clever smile suddenly spread across Mikayla’s face. “I’ve seen Dr. Strickland more than you can imagine. He was the doctor who attended me that night I went into premature labor.”
The information shouldn’t have surprised her. Rust Creek Falls was a small place. It wasn’t like there was an abundance of obstetricians around. “You mean he delivered baby Hazel?”
Mikayla nodded. “I have to admit he’s a terrific doctor. Very caring, serious and thorough. Although, his bedside manner could be a bit better.”
“Grumpy, huh?”
“No. Actually, he was very kind. It’s just that he keeps his conversations to the minimum and as best as I remember, he never cracked a smile. But to be fair, he wasn’t exactly dealing with an easy situation when he delivered Hazel.”
Somehow Mikayla’s observation about the man didn’t surprise Josselyn. Drew Strickland had seemed only too eager to let his son do all the talking. Until the boy had started chattering about finding his dad a wife. Then the man had seemed to be totally embarrassed and even a bit angry. Why he’d reacted in such a way Josselyn could only guess.
“No,” Josselyn agreed. “I don’t suppose either of you had reason to smile during that stressful situation.”
“So what was Dr. Strickland doing at the back-to-school picnic?” Mikayla asked. “Or did you actually talk to the man?”
“We talked. Briefly. After his son walked up and introduced himself and his father.”
It was Mikayla’s turn to look surprised. “The doctor has a son?”
Josselyn nodded. “He’s seven and in the second grade. And cute as a button, I might add.”
“Eva told me a little about his family,” Mikayla replied. “But she didn’t mention a son. And I haven’t heard anyone around the clinic mention Dr. Strickland having a child.”
“Hmm. That’s odd. You would think one of the nurses would have said something,” Josselyn mused aloud. “Do you know anything else about the man? I keep wondering about the boy’s mother. She wasn’t with them.”
Mikayla broke off a piece of cookie and popped it into her mouth. Once she’d chewed and swallowed, she said, “Could be the woman was at the picnic—talking to someone else at the time.”
Josselyn shook her head. “That’s possible. Except that Dillon let it slip that he’s trying to find his dad a wife.”
“Awww. Poor little tyke. He must be wanting a mother something fierce.”
Just thinking about the eager way little Dillon had been gazing up at Josselyn sent a pang right through her heart. There had been a real look of longing on the child’s face. One that she hadn’t understood completely until this moment.
“I think you must be right, Mikayla. Maybe...maybe he doesn’t have a mother at all.”
“Sounds to me like the good doctor is either divorced or widowed.”
Widowed. Drew had looked to be in his thirties. At that age, she’d not considered the possibility that he might have lost his wife. But that could definitely explain the lost look she’d noticed in his eyes.
“If you’re wondering about Dr. Strickland’s marital status then you must be interested in the man,” Mikayla remarked.
Clutching her mug with both hands, Josselyn stared into the brown liquid while a blush crept into her cheeks.
“I guess you could say I’m a little interested,” she admitted with a sheepish grin. “After all, the guy is definitely dreamy looking. His son is such a sweet boy—he must be a good dad. Wouldn’t you think?”
“I’ve heard nothing but raves about his services as a physician, but as for his private life, I wouldn’t know. Maybe you should find that out for yourself,” Mikayla suggested impishly.
Josselyn sighed. “I doubt I’ll ever run into Dr. Strickland again. Besides, it was obvious he wasn’t the least bit interested in me.”
“Hmm. How could you tell?”
Josselyn let out a cynical grunt. “As soon as his son mentioned the word wife, he couldn’t get away from me fast enough. And since I never spotted the two of them again, I assume Dr. Strickland must have left the park and taken his son home.”
“I wouldn’t take his sudden disappearance personally,” Mikayla told her. “The man was probably embarrassed that his son said such a thing to you.”
“Now that you mention it, his face did turn a little red,” Josselyn murmured.
“Well, just in case you might actually be interested, I do know that he lives at Strickland’s Boarding House. Old Gene and Melba are his grandparents.”
“Oh. I hadn’t made the connection to the boardinghouse,” Josselyn said. “Do you know if he has any other relatives around Rust Creek Falls?”
“Three cousins, all of them sisters. Claire, Tessa and Hadley. Claire is married to Levi Wyatt and I believe they have a little girl, Bekka. She goes to the day care here in town. Claire cooks for the boardinghouse. Tessa is a graphic designer. She’s married to Carson Drake and they have twins. Hadley is a veterinarian who’s married to Eli Dalton. As far as I know they don’t have any children yet.”
“Hmm. I wonder about his parents or if he has siblings.” She felt her cheeks growing even hotter as Mikayla continued to study her closely. “Forget I said that. Something is wrong with me tonight, Mikayla. I’m saying and thinking things that are completely off the wall. Maybe I need something to eat to get my brain back on track.”
Laughing softly, Mikayla gestured to the other cookie still lying on the tray. “A little sugar should make you forget all about the sexy doctor.”
Josselyn reached for the cookie, but as she bit into the scrumptious treat, she had an uneasy feeling that it was going to be a long time before she managed to push Drew Strickland and his son out of her mind.
Early Monday morning while he waited for Dillon to dress for school, Drew sat at the kitchen table in the boardinghouse, eating the last of his breakfast of toast, bacon and dark black coffee.
Most of the other boarders chose to take their meals in the dining room of the old four-story house, but Drew liked his privacy. Gossiping back and forth across the table wasn’t his thing. And to make matters even more uncomfortable, as soon as the tenants had learned he was a doctor, he was constantly approached for free medical advice.
Dillon, on the other hand, relished sitting around the big dining table and listening in on the conversations. It was no wonder the boy was seven years old going on fifteen, Drew thought wryly. And he could only imagine what Josselyn Weaver had thought when Dillon had blurted out that bit about finding his dad a wife. A full day had passed since the picnic, but the memory of the incident still left Drew smarting.
That afternoon, throughout the short walk from the park back to the boardinghouse, Drew had tried to lecture his son on the right and wrong things to say to a lady. And though Dillon had attempted to show a little remorse at his behavior, it was obvious to Drew that his son wasn’t a bit sorry for all his bold talk.
“Do I hear a sigh over there? Is something wrong with your breakfast?”
Drew glanced over at his cousin Claire, who was busy flipping pancakes on an industrial-sized grill.
“No. Everything tastes great, as usual. Thanks, Claire.”
“Well, you sound like something is wrong. Work getting you down?”
“I love my work. I’m even busier than I thought I would be here in this