Hot-Shot Doc Comes to Town

“Why?”

“I thought I’d help.”

“I’ve got it.”

Really, she was such a control freak that she even had to do all the cleaning? “It’ll go twice as fast if I help.”

“You’re right. Stuff’s in the closet in my office.”

Taylor walked down the hall to the office and pulled the bucket full of cleaning materials out of the closet. The plastic pail was the same type his mother had carried when she’d cleaned people’s homes. She had worked six days a week and even that hadn’t always kept him and his two brothers in clothes or put food on the table. His drunken father …

“If you’ll give me that, I’ll do the restroom. I don’t want you to mess up those pretty shoes,” Shelby said.

“Oh, that’s already happened. Little Jack Purdy threw up on them hours ago.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry.”

“All part of the job. I’ll sweep. Then can we get out of here.”

“Yeah, I’ll come in early and set up the rooms.”

Was there anything she didn’t do?

Thirty minutes later Shelby locked the door behind them and pulled the strap of her satchel over her slim shoulder. “Follow me.”

He backed out of the parking space and was waiting before she’d made it to the ancient black pick-up across the three-row parking lot. He watched as Shelby pulled herself up into the truck. She was a petite woman, but she had a strong backbone to make up for any weakness she might have in other areas. A pit bull had nothing on her.

The whine of Shelby’s starter refusing to co-operate and her hand hitting the steering-wheel told him he needed to offer her a lift. Taylor pulled in front of the truck. “Need a ride?”

She leaned out the open window. “Yeah, much as I hate to admit it.”

“Is that riding with me you hate or that the truck won’t start?”

“Both.” She gave him a dry smile and climbed out of the truck, hefted her bag over her shoulder and came around the car.

He’d had no idea what to expect when the judge had ordered him here. He would’ve never imagined in a million years he’d find someone so smart, stubborn and surprisingly fascinating hiding out in some tiny ‘burb in the middle of nowhere. Why was she here?

Taylor leaned across and unlatched the passenger door. Stretching farther, he pushed the door open. “Give me that.” He pointed to the bag. Shelby handed it to him. “What’ve you got in this?” He put it in the space behind them.

“Charts.” She slid into the low seat.

“You’re taking work home? You’ve already put in, what? A twelve-hour day and now you’re going to do paperwork. Don’t you have a life?”

“The clinic is my life.”

He gave her a long look. “I can see that.”

She narrowed her eyes and said, “By the way, tomorrow please park away from the door. Leave the closer spaces for my patients. Some, like Mrs. Ferguson, can’t walk very far.”

He put up a hand. “Okay. I’ve been adequately rebuked. Which way?”

“Out of the lot and then to the left on the main road. My house isn’t far.”

That figured. She wouldn’t live too far from her precious clinic. The only thing he’d ever been single-mindedly focused on had been getting the heck out of a town just like the one he was in now. Medicine had been the vehicle he’d used to achieve that goal. His lips twisted. Ironically, it had also been the vehicle that had brought him back.

“Turn to the left just past the white two-story house. My house is the third one on the right.”

He pulled into the tree-lined street with perfect houses and immaculate lawns. The neighbors were out in the coolness of the evening. Two couples stood talking to each other while kids played nearby. At another house a man mowed his grass.

“True suburbia,” Taylor murmured.

“Yes, it is and that’s why I bought on this street. I wanted to live where neighbors spoke to each other, helped each other. Where children could play and be safe.”

His stomach clinched. The scene she described was everything he’d ever dreamed of as a kid. Slowly releasing a breath, he pulled his car into the paved drive Shelby indicated. The house was a red-brick ranch style with a two-story detached wooden garage and stairs running along the outside.

“You’ll be staying there.” Shelby pointed at the garage when he turned off the car engine.

“I’m staying here?” If working in the makeshift clinic wasn’t bad enough, staying in this homey neighborhood might kill him. “With you?”

“You’re not staying with me. I rent this out. It just happens I don’t have a tenant right now.”

Things had just got more interesting.

She glanced over her shoulder to the neighbors watching from across the street, then turned to him and grinned. “You’ve already started the neighbors talking. We don’t often see cars like this in Benton.”

“I guess you don’t.” Taylor felt his lips thin. He didn’t like being talked about. He’d spent his youth being the topic of gossip, being made fun of. At least these people weren’t talking about him in relationship to the town drunk.

Her smile had disappeared by the time his gaze met hers. “You know, if you don’t want people to notice you then you might try not living so extravagantly.” She opened the door and climbed out, picking up her satchel.

How had she read him so well? Were his feelings that obvious? He’d spent years learning to hide them. How had this woman he known mere hours been able to see through him?

Taylor stepped out of the car and slammed the door, facing her. “Extravagantly?” His voice rose. “I’ll have you know I work hard for what I have. I can afford this car and I don’t have to justify it to you or anyone else.”

“Little touchy, aren’t you?” she replied with a noticeable effort to keep her voice down.

“Everything okay, Shelby?” a deep voice called.

Taylor glared at the man who had crossed the street to stand at the end of her drive. Small towns never changed. People were always in your business.

She walked a few steps toward the man and waved. “Everything’s fine, Mr. Marshall. I’m just showing Dr. Stiles where he’ll be staying while he’s in town.”

Taylor went to the trunk of the car, popped it and grabbed his suitcase.

“Okay,” Mr. Marshall said. “We’ll see you at the block party, won’t we?”

“Sure. Looking forward to it.”

“Bring the new doctor along if you wish. We’d like to meet him.”