The Doctor's Accidental Family

by Jacqueline Diamond

  Her head tilted in surprise. “The other Dr. Davis.”

  “The other...?” Then it hit him—the explanation for that cute nurse’s decidedly unattractive response to him.

  Nick should have done a lot more research before he decided to come to Safe Harbor.

  Chapter Two

  Zady took a late lunch on Friday due to her doctor’s busy schedule. A brilliant urological reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Marshall Davis commanded respect bordering on adulation. Since he’d joined Safe Harbor Medical two months ago, patients had flocked to him, putting a heavy load on his office nurse—Zady—as well as his surgical staff.

  Zady didn’t mind the challenges of the job; she was grateful for it. The man had chosen her from a long list of applicants, and consistently inspired her to do her best. This post might be more stressful than her previous position with a urologist in Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles, but she took pride in it and it meant a lot to her.

  In the cafeteria, she plopped a salad onto her tray and, while waiting in line to pay, surveyed the airy, chatter-filled room for friends. Not that she had many yet, but her twin, Zora, had introduced her to a few people. She’d met others when they greeted her in the hall by the wrong name, and she explained the mistake.

  Mistakes. Her sister had phoned her last night to tell her about her encounter with the other Dr. Davis. Zady’s cheeks heated with embarrassment. Despite her initial shock at being approached by a man who strongly resembled her boss—and then hearing him claim the same name—she should have known better.

  After all, she had an identical twin. Yet, having done a bit of internet research on her boss, Zady knew the doctor was an only child. And also unmarried, not that she pictured him in a romantic light. Marshall Davis was cool, remote and precise, as a surgeon should be.

  According to Zora, the stranger was apparently Marshall’s cousin, which explained the strong resemblance. Zora had also heard from her husband—who kept an ear to the ground—that the men didn’t get along. Fortunately, they worked in different departments.

  Speaking of her brother-in-law, there sat Lucky at a table across the room with his friend and landlady, Karen Wiggins Vintner, a financial counselor. The forty-something Karen, black hair clouding around her thin face, was talking animatedly.

  After paying for her salad, Zady started forward, then paused as a lanky male figure crossed her path, her iced tea sloshing in her glass. Taller than his cousin, she registered.

  “I didn’t mean to... Oh, it’s you.” Nick Davis broke stride, oblivious to having cut off a couple of lab technicians. They circled past, keeping their no-doubt unflattering responses to themselves. “Startling you seems to be a habit of mine.”

  How had she ever confused him with her doctor? That casual air, the smile playing around the corners of his mouth, the way his gaze lingered on her...totally relaxed, but also unwelcome. She recalled what Marshall had said this morning when she mentioned running into his cousin.

  “Nicholas is a playboy,” he’d commented briskly. “Got a girl pregnant a few years ago and didn’t bother to marry her or support their kid. You’re too smart to fall for a loser like him.”

  “You bet I am,” she’d answered.

  “What should I bet you are?” The object of her mental digression continued blocking her path.

  Had she spoken out loud? Zady couldn’t believe she’d been so indiscreet, but she must have. Instead of answering—since he had no right to eavesdrop on her private thoughts, even if they had accidentally become audible—she countered with, “What are you doing here? You work nights.”

  Nick favored her with what many women would consider a heart-stopping grin. “Apology accepted.”

  “I didn’t...” But she had been embarrassed when she realized how bizarre her reaction must have sounded last night. “Okay, I was rude.”

  “Twice.” Arms folded, he remained in place, ignoring the heads swiveling toward them. The cafeteria was gossip central, and Zady figured she’d better defuse the situation quickly.

  “Sorry.” For good measure, she added, “Sorry for the second time, too,” and gauged the distance between him and the nearest table. Too narrow to squeeze through without spilling her tea.

  “That’s it?” This guy couldn’t take a hint.

  “Are you under the impression that I owe you something?” Zady wished she had the power to shift objects, specifically him. Telekinesis, that was the word. If she did, she’d move him across the room to the patio where a group of doctors were enjoying the sunshine that bathed Southern California even in January.

