Judy Duarte: Healing Dr Fortune

She smiled at the child in her arms, his little eyes closed, his lips still tugging at the nipple.

“So how did things go for you today?” Max asked, as he plopped down on the sofa. “Did the baby give you any trouble? “

“We had a good day.” She didn’t dare tell him that she’d taken Anthony to the clinic. She had to tread carefully with Max these days, not make him feel as though she was backing him into a corner. All she needed was for him to resent her interference, bolt and take little Anthony with him.

If he were to leave, where would he live? How would he support himself and a baby?

“How’s your own job search coming?” he asked. “Did you get any nibbles from the résumés you filed with those online applications? “

“I’m still waiting to hear something.” But she wouldn’t actively seek a full-time position until Max found work and knew what his options were for day care.

“So you don’t have any interviews scheduled?”

“No, but I’m really not worried yet.” She had a healthy savings account, so she’d been able to pay the mortgage—so far.

“You know,” Max said, “I’ve been thinking. The Red Rock Medical Center offers low-cost checkups. Maybe I ought to take Anthony one day next week.”

Kirsten nearly jumped out of her chair, but she reeled in her excitement, knowing it was best to let Max think the whole idea had been his all along. Apparently, her hints had sunk in after she’d dropped the subject and let it go.

“You’re probably right,” she finally said in a ho-hum sort of way. “I could …” She caught herself, realizing that Max wanted to do the right thing, but for some reason, it was important for him to make those kinds of decisions on his own. “Well, I could look up the website on the computer and give you a phone number—in case you want to set up an appointment or ask questions.”

He seemed to think on that for a while, then he said, “Sure, that would be okay.”

She slowly released the breath she’d been holding.

Max wasn’t a kid anymore. And he wasn’t as irresponsible as he’d once been. She needed to remember that. She also needed to respect his decisions—whatever they were. And if that meant minding her sisterly Ps and Qs, then so be it.

“Do you think Courtney would have taken Anthony for his shots?” she asked.

He’d refused to call Courtney, but maybe Kirsten could nudge him just a bit.

Max seemed to ponder that for a moment. “She used to hate going to the doctor herself, so something tells me she wouldn’t have worried about taking Anthony.”

Well, Courtney certainly hadn’t appeared to have a very strong maternal instinct, but Kirsten bit her tongue, reminding herself to keep quiet and to let Max come to his own conclusions about his child’s mother.

“I guess it’s good that you’re going to be the one raising him,” Kirsten said. “He’s going to need a daddy like you.”

Max shrugged, although the hint of a smile suggested that her comment had pleased him. And she was glad that it had. Their relationship had taken a real turn for the better today, even if she was the one who’d learned a valuable lesson in dealing with Max, in trusting him to do the right thing.

“Do you want to go with me when I take Anthony to the clinic?” he asked.

The question both surprised and delighted her—but not because she needed to be involved in Anthony’s care. She was happy to see that her relationship with her brother was finally on the mend.

“Sure,” she said. “I can go with you as long as I don’t have an interview scheduled.”

“Thanks. I’d like you to be there. I’m not sure I want to see someone poke him with a needle.”

Kirsten wasn’t excited about seeing that, either.

“You know,” Max said, “since things might change for you anytime on the job front, maybe I ought to schedule that appointment tomorrow. Would that be better for you?”

She bit down on her bottom lip, as though giving her schedule some real thought. “Yes, it would. I don’t have anything planned for tomorrow.”

“Good, then I’ll call the clinic in the morning.”

“All right. Just let me know what they tell you.”

But she already knew. She’d called today, and they’d told her that her best chance of being seen today—when it wasn’t an emergency—was to come in and wait her turn.

The thought of returning to the Red Rock Medical Center turned her heart on end, but not just because they would finally learn whether Anthony was as healthy as he appeared to be.

She was also hoping she’d run into a certain orthopedic surgeon.

Uh-oh. If she did see him again, and if he mentioned to Max anything about meeting her and Anthony in the parking lot … well, that might dash the strides they’d made in healing their relationship.

If so, she would just have to come clean with Max. And if he blew up about it? Then she’d face the consequences.

He might get angry and tell her to go home, which meant she’d miss out on spending further time with the handsome doctor. And that would be a shame.

Even after a stop at the bookstore, Jeremy still arrived early at Red, one of the most popular restaurants in town.

Jose and Maria Mendoza, longtime friends of the Fortune family, had converted the old hacienda into a classy, romantic eatery with antique furnishings, woven tapestries and carefully selected pieces of Tejano art that nearly matched the original décor, much of which had been damaged two years ago in a fire which had turned out to be a case of arson. The Mendozas had been forced to close for a while. But with time and a great deal of effort, they’d restored the landmark.

As Jeremy entered, he was welcomed by Marcos Mendoza, who was temporarily managing Red for Jose and Maria. Some might think the handsome and personable young man had landed his position because of his relationship with the owners, but Jeremy knew that wasn’t the case. Since taking over, Marcos had instigated some innovative and productive changes behind the scenes, and the restaurant seemed to be busier and more popular than ever.

“Welcome back to Red, Doc.” Marcos reached out his arm in greeting. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad.” Jeremy shook the younger man’s hand. “How about you? “

“Life is good. I can’t complain.” Marcos scanned the entry before returning his gaze to Jeremy. “Are you meeting someone? “

“My brother Drew and his wife.”

“Then I’ll take you back to the alcove. It’ll give you a little more privacy. And when they arrive, I’ll let them know where you are.”

“Thanks.” Jeremy usually preferred to eat in the courtyard, with the old-world style fountain that had been handcrafted with blue-and-white Mexican tile.

The Mendozas had heaters to make outdoor dining comfortable in the winter months, but it was already sprinkling, and the colorful umbrellas that provided shade from the sun weren’t going to keep the rain off them.

As Marcos grabbed three menus, he asked, “When did the newlyweds get back from Vegas?”

The couple had eloped, and while it wasn’t a secret, some of the details were sketchy. “They flew in last night.”

“Oh, yeah? So they’ll be staying in Red Rock?”

“I’m not sure what their plans are.” Drew ran the San Diego office of Fortune Forecasting—although he’d been overseeing the entire operation in William’s absence. And Deanna was his assistant. There was just so much that could be done via conference calls and email, so they’d both need to go back to work soon. But like Jeremy, Drew had been waiting on word about their father.