by Patt Marr
She opened the door to Exam One, looking forward to the best part of this job, playing with a healthy baby while she did a routine exam. Noah’s eyes met hers, as if he were asking if she was all right.
She was. Definitely. Having a nurse who was this in tune with her was a gift, and the jitters of attraction for her good-looking male nurse would soon wear off.
He handed over the patient folder, and their routine began. She greeted the parent while Noah prepared the baby’s shots. He left to see their next patient while Beth scanned the baby’s folder, answered an assortment of questions from the first-time mother and had a great time doing the exam. What a sweet baby! She carried him to the front desk before giving him back to his mom.
Vanessa scheduled the little one’s next visit. Mona was still talking on the phone, and Noah was missing, probably with the next patient in Exam Room Two. Everyone seemed to be on familiar ground.
“Dr. Beth, line two,” Vanessa said. “It’s your dad.”
Beth glanced at her watch and started toward her office. She had time to take the call there. As seldom as she talked to her father, she would like the privacy. Maybe he was calling to invite her to dinner. They were both alone, now that her mother was with Aunt Jackie in Tahoe.
“Hi, Dad!” she said, wondering if he remembered his first day here so long ago.
“Beth, I called to say thank-you.”
“You’re welcome, but for what?” She was the one who should be thanking him for the call.
“I know the pressure you’re under, and I know you’re at the clinic because Dad wants you there. That was very good of you, Beth.”
The words were as unexpected as the way his quiet voice pulled on her heartstrings. Her dad was BMC’s star, a thoracic surgeon who put his patients first, but he’d made time for her today. That was a big deal.
“Grandpa’s gone out of his way to make things easy for me,” she said, putting a smile in her voice, as always, trying to be so charming that her dad wouldn’t rush off. “I think it’s going to be—”
“Beth, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to say your mother and I are very proud of you.” With that, he disconnected so quickly that neither of them said goodbye.
She glanced at her watch again. The call lasted ten seconds. At most. He hadn’t mentioned when she might see him. She hadn’t gotten to ask how her mother was doing—if he knew. The call was over so quickly, it had hardly begun. Why had he even bothered to call?
Her heart was heavy as she walked up front. There was a beautiful peace lily with a witty note from her cousin Collin, the anesthesiologist. It made her smile, but she couldn’t shake off the disappointment from her dad’s call.
Noah said, “The little guy in Two is ready for you.”
As soothing as warm butterscotch, Noah’s deep voice settled her uneasy spirit, and she felt…better. Just like that. She looked up at him, wondering if he knew.
His eyes lingered on hers as if he might.
“Dr. Beth,” Vanessa said anxiously, “your uncle, Dr. Charles Brennan, is in the lobby.”
One look through the window to the lobby explained the panic in Vanessa’s voice. Her womanizing uncle was flirting with the attractive mother of one of her patients.
Beth hated to have a patient wait while she visited with a family member, but she hustled to the lobby as fast as she could.
“Hey, little Beth!” her uncle said. “I love what you’ve done to the place.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking his arm and walking him away from her lobby. “It was sweet of you to stop by, Uncle Charlie.”
He leaned down and said softly, “Dad ordered us to roll out the red carpet.”
That could explain why her dad bothered to call.
“This business with Mona bad-mouthing the whole family just won’t do. Since she’s made no secret that she blames us for Keith leaving, it’s a good idea for her to know we’re all behind you. Beth, why won’t you let Dad give her the boot?”
She wished they weren’t taking Mona so seriously. “I’ve become a praying person, uncle. I think this will pass, and we’ll get along. And I don’t want the talk around here to be that Grandpa’s precious granddaughter cost a loyal employee her job.”
“Beth, listen to your old uncle Charlie. Life’s too short to put up with a bad-tempered woman.”
Maybe that was why her uncle was on his fourth marriage.
“How is it going with Mona today?” he asked.
Since there was a good possibility that whatever she told her talkative uncle Charlie would filter to the grapevine, why not give him a report to repeat?
With a robot’s mechanical phrasing, she said, “Every-one has been won-der-ful to me. I look forward to a long re-la-tion-ship with my staff.”
“What?” he asked, chuckling. “Give it to me again.”
She repeated the statement the same way.
“I take it this is your official statement.”
“That you might want to share with…everyone.”
He burst out laughing. “It wouldn’t hurt, would it?”
“Probably not.”
Sobering, he said, “You know, there was always something fishy going on between Mona and Keith. Dad called her the day after Keith revealed his retirement and offered her an attractive retirement package. The way she complains all the time, he thought she’d jump at the chance to get out of here, but she turned Dad down flat. That makes me nervous. If you insist on keeping her, at least watch your back, Beth.”
“Isn’t that a little dramatic?”
“Maybe. But I’m glad that you have Noah. He’s a good man. He’ll look out for you.”
“So is Noah my nurse or my bodyguard?” she teased.
“Whatever you want, sweetheart. Whatever you want.”
Unfortunately, that was a blank check Beth couldn’t afford to cash.
