“Humble, aren’t you?”

David glanced across the bed at Courtney. “Haven’t you heard? Arrogance is a prerequisite for doctors.”

“I hadn’t heard – nor had I seen it up close and personal.”

Despite the words coming out of her mouth, David couldn’t help but stare. If she didn’t have the sexiest lips he’d ever seen, he’d turn in his stethoscope and put himself out to pasture.

“You work at the gift shop – not directly with doctors?”

“That’s right, I don’t.”

He’d swear her pride had taken a hit. Something in her eyes dimmed, some inner spark that was struggling to burn all but sputtered and went out.

He wasn’t sure what he’d said, but he wanted to fix it – even though he had tried fixing things for a woman once and it hadn’t gone well.

The sooner he got out of Walnut River, the better.

TERESA SOUTHWICK

lives with her husband in Las Vegas, the city that reinvents itself every day. An avid fan of romance novels, she is delighted to be living out her dream of writing for Mills & Boon.

Paging Dr Daddy

Teresa Southwick

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To Robert Magnus Johnson, who took time out from “the law stuff” to answer my questions

about the Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance.

And you thought I was joking about dedicating

this book to you. Thanks for your help, Bob.

Chapter One

She would beg, borrow, lie, cheat or steal for her child.

Courtney Albright knew what she had to do was one notch down from all of the above, but for her it was worse in some ways. She needed a favor from a man she had no reason to trust. Dr. David Wilder, genius plastic surgeon, lousy family guy. She supposed it made sense that a man empty and hollow enough to ignore and neglect the people who loved him would dedicate himself to enhancing outer beauty.

The problem was she’d just had an accident with her daughter in the car. Janie’s face was broken and the doctors here in Walnut River were saying they didn’t have the specialized skills she needed. David Wilder did and he’d agreed to a consult. It was a favor and Courtney didn’t trust favors. Especially from men.

But her little girl was lying in a hospital bed with half her face covered in gauze bandages and fallout from a favor was a small price to pay for her little girl’s health. So where was he? What was taking so long? Maybe he wouldn’t show up.

With every ounce of willpower she possessed, Courtney held back the sob that pushed up from deep inside and lodged in her throat. Tears wouldn’t help—they never had and never would. Especially not now. To get through this crisis, her six-year-old needed strength, not a mother who ran away. Hysterics would be like running away, and she couldn’t give in to that. Her own mother had just taken off without a word. Courtney had had her father, such as he was. But Janie’s father was dead. Janie only had her and she’d do her best not to let her baby down.

At least not again.

The accident was bad enough. And if she could, she would trade places with Janie in a heartbeat. Courtney had a bump on the head and a broken wrist, but that was nothing compared to what her little girl was suffering. Courtney had refused to let them admit her as a patient. She’d insisted they let her be with Janie. Hospitals were scary. She worked here, but not in patient care.

“Mrs. Albright?”

At the sound of the deep voice, Courtney glanced over her shoulder. It was him—David Wilder. He was really here and, if possible, more handsome than the one and only time she’d seen him. She shuddered with relief although it shamed her. She hated needing something from him or anyone else. But she’d have hated it more if he’d blown her off.

“You’re here. I didn’t think you’d…” She pressed her lips together, cutting off what she’d been about to say. “Thank you for coming, Dr. Wilder.”

“You know me?” he asked.

“I saw you at your father’s funeral.”

James Wilder had died of a heart attack not quite two months ago and Courtney still missed him. He was the only man she’d ever known who had been kind to others without expecting anything in return.

“There were a lot of people there.” David frowned as if he was thinking back.

He was a famous Beverly Hills plastic surgeon to the stars so there had been a lot of talk about him that day. About him in the tabloids, linked to A-list movie actresses. About him featured on TV gossip shows in regard to cosmetic procedures on models. Him dating a bevy of beautiful, high-profile women for about a minute until he moved on.

The Dr. David Wilder could be in the movies himself. Dark hair meticulously mussed, vivid blue eyes. Square jaw with some serious scruff which was how the “in” celebrity males accessorized these days, though he wore it better than most. A battered leather jacket fitted his broad shoulders and gave him a bad-boy-biker look along with worn jeans that hugged his lean hips and muscular thighs. He looked like the guy next door—the good-looking guy next door.

Even if he didn’t live on the other side of the country, their paths would never cross because they didn’t travel in the same social circles. He had no reason to remember the unremarkable nobody who ran the hospital gift shop. She’d lived in Walnut River for over six years and had never laid eyes on him until his father’s funeral.

“I wouldn’t expect you to remember me,” she said.

“Then you’d be wrong, Mrs. Albright. About remembering you, I mean.”

His smile was friendly and attractive and she felt it go straight through her even as she wanted to ask how that bedside manner was working for him. But she had to give him points for showing up.

“Thank you for coming,” she said again.

“You sound surprised.” The smile disappeared.

“Ella said you were at the airport in New York on your way back to California. I just— I was afraid— Walnut River is so far out of your way that I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

Boy, was she wrong. But it didn’t make sense in her frame of reference. On the spur of the moment a successful, busy plastic surgeon came all this way to see a patient he didn’t know? And so fast. Although it felt like a lifetime, the accident was only a few hours ago.

“As it happens, I was in New York for a plastics symposium when my sister called. I came as quickly as I could.”

“Out of character for you—” She couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud. The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them. It had been the worst few hours of her life and she was taking it out on him. “Scratch that. How incredibly ungrateful that sounds. I apologize. I’m not at my best right now.”

“Forget it,” he said, but shadows crept into his eyes. “I understand you work here at the hospital but can’t—” He stopped and didn’t say whatever it was he’d been about to, but something suspiciously like pity crept into his eyes. “Walnut River isn’t that far out of my way and Ella said your daughter’s facial injuries are pretty serious.”

Tears welled in her eyes again and she turned away, embarrassed by the show of weakness. When he put a comforting hand on her shoulder, the urge to give in to her fear and grief swamped her. With an effort, she pulled herself together and faced him again. She might be the nobody who ran the gift shop but if that connection was what got him here it was one more reason to be grateful for it.

She looked at the half of her daughter’s face that she could see and noted the pale skin on Janie’s normally healthy pink cheek. “She’s been sleeping off and on since the accident.”

“That’s a combination of shock and medication to keep her comfortable,” he explained.

“They told me.”

The staff had done an excellent job of keeping her informed. They were her friends as well as coworkers and if not for them, she wasn’t sure this wouldn’t have broken her.

He walked around to the other side of the bed and very gently pulled away the strips of paper tape loosely holding the gauze over Janie’s cheek and ear. “I just got here and wanted to introduce myself and have a quick look at the patient—”

“Janie,” she said. “My daughter’s name is Jane Josephine Albright. Everyone calls her Janie.”

