by Doctor Me Up
"I don't know how I got so lucky."
"I do. Your grandmother."
Natalie laughed. "You aren't kidding. She's got her hands in everyone of the kids who've gotten together lately. She even helped Delaney, Jake and Colby get things straightened out."
"Speaking of. What's the scoop? I know Delaney and Jake got married…"
"Oh, they're in a nice little triad with Colby Mason."
"Seriously?"
"Yes," Natalie said, drying her eyes with the edge of the paper napkin. "Apparently Jake and Colby had been lovers before. It's the reason Jake took off right after high school even though he was in love with Delaney. They've worked everything out now. They all live together as a happy threesome."
"Those threesome things seem kind of weird to me even though Emma is happy as a pig in shit with Beau and Brandon."
"Isn't she due with another little bundle soon too?"
"Yeah. Last time I talked to her she was feeling like a cow and ready to burst any day, but she still had a month to go."
"I haven't talked to her in a couple of weeks. No one has mentioned her going into labor yet so I figured she was still holding onto her little girl."
"It's a girl?"
Natalie nodded. "The last ultrasound showed a girl. Beau and Brandon are over the moon. They'll have one of each."
"See, I'm not sure I could keep two men happy. One would be plenty for me." She glanced at Natalie and noticed her deep red blush. "I'd forgotten about you, Cade and Kale. I didn't mean…"
"It's fine. It was a onetime thing. Something to try and be done with. We didn't plan to make it a permanent thing. I don't think your brother would handle sharing me anyway. He's pretty possessive."
"To each his own, I guess. I think having two men might be something to try." Natalie's blush deepened. "I could get some pointers from you."
"Can we talk about something else?"
"Oh, come on Nat. You're not embarrassed by what happened, are you?"
Natalie leaned over and whispered, "I don't broadcast it. Enough people in this town know I dated both men, but I really don't want everyone knowing we had a threesome."
"We'll talk in private then one day. Okay?"
"Why are you so interested? Do you really want me to tell you how your brother and his best friend were in bed?"
"Not details…well yeah maybe details just don't mention names." Elizabeth glanced out the front windows, noticing Laurel Dunn standing near her police car as she talked with a gangly young man. "How is Laurel with knowing it happened?"
"We don't discuss it, Liz. She knows. It's not like it happened more than once."
"Did you want it to?"
Natalie sighed. "I'm not talking about this here and no, I didn't. I love your brother. Nothing else mattered. Maybe you should discuss the threesome thing with Emma if you want a permanent take on the whole thing."
"Maybe I will."
Mabel came by with refills on their sodas and the check. "Are you two finished? Can I get you anything else?"
"No. I think we're done, Mabel. Thanks," Elizabeth replied. "The food melted on my tongue as usual. I'll make sure to be back before I leave again."
"You aren't staying, Elizabeth? I thought you were done with school?"
"School yes, residency, no. I have to spend three more years working in the hospital in Billings before I can practice."
"Are you planning on coming back here when you're done?"
"Yes ma'am. I plan on opening a practice here."
"Really, Liz? I didn't know you planned to stay. That's fantastic!" Natalie said, taking out some money and handing everything to Mabel. "Keep the rest for your tip."
"Hopefully it will all work out. I need to get a really rounded education while I'm in Billings so I can do family practice."
"You'll be able to follow the kids and everyone then."
"I know we need a doctor here in Red Rock so people don't have to go all the way into Billings to be treated for minor things. I won't be doing surgery or anything, but I can treat sprains, ear infections and whatnot. I want to put an office right down at the corner where the old grocery store used to sit. It's got plenty of room. I can divide everything up into exam rooms very easily. Maybe Cade would help with the construction for me."
"You know he would, Liz, but that's a few years down the road."
"I know." She sighed. "I wish things would move a little faster. I'm so ready to be done with all of this."
She noticed over Natalie's shoulder, a tall, dark-haired man come into the diner. When he removed his sunglasses and grinned, she couldn't help but smile back. Of course, Natalie noticed. "Marcus, come join us."
"Hello ladies. What are you two gorgeous girls doing sitting alone?"
"We finished our lunch and were just about to leave."
"We can stay a little longer, Liz. Refill our glasses, Mabel, and we'll talk to Marcus while he eats his lunch."
"I really should get back to the house."
"To do what pray tell?" Natalie asked, not moving so Marcus had to slide in the booth next to Liz.
"I'm sure Dad has some kind of work I could be doing."
"I just left there. Everything is fine."
"What about the dead animals?"
"He's having the water tested right now. Until the results come back, he's having the hands put up a temporary fence around the watering hole. He's going to keep the cattle down in the lower pasture."
"I should be helping with the fence then."
"You build fences too?"
"I can. What's it to you?"
"Nothing." He laughed. "You amaze me is all. You definitely aren't the typical woman."
"I was raised a rancher's daughter. We did those things. All of us helped whenever something needed to be done. It didn't matter whether we were male or female and Dad treated us all the same."
"No offense, Liz. I think you'll make a wonderful rancher's wife someday."
"Thank you…I think."
"It was a compliment."
