Best Friend to Doctor Right

by Ann Mcintosh

  He wasn’t sure he was willing to take the chance to find out. It terrified him to imagine himself turning into the monster he knew he was capable of becoming.

  Yet, as he’d told Charm, Mina never said anything she didn’t mean. She knew him, better than sometimes he knew himself. Was it possible to believe in himself the way she did?

  Moreover, could he stand to lose her?

  Let her go back to Toronto, taking the light and love and happiness she’d given him back with her?

  Now he felt almost physically ill, and had to swallow against the burning lump that formed in his throat, and that sensation swamped all other emotions.

  She was right, as she usually was. He’d let his fears rule his life, clung to the painful past instead of letting it go and living. But the fear of losing her was greater than any other, and he knew he couldn’t do it.

  And something else she’d said was true, too: they were better, together. Always had been, since he was twelve years old, and had first looked into those sparkling brown eyes.

  She’d been there for him during the best and worst times of his life, steadfast and strong, cheering him on, lifting him up.

  Mina was everything to him. She brought peace and joy into his heart, and comfort to his ragged and battered soul. He loved her more than he thought he could ever love.

  Thank goodness he’d finally found the sense, and the courage, to admit it.

  And he’d let her walk away thinking he didn’t care enough to try to stop her.

  Cursing himself for a fool, he took off after her, and finally caught up just as she was about to get into Mr. Brown’s taxi, in front of the hospital’s main doors.

  There was so much he wanted to say, to tell her, but all he could do at that moment was call her name.

  Mina turned, her eyes widening as she realized what he was about to do.

  But she didn’t resist when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, as though he never planned to stop.

  “Woo-ee! Wait ’til Miss Pearl hear ’bout this!”

  It was the sound of Mr. Brown’s hooting that finally had them breaking the kiss, but Kiah didn’t let her go. Instead, he spent a moment just staring into her eyes, soaking up the love shining there.

  Then he bent his head to whisper into her ear. “Now we’re going to have to listen to Granny crow. She’s been angling for us to get together for years.”

  She giggled, burying her face in his shoulder as Mr. Brown continued to tell everyone who passed by how Dr. K “grab up Dr. Mina and kiss her.”

  “Tell me you love me again, Mina.”

  He needed to hear it, even though she was trembling in his arms and holding him so tight he knew it would be forever.

  “I love you, Kiah. And I always will.”

  “Ah, sweet girl, I love you, too.”

  “You all goin’ have to get married, you know.” When they both looked around, Mr. Brown was frowning, and had his hands on his hips. The stance and expression made him look remarkably like Granny, despite his being at least twenty years her junior. “Or Miss Pearl goin’ beat you.”

  Kiah looked down into Mina’s shining face and couldn’t help grinning.

  “What you say, sweet girl? We have to keep Granny happy.”

  She gave him a scowl, which was belied by the gleam in her eyes. “Hezekiah Langdon, if you think I’m taking that secondhand proposal, you clearly don’t know me as well as you should, after all these years. Do it right, and I might say yes.”

  “Might? Just might?”

  “If you’re lucky, or unlucky, depending on how you want to look at it.”

  “Oh, I’m the luckiest man in the world, having you in my life and in my arms, and I know it.”

  Then, to the amusement and delight of everyone standing around and gawking, he sealed that statement with another long kiss.

  EPILOGUE

  MINA PUT HER hand on Kiah’s arm, squeezing it with perhaps a little more force than was really necessary.

  At least in his opinion.

  “Stop glaring at that boy, Hezekiah. You’re going to make him pee his pants.”

  She’d whispered it out of the corner of her mouth, obviously trying to be discreet. Kiah had no such reservations.

  “Good. At least then I’ll know he knows who’s the boss.”

  “Come back inside and give them some privacy,” she said, tugging him away from the back door and the veranda, where Charm and Ramesh were sitting.

  “They don’t need privacy. They’re too young for privacy,” he grumbled, even as he was letting her lead him through into the living room. “I don’t know why they couldn’t sit in here with us.”

  Mina just chuckled, and Granny gave him one of her dry looks.

  “Charm is sixteen now, Kiah. You have to give her some leeway. After all, you were the one who said she could start dating at this age.”

  “Me? Oh, hell no. I think my plan was that she didn’t start until she was thirty. Mina begged for her, and now this is what we’ve got. Ramesh on the back veranda.”

  “But you’ve known Ramesh for years.” Mina sank onto the couch with a heartfelt sigh, and patted the cushion beside her, until he sat down too. “And you like him.”

  “I liked Ramesh, until he started giving Charm those longing looks. Now I’m not too sure.”

  Mina giggled, then groaned. “Stop being such a fuddy-duddy and rub my feet for me. That operation yesterday has me aching all over.”

  Given a new topic to worry over, Kiah sank his teeth into it, even as he reached out and gently received the body parts that needed attention onto his lap.

