In the Doctor's Arms

by Carol Ross

  “Oh, Flynn, everyone knows fake long-distance relationships are tough,” she quipped, trying to lighten his mood because did he realize what he was saying here?

  “No, Iris, I mean I want to end this stupid charade right now.”

  “Flynn, we can’t break up yet. We’re having dinner with your ex-wife and we still have kayaking with my boss tomorrow and...” Her words trailed off as he stepped closer.

  Iris froze, her heart pounding, sending her pulse rocketing into overdrive. Flynn’s face was only inches from hers and there was no mistaking the emotion in his eyes.

  “What—what are you doing?” she stammered, voice a little hoarse from his extra-close proximity.

  “What am I doing?” He repeated the question with a chuckle. But nothing about it, or the expression that followed, suggested he thought this situation was funny.

  “We should probably get going...”

  One hand cupped her cheek and Iris wanted to press her face into his palm. The scent of him surrounded her. Freshly showered with that hint of spicy soap and fresh-cut cedar, it was a delicious, heavy, distracting dose of Flynn.

  Locking his eyes onto hers, he said, “Iris, please don’t run from me right now. I have some things I need to say, okay?”

  She nodded because her throat seemed to be sealed shut. And because she wanted to listen. She did, even though she was terrified of what he might say.

  “What I am doing is something I should have done a few months ago when you first got back to town. I thought about it the day of your birthday party at Bering and Emily’s, when you were wearing that green dress and I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” He angled his head.

  He was going to kiss her, and Iris knew that if he did, there was no going back for her this time. She’d explained away the first kiss by insisting it was simply him getting carried away trying to help her, but this...this was different. The end of this would hurt too much.

  “Flynn, I don’t know...” she whispered.

  His thumb caressed her cheekbone and she closed her eyes because it was painful to look at him. She couldn’t bear for him to see what might be showing on her face, how much she wanted this.

  Gently, he smoothed her hair behind her ear. “I should have done this back in high school, when you were the smartest, most beautiful, most fascinating girl in school, and I was the stupidest boy, who refused to see it. Which means I didn’t deserve you. I still don’t. I don’t think anyone does, honestly. Not even Sebastien, who, I admit, is a cool guy, to borrow his words. But I want to be the one to try because I promise you, Iris, I will try the hardest.”

  Her heart clenched tightly inside her chest.

  “Iris, open your eyes.” His lips grazed her ear, and a shiver went through her.

  “I can’t.”

  “Please.”

  She did, but it took a lot of effort.

  He drew back far enough to meet her gaze, to search for an answer to the question before he asked it. “Do you really not know? Because I want to kiss you now, Iris.”

  And that was it. She knew she was done. Her heart had decided it all for her. She wrapped her arms around him. “No, I mean, yes, I do know. I want you to kiss me, Flynn.”

  * * *

  FLYNN DID.

  Slipping his other hand around her back, he flattened his palm between her shoulder blades to bring her closer. His mouth found hers, and this kiss wasn’t a brush of lips witnessed by a crowd of people.

  It was just him and Iris.

  And he kissed her in the way he’d been dreaming about for three long months. But it felt like three hundred years of emotion that he’d been holding at bay. The feelings he’d had for other women seemed shallow and silly when compared to Iris. Sonya was right—his heart had been closed for business. This was all for Iris, and she was everything he wanted.

  Her kiss told him she felt something, too. The fingers of one of her hands dug into his shoulder while the other hand gripped his bicep.

  Trailing his hands down, he settled them on her hips. Lifting his head, he captured her gaze with his. As difficult as it was to stop kissing her, he had to see her, to look at her and assess her reaction.

  She didn’t give him a chance. Entwining her fingers in his hair, she urged his mouth back to hers. And he happily obliged. Gradually, reluctantly, he recognized that he needed to rein this in. They did have somewhere to be. Moving his lips to the side of her neck, he found that spot just below her ear. Finally. And nibbled.

