Josselyn laughed. “Really, Mikayla. You know I haven’t even been on a date since I moved here. Well, maybe one if you count the lunch I had with the sixth-grade history teacher.”
“By the way, you never mentioned how things went that day.”
Josselyn shook her head. “I wish I could say the guy made my heart flutter. Instead, I struggled to keep from yawning. Raymond is nice enough, but he’s about as dull as the paint on my little car. And that’s pretty dull.”
Mikayla chuckled. “Never fear. You’re working in Rust Creek Falls now—where love is in the air, or the water, or something. I’m positive that you’re going to meet a handsome guy that will sweep you off your feet before you ever realize what’s happening.”
Josselyn sipped her coffee while the image of Drew Strickland paraded through her mind. “I’m not really hunting for a man to love, Mikayla. If it happens, that would be nice. But I’m not sitting around pining over the fact that I’m twenty-five and still single.” She looked thoughtfully over at her friend. “Actually, I did meet a really cute guy today. At the school picnic.”
Her interest piqued, Mikayla leaned forward in the chair. “Oh, now this is the kind of news I want to hear. Tell me. Is he someone new in town?”
“That’s the impression I got. He said he was here on a temporary basis. I haven’t seen him around Rust Creek Falls before today. And believe me, Mikayla, he’s the type that a woman doesn’t forget. But I was thinking you might know something about the man.”
Mikayla’s brown eyes widened. “Me? How would I know? I’ve not exactly been a social butterfly since I moved here.”
“He’s an obstetrician,” Josselyn explained. “Dr. Drew Strickland. I thought you might have seen him around the clinic.”
A clever smile suddenly spread across Mikayla’s face. “I’ve seen Dr. Strickland more than you can imagine. He was the doctor who attended me that night I went into premature labor.”
The information shouldn’t have surprised her. Rust Creek Falls was a small place. It wasn’t like there was an abundance of obstetricians around. “You mean he delivered baby Hazel?”
Mikayla nodded. “I have to admit he’s a terrific doctor. Very caring, serious and thorough. Although, his bedside manner could be a bit better.”
“Grumpy, huh?”
“No. Actually, he was very kind. It’s just that he keeps his conversations to the minimum and as best as I remember, he never cracked a smile. But to be fair, he wasn’t exactly dealing with an easy situation when he delivered Hazel.”
Somehow Mikayla’s observation about the man didn’t surprise Josselyn. Drew Strickland had seemed only too eager to let his son do all the talking. Until the boy had started chattering about finding his dad a wife. Then the man had seemed to be totally embarrassed and even a bit angry. Why he’d reacted in such a way Josselyn could only guess.
“No,” Josselyn agreed. “I don’t suppose either of you had reason to smile during that stressful situation.”
“So what was Dr. Strickland doing at the back-to-school picnic?” Mikayla asked. “Or did you actually talk to the man?”
“We talked. Briefly. After his son walked up and introduced himself and his father.”
It was Mikayla’s turn to look surprised. “The doctor has a son?”
Josselyn nodded. “He’s seven and in the second grade. And cute as a button, I might add.”
“Eva told me a little about his family,” Mikayla replied. “But she didn’t mention a son. And I haven’t heard anyone around the clinic mention Dr. Strickland having a child.”
“Hmm. That’s odd. You would think one of the nurses would have said something,” Josselyn mused aloud. “Do you know anything else about the man? I keep wondering about the boy’s mother. She wasn’t with them.”
Mikayla broke off a piece of cookie and popped it into her mouth. Once she’d chewed and swallowed, she said, “Could be the woman was at the picnic—talking to someone else at the time.”
Josselyn shook her head. “That’s possible. Except that Dillon let it slip that he’s trying to find his dad a wife.”
“Awww. Poor little tyke. He must be wanting a mother something fierce.”
Just thinking about the eager way little Dillon had been gazing up at Josselyn sent a pang right through her heart. There had been a real look of longing on the child’s face. One that she hadn’t understood completely until this moment.
