The Doctor's Dating Bargain

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She lifted a covered casserole dish from the chair next to the door beside her purse. “This is for you. I thought you being a bachelor and a busy doctor that you might like something home-cooked.”

“Thank you.” He took it but couldn’t manage a smile. “Goodbye.”

“Are you going to call me? To see how I’m doing?”

“I’m sure you’re fine.”

Before she could stop him again, he walked out, down the hall to the break room. Once safely inside, he shut the door. There was a refrigerator on the wall beside it and he opened the freezer, then shoved the food in with the five or six others there. The fridge was running out of room.

Ginny was sitting at the oak table having a cup of coffee. “We usually leave that door open.”

“I know.” If only it had a lock.

“Are you hiding?”

“Damn straight,” he said.

“How’d it go with Cherri Lyn?”

“Same as always. Couldn’t keep the limp consistent.” He leaned back against the counter. “That’s actually a good thing, because otherwise it would have been tempting to order unnecessary X-rays just to be sure.”

Ginny’s blue eyes sparked with mischief. “So, are you going to call her?”

“Of course not. What she did is inherently dishonest. You can never trust someone like that.”

Talking about trust made him think of Cam, who clearly had issues with it. As far as he could tell her checkered past was isolated in her rebellious youth. Anyone should get a pass on that. Now she seemed straightforward and sincere. He couldn’t picture her faking a medical problem. In fact, he’d seen her do a number on her foot and refuse to let him look it over. He wouldn’t mind seeing her any time, for any reason. Or no reason.

He looked at Ginny. “I’m losing my patience.”

“From where I’m sitting, patients of the female persuasion are on the rise here at Mercy Medical Clinic.”

“You know what I mean.” He snapped out the words, then drew in a deep cleansing breath. “Sorry. But I’m really frustrated with this situation. This is a medical facility, not a speed-dating event. I have a professional reputation to maintain.”

“You’ve got a reputation, and being a doctor is only part of it. The other part is bachelor.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” She grinned.

“Well, that makes one of us. The thing is, it could be dangerous. What if I blow someone off who really has a medical issue because of all the women who are faking it?”

“They shouldn’t have to fake it if you’re doing it right.”

“Ginny—” he warned.

“All right.” She held up her hands in surrender. “This is the thing. It’s your own fault.”

“Mine?” That hit a nerve. “What did I do?”

“How can I put this delicately?” She thought for several moments. “Tough love time. And I do love you. A doctor who isn’t married and doesn’t have a girlfriend is fair game for every marriage-minded woman or matchmaking mother within a five-hundred-mile radius of Blackwater Lake.”

“God help me.” He shook his head. “And there’s no immunization?”

“Nope.”

“So, you’re saying I need a wife?”

“Or steady girlfriend.”

“That’s just wrong,” he said.

“Are you gay?”

“No.”

“Confirmed bachelor?” she persisted.

“Not exactly.”

“Then, what exactly are you?”

“Just a guy who wants this to stop.”

“Then you need to hook up with someone so the women will leave you alone.”

“I haven’t met anyone to go out with.” No one except Cam Halliday and she’d only be around another few months. She was leaving town.

And just like that he realized she would be perfect. It wouldn’t exactly be faking it, not if she knew exactly what was going on.

The best part was that no one would get hurt.

Try talking to her like a very nice person. Cam recalled Ben’s advice as she waited for the employee in question. When she heard the knock on her office door, she swiveled her chair away from the computer and called out, “Come in.”

She hoped Ben was right about this, because so far nothing had worked. Her role model had taught her the scare-the-crap-out-of-employees style of management. Her father had managed family the same way.

The door opened and Mary Jane Baxter took a hesitant step forward. She was a very attractive blonde in her early thirties, with blue eyes and square black glasses. “You wanted to see me, Ms. Halliday?”

“Yes. Thanks for coming, Mary Jane.” She folded her hands on her desk. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“All right.”

“Please shut the door. And have a seat,” she added.

The woman’s expression said she was terrified, but she did as instructed and they faced each other across the desk. But Mary Jane’s leg was moving nervously and she looked everywhere but at Cam.

What would Ben do to put her at ease? Probably ask a personal question.

“How long have you worked here at Blackwater Lake Lodge?”

“Almost eight months.”

“Are you married?”

“Yes.”

“Children?”

“Yes.” Mary Jane almost smiled. “A girl and a boy.”

“That’s really nice. Are they in school?”

“When the youngest, my daughter, started first grade, I decided to go back to work.”

The woman still looked tense enough to snap in two. What else could she try? Mary Jane was already scared, so maybe it would be effective to do the exact opposite of her father. Take down the barriers.

Cam stood, rounded the desk and sat in the other chair beside her employee. And stop keeping her in suspense. “I might as well come to the point. We need to talk about your unscheduled breaks from the registration desk. Because that’s the first place our guests see, there really needs to be someone behind it at all times to greet and take care of the customer.”