“Janie.” He met her gaze, then looked down and continued his examination. “She’s a beautiful child.”

“Yes, she is—” Courtney stopped, choked up because she wanted to say was.

She’d known it was bad or he wouldn’t be here.

Courtney remembered very little about the accident and nothing about the helicopter flight that airlifted her and Janie to Walnut River General Hospital. She’d come around and remembered being X-rayed and having her wrist immobilized. The E.R. doctor had ordered CT scans for Janie, then they’d cleaned her up, covered her face and called in a specialist.

No one had pushed Courtney to look and she didn’t really want to see. If that made her a coward, so be it. But she didn’t think she could bear it, knowing what she’d done to her own child. If she could have her choice of days to do over, today would be at the top of a very long list.

She’d been taking Janie out to an early breakfast before work and school. It was a rare treat because she couldn’t afford meals out but Janie had been named student of the month and they’d planned to celebrate. Courtney’s gut had told her it wasn’t a good idea. The weather was bad. What was that saying? March came in like a lion, out like a lamb? It was true. And she’d worried about the roads being safe.

She should have listened to her gut. She could try and pin this on Mother Nature or God, but the fact was, there was no one else to blame for a single-car rollover accident.

She knew part of her was always trying to make up for the fact that Janie didn’t have a dad. It didn’t matter that if he’d lived, Joe wouldn’t have been a very good parent. All Janie knew was that her father was gone forever.

Courtney was the mom and trying so very hard to be a good one. Trying not to be like her own mother. A powerful wave of guilt washed over her. Her mother had walked out, which was unforgivable, but Courtney had never ended up in a hospital intensive care unit. So which one of them was the worst mother ever? Janie was a beautiful child, but she might be scarred for life—and it was all Courtney’s fault.

The doctor replaced the gauze and brushed Janie’s blond hair off her forehead in a surprising and unexpectedly tender gesture. He met her gaze. “I’m going to look at her chart.”

“Is she going to be all right?”

“Her condition is serious, but her injuries aren’t life-threatening.”

“They already told me that. I want to know if her face is going to be all right.”

“I need to evaluate all her test results.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Dr. Wilder?”

“Please call me David.”

She’d call him the devil himself if it would help Janie. She’d call him anything he wanted if he would simply tell her the truth. “David, what are you keeping from me?”

He glanced at Janie and sympathy slid into his vivid blue eyes. “The injuries to her cheek, eye and nose are severe, but I can only see the soft tissue. I need information about muscles, nerves and bone involvement before I can evaluate the extent of the damage. Until I see everything, I can’t tell you what kind of outcome you can expect.”

“Okay.” That made sense. If the little patient in the big bed were anyone other than her child, she’d have realized that without him telling her. It’s true what they said about losing objectivity when it concerned someone you loved. “But when you have answers, I want you to tell me everything. The whole truth.”

“You have my word, Mrs. Albright.”

“Call me Courtney.”

He nodded, then walked out. She felt inexplicably alone, which was weird since she hadn’t expected him actually to show up at all. Why would he go out of his way? Unless there was something in it for him. She was probably the most ungrateful woman on the planet for thinking such thoughts. But not listening to her gut had cost her in the past and she’d paid a high price today for another lesson.

She didn’t have to like the situation, but in her circumstances she had very little choice but to go along with it. The old children’s rhyme Humpty Dumpty kept going through her mind.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again—but none of them were a mom.

David would rather be anywhere but Walnut River, and the feeling wasn’t about the CT films he was studying on the viewer. Although it would require a great deal of work, he could repair Janie Albright’s face and she would grow up to be as beautiful as her mother. Courtney.

He hadn’t known her name until today, but he remembered seeing her the day they’d buried his father. She’d been the single bright spot in his dark void of what-ifs and self-reproach. With her blond hair blowing in the frigid wind, she’d been like a beacon in the sea of pitch black. Her warm brown eyes had been full of sympathy and sadness and he had wondered why she looked that way.

What was her relationship with his father? Why did she mourn so deeply for the man David had disappointed so many years before? More than once since that day he’d recalled her all-American beauty that included a matching set of dimples. His patients who were searching for physical perfection would pay a lot of money to duplicate her looks.

From what Ella had said, Courtney didn’t have a lot of money. That meant she needed him. And that made him wary. It wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been instantly and intensely attracted. But he’d learned a long time ago that intense feelings for a beautiful woman could make a man do stupid things. Life-altering things.

Still, she wasn’t the reason he didn’t want to be here. That was all about a past filled with mistakes and regrets. It was all about the things he’d done wrong and could never make right. His father was dead and he could never get back time with him or the relationship he’d lost.

At the airport when he’d talked to Ella, his initial reaction had been to plead schedule conflicts that prevented him from coming here. The truth was, he wasn’t due back in his Beverly Hills office for several days. The other doctors in the practice would pick up the slack for him. When he’d intended to say no, the word yes came out of his mouth. Before she’d hung up, Ella said since he’d be in town Peter would be expecting him at a cocktail party following the rededication of the hospital library in honor of their father. And so it began…

But there was a pressing problem. How was he going to tell a worried young mother that her daughter’s damaged face needed extensive work if she was ever going to look normal again?

David pulled Janie’s films from the viewer and clicked off the light. After looking through the chart, he walked down the hall and into ICU where he saw Courtney holding her daughter’s hand. The little girl was awake and when she saw him, she tensed.

“Mommy—”

Courtney glanced over her shoulder. Like mother, like daughter. She tensed, too. But he had a feeling her fear wasn’t all about what he had to tell her. On some level it was personal. Instinctive. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he’d bet his favorite stethoscope it was true.

Her arm immobilized in a dark-blue sling, she looked back at her daughter. “Sweetie, this is Dr. Wilder. He’s come a long way to look at you and tell us what to do to make you better.”

David walked over to the bed and smiled down at his patient. “Hi, beautiful.”

Janie studied him with her one good eye. It was blue. “Hi.”

Underneath the bandage he knew her shattered cheekbone was dragging down her other eye and there was damage to the eyelid. The long gash on her chin and the injury to her ear were the least of the problems and the easiest to fix. There was a six-hour post-trauma window during which repair work could be done without debriding in surgery to avoid infection. It was simplest for the patient and the clock was ticking.

“If I take your mom away for a few minutes will you be all right?” he asked her.

She glanced apprehensively at her mother, then back at him and her mouth trembled. “Why does Mommy have to go with you? Are you gonna fix the bump on her head?”

