in emergency medicine several years earlier, Eli had been on a special assignment from the military to work with aid agencies, setting up medical clinics and providing care to desperate, helpless people whose countries were in turmoil. He had been deployed almost constantly over the last five years.
Wendell had been so proud of his son for stepping up, even though his service put him in harm’s way time and again. He had also been worried for him.
“He feels things so deeply,” her boss had said. “I can’t imagine it’s easy, the kinds of things he has to see now.”
She remembered feeling great sympathy for Eli and admiration for him, though at the time she had pictured him as the nerdy, scholarly, skinny teenager she remembered, not the buff, gorgeous man she had encountered that morning on the beach.
“One thing I need to ask, though. Maybe you know the answer,” Carmen said. “How can he just show up in Cannon Beach and start practicing medicine here? Do I need to check with the licensing board? Doesn’t he need an Oregon license or something?”
“Fun and interesting fact. The particular license given to U.S. Army doctors allows them to practice medicine anywhere.”
Melissa could feel her vertebrae stiffen and nerves flutter at the deep voice from behind her.
Oh, it was going to be a long two or three weeks if she didn’t take control of this ridiculous crush she had suddenly formed for Eli Sanderson.
“I guess that makes sense,” Carmen said.
“Yes,” he answered. “Think how confusing it would be if an army doc had to go before the licensing board every time he was called to an emergency or had a new assignment.”
“That would be a serious pain.” Melissa hated the slightly breathless note in her voice. She sounded ridiculous, like the kind of brainless bikini-clad groupies who used to follow the pro surfers on the circuit.
She cleared her throat, wishing she could clear away her nerves as easily.
“Good to know. I’ll file that little tidbit away, in case I’m ever on a game show where ‘Army Doctors’ is a category.”
Tiffany snorted, and Eli’s mouth quirked up into a little smile, teeth flashing. She had the strangest feeling he hadn’t found that many things to smile about lately, though she couldn’t have said exactly why she had that impression.
“That would be the most boring game show ever,” he said. “Unless you love learning about regulations and protocol.”
“I really don’t. As long as you can legally see your father’s patients, that’s all I care about.”
“I’ll do my best. I know he’s been worried about his caseload.”
“Your dad is a great doctor, but he worries too much about his patients,” Tiffany said.
“Is that possible?” Eli asked.
“He should have worried a little more about himself. He could barely stand up the last few weeks before the surgery.”
Tiffany was a bit rough around the edges but like everyone else, she adored Dr. Sanderson and frequently told patients how cool it was that she now worked for the doctor who had delivered her twenty years earlier.
“Your father was so worried about taking time away from his patients he almost didn’t have the surgery, though his specialist has been urging him to for months. At least as long as I’ve been here,” Melissa said.
“Longer,” Carmen said, her expression exasperated. The older woman liked to mother everyone, even their boss, who was at least two or three years older than the office manager.
“I think he would have continued putting it off and hobbling around if he hadn’t injured the right one so badly two weeks ago,” Melissa said. “Then the surgery became not only urgent but imperative.”
“Everything worked out for the best,” Eli said. “I was able to create a gap in my schedule and here I am, at least for a few weeks.”
Yes. Here you are.
She had thought him gorgeous in skintight workout clothes. That was nothing compared to the sight of him in khaki slacks, a white exam coat and a crisply ironed button-down shirt a few shades lighter than his blue eyes.
She had been a nurse for years and had never been particularly drawn to a physician, until right this moment.
“How’s the wrist?” he asked.
At his words, the pain she had been staving off seemed to rush back. She held up the brace and wriggled her fingers. “Still aches but it’s bearable. I agree with you that I should hold off a day or two before I have it x-rayed.”
“Did you have any time to put ice on it?”
“A few minutes. Which is the main reason I’m late.”
“Good. That’s the best thing you can do.”
They lapsed into silence and she tried to keep from gawking at him. She loved her job, working with Wendell Sanderson. The man had been nothing but kind to her since the day she’d come back to Cannon Beach. She hated thinking things would be awkward and uncomfortable with Eli here.
She could handle anything for a few weeks, Melissa reminded herself. Even working for a man for whom she had developed a serious thirst.
“Can you give me the charts of those who have appointments today? I’d like to try familiarizing myself with their files.”
His words were directed to Carmen yet still provided Melissa the reminder she needed. He was her boss and she couldn’t forget that.
“I’ve already pulled the charts of those coming in this morning. They’re on your dad’s desk, since I figured you would be setting up in there,” the office manager replied. “I’ll find the rest and bring them in for you.”
“Thank you.” He gave the woman a polite smile, and Melissa could swear she felt her ovaries melt.
When he walked back down the hallway toward his office, Melissa slumped into one of the chairs in the waiting room.
Oh, this was not good. At all. She might have silently wished for a man this morning, but in truth she didn’t have time for that kind of complication. She had Skye and work and friends, not to mention the online classes she was taking to work toward her nurse practitioner license. There was no room left for her to be stupid about Eli.
“Are you okay?” Carmen asked.
“I will be.”
Eventually.
“He seems nice, doesn’t he?” Tiffany said. “Dr. Sanderson talks about his son like all the time, but I always pictured him different, somehow. Since he’s in the army, I thought he’d have a buzz cut and be all harsh and by the book.”
She hadn’t pictured him at all, hadn’t really given Eli Sanderson much thought over the years. Now she was afraid she would be able to think about little else.
Even her throbbing wrist couldn’t seem to distract her.
* * *
“How did your first day go? Any problems or unique diagnoses you think I need to know about?”
Eli adjusted his dad’s pillow, giving him a stern look. “Your only job right now is to focus on healing from this surgery. I can take care of your patients, got it? You don’t need to worry about them.”
“I have no concerns on that front,” Wendell assured him. “You’re a better doctor than I ever could have dreamed of being at your age.”
Eli knew that was far from true. How could it be? His own dreams were haunted by the ghosts of all those he couldn’t save. Miri. Justine. Those ghosts at least had names and faces, but there were scores of others who drifted through, anonymous and lost.