  “As for that, why did you think it a good idea, at seven months pregnant, to supervise a five-hour operation? Couldn’t John have done that? You’ve been training him to take over while you’re on maternity leave.”

  “He’s good, but I need to make sure we can deliver what we say we can.” She gave a little moan of appreciation when Kiah rubbed her arches. “John will do fine, and I’ve promised to be on call, just in case, but that hip surgery was complex, and I wanted to supervise it myself.”

  “Well, no more of that. You need to take better care of yourself, and our daughter.”

  Mina chuckled. “Aye, aye, Captain,” she replied with a saucy expression on her beloved face.

  Just looking at her made him content, filled his heart with joy and the kind of peace that had eluded him most of his life. This second pregnancy was unplanned, but Kiah had been elated when it happened. It wasn’t ideal for Mina’s health that their son, asleep in his crib, would only be seventeen months older than his sister, but Mina’s prenatal checkups had been good, and he loved how happy she was.

  He hadn’t thought it possible, but he loved her a little more every day. Thank God he hadn’t let his fears drive her away. She’d given him time and space to consider the question of children, not saying anything about it until he’d brought it up himself. This second pregnancy was, though, the last, according to Mina.

  “Three is enough,” she’d said, once she’d gotten over the shock, and he’d agreed, although, secretly, he wouldn’t mind one more. Since he wasn’t the one bearing or having to deliver the child, whether to have another or not wasn’t a choice he felt qualified to make.

  He heard Charm’s laughter faintly, since he’d left the door open, and his attention was snagged once more.

  “I wonder what’s going on out there,” he grumbled, wishing he could see through the walls separating them. “I’m thinking of putting cameras up around the house. For security reasons,” he added quickly, when Miss Pearl gave him a withering look.

  Mina started laughing so hard she held her belly, as though it hurt.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, pinching her little toe.

  “I was just thinking,” she said, hardly able to get th
e words out through her continued mirth. “By the time you get over Charm growing up and dating, it will be time for this little one to start.”

  “Oh, mercy,” he groaned, horrified by the thought. “Are you trying to make me go gray, all at once? Don’t say things like that.”

  “And if she follows family tradition, we better start looking at any boy she meets when she’s twelve, just in case.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, chuckling with her, caught up in her amusement. “Apparently we fall in love young, and never get over it.”

  “Who better to fall for but your best friend?” she asked, sending him a look so full of love his heart stuttered with pleasure.

  “No one, my sweet girl. No one.”

  * * *

  If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Ann McIntosh

  Awakened by Her Brooding Brazilian

  The Nurse’s Christmas Temptation

  Surgeon Prince, Cinderella Bride

  The Surgeon’s One Night to Forever

  All available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Sarah and the Single Dad by Deanne Anders.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  SARAH HENDERSON STUDIED the computer chart in front of her. She didn’t like the way ten-year-old Lindsey’s lab work was trending. With the child already in heart failure, what had started out as a cold had quickly turned into a respiratory infection. Now even with intravenous antibiotic treatment she seemed to be deteriorating daily.

  “There you are,” the deep voice of Dr. Benton boomed behind her.

  Startled, she turned to see the older man standing next to another taller and much younger one wearing a hospital-issue white jacket.

  “Sarah, I’d like you to meet Dr. David Wright. He’s starting his fellowship here with our cardiothoracic surgery group this week.”

  Standing, Sarah held out her hand. As the new MD shook it she looked up into a striking pair of eyes that were an unusual blend of light green and gray, and an attack of déjà vu hit her as she took in the dark brown hair and the square chin that accompanied them. She was certain that she’d seen the face before, but where?

  “Are you okay?” a warm, concerned voice asked. A voice she could swear she had heard before. Was it her imagination or had she met or seen this man before?

  Sarah shook off the trace of an old memory that seemed just out of reach. Realizing she still held the new doctor’s hand, she loosened her grip and withdrew her hand, then looked back into questioning eyes. Could she have made any more of a bad impression? The man had to think she was crazy. And maybe she was.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, as she tried to get her mind back on track, “I’m at least one cup of coffee behind my usual schedule this morning. It’s nice to meet you Dr. Wright.”

  “Sarah’s one of our nurse practitioners. I swear we wouldn’t get anything done if we didn’t have her. If you have any questions or needs, she’ll be able to help you,” said Dr. Benton. The gray-haired man looked down to his watch. “I hate to leave you, David, but I’ve got a budget meeting to get to.”

  With a heart that was beating way too fast, Sarah started for the door, anxious to excuse herself as well. Why was this man affecting her this way? Yes, he was a nice-looking man, but she met nice-looking men all the time and none of them had ever made her feel as if her heart was going to come out of her chest. No, it wasn’t his good looks that were upsetting her, but there was something about the man that was ringing all her warning bells.

  “I’ve got a great idea,” Dr. Benton said, “how about you show Dr. Wright around for the rest of the morning, Sarah?”

