Return to Lone Oak (Harlequin Heartwarming)
Page 5
“There’s nothing. Really. We just met up on the jogging path last night and he disapproves of me and everything I do. I’m not in the mood for a lecture about how to live my life.”
Eve chuckled again. “That’s so not ‘nothing.’ Can you make it by nine?”
Katie glanced at the clock. Ten after eight. “Yeah, I’ll be there. See you then.”
She headed upstairs for a quick shower. If she had to go out looking like a swollen lobster, she was at least going to make sure she didn’t smell.
* * *
KATIE SAT ALONE in a different examining room this time, feeling slightly sick to her stomach. It was all she could do to stay awake while she waited. When this was over, she planned on a very long date with her pillow. Her body ached, as if she hadn’t slept at all the night before, when, in fact, she’d been asleep a bit after midnight. Early for her.
She reclined on the table, unable to resist any longer the temptation to lie down. Knowing Dr. Fletcher, senior, would be the one to walk through that door helped relax her enough to close her eyes and drift off.
When she opened them again, the first thing she saw was the back of a doctor washing his hands at the sink near her head. And if she wasn’t mistaken, that was not the back of an older man. Katie raised herself up to a sitting position, rubbing her eyes and wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.
Noah turned toward her, drying his hands on a paper towel.
“You’re supposed to be your dad.” She didn’t look straight at him, keeping the puffy side of her face away from him.
“My dad is busy, and I didn’t think it was right to make him busier just because you and I don’t see eye-to-eye on a few things unrelated to your medical care.”
She turned her head toward him with the idea of arguing more, but then his gaze slipped to her chin and she suddenly felt ugly and unsure of herself.
“Ouch,” he said, moving closer to inspect it. “It looks like you didn’t have such a good night.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as he moved his hand toward her chin, anticipating jabbing pain from his touch. But his fingers rested beyond the wound, where her neck met her jaw. This was a gentle caress, somehow caring yet still professional. She was thrown by his apparent concern.
“I swear I’ve done everything you told me to.”
He nodded, still inspecting the wound. “I did say you could jog, didn’t I?”
“Go ahead. Get the lecture over with.”
“It doesn’t sound as if I need to. You know what I’m going to say.”
“I’m bad. I ran too far, too hard. Of course, that was partly to keep up with you. I do too many wild things, don’t take care of myself...”
“Nice start,” Noah said, dryly. “You do need to take it easy so your wrist and chin can heal. However, I don’t think your questionable tendency to chase after adrenaline rushes had anything to do with this wound becoming infected.”
The admission pained him, she could just tell. But the reprieve was much appreciated.
He touched her forehead next, just for a second, then frowned. “You have a slight fever.” Noah glanced at her chart. “One hundred point four, according to the nurse.”
“Am I dying?” She was starting to feel like it.
Noah looked into her eyes, his own lacking the annoyance of the previous night. It almost seemed as if he really did care. If anything, it had to be in a professional capacity. “I think you’ll live. We’ll get some antibiotics started right away. That should clear it up, but you have to promise me you’ll rest all day today.”
“Would it surprise you if I said there’s nothing I want to do right now more than sleep?”
“Probably not as much as it surprises you.” He actually looked a little smug at that. “I want you to go home and sleep.”
“Not a problem.”
“Here’s the catch. When you wake up and think you feel a lot better, I still want you to keep resting.”
She sighed.
“Katie, this isn’t serious yet, but it could quickly escalate. The infection has gotten into your body and we need to get it out.”
“Okay. I’ll keep resting. Yay.”
“I love an enthusiastic patient.”
What he loved was issuing orders, obviously. He thrived on it, she could tell. Probably was still getting a kick out of taking over the appointment she’d made with his dad.
“I found a picture of you on the Medical Missions site,” she said, perhaps in an attempt to get back at him, throw him off kilter.
He was writing a prescription, but the moment she said it his pen stopped. His jaw tensed, but he quickly resumed writing. “Why were you snooping around there?”
“Curiosity. Because you wouldn’t tell me what happened. They don’t provide a lot of information about what you did, but I get the impression it was pretty heroic.”
His head tilted up to meet her gaze. “It wasn’t heroic.” His tone discouraged all argument—or at least it might have with anyone else.
“I saw the little girl you saved, Noah. You got shot and yet you carried her back to camp. I’d say that’s the stuff of heroism.”
He signed the prescription form, pressing the pen against the pad so firmly that she thought it might snap. “You don’t know any of what happened.” He said it so surely that Katie wondered if anyone really knew the story, if he’d ever told a soul. “Please don’t say it was heroic.”
“You’re modest. That surprises me.”
He stood abruptly, ripping off the prescription and holding it out. “It has nothing to do with modesty.”
She studied him, wondering exactly what was going through his head. Clearly he felt strongly about the nonheroic bit, but why?
