Читать книгу The Best Catch in Texas - Stella Bagwell - Страница 9

A few minutes later, after showering and dressing in a robe, Nicolette was almost too tired to eat the plate of food Cook set in front of her. But eventually she managed to swallow down half of the broiled salmon and rice before she headed to her bedroom.

She’d brought home several journal articles about new medications soon to be released, but as soon as she crawled into bed and picked up the first one, her eyelids began to droop.

Two hours later she was sound asleep with the lamp on the nightstand still burning, when the telephone jangled loudly near her head. Since she had a private line she couldn’t rely on Cook or her mother to answer.

Trying to shake away her grogginess, she reached for the phone and shoved her hair back from her face.

“Hello.”

“Is that you Ms. Saddler? Nicolette, isn’t it?”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar but she couldn’t quite put a name to it. “Yes. Who is this?”

“Dr. Garroway—Ridge—remember?”

In spite of her numbing exhaustion, Nicolette shot straight up in the bed and gripped the receiver. “Doctor. Uh, why are you calling? It’s—” Twisting her head around toward the digital clock on the nightstand, she was shocked to see it was twenty minutes past midnight. “It’s very late. And—”

“I’m sorry to wake you like this, Nicolette, but I’m having a little problem here at the hospital and—”

His use of her first name distracted her even more and she blurted out with surprise, “You’re at the hospital?”

“Uh, yes. I am a doctor,” he reminded dryly.

She felt desperately stupid as she tried to wake herself up and gather her scattered senses. “Sorry. I’m not—I was sound asleep. You say you’re having a problem? What does that have to do with me?”

There was a moment’s pause and then he said, “My patient is demanding to see you. Seems you’re his favorite doctor and he won’t trust me to treat him unless you’re here. I tried to explain—”

“Who’s the patient?” Nicolette interrupted him again.

“Dan Nelson. He’s—”

Dan Nelson was ninety-one years old and had worked as a wrangler for the Sandbur until he was in his mideighties. He was a prickly pear of an old man, but she adored him. “Yes, yes, I know the man. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Wait, Nicolette. Driving to the hospital might not be necessary. Talking to him over the phone might work,” Ridge told her.

“He’s more important to me than that,” she said curtly.

There was another short pause and then he said, “All right, I appreciate your help. And by the way, I’m at the county hospital.”

“I’ll find you.”

Nicolette dropped the phone on its hook and scurried from the bed.

As she hastily grabbed clothes from the closet, she groaned out loud. Meeting Ridge Garroway in the middle of the night was the last thing she wanted to do. But Dan needed her and she was a medical provider first, a woman second.

As long as she could keep that fact in the back of her mind, she could meet the new doctor head-on and never suffer the slightest heart murmur.

Twenty minutes later Nicolette wheeled her car into the hospital parking lot and hurried inside. At the double elevators, she smashed the up button, and as she waited for a door to open, she hurriedly jerked a white lab coat over her shirt and jeans and fastened the buttons.

Once she reached the third floor, where most of the internal medicine patients were located, she hurried toward the nurses’ station, where several women were clustered behind a tall counter.

Bess, an older nurse sitting at a computer located directly behind the counter, looked up at Nicolette with faint surprise. “P.A. Saddler, is that you?”

Nicolette unconsciously lifted a hand to her long hair. She’d not taken the time to fasten it with a barrette or even a rubber band and now it was flying around her shoulders. Her face was bare of makeup and she realized she must look very pale and very unprofessional, but her appearance was the last thing she was worried about at the moment.

“It’s me, Bess, I’m looking for Dr. Garroway. Is he on the floor?”

Bess nodded. “Last I saw he was down at room 301 with a Mr.—” she glanced at a clipboard with a list of patients’ names “—Mr. Nelson.”

“Thanks.”

From the nurses’ station Nicolette made a quick turn to the left, which would take her down an east wing. She was almost to the private room when Dr. Garroway suddenly stepped out in the corridor.

He smiled and waved. Nicolette swallowed hard and hurried toward him.

“How is he?” she asked before he had a chance to say a word.

The apprehension on her face caused the doctor’s brows to lift. “Are you close to Mr. Nelson?”

