Colton's Deep Cover

He smiled back, and for the first time all morning she relaxed. Derek Colton’s bone-melting smiles always had that effect on her. “I don’t see how working for a small-town doctor could be very exciting, but thanks for the ego boost.”

“Dr. Colton?” came Nancy’s voice. “Stu Robertson is here.”

Derek glanced over his shoulder at his receptionist. “Put him in exam room two, Nancy.”

Chloe frowned. “Hey, that’s my job, remember?”

“No,” he corrected. “Right now, your job is to grab a cup of coffee and unwind for an hour or so. Maybe the caffeine will wake you up.”

Guilt prickled her skin. Wonderful. Her first day as a permanent fixture in the clinic, and she was being ordered to wake up.

Derek must have glimpsed the objection in her eyes because he chuckled. “I can handle Stu. He’s only here to get a prescription for his arthritis medication. Go, Amelia. Drink some coffee, breathe some fresh air and come back when you’re ready.”

He strolled off before she could argue.

Chloe stared after him in dismay, feeling even guiltier when she heard Derek greet Stu Robertson in that deep, congenial voice of his. The clinic’s appointment calendar was booked solid today, and instead of doing her job, she’d been so distracted that Derek had sent her away.

But she knew he’d made a good call. She’d be of no use to Derek or their patients if her brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

Ducking into the small office where she stored her things, Chloe grabbed her coat and purse, then exited the clinic through the back door. Derek was right—the second she breathed in the crisp December air, she felt more alert. In a brisk pace, she walked to the café at the end of the block and ordered a large coffee, then sat on one of the tall-backed stools in front of the window that overlooked the quaint street.

Clasping her hands over the cardboard sleeve of her coffee cup, Chloe attempted to formulate a plan. She’d already replaced her loose door handle this morning; she’d been out the door at eight o’clock and waiting outside the hardware store when the owner opened up shop for the day. She hadn’t been scheduled to work until nine, so she’d hurried home and installed the new handle, along with two shiny new dead bolts and a chain lock.

With that out of the way, she now had to—

Have to what? an incredulous voice demanded. Now you leave town, Chloe!

Her coffee cup froze before reaching her lips. Hands trembling, she set the foam cup on the counter and stared miserably out at the street.

Of course she had to leave town. What the hell other solution was there?

Felix clearly knew where she was—the little gift he’d left her last night proved it. And although Felix might be toying with her now, he wouldn’t play the game forever. Eventually he would confront her.

He’ll kill you.

Or worse, she thought with growing terror. She’d never imagined there could be anything worse than death, but Felix Moreno had shown her otherwise. She lifted her hand to her cheek, but even the scar was small potatoes compared to what Felix was capable of doing.

She couldn’t risk staying in Eden Falls. If she stayed, she wouldn’t just be placing her own life in jeopardy, but the lives of those around her.

Derek.

Her heart lurched at the thought. Felix wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Derek, especially if he knew she’d gone to the Coltons’ ranch for dinner yesterday evening. Her husband’s jealous streak was vicious, and she already knew he didn’t toss out empty threats.

“Something wrong with the coffee?”

Chloe shifted her head to see the barista behind the counter eyeing her warily. “No, it’s fine.”

“Oh. Because you’ve been sitting there for ten minutes and still haven’t taken a single sip.”

Ten minutes?

She hadn’t realized she’d zoned out for that long. Sure enough, when she lifted her cup to her lips, the coffee she swallowed had grown lukewarm. But the caffeine managed to do its thing, kick-starting her brain and making her see that her best option—her only option—was to leave Eden Falls as soon as possible.

With a heavy heart, she slid off the stool and left the café, tossing her half-full cup into the trash can on the sidewalk. Her gaze landed on the quaint brick building at the end of the block, the clinic where she’d finally found a sense of purpose and belonging. The thought of giving up her job was pure torture.

So was the notion of never seeing Derek again.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to like and respect him these past three weeks. How much she looked forward to seeing that gorgeous face of his every day, watching those capable hands tending to the patients who adored him.

Swallowing a lump of sorrow, Chloe returned to the clinic just as Stu Robertson was leaving. She smiled at the elderly man, then turned to Derek, who was bent over the reception desk murmuring something to Nancy. His white coat stretched over his broad back and shoulders, and she caught a glimpse of his handsome profile, those firm lips, that strong jaw, his proud forehead.

She fought a jolt of desire and a twinge of regret, wishing things could be different. That she could be the kind of woman that a man like Derek could fall in love with.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Derek turned, a half-smile lifting his lips. “Feeling better?” he asked.

At least stay for the rest of the day. You can’t leave him in the lurch.

Chloe ignored the inner plea, knowing that if she was going to quit, leaving Derek in the lurch was exactly the way to do it. If she left in the most unprofessional, distasteful manner, then the chances of him tracking her down and begging her to stay would be nonexistent.

So rather than smiling back, she slowly shook her head in response to Derek’s question.

His expression instantly sobered. “What’s going on?”

She crossed the room on shaky legs, cast Nancy a discreet look, then met Derek’s brown eyes. “Can we talk in your office for a moment?”

Amelia had quit.

She’d quit.

Derek still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

After his nurse had pretty much sprinted out the door as if a psycho killer was chasing her, he’d desperately wanted to run after her, but he couldn’t just walk away when he had a waiting room full of patients expecting to see him. For the first time in his life, he found himself cursing his success. A booming practice was every doctor’s dream, but today, the endless string of appointments had become Derek’s worst nightmare. All he wanted to do was find Amelia and try to make sense of what had happened. Instead, he’d forced himself to go about his day—seeing patients and updating charts—all the while fighting the urge to kick something.

Only yesterday she’d been thrilled to accept a permanent position. What the hell had changed?

I made a mistake.

Small-town life isn’t for me, after all.

Her feeble excuses continued to flash through his head, burning a hole in his gut, which roiled with anger and frustration.

“Will you excuse me for a second?” Derek said, cutting Rita Vernon off midsentence.

The elderly patient wrinkled her nose. “Is something wrong?” She paled. “Do my symptoms sound serious?”

“No, no,” he said quickly.

“High cholesterol? Anemia? Oh, God—please don’t say cancer!”