“Good morning.” He offered her a slight lift of his mouth.
She couldn’t get over how sensual his lips were. No man had the right to have such a sexy mouth. She’d felt nothing for a man for so long it made her wary of him noticing something so personal. She didn’t make a habit of paying attention to a man on that level...but for some reason he drew her. She wanted to know more about him. That was a new sensation. Maybe it was just curiosity because he was a stranger. “Did you get some rest last night?”
“I did. Much-needed rest.” He fell into step beside her as they walked to the door.
Shay chuckled. “You didn’t find anything exciting to do?”
“Nope. Didn’t even go looking for something.”
That surprised her. Somehow, she’d gotten the impression he wasn’t a homebody type.
The rest of the week continued much the same way. She had to admit she looked forward to finding him waiting for her each morning. It had been a long time since someone had shown that type of concern for her. She missed it. Best of all Matt worked every bit as hard as she did and to her even greater surprise hadn’t questioned her authority since the first day.
Friday evening Shay started out of the clinic parking lot when she noticed Matt hadn’t started his car yet. She waited, watching in the rearview mirror for him to back out of his parking space. Instead, he stepped out of the car shaking his head.
She reversed her car and rolled down the passenger-side window. “Need a ride?”
Matt shook his head with a look of disgust on his face. He slammed the car door closed. “Yeah, it looks like I do. As skilled as I might be as a doctor, I have zero mechanic skills.”
“Can’t be good at everything. Come on, I happen to know someone who has great mechanic skills.”
He climbed into her passenger seat, making the space feel much smaller. “We’ll stop by Ralph’s and ask him to come tow it to his place. Ralph’s is the local garage in town. He’s actually very good.”
“Ralph’s it is. The car is brand-new. I don’t know what could be wrong.”
“It’s nice. We don’t see many of those around here.” She drove out of the parking lot. His attention remained on the road as if it made him nervous being a passenger.
“Is your husband or boyfriend going to say anything about you riding around with some man?”
“My husband died three years ago and there’s no boyfriend.”
“I’m sorry. About your husband, not the boyfriend. That didn’t come out right.”
Shay giggled. She rather liked Matt being flustered. It was nice to know he could be after seeing him always so sure of himself. “It’s okay.”
As they reached town, she pulled into the lot of an old gas station. Cars lined the area.
Shay got out of the car. “Ralph should be around here somewhere.”
Matt joined her as she strolled through the wide and high roll door. Inside she called, “Ralph?”
“Yeah.” The muffled sound came from the back of the building.
She followed it. “Ralph, where are you?”
“Shay, is that you?” came a gruff voice.
Matt shook his head. “Do you know everyone?”
She grinned and shrugged. “Around here? Mostly. That’s what happens when you live in the same place all your life.” She continued around a car until she could see legs sticking out from under it.
Ralph rolled out on a dolly he lay on and looked up at her. “Shay, girl, how’re you doin’?”
“Great, Uncle Ralph.”
“Uncle Ralph?” Matt murmured beside her.
Ralph scrambled to his feet, picking up a rag and wiping off his hands. He eyed Matt suspiciously, studying him closely. “And who is this? I hope he’s better than that last guy.”
“Uncle Ralph! This is Dr. Matt Chapman. Uncle Henry asked him to come help me out for a few weeks while I look for another doctor for the clinic. His car wouldn’t start. It’s parked at the clinic. Do you think you could go and check it out? Tow it in if you can’t get it started.”
“Sure thing. It’ll be a couple of days before I could get to it if it needs a part.”
Matt pulled a face.
Shay turned to him. “Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up and take you home each day.”
Matt crammed his hands in his pockets. “That seems like a lot of trouble. I can just rent a car.”
She briefly placed her hand on his arm. “I don’t mind giving you a ride. It’s the least I can do for a visitor.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that. I hate to put you to so much trouble.”
Shay smiled at him. “Hey, that’s what we do around here. Help friends out.”
A baffled look came over Matt’s face before he fished around in his pocket for his keys. “I appreciate that.”
“Thanks, Uncle Ralph.”
“Sure, Shay, girl.” He turned to Matt. “You better be nice to Shay. She’s a special one.”
Matt looked taken aback. “Uh...yeah, sure.”
Shay colored pink with mortification. There was nothing like being overprotected. She’d lived through the humiliation of being the topic of conversation when the town had found out about what John had done. Over time it had turned to protecting her. They wouldn’t let her be hurt by anyone again.
Back in her car, Shay turned out of the gas station and headed through town.
Matt looked back at the station with a perplexed frown. “What was that all about?”
“I’m sorry about that. It’s old history. Nothing to do with you.” He glanced at her. But thankfully he changed the subject.
“Where’re we going?”
She glanced at him. “I’m taking you home.”
His brows rose. “You didn’t even ask me where I live.”
Shay smirked. “I’ve been to Uncle Henry’s hundreds of times.”
“I forget you are family.”
“How did the two of you become such good friends?” She shifted lanes and headed toward the university.
