Teresa Southwick - Her Maverick M.d.

She walked inside. “Mom?”

“In here.”

Dawn passed the unfurnished living and dining rooms on her way to the kitchen where the voice had come from. “Hey.”

Glory Laramie was sitting at the small, inexpensive dinette set in the breakfast nook. She was in her forties but looked at least ten years younger. Her strawberry blond hair was cut in a pixie style that highlighted her high cheekbones and pretty blue eyes. Folks said Dawn had her mom’s eyes and she hoped so. They were the window to the soul and Glory’s was honest, hardworking and loyal.

“There’s a plate for you in the fridge. I can microwave it.”

“I’ll do it in a little while. Right now I just want to get off my feet for a few minutes.” She sat across from her mother and noticed there were sample paint chips on the table. Glory always picked them up when she was frustrated about the length of time it was taking to accumulate enough money to do a fixer-upper project.

“You look tired. More than usual.”

Dawn chalked that up to the strain Clifton created, but she didn’t want to talk about it. “I have a rent check for you.”

Glory heaved a sigh. “It doesn’t seem right to take your money. I love having you here with me.”

“That’s what you say every month. And my response is always the same.”

“I know.” Her mom went into the shtick. “You’re a grown woman and should have your own place but there’s not a lot to choose from in this small town and the money will help me fix this place up.”

“That’s right.” Dawn glanced around the room at the new drywall that had yet to be painted. “The extra money will speed up your timetable.”

Glory nodded and smiled when she looked around. “I only feel a little guilty that someone’s misfortune made it possible for me to buy a home of my own.”

“You’re not responsible for that awful flood a couple years ago that damaged so much of the town.”

“I know.” Glory sighed. “But I hope the family who walked away from this house has a nice place to live again.”

“I’m sure they’re fine. And it’s not like this place was move-in ready when you bought it from the bank. You’ve already got a lot of sweat equity in it.”

“It had to be livable. Appliances, flooring, window coverings.”

“That you made yourself. And don’t forget the yard,” Dawn reminded her.

“You helped.”

“Oh, please. I fetched and carried while you worked magic. If I even look at a plant it threatens to shrivel up and die.”

Glory laughed, and then amusement faded. “There’s so much I want to do. But—”

“One step at a time. Right now we have a roof over our heads and walls around us. I know there’s a lot of work ahead, but it will happen. Your house-cleaning business is thriving, what with the new contract at the medical clinic. You’re a successful businesswoman.”

“Which no one thought would happen when I was eighteen, married and pregnant—not necessarily in that order.”

Dawn smiled for her mom’s benefit but she could remember her parents fighting and the night when Glory dragged Dawn and Marina, her older sister, into the local bar to confront Hank. He was drinking and flirting with a woman who worked there. After Glory divorced him he wasn’t around much but he hadn’t been even before that.

He’d stood the girls up for scheduled visitations, rarely paid child support and hardly ever showed up for holidays or birthdays. Her mom had nothing but a high school diploma and two little girls to support. She was the one who nursed them, helped with homework, taught them about being a family and encouraged them to have a career and not rely on a man for money.

Glory had no marketable skill except cleaning a house until it gleamed from top to bottom. But it was always someone else’s house. For years she’d dreamed of having a home of her own. Now she did.

Dawn reached across the table and squeezed her mother’s hand. “You should be incredibly proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished.”

“I am.” Glory scooped her daughter’s hand into her own. “But more than that, I’m proud of my girls. Marina is a teacher. You’re a nurse. It’s so rewarding to see both of you successful.”

In her mother’s blue eyes Dawn could see maternal delight and pleasure. She never wanted to see disappointment take its place. And that’s what would happen if Glory knew the main reason she’d quit her job at the hospital and taken the one at the clinic was because of the scandal. It hadn’t been her fault but that didn’t matter. He was a doctor and she was just a nurse.

“Is everything okay, sweetie?”

“Hmm?” Dawn blinked away the painful memories and put a fake smile on her face. “Yeah. Why?”

“You look like something’s bothering you.”

“Busy day.”

“Anything exciting happen?”

Glory asked her this almost every day when she came home from work. Mostly Dawn gave a generic answer. Even if there had been something medically electrifying, privacy laws prevented her from discussing it.

But today something exciting had happened and not in a good way. It was the last thing she wanted to talk about but if she tried to dodge the question her mom would suspect something. She and Marina could never put anything over on this woman.

Dawn took a deep, cleansing breath. “The new doctor showed up today.”

“Didn’t you tell me he’s a pediatrician?”

“That’s right,” she confirmed. “Emmet seems really impressed with him.”

“What’s he like?”

Gorgeous. Cheerful. Gorgeous. Good-natured. Did she mention gorgeous? And empathetic. The babies seemed to like him, but Dawn wanted to hide in the break room. She didn’t particularly want to discuss any of that, though.

“It’s hard to know what he’s like yet.”

“What does he look like?” Glory persisted.

A movie star. A male model. He could play a doctor on TV. “He’s nice looking, I guess. Average. Probably wouldn’t have to walk down the street with a bag over his head.”

“There’s high praise.” Her mother laughed. “Is he single?”

A knot twisted in Dawn’s stomach. It was as if her mother could read her mind. She forced a nonchalance into her voice that she didn’t feel. “I don’t know. The subject didn’t come up.”

“It really must have been busy.” Glory’s tone was wry.

“Yeah.” Her mom was implying that the women of Rust Creek Falls Medical Clinic pried personal information out of people. That was probably true, but not today.

“Is something wrong, sweetie?”

Hopefully not; she wouldn’t let there be. “No. Like you said. I’m just tired.”

“It seems like more. As if something’s bothering you.”

She must look bad. That was the third time her mother mentioned it. “It was just a long day.” A change of subject would be good. “And an interesting first day for Dr. Clifton since Jamie Stockton came in with the triplets.”

And he’d handled it brilliantly, she thought.

“Those poor little motherless angels.” Glory smiled sadly. “The volunteers who help him out say that the babies are getting big and are totally adorable.”

“All true.” Dawn was relieved that her mom was distracted, as she’d intended. “Jamie is very grateful for the help.”

“It’s hard to imagine dealing with three needy infants at the same time.” Glory shook her head sympathetically. “I know how hard it is to be alone with one baby.”

“You said Hank wasn’t around much.” Dawn didn’t call him dad. He hadn’t earned it.

“That’s why I know about caring for a baby without help. But he and I were awfully young to be parents.” Suddenly her mother wouldn’t make eye contact.