Her Doctor Mate: Seasoned Shifters #3

by Black, Tasha

  Which was good. She’d embarrassed herself enough for one day.

  6

  Ryan

  Ryan strode down the hallway of the hospital. His patient’s condition had stabilized and he was just heading home again when he heard a familiar voice coming from one of the rooms.

  “Try to relax,” Bianca was saying.

  Suddenly his heart was in his mouth.

  Addison…

  She had been rock climbing. God only knew what could have happened to her. Images of blood and broken bones flashed through his mind, along with Addison, limp at the bottom of the rocks.

  He spun around and darted into the room without remembering to knock.

  The women all looked up in surprise.

  “Ryan,” Addison breathed.

  She was lying in a hospital bed, Bianca and Mei by her side. There was no blood that he could see. She looked nervous, but in his experience she always seemed to look nervous.

  “What happened?” Ryan demanded, scanning her body.

  “I-I don’t know,” Addison stammered.

  “We think she twisted her ankle,” Mei said.

  Just an ankle, thank God…

  “Let’s have a look,” Ryan said.

  Mei and Bianca cleared out of the way in his wake and he sat on the chair beside the bed, trying not to look as relieved as he felt.

  “I didn’t think you were here today,” Addison said.

  “I’m on call,” he explained. “I have a chronic patient. They called me in because she was having a tough time. Which ankle?”

  She indicated the one on the right. It was covered by the sheet.

  “May I?” he asked.

  She nodded and he pulled the sheet aside.

  Her ankle was swollen, but not misshapen as far as he could see.

  “Did you hear a noise when this happened?” he asked.

  “No,” she said, as Bianca hissed in a horrified breath.

  “Good. Does it hurt?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  “Any numbness?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “I’m going to touch you gently,” he warned her. “Is that okay?”

  She nodded.

  He rubbed the area just above her ankle bone. “Does that hurt?”

  “No more than it already did,” she said.

  “Okay, good news, this is a sprain, not a break,” he told her. “You have to take care of yourself, though. Do you know the acronym RICE?”

  She shook her head.

  “Rest, ice, compression elevation,” he listed for her. “So I want you to go home and elevate that ankle, above your heart. The nurse will give you a compression bandage and you can ice the ankle too. That will make it feel better and also help you heal.”

  “Thank you,” she said. There was real gratitude in her eyes, and he found himself feeling very glad he had gone to medical school.

  “You can have over-the-counter pain medication,” he told her. “Follow the recommended dosage. Do you have any questions?”

  “Dr. Stevenson, I didn’t know you were on,” Candy Wilkinson said, sticking her head in the doorway. “The nurse said this patient might need imaging?”

  “It’s just a sprain, but thanks for checking in,” Ryan said.

  “Twisted ankle, huh?” Candy asked Addison. “That’s the worst. I hope you feel better.”

  “Thanks.” Addison smiled, melting Ryan’s heart, even though the smile wasn’t for him.

  “Ma’am, he’s with a patient right now,” someone was saying from the hallway.

  “I’m too old to wait around,” a familiar voice trumpeted. “I could keel over any minute and then where would we be? Ryan?”

  “Grandma Stevenson?” Ryan asked, automatically standing as if he had been called on in class.

  “Ryan,” she called back cheerfully.

  Candy skittered the rest of the way into the room to make way for Ryan’s small yet formidable grandmother.

  “What are you doing here?” Ryan asked, moving to embrace her.

  “Easy, boy, I’m brittle as dry leaves these days,” she scolded.

  But, as usual, she hugged him hard enough to nearly crack his ribs.

  “You look amazing,” Ryan murmured, pulling back to look at her.

  Grandma Stevenson had a bit of color in her cheeks. Her hair was back in a sleek silver bun and she wore a plaid skirt and a green cardigan with the shimmering moonstone pin she wore on special occasions.

  “It was supposed to be a Thanksgiving surprise,” Grandma Stevenson said primly. “I had a hip replacement.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Ryan said, wondering why she would go through such a painful surgery when her prognosis was so dire.

  “I’m in remission again, Ryan,” Grandma Stevenson breathed, answering his unspoken question.

  “But they said…” he trailed off, amazed and unbelieving.

  “Experimental therapy, so no promises how long the remission will last,” Grandma Stevenson said. “But I seem to be an unusually apt healer. I’m here for three days, so we can do all of our annual Thanksgiving events.”

  Ryan was almost dazed with happiness.

  “So, where’s your fiancée?” Grandma Stevenson demanded.

  Fiancée?

  The earlier phone conversation came flooding back to him. Why had he let her believe he was engaged?

  Trapped, Ryan looked around the room.

  His eyes rested for a moment on Candy. She was a good friend and would absolutely stage an imaginary engagement and break-up with him if need be, no questions asked. They went way back, and she liked him.

  But somehow he found himself placing a hand on Addison’s shoulder instead.

  “This is my fiancée, Addison,” he said gently, praying she would go along with it. “Addison, this is my grandmother.”

  Addison’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Please, Ryan mouthed to her silently.

  Recognition softened her features.

