by Lori Ryan
“Independent,” he said.
“Yes.” She smiled. “Independent. That’s a good word.”
“Driven. Hard-headed. Willful.”
“Hey, wait a minute.”
He held up a hand. “All great qualities, in some cases. But not in this one.” He nodded toward her laptop.
“You’re right.”
Aaron dropped his fork into his container and clutched his chest. “What did you just say?”
“Shut it.” She threw her napkin at him.
He caught it mid-air and wiped his mouth.
Showoff.
“Kayleigh, I think you’re amazing.”
A small smile crept up her face.
“I totally believe you can make this clinic work. With a few tweaks. But you’re going to have to let people help you.”
“Like who?”
“I don’t know. Maybe hire a consultant. Let them come in here and evaluate.”
“I can’t afford a consultant,” she said.
“You could barter, maybe vet services.”
“My schedule is already maxed out.” God, her situation was looking more dire by the minute.
“Maybe you could take on a partner, another vet, or backer of some sort with a vested interest?”
“Absolutely not.” She closed the lid on her lunch, her appetite gone. There were a lot of things she was willing to do to save the clinic, but taking a partner, relying on someone else wasn’t one of them. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Stubborn,” he mumbled under his breath.
“What about you, Mr. Fancy Pants Surgeon?”
He flinched and she immediately regretted her words.
He closed his container as well, salad only half eaten. “What about me?”
“You’ve got some decisions to make, don’t you? Have you even told your family about the tremor?”
Aaron remained unmoved.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not my business.”
“No, you’re right. I do have some decisions to make. And my family needs to know.”
“Do you like it here?” Oh, God, she sounded like that girl. The pathetic one who pined after the boy everyone knew didn’t want her long-term.
“I do, actually.” He smiled. “More than I anticipated.”
Did that mean he wanted to stay in Canyon Creek? His decision could change everything about their relationship. It could go from short-term casual to…what? And was she okay with that? Maybe Maggie was right, she shouldn’t get involved with a Sumner boy.
Then, again, maybe he wouldn’t want that even if he was staying. Her stomach clenched at the realization that Aaron might not want anything more than a casual fling, no matter where he lived.
“I guess I need to ask for help more, too,” he said.
“See,” she smiled, “I’m not the only stubborn ass in the room.”
He stood and moved around the desk to stand behind her. “But you have the finest ass in the room.” He turned her chair to face him, his hands gripping the armrests on either side as he pulled her chair toward him.
She swallowed hard.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“What are you thinking?” Her gaze held his, butterflies swirling in her stomach. She hadn’t felt this way about a boy in…well, ever.
He moved even closer, his breath warm on her face. “I’m thinking how I want to make you forget about money problems and spreadsheets.”
Her eyes fluttered closed and she may have moaned.
His lips gently pressed against hers. “About how I want to lick every inch of you and suck you and—”
Someone cleared their throat in the doorway.
Aaron released her chair and took a step back as Kayleigh twirled around.
Shelly stood in the doorway, a shit-eating grin on her face.
“Yes,” Kayleigh croaked out, struggling to sound professional.
Shelly’s gaze traveled from Kayleigh to Aaron and back again, one brow arched high.
Kayleigh shook her head, willing away the lurid memories in her mind. “Shelly?” she asked.
“J.D. Ferguson is here,” she said.
She glanced down at her watch then looked to Aaron.
“Sorry. He shows up early a lot of the time. Coming here is a little bit of a social event for him.”
“I should get going anyway,” Aaron said, placing the containers back in the bag.
“Don’t rush on my account,” Shelly said with a playful grin. “Lina’s out in front, talking to him.”
“What’s Lina doing here?” Kayleigh asked.
“She just stopped by to see if you needed her this afternoon.”
Kayleigh was so blessed to have so many people willing to help her. Why had she not seen it until Aaron opened her eyes? “Okay, I’ll be out in a few.”
“Take your time.” Shelly laughed, giving Kayleigh a wink before she closed the door.
“I’m pretty sure Shelly wants us to have sex on this desk right now,” Aaron said, his palms placed on the wood as if testing the weight.
“That was so embarrassing.” She jumped from her seat and began shuffling papers. “I should really get out there and see Mr. Ferguson.”
“I thought you said he was early.”
“He is, but, we spend a lot of time talking.”
“That’s one of the first lessons you learn in medicine,” he said.
“What?”
“Time management.”
She sighed and shook her head. The hectic life of modern human medicine, run by huge insurance companies was one of the many reasons Kayleigh had chosen veterinary medicine. “My work is different.”
“Well maybe that’s part of the problem.”
Kayleigh glared. She didn’t like his attitude, or his tone.
“I’m sorry,” he said, dropping the bag on her desk and walking toward her. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Look, Aaron, that kind of mentality may work for you in the big city, but it doesn’t here. Mr. Ferguson lost his wife six months ago to cancer. He’s lonely, he’s hurting. He’s here for himself just as much as Pebbles. I’ll never let some ‘consultant’ make me whittle down my time with patients. Especially if they need me.”
“Well, what about your prices? How much does Mr. Ferguson pay for the extra time.”
