Paging Dr. Daddy

David looked puzzled. “The dance of joy because she’s bored?”

“What happened to the ‘babe whisperer’?”

“I guess my radar is down. Care to explain?”

“Normally those words are enough to send a mother over the edge. But in this case they’re so incredibly normal. After what she’s been through, it’s dance-of-joy worthy.”

“Ah,” he said. “Keep in mind that kids are pretty resilient.”

She knew he was warning her to keep a stiff upper lip through what was to come, but she couldn’t think about that now. She’d take every victory she could get.

“Do you have many patients who are children?” she asked.

“Some,” he said mysteriously. But there was something in his eyes, something he wasn’t telling.

“Mommy, what am I going to do?”

“I’ll turn on the TV,” she suggested.

Janie shook her head. “It’s all cartoons or baby shows.”

“And you’re so grown up,” David teased. He walked over to his jacket and pulled something out of the pocket. “How about a game of cards?”

“I don’t know how to play,” Janie said.

“Then I’ll teach you.”

“Do I hafta hold ’em?” Janie lifted her right arm and showed off her hot-pink wrist cast.

“No.” He pulled over the mobile table, then rested his hip on her bed. “You can put your cards in your lap face up. I won’t peek.”

“Promise?” Janie said.

He made an X over his heart. “Promise.”

Courtney’s heart would have to be three sizes too small not to be moved by his attention and gentle caring. She watched David patiently explain the rules of Old Maid, Go Fish and solitaire. Although one eye was covered in bandages, Janie’s good eye sparkled when she looked at David. Her little girl liked the handsome charmer.

Courtney’s feelings were far more complicated. She was attracted to and wary of this man in equal parts. They said patients fell in love with their doctors, but she wasn’t sure that held true for mothers of patients. Fortunately she wouldn’t have to test the theory.

He had a glamorous life clear across the country, as far removed from the Walnut River lifestyle as you could get. Courtney was both incredibly grateful for what he’d done and extraordinarily relieved that there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that he’d be staying to tempt her.

It was dark outside when David peeked into Janie’s room much later that day. Courtney was sitting exactly where he’d left her earlier and the oversized blue scrubs were a big clue that she’d been there without a break. Over twenty-four hours had passed since the accident. Had she slept properly? Eaten anything? And since when did patient-care protocols extend to the patient’s mother? Was she the reason he kept coming back here to check? Because there was nothing further he could do for Janie.

Correction: nothing until her initial injuries healed. By that time he’d be back at his Beverly Hills office. He remembered the way worry had darkened Courtney’s eyes when she realized everything would be more financially complicated because the procedure couldn’t be done here. Insurance companies could get squirrelly about paying for medical costs that were considered “cosmetic.” But this little girl could be disfigured for the rest of her life if the repair wasn’t done. He told himself that’s why he couldn’t get Courtney out of his mind.

She stood by the hospital bed and stretched her good arm over her head, then rolled her shoulders as if everything were stiff. The baggy scrubs didn’t hide the fact that she had curves in all the right places. If anything, that made him want to see for himself. A warm twang in his chest startled him and when she glanced in his direction, he thought the sound had found its way out.

“Hi.” Her voice reflected the surprised expression in her eyes.

He raised a hand in greeting. “Hi.”

“I didn’t expect to see you.”

“I came back to see my brother.” Only half a lie. Peter had gone for the day, but there was no reason to mention that. “How’s Janie?”

“Asleep.” She took a quick look, then walked over to him. “She was in some discomfort so they gave her something. On top of that I think she’s pretty exhausted.”

“Sleep is the best thing for her. Is she eating?”

“A little. They’re trying to tempt her with burgers, mac and cheese and chocolate puddings. But she said her favorite thing was the milkshake you brought her. That was very nice of you, by the way.”

He shrugged. “I’m glad she enjoyed it. Good to know some things don’t change—like the food in your favorite hangout.”

“Must have been nice to have a hangout,” she said wistfully.

The remark made him curious. “Where did you and your friends spend time?”

“Here and there,” she said vaguely. “So, how much longer will you be here?”

“You seem awfully anxious to get rid of me,” he accused.

“No.” The denial was too quick and the look on her face too much like the proverbial deer caught in headlights. “It’s just you’re a busy doctor and I figured you needed to get back to your patients.”

“Janie is my patient, too.”

“And you’ve done everything you can for now. But you’re just passing through and we don’t want to keep you from—”

He held up his hand. “If it’s not nice, you’ll hate yourself for saying something snarky.”

Her expression was exaggerated innocence. “I was just going to say that all those rich women desperate to smooth out the worry lines in their foreheads need love too.”

David couldn’t shake the feeling that this was her way of saying “don’t let the door hit you in the backside on your way out.” Her sincere gratitude for his help was real, no question about that. So there must be another reason she was anxious to get rid of him. Did she feel the sparks between them too? The more she pushed, the greater his inclination to push back, to dig his heels in and see how she reacted. How perverse was that?

“Have you eaten anything today?” he asked, changing the subject.

She blinked. “What?”

“Have you taken a break from this room and had anything to eat?”

“I’m not your patient, David.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not concerned about you.”

“Don’t be. I’ve been taking care of my daughter and myself for a very long time.”

Since her husband died. But he had the feeling it had started even before that and he wanted to know more.

“Have dinner with me,” he said.