The Doctor's Choice (18 page)

A
shrill cry from a hawk soaring overhead sent a shaft of panic stabbing through her. The hawk circled, scanning the canyon raptly.

A
prickle of goose flesh alerted Cami’s senses to danger. She peered over the canyons rim, experienced a wave of panic as she imagined falling to the depths below. Her boots sent a shower of loose rocks skittering down the face of a red-hued cliff. She stepped back, colliding with Breck’s solid form.

He clasped her shoulders, steadied her, pulled her back to lean against his chest. “Easy girl,” he said, like she was a skittish colt.

A whisper of fear brushed her skin. She tried to make her voice sound strong. It quavered anyway. “Does anyone ever fall in?”

“There are occasional accidents but it’s
usually campers or someone rafting without proper training and safety equipment.” He pressed his lips into her hair. “Not to worry. I’d never let you get hurt.”

She
swallowed, tried to breathe, tried to shake the feeling that they weren’t alone.

With her imagination working overtime, the canyon took on an eerie, other worldly quality, due in part to the strange stacked formations
that had stood guard here for centuries.

“Those look like sentinels
.” She pointed to the spires of rock.

Breck chuckled, his breath warm against her cheek. “They’re natu
ral formations called hoodoos.”

“Aptly named,” she said.

“I should have brought the horses. We could have ridden down into the gorge.”

“You’ve done this before?” she asked.

“Lots of times. My dad was an avid camper. He used to bring me here all the time.” He directed her attention to the sky. “Look there’s a Harris Hawk. He’s looking for his meal.” They watched in fascination as the hawk circled and then dove with amazing speed at some target on the ground and rose again with a small struggling victim held firmly in his talons.

Cami shivered. “I know it’s a part of life
, but it’s hard for me to see anything die.”

“
Can’t argue with you there.”

They walked along the canyon rim for almost a mile
and then returned to the truck.

“Now wasn’t this worth the trip?”

“Absolutely. Thank you for sharing this place with me. I’ll always remember it.”

Breck lightly traced the outline of her cheek with his
thumb. “I hope we’ll come back here often. The next time I’ll load up the horses and we’ll go down in the canyon.”

She
nodded, wondering if her future lay here or in Houston. They ate at a diner in the small town named Canyon, and drove back to her ranch by the middle of the afternoon.

When they pulled into the drive,
she was shocked to see Clayton Tremont, IV, sitting in a rocker on her porch, his suitcase and a bouquet of roses beside him.

“Oh, my,” she said.

“Who is that yahoo?” Breck eyed him through a suspiciously narrowed gaze.

Cami heaved a labored sigh.
“That would be my fiancé.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Breck pulled
up close to the porch and Cami jumped out. She ran up the steps, trying to sort out her feelings. She had been happy and comfortable in Breck’s company, but that was how she’d felt in Houston with Clay before she’d ever known there was a Breckenridge T. Ryan.

Was she so fickle that she’d give her heart away at the drop of a hat
…of a Stetson?

“Hello
, Clay,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Obviously,” he intoned. “I thought I’d surprise you.” Clay bent to kiss
her cheek and handed her the roses. “For you, sweet thing. You sounded so despondent when last we spoke. I thought I’d cheer you up.” He raised an eyebrow as he gazed at the tall man getting out of the truck. “But, it seems that you’ve made your own cheer, my dear.”

Her
felt her cheeks burn. “Clayton Tremont this is Breckenridge Ryan, Silky’s my lawyer.”

The two men sh
ook hands warily, neither smiling.

“I’ll be going now, Cami,” Breck said. “You call me if you need anything.” He took a few steps off the porch and turned back to immobilize her with his gaze. “I mean it now, Cami. Call me for anything.” He slammed the door of his truck and, giving them one more dark look, dro
ve away.

She
struggled with the feeling of abandonment she was experiencing as the truck disappeared from view. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to smile before turning to Clay. “I’m glad to see you.”

“I hope so,” he said.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll show you my house.” She unlocked the door and showed Clay where to hang his jacket. “I hope you didn’t get too chilled while you were waiting for me.”