“I’ve known him since I was a very small girl. He worked for my family for more than fifty years. Of course I’m close to him. I love him.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder. Nicolette had not been asking for any comfort from the man, but she realized the strength of his touch was very steadying and, at the moment, very welcome.

“Relax. I think Mr. Nelson is going to be fine. That is, if he’ll allow me to treat him. He needs a shot of diuretics to reduce the fluid in his lungs, but he won’t agree to let me or the nurse give it to him.”

A sigh of relief rushed past Nicolette’s lips. “I know his heart isn’t the best in the world. I was afraid he’d suffered an attack.”

“No. Nothing like that. Right now this is mainly a pulmonary problem.”

Nodding that she understood, Nicolette grimaced. “Years of unfiltered cigarettes,” she explained, then added, “I’ll see what I can do. He’s usually good for me.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Ridge said, then gestured toward the closed door.

Nicolette knocked lightly and stepped into the small room. One fluorescent light burned over the head of Dan’s bed, illuminating the older man’s wrinkled face. At the moment, his faded blue eyes were closed, but when she spoke they flew wide open.

“Dan? It’s me, Nicci,” she said softly. “How are you feeling?”

He held his hand out to her and motioned her to his side. Nicci hurried to him and clasped the bony hand between hers.

“Nicci, honey, I thought you’d never get here.”

She rubbed his arm and then passed her fingers over his damp forehead. “Well, I’m here now. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothin’s wrong! I’m just havin’ a little trouble breathin’. That damned old woman who thinks she’s my keeper thought I needed to come to the hospital. I’ve already told her I’m gonna fire her for this,” he muttered. “All I need is a good shot of bourbon. But she wouldn’t give it to me!”

In spite of the situation, Nicci had to hide her smile. “You’re talking about Opal? The lady that keeps house for you?”

“That’s her. Nosiest female I’ve ever seen.” He snorted, then pointed over her shoulder to where Ridge stood just inside the door. “And that young whippersnapper over there wants to jab me with a needle. He don’t know what I need. He’s still wet behind the ears!”

Nicolette rubbed her hand gently across Dan’s chest. “Dan, Doctor Garroway is trying to help you. And he does know what he’s doing. The shot will help your lungs.”

“Hmmp. Well, that stuff will make me go to the bathroom all night long. Nope—I won’t take it.”

The old man stubbornly shook his head, and Nicolette turned a stern look on him. “You will take it or I’ll get Mother in here after you,” she warned. “And you know she won’t be nearly as sweet with you as I’m being.”

He studied her through squinted eyes, then gave her a weak grin. “Honey child, you always were my little sweetheart. I guess if you say I need the shot, then I’ll just have to take it. I won’t like it, mind you, but I’ll take it. For you.”

“That’s my guy,” she said happily, then leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I want you to get well. That’s why you’re going to do everything Dr. Garroway tells you. Okay?”

He nodded and she placed one last kiss on his cheek before she straightened to her full height and motioned for Ridge to join her.

“If you have the diuretic with you, I’ll give it to him,” she told the doctor.

“The nurse took it back to the station.” He picked up the call button and quickly ordered the medicine back to Dan’s room. Once the RN returned with the prepared shot, Ridge instructed her to leave it with Nicolette.

Quickly, before the old wrangler had a change of heart, Nicolette injected him with the medicine and promised him she would be just outside the door if he needed her.

She and Dr. Garroway left the room and walked a short distance down the hall. Since it was long past regular visiting hours, the lights in the corridor had been dimmed and the hospital wing was quiet. Once they were far enough away from Dan’s door, Ridge paused and turned a grateful look on her.

“Thank you, Nicolette, for all this trouble you’ve taken. It’s ruined your night and I feel badly about that. But Mr. Nelson will get well much more quickly now. I could have badgered him into taking the shot, but I didn’t want to put added stress on the man. And I’m not too proud to ask for help when help is needed,” he added with a grin.

Apparently not, Nicolette thought, and the fact surprised her very much indeed. She’d figured that at his age, he would be a doctor who thought he walked on water and never needed help from anyone, especially from a mere physician’s assistant. It was nice to learn she’d been wrong.

