In the Doctor's Arms

by Carol Ross

  Stepping up next to her, he slipped a casual arm around her shoulder and forced himself to objectively analyze Dr. Frieze. Much to Flynn’s disappointment, he was the opposite of ugly, and he had to admit that under normal circumstances it would be difficult not to like the guy. Witty, charming, respectful and polite, his intelligence managed to shine through without coming off as condescending. But these were not normal circumstances. Besides, something felt...off. Maybe Flynn’s judgment was clouded because of how often Sebastien kept touching his new employee.

  “So, Sebastien,” Flynn said in an effort to get to know the guy, but mostly to draw the man’s attention away from Iris. “Did you grow up in the DC area?”

  Sebastien met Flynn’s gaze head-on. Was it his imagination or was there a challenging glint in his eye? “No. I’m from Maine. I may not be quite as ruggedly cool as you supreme northern folk, but I’m no stranger to the great outdoors.”

  “I’ve always wanted to visit Maine,” Iris gushed.

  “It’s a pretty small state, though, isn’t it?” Flynn said. “And there’s not much for mountains, right?”

  Sebastien’s brow knitted. “I suppose so, if you compare it to Alaska.” He turned and picked up his glass from where it was sitting on the table behind him.

  “I compare every place to Alaska. That’s what you do when you’re from here.” He shrugged. “It’s true what they say, everything’s not only bigger, it’s better.”

  Iris gave Flynn an odd look, which he probably deserved. He pretended not to notice. Timing it perfectly so that Sebastien would see, he kissed Iris on the temple.

  Sebastien grinned and held up his glass in a toast. “A true patriot of the last frontier. I like that.” He took a sip and used it to gesture between them. “How long have you two been dating?”

  “Three months and nine days,” Flynn answered immediately. They hadn’t discussed that detail, but that’s how long Iris had been back in town and exactly how long Flynn wished they’d been dating. That wasn’t quite true. He wished they’d been dating for ten years, but that obviously wouldn’t be believable. “But we knew each other in high school.”

  “Oh, so is this like a reconnection thing? High-school sweethearts reunited?”

  “No, we were just friends back then,” Iris answered.

  “Really, really good friends, though,” Flynn clarified.

  “Well...” Iris drawled. “We were—”

  Flynn interrupted, “We never wanted to ruin that friendship. I regretted it after I went away to college and realized how truly amazing Iris is. All these years, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. No other woman could compare. No other woman will ever compare, honestly.” This wasn’t nearly as difficult for Flynn as it seemed to be for Iris, who was peering up at him with barely concealed curiosity. Flynn gave her shoulder another squeeze to snap her out of it.

  “Yep,” she chirped brightly, shifting her gaze back toward Sebastien. “Flynn was a year ahead of me, but it was a small school and we had a lot of the same classes. We used to study together. But I always, um, wished it could be more.”

  Ha, Flynn thought, finally she admits it! Then he remembered that she was putting on a show. He needed to get a grip.

  “Ah, study buddies,” Sebastien said in a joking tone. “Guess she’s my study buddy now, huh?” He added a wink.

  Iris laughed.

  Flynn fake-laughed. Game on, Dr. Bossman Economist.

  * * *

  SALTY SPRAY MISTED Iris’s face while she stared out at the horizon as Seth had instructed. At this point, she couldn’t tell if her gut was roiling because of nerves or if it was from the motion of the boat. Either way, she needed the bacon-egg-and-cheese biscuit she’d had for breakfast to stay put. Seth had recommended plenty of protein to keep her stomach “solid,” right before reminding her that nothing shouted “deep-sea-fishing newbie” like seasickness.

  Iris hadn’t been this far out on the ocean since that day she’d mentioned. The three of them had just turned fourteen and Hazel had begged her to go fishing with Seth, their dad and a boatload of Seth’s buddies, so she wouldn’t be the only girl on board. Iris hadn’t gotten sick then, but that felt like ages ago. She also didn’t have to pretend to enjoy fishing that day. She’d spent the entire trip devouring The Count of Monte Cristo on calm seas.

