Читать книгу The Maverick Who Ruled Her Heart - Susan Carlisle - Страница 9

MIDMORNING THE NEXT day Jordon’s cell phone rang while he was familiarizing himself with some paperwork. Tapping the icon, he said, “Dr. King here.”

“This is the E.R. clerk. You’re needed here.”

“On my way.”

Rushing down the stairs, he made one turn and headed along a short hallway. He grinned as he walked. The last hospital he’d been affiliated with had been so large it had taken him five minutes to go from his office to the E.R.

He stepped up to the circular desk and said to the person sitting there, “I’m Dr. King. You paged me.”

“You’re needed in exam room three.”

He look around.

The clerk pointed and said, “Down that way.”

“Thanks.”

Voices came from behind the closed curtain that hung across a metal rod. This was another reminder that he’d left a more modern facility behind. There the patient examination rooms would have had been enclosed. Golden Shores might not be up to date on their buildings but by all accounts the hospital provided excellent medical care and had a clean report as far as any medical malfeasance was concerned. He had no intention of letting what had happened in Washington occur again. He’d been embarrassed and publicly humiliated on too many levels for one lifetime. He’d make sure this time not to get involved with anyone or anything looking remotely illegal.

One of the voices coming from the other side of the curtain sounded familiar. Pulling the striped material back, he saw a woman who looked to be in her late seventies lying on the gurney. Kelsey sat next to the bed and held the older woman’s hand.

Was she destined to turn up everywhere he went?

He raised a brow in her direction and made an effort to concentrate on the patient. Before he could ask a question a nurse rushed in.

“Dr. King, here’s the chart.”

He looked at the front page and said, “So what seems to be the problem Mrs.?” He glanced at the chart again. “Ritch.”

“Young man, you may call me Martha.”

He raised a brow. “Okay, Martha, what brought you in today?”

“I was playing bridge, as I always do over at Edith Hutchinson’s house, and I just blacked out.”

“Did you fall out of the chair?” he asked, concerned the she might have a concussion.

“More like slipped, Myrtice said as I was being put into the ambulance. Which is going to cost me my entire war pension.”

Kelsey patted the woman’s arm. “Now, Martha, that isn’t the important thing. We’ll take care of it.”

Jordon cringed. That was what his lover and partner had said just before they’d arrested her for insurance fraud. He wouldn’t take a chance on being involved in anything like that again. Jordon gave Kelsey a questioning look. Why was she here? She returned an unwavering gaze. Had she seen him wince at her words?

“Martha is one of my diabetic patients. She asked the nurse to call me.”

He nodded. “So did you feel like your blood sugar had dropped?”

The woman hung her head. “I knew when I ate Sally’s petits fours that I’d be in trouble.”

“Martha! We’ve talked about this!” Kelsey exclaimed.

“I know, hon. But there’s nothing like Sally’s petits fours. You can’t eat just one.”

Jordon cleared his throat. “Well, then, young lady …”

Martha giggled. Kelsey smiled, which captivated him.

A few seconds later Martha made a huffing noise. “You do know I’m the patient, don’t you?”

Jordon blinked and looked at her. “I’m well aware you are my patient. And apparently you don’t follow doctor’s orders. I’d like to keep you overnight and give you a good checkup just to make sure we have your blood-sugar level back in line.” He looked at Kelsey. “I also would like Ms. Davis to give you a refresher course on what to eat and not eat. Just in case there’s something that wasn’t covered.”

He noticed Kelsey stiffen but he wasn’t sure why.

“I understand,” Marsha said, with just enough humility to make him believe she might be more cautious about the number of petits fours she ate in the future.

“All right, I’ll get the paperwork started to have you admitted.”

“At least that isn’t committed,” Martha said.

Jordon chuckled. Martha reminded him of Ms. Olson, one of the patients he’d had to leave behind in DC. He’d miss her and what he’d worked so hard to build.

“I don’t think your infraction was that serious but you can’t keep eating petits fours. The nurse will be in to see about getting you admitted to the floor. I’ll check in on you this evening before I leave.”

Jordon pushed the curtain back and stepped out into the large open space of the ER. Before the curtain fell back into place Kelsey joined him.

