With These Two Hands

by Lori Ryan

  Kayleigh rolled her eyes.

  “I know, I know,” George said, “I use the word help loosely.”

  Grayson nodded to Aaron and Manny. “We got this.”

  Something bristled on Aaron’s neck and he glanced back at Kayleigh.

  Kayleigh looked relieved but Aaron knew it wasn’t at the offer of help from the other men. He had a feeling she’d been genuinely worried about Izzie. “Thanks,” she said. “I’ll come over to Manny’s house as soon as I’m done with Sunshine.”

  Aaron nodded.

  “It’s this way,” Manny said, leading Aaron out of the barn over to a four-passenger ATV.

  Aaron climbed inside and Manny drove them down a dirt path.

  “I don’t know what we’ll do without Kayleigh,” Manny said.

  What did that mean? “What do you mean?”

  “Her contract is almost up, and rumor has it the clinic isn’t doing so hot. Why would she stay in Canyon Creek if she can’t make any money?”

  “What contract?”

  Manny didn’t look at Aaron as he steered the vehicle with practiced ease. “She has a contract to work in the town as some kind of debt repayment thing. It’s a good deal. Brings vets this way, but they always leave when the time is up. Could be another year or more before we find another one to accept the deal.”

  “Where would she go if she wasn’t working here, though?” Aaron hadn’t heard Kayleigh talk about leaving Canyon Creek, but then again, it wasn’t really something she’d talk to him about. They barely knew each other.

  “Mr. Rutherford’s other son, Dylan is a vet in Denver. She might go there.”

  “Why doesn’t Dylan come here if you guys need a vet here?” Aaron asked what he thought was the obvious question.

  “He comes to Canyon Creek when he can, but honestly, there’s no real money in rural vet medicine.”

  Aaron pondered Manny’s comments. “What’s wrong with the clinic?” he asked.

  Manny glanced over, looking a little uneasy and Aaron would guess the man was wondering if he should have opened this can of worms. “Look, I’m not sure if it’s true, it’s just what folks say. I think she does way too much for free. She knows a lot of small town people can’t afford vet services, but she does it anyway. She’s an incredible doctor but she runs herself ragged.”

  Aaron had noticed Kayleigh worked a lot. Almost as much as he did at a big city hospital if not more. He never would have guessed that would be the case of a veterinarian before watching her in action. And didn’t that make him a judgmental asshole?

  “We’re here,” Manny said as he pulled the four-wheeler to a stop in front of a small house. There was a fenced yard and a wide porch.

  “It’s great that you live on the property.”

  “Yeah, Mr. Rutherford has been good to us. Rents this place to us at a reasonable rate. My mom was able to move in with us and Izzie gets to be close to Sunshine.”

  “She loves the horse?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “It’s been hard on her not to have her mom in her life so I don’t make a big deal of her attachment. Plus, Mr. Rutherford doesn’t seem to mind either.”

  Aaron wanted to ask more questions but a large woman stepped onto the porch, long dark hair pulled back into a tight bun. She wiped her hands on a dishtowel as she walked toward them.

  “Quien es ese, Manny?” The woman asked, looking between Manny and Aaron.

  “Mamá, this is Dr. Sumner. He’s here to look at Izzie.”

  “Where is Doc Olson?” She said, her brows wrinkling. “We called him two days ago.” Her words were heavily accented but the anger in her voice wasn’t hard to miss.

  “Se bueno, Mamá, please. Doc Olson can’t run out here for every little thing. Let’s show Dr. Sumner inside so he can look at Izzie.”

  “You can call me Aaron.”

  Manny nodded as he bolted up the steps and held open the front door.

  “She’s on the couch,” Manny’s mother said, as if in defeat.

  Aaron noted her face, drawn with worry.

  He walked inside the small but tidy home. To the right was a living room and there, on the couch, was a mass of blankets. In the corner he saw a tiny face peeking out.

  Manny sat near the little girl, rubbing a hand on her shoulder. “Mija, this is Dr. Sumner. He’s going to take a look at you.”

