The Family Doctor (13 page)

Warmth spread from her toes to her ears. She couldn't stop smiling, and she felt giddy and breathless. All she could stammer was “I feel the same way.”

T
HE
H
OTEL
M
AC
D
ONALD
was old, beautifully refurbished and situated smack in downtown Edmonton. When the bellman left, Kate bounced on the bed. The mattress was better than the one she had at home. Her room was small but elegant, and a glance in the luxurious bathroom confirmed that she'd be wonderfully comfortable here.

Outside the window, the sun shone like a beacon. Getting up early and flying across the mountains had its advantages; it was still midmorning, and the whole day was ahead. Excitement surged through her.

Tony had suggested they meet at the registration desk in fifteen minutes, take care of details and then have brunch together.

So what did sophisticated women wear to brunch in an elegant hotel? Kate undressed and dug through her overflowing suitcase until she came up with a simple knit dress, almost sleeveless, that ended a few inches above her knees. Its color was the same green as her eyes, and she pulled it on, along with a pair of summer sandals. This was fun,
not having to think about anything more serious than what to wear.

She opened the door to the corridor just as Tony opened his. He was in a room directly across the hall, and she'd remarked on the coincidence when they got their room cards. The slight flush on his cheekbones gave him away.

“Did you request rooms on the same floor?”

“Yeah.” He looked sheepish. “I thought it would be more convenient. Do you mind?”

She didn't mind one bit. But the shiver of desire inside of her made her wish he'd be clearer about what he meant by more convenient.
More convenient for what?
She warned herself not to get her hopes up.

“From my window it looks as if there's the most amazing jogging path right along the river,” he said as they headed for the elevators. “I'm not sure how to get down there but there must be a way. I'll ask the concierge about it. I thought if you didn't mind, we could get up early and explore it tomorrow morning.”

“Great.” She hoped her smile didn't look as phony as it felt.

They registered and then found the dining room. Brunch was being served. The sight of the laden buffet tables reminded Kate that all she'd had to eat so far was a package of nuts on the plane. She was ravenous. As she filled her plate, Tony said, “Did you manage to get into the lectures you wanted?”

“All of them. And you?”

“I only registered for two,” he confessed. “I thought it would be nice to take some time to explore the city.”

Why hadn't he told her that before she signed up for so many sessions? Well, she could always play hooky for the first time in her life.

As they moved along the buffet table side by side, Kate noticed another couple just ahead of them. They were putting strawberries on each other's plates and smiling into each other's eyes with an intensity that signaled recent sexual activity, or sexual activity soon to come.

Kate was suddenly envious. Were they on their honeymoon? She added strawberries and maple syrup to the pancakes she'd chosen and surreptitiously watched the other couple, feeling a tiny bit sorry for herself.

She'd never had a honeymoon. She and Scott had been married in a registry office. Her best friend, her bridesmaid, had held Eliza during the brief ceremony, and they'd all gone back to Kate's apartment afterward, where she served the fancy lunch she'd prepared the night before. Later that day she and Scott ordered pizza for dinner, and Eliza cried most of the night. She'd been teething.

When she and Tony sat down with their food, Kate blurted, “Did you go on a honeymoon when you got married?”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, but he said,
“Yeah. We went to Hawaii for ten days. We stayed at an old army encampment on the rainy end of Oahu because we didn't have much money.”

“What was your wife like?” She'd often wondered, but never had the courage to ask. “Do you have a picture of her?”

“Nope. I tossed them all out when she left. I was pretty fed up with her there for a while. We're on good terms now, though. When you've got a kid, it makes sense to get along.”

“Describe her for me.” It was suddenly important that she have a mental picture of this woman he'd loved.

“Petite. Slim. Lots of black curly hair. Very intense.”

Kate was surprised. For some reason she'd thought McKensy must look like her mother, but the woman he described couldn't have been more unlike Tony's daughter.

“Pretty?”

“Yeah.” It was obvious he wasn't going to elaborate. And she wasn't ready to politely back off, either. For some reason this had become a mission.