“May I speak to you a moment, Doctor? In private.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond before she started out the double doors of the E.R. Left little choice, he followed her. She glanced back as she rounded a corner but continued on. He had a nice view of her high tight behind incased in blue pants that defined it to perfection. When he saw her again, she was standing beside a door. She pushed it open and entered as he approached.

Kelsey had no idea what she’d been thinking when Jordon had entered the small consultation room. Suddenly there hadn’t been enough space or air. She hadn’t been rational, she’d been too angry. She couldn’t afford anyone to imply she didn’t do her job well. He had inferred just that.

The chance of getting the job in Atlanta was far too important. If that got back to the administration of the new hospital she’d never have a chance at the position. It was hard enough to overcome the past, she didn’t need anything else to stand in her way. Some of the administration staff had known her as a kid and still had a hard time seeing her as a responsible employee.

The second the door clicked closed Kelsey turned to face him and took a step closer, putting only a foot between them. Looking up at the tall and rather large man, she questioned her decision-making. He gazed at her with complete innocence, which fueled her ire to the point she gritted her teeth to stop herself from doing something far more stupid and unethical.

“Back there it sounded as if you might be implying that I hadn’t done my job,” she hissed. “That I am responsible when a patient doesn’t follow dietary directions outside this hospital. I assure you that I instruct to the best of my ability but I cannot make anyone do what they don’t want to do.”

To her amazement, he looked surprised, maybe slightly annoyed.

“I didn’t mean to imply—”

“Whether you did or didn’t, it came out that way. You’ve not been here long enough to make any assumptions about my work. I don’t need there to be any insinuations or suggestions that I don’t do my job well.”

“I didn’t do either!”

“Just know I don’t appreciate what you said. You’re the new guy here and I’m going to let it go this time. If this happens again, just know we will be having another discussion. We have to work together and I’ll be professional and I expect you to be the same.”

He stepped toward her.

She’d made an uncalculated mistake. He stood squarely between her and the door. She wanted out and he was as formidable as a Stonehenge boulder.

“Are you finished?” he growled, his eyes narrowing.

Kelsey forced herself not to gulp.

“I don’t know what you think I did,” he continued, “but I assure you I didn’t say that you were responsible. I know how rumors and unsubstantiated statements can damage a career. I would never do that to anyone. As for not appreciating something, I haven’t allowed someone to harangue me in this manner since my mother caught me stealing money out of her purse when I was a kid. So, Ms. Davis, you can give it a rest.”

He turned, jerked the door open and was gone before Kelsey could form a parting word. She scowled at the closed door.

Jordon drove home down Bay Road toward the house he’d rented in a “snowbird” deal. He would live there through the winter months while he looked for a place to buy. As a kid, his house had been a part of a subdivision located further inland. He’d always envied his friends at school who lived on the water so that was where he planned to get a place. When he’d returned to town he’d decided against one of the large condos on the ocean side and had opted for a place on the bay.

Pulling the SUV into the white crushed-shell drive and beside the one-floor bungalow, he turned the engine off and looked out at the water beyond. The sea grass waved gently in the wind. Yes, he’d done the right thing by coming back here. Not all the memories were great but the ones before his parents’ divorce outnumbered those afterwards.

Hardy, his chocolate Labrador, barked his welcome as he climbed out. The dog already had a stick in his mouth, waiting for Jordon to play.

“Hey, boy.” He leaned down and gave the dog a good pat on the side. “Let me change and we’ll go to the water.”

Opening the door to the house, he stepped straight into the kitchen area. The place had been built in the sixties and little had changed. Dark paneling, overstuffed furniture with wooden armrests and laminated floors in an unappealing green didn’t deviate from the traditional décor of the times. The house wasn’t attractive but it was clean and functional. The only concession made to change was the large TV on a stand in the corner. Jordon didn’t plan to miss a single Washington Redskins’ football game if he could help it.

He pulled his knit shirt over his head as he went down the hall to the larger of the two bedrooms. Throwing his shirt in the corner, he pulled on a well-worn T-shirt. It was nice not to have to wear a dress shirt and tie to work. The causal, more laid-back coastal lifestyle suited him just fine. Best of all, no white lab coat was required. Shucking his tan slacks and stepping into his favorite jeans, he pulled them into place, zipped and buttoned them.