  Today, the ocean was not calm, and she wouldn’t be reading. It was one of Sebastien’s bucket-list days, for halibut fishing, and she needed to be all in. While Seth captained the boat out to his “secret spot,” Iris played his instructions over and over again in her mind. They’d practiced for untold hours, and it was safe to say she owed her brother. If she managed to get through this outing without falling overboard or making a complete fool of herself she’d officially be in his debt forever.

  The boat slowed to a crawl and soon began bobbing and dipping in the waves.

  “All right,” Seth announced a few minutes later. “Let’s get some lines in the water.”

  Iris ticked off items on her mental checklist and soon had her pole squared away. She dropped her line into the water and turned to find Flynn, who had been acting weird since the night before at the meet-and-greet, watching her curiously. She felt better about the approving glance Seth tossed her way as he helped get Candace’s line in the water. Candace was fiftyish, hailed from Ohio, had a PhD in history and had never been out on the ocean. She seemed sweet, even though she was turning green.

  On graceful sea legs, Flynn stepped up beside Iris. “What’s wrong?” she whispered as she turned in her spot at the stern and pretended to watch a puffin gliding by. “Did I do something bad? Did you see me almost forget the bait?”

  Flynn grinned like he found that particularly amusing. “No, but that’s easier to do than you’d think. You nailed it.”

  “Great. Now, let’s just hope I don’t catch anything.”

  He prepared his pole, baiting the hook, dangling it overboard and then letting out line.

  Minutes later the first passenger doubled over and let out a groan. It was Timothy, who, Iris had learned, liked to play tennis and seemed smitten with his wife and young girls back home in DC. He leaned over the side of the boat, where he promptly lost his breakfast. Candace immediately followed suit.

  Sebastien winced at Iris. Iris returned the sympathetic gesture. Flynn tore open a granola-bar package and offered her a bite.

  Like a chain reaction, Sebastien’s assistant, Kai, joined Timothy and Candace. Then RJ, a six-foot-five, muscle-bound mathematical genius and extreme-sports adventurer, moaned pitifully and disappeared below deck. A short time later Iris realized the only passengers not getting sick were her, Flynn, Seth and Sebastien.

  “Oh, no...” Iris whispered a few minutes later. “I think... Yep, here it comes.”

  Flynn took her arm. “What’s the matter? Are you going to be sick? Don’t worry if you are—it’s a little rough out here today.”

  “No,” she huffed and pointed. “My line is jiggling. Dang it, I think I have a bite.”

  “What...?” Flynn followed her gaze.

  “Fish on!” she shouted, exactly the way her brother had taught her.

  From the bow, Seth beamed and gave her a thumbs-up. It was shaping up to be a good day on the water, for Iris and Sebastien at least.

  * * *

  A FEW HOURS LATER, Flynn watched Iris reel in her seventh fish of the day. Thankfully, the wind had died down and the ocean had settled. Most of the passengers were upright, albeit their complexions still sported various shades of green. A few had even caught fish. Sebastien was thrilled to have reeled in three halibut, including one monster at 200-plus pounds that Flynn was sure would be the largest of the day.

  Flynn looked at Seth, who stood beside him beaming at his sister. “How is it possible that she’s catching all these fish?”

  “Obvious.” Seth grinned.
“She’s one-third me, isn’t she? That’s how.”

  “You do know that’s not how it works, right? You three are not any genetically closer as siblings than Tag, Shay or Hannah.”

  Seth answered with a disbelieving shrug. “This is exactly how it works, my friend. You can spout that genetic stuff all you want, but after you try living naked in such close quarters with two other people for eight months, sharing the same blood supply, then we’ll talk. Right, Trippa?”

  Flynn would have argued the point, but Iris radiated happiness as she brought in yet another catch. “Aye, aye, Captain.” She cast Flynn a contented grin, and said, “And, Seth is right, that is exactly how it works.”