“To the bone, you bad girl. And you were off with that big cowboy type
.” Clay held his arms wide.

She
hesitated a moment before stepping into his embrace. Clay kissed her the way he always did, but she didn’t feel the thrill of Breck’s demanding kisses or even E.J.’s tender, exploratory kiss.

Determinedly, she shook her thoughts free and tried to concentrate on Clay and making him feel welcome.

She showed him the downstairs and seated him at the kitchen counter. “How do you like my house?”

“It’s really quaint, dear one.” He smiled
tolerantly. “It looks like it came from the pages of some country decorating magazine, as the ‘before’ pages. It really needs an update, but I expect you’re going to sell it in a year. There’s no point on sinking any money into it when some local yokel will love it just this way.” He laughed a little as he swiveled on the bar stool.

Cami turned around, trying to
see the room through his eyes.

She loved this kitchen. The apple print on the curtains had come from a catalog to match Aunt Silky’s expensive red
Kitchen Aid mixer. Other touches of red stood out against the dark gray tile countertop. She’d always thought this was the homiest room in the house.

“Let’s go for a drive,” she said, suddenly not wan
ting to show her house to Clay.

“Whatever you want to do
.” He slid off the stool.

Cami grabbed the keys to the Lincoln and her jacket on
the way out.

“Wow, this is a lady’s car.” Clay slid onto the wine colored leather seats.

“I like it,” she bit out, grinding the motor into life.

She waved to Frank who leaned against the fence, inspecting the newcomer.
Frank wore his feelings on his face. Easy to tell he didn’t think Cami’s company measured up.

Clay gazed intently out the window.
“How much of this land is ours?”

She blew out a breath.
“It’s all my land.”

#

Breck was driving way too fast.

She’s going to have that yahoo in her bed tonight. He’s going to make love to
her and I can’t do anything about it.

He slammed the heel of his h
and against the steering wheel.

If Camryn Carmichael had been dating this Clay fellow for some time, and if they were close enough that they’d become engaged, it went beyond saying that they were intimate. But he couldn’t bear the idea of another man holding her and kissing her. He experienced a choking sensation when he imagined her getting horizontal
with anyone other than himself.

He drove on for some time, oblivious to time and place. The straight Texas highway
unfurled in front of him and required nothing more than him keeping his foot pressed down on the accelerator.

The sharp blast of a horn brought him out of his reverie as he swerved to avoid a slower vehicle.
Breck’s truck headed off road and ground to a stop in the dirt.

The
smaller truck pulled to a stop on the shoulder and the door opened, disgorging its driver.

“What the hell you think you’re doin’?” Doc
Parker came stomping over to where Breck sat, frozen in place. “You tryin’ to get us both killed or somthin’?”

He
drew a deep breath and peeled his fingers from around the steering wheel. His heart pounding a drum solo, he climbed down from the truck to face the angry older man. “Sorry Doc. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Then you got no business behind the wheel.”
Doc stood scowling at him from under his bushy brows. “I do not want to be doin’ roadside surgery. C’mon.”

“Where?”

“Lock up your truck and take a ride with me. I don’t think you should be driving a couple of tons of metal as a lethal weapon when your head ain’t screwed on right. I gotta make a house call and then I’ll let you buy me dinner.”

Breck took another breath and expelled it. “Right.” He locked the extra-cab before climbing into Doc
’s truck.

#

Cami drove Clay around her property and then into town, knowing that he wouldn’t be impressed by the country people she had grown to care about.

“So, what’s the story with the big cowboy?” Clay asked. “He looked rather proprietary.”

“He’s just a friend.” Her knuckles tightened on the steering wheel.

“I think he wants to me more than a friend, dear Cami.”

“You could be right.” She turned the Lincoln in at Tiny’s Diner and switched off the ignition.

“What are we doing here?” he said. “This looks like a movie set from
The Last Picture Show.”

“The food is good and I don’t feel like cooking tonight. You’ll fare better than if I try to put something together at the ranch.”

He looked perplexed. “Of course, dear. Whatever you suggest. We’ll be back in civilization before you know it.” He opened the passenger door and stepped out.