  Sarah stopped. She should have seen this coming as soon as Dr. Benton had begun giving his excuses. The chief of the department was good at volunteering her time and there was no way she could get out of this without appearing rude. Besides, if Dr. Benton followed his normal course when he had an intern or new fellowship participant, she would be helping with a lot of Dr. Wright’s day-to-day orientation. She pivoted and turned back toward the two men and forced a friendly smile on her face. Her working relationship with all the staff was important and if she was going to be spending a lot of time with the new doctor she didn’t want to mess this one up, no matter how he made her feel.

  “Of course,” Sarah said. “I’m rounding right now, but I’d be glad to take you along with me.”

  “That would be great,” the younger doctor said as his face lit up with a smile that was too bright for Sarah to comprehend at this time of the morning.

  Sarah waited for him to catch up with her, and then started down the hallway toward the PCIC unit.

  “Are you from Houston, Dr. Wright?” she asked as she gave him a sideways glance, looking for anything that would help her remember where she might have seen him before. Maybe she was wrong. But still, there was something inside her that recognized this man.

  “Please, call me David,” he said. “No, I’m from Alabama, though I did my residency just east of here, in Beaumont.”

  “What was your residency in?” she asked. Maybe she’d seen him at one of the many state conferences she had attended.

  “It was in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, but they didn’t have a transplant program there so—” he held his arms up in the air, then shrugged “—here I am.”

  “Our pediatric transplant center is one of the best in the country as I’m sure you know. It’s always nice to see new doctors interested in the specialty,” she said.

  “Believe me, I’m very well aware of what a wonderful program you have here. I feel very lucky to have been given this opportunity with Dr. Benton. The residency in pediatric cardiac was great, but my main interest now is in transplantation. It’s where I think I can make a real difference,” he said. A shadow passed over his face, reminding her of a man from the past that she had never been able to forget. But then he blinked and the pain she had seen was gone.

  She was being ridiculous continuing on this path. He couldn’t be the man from the waiting room that day so long ago. David was much younger than the man she remembered.

  But still...for just a second those haunted eyes—the color of fresh green pastures shrouded in the thick gray mist of early morning—had reminded her of a time she didn’t want to remember. Not here. Not now.

  “Well, we’re glad to have you,” Sarah said politely. She couldn’t keep playing this game of detective. If she had met David somewhere she would eventually remember where. Till then she needed to concentrate on her job of helping him get acquainted with everything.

  She stopped at the closed doors to the unit and swiped her badge, then waited for the doors to open.

  They entered the unit and she headed straight to the nurses’ station where only the unit coordinator was in attendance.

  “Betsy, this is Dr. Wright. He’s starting a fellowship with Dr. Benton and I’m going to be showing him around the unit today.”

  “Hello, Dr. Wright,” Betsy greeted David, quickly taking the time to explain to him where the charts and miscellaneous equipment was kept in the unit.

  Sarah picked up the chart with the records that had come along with a baby girl that had been transferred there during the night, turning to David once Betsy had finished.

  “I want to start with a new patient we had flown in during the night. She was diagnosed at three days old with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after she became cyanotic. We have the results of the echocardiogram that was performed. It looks like the IV medications are working for now, but I want to see her
first and have a talk with her parents,” Sarah said as David joined her on her rounds through the unit.

  “I’m glad they caught it this early. I’ve seen cases where it’s only been diagnosed after the infant is critical and unstable,” David said as they stopped at the door of a room where a young mother stood over a sleeping infant.

  As they entered the room she saw a young man asleep on a cot that had been brought into the room as well, leaving her in no doubt that it had been a long night for this young family.

  “Ms. Lawrence?” she asked as she held out her hand to the young woman. Her eyes were red and damp and Sarah’s heart broke for the woman. She would never be able to forget the helplessness you felt as a mother unable to make your child whole again.

  “My name is Sarah and I’m a nurse practitioner with the thoracic-cardio group, and this is Dr. Wright.”

  She watched as David shook the woman’s hand and then led her to a group of chairs in the room.

  “Shall we sit down?” he asked the young woman who looked close to collapsing.

  “Let me wake my husband,” the young mother said. “And please call me Maggie.”

  The young mother bent over and whispered into her husband’s ear. When the couple joined them, Sarah began going over the tests that had been done on their daughter so far. Though she was sure the doctors had reviewed everything with them before their daughter had been transferred, Sarah knew that it was easy in these situations for parents to be overwhelmed with too much information. It was better to repeat the information they needed than to assume they had been informed.

  “So, the IV medications that they’ve started Breanna on are working?” John, the young father, asked, looking hopefully across the room where his newborn daughter lay.

  “For now, but it’s only a temporary fix. Breanna still needs surgery and there will be more surgeries necessary later,” David said.

  As David went on to explain the procedures that were needed and the many surgeries that would be necessary, Sarah found herself impressed with how understanding and patient he seemed to be with the parents’ questions and concerns.