by K. C. Crowne
“Not in the slightest. Say…what do you know about her?”
The curl of his lip made it clear he knew why I was asking. “I swear, you can’t even get your peepers checked without trying to pick up the eye doc.”
“Have a laugh about it,” I said. “But seriously – she was damn gorgeous.”
“Truth be told, I’ve never seen her in person. We’ve chatted a bit through email, but I mostly know her by reputation. Duncan bent over backwards to get her on the Pitt payroll. Supposed to be one of the best ophthalmologists in the state.”
“Got no doubt about that. And a man can’t help but wonder if a woman like her is single.”
He laughed at my boldness. “Got no clue. But I can tell you this – a doctor that talented doesn’t get to where she is by spendin’ a lot of time on her personal life. Sad thing about the medical profession is it’ll suck up whatever time you’ll let it.”
“So, she is single. She didn’t seem too keen on my advances is why I’m askin’.”
Finn let out a bark of a laugh. “Brother, are you tellin’ me you couldn’t get through one eye appointment without laying down some game on the good doctor?”
“Brother, when the good doctor looks as good as she does, I’d be a damn fool not to take a chance with her.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s my Patty.” Finn was the only man on Earth who could get away with calling me Patty. “Anyway, there was somethin’ I wanted to talk about. Somethin’ more business-oriented.”
“What’s that?” I asked, opening the door of the massive, stainless-steel fridge and taking out the milk.
“You still doing investments?”
I nodded. “Got plenty of ‘em – enough that I could retire right now if I were so inclined.”
He shook his head. “I’m not talkin’ about the ones for profit – I’m talkin’ about charity investments.”
At around thirty I’d reached the point with my investments where they’d started to provide a hell of a monthly income. To put it bluntly, I was rich. And for a man who’d spent his late teens and early twenties as an artist of the starving variety, it was a new way of living.
But to be honest, I had not the slightest idea what to do with that kind of cash. I hired an accountant to handle it. I bought the latest and best photography equipment and a brand spanking new, and very dear, MacBook Pro…and that was it. I didn’t have a home, didn’t have a family. Everything I needed was packed in my suitcase.
So I decided to give back with my money. I set aside a certain percentage every month to donate to various charities. I was damn lucky in that I was able to make a living on my art. Donating was my way of giving back.
“Yeah,” I said, leaning back against the kitchen counter, mug of coffee in hand. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, Rocky Mountain is always looking for new partners to help raise awareness about the foundation. Providing free medical care is not cheap.”
I nodded. “Sounds right up my alley.”
A warm smile formed on Finn’s face. “I knew I could count on you, brother.” He popped the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth, then checked the face of his Rolex. “Shite – need to get back to it. I’ll send you all the info when I’ve got it, yeah?”
“Perfect.”
He quickly cleaned up, putting his plate and glass in the sink and giving me a shoulder squeeze on the way out. “Dinner at home later?” he asked as he headed down the hall.
“Ah, actually I’m going to see about an eye doc tonight. I’ll keep you posted.”
He laughed. “Good luck.”
The front door opened and closed in the distance, and I decided it was time to get to work. Coffee in hand, I grabbed a banana from the bowl on the counter and headed to the guest house. Once there, I set down my quick lunch and set an alarm on my phone.
After finishing the banana in a couple of quick bites, I plopped in front of my MacBook and got to work.
I started with the rest of the shots from my excursion in the woods the previous day, finally winnowing down the hundreds of photos I’d taken to about thirty that I deemed worthy of editing work. It was mostly a for-fun project, but I’d still shop around with the finished photos and see if I couldn’t sell them to a nature publication or two. Maybe National Geographic would be interested; I’d managed to sell more than a few shots to them in the past.
Before I started the editing, I opened the folder that contained information about the project I was really excited about.
Aside from a chance to see my brother and his amazing, gorgeous family, the other thing that had brought me to Colorado was the chance to start on my next big project – a photo book documenting places all around the States with dark secrets and eerie histories. I was planning on making a trip across the country, finding locations that had been the sites of gruesome murders or were rumored to be haunted. I’d always had a guilty-pleasure interest in the paranormal, so just the thought of getting started on my book was enough to send a thrill up my spine.
My first stop would be the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park – a place most people knew as the giant, isolated hotel from The Shining. Stanley Kubrick had picked the location for more than its look – it was rumored to be haunted by all kinds of spirits. It was only a few hours away from Finn and Kenna’s place, and I couldn’t wait to get over there and photo document the creepy place.
I clicked around in the folder, reading the same info about the hotel that I’d already read a million times. When I’d had my fill, I clicked out and opened Photoshop, a little instrumental hip-hop on Spotify for some background music.
I totally lost myself in the editing process, making all the adjustments to the photos that it’d take to make them winners. One of the shots of the kit fox was perfect, a close-up of the little critter in the process of drinking from the pool of melted snow. I put the shot in shallow focus, the forest around the fox a gorgeous blur of white and green and brown. The fox was in total focus, the viewer’s eye drawn right to the incredible animal.