“What was her name?”

He was giving her a strange look now. “Jessica. Jessica Diehl.”

“Sounds classy. How did you meet?” Kate knew she was pushing the envelope here, but she couldn't seem to stop.

“She was singing in a jazz joint in downtown
Vancouver. A bunch of us docs used to go there. I sat in sometimes with the band.”

“When you were in ICU, your mother told me you play the saxophone.”

“Used to. I don't play much anymore, I don't get time to practice.”

“And that's where you met Jessica?” She really ought to leave it alone, but it was an obsession.

He nodded. “One of the guys in the band introduced us.”

“Love at first song?” Kate couldn't carry a tune to save her soul.

He shook his head. “More like lust.” He gave Kate a deliberate look. “I took her home that night and stayed over. We had a pretty intense time of it, and within a couple weeks she was pregnant. She told me she was using birth control, so I didn't bother. Anyhow, we got married. She stuck until McKensy was four, but she wanted to sing professionally, and she got an offer from a jazz band that had a gig in Toronto. We both pretended at first it was temporary, but after a year she filed for divorce.” He ate some of his French toast and then added, “If she hadn't, I would have.”

Kate noticed there wasn't any anger in his voice. He just sounded resigned.

“Does she see McKensy often?”

Tony shook his head. “If she's in town, she'll call and take McKensy out. The last time was four
months ago. Jessica's totally wrapped up in her career.”

“That must be hard on McKensy.” Words were coming out her mouth without any planning at all.

“It was at first. McKensy was still so little and we both thought Jessica meant it when she said she'd be back. Now McKensy doesn't expect much anymore. She loves her mom, but she accepts that singing comes first with her.”

Kate thought of Eliza, who knew she was first in Kate's heart.

She'd asked so many questions, she might as well ask one more—the million dollar one. “Think you'll ever get married again?”

He took a long time to answer. “My daughter wants that more than anything. She asked for a stepmom for Christmas last year, believe it or not, but it's not exactly something you can order from a catalog, is it?” His grin was wry, his eyes guarded. “The truth is, I don't know, Kate. As you've seen, my family seems to thrive on turmoil. Mom isn't easy to get along with. She hated Jessica, and if I'd allowed it, she would have caused trouble between us.”

“Every family has its problems.” She thought of herself and Scott and Eliza. They weren't even a family anymore, but they certainly had their share of upsets.

His nod was noncommittal. “I'm going for more hash browns. You want anything?”

“No, thank you.” She watched him walk over to the buffet. She had a feeling there was more to his reluctance about marriage than just his family. Maybe he still had strong feelings for Jessica that he was being careful to hide. Or maybe he'd been hurt so badly he wouldn't try again.

The sweetness of the maple syrup turned a little sour.

When he came back, they finished their food and then made plans to meet for dinner, since each of them had a seminar to attend that afternoon.

They rode upstairs in the elevator and walked side by side down the corridor, but he didn't take her hand. He didn't touch her at all.

When they reached their rooms, Kate said in a cheery voice, “See you at six,” and closed her door firmly behind her.

Darn. No matter how pretty the room was, it was awfully empty with only her in it.

 

T
ONY KNOCKED ON
K
ATE'S DOOR
at five minutes before six, and her dimples showed when he whistled in appreciation.

She was wearing high heels—very high—with something short and black that clung to her body suggestively. Her lovely, silky legs went on and on. Her coppery hair was swept up in a loose knot at the crown of her head, and little tendrils floated around her ears and the nape of her neck. The hotel room smelled female, of flowery dusting powder
and soft silky fabrics and perfume. The whole effect made Tony dizzy.

“I'm trying to figure out which earrings to wear with this dress.” She turned her back and rummaged through a satin jewelry case while he devoured the delightful view with every one of his senses.

“You look—” He searched for a word, but none seemed extreme enough. “I'm trying to find a word that goes beyond
ravishing,
Kate,” he finally managed to say.

She was hooking a silver hoop into her ear, head tilted to one side, and she turned toward him with a foxy smile.