She stared down at the floor, knowing this was one of her problems.
Aaron lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “What you’re doing here, for the animals and their owners is amazing, Kayleigh. But if you want to be able to keep helping them, something’s got to give. Maybe there’s a way to balance the extra time you give to your patients without it getting out of control. You don’t have to cut your visits to fifteen minutes each, but maybe there’s a happy medium.”
He was right, she just wasn’t sure where she could afford to give up money, control, time? None of them sounded easy for a stubborn girl like her.
Aaron reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. Glancing down at the screen he said, “I’m sorry, I’ve got to take this.” He moved to leave but she stopped him.
“Here, stay in my office. I’m going to go grab Mr. Ferguson.” She turned to leave but Aaron caught her wrist and twirled her around. Before she could speak, his lips crashed down on hers, his hand wrapping tight around her neck.
God, he tasted good, he smelled good, he…she couldn’t think when he was this close.
She pulled away. “Your call,” she laughed, nodding toward his phone.
He shook his head as if he’d been in a lust-filled daze as much as she was. “Oh, yeah. Thanks.” He glanced down then looked back up at her. “Sorry, it’s important.”
“You can sit here. I’ve got to go start my afternoon. Take your time.” Before she left, he slid an arm around her waist and brought her in for a quick kiss. She stumbled backward, hand to her mouth.
He laughed as he answered his phone. “This
is Dr. Sumner.”
Dr. Sumner. Man that sounded sexy. She wondered if Dr. Montgomery sounded as sexy to him. She shrugged and left the office, making her way down the hall.
“That was some lunch in there,” Shelly smiled like she knew a delicious secret—which now she did.. “No wonder you didn’t want to go to the café with us. I would have stayed in the office to play with that hunky doctor, too.”
Kayleigh searched the hall, thankful when she found it empty. She leaned in close and whispered angrily. “We did not have sex, Shelly.”
Shelly shrugged one shoulder. “There was definitely something going on in there.”
Kayleigh would admit to that and wondered what would have happened if Shelly hadn’t returned. Sex on her desk with Aaron sounded really good.
“Good, God, get ahold of yourself, doctor,” Shelly said, fanning Kayleigh’s face. “Your face is as flushed as my momma’s when she did the Macarena at my cousin’s wedding.”
Kayleigh ducked her head in embarrassment. Apparently, she was unable to hide her feelings anymore. This couldn’t be a good sign.
“Want me to take J.D. and Pebbles back now?” Shelly asked.
“What’s the complaint this time?”
Shelly glanced down at the clipboard. “Says he thinks Pebbles may have hemorrhoids, or a tape worm, or…” she studied the note further. “Heartworm. I think he’s really grasping at straws now.”
“Doesn’t matter, let’s check them out.”
“Which one?” Shelly asked.
“Both.”
Shelly nodded and laughed. “I’ll put him in room three.”
Kayleigh patted down her coat. “Okay, I’ll be right in. I forgot my stethoscope in my office.”
“Take your time,” Shelly waved, rounding the corner and disappearing.
Kayleigh walked back to her office, opening the door quietly so she wouldn’t interrupt Aaron.
“No, thanks for calling Dr. Ewing. The position sounds wonderful.” Aaron stood with his back to the door, talking on his phone.
Position? What position? Aaron hadn’t told her of any job offers. Was Dr. Ewing a colleague in Chicago?
“I’d like to talk to the staff first to see what they would think about me taking over.”
He was leaving. Aaron was going back to Chicago. She should have been happy, relieved even, but something in her heart cracked. She’d started to let herself think he might stay. That this relationship between them, this, whatever it was right now, might go somewhere.
She stepped away from the door and hurried down the hall, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.
“Did you get your scope?” Shelly asked, rounding the corner.
Kayleigh froze. She’d completely forgotten her reason for going into her office in the first place.
“That’s okay,” Shelly said, taking hers from around her neck. “You can use mine.”
Kayleigh took the instrument but stood silently in the hallway.
“Hey, you okay?” Shelly asked. “Kayleigh?”
Something bumped her arm. “What?” She glanced up.
Shelly was holding out a file folder. “Are you okay? What just happened?”
Nothing happened, she thought. Just what she had wanted when this whole affair with Aaron started. If that were true then why did it feel like an 18-wheeler had just knocked her over?
Chapter Twenty-Four
“There you go.” Ben stepped back and pointed at the computer sitting on a small desk inside Doc Olson’s office.
“It’s a secure line?” Aaron asked.
“Yep,” Ben answered.
“And the camera and audio is set up?”
Ben stared at him like he was an idiot. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said. “You know I’m technologically challenged.”
Ben laughed.
Aaron had purchased the equipment to set Canyon Creek Medical Clinic up for telemedicine and teleconferencing for Doc Olson. It would allow Doc to access hundreds of specialists all with the touch of a button. Hopefully, townspeople wouldn’t have to travel so far for specialty care. And Doc would be able to be in the office more if he could discuss patient’s cases with other specialists. It was a win-win for everyone.
“Yes, I know how challenged you are. I remember when you thought you could help mom set up her email back in the day. I still haven’t figured out what you did, but she’s still getting messages about erectile dysfunction.”
