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“You should,” Mack said, his expression serious. “Tony and a lot of other kids are counting on you, Doc. You won’t be able to help them if you get sick yourself.”
“Point accepted,” Beth said, deliberately taking a bite of salad to prove she’d gotten the message.
They ate in silence for several minutes, then Mack asked, “How’s Tony doing? Any change?”
“You’ve probably seen for yourself that he’s getting weaker every day. We’re doing everything we can to build him back up so we can try another round of chemo, but nothing’s working,” she admitted, her frustration evident in her voice. “Maybe you could work some of your nutritional magic with him. He’s not eating.”
“I’m on it,” he said at once. “Anything he can’t have?”
“No.”
“And I won’t be breaking any rules by carting in takeout?”
“I’ll save you from the food police around here, if you can just get him to eat,” Beth promised.
“Consider it done. I think I have a pretty good idea what might tempt a twelve-year-old kid to eat. And I can always give him the same spiel I gave you about the body needing fuel.”
“Thanks,” Beth said sincerely. “These days he’s much more likely to listen to you than me.”
“It’s a guy thing.” Mack grinned. “Of course, I might have to insist that you stop by to split a pizza with us or maybe some tacos. Kids learn best by example.”
Beth chuckled despite herself. “Still trying to fatten me up?”
“Just a little.”
“It seems to me the women I usually see on your arm are all model thin.”
Mack’s expression darkened a bit. “Don’t believe everything you see in the paper, Doc.”
“Are you saying the pictures lie? How can that be?”
“Put an ambitious female and a sleazy photographer in the same room and all it takes is the click of a shutter to create a false impression,” he said with an unmistakable touch of bitterness.
Before Beth could comment, he waved off the topic. “Let’s not talk about that. Anything on the search for a bone marrow donor?”
Beth wasn’t sure what to make of the quick change in subject, but she accepted that Mack didn’t intend to say another word about the women in his life. Instead, she tried to answer his question about Tony honestly. “He’s on the list, but we haven’t been pushing because he’s not a good candidate right now.”
“Anything I can do?” Mack asked.
“Just keep coming to see him. It’s the only time I ever hear him laugh,” she said quietly.
Mack studied her intently. “What about you, Doc? How are you doing? This is getting to you, isn’t it? I mean even more than it was before. You’re scared, aren’t you?”
Beth struggled with the emotions she tried to keep tamped down so they wouldn’t overwhelm her. Mack had a way of bringing them right back to the surface, of forcing her to confront them.
“Terrified,” she admitted finally.
Mack reached for her hand. “You know, even doctors are allowed to have feelings.”
“No, we’re not,” she said, jerking her hand away from the comfort it would be far too easy to accept. “We have to stay focused and objective.”
“Why?”
“It’s the only way we can do our jobs.”
“Without falling apart, you mean?”
She nodded, her throat tight. Now she was the one who was uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. “Can we talk about something else, please? I can’t do this, not tonight.”
Mack sat back in his chair. “Sure. We can talk about whatever you like.” He grinned. “Want to talk about football?”
She relaxed at the teasing note in his voice. “It would have to be a brief conversation, unless you intend to do all the talking.”
“You know us jocks. We can go on and on about sports at the drop of a hat,” he taunted. “But I’ll spare you. How about politics? Any opinions?”
“I saw in the paper that your brother finally announced he’s running for city council in Alexandria.”
Mack’s expression darkened a bit. “Yep, Richard’s fulfilling the legacy our father left for him.”
Beth heard the edgy note in his voice and studied him curiously. “You don’t seem pleased by that.”
“If it were what my brother really wanted, I’d be all for it, but the truth is Richard has spent his whole life living up to these expectations that were drilled into him when we were boys. Running Carlton Industries is one thing. That’s the family legacy and he loves it. He was clearly destined for it. But politics? I’m not convinced it’s what he wants. He’ll do it, though, out of a sense of duty to a man who’s been gone for more than twenty years, and he’ll do it well.”
“Have you told him how you feel?”
He gave her a rueful look. “Nah. You don’t tell Richard anything. He’s the one who tells the rest of us what to do.”
“Do you resent that?”
“Good grief, no. If he hadn’t taken the pressure off the rest of us years ago, I’d probably be behind some desk at Carlton Industries pushing a pencil. I’d not only be totally miserable, but I’d probably bring down the company.”
“Singlehandedly?” Beth asked skeptically.
“No, I imagine Ben, our younger brother, would be even worse at it than me.”
“I think I read somewhere that he’s an artist. Is that right?”
Mack’s eyes twinkled with knowing amusement. “Checking us out, Doc?”
“No, it’s just hard to avoid the mention of the Carlton name in the local media. Even your reportedly reclusive younger brother’s name pops up from time to time.”
“If you say so.”
“Why would I bother checking you out?” Beth inquired irritably.
“Some women think we’re pretty fascinating men,” Mack responded with a straight face.
“I’m not one of them.”
“So you only tolerate me hanging around for Tony’s sake?”
“Yes,” she said.
His skeptical gaze caught hers and held until she flushed under the intensity. Only when he was apparently satisfied that he’d rattled her and proved his point did he finally glance away.
Relieved to be out from under that disconcerting gaze, Beth drew in a shaky breath. No man had ever unnerved her the way Mack Carlton did. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why that was. Sure, he had the kind of body that would look great on a beefcake calendar. Sure, he even showed evidence of being kind and sensitive, two traits she admired in a man. He had a killer smile, an agile brain and a charming personality. With all of that added together, the question shouldn’t have been why he unnerved her, but why she hadn’t thrown herself straight into his arms.
That she could answer. Mack Carlton was a rich, ex-jock playboy, who didn’t take anything seriously. His affairs were played out publicly, and she was a very private woman with a reputation to protect. So even if that glimmer of heat she thought she saw in his eyes from time to time was real, even if these brief hospital encounters implied a certain fascination on his part, she couldn’t allow any of it to lead anywhere—assuming he even wanted to pursue it himself beyond the occasional cup of coffee or idle conversation at the end of the day.
Too bad, she thought, barely containing a sigh. Because something told her that Mack had the kind of moves that could make a woman not only forget every last bit of common sense she possessed, but could send her right up into flames.
* * *
A couple of days after his fascinating cafeteria dinner with Beth, Mack was sitting in the hospital waiting room while the doctors examined Tony when he looked up to see Richard striding toward him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, standing to give his brother a hug. He glanced pointedly around the empty room. “No prospective voters in here to impress.”
“Very funny. Actually I was in the neighborhood, and Destiny told me you might be here,” Richard said. “What’s going on? What are you doing hanging out in a hospital waiting room?”
Mack shrugged. “There’s a sick kid I’ve been coming to see,” he said as if it were no big deal.
Richard studied him intently. “You’re here every day from what I hear. You getting too emotionally involved with this boy?”
“This isn’t about me,” Mack said defensively. “The boy doesn’t have a dad to hang out with. He likes football. The least I can do is come by for an hour or so.”
“I admire you for taking an interest, but is it really all about the kid?”
Mack stared at him, instantly suspicious. “What exactly did Destiny say to you?”
Richard’s serious expression finally cracked. A grin spread across his face. “She mentioned that the boy’s doctor is a very pretty woman with a brilliant scientific mind. Which hooked you, bro? Her body or her mind?”
“I am not hooked on anybody,” Mack retorted defensively. “That’s ridiculous. Next time you talk to her, tell Destiny to mind her own damn business.”
“Ha,” Richard said. “What are the odds of that ever happening?”
Mack scowled at his brother. “So the real reason you dropped by is to gloat. You think I’m about to get reeled smack into the middle of one of Destiny’s schemes.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Richard agreed unrepentantly. “If so, I want to be around to witness every second of your downfall.”
“Destiny claims she doesn’t even know Beth Browning,” Mack said. “Beth said the same thing.”