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured him. “Dan pretends to be grouchy, but he really has a heart as soft as a marshmallow. I don’t think he’ll give you any more problems about medication now.”

He smiled, and even in the semidarkness, Nicolette could feel the punch of his charm. There was something sparkling and vibrant about the man, as though he loved life and wanted everyone around him to do the same.

“Actually the old man is in good shape for his age. He may eventually need a pacemaker, but we’ll deal with that when the time comes. Uh, you say he worked for your family…what did he do?”

Apparently he either didn’t know about the Sandbur or he didn’t associate her with the families who ran it. The idea that he was unaware she was a rich, ranching heiress was rather nice.

“Ranch wrangler. You couldn’t find a better cowboy in Texas. He’s spent more hours in the saddle than you’ve been alive,” Nicolette told him.

His brows lifted and he chuckled. “Come on now, pretty lady, I’m not that young.”

And she wasn’t supposed to be a pretty lady. At least not to him. He was a professional, a colleague; he should be behaving appropriately.

“Dan might argue that point,” she said briskly, then glanced pointedly at her watch. “I think I’ll go down to the cafeteria and wait around until the diuretic takes affect, just to make sure he begins to improve.”

A grin dimpled Ridge’s cheeks. “You can go on home and go to bed, Nicolette. I’ll make sure Mr. Nelson is taken care of.”

She was exhausted and needed to be resting, but she knew if she went home now she’d only toss worriedly in her bed. Doctors like him made diagnoses, ordered medicines and left the rest up to the nurses while they went on their merry way.

Nicolette started walking toward the nearest elevator. “The nurses here are good, but I want to check on him myself.”

He strode along beside her and Nicolette was intensely aware of his tall, muscular frame only inches from her and the faint masculine cologne drifting to her nostrils. For that one brief moment, she realized with a measure of disgust, she was no different from the nurses at the clinic; she would love to see all those hard muscles that must be hidden by his shirt and chinos.

“Nurses. What about me?” he asked.

Surprise caused Nicolette to miss a step. “Aren’t you going home now?”

He looked at her with disappointment. “You really don’t think much of me, do you?”

Whipping her attention to the end of the corridor, she grimaced. “I expect you’re going to have a busy practice, Dr. Garroway. You can’t stay up all night at the hospital and expect to give them expert care.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that you understand I’m human. Young, but human,” he said teasingly.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that he was smiling again. Obviously, he was not a man who angered easily. Another positive in his corner, she thought, and wondered why the fact only irritated her.

By now they’d reached the nurses’ station. To the left of the long counter was an elevator. Nicolette could see Bess eyeing the two of them as they waited for the door to open. No doubt the old nurse was wondering what the new cardiologist was doing stuck to Nicolette’s side. Tomorrow there would probably be rumors about them all over the hospital, she thought grimly. Oh well, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d been discussed among the nurses. She didn’t date or socialize with the staff and she kept her personal life to herself. Nicolette realized that that in itself made her fodder for gossip.

In the elevator, Ridge stood at Nicolette’s shoulder and covertly studied her appearance. He’d been surprised, no shocked was more like it, when he’d spotted her flying up the hallway toward Dan Nelson’s room. Even though she was wearing a starched prim lab coat with her name embroidered across the left breast, he could easily see that underneath she was wearing jeans and cowboy boots. Her long shiny hair had been flying loose around her head and she’d looked like a different woman from the staunch professional she’d projected this morning. She’d looked as sexy as hell in a dress and high heels, but she was even more attractive like this. With her beautiful face bare of makeup and her hair tousled, she looked like a sensual, touchable woman. And Ridge realized he very much wanted to touch.

“You have patients on the bottom floor?” she asked, when he didn’t punch a different floor.

“No. I’m going with you to the cafeteria. That is, if you don’t mind,” he added slyly.

She looked at him with arched brows. “Why?”

One corner of his mouth curled upward. “Because I need to kill some time while the medication works on Mr. Nelson. And I thought you’d be good company.”