  She let out a little gasp, which only made him want to start all over.

  “Iris?” he whispered before he gave in to that temptation.

  “Yes, Flynn?”

  “Are you going to stop calling me your friend now?”

  “Yes, but—”

  Silencing her with another soft kiss, he then said, “There are no buts, right? There’s just me and you and all of this is real?”

  “Mmm-hmm...”

  “And what we have is more than friendship, and more than a fake relationship?”

  Iris nodded. “Definitely more.”

  * * *

  WAS THIS TRULY her life? Iris wondered. She’d gone from the most intimate, romantic moment of her life with her high-school-crush-turned-friend, turned-fake-boyfriend, now real boyfriend, to dinner in a crowded restaurant with said boyfriend’s pregnant ex-wife in a span of ten minutes.

  “So, how are you feeling?” Iris asked a visibly pale Sonya as Iris and Flynn settled in the booth across from his ex in the Cozy Caribou.

  Sonya responded with a small smile, and Iris could see it required effort. Beneath the table Flynn held Iris’s hand and, despite this odd situation, she felt content right in the deepest part of her soul. It was a part she was convinced had been reserved for Flynn because she’d never felt like this before. She wondered if she was glowing. Should she feel guilty about this newfound happiness when Sonya was clearly still down? Iris resolved to cheer her up.

  Sonya blew out a sigh. “Honestly, I’ve been better. But thank you for asking. It will be a relief when this is all over.”

  Poor thing was nervous, which was understandable. Just the thought of going through a pregnancy terrified Iris.

  “I bet,” Iris said. “How long will you be staying in town?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I didn’t intend to stay this long, but it’s so peaceful here. I’ve taken a leave of absence from work, so I don’t have a schedule right now.”

  The back of Iris’s neck prickled. She wrote it off to the concern welling inside of her. “But what about doctor appointments? Shouldn’t you be seeing your OB-GYN every couple of weeks right now?” She knew Shay was a special case with her history of miscarriages, but she thought regular appointments were standard at this point.

  “Oh, um...yeah. I had an appointment before I got here, so I’m good for a while.”

  The waitress materialized before Iris could ask more questions. They all ordered. Sonya asked about Iris’s family.

  Iris gave her the basics, and she seemed to hang on to every word. Sonya admitted to her fascination at belonging to such a large family. “And your sister is pregnant. Will that make you an aunt for the first time?”

  “No, my sister Hannah, who is currently running for the state senate, has an adopted son, Lucas. And then there are my cousins, Bering and Janie, and their spouses, with seven kids among them. I’m like an aunt to those kids, too. We’re no strangers to babies in our family.”

  “That’s so wonderful. I always wished I had a big family. I’m an only child.”

  “I can’t imagine what that’s like.” Iris wouldn’t have traded her siblings for anything in the world. She knew her issues would still be her issues, regardless of her family. And she was especially grateful for her sisters and brothers now, when they had her back like they so clearly did.

 
“It’s not that great, is it, Flynn?” Sonya said. “At least Flynn had his grandparents. And still has Doc.”

  Flynn’s phone went off. He glanced at the screen. “Speaking of, will you ladies excuse me for a second? This is him and he’s doing rounds for me tonight.”

  “Of course,” Iris said.

  When he was away from the table, Sonya shifted in her seat and asked, “You guys seem so comfortable together. And happy. You’re both just...radiant. How long did you say you’ve been dating?”

  “About three months,” Iris answered without hesitation, inwardly cringing at the lie but wishing it were true. At least they were dating now, sort of. Although, she had no idea how they were going to manage it. For the time being, she was going to ignore the what-ifs and buts like Flynn suggested and enjoy the sensation. Not to mention, she had bigger fish to fry right now. “But we were friends in high school, so we already knew each other.”

  As if the words high school had summoning powers, Iris looked up to see Ashley Eller approaching their table. She barely managed to smother a groan.

