Dancing With the Doc

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “Goodnight, guys,” she said to Frank and Marie as she headed out the door. There was a chill in the air that was uncommon for this time of the year. Fall was approaching quickly. At least it wasn’t raining tonight as it had been for the past two days, but it was windy. Cat hugged her arms. The streets were vacant. She walked quickly to get home. The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she had the same feeling of being watched as before. She glanced around. No one around that she could see. Her pulse increased as she quickened her pace. She flew up her walkway, jamming her key into the door. Her heart pounded out a fast beat as she opened it and went inside, slamming the door behind her and locking it.

  Her heart in her throat, she inched her way to the front window and peeked through the edge of the curtain. Was she being watched? By whom? The street in front of her house was empty. Anger rose in her breast. Was someone toying with her? Should she tell someone about this? Maybe Chief Alden or one of the deputies? What would she say? That she had a weird feeling? They would think she was paranoid. Should she tell Harper? Maybe. Then again, what could Harper do about it? Nothing. Her eyes misted. She wished that Chase was here with her.

  Cat closed her eyes and offered a prayer. She was grateful for the feeling of peace that flooded her. A few minutes later, she took off her shoes and went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot chocolate, hoping it would warm her body and soothe her frazzled nerves. It was bound to be a long night. Morning could not come soon enough.

  12

  The next two weeks flew by without incident. As the days passed, Cat calmed back down into her normal routine. Well, as normal as she could get considering that she was so hyped up over Chase that she had to force herself to come back down to earth and focus on her daily life, which demanded that Cat give her dance students the valuable attention and instruction that the girls’ mothers were paying good money for. It was heaven being with Chase, and when they were apart, Cat counted the hours until she’d see him again.

  Cat glanced over at Chase, her gaze lingering on his strong, lean jaw. They were headed over to Montgomery to go bowling. Feeling her eyes on him, Chase took his eyes off the road and glanced at her.

  “What?” he asked with a lopsided grin.

  “Oh, nothing,” she said nonchalantly, “just thinking about how I’m gonna kick your butt tonight.”

  Laughter rumbled in his throat. “Bring it on, slugger.” A spark zinged through her as he reached for her hand and linked his fingers through hers. He brought her hand to her lips and planted a feather-light kiss on her skin. His lips placed a stamp of warmth on her hand.

  After they paid for a lane, got their shoes, and selected their balls, Cat lined up at the top of the alley. Chewing on her lower lip, she drew back the ball and released it. It hit the floor with a loud plunk as it wobbled along. It didn’t even make it halfway down the lane before it toppled into the gutter. “Dang it,” she muttered, turning back to face Chase with a sheepish grin.

  “Maybe you should try bumpers,” he teased after Cat’s second ball went into the gutter.

  Chase lined up and threw his ball. It went straight down the center and knocked down all the pins except for one on the far left.

  “Wow, you’re good.”

  He just grinned. He aimed for the left pin and almost made it, but the ball went into the gutter right before it made contact with the pin. He slapped his thigh, shaking his head.

  “Better luck next time,” she called.

  Her second time around, Cat knocked down all but two pins. She could tell that Chase was impressed. Even more so when she took out the remaining pins. She jumped into the air with a whoop. She spun around without realizing how close Chase was behind her as she fell into his arms.

  His light eyes sparkled as he caught her around the waist and pulled her close. “Congratulations, slugger.”

  “Thank you.” His body was solid, well-muscled, and warm. He smelled amazing. For a second, she lost her train of thought as she gazed googly eyed at him. She could tell from the quirky look on his face that he knew the effect he had on her. He gave her a peck on the lips that shot tingles through her. “We’ll have to pick this up later,” he murmured in her ear.

  Yes, please! She went over to the chairs and sat down while Chase picked up his bowling ball and set his stance. Sheesh, those jeans looked good on his long muscular legs. He reared back and let loose a stunning gutter ball.

