She nodded and smiled to everyone and tried not to feel paranoid when she felt gazes on her. They were interested in the seminar, not in her. At least that’s what she told herself until two women, who looked to be about her age, began whispering as soon as they passed her. She heard one say to the other, “I heard she’s more than Dr. Traub’s receptionist. Joanne saw them in the parking lot one night last week. Their lips were locked tight. Maybe he’s her next sugar daddy.”
The night of the potluck supper, Erika had thought no one else had been in the parking lot. But then it had been dark and she hadn’t looked around until after she’d pulled away from Dillon’s embrace.
So everyone was thinking she took up with Dillon because she wanted a replacement for Scott? Hadn’t she proven she could be a good employee and a good mother? Why did gossip have to be so easy, and putting out the fires from its effects so hard? She fought back tears, attempting to maintain her professional composure.
A few minutes later she finally felt as if she’d regained her equilibrium. And that was a good thing because Dillon came walking down the hall toward her. He stopped. “You’ve done a great job pulling this together.”
She glanced around, saw the women who had gossiped watching and felt suppressed emotion make her chin quiver. “It was my job.” She tried to keep her voice even.
Dillon must have seen the quiver in her chin. “Are you upset about something?”
“No.” She swallowed hard and blinked fast. Checking her watch, she advised him, “You’d better get started. They have to return to the restaurants to prepare for dinner.”
“Tell me what happened, Erika. Something obviously did. You’re near tears.”
She cleared her throat and looked down at her high heels so he wouldn’t see the tears swimming in her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. Just do what you came here to do.”
Knowing she couldn’t stand there with him any longer, knowing there were some people watching, knowing she would be food for gossip again tomorrow if she didn’t make a getaway, she handed him the rest of the papers.
“Don’t come after me,” she said in a desperate whisper. “Don’t make this worse.” Then she headed for the ladies’ room down the hall, not intending to emerge until her makeup was perfect and her professional facade was back in place.
Dillon didn’t know what to think as he watched Erika walk away. She had pride. He could see that in the set of her shoulders. But she was upset, too, and that had been obvious in her shaky words, in her bright eyes and the way she’d hurried away. If it hadn’t been for her plea for him not to follow her, he would have, meeting or no meeting. He’d respect her wishes for now, but as soon as this presentation was over, he’d find her.
Speaking before a group had never bothered Dillon, so he took his place at the podium and let Grant introduce him. Then he launched into a presentation on the most common food allergies, who was most affected and what precautions the staff needed to take. He allowed plenty of time for questions and there were quite a few. All the while, though, he had Erika on his mind, too, and the vision of her straight back as she rushed down the hall.
He was worried about her. So when the hour-long workshop was over, he left the conference room and headed back to the office. He assumed that’s where she’d be. But when he returned, she wasn’t sitting at her desk in the reception area and he found Ruthann covering the phone and any emergencies that might crop up.
“Hey, Doc. How’d it go?” she asked.
“I think it was successful. Have you seen Erika?”
“She was here for a little while, but then she popped in to tell me she needed to make a call. I’m not sure where she went to do that. That was about ten minutes ago.”
Make a call. Maybe she was calling a friend to talk about whatever had happened to her. Where would she go to make that call? “I’m going to step out for a little while,” he told Ruthann. “You have my cell-phone number if you need me.”
She nodded. “Sure do,” then with a wink, she said, “I hope you find her.”
He couldn’t be that transparent, could he?
After he thought about Erika’s options, he dismissed the route through the lobby that led to the boutiques. If she wanted quiet, she wouldn’t go that way. He took the hall that led to the back of the building and went down a flight of stairs. Instead of heading into the underground garage, he pushed through the door that led outside to a garden and a fantastic view of the mountains. September was coming into its glory. The purple peaks wore a caplet of snow. Brilliant blue sky, populated by a line of puffy white clouds, was one of the reasons tourists visited here. But in spite of the vista before him with its pines, golden hills and autumn-dressed trees, his gaze fell on the beautiful woman sitting on an outcropping of rock a few feet below him. She was using her cell phone.
He let the door close quietly behind him so as not to startle her. But she must have heard him. The smile faded from her lips and he heard her say, “I’ll talk to you in a little while, baby. Give the phone to Grandma.”
Emilia must have done as Erika asked because Erika said, “I have soup in the slow cooker. If you’d like to join us for supper, you’re welcome. Okay, I’ll see you around five-thirty.”
Erika closed her phone but didn’t rise from her perch. So Dillon did the only sensible thing. He joined her. “You’re going to get your suit dirty,” he said matter-of-factly.
“You will, too.”
“I guess we’ll both have to send our clothes to the dry cleaners. Making plans for supper?”
“My mother knows I want to be on my own, so she doesn’t intrude. But it’s nice to have family around you, you know?”
“Is that why you wanted to talk to Emilia—you needed to have family around you?”
“Emilia keeps me grounded.”
The wind blew around them, whispering secrets, soothing away tension.
“Tell me what happened before the workshop,” he prompted.