  “Hey, Iris. I saw Flynn by the door and I was hoping that was you.”

  “Hello, Ashley. Ashley, this is my friend Sonya. Sonya, Ashley. We also went to school together.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Sonya said. “Another great thing about small towns, huh? The way you all know each other? What a wonderful place to raise a family.”

  “It can be,” Iris said. “Depending on your circumstances.”

  “Yes, so true,” Ashley said, making direct eye contact with Iris. “I won’t keep you guys, but, Iris, I’ve been meaning to call you. I was wondering if we could get together one of these days soon? Lunch or coffee? My treat.”

  Iris focused on not looking as stunned as she felt. Would this evening of surprises never end? Flynn’s ex-girlfriend had just invited her to lunch with Flynn’s ex-wife seated across the table. She did not have time for this. And that’s when she truly comprehended that Ashley no longer held the same power over her. Gone were the resentment, the fear and the jealousy. In fact, maybe she did have time for this. She had a few things she’d like to say to Ashley in private.

  “Sure, coffee would be great.” She couldn’t imagine what Ashley could possibly want to discuss unless it was the job at Copper Crossing. Did she think she could somehow sweet-talk Iris into hiring her? It wouldn’t take Iris long to explain how she lacked the necessary experience and encourage her to put her application in elsewhere.

  Ashley’s smile looked relieved as she suggested a day and time. Iris agreed.

  Then Ashley said, “I’ll let you get back to your evening. Nice to meet you, Sonya.” With a final wave, she walked away.

  Sonya smiled. “She seems nice.”

  “She does,” Iris responded, because Ashley did come across that way.

  “I went to boarding school in New York. The only time I’ve ever run into an old classmate was in Switzerland at a clock shop, of all places.”

  If only she could be so lucky, Iris thought, but she returned Sonya’s smile instead.

  Sonya shifted in the booth. “Listen, Iris, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by talking about Flynn and me. But I do want to say... I know Flynn doesn’t trust me, and I don’t blame him. But I was a different person when we were married. I’m not here to get him back and the last thing I want is to come between you two.” Sonya’s blue eyes were wide and sincere, and as they locked onto Iris, she felt a stirring of...something. That same disconcerting sensation that told her things were not right in Sonya’s world.

  “The absolute last thing,” Sonya repeated.

  “I appreciate you saying so. It’s good to hear, but honestly, I’m not worried. Flynn and I have a very strong relationship. We both feel like this was meant to be. It would take a lot to come between us.” With every piece of her, she hoped this was true.

  “I can see that,” she said. “And it’s such a relief.”

  Iris thought that seemed like an odd response, but then again, this was a rather odd situation.

  “What’s a relief?” Flynn asked as he joined them again.

  “You and Iris,” she answered brightly. “I’m very happy for you guys. Oh, yum, here’s our food. Smells delicious. I can’t remember the last time I was this hungry.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “FLYNN?” IRIS SAID from her seat at the front of the kayak.

  “Yes, my queen,” he joked as he led the entourage of Frieze Group kayakers near the shoreline.

  She laughed, and the sound worked right into him in an even better way than usual. Less anxiety, more...possibility. Iris asked, “Does that make you my loyal subject?”

  “Obviously.”

  “I do kind of feel like Cleopatra. All I need is a hot guy up here feeding me figs and wine.”

  “I’m sure we’d have no shortage of recruits. Although, I want you to know I’ll only hire guys who have no potential.”

  “That’s funny. I want to see the whales again. Can you manage some whale calls?”

  “Do I need to remind you that you almost capsized your kayak when you saw them the first time?”

  “I know.” She sighed dramatically. “Can you believe how inexperienced I was back then? Thank goodness for Sebastien, right? In more ways than one.”

  “For Sebastien?” he asked, a little sharper than he intended.