Mabel returned to the table with a plate of the chicken and dumplings for Marcus. He dug right in with gusto.
"Hungry?"
"Starving. I hadn't eaten since last night's dinner which, by the way, thank you for the meal."
"My pleasure. We should do it again before I leave."
"How about tomorrow evening? I'll buy this time."
"Okay, sure."
"Oh, another date," Natalie added, clapping her hands.
"It's not a date," the two said in unison.
"It's just dinner, Natalie," Elizabeth replied. "We aren't dating."
"Nope. No dating," Marcus said between mouthfuls of dumplings. "Casual dinner is all."
"Sure. You two keep telling yourselves that. You might believe it eventually. I'm sure you've been dreaming of Marcus, Liz and I know how he talks about you."
Elizabeth coughed and kicked her under the table as Marcus choked on his lunch.
"Ouch!"
"Shut your mouth, Natalie. What goes on between me and Marcus isn't your concern." She elbowed Marcus who jumped up to let her out. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Marcus."
Chapter Six
"What did I do?" Natalie asked, as Marcus sputtered and coughed.
"Got involved," he croaked after another couple of coughs to clear his throat. "I told you to stay out of my relationship with Elizabeth, Natalie."
"I only want to see the two of you happy, Marcus."
"She's leaving in a month. A relationship between us is dead before it gets started, but you in the middle of this will only make everything worse."
"But you've been pining after her for months."
"It doesn't matter. Can't you see she's rebounding after her breakup with her guy friend in Los Angeles."
"Asshole, you mean."
"Whatever. She's still not ready to move on to someone else. We'll spend some quiets nights dining together. That will be the end of it."
"I know you don't
want things to end though."
"I don't need a woman in my life. I have my practice. It's enough."
"Bullshit."
"It's not bullshit, Nat. Elizabeth is beautiful, charming, sophisticated, and all the things a man could want in a woman, but she's busy—too busy for a love life unless it's a short-term relationship. I'm okay with something along those lines for now. If we get together under those circumstances, then so be it." He finished his dumplings and pushed the plate away. "How are Cade and the kids? I haven't been out to visit in a while."
"They're fine. Why don't you join us for supper on Sunday?"
"I supposed I could. I'm not busy."
"Great. Six?"
"Sounds fine, but I should go now. I've got some patients to see and a dinner date tomorrow to prepare for." He grinned as she rolled her eyes.
"Guys don't prepare."
"This one does, especially if I want to impress said lady."
"You're impossible, Marcus. I hope you know what you're doing."
"I do. We're good. See you Sunday," he said, tossing some bills on the table to cover lunch before he headed for the door. He knew what he wanted and even if he could only have her for a short time, he'd be willing.
When he got back to his office, the lobby was full to the brim with women and their pets. Everything from cats, to dogs, to lizards graced cages, collars and laps.
"There you are Doctor Melton," his receptionist said. "Thank goodness you're back. It's been like this for the last hour. Are you ready for patients?"
"Yes, Cindy. Give me two minutes to get settled. I'll take care of everyone in time."
"Yes, sir. Mandy is already in the back waiting for you."
"Thanks."
A soft wolf-whistle echoed the noisy room, but he chose to ignore it. He had put up with the flirting and random suggestions since taking over the clinic. Unfortunately, he hadn’t figured out how to discourage his female clientele.
A primped and cut French poodle waddled in on a studded leash with Mrs. Warber holding tightly to the end.
"Mrs. Warber. What seems to be trouble with Fifi this week?"
"I think she's got a fever. She doesn't seem to be herself the last couple of days."
"Are you sure? She seems fine to me," he said, noting the rapid step, wagging tail and lolling tongue of the large dog.
"She sleeps all the time and doesn't seem to have much energy."
Marcus shook his head, but grinned. Mrs. Warber had been in with Fifi five times in as many weeks, always for some milady or another. The other females in the waiting room were there for the same reason. He let it go and treated the animals, as if they were really sick. Good thing he enjoyed seeing his four-legged patients. "I'll have Mandy get her temp and we'll check her out. How's she been eating?"
"Not very well, Doctor."
He checked her tongue, in her ears and ran his hands over the poodle's entire body. One thing he had to say, animals loved him. Fifi gave him a big lick on his cheek and he laughed. "Mandy, check her temp and I'll be back in a minute."
Once he stepped outside the exam room, he ran his hands through his hair before pinching the bridge of his nose. Not quite understanding the fascination with him, the women of the town kept him in business with the constant visits, but they were getting tiresome.
He wanted a relationship. He wanted a steady woman in his life. None of the women he'd come in contact with so far did anything for him—except Elizabeth Weston. She didn't want him. Well, maybe that wasn't necessarily true. He got the impression the attraction between them was mutual. Her plans to go off to Billings for three years put the breaks on any kind of relationship beyond some hot sex. Somehow he knew making love with her would burn up the sheets.
Back to work. "So Mandy," he said, stepping back into the exam room. "How's our patient?"