Mona felt as if she were going to explode. Beth Brennan’s first day had been a disaster, with the Brennan clan and a number of other senior BMC staff traipsing in and out all day.
Mona knew who was behind it all. Beth’s grandfather, that’s who! The old coot.
The final straw was having him arrive moments ago, just as the last patient left. This family and their big show of unity!
She watched the old man shuffle up and down the hall, leaning heavily on his cane, putting his stamp of approval on everything from Beth’s ridiculous zoo to her ridiculous hats. Little Bethie was the old man’s pride and joy, that was for sure. And she acted as if he were the treasure of her life. It made Mona want to heave.
Clearly, if there was any hope of getting Keith back in the office where they could be together, it was up to her. She would not stand idly by. Neither could she endure this horrible ache of never seeing him, of never hearing his voice. Keith was her rock, the very cornerstone of her existence.
For his sake and for hers, Beth Brennan had to go.
Chapter Five
Noah couldn’t remember when he’d driven home on the freeway during rush hour with a smile on his face. He rubbed his hand over his cheeks, not minding one bit that his smiling muscles felt overworked or that this might become a chronic condition.
His new boss had a lighthearted attitude that made a person forget how tough life could be. Every time her mouth tilted up at the corners for that one particular smile, he couldn’t help but smile himself.
He needn’t have worried about Beth knowing her stuff. She obviously had good training and knew what she was doing. He loved the way she handled the patients and their parents. She hadn’t talked down to any of them, and she’d gone out of her way to make them feel safe in her care.
Admittedly, he’d assumed she got the job at BMC because of family connections, but today he’d seen why the chief placed such confidence in his granddaughter.
The only problem with working with her was going to be space, or the lack of it. Doctors’ offices were clusters of small spaces. There was the front office, the exam rooms, the
storage room—none of which needed to be very large, but when he was with Beth, and that was about half of the time, she was never more than a few feet away.
When Vanessa had taken those pictures of them, Beth was so close he could feel her breath on his face. Then he’d realized she could probably feel his. If that wouldn’t make a guy self-conscious, what would? He’d worked with female docs before, but he’d never wondered if he needed a breath mint.
The next freeway exit led to Loma Verde, the little community he’d called home since he’d gotten his first job in the Cedar Hills Hospital ER. Taking the exit, he switched into daddy mode as he did every workday. From now until tomorrow morning, when he would walk Kendi to the babysitter next door, his life would be all about her, though she wasn’t supposed to realize that.
As important as it was that Kendi not feel neglected, unloved or in want, it was just as important that she not feel smothered or burdened by being the one person he loved. People who had families took them for granted, but he and Merrilee had never done that. They’d been too long without love not to appreciate what they had.
He turned into their neighborhood and thought that he and Merrilee had chosen a good place for Kendi to grow up. Each small ranch-style house had started with the same floor plan and the same exterior thirty years ago, but families had made them their own with different treatments for their front doors or shutters at the windows. His neighbors were working people who took pride in keeping their homes looking nice.
His house had come with a driveway, a carport and green shutters, which Merrilee had promptly changed to pink. She’d grown pink flowers, too, at the front door and around back, by their little patio. The yard was small and the grass was sparse, as dry as it was in Los Angeles. People in this neighborhood didn’t spend their money on sprinkler systems and fancy lawns.
When Merrilee was gone, he and Kendi had missed her so much they could barely make it through the day, but they’d finally developed their own routine. When he pulled into their driveway, Kendi would be standing in the window of Harlene’s house next door, watching for him. As soon as she spotted him, she would pop out of the front door, but wait until his car door opened. When he stepped out of his car, and she knew for sure it was him, his beautiful little girl would fly across the yard and jump into his arms.
That was the best part of his day.
He turned onto his street, and there she was, his little girl, waiting at the window. He got out of the car, and she came running, her long blond hair streaming and her yellow dress fluttering against tanned little legs.
“Dad-dy!” she cried, her sweet face as happy as if he’d been gone for months.
He swept her up in his arms and twirled her around, loving the sound of her delighted giggle. “How’s my girl?”
“Tee-riff-ic!” That was his Kendi. She saw the sunny side of life just like her mother had.
“Did you and Harlene have fun today?”
“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked, bending her forehead to his. “Harlene didn’t want to go to the park today. She’s supposed to take a walk every day, but she didn’t, Daddy.”
His daughter had a little problem, thinking she was the boss of the world. Rules were her thing. She made it a point to play by them, and when someone else didn’t, his baby turned tattletale. They were working on that.
“Harlene said it was too hot to walk, but I don’t think so. Do you?”
“It probably felt too hot to Harlene. She doesn’t have a cool yellow sundress like you.” He planted a kiss on Kendi’s neck, so happy to see her that he couldn’t bring himself to teach manners just now. “Remember that Harlene doesn’t feel good sometimes.”
“But I reminded her to take her med’cine.”
“Good for you.” If allowed, his seven-year-old could probably have given the diabetic woman her insulin injections. Kendi knew what Harlene was supposed to eat and not eat, what the numbers meant when Harlene did a finger-prick test and how to call 911 in an emergency. Harlene said she ought to be paying Noah the babysitter money instead of taking it.
