The Surgeon's Christmas Baby

by Marin Thomas

  Luke took his time climbing down from the loft. “A marine recruiter came to our school at the beginning of the year,” he said, tugging on a pair of work gloves. “He made his job sound like fun. Is it?”

  “I wouldn’t use the word fun to describe my experience.”

  “Where were you stationed?”

  “I spent a month at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, before shipping out to Afghanistan.”

  “Did any of your friends get killed in Afghanistan?”

  Man, the kid was nosy. The doctors and nurses at the hospital tiptoed around the subject and pretended he’d spent time on an exotic island, not in a war-ravaged country. “Three of my friends were killed over there.”

  And the hell of it was Alonso had just saved their lives after a roadside bomb had taken out their Humvee. No one expected them to get blown to pieces in the recovery room when an Afghan medic-in-training detonated a bomb strapped to his chest.

  “I thought the war was over.”

  “It is, but there are still crazies running loose in the country.” Alonso didn’t want to talk about his military experience. “You almost done with that stall?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Grab another bale and finish this one.”

  Luke did as he was told. “You got a girlfriend?”

  “Don’t have time for one.” That was what he told his coworkers, but after everything he’d been through, he decided nothing good lasts, so it made no sense wasting his energy on a serious relationship.

  “Don’t you like girls?”

  “I like girls fine.” He chuckled. “You always so nosy?”

  “I guess. It’s just that this place is boring.”

  “What do you do to keep busy?”

  “Not much. My sister doesn’t like my friends.”

  Alonso’s mother hadn’t approved of his school friends but she hadn’t understood that a brainiac kid didn’t stand a chance in hell of surviving in the barrio if he didn’t have buddies to defend him. Alonso’s best friends had made sure he hadn’t been picked on or targeted by gangs.

  In the end it had been Cruz’s rebellious behavior that had got all three kicked out of school and enrolled in a special program to earn their GED. To this day Alonso believed he’d never have become a doctor if he hadn’t had the support of their teacher, Maria Alvarez—now Fitzgerald. Things had worked out for him and Vic. Not so much for Cruz—he’d landed in jail. “Maybe you should make new friends.”

  Luke ignored Alonso’s suggestion and asked, “If you’re a doctor, why are you hitchhiking? Don’t you have a car?”

  “I have a pickup back at my apartment in Albuquerque.” He pushed the wheelbarrow past Luke. “I guess I didn’t feel like driving.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  Luke wasn’t the only one who thought Alonso was an idiot. When he’d told his coworkers he’d needed a break from the ER they hadn’t expected him to hitchhike across New Mexico. “Exercise is good for the brain.”

  “Then, run on a treadmill.”

  Running in place didn’t work. After Alonso left Afghanistan and returned to the States, he’d believed he’d put all the death and destruction behind him. But more of the same had awaited him in the hospital. “You have any hobbies, kid?”

  “My dad taught me how to use a shotgun. I like shooting at targets.”

  Alonso caught Luke staring into space. “It’s tough losing both parents.”

  “It’s not that hard. My dad was a drunk.”

  Alonso had only just met the teen but he felt a special kinship with Luke. Alonso’s father had taken off before he’d entered kindergarten, and he wasn’t even sure if his old man was still alive. Once in a while he wondered what his life would have been like if his father had stuck around.

  Luke leaned against the side of the stall. “What about you? What did you do with your dad?”

  “My father wasn’t involved in my life.”

  “Did you do stuff with your mom?”

  “Not really. My mom worked two jobs. It was mostly just me and my sisters.”

  “Did you guys fight all the time?”

  “No.”

  Luke laughed. “Yeah, right. You were best friends.”

  “There were times when my sisters drove me nuts and I wanted to pick fights with them, but I didn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “One of them has asthma and if she gets upset she can’t breathe.” Alonso lost count of the times he or his mother had dialed 911 when Lea had trouble breathing. If they’d had health insurance his sister might have gotten the medicine and inhalers she’d needed to stay healthy, but too often her prescriptions went unfilled because there wasn’t any money to pay for them.

  “That must have sucked,” Luke said.

  What had sucked was being forced to stay home from school and take care of Lea, because his mother couldn’t miss work. After a while the school refused to excuse his absences and had expelled him.

  “How old is your sister?” Alonso asked.

  “Twenty-six. She thinks she can tell me what to do all the time.”

  “Are you talking about me?”

  Alonso glanced over his shoulder, surprised Hannah had sneaked up on them. He hadn’t heard her footsteps on the gravel drive.

  “It’s true,” Luke said. “You bully me all the time.”

  “Hey, I’m your guardian. I have to ride herd on you, or you’ll end up in a heap of trouble one day.”

  Hoping to prevent an argument, Alonso said, “We’re finished with the stalls. What other chores need to be done?”

  “Can you drive a tractor?” she asked.

  Luke rolled his eyes. “She wants you to cut the hay.”

  “If it doesn’t get cut soon, the cooler night temperatures will cause mold to grow and ruin the crop.”

  “I can handle a tractor,” Alonso said. He’d had the opportunity to drive different military vehicles while stationed in Afghanistan—how hard could a tractor be?

