Small Town Doctor (6 page)

James stood by the counter trying to wake up after a night of tossing and turning, as he waited for the coffee to finish percolating. He had slept in Ella’s bed surrounded by her scent, mixed with the sweet strawberry from her shampoo, sending his thoughts of her swirling out of control. The last thing she needed was him thinking about getting her naked. The most important thing was getting her to trust him. Trust was a big thing in all relationships, but it would be even more important with Ella. She was already looking for a reason to shut him out, to use it as an excuse to protect her heart.

He took a deep breath, breathing in the rich aroma of the coffee, and used that moment of alertness to remind himself why he was here. He wasn’t here to seduce Ella, but to be a doctor for Abbi. Long ago from his father’s actions he learned not to date someone he worked with, but it was the same with dating a parent of a patient.

“Morning.”

He turned to find Ella standing in the doorway of Abbi’s room, her gray yoga pants clinging to the curve of her hips, and the white tank top barely reaching her waist, giving a glimpse of her stomach when she moved a certain way. Her hair lightly tousled from sleep made him want to draw his fingers through it. He wanted to go to her and wrap her in his arms. Instead, he forced himself to stay where he was.

“Coffee is almost done.”

“Sorry, I should have been up earlier.” She dragged her hands through her hair, pulling the long strands away from her face.

“You’ve been caring for a sick child for the last few days, it’s understandable you’d be tired. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll bring you a cup when it’s finished.”

“I should make breakfast.”

He grabbed two mugs from the rack. “Let’s talk first. Have you had a chance to think about the transfusion?”

“All night.”

“What have you decided?” He poured the coffee, before going to where she stood by the sofa.

She took hold of the coffee he offered but didn’t take a drink of it. “After you checked on her at four this morning she had a hard time going back to sleep so we laid there talking, telling stories. She seems so much better.”

“The antibiotics and fluids have done a lot to help her, but don’t let that fool you. She’s still sick and needs to take it easy for a few days.” He sat down next to her on the sofa. “The round of powerful antibiotics finished throughout the night so I can remove her IV line when she wakes up and she can move around the house easier. If we’re not going to do the transfusion then I’ll need to make a trip into town for the iron pills and some additional antibiotics.”

“What’s the worst that will happen if I decided not to do it? Will it kill her?”

He set the coffee aside and took her hand into his. “No. She’ll be tired and require more sleep. She might be more irritable, have occasional headaches, and if it gets worse she could have shortness of breath and trouble concentrating. Though I don’t think we have to worry about that for now, her levels are low but not dangerously low where we need to be overly concerned.”

“Is there anything I can do besides the treatment that will help her?”

“There’s an iron supplement I’ll pick up in town that she can take twice a day. Eating more iron rich food would be beneficial as well, and I’ll get you a list of those too. Should I take it you’ve decided against it?”

She set the coffee down and turned to him. “Yes, but not because of going into town. You mentioned the risks of the treatment and I’m concerned about that, especially with her current health. I want to wait and see if the pills will be enough to help her.”

“Then how about going into town with me?” He felt her body tense under his touch. “Halloween night, after the trick-or-treating, Michael and Jes are having a party. It’s going to be small, mostly others from the hospital. Ryan will be there, so will the Winterbloom owners Chloe, Jordan, and their daughter.”

“I don’t know.” She bit her lip, nervous.

“It’s the perfect chance to test the waters in a protected environment, and there will be other children Abbi can play with. You don’t have to make the decision now, just think about it.” He gently squeezed her leg. “Instead, how about the three of us take a ride into town today?”

“Why?”

“I have to go to the office to get the medication. You could come with me. You can see how much Clearwater has changed and it will be a good way to entertain Abbi without having her overdo it. I won’t be long at the office and you don’t even have to get out of the truck. It will be the first step in the right direction.”

“Let’s see how Abbi feels when she wakes up. She might not be up to it.”

He smirked. “That sounds like an excuse.”

“Maybe a little,” she admitted over the rim of her coffee cup. “I’m not ashamed to say I’m terrified of the idea.”

“I’ll be there and I promise everything will be okay. Trust me.” He rubbed his hand along the top of her leg, not high enough to be questionable but to give her comfort to ease the anxiousness rising within her.

“It might be crazy but I do trust you.”

He couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward; he wanted to kiss her.

“Mommy,” Abbi called from her room.

“I should check on her.” She rose and headed for the bedroom.

“While you do that, I’ll make breakfast.” He stood, taking his coffee with him. He’d finish it and pour himself another while he cooked. Walking around the sofa to the open kitchen he couldn’t help but remember how much he despised coffee before medical school. The long hours studying and then his internship had changed his tastes. Coffee had become a lifeline and the only way he could start a day. Without at least a cup, if not more, his brain refused to come out of the fog and focus.

He pulled open the refrigerator door, taking in the contents, before deciding to make French toast. It was an easy dish Jes had taught him when he was still in medical school. At least he knew he couldn’t screw up French toast while his thoughts were on other things. Or at least on one woman—Ella.