Not bothering with shoes, he’d take his chance on not getting sand spears in his feet just to feel grass between his toes. He walked across the cool floor back to the kitchen to pour himself glass of tea. He’d always like sugar sweet tea and that was something he couldn’t get north of the Mason-Dixon line. Back in the Deep South, if he asked for tea, it came sweet. One more perk about moving home, and that was just what he’d done—come home. He didn’t plan to ever move again.

With glass in hand he called, “Come on, boy, let’s go play fetch.”

Despite it being late September, the weather was still plenty warm. Hardy pranced at Jordon’s heels as he strolled to the dock where an Adirondack chair waited. Sitting facing west with a sigh of pleasure, he waited for the sun to set. Hardy dropped his stick to the wooden planks of the pier beside the chair and whimpered.

“Okay, boy. I’ll play with you if you promise to watch the sunset with me.” Jordon threw the stick out into the water. In a flash, Hardy sprang off the dock. Paddling, he reached the stick, grasped it in his mouth and headed back. Once on shore again, he shook himself and came running back to Jordon.

“Good boy.” He patted the wet, wiggling dog and willingly took the shower of water when the dog shook himself again.

Hardy barked and Jordon sent the wood out over the water again. Hardy didn’t hesitate before jumping from the dock and swimming toward his stick. A blaze of color caught Jordon’s eye, pulling his attention away from the dog. A woman in a large pink-brimmed hat on her head strolled out onto a pier a couple of doors away. Jordon forgot the sunset and Hardy as he watched the woman pull off her cover-up and let the mesh jacket drop to the planks.

Yes, undeniably he was going to enjoy living here.

The hand with his drink in it stopped in midair as he studied her. She had smooth curves in all the right places. The tiny blue bikini she wore accented them perfectly. As she turned, then bent to adjust the lounge downward, he caught a glimpse of her face.

Kelsey Davis. How had he not recognized those curves from earlier? Maybe he’d been distracted by all that golden skin.

Did she live two doors down? Surely she was just visiting a friend.

As if she’d become aware of someone watching her, she glanced around. Her body stiffened the second she realized his gaze was on her. She hurriedly sat in the chair.

To his horror, Hardy came out of the water and didn’t look right or left before making a beeline toward Kelsey’s pier. As if in slow motion, Jordon stood and started moving as Hardy ran the length of the dock, dropped the stick beside Kelsey and shook himself. Water droplets filled the air, glistening in the early evening sunlight, to fall over Kelsey like rain.

Jordon ran and called Hardy, to no avail. He had made it to the entrance of her dock in time to hear Kelsey squeal then yelped when Hardy’s wet tail ran across her thigh and up over her belly. In her effort to roll away from the dog, she toppled the lounge and fell to the pier. By the time he’d sprinted to the end of her dock, Kelsey lay on her side on the rough planks, pushing Hardy away, while the dog tried to poke his nose in her face.

“Hardy,” he snapped.

The dog looked at him as if to say, Get your own girl.

Jordon chuckled.

“Are you laughing at me?” Kelsey’s eyes had turned cavern dark in her anger. That emotion was familiar. He seemed to elicit it from her with little trouble.

“No, I’m just laughing at the picture you two make.” Jordon grabbed Hardy’s collar.

“It figures this monster would be yours.”

He looked pointedly at her. “You don’t like dogs?”

“I like dogs fine. I’m just not wild about showers given by them or sloppy kisses.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Her eyes grew wide. Why had he said something so suggestive? He had no intention of sharing a shower with her, much less kissing her. She wasn’t his type. Even if she had been, the sting of betrayal still smarted. It was best she remain on her dock and he on his.

Kelsey started to rise.

Jordon offered her a hand. “Here, let me help you.”

After a second she took it and he tugged her upwards.

He sucked in a breath. As amazing as she’d looked from his dock, she was breathtaking up close. The bikini showed off most of her body but he still wanted to see more. Her breasts were full and high. His fingers itched to stroke them, just once.

“Can’t you handle your dog?” Her eyes snapped as she glared at him.