“
Ravishing
will do fine. And thank you. You look pretty hot yourself. That's some fancy suit.”

He'd packed it especially to impress her, and he was pleased that she liked it. He didn't dare glance at the queen-size bed, but it was like a magnet for his imagination. He tried to keep his mind firmly in the moment as she finished with the earrings and grabbed a soft black wrap from the back of an armchair.

“Ready. Finally.”

He held the door and she wafted past him in an intoxicating cloud of something sultry and dangerous. With heels on she came to his shoulder, and he took her hand as they stepped on the empty elevator.

“Handsome couple,” he murmured, nodding at the mirrored wall.

“Wonder where they're going?” she whispered back.

“Out on the town. Look at how they're dressed.”

“Think her skirt's too short?” Kate smoothed the dress over her hips.

“With legs like that, a skirt could never be too short,” he declared, restraining her hand as she tugged at her hem. “She's incredibly beautiful, he's going to be the envy of every guy in the place. Probably have to fight dozens of men off before the night's over,” he added in a gruff tone.

She giggled. “I hardly think so.”

But he was conscious of the covert male glances she attracted as the maitre d' led them to the table Tony had reserved in the dining room.

The meal was probably delicious, the wine superb, but Tony didn't remember eating. He was concentrating too hard on the lovely woman across from him.

Kate wanted to discuss the lecture she'd attended, called To Err Is Human. “I couldn't help but think about what happened to you, Tony, when you hurt your ankle. The speaker emphasized that the media focuses on medical error and blame. I remember your mom and brother threatening to call the newspapers when you were in ICU. It would have really harmed St. Joe's image if they'd done that.”

Distracted from admiring the sparkle in her green eyes and the intriguing curve of her lips, Tony clicked his tongue in disgust. “I didn't know they'd even thought about doing that. Damn, Mom and Wilson can make a tremor into a full-scale earthquake.”

“Everybody reacts strongly when they feel there's been a mistake. Leslie feels that way about her mother's death.” Her face somber, Kate outlined what had happened, how Nathanial Hersh had sent Leslie's mother home instead of admitting her for further tests. “Leslie won't meet with Dr. Hersh to discuss it. She's really angry.”

“I helped hire Hersh. He graduated top of his class, he's an excellent physician.” Tony couldn't help feeling defensive. He knew Nathanial and respected the younger man's ability. Admittedly, he was a little rough around the edges, but experience would smooth him. “Maybe Leslie just needs some time.”

Kate nodded, but he could see she wasn't convinced.

“Let's not spend the evening discussing work,” he pleaded. “Let's talk about really important things, like what you like to read, what music you enjoy, what you want for dessert.” He signaled the waiter and the elaborate dessert tray was wheeled up.

After much deliberation, Kate couldn't choose
between petits fours and hazelnut cheesecake. Tony ordered both.

Coffee was served, and a glance at his watch showed that it was still early. He'd given the evening a lot of thought while he was dressing.

“I checked the local papers to see what was on. There's a good jazz group playing not far from here. Would you like to go?”

Her green eyes widened. “I've never heard live jazz.”

“Then it's absolutely time you did.”

 

T
HE CLUB WAS SMALL
, noisy, and smoky in spite of the No Smoking sign over the bar. Kate held tight to Tony's hand, feeling excited and a little shy.

The band was taking a break when they arrived. Tony found a table at the back of the room, and since there was no waiter, he went off to the bar to get the glass of white wine she'd asked for. Kate watched as a dark-haired woman materialized beside him, putting a familiar hand on his arm and smiling up into his face.

A stab of pure jealousy shot through her as Tony bent his head and kissed the woman on the cheek. He listened to what she said, then threw back his head and laughed.

So he happened to know someone here, Kate chided herself. Why should that bring on such a strong reaction in her? Because she'd assumed they'd be alone and anonymous. Because she didn't
want to share him. Because the lousy woman was pretty, and the way she leaned into Tony and put her hand on his chest hinted at intimacy instead of casual friendship.