  “That was a waste of a spare,” he lamented as he picked up the ball and tossed it again, knocking down half the pins. Before the game was over, Chase got three strikes and several more spares. Clearly, Cat was not going to win this game. Then again, she was the real winner where it counted the most because she’d gotten Chase.

  They played another round before grabbing a pizza at the café inside the bowling alley. Chase had kept her laughing all night with his witty comments. She liked how comfortable he was in his own skin, not the kind of guy who needed his ego stroked. After one of his strikes, he’d moonwalked across the top of the lane, earning applause from the people around them. Cat enjoyed listening to his stories of people who came into the emergency room.

  “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “So we admitted the guy, did his upper endoscopy to see why he was throwing up blood, cauterized his bleeding ulcer, and put him to bed. He was on a strict no-food order. He had a nasogastric tube in place, sucking all the stomach acid out of him so his ulcer could heal, but it wouldn’t heal. He kept complaining of pain, and we kept seeing blood come up his tube. On his fourth day in the hospital, we were about to take him to surgery and cut him open to try and figure out why he wasn’t healing. I kicked something under his bed. When I squatted down to see what it was, I found a gallon-sized jar of pickled jalapeños that his family had snuck in.” He threw up his hands, showing that adorable dimple. “No wonder his ulcers wouldn’t heal.”

  Cat laughed so hard she was afraid her drink was going to come out her nose. “I can’t believe that.” She shook her head. “Did it ever occur to them that they were working against you?”

  “Apparently not. To them, we were just the mean doctors starving Grandpa.”

  She giggled. “Tell me another one.”

  “Okay. We had a lady come in with horrible lower stomach pains. Everyone had always assumed her irregular cycles were because of her size. We did blood tests, examined her and re-examined her. We called in the surgery residents for their opinion, but they were no help and signed off of her case. The GI fellows had no clue what was going on. We called urology since nobody else had found anything. They ordered a CT scan, and just as the radiology transport was about to wheel her out of the ER, her pains shot through the roof. I mean, she woke up everybody with her screaming. Long story short, three hours later we sent her home with her healthy nine-pound baby boy.”

  Her eyes lassoed to large circles. “What? She didn’t know she was pregnant?”

  “Nope. She had no clue. I’d heard stories like that back in my firefighter days, but I’ve never been part of one until I got here.”

  Cat shook her head. “That’s crazy.”

  A grin tugged at his lips. “Yeah, but it sure keeps things interesting. Are you done eating?” Half the pizza was left.

  Cat clutched her stomach. “I’m stuffed. We should get a to-go box for you to take it with you. I get all the food I can eat at The Magnolia.”

  “And I get everything free at the hospital cafeteria.”

  “Oh, yeah. That’s right. Lucky you.”

  “It’s full of fat and salt and not good for hospital patients or any of the rest of us, but it’s free. I won’t turn down pizza though. It’ll make a good midnight snack.”

  After grabbing a pizza box, they headed out. Chase put his hand in the small of her back as they walked. Cat liked the feel of his easy touch and how protected she felt with him. Life was so much more thrilling with Chase back in her life.

  When they got into the car, Chase turned on the radio and beg
an singing along. Cat leaned across the console and rested her head on his arm. The rhythmic beat of tires on the highway lulled her to sleep. Before she knew it, they were back in Clementine. “I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she said with a yawn.

  “No worries. You were cute snoring.”

  She blinked. “I was not snoring, was I?” How embarrassing!

  He pushed out a triumphant laugh. “Gotcha.”

  She shoved him, shaking her head. “You wanna come in?” Tingles circled through her thinking of the goodnight kiss, which was sure to come shortly.

  He glanced at the clock on his dash. “I can’t stay long because I have an early morning at the hospital, but I can stay for a few minutes.”

  They walked hand-in-hand to the door. Cat fished in her purse for the key to open the door. Chase touched the doorknob. “It’s unlocked.”

  She froze. “What?”

  Chase turned the doorknob to demonstrate, pushing open the door.

  Shivers ran down her spine. “That’s strange.”

  They stepped inside. Cat’s insides knotted as she looked around.