“Have you done any interviews?” she asked, already suspecting she knew the answer.
“No, and I don’t intend to.”
“You should think about it. It sounds as if it’s quite a story. Everyone’s looking for a hero—people love reading about them.” She folded up her prescription and stuck it in the pocket of her sweatshirt.
Noah opened her file and jotted down a few final notes, ignoring her.
“I have connections at the newspaper,” she continued.
That made him turn to look at her, his eyes hard.
“My dad? The editor? He can assign someone good to write it. Someone who won’t screw up the story. I’d offer to do it myself, but I’m on vacation.” She climbed down from the table, trying to act casual, even though Noah looked as if he might strangle her.
“Rest today. Call us if anything gets worse. Fever, pain, nausea... We’d need to see you right away.”
“Probably would’ve been easier to let your dad handle this appointment, huh?” She grabbed her purse and walked out, feeling his eyes burning holes into her back.
* * *
“YOU’VE COME TO HAUNT ME.” Katie opened her eyes wider, rubbing the sleep from them. She sat up on the deep-cushioned chaise lounge she’d been dozing on. She’d come out to the screened-in porch to read and rest and had apparently fallen asleep. Again. She’d crashed for practically the whole day.
“Actually, I came to look at the house again,” Noah said, pulling up a lawn chair and sitting so that he faced her.
She stifled a groan, barely. “So go look. Buy it. Whatever.” She adjusted the seat to a more upright position.
“I already looked, thanks. I’ve been here for almost an hour with your dad.”
Wasn’t that just fabulous. “Well, this is the back porch. See?” She waved an arm at the room. “Now you can go.”
“Is that the magazine you work for?”
He motioned to the latest edition of Rush on the end table next to her chair. She’d finished reading it before drifting off.
“I don’t want to take your copy. I’ll pick it up somewhere.”
“I have others. I always have others. Take it.” She handed it to him.
“So. Did you want something?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m fine. I’ve rested all day. You can ask Claudia.”
“Feeling any better?”
“I just woke up. Can’t tell yet. Still hurts, though.” She risked running her fingers over her chin.
Noah leaned forward and rested the side of his hand on her forehead. It took Katie by surprise, but her head was already against the chair back so she couldn’t move. He was close enough that she could smell his scent, a combination of soap and man, and she was surprised to realize she liked it. Liked his touch, here, away from the sterile exam room.
“It feels like your fever is gone. That’s good.”
“You should start advertising house calls. Not many people do this anymore.” She babbled to hide her physical reaction, which was growing stronger by the second.
“I’m afraid this visit is a little more self-serving.”
He sat back in his chair and Katie lamented the loss of his closeness. This infection was really taking a toll on her body, making her loopy, she decided.
“Well?” she prompted when he didn’t continue.
“I don’t know how serious you were earlier about siccing a reporter on me.”
“I was serious. I’m a writer. I know a good story when I see one.”
“Please, don’t pursue this.”
The emotion in his normally controlled voice startled Katie, and she took a closer look at him. His eyes held their usual weariness, but she saw something else there, too. Lingering pain. Sorrow. She sensed he was fighting a battle by himself, in his mind, and she almost reached out to touch him. That reaction in her was so foreign that it frightened her. Getting personal wasn’t something she’d ever been comfortable with. Normally, she’d crack a joke and increase her physical distance.
And yet here she was, restraining herself from the urge to touch him. Bizarre.
“I told you earlier, my actions in the Congo weren’t heroic.”
“Right.” She leaned forward, hugging her legs and paying close attention.
“That wasn’t just me being modest. My actions were not heroic.” He swallowed hard, trying to keep talking calmly, without allowing the images to infiltrate his brain and shut him down.
“Can you tell me about it?” Katie asked gently.
Noah looked around nervously. “This isn’t the time or the place. It’s...not easy for me to talk about.”
“Okay.” Her curiosity was piqued, but something told her not to press too hard. “Will you tell me another time? I’d like to understand.”
Just then her dad opened the back door. “Noah, my wife’s got an oven full of brisket. Why don’t you join us?”
“I was about to leave,” he said, standing and walking toward the older man. “It’s a kind offer, but I don’t want to intrude on your family time.”
“That’s a bunch of baloney.”
Noah smiled tiredly at her dad. “Okay, I’ll get to the heart of the matter. My mom’s not the most understanding sort when I don’t show up for a meal at the last minute. I don’t want to suffer her wrath, as good as the offerings here smell.”
Her dad nodded. “Women. I understand. Gotta keep ’em happy or we’ll pay. Let’s do it some other time, when we can plan ahead.”
“That sounds like a deal.” Noah looked over at Katie. “You’re going to rest, right?” Clearly, family-physician mode was more comfortable for him. Much more comfortable than discussing his mission work.
“Whatever you say, Dr. Fletcher.”
