Jo Leigh - Doctor, Darling

GILLIAN BATES put the key in the lock of her classroom as she tried to remember if she’d defrosted the chicken for tonight’s supper. So when she turned and Felicia Goodwin was right there, Gillian gasped.

“Did you hear?” Felicia asked, not even apologizing for scaring Gillian half to death.

“Hear what?”

“That doctor Axel was talking about. He’s here.”

“What doctor?”

“You know. The one who’s all hot and bothered about that old medical crap Axel keeps in his store.”

“Oh, that doctor,” Gillian said, not having a clue what Felicia was going on about. She started down the hallway of the only school in Miller’s Landing. All the kids had gone except for Janice’s music class. Gillian heard the cry of an ill elephant emanating from the cafeteria and knew that Cory Tracy was practicing his tuba.

“Yes, that doctor,” Felicia said. “Only he’s not what we thought.”

“No?”

“No. He’s young. And he’s damn good-looking.”

“Really?” Gillian knew what was coming. It was as if a single woman—a single mother—was anathema to the whole town. She’d been living in Miller’s Landing for four and a half years, and not a week had gone by when someone didn’t bring up her marital status. She used to get upset about it. Now, she ignored it.

“I saw him myself,” Felicia went on. “I was just coming out of Lulu’s. She’s got some new dresses in, and some of them are just awful, but I did see one or two that would look good on you.”

They reached the exit, and Gillian pushed open the door, letting Felicia go out first.

“He walked right by me.” Felicia reached into the pocket of her denim dress and brought out a crinkled pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

“Did he?” Gillian asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. Or at least not deathly bored. But her mind wasn’t on the conversation with her neighbor. She was looking for Eli, who had gone to the playground after class to wait for her. She led Felicia, who paused twice while she tried to light her awful cigarette, to the back of the school. As soon as Gillian saw Eli on the swings, she smiled. He was having a grand time, swinging as high as his little legs would push him. The sight of him made everything in her world perfect.

“He’s a tall young man,” Felicia said. “Well over six feet if you ask me. Taller than Bradley, that’s for sure, and Bradley’s just a hair under six feet himself.”

Gillian tried not to laugh. Bradley, Felicia’s oldest, was maybe five foot six, at least when he had his boots on.

“And he’s got dark hair. Nice and thick. I tell you, he’s a looker.”

“That’s fascinating, Felicia. But I’m sure the nice doctor has a nice wife living in his nice home somewhere far away from here.”

“Houston. He’s from Houston. And we don’t know if he has a wife or not.”

“If he’s that good-looking, I’d be surprised if he didn’t.”

That made Felicia think. She came to a halt, inhaled a lungful of smoke, then let the smoke out slowly, obscuring the puzzled look on her face for a moment.

“Mom!”

“Hey, cute stuff!”

Eli flew off the swing at the very top of the arc, and Gillian’s heart stopped until she saw him land safely.

“I told you not to do that,” she said.

“Do what?”

“Jump off the swing.”

“Oh, Mom. Everybody does it.”

“I don’t care about everybody. You do it again, and you don’t get to use the swing.”

“Okay,” he mumbled. But his torment was short-lived. A second later, he gave her a beguiling smile. “Can we go to McDonald’s for dinner?”

“No, we cannot. I have a chicken defrosted.”

He gave her a look she found adorable but one she really shouldn’t encourage. His little face scrunched all up, and one lip curled on the side. She could eat him with a spoon.

“Afternoon, Eli,” Felicia said.

“Afternoon, Ms. Felicia.”

Gillian took Eli’s hand and headed for the parking lot. Felicia followed.

“I hear he’s staying the night at the motel.”

“That’s nice,” Gillian said. “Esther can use the income.”

“But he’ll have to eat, you know.”

“I would imagine.”

“So what I’m saying is why don’t you come eat at the diner, too?”

Gillian sighed. “Felicia, you’re a wonderful neighbor and you make the best bundt cake in the history of the world, but if you don’t stop trying to marry me off to strangers, I’m going to have to hurt you.”

Felicia laughed. “I can’t help it, Gillian. It goes against my nature to see a woman as pretty as you go it alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have Eli.”

“And he’s a mighty fine boy. But a woman has needs…”

They reached her Toyota, and Eli sprinted to the passenger door. “I don’t want to talk about my needs,” Gillian said. “Especially when I’m with my mighty fine boy.”

Felicia frowned. She actually was an attractive woman. At fifty-seven, she could pass for forty, and when she dressed up, which rarely happened, she could look like a belle of thirty-five. “Well, you do what you think best,” she said. “But I’m going to eat at the Greet. And so is Elizabeth.”

Gillian opened her door. “Say hello for me.”

“Sure you won’t come?”

Gillian got into the car and shut the door. Leaning out the open window, she gave Felicia a smile and a wave. “See you later.”

“If Aunt Elizabeth is eating out, why can’t we?” Eli asked.

“Because I have a chicken defrosted.”

Eli kicked the dashboard with his sneaker. “I don’t even like chicken.”

“Well then, you can just eat the green beans.”

He scrunched his face up again. Gillian smiled.

CONNER DIALED his home number to get his messages. After he punched in his code, he looked around his room. It wasn’t the Four Seasons, but it wasn’t bad. The king-size bed seemed firm, the linens clean. And the TV carried several cable channels.

No messages. He hung up the phone, then got the room key from the nightstand. He was so hungry even the prospect of eating at the Eat ’N Greet was getting him all excited. Actually, he shouldn’t be so prejudiced. Sometimes small-town diners had the best food. Why not this place?

He got a paperback out of his overnight bag, then left the ground-floor room, locking it behind him. The air had cooled slightly since he’d checked in. It would be a lovely night. March could be ungodly hot in Texas, so this was a treat. In fact, he was glad he needed to walk to the diner. He wanted to see if the people in the doorways were still there.

He got to Main Street and turned left. The trees cast long shadows on the uneven sidewalk, and he could see his reflection clearly in the windows, which wasn’t what he’d been after. He’d wanted to check out the little stores, see how the town displayed itself. But it was too nice out to be displeased for long. This was his vacation after all.

His much needed vacation. The hospital had been particularly busy in the past few months, and while he had interns and residents to take up some of the slack, he’d felt as though he’d been living in the hospital instead of his apartment. He’d eaten too much cafeteria food, slept on too many call-room cots and had too many nights of interrupted sleep. Tonight, he’d go to bed early and sleep forever. Well, at least until noon.

He passed the bakery door and surprised the young woman locking up. She jumped as if he’d been a ghost, then gave him a sort of smile. He nodded and smiled in return but picked up his pace. What an odd town. In fact, he could feel the woman watching him. That uncomfortable, vulnerable sense that a bull’s-eye was painted on his back stayed with him as he passed a doctor’s office. Finally, he couldn’t help himself; he had to look back.