  “Courtesy,” the man said. “Friendliness to a stranger in a strange land.”

  “I prefer a more traditional approach to strangers,” Zady told him. “Like shooting them with an arrow. Or running in the opposite direction.”

  “Is that an invitation to give chase?” The twinkle in his eye nearly melted her defenses.

  But Zady refused to be played for a fool. A man who’d abandoned his pregnant girlfriend and their child really was a loser. Besides, she knew on which side of the cousinly divide her loyalties lay. A nurse’s duties to her doctor went beyond merely following orders.

  Instead of dignifying his comment with a reply, she said, “You never answered my question about what you’re doing here in the middle of the day.”

  Glancing toward the patio, Nick nodded to someone on the far side of the glass doors. “I was invited for informal introductions. Due to my last-minute arrival on staff, I gather I’m a little off the usual welcoming schedule.”

  Outside, the hospital administrator, Dr. Mark Rayburn, waited with a rather strained smile, Zady noted. “Gee, I guess I’ll have to let you go. What a pity.”

  “See you around, stranger.” With a teasing twist of the lips, Nick sauntered off.

  Why did he enjoy ruffling her feathers? Zady wondered as she headed for Lucky’s table. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed it, in a perverse manner.

  Aware that their interaction had been thoroughly observed, she struggled to smooth out her features.

  Except for his nosiness, her brother-in-law was a great guy, she reflected, taking a seat between him and Karen. Not only was he handsome, with dark coloring she credited to his Hispanic heritage, he was also a terrific husband to her sister. Zady would be a happy woman if she could meet someone like him, although preferably minus the elaborate tattoos peeking out from beneath the sleeves of his navy nurse’s uniform.

  “Enjoy your little chat with the new OB?” Judging by Lucky’s amused expression, he’d heard from his wife about Zora’s encounter with Nick last night. While Zady would hate to return to the days when she and her twin had barely been on speaking terms, she did not care to discuss her reactions to the annoying second Dr. Davis.

  To her relief, Karen cut in. “I have you listed for setup for the party,” she said, consulting her phone. “We’ve invited the guests for 2:00 p.m., so you should arrive by noon. It’s a week from Saturday, you’ll recall.”

  “It’s on my calendar.” Mentally, Zady placed the context: a dual-purpose party to be held at Karen’s large house. The celebration would serve as an informal reception for Karen and her anesthesiologist husband, Rod Vintner, who’d married in a small ceremony on New Year’s Eve. It would also be a joint thirtieth birthday party for Zora and Zady.

  Karen’s five-bedroom house was home to quite a clan: in addition to Karen, Rod and his two school-age daughters, Lucky, Zora and their twin babies also rented rooms, as did an older nurse.

  “Why isn’t Zady baking?” Lucky asked. “She’s famous for her apple pie.” He’d eaten several slices at Thanksgiving.

  “I thought you hated anything to do with a kitchen.” Karen peered questioningly at Zady.

  “I do, sort of.” Her forkful of salad hovered in the air. “I hate cat
ering to people. My ex-boyfriend and his snotty kids treated me like a slave.” Since the recent breakup of her decade-long relationship, she’d avoided ovens and stoves, except when she had a chance to compete with Zora. They’d both baked pies for Thanksgiving—or rather, that had been the plan. Zady’s sense of victory over her superior crust had crumbled when she discovered her sister had sent Lucky to the supermarket to buy her pecan pie.

  While her companions continued their party planning, Zady stole a peek at the handshaking ritual on the patio. Nick’s easy manner with her had changed to short nods and taut body language. Perhaps he was intimidated by the presence of bigwigs like the fertility chief and the head of the men’s program.

  With the administrator at his side, Nick moved to the next table, where the slightly less exalted staff members rose to say hello. Perfunctory greetings faded as, across the table, his cousin uncoiled to face him.