  * * *

  WHEN THEY RETURNED to the dock, Emily was waiting to collect the tired and hungry fishing guests. The group was now en route to the Faraway Inn for a rest before they enjoyed a grilled halibut feast for dinner.

  Iris and Flynn stayed to help Seth clean the boat. They were having dinner later at the Cozy Caribou with Sonya. Iris wasn’t sure which was worse—playacting for her boss and coworkers or Flynn’s ex-wife. The whole thing would be comical if she wasn’t exhausted.

  Like a seasoned expert, Flynn started on the chores. Iris pitched in, sorting and storing the life vests, gathering the trash, scrubbing and cleaning, and it wasn’t long before Seth stepped back and nodded with approval.

  “Thanks for the help, you guys. I can take it from here.” To Iris, he said, “I think your boss was impressed with you, Iris. Heck, everyone was impressed.”

  Iris smiled. “Thanks to you. It’s too bad so many people got sick, but it kept them distracted from my missteps. I could never have pulled this off without you, Seth. Thanks again. And I have to admit it was extraordinarily fun.”

  That earned her a hug from her smelly brother, although as he embraced her she recognized that she couldn’t be entirely sure who smelled worse. As relieved as she was about the day’s success, anxiety was already mounting about the next item on the agenda.

  “Halibut fishing is much easier to fake than kayaking.”

  Seth loosened his hold, and said, “But that’s just it, Trippa.” He kept an arm around her shoulders and gave her an enthusiastic shake. “You weren’t faking it. You did it!”

  Huh. Iris grinned up at him. “That’s true. Turns out, deep-sea fishing doesn’t take much athletic ability. Although, I definitely need to start working out before the next time I go. No wonder your arms look like tree limbs. I’m going to be so sore tomorrow, which should make kayaking interesting. My wrist is killing me.” She hadn’t noticed how much so until that moment.

  “Where does it hurt?” Flynn asked. Iris liked how his brow furrowed with concern.

  She showed him. “Right here.” Gentle fingers probed around the area, which had begun to throb. She hissed in a breath.

  “Sorry,” he said with a wince. “Let’s go.”

  They said goodbye to Seth and headed for their cars in the marina parking lot.

  “Ice that when you get home. I want to look at it again,” Flynn said as she climbed into the borrowed car her parents were letting her use for the duration of her stay. “And I’m picking you up early for dinner. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  FLYNN WENT HOME, showered and changed his clothes. He had some extra time, so he swung by the hospital to check on a patient. The elderly gentleman was recovering nicely, and they chatted for a while before his daughter arrived with his grandkids. Flynn said goodbye and went downstairs to Ally’s office.

  “Hey! How was the fishing trip?” she asked.

  “Fantastic.” Flynn settled into his customary chair across from her desk and filled her in on the details. “Iris killed it.”

  “That reminds me, don’t you have today off?”

  “Yep, the next three days, but I wanted to check on a patient. I’m on my way to pick up Iris in a few minutes. We’re meeting Sonya for dinner.”

  “Dinner with the ex. Iris is the best fake girlfriend ever.”

  “Believe me, I know. I still can’t figure out what Sonya is up to.”

  “What makes you so sure she’s up to something?”

  “Now you sound like Iris.”

  “Thank you. Iris is brilliant. How’s the interviewing going, by the way?”

  Flynn scrubbed a frustrated hand across his jaw. “Terrible. She got a job, you know?”

  Ally chuckled. “Not that interviewing, but I heard, and I’m truly happy for her. I mean the Flynn-and-Iris interview.”

  At his look of confusion, she explained, “You once told me that any time you spend time with another person in a romantic way it’s like an interview for a life partner. Remember that?”

  That made him smile. He’d been full of advice when Ally and Tag were dating. So easy to give when he wasn’t the one suffering in love. “In case you’ve forgotten, my romance with Iris is fake.”

  “Is it?”

  “I don’t want it to be. But in a normal, healthy relationship, both parties need to agree that it is, indeed, a romance.”