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Addison said.

  “And you, as well,” Grandma Stevenson said, coming closer. “But are you ill, my dear?”

  “Oh no, just clumsy,” Addison said. “I decided to try rock climbing today. The rock won.”

  “It is always worthwhile to try new things,” Grandma Stevenson declared approvingly.

  Addison smiled and sunlight blasted through Ryan’s delighted heart. Seeing the two women together like this pushed him beyond happiness.

  “A break or a sprain?” Grandma Stevenson wanted to know.

  “Just a sprain,” Addison said.

  “Good, good,” Grandma Stevenson said. “When does your shift end?” she asked, turning to Ryan. “If you two would like to go out for a nice meal, it’s my treat.”

  “I’ve got a few things left to do and Addison will be here a few more minutes for the formalities,” he said. “Want to wait for me in the lobby?”

  “Oh no, I’ll grab some coffee in the nurses’ lounge,” Grandma Stevenson said. “Come get me when you’re heading out.”

  “Of course,” Ryan said.

  “Bye now,” Grandma Stevenson said.

  The others waved goodbye.

  The sound of her pumps had hardly disappeared when Addison hissed at him.

  “What the hell was that about?”

  “She’s my grandmother—” he began

  “You lied to her,” Addison said.

  “Um, guys, if you could just give us a minute?” Ryan said, turning to Mei and Bianca.

  “Not if she doesn’t want us to,” Mei said immediately.

  “It’s fine,” Addison said. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Are you sure?” Bianca asked.

  Addison nodded.

  Ryan watched as the two of them walked away, Bianca looking over her shoulder reluctantly.

  “I’m really sorry,” he told her, leaning in.

  She gazed up at him, her eyes solemn. �
��I can’t lie to her. I didn’t want to embarrass the two of you in front of everyone, but you have to tell her the truth, right now.”

  Suddenly, Ryan’s heart felt significantly less full than it had just a moment before.

  7

  Addison

  Addison paused and looked into Ryan’s eyes.

  He was despondent. But he was also crazy if he thought she was going to lie to a sweet old lady.

  “Addison, she’s been so ill,” he said. “I told her I met someone to cheer her up. She assumed that I was engaged, and I didn’t have the heart to correct her. I had no idea she was in remission, and I certainly never expected her to actually come here.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that she was ill,” Addison said. “But now that she’s here, you can’t really expect to keep lying to her. What good would that do? Sooner or later she’s going to find out that we’re not really in a relationship.”

  For a fleeting instant a hurt look seemed to cross his face. It was quickly replaced with determination.

  “I’ll pay off your student loans,” he said.

  She laughed.

  He didn’t.

  “You don’t even know how much they are,” she said.

  “I don’t care how much they are. I’ll pay them,” he said. “This is important to me.”

  He was serious.

  He was actually serious.

  Though the temptation was unspeakable, Addison heard her own grandmother in her head telling her it would be wrong to take his money. She missed having her grandmother around for advice like that. Addison credited the kind, yet strict old woman for much of the moral compass that made her the woman she was today.

  “Ryan, if she’s important to you, then tell her,” Addison said. “If she loves you, she will understand why you lied.”

  “She’s here for three days - we have three events to go to,” he said. “Then it’s over - that’s it.”

  “Ryan,” she said.

  “Name your price.”

  She studied his face. His serious expression didn’t falter.

  “I haven’t seen her happy like this in so long,” he said softly. “Please. Let me pay off your loans. It would be my pleasure to help you.”

  Something about the gentleness of his voice pulled at her. And she thought again of her own grandmother, about how much Addison would have done to make her happy, especially near the end.

  “Look,” she said slowly. “There is something I want, something money can’t buy.”

  He studied her face as if he were only just recognizing her.

  “It’s yours,” he breathed, leaning in.

  His eyes were hazy, as if with lust. For a moment the air between them sizzled and Addison had a hard time remembering what she’d been about to say.

  “Bianca,” she managed to whisper.

  “What?” he asked, blinking.

  “Bianca is pregnant,” she told him. “You’re not supposed to know, so please don’t share this.”

  He shook his head, still looking confused.

  “She can’t have her baby in a hospital since she’s a shifter now,” Addison continued. “And she doesn’t feel comfortable with Dr. Volker helping her. She doesn’t know him. Will you deliver Bianca’s baby?”

  Ryan pulled back and something inside her begged him to lean close again, so close he could kiss her.

  “Yes, sure, of course,” he said. “I would be glad to deliver Bianca’s baby.”

  “Thank you,” Addison said. She could feel her cheeks pulling up with the force of her smile.

  “I’ll do you one better,” Ryan said. “We need to attend three events, so I’ll owe you three favors. For event number one, I’ll deliver Bianca’s baby. For number two, I’ll pay off your loans. And for number three, well, you’ll call in that favor as soon as you can think of it.”

  Addison shook her head, but she was still smiling. It was good to see him happy. Something about his smile called to hers.

  “Do we have a deal?” he asked, offering her his hand.

  “Just three days, three events?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “Okay, I’m in,” she said, taking his hand.

