Cindy Kirk - The Doctor's Valentine Dare

Maybe it was having her in his arms or the fact that they were wearing masks. Perhaps it was being surrounded by music and the enticing scent of flowers that made it remarkably easy to play along.

They spent several dances discussing various places, er, ports, they’d visited. She seemed surprised he knew so much about Portland.

“Edward Jamison, a friend from my fellowship days, grew up there.” Noah gave a nod of acknowledgment to a hospital trustee and his wife as he and Josie danced past them. “He’s now practicing in Chicago.”

“Great. Another doctor.”

Though her tone was light, he noticed how the mere mention of the practice of medicine had her stiffening. There was only one thing he could think to do to dispel the sudden tension.

He whirled about in an intricate spin until she was breathless.

“There’s a touch of pirate under that starched shirt.” She grinned in approval.

While Noah knew that wasn’t at all an accurate statement, he smiled and changed the subject.

“Your travels as a pirate have taken you far and near.” He spoke softly, making sure no one dancing nearby overheard him saying the word pirate. “I’m curious how you found your way back to Jackson Hole.”

Instead of tossing off some quick or clever response, she caught her lower lip between her teeth and appeared to carefully consider the question.

“Last year, a close friend—er, shipmate—was diagnosed with cancer. Not long after, I found a lump in my own breast.”

Fear, hot and swift, struck him. He controlled his emotions and forced a casual tone. “Was it—”

“Benign.”

With that one word, the knot that had formed in the pit of his stomach dissolved.

“My friend has a lot of stress in her life, some of it from unresolved family issues.”

The sadness in her eyes had him pulling her a little closer. He resisted—barely—the urge to remind her that cancer had many causes. As a doctor’s daughter and someone in the healing arts herself, that was something she doubtless knew already.

“Sasha’s diagnosis and then my own breast lump, well, it was a wake-up call,” Josie murmured, almost to herself.

He waited for almost a minute for her to continue before he prompted. “Because of your own family situation?”

“Yes.”

Behind the mask, her eyes were hooded.

“Is the pirate queen home to stay?” He kept his tone deliberately light.

“Perhaps.” The smile that lifted her lips didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Tell me, Cap’n, how did ye end up in this landlocked port?”

“Moving here gave me the opportunity to work with your father and, more importantly, my family was here.”

“You arrived what, about a year ago?”

He nodded.

“Do you plan to stay?”

It was a simple question. Undoubtedly she expected him to answer in the affirmative. Jackson Hole was a great place to live. Noah hesitated, thinking of the offer he had pending: the opportunity to go into partnership with his friend in Chicago.

Recently, he’d concluded if things remained at a standstill with Daffodil, it might be easier on both of them if he left town. But the decision to stay or go didn’t have to be made now. He had until March to give Edward his answer.

Although his friend was in a well-regarded practice in Northwestern, the group had recently voted to tie themselves to one of the large health systems. Edward wasn’t happy with the change. He wanted to go out on his own but needed a partner to share call. Noah was his first choice.

The deadline to accept or decline the offer was March 1. That was why Noah had decided to give reconciling with Daff one final, full-court press. If his efforts continued to be met with a brick wall, he could leave with the knowledge he’d done everything possible to bridge the gap between them.

“Noah?” Josie prompted. “It’s not a difficult question. Are you planning to stay?”

“Who knows what the future holds?” It was the type of ambiguous answer he detested, but an honest one.

Noah was spared from saying more when the man Josie had kissed earlier—psychologist Liam Gallagher—tapped him on the shoulder and cut in. Though it was a reprieve of sorts, as he left the dance floor, Noah realized he’d prefer to be subjected to Josie’s interrogation than turn her over to Liam.

“Looks like something is going on between you and my little sister.”

Noah didn’t bother to turn his head. The deep voice of Josie’s brother, Benedict, was as familiar as a member of his own family. Since Noah had arrived in Jackson Hole last year they’d worked closely on many cases requiring the talents of both a skilled neurosurgeon and Ben’s orthopedic surgery specialty.

When Noah had contemplated a move to the area, he’d been pleased to join a practice with surgeons of the caliber of Ben, Ben’s father and Dr. Mitzi McGregor, their associate.

Tension filled the lengthening silence, leading Noah to deduce the comment hadn’t been rhetorical. “Josie is a nice person.”

Ben’s gaze remained focused on his sister. “She’s a bit of a flake. I can’t see her being your type.”

The dismissive tone coupled with the sentiment shouldn’t have bothered Noah. Then why did he, a civilized man who’d never struck anyone in his life, feel like ramming his fist into Benedict’s face?

“That comment shows how little you know your sister.”

“You think you know her?” Ben gave a harsh-sounding laugh. “She disappeared right after her junior year in college. Sent this vague message that she had to find herself. It was almost a year before we heard from her again.”

Noah opened his mouth but Ben continued without giving him a chance to speak.

“We didn’t know whether she was dead or alive. My mother—” Ben took a deep breath and let it out slowly “—well, the worry nearly broke her.”

The strain in his voice told Noah that Dori Campbell wasn’t the only family member who’d worried.

He couldn’t imagine what had possessed Josie to hurt her loved ones in such a way. He was certain her parents and brother only wanted the best for her. Just as he wanted the best for Daffodil.

If his sister had listened to reason, listened to him, she would have walked away from that loser Cruz Newton. She wouldn’t be divorced and paying off his debts.

“I can sympathize with your frustration. My sister never listened to me.” Noah clenched his jaw when Liam whispered something in Josie’s ear, making her laugh.

“Their lives would be so much better if they did.”

Noah nodded in agreement.

“You two look as if you’re plotting to take over the world.” Poppy Campbell slipped her arm through her husband’s.

“Not a bad idea. The world would be running smoothly if I was in charge.”

Ben’s comment made his wife laugh.

Dressed in a loose black sheath, Poppy was an attractive woman with sleek dark bob and green eyes. Her black-and-gold half mask suited her elegant style.

From the time Noah had joined the practice, Ben’s wife had been pleasant, if a bit distant. Ben had mentioned once that Poppy’s first husband had been a neurosurgeon and Noah had the impression he was paying for the other guy’s mistakes.

Poppy inclined her head. “Who’s the guy in the joker mask dancing with Josie?”

“Liam Gallagher,” Ben answered. “The poor sap can’t take his eyes off her.”

“She does look especially lovely this evening.” Poppy’s tone reflected affection for her sister-in-law. “Blue is a great color on her.”

Benedict simply shrugged.

The band launched into another slow number and Liam gave no indication of releasing his partner. That added to Noah’s mounting irritation, as well as the fact that the psychologist continued to hold the pirate queen a little too close for Noah’s liking.