Inhaling sharply, I take in as much air as possible, then hold it for a second to gain some control before exhaling. Again. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. I lay there, steadily breathing in and out.
As my breathing techniques start working, I pull my mind back from the ledge by using my lists. First I list the 206 bones in the body, then the 200 distinct types of cells, and as I get into the list of 650 muscles, I finally feel calm and in control.
Love, guilt, anger, and grief are all swirling around in my brain. The guilt, more than anything, destroys my peace, so I get up. I can’t sleep, I can’t find a bottle and oblivion, so I might as well get up, jump in the shower, and try to wash these memories down the drain.
The hotel offers a free buffet starting at seven, so I go downstairs to grab some coffee and breakfast. My appetite is fairly non-existent, but I still portion out a spoonful of scrambled eggs and slice of toast. Thankful for this piece of normalcy, I find a spot in the sunshine to eat my breakfast and chase away the darkness.
After I check out, I wait inside the hotel for a few minutes while I remotely start the SUV. I can’t stand the cold, and while it might be March, it’s still winter in Montana. I glance at my phone and check the traffic and route to my destination, just to make sure no accidents or road work will cause a delay or detour. Stepping outside, I inhale a brisk breath of air.
Freaking A, it’s cold!
I jog to my vehicle, put my overnight bag in the back seat, and get comfortable for today’s drive. My new “temporary” home is about three hours away in a tiny town nestled between Bozeman and Helena called Lockeland Valley, Montana. I’m hoping to get in around eleven so I can look around town before meeting Lev at the practice.
CHAPTER 2
KATE
Entering the city limits, a sign tells me the population of Lockeland Valley is 24,337. Temporarily 24,338, of course. I’m not sure I’ve ever lived in a town this small. I’m guessing everyone knows everyone, which could be bad or good. I don’t relish the idea of others peering into my life, but it should help in quickly getting to know my patients and neighbors.
Reaching Main Street, I take a left and drive through the small downtown area. There are several restaurants, a couple clothing boutiques, a mercantile store, an ice cream shop, and a few other miscellaneous stores. I was expecting a more rural atmosphere, but all the stores and cars seem to be upscale. This might not be too bad for a city girl like me, after all.
Spotting a parking spot, I pull in and pick up my phone to text my mom and let her know I’ve made it safely to Lockeland Valley. I then glance at my watch and note I have a little over half an hour before I need to meet Lev, which gives me just enough time to stroll through downtown and check out the shops. There are a few people out strolling, but not many. I notice the shops are well-stocked with spring merchandise and the restaurants are upscale with an eclectic mix of menus. After walking up one side of town and back down to my vehicle, I realize I have about fifteen minutes to get to the practice. It should be close to here, but I’m not sure exactly where it’s located. I map the address and realize it’s about a half-mile to the east of where I’m standing. Normally I’d walk over, but Lev is supposed to take me to my new “home” afterward, and I’m not sure if that’s close to the doctor’s office or not.
Driving over, I’m a bit nervous. You’d think I’d get used to the unknown since I move every few weeks or months, but new places always make me nervous. Plus, there’s always the chance someone will recognize me from the news. Besides the police and reporters (who I ignored), nobody ever asked me directly about the events of that day. But people tend to take the TV commentary and use it to judge me and determine my guilt. When that happens, the assignment “suddenly” ends, and I’m reassigned. I hope that doesn’t happen here, as I’m looking forward to staying in the same place for a few months.
My GPS pings my arrival, and I take a few deep breaths after I park. The practice is in an absolutely gorgeous two-story modern farmhouse. Enormous windows sit cased in black siding, capped with a black, metal roof. Wow. It’s breathtaking and totally unexpected, considering most practices are in plain brick office type buildings.
Opening the door, I step into a large lounge that looks to be the waiting area. Several individuals turn their heads and check me out as I enter. Smiling at them, I turn and close the door. Looking to my left, I see an office area with two ladies behind the counter. One’s younger, maybe around twenty years old, and the other is significantly older with grey hair. Fifty? Both ladies are giggling and blushing as they talk to the guy standing with them.
My gaze drifts over, and I’m quickly captivated myself. He’s a little over six feet, with a dark complexion and black hair cut in a military-style, shaved close on the sides and thicker on top. His arms, crossed in front of him, bulge with muscle, and I think I see a few tattoos on those biceps. Worn jeans and a black T-shirt are molded to his body. Hard, muscular, and fit. And hot. Seriously hot. I don’t think I’ve seen a body...actually, I don’t think I’ve seen a man like this, except in the movies.
As I am checking him out, his head turns, and piercing dark green eyes stare into my own. He quirks an eyebrow as he catches me staring at him, and the two ladies look over to see who’s stolen his attention. The younger lady - a girl, really - looks over at me and narrows her eyes.
Raising my eyebrow at both of them, I quickly introduce myself. “Hello, I’m Dr. Kate Michaels, the replacement while Dr. Bradford is out.” I pause and study their faces to see if they recognize me. While most people don’t, the few who have recognized me have always caused trouble. Thankfully, they just seem surprised to see me.
“I thought we were getting a male doctor?” the young girl sneers as she looks to the older woman.
The older lady looks at her and rolls her eyes. Holding out her hand to shake, she states, “I’m Paula, and this is Brittany. We manage the office and the billing. Welcome to Lockeland Valley.”
After shaking her hand, I look at Brittany, but she makes no move towards me. Good thing I’m not here to make friends. I then look to the guy, who’s staring intently at me. “Are you Lev Coleman?” I ask, taking a wild guess.
“Yes, I’m Lev. Nice to meet you,” he rumbles, holding out his hand to shake mine. As I look into his eyes, I’m surprised by the warmth I see in them. While he looks like the epitome of a hard-core soldier, his eyes tell the truth of his nature, and all I feel is the urge to step a little closer.
His firm grip holds my hand as he continues speaking. “My brothers and I are working to keep Dr. Bradford’s life and practice going until he can get back on his feet. Let’s go into his office and talk a bit, then I can give you a tour and show you where you’ll be staying.”
As he releases my hand, I notice it’s tingling a bit. Rubbing it for a second, I shake it off and follow him back to the office.
As we reach the hallway, Brittany rushes up to us. “Wait! What do I tell the patients?”
“The patients in the waiting room?” I ask, frowning as I turn around to survey them. “Are they not here for another doctor or the nurse?”