“I guess he appreciates a pretty woman as well as the next male.”

She squared her shoulders, which thrust her barely covered breasts upward. He couldn’t help but stare.

“Surely you aren’t flirting with me?”

Jordon couldn’t pull his gaze away from the beauty before him. “What if I was?” he muttered. What had made him ask that? A half-naked woman had never made him lose his mind before. For heaven’s sake, he was a doctor. Was his thirty-seconds-ago vow to keep his distance already going by the wayside?

Kelsey picked up the cover-up from the dock, giving him a fine view of her behind before she pulled the jacket on and tied it. “Don’t.”

Hardy bumped her leg. She leaned down and took his face in her hands. “So what’s this guy’s name?”

Jordon had to give her points for being a good sport. No other woman he’d known in the past or present would’ve taken Hardy’s antics so well. “Hardy. As in Laurel and Hardy. Mr. Personality he is.”

“You have beautiful eyes,” she cooed.

How ridiculous was it to be jealous of his dog? Hardy seemed to melt like chocolate on a warm day under her ministrations. Jordon might have too, except he couldn’t seem to get any positive attention from Kelsey.

“I had a dog almost just like you when I was a kid.”

She stopped petting Hardy and straightened. It was as if her enthusiasm had suddenly waned. There was a sad note in her voice as if she’d remembered something she didn’t want to. Had something happened to her dog when she’d been a kid? Wanting to change the subject, he asked, “So, do you live here?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re neighbors. I’ve got the place a couple houses over.”

“Great,” she said, with less gusto than he would have liked to hear. Why did it matter what she thought?

“Well, I guess we’ll let you get back to your sunbathing or whatever you were doing. Come on, Hardy.”

The dog looked from one to the other then sat beside Kelsey.

She said with a smirk on her lips, “I guess your dog likes me better.”

Jordon picked up Hardy’s stick and threw it in the direction of his dock. The dog jumped into the water.

“See you later, Kelsey,” Jordon tossed over his shoulder smugly, as he walked up the dock toward the shore.

Back on his own dock, he threw the piece of wood two additional times for Hardy, in an effort to forget Kelsey only yards away. It didn’t work. His attention kept slipping back to her. It wasn’t just that she was a beautiful half-dressed woman within eyesight but Kelsey intrigued him on a number of levels. She was plain old-fashioned interesting. Something that women he was acquainted with weren’t.

Hardy, finally worn out, lay down beside him. Jordon absently rubbed his ear. “Thank you for being such a turncoat.”

The dog said nothing and Jordon continued to watch Kelsey as she read a book, the sunset no longer of interest. At dusk Kelsey folded her chair down, gathered her belongings and headed toward the house.

“Good night, Kelsey,” Jordon said softly.

He stayed until the night swallowed up the last ray of light then made his way inside with Hardy at his heels. “I hope the view is as good every night,” he said to Hardy, not sure if he meant of Kelsey or the sunset.

The next morning Kelsey tried her ignition switch one more time. Nothing. Was it just a dead battery or something more?

How was she going to get to work? Molly had a doctor’s appointment and had left earlier. Great. It wouldn’t look or sound good when her superiors were contacted by someone in Atlanta and they had her being late to work fresh in their memory. She needed a ride quickly. Looking two driveways over, she confirmed that the blue SUV was still sitting in the drive.

She grabbed her purse from the passenger seat, stuffed it under her arm and started in the direction of Jordon’s bungalow. It would have been nice if one of the other houses around them was occupied but they were only used seasonally so she had no choice but to ask Jordon for help. She wasn’t looking forward to asking him for a ride, but she had little choice unless she walked, and she would be late for sure if she did that.

She stepped up to Jordon’s door. Her hand faltered before she knocked. Barking preceded the door being pulled open. Behind the screen door, wearing no shirt, stood Jordon.

“Well, good morning,” he drawled in an exaggerated tone.

Why did the man manage to set her teeth on edge? Taking a deep breath, she said, “My car won’t start. Can I get a ride with you?”

He grinned, “So what you’re staying is you’re not angry with me anymore.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be a gentleman about this.”

