by Natalie Ann
“No, I sit at a desk.”
“Good. Just pull a chair over and put your leg up all day if you can. Keep ice on it, and take aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve the swelling. No exercise of any kind. That means basketball or any sport you might enjoy that doesn’t include eating chips on your couch. You should see an improvement within a week. Even more within two. I’d say four weeks before you are ready to even consider exercise of any kind, and even then starting slow like walking is what I have in mind. But keep that brace on until you see me again to double-check.”
“So no surgery?” Sean asked. “All my friends were telling me I’d need surgery.”
“I’d prefer not to operate if I don’t need to. Let’s give this a try. Of course if you find you are in even more pain or can’t walk at all, please call me right away. I’ll want to see you in three weeks for a follow-up and we’ll go from there.”
“She said you were a nice guy. She was right.”
“Who?” he asked as he was typing his notes.
“I just came from Dr. Boswell’s office. I had to have my checkup there. The nurse noticed I was limping and asked if I was okay. I told her I was coming here and she said you were really nice.”
“That’s good. Did you happen to get her name?” he asked. Not that it mattered. Most would normally say something nice about another doctor whether they knew them personally or not.
“Sahara. It made me think of a desert. No, Sierra. Yeah, that was it.”
“Hmm,” he said. “Well, I’m glad and hopefully we’ll get you back running up and down the court again in a few months.”
“I doubt it,” Sean said. “My wife reminded me there was a reason I was forty and sat behind a desk, that I needed to give up trying to find my youth.”
“Don’t we all,” he said back. Of course he didn’t play any sports in his free time. What free time? “Why don’t you wait here and someone will come in to fit you with a brace and give you all the instructions.”
“Thanks,” Sean said.
Grey walked out shaking his head. For someone who was so adamant that she didn’t date doctors or was even willing to change her tune toward the end of their lunch, she had something nice to say about him.
Maybe he was wrong about her.
Should he seek her out?
No. Not worth it. She was clear she didn’t date doctors and, last he looked, that was what he was.
6
Twilight Zone
A week later, Grey was downstairs at the bakery and sandwich shop in the lower level of his building waiting in line to get his order when he felt fingers tapping him on the shoulder.
He turned to see Cori standing there with a big smile on her face. “We meet again,” he said.
“We do,” she said, letting out a giggle. “Getting your lunch?”
“I am. Are you working in this building or getting lunch for Jack?”
“Both,” she said. “He’s got back to back patients and paperwork to do, so I said I’d grab lunch and we could eat in his office before I had to return to my shift.”
Grey nodded. He’d seen and talked to Cori more in the past few weeks than he had in the past few years and was wondering what the heck was going on around him.
“That’s nice,” he said.
“We like to spend time together whenever we can. Once we are home for the night Summer demands all our attention. I suppose she could be a bit like me.”
He laughed. “I bet she is.”
“Poor Jack,” she said.
At least she could laugh about it. He heard his name called and grabbed his order and turned to leave. Cori had already started a conversation with another person. He’d bet she never sat by herself or went anywhere alone.
Him, he was happy doing his own thing and not worrying what another person was doing or wanting. Having to change his plans or worry about upsetting someone?
Those days were long gone.
He didn’t care what anyone said, he was fine being on his own.
He was happy the way he was.
He didn’t care if he went home to a cold bed at night.
Liar.
He was just throwing the remains of his lunch away when his cell phone rang. He looked down and saw it was his sister, Alexa. “Aren’t you in class?” he asked.
“The kids are in art class right now. I’ve got a break and thought I’d call my favorite brother.”
He snorted. His sister was an elementary school teacher. She was the baby of the family and the closest with Jake. Grey was eleven years older than Alexa. She came into the family as an oops and they never let her forget it.
He was out of the house and in college by the time she was old enough to even want to talk to him without wanting to always play with her dolls.
He did it—played with her and her dolls—because she was his sister, but he didn’t enjoy it. Not like Colt did. Or like Colt busted on everyone and told them to find their inner girl and entertain Alexa.
“Was there something special you wanted?” he asked.
“Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
She wasn’t like that. She called when she wanted something or heard something, or had something to share.
“I’m doing good. So what do you want, or what did you hear?”
She laughed. “You’re no fun. There is this teacher I work with. She’s recently divorced.”
“No,” he said. What the hell?!
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say. She could have hurt her back and needs a surgeon.”
“Then you would have told her to call for an appointment and then said she was going to see me.”
“Maybe that is exactly what I’m going to say.”
“Is it?” he asked.
“No.”
“Then my answer is still no.”
“Come on, Grey. She’s really nice and needs someone to go to a wedding with her.”
“Hell no,” he said. Women and weddings never mixed. Not when you were dating, not when you were single and just going as a plus one. They were always uncomfortable for the guy. He wasn’t going to be the stupid bloke sucked into being a date at a wedding.