A few more clicks to zoom in and—
My phone alarm went off. I snatched it up and realized the entire afternoon had flown by, and it was almost time for me to drive back to Dr. Bridges’ office to catch her on the way out. I tore myself away from my computer and closed it. As I did, I marveled at the idea of a woman who’d captivated me enough to make me forget about my work.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d known a woman who’d had that effect on me. As I grabbed my keys and coat and headed out, I realized there was a damn good chance the good doctor was unlike any woman I’d ever met.
And I couldn’t wait to get to know her better.
Chapter 4
LOLA
I was in the middle of packing up for the night when Sarah popped her head into my office.
“Hey!” she said, her usual excitement on her face. “Taking off for the night?”
“Yep. Actually trying to get out of here at a normal hour for once.”
“What’s the occasion?” Sarah asked as she stepped into the office.
“I’m visiting my mom,” I told her. “And I want to go see her before she’s off to dinner with her friends.”
She smiled sweetly. “That’s so nice you make time for your mom like that. God, I’ve known so many kids who, when their parents got old, just tossed them into an old-folks home and forgot about them except when it’s time to pay the bill. Totally not what I’m going to do.”
I glanced up at Sarah, her words a reminder of why I liked her so much. She could be a little immature, but she had a good heart. Of course, she was twenty-four, which meant she wouldn’t be worrying about what to do with her parents for another few decades, at least.
“Anyway,” she said, seemingly eager to change the subject. “What’s…um…what’s the deal with you and the insanely handsome Mr. O’Conner?”
I slung my bag over my shoulder. “What deal?”
She bit her lip and look
ed around, as if she weren’t sure she should say what was on her mind. “It’s just…I heard him ask you out earlier today.”
“Oh, God.” I was mortified that my personal business had been on display. “You heard that?”
“Only because I, um, might’ve been listening.”
I laughed. “Sarah! Do I need to give you more to do at the front desk?”
“Sorry, sorry!” she exclaimed as I started out of the office. “It’s just that I was totally going to ask him out, but then I heard him talking to you. I figured that if he wasn’t interested in you, I’d take the shot, but it seems like he’s already got his eye on you.”
“Sarah, you don’t need to hold off on my account,” I assured her. “I mean, that’s very nice of you to think about me. But like you heard me tell him – I don’t date patients.”
“How come?” She formed up at my side as we made our way down the hall to the reception area. A few other doctors and nurses passed us as we walked. “I mean, it’s not every day that a guy like that just falls into your lap. If I were you, I’d be all over a date with him. And then maybe be all over him after the date.”
“Sarah!” She liked to skirt the boundaries of professionalism, but it sure managed to get a laugh out of me every now and then.
“Just saying,” she said with a shrug and a big grin. “He only came in to get his eyes checked – you’re not going to be seeing him all the time.”
“He’s still considered my patient, which makes it unethical. Besides, dating’s not in my schedule right now,” I said. “I’ve got work here and the clinic and my mom – too much to add dating on top of that. No way.”
“Aw, come on,” Sarah said, a trace of protesting to her voice. “You’re brilliant and you’ve got money and you’re definitely the hottest doctor I’ve ever known in real life. Hell, I might try to date you if you’re not careful.” She laughed at her own joke.
“Sarah, ” I warned.
“I know, I know. But you’re my boss! I just want to see you happy, you know?”
“Well, if I did end up dating someone, it sure as heck wouldn’t be a guy like him.”
“What?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “Why not?”
“Artistic types,” I informed her. “They have to be the most unreliable people in the world. If I were looking for someone to date, which I’m not, it’d be someone with his head more solidly on his shoulders than Patrick seemed to.” I caught myself, realizing what I was saying. “Alright, that’s all the personal life stuff you’re going to get out of me.”
She grinned, as if she’d accomplished her mission. “I knew I’d get you to open up sooner or later. Anyway, you’ve got your non-prof clinic work tomorrow, so I’ll see you Wednesday, right?”
“Right. See you then, Sarah.”
She waggled her fingers in a goodbye wave before tucking behind the reception desk and finishing her work for the day. I hurried to the elevator. Once the doors were shut and I was alone, I let out a sigh of frustration.
I hated talking about my personal life. Nothing against Sarah, but she seemed to take it as a challenge to get me to open up about what I did outside of work. Truth be told, there wasn’t much to say. I didn’t really date, and most of my waking hours were taken up by work or volunteering or spending time with Mom. And that was enough for me. Why did I need to put the added complication of dating on top of that? Dating was annoying, and even worse, it was unpredictable. You could be into a guy and think things were going great and then, out of nowhere, you never hear from him again. Granted, it’d been a long, long while since I’d been a part of that world, but I was done with it.
The elevator took me down to the lobby, where a few other doctors chatted. I said my goodbyes to them as I left, stepping out into the early evening as I pulled my coat tight around my waist.
I didn’t get more than a few feet out into the cold before a familiar voice called out to me.
“Hey, Dr. Bridges!”
Without thinking, my hand shot into my bag, my fingers wrapping around my bear mace. I turned and gasped when I saw who it was – of course, the accent had tipped me off before I’d turned around to see Patrick.
