Alex (5 page)

“I think I’ll try the T-bone,”
she finally said.

“That was my first pick too.”

Alex raised his hand to get the
bartender’s attention.

He walked over and slipped a
coaster in front of Eva. Alex
couldn’t
help but notice
the sly glance the bartender was giving her. Yeah, she was hot, and he
wasn’t
going to let anyone else get their mitts on her, well
at least not tonight. Beauty and obviously brains too. What more could a man
ask for?

“What can I get you?”

“Two T-bones,” said Alex.

“How do like them
cooked
?”

“Medium rare for me,” said Eva.

“Me too.”

“And anything to
drink, Miss?”

“White wine.”

“Coming right
up.”

She spun around and crossed her
legs, causing the dress to inch up her thighs. The bartender came back with her
wine and placed the glass in front of her. Alex was suddenly lost for words as
he focused on the sexy thighs. She
wasn’t
wearing pantyhose
and her skin was creamy white and blemish free.

“I’ve never dined with a patient
before.”

“When Dr. Jackson returns are you
staying with the practice or what?” asked Alex.

She took a sip and placed the
glass back down on the bar. “I have a job waiting for me in Denver. I took this
in between one so I can visit with my brother and his family.”

“So you’re in town on a temporary
basis?”

She nodded. “Yep, another six
weeks until summer’s done. How long have you been the sheriff?”

Alex picked up some of the
peanuts and nibbled on one before answering. “Two years.”

“You like it?”

“Love it.”

“That’s always a plus in a job.”

Their steaks arrived and they
both began to tuck into them.

“Your brother
and sister-in-law feeling better?”

“Much, but I said I’d fill in for
them one last time tomorrow. Only wish I could find a decent cook.”

An image of his mother sprang
into his mind. She loved to cook and this would be ideal for her.

“I have someone who fits the
bill.”

“You do?”

“Sure, my
mother.”

“The lady I spoke to earlier
today?”

He nodded, almost forgetting about
that embarrassing incident in the hallway at the doctor’s office.
Actually
humiliation was an understatement.

He dug out his phone from the
back pocket in his jeans. “I’ll just give her a call and see if she can do it.”

Alex pressed the numbers and
heard his mom’s voice on the other end.

“Hi, Mom.
You doing anything tomorrow morning?”

“No, not that I
know of, why?”

“You want to do some cooking. I
mean it’s just breakfast stuff like eggs and pancakes at
McQuire’s
?”

“I’d love to.

“Great you’ll be working with Eva
McQuire
she’ll show you the ropes.”

“The doctor?”

“Yes, I ran into her in the
Singing Cowboy.”

Accidentally on purpose.

“Well, that’s wonderful I do
hope…

He switched the phone to his
other ear knowing what was coming next. She was going to play matchmaker and he
didn’t
want Eva to hear because that would make him
embarrassed yet again. Twice in one day would be a record.

Alex raised his eyebrows as his
mother rattled on. Eva smiled and winked at him.

****

Eva was guessing that Alex’
mother was a lot like hers. What would they be like if they ever got together?
Gossiping, plotting, and possibly consoling one another for having still single
adult children.

“Eva, I’m proud that you’ve
finally become a real doctor, but I think you should start looking for a
husband and have some babies.
I’m
sure I don’t have to
tell you about a woman’s clicking clock. You’ll spend all your time focusing on
your career and then bam, before you know it, no eggs left.”

It was something she had and was
still taking into consideration, but she
wasn’t
going
to settle for a second-best guy just to have babies. The man she married, the
man who fathered those babies, was going to be perfect for her.

“What time would you like Mom to
arrive?”

Alex’s question jarred her out of
her train of thought.

“Is six a.m. too early?”

“
How’s
six sounding?” he asked.

Perfect
he mouthed back
to Eva.

“Tell her to wait out front and
I’ll let her in the front so she doesn’t need to go around to the back alley.”

“You heard that, Mom? Okay, and
yes, I’ll stop by too.”

Eva smiled, almost laughed. Yes,
a lot like her mother. Well, at least
she’d
be seeing
Alex again in the morning.

“You want to play cashier again?”
she asked him when he pressed the end call button on his phone.

“I might just do that. How about
using the tip jar to collect for cancer research?”

“That’s a great idea. I gave
today’s tips to my twin nephews for their college fund.”

“That’s another neat idea, and if
you’d rather collect more for them I totally understand.”

“No, I think cancer research is a
wonderful idea.”

She
wasn’t
just saying that. During her residency,
she’d
lost
three patients to various types and hoped during her time as a doctor they’d
find a cure so people like Alex wouldn’t have to lose loved ones.

“I guess as we both have to be up
bright and early we should head home to bed…separately I mean,” Eva quickly
added. While
she’d
love to take him home and get
beneath the sheets with the hunk, she’d never slept with a guy on the same day
she’d met him.
Plus
, Alex was a patient, if only a
summer one. No, if they were going to get horizontal,
she’d
let him make the first move and wait a little longer.