Jordon clasped his hands over his heart. “That hurt. Of course I’ll be glad to give you a ride.” His grin grew and he pushed the screen door open and used his leg to block Hardy from exiting the house. “I’m almost ready. Want to come in and wait?”

Her gaze found his chest. “I’ll just wait out by your SUV.”

He shrugged and let the door slam. “Suit yourself.”

The guy was so smug. What was it about her that made him so rude?

She’d been acutely aware of him behind her while she’d sat on the pier the previous evening. It had taken all her willpower not to glance behind her to see if he was watching her. She’d read the same three pages of her book five times and she still couldn’t have told anyone what they’d been about. All she’d been able to think about had been what Jordon had been doing.

Refusing to give him the satisfaction of him knowing that he’d rattled her, she’d acted as unaffected by him as she’d been able. He’d completely ruined her plans for a relaxing evening. Wishing he would leave, she’d given up at dusk and packed her belongs. She had been grateful that he hadn’t been sitting close enough to see her hands shake when she’d risen.

Had she heard “Good night, Kelsey” drift on the wind?

“Hey, you going to get in or daydream all morning?”

She blinked then focused on him. “I’m going to get in.”

At the beep of the door being unlocked, she climbed into the vehicle and settled into the large comfortable seat. Jordon effortlessly took his spot behind the wheel. They didn’t speak as he backed out of the drive and drove toward town. As they passed the blue house about a mile up the road Jordon commented, “I used to know a family that lived there. They were the Davises. Are you any kin to them?”

A sick feeling went through her. So he did remember. But there was no point in lying. “Yeah. Their daughter.”

He jerked his head around to look at her.

“You might want to watch the road,” she said.

“So you’re one of Chad’s sisters.” He sounded utterly amazed.

“I am.”

He nodded as if in thought. “Which one are you?”

She’d hung on his every word as a kid. She’d thought he’d been the be-all and end-all and he couldn’t remember which one she was. That stung. “I’m the youngest one,” she made herself say in a strong voice.

He pulled to the side of the road and turned to look at her. “So have you known all along who I was?”

“I recognized you while we were dancing.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

She suddenly felt the need to defend herself. “I didn’t even know your real name until you came into my class. You were always J-man to me. We need to get going or we’ll be late.”

He pulled the SUV back onto the road. “J-man. I’ve not been called that for years.”

“Why did you move back?” Kelsey asked. There had to be something in particular to make anyone want to come back to Golden Shores.

The only indication he gave that her question might have disturbed him was the tightening of his hands on the steering wheel.

“It was time to make a change.”

“But why here, of all places?”

“Because this is the last place I remember feeling like I belong,” he said matter-of-factly.

Kelsey huffed. “And it’s the one place I wish I didn’t belong.”

This conversation had gone way past a simple ride to the hospital. Kelsey was relieved when Jordon pulled the SUV into the hospital parking lot. She had to get out of there.

“Thanks for the ride,” she said, opening the door of the SUV before Jordon had turned the engine off.

“Kelsey—”

She closed the door and headed for the employees’ entrance, refusing to look back.

Answering questions about her family wasn’t how she wanted to start her day. Jordon couldn’t help but bring back unhappy memories. She missed Chad as much today as she had then. If she only knew if he was still alive.

Jordon watched as Kelsey entered the hospital and disappeared behind the metal outside door as if she’d pulled up the drawbridge. So she was Chad’s sister. That sister. The one that he had wished he’d be around to see when she got older. Did she remember him as fondly as he remembered her?

Did she know where Chad was? Kelsey acted as if she didn’t want to talk about anything having to do with her family. She’d not even looked at her parents’ house when he’d driven by. He and Chad had been two unhappy teens who’d bonded and fueled each other’s frustration. Leading up to his parents’ divorce and afterward, he had been angry. Whatever his father had said, he’d done the opposite.

He’d started hanging out at the park with the wrong crowd, more to irritate his father than liking the kids who had been there. One night Chad Davis had shown up. He was a year younger but they’d seemed to hit it off. They’d started hanging around with each other at school, ditching classes together and otherwise becoming best friends. That had been until the night they’d been caught by the police, smoking dope.