“Patrick?” I asked, knowing it was him but still in mild shock about it. “What on Earth are you doing here?”
He shrugged, his big body hidden by his parka. “I wanted to swing by and see if you’d changed your mind about grabbin’ a drink with me.” He grinned, total confidence in his words, as if it were only a matter of time before I agreed.
The man wasn’t just handsome – he was stupidly handsome, unfairly handsome. He was being cocky and ballsy and maybe a little entitled, but I almost couldn’t blame him. A man who looked as good as he did most certainly didn’t have any problems getting what he wanted when it came to women.
“Okay. First of all, I don’t know how they do things in Ireland, but in the US we don’t hang out outside of women’s work to ambush them with date requests.”
“Is that right? Then how do you ask someone out whose number you don’t have? Makes decent sense to me.”
I ground my teeth before answering. “I already told you earlier my stance on dating patients. Not sure how much clearer I can be.”
“About that. I was thinkin’ and—” He glanced down, his eyes landing on my hands still in my bag. “What’s goin’ on there?”
I’d totally forgotten about my hand in my purse. I pulled it out, showing him the can of bear mace I’d been ready to use. “You’re lucky I didn’t let loose with this. I’d be giving you a whole other reason to make an eye appointment.”
He laughed. “Hey, love – whatever gets me in the exam room with you.”
I sighed, slipping the mace back into my purse. Patrick was overstepping some bounds for sure, but I didn’t exactly get dangerous vibes from him.
“Anyway,” he continued. “I was doin’ some thinkin’, and I realized that you don’t have to be my doctor. After all, you just checked my eyes the one time, yeah? I’ll get my glasses and our professional business with one another will be nice and concluded. And with that bein’ the case, I can’t imagine any reason why we can’t grab drinks.”
The man made a good case, I had to admit. And I couldn’t tell if it was his body or his face or his lovely accent, or all three, but the more he talked, the more I felt my wall of resistance giving way.
I sighed once more. “I can’t get drinks. I’m going to meet someone right now.”
“Alright, then how about dinner later? Say, around seven?”
I had nothing going on after I visited with Mom – no reason I couldn’t see him. And maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out of my comfort zone? Dating wasn’t my thing, and a relationship – that was about the furthest thing from my mind. But what would be the harm in grabbing a bite with some guy I’d probably never see again?
“Alright. We can do dinner.”
Patrick smiled and nodded, as if he’d known I’d say yes and had been simply waiting for me to come around. “Perfect. There’s this awesome Korean barbeque place nearby called Park’s. How about there at seven?”
It was my last chance to tell him no. I did a quick pro-and-con weighing but came down on the side of meeting him. “Sure – Park’s at seven.”
“Brilliant. See you then.” He flashed his sexy-as-fuck smile, then turned on his black boots and headed off.
And I was left wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
A half-hour later I stepped through the front doors of Mercy Heart’s Assisted Care Facility. The lobby was bright and sunny, with lots of plants and windows that looked out onto the snow-frosted gardens around the center.
One of the best care facilities in the city, Mercy Heart’s had everything. There was a pool, a gym, a community center. There was full-time staff, nurses, and care around the clock. The place was expensive, but that didn’t matter to me one bit – it was for my mom, after all.
I said my “hellos” to
the staff, and one of the front desk girls let me know Mom was in her room waiting for me. I strolled down the hall, taking in the sights. Mercy Heart was nice, but I would’ve vastly preferred that Mom live with me. With her condition, though, I wouldn’t have been able to look after her even if I wasn’t putting in crazy hours at work.
The situation wasn’t perfect, but it’d have to do. And Mercy Heart was nice and close to the clinic, which meant dropping by after a day at the office was always a possibility.
“Now,” Mom said, her warm, friendly voice carrying down the hall from her room. “I’m going over the reasons, and I can’t think of a single good one why you wouldn’t come to dinner with me.”
A man’s chuckle followed her comment. “How about this, Charlie – I’ve got a wife and two toddlers at home.”
Mom’s name was Charlene, but I couldn’t remember anyone ever calling her that growing up. To anyone who even slightly knew the woman, her name was Charlie. She was slender and graceful, her hair a gorgeous silver she wore in tresses around her shoulders, her eyes a milky blue. Mom was dressed in her usual tomboyish style, an outfit of a red-and-black-checkered flannel and gray jeans.
She’d lost her eyesight years ago due to a condition called diabetic retinopathy – a condition that rendered her both blind and dependent on insulin. Both of these conditions in tandem meant she needed round-the-clock care. But Mom was an old-school hippie type, the kind who’d spent most of her twenties and thirties living on one commune or another. So she loved life here at Mercy Heart.
“Oh, shucks,” she said. “See, thing about my condition is I can’t tell if you’re not wearing a wedding ring. All I can hear is that lovely voice, and that’s all I need to hear to know you’re as handsome as the day is long.”
Another chuckle. “And you’re not so bad yourself.”
“The girls are going to miss you come dinner time. I told them all about you.”