for many years. She calls him an old codger, but I think she has a soft spot for him. As for romance, I doubt it. Since her husband was killed in the Viet Nam war, she hasn’t shown too much interest in men. Besides, she’s in her early seventies now.”
“So what? A woman’s never too old for romance. Did you ever think about that?” Jacki asked pointedly.
Hoping her expression was vacant, Nicolette closed the chart and handed it to her nurse. “I don’t consider myself too old for romance, Jacki. I’m just not interested.”
Jacki shook her head shook in disbelief. “Why not? Just because your husband was a—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Nicolette said firmly. “What is this, anyway? First my mother and now you start in on me about being single. Is something floating around in the air?”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not about you being single. It’s about you being alone.”
Rolling her eyes, Nicolette leaned back in the desk chair and gestured at the pile of medical charts on her desk. “I’m hardly alone, Jacki. I’m with people from the time I get up to the time I go to bed.”
Jacki shot her a droll look. “It’s not the same and we both know it.”
Jacki was right. It wasn’t the same, Nicolette thought. But it was better than being deceived and manipulated and stomped on by a man.
“I’m happy as I am, Jacki. Let’s leave it at that. Now, how many patients do I have left before lunch break? I need to take these cookies over to the hospital to Dan before Dr. Garroway releases him.”
“There are two. Mr. Mayfield and Mrs. Gates.”
Nicolette rose from her chair and straightened her lab coat. “Good. Let’s deal with them and then we’ll break for lunch.”
She left the room and Jacki followed closely on her heels. “Uh, Nicci, you haven’t told me what happened last night with Dr. Garroway. You only said he called you for help.”
Nicolette had been trying her best to put last night out of her mind, but so far she’d made little progress. From the moment she’d crawled out of bed, she’d thought about the new doctor and all the things he’d said to her. Even the brief moments he’d touched her seemed to be etched in her memory, playing over and over like an unwanted song.
“Nothing happened last night. I talked Dan into taking his medicine. Dr. Garroway thanked me for my help. That pretty much sums up the whole thing.”
Jacki threw up her hands as the two women headed for the nearest examining room. “But you must have talked to the man! What was he like? Did you learn anything about him?”
Nicolette paused to toss an impatient look of warning at the nurse. “Yes. I learned he’s not quite what he appears to be.”
Jacki opened her mouth to press for more, but Nicolette didn’t give her the chance. After knocking lightly on the examining room door, she stepped inside and went to work.
It was ten minutes until noon before Nicolette finally managed to leave the clinic and head to the hospital. She half expected to find Dan gone, but the older man was still there, dressed and sitting on the side of the bed.
He gave Nicolette a broad smile as she kissed his cheek.
“You look much better today,” she said with genuine joy and then teased, “Are you ready to leave this place? Or would you like to stay a little longer?”
“Don’t press me, girl. I’ve had all of this pokin’ and proddin’ that I can stand.”
She chuckled. “Now you know how those cows feel when you vaccinate and brand them and cut off their horns.” She placed the box of cookies next to him. “Looks like Dr. Garroway has you on the mend. Are you taking your medicine like he says?”
Dan nodded and leaned his head thoughtfully to one side. “Yep. I don’t like it, but I guess I can do it. You know that young doctor ain’t too bad after all. He says he has some cows and horses and wants me to take a look at ’em for him. Guess the whippersnapper knows where to come to for advice. I’ve decided to trust him—unless he does somethin’ to change my mind.”
So the new doctor had charmed Dan, Nicolette thought with surprise. The old wrangler was a tough character. If Ridge could win him over, then she needed to be on guard.
Nicolette gestured to the box of cookies. “Cook sent you a little get-well gift. Maybe when you get home you ought to call her and thank her.”
The old man turned a suspicious eye on the box. “What the hell did she do that for? She knows I don’t like her.”
Nicolette shook a shaming finger at him. “Don’t be lying, Dan.”
His expression suddenly sheepish, Dan shifted on the edge of the mattress. “Well, maybe that wasn’t the truth. But the old woman…makes me uncomfortable.”
Nicolette tried not to smile at the idea of Dan calling someone twenty years his junior old. And then she suddenly thought of Jacki’s comments that women were never too old for romance. Maybe the same held true for men.
She cast him a sly glance. “Cook’s pretty and she gets you stirred up. That’s closer to the truth, isn’t it?”
Dan pursed his lips as though he was going to argue, but then he suddenly let out a deep chuckle. “Well, old Hattie is some looker.”
They were both still laughing at his admission when a nurse arrived with a wheelchair to take him downstairs. Nicolette placed the box of cookies on his lap and walked along with him. Outside, he climbed spryly into the vehicle with his housekeeper, and Nicolette promised to see him soon, then waved the two of them off.
Moments later she was walking across the parking lot toward her car when someone from behind called out her name.
“Nicolette! Wait up!”
She recognized his voice even before she turned to see Ridge Garroway hurrying toward her. The sight of him in dark slacks and a gray-and-white-striped shirt was enough to make her stare and wish, just for a moment, that she had a whole and trusting heart.
“Hello, Ridge,” she said when he finally reached her.
Grinning, he swiped a hand at the blond hair blowing across his forehead. “Been seeing Dan off?”
She nodded. “I was glad he was looking so much better.”
His eyes roamed her face with appreciation. “I’m glad to see you looking more rested.”
And she was glad to be seeing him again. It was an awful admission, even if she was only making it to herself.
Feeling awkward now, she glanced pointedly at her watch. “Well, I only have a short time left for lunch. I’d better be going.”
“That’s why I called out to you,” Ridge told her. “I’m on my way to lunch, too. I’d like it very much if you’d join me.”
Oh no. It would be risky, even foolish to spend one moment more in this man’s company than was necessary. On the other hand, when exactly had she turned into such a coward? Ridge Garroway couldn’t eat her. He couldn’t hurt her. Not unless she allowed him to. And she was a grown woman. She had more sense than to let him get that close.
Before she could change her mind, she blurted out, “Well, if you’re inviting, I suppose I could. This once.”
“Great!” He said and quickly reached for her arm. “My truck is right over here.”
The June day was already hot, with a humid breeze whipping from the southeast. The wind was picking at the fluttery pink hem of Nicolette’s skirt and threatening to toss it over her head. She held it down firmly with one hand as Ridge helped her into the passenger seat of his red Ford truck.
“Do you have a favorite eating place?” he