Sweet Southern Nights

by Rochelle Alers

  Levi schooled his face not to reveal his annoyance. He’d been able to avoid this kind of political hot potato while working at the Maywood Junction clinic and in his New York practice. Neil McGill was no doubt trying to pass the buck and make Dr. Wagner’s overdose someone else’s problem.

  Levi chose his words carefully. “If I give you my opinion will you consider it a final decision in the incident report?”

  McGill ran a hand over his bright yellow silk tie. It was the hospital chief’s turn to mask his feelings. Bringing Levi Eaton onboard to head the hospital’s pediatric department had been a stroke of luck.

  “I will definitely think about it.”

  “Think or consider?” Levi asked.

  What he didn’t intend to do was throw the young resident’s career out the window because she was sick. Gemma Wagner had spent countless hours studying and sacrificing to become a doctor, and Levi intended to give her the opportunity to get clean and put her life back on track.

  McGill knew when he’d been bested. Perhaps if he gave Dr. Eaton what he wanted, then Levi would give him what he needed. “Okay. I’ll consider it.”

  Levi leaned forward, facing Dr. McGill eye to eye. “Suspend her for six months, with the mandate she voluntarily sign herself into a drug rehab facility. If she’s able to remain clean, then bring her back provisionally as a resident. She also must agree to random drug testing. If she objects or comes up dirty, then she’s fired.”

  Leaning back in the executive chair, the chief closed his eyes. Seconds ticked by before he opened them. “What you suggest is doable. But first I have to find out if she’s been stealing drugs from the hospital. And if she has, then there’s nothing I can do to protect her, because as head of the hospital I’m obligated to report it to the police.”

  Levi nodded. “Okay. I can live with that. What was your other reason for asking to meet with me?”

  McGill narrowed his eyes. “You may not sound like a New Yorker, but you sure act like one.”

  “And that is?”

  “Brash.”

  Levi’s eyebrows lifted a fraction. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

  The older man smiled. “Coming from me, yes, it is. It’s exactly what I need from someone heading a department.”

  “Remember, I’m acting head of pediatrics.”

  “You don’t have to be acting, Levi.”

  “What are you saying, Dr. McGill?” Levi asked, addressing his boss by his title for the first time.

  “I spoke to John Pearson the other day and he’s talking about not coming back once his leg heals. He claims it’s a sign that he needs to slow down, do some traveling and enjoy his grandchildren.”

  Levi was momentarily speechless, unable to respond to Dr. McGill’s offer to make him head of Clarke General Hospital’s department of pediatrics. It was unheard of that someone his age would head a department—even at a small rural county hospital.

  How many thirty-six-year-old doctors do you know who become head of a department? Duncan’s query floated in his head. Even Angela had asked whether he would be willing to relocate to Kentucky, and his answer had been yes, but only if there was something worthwhile. He hadn’t known at the time that she was also part of that equation.

  Taking over as head of pediatrics was a huge offer, but there was still the issue of his investment and involvement in his New York practice. “I’m honored that you would even consider me for the position, but I can’t give you an answer right now.”

  “When do you think you can let me know?” McGill asked.

  “It will have to be after I talk to my partners in New York.”

  “When do you think that’ll be?”

  Levi had to give it to Neil McGill. He was definitely pushy. “Wouldn’t I have to be approved by the hospital board?”

  McGill waved his hand. “Don’t worry about the board. They’ll accept whoever I put forward. Consider it a done deal.”

  Levi couldn’t help smiling. “That smacks of cronyism.”

  “It’s not what you know, but who you know, son. That is something my daddy told me and his daddy told him.” He tapped his forehead. “That’s something you should always keep in mind when it comes to getting whatever it is you want.”

  “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

  There wasn’t much for Levi to think about. He’d had only one immediate goal: becoming a doctor. Long-term, he’d wanted to purchase property, get married and become a father. He’d accomplished two out of three.

  He and McGill talked about the upcoming Derby. The older man admitted that he owned a stake in one of the horses in the race and invited Levi to share his box at Churchill Downs.

  “Thanks for the offer, but Judge Chase has invited me to sit with him.”

  “He’s a good family man and a very fair judge. That’s a rare combination nowadays. I’ve been trying for years to get Duncan to come and work for Clarke General, but he won’t leave his clinic. “

  Levi got up to leave before Neil McGill decided to go through the Chase family tree. “The folks who live in Maywood Junction really need his services, and right now I have to see a patient who’s scheduled to be discharged at eleven.” Leaning over the desk, he held out his hand. “I’ll think about your offer.”

  McGill shook his hand. “I’ll wait to render my decision on Dr. Wagner until I’m able to talk to her.”

  “Thank you.”

  Levi left the office, nodding to the secretary on his way out. He’d told McGill he would think about his offer for a permanent position with CG. But what he didn’t want to think about was how it would affect his relationship with Angela. What they’d shared was much too new to contemplate a future, and he wondered how long they could remain friends with benefits before he wanted more. He hadn’t allowed himself to become too involved with any woman, since he knew he was only staying for six months.