David knew the injury didn’t need his intervention and would heal nicely on its own. Courtney’s face would be as flawless as the first time he’d seen her. The fact that she’d refused anything besides basic medical attention in order to remain at her daughter’s side showed selflessness and character and a beauty on the inside where it counted most.

He smiled at Janie. “Your mom will be fine without my help. But I need to talk to her for just a couple of minutes.”

“’Bout me?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“’Bout my face?” Janie asked, a tear sliding down her good cheek. “Mommy said my arm is broken. Is my face broken too?”

Something shifted and stretched in his chest and the feeling made him acutely uncomfortable. A doctor wasn’t supposed to become personally involved with a patient, but some had a way of sneaking through his defenses. Janie Albright could easily be one of them.

“Did your mom tell you that Dr. Ella fixed your arm and that’s why it’s in a cast?” When she nodded, he said, “It’s going to be good as new.” He chose his words carefully. “There are doctors who can make your face good as new.”

“Really?” Courtney asked, hope chasing the wariness from her eyes.

“Really.” He looked at the little girl. “And I need to tell your mom all about that, but it’s pretty boring. Is it okay with you if we go over there?” he asked, pointing to a spot just inside the door. “You can still see her and we’ll be right here if you need anything. How would that be?”

“Okay, I guess,” Janie said uncertainly.

“Do you hurt anywhere?” he asked.

“A little.” She glanced at the cast on her wrist. “My arm.”

“They gave her something for pain a few minutes ago,” Courtney told him.

He nodded. “Give it a few minutes, kiddo. You’ll feel better. I promise.”

“Okay,” Janie said.

David moved away from the bed and Courtney followed, cradling her injured arm.

“You promised to tell me like it is,” she reminded him, as if she didn’t believe he would keep his word.

“And I have every intention of doing that.”

She nodded and winced at the movement. “Okay. How bad is her face? Will she really be all right?”

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Before I get specific you need to know that she will look normal again.”

“Thank God,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“But it’s going to take work.”

Instantly, worry snapped back into place. “Please, explain.”

“The damage needs to be repaired in two phases. There’s a long deep gash in her chin and her ear needs repair. Also a nick near her eye. With facial trauma we like to suture the damage within six hours of the initial injury or the repairs need to be done in surgery.”

Courtney glanced at the clock. “Then there’s still time.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “The second part comes later. Her cheekbone is shattered and the right side of her face needs to be realigned.”

Her mouth trembled, and she caught her top lip between her teeth, composing herself as if by sheer force of will. “Go on.”

“Instead of trying to piece together the bone fragments, it’s my opinion that she’ll have a better outcome with an implant.”

Courtney considered that for a moment. “She’s only six. She’s still growing. Will she need more surgery in the future?”

“Possibly. But let’s take it one step at a time. And the first step is repairing the superficial damage. Since I’m here, I’ll take care of that.”

“I don’t mean to sound mercenary, especially with my daughter’s welfare in question,” she said. Her chin lifted a notch as if fierce pride was in major conflict with her survival instincts. “And I’m grateful that you were able to examine her, but it would be best for Janie to have a doctor who’s covered under my insurance plan here at work.”

“They can do it,” he agreed. “But without a specialist’s training, the results won’t be as favorable. If you want the best possible outcome for Janie, a plastics guy is the way to go. My brother has extended me temporary privileges here at Walnut River General.”

“Does that mean my health insurance would cover your services?”

“No.” But he was here and this child needed his help now. “But I’m the best man for the job, and there won’t be a charge.”

She stiffened. “Charity?”

“Your independent streak is showing. I just want to help Janie.”

A range of expressions crossed her face, all the way from wariness to resignation. She sighed and said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

She looked fragile, vulnerable and more worried and desperate with every word that came out of his mouth. “How long until phase two?” She took a deep breath. “The implant?”

“After the swelling goes down. My best guess is about three to four weeks.”

“Tell me it’s not more complicated than phase one,” she said.

He met her gaze head-on. “She’s going to need surgery.”

“That’s complicated.”

“And someone who specializes in reconstructive surgery,” he confirmed.

“Okay. Three to four weeks.” She nodded and glanced at her daughter, clearly trying to process the information as rationally as possible. “Then I’ll have time to check out my health-care coverage.”

David knew for a fact that there wasn’t a doctor in Walnut River who could do the procedure. “I’d be happy to recommend someone good who’s as close to Walnut River as possible.”

“So there could be more out-of-pocket expenses,” she said absently, almost as if she were thinking out loud.

“It’s possible.” Ella had told him she was a single mother. That probably meant divorced. He wished he could be indifferent to the fact that she was unattached but there was a part of him that couldn’t seem to work up a proper level of regret. Still, divorced parents came together for their children. “Surely Janie’s father will help—”

“Hardly.” Unexpected bitterness filled Courtney’s gaze. “Her father was a soldier.”

Too late now to wish he’d paid more attention when his sister had told him about a single mom who had big trouble. “Was?”

“He died in Iraq. Unfortunately he wasn’t as conscientious about military dependent’s benefits as he should have been.”

“I’m sorry.”

About that and so much more. He was an idiot. An idiot who made assumptions. An idiot who felt himself being sucked in by big brown eyes and a pair of dimples that wouldn’t quit. Courtney Albright desperately needed his help.

The last time he’d become involved with a desperate woman it had cost him everything.

Chapter Two

Courtney held her little girl’s small hand while they both watched David snap on his latex gloves, then inspect the metal tray full of medical tools beside him. She was pretty sure her own eyes were as wide as her daughter’s and the fear factor was up there for both of them. If only she was the one facing the procedure. That would have been so much easier than watching Janie go through it. And that wasn’t the end of the ordeal. There was still a surgery, but she couldn’t deal with that now. One trauma at a time.

David had changed into blue scrubs and it was disconcerting that he looked just as good as he had in his jeans and leather jacket. How stupid was she for even thinking that?

“Okay, beautiful, are you ready?” David asked.

She assumed he meant Janie since he was looking at her. “Do you have any questions, peanut?” Courtney questioned.

“Is it gonna hurt?” Her mouth trembled as she looked at him.

He looked at Janie. “I’m going to give you some medicine so it won’t hurt. A small pinch and then nothing.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“What else is gonna happen?”

“I won’t lie to you, Janie.” David met her gaze. “I’m going to tell you exactly what’s going on.”

“No medical doublespeak requiring a translator?” Courtney asked.

“Honesty is always the best policy.” He must have seen the skepticism in her eyes because he added, “Especially with children. They always know when something’s not right. It’s my goal to keep her calm. If she’s not prepared for this she’s going to get agitated. Agitation is quickly followed by restlessness, then tension and stress. None of that is helpful.”