  Two round brown eyes met Aaron’s. Her complexion was pale, paler than the caramel-colored skin of the fingers wrapped around a stuffed animal. The girl held her bear tighter and pulled back when she saw Aaron.

  This was why Aaron had hated his rotation in pediatric medicine. A lot of kids were scared shitless of doctors. Some doctors were great at soothing those fears and making kids like them, but Aaron had never felt like he was one of them.

  He knelt beside her. “Who’s this?” He pointed to the stuffed animal.

  The little girl’s eyes darted from her animal to Aaron as she clutched it tighter.

  “Could I check out his heartbeat? He looks a little sick.”

  “It’s a girl,” she said, her voice raspy, her lips dry.

  This girl needed liquids, now.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Aaron looked at the small bear. “My apologies, Miss…” he paused, hoping Lizzie would fill in the missing name.

  “Her name is Beezus.”

  Aaron looked from Izzie to Manny.

  Manny smiled. “It’s short for Beatrice.”

  “Well, hello Miss Beezus. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Doctor Aaron.” He reached under Izzie’s hand and grasped the bear’s arm, shaking it. “I was wondering,” he continued speaking to the stuffed animal, “would it be all right if I listened to your heart with my special ear?” He held up Kayleigh’s stethoscope. Aaron looked from Izzie to the bear and back to Izzie again, hoping she’d allow this.

  Izzie slowly nodded.

  “Oh, good,” he said, smiling, “bears have the best hearts.”

  “Really?” The girl’s face wrinkled, looking at him suspiciously.

  “Oh, yes.” Aaron smiled down at the little girl. She was adorable. If he could win over all pediatric patients like this, he might rethink his specialty.

  His career flashed before his eyes. Or the career he thought he would have as a renowned cardio thoracic surgeon. Something in his own heart squeezed tight with the knowledge he might never return. How many years had he wasted, how many long hours spent bending over patients in operating rooms for nothing?

  “Doctor Sumner?” Izzie’s raspy voice broke through his thoughts. She pushed the ratty bear toward him, a reminder of what he was supposed to be doing.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting Miss Beezus. Just wanted to warm up my stethoscope.” Aaron rubbed the diaphragm of the tool on his palm. “There. Now, let’s take a listen.” He pushed the ear pieces in and pressed the instrument to the bear’s chest, then focused as if concentrating on counting the beats.

  “Well?” she asked.

  “Sounds good, strong, like a bear heart should.” He smiled. “Now I need to listen to her lungs. Do you think that would be okay?”

  She nodded.

  He moved the stethoscope down and repeated the action. “Can she take a deep breath in for me?”

  He held still, listening as Izzie pretended to have the bear take a deep breath in and out.

  “Yep, healthy lungs, too. That’s a good, healthy bear you’ve got there, Izzie. You’re lucky.”

  He moved as if he were going to leave.

  “Didn’t you come for me?” She asked.

  “Oh, yeah.” Aaron hit his head. “Of course, I want to check on you, too. Silly me.”

  Through the uncertainty, Aaron saw the glimpse of a small smile. He placed the stethoscope to Izzie’s chest and listened to the sound of the girl’s heart. The steady heartbeat rang in his ears, the miraculous music that had filled his life from the minute he’d first decided to be a cardiac surgeon bringing him peace.

  He would miss this, listeni
ng to the pounding rhythm of a person’s heartbeat, sometimes slow and steady, sometimes fast and irregular. If he was forced to leave his fellowship it was a sound he knew he would always long for. The power of such an incredible organ, that sustained all life, was truly fascinating to him. Saving even just one heart had been the most thrilling thing he’d ever done.

  Before he could become too melancholy, he moved the scope to her lungs. “Breathe deep, honey” he said.

  Izzie did as instructed.

  Her lungs sounded clear, that was a good sign. It wasn’t pneumonia. Aaron looked up at her grandmother. “What’s her temperature?”

  “It was 101.2 thirty minutes ago.”