She remained silent. She hadn’t looked at him since he’d sat down beside her. Now she still kept her gaze on the mountains and whatever else she saw in the distance. “There’s gossip about us.”
“What kind of gossip?”
“Someone saw us the night we kissed in the parking lot. Apparently rumors have been making the rounds.”
He swore under his breath. “Aren’t small towns just great?” Knowing his anger wouldn’t help, he asked, “What did you hear?”
She didn’t answer.
“Erika?”
Almost defiantly, she faced him. “They’re saying that maybe you’re my next sugar daddy.”
That took him aback. “Because?” he prompted.
“Because Scott had plenty of money. And I…I fell for him fast. I guess they’re making comparisons. On the surface, you and Scott are a lot alike.”
Dillon felt the pulse in his temples throb. Annoyance, anger, resentment? He wasn’t sure what he felt, but he did know why he felt it. “Are you making the same comparisons?”
When she was silent again, he cupped her elbow. “Erika, look at me.”
She did, and her expression was troubled as he said, “You told me what happened with Scott. I understand the gossip. I know you want to protect Emilia. But I am not him. You and I are both being honest with each other. I know he wasn’t honest with you. Maybe it’s experience that’s taught me a thing or two. I don’t know. But I do know you have to face the gossip head on and hold your head up high. Neither of us has done anything wrong.”
She bit her lower lip and shook her head. “I understand that, but I guess I was worried…I was worried you’d believe the gossip.”
“That you’re a gold digger?”
She nodded again and a tear fell down her cheek. He couldn’t keep from wrapping his arm around her. He couldn’t keep from pulling her into his shoulder. He couldn’t keep from holding her tight. “You’re not a gold digger. I know that.”
She tilted her head up. “How can you be so
sure? As you said, we haven’t known each other very long.”
“I’ve seen you with Emilia. I’ve seen how hard you work. I know how much you’ve been battling not to be involved with me.”
Apparently playing devil’s advocate, she suggested drily, “Maybe all that’s a show, just to pique your curiosity so you’re more interested.”
“You forget, I’m a doctor. I see patients most days and I have to guess or intuit what’s going on. I’m a good judge of character, Erika. If I ever could convince you to go on a date with me, I don’t think you’d expect a new car at the end of the evening.”
She laughed at that wild scenario. “Oh, Dillon, you make it all sound so foolish.”
“Not foolish. I know what other people say can hurt. But you have to let it slide off of you.”
“What happened with Scott filled me with insecurities. It’s been hard to regain my own self-respect, let alone the respect of others.” She looked up at him with those sparkling brown eyes that practically took his breath away. “But when I’m sitting here with you like this,” she went on, “I can believe what the rest of the world thinks doesn’t matter.”
Where they were sitting, no one could see them. It was just the two of them and the mountains and the wonderful blue sky. He bent his head and gently but possessively took her lips. She responded by opening them to him. He searched her mouth for the passion that had lighted so easily with them…and he found it. Soon they were both breathing hard and not from the altitude.
Eventually he broke away and rested his forehead against hers. “Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off. You worked extra hours on the workshop info.”
“I don’t want special perks because you’re my boss.”
“No special perks, just comp time. I know you’re putting in more hours than you should on Frontier Days.” He dropped his arm from her, rose to his feet, but held out his hand to help her up. When she took it, he felt he had jumped a major hurdle. He felt Erika had finally confided in him and trusted him.
Now what was he going to do with that trust?
The infirmary suite was quiet a few hours later as Dillon sat at his computer. Suddenly there was a rap on his door and a familiar male voice inquired, “Is there a doctor in the house?”
Dillon grinned as his cousin D.J. walked in. He wore a sweatshirt and jeans and didn’t look anything like the rich man he was.
“There definitely is a doctor in the house. Whenever I’ve stopped by the Rib Shack you haven’t been there.”
D.J. shrugged. “The manager’s great. I stop in at least once a day and make sure the quality of the food and service is up to par. But with Allaire teaching, time with her and Alex is precious.”
D.J. and Allaire had been best friends in high school, but then D.J.’s brother, Dax, had come along and swept her off her feet for a while. After she and Dax divorced, D.J. returned to town, finding his unrequited love was now returned. They’d been married for three years and were definitely each other’s soul mates.
D.J. produced foam containers from his bag, set one in front of Dillon and one in front of himself. “I figured you’d be working through dinner. That’s country-fried steak with corn bread, gravy, green beans and smashed potatoes. I know you like the ribs, but this is good, too.”
Dillon opened the container and the aroma from the freshly made food made his stomach grumble. “I’m glad you stopped, food or no food. I intended to get out to your place again, but I think this month is going to speed by.”
“That’s why I’m here, to offer you a special invitation. Allaire thinks you need some home cooking and down-time. She says with being on call twenty-four hours a day, you’re stressed and don’t know it. So she wants you to come out to the ranch on Saturday and stay overnight. Babchek will cover for you, won’t he?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to check with him and Ruthann, too.”
“So check and let us know.” After a short pause and few bites of his steak, D.J. added, “Allaire said you could bring a guest if you want.”
