaining professional but cool.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
“Technically there’s not. But with Emmet and everyone else on staff here at the clinic you’re warm and friendly. I’m the only one you treat differently.”
“Do you have a problem with my work?” she asked.
“No. You’re an excellent nurse.”
“Then I’m not sure what to say.”
That she liked him. Thought he wasn’t bad looking. Maybe she was even a little bit attracted to him. Anything but this robotic Stepford-nurse routine.
“Look, you and I both know that working as closely together as we do, things flow more smoothly if staff gets along and has each other’s back.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” she said emphatically.
That was the first time she’d shown any real spirit to him since the day he’d walked into the clinic. “Okay, then. Let’s fix this. We’re finished for the day. Join me for a drink at the Ace in the Hole.”
“No. I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”
“I disagree.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Whether you admit it or not, we have a problem. And it’s like I told Tucker. You can choose to ignore it, but that will just make the situation worse. Let’s clear the air.”
“Why don’t we clear it right here?” Reluctance mixed with the obstinate expression in her eyes. “No need to go for a drink.”
“I think this conversation would be more effective on neutral ground.” He looked around the exam room. “And, I don’t know about you, but I’d like to get out of here and relax a little bit. What do you say?”
Dawn caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied him. “You’re not going to drop this, are you?”
“No.” He sensed her weakening and wanted to smile, but held back. A victory lap now would make her dig in and that’s the last thing he needed.
“Okay.” She nodded reluctantly. “One drink.”
She didn’t look happy, but then again she hadn’t slammed the door in his face, either. Finally, the opportunity he’d been waiting for.
Chapter Four
Dawn insisted on driving herself to the Ace in the Hole. Jon followed her. And when the heck had she started thinking of him by his first name instead of simply Clifton? Maybe she should let that go. It felt weird and unnatural anyway. She was basically a friendly person and calling him Dr. Clifton when everyone else used his first name made her look as if she had a stick up her butt. Which, of course, she did.
He parked beside her and they walked side by side to the bar’s entrance.
“Nice night,” he said.
She stared up at the dark sky awash in stars that looked like gold dust. A light breeze brushed over her skin. Perfect. “A Goldilocks night.”
“I’m sorry. What?”
Their arms bumped and she met his puzzled gaze as a sliver of awareness sliced through her. He was very cute and she should never have agreed to this drink. But he’d just asked her a question and it would be rude not to answer.
“Remember Goldilocks and the three bears? Porridge was too hot, too cold, then she found the perfect one. Same for the beds.” She looked up and sighed. “This night is—”
“Not too hot or cold.”
“Just right,” they both said together.
Dawn smiled at him and it took a couple seconds to realize she wasn’t supposed to do that. She shut the feeling down, then fixed her attention on the Ace in the Hole. Considering it was impossible to count the number of times she’d been here, the place felt like an old friend. She was going to need one.
There was a hitching post where a cowboy could tie up his horse if he was out for a ride and wanted to stop in for a cold one before heading back to the ranch. The front window had a neon beer sign that blinked on and off along with a lighted, oversize ace of hearts playing card. It was rustic and full of character.
They stepped up on the wooden porch and before she could reach for it Jon grabbed the handle on the screen door, pulling it open for her. A loud screech sounded, clearly showing that the rusty hinges could use some TLC.
Inside, across from the door, a bar ran the entire length of the wall. The mirror behind it reflected the lined up bottles of hard liquor. Circular tables big enough for six ringed a wood plank dance floor. Booths with a more intimate feel lined the room’s perimeter.
Jon pointed to an empty one and put his other hand to the small of her back. “Let’s sit over there.”
Dawn would have preferred a bar stool and less intimacy, especially because the heat of his fingers fried the rational thought circuits of her brain. By the time connections reestablished, any protest would have required an explanation and she didn’t want to go there. Besides, it was only for one drink and then she was gone.
“Okay,” she said.
It was a weeknight in early August and the place was only half-full—mostly cowboys, a few couples and ladies who hung out in groups. No one noticed them cross to the booth but Dawn couldn’t help noticing Jon behind her. And hated that she did.
After they’d barely settled in the booth, the owner of the bar walked over. Rosey Shaw Traven was somewhere in her sixties and quite a character in her own right. In her customary peasant blouse, leather vest with wide belt, jeans and boots, she could have been the captain of a pirate ship. Only her short dark hair pegged her as a contemporary heroine and her brown eyes snapped with humor and worldly wisdom. No one messed with Rosey and if they were stupid enough to try, Sam Traven, her retired navy SEAL husband, made them regret it.
