The Doctor's Redemption

She pulled to a stop behind a navy blue high-end European car. To Mark’s credit, it wasn’t a sports car but it was finer than Laura Jo had ever ridden in, even when she’d still been living with her parents.

Her door had hardly opened before Allie ran toward a basset hound, whose ears dragged along the ground. Not far behind him strolled Mark. For a second her breath caught. He had all the markers of an eye-catching man. Tall, blond wavy hair and an air about him that said he could take care of himself and anyone else he cared about. It was a dazzling combination.

She’d been asked out a number of times by one of the men at the hospital, but she’d never had a man both irritate her and draw her to him at the same time. That was exactly what Mark Clayborn did.

He looked down with a smile at Allie, with her arms wrapped around Gus, and Jeremy, patting him, then at Laura Jo.

Her middle fluttered. If it wasn’t for all the baggage she carried, her inability to trust her judgment of men, maybe she might be interested. She’d let Allie have her day and make a concerted effort not to see Mark again.

“Hey. Did you have any trouble finding it?”

“No trouble. I knew which one it was when you told me you lived in Fairhope.”

“Really?”

“I remember passing it when I was a kid.” She’d been aware all her life where the Clayborn summer home was located.

He glanced back to where the children played with the dog. “I think they’re hitting it off.”

Laura Jo couldn’t help but agree.

“Allie, did you bring some clothes for Gus? I got a few things just in case you didn’t,” Mark said, strolling toward the kids and dog.

“They’re in the car.”

“I’ll get them, honey,” Laura Jo called, as the kids headed toward the large open yard between the house and bay. “Don’t go near the water and stay where I can see you.”

She walked to the car and Mark followed her. “You’re a good mother.”

Laura Jo glanced at him. “I try to be.”

“So when did Allie’s father leave?”

Laura Jo opened the passenger door then looked at him. “When I was three months pregnant.”

Mark whistled. “That explains some of your standoffishness.”

She pulled a large brown sack out of the car and closed the door with more force than necessary. “I’m not.”

“Yeah, you are. For some reason, you don’t want to like me, even when you do.”

She was afraid he might be right. Thankfully, squealing in the front yard drew their attention to the two children running around as a dog almost as wide as he was tall chased them.

Mark checked his watch and called, “Allie and Jeremy, we need to get started on what Gus will wear because the parade starts in a couple of hours.”

The kids ran toward them and Gus followed.

“Why don’t we go around to the deck where it’s cooler? We can dress Gus there,” Mark said to the kids.

Mark led the way with the kids and Gus circled them. Laura Jo hung back behind them. Mark was good with children. Why didn’t he have a wife and kids of his own? She imagined she was the only one of many who didn’t fall at his charming feet.

The deck was amazing. It was open at one end. Chairs and a lounge group were arranged into comfortable conversation areas. At the other end was an arbor with a brown vine that must be wisteria on it. Laura Jo could only envision what it would look like in the spring and summer, with its green leaves creating a roof of protection from the sun. She’d love to sit in a comfortable chair under it but that wasn’t going to happen.

“Allie, why don’t you and Jeremy pull the things you brought out of the bag while I go get what I bought? Then you can decide how to dress Gus.”

Allie took the bag from Laura Jo. With the children busy pulling feather boas, old hair bows, purple, green and gold ribbon from the bag, Laura Jo took a seat on the end of a lounge chair and watched.

Mark quickly returned with an armload of stuff.

“I thought you only got a few things,” Laura Jo said.

He grinned. Her heart skipped a beat.

“I might have gotten a little carried away.” He looked directly at her. “I do that occasionally.”

For some reason, she had the impression he might be talking about sex. She hadn’t had a thought like that in forever. Not since Phil had left. He’d made it clear that she hadn’t been wanted and neither had their child.

Mark added his armload to the growing pile on the deck.

“Okay, Allie, I want you and Jeremy to pick out a winning combination. They give prizes for the funniest dog, best dressed, most spirited and some more I don’t remember. Let’s try to win a prize,” Mark said, as he joined them on the planks of the wooden deck and held Gus. “I’ll hold him while you dress him.”

Laura Jo scooted back in the lounge to watch. It was a February day but the sun was shining. It wasn’t long until her eyes closed.

She didn’t know how long she’d been out before Mark’s voice above her said, “You’d better be careful or you’ll get burned. Even the winter sun in the south can get you.”

“Thanks. I’m well aware of that. Remember, I’ve lived here all my life.”

“That’s right, a Herron.”

“Who is a Herron, Mommy?”

“They’re a family I used to know.”

Mark’s brows rose.

“Now, let me see what ya’ll have done to Gus while I was napping,” Laura Jo said quickly, before he could ask any more questions in front of Allie.

Mark didn’t question further, seeing that Laura Jo didn’t want to talk about her family in front of Allie. But he would be asking later. Allie didn’t even know who her grandparents were? There was a deep, dark secret there that he was very interested in finding out about. Why hadn’t he recognized Laura Jo? Probably because she had been too young to take his notice. His mouth drew into a line. More likely, he had been so focused on his world he hadn’t looked outside it.

“My, doesn’t Gus look, uh … festive?”

Mark couldn’t help but grin at Laura Jo’s description. Festive was a good word for it, along with silly. His dog wore a purple, gold and green feather boa wrapped around his neck. A dog vest of the same colors was on his body, bands on his ankles and a bow on the end of his tail. This being the one thing Allie had insisted he needed. Mark was amazed the Gus was as agreeable as he was about that.

Allie pronounced him “Perfect.”

“I think we should be going if we want to make the start time.”

“Start time?” Laura Jo asked.