In the Doctor's Arms

by Carol Ross

  “Of course you can!” Kayleen exclaimed.

  “Why not?” Summer demanded at the same time.

  Iris grinned and shook her head, because in that moment she couldn’t think of a reason that wouldn’t make her sound like what she was—fearful.

  Tag, hazel eyes flashing with a mix of encouragement and challenge, smiled at Iris. “If Iris gets her pilot license, I will give her an airplane.”

  “You heard the man,” Kayleen said. “Get your butt in that pilot’s seat. It’s exactly where women like us belong.”

  Iris laughed, but the yearning she felt made her heart hurt a little. “Well, ladies, we’ll see,” she answered cryptically, because if there was one thing Iris did excel at it was being cryptic.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “HOW YOU DOING, GABE?” Dr. Flynn Ramsey asked his six-year-old patient. It was his day off, but he’d made the trip in after receiving this urgent call.

  “Oh-ay, I ink.” The boy’s answer was garbled due to the fact that his teeth were superglued together thanks to an experiment gone wrong with his brother, Finn. Gabe’s head was under the faucet while the nurse, Anita, flushed his mouth with warm water and vegetable oil. Finn stood next to his brother, keeping one hand protectively on his knee.

  They, along with their mom, Janie Hollings, were in the exam room of the newly renamed Ramsey Family Medical Clinic. Flynn’s grandfather, Dr. “Doc” Ramsey, thought the double meaning so clever—the Ramsey family treating families. It was safe to say Doc might be a little proud to have his grandson working with him. The feeling was mutual.

  Flynn interpreted Gabe’s response as “Okay, I think.” He rephrased just to be sure. “You’re doing all right?”

  “Uh-huh.” Gabe nodded.

  Finn answered for his brother. “He says yes.”

  “Thank you, Finn.” Flynn patted Gabe’s shoulder. “Hang in there, kiddo, you’re going to be just fine.” Then he looked at Janie. Janie had been several years ahead of him in school, but Flynn knew her because she was a James, which made her Iris’s cousin. “Good news, Mom, superglue isn’t toxic in this small amount. The bad news is, it is waterproof. That’s why it’s a little tricky to get his teeth unstuck. But the glue will eventually loosen with the vegetable oil and warm water.”

  Janie heaved a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Dr. Ramsey. Aidan said it wasn’t harmful, but I felt like I had to bring him in.” Janie’s husband, Aidan, was a scientist, currently out of town on a research project. Janie had been incredibly calm when they’d shown up this morning considering her six-year-old had glued his teeth together. Then again, as a mother of five children, including two teenaged boys, a set of twins and a new baby girl, that wasn’t much of a surprise. Motherhood had a unique way of channeling anxiety into action.

  Flynn turned toward the boys again. “So, no more experimenting, right, guys?”

  “Right,” Finn answered for both of them.

  “Make sure an adult is around first,” he added helpfully.

  Jane gave her head a little shake. “Thanks, Dr. Ramsey, for instructing them on the finer points, when they know that they’re not supposed to play with it in the first place.”

  “Oops,” Flynn muttered, but he could see Janie’s lips twitching with a smile.

  “Also, boys, listen to your mother and don’t use any glue without first asking for permission.”

  Janie rolled her eyes.

  Flynn stifled his laugh. This was what he loved about practicing medicine in a small town; he’d never get bored with the variety of cases, and helping patients was often synonymous with helping friends.

  “I think we’ve about got it,” Anita said from her spot at the sink.

  “They’re free!” Gabe confirmed. “My teeth are free, but they feel weird and bumpy.”

  Flynn stepped toward him. “Pieces of that glue will probably stick around on your teeth for a bit, so be careful not to rub your tongue raw on any sharp edges. Let me take a look.” Flynn examined the boy’s mouth and teeth, assured everyone that all was well and left the nurse to finish up.