“I think you must be right, Mikayla. Maybe...maybe he doesn’t have a mother at all.”
“Sounds to me like the good doctor is either divorced or widowed.”
Widowed. Drew had looked to be in his thirties. At that age, she’d not considered the possibility that he might have lost his wife. But that could definitely explain the lost look she’d noticed in his eyes.
“If you’re wondering about Dr. Strickland’s marital status then you must be interested in the man,” Mikayla remarked.
Clutching her mug with both hands, Josselyn stared into the brown liquid while a blush crept into her cheeks.
“I guess you could say I’m a little interested,” she admitted with a sheepish grin. “After all, the guy is definitely dreamy looking. His son is such a sweet boy—he must be a good dad. Wouldn’t you think?”
“I’ve heard nothing but raves about his services as a physician, but as for his private life, I wouldn’t know. Maybe you should find that out for yourself,” Mikayla suggested impishly.
Josselyn sighed. “I doubt I’ll ever run into Dr. Strickland again. Besides, it was obvious he wasn’t the least bit interested in me.”
“Hmm. How could you tell?”
Josselyn let out a cynical grunt. “As soon as his son mentioned the word wife, he couldn’t get away from me fast enough. And since I never spotted the two of them again, I assume Dr. Strickland must have left the park and taken his son home.”
“I wouldn’t take his sudden disappearance personally,” Mikayla told her. “The man was probably embarrassed that his son said such a thing to you.”
“Now that you mention it, his face did turn a little red,” Josselyn murmured.
“Well, just in case you might actually be interested, I do know that he lives at Strickland’s Boarding House. Old Gene and Melba are his grandparents.”
“Oh. I hadn’t made the connection to the boardinghouse,” Josselyn said. “Do you know if he has any other relatives around Rust Creek Falls?”
“Three cousins, all of them sisters. Claire, Tessa and Hadley. Claire is married to Levi Wyatt and I believe they have a little girl, Bekka. She goes to the day care here in town. Claire cooks for the boardinghouse. Tessa is a graphic designer. She’s married to Carson Drake and they have twins. Hadley is a veterinarian who’s married to Eli Dalton. As far as I know they don’t have any children yet.”
“Hmm. I wonder about his parents or if he has siblings.” She felt her cheeks growing even hotter as Mikayla continued to study her closely. “Forget I said that. Something is wrong with me tonight, Mikayla. I’m saying and thinking things that are completely off the wall. Maybe I need something to eat to get my brain back on track.”
Laughing softly, Mikayla gestured to the other cookie still lying on the tray. “A little sugar should make you forget all about the sexy doctor.”
Josselyn reached for the cookie, but as she bit into the scrumptious treat, she had an uneasy feeling that it was going to be a long time before she managed to push Drew Strickland and his son out of her mind.
Chapter Three
Early Monday morning while he waited for Dillon to dress for school, Drew sat at the kitchen table in the boardinghouse, eating the last of his breakfast of toast, bacon and dark black coffee.
Most of the other boarders chose to take their meals in the dining room of the old four-story house, but Drew liked his privacy. Gossiping back and forth a
cross the table wasn’t his thing. And to make matters even more uncomfortable, as soon as the tenants had learned he was a doctor, he was constantly approached for free medical advice.
Dillon, on the other hand, relished sitting around the big dining table and listening in on the conversations. It was no wonder the boy was seven years old going on fifteen, Drew thought wryly. And he could only imagine what Josselyn Weaver had thought when Dillon had blurted out that bit about finding his dad a wife. A full day had passed since the picnic, but the memory of the incident still left Drew smarting.
That afternoon, throughout the short walk from the park back to the boardinghouse, Drew had tried to lecture his son on the right and wrong things to say to a lady. And though Dillon had attempted to show a little remorse at his behavior, it was obvious to Drew that his son wasn’t a bit sorry for all his bold talk.
“Do I hear a sigh over there? Is something wrong with your breakfast?”
