White Wedding for a Southern Belle (4 page)

Ashley stepped farther into the room. “Why're you being so difficult about this? I need this publicity for the clinic. To raise funds that are needed desperately.”

“I understand that but I don't think putting a patient on TV is the way to go.”

The reporter came to the doorway. Ashley glanced back then returned her attention to Kiefer. Her face held a beseeching expression. “Please. I won't ask you to do it again.”

Something about her look had Kiefer reconsidering. What would be so bad about doing his job and trying not to pay any attention to the camera? He did understand the need to shine a light on what was going on in Southriver. He said tightly, “Okay, but you'll owe me.”

“Thank you,” she said, then turned to the man behind her. “Russell, we'll go to the exam room now and meet Mrs. McGuire.”

Kiefer followed the party up the hallway to one of the two functioning exam rooms. The camera crew stopped outside the door and allowed him to enter first. Mrs. McGuire was a forty-something woman neatly dressed in a casual shirt and jeans. When he entered she looked up from where she sat in a chair in the corner.

“Hi, I'm Dr. Bradford. I understand you're Mrs. McGuire.”

Ashley, along with the reporter and cameraman, squeezed into the room.

Mrs. McGuire looked at the group with interest. “I am.”

“Are you sure you're okay with this?” Kiefer nodded toward the people behind him. “I'll tell them to leave if you're not.”

“Mrs. McGuire—” Ashley started.

“Is
my
patient.”

Ashley said nothing more.

The patient nodded her assent. “Now, Mrs. McGuire, what seems to be the problem?” Kiefer asked.

“I've been having trouble with one of my toes.” She lifted her right foot. It was covered by a sock and she was wearing a house shoe.

“Would you please remove your sock? I'd like to take a look.” As she did so Kiefer pulled the other metal chair in the room closer.

A sweet smell of infection filled the room. He reached down and cupped her calf, lifting it so that her heel rested on his thigh. Mrs. McGuire's large toe was a deep purple color that was extending to the next one.

The cameraman took a step closer.

“How long has this toe looked like this?” Kiefer asked, trying not to let his concern show in his voice. He didn't want the reporter to get the idea that this might be more than an ordinary hurt toe.

“Oh, I don't know. Maybe a few months.”

Kiefer nodded. She should have been seen long ago. “Mrs. McGuire, have you ever been told you were a diabetic?”

“It's been so long since I've been to the doctor I don't remember.”

Kiefer took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Why had she let this go on for so long? Did she realize how bad it was? He turned to the reporter. “I need you to leave now. I would like to talk to my patient in private.”

“But we really didn't get anything,” the reporter complained.

“Dr. Bradford, could I speak to you outside?” Ashley followed the reporter and cameraman out.

“Mrs. McGuire, I'll be right back,” Kiefer said.

Ashley waited in the hall. He closed the exam room door behind him. The reporter and cameraman were walking toward the waiting area.

“Why're you making this so difficult?” she demanded, before he could say anything.

“Because that woman in there needs to be in the hospital. She's going to lose that toe. If she waits much longer she could lose her entire foot. I don't think that's something that should be said in front of a camera.”

Ashley's mouth formed an O of comprehension.

“That's right, oh. Now, if we're done here I'll see about making arrangements to have her admitted.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'll see that she gets there. I know she lives alone and will need a ride. That's probably why she hasn't been seeing a doctor regularly.”

Kiefer had to admit Ashley's focus turned quickly to compassion and willingness to help. Despite her appearance of having a one-track mind, only concerned about her agenda, she genuinely seemed to have the woman's best interests at heart.

She headed down the hall toward the reporter and Kiefer returned to Mrs. McGuire.

He took the chair again and explained the situation to his patient.

Mrs. McGuire surprised him with her reaction when she said, “I'm not going to the hospital. Nothing good happens there.”

That wasn't generally true but in her case it might be. Kiefer wasn't sure if her prognosis might be worse than he'd anticipated. At a knock on the door he said, “Come in.”

Ashley entered. “Mrs. McGuire, I'm going to drive you to the hospital.”

“I'm not going.”

Ashley's eyes widened as she gave Mrs. McGuire an incredulous look. “Why not?”