Her lips pressed together. Now was the time to discourage him, she told herself, to get across to him that men, even one like him, weren’t a part of her life. “I’m not good company at anytime, much less in the middle of the night. You’d be better off going back up and visiting with Bess while you wait.”

“Bess doesn’t intrigue me.”

Her head jerked up and an annoyed scowl wrinkled her forehead. “Look—uh, Ridge, I’m not interested in your…flirting!”

He raised his palms in an innocent gesture. “Flirting! Who said I was flirting? I was merely making a statement that I find you more interesting than Bess. And far more attractive.”

She should have been angry with him for being so forward, but instead her heart thumped at the idea that he found her attractive. She’d not thought of herself in that way for years and now a very young man like him taking a second look at her was very flattering.

“Is this the way you behave with all female doctors?”

“You’re a physician’s assistant.” His smile was broad and just wicked enough to send a spurt of color to her cheeks. “Actually, no,” he added. “You seem to be doing something to me.”

The door to the elevator slid open. As Nicolette stepped out, she said over her shoulder, “Then you’d better make a quick diagnosis and treat yourself.”

Chuckling, he quickly caught up to her as she stalked down a hallway that led to the cafeteria. “Nicolette, you can make a joke! I’m surprised!”

Knowing she was enjoying this banter with him too much, she stopped and whirled toward him. “Look, for your information, I didn’t drive to the hospital in the middle of the night just to be your—company! I’m only here because of Dan.”

He appeared to be offended. A frown of irritation creased his forehead and twisted his lips. “I didn’t ask you here for your company. Since we have the same goal, I thought sharing a few minutes would be the natural thing to do.”

Her eyes widened. “Goal?” she asked inanely.

“Yes. Mr. Nelson’s well-being. That is why we’re both here, isn’t it?”

Nicolette felt like an idiot and she looked away from him as she tried to gather her thoughts. She didn’t know what it was about this man, but he had the ability to make her feel about sixteen years old.

Drawing in a deep breath, she glanced up at him. “Sorry. I-I’m rather tired and edgy tonight. Please, join me in the cafeteria?”

He smiled then and cupped his hand around her elbow, urging her toward the dining area. “I’d be delighted. Although, I’m afraid everything looks closed at this hour.”

“We can use the vending machines,” she told him. “And the coffeepot should be going.”

“Sounds good enough to me.”

They walked to the machines and loaded them with what change they had between them. Ridge purchased a sandwich and Nicolette settled for a package of cheese and crackers. They added foam cups of coffee to the food, then found a small round table near a wall of plate glass.

Except for the two of them, the dining area was empty and so quiet Nicolette could practically hear her own heart pounding in her ears. As she tore into the package of crackers, she told herself she was reacting to the man in a juvenile way. If she were smart, she would treat his flirting with indifference and give him the message that he wasn’t affecting her in the slightest way. But she’d never been a good actress.

Across from her, Ridge bit into the roast beef sandwich and grimaced at its dryness. “Not the best in the world, but at least it’s filling.”

“Did you eat dinner tonight?”

He shook his head. “I had two emergencies earlier this evening. Once I took care of them I drove home and had barely gotten in the house when the phone rang again. That call was Mr. Nelson, and I’ve been dealing with him ever since.”

Nicolette suddenly felt very guilty for thinking he would be one of those doctors who called in orders and expected the nurses to care for his patients. Maybe she had misjudged him, especially about his dedication to his patients. Yet she was sure she hadn’t misconstrued his brashness. He’d probably learned to charm women even before he headed to kindergarten.

“Sounds like you’re getting off to a busy start. You might wish you’d never moved to this area,” she suggested.

He shook his head. “I won’t do that. I really like it around here. I’ve already bought a place west of the city. Busy or not, this is where my roots are sinking.”

Curious, she studied him as he wolfed down the sandwich. “Do you have family in the area?”

He reached for his coffee. “No. They’re all in Houston.”

“You didn’t want to practice there?”

To Nicolette’s surprise a bland mask covered his face. Maybe everything in his life wasn’t as cheery as he projected.