Jordon climbed out of the SUV and slowly made his way inside. Did Kelsey know her brother was in the state prison not an hour away? When he’d visited Chad on the way to Golden Shores and told him about moving here, Chad had made Jordon promise that if he ever saw any of his family he wouldn’t tell them where he was. At the time it was no big deal to make that promise. But now how long would he be able to honor that request? But trust, giving his word meant everything. Jordon wouldn’t break his.

He’d certainly not wanted to discuss way he’d decided to move back to Golden Shores, with Kelsey or anyone else for that matter. Those events had been too painful. Shown how easily he’d been duped by someone he’d cared about. That had happened one too many times in his life. He would be careful about who he let his guard down to from now on.

In his office, he checked his messages. He was asked to be at a staff meeting at ten in the cafeteria. What was going on? Was some dignitary coming to town? He’d find out soon enough. There was just enough time to make rounds.

It was five minutes past ten when he entered the cafeteria. The room was packed so he stood against the wall. He hadn’t been able to get there any sooner because Martha had kept asking him questions and telling him stories when he’d checked on her.

The CEO stood at the front of the room. “Most of you have been through this before, many of you more than once. Still, I want you to review your emergency procedures. In a few minutes you can get with your teams and update your contact numbers. The weather service isn’t calling for the storm to hit here but we need to be prepared if it takes a turn our way. It’s our job to work calmly and efficiently. Our community expects us to be here for them and we will be.”

So they were preparing for a hurricane. Maybe he should have been watching the news instead of Kelsey last night.

“Dr. King?” He looked around the room.

Jordon gave the CEO a wave. “Here.”

The CEO nodded in Jordon’s direction. “I hate to put you on the ground running so quickly but you’re to take over Dr. Richards’s team. Everyone previously on Dr. Richards’s team, please get together with Dr. King when we adjourn. I think that’s all, folks. Check in with each other and keep your phones charged. On a positive closing note, we are going ahead with the hospital-wide low country boil picnic Saturday, unless the weather says something different.”

Hospital picnic? He’d never been to one. The hospitals he’d trained in had been in metropolitan areas and far too large for such things. Another perk of living in a small town. A low country boil did sound good. He’d not been to one of those in a long time.

Having no idea who was on his team, he waited until he was approached by someone. Talk about being a fish out of water.

“Dr. King?” a balding man wearing a tie asked.

Jordon nodded. “Please, make it Jordon.”

“I’m Jim. I work in the business office. I’ll be handling the paperwork, communication and be your runner.”

Jordon offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jim. So we are preparing for a hurricane?”

“Yeah, around here it isn’t if we will have a hurricane but when.”

“How many more are on our team?”

“Two more. Josh Little and Kelsey Davis.”

Jordon almost groaned. She wouldn’t like that any more than he did.

A tall man, dressed in nursing scrubs with golden hair and biceps that said he spent time in the gym daily, joined them.

“Hey, I’m Josh Little. I’ll be your nurse.”

The two men shook hands.

“I’m going to depend on you to keep me straight. I’ve never done this type of thing before,” Jordon said.

“Nothing to it. Kelsey will be the boss,” Josh said with a smile.

“Sorry I’m late. I was all the way across the room.”

Jordon knew the voice that came from behind him.

He turned to look at her. She didn’t appear any more enthusiastic about seeing him than he was to see her. “Glad you could join us, Kelsey. I understand you’re the one who will tell me what to do.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Our team does triage. You tell me which ones are the most urgent and I tag them. Josh handles care until you can see them. Jim will record everything.”

“So where does this all happen?” Jordon looked at the group but the question was addressed to Kelsey.

“Our designated area is in the hospital lobby.”

“What about supplies?” he asked.

“All that is taken care of. Housekeeping sets up and has the space ready to go if or when needed,” Josh offered.

Jordon nodded his understanding. “Great. So all we need to do is exchange numbers?”

Kelsey said, “That’s it.” They all went through the process of telling each other their phone numbers.

“Who is responsible for doing all the calling?” Jordon asked.

“I do that,” Jim stated.

Jordon looked at him and grinned. “So the plan here is to hope that I don’t hear from you.”

Jim smiled back. “That’s the plan.”

There was a buzz. “I’ve got to go. E.R. is paging me,” Josh said.

