Judy Christenberry - Struck By The Texas Matchmakers

On the stairs, Diane whispered to her sister, “See if you can find a place for us, Katie. I don’t feel right staying here.”

“You don’t like Jeff?” Katie asked in surprise.

“He’s fine, but—he’s used to living alone. I don’t think he’ll enjoy having a full house.”

“I think he’ll like it,” Katie said, a smile on her lips. “I’ve been wondering what we could do for him. He seems lonely to me.”

“Katie Dawson! What are you thinking?” Diane demanded, suspicion filling her.

“Why, absolutely nothing, sis. I’m just trying to be sure everyone’s covered. I’ll ask Mabel or Florence if they have room for you, okay?”

Her promise didn’t exactly satisfy Diane. Mabel Baxter and Florence Greenfield, mother of Cal Baxter and wife of George Greenfield respectively, were known for their matchmaking. In fact, it was Florence’s bet with her friends that resulted in their sons marrying. Doc, as George Greenfield was known, had enthusiastically fallen into the trap and married Florence, too. And then there was Tuck and Spence, their friends, who’d also fallen prey to the bet.

Since then, Cactus had become a hotbed of marriages. Marriage was fine for others, but Diane had no intention of losing her independence now that she was going to finally be earning a salary that would allow her to travel.

“Katie, you tell them no matchmaking. Do you hear me?”

“I certainly do.” She opened the door Diane had stopped in front of and hurried to Paul’s bedside.

“Paul, how are you?” she asked gently.

At that moment he rolled onto his injured arm and the pain was visible on his face. “Damn!” he muttered, then immediately apologized. “I didn’t know it would hurt this much,” he said with a gasp.

“I’ll go bring you some breakfast,” Diane assured him as she left the room.

Jeff was still sitting at the table, sipping his coffee when she entered.

“How’s he doing?” he said.

“He’s in a lot of pain. Can he take another pain pill?”

“Of course. Do you have the second one from last night?” Jeff asked, getting to his feet.

“Yes. I’m taking him some breakfast. Do you have a tray?”

He found one for her. “Don’t give him coffee. I think there’s some orange juice. Try that. I’ll go up and check on him.”

She dished up the scrambled eggs, along with a few sausage rolls and the last of the bacon. Then she poured a glass of juice. After adding napkins and the pain pill she’d left in the kitchen last night, she carried the tray up the stairs.

“But I don’t want another pill,” Paul was protesting as she entered, even though his facial expression told her he was still in pain.

Jeff, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, responded, “If you like to suffer, that’s fine, but it won’t help you get well faster.”

“What do you mean?”

“The pills help your muscles relax, which means you heal faster. I don’t pass out medicine unless there’s a need, Paul. You’re not going to be too active for a few days, but if you follow orders, you might be able to start sooner.”

Paul’s unhappy expression didn’t change.

“Maybe some breakfast will sweeten him up,” Diane said with a smile for her brother. “Katie brought over some sausage rolls.”

“Thanks, sis,” Paul said, nodding to Katie who was standing beside the bed. But he also tried to pull his weight to a sitting position and moaned in pain. Jeff immediately supported him while Katie put pillows behind his back.

“Okay, okay, I’ll take the pill,” Paul said.

“Good for you,” Jeff replied.

Paul picked up a sausage roll and began eating.

“Hey, if you don’t want all that bacon, I’ll take another piece,” Jeff said. Paul nodded his head with a grin, which made Diane feel better.

“Thanks,” Jeff said as he helped himself to another strip of bacon. “Now, I’d better hit the shower. I need to check on the lady from yesterday’s wreck, and see if the children can be released.” He looked at Katie. “Can you stay with Paul while Diane goes to pick them up?”

“Yes, of course. Diane, I brought you a few clothes if you want to change. Since I had the baby, there’s a lot I can’t wear.”

“Thanks, Katie. I forgot about clothes last night,” Diane said. She’d slept in her underwear the night before, not wanting to ask the doctor for a T-shirt. She figured she’d pick up a big T-shirt at the one discount store in Cactus. She had a little money left over from her last semester in school. Not enough for an entire wardrobe, but she’d manage.

Jeff followed her out of the room and said, “I didn’t think about you having nothing, Diane. I would’ve offered you some—well, at least a T-shirt. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not your responsibility,” she assured him as she hurried away. The thought of wearing his clothes was doing strange things to her breathing.

JEFF WATCHED HER rush away, as if he carried a disease. She didn’t seem to like him much. When he’d seen her in her dress from yesterday, he’d intended to apologize and offer her anything he had. But breakfast—and his dream—had distracted him.

With good reason.

He hurried to the shower. He was anxious to see how his surgery patient was doing. Samantha had probably already checked her, but he would drop by her room before he reassured the children.

It was going to seem strange with children in the house. He’d always wanted kids, but his wife said she had too many children in her life as it was since she was a school counselor.

Maybe he’d find out he didn’t want kids after all. That would be good. It would erase some of the regret he felt.

After he’d showered and shaved, he dressed in fresh jeans and a knit shirt. It was wrinkled because he hadn’t gotten it out of the dryer in time, but he hoped no one would notice with his white coat on top.

Of course, his white coat was at the office.

It wouldn’t be the first time. His nurses always tsked at his appearance, but he ignored them. He wasn’t there for a beauty contest.

He went back to Paul’s room when he was ready to find Diane in a snug pair of jeans and a T-shirt, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. He thought she looked about ten years old…except for her body. All woman.

“Are you ready, Jeff?” Katie asked, distracting him from staring at Diane.

“Uh, yeah. How about you, Diane?”

“Yes.” She told her brother and sister goodbye and hurried out of the room in front of him. Which gave him an excellent view of her backside. Definitely all woman.

At the bottom of the stairs, she paused and asked, “May I move the child seat to my car?”

“Sure, if you think there’s room,” he agreed with a frown. “I suppose I could run you back here.”

“No, I’ll drive us. I may bring Toby back here and let he and Paul watch each other while I take Janie with me and do a little shopping. Will that be okay?”

“Probably. They can call me if there’s a problem.”

“No, I’ll leave my cell phone number with them.”

“Okay. If it needs charging, you can use my charger while you’re settling them in.”

“Oh, thanks.”

He decided they needed to get away from each other before they got so polite they couldn’t communicate at all. “I’ll see you at the clinic.”

Since it was only two blocks from his house, they wouldn’t have much of a break. At least he might have enough time to concentrate his attention on his patients rather than Diane’s body.

WHEN DIANE GOT TO the room where the two children had spent the night, she discovered a nurse trying to feed Janie while Toby struggled with his left hand.