He smiled. “I wasn’t thinking
anything else. Okay, I was, but you opened yourself up to that one.”

She smiled.
She’d
enjoyed his company. The sheriff made the ideal dinner companion.

“Maybe we can do this again?” he
asked.

They both stood and then headed
outside and to the parking lot where he walked her to her car.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

“How about tomorrow night at the
other
steak place in town.”

“Is it a date because I’m not
sure going out with patients is a smart
idea.
I mean
next time I examine you it might be even more awkward than it was today.”

“Could it get any more awkward
than it was?”

Eva shook her head and then
laughed.

“I’m Dr. Jackson’s patient not
yours.”

“That’s true.”

“And the next time you examine me
it’s going to be as my date, not my doctor.”

He leaned over and kissed her
before she had a chance to think of the perfect one-liner in response to that
suggestion.

Alex obviously
didn’t
intend for this to be a quick peck on the lips. His mouth stayed on
hers,
forcing her to slip her arms around his waist so she
didn’t lose her balance. He pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her
shoulders as the kiss became deeper with his tongue sliding over her lips.

If this went on much
longer
she’d insist they really go home to the same bed.
She’d
forget all about her thing with sleeping with guys on
the day she’d met them, but then he made the choice for her.

“Sleep tight and sweet dreams.
I’ll see you in the morning.”

He opened the car door for her
and she slipped in, putting the key in the ignition and starting the car. He
waved and walked over to his truck.

The worst thing was
he’d
stirred her up, her panties were drenched, her pussy throbbed,
and she was going to have the most uncomfortable ride back to the apartment.

Chapter Four

 
A familiar smell greeted Alex when he entered
McQuire’s
Café the next morning His mom was obviously
cooking her famous waffles. Judging by the smiles on everyone’s face, things
were back to normal.
He’d
order those instead of his
usual Café Classic. He put his nose in the air one more time suddenly missing
both his dad and brother and thinking back to the days when they were still a
family, all seated around the kitchen table on a Saturday morning, which in the
Davis household had been waffle day.

Eva waved to him. She had her
hair tied up in a ponytail again, and tight black pants and a white t-shirt
completed her look. He walked over to her, remembering their kiss the night
before. Yeah,
he’d
paid the price for that.
He’d
had a hard-on for a full hour, and driving home had
been downright uncomfortable. In fact, since
he’d
gone
to see her at the doctor’s office, his cock had been in a constant state of
turmoil. Maybe tonight
he’d
put the erection to good
use. He found a table by the window and pulled out his newspaper.

“Morning, Sheriff,” said a man
sitting across the way to him.

“Morning.”

“Food’s a hell of a lot better
today.”

“Glad to hear that.”

Eva walked toward him with the
coffee carafe in her hand. She turned his mug over and filled it to the brim.

“So what can I get you today, Sheriff?”
She winked at him.

How about you?

“My mom doing
okay back there?”

“She is a huge hit and I think
she’s thinking about taking a job here.”

Now
wouldn’t
that be perfect.
She’d
had something else to occupy
her time and maybe she’d stop babying him.

“I take it she’s making her
famous waffles.”

“They melt in your mouth,” said
the man sitting opposite.

“I guess that’s what I’m having,”
said Alex. “Extra syrup and butter for me.”

“Now as your doctor, I should
warn you about too much cholesterol.”

She winked at him again. He
winked back almost wanting to slap her butt and order her into the kitchen to
get his waffles.

“I’ll get your order in straight
away.”

Alex watched as she headed toward
the kitchen. The pants pulled across her ass, and her cheeks bounced just a
tad.
He’d
never liked skinny girls. He liked his with
curves. Yeah, Eva was almost damn near perfect.

He flipped through the paper and
sipped his coffee. A few minutes later Eva placed a plate of waffles in front
of him.

“Here you go.
And
the butter and syrup. Anything else I can get you?”

“Not right now, but when you’re
passing again, maybe you can top up my coffee.”

“Sure, and you’ll be glad to hear
that we’ve already collected one hundred and fifty dollars in the donation
jar.”

He nodded. That was a great
start. He watched Eva walk away again. It was also a great start to the day.

****

“Oh, she’s so cute,” said Eva,
looking at the tenth photo that Alex’s mom had handed her of her granddaughter
Sasha. She wondered just how many more the woman had in her purse. Not that she
wasn’t
enjoying looking at them, but she had to be at
the office in thirty minutes and didn’t want to appear rude.

“I spoil her I know, but she’s
worth it. And having no daddy is hard for the little darling.”

Eva gave her a hug as a tear ran
down her cheek. “Alex is wonderful with her, best uncle a girl could have.
Maybe he’ll have one of his own soon.”

“Have one what?” asked Alex,
stepping into the kitchen.

“Children.”

She saw him take a deep breath.
She could guess that a parent might become more smothering when
they’d
lost a child, even when they were all grown up.
Poor Alex.

“I’m so thankful that you took
good care of him yesterday,” said his mother. “Men can be such babies at
times.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I heard
that you might like to take a job here at
McQuire’s
.”