Hot-Shot Doc Comes to Town

The way Shelby’s big gray eyes looked stormy when she was mad and turned soft and sad when she worried over a patient pulled at him. Even her sharp tongue didn’t squelch his anxiety for the turbocharged woman.

Reassured Shelby was safely home, Taylor rolled over and punched his pillow, knowing he could now find sleep. He’d no idea why it mattered to him what she did. Shelby had been fine before he’d arrived and she’d be fine after he left.

But who would be there for her when she needed a shoulder to lean on next time?

CHAPTER THREE

THURSDAY evening Shelby pulled into her drive well after dark. She’d stayed late at the clinic to finish some charting. Now her plan was to spend the next few hours working on grant applications. She had to find some long-term help for the clinic soon or the state would shut it down. Taylor had made it abundantly clear he wouldn’t be the answer to her problem.

The old truck rattled to a stop when Shelby shut it off. She regarded the sports car in front of her. She’d always liked nice cars but her parents were supportive but practical people who didn’t encourage that type of extravagance. Shelby couldn’t really see herself ever owning such a fancy vehicle. She was the wrong type of doctor, in the wrong area of the world, to even drive one. Still, a girl could appreciate a nice ride.

A movement in the garage window caught her attention. Taylor stood silhouetted there. He wore no shirt and was talking on the phone. Shelby’s attention was riveted to his wide shoulders that tapered to a trim waist. Sliding down in the seat, she hoped he wouldn’t see her and think she’d already gone into the house. His pants rode low on his hips. He must work out. A lot. She’d say his efforts were worth it.

Frustration welled within her. She had no business even noticing him. There could never be anything real between them. She had to keep reminding herself of that. He wasn’t staying and she refused to care then be hurt when he left. She’d barely lived through that pain before and she couldn’t do it again.

Taylor put a hand above his head and stretched. Shelby sucked in a breath. Good heavens. Her heart went into overdrive. Ignoring him was going to be much more difficult than she imagined. The tingle of desire that had lay dormant since Jim’s death had returned, heating her from the inside out, catching her by surprise. She needed to go into the house. Stand under the air-conditioning vent. Her reaction to this well-built man was way over the top.

How would she get inside without looking like she’d become a peeping Tomette? She grinned. At least she hadn’t lost her sense of humor even though she’d lost her mind. With relief, and disappointment she didn’t want to examine, Taylor moved away from the window.

Gathering her bag, she opened the truck door and slid out. Closing the door with less force than usual, she accused herself of being silly. This was her house, her drive, her neighborhood. Seeing Taylor Stiles’s chest from a distance wasn’t that big a deal. She’d even seen it up close. As a doctor she’d seen all kinds of half-naked men.

Yeah, but chests as fine as Taylor’s were few and far between. Great. Now she was starting to think like Carly. Lifting her shoulders and standing taller, Shelby walked to the back door. Why hadn’t she left the porch light on?

“I was wondering how long it would take you to get out of the truck.”

Shelby jumped, dropping her bag. “What’re you doing, sneaking up on me?”

“I wasn’t sneaking. I came down the stairs like I always do. Your mind must’ve been on something else.”

Thankful for the shadows, she didn’t want to contemplate what her mind had been on and she certainly didn’t need him to see the guilt covering her face.

“I wanted to speak to you a minute,” Taylor said.

Shelby retrieved her bag. “Could we make it quick? I’m really not up for some long discussion right now. All I want is a sandwich and to get to bed early.”

“Why don’t you get that sandwich while we talk?” He followed her up the steps. “I wouldn’t mind having one too.”

She reached inside and flipped on the light switches for the kitchen and the outside. Glancing around at him, she was relieved to find he’d pulled on a T-shirt before coming out to meet her. “Do you make it a habit of inviting yourself into people’s homes? To meals? Anyway, I thought you finally agreed to go to Vinnie’s with Carly and her boyfriend. I heard her begging you to go.”

“That was hours ago. I’ve a pretty big appetite.”

Suddenly hers was gone. Her mouth went dry. Her mind was going places it shouldn’t. That she didn’t want it to go.

“Shelby?”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you going inside?”

Shelby opened the screen door and entered the kitchen, dropping her bag in one of the kitchen chairs. Taylor followed her.

“Hey, I still didn’t say you could come in.”

“Awe, come on, Shelby. Have pity on a hungry man with nothing in his pantry. Share a sandwich.”

With a sigh, she said, “Okay, one sandwich and tell me what you need, then you’re out of here.”

The large family kitchen shrank, taking on a more intimate feel with Taylor in it. To cover her unease, Shelby gathered the sandwich fixings. Having Taylor in her home made them seem like more than colleagues. Maybe friends? In just a few short days. Could a woman be just friends with someone who exuded all-male sex-appeal as Taylor did? No, she needed to protect herself. He’d never settle here and she’d never be someone’s two-week stand.

Placing the bread, ham, cheese and condiments on the table, Shelby poured two glasses of iced tea. She set Taylor’s glass before him, taking special care not to touch him. Taking the chair opposite him, she reached for the bread. Her hand circled the mustard bottle at the same time his did. His fingers brushed across hers. Their warmth against the coolness of hers made her shiver. She let the bottle go but Taylor’s touch lingered.

“Ladies first,” he quipped, going after the cheese instead.

A sense of disgust filled her. She was acting like a ninny and he wasn’t even affected. After her meltdown the other day, he probably wasn’t surprised by the way she acted.

Taking a sip of tea, she carefully set the glass down and finished making her sandwich. She’d never let him know that even his casual touch rattled her. She took a restorative breath and said, “So what do you want to talk about?”

“I was wondering if the clinic is open on the weekends. I have a date for the opera in Nashville and need to know if I should cancel it.”

It shouldn’t have surprised her that Taylor might have a love interest back home but until then she’d not given it any thought. He’d said there was no family but that didn’t mean he didn’t have someone special waiting for his return. One he obviously missed. A girlfriend. The prick of rejection caught her unawares. Why should she feel that way? There wasn’t anything between them.