The Doctor's Husband (Colorado Blues) (2 page)

It was all he could do not to fist pump the air when Denver said yes. After two years, finally, she’d agreed to go out with him. Shame it hadn’t happened earlier but beggars couldn’t be choosers and after a crap day like today, he’d take whatever he could get if it meant spending time with the delightful Dr. Denver Sinclair.

He’d been attracted to her from the moment they met, and to his knowledge, she’d never dated anyone at the hospital.

“I’ll pick you up at your place around seven. Does that work for you?”

“Sure.” Denver gave him her address and walked away leaving him with what he knew was a stupid grin on his face. The gorgeous Dr. Denver was going out with him tonight. That might in some small way make up for the rejection he’d received from her father. He brushed it aside and downed the last of his coffee, his mouth pinching as the dregs of the bitter brew shimmied over his tongue. It really was time he got back to work as well and try to figure out what he planned to do now he didn’t have the job he wanted. Should he sign on for another year here or try his luck in another department? The choice was going to be tough either way.

Evan pushed that decision aside and thought over the conversation with Chance. Rory was getting married again. He’d been gutted when Cindy died, as had Evan. She was a sweet heart and they were a wonderful match. Both so full of life with energy he could only dream about. He was pleased to hear the news and couldn’t wait to get home for the wedding and to meet his brother’s new bride. It would be good for him to catch up with family again. It’d been far too long.

***

Later that night he pulled his Dodge truck up to the neat and tidy apartment block where Denver lived. State of the art security and a doorman seemed a far cry from the tiny town house he shared with his ginger cat Mr. Blue for company. He gave his name to the doorman and waited.

“Miss Sinclair said to tell you she will be down shortly, Sir.”

“Thanks.” Evan walked to the door, stood with his hands in his pockets, and looked out at the night. The city lights twinkled and sparkled against the black of the sky, like bright jewels on inky velvet. He’d loved the fast pace when he first moved here, but lately he wasn’t feeling the love for the rush and bustle. The sheer vastness of the town sometimes made him long for the peace of his hometown. Although stunningly beautiful, the city had nothing on the quiet, serene small town he’d grown up in. The pang of homesickness shot through his gut, no doubt brought on by the thought of returning for the wedding.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Evan.” Denver walked out the lift and sashayed over toward him, her bright white high heel shoes clicking on the marble tiles. Evan looked at her, swallowed, and found his breath catching in his throat. She was simply stunning. Her black and white dress clung to her curves, leaving little to his overactive imagination. Diamonds glittered in her ears on display with her pale golden hair swept up in a waterfall of curls that fell down the back of her long, slim neck.

“Uh, you didn’t. It’s okay.” Evan suddenly found himself floundering as her date now they were outside of the hospital. Denver was in a different league to him. She stood confidently in front of him, a soft smile on her lips glossy with shell-pink lipstick. Her eyes were bright as she waited for him to say something.

Toughen up and fake it til you get a grip on your hormones
. Evan held out his arm. “Shall we?” She slid her hand through his arm and together they walked out the door being held open for them.

“Night, Dr.”

“Night, Brian.” Denver smiled over her shoulder at the doorman.

Evan helped her into his truck before moving around to the driver’s side. They drove to the restaurant with only the merest of conversation between them. Funny that he never had trouble speaking to her at work. Tonight he struggled and it annoyed him.

“Where are we going?” Her soft voice swept over the rumble of the truck engine.

“Little Italian restaurant I heard of near the highway. Piccolos.”

“Sounds lovely.” She looked out the window and he concentrated on the road ahead. When they walked into the restaurant, he placed his hand on the small of her back. The heat from her body warmed his palm and he kept it there as he followed her to their table. When she sat down he experienced a twinge of regret at losing the contact.

The waiter approached their table with menus and a wine list, then left them to choose before he came back. “What is your preference, wine or a cocktail?” He looked up, seeing the way she gazed at him, and a jolt of pleasure went to his gut. Could he have judged the gorgeous doctor wrongly? Could she be interested in him after all this time?

Her lips curved showing the small dimples in her cheeks. “White wine please, not too dry.” She rested her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands, watching him as he chose a wine with the waiter hovering over his shoulder. Evan handed back the wine list and glanced across the table at her.

“So, how was your day? Did it get better after lunch?”

She smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips. “I was being particularly dramatic and I’m sorry. Really it was nothing, Evan. Certainly nowhere as bad as you not getting the job you had your heart set on.”

He shrugged his shoulders. The disappointment was almost gone. He’d never been one to let things keep him down for long, preferring to move on with the next phase of his life and find something else to look forward to. “I’ve almost forgotten about it. More important things in life than crying over what you can’t have.”

“That’s a very pragmatic way to look at things.” She sat back and let the waiter pour her wine. Denver took a sip and nodded her head. “Perfect, thank you.”

“The way I figure it, there’s always going to be ups and downs in life. I prefer to roll with the punches and not let the negatives get me down. Besides I have a wedding to go to.”

Denver put her glass down. “It must be nice having brothers that you can share things with.”

“Don’t you have any siblings? I seem to recall reading that there was a brother in the mix somewhere.” He noticed the way she dropped her gaze quickly so he couldn’t read her eyes and her lips tightened.

“Yes, although we don’t see much of each other, unfortunately. So, when is the wedding?” She picked up her glass and took another sip of wine, her gaze now focused back on Evan.

“Two weeks. Works out perfect for me because my contract runs out then anyway, and I have to decide whether or not to sign another contract or look for other work.”

Denver tilted her head to one side. “What do you mean, you love that job!”