Cami sat for a moment behind the wheel, realizing how easy it was to get used to all
that door opening. She opened her own door and stomped into Tiny’s, grabbing a booth as Clay trailed behind her.

Crystal placed menus in front of them and plastic glasses of ice
water. “Hi Honey,” she said. “You’re a friend of Breckenridge’s aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Cami said, opening the menu. “What’s good tonight?”

“I can recommend the chicken fried chicken and the ribs are extra tender.”

As Cami ordered and handed her
menu to Crystal, Breck and Doc Parker entered the diner together. Breck glanced at her and selected a table across the room from where she sat with Clay. He positioned himself where he could keep a surreptitious eye on her without turning his head.

Clay reached across the table and took her hand. “I suppose we better go shopping for that ring soon,” he said. “It seems that I’d better stake my claim.”

Cami visualized Clay placing a ring on her finger. The squeezing in her gut alerted her to how reluctant she felt about that eventuality. “No problem,” she said. “You’re right about the ring. I’d probably leave it at home when I’m working. A gold band is enough.”

“That’s what I originally
had in mind, but with your big inheritance I thought you might like a status symbol on your finger.”

Cami considered his words.
“Someone once told me that the ring was supposed to be a symbol of the prospective groom’s feelings for the object of his affections.”

“That kind of thinking went out with dowries.” Clay laughed and kissed the tips of her fingers.

“It seems that I’m delivering a significant dowry.”

“My dear,”
he said, suddenly serious. “The money isn’t important. It’s you I love. You know, for richer or poorer.”

She
nodded solemnly. “Especially the richer part.”

“Cami, dearest. What has put you in this mood?”

“Sorry,” she said, expelling a sigh. “Let me freshen up and I’ll feel better.” Cami went to the small bathroom in the back of the restaurant and splashed water on her face. The cold water was refreshing, but she wasn’t washing away tears, just trying to adjust her attitude.

When she opened the door, Breck’s big frame filled the doorway. A sound somewhere between a gasp and a whimper escaped from her throat.

“He doesn’t love you.”

“What?”
she gasped as he pushed her back into the restroom and locked the door.

“He doesn’t love you the way I love you.”
Breck trapped her face between his hands and kissed her. “No one will ever love you the way I love you.”

She made the whimper sound when he kissed her again
. She circled his neck with both arms.

He
picked her up and set her on the faux marble counter by the sink, pressing himself between her legs.

“Don’t worry, Cami. I’m not going to make love to you in the
ladies room of Tiny’s Diner.” He grinned and kissed her again. “At least, not the first time.”

Cami laughed
nervously and rested her cheek against his chest, relishing his arms around her, his hands stroking her hair.

“I don’t want to go
back out there,” she said.

“I don’t want him to touch you again. I don’t want him to stay at your place tonight.”

She looked up at him. “You’re jealous?”

Breck’s eyes glinted with something dangerous.
“No, but I’m going to kill that guy if he puts his hands on you again.”

“You’re jealous.” Cami grinned.

“It’s eating a hole in my gut. As long as your so-called fiancé was just some faceless guy hundreds of miles away, I could handle it. But here he is, looking like he owns you.”

“Funny, he was just saying the same thing about you.”

“Cami, you’ve got to stop playing with my heart and let me love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

She
cleared her throat and stroked the side of his face with her fingertips. “Breck, I’ve got to make some major decisions and take care of a few details in my life that need to be clarified. Just give me a little time.”

“I’ll give you anything you want,” he said. “Just promise me you won’t let that yahoo in your bed tonight.”

She let out a long breath, wondering how she would keep that promise without breaking up with Clay forever. “I’m confused as to my feelings, Breck. I thought I knew what I wanted, but that was before you came into my life. I’ve changed. This place has changed me. I have to think.”

“I’ll give you all the time in the world. Just don’t sleep with him tonight.”

“Okay, I won’t. But Clay doesn’t deserve to be treated badly, so let me figure out what to do.”

He
peered anxiously into her eyes before shrugging and dropping a kiss onto her lips. “I trust you to handle it, Cami. Just make him back off.”