  “We’ve got a couple hours of daylight left. Enough time to cut half the field.”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll hook the side rake up to the tractor. I can follow you in the baler.” She glanced at her brother. “I need you to stack the bales as they exit the baler.”

  “Whatever.” Luke marched off.

  “I can put up with your gnarly attitude any day as long as you’re willing to help.” Hannah followed her brother out of the barn. Fifteen minutes later, the three of them stood in the driveway next to the equipment.

  “I’ll ride with Alonso in the tractor,” Hannah said. “Luke, you drive the baler out to the field. After I show Alonso which direction to cut the hay, I’ll take over driving the baler while Luke stacks the hay.”

  An hour later, Alonso was making his third turn around the perimeter of the field. Hannah followed at a distance, Luke stacking the square bales in neat sections on the flatbed.

  The work was monotonous but peaceful. Out here he didn’t have to worry about someone blowing himself up or a young gangbanger staggering into the ER with a bullet in his chest. Alonso checked the side mirrors and saw Luke signaling him. When the baler caught up, Hannah got out from behind the wheel and approached the tractor.

  “We’re losing daylight, so we’ll stop here. Thanks again for helping us out this afternoon.”

  “I enjoyed it.”

  “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?”

  “Why would I lie?”

  Hannah shouted over her shoulder, “Hey, Luke! Alonso likes driving the tractor.”

  “He’s crazy!”

  She smiled. “Oh, well, it was worth a shot.”

  Alonso’s breath caught in his throat. This was the first time Hannah’s eyes sparkle
d, and he caught himself returning her smile.

  “We’ll leave the baler out here and take the tractor to the house. Let’s head home and eat.” Hannah drove while Luke and Alonso crowded in beside her.

  “You don’t really like cutting hay,” Luke said.

  “Sure I do.”

  “I bet it’s not as exciting as being in the military.”

  “Depends on your definition of excitement.” Alonso despised movies that glorified war and made superheroes out of men and women who were ordinary people marching off to work each day. “But I get where all this might become a little boring if you grew up with it.”

  Luke poked Hannah’s shoulder. “My sister loves working seven days a week all year long. But I don’t want to be a rancher.”

  Hannah kept her eyes on the path. The rigid set of her shoulders told Alonso that she’d had this conversation before with her brother.

  Alonso sympathized with the teen. He doubted Luke had had much excitement in his life. His parents were no longer alive and his sister was all work and no play.

  Hannah parked the tractor by the barn. “We’re having leftovers for supper.”

  “Your chili’s gross.” Luke stuck his finger in his mouth and made a gagging noise. “My sister’s cooking sucks.”

  “If you don’t like the chili, then make your own meal.”

  “Why don’t I take everyone out to eat?” Alonso said. There had to be a fast-food restaurant within ten miles of the ranch.

  “You’re not buying us dinner,” Hannah said.

  “I don’t care what you guys do. I’m microwaving a frozen pizza.” Luke hopped down from the tractor.

  “Do you like your chili over rice or plain?” she asked Alonso.

  “I’d rather take you out to eat. Save the chili for tomorrow.”

  Hannah fought a smile. “Luke’s being a stinker. My cooking isn’t that bad.”

  Alonso laughed. “Let me take you out.”

  “There’s a restaurant down the road with a great view.”

  “That works for me.”

  “You’re welcome to use the shower in the house.” She walked off and it took a whole lot more effort than it should have to pull his gaze from her swaying hips. It was a toss-up as to whether he was more excited about getting clean or sharing dinner with a pretty girl.

  Chapter Three

  This isn’t a date.

  No matter how many times the voice in her head repeated the sentence Hannah couldn’t stop feeling a little bit excited about going out to dinner with Alonso. She hadn’t been on a date since she’d returned Seth’s engagement ring two years ago. She’d been so busy with the ranch and chasing after Luke that she hadn’t had the time or the energy to care about her love life.

  Sadly, she’d enjoyed the three short months she’d been engaged to Seth—before she’d discovered his motive for marrying her. Seth had been her first serious relationship and he’d spoiled her. He’d taken her dancing, to the movies and brought her flowers for no reason, and she’d soaked up the attention. For a brief while she’d believed she’d found the perfect partner to go through life with. But it hadn’t been real for Seth. He’d led her on and had made a fool of her. The experience had left a bitter taste in her mouth and Hannah wasn’t eager to rush into another relationship. But there was nothing wrong with enjoying an evening with a good-looking man.

  It’s not smart to go off alone with a man you barely know.

  Gut instinct said Alonso was harmless. He was a surgeon—surgeons healed people; they didn’t hurt them. Besides, she could take care of herself.

  She ran a brush through her long hair, then divided the strands into three sections and braided it. After buttoning her Western blouse and pulling on a pair of fresh jeans, she slipped her feet into cowboy boots, then spritzed perfume on her neck and studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked nice but not desperate. Good.

  When she entered the kitchen, Luke was eating pizza at the table. “I want to get my car from Connor’s.”

  She thought of reminding her brother that the car belonged to her and she only let him borrow it, but she didn’t want to start another fight. “I’ll drive you out there tomorrow.”