* * * *
The next evening rolled around without much hoopla except the nervousness Elizabeth felt every time she thought about dinner with Marcus this evening. Why the man fascinated her so much, she wasn't sure, but he did. Men with broad shoulders, collar-length brown hair, big blue eyes and a killer smile were a dime a dozen, right? Maybe it was the mystery surrounding him. He'd done the tuxedo thing, pulling it off with grace and style, now he did the jeans and western shirt thing with just as much sexiness. Shesh, the man dries up my self-control.
Standing in front of the mirror in her room, she twisted left, then right deciding whether she wanted to wear the dress she had on. The soft cotton material swished against her bare legs, the softness caressing her skin. She wore no nylons to stifle her skin from the heat, only flat sandals graced her feet. The thing spaghetti straps of the dress left her shoulders uncovered as she hoped for a sexy look. She'd seen the women around town giving Marcus the eye. Beautiful, sexy, some single, some not, they all made her bristle with what? Jealousy? She had no reason to be jealous. Marcus didn't belong to her.
The doorbell rang and she jumped. The clock on her nightstand read five fifty five. Damn.
"Elizabeth? Sweetheart, Marcus is here."
"Thanks, Dad. I'll be right down."
Time had run out. She'd have to wear what she had on unless she made him wait. Grabbing her shawl and purse, she opened the door and headed down the stairs. Marcus stood near the door, cowboy hat in hand. He took her breath away. Black western, button-down shirt graced his shoulders emphasizing the width and size. Wrangler jeans molded to his impressive thighs and black cowboy boots completed the picture. Damn, if he wasn't a sight.
"Hi," he said, walking closer. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks. It's nothing special." She beamed at his compliment.
"Shall we?" He held out his arm and she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.
So dashing.
"Where would you like to eat?"
"Um, how about Mexican. We had steak the last time."
"Sure. I love Mexican food too."
"Is the Cantina still sitting on the corner of Onion and Spruce?"
"Yep. They have the best around these parts by far."
"Yes, they do."
Marcus opened the door to his truck and helped her slide into the cab. Such a gentleman.
After he shut the door, he raced around the front of the truck to get into the driver's seat. "How was your day?" he asked, starting the truck before he pulled out from in front of the house.
"Good. I helped my Dad with moving the cattle away from the pool. He hasn't gotten the results back on the water yet."
"I hope it's not anything major. He's lost a lot of them the last month or so between these two outbreaks. I wish I could help more."
"The foreman said you spent a lot of time up there when you inoculated the cattle. Did you see anything?"
"No, but I wasn't really looking. Several of the hands were up there with me. Did you question them?"
"I haven't questioned anyone really. I thought I'd ask you first since it happened about the time you did the shots."
"I wish I could help."
She shrugged. "It's fine. Let's talk about something else."
"Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. How about you tell me about your family?"
He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and shut off the truck. "Not much to tell. All of my siblings live in Boston near my parents. I'm the only one who's traveled so far from home."
"Did you always want to be a vet?" she asked when he opened her door.
"Yeah. From the time I can remember. I was always bandaging up the dog and cat at home. They finally started running from me by the time I turned ten." He chuckled. "Poor things."
She laughed along with him as they approached the door to the restaurant. Soft Mexican music played from the speakers set into the ceiling.
"Good evening. How many?"
"Two please. May we sit on the veranda?" Marcus asked.
"I would love to sit out in the evening air. Great idea, Marcus."
"Certainly.
Follow me please."
The waiter sat them at a table near the wrought iron railing under a fan to keep them cool until the sun went down. The music seemed muted enough they could talk as she looked over the menu for what she wanted to eat.
"What looks good to you?"
"Hmm…" She tapped a finger against her lips. "I'm thinking the fajitas. I love those."
"Good choice."
Someone brought chips and salsa to the table. She dipped a chip into the mixture of tomato and spices before she popped the concoction into her mouth with a soft groan.
"Good?" he asked, watching her mouth.
"Yes. I love the spices. They burst on your tongue in a happy little dance."
He smiled as he grasped her hand. "You have such a way with words."
After he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed each one, he returned her hand to the table top, but didn't let go. The small gesture seemed so intimate yet not. She wasn't sure what he meant by it. Did he want her? He seemed to. Did she want him? Oh yeah. With every breath she inhaled his spicy yet manly scent, letting the fragrance run the gamut of her senses. His eyes twinkled in the fading sunlight, almost as if he knew the war she waged with herself.
"What would you like?" the waitress asked, standing next to their table.
Once their drinks arrived, they went about small talk of various things. How she'd decided to become a physician. How medical school seemed different than veterinarian school, but yet they seemed very similar too. How he'd become friends with Cade and Natalie. What her plans were after residency.
"I've even got the place picked out for my offices."
"Oh?" he asked, taking a bite of his enchilada.
"Yes. The building just on the edge of town across from Delaney's gas station. It used to be a a grocery store years ago. It's too small for most doctors, but not me. I'd love to practice here." She took another bite of her fajita, and then swallowed. "Are you staying busy with your practice?"
"Oh yes. I think half the town has decided their pets are sick at least once a week."
"The women, you mean."
"Well, yes. I'm not sure what the whole thing is about."
"You're a very handsome man, Marcus. Why wouldn't the women be attracted to you and want a little bit of your time?" A flush of red crept up his neck. "You're blushing."