Her Maverick M.D.

by Teresa Southwick

  The man was an open book. She’d just been too scarred by another man’s deceit to meet him halfway in the beginning.

  Tonight Glory’s call had actually saved her from herself. She and Jon had had no business getting personal and that kiss destroyed her common sense,. But not Jon’s. If she was the only one swept away... Not good.

  “Sweetie?”

  “Hmm?” Dawn saw the puzzled expression on her mom’s face. “What?”

  “I asked if there’s something wrong. You just disappeared there for a minute.”

  That wasn’t the first time tonight. Being in Jon’s arms had sent her to a place she’d never been before where she disappeared in the best possible way. She’d hold the memory close because it wasn’t going to happen again. “I’m fine, Mom.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Dawn Debra Laramie.”

  Uh-oh. It was never good when your mother used all three names in a particular tone that said she wasn’t kidding. The problem was, Dawn had already lied to her. Not an out-and-out falsehood, just a lie of omission.

  She’d never told Glory what happened with the doctor at the hospital and the real reason for quitting that job. The looks of judgment in her coworkers’ eyes left no doubt they believed she’d deliberately slept with a man who was practically married. To them that made her a slut. Dawn trusted her mother would believe she hadn’t known he was engaged, but Glory wouldn’t be able to hide her disappointment. That was something Dawn couldn’t bear.

  “It’s nothing, Mom.”

  “Like I believe that.”

  Apparently omission was different from being a good liar. But she’d give it another try. “Really, it’s all good.”

  “Seriously? Just because you’re a grown woman, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped seeing right through you.” Glory shook her head. “You are the only other person on this earth who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside of my body.”

  “Are you going to remind me how many hours of labor you went through when I was born?”

  “If I have to.” But Glory smiled for a moment. “Although that works better on your sister now because she knows what labor feels like since Sydney was born.”

  Her mother didn’t mean that to hurt, but it did. Dawn wanted more than anything to be a mother, but had serious doubts she ever would be. Trusting a man again was a real long shot and she wouldn’t be a single mom. So, that was that.

  Glory sighed. “You’ve always told me everything.”

  And there it was. The mother of all guilt trips, no pun intended. The shame of her only secret tipped the scales but the why didn’t really matter. The result was that she had to come clean about tonight. And do it in a way that didn’t require the context of the betrayal for Glory to understand her reaction to what happened earlier with Jon.

  Dawn moved beside her mom and rested her back against the counter. “Okay. You asked for it. Jon kissed me tonight.”

  “In front of everyone?”

  “No. We were alone.”

  “In the backyard?”

  “The kitchen, actually.” It was as if her mother had turned into a prosecuting attorney who was cross-examining her for the evidence to make her case. The tenacity and attention to detail were astounding. “Why does that matter?”

  “So,” Glory said without answering the question, “exactly how did that happen? What with the party being at Emmet’s house.”

  This was not going well, Dawn thought. But there was no turning back now. “Emmet got a call from the answering service and had to meet a patient at the clinic.”

  “So the rest of the staff was in the living room playing charades while Dr. Clifton was having his way with you in the kitchen?”

  How the mighty have fallen, Dawn thought. He’d gone from that nice Jon to Dr. Clifton the rat dog kitchen kisser.

  “No. When Emmet was called in, everyone else decided to leave, too. I volunteered to clean up.”

  “And Jon stayed to help.” There was an edge of suspicion in her voice.

  “He did. But there was no ulterior motive if that’s what you’re implying.”

  Glory huffed out a breath. “And you know this how?”

  “He told me.”

  Her mother had an acute maternal expression on her face, the one that said “hurt my baby and I’ll rip your throat out.” “And a man has never lied to you before?”

  Dawn knew this was an opening to come clean about what happened at her old job. But she couldn’t do it. The truth wouldn’t change anything. Still, she hesitated and her mother didn’t miss it.

  “That was a yes or no question, Dawn.”

  “I believe Jon. I just do. He’s a good guy.” Because he rescued a three-legged dog. She kept that to herself since the information didn’t prove anything. And probably you had to see him with Rerun to get it. And how great he was with the sick kids at the clinic.

  Glory nodded thoughtfully. “Assuming you’re right about him, that doesn’t explain why you’re spooked about a kiss.”

  “We work together. We talked about it and decided being just friends is the best way to go. Neither of us wants it to get weird.”

  “I hate to rain on your parade, but—” Glory shrugged. “Too late for that.”

  Dawn was afraid she was right but would argue until hell wouldn’t have it. “No. It’s all good.”

  “Did you kiss him back?”

  “No.” She hadn’t squirmed this much since she was fourteen and had sneaked out of the house to meet her friends after being grounded. Someone had ratted her out and Glory had caught her, then looked at her a lot like she was now. “Okay, yes. Sort of.”

  Her mother nodded. “I’ll admit I was born a million years ago. But I’ll go out on a limb and say that probably not much has changed when it comes to chemistry between a man and a woman. He kissed you and you responded which means there’s an attraction between the two of you.”

