Dana Mentink - Flood Zone

“I would do anything for my own kids, as you know. It hasn’t always been easy to afford everything times two, but that’s the price of having twins. Jake and Renee are both in private high school now, so I understand wanting the best for your kids. But why lie? Especially to me.”

“I never lied. You asked about my ex-husband, and I told you the reason I was sent to jail.”

“You neglected to mention your husband is a Miami drug lord. You thought you’d pulled the wool over my eyes, didn’t you? Simple country doctor. Easy to do, you figured?”

“No, nothing like that, really,” she said.

The phone buzzed again.

Something sparked in his eyes. “Omissions are lies, and I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” His brow furrowed. “It pains me to do it, it really does, but I have a professional obligation, no matter what my personal feelings are. My patients have to have absolute trust in me and my staff, and if you’re still getting flowers from a drug kingpin, I can’t risk having you here.”

Mia would not let him see her cry. Head high, she nodded. “I’ll be out of here in fifteen minutes.” She went to the desk in the corner of the Spanish Canyon Clinic and shoved the picture of Gracie into a bag along with a collection of notepads. Cora’s Learn Italian Today book was on her desk, under a box of tissue, and she scooped it up as well. She’d never dropped a phone call, never misplaced a file or been anything but pleasant to everyone and even that wasn’t enough to overshadow her disastrous marriage.

Blinking to keep the tears at bay, her mind ran wild. No job. How would she finish school? Would it be the end of her dreams to finally give Gracie a stable, normal life? Her phone demanded her attention again and this time she yanked it from her pocket. It was a text from Dallas.

Ok?

Was she?

Dr. Elias still stood there, filling the doorway with his blocky shoulders, a look of indecision on his face. “This husband, Hector. He’s tracked you everywhere, hasn’t he?”

One of the notepads sliced into her finger giving her a paper cut. She shook off the sting angrily.

“Hector must be jealous.” The lamplight etched Dr. Elias in tight shadow. “Have you given him reason?”

She froze. “What?”

“The tough guy with the dog. I’ve seen him talking to you. Hector can’t be happy about this.”

Seen Dallas? Something cold trickled through her. Why had Dr. Elias noticed whom she’d been talking to?

He flicked a glance into her bag. “You’re not taking any clinic information, are you?”

She burned. “No, Doctor. I would not behave unethically, even after I’ve been wrongly terminated.”

A glimmer of a smile lit his face. “I always liked your spunk, Mia Verde Sandoval. Too bad.”

Mia grabbed her bag and purse and went to the door, but he barred her path.

He didn’t move, just watched her as if he was weighing something in his mind. He reached out a hand to touch her forearm, but she recoiled.

“Hold on. I can see the truth now. You didn’t lie to deceive, you lied because you’re afraid.”

Her breath caught and she shook her head.

“Yes, that’s it, isn’t it? You’re afraid that Hector will find you.” He stared closely at her. “No, you’re afraid that you can’t trust yourself, your choices, your judgments.” He took her arm.

The fingers felt cold there against her skin, her own feet rooted to the floor. It was as if he’d stepped inside her, peered into the cold dark place in her heart where she herself dared not go.

“I know what it’s like to be lied to. I’m so sorry, Mia,” he said, pupils glittering in the dimly lit office. He leaned toward her and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’m dense, sometimes. I didn’t realize. I can help you.”

Standing this close she realized how strong he looked. Her fingers clutched her car keys, and she raised them in front of her.

“I want to leave. Now.”

He laughed and moved a step closer. She was acutely aware of how empty the clinic was, how dark the outer corridors. “You’re a beautiful woman, you know that?” His gaze flickered up and down her body. “You deserve more. I can help you get your life back.”

She pressed back until she bumped into the file cabinets, a metal handle digging into her spine. He put his hands out, kneading her shoulders.

She jerked away from his grasp. “I want to go,” she whispered, gripping the keys. “I will scream the place down if you touch me again.”

He chuckled. “You came here after hours, almost as if you were looking for me.”

The implication was clear. Who do you think they’ll believe?

She gripped the keys, palms clammy, readying herself to gouge and bite and kick. Unsure.

“You’re not seeing things clearly, Mia. You don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore, do you?” The words were almost a whisper, his mouth curved in a soft smile. “You need help.”

Help? Was that what he offered? Her gut told her to run. Should she trust that instinct?

From somewhere far away, she heard herself say, “I want to go. Now.”

“Maybe you don’t know what you want,” he said, eyes glittering.

“Yes, she does,” said a low voice. The doctor was jerked back and dumped in an unceremonious pile on the floor. Dallas Black looked down at Elias, his dark eyes blending with the shadows.

She realized Dallas must have been expecting her to act stupidly and visit the clinic and her cheeks burned, but relief overrode any other sensation.

“I was just fired,” Mia announced. “And now I’m going to leave.”

Dallas didn’t move. “Good. Doesn’t pay to work for dirtbags.”

“Trespassing and assault,” Dr. Elias snapped at Dallas, scrambling to his feet. “I will have you arrested.”

Dallas ignored the comment completely. “Ready to go?” he said to her.

“Get off my property,” Dr. Elias snarled. Gone was the genial smile, any vestiges of warmth, fire blazed in his eyes.

Mia gripped her bag and walked to the door on shaky legs, grateful to have Dallas looking over her shoulder at the doctor. She was desperate to end the situation. Dallas had a complete disregard for rules and she wanted to finish the whole confrontation before anything worse happened.

“You are turning away from someone who wants to help you, Mia,” Dr. Elias said, nostrils flared. “And look what you’re walking into.”

“Goodbye, Dr. Elias,” Mia said.

“Don’t forget your flowers,” he yelled.

“Keep them,” she said.

* * *

Dallas’s truck was parked at the curb, and Juno sat next to it. When he saw her his tail went into overtime, and he whined until she gave him a cursory pat. He licked her face.

“If a man approached my ride, Juno would bark up a storm, but with you he’d hand over the keys,” Dallas said. Smart dog.

Juno was once an aggressive shelter resident after having been beaten and starved by a cruel owner. Dallas had spent six months tracking down that negligent owner on his own dime, until the man was charged with animal cruelty and subjected to hefty fines. It wasn’t enough in Dallas’s view.

Mia straightened in spite of Juno’s disappointment and gave him a tight smile. “He must know I’m a cat person and he’s trying to help me see the light.” She paused. “I would have handled the situation, you know. No one will keep me from Gracie.”

“No doubt. I’m just glad I was in the neighborhood.” In truth he’d been driving around town, too restless to stay home, checking the clinic lot every so often in case Mia showed up like he suspected she’d do. “I’m not sure...” She bit her lip. “I don’t know if Dr. Elias was going to hurt me. He said he wanted to help.”