  Dr. Nick Davis and Dr. Marshall Davis had similar builds, tall and muscular. Zady noted a strong resemblance in other ways, too, from their brown hair and straight noses to their folded arms.

  “You can almost smell the testosterone, can’t you?” Lucky murmured.

  Zady grimaced. “I’m surprised Nick chose to work here, considering their antagonism.”

  “I’m fairly sure neither of them was aware they both planned to join the staff,” Karen said.

  “Where’d you hear that?” Lucky, usually the first with the gossip, sounded slightly miffed.

  “My lips are sealed.”

  “Pillow talk,” he said in disgust. “Rod heard people yakking in the operating room.”

  Karen chuckled. “It kills you that my husband picks up scoops without even trying, doesn’t it?”

  “It’s not fair,” Lucky replied. “He has nothing to do all day but stand there monitoring his equipment and eavesdropping.”

  “Maybe he’ll move on.” When both companions frowned at her, Zady clarified, “I mean Nick. Now that he’s discovered his cousin’s here, he ought to leave.”

  “Be careful what you wish for,” said her brother-in-law. “The obstetricians thanked their stars when he jumped into the job. They were taking turns delivering babies every night until he signed on.”

  “Why do you dislike him?” Karen asked Zady.

  “I don’t.” She searched for an honest response and discovered she wasn’t sure how she felt about the man, and that troubled her. “Marshall doesn’t care for him, and that’s good enough for me.”

  “You have a lot in common, though,” Lucky said.

  “Such as?”

  “You both live at the Harbor Suites.” He grinned. “I’m sure you’ll be borrowing cups of sugar back and forth. Wait—no kitchen stuff. Okay, cups of laundry detergent. And who knows where that will lead.”

  “To piles of dirty clothes, if borrowing his detergent is my only option,” Zady said. “Besides, I’m only staying at Harbor Suites until I find an apartment.”

  Which wouldn’t be easy. Rentals in the area were too expensive for her to live alone. And although the nurse who rented a room in Karen’s house had offered to move out so Zady could join her family, she’d declined. Living there would bring too much intimacy between the sisters. Way too much.

  “I’m sure he plans to rent a place, as well,” Karen said. “Once that happens, I doubt you’ll run into him much.”

  “I guess not. But Safe Harbor’s a small town.” Even smaller than Costa Mesa, just down the freeway, where Zady had grown up.

  “If it’s meant to be...” Lucky let the words trail off.

  “Don’t stop there. Keep having fun at my expense.”

  “I’m trying.” He sighed.

  Zady checked her watch. Although she hadn’t been out of the office for an hour, she’d finished eating. She could see that Marshall wasn’t done his meal, but she wanted to prep his next patients so he’d waste no time on his return.

  “Gotta go.” She finished her milk with a gulp. “Later, guys.” They chorused their farewells.

  In the corridor, she was surprised to see Nick. How had he finished eating so quickly? Perhaps he hadn’t stayed for lunch, she reflected.

  “You weren’t waiting for me, were you?” She braced for a flip response.

  “Actually, yes.” Nick showed no trace of his usual humor. “You didn’t tell me you work for my cousin.”

  “I didn’t even know you had a cousin.”

  He moved aside to let an orderly push a gurney past them. “That was last night. During our conversation earlier today, you did.” With a wave of his hand, he dismissed his own comment. “Not your fault. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, Marshall and I aren’t on good terms. It would be unfair to put you in a position of conflicting loyalties.”

  “Is that what I’m in?”

  He ignored the question. “The two of us should keep our distance.”

  But you’re the most interesting thing that’s happened since I got here. Now, where had that thought sprung from? True, Zady had lain awake last night reviewing their interaction in light of her sister’s revelation, and, a short while ago, she’d relished their verbal sparring. The guy had a quick wit and delightfully teasing manner, although until this moment, she’d considered Nick simply an attractive nuisance.

  But if he took this divided-loyalties business seriously, there was no sense arguing. “Agreed.”