  “Okay, but—”

  “I’m not finished. Where there’s attraction you’ll find hormones. Calling it friendship isn’t necessarily going to keep them under control.” Glory met her gaze. “Just saying.”

  “Mom, you’re reading too much into it.”

  “If I’m doing anything, it’s worrying about you, sweetie. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Dawn assured her. “It’s all good. We’re just friends.”

  Glory slid her arm across Dawn’s shoulders and squeezed. “I just love you, sweetie. I want only good things in your life.”

  “I know, Mom. I love you, too. Please don’t worry about me.”

  “Yeah, that’ll happen. Now it’s almost ten o’clock.” She smiled. “I’m going to bed.”

  “Sleep well.”

  “Good night.”

  When Dawn was by herself the bravado disappeared and all the doubts she’d held back swamped her. She truly believed Jon hadn’t stayed to help her tonight in order to hit on her. That meant he wasn’t a weasel dog toad boy. It would be better if he was. That would make resisting him easy. But in her heart she knew it wasn’t going to be.

  Chapter Nine

  Jon turned off his computer, then stacked the completed patient charts in the outgoing box on his desk. Brandy would file them in the morning. And now he was finished. Finally. He was tired to the bone. He hadn’t been this worn out since working all-night shifts during his internship and residency. This time, though, he couldn’t blame fatigue on long hours with patients. It was Dawn’s fault.

  Thoughts of her were responsible for keeping him awake, and when he finally did manage to nod off, she invaded his dreams. A full-on sensuous assault that was a direct result of kissing her. He woke up to twisted sheets and an ache in his gut the size of Montana. At least things here at work we
re fine between them. She was cordial to him. Just friends. As agreed.

  And yet...

  He’d swear Dawn sometimes looked at him as if she wished things between them could be more. But maybe that’s just what he wanted to see.

  Whether it was there or not didn’t matter. Both of them were committed to not complicating the work dynamic out of respect for Emmet. A line had been drawn in the sand last Saturday night and the days since then had proven neither of them were going to cross it. He’d agreed to that line, however reluctantly, and wouldn’t be another man in her life who lied to her.

  It was way past time to go home and try to get some rest. The cleaning service was here. He’d heard the guy working and would say good-night before letting him know to lock the place up.

  “Knock, knock.”

  Jon looked up and saw Glory Laramie in the doorway. “Hi.”

  “You’re working late.”

  “So are you.” Jon was here late almost every night and had gotten to know the young guy who came in to clean.

  Glory was wearing khaki pants and a T-shirt that said Laramie Cleaning Services on it. She was an attractive woman and Dawn would look a lot like her when she got older. But Jon probably wouldn’t be around to see her grow more beautiful with age and the thought made him a little wistful.

  “Where’s Charlie?” he asked.

  “College classes are starting up soon and he asked for the night off to hang out with his friends. I’m filling in for him.”

  “A lot of bosses would have sent someone else,” he observed.

  “I’m not other bosses.”

  “Obviously. That inspires a lot of loyalty in an employee.”

  “Before you nominate me for sainthood,” she said wryly, “you should know that I had an ulterior motive for coming here myself.”

  “Oh?” This was about Dawn. It wasn’t his remarkable intuition bringing him to that conclusion. There simply wasn’t anything else.

  “Charlie mentioned in passing that you’re usually here doing paperwork when he comes in. When he asked for the night off I told him it wouldn’t be a problem. Since I wanted to talk to you anyway.” She shrugged. “Two birds, one stone.”

  “So you came to hit me with a rock?”

  “No.” She smiled, Dawn’s smile. “But I have some things to say.”

  “Okay.” He held out his hand toward the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  “Thanks.” She moved farther into the room and set down her caddy filled with cleaning supplies. After sitting, she let out a sigh. “Long day.”

  “I know what you mean.” He nodded toward the tall stack of patient charts he’d been working on. Should he make small talk or insist she just get straight to the point? Since he was in no hurry he opted for small talk. “How’s business?”

  “Good. Rust Creek Falls is growing and I’m picking up a lot of new clients. In fact I’m thinking of adding another part-time employee. I started out part-time when my girls were in school and I can attest that young moms who are looking to make some extra money without having the added expense of child care are the most conscientious workers.”

  “Something tells me you would be accommodating if one of them had a sick child or a school holiday.”

  Glory nodded. “Been there, done that. I know how complicated it can be so I do my best to find ways to help.”

  “That’s great.” So that topic was exhausted. “How are the house renovations coming along?”

  “Also good. Hank and I have painted the kitchen, family room and entry.”

  “That’s fast.”

  “Doesn’t feel that way. We’re both busy with businesses to run.” She crossed one leg over the other, settling in. “But he is committed to getting it done.”

  “I guess he’s a man on a mission.”

  “More than one.” Her mouth pulled tight for a moment. “He’s trying to make up for lost time with his daughters.”