  In the hall, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He needed to be out at Copper Crossing’s airfield in a half hour for the flight to Anchorage. Nervous energy rose inside of him at the thought because this was the day. The day he was going to...do something. Something to let Iris know how he felt about her. Shopping for a bridesmaid dress today would provide the perfect opportunity for...for the as-yet-to-be-seized-upon moment. He blew out an anxious breath and texted Iris that he was on schedule and would be leaving the office soon.

  Ally was like a little sister to him and he was honored to take on the role as head brides-person, or man of honor, as Iris liked to call it. He was taking his job seriously and at this point he was basically an amateur wedding expert. He’d already helped Ally find her gown and he’d spent a lot of time researching bridesmaid dresses, too. But he’d shamelessly admit that the added motivation of spending time with Iris made the job much more palatable.

  Finding the door to his grandfather’s office slightly ajar, Flynn tapped on the jamb and slowly pushed open the door. Seated behind a large oak desk, his grandfather, Ted “Doc” Ramsey, looked up from the mound of paperwork in front of him. Other than his cap of thick white hair, currently in need of a trim, no one would have ever guessed the man had passed his seventh decade.

  He gave Flynn a smile and a wave. “Come on in.”

  “Just need to grab my stuff. I’m taking off.”

  “Going to Anchorage with Iris, right?”

  His grin was wily, and Flynn felt affection well up inside of him. Flynn knew he wouldn’t be half the person he was if it wasn’t for this man, much less a physician finishing up his residency in family practice.

  Navigating his way through a wildly unstable childhood with volatile parents at the helm, for Flynn, his grandparents had been the only constant. His grandmother had passed away while he was in ninth grade and his parents had allowed him to stay with his grandfather for the remaining years of high school. Spending time with Doc had grounded him and inspired his interest in medicine.

  “I’m going to Anchorage with Iris, Ally and Tag, yes.”

  “Get your A game on, kiddo. And maybe a little cologne, too, so you don’t smell like antiseptic after working here this morning.”

  “You know, you could be a little less obvious in making your wishes clear.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not sure that you could,” Doc quipped.

  Flynn tipped back his head and laughed. “Touché,” he said.

  It was true that his increasingly unsubtle attempts continued to fall flat where Iris was concerned.

  “Since we’re on the subject of your love life, I’d like a grandchild or two.”

  “It’s not a subject I want to be on. Besides—” pointing a finger at himself, Flynn pretended to look offended “—I am your grandchild.”

  “Babies,” Doc clarified with a chuckle. “I want some great-grandkids to spoil. Caleb is getting one.”

  Flynn narrowed his gaze and tried not to laugh. “You want me to have a baby because your best friend is getting one?” Caleb Cedar was an attorney. His grandson, Jonah, was also an attorney and Caleb’s law partner. Jonah was married to Shay, Iris’s oldest sister. After enduring several miscarriages, Jonah and Shay were expecting their first child. Everyone was pulling for them.

  “Yep.”

  “You have no shame, you are aware of that, right?”

  “Of course.” Doc executed a perfectly contrived shrug of innocence. “Never claimed to have any. Although, I wouldn’t want you to have a baby with just anyone. I want it noted that I never even mentioned babies when you were married to Sonya.”

  “Noted and appreciated.” Doc hadn’t needed to mention it—Sonya had mentioned it enough for everyone. The subject had heightened Flynn’s mis
givings and contributed to their breakup. Although Flynn had since realized they should never have married in the first place.

  Nobody should get married while they’re in medical school, especially to someone else also in medical school. Who was diametrically unsuited to you. With priorities that were the polar opposite of your own. He wasn’t going to think about any of that now. The nightmare that was Sonya was now more than two years in the past. Although lately, said nightmare had been reappearing in the form of real-life texts and phone calls.

  “Speaking of Jonah, he delivered some paperwork about the clinic when you’re ready to have a look.”

  Flynn had a year and a half left of his residency at the local hospital. They’d worked out a deal where Flynn could work off his medical-school bills and eventually take over Doc’s practice. Not only was the offer too good to refuse, but it was also a dream come true. Working with his grandfather and settling in Rankins had been his goal ever since he could remember.