That made sense. “I see your point.”

He nodded, then focused on the child. “You’re going to feel a little pulling. Do you think you can be very still for me? More still than any other six-year-old girl ever?” When Janie nodded solemnly, he smiled. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Courtney squeezed her daughter’s fingers while David picked up a swab and dabbed it over the area. He’d already explained that it was a topical anesthetic to take the edge off the injection that would numb her for the procedure. Now was where she did her mom thing. She needed to distract Janie while David worked.

“I think a six-year-old who can be more still than anyone ever deserves a special prize,” she said.

“What?” Janie asked, her attention snagged as hoped for.

“It’s got to be pretty special. What’s the most special thing you can think of?”

“What about ice cream?” David suggested.

“I like vanilla ice cream,” Janie said. “Milkshakes are best. But I think a toy would be good, too.”

“What toy?” Courtney asked.

“Maybe a doll. With a stroller.”

“Okay, Janie. It’s time to hold still for me. Then we can get serious about that doll-and-stroller thing.”

Janie tensed and whimpered when he did the injections but she barely moved a muscle.

Several moments later he announced, “All finished with that part. And it’s the worst. I promise. Now we wait for the medicine to do its work.”

“Do I win the prize?” Janie wanted to know.

“Hands down,” he agreed.

“Are you finished?”

He shook his head. “I still have a little more to do.”

“What?” Janie asked. She glanced at the tray of instruments beside him. “Where’s the needle?”

Courtney winced and felt David’s gaze on her. “I think everything the doctor is going to use is wrapped up there on the tray.”

“Why?”

“To keep them sterile,” David explained. “To keep the germs off. Did you ever have a scratch or scrape that got infected?”

The little girl pressed her lips together. “One time. It got really red and hurt. Mommy had to pour this stuff on—”

“Hydrogen peroxide,” Courtney said when Janie glanced at her for clarification.

“Then she put on cream and I got a Band-Aid.”

“Your mom did just the right thing,” David said.

Courtney felt the power of his praise course through her but that made no sense. Why should it make any difference to her whether or not he approved? And yet it did. How irritating was that? The good news was that Janie had been successfully distracted.

“You’ll heal faster if these cuts don’t get any germs in them,” he explained.

“You have to sew up my boo-boo?” she asked.

He thought for a moment. “I have to pull the edges together so it heals neatly.”

“Are you gonna use a big needle? Like the one my mommy uses to fix my jeans?”

His face was intensely serious as he answered the question. “I’m not sure what your mom uses for that,” he said, “but for what I’m going to do we need everything as small as possible.”

“’Cuz I’m small?”

Courtney’s throat tightened with emotion. Her child was too small to go through this, she thought. She knew she should say something, but couldn’t get anything past the lump in her throat. Some pillar of strength she was.

David’s sharp-eyed gaze seemed to pick up on her state of mind. “Janie, even if you were as big as Shrek I would use very tiny stuff.”

“How come?”

“Because tiny stuff will make the scar almost invisible.”

“So that stuff is magic?”

“In the right hands it is.”

Courtney looked at his long, elegant gloved fingers. “Are your hands magic?”

“Yes.” He smiled.

His tone wasn’t arrogant, just matter-of-fact. There was nothing even remotely sensual or suggestive in his response or the way he looked at her, but Courtney felt that smile dance over her skin and touch her everywhere. She swore she felt tingles and considering her opinion of this man, he wielded some kind of powerful magic.

“You said ‘almost’ invisible. That means a little bit visible,” she said, glancing at Janie.

“It does.” He glanced at Janie, too, gauging her reaction. “Believe it or not, there’s some good news.”

“I could sure use some of that,” Courtney answered, and she’d never meant anything more in her entire life.

With a gloved finger, he pointed to the long gash on her chin. “Because this is on the jawline, it will be practically unnoticeable under her chin. Her ear, while exceptionally lovely and delicate, has creases and folds.”

“Like Mr. Potato Head?” Janie asked.

David laughed. “You’re much prettier than he is. But here’s the thing, ears have lots of places to hide the sutures. And so does your eye—a natural fold between your eyelid and brow bone. It’s a matter of using what nature gave you for camouflage. All of that makes my job easier.”

Courtney was relieved to hear that, but wondered if he took the easy way out in his personal life, too. It was as if he was all about how things appeared on the outside. He’d come home for his mother’s funeral, then his father’s. But nothing in between. She’d known James Wilder pretty well. For some reason the man had taken an interest in her and Janie and his passing left a big hole in her life. But while his father was still alive, David never came to visit. It wasn’t a stretch to conclude that he didn’t take after the elder Dr. Wilder who’d cared more about the inside of people than the outside.

“Okay, Janie, I’m going to start. Are you ready to hold still again?”

“You don’t need a nurse?” Courtney asked.

He shook his head. “I’m used to working alone, and they’re busy.”

“Is it okay if I shut my eyes?” Janie said.

“If you want.”

Courtney wished she could shut her eyes too, but from where she was sitting in the chair, she couldn’t really see much anyway. Just the slow, methodical way his elegant hands moved. The suture material was so fine it was barely visible and he held it with forceps. Between the pain medication she’d received and being physically drained from what she’d been through, Janie actually drifted off while David worked.

He might not be much like his father, but he was really good with her daughter. It seemed natural, something she wouldn’t have expected. “Where did you learn to get along with kids?”

His gaze met hers briefly. “I was one once.”

So was she. About a million years ago. On second thought, she didn’t actually remember being a kid. It seemed as if she’d always been the grown-up, handling one crisis after another when her father was too drunk even to take care of himself.

But if David had taken a course in med school on how to charm children, apparently he’d aced it. The man was putting sutures in Janie’s chin and she trusted him enough to fall asleep. The ability to do that didn’t mesh with what little Courtney knew about him.

“But you’re not a kid now,” she said. That was the understatement of the century. He was a man who sprinkled sex appeal like fairy dust wherever he went, if tabloid stories linking him to models and actresses were anything to go by. “And you didn’t talk down to her.”

“Kids know when you do that. They don’t like it.”

She actually laughed. “That’s true.”

Who’d have thought anyone could make her laugh under the circumstances? Maybe he was magic. That thought made her uneasy and when she was uneasy it was time to fall back on defenses.

“So why did you agree to look at Janie?” she asked.

He glanced at her. “Because my sister called.”

“But you’re not helping your sister. Janie and I are total strangers to you.” And from what she gathered, his family wasn’t too much more to him. Yet he was here because Ella called. By any definition that was a nice thing. Men who did nice things usually wanted something and she wasn’t comfortable with that kind of balance sheet.

