Blessings

“Yes, Doctor. I’m here.” The short, bustling woman handed him a big brown envelope. “I suspected you’d want to see these, so I didn’t file them—yet.”

He snapped the pictures out of the envelope and onto the light screen, peering at the outline for several minutes before he turned his glare on the petite nurse.

“You didn’t suspect I’d want to set my own daughter’s arm?” His blue eyes dared the nurse to flinch. “You know that nobody treats my family but me.”

“You were out of town, Joshua. At the clinic. We didn’t know when you’d be back. Ruthie had a simple fracture. Since Dr. Brandt has already been approved by our board and the forms have all been processed, I saw no reason she shouldn’t go ahead and help your daughter.”

“Really?” Dr. Darling glared for two seconds longer, then returned his gaze to the pictures.

Arvilla looked small, but Nicole just knew she was one of those people with a mighty spirit. She could tell it from the way the nurse refused to back down. That thought cheered her immeasurably when her own knees threatened to buckle under his icy regard.

“She was hurt, Joshua,” Arvilla whispered. “And we could help her. Isn’t that exactly what you would have wanted us to do?”

He sighed then, tiredly, as if he’d had one too many emergencies today. A large capable hand raked through his hair before he gathered the little girl in his arms and hugged her against his chest. His words whispered out over the angel-fair ringlets.

“I’m sorry, Arvilla. Of course you did what’s best for Ruth Ann. I know that. It’s just that I remembered—”

To Nicole’s surprise, Arvilla stretched one chubby arm up and patted the forbidding doctor on the back of his football shoulders, forestalling whatever he’d been about to say.

“I know, Dr. Darling,” she murmured, her eyes kind as they met his. “I understand. And this little monkey is fine, thanks to your new partner. That’s the important thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” He glanced over Ruthie’s head, his blue eyes meeting Nicole’s.

The ice didn’t exactly melt, but Nicole thought there was a Chinook in the offing.

“Thank you for helping my daughter.” He set the child down.

“You’re welcome.” She glanced from doctor to nurse, unsure of how she should proceed. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”

But Joshua Darling ignored her to kneel on the floor in front of his child.

“What happened, honey? How did you break your arm?”

The little girl fidgeted, her eyes avoiding his until at last she met his scrutiny. “Riding the scooter,” she mumbled.

“In the street?”

He stayed exactly where he was, but Nicole saw the tightness grip his body, felt the tension surge into the room.

“Just on the edge.” Ruthie’s eyes dropped and her bottom lip trembled. “I was showing Roz and Rach how to do a trick an’ it bounced on the curb and flew up. I couldn’t stop it fast enough.” The words tumbled out helter-skelter.

“I’m afraid the scooter is a write-off,” Nicole admitted with a rueful smile. “Perhaps I could help her choose a new one?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Joshua Darling never even looked at Nicole. “When something is ruined because we broke the rules, we can only blame ourselves. Isn’t that right, Ruth Ann?”

“Uh-huh.” She sniffed back a sob, dashing one dirt-smeared fist across her cheek. “I’m really sorry, Daddy.”

“Sorry that you broke it, or sorry that you got caught?” He let her think about it for a minute. “You’re Rosalyn’s older sister, Ruth Ann. She looks up to you. What if she tries to copy you next time and a car comes along? She could be very badly hurt. Being a big sister who disobeys is dangerous. Do you understand?”

Ruthie sniffed, her flaxen head bobbing up and down once in silent agreement. “I won’t ever do it again, Daddy. Promise.”

“Good. Now Arvilla will take you to Mrs. Tyndall and the other girls. Tell Mrs. Tyndall I said you can all go home in a taxi. We’ll talk about your punishment later.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good.” He kissed the top of her shiny blond head and received a hug in return. “Off you go.”

As the child left the room with the nurse, Nicole watched Dr. Darling rise to his feet. He looked haggard, defeated. His shoulders slumped under the tired tweed of his jacket.

Nicole simply stood, watched and waited.

At last he remembered her, his eyes sliding up to meet hers. At that moment a mask slid over his face, concealing the worry and fear she thought she’d glimpsed. In one second he went from concerned father to the doctor in charge.

“Dr. Brandt, I am truly glad you’ve arrived, though I apologize for the circumstances. I shouldn’t have barked at you so rudely. Please accept my excuse of absolute fear and allow me to begin again. I’m Joshua Darling.” At last he thrust out his hand.

“It’s very nice to meet you.” Nicole shook it, assessing the firm grip. It was the kind of grip you could depend on. “I was actually looking for my new home when I ran into your daughter.”

Uh-oh, bad choice of words. His lips pinched in a grim line as he frowned at her.

“This is Thursday. Surely you realize that you don’t actually start the job until Monday?”

“Oh, I realize that was the arrangement you and Professor Adams came to, but I didn’t want to leave everything till the last minute. I thought I’d get settled in, take a look around the hospital, see the town this weekend and be all ready for work Monday morning.” I also had to get out of the city before my father could change my mind.

Dr. Darling nodded as if her reasons were perfectly normal. He checked his watch, then beckoned.

“Follow me. I have a few scripts to write, then I’ll show you where Aunt Winifred lives, though I can’t fathom how you could miss the place. Not after the detailed description I gave your professor.”

Now might not be the time to admit she hadn’t exactly been looking at the house numbers. Nicole had a hunch Dr. Darling was already suspicious of her abilities, so he’d hardly understand she’d been caught up in the homey scene of kids playing on big green lawns, of dogs barking and porch swings swaying in the April breezes. He probably took all of that for granted, living in a place called Blessing.

Once he’d signed the appropriate paperwork, Nicole trailed behind Dr. Darling out of the hospital and across to the doctor’s parking area. He stopped beside a nondescript beige four-door station wagon that looked as if it had seen many miles of tough country road.

“I’m assuming you have your car with you?”

She nodded, pointed to the red sports car her father had given her last winter. The contrast between it and his couldn’t have been greater. Joshua Darling’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You got them all in that?” he squeaked. “Even Mrs. Tyndall?”

Nicole subdued her smile, nodded.

“It wasn’t easy, but then, we didn’t have far to go.”

“Thank heavens.” He grimaced at the folded-back roof. “Not exactly meant for kids. It might be best to ride with me for now. That way I can point out a few landmarks on the way. I’ll bring you back later to collect…that.” He jerked a thumb at her car. “I have to come back for rounds, anyway.”

“Fine.”

So he didn’t like sports cars. Or maybe it was the color. That was a switch. In Boston the medical residents had tried to bribe her to go out with them just so they could drive it.

Nicole shrugged and told herself she didn’t much care either way, as long as it got her where she wanted to go. It was just a car, not an indication of her personality. In fact, she would willingly have tossed the keys back at her father, returned the expensive vehicle in a second, for a chance to hear him say the words she’d longed for all these years.