Her Maverick M.d.

“Do you want the good list or the bad?”

“You just did the good.”

Dawn shook her head. “That was general. There are specifics. Just to be fair...”

“Okay. Do specific good,” her sister encouraged.

Dawn tapped her lip as she thought over the last two days. There was a sizable amount of good specific, she realized. “He made Jamie Stockton smile.”

“Wow. Sounds like a miracle. That man doesn’t have a lot to smile about.”

“I know, right? He actually got two smiles and a full-on grin when he’d warned Jamie that it was going to get better and worse when he was wrangling three toddlers.”

Marina frowned as she looked at her little angel. “I didn’t want to know that. What’s to smile about?”

“I guess you had to be there.”

“If you say so.”

“Then there was his tips for new moms. Sensible and helpful. Like the pacifier.”

“For or against?” her sister asked.

“Neutral, but with information for the ‘for’ group.”

Marina studied her. “And? Throw me a bone here. A new mom needs all the free professional advice she can get.”

She smiled, remembering his wry comment about all things on the internet being true. During that conversation he’d made her want to smile or laugh at least three times. But she held back. “He listed pointers to promote sleep, like sitting on the dryer—”

“I did that!” Marina exclaimed.

“So I told him.”

“You didn’t.” Her sister groaned. “He probably thinks I’m a lunatic.”

“I think you’re a lunatic,” Dawn clarified. “He apparently doesn’t judge.”

“Wow.” Her sister looked awed. “Where was he when Sydney was little?”

“She’s still little. Aren’t you, sweetie pie?” Smiling at her niece, Dawn laughed when the baby smiled back and kicked her chubby legs in response. “But I know what you meant.”

“After that it’s impossible for me to believe there’s anything bad about him.”

“He made a comment about irresponsible behavior during the wedding reception.”

Marina shrugged. “It sounds that way if you weren’t there.”

“Actually he was. He’s Will Clifton’s brother and we all know Will accidentally married Jordyn Leigh.”

“And, as you said,” her sister reminded her, “if it wasn’t right for them deep down, they wouldn’t have done it. And those two are ridiculously in love.”

“Still—”

“Obviously the doctor didn’t have any punch.” The words were said in that tone a big sister used to shut the door on a disagreement.

“Why are you defending him?”

“Why are you so critical?” Marina shot back. “Could it have anything to do with the fact that he’s handsome and new? And the last time someone handsome and new walked into your life your world fell apart? Because he sweet-talked you out of your knickers after specifically telling you he was single and then his fiancée showed up and all the people you worked with treated you like a home wrecker? Could that be what’s going on with you?”

“No.” Dawn folded her arms over her chest.

Marina laughed but instantly stopped when she got the glare. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

“But seriously, I think you’ve got a thing for Dr. Clifton and because you were burned so badly, you’re making up reasons to peg him as a jerk.”

“But seriously,” Dawn said, imitating her sister’s tone. “I still think you’re a lunatic.”

“One man’s lunatic is another man’s genius.” It was annoying how unfazed this woman was. “I completely understand your instinct to protect yourself. Our father split and left mom alone to raise us, then only showed up when it was convenient for him. My baby’s father ran screaming from the room when I told him I was pregnant and never showed up again. And the new doctor you took a chance on was a lying, cheating snake who made your life a living hell.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it.” Dawn sighed. “We are pathetic. Really. The curse of the Laramie women to hook up with the wrong kind of man.”

“And by focusing on the perceived faults of the handsome new Dr. Clifton, you’re trying to break the curse.”

There was a little too much truth in those words for Dawn’s peace of mind. Time to shift the focus of this conversation. “What would you do?”

“Fortunately, I won’t ever have to find out. Sydney is the best thing that has ever happened to me and we don’t need a man to take care of us.” She picked up the little girl who’d started to fuss.

That was an interesting response because it completely didn’t answer the question. “I’m probably wrong and you’re the teacher, but I think that was a non sequitur.”

“Well, I’m not the one with the man problem.” She pointed at Dawn. “You will have to find a way to deal with the situation—because you are wildly attracted to the new doctor.”

“You’re wrong.”

At least Dawn hoped so. But she couldn’t swear to it because her sister knew her better than anyone. It was a bad sign that a conversation which should have relieved her anxiety just made her more conflicted.

* * *

“Okay, Tucker, I’m going to take a look at your knee.” Jon saw fear bordering on panic in the kid’s blue eyes.

The eleven-year-old looked at his mom, then back to Jon. “Don’t touch it.”

“I’m not going to do anything. Right now I just need to look.”

“Promise?”

Jon knew stitches would be necessary, but he needed to work up to that revelation with a skittish kid. “I’ll put my hands behind my back.”