  Despite the flat overhead lighting, shadows touched his eyes. He couldn’t have grabbed more than a few hours of sleep since his overnight shift. “It isn’t personal. I just prefer that we lay our cards on the table.”

  “And give them the royal flush,” she finished.

  “Apt image,” he said. “Well, see you around. Or not.” As he departed, Zady waited a few beats to avoid the awkwardness of exiting together.

  That was that. No more Nick Davis to bump into, trip over and match wits with.

  As she walked toward the staff entrance, she reluctantly acknowledged the unpleasant emotion stirring inside her.

  Disappointment.

  Chapter Three

  “You don’t have to allow relatives in the delivery room if you’d rather be alone.” Nick regarded young Mr. and Mrs. Wang sympathetically.

  The wife, seven months pregnant, sat on the examining table in a skimpy hospital gown, while her husband shifted uneasily from foot to foot. Nick would have preferred to have this discussion in a less sterile setting, but he could hardly invite them into his office, which was a former storage closet.

  In the week since he’d arrived at Safe Harbor, he’d adjusted fairly well to the overnight schedule. It was harder to double as counselor and lifestyle coach during his two hours of evening consultations, but these appointments brought in extra income and helped him build a patient roster for the future.

  “Do we have to let them into the waiting room, either?” asked the husband. “Her mother drives me crazy.”

  “And his mother drives me crazy,” added his wife.

  “I can issue orders to keep family members in the main lobby,” Nick suggested. “It would be simpler if you talked to them honestly, though.”

  “They’d be horrified.” Mrs. Wang shook her head, brown hair tumbling around her shoulders. “I have a PhD in business administration, but around my mother and mother-in-law, I feel about five years old.”

  “They always cite Chinese traditions,” said her husband. “I think they make them up just to torment us.”

  “Outline your reasons for desiring privacy during the birth,” he said. “Then share them in writing so your parents have a chance to think them over before reacting. And don’t forget that family can be an important source of love and support for new parents.”

  The couple thanked Nick for his advice, and he urged them to contact him with any further quest
ions.

  Although he struggled to look wise and fatherly, he felt like a phony.

  When Bethany had delivered Caleb, she and her parents hadn’t allowed Nick anywhere near her. As for his mother, under the circumstances, there’d been no question of inviting her to the hospital, but he wouldn’t have done so, anyway. His mom could be charming, but also self-centered and unpredictable. Still, she’d adored her grandson, although she’d died of lung cancer a year after Caleb’s birth.

  For all her flaws, at least his mom had stuck around during Nick’s childhood. His father, who experienced severe mood swings, had kept the household in turmoil until he left for good when Nick was ten. His later, sporadic attempts at reconciliation had ended in disappointment when he failed to appear as promised or talked nonstop, rambling from one topic to another. Yet he’d refused to accept treatment for bipolar disorder.

  By the time the Wangs departed, it was nearly eight, and he had to report to the hospital next door. Nick checked the text messages in his phone. According to the charge nurse in L&D, three women had been admitted. All had been seen by obstetricians and labor was progressing normally, with none close to delivering.

  He could afford a few minutes to relax. With the Wangs receiving follow-up instructions from evening nurse Lori Sellers, Nick finished entering his notes in the computer and went to drink what would be the first of many cups of coffee tonight. Caffeine kept him alert, but he’d become inured enough to it that he could fall asleep instantly whenever he had a chance to lie down.

  In the break room, he found one of his suitemates, Dr. Jack Ryder, eating a slice of cake left by the daytime staff. “Surprised to see you here this late,” Nick said, eyeing the last piece set out on the counter.

  “I had to perform emergency surgery this afternoon. It put me behind. I offered to let patients return this evening rather than reschedule for a later date, and some of them did.” Jack, a handsome fellow oblivious to his impact on the hospital’s female staff, indicated the remaining slice. “Help yourself. There’s no one else here. Adrienne hightailed it home to relieve her babysitter.”