  “Can I do something later if I can get a friend to pick me up?”

  “No.” Was he crazy? “I want you to stay in and go to bed early.” He needed a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow they had to finish cutting the hay and repair the broken fence.

  “Where are you and Alonso going to eat?”

  “I’m taking him to the Red Bluff Diner.” That Luke gave up arguing with her over going out with his friends was odd, but maybe he was more exhausted than he let on. “Keep your phone handy in case I need to get hold of you.”

  The creak of the bathroom door drifted down the hallway, then a moment later Alonso entered the kitchen, wearing clean jeans and cowboy boots—not the hiking boots he’d had on earlier. His tight black T-shirt showed off his muscular chest, and a hint of his tattoo peeked below the hem of his sleeve. And the beard was gone. Now he looked more like a medical doctor—the ones you saw in TV shows and movies. The only real-life doctor she knew was seventy-four-year-old Doc Snyder, who ran the clinic in town.

  Hannah took the pen and notepad she kept on the counter and handed it to Alonso. “Would you mind writing down your cell phone number in case we have an emergency?” She ignored Luke’s snort.

  “Sure.” He did as she asked, then he removed his wallet from his back pocket. “Keep this business card.” He handed it to Hannah.

  Juan Alarez Ranch For Boys.

  Alonso grinned at Luke. “If we don’t come back, call that number. Riley Fitzgerald’s been a friend of mine for a long time.”

  “I told you my sister thinks you’re a serial killer,” Luke said.

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “If you two are finished making fun of me, then—”

  Alonso’s cell phone rang and he checked the number. “Speak of the devil... Will you excuse me a minute? I have to take this call.

  “Hey, Riley.” Alonso retreated down the hallway and stopped by the front door.

  “Didn’t I warn you about ignoring Maria’s phone calls?” Riley chuckled.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.”

  “Apparently not too busy. Maria phoned the hospital and they said you’d taken a leave of absence. What’s going on?”

  Alonso swallowed a groan. “Everything’s fine. I needed a break from the ER, that’s all.”

  “Why don’t you visit the ranch? We could use an extra hand with the boys.”

  “Thanks for the invite. I’ll think about it.” With all the bad in the world, Riley’s call reminded Alonso that there were a few good people left who gave a damn about helping the less fortunate.

  “Don’t know if Maria told you or not, but we built a new medical clinic at the ranch.”

  “Don’t tell me she’s putting Band-Aids on the kids in addition to teaching school.”

  “Not anymore. We hired a full-time nurse. As a matter of fact, she’s married to Cruz.”

  “Cruz is out—” Alonso glanced down the hallway, making sure he was alone “—of prison?”

  “I would have mentioned it sooner, but I thought Cruz might want to be the one to tell you and Victor.”

  He wasn’t surprised his friend hadn’t contacted him to let him know he’d been paroled. Alonso had visited Cruz in prison before he’d headed off to college. He was ashamed to admit that he hadn’t thought of Cruz often during the past twelve years—he’d been too wrapped up in his own life and struggles.

  “Cruz and Sara married a month ago. He’s mentoring the boys and teaching them rodeo.”

  “Sounds as if things are looking up for him.” Alonso wished his life was going as well.
/>   “He’d love to see you.”

  Alonso wasn’t so sure about that. He’d only heard about the night Cruz had been arrested, and he still felt guilty that he hadn’t gone along with him and Vic when they’d confronted the gang leader who’d been banging Vic’s sister. Maybe if he had been there, he could have done something to defuse the situation and Cruz wouldn’t have ended up in prison.

  “What are you doing now?” Riley asked.

  “Sightseeing.” That was the truth. Since leaving Albuquerque he’d seen a lot of rural sights.

  “You sure everything’s all right?”

  Riley had the uncanny ability to sense when Alonso or one of his friends was lying. “I’m fine.”

  “If you say so. Be sure to give Maria a call soon.”

  “I will. Tell her I said hello.”

  “Will do. Keep in touch.”

  Alonso disconnected the call, then returned to the kitchen. “See you later, Luke.” He held the door open for Hannah, then they walked to the pickup. “The days are warm but the nights are growing cooler,” he said.

  “I wonder when we’ll get our first dusting of snow?”

  That was the extent of their conversation until they reached the highway and curiosity got the best of Alonso. “You and Luke don’t have any other siblings or relatives to help with the ranch?”

  “It’s just the two of us.”

  “I have two sisters. Carla lives in Phoenix. She’s been divorced twice but doesn’t have any kids. Lea’s married with two boys. Recently my mother moved to Santa Fe to be closer to Lea and the grandkids.”

  “And your father?”

  “He took off when I was little.”

  “Do you keep in touch with your sisters?”

  “We talk every few months.” He’d phoned his sisters when he’d returned from Afghanistan but had passed up their invites to visit. He wasn’t ready to answer their questions about his time in the military.

  Hannah slowed the truck when she passed a fifty-five-mile-per-hour speed sign. “Red Bluff Diner isn’t far from here.” The road forked and she drove west. “I recommend the bison steak fajitas.”