  “Do you think you just forgot to lock it?” Chase asked, noting her concern.

  “Maybe.” Cat tried to think. She’d rushed home from the studio and showered. Shortly thereafter, Chase had picked her up. She honestly couldn’t remember if she’d locked the door.

  “Let’s do a check of the house,” Chase suggested.

  “Good idea.” Had Chase not been here with her, Cat would’ve been freaking out. Chase stayed by her side as they went methodically room by room. Everything appeared to be in order. The tension inside Cat ebbed as her shoulders relaxed. She offered Chase an apologetic grin. “I probably did just forget to lock it.” She didn’t have an alarm system on her home. In Clementine, it hardly seemed necessary. Also, it was an extra expense. Now, however, she wondered if she should consider it.

  Chase took her hand and led her over to the couch. “So,” he began with a teasing glimmer in his eyes. “What was all that talk about you kicking my butt in bowling?”

  Laughter flowed up from her throat, dispelling the last of her unease. “Hey, now, don’t rub it in.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it—” he winked “—much.”

  “I see how it is,” she drawled.

  His gaze moved over her, the smolder in his cobalt eyes caused her blood to run faster. He touched her hair, wrapping a finger around a curl. “You have the most fascinating hair. I can’t decide if I like it better curly or straight.”

  She smiled. “For me, it depends on the day.” Normally, she blew her hair out straight, but today, she’d let it do its thing. His hand moved to her cheek as he traced a pattern along the edge of her jaw with deliberate lightness that stirred warm ribbons of desire through her stomach. Her lips parted in acceptance as his mouth took hers. The kiss was surprisingly gentle. Her mind got wrapped in the velvety warmth of his lips as she melted into him. She was the one who deepened it as a flame raced through her. She pressed her lips to his with a hungry urgency that sent them both tumbling into waves of euphoria.

  When they pulled away, a smile tipped Chase’s lips. “You are amazing. Carmelita Hernandez, I’m falling hard for you.”

  Happiness bubbled in her chest. “That’s nice to know,” she quipped.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  Her lips twitched with amusement at seeing his put-out expression. “Yes, because I’m falling for you too.” It’s always been you, her mind added. Maybe her Mami was right. Cat had set her heart on Chase Brooks long ago before she even fully understood what love between a man and woman really was. Even so, her childhood insight was proving to be right on track. Chase was everything and more that she’d ever hoped for.

  After a few more slow, shivery kisses that left her body quivering, Chase remorsefully announced that he needed to go. Cat walked him to the door and watched as he strode down the walk in long, fluid strides. When he got to his car, he turned giving her an adventurous grin that caused her heart to turn over. Offering a farewell wave, she closed the door. This time, she made a point of locking it before heading off to bed.

  As she drifted off to sleep, her mind kept returning to the unlocked door. In the end, she figured she probably had just forgotten to lock it. If someone had come in, there would be some evidence of it, right? Everything had seemed perfectly normal. Just before sleep overtook her, she vowed to be more careful in the future. Yes, it was Clementine, probably one of the safest places on earth. Still, one could never be too cautious.

  The next few days passed so quickly that Cat felt like it was a blur. Chase worked a lot of shifts, making sure to check in with her every chance he got. With the approaching recital, things at the studio were ramping into high gear. Cat ran through her mental list of the performances. There would be five groups of kids in all, ranging from toddlers to high schoolers. She needed to spend some time working with the high school group on their hip-hop performance. Also, the middle schoolers were doing a classical European dance number that needed more work. The audience wouldn’t expect much from the younger dancers, but the older ones needed to shine. Normally, the weeks before the recital were all-consuming. This time, however, Dr. Blue Eyes was stealing away the bulk of her attention. She grinned thinking of Chase. She’d not heard from him today. He was probably too busy at work.

  The two of them were getting together this evening for a late dinner. Cat was making Chase one of Mami’s Guatemalan dishes. Finding a Mexican grocery had been the trickiest part. Harper had tracked one down for her online. Yesterday, after the last dance class was over, Cat had darted over to Daphne and picked up the ingredients, which included coriander, achiote, and chilis. She’d been tempted to stop by the hospital to see Chase but didn’t want to be a nuisance, especially since he was always so busy during his shifts.