“I think he recognized someone eager to learn who needed a father figure.”
What an odd statement. She looked at his profile for a moment before she had to turn her attention back to driving. Not sure how to respond, she said, “Uncle Henry is a nice guy.”
“He made a real difference in my life. Still does.”
Shay glanced at him. “How do you find living in Jackson?”
“I like it. I can get around much quicker than I’m used to. Or at least I could until my car wouldn’t run. Less traffic I have to admit is nice. Even the pace at the clinic is slower, even though we stay busy. There’s a different feel.”
“It’s nice to know we have some charms.” She grinned.
“Charms. That’s a nice way of putting it. I’ve lived all my life in one large city or another. I’ve never thought of them as having charms.”
“Every place has good attributes and bad, I’d guess.” She made a left turn.
He looked at her. “And what would you say Lewisville’s attributes are?”
“Love and acceptance.” She’d had them, then questioned if they were gone, to soon learn they had never left.
“That’s nice.” A sadness filled his voice.
Her eyes met his. Had he not had love and acceptance in his life? “I’ll say that living in the same place from childhood means that people know more about you than you might want them to.”
“I’m not sure I’d like that. It makes me uncomfortable to know people know where I live without me even telling them. Do you mind so many knowing your business?”
She’d lived the last few years feeling humiliated as the center of gossip. It wasn’t until she’d started devoting her time and energy to building a clinic in the Lewisville area that she’d started hearing less about her past
and more about the good she was doing. “It shows that the townsfolk of Lewisville care about each other.”
“You didn’t exactly answer the question and I won’t push. Even with the good and bad it’s nice to know someone cares.”
Had he felt unwanted in some place by someone?
* * *
A week later Matt looked out the car window as Shay made a right turn onto his street.
“Tell me, have a Ms. Gladys and Ms. Adriana been fighting over you?” she asked.
He’d had a few women aggressively come after him, but his seventy-something neighbors had taken it to a whole new level.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it fighting over me, but I’ll say I’ve got a freezer full of casseroles.”
Shay chuckled. He liked the sound. “I’m not surprised. There’s always been competition between the two of them. I think they’ve been competing for the same boys since they were in elementary school. Uncle Henry eats it up when he’s home. Says it’s good for a bachelor’s soul to still have women after him.”
“And here I was thinking I was special.” He’d not always felt that way. Most of his life he’d worried if he had been good enough. Apparently, Jenna hadn’t thought so. His stepfather had made him feel the same.
While Shay drove down the street, he studied all the well-kept yards. All of them looked neat and tidy except for his. He winced. He never before felt a need to keep up with his neighbors. But at this moment, shame filled him. Hell, he hadn’t even known any of them before coming to Jackson.
“Apparently, we’ve been keeping you so busy you can’t get your grass cut.”
His chin lowered to his chest. “Something like that. In my defense it has been cut once since I moved in, but I didn’t do it. I just came home, and it was done. No one left me a note or bill.”
Shay laughed. “It’s our way of saying welcome and also to remind you to take care of your yard.”
“Sort of like a backhanded compliment.”
“Something like that.” She pulled into his drive. “Do you not have a lawnmower?”
He gave her a chagrined look, not meeting her eyes. “It’s more like I’ve never mowed grass before. I don’t know anything about a lawnmower.”
She brought the car to a jerking stop and turned to look at him with her mouth open. “You’ve never mowed a yard?”
He winced. “I’m not sure whether I should be ashamed or glad, but no, I haven’t.”
Her eyes were wide with pure disbelief. “How’s that possible?”
Both his brows rose. “If you pay to have it done, or don’t have a yard.”
“You’ve really lived a sheltered life.” Shay shook her head. “I guess if you lived in an apartment all your life you could have never mowed grass, or if you were rich enough to pay someone. Which are you?”
“Mostly living in an apartment.”
“Around here, we have to cut grass.” She pulled farther up in the drive. “Would you like me to show you what to do?”
“I would be grateful. I think my neighbors would be as well.” He should have been embarrassed, but for some reason he liked the idea of Shay showing him such a skill.
“Today, Dr. Chapman, you’ll learn something new. You’ll have an experience to talk about when you leave Lewisville.” Pride and humor filled her words.
He studied her pert nose and sparkling eyes. Matt suspected he’d remember more than how to mow grass when he got to Chicago. “I guess I will.”
She turned off the engine. “Where’s the mower?”
“I saw one in the shed.” He climbed out of the car.
Shay followed him to a small building behind the house. He opened the door and pulled out the push mower. She stepped up beside him like he had done during the emergency. Here she had far more confidence than he did.
“Pay close attention,” she instructed. “I don’t want you to miss anything, Doctor.”
He moved in closer. “Shay, you’re enjoying this far too much. I do have a fragile ego.”
“I doubt that. I’ve just never known someone who has never mowed grass, not even once.”
“I can’t be that rare.” His ego in some areas could be weaker than he might let on.
“Okay, now I may be making fun of you.” A silly grin covered her mouth.