“Let’s just say this is the least I can do for the widow and daughter of a war hero,” he said.

Courtney cringed at his words. It was what everyone thought, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. The anger welled up and after a day like today she didn’t have the emotional reserves to bite her tongue.

“Joining the army wasn’t about truth, justice and the American way for Joe. My husband was a lot of things, but noble wasn’t one of them.”

David’s hands stopped moving and he looked at her. “He gave his life for his country. That seems pretty noble to me.”

It would have been if his reasons for joining the military hadn’t been about getting away from his wife and baby girl. He’d gone because he wanted liberty, but not for his country. For himself. He wanted freedom from domestic restraints so he could play around with women, any woman who wasn’t his wife.

As quickly as the rage reared up, it let her down. She was so tired. Tired of being angry about something she couldn’t change. Mostly she was just tired. And sore. It felt as if every muscle ached and her body was the percussion section in a marching band. Her head throbbed, then her wrist pounded. And that was her only excuse for revealing relationship failures to the doctor who’d been nice enough to help Janie.

She met his questioning gaze and sighed. “Is it too late to take that back?”

“Pretty much,” he confirmed.

She sighed. “Ordinarily I’m not prone to sharing personal information. Especially with someone I don’t know. Someone who went out of his way to do a nice thing. I can only plead probable brain damage after hitting my head. How about we pretend I didn’t say anything?”

“Okay.”

That was too easy. Or maybe not. He probably didn’t want to hear her tragic story any more than she wanted to tell it. When his good deed was done, he’d be out of here. And it couldn’t be too soon for her. The man did things to her. He’d surprised her when he was so good with Janie. It surprised her when he’d picked up the slack in the support department when she was feeling about as strong as a fettuccine noodle. She didn’t like surprises.

They were never good.

David rolled his disposable gloves off and dropped them on the tray beside him, then studied his work. He’d made the sutures as tiny as humanly possible and knew that the stubborn little chin would heal nicely. When he noted Courtney’s pale face he figured it best not to make her study the finished product.

But he couldn’t resist saying, “Not bad.”

“Humble, aren’t you?” Edgy sarcasm laced the words, but he had a feeling that spirit was the only reason she was still on her feet.

He decided to help her out. “Haven’t you heard? Arrogance is a prerequisite for doctors.”

“I’ve heard that. But I haven’t seen it up close and personal until now.”

He vaguely remembered Ella saying Courtney was a hospital employee, but a bad connection while he was in the airport had prevented him hearing in what capacity. Because of that call, he was here instead of on a plane to L.A.

When he looked at Courtney’s mouth, his wish that he were on a plane to anywhere took hold. Her lips took up forty-five percent of her face—a slight exaggeration, but if she didn’t have the sexiest mouth he’d ever seen, he’d turn in his forceps and start making house calls.

“You do work here at the hospital,” he clarified.

“I manage the gift shop.”

“So you don’t work directly with doctors?”

“No.”

She met his gaze and didn’t look away, but he’d swear her self-respect took a hit. Something in her eyes dimmed, some inner spark that was struggling to burst into flame all but sputtered and went out. He wasn’t sure what he’d said, but he wanted to fix it, even though he’d tried fixing things for a woman once and it hadn’t gone well.

“You’re lucky you don’t work with doctors,” he said. “There’s a whole needing-to-be-right, needing-to-be-worshipped thing that can get pretty annoying.”

“With so many doctors in your family, that must be an interesting dynamic.”

It probably would be if he’d spent any significant time with them. But he hadn’t. Not since his father had told him he couldn’t stand the sight of him. David had lashed out, defended actions that really had no defense. But he’d been in love and the woman who’d captured his heart had stolen his soul. It wasn’t long before he found out she’d been using his feelings for her to make him a puppet who jumped when she yanked his strings.

He’d lost the person he cared about most because of her and no matter what he did, there didn’t seem to be any way to fill up the void.

His thoughts hadn’t taken this pathetic a turn for a long time and when he looked at Courtney’s full lips, it occurred to him that the sooner he got out of Walnut River the better.

And he would. But right now Janie needed a sterile dressing on her chin. He could have called a nurse to do it, but after the arrogance discussion, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to do it himself. Which wasn’t a problem. He’d had a lot of practice on his overseas trips. Arrogance had no place in a Nicaraguan jungle or an African desert.

After cutting several strips of paper tape, he unwrapped a nonstick pad and secured it to the little girl’s determined chin. It crossed his mind that she’d inherited that from her mother, along with her dimples. At some point he was going to have to break the news to Courtney that her daughter wouldn’t ever again have a matched set. So far that detail hadn’t come up, most likely because she’d been more worried about the big picture. And for now that was more important.

When he saw Courtney watching him intently, he said, “She’s going to be sore for a while. Chewing will probably cause her some discomfort and she may not want to eat, but she has to keep her strength up. Here in the hospital they’ll give her soft foods, but when you take her home, she probably won’t want a steak for awhile.”

“Okay. And, for the record, she doesn’t really like steak.”

“But you get my drift.” He gently smoothed the edges of the tape. “These sutures should be checked in a day or two and will probably need to come out in about a week. For facial trauma, we don’t like to leave them in too long.”

“Why not?”

“Too long can be worse than not long enough. If soft tissue heals around the suture, it’s too hard to remove and can cause pulling. Not what we want.”

“Okay.”

“In plastics, one of the first things you learn is that the tenderest tissue needs the gentlest touch.”

Courtney’s battered face was clear evidence that fate hadn’t dealt especially gently with her today. But it was the shadows in her eyes that made him wonder about her past, the personal stuff she’d let slip. Patients didn’t always tell the truth and doctors learned to read between the lines. It seemed likely that Courtney was bruised and tender on the inside and needed a very soft touch. From someone besides him.

David walked around the bed and looked down at Courtney. “That’s all we can do for now. She’s resting comfortably. It’s time you took care of yourself.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s a nasty bump on your head.”

“That’s all it is. Nothing showed up on the CT scan.”

“What about your wrist?”

“Dr. Wilder—” She stopped as one corner of her mouth curved up. “Your sister looked at the X-rays and said it might need surgery but she couldn’t be sure until the swelling goes down. So I don’t have an appointment for the O.R. tonight.”

Was that a hint? Not likely if the semi-hostile looks she’d lobbed at him were anything to go by. “And no hot date?”

“Oh, please,” she said wryly. “I’ve sworn off men.”

“And you’re sharing that only because of that bump on your head?”

“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” She pointed to the nasty-looking contusion. “However bad you think it looks on the outside, it’s way worse on the inside.”