“Grey. She’s sweet and her ex is going to be there. He cheated on her and she wants to just show him up by going with a doctor.”
“No. Find some other fool, but it won’t be me.”
“You can’t do me this one favor?”
“This isn’t a favor to you, it’s one for her. I don’t even know her.”
“It’s not like you’re dating anyone. Give me a break.”
“How do you know I’m not dating someone?” he asked.
“Are you?”
Shit. “Why does it matter?”
“Because we normally know if someone is dating.”
“You didn’t know Jake was dating Rachel for weeks right under Mom and Dad’s nose.”
Jake lived in the apartment above his parents’ garage and Rachel had been over a few times trying to recruit him for his current job. It didn’t take long before Rachel had other interests in Jake and vice versa.
“That’s different.”
“How? You talk to Mom all the time. You talk to Jake the most and still you had no clue.”
“Fine. If you’re dating someone then bring her to Colt’s party next week.”
“What?” he asked.
“Colt is having a party next week. Did you forget?”
“No,” he lied. Colt had done a bunch of work in his house, had people over helping him for months on the weekends while he renovated the basement. He was having one big party afterward.
“Then bring her. What’s her name so I know you aren’t making it up?”
She had him and she knew it. “Sierra,” he said and wished he could have backed up ten seconds and changed the path this conversation had taken.
“Sounds like a nice name. I can’t wait to meet Sierra next Saturday.”
He had about eight days to figure a
way out of this. He looked at the calendar and saw Jack was on call. Maybe he could swap weekends with him.
But ten minutes later he found out that wasn’t working. Jack said Cori and he had plans almost every weekend that he wasn’t on call for weeks so it was easy to just keep his schedule.
How the hell was he going to get out of this mess?
At the end of the day, he was getting ready to leave when his phone went off and he saw it was his mother calling. He picked up. “Hi, Mom.”
“I just talked to Alexa.”
“That’s nice,” he said, trying not to grind his teeth.
“She said you’re dating someone. How come we didn’t know? We would have had her over for dinner.”
He’d really put his foot in his mouth. “It’s only been one date, Mom,” he said. That wasn’t really a lie. They did have lunch together.
“Oh, Alexa made it out to be more.”
“Alexa has been known to do that.”
“She does have a flair for the dramatic. Anyway, why don’t you bring her to Colt’s? Even if it’s only the second or third date. It will be fun.”
“Introducing someone new to the family isn’t fun and you know it.”
“You need to move on at some point, Grey. Not everyone is Molly.”
Wow. It was like the twilight zone. First Colt brings up Molly and now his mother. No one had in years. “No, she isn’t. No one is.”
His family told him for years that Molly wasn’t the right one for him. That she was after one thing and one thing only. A ring on her finger followed by a family. She wanted it then and she wasn’t waiting.
His parents were right. He should have listened.
“So we can expect to meet her at Colt’s?” his mother asked.
“We’ll see,” he said. It was the best he could do. He had no intention of bringing her because even if he asked, he knew damn well she’d say no.
7
A Weak Moment
“Grey,” Sierra said when she walked out of the office five days later. Her shift was done, her feet were sore, and her patients had been cranky. It was time to go home and take a nice hot bubble bath.
“Hi. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure,” she said, not sure where this could be going. They moved to the hallway that didn’t have any traffic. Or very little traffic.
“This is going to sound a little odd considering our last conversation, but I need a favor.”
“I can already tell I’m not going to like where this might be going,” she said.
“I know you don’t date doctors. I get that and respect it. But you see, it’s like the zoo came to town and all the monkeys are flinging their crap at me.”
She started to laugh. “I’m not sure where this is going and why you need me to help you unless it’s because of the department I work in. Poo and all.”
He laughed. “I wish it was that easy. I’d take a prostate exam over this any day.”
She started to grin and then stopped herself. “You’d rather get a rectal exam over asking me for a favor?”
To give him credit, he grimaced. “That came out so wrong. No. Definitely not. But my family, well, it’s like they are conspiring to get me.”
“Or set you up?” she asked.
“Yes. My sister called me a few days ago wanting to set me up with a new divorcee she works with. She has to go to a wedding and her ex will be there and she wanted to show off a doctor on her arm.”
“Yikes. That one is bad. Blind dates for a wedding. No way. That’s a recipe for disaster. Or maybe a stalker with wedding bells in her eyes.”
“Exactly,” he said. “You get it. That’s why I’m asking you for this favor.”
“I’m still trying to figure out what is going on. Tell your sister no.”
“I did. Multiple times. Then she started in on my past, and well, that’s a different story. She said it’s not like I’m dating anyone. I asked how she could know that.”
“You didn’t tell her you were dating me, did you?”