* * *

“Morning darling.” Ella smiled at the sight of her daughter curled up in the middle of the full bed, the blankets pulled around her waist.

“Can I get up?”

“In a bit, Doctor Macis needs to take out your IV first.” She same to sit next to her daughter. “You’re looking better. How do you feel?”

“Okay, my chest still hurts.” As if to emphasize that, Abbi’s small body shook with a coughing fit.

“You know Mommy loves you, right?”

“Yeah.” Abbi leaned back against the pillows and brought her light brown teddy that had been Ella’s when she was a child to sit on her lap. “What’s wrong? Are you in trouble with Ryan again?”

“No.” She smirked, thinking of the last fight she had with Ryan before Abbi got sick. Like all the others it was about them living out in the woods and what it was doing to her daughter. Ryan’s words haunted her:
How will she handle the first day of school if she’s never even been into town?
“Do you ever wish you had someone else to play with?”

“Like a little sister? Will you give me one?”

“No, sweetie, we’ve talked about this.” They had been through this a few times over the last few weeks, ever since the bedtime story that had a baby sister in it. Now all Abbi wanted was a sister. That was something Ella couldn’t give her without a man, and that was most likely never going to happen. “I was thinking more like a friend.”

“I don’t know, they might try to take Mr. Bear from me. Or break my toys. Though it might be fun to play hide and seek with someone else.”

“It is sweetie, it is.” Ella wasn’t happy about this sudden revelation her reclusiveness was denying Abbi a lot of what she’d experienced as a child. With a deep breath to calm her rolling stomach, she decided it was time to at least try for her daughter’s sake. “Doctor Macis needs to go into town for more medication for you, and he asked us to ride with him. Would you like that?”

Her little head bobbed up and down in excitement. “Can Mr. Bear go with us?”

“I don’t see why not. You stay in bed and play with him while I help the doctor with breakfast then we’ll take your IV out and get ready.” She stood up and took a look around Abbi’s room. If it wasn’t for the few toys, mostly dolls and stuffed animal scattered around the room, no one would know it was a child’s room. The walls were a warm gray, event he full size bed was bland with a quilt that her grandmother made years ago. Nothing like that room Ella had as a child.

She turned on her heels and escaped the room before she cried in front of him.
I’m screwing up raising my baby girl. Damn it, what’s wrong with me?

As she came back into the living room, James turned to look at her, a suspicious glint in his eye. “You okay? You look pale, you’re not coming down with something, are you?”

She averted her eyes, then let out the words she could no longer hold in. “For years I’ve kept on my rose-colored glasses…” She scoffed. “I never truly understood the consequences for my actions.” Leaning against the back of the sofa, she watched him, waiting for his response. “Shit, this revelation sucks.”

“Sometimes we have to have an eye-opening experience in order to live the life that we were meant to have.” He flipped the French toast before continuing. “Take me for example. I lived for my work in Denver, and that’s what made me a partner in the practice. The long hours with my own patients, covering for the senior partners when they wanted time off, handling extra hospital shifts or rounds. It all added up and when Jessi moved here I realized if something didn’t change, I’d end up like our father.”

“So that’s why you moved here?”

He nodded. “I was looking into positions when Michael suggested I come on as his partner so he could spend more time with Jessi and the twins. It was perfect. It gave me a less stressful work environment, and enabled me to be close to my nieces.”

“I don’t think this is going to turn out as well as things did for you.” She frowned and dug her fingers into the fabric of the sofa. “I’m a terrible mother.”

He piled the last of the French toast onto a plate, then set the tongs aside before going to her. “You’re not. You’re raising a wonderful little girl. You’ve worked with her to begin her education, and she’s further along than most children her age. That’s something to be proud of.” He laid his hand over hers.

“Look at her room. Does that look like any little girl’s room you’ve ever seen? She doesn’t have any friends. What kind of mother does
this
to her child?”

“You’re doing what you think is right by her. That’s all any parent can do.”

“Maybe you and Ryan are right. Maybe I need to at least travel into town to socialize Abbi. Or maybe I should consider going to Cheyenne like my parents asked. It might be the only way for me to put the past behind me.”

“Come here.” He placed his hands on her hips, drawing their bodies so close they were almost touching. “Facing the past is the best thing, and once you do that you can begin to make a better life for you and Abbi. I can help you with that…if you’ll allow me.”

“I admit I miss having a life. Going to Express Ohh’s to satisfy my coffee addiction…then I always used to browse the Happy Ever After Bookstore for the newest read. Seeing friends…going to the different activities at the lake, skiing, and snowboarding in Jackson Hole. I want Abbi to experience all the things I did growing up.”

“Then let me help you give them to her. Take this ride into town with me, it’s the first step in getting your life back. Then maybe we can go to the Halloween festival at the lake, I’m sure Abbi would love it. She can experience the carnival rides, all the delicious food, and you can see no one blames you. All while I’m by your side.”

“Why? Why do you want to help us?”