She meant her body, but he’d been talking about her spirit. Must be something about being back in Walnut River, in the hospital his father had nurtured into the fine facility it was today. Something was turning his thoughts to a dark, introspective place and he didn’t much like going there. It was pointless to spend any energy on things he couldn’t change. Practical considerations were much less complicated. Like what his sister, Ella, had decided about Courtney.

“I’ll ask Ella to give you something for the pain,” he suggested.

“No. I’m fine. Over-the-counter pain meds are taking the edge off. Anything stronger will make me sleepy and I need to keep as clear a head as I can. For Janie.”

“She’s being well cared for. Maybe you should take the doctor’s advice and be admitted to the hospital.”

“Not even on a bet.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t need to take up a bed.”

“Why are you fighting it? You have insurance—”

“There’s a deductible,” she interrupted. “And I’m okay. Besides, I can’t take care of Janie from a hospital bed.”

“You can’t take care of Janie at all if you don’t take care of yourself first. If you won’t take the doctor’s advice, at least go home and get some rest.”

“I don’t have a car. It’s a little banged up, too. And even if I did, Ella said I probably shouldn’t drive for a couple of days.”

David folded his arms over his chest as he stared down at her. “So you embrace the orders you like and scrap everything else.”

“Pretty much.”

“I’ll take you home,” he said, then cursed himself for knuckling to the appeal of a needy woman.

“Thanks, but I can’t leave. Janie and I appreciate everything you did, David. Thank you for coming.”

That was a dismissal if he’d ever heard one. She was telling him to go, that his work here was done. That she could take it from here. He should go, and he planned to…until he made the mistake of looking at her, sitting in a chair and holding her sleeping child’s hand. By sheer strength of will she was going to sit here. Probably all night. He stared for several moments at her delicate profile, the strain, the bruises, the pride, the guts and he couldn’t just walk out.

One more time. “Courtney, your body has been through a trauma, too. Rest is the best thing—” He stopped when she shot him a look—fiercely female and protective.

“How can I rest when my baby is in the hospital? What if she wakes up and gets scared? What if she needs me? It’s my fault she’s here in the first place. I have to live with that, but I could never live with myself if I left her here all alone.” She shook her head with a vehemence that had to hurt. “I’m not going anywhere. Again, thanks for everything. Good night, David.”

He sat down in the chair beside hers and noticed her staring. “What?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Courtney frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Probably the reason Ella wanted you admitted was for observation. To make sure you’re okay. Consider yourself observed on an outpatient basis.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake. That’s silly. You should go. I’m fine. And if I’m not, the nurses are in and out. Help is right here.”

“You can’t stay here all night. Sooner or later they’re going to throw you out.”

“I’m willing to risk it.”

“Okay.” He stretched out his legs and rested his hands on his abdomen. He didn’t need to be at Peter’s cocktail party for a while. “I’ll keep you company.”

Courtney looked puzzled. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

That made two of them. “Does it matter?”

“It kind of does in my world.” She stared at him. “I haven’t known many people who gave to others without having a personal agenda. Your father was one.”

“What did he give you?”

“My job in the gift shop for one thing. I needed it badly and somehow he knew that. He sort of took Janie and me under his wing and watched out for us. Never once did he ask for anything in return.”

But he’d been on the receiving end of his father’s dark side. Everybody had one, even James Wilder.

“Hell of a guy,” David said.

“That he was. You look a lot like him,” Courtney observed.

“Is that a compliment?”

“Maybe. Mostly just stating a fact. But you’re very different from him.”

“Another fact?”

“Just an observation.”

“Based on what?” he asked.

“Based on the fact that your father went out of his way to befriend a stranger.”

“And?”

“What makes you think there’s an ‘and’?”

“Don’t ever try to bluff in a poker game, Court. Your feelings are all over your face,” he said. He should know. Faces were his bread and butter.

“Okay. Remember you asked. I can’t imagine your father going long periods of time without visiting his family.”

“Unless they screwed with his moral code,” David snapped. She was right. He shouldn’t have asked.

“So your father disapproved of something you did?” she guessed.

His father had disapproved of almost everything he did. “Didn’t he tell you I was Walnut River’s resident bad boy?”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Every time I rode my motorcycle through town people said there goes that Wilder boy, living up to his name again.” When he looked over at her she was smiling, which somehow took the sting out of the memories.

“You had a motorcycle?”

“I paid for it myself.”

“So you and your father had issues?” she asked.

“My father said I needed my head examined and if I insisted on riding the bike it was only a question of time until it happened.”

“Want to talk about the deeper issues?” she asked.

“You want to talk about your husband?” he shot back.

“Not especially.”

“Me either,” he agreed.

She was quiet for several moments before saying, “It just seems to me that whatever you did must have been pretty bad to cut yourself off from family.”

“So you’re an expert on family matters?”

“Hardly.” She shook her head. “I never had one, which is why it strikes me as so incredibly sad that you’d ignore a perfectly good one.”

“Have you ever heard that saying—don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes?”

“Yes. And I stand by what I said.”

“Meaning you don’t think much of me.”

“Look, I don’t mean to be an ungrateful witch. And my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it—”

“But?”

“I knew your father and the distance between you must have hurt him a lot.”

“Distance goes both ways,” he shot back, knowing it was lame and childish.

But the anger was gone as quickly as it ignited. Not reaching out was one more transgression in a long list. David had always thought there would be time to make things right. Even if Courtney had a point, which he wasn’t saying she did, there was no way to fix it now. His father was dead and any chance of rectifying the past had died with him.

Speaking of death, she was a widow and obviously understood losing someone—even someone she had issues with. But the man had died in service to his country. Either her standards were a tad high or she had just cause. He found himself curious when he didn’t want to be interested in anything about Courtney Albright.

What he’d done had violated more than his father’s moral code. And he’d done it because he was desperately in love with a woman who needed him. He’d thought they loved enough to do anything for each other. But that woman was only thinking about herself when she used him. He had a hunch Courtney was in desperate need, which made trusting her a no-brainer. But he couldn’t resist wanting to help her either. Over time he’d learned how to help without getting emotionally involved, but that was a dangerous slope and already his hold was slipping.

That was why he needed to get on a plane back to L.A. as soon as possible.

Chapter Three

In the bathroom down the hall from the pediatric ICU, Courtney pulled on the blue scrubs the nurses had found for her and tugged the waistband tight. She wouldn’t win any fashion awards, but at least they were clean. It felt good to wash the accident off. Then she glanced in the mirror and nearly shrieked.

