Healing Dr. Fortune (3 page)

Max kept quiet all through breakfast, and about the time she'd decided that he wasn't going to let her go to the clinic with him, he relented.

“Okay, Kirsten. I need you more than I'm comfortable admitting. Maybe that's why I'm fighting you so hard.” He blew out a sigh. “I'd really like you to go with me—as a second pair of ears—but
not
as my spokesperson.”

A part of her wanted to back off completely and let him handle it
all
on his own, but after Courtney had arrived with the baby a couple days ago and announced that Max was the father, they'd both been caught off guard. And together they'd scrambled to buy diapers, formula, bottles and a little bed for him to sleep in.

It had been almost overwhelming, yet at the same
time, there had been moments where she and Max had actually been a team for the first time in ages. And that had given her hope that the troubles they'd had in the past would soon be behind them. That they were on their way to becoming the family they'd been before their father had abandoned them, before their mother had died.

Through trial and error, frustration and smiles, she and Max had been learning how to take care of Anthony.

So the baby's arrival had turned out to be a good thing, forcing the two of them to work together for a change.

“All right,” Kirsten had agreed. “You've got yourself a deal.”

An hour later, they found themselves back at the clinic, checking in with a matronly receptionist whose badge announced that her name was Millie.

“Just take a seat,” Millie said. “It shouldn't be too long. You arrived here early today, which is good. We always get backed up in the late afternoon.”

Max shot Kirsten a glance, but she bit her tongue. She'd apologized for bringing Anthony yesterday, but she certainly wasn't going to grovel. What was done was done.

When they took seats in the waiting room, Max held the baby, so Kirsten picked up a magazine and thumbed through it. She feared that she was enabling Max again by being here, by babysitting Anthony and by offering them both a place to stay. But she couldn't very well throw out him and the baby.

She'd meant what she'd said about boundaries, though.

So how did she go about encouraging Max to find a job and to help out around the house, when he'd probably see that encouragement as interference?

She stole a glance at her brother, who held little Anthony with stiff arms and a tender expression. Anyone looking at him could tell he had feelings for the baby, even though he'd only known about him for a short time. It was obvious that he wanted to do right by his son. That, she decided, counted for a great deal.

As the door swung open, and a nurse called an elderly woman for her appointment, Kirsten found herself scanning the back room of the clinic, trying to spot the handsome orthopedic surgeon she'd met yesterday.

But what if she
did
see him? What then?

A man like that was probably only interested in sophisticated, stylish women with high-profile careers and social connections.

Still, each time the door to the exam rooms opened, each time someone in a lab coat walked by, Kirsten couldn't help searching for the doctor with sun-streaked hair and intensive blue eyes who had consumed her thoughts.

 

Jeremy was looking over an X-ray of a fractured scaphoid bone in a teenage boy's hand, a break that had actually occurred years earlier.

Last night, the kid had fallen during a basketball game and twisted his wrist. And since he was still complaining of pain this morning, his mother had brought him into the clinic, suspecting that he might have a serious
sprain or a break. But the fall had only aggravated an old injury. And it was a good thing that it had brought him in today. If the original break had continued to go untreated, the teenager might have eventually lost the full use of his hand.

As it was, he would need surgery and a bone graft to correct it.

“Dr. Fortune?”

Jeremy turned to see Millie, the receptionist, standing in the doorway.

“I'm sorry to bother you, Doctor, but Kirsten Allen is here again. You know, the woman you were asking me about yesterday?”

Jeremy's pulse rate spiked at the news, but he maintained an unaffected facial expression. “Thanks, Millie. Where is she?”

“In the waiting room.”

As much as Jeremy would like to go out and talk to her, he had to discuss his findings with the teenage patient and his mother who were waiting for the results of the X-ray.

“Do me a favor,” Jeremy said. “Can you have Kirsten called into an exam room? And then let me know where I can find her?”

Millie's brow twitched, as if she found the request a little unusual, but she didn't ask his reason for it. Instead, she nodded. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.” Jeremy didn't usually ask for favors, like moving people up in line. But Kirsten had left yesterday without waiting to be seen, and he
didn't want that to happen again. Not before he had a chance to see her and talk to her again.

While Millie went to do as she was asked, Jeremy returned to the exam room to tell the teenager and his mother about the fracture and explain the surgery and healing process.

Ten minutes later, he made his way to room four, which had been assigned to Anthony Allen, Kirsten's infant son.

He knocked lightly, then opened the door, eager to see the attractive woman again, to get a chance to talk to her. But when he spotted a man in the room with her, his heart slammed against his chest.

Damn. She was married—or at least involved with someone.

Well, of course she was. What made him even think that she might not be?

A striking resemblance to the dream woman, that was what. And an overactive imagination for another. See what happened when a man read too much into a random dream and followed a hunch?

Trying not to stammer or to reveal his surprise, Jeremy reached out his hand to introduce himