A Doctor For The Nanny

Eva looked horrified. “I’ve heard about that. What can I do?”

Tyler quickly explained and discussed what she should do. He even gave her a tube of ointment with zinc oxide to use in case she needed it. And seeing her fearful eyes, he discussed bath time, immunizations and feeding schedules. Everything he could think of that might help ease her mind. And when they finished their in-depth discussion, she looked a little less worried.

“How’s Miss Mamie doing?” he finally asked.

Eva smiled. “Fine, I think. She loves this little guy.”

“She’s not getting too tired out, is she?”

A new baby could be exciting, but Mamie wasn’t a young woman anymore. And Tyler knew she also was worried about Ben being in a coma and Grady stationed in a war zone in Afghanistan. As a doctor, Tyler was concerned that the elderly lady might be overdoing things.

Eva flashed a half smile, which made her brown eyes gleam. Wow, she sure was pretty. A natural, earthy beauty that didn’t require the enhancement of makeup.

“I think she feels better now that I’m Cody’s nanny. She should have gotten a good night’s sleep at least,” Eva said.

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

“I understand you’re returning to Austin right after Thanksgiving,” she said.

He nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Are you going to be practicing medicine there?”

Another nod. “I’ve kept my condominium there and plan to practice with a co-op of other pediatricians. I’ll be a junior partner for a few years, but I hope to move up eventually.”

She shuddered. “I don’t know how you can stand to live in such a large city. I’d be lost there.”

Yeah, he could see how a sweet, gentle woman such as Eva would feel lost without the wide-open country around her. And he liked that about her, too.

“Living in the city has its perks,” he said.

“Like what?”

He shrugged. “There’s a lot to do there. I enjoy the action of city life. You can’t get any of that here in Little Horn.”

“True. But we’ve got the most beautiful sunsets you ever saw.” Her voice sounded impassioned.

He hadn’t thought about that. In fact, maybe he’d taken the beauty of the rolling hills and open fields for granted. But when he’d left for college he’d fallen in love with the arts, culture and the many conveniences city life provided. He was eager to return.

“I’ve also got my work,” he said. “My partners and I have been approved for a grant from the Food and Drug Administration. We’ll be doing research on children’s immunizations. I’m excited to be a part of that.”

“Well, we’ll miss you,” she said. “People need a pediatric doctor in this town, and we’ll be sad to see you go.”

“I won’t be gone forever. I’ll still be coming home now and then for holidays and such,” he said.

He smiled, but inside he felt a bit sad. He’d been practicing medicine in Little Horn for almost a year now. Once he left, the townsfolk would be forced to travel to a larger city for a pediatrician. But he couldn’t let that stop his plans.

“Won’t you miss your mom?” Eva asked.

“Yeah, but we’ll still see each other now and then.”

He hoped. He’d asked his mother to move to Austin with him, but she’d refused, saying this was her home and she’d never leave. He hoped his practice wouldn’t become so busy that he’d have difficulty getting time off work to come and visit her. But he had to go. It was his childhood dream to practice medicine in the city. It was all he’d thought about for the past year. Returning to his old life in Austin. Picking up his practice where he’d left off. And if he didn’t return, it could jeopardize the grant he and his partners had received from the FDA. But he doubted he’d ever find another woman to love. He couldn’t trust himself to that kind of heartache again.

“If my parents were still alive, nothing could drag me away from Little Horn,” Eva said, her eyes a bit wistful.

“Yeah, you were way too young to lose your folks,” he said.

He thought about Eva living out at Stillwater Ranch and was happy she had some family to rely on. He still had his mom, but Eva had no one except for her cousins and Aunt Mamie. Eva had known a lot of loss, just like he had. Both of them had been dumped by their fiancés. Both of them had suffered broken hearts. In a way, they had a lot in common.

“What do I owe you?” she asked, reaching for her purse.

He raised his hand. “It’s on the house. I didn’t do anything, really. And Miss Mamie paid me plenty yesterday.”

She lifted the baby, holding him close against her shoulder before she kissed his downy head. “Well, thank you. I can’t tell you how relieved I feel. I so appreciate your help.”

He smiled, drawn to her easy, honest manners. She seemed so genuine. So real and down-to-earth. Nothing contrived at all. Not like Kayla, his former fiancée.

“Come on. I’ll walk you out,” he said.

Carrying the baby, Eva preceded him through the house and out to the front porch. Tyler followed, breathing deeply the fragrance of her fresh, coconut-scented hair. As she walked, her hair swayed against her back like a long, red waterfall. He felt the urge to reach out and run his fingers through the silken length of it, but resisted.

Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of such nonsense. The last thing he needed right now was a romantic entanglement.

As he stepped out on the front porch, he slid his hands into his pockets.

“Tyler! Oh, Tyler!”

He glanced over at the barn. Veola Grainger stood in front of the wide double doors. His mother. An early riser, she’d dressed in her blue jeans and boots to help him with some chores before he drove into town to make his rounds at the regional medical hospital. Just now she was waving frantically to get his attention.

“Excuse me one moment, will you?” With a nod to Eva, he stepped off the porch and hurried toward his mom. Eva stood easily within hearing distance.

“Applejack is gone,” Veola said, her voice shrill with urgency.

He tilted his head. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”

“She’s gone, and so is your sister’s saddle.” Mom’s voice rose to a plaintive cry.

A blaze of dread scorched Tyler’s skin. Without another word, he ran into the barn and looked around. Morning sunlight streamed through the open doorway. He caught the musty smell of straw and ammonia. Bullet, their sorrel gelding, stood in his stall swishing his tail. But sure enough, Applejack was gone; the mare’s stall stood wide-open and vacant. At first Tyler thought maybe he’d left the gate open last night and the mare had wandered off. But no. He distinctly remembered closing the barn door securely, because he’d pinched his thumb in the process. Someone had entered the barn and opened Applejack’s stall.

His heart plummeted. Was it possible they’d become the victims of a crime? He’d heard about the cattle rustlings and equipment thefts going on in their community. But he’d never dreamed the thieves might steal his little sister’s mare.

He walked back out into the sunshine, feeling heartsick and furious by this turn of events. Eva stood beside her truck with his mother. Mom was cooing and admiring the baby, but glanced his way, awaiting his verdict.

“She’s gone, all right,” he said.

“You think someone stole her?” Mom asked.

He looked out at the wide-open fields surrounding them, his gaze searching the area for some sign of the mare. “Unless she got loose and wandered off.”