“I’ll just see myself out here,” he told her father.
“Oh, come on in this way. I’ll see you out properly. No need to steal off into the evening out the back door.”
Noah shrugged and looked at Katie. “Good night. If you get worse, call the after-hours number.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, distracted. She was already trying to figure out a way to get him to talk to her later. Tonight, if possible.
CHAPTER FIVE
KATIE HAD A PLAN and it was time to act on it.
“I’m going for a drive,” she told her dad and Claudia, who were finishing dinner. “I need to get out of the house.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Wendell asked her. “You need to rest. Get better.”
“I’ve been resting all day, Dad. I’m going stir crazy. I won’t be out for long.”
She stood and took her empty plate to the sink.
“I’ve got homemade shortcake with fresh strawberries,” Claudia said.
Sugar wasn’t going to distract her tonight. Since Noah had left, she’d thought about nothing except him and his secret. She’d thought of so many possibilities that her head was spinning. She needed to get the real story, if for no other reason than her peace of mind. She’d never been good at blowing off curiosity. Maybe that was why she’d become a journalist.
“I might have some later—if there’s any left.” Katie headed upstairs to change clothes and freshen up a little. Lying around all day had made her feel sluggish.
She pulled on some denim shorts and an old tee that said Wild Child in faded letters. She brushed the bed-head tangles from her hair and pulled it up onto the back of her head, slipped on her favorite hot pink flip-flops and went out to her Jeep.
The park was mostly deserted, except for a mom and two little kids over on the swing set. And a rusting Tahoe in the parking lot. She vaguely remembered seeing it at the park the evening they’d jogged together.
The sun was low in the sky, so she shouldn’t have to wait long. She sat on a bench at one of the picnic tables close to the entrance to the path, watching the mother with her children. Several minutes later, the threesome wandered off, no doubt making their way home.
Katie was glad to have the park to herself sensing that Noah wouldn’t talk to her if anyone else was around. Even then, it likely wasn’t going to be easy to get his story out of him.
She settled herself on the bench, stretching out and looking up at the pattern of leaves against the sky. She felt better than she had earlier in the day, but she was still wiped out, low on energy.
Several minutes later, as the sky was beginning to grow dark, she heard someone approaching from the running path. She sat up, trying not to crane her neck, not wanting to look too eager.
The second he spotted her, he moved from a hard run to a slow, stretching walk.
“Hey,” he said as he exited the trail and came nearer to her table.
“You aren’t actually out of breath, are you?” she teased.
“A bit. Pushed hard tonight.” He stopped in front of her bench, hands on his thighs, bending over slightly. Then he sat down on the bench next to her.
They remained silent for a couple of minutes while he recuperated.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I am resting. I was lying down until I heard you coming.” She turned sideways, swinging one leg over the bench so that she straddled it.
“Feeling better?”
“Much. Just worn out. I think I could sleep for a week.”
“Maybe you should.” He leaned back against the picnic table, resting his elbows behind him. “You didn’t answer. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you some more.”
He gave her a guarded look but didn’t say anything.
“I’d like to know more about what happened. Not so I can call a reporter or anyth
ing like that. I’m just interested. I can tell it was traumatic.”
“Traumatic. Yes, it was definitely that.” He avoided looking at her, avoided talking, as he paid rapt attention to the world around them. He watched a robin hop along the grass, hunting for its dinner. When the bird flew away, he switched his attention to an ant crawling on the bench between them. He held his finger there and let the ant crawl onto his hand, turning it this way and that so the insect was always visible.
“Will you tell me about it?” she asked, her patience already challenged.
“Why do you care?”
“That’s a good question. One I don’t really have an answer to, other than to say that I can see it weighs on you. Every day. For some reason, you truly believe that saving a child’s life wasn’t heroic. And I’m skeptical that you can convince me of that.”
“Why does it matter whether it was heroic or not? What’s done is done. I’m not looking for praise or comfort or commiseration. I just want to forget about it all.”
“Maybe telling me about it would be a step in that direction.”
“Or maybe it would bring it all back, as if it just happened yesterday.” He flicked the ant lightly off his hand and onto the ground. “It isn’t easy for me to talk about. To anyone.”
Katie remained quiet for a beat, restraining herself. She didn’t understand why it seemed so important to know the story. She just knew it was important.
“I’d like to know,” she said quietly, honestly. She didn’t allow herself to think about whether this was wise or not.
Noah closed his eyes. He did want to convince her of a few things, mostly to protect himself. He wanted her to understand that his actions hadn’t been heroic. Then maybe she would drop the whole thing.
“If I tell you, will you promise to give up the gung ho reporter thing?”
She studied him, her head tilted to the side, and slowly nodded. “I won’t tip off a reporter, but I might still try to convince you to talk to one.”
He could handle that. She’d never convince him to go public with his story, even if she tried until she turned blue in the face.