Drew glanced over at his cousin Claire, who was busy flipping pancakes on an industrial-sized grill.
“No. Everything tastes great, as usual. Thanks, Claire.”
“Well, you sound like something is wrong. Work getting you down?”
“I love my work. I’m even busier than I thought I would be here in this little town.”
The pretty brunette slipped the browned pancakes onto a warmed plate. “Guess Rust Creek Falls does feel tiny to you after living in Thunder Canyon,” she commented. “You must be missing your parents and your brothers.”
Drew had to admit he’d missed his parents an awful lot when he’d first arrived here in Rust Creek Falls. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d depended on them to keep Dillon corralled until he’d been forced to take on the job by himself. As for his brothers, all four were younger than Drew. Billy and LJ were both ranchers like their father, while Benjamin was a doctor. Trey managed the horse stables at Thunder Canyon Resort. All of them worked long hours, which made it difficult for the brothers to spend much time together.
“I do miss my family,” Drew replied. “To tell you the truth, Claire, I didn’t think I was going to like living in Rust Creek Falls. But the town and the people have grown on me.”
“That’s good. From what I see, Dillon has fallen in love with the place. You might have a hard time getting him to move back to Thunder Canyon.”
“I suppose I should be happy that Dillon’s gotten so close to his great-grandfather. At least he’s not sitting around crying to go home.”
Claire walked over to where he was sitting and looked down at him. “I hear something else in your voice, Drew. Do you resent the fact that Dillon has grown so close to Old Gene?”
Tossing his napkin onto his empty plate, he picked up his coffee cup. “No. I might be a little envious, but I don’t resent it. I suppose what you’re hearing in my voice is a father wondering if he’s raising his son right.”
An understanding smile on her face, Claire walked back over to the stove. “There isn’t a parent alive who doesn’t have doubts about being a good mom or dad. Where Bekka is concerned, I question myself every day.”
That was just normal parenting, Drew thought ruefully. Claire had always been a full-time, hands-on mother. Whereas he’d basically turned his twelve-month-old son over to his parents and asked them to care for the baby. At the time, he’d felt it was the only thing for him to do. Losing Evelyn had jerked the ground from beneath his feet. He could barely function or take care of himself, much less a baby who needed endless attention. Not to mention that every time he’d looked at Dillon’s little face, he’d been consumed with loss and self-blame over his wife’s senseless death.
“You don’t understand, Claire. When Evelyn died—well, I was a pretty worthless human being.”
She frowned at him. “That’s an awful thing to say about yourself, Drew. You were in shock. Anybody in your shoes would’ve been. Evelyn’s car accident was something that rarely happens. A tree toppling onto her car as she drove little Dillon to day care—it was freakish. Nothing about it made sense. I’m sure it will never make sense to you.”
Drew bit back a sigh. He didn’t like talking about Evelyn’s accident. Didn’t like remembering that it had been his turn to drive Dillon to day care that morning. Instead, Evelyn had offered to do it for him and as a result she’d lost her life. It was a fact that would always haunt him and, though six long years had passed, Drew was still living the nightmare.
“No. It doesn’t make sense,” he agreed. “To be honest, I’m still damned angry about the senselessness of it all. And I’m angry at myself for not realizing that those early years of my son’s life were the very time I needed to form a bond with him. Not now—six years later.”
Claire cast him a gentle glance. “You’re a good father, Drew. You just don’t realize it yet.”
He rose and carried his dirty plate and cup over to a big double sink.
“Something I do realize, Claire, is that you’re a good cousin,” he told her, doing his best to give her a smile. “Now I’d better get upstairs to see what’s keeping Dillon. Don’t let Grandma work you too hard today.”
Claire laughed. “I’ll take a break while she’s not looking.”
* * *
Later that morning, Josselyn was putting a stack of returned books back on their proper shelves when a group of second-grade students trooped into the library. The normally quiet room instantly came to life with the sound of tapping feet and voices that were several decibels above hushed.