  Ally laughed. “Well, maybe you need to push it a little.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Ally did her signature Mona Lisa impersonation for a few seconds before explaining. “Iris is more like her oldest brother than she realizes. She has this idea about what will make her happy and she’s so firmly on that track that she can’t see that there’s another, better track out there.”

  “You know, this whole being-girlfriends thing that we do—” he gestured between them “—is a lot more fun when I’m the one giving advice.”

  She chuckled. “I bet. And you don’t have to take my advice. Although, I am going to point out that one of us is now blissfully wed, while the other is still miserably single.”

  “Excellent point.” Flynn laughed. “I’ve already taken advice from two extremely enthusiastic senior citizens. Why not go with something from the opposite end of the age spectrum? What do you suggest I do?”

  “Make a move. A real one. Not a fake-boyfriend kiss in the middle of the dance floor. Approach her, sincerely, when it’s just the two of you and see what happens.”

  Flynn gave her the truth stare. “Did you really do that with Tag?”

  “Yep. Until, finally, he admitted that he had feelings for me.”

  “Wow.”

  Pulling one shoulder up into a shrug, she said, “I knew what I wanted, and I knew what he wanted. He needed help figuring it out. And that’s what I do, Flynn—I help people.”

  He took a second to laugh and then pondered what she’d said. “You might be right.”

  “I think I am. But be prepared, because if she’s as much like Tag as she seems, there might be an initial moment of panic.”

  * * *

  “WHERE ARE WE GOING?” Iris asked from the passenger seat of Flynn’s SUV. As promised, he’d picked her up early. She’d had just enough time to shower, dress and ice her wrist as she filled in Hazel on the events of the day. Her wrist was even more sore and swollen now and she had no idea how she was going to paddle a kayak.

  “You’ll see,” Flynn said, and turned a corner onto a side street.

  “Okay.”

  He pulled into the parking lot of his grandfather’s medical clinic and turned off the engine. “Come on, we’re going inside for a few minutes. I have an idea that might make tomorrow easier.”

  “Excellent. Did you get ahold of a body double or a virus you can inject me with?” she joked.

  “I couldn’t handle two of you, and it’s not quite as showy as a virus but it might help.”

  Flynn got out and she followed. The clinic was closed for the day, so they headed around back, where Flynn unlocked the employee entrance and held the door open. Once inside, he led her to an exam room, where he turned on the lig
ht.

  He pointed to the paper-wrapped table. “Have a seat.”

  “Um, you know I was joking about the virus, right?”

  “Sit.”

  “Yes, Dr. Bossy-pants.”

  He opened a cupboard and muttered under his breath while he rifled through what appeared to be medical supplies. Pulling out a plastic-wrapped package, he opened it and held it up for her inspection.

  “What is that?”

  “A brace for your wrist. Hold out your arm.”

  “Flynn, that’s nice, but it’s not brace-worthy.”

  “Yes, it is. And I was thinking if your doctor diagnosed you with a sprained wrist it would be really difficult for you to paddle a kayak.”

  She let out a gasp and held out her arm. “That is brilliant!”

  “We’ll take the two-person kayak and you can ride along with me.”

  She grinned. “This just keeps getting better and better.”

  Moving a little closer, he captured her gaze with his. “I think so, too.” Iris felt her breath catch as something told her that he meant more than kayaking.

  “How does that feel?”

  She straightened her arm, bending and flexing her fingers. “Much better, actually.”

  “That’s because you really did strain it. I’m going to give you an anti-inflammatory and a pain reliever. As your doctor, I don’t want you gripping a paddle or lifting anything heavy for at least a couple of weeks.”

  “Thank you, again. For doing all of this for me.”

  “You’re doing something for me, too, remember?”

  “I got the best part of the deal. I couldn’t ask for a better friend. I’m going to miss you when we fake break up,” she joked. “Do you think we can we still be real friends?”

  His answer was a stare that made her stomach flip. “What if I told you that I don’t want to fake break up?”