  Aaron felt the back of her neck. She didn’t feel too terribly warm. Children her age were known to run higher fevers than adults.

  “You did an amazing job, Izzie.” Aaron smoothed back the girl’s hair.

  She clung to her bear.

  “Why don’t you get some rest. But first?” He turned and reached for the glass filled with a purple liquid next to the table. “Gatorade?” he asked her grandmother.

  She nodded.

  “First, let’s get a few sips of this in you, okay?”

  “It hurts,” she said, her brows furrowing as she shook her head.

  “You know Dr. Kayleigh is here to see Sunshine right now.”

  Izzie’s eyes brightened.

  “If you want to see Sunshine, you’ll need to get better. And to get better, you need to drink as much as you can, okay?” He glanced at the grandmother and then leaned in toward Izzy. “I can also call in a prescription for ice cream and popsicles. They help a lot with sore throats. Would you like me to do that?”

  Izzie grinned and nodded. Her grandmother swooped in and took the glass from Aaron, holding out the straw for Izzie.

  Aaron walked toward the door, leading Manny out of the living room. “I think she should be tested for strep. Has she ever had it before?”

  Manny shook his head.

  “It’s painful. Absent any other health concerns, she can kick it herself in a week or so without antibiotics, but she’ll be contagious longer if we leave it untreated. She’s also in a fair amount of pain. It might be best to get her into Doc Olson or see if he can make the trip out here.”

  Manny glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost six o’clock.

  “Tell you what?” Aaron offered. “Why don’t I go into town, pick up the test from Doc Olson and bring it out later. We can administer it and have the results in minutes. If the test is positive, we know we have to treat. If it’s negative, there’s a longer test we can send out for.”

  “You don’t have to do that Dr. Sumner.”

  “Please, call me Aaron. And it’s not a big deal. I know you’re busy.”

  “But you are too, yes?”

  No, Aaron thought. Not really. He had been, back in Chicago. So busy he could barely stock his apartment with groceries.

  Here in Canyon Creek, he had nothing but time, and a diagnosis that would destroy his career.

  “Tell Izzie I’ll be back in a bit. If you take me back to the barn, I’ll have Kayleigh bring me back into town and get the test from Doc.”

  “Thank you so much, Dr. Sumner.”

  “Aaron,” he corrected. “Call me Aaron.”

  Dr. Sumner just didn’t seem right anymore.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You were great with Izzie,” Kayleigh said as she pulled away from the Rutherford Ranch.

  Aaron stared at her, brows furrowed. She hadn’t seen him with the girl.

  “Manny told me. He said you were sweet with her.”

  He shrugged. “Pediatrics was never my forte.”

  “Well, you did the near impossible.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You got to touch Beezus.”

  Aaron laughed. “I had to make sure Beezus wasn’t sick, too. What’s up with that name anyway?”

  “She didn’t tell you?” Kayleigh snuck a peek at him from the corner of her eye.

  “No. Her throat was really sore so I tried to limit her talking.”

  “Beezus is short for Beatrice. It’s a character from the book Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary.”

  Aaron shook his head. “Never heard of it.”

  “Izzie’s grandmother has been learning English and reads to her a lot. It’s a great book. Great series, actually. All of Beverly Cleary’s books are.”

  “You’re a big reader?” Aaron asked.

  Kayleigh didn’t miss that he changed the subject, but she didn’t want to disclose her penchant for sexy romance books. “Some.”

  “What kind?”

  “All kinds.” It wasn’t a lie. She read all kinds of romance, from Scottish rogues to modern day billionaire alpha males.

  “Have you read any of my brother’s books?”

  “Mystery and crime books scare me. I tried one but had to stop when I started having nightmares about masked men chasing me with machetes. He said he’s working on a romance now.”

  “Yeah, Elle has taken him to the dark side.”

  “And what is the dark side?”

  “Sappy love shit. I can’t believe three of my brothers are head over heels in love.”

  “What’s wrong with being head over heels in love? There is such a thing as a happily ever after you know.”