  The usual spark passed between them and she swore he held her hand a bit longer than he should have.

  “You guys okay in there?” Mei called from the hallway.

  “We’re fine,” Addison called back, dropping Ryan’s hand. “You guys can come back in.”

  Thank you, he mouthed to her as her friends dashed into the room.

  They both looked from her to Ryan and back, surely wondering what had just transpired to make them both so visibly happy.

  She wondered suddenly if she were doing the right thing.

  But the way Bianca’s hand curved subtly around her belly, in unconscious protection, gave Addison a throb of joy. She was helping her friend bring a baby safely into the world with a little white lie that made an old woman happy.

  That wasn’t so wrong.

  Was it?

  8

  Addison

  Addison sat in the passenger seat as Mei drove her home from the hospital.

  Outside the window, a scenic view of Tarker’s Hollow slid past before Addison’s eyes.

  It was amazing the way the bare branches of the tree canopy gathered overhead the moment they turned onto Yale and entered the town, as if even the trees knew how magical this place was.

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Mei said again.

  “Listen, I know it seems crazy, but I have my reasons,” Addison said, wondering if she dared tell Mei what those reasons were.

  “You like him,” Mei said gently. “I know you do.”

  “That part doesn’t matter,” Addison said.

  “It does if you get too mixed up in this game,” Mei pointed out. “He could rip your heart to shreds.”

  Addison looked out the window as they passed the college campus. The grounds were red with fallen leaves, as if the trees were bleeding out in support of Mei’s point. Carnage awaited her heart. Mei wasn’t wrong.

  “So why are you doing it?” Mei asked again.

  “Like I said, I have my reasons,” Addison said.

  “I don’t like this, Addison,” Mei said.

  “He’s going to deliver Bianca’s baby,” Addison blurted out.

  “Wait-what?” Mei asked, looking over.

  “Eyes on the road,” Addison advised. “Yeah, he offered me anything I wanted, including paying off my student loans.”

  “That’s a little crazy,” Mei remarked.

  “Tell me about it,” Addison said. “Though it made me feel kind of bad. He just wants to please his grandmother so much. And it sounds like he might not get too many more chances at it.”

  “I guess,” Mei allowed.

  “Anyway, obviously I couldn’t let him pay off my loans,” Addison said. “But I know Bianca doesn’t want Thad Volker as her doctor, and she can’t deliver in a hospital, so I asked him, and he said yes, so…”

  “Wow,” Mei said. “Just, wow.”

  “So do you get it now?” Addison asked.

  “Is Bianca supposed to know you’re doing this for her?” Mei asked.

  “God, no,” Addison said quickly. “Please don’t tell her.”

  Mei bit her lip.

  “What?”

  “Do you think she would even want you to do this for her?” Mei asked.

  “She’s having a baby, Mei,” Addison said. “And, honestly, this is three days - celebrating Thanksgiving with a sweet little old lady. It’s nothing.”

  “I’m just afraid you’re going to get hurt,” Mei said.

  Addison opened her mouth and closed it again.

  Mei was right. So much time with Ryan when he clearly didn’t see her as mate material was going to hurt. But would it really hurt any more than she was already feeling?

  “Just think about it a little, okay?” Mei asked.

  Addison nodded.

&n
bsp; “He wanted to pay off your student loans,” Mei said a little dreamily.

  “Still does,” Addison laughed. “He said one favor for each day I help him out. Day one is Bianca’s delivery. Day two is supposed to be my loans, though it feels too weird to actually let him do it.”

  “Everything about this is too weird,” Mei said. “What’s day three?”

  “Whatever I want,” Addison said. “He said I can tell him when I decide.”

  “He’s completely crazy,” Mei said.

  “He really loves his grandmother,” Addison replied.

  Mei smiled and shook her head.

  Addison looked out the window and thought about her own grandmother. What would she give to spend another day with her, let alone three?

  “You’re thinking about your Granny, aren’t you?” Mei asked.

  “Maybe,” Addison admitted.

  “I’m sorry,” Mei sighed.

  “I’m okay,” Addison said. “It was a long time ago.”

  “She would love to see what you’re up to now,” Mei laughed.

  Addison’s Granny had loved ghost stories and tales of the paranormal. They had watched old Hitchcock movies together and read Stephen King books. Granny would have been thrilled to know that Addison was hanging out with werewolves, even if they were disappointingly peace-loving and preferred to be called shifters.

  “Yes, she would,” Addison said with a smile.

  “Ice cream on the way home?” Mei offered.

  “Definitely,” Addison agreed. “As long as Hector won’t miss you.”

  “He won’t if I bring him a double scoop of mint chip,” Mei said with a wink. “Seriously though, sisters before misters, right? I will always have time to spend with you.”

  Tears sprang to Addison’s eyes and she had to look out the window to pull herself together.

  “You know that, right?” Mei asked, patting Addison’s leg.

  Addison nodded.

  Having her two best friends happily mated off sometimes made her feel left out, but there was no way she would ever be alone as long as she had these two amazing women in her life.

  “You’re the best, Mei,” Addison said.