  “I see.” What could he say? That her daughter had told him her father was a weasel dog toad boy? Jon thought not.

  “He has a lot to make up for. No question about that. But he’s determined to be there for his girls.” Glory’s blue eyes lasered in on him in what looked a lot like a warning.

  “It just takes time. Showing up over and over, keeping his word. Eventually those actions build trust.”

  “That’s what I told Hank. Actions speak louder than words. They show a man’s true intentions.”

  Here we go, he thought. She’s narrowing her focus. But he was going to let her play out the hand in her own way. “Hank seems like a good guy.”

  “He is now, but he wasn’t always. When the girls were little he wasn’t there for us. I was a single mom and raised them alone. I helped with homework, nursed them when they were sick and held them when some guy broke their hearts.”

  “I can’t even imagine how hard that was for you.” Jon leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on the desk.

  “Really hard when they were little.” There was steely determination in her eyes. “But their grown-up problems are worse because you can’t fix them. All you can do is watch.”

  “Oh?”

  “Dawn had to leave her job at the hospital because of a man.”

  “You know about that?” He distinctly remembered her saying that the whole thing was so humiliating she didn’t want her mother to know.

  “Her sister told me. Dawn doesn’t know I know.” Anger and pain tightened her face into hard lines. “I thought holding them when they cried over a boy was awful, but not being able to hold them at all is worse. In front of me she pretended to be okay but I knew she wasn’t. Even if I hadn’t known the truth I would have known something wasn’t right. That was hell.”

  “I imagine it was.”

  “Unless you’ve been a parent you have no idea. But I’m sure you can imagine that I would do whatever I could to keep her from being hurt like that again.”

  “I understand.”

  “Good. Because Dawn’s been different since you came to work here at the clinic. And I noticed something between the two of you that night you came to dinner.”

  “I just brought her phone over,” he said.

  “I’m not accusing you of anything.” She smiled. “Exactly.”

  “Really?” Good God, this felt like junior high, and he wished he didn’t care one way or the other, but he did. “Because I sure feel as if I’ve been called into the principal’s office. The thing is that Dawn and I are just coworkers.”

  “Are you in the habit of kissing your nurses? If so, that’s going to be a problem.”

  Jon shifted in his chair and did his best not to show that he was squirming. “Dawn and I talked. It won’t happen again. Neither of us wants to complicate the working environment here at the clinic. Emmet has put a lot of effort into getting it up and running and we both respect that. We’re nothing more than friends.”

  “I’m going to tell you what I told my daughter.” Glory’s tone was textbook mother lion. “Calling attraction friendship isn’t going to keep your hormones under control. I saw for myself that she was interested in you, Jon. If she knew I was here she would be angry, but I can’t help it. I don’t want to see her hurt again.”

  Jon linked his fingers together and rested his hands on the desk. “When I became a doctor I took an oath to do no harm and I take those words very seriously. And before you say it, I know that doesn’t track for emotional stuff. But believe me when I say that I would never deliberately do anything to hurt Dawn. I wouldn’t lie to her.”

  Glory studied him for several moments, then nodded. “Don’t ask me why, but I believe you.”

  “Maybe it’s my honest face?”

  “No, your eyes are too close together.” But she smi
led with genuine amusement. “Dawn told me you’re a good guy.”

  “It means a lot to me that she thinks so.” That was so much more true than he wanted it to be.

  “Thanks for listening, Jon. I hope I didn’t scare you.”

  “Not much.”

  She laughed. “I’ll stop harassing you now and go home. I’m done for the night.”

  “Let me walk you out,” he offered.

  “That would be nice.”

  He stood and moved around the desk to pick up the cleaning caddy for her. For Charlie he wouldn’t have done that, but Glory was a woman and his mom would have something to say if he didn’t. He opened the back door for her, then locked it behind them before accompanying her to her car.

  “Good night,” he said.

  “Have a good evening.”

  Jon watched her little compact pull out of the parking lot and stood there until the red taillights disappeared. He’d made a solemn promise not to hurt her daughter and hoped it didn’t bite him in the ass. The truth was that it had taken every last ounce of his willpower to push Dawn away and he was pretty sure there wasn’t any left. If he kissed her again, he was all but certain he didn’t have the resolve to stop there.

  If only a treatment existed for what ailed him. Some pill, injection or immunization to stop him from thinking about kissing her again.

  Or wanting her.

  If he couldn’t get these feelings under control, he was going to hell for telling her mother a big fat lie.

  * * *

  “I don’t mind doing the grocery shopping by myself, Mom. Honest,” Dawn said into her cell phone. They’d planned to go to Crawford’s together when Glory got home from the new job she’d taken on.

  “I know, sweetie. But you work hard all week and—”

  “Seriously?” she interrupted. “This is Saturday and you’re working. I’m not. So don’t go there with me.”

  “Okay. Point taken. That’s not the only reason for this call. I wanted to warn you.”

  “What?”

  “Your father is coming over to paint. Some finishing touches.”