  Aaron twisted in his seat. “You really believe that?”

  Kayleigh shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I believe in the idea that it might exist. I’m not saying I want it. But my friends are examples that it exists for some.”

  Aaron shook his head. “Never took you for the sappy love story girl.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Just…”

  He didn’t continue and Kayleigh wondered what he was thinking. “Hey,” she said, changing the subject, “I’ll drop you off at the lodge and run into town for the strep kit at Doc’s and take it out to the ranch. I can run it back to Doc’s and let him prescribe any medicine she needs after he reads it.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” he said, sitting up straighter.

  “It’s okay. I need to check a few more things out there anyway.”

  “What things?”

  “Sunshine needs an antibiotic. There was a hint of an infection starting around those sutures and I don’t want to take a chance with the foal or with Sunshine’s eye. I’ll swab Izzie’s throat and bring the test back to the medical office on my way home.”

  “Okay.” He sat back in his seat as if deflated.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head.

  “Do you miss it?”

  “Miss what?” He glanced over at her.

  “The big city. The life of a surgeon. The challenge of treating patients.”

  Aaron looked out the window. “Yeah, I do.” He turned back to her. “It was nice to be able to help Manny and Izzie today, though. I think I’d forgotten what small-town medicine can be like. With my surgical patients, I don’t often get to connect with them on the same level that Doc Olson connects with the people in this town.”

  “I guess big or small, all towns need medical services.”

  “True,” he nodded, remaining quiet for a while, seemingly lost in thought before he spoke again. “Hey, I meant to ask you something,” he finally said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Manny said something today that I was curious about.”

  “Oh Lord,” Kayleigh sighed, “no telling what Manny was saying. Let’s hear it.”

  “He hinted around that the vet clinic is in some financial trouble.”

  Kayleigh gripped the wheel tighter and worked to keep her Jeep steady. How the hell did Manny know that? It was probably Shelly. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure that those two weren’t messing around. She’d seen them out at night a few times together.

  “The clinic is fine. I’m fine.” Kayleigh tried to keep her voice calm but could hear the bitterness
.

  “He said you might not be staying in Canyon Creek.”

  This time, the Jeep didn’t stay so steady. She corrected the swerve of the wheel and looked over at Aaron. “Where the hell would he get that idea?”

  “I don’t know, he just said—”

  “Well, I’m not planning to leave.” Not yet, she thought. They sat in silence for a long moment.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything. I just…”

  “Look, maybe times are tight—it happens in small towns, but I’ll manage.”

  “So, you don’t want to leave Canyon Creek?” he asked, sounding surprised.

  “Why would I want to leave?” She didn’t, of course. It didn’t mean she might not have to if she couldn’t figure out how to pay back her student loans, though. “We’re not all cut out for the big city,” she said quietly.

  “Is that where you’re from?”

  Kayleigh swallowed. Most residents knew she was from Boston, but that was the extent of it. She’d made sure of it. The last thing she wanted was to be judged as the debutante she’d been raised as. If this town knew the wealth and power she came from, they’d look at her completely differently, just like everyone in Boston had.

  “Boston,” she finally said.

  Aaron looked surprised. “I love Boston. I went to BU for med school.”

  Kayleigh glanced over at him. “I didn’t know that.”

  “What area?” he asked.

  Shit. She didn’t want to disclose this. Everyone on the northeast side would recognize the affluent suburb she was from. Maybe he’d had his head buried in a book and never got out of Boston proper. “Weston,” she finally answered.

  Aaron whistled.

  Kayleigh pressed her lips together and kept driving.

  “Weston is pretty exclusive,” he said. “Probably one of the wealthiest towns in the Northeast.”

  Of course, he’d know. She let out a sigh.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head knowing the best way out of this was shifting the attention. “So, you asked a question and I answered. Now I get one.”

  “You hardly answered me.”

  She ignored him. “Why are you really back home?” She’d asked this before, but she was stubborn as hell and she’d never gotten to the truth of this.