Doctor Right

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“Yes, but…” Alex was taken aback. He’d never met a woman who didn’t long to feel some intense emotions, especially when it came to marriage. He knew he had a reputation for being a little detached, but it didn’t seem right for someone like Maryann to feel that way, too.

Finally her face went back to its normal color, and she swallowed. “Look. There’s no need to beat around the bush about what happened the other night. I want you to know I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just talking with my cousin about how much I wanted you to stay on as the doctor here and, before you know it, she was talking about how you’d stay if you met someone to marry.”

Alex was beginning to feel better already. “So she was the one who was supposed to match me up with someone?”

Maryann swallowed again. “No, that was me.”

“You’re the one who was supposed to help me get poleaxed? With some woman you picked out?” He wondered if Maryann knew how cute she was. Funny, he’d never noticed before how her nose turned up just enough to make her look mischievous. And her eyes—the gold flecks in the brown made them look like they were twinkling. “I suppose I should be grateful I have a strong constitution. That whole thing sounds a bit tough.”

“Now see, that’s why I told my cousin I shouldn’t mention anything to you. I knew you’d just make fun of it and—”

Alex put up his hand. “I think it’s kind of sweet that you’re worried.”

The sun was shining in the window and Maryann’s face lit up in a smile. “You do?”

“You’re not thinking of one of those fancy women, I hope.” Alex said, wondering why he was going so easy on her.

Maryann shook her head. “I was thinking of Belinda Edwards.”

“Who?” Alex’s smile disappeared. He hadn’t really thought she had someone specific in mind for him. That changed everything.

Maryann took a step back. “You know. She’s the single mom who works in the office at the grade school. Long red hair and glasses. Midtwenties. She’s taking some online college courses to improve herself. She likes camping and watching DVDs at home. I’m pretty sure she’d go out with you if you asked.”

Alex was stunned. He still couldn’t believe it. “You haven’t just been talking? You’ve actually been matching me up?”

“Well, I haven’t asked her if she’s interested, but she does seem nice.”

Suddenly Alex didn’t feel like teasing her anymore. How could she call him an ice man, when she was trying to marry him off to someone he’d never even had a conversation with? That was more than a little cold. “Do you even know this woman?”

“Belinda gets her hair cut at the same place I do. She’s got gorgeous hair, by the way. And I like her.”

“You haven’t been in Treasure Creek much more than a month. How often have you had your hair cut in that time?” he asked.

Alex couldn’t believe Maryann was standing there smiling at him, like he should be grateful she was trying to find some woman to marry him. Like he was desperate. Like he didn’t have things he needed to do before he settled down and got married.

“I don’t have time to date anyone,” Alex said with as much dignity as he could manage. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to do some paperwork.”

He walked down to the exam room and closed the door. He didn’t have anything to write, and she probably knew it.

But at least he’d gotten away with his self-respect intact. He’d been so sure the story had been reported to him with errors. He hadn’t admitted it to himself until now, but he’d been confident she’d started that conversation with her cousin because Maryann was interested in dating him herself. Her, not some Belinda Edwards who liked to camp.

He had been planning to turn Maryann down gently, of course. They’d had a quiet friendship that was building during the time she’d been here, and he was afraid to disrupt that. He didn’t want her to hand in her resignation as his previous nurse had done, either. But apparently he’d been mistaken. She wasn’t interested in dating him at all.

It took him a moment or two, but he finally told himself it was for the best.

He already had his plane tickets to leave in three weeks. He’d get someone to fly him to Juneau, and then on to Anchorage. He’d take a flight south from there. A month from now, he’d be looking for property in Los Angeles where he’d build his clinic.

He had plans. He’d been awarded a large grant from a local foundation to cover the cost of the ground he needed. And he’d saved every extra penny he made moonlighting as a tour guide up here, to help with the construction. He’d have to take out a loan of course, but his savings would provide just enough for the needed downpayment. Until he did something to pay back his brother for saving his life, Alex didn’t feel free to live a normal life. The small clinic would be named after his brother.

After all, Rocco couldn’t get married, since he couldn’t even meet a woman, as long as he confined himself to their parents’ house. Worse yet, his brother couldn’t realize his childhood hope of being a surgeon, not with his hands and his legs as crippled as they were by the accident. Alex knew he could never give his brother his dreams back, but the plaque for the clinic he planned to build would show his brother how much he appreciated the sacrifice he had made.