“Hi, Dawn. Good to see you.” Rosey’s assessing gaze rested on her companion. “I know you’ve been in here before, but I can’t place you.”
“Jon Clifton. Will’s brother.”
“Right.” She nodded at the scrubs he still wore. “The new doctor.”
Dawn’s stomach twisted at the words that still haunted her. That was bad enough, but the way he smiled and looked so boyishly handsome added an element of heat that tipped into temptation. No matter how sternly she warned herself not to, this was the way she’d felt just before the rug was pulled out from under her. This idea was getting worse by the second.
Rosey put a hand on her curvy hip. “What can I get you two?”
“A couple of beers.” Jon looked across the table, a question in his eyes.
“
I don’t really like beer.”
“What would you like?” he asked.
To run for the exit, she thought. A little bit of panic was starting to set in. She wanted to tell him he really didn’t care what she wanted, but Rosey was standing right there. “White wine, please. Chardonnay.”
“Okay. Beer, white wine. Any appetizers?”
Jon looked at her again, then made an executive decision. “Chips and salsa. I’m starving.”
“Coming right up.” The bar owner walked away, her full hips swaying.
Jon looked around. “How long has this place been around?”
She shrugged. “No idea.”
“It’s got a lot of local color. Could have been here a hundred years ago.”
“Yup.”
“Do you come here often?” he asked.
“Girls night out once in a while. With my sister, Marina, now and then.” She looked everywhere but at him.
The awkward silence was getting more awkward when Rosey arrived carrying a tray with their drinks, a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of salsa.
“If you want to order dinner, just let me know.” She smiled at them. “I’m probably not the first one to say this, but you two make a cute couple.”
The comment shocked the words right out of Dawn, and Rosey was gone before she could set the woman straight. The new doctor didn’t seem at all bothered and held up his beer bottle.
“Let’s drink to—”
“Don’t you dare say to us,” she warned.
“Why would I?”
“It’s what guys do.”
He frowned. “Not this guy. But I get the feeling some other guy did a number on you.”
Bingo. But she had to ask, “Why do you say that?”
“Evasive answer. Interesting,” he observed.
“Not to me.” She took a sip of the cold, crisp wine and made a silent toast. Here’s to never being a fool again, she thought.
“Look, Dawn, you’ve been hostile since the day we met. And just now you made a disparaging comment about men in general.” He sipped his beer but never took his eyes off her. “This is pretty far out there, but I doubt there’s much I could say to make things any worse. So, here goes. I get along pretty well with people, try not to tick them off and it works. I’ve bent over backward to be friendly with you but every time I crash and burn. The only thing I can come up with is that I remind you of a guy who dumped you. Feel free to point and laugh at my theory.”
Dawn wasn’t laughing. Mostly she was amazed at his insight. “That’s pretty close.”
“Seriously?” He looked astonished. “I got it right? That’s what’s been bugging you?”
“Either you think I’m a psychotic victim or you’re surprised at yourself.”
“The latter. No one would peg me as someone who could figure out what a woman is thinking.” The doctor looked decidedly pleased with himself.
Dawn was not pleased and couldn’t resist a dig. “It took you long enough.”
“In my defense, you didn’t give very many clues, what with not talking to me.” He snagged a chip and dipped it in the salsa, then took a bite. After chewing he said, “So what happened?”
The cat was out of the bag so she might as well tell him. “Technically I dumped him after finding out he was a weasel dog toad boy.”
One corner of Jon’s mouth curved up. “That clears everything up.”
“Why are you so cheerful?”
“I’m just glad you’re not mad at me.”
The comment made her want to smile and she realized he did that to her a lot. “I suppose you deserve a more detailed explanation.”
“You don’t owe me anything. But I’d like to understand.”
“A man willing to listen.”
“Actually, I mean I really would like to understand women in general. You’d think since I have sisters it wouldn’t be a challenge, but you’d be wrong.” He shrugged. “Every time I think I’ve figured women out they change the rules.”
Dawn didn’t trust this self-effacing man but she’d gone too far not to explain now. “When I was working at Mountain’s Edge Hospital they hired a very good-looking pediatric specialist.”
“Let me guess. Weasel dog toad boy?”
“Yes.” She did laugh then, but humor faded fast when she recalled the humiliation. “All the female employees had a crush on him, but the unattached ones flirted. Including me. When he singled me out, everyone noticed. I couldn’t believe he’d picked me. But even then I was careful. He didn’t wear a ring, but a man in his thirties was bound to have a romantic past and I asked him. He assured me he was free and I believed him or I never would have—”
“Yeah. I get it.”