  Now, he was into the third month, and he was involved with a woman, and he’d just received an offer that was certain to change his life forever.

  Levi knew Angela’s “love me, love me not” feelings stemmed from her very public humiliation as a jilted bride. And despite dating other men she hadn’t slept with any of them, something he realized the moment he penetrated her body. Levi had slept with enough women to know if they were sexually active or not.

  Levi had felt an enormous amount of pride that Angela had found him worthy to make love to when she’d been unable to give herself to any man since Robert Gaskin.

  Not only was he faced with the decision whether to accept the position as head of pediatrics, but also trying to convince Angela that it was possible for them to take their relationship beyond what it was.

  Being realistic, Levi knew he wasn’t in love with Angela, and that his attraction to her came from wanting to protect her. Eaton men were raised to love and protect their women and Angela Chase needed protecting. On the surface she seemed to be a successful secure woman in control of herself and her life. But she’d shown him another side of her personality that was plagued by fear and mistrust. He was fully aware that he couldn’t undo the past, yet that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

  Squatting down in front of the young boy in the wheelchair, Levi shook his hand. He winked at the nurse waiting to wheel the child out to the parking lot. His mother had brought him to the ER after he’d complained of a bellyache. Tests had confirmed a ruptured appendix. He underwent emergency surgery and two days later was ready to go home. “I want you to listen to what your Mama says,” he said in his best Donald Duck voice. “No wrestling with your brother until your incision is completely healed.”

  The seven-year-old laughed uncontrollably. “You sound funny.”

  “You sound funny,” Levi quacked again.

  “You sound l
ike Donald Duck.”

  “I’m not Donald Duck. I’m Daffy Duck.”

  The boy sobered. “I watch the cartoon channel and Daffy Duck spits when he talks.”

  Levi pressed his mouth to the boy’s ear. “It wouldn’t be very nice if I spit, would it?”

  “No,” he whispered. “Do Scooby Doo.”

  Levi went through a series of characters that included Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny. A small crowd had gathered to watch him interact with the boy who squealed in delight. Levi stood when the child’s mother approached. Her son had inherited his mother’s rust-colored hair and freckles.

  She extended her hand. “Thank you, Dr. Eaton. Teddy was deathly afraid of doctors, so I guess that’s why I waited so long to bring him in. Thanks to you he’s changed his mind.”

  Levi took her hand, patting it in a comforting gesture. “A child’s first introduction to a pediatrician usually involves a needle and pain, so it stands to reason that they would be afraid. I’m glad we’ve been able to allay his fears about doctors.”

  She planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you again.”

  He managed a tight smile. “You’re welcome. Goodbye, Teddy.”

  “Goodbye, Dr. Eaton,” the boy called out as he was wheeled out of the hospital.

  Levi heard laughter and giggling, and when he turned he saw a trio of doctors grinning at him. “Careful, Eaton,” warned an orthopedist, “or you’ll find yourself changing your specialty from pediatrics to gynecology.”

  He frowned, deciding not to respond to the quip. If bedside manner had been a course, he would’ve received an A-plus. Putting a patient at ease was as important to him as treating the cause of the disease.

  Walking toward the elevator, he stepped in and punched the button for the fourth floor. The door closed and the car rose smoothly, stopping at his designated floor. Levi nodded to a uniformed officer sitting outside the room of a prisoner who’d been brought in the night before for attempting to rob a gas station. Unfortunately the career criminal hadn’t anticipated the owner pulling his own gun and had sustained a gunshot wound that would’ve ended his life if the bullet hadn’t been a few centimeters from his heart.

  “How’s it going?” Levi asked, nodding to the officer.

  The officer smiled. “It beats directing traffic.”

  Levi chuckled. “I hear you.” He walked to the end of the hallway and pushed open the door to Gemma’s room. The nurse sitting in the corner jumped up when he entered.

  He motioned for her to step outside the room. “Is she lucid?”

  “She’s in and out.”

  “Do you mind standing out here while I go in and talk to her?”

  The nurse flushed a bright red. “Of course not, Dr. Eaton.” She wasn’t used to doctors asking her permission but instead barking orders.

  Levi returned to the room and stood at the bedside, staring at Gemma and wondering why he hadn’t noticed her gaunt appearance before. He traced the back of her hand with the IV. “Gemma.” Her eyes opened, staring blankly up at him. Levi smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  Her eyelids fluttered before she closed her eyes again. “I’m okay. They gave me something so I wouldn’t…wouldn’t feel the full effect of detox.”

  Leaning over, he rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to do what I can to keep you from being fired, but you’re going to have to do something for me.”

  A crooked smile twisted her pale mouth. “You want me to go to rehab.” Her inky-black hair and eyes made her face appear translucent.

  His fingers tightened on her delicate body. “You know the drill, Gemma. One slip up and you’ll never be able to practice medicine in this state again. Now, I want you to be honest with me.”

  Gemma exhaled an audible breath. “What do you want to know?”

  “Did your drugs come from CG?”

  “No.”