He needed to do something before he could even say he was sorry.

He’d tried to give his brother other things in the past. So far, the only thing Rocco had accepted was the money to pay for that attendant. His brother said no to anything else, saying money couldn’t buy him what he really needed. There was nothing else Alex could give him, except a clinic built in his name. He knew Rocco liked the idea, because he smiled every time Alex mentioned it. Maybe, once the clinic was built, Rocco’s bitterness would fade.

And if Rocco was happier, maybe Alex could ask him for forgiveness. Maybe his parents could also forgive the past and live in the present. Right now, no one was free of the accident. His parents avoided each other and Rocco. Maybe, when the clinic was completed and Alex was home, he’d have his family back again.

Chapter Three

Later that afternoon, Maryann was sitting at a small desk in the waiting room, staring at the wall when the bell over the door rang. She should have been going through the list of patients to call for tomorrow’s appointments, but she’d become distracted thinking about what had happened that morning. Alex was in the examining room and it was good that he was. She felt closer to him because of what he’d told her about his brother, and farther apart at the same time, because of the gossip she’d caused. Mostly, she didn’t want to think about it, even though she couldn’t get it out of her head.

“Amy!” Maryann said as she looked up and saw the owner of the local tour company. The young red-haired widow always had a smile on her face, and she was one of Maryann’s favorite people in Treasure Creek.

For the first time, it occurred to her that Amy James came to the office more than was necessary. There always seemed to be a good reason about the twins to stop by, but maybe she was interested in Alex in a romantic way. Maryann wondered if the answer to who the doctor should marry was right in front of her.

“Here to see the doctor?” Maryann asked, keeping her voice neutral. She should feel more excitement at the thought that she might be talking to Alex’s future wife, especially because Amy had deep roots in this place and could convince Alex to stay.

Oh—Maryann just remembered that she hadn’t combed her hair back into place after being out in the wind.

“Am I interrupting something?” Amy walked over to the desk. “I can come back.”

Amy was always neatly dressed, and Maryann didn’t want to look like a hooligan. Not that she was competing with Amy for anyone’s attention. It was just that all women liked to look their best.

Maryann smiled. “No, I just—well, my hair.” Then she reached up to smooth her hair back into its usual bobbed shape.

Amy laughed a little. “That happens up here, especially this time of year. I know it’s happened to me. Of course, Ben always thought it was funny. I’d be there with my hair going every which way, and he’d be grinning like a kid at the circus.”

The widow’s laugh faded as she remembered her late husband. Then she seemed to shake off her memories. “Well, I just came around because I’m putting together a choir for the Christmas pageant, and I wondered if you’d come help us sing.”

“Oh, I can’t,” Maryann said as she heard footsteps in the hall. “I’m not much of a singer.”

Amy shrugged. “That’s not important. Ben always said it was the spirit of the thing that counted. I’m hoping to do the best pageant ever, in his honor this year, but I’m not sure I’m up to it. I figure if we can get started early by practicing the carols, we’ll have a chance of pulling it off.”

Alex entered the room. “The pageant is nice. Every year it gets a little better.”

“Well, that’s going to be hard to do this year,” Amy said, as she sat down in one of the waiting room chairs. “I’m hoping that, if we can get going now, maybe we’ll gain some enthusiasm.”

“Well, I’m sure whatever you do will be great,” Alex said, then he looked at the woman more closely. “Are you all right?”

Maryann watched Alex walk over to Amy. Now why did he have to stand there and look at the woman as if she was a delicate flower?

“I can give you a vitamin B shot if you need one,” Alex offered as he reached out his hand to touch Amy’s forehead. “You’ve been going through a tough time. If anything troubles you, let me know.”

Maryann hoped none of the fancy women heard about Alex being willing to treat Amy, even though she wasn’t a child.

Amy looked up at him and Maryann wondered if the two of them needed to be alone.

“I have been worried,” the widow said softly before Maryann could think of an excuse to leave. “Something’s been missing and I don’t know where…well, it’s the treasure map we talked about. You know the one?”

Then Amy dropped her voice even further, until Maryann couldn’t hear her words. Maryann walked toward her desk and sat down to finish the filing she had to do. She told herself she should be happy. She wanted Alex to stay in Treasure Creek. If he fell in love with Amy, he’d have to stay. Maybe the treasure map that Amy’s sons had found would bring them together. Some people thought the map showed where an ancestor of Amy’s had hidden the gold.