  “Definitely. As soon as the wedding is over, we’ll sit down with him and review the details.” If things went as planned, he and Iris would be working out some details, too.

  “That’s what I was thinking.”

  Flynn collected his jacket and bag before walking over and giving his grandfather’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He knew it was selfish, but he was glad Iris hadn’t accepted a job offer yet. He may have screwed up when they were teenagers by not appreciating what was right before his eyes, but he was doing his best to rectify that now. He only hoped it wasn’t too late. If he could get confirmation that she returned his feelings, he could make the case for her to stay in Rankins.

  All he needed was a little more time.

  * * *

  “WHAT TEST?” TAG ASKED, looking over Iris’s shoulder at the computer monitor on her desk. They were in the office at Copper Crossing waiting for Ally and Flynn to arrive so they could all fly to Anchorage.

  Iris explained, “I need to start interviewing for my replacement. I’ve compiled a test that I’m going to administer to determine if applicants have certain specific traits necessary to do this job.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. It’ll weed out unqualified applicants and reduce superfluous interviews.”

  “Are you going to make me take this test and then fire me from my own company?” he said wryly.

  “No, of course not,” Iris reassured him with a breezy wave. “As the owner, you’re grandfathered in,” she joked. “You might be demoted, but not fired.”

  Tag peered at her again. “I’m not sure if that’s funny or not.”

  She laughed. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing. This job isn’t as easy as it looks. There’s a lot of decision making that requires prioritizing and efficient time management. This is important work that you’re doing here, brother.”

  Tag chuckled. “What am I going to do without you?”

  “I have no idea. But it’s possible you might need to hire two people to replace me.” Iris was only partially teasing about that. She’d taken on a lot of Tag’s duties as her own to free up more of his time for essential plane-related duties. She worried about the new employee handling the workload.

  “Speaking of that, the schedule is all set for my honeymoon and everything, right?” Copper Crossing was scaling back transports in the coming weeks due to Tag’s impending nuptials and the honeymoon to follow.

  “Working on it. Stop worrying. Cricket and I have it handled.” Cricket. Iris felt a stirring of excitement as an idea formed. A pilot, and also a member of the wedding party, Cricket Blackburn was one of Tag’s best friends. He worked for Copper Crossing, piloting during the summer months. In the winter, he operated JB Heli-Ski with their sister Hannah. He gave flying lessons in his spare time and had offered to teach Iris many times. For the next month it would just be Iris and Cricket around here on light duty.

  Before she could change her mind, Iris tapped out a text: If that offer of flying lessons still stands I’d like to start ASAP. Top secret.

  He responded immediately: You got it. We’ll start tomorrow. These lips are sealed.

  She grinned because she knew he had the same thought as she did about Tag being scarce for the next month or so. She also knew she could trust Cricket.

  Ally came through the door. “Hey, guys.”

  Iris watched her brother light up with all the force of a meteor shower at the sight of his fiancée.

  “Flynn’s still coming with us, right?” Tag asked, slipping an arm around Ally’s waist.

  No matter how she tried to squelch her stomach flipping at the mention of Flynn’s name, Iris always failed. The flip was both good and bad. Like a perfectly executed series of somersaults that left you exhilarated in the moment, yet battered and sore in the aftermath. It was a flip that only a decade-old unrequited crush could instigate. She and Flynn had been friendly in high school, but Iris wouldn’t have called them friends per se. They’d been more like study buddies. They’d run in different circles, or they would have if Iris had a circle.

  Flynn’s circle, on the other hand, was huge and included her brother Seth. Flynn was athletic, popular and smart. Iris was smart, too, but awkward, and not popular. The smartness was how they’d connected, both of them taking advanced classes, where they’d amicably competed for top honors. A shared study hall had turned into regular after-school homework sessions. To Iris, Flynn had been the bright spot to an otherwise miserable high-school experience. She’d secretly and desperately crushed on him. To Flynn, she’d been an entertaining distraction, a way for him to discuss diverse subjects that his buddies weren’t as interested in. Flynn had been nice to her, but he’d never been into her. He’d been too busy dating all the girls in his circle—the beautiful, popular ones. The ones who, adding salt to a perpetually raw wound, had contributed to Iris’s misery.