Her hair was drying naturally and without a blow dryer the effect wasn’t pretty. There were bruises on her forehead and the ones on her cheekbone could be an extension of the dark circles under her eyes, a by-product of not sleeping the night before. Catnaps in the chair beside Janie’s bed didn’t count, but there was no way she would abandon her child. It had taken a lot of persuasion and the threat of physical intervention for the nurses to talk her into leaving long enough to clean up.

As she walked down the hall alone, preparing to deal with whatever came along today, she remembered how good David’s company had felt until he’d excused himself for a cocktail party hosted by his brother Peter following the rededication of the hospital library to their father. But that was yesterday. Today was situation normal—her and Janie against the world.

When she walked into her daughter’s room, she stopped short. Correction: Janie wasn’t alone. David was there, looking far too good in his worn jeans and black body-hugging T-shirt. It made him look every inch the bad boy he’d said he used to be. The leather jacket was draped across the back of the chair she’d slept in last night.

Her heart stuttered, sputtered, then shifted into high gear as a wave of warmth swelled through her and settled in her cheeks. He looked like a movie star and she looked like a really unfortunate “before” picture. Courtney knew it was bad to care about how she looked to him and worse to be so ridiculously happy that he was here. Bad to worse didn’t change the fact that both were true.

Her daughter waved and pointed to the biggie-sized cup bearing the logo from Buns ’n’ Burgers that he was holding.

“I’m so happy to see you eating something.” She walked over to the bed and kissed Janie’s forehead then checked out the contents of the cup. All evidence pointed to the fact that it was a vanilla milkshake. “Wow, sweetie, your favorite. Where did you get that?”

“Buns ’n’ Burgers,” David said.

She slid him a wry look. “Let me rephrase. Buns ’n’ Burgers isn’t a delivery kind of place. How did it get here? Did one of the nurses bring it?”

Janie shook her head and pointed to David.

He shrugged. “When I called for a progress report, her nurse said she wasn’t eating. So I took the liberty—”

“It wasn’t necessary for you to go out of your way,” she said. “I could have gotten her one here at the hospital.”

“Rumor has it that Buns ’n’ Burgers is her favorite place. Besides, I wanted to see if the food is as good as I remembered,” he explained.

“And?” Courtney asked.

“I’ve been all over the world and never tasted better.”

“And you remembered that vanilla milkshakes are her favorite.”

Janie nodded and rubbed her tummy.

Courtney frowned. “Is something wrong? You haven’t said anything, kiddo.”

“She told me that it feels weird on her chin when she talks. So I suggested she not talk.” David folded his arms over his chest, drawing her attention to his wide shoulders and flat abdomen.

As soon as the word hot popped into her head, Courtney turned back to her daughter. The little girl pointed to her arm, which was in a sling.

“She wants to know if your wrist hurts,” David said.

“I got that.” Amused, Courtney looked back at him. “But since when did you learn to interpret sign language from a six-year-old girl?”

“You’ve heard of a horse whisperer,” he said.

“Yes. And you’re what? A babe whisperer?” She couldn’t resist the zinger or hold back a smile.

“Exactly,” he said, not without smugness. “I understand women from six to sixty.”

“Word on the street is that you concentrate your powers of persuasion in the twenty-to-thirty range.”

“Do you always believe everything you hear?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “Pretty much.”

Janie tapped David’s arm and he lifted the cup closer to her mouth. She made a noisy job of finishing every last drop of her milkshake, then reclined in the bed with a satisfied sigh. She was on the mend, thanks to David. But Courtney hadn’t expected to see him again.

She looked up at him. “I thought you’d be on the first plane back to L.A.”

“I wanted to check in on Janie. Make sure everything’s okay this morning.”

And bring her favorite food to coax her to eat. Courtney didn’t trust this heroic act and wondered what he was after.

“And?” she asked.

He grinned. “I’m happy to say the stitches look good and there’s no sign of infection.”

“If every part of my body didn’t hurt, I’d be doing the dance of joy,” she said.

“Can I have a rain check?” Amusement was another good look for him.

They stared at each other for several moments and the pulse at the base of her throat began to flutter. “So,” she said, dragging out the word slightly, “the airport is probably your next stop after you leave here?”

His expression was bemused. “Since I’m here, I thought a short visit would be nice.”

“Family before facelifts?” As soon as the words were out, she put her hand over her mouth.

“Shoots and scores,” he said, one eyebrow lifting.

“David, I—” She shook her head and felt like the world’s biggest jerk. “I’m not sure why you bring out my snarky side—”

“So it’s my fault?” His mouth twitched with amusement. “If I were a shrink,” he said, “I’d have a field day with how you can’t take responsibility for your sarcastic streak.”

“I’m pretty tired.” She blew out a breath. “In my own defense I have to say that spending the night here doesn’t reveal my naturally sweet disposition.”

“I’ll look forward to seeing it.”

There was no good way to interpret the cryptic comment so she refused to think about what he meant. “I was teasing and it came out wrong. Your relationship with your family is none of my business.”

“True. But since we both seem to be defending ourselves, let me say that my family understands being busy. Medicine is a demanding mistress and everyone but my sister, Anna, is a doctor.”

Courtney noticed the slight frown when he mentioned his sister, which was a different—darker—expression from when he’d talked about his other siblings. She wanted to ask, but until she could regain full function of the filter between her brain and her mouth, she figured it was better not to comment.

The fact was that doctors were busy. His father had put in long days here at the hospital until he retired. It’s where she’d met him after Janie was born. When her husband had moved them to Walnut River—scratch that. He’d dumped her pregnant and alone in this town, then taken off to join the army. Like everyone else, at first she’d thought him noble and patriotic. It wasn’t until later that she’d found out his motives were selfish and shallow. Everything he’d done—and what he hadn’t done—had cost her. Everything except leaving her here.

She’d grown to love this place and that had started with James Wilder. She knew his son Peter from working here. And recently Dr. Ella Wilder had returned. But Courtney had never met his other sister.

“I don’t know Anna,” she said.

“Me either,” he answered, so softly she wasn’t sure she’d heard right. And his frown deepened.

“Mommy, I’m a little bored.”

Janie wasn’t too uncomfortable to talk. But that wasn’t the only reason Courtney felt tears well in her eyes. A lump of emotion jumped from her chest to push against her throat. “I’m so glad,” she whispered.

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.

She glanced over at the bed where Janie was still sleeping soundly. “I can’t leave her.”

“Do you have a cell phone?”

“I’m not sure that’s relevant, but yes,” she said.

“If she needs you they can call. You need some fresh air and non-hospital food.”

“I’m fine.” But her stomach chose that moment to growl. Loudly. She met his gaze and her expression turned sheepish when she knew he’d heard, too.

“Fine, but hungry.”