“Daddy, it was bor-ing, watching Harlene’s TV shows.”
“Did you do your homework?”
She cocked her head to one side and gave him a reproving look. “I al-ways do my homework.”
“That was a dumb question, wasn’t it?”
“You aren’t supposed to say dumb.”
She had him on that one.
“It can make people upset if you say dumb.”
“Since your homework’s done, shall we go to the park?”
“Yes!” She beamed at him, such joy in her blue-violet eyes that he was putty in her hands.
“As soon as I change out of my scrubs, okay?”
“I’ll help you, Daddy.”
That was his girl, ever the helper. It taxed his creative juices, thinking of ways that she could. “I have something for you to carry.” He reached into the car and brought out the long box of cookie-flowers.
“Whoa! That’s a big box,” she said, her eyes big.
He opened the lid for her to see what was inside.
“Ah!” she gasped in delight. “Cookies? Like flowers?”
“Dr. Beth sent these to you.”
“She did? Because I made her the sign?”
“Actually, she had this present for you even before she saw your sign.”
“Oh!” Kendi was almost speechless with pleased surprise. “I should make her a picture every day.”
“But not to get a present every day, right?”
She gave him a reproving look. “No, Dad-dee. Because she likes pictures. Do you think she would like another rainbow?”
Kendi loved to color rainbows. “Do you know what?” he asked. “Dr. Beth had somebody paint a huge rainbow on our office wall.”
“Oh! Really?”
“And she had them paint Noah’s ark on the wall. We have two elephants, two giraffes, two of everything. There’s an aquarium with two orange fish, two blue fish and two yellow fish.”
“And you’re Noah,” Kendi crooned, catching on quickly. “But you need hair on your chin, Daddy.”
“You think I should grow a beard?”
She cocked her head to one side, considering. “Would it tickle when you kiss me?”
“Probably. Do you want a cookie?”
“Yes!” Her eyes lit as she reached for one, but her little hand stopped in midair. “They’re too pretty to eat, Daddy.”
He laughed to himself and retrieved the bag of chocolate cookies. “Dr. Beth thought you might say that, and she sent these for you to eat first.”
“Cool! Can I have one now?”
He tore open the bag as an answer. She reached in for one and crunched down on a chocolate bite. A good parent might have waited until after dinner to let her have the treat, but why should a healthy child wait for something so good, at least once in a while?
They entered the house by the kitchen door, and he lifted her to the stool at the counter. She could have scrambled up there herself, but why miss the chance of holding her again and stealing another kiss, one on the ear that made her giggle.
She reached for a second cookie.
“Want some milk with that?” he asked, getting her yellow glass from the cupboard.
She nodded, her mouth full of cookie.
He helped himself to a cookie and poured more milk.
“Did Dr. Beth like my sign, Dad?”
“Yep. She loved it.” Kendi had just started calling him “Dad” sometimes. She seemed to think it was big-girl talk, but if he had his way, she would never grow up.
“Did she hang my sign up?”
“Yep. Right in the middle of the bulletin board where everyone could see it.”
“Did she see her name on the picture?”
“She did, and she saw yours. She said that Kendra was a cool name.” He reached for a second cookie.
She eyed the bag of cookies and looked up at him. Two was usually the limit.
“One more?” he offered.
“Yep.” She dug in the bag. “One more and no more.”
He wouldn’t mind one more himself. Popping one in his mouth, he headed for his bedroom. She knew his routine. As comfortable as scrubs were, he preferred shorts and a T-shirt when he was home. Shutting the door, he made the switch quickly as routine demanded. If he dawdled, she’d be rapping on the door, wanting to come in.
“Dad?” she said with a rap on the door. They had a strict closed-door policy. “I’m ready to help.”
He opened the door, and she scanned his length, checked out what he had on and went to his closet, coming back with his running shoes. “You need your shoes, Dad.”
They were heavy for her to carry, but it made her happy, being in charge and telling him what to do. “Are you going to change?” he asked, knowing the answer.
“Why?” she asked as if he were crazy.
“Some little girls like to wear shorts or jeans when they go to the park.”
“Not me. I L-O-V-E, love dresses!”
So had her mother. And perfume and jewelry and her closet full of shoes. Kendi was just like her except Merrilee had been a brunette. While he put on his sneakers, Kendi twirled at the foot of his bed until she lost her balance and her long hair swirled across her face.
There must have been blondes somewhere in his gene pool or Merrilee’s, but neither of them knew enough about their families to talk about it. He’d spent a lot of time, wondering about his real family, but that had changed when Kendi was born.
Loving her as he did, he couldn’t understand his own parents. If they’d chosen not to raise him—or couldn’t—why hadn’t they signed for him to be adopted by people who would have given him a permanent home?
Beth parked her VW in the Cedar Hills Hospital physicians’ lot and made her way to the pediatric wing, a route so familiar she could have managed it with her eyes shut. As a resident, she’d practically lived here, but tonight she only had evening rounds.