“Ever heard of the little white lie?” Richard asked. “What kind of manipulator would our aunt be if she didn’t make liberal use of whatever tactic serves her purposes? She wasn’t entirely honest with me or Melanie, either. She sucked us both right in and never suffered a moment’s remorse because of it.”
“Well, there’s nothing like that going on here,” Mack insisted. “I’m not the doc’s type. She’s not my type, either. If Destiny really is behind all of this, she got it wrong this time.”
“We’ll see,” Richard said. “Any chance the doctor will be by anytime soon? I’d like to get a good look at her. Melanie will have questions.”
“Too bad. I’m pretty sure Dr. Browning is at a medical conference on the other side of the universe today,” Mack said just in time to see the very woman in question strolling their way. He sighed heavily. “On the other hand, she could be back.”
Richard’s eyes widened with appreciation and he let out a very soft whistle. “Not your type, huh? Maybe you should get your eyes checked.”
Mack took another look at Beth and tried to see what his brother saw. She was pretty enough in a natural, wholesome way, but compared to the beauties he usually dated, she was fairly unimpressive. Her hair was straight and cut in a severe, simple style that clearly required little fuss. Her simple, tailored clothes did nothing to flatter a figure he’d already assessed as too thin. Her low-heeled shoes, a necessity for a woman on the run all day long, did nothing to enhance her legs. Mack was really, really partial to women in strappy spike heels that made their legs look endless. He simply didn’t get whatever it was Richard obviously saw.
Eventually his gaze made its way to Beth’s eyes, which were regarding him with a perplexed expression. He blinked and looked away guiltily.
“I thought you’d want to know that it’s okay to go back in to see Tony now,” she said.
“Thanks.”
Richard looked from Beth to Mack and back again, then shrugged. “Dr. Browning, I’m Mack’s brother Richard. He seems to have lost his tongue. It happens sometimes. I can understand it in your case. I imagine you render him speechless a lot.”
Beth gave Richard a startled look and a blush tinted her cheeks. “Not that I’ve noticed.”
Richard grinned at Mack. “Then it must be something I said.”
Before Richard could explain that remark and further embarrass him, Mack clapped his brother on the back a little more forcefully than necessary. “Thanks for stopping by to pass on the message,” he said. “I know how busy you are, though, so feel free to take off. Give Melanie a kiss for me. Go win over a few voters or raise a few million for your campaign. You’re going to need it, since I intend to vote for whoever runs against you.”
Richard barely managed to contain a laugh at the brush-off. “If it comes down to one vote costing me the election, I didn’t deserve to win in the first place,” his brother said, unperturbed. “And I’m in no hurry. I can hang here awhile.”
“No you can’t,” Mack said, his voice a little tighter. “I’ll walk you out.”
He spun Richard around and aimed him toward the door. As they were leaving, he called back to Beth. “Let Tony know I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Sure,” she said, staring after them with a puzzled expression.
Not until they were in the elevator did Mack face his brother, staring him down with a look meant to intimidate. “Don’t get any ideas, big brother. None, you hear me?”
Richard returned his glare with a look of pure innocence. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about. I just wanted to get to know your new friend.”
“You say that as if you’d caught me on the playground with some girl in pigtails,” Mack grumbled.
“Believe me, I am well aware that you’re past being infatuated with a kid. Those are definitely grown-up sparks flying between you and the doc.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I don’t think so,” Richard said. “Maybe I’ll have Melanie give her a call and set up dinner.”
“You do and you’re a dead man,” Mack said fiercely. He didn’t want his brother, his aunt or anyone else messing with Beth’s head—or his, for that matter. “Leave it alone. This is not like that. Beth and I chat from time to time. We have coffee. It’s no big deal, and I don’t want to turn it into one.”
Richard’s gaze narrowed. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“What was your first clue?” Mack retorted.
To his consternation, Richard burst out laughing. “I’ll be damned,” he said. “Destiny’s done it again.”
“Destiny hasn’t done a thing,” Mack shouted after him as Richard strolled off.
Unfortunately, it was evident that his protest hadn’t done a thing to convince his brother. Heck, he wasn’t so sure he was buying it himself anymore.