She slid off the counter and
stepped toward the door.

“It’s hard for me to let you go
.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I want to go out there and tell him to go back to Houston.”

She shook her head. “Too mean. You’ve got to promise to let me
figure out how to settle things.”

He heaved a deep sigh. “I’ll let you handle him.”

Cami leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Let me return to the table first. He’s not stupid, you know?” She slipped out of the bathroom and, when she re-entered the dining room saw Crystal serving their dinner to Clay and her empty place across from him.

Doc
Parker caught her eye and waved her over. “Hello, young lady. Have you decided when you’ll take over your practice? I’m ready to go fly fishin’.”

She
grinned at him as he enfolded her hand in his.

“I’m still thinking about it, Doc.”

“Who’s that young city fellow with you?” Doc inclined his head in Clay’s direction.

“He’s my fiancé,” she said.

“Nah, he’s not for you. He ain’t made for the long haul. You want a substantial man who’ll stand by ya’ through thick ‘n’ thin.”

She
nodded her head, “You could be right.” She looked at Doc and noticed that his glasses were grimy. She took them off his nose and cleaned them with a napkin before replacing them. “Now, you can take a better look.”

He
started laughing, a deep, wheezy rumbling in his chest.

Cami patted his shoulder and made her way back to her table, seeing Breck return to sit beside Doc as she took her seat. “Everything looks good.”

Clay grimaced. “Everything looks heavy. Do they batter and fry all the food?”

She
surveyed both plates. “Yes.”

They ate their meal in relative silence until
a crash startled her. She jerked her head as utensils and china clattered to the floor.

Breck st
ood beside Doc’s chair, holding the older man by his shoulders. “Cami!” Breck’s face looked tense.

She crossed the room
quickly.

Doc was struggling to breathe, his color ashen.

“Help him to the floor,” she said, “and call for an ambulance.” She checked his pulse and assured herself that Doc was breathing. He’d passed out and his pallor was gray. A clammy film covered his skin. She held him in her arms for ten minutes until the chop-chop of the air ambulance rotors were heard. She accompanied him as he was being loaded into the helicopter. As the EMTs collapsed the gurney legs, Doc was jostled from side to side. He opened his eyes and gave her a look that expressed anguish so eloquently she could almost read his mind.

Take care of my patients, he silently pled.

The curious as well as the concerned were assembled in the parking lot of Tiny’s Diner to see what all of the excitement was about. They shook their heads and talked behind their hands when they saw their doctor being taken away. Some of the townsfolk pointed at Cami and made comments amongst themselves.

She
scanned Breck’s concerned expression and Clay’s wary one. She dug in her pocket, extracting the keys to the Lincoln and tossed them in Clay’s direction. He lunged for them but missed and they landed at his feet.

“Go back to the house, Clay. I’ll get a ride home later.” She saw a flash of anger cross his face
, but ducked into the copter after her patient.

As the air ambulance lifted and hovered momentarily over Tiny’s gravel parking area,

Cami glanced from Clay’s angry face to Breck’s worried one. She heaved a big sigh and turned her attention to the man on the gurney. She conferred with the attendants, knowing that Breck would follow her to the hospital, knowing that he would always be there when she turned around.

#

At the hospital, she followed the gurney into the busy emergency room. She asked the doctor on duty to send Doc for an immediate MRI, relaying that he appeared to be having a stroke. She gave Doc’s hand a squeeze as they rolled him down the hall for the scan.

A Neurologist was
called in for a consult while Cami paced up and down the halls of the Radiology wing, contemplating the dilemma she found herself in.

The reality of having Clay show up so unexpectedly was unsettling to say the least. In Houston, where she’d been
a busy resident, Clay was the perfect boyfriend, offering just enough of a social life to keep her sane and just enough passion to remind her that she was a woman underneath the scrubs. She’d thought that was enough. Enough to sustain her while she focused on her career. Comfort without excitement.

And then there was Breckenridge T. Ryan. He flooded her with emotion. He poured his need at her feet, demanding that she return his passion. And the passion he stirred was
like nothing she’d experienced before. Nothing tame about the way he loved her. Breck ignited a wildfire in his wake with every encounter.