“I’ve got to go too,” Jim added.

As Kelsey turned to leave Jordon said, “Hey, Kelsey, will you tell me about the hospital picnic?”

She didn’t look like she wanted to but she stopped. “It’s held at the state park down on the beach. Food is provided and there are games. You know, the regular family stuff.”

“You planning to attend?”

“I usually do.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

She looked at him for a second then said, “I haven’t missed one in five years so I don’t think I’ll be missing this one.”

“Mind if I tag along with you? I don’t really know anyone.”

It took her so long to answer he started to think she wasn’t going to. Suddenly there was a look of triumph on her face.

“I have to be there early to set up. I’m on the committee.”

“I don’t mind going along and helping out.”

“Good. I’m going to take you at your word. I’ll pick you up a seven a.m. on Saturday. No, let me change that. You drive. You’ve got a bigger vehicle.”

“Why do I think I’ve just been had?”

Kelsey grinned then walked off.

The weatherman had said the storm had stalled in the Gulf and wouldn’t be coming ashore until early the next week. Saturday dawned sunny with a light breeze. The picnic was still on. Jordon pulled up into Kelsey’s drive promptly at seven in the morning. He and Kelsey hadn’t had much interaction in the last few days other than brief encounters over patients.

The door to her place opened. She stepped out and waved, indicating she needed him to come inside. He climbed out of the SUV and she called, “Hey, did you plan to sit there while I do all the work?”

“Sorry, I didn’t know I was needed.” He strolled toward the door. Kelsey had already disappeared inside again.

She pushed the door open and handed him a large box. “This needs to go, then come back and help me with the ice chests.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Having stowed the box, he returned. The door wasn’t open so he knocked and called through the screen door, “Kelsey?”

“Come on in.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond, disappearing down the hall.

Jordon entered. The interior was arranged very much like his place. The only thing different was that this bungalow had a feminine feel to it. Candles were arranged on the counter, bright throw blankets lay over the furniture and pictures of flowers adorned the walls.

“The coolers are next to the bar in the kitchen. I’ll be there to help in a sec.”

True to her word, she stepped into the room a few minutes later, wearing a tight T-shirt with something sparkling around the scooped neckline that gave him a hint of cleavage and cutoff jeans that showed off her legs to their best advantage. There was something raw and inviting about her. A woman who stood out in a crowd. He could see a touch of the young girl there too that he known so many years before.

Kelsey reached for a handle on one end of a large box cooler and he took the other. Together they carried it out. When they got to the rear of the SUV, they set it down while Jordon opened the doors.

“I’ll take it from here.” He lifted the cooler into the vehicle. “What have you got in this thing? Rocks?”

“Water balloons.”

“Water balloons!”

“I’m in charge of the water-balloon fight.”

“I’m glad I’m not signed up for that.”

“You’re too old,” she quipped.

“How’s that? My hair’s not even gray yet.”

“It’s for the teenagers. That’s how we get them to come to the picnic each year.”

Jordon pushed the cooler further into the SUV. “Makes sense. Is that it?”

She turned toward the house. “Nope. There’s another cooler.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

Together they brought another cooler out to the SUV. “Just how were you planning to get these to the park if I hadn’t come along?”

“Aw, I would have gotten one of the guys at work to help me.”

That he wasn’t shocked to hear. She seemed to always have some guy hanging around. Right now he wasn’t much different but he’d keep his distance, if not in the physical sense the at least on an emotional level.

“Anything else?”

“I just have to get one more small cooler and a couple of bags. And my cake.”

“Was I supposed to bring something?”

“No. Someone suggested we have a cake auction to raise money to help redecorate the children’s wing. I was roped into baking one.”

“I’ll help you with the bags and you can handle the cake.”

Ten minutes later they were in the SUV, headed toward town.

“Do you know where the park is?”

He gave her an incredulous look. “Yes. Remember I used to live here.”

“That’s right. I keep forgetting.”

Something about the way she made that statement made him believe that wasn’t true.

As he drove past her parents’ home he watched out of the corner of his eye to see if she looked. Her focus remained straight ahead. He wanted to ask her if she knew where Chad was, what had happened after he’d left town, but today wasn’t the right time. It would wait.