  “Yeah, you know, if it hadn’t been for him I never would have learned how to kayak or fish. I’m seeing this place in a whole new light.”

  “Iris, I’ve been trying to get you to do some of these things ever since you got back home.”

  “I know, but...”

  “But what?”

  “I guess I never had the proper motivation.”

  Flynn felt a rush of irritation and tried to decide if he was being irrational. He had mixed feelings about helping her succeed as it was. He wanted her to like Alaska for her own sake. And his. Theirs. Not Sebastien’s. All of these things that she was studying, attempting and “seeing in a new light,” he’d repeatedly invited her to do. With him. So that she’d see that it wasn’t as bad as she thought. So she might want to stay.

  “Spending time with me isn’t a good reason to try,” he said drily, “but trying to impress some stranger is.”

  Not surprisingly, she seemed to pick up on his mood. “Flynn, you know what I mean, he’s my boss and—”

  “Hey, what’s going on up here?” Sebastien asked, gliding up beside them in his kayak.

  “We were wishing we could summon the pod of killer whales we saw last week,” Flynn said.

  “Killer whales! That’s awesome!”

  “It was pretty awesome,” Iris agreed.

  “Sorry about your wrist,” Sebastien said, and then teased, “But that’s what you get for catching the most fish.”

  “But you won the pool with the biggest,” Iris pointed out. “A two-hundred-and-three-pound halibut is nothing to sneeze at.”

  “True.” Sebastien grinned. “It was a trip of a lifetime. I’m still in shock. Are you going to be able to go backpacking with that bum wrist?”

  “As long as my doctor clears me.”

  The temptation to say no danced across Flynn’s tongue. And yet, he wanted her to be happy, too. At the end of the day, he wanted that more than anything.

  Pushing aside his personal feelings, he said, “She should be fine. No fly-fishing or lifting anything over five pounds.”

  “Lucky for me, Hazel is going along so she can help. My sister is literally an expert hiker.”

  Sebastien said, “I know! She’s so cool! I follow her blog and I love it. I just didn’t make the connection between you guys. I can’t wait to talk to her about some of the places she’s been. Your family is...outstanding when it comes to this stuff. When you said they were outdoor lovers, I
didn’t comprehend exactly what you meant.”

  “It’s a difficult thing to describe. People don’t tend to believe it when they meet me.”

  Flynn stifled a laugh. She was so good at this. Hedging really was one of Iris’s special gifts.

  Sebastien kept an easy pace beside them. “So I know you’re not officially working with us yet, but there’s this fund-raising gala in DC soon. I would love to have you attend and help me represent The Frieze Group. There will be tons of lawmakers and lobbyists and important people there. It would be nice to introduce you to some of those whose policies we’ll be helping to formulate.”

  “Yes!” Iris answered immediately. “I would love that.”

  Flynn tried to ignore the twist of jealousy. Flynn wasn’t the jealous type. He’d always been too confident for that. But the vision of Iris and Sebastien attending a fancy party materialized before him. Iris, all dressed up in the very place she wanted to be with Sebastien, the guy who was the embodiment of everything she wanted. It wasn’t jealousy, he told himself. Not exactly. It was the uncertainty of knowing where he and Iris stood that was the problem. They needed to get some things sorted between them.

  Thinking about the long-distance relationship they were now facing filled him with dread. But not as much as imagining no relationship at all. They would find a way to make it work. They had to. He loved her, but he knew it was too soon to spring that one on her.

  “Flynn, you should come, too. I know it’s probably difficult for you to get time off being a doctor and all, but you’re more than welcome.”

  “I could probably swing that. A trip to DC to see what it is Iris will be doing when she moves roughly four thousand miles away from me sounds like just the thing.”

  * * *

  IRIS EXAMINED THE worn and tattered backpack Hazel had placed in front of her. It appeared barely useable.

  “What is this—twine?” Iris fingered one of the pockets where her sister had resewn a frayed pocket.