  Although Iris and Flynn hadn’t kept in touch after high school, Seth remained friends with Flynn, so she’d hear about him occasionally. After nearly a decade without seeing him, she’d assumed her feelings had faded. Since she’d been back home they’d reconnected and gotten to know each other on a new level. Being with Flynn felt easy and fun and she’d officially consider what they had now a friendship. So instead of fading, her feelings had...changed. Grown, matured, mellowed even. And yet, remnants of that crush remained. Like broken glass, her heart seemed forever shattered, the damage going mostly unnoticed until nudged by the man himself.

  “As far as I know,” Ally said.

  “Hold on, I heard a text come through a few minutes ago.” Glancing down, she smiled when she saw a message from “Dr. Hottie McBrilliant,” along with his adorably goofy selfie icon. He’d entered his own contact information into her phone when she’d returned to Rankins.

  She read the message: Hey bff! Superexcited to go to Anchorage and pick out your bridesmaid dress. We should make our hair and nail appointments! What do you think about artichoke dip and fondue for the bachelorette party? On my way in 5. C U soon.

  He’d added a string of emojis—hearts, a dress, a hand with painted nails, flowers, a kissy face, a wedge of cheese and, for some reason, a palm tree. Probably the closest thing he could find to an artichoke. Iris laughed out loud. Leave it to Flynn to boost her mood even as a fresh pack of butterflies awakened, and then somersaulted mercilessly, at the notion of spending the day with him. See? Complicated.

  She could do this, she reminded herself—it was just a day of shopping. Plus, Ally and Tag would be there to provide a buffer.

  “Yep,” Iris informed Tag, “he’s on his way.”

  * * *

  A FEW HOURS LATER, which included the relatively short flight from Rankins and a car ride from the private airfield where Tag landed his plane, Iris, Flynn, Tag and Ally were gathered on the sidewalk in Anchorage.

  Tag kissed Ally and t
hen headed off to conquer his own list of non-wedding-related errands. Iris and Flynn listened while Ally outlined the plans for the rest of the afternoon. “Tag is picking up the lamb’s quarters and some other items, and I’m going to get the salmon. Then he’s going to meet me at Maverick’s Sporting Goods. You guys text when you’re through and we’ll meet up for dinner before the movie.”

  Iris took a second to absorb this information before gaping at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. “Wait a sec, you’re not shopping with us?”

  “I don’t want to. That’s why Flynn is here.”

  “Ally, seriously, it’s your wedding. You don’t want to pick out my bridesmaid dress? Or at least approve of it?”

  “Is that bad? You know I hate shopping. I’m fine with whatever you choose.”

  “Salmon and lamb’s quarters, huh?” Flynn repeated, seemingly unsurprised by Ally’s statement, making Iris think he’d already known he was going to be stuck shopping with her all afternoon. The guy had been a trouper throughout this wedding ordeal.

  “Yes,” Ally answered Flynn.

  Flynn said, “This is going to be some spread at your nuptials. Is your friend Coda still going to roast the salmon over an open fire in the Native tradition? I love that. Get plenty of it. I don’t remember lamb being on the menu.”

  Ally grinned. “Yes, he is. And there will be plenty, but this isn’t for the wedding. It’s lamb’s quarters, and it’s for my grandfather.”

  Then Ally looked back at Iris. “Flynn is better at this dress stuff than I am. He picked out mine.” With a quick wave, she was off.

  Flynn frowned thoughtfully.

  Iris chuckled at a clearly confused Flynn and then explained, “Smoked salmon for the quiche our mom is making for the rehearsal brunch. And lamb’s quarters as in the medicinal plant, not the ruminant that you make into chops and consume.”