Aaron shot him the bird behind Doc Olson’s back.
“Doc here probably knows more about computers than you do.” Ben snorted.
It was the truth, and not something Aaron was proud of. In the operating room, he used robotic surgical tools with no problems, but basic computer work sometimes baffled him.
“It’s so funny,” Ben said.
“What?” Aaron asked.
“You can perform these high-tech surgeries saving people’s lives and rebuilding their hearts,” Ben paused.
Aaron swallowed. Not anymore, he wanted to say.
Ben didn’t notice. “And yet, I ask you if the computer booted up and you have to ask Doc’s wife to come check out the system.”
“Whatever.” Aaron’s tone was more severe than he’d intended.
Ben and Doc stared at him.
“Everything okay?” Doc asked.
No. Nothing was okay.
He was developing deeper feelings for Kayleigh than he was comfortable with. He wanted to help her, but she refused. And his dream job had been snatched from underneath him. Sure, Dr. Ewing—his attending back in Chicago—had just offered him a position heading up their outreach program for heart health awareness, but it was a token job that held no appeal to him whatsoever.
There was a stiff silence before Aaron brushed off the question. “I’m fine.”
“Well, it’s good to have you back, Aaron.” Doc slapped him on the back. “Even if it is just for a short time. You’re showing this old dog some new tricks.”
Aaron nodded but didn’t say anything.
“What’s going on with you?” Ben asked, stepping closer and squeezing his shoulder.
“Do you guys have a minute?” Aaron asked. It was time to talk to the people who loved him.
Doc looked up at the clock. “We don’t have another patient for about twenty minutes.”
For some reason, Aaron liked the fact that Doc had turned them into a team, saying “we.”
“Please,” Ben laughed, “I’ve got fifty-plus crazy-ass women waiting for me to help set up an event or fix something that broke or whatever back at the lodge. I’m looking for a way to hide out for as long as I can.”
“Fifty?” Doc said. “That’s a lot, even for a lady-killer like you.” Doc laughed.
“God no.” Ben shook his head. “I’m talking about my mother, Aunt Sally, Maggie, Lily and a gaggle of women romance readers at the wedding barn for a romance book festival.”
“A what?” Aaron asked.
“They’re trying to drive more tourism to Canyon Creek. Emmett was supposed to organize a book festival. I thought it would be regular books.”
“What do you mean, regular?” Doc asked.
“Mystery, sci-fi, thrillers, that kind of shit,” Ben said.
“And that’s not what it is?” Aaron asked.
Ben shook his head squeezing his temples. “Hell no, it’s not. I could kill Emmett.”
“Then what is it?”
Someone knocked on the door. They all glanced up.
“Hey, honey,” Doc’s wife, Bernie said. “I want to get out of here right at five. I’ve got to pick Kayleigh up for the rom-com festival at the lodge.”
“The what?” Doc asked.
“Romantic comedy festival,” she said as if her husband of forty years was an idiot. “I told you about it last week. Some of the best-selling authors of romance will be there. Along with some of the cover models.” She grinned with a salacious expression that no sixty-plus year old ever should
.
“And Kayleigh’s going?” Aaron asked.
“Who do you think told me about it?” Mrs. Olson smiled. “Paula Sloane is helping host the event and is giving away prize packs every ten minutes. They’ve got some great books for sale, too. Just letting you know, hun,” she glanced at Doc Olson, “there’ll be some heavy charges to the credit card.” She mumbled something under her breath and Aaron could swear she said, “heavy petting.”
Oh, God. Why hadn’t Kayleigh mentioned anything about a book event, he wondered?
“Toodles, boys.” Mrs. Olson waggled her fingers and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Aaron stared at his brother. “Yeah, sorry about that, bro. Have fun with the book ladies.”
“You’re not as sorry as you’re going to be.” Ben smirked.
“Hell, no.” Aaron said. “I’m putting my foot down on this one. No way I’m helping.”
“Maggie wants us to serve champagne and chocolates before the evening event starts.”
“Fuck. That.” Aaron said.
“What are you bitching about?” Ben said. “Maybe you could pick up some phone numbers of hot, horny chicks.”
There was only one chick he was interested in, and he already had Kayleigh’s number.
“Or guys,” Doc said, laughing.
“Good one.” Ben gave Doc Olson a high-five. “I mean, really, Aaron, they say those romance books are like verbal porn.”
Aaron wanted to nod in agreement, thinking of Kayleigh’s books.
“Definitely is for the Missus.” Doc Olson nodded.
Aaron cringed. “Oh, God, please. Can we change the subject?”
“I’m here all afternoon,” Ben said. “No way I’m going back to that feeding frenzy of mommy porn today.”
“Okay, okay, enough of that. So,” Doc Olson said, “with this new contraption, I can talk to Devlin’s OB/Gyn in Vail?” Doc asked, pointing to the computer.
“Yeah, totally.” Ben clicked on the software and began typing.
“I touched base with my friend at Northwestern about Devlin,” Aaron said. “Of course, he confirmed that the spotting was normal, but definitely suggested she see her doctor twice a week for now. I talked to Devlin and Max and reassured them.”