Shaking her head, she
passed her hand over her face.

The issue wasn’t which man but rather, which place. Did she want to spend the rest of her life in Houston, the
fast-paced urban metropolis where the huge Medical Center offered a world of future career opportunities? Or would she be satisfied to live on a ranch near a small town, where she could watch the sun rise and set and raise a family with a man who promised to fill her world with passion?

Cami rubbed the back of her neck. If Doc was unable to care for his patients, who would treat them
if she left? Would they have to travel a great distance to another clinic? Or be forced to do without medical care? Cami sighed and whirled on her heel to retrace her steps.

Breck leaned against the wall,
solemnly watching her progress. “That load you’re carrying looks awfully heavy.” He shoved away from the wall and took a few steps toward her. “I have a feeling I’m the major cause of your burden. I’m sorry”

At the sight of him, some bubble of joy sprang up inside her, allowing a slow smile to spread across her face. “No, you’re not.”

He ducked his head and grinned. “Well…”

She shook her head.
“I just figured out what that T in your name stands for… Breckenridge Trouble Ryan.”

He reached out to stroke his hand over her hair. “I don’t deny it, Cami.
I’m going to keep on making trouble until you figure out that I’m your man.”

“My man.” She laughed at his expression. “How come you’ve always been so sure?”

He slanted a scorching gaze at her and pulled her into his embrace. “This is how come.” He lowered his lips to hers and let the wildfire take over.

A
dizzying rush of heat rose from her core as Breck’s kiss deepened. She slipped her arms around his neck as he lifted her off her feet.

“I thought something like this was going on.”

Cami broke away from Breck to see Clay standing a few feet away. His face was suffused with an ugly shade of red.

“Clay,” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“Better yet, what are you doing with him?” He jabbed a finger at Breck.

She
saw a warning flash in Breck’s eyes and stepped between the two men. “Everyone stay calm. There’s no reason for anyone to lose their temper.”

Breck
picked her up by her waist and set her aside, stepping in front of Clay. “I’m calm,” he ground out through gritted teeth.

“Cami, call off this rustic. He’s only interested in you for your land. Don’t you see?”

“I have plenty of my own land,” Breck growled.

“Cami, don’t be such a stupid bitch.”

Cami gasped. A roiling in her stomach caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected this of Clay.

“Big mistake,” Breck said, but Cami staye
d him with her hand on his arm.

“I warn you,” Clay said. “In college, my sport was boxing.” He
swung his fist at Breck, landing a solid blow to his face.

Breck
took the punch without flinching and glared coldly at Clay. He licked a trickle of blood from his lip. “In college, my sport was bar brawling.” He grabbed Clay’s arm and hurled him into the corridor wall. In two strides Breck was upon him, jerking Clay to his feet and slamming him into the opposite wall.

Clay slid to the floor, crumpled in a heap.

Breck squatted beside Clay and jerked his head around to face him. “Cami is neither a bitch nor is she stupid, so you owe her an apology.”

Clay glared at him obstin
ately.

“Fine with me.” Breck dragged
him to a standing position by the front of his jacket. “Cami, I’ll be outside beating the crap out of your ex-fiancé. I may be a while.”

“No, wait,” Clay said. “I apologize, Cami. You know I didn’t mean anything
by that.”

She
glanced away, a cold knot in the pit of her stomach.

“Wait,” Clay said. “What do you mean ex-fiancé? We’re still engaged
.”

Breck met
her gaze as she raised her chin. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her. She shook her head.

“No, you’re not. Cami’s in love with me
. I’m going to take you to the airport so you can catch a flight back to Houston.”

“But, my bag”

“We’ll send it to you,” he said. “Say goodbye.”

Cami watched in awe as her ex-fiancé was hustled from the hospital by th
e man who would take his place.

“Doctor Carmichael?”

She turned to see the neurologist approach with a chart in hand. She followed him to the nurse’s station.

“Doctor
Parker has suffered a transient ischemic attack. There’s no active bleed at this time. He opened his eyes and tried to speak. I think he wants to see you.”