Lev looks up. Leaning back, he looks over at Courtney. “Thanks, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Let’s regroup at three p.m. and discuss it with the team.” He waits for her to understand that’s her cue to leave.
Courtney’s hand moves from the top of the chair, down to his arm, and squeezes it as she slowly gathers the papers together.
Lev turns to me. “So, what did you think of...” He stops as I look over at him and silently indicate we’ll talk once Courtney leaves.
We both turn to Courtney and stare at her. She looks from me to Lev and stomps to the door.
“Please shut the door on your way out,” Lev says quietly. He winces as the door slams.
“You’re going to have a problem there,” I warn him, shaking my head at her antics. “Find her another position in one of your restaurants, preferably one you don’t actively manage, before she can do any damage.”
Lev runs his hands through his hair. He doesn’t question my assessment, but I’m afraid he’ll put if off until it’s too late. He likes to see the best in people. I shrug. We’ll deal with it together later, I guess. Back to the topic at hand.
I smile as I think of my morning. Lev now looks worried. Humph, I guess I don’t smile much if that is the look he is giving me. Clearing my throat, I tell him about my visit to the practice this morning and meeting the determined but delectable Dr. Kate Michaels.
He laughs at my story. “I can’t believe they ganged up on you and won! I’ve seen grown men run from your stony face.”
“I know. Their tactics were impressive. I was so amused, it didn’t even occur to me to stop them until I was out the door and down the hall. I could even hear them laughing like loons behind the door.”
“I like her even more after this story,” he says, then stops laughing. “What do you think of her? Did you get a good read?”
“She is beautiful, professional, and polite on the surface. She and Sarah are developing a close relationship, so she doesn’t seem to have any issues with women. She is not afraid to stand up for herself, but she got uneasy when she was alone with me in the room. That could be my demeanor, though, as I was staring at her, trying to figure her out. She has powerful walls up and is surprisingly hard to read.” As I think about it, I can’t remember the last time I had a hard time reading someone. Intriguing. “She definitely seems to have gone through something in her past to have walls that strong. She had black circles under her eyes, and she looks like she hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in a few days. I didn’t see the pain you mentioned, but you don’t build walls that strong without a reason. From a business perspective, I think the practice is in expert hands. From a personal perspective, I can see the draw to be with her and protect her.”
Looking thoughtful, he studies my face for a second. “You sound intrigued. Is it the puzzle, or the woman?”
“Both,” I admit. I glance at my watch. “I have a call with my editor soon. I’ll see you at home. Also, I’ll let Shaw know my thoughts when I see him later tonight. Don’t forget to think about Courtney. You need to solve that issue sooner, not later.”
Opening the door, I walk out and almost bump into Courtney in the hall. I wonder if she was listening at the door. Giving her the same flat stare I used to give soldiers in the Army, I let her know she needs to watch herself.
CHAPTER 7
KATE
After a relaxing weekend getting acclimated to my new home and picking up necessary supplies, I feel about a hundred times better than Friday. And now that the anniversary of Collin’s death has passed, I’m sleeping most of the night again.
As I look over the patient roster for the day, I notice we’re light on patients. I wonder if this is the usual pace, or if it’s an anomaly.
“Sarah, are these all of the patients scheduled for today?” I’m shocked at the light load.
“We typically leave a few spots open on Mondays so we can get in a few walk-ins. People who have hurt themselves or gotten sick over the weekend usually help fill up our Mondays,” she explains.
“Very efficient,” I say thoughtfully as I try to think of any other practice using this process. “Well, let’s get the first patient back and see what the day brings us.”
Sarah and I quickly take care of the morning patients. We had one walk-in from a nearby cattle ranch who had cut up his hand pretty badly after getting it tangled in a roll of barbwire, but nothing a tetanus shot, some stitches, and a round of antibiotics couldn’t fix. He was the last patient of the morning, and it’s now lunchtime. But first I need to stretch.
Using the door frame, I place a palm on each side, lean forward, and stretch my shoulders and back. I had been hunched over for the last 30 minutes, cleaning and suturing the rancher’s hand, and needed to re-align my posture a bit. Closing my eyes, I groan at how good this feels. Stretching my arms up high, I elongate my body as far as I can to stretch out my spine.
Hmmm, better.
I open my eyes and see Lowell standing in front of me. My shirt had drawn up a bit when I stretched, and now a strip of skin is showing between my shirt and pants. Lowell is staring at that strip. I quickly lower my arms, and his eyes rise to meet mine.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he murmurs, his eyes dark.
“Hello, Lowell. Are you here to see Sarah about the supplies, or do you need something else?”
“Actually, I came to apologize to you and Sarah.” He smiles. “And to tell you how impressed I was with your smooth moves in kicking me out of your office.”
Well, this is unexpected. An apology?! And OMG, is that a smile? Yep, a smile. This man should definitely smile more often. He is much more approachable. Maybe even charming...no, not charming. He’s kind of intense, and even with a smile, you feel all that intensity in your face. It’s like he focuses all his attention on discovering your secrets. I don’t really want him to know my secrets. When he stares at me, though, I almost want to give him my secrets. Damn him. It’s simultaneously unnerving and sexual. Hmmm...I wonder what it would be like to have all that intensity in bed? Would the orgasms be more intense? What would he focus on first...
“Kate? Are you okay?” he questions, with a bit of a smirk.
It’s almost as if he could hear what I was thinking. “Sorry, I was just thinking about...lunch.” I can feel myself blushing. “I’m hungry.”
“Yes, I can tell,” he says huskily as he pulls his hands out from behind his back. “Good thing I brought lunch for everyone.” In his hands are several bags filled with food from the deli downtown.
“Lunch? Good apology.” I smile as I walk away. “Let me grab the team.”
As we all sit down to lunch, I watch Lowell, trying to figure him out. He doesn’t seem to like small talk, but he makes it a point to ask everyone about their lives. Every incremental piece of information gleaned is like bits of data he hoards for use later. It’s a bit of an interrogation, really, but I don’t think he means it that way. I can see the writer in him as he digs deeper into their lives to understand their motivations, desires, and needs. This is the part of him that makes me want to run the other way. He simply asks, and with very little resistance people unintentionally give him information, emotions and secrets.