“Because I don't want a bunch of people I don't know poking at me.”

“Please, Mrs. McGuire, you need to have your foot seen to. I'll be there with you. Didn't Dr. Bradford tell you how important this is to your health?”

“I did,” Kiefer said.

“I understand the doctor is trying to help but I'll be all right.” Mrs. McGuire started putting on her sock. “I'll just give it a good soak and it'll get better like it always has.”

Kiefer leaned forward, capturing her gaze. “That might work for a little while but not forever, and when it stops you'll be in bigger trouble. Please reconsider.”

Ashley placed her hand on his shoulder. He was far too conscious of it remaining there as she said, “Dr. Bradford, would you let me speak to Mrs. McGuire for a second?”

“Sure.” He left. What did Ashley have to say that couldn't be said in front of him? As he went into the next exam room he saw the reporter and cameraman still standing in the waiting room.

A few minutes later Ashley stopped him in the hall. “If you'll make all the arrangements, I'll take Mrs. McGuire to the hospital as soon as we go by her house and pack a bag.”

Ashley could work miracles. “What did you say to get her to go?”

She grinned. “What's said between two women stays between two women.”

“That's not been my experience.”

She looked at him with her chin tilted to one side. “Why, Doctor, I do believe you're a bit jaded.”

“No, I've lived long enough to know differently. But it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you convinced her.”

CHAPTER THREE

A
SHLEY
 
DROVE
 
HOME
 
well after dark. She'd got Mrs. McGuire settled in the hospital, but not happily so. Her only hope was that Mrs. McGuire would stay long enough to get the care she needed. Now having the clinic in the neighborhood, the older woman would have a place to go to for care. The clinic was already making a difference.

If only it had been around that day for Lizzy.

As she drove by the front door of the clinic she saw a couple of boys on either side of it. They were pushing over the urns. Ashley honked her horn and their heads jerked up. She recognized them as members of Marko's gang. Rolling down the window, she hollered, “Hey, stop that!”

That was all it took for them to take off running.

With a sigh, she parked and climbed out. She walked over to see how big a mess had been made. It was late, she was tired and didn't feel like cleaning it up. But if she didn't do it now, what was left of the flowers would be dead by morning. She reached the door just as it was opened. She almost fell but Kiefer's strong hands gripped her shoulders and steadied her. Her heart beat faster. She wasn't sure if it was from surprise or from the jolt of having him touch her.

“Y-you scared me. I d-didn't expect you to still be here,” she stammered.

He let her go. Disappointment washed over her. Not a feeling she should be having.

Kiefer stepped out. “I was finishing up some paperwork and getting ready to head home when I heard something going on out here. I came to check it out.”

She waved her hand around. “A couple of kids have been busy.”

“More like Marko trying to make a point.”

He was right but she wasn't going to let him know that. “I'd like to just consider it a prank. I've got to get this cleaned up.”

“Can't it wait?”

“The flowers could die overnight.” Ashley started picking up the plants.

“Ah, a woman and her flowers.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just that women have a thing for flowers.” He handed her part of a plant.

“You sound pretty cynical. Someone used flowers against you?”

“Something like that. Why don't you get the broom and dustpan?” Kiefer began picking up pieces of the broken urns and putting them into a pile near the wall of the building. “I'll get started cleaning this up.”

It was nice of him to offer to help. “You've had a long day. Go on home and I'll see to this.”

“I'm not leaving you out here by yourself after this happened. So forget it. Get the broom and dustpan.”

“Don't tell me what to do.”

“I wouldn't have to if you weren't so hardheaded,” he retorted as he continued to work.

Ashley put her hands on her hips and glared at him. It gave her little satisfaction because he wasn't looking at her. “I am not hardheaded.”

“You're sure acting that way. I've made a simple offer of help and you're still standing there.”

“Are you always so bossy?” Ashley glared down at the top of his head.

He looked over his shoulder at her. “Are you?”

With a huff, she stomped through the door and down the hall. Kiefer's chuckle followed her. She hadn't enjoyed growing up with a father controlling her every move and she sure didn't like Kiefer telling her what to do. It was time to make that clear to him. She snatched the cleaning supplies out of the closet along with a bucket and returned to the front door. Kiefer had all the pieces picked up and the flowers laid off to the side.