“I do, but after today I was thinking a change could be in order.”

“Really? Evan, I’m surprised. I didn’t think you would be interested in leaving.” A spark of interest showed in her eyes and Evan wondered if he could use her as a sounding board for what he wanted to discuss. His brothers had their own lives and therefore he didn’t feel right burdening them with his problems.

“I kind of feel like I’m at a crossroads in my life. Your father thinks I should be more interested in the business side of things and I disagree.” He smiled at her. “Not picking on him at all, I just think my sole purpose is to help sick people. I don’t see myself as a pen pusher.”

“Which is exactly what I want to achieve. How funny is that?” Denver licked her lips and smiled. “My problem is my father wants me to be more like you, not interested in the mechanics of hospital work. To tell you the whole truth, I know he would rather I stayed home and played the hostess role more than anything. Perhaps we should swap lives and see where that takes us.”

“Really? You want the whole paperwork and staff stresses of running a department? You know, Denver, I didn’t have you pegged that way. With all the research you’ve been doing, I figured that was where you were heading.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t get me wrong, I love research and everything medicine entails. My goal has always been to do the management side of things, which I believe you can’t do unless you start at the bottom.”

***

She picked up her menu and opened it, scanning the main meals. Clam linguine, her favorite. The waiter hovered by her side and she placed her order before handing the menu back to him. Evan toyed with his decision and she watched him. His focus remained on the waiter who explained the difference between the dishes. The attention he gave the man was something she was used to seeing. Evan was nothing if not a dedicated person, in his work, and apparently in everything he did. Including ordering dinner.

When he made his decision, he handed the menu over and then turned back to her. His rich brown eyes reminded her of a mug of hot cocoa on cold winter nights. The memory of her brother and herself in the nursery with their mother gave her a brief moment of nostalgia before she pushed it away. It was too painful to have out in the open for too long.

“So, tell me about the wedding. Where is it being held?” Denver watched his face light up with a smile as he started to talk about his family.

“Back home in Estes Park. Little church in town actually.” Evan leaned back in his chair, his easy grace and nice nature showing. “I’ve missed it, even though I couldn’t wait to get out of the place when I was growing up. It’s funny, how you look back and wonder what made it so annoying then and now it’s all I think about, going home.”

Are you kidding,
her brain screamed.
Estes Park, my new home if I can get over that one hurdle.
“Tell me about the town. It must be fascinating if you’re so keen to get back there after living in Dallas.”

“The thing I remember and probably miss the most is the mountains. The snow on the peaks and wishing for a big blizzard so I could go out and make a snowman.” He laughed, and the sound made her stomach flip, the vision clear in her mind. “My father let me one day because I made such a fuss about it and he was sick of me whining. He stood at the window and watched me as the wind howled and the sleet stung my face. I wanted to go right back inside and I knew I couldn’t. I stayed out and made it look like I was enjoying myself.”

“Did you?” She couldn’t imagine him having a stubborn streak.

“Hell, I hated it. By the time Chance came out and dragged me inside, my fingers and toes were blue. I could hardly open my eyes. I remember screaming my lungs out when he tried to put me into a warm bath as he cursed my father for being so damned stupid letting me have my way.” He glanced at her, a small wave of sadness crossing his eyes before it was gone. “Chance was like my brother, mother, and father all rolled into one. I can’t wait to see him again.”

I wish I had half of what you seem to have.
It made her miss her brother more than ever. She brushed it off and gave her attention to her date.

“Not a wonder you’re so excited to go back for the wedding. Sounds like you have a lot of catching up to do.” She sighed, wishing she had that relationship with her brother instead of the stilted one-way conversations they shared only when they needed to.

“You have no idea.” He blinked and a big grin lifted his face. “Why don’t you come with me? It’ll be fun, I promise.”

“We hardly know each other, Evan. Surely there’s someone else you’d rather take?”
Please say no, please, please.

“Are you kidding? Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to go out with me, Denver? There’s no one else I would like to take back home to the wedding than you.” He reached for her hand and grasped her fingers, winding his fingers around hers.

“Are you sure?”
That would be perfect.
Evan nodded his head. “Let me check my schedule and see what I can do.”
I’ll clear everything to go with you. I can’t let this chance go by.

“So that’s a yes, then?”

Nothing will stop me from coming with you.
“Yes.”

“I can’t wait to tell Chance and Rory. They’ll be thrilled to meet you.” He let go of her hand as their meals arrived.

Denver watched him as they ate their dinner, small talk passing between them. He would be easy to live with from what she knew. You got to know people quite well working in the same hospital with them year after year and Evan was well liked by all, doctors and patients alike.

“Your brother is a rodeo rider, isn’t he?” She remembered seeing him riding a bull once not that long ago.

“He used to be. Suffered a bad accident and broke his hip.” He pushed his plate away and wiped his lips with a napkin. “All he wants to do now is raise bulls and live on his ranch. I only managed a quick visit to the place yet last year, but I’ve heard all about what he’s doing with it from Tyson.”

“Who’s Tyson?”

“My other brother, one of them anyway.” He grinned at her and she found herself getting pulled into his family. “Chance is the oldest, then comes Rory, and me next. Rory’s the sheriff at Estes Park now. Tyson is the only one who never left when he grew up.”

“Why is that?” Denver thanked the waiter as he took their plates.

“Because he’s an old woman, set in his ways. Likes things the same. Drove us nuts as kids.” He laughed. “He’s also the town gossip if you can believe it.”

“A man, the town gossip. Well that’s a change for the books. Thought that was always the job of the old spinster in town.” Denver smiled, shaking her head. “Bet that drove your parents mad.”