  Her last class ended at seven tonight. Chase didn’t get off until eight. Hopefully, by the time he arrived, Cat would have the bulk of the meal prepared. Her mouth watered thinking of the flaky empanadas stuffed with pork and veggies. She’d pair that with kak’ik, a spicy stew garnished with cilantro, lime, avocado, and a bowl of chile paste on the side. For dessert, there would be rellenitos made from plantain dough and stuffed with custard and topped with a black bean sauce.

  Planning this meal had turned Cat’s thoughts to Mami, making Cat miss her even more than usual. Cat could only imagine how surprised Mami would be to learn that Cat and Chase were together. Mami had known about her crush on Chase and had labeled him as a Nice Boy.

  Cat’s four-thirty class with ten and eleven-year-olds had just ended. The upbeat murmurs of conversation between her students and the moms waiting in the foyer bubbled through the studio. “Be sure and practice the routine,” Cat encouraged loud enough for the moms to hear. “You want to be ready for the recital.”

  “Yes, Miss Hernandez,” a few of the girls said dutifully in singsong voices as they skipped away. Cat smiled, figuring that all thoughts of dance would flee out of their heads, probably before they even left the studio. As the girls filed out with their moms, Cat felt eyes on her, realized a woman was staring or scrutinizing her. The woman was stunningly beautiful with a mane of flame-red hair that framed her porcelain features in soft waves. She was dressed to the nines and didn’t appear to be interested in talking to any of the moms. There was an air of haughtiness about the woman that was off-putting. Cat felt the woman’s hostility from across the room.

  The woman stood and approached Cat. She had a petite build, but with her tall heels, she and Cat were eye level.

  “May I help you?” Cat asked, lifting her chin.

  A sneer twisted over the woman’s face. “Did you really think you were just gonna waltz in and steal him from me?”

  The comment came at Cat like a punch in the gut as she rocked back. “I beg your pardon.” She looked past the woman to the last mom and girl who’d walked out the door. Great! Now they were alone.

&nb
sp; A derisive chortle rose in the redhead’s throat. “You don’t have what it takes to hold onto Chase.”

  Cat’s brain connected the dots. “You’re Amber.”

  “Chase is not with you because he cares.” Amber’s husky, cultured voice slithered around Cat like a python encircling its prey. “He feels sorry for you.” Her full lips formed a pout. “The poor illegal whose dad was deported.” Rage twisted her face. “People like you are disgusting, leeching off this country’s resources.”

  The blood drained from Cat’s face, trembles running through her body. “I’m an American, same as you.”

  Amber gave her a withering look. “There’s nothing the same about me and you.”

  Had Chase told Amber about her dad getting deported? Why would he do that? The acerbic sting of betrayal rose in her throat. Did Chase feel sorry for her? She’d trusted him … told him about her past, never dreaming that he’d go blabbing it to Amber.

  “Do you have any idea what Chase is giving up for you? Do you,” she hissed, getting up in Cat’s face.

  Cat was sure that given time, there was plenty she could think to say to this devil debutante. At the moment, however, her words were frozen. All she could do was gape. She’d thought Amber beautiful at first glance, but the woman’s inner ugliness overshadowed all else. Her face was an ugly tomato red, matching her hair.

  “Thanks to my father, Chase was guaranteed a position at the pediatric unit at St. Mark’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, when he finishes his schooling.” Her voice escalated. “Do you know how rare it is to get a position like that? Do you?” she screamed.

  Cat found her voice. “Chase doesn’t even know what area he wants to specialize in yet. How could he possibly have his future planned out?”

  Amber barked out a sneer. “You don’t know anything.” The coldness of her words cut through Cat like a frigid blast. Amber looked her up and down, malice glittering in her jade eyes. “Let me tell you how this is gonna go, chica.”