Maryann saw Alex frown as he looked down at Amy. “That doesn’t sound good. Have you reported that it’s gone?”

Maryann couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t act anything like The Ice Man when talking to Amy. He leaned over her most solicitously. Maybe it was only nurses and fancy women Alex wanted to avoid. She supposed he figured one was work and the others were gold diggers.

“I don’t want to report it to anyone official yet,” Amy said in a louder voice and gave a glance at Maryann. Then she shook her head and turned back to Alex. “I just wanted to ask you to keep your eyes open.” Alex nodded.

“Anyway,” Amy said with a bright smile that included Maryann, “I hope you can both sing in the pageant.”

“I’ll pass,” Alex said as he turned to go into the exam room.

Maryann tried to remind herself of her goal to get Alex to stay in town.

“You should sing,” Maryann said.

Alex frowned. “What’s the point? I’m not going to be in town for the pageant.”

“Well, coming to a few practices wouldn’t hurt,” Maryann said. “Maybe some other men will join if they see you’re practicing.”

Alex lifted an eyebrow in protest. “I’m not that influential.”

“You are,” Amy stepped in, fairly gushing. “And it’s not just the men you’ll inspire. I’m sure half of the single women in town will volunteer, too, if you do. That’ll give me plenty of people for the choir.”

Maryann figured Amy had underestimated the doctor’s impact. If all of the single women were there, the single men wouldn’t be far behind.

“You won’t need to wear a costume or anything,” Amy promised.

“But,” Alex tried again, “You need to remember I won’t be here at Christmas. I’ll be down in Los Angeles, putting together my new clinic.”

“Oh,” Amy said. “That’s right.”

Maryann felt her enthusiasm fall to the floor right along with Amy’s. He was still so set on leaving town.

“You could still practice with us,” Amy finally said. “Even just one or two times might be enough to get the women there. You wouldn’t even need to sing. Just stand around. I could put you in charge of lighting or something.”

“I could do that,” Alex said. “I’m sorry I won’t be here for the pageant.”

“Thanks,” Amy said, and then straightened up as if she was bracing herself. “I was going to wait a few weeks to start rehearsals, but I better get them going now.”

“Three weeks,” Alex reminded her. “That’s how long I’ll be here.” Then he grinned. “Maryann will be there, too. She can take over my place when I’m gone. Singing.”

“But I—” she sputtered.

“That’s perfect,” Amy beamed at them both and stood. “I better get going so I can tell everyone. We have the tour team meeting tonight so we’ll plan to meet Thursday night at the church for the carol rehearsal. Let’s say five-thirty to nine.”

“People can’t sing for three and a half hours,” Maryann managed to gasp. “Not amateurs anyway.”

“You’re right,” Amy said. “We’ll need snacks and something to drink. Maybe hot tea. We’ll take a nice long break.”

“They’ll still strain their vocal chords,” Maryann added.

“That’s it.” Amy snapped her fingers and looked at Alex. “You can be the choir doctor. You won’t have to sing a note.”

“I treat children,” Alex protested.

“That’s why you’re perfect,” Amy said as she headed for the door. “Children are screaming all the time.”

Maryann and Alex both watched her walk toward the door. Just before she got there, Amy turned around. “Oh, and Maryann, why don’t you come to our team meeting with Alex tonight? I’ve wanted to get your perspective on our tours, since you’re new in the area. You know, specialty tours, that sort of thing.”

“But I—” Maryann protested.

“It won’t take long,” Amy assured her as she turned the knob and half-opened the door. “We’re meeting for hamburgers in the back room at Lizbet’s Diner at seven.” And then Amy turned to flash a smile at Maryann. “I hear you like eating there.”

With that, the other woman turned to walk through the door.

“She knows,” Maryann muttered glumly as the door was closed.

“The whole town knows,” Alex replied.

They stood there for a minute.

Finally, he put his hands in his pockets. “I have those insurance forms to fill out, so I plan to stay late tonight. I’ll just walk over to Lizbet’s at seven, if you want to go with me.”

Maryann nodded. “I have some paperwork, too.” She paused. “You know, I’m really sorry I said anything last night.”