  “I hope you’re not lying to me, Dr. Wagner.”

  She stared directly at him. “I’m not lying. I swear to you I’m not lying,” she repeated when Levi gave her a questioning look. “My boyfriend gets them for me.”

  “Where does he get them?”

  “From some guy who lives in Russell.”

  Levi knew enough about Russell to know it was west of downtown Louisville. “You’re going to have to cut your boyfriend loose if you want to get clean, Gemma.”

  “I know.”

  “No, you don’t know. Because the minute you go back to him you’ll be using again.”

  “I can’t leave him.”

  “Why not?”

  Levi listened, stunned when the resident told her that he had paid for her to attend medical school. He had turned her on to heroin to control her.

  Levi knew he was fighting a losing battle, because Gemma wasn’t willing to leave her dealer.

  He withdrew his hand. “I’m sorry, Gemma. I’m not going to risk the lives of the patients in this hospital by allowing them to be treated by a junkie. I’ll let Dr. McGill know that I’ll file the necessary paperwork to release you from your residency obligation at the hospital. I wish you luck whenever you decide to get clean.”

  Levi walked out of the room, feeling as if the world was on his shoulders. He’d hoped to help her, but it was obvious she wasn’t willing to help herself.

  He returned to his office and sat down staring into space when his cell phone rang. Plucking it off his belt, he looked at the display with Reginald Goddard’s name. “What’s up, Reggie?”

  Levi listened, stunned when Reggie asked if he would stand in as a witness along with Angela when he and Traci tied the knot for a second time Sunday afternoon.

  “We’re doing this on the down-low, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention it to anyone.”

  “Like doctor-patient confidentiality.”

  “Just like that, brother.”

  “You’ve got my word. I won’t say anything.”

  This would be the second wedding he would attend with Angela. It appeared as if her cousins were getting married even if she wasn’t inclined to. Levi couldn’t understand why she loved reading romance novels yet she’d set up roadblocks to her own happily ever after. Levi knew he wasn’t perfect and never had professed to be. However, he was confident he would be a good husband and father. After all, he had a good teacher in his father, Solomon Eaton.

  Chapter 14

  “Good grief, baby! How many outfits are you bringing?”

  Angela stared at the clothes spread out on her bed. “I haven’t decided what I want to wear to the race and that will still be appropriate for Priscilla Turner’s post-Derby party. And don’t forget we’re witnesses for Traci and Reggie’s wedding. I have to wear something nice, because I plan to take them out afterward.”

  Levi crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you go through this every time you attend a social event?”

  She refused to look at Levi. “Yes.”

  Turning on his heels, he headed for the door, stopping to pick up a hatbox and a large tote. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

  Angela knew Levi was in a funk. He’d called to say he would pick her up at seven. But by seven, she still hadn’t decided what she wanted to pack for the weekend celebrations. Biting her lip, she reached for a garment bag and filled it with three dresses and a conservative suit and zipped it. Anchoring the strap of the garment bag over her shoulder, she flicked off the wall switch as she left the bedroom.

  Levi met her halfway down the staircase, taking the bag from her. “I put Miss Divine in the car.”

  When Angela had mentioned boarding the cat for the weekend Levi had overruled her when he said to bring her along. She wasn’t certain how her pet would adjust to a new environment, so she’d decided to bring
the crate instead of the pet carrier.

  She locked up the house and got into the car, turning around to look at the cat pacing back and forth in the crate. “Settle down, Miss Dee. We’re not going to the vet.”

  Levi slipped in behind the wheel. “You’re going to Daddy’s house for the next few days. And you can have the run of the place. That means you can jump up on the chairs.”

  Angela buckled her seatbelt. “I said it before and I’ll say it again. When you have a kid it’ll be a wild child.”

  “No she won’t. You can’t stifle a child’s spirit or creativity, Angie.”

  “Don’t you believe in boundaries? Children who grow up without boundaries have problems.”

  He started the car, shifting into gear. “Of course I believe in setting limits. I’ll raise my children the way I was raised and I don’t think of myself as a wild child.” Miss Divine let out a plaintive meow. “Now see what you did. She thought you called her wild.”

  “I thought you were Dr. Eaton, not Dr. Doolittle.”

  “I bet you didn’t know I can talk to animals.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  Leaving Magnolia Pines, Levi pushed the gas to accelerate the car, eating up the road. “I can, Angie. I know when they’re frightened or when they want something.”

  A hint of a smile tilted the corners of Angela’s mouth. “Don’t tell me my man is something of an animal whisperer.”

  Levi gave her a quick glance. “I’m your man?”

  She flashed a sexy moue. “Sho ’nuff.”

  “I like being your man.”

  Angela sobered. “Am I really your woman, Levi?”

  “What would I have to do to prove to you that you are? Propose marriage?”

  “No… I mean you don’t have to propose. I’ll take your word for it.”

  Resting his right arm over the back of her headrest, Levi touched the soft curls falling around her face. “You’re going to have to learn to trust me, Angie, because what you see is what you get.”