“Hi, Miss Weaver. Remember me?”
Turning, she was more than surprised to see little Dillon Strickland grinning up at her. Since school had started over a week ago, this was the first time she’d seen the boy in the library.
Smiling back at him, she said, “Sure I remember you. You’re Dillon Strickland.”
His brown eyes sparkled and Josselyn couldn’t help thinking how the boy’s features resembled his father’s.
“And my dad is Drew. Remember him?”
That was something she hadn’t been able to forget, Josselyn thought wryly. Throughout the weekend, the man and his son had drifted in and out of her thoughts.
“Yes, I remember. Your dad is Dr. Strickland,” she said, and, deciding it was time to get on with school matters, left it at that. “I’m happy to see you in the library, Dillon. I believe this is your first visit since school started.”
His eyes wide, he glanced around the rows of bookshelves, and as Josselyn studied the expression on his face, she got the impression he was seeing the library for the very first time.
He swiped at the dark hair hanging near one eye. “Uh—yeah. I’ve already read all my books at home. So I wanted to get some more. Reading is fun. Real fun.”
Josselyn smiled to herself. “I’m glad you think so. What kind of books were you looking for today? Maybe I can help you find something.”
“Oh, I like all kinds.” With a look of bemusement, he peered up and down the aisle. “Do you have books about fish? I like fishing. Me and my grandpa go to the river and catch trout.”
Grandpa. Mikayla had mentioned that Old Gene and Melba Strickland were Drew’s grandparents. Could this child be referring to Old Gene, or did Drew or his ex-wife have parents living in or around Rust Creek Falls?
Josselyn was telling herself that Drew Strickland’s private life was none of her business when Dillon suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
“I should have said great-grandpa.” He spoke again. “My grandpa Jerry doesn’t live here. He lives in Thunder Canyon with Grandma. Old Gene lives here.”
“Old Gene is your great-grandpa?”
Another wide smile dimpled Dillon’s cheeks. “Yeah. But I call him Gramps. Bet you know him, don’t you? Everybody knows Old Gene. He has lots of friends.”
“No. I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never had the opportunity to meet him,” she said
, trying to follow his conversation while a girl with brown braids stood a few steps away, waving frantically to attract Josselyn’s attention. “Now we’d better see about finding you a fishing book. Follow me, Dillon, and I’ll show you.”
“Miss Weaver, I need help, too!” the young girl wailed.
“I’ll be right back, Chrissy,” she assured her. “You might want to look at the new-arrival section until it’s your turn.”
Clearly disappointed, the girl gave Dillon a glare before she stomped off in the opposite direction.
“Chrissy needs to learn her manners,” Dillon muttered.
Josselyn certainly agreed, especially since it wasn’t the first time the girl had tried to push her way to the front of the line.
“Or maybe she don’t understand,” Dillon said with a shrug of one shoulder. “Maybe she don’t have a mother. Like me.”
The boy’s empathetic remark made Josselyn desperately want to stop in the middle of the aisle and hug him tight. It also had her mind whirling with even more questions about Drew Strickland. But now wasn’t the time or place to talk to the boy about personal matters. And even if they had been somewhere other than school, Josselyn certainly wasn’t about to pump the child for information.
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it, Dillon. She’ll get her turn. Right now, let’s find you a fishing book. Maybe one with a grandpa in it. How would that be?”
He grinned up at her. “Oh, that would be super! I’ll read every word, Miss Weaver.”
* * *
“Looks like school is rubbing off on little Dillon,” Melba commented, as she eased her frame into an armchair.
Drew lowered the medical journal he’d been reading to look at his grandmother, who’d finally found the time to sit down. Since he and Dillon had come to live at the boardinghouse, he’d learned one thing. His grandparents were always busy and appeared to have the energy of a pair of teenagers. Where they found such get-up-and-go Drew could only wonder.
The Little Maverick Matchmaker (Montana Mavericks: The Lonelyhearts Ranch Book 3) Page 3