“I’ve lived in Houston all my life. My parents and grandparents are still there. But now that I’m out of medical school and practicing, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”

She leaned back in her chair as she nibbled on a cracker. “Why is that? Or is that question too personal? If it is, you don’t have to answer.”

One of his shoulders lifted and fell. “I don’t mind telling you. The place was too big and fast. I don’t want to spend my life like a hamster racing uselessly on a wheel.”

For the first time since Nicolette had met him, his eyes were solemn, maybe even sad, and the sight touched her in a way that surprised her. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted to understand him. She suddenly cared whether he was happy or sad. And that was dangerous.

“Is that what you thought? That your life there was useless?”

A corner of his mouth lifted faintly. “No. I’ve had a nice life, a fine education. But I never planned to stay there. From the time I was a young boy, I knew I wanted something different for myself.”

“You mean different from your parents and grandparents?”

He nodded. “My father and grandfather are both doctors, too. In fact, my father still has a practice there. He’s a neurologist. Gramps was a general practitioner, back in the days when those were still used,” he added wryly.

“So you became a heart doctor. That’s how you wanted to be different?”

“No. I didn’t want to build a practice in Houston. I wanted my life to be—” Grimacing, he paused, swallowed some coffee, then placed the cup down on the tabletop. “I didn’t want to live like my father and grandfather, Nicolette. They were both consumed with their jobs and consumed with all the social things that went with living in a huge city. There’s life beyond medicine, you know, and I want one. A life that means something.”

The conviction on his face struck her and she suddenly realized that he was not the shallow playboy she’d first imagined.

“And you think you can find that here?” she quietly questioned.

A wry grin exposed a portion of his white teeth. “I’m going to try my best. At least I’m finding I like the clinic and this hospital. And I like my new place. So that’s a start.”

And what about a woman to go with it, Nicolette wondered. But she’d bite the end of her tongue off before she’d ask him such a thing. It didn’t matter to her if he had a steady love interest. She’d had her turn with love and marriage, and the experience had left her spirit bound with scars. She’d be a fool to lose what little heart she had left to a man like him.

She drank a portion of her strong coffee while she felt his gaze roaming over her face and hair, touching her lips and lingering on her breasts. His subtle inspection made her extremely aware that she was a woman, a woman who’d not felt the arms of a man around her in years.

Resisting the urge to squirm, she asked, “Uh, did you buy acreage?”

“Two hundred acres. Not very much, but enough for five horses and a small herd of cattle.”

Her jaw dropped. “Livestock? You own livestock?”

He chuckled at the stunned look on her face. “That’s right. I’ve always wanted to do a little ranching and now I have the chance. True, I won’t have a lot of free time for it. But I’ll make the most of what I have.”

“What about the golfing, the boating and fishing? And traveling?”

Chuckling, he held up a hand to stem her questions. “Nicolette, where did you get this stereotype of doctors? We’re not all made from the same mold, you know.”

He was right, of course. But from the moment she’d spotted him standing in her waiting room this morning, maybe even before that, she’d formed her own ideas of the man. Now she was learning he was nothing as she’d first imagined. The fact left her shaken. It only proved that she was no better a judge of men now than she had been when she’d married Bill and believed all his hogwash.

“Sorry. But that’s what most of the doctors around here do with their free time. Not that’s there anything wrong with golfing or fishing. I just thought—” She paused and shrugged one shoulder. “Well, I’ve lived nearly all my life on a ranch and you—just don’t seem the type.”

This time he looked at her with surprise. “You live on a ranch?”

She nodded. “The Sandbur. It’s—”

“The Sandbur!” he exclaimed. “You are one of those Saddlers?”

“You know of the place?”

Leaning back in his chair, he studied her as though the revelation called for him to inspect her all over again. “Of course I know of it! It’s spoken in the same breath as the Four Sixes, the Johnson, and the King—”

“Whoa,” she interrupted, “don’t put us in the same categories as those great Texas ranches, especially the King. We’re big, but nothing close to being that big.”

Her remark didn’t seem to dim his respect. “Hmm. Fancy that. You live on the Sandbur. That’s exciting. Really exciting.”

She crumpled the empty cellophane that had held the crackers and cheese. “I don’t know about exciting. It’s just home to me. I live with my mother and brother.”