“Your name kind of came up. It was a weak moment. I love my sister, but she can be a pain. I was eleven when she was born and I didn’t spend a lot of time with her. I think she’s trying to make up for it now but going about it the wrong way.”
Okay, he had his sister’s interest at heart, which was pretty sweet. “So you slipped and said my name.”
“I kind of did. I mean we did have that one so-called setup date by Cori.”
“She refused to admit it was a blind date lunch, but I’m onto her. She tried to say she was more obvious, but I don’t think so. I think she’s pretty sneaky.”
“Why won’t anyone leave us alone?”
“I have no idea,” she said.
“So anyway. My sister called my mother and then my mother called me.”
“Wanting to know why she wasn’t aware you were dating someone named Sierra?”
“Damn, you’re good.”
“It’s not hard to follow along.” She still wasn’t so sure she liked being thrown into this.
Did she want to do him a favor?
She had to admit he was pretty pleasing on the eyes.
He had a great personality...for a doctor.
He seemed family oriented, which she was too. Or would be if she still lived in Buffalo, but she didn’t feel like she could anymore.
“So, back to my favor. Alexa brought up my brother is having a party in a few days at his house and that I should bring you. I just think if I showed up with a date everyone would leave me alone. In a few weeks if they ask again, I could say it didn’t work out. No one will be surprised.”
She wanted to ask why no one would be surprised but figured that might be a conversation for another day. “Do you need an answer right now?” she asked. “It’s been a long day and I’m dying to soak in the tub with a glass of wine.”
She saw his eyes travel the length of her body as if he were Superman trying to use his X-ray vision. Interesting. Did he find her attractive? If so, it was definitely mutual.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Let me give you my number. If you could let me know by Friday, that would be great.”
“If I say no, what are you going to tell your family?”
He shrugged. “I’ll think of something. Maybe you came down with the flu.”
She started to laugh. “Don’t wish that on me. I’ll let you know tomorrow. Maybe even tonight.” Just to test the waters again, she said, “Once I have my wine and bubbles I’ll have a clear mind.”
He paused again, his eyes moving over her, his cheeks almost flushing. “Sounds good.”
They left the hall together, both of them walking toward the parking garage. “What kind of party is it?” she asked. “I should know some more details.”
“Oh. My brother just renovated his house and a lot of people helped him, myself included. He promised us a big party afterward.”
“Did you wear a tool belt?” she asked, grinning.
“I might have,” he said. “It only contained a paintbrush and tape in it though. I didn’t want to worry about damaging my money makers.”
She laughed when he held his hands up. Nice big hands and the images of him in jeans and a T-shirt being handy around the house had no business jumping around in her brain.
“So, your family is all going to be there? That won’t seem a little odd?”
“They’re all great. My brother Jake is a medevac pilot here. He just started about two months ago. Colt is a lawyer, Alexa an elementary school teacher. Then there will be some of Colt’s friends there. It won’t be that big. My parents will be there for a short period, but then they leave because they feel like they don’t belong around us.”
“Sounds like my parents. They like to be around us, but not when our friends are there. They always feel like they don’t fit.”
“Us?” he asked. “How many siblings do you have?”
“An older sister and younger brother.”
They got t
o the elevators. He hit the button to go up, she hit it to go down. “Maybe a conversation for another day.”
“Maybe,” she said. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
And when she was sitting in her tub at her small one-bedroom apartment with bubbles up to her chin and a glass of wine on the floor next to her, she wondered if it’d be so bad to do what Grey asked.
What would it hurt to go with him to his brother’s party? Maybe she’d need a favor at some point and wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to call if that came about?
Not only that, but she was a nurse and liked to help people. Stand up for them. Or behind them. This was kind of like helping a friend in need. Loosely. Maybe help him stand up to his family? Not that he seemed like the type to need that, but in her mind it was close enough.
Just because she moved from Buffalo and told herself she wasn’t getting in the same mess as before, she found she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to support other people. To help them out.
So once she was out of the water and dried off, she picked her cell phone up and called Grey. He answered on the first ring. “Grey, it’s Sierra.”
“Hi,” he said. “That was fast. All relaxed now?”
Why not play a little bit more? “Just sitting here in a silk robe finishing up my wine.”
There was silence on the other line and she wondered if that was overkill even though it was the truth. “What color is the robe?”
She looked down at the navy blue. “What color do you want it to be?”
“Hmmm. Some shade of blue. Maybe to match your eyes.”
“Do you have a romantic streak to you, Grey Baxter?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“I’ve never thought so before.”
“Well, I thought about your favor and I think it might be fun. I don’t have a problem helping you out. On one condition.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Well, maybe two conditions. First, we play with Cori a little bit. Let her find out we are going to your brother’s party. I can let it slip the next time I see her. Or you could, since you might see her before me.”