Dillon cut D.J. a sharp glance. “A guest?”
“Rumor has it that a certain pretty receptionist was caught kissing you in the parking lot.”
“I can’t believe Erika was right about the gossip.”
“She heard it?”
“Today. She was upset.”
“Is it true?” D.J. prodded.
“About the parking lot? I was kissing her, and she was kissing me back,” he replied succinctly.
“If the gossip had been about Corey, I would have believed it right away. You? Not so much. This isn’t like you. You’ll be going back to Texas, won’t you?”
“Truthfully, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing.”
“Is there sizzle between you two?”
“There’s sizzle.”
D.J. grinned at him. “So ask her to come to the ranch with you.”
“I doubt if she’ll leave her daughter for the weekend.”
“She can bring her little girl along. I’m sure Dax will be over with Kayla and Max. The kids will have a ball. Run it by her and see what she says.”
Dillon thought about their last kiss and wondered himself what Erika would say….
Chapter Eight
Erika sat in D.J. and Allaire’s living room, feeling in a way as if she’d landed on another planet. When Dillon had asked her to join him here this weekend, she’d remembered how she had confided in him about the gossip…how she’d trusted him. She was confused about her growing feelings for him, but she hoped spending more time with him would ease that confusion. After all, they wouldn’t be alone here together. What could happen?
The ranch house was huge and lovely. Allaire’s artistic touches were everywhere—from a painting on the living room wall, to the pictures of their little boy, Alex, which were set off in beautiful, hand-painted frames. The couple had welcomed her into their home as if she were an old friend. Dax and Shandie were warm and friendly, too. It was easy to see the bond between the two brothers even though Erika had heard their relationship had been rocky until recently. Watching from the sidelines, she felt the affection among the cousins as they cracked jokes and held interested conversations. They were all wonderful with the children…including Emilia.
Erika supposed what made her feel the most strange was studying these three men who obviously enjoyed caring for children. Had her father and Scott been the exception, not the rule? Or were D.J., Dax and Dillon rare finds?
The sense of family these three men shared was a bit awe-inspiring. Their connection shouldn’t create more conflict within her, but for some reason it did.
Was it real? was the question that screamed inside her head. Could it last? was the question that followed.
Dillon finished speaking with Dax and came to sit beside her on the colorful patchwork sofa. Kayla—Dax and Shandie’s daughter—had corralled Emilia and was sitting beside the beautiful stone fireplace with her, playing with the busy box Dillon had given her.
As Dillon leaned close to Erika, he murmured into her ear, “What’s going through that pretty head of yours?”
“How do you know anything is?” she teased.
He touched the tip of his finger to her lower lip. “Because you bite your lip, and your brow furrows, and you push your hair over your shoulder. That’s how I can tell you’re thinking.”
His words caught her totally off guard. No man had ever analyzed her so well. Yes, she knew those were her habits, but no one had cared to notice them before.
“You look shocked,” he said in a low voice. “Why? Don’t you think I watch you when you talk to me, when you’re busy, when you’re worried?” He bumped her shoulder. “I, of course, have no telltale idiosyncrasies.”
“Oh, yes, you do,” she protested. She touched the middle of his forehead with her index finger. “You get one very big furrow right there.” Then she stroked right below his temple by both eyes. “And here, the little lines become deeper.” She brushe
d the muscle along his neck. “When you’re really upset or disturbed by something, this pulses.”
By the time she was finished, she knew neither of them should be touching each other in this public setting because they were setting off signals, igniting sparks, inciting intimacy that couldn’t be continued here.
“So I guess we both read each other pretty well,” Dillon suggested huskily.
“Maybe. But all of that’s just on the surface. We can’t see the real feelings inside.”
“Maybe not,” he agreed. “But if you use clues, you’ll always find the answer to the mystery.”
“The same way you diagnose?” she asked.
“Sort of. So tell me what you were trying to diagnose before I came over.”
She suddenly felt as if those thoughts were private territory, not something Dillon could help her with. On the other hand, maybe he could clear them up. “Do Dax and D.J. act like fathers all the time?”
“Do you mean are they putting on a show for your benefit?”
“Exactly.”
“They’re fathers all the time. They have as much care of their kids as their wives do. They have to. Both of their wives work.”
“I know Allaire teaches high school. I don’t know much about Shandie.”
“She’s a hairdresser. She’s part owner of Clip N’ Curl Salon. She and Dax juggle their schedules to take care of the baby. Kayla’s in first grade so they have some leeway there. Allaire and D.J. do the same.” He paused for a moment then added, “And Allaire and Shandie both had to face gossip in their lives. I’m not going to tell you about it, because I think they should. I think you have a lot in common with them.”
Did she? Had these beautiful, confident, loving women had to face what she’d faced? Dillon dropped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. She did like the feeling of belonging that gave her. They were here as a couple and in spite of everything, that felt right. Yet she couldn’t let herself get too used to it. She couldn’t depend on the slippery hope that it would continue to feel right.
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