“In spite of what you heard, I don’t have much appetite,” she protested.

“Look, you can keep throwing out lame excuses, or just suck it up and let me take you to dinner.”

“David, I’ll just cut to the chase.” She suddenly looked drawn and tired. “You’re obviously a caring man but you’ve let things slip. I’m fairly certain that handsome face of yours hides all kinds of demons. The truth is, I just don’t need one more challenge in my life.”

“Was that a compliment?” he asked.

“Which part?” she said, her forehead furrowing as she thought.

“The handsome part.”

A flush crept into her cheeks, welcome color to chase away the paleness. “Must be post-accident loose-tongue syndrome again.”

“Must be.” He slid his fingertips into the pockets of his jeans. “Would you say yes to dinner if I promise to leave my demons in the car?”

When one corner of her mouth curved up it was clear she was weakening. “Can it be my treat?”

“Okay, as long as we take my car.”

She sent him a wry look. “Since I don’t have a car at the moment, I have to ask—is that sarcasm, Doctor?”

“I guess I’ve been hanging out with you too long. But it has to be said that I’ve learned from the best.”

David found himself back at Buns ’n’ Burgers on Lexington Avenue for two reasons—it was close to the hospital and in Courtney’s budget. They ordered at the counter, got a number for table delivery and he carried their tray to a secluded corner booth.

She slid in with a tired sigh. “I feel so darn guilty.”

“Because?” He sat across from her.

“The fresh air feels so good. What kind of mother am I to be enjoying the world outside Walnut River General while my child is there?”

“She’s asleep, Court. She doesn’t know you’re not there. If she needs you, they’ll call. Relax and recharge your batteries.”

A teenage boy in a yellow Buns ’n’ Burgers shirt and matching hat delivered their cheeseburgers and fries, asked if they needed anything else, then left after an automatic, “Enjoy your meal.”

With her good hand, Courtney picked up her burger and wolfed it down as though she hadn’t eaten in a month. She chewed the last bite and—he was going to hell for this thought—she looked like a woman satisfied by the best sex of her life.

“Good burger?” he asked. Even if he didn’t feel the physical evidence, the inane question would have been positive proof that blood flow from his brain had been diverted to points south.

“I’m fairly sure that was the best hamburger I’ve ever had.” She took her time with the fries. “So, tell me more about growing up in Walnut River—specifically about being ‘that Wilder boy.’”

“I thought you wanted me to leave my demons in the car.”

“Now that I’ve been fed and watered, I find myself with the strength and curiosity to pull those demons out and take ’em for a spin.” She dipped a fry in ketchup, then popped it in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “There’s something I don’t understand. You seemed to have a great childhood. So where did the demons come from?”

So many demons, so little time. One was a father devoted to his work and any time left over had been lavished on an adopted daughter at the expense of everyone else in the family—including his mother.

“Can we just chalk it up to sowing my wild oats?” he asked.

“No.” She grinned. “So out with it—any smoking, drinking and general wickedness?”

“You have quite the imagination,” he said.

“You’re evading the question,” she accused, jabbing the air in his direction with a French fry.

He thought back. “There were the usual lectures about grades and living up to my potential. Curfew violations. Typical rebellion. A couple of run-ins with the cops. After all, I was ‘that Wilder boy.’”

“Did you really have a motorcycle?”

“Yeah. No pun intended, but it drove my parents nuts.”

“I don’t blame them,” she said. “What were you thinking?”

“Short answer—I wasn’t. Teenage boys aren’t notoriously rational. It’s more about testosterone.”

“Just as teenagers?” she teased.

He shook his head. “Not going there. That’s a demon not pertinent to this discussion.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s your turn.”

“For?”

“Childhood confessions.” The shadows in her expression took him by surprise. Suddenly the spark flickered and went out. He was torn between really wanting to know about her and needing to put the smile back on her face. “What is it, Courtney?”

“You don’t really want to hear the sad details.”

“You’re wrong.”

“You’re leaving.”

“I’m here now.”

She hesitated for several moments, then said, “My mother skipped out on my dad and me when I was Janie’s age. No note. No good-bye. Just one day when I woke up she was gone.”

She was so obviously deeply committed to her child and he had instinctively assumed the fruit didn’t fall far from the tree. For some reason, he hadn’t expected that. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You could say it sucked. Because it did. I never saw her again.”

“How did your dad take it?”

She laughed but it was the saddest sound he’d ever heard. “I can’t say he didn’t drink before she walked out. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that he was rarely sober after. Trauma tends to highlight things like that.”

“Courtney—”

“Don’t.” She held up her hand. “I hate hearing clichés and despise being one even more. But in this case it’s the God’s honest truth. I’m walking, talking, surviving proof that what doesn’t kill you definitely makes you stronger.”

“So you never really got to be a kid.”

She looked resigned. “I had my hands full. Dad had trouble keeping a job, which made a roof over our heads an ongoing challenge. When I was old enough I got a job. I was determined to go to college. It was the only way to have a better life.”

Good God, he felt like a selfish, shallow jerk. He’d thought he’d had it rough, had given his parents a pile of grief growing up because of it. This woman had become a caretaker to her father when she should have been playing with dolls.

“And did you? Go to college, I mean?” Starting out in college had definitely not been his finest hour, but the life lesson was one he’d never forget.

“Yeah. I was doing pretty well, until—” She looked down, and a muscle in her delicate jaw jerked.

“What?”

“I got pregnant with Janie and had to drop out.” She met his gaze with the same fiercely defensive look he’d seen when she’d watched over her child. “My only regret is not graduating, but I could never be sorry about having Janie. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Reading between the lines he figured she regretted other things. But what she’d revealed explained something of why she was reluctant to accept help. When you couldn’t count on the two people you’d trusted most in the world, leaning on strangers wouldn’t come easily.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his own. “You are a remarkable woman, Courtney Albright.”

“Not really.”

He didn’t argue with her because he didn’t like what he was feeling. Respect for her was a no-brainer. Against the odds, this woman had made a life for herself, welcomed a child into it, lost her husband and now carried the burden of raising her daughter all alone. Of course he respected her.

What troubled him was the possibility that he felt something more than admiration. Attraction was an A-word too, and it was growing stronger every time he saw her. If he was as smart as everyone told him, he’d get on that plane she’d been trying to get him on. He’d get out of Walnut River before this turned into something that got him into the same kind of trouble he’d found in college.

He’d fallen for a girl and she’d needed his help. When the dust settled, he’d been the one in hot water, and she’d walked away unscathed. Then she’d dumped him. That trouble had cost him more than time, money and his innocence.

That trouble had messed up his life.

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