Hmm. She realized he was sparing her the humiliation of saying it out loud. “Not long after we...did the deed, his fiancée showed up at the hospital to have lunch with him. Hospitals are like a small town and everyone knows what’s going on. The people I worked with looked at me like I was a home wrecker. The workplace became embarrassing and uncomfortable. I worried about getting fired.”
“Is that why you took the job at the clinic?”
She nodded. “But I told everyone—including my mom—that the commute was getting to me.”
“Your mother doesn’t know what happened?”
“No. It was so humiliating, I couldn’t tell her.” Only Marina knew the truth. And now him.
“Fast-forward to me showing up at the clinic. The new doctor.”
And so good-looking that she could hardly stand it. “Yeah.”
“I’m not him, Dawn.”
“I know. But it’s not just that.” She met his gaze. “My father is a flake who got my mother pregnant, twice, then walked away and left her to raise two little girls. Oh, he showed up every once in a while. When it was convenient for him.”
“I’m not him, either,” he said gently.
“You think I’m crazy. I would think so, too, if I hadn’t lived the curse of the Laramie women.” She took a chip and started breaking it into little pieces, dropping them on her cocktail napkin. “My sister and her date drank that spiked punch at the wedding. They...you know—”
“Did the wild thing?”
Dawn nodded. “Before you judge, you should know she’s super responsible. A teacher. If there wasn’t something about that punch...”
“She got pregnant.”
“Yes. But she’s not a flake.”
“Not judging,” he assured her.
“But you did. That first day when you walked into the clinic. You implied that the increase in the town birth rate was because of irresponsibility. That’s not my sister. When she told Gary about the baby, he freaked out and left her to raise my niece alone.”
He looked really angry. “Rat weasel dog toad boy.”
“I couldn’t have said it better.” She took a deep breath. “Sydney is four months old now. Beautiful. Healthy. And Marina is the best mother.”
Jon took a long drink of beer, then met her gaze. “I can see why you reacted to me the way you did. And since we’re clearing the air, I need to apologize for what I said that day. I was far too offhanded about the increase in births and I formed an opinion without all the facts.”
Dawn thought he looked sincere, but she couldn’t help being skeptical. “Okay.”
“In my defense, I have to say that I saw a lot during my pediatric residency. Children abused and abandoned by irresponsible adults who simply had reckless sex.”
She saw the shadows in his eyes. “That must have been hard. I can’t even imagine.”
“Kids often are innocent victims of the very adults who should protect them. So, I may have jumped to conclusions.”
His obvious regret over his comments and cari
ng concern for children was so darn appealing Dawn didn’t have the heart to hold the remarks against him. “I can see how it could look that way to an outsider.”
“How about that.” A smile sliced through his intensity. “We’re really starting to communicate.”
He was right, she thought. Even weirder was the fact that he was still there and actually smiling. After explaining the curse of the Laramie women she’d expected him to run as far and fast as he could.
Dawn took a corn chip and this time dipped it in the salsa and ate it. She was hungry, too, now that her dark secret had been revealed. Points to him for figuring it out. “These are good.”
He watched her scarf down a few more in rapid succession. “Maybe we should get something more substantial to eat.”
“Oh, boy.” She blushed and hoped the subdued lighting hid it from him. “I guess that wasn’t very ladylike.”
“Not judging.” He held up his hands in a surrender gesture. “And you’re obviously starved. So am I. Let’s get some burgers.”
“That sounds so good. With cheese.” She thought for a moment. “And onions. Mushrooms, too.”
Jon signaled Rosey back over and put in the order. Ten minutes later they were biting into juicy, messy cheeseburgers. In silence she put away nearly half of it before pulling a napkin from the dispenser on the table to wipe her mouth. She shouldn’t care whether or not this guy thought she was a slob but couldn’t seem to help it.
With the worst of her hunger pains taken care of, she thought about something he’d said that piqued her curiosity. “So you have sisters.” His blank look told her that statement needed more context. “A little while ago you said you should understand women because you have sisters.”
“Right.” He practically inhaled the last bite of his food, then reached for a napkin. The man hadn’t been kidding about being hungry. “I have four. Catherine, Cecelia, Calista and baby Celeste. She’s twenty.”
“And there’s your brother Will.”
“Rob and Craig, too. We grew up on a ranch in Thunder Canyon.”
Her Maverick M.D. Page 5