“No husband?”

Unconsciously, her eyes turned to flint as she glanced his way. “No. I’m divorced.”

“Oh. Sorry. Guess that really wasn’t my business, but I was curious,” he admitted.

Her nostrils flared, and Ridge realized he’d touched on a very raw spot. But from the moment he’d met her this morning, he’d been craving more information about the woman. Since she was absent a wedding ring, he’d pretty much decided she wasn’t married. But at her age, there had to be a reason for her being single. He’d been tempted to ask some of the clinic nurses about her. But he’d stopped himself from going that far.

“It’s nothing secret,” she said. “Most everyone knows that’s why I moved back to the Sandbur. San Antonio didn’t hold much charm for me after Bill and I divorced.”

He desperately wanted to ask her what had happened to ruin her marriage. But he didn’t. She was just now letting down that defensive cloak she wore tightly around her. He didn’t want to push his luck.

“Sorry, Nicolette,” he said again. “You, uh, don’t think things will ever work out for you two?”

She stared at him, then let out a brittle laugh. “Not hardly. He’s married again. You see, I was…getting a little too old for him,” she added. She tossed the crumpled cellophane into her coffee cup and rose to her feet. “I think I’ll go back to Dan’s room.”

Following her example, he gathered up his trash and rose from the plastic chair. “I’ll go with you. Hopefully the diuretic has been working.”

After disposing of the remains of their snack, the two of them left the cafeteria and headed back to the elevator. Neither of them spoke until they reached the old wrangler’s room.

“I’ll stay out here in the hall until you finish examining him,” Nicolette said.

He frowned at her. “Don’t be silly. You’re my colleague. Besides, Mr. Nelson will feel more comfortable with you by my side.”

She couldn’t argue that point, so she nodded and followed him into the room.

Dan was asleep, which was a good sign that his breathing had eased. But as they approached the narrow bed, the old man opened his eyes.

“Well, I can see there’s nothing wrong with your ears,” Ridge told the man. He checked the patient’s feet and ankles for swelling, then pulled the end of his stethoscope out of his lab coat pocket and warmed it with his hand. “How are you feeling now? Breathing a bit easier?”

Dan nodded, and though he kept a skeptical eye on the new doctor, he didn’t complain when Ridge leaned over him and placed the instrument against his chest.

“I’m feelin’ better,” he said. “Just tired of gettin’ in and out of this bed to use the toilet.”

“Well, the medicine will wear off in a few hours and then you can get some good sleep. I might even let you go home in a few hours—that is if you behave yourself. Now raise up and breathe deeply for me,” he instructed.

Dan sat up in the bed, and Ridge listened carefully. After a moment he looked over to Nicolette and motioned for her to join him.

“Have a listen.”

Surprised at his generosity, she took the stethoscope and carefully listened to Dan’s heart and lungs. What she heard put a small smile on her face.

“Sounds pretty good,” she said. “I think he’s on the mend.”

The old man snorted. “I ain’t sick enough to need two doctors!”

“That’s why I’m going home,” Nicolette told him, then leaned across the bed railing and kissed his grizzled cheek. “Mind Dr. Garroway, you hear? And I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded, and Nicolette left the room with Ridge right behind her. Before she had a chance to walk away, he caught her by the arm.

“I just wanted to thank you again, Nicolette. You’ve made this whole night easy for me. And enjoyable.”

There was no flirtatious light in his eyes now; only warm sincerity, and Nicolette found that idea even harder to deal with.

She looked down and away from his brown eyes. “It’s no problem. I’m just glad Dan is improving.”

“I’ll probably release him around noon. Before that, I’m going to put him on medication that will hopefully keep this sort of incident from happening again. I don’t know if he’ll agree to have regular checkups in the future. Maybe you can help me on that count.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said. Lifting her eyes back to his, she did her best to give him a friendly smile. “You’d better wind your night up, too, and rest before morning comes. See ya around, Doctor.”

Nicolette walked away before he could make any sort of reply, but she could feel him watching her walk down the dimly lit corridor. It was a great relief when she was finally able to turn the corner and step into the elevator.