I’d like to kiss that grin. Wow. Those thoughts were better left alone. “Thank you for at least seeing it my way.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
Her look turned serious. “Let me start over. Would you like me to show you how to start the mower and how to use it?”
He looked around at the calf-high grass then at the other houses’ yards. “Please. I think Ms. Gladys and Ms. Adriana would appreciate it if I learned.”
Shay smiled before she turned back to the machine. “Okay, the first thing we need to do is check to see if there’s enough oil. You never want to run the engine without there being enough oil in it.” She opened a little top and looked inside before closing it.
“Oil. Got it.”
“Now we need to see if there’s enough gas.” Shay turned another top and checked inside. “There’s plenty of gas.” She looked around in the shed and pointed. “There’s a can if you need more gas.”
He cocked his head locating the red plastic can. “Okay.”
“The next step is to start it. This can be tricky if it hasn’t run in a while. Pump this.” She pushed a button in three times. “This is the choke. Now pull this bar up and hold it. Then pull the cord.” She reached over.
He stopped her and pulled the cord. The machine coughed. Matt let the cord go back in and pulled again. The mower roared to life. He stepped close to her and said into her ear, “I think I can take it from here.”
Shay stiffened.
He held the bar down. Shay stepped away from him sweeping an arm out, indicating for him to go to it. He made one pass around the yard and came back to her.
As the mower rattled to a stop, he grinned. “Nothing to it.”
“Says the man who didn’t mow his grass ’cause he didn’t know anything about a lawnmower.”
He nodded. “Point taken.”
“I think you’ve got it from here, so I’d better go.” She glanced at the house next door where the curtain had been pulled back and Ms. Gladys watched them. “You might get a cake out of this.”
He gave the older woman a wave and the curtain dropped back. “I guess I’ll be the talk of the street because you had to show me how to start the mower.”
She placed a hand on his forearm. “You’ll survive. You’ve already become a hero around here anyway.”
“How’s that?” Matt met her gaze.
“The word gets out. By now everyone knows of your work at the clinic. I bet they can all tell you about what happened with Mr. Clayton.”
His eyes narrowed. “How would they know that?”
“One of Ms. Gladys’s nephews works at the hospital. I’m sure one of the nurses has reported back.”
“Oh.” He glanced toward Ms. Gladys’s again. “Anyway, thanks for the lawnmower instructions and not making more fun of me than you did. I’ve rarely felt so inept in my life, but I did about the mower. I’m also indebted to you for taxiing me around. Hopefully your uncle Ralph will have my car done next week.”
She smiled. “Not a problem. I’m glad I could help. I hope your self-esteem is still intact.”
“It has been shaken but I think I will recover.”
Shay grinned. “If you get really good at mowing and you like doing it you can always cut Ms. Gladys’s and Ms. Adriana’s yards as well as the other neighbors’. They’ll love you forever. That’ll help rebuild your ego.”
After the beating it had taken over the years, he could use some of that admiration. What would it be like to have a close relationship with his neighbors? With Shay?
CHAPTER THREE
ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON of the next week, Shay stepped out of the examination room of the clinic in search of Matt. She could use his expertise with this case. Looking one way then the other, she spotted him at the reception desk talking to Sheree.
He must have sensed her need because he looked in her direction. As she started toward him his forehead wrinkled and his appearance darkened with concern. He spoke to Sheree and walked toward Shay. “What’s wrong?”
“I’d like to get your opinion on a patient.”
His shoulders eased. “Sure. What’s the issue?”
“Joey is eight. He had a broken arm last year. Now he’s complaining of aches and pains. I thought with your background you might have some ideas.” Shay sure hoped so. She was out of them.
Matt’s voice lowered. “Have you considered abuse?”
Shay shook her head. “I’ve known his mother, Beth, all my life. She would never abuse him.”
“What about the father?”
Shay stiffened. “Him either. I don’t want to go down that road until I have exhausted all other ideas. Something else has to be going on.”
Matt gave her a firm look. “I have to warn you I will do what has to be done if I find out differently.”
“You won’t, but if abuse turns out to be the issue, I’ll handle it. I know the law and my duty.”
“Okay then, let’s see the patient.” He stepped back so she could open the door to the examination room.
Shay entered and Matt joined her, closing the door behind them.
“Beth, this is Dr. Chapman. He’s an orthopedic surgeon.”
Shay’s petite blond friend quickly stood. “Surgeon? Joey doesn’t need surgery, does he?”
Stepping forward, Shay laid a hand on Beth’s arm. “No, Dr. Chapman’s here helping me. He just happens to be an orthopedic doctor so I thought he might have some ideas about what’s causing Joey’s problem. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Matt moved to Joey, who sat on the examination table. “Hello, Joey. I’m Dr. Chapman and I’d like to have a look at you, would that be okay?”
The eyes of the boy with the white-blond hair widened as he gripped the edge of the table. He looked at his mother. Joey’s fearful look eased as his mother sat down in the chair. “I guess so.”
Taming the Hot-Shot Doc Page 3