“I tried to save your flowers but I'm not sure they're going to live.”

He really was making an effort at being helpful. Maybe she could cut him some slack. “Thanks. I was afraid of that. Would you like to do the honors of sweeping or holding the pan?”

“I'll take the pan.” His hand brushed hers as she handed it to him. A shiver went through her.

“I rather like the idea of you at my feet,” Ashley said as she swept the dirt into a pile.

“Don't get carried away with the idea.” Kiefer held the pan while she moved the dirt into it then dumped it into the bucket. “Maybe if we put the flowers in here they might make it.”

“Sounds good to me.” She went back to sweeping. It was nice not having to clean up all by herself.

A few minutes later Kiefer said, “I think that's got it.”

“I'll carry the broom and pan in if you don't mind bringing in the flowers. You can just set them beside the door.” Her body skimmed his as he waited for her to enter ahead of him. Why did the most insignificant touch between them make her heart flutter?

After putting the bucket on the floor, he said, “I'm going to call it a night. Lock up. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Hey, you didn't even ask about Mrs. McGuire.”

“I'd just got off the phone with her doctor when I heard the crash out here. She's doing fine. I plan to visit her before I get here in the morning.”

He really was a good doctor. “Thanks for what you did for her today.”

“No big deal. All in a day's work.”

“It's a big deal to Mrs. McGuire and the people around here.”
And to me.

Kiefer nodded. “I'm just glad I could help.” He grinned. “And I didn't have to spend too much time at your feet.”

* * *

The next morning just after sunrise Ashley woke to the sound of large vehicles pulling into the parking lot. Crawling out of bed, she went to the window and looked down to find a truck towing a power pole. It pulled to the end of the lot closest to the iron stairs leading to her front door. Behind it was another truck with an industrial posthole digger attached.

What was going on?

She'd been trying for months to get a streetlight put in near the lot. More than once she'd been informed that it wasn't going to happen. Now all of a sudden the power company was showing up. She watched as Kiefer's black truck turned into the lot and took a spot out of the way of the trucks. He climbed out and walked over to one of the men from the power company.

Ashley quickly pulled on a long housecoat and hurried down the hall to her apartment door. Stepping outside onto the small iron deck, she leaned down over the rail. “What's going on?”

Kiefer looked at her. “Harold and his crew are going to put a security light in for you.”

“I knew nothing about this.”

“I called in a favor.”

Ashley pressed her lips together. The light was needed but she didn't want Kiefer taking it upon himself to see that she got it. She could take care of herself, get things done without his influence. After years of fighting against stifling concern, she wouldn't let it take over her life again. She could grow to trust and depend on him. What if she did and he disappointed her? “I wish you hadn't done that.”

He climbed the stairs. “What do you mean? You know this light is needed.”

“I do, but what I don't need is someone trying to take care of me.”

Kiefer joined her on the landing. She suddenly felt small and underdressed with him standing next to her in his golf-style shirt, tan slacks and loafers. He made her think of things that could happen between them that were better left alone. Her nipples tightened in reaction to his nearness and she crossed her arms over her breasts.

“What brought that on? You said the other night that you'd been trying to get a light installed out here and I just asked the hospital administrator to give the power company a call.”

“Okay. I appreciate your efforts.” She turned to go inside.

“You still didn't answer my question. What's the chip on your shoulder about people being concerned about your welfare?”

She turned to glare at him. “I spent most of my life with overprotective parents, especially my father. It took me a long time to break away and I'm not going to let anyone control my life like that again.”

Kiefer's shoulders and head went back. “Whoa, I didn't expect that blast.”

“Then you shouldn't have asked.” She opened the door, entered and closed it firmly between her and the man who saw too much and managed to send her emotions into a tailspin.

* * *

Kiefer hefted a cement urn out of the bed of his truck. He was glad he'd backed up to the front door, instead of trying to carry it across the parking lot. It weighed more than he'd anticipated. The man at the garden shop had loaded the two pots for him. He had asked for their sturdiest and apparently had got his request. Positioning the urn beside the door, he returned to the truck for a bag of potting soil.

After Ashley's reaction to him arranging for the security light, he probably shouldn't be replacing the flowers without discussing it with her, but he'd not seen her again. She'd left just after daylight, that much he knew, because her car was no longer parked near her stairs.

He poured half the bag of dirt into the pot. What he couldn't figure out was her over-the-top reaction to him trying to help. The security light just made good sense. Was she one of those women who didn't want anything done unless she was the one to do it? She probably wouldn't like him replacing the flowers but she would just have to get over it. He'd tell her it was for the clinic and not her. That he was confident she would accept.

Why he cared he had no idea. After what Brittney had done to him he'd promised himself not to care about a woman one way or another and here he was planting flowers for one who wouldn't be grateful. Brittney liked flowers. She'd kept fresh ones in a vase all the time. It had turned out some of those had been from Josh.

Stepping inside, he used more force than necessary and picked up the bucket with the dirt and flowers he and Ashley had rescued the night before. Kiefer took a deep breath then headed outside. He was doing this during the only lag in patients he'd had in the last two days. Instead of eating lunch, he was out here planting flowers, something that was well out of his wheelhouse. He really needed to get a move on so he was done before a patient showed up. He'd handle Ashley's reaction when the time came.

That was sooner than he'd expected. He was in the waiting room, speaking to Margaret about how he would like the charting handled, when the sound of heels on the old pine planks of the floor headed in his direction. Kiefer didn't have to guess who the
clip-clip
belonged to.

Ashley joined him and Margaret at the old office desk being used as Reception. “Hey, Margaret, how's it going?”

“Fine. We've been busy.”

“Great. At least we can prove to the council that the clinic is needed.” She turned to him. “Dr. Bradford, could I speak to you for a minute?”

Kiefer didn't like her tone. It reminded him of when he was in trouble and his mother used his full name. Ashley must have noticed the flowers, on which he believed he'd done an exceptional job.

He followed her down the hall. She wore a pencil skirt and dark hose that made her slim legs look sexy. He'd always been a legs man and hers were some of the finest he'd ever seen. The swish of her hips did something to his libido as well. He shouldn't get involved with a controlling, political do-gooder. She wasn't his type and even if she had been he'd sworn off women. He'd been kicked in the teeth and wasn't going to put himself in that position again. Still, he could look and appreciate, couldn't he?

Ashley stepped into his tiny office. He joined her and closed the door. She regarded at the door as if she feared she might have made a tactical error.

“What's going on that you thought we needed to talk alone?” He was taking the offensive before she could.

“I, uh, I noticed the flowers out front. I'm assuming you did them.”

“I did.”

“You know that isn't part of your job description...”

Kiefer took a step closer and she moved back until her bottom was against the desk. He pinned her with a look. “I do, but it needed to be done and I wanted the guys that did the destruction to know that the clinic was here to stay. I also had the security light erected for the patients as well as you. Soon it'll be getting darker earlier.”

She gave him a perplexed look. Maybe he'd managed to stymie her. Something she'd not been for the entire time he'd known her.

“I thought—”

“That I'd done it for you?” He took a half a step closer. There was that fresh-baked cookie smell again. He wanted to breathe deeply, take it in. He raised a brow. “You made it perfectly clear the evening we met that you didn't need my help.”

“I guess I did.”

Apparently when she didn't have the upper hand she could be dealt with rather easily. “Well, if we have that cleared up then I'll get back to my patients.”

“Before you go I have one other thing to discuss with you.” Her voice had taken on the tone of authority again.

“Yes?” He looked down his nose at her.

“Next Saturday is the community block party. You will need to attend.”

“Is that a request or a demand?”

Ashley's eyes widened. “Why, I'm asking.”

“That's not what it sounded like.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight, Doctor?”

He leaned toward her. “No, I'm just trying to remind you that I'm not one of your subjects.”

“S-subjects?” she stuttered.

Ashley truly looked as if she had no idea she'd become so wrapped up in what she wanted that she'd forgotten that others might have different ideas or plans. “I'm not employed by you. I like to be asked to do something, not told. Especially when it has to do with my spare time.”

She huffed. “Would you please come to the block party?”

He acted as if he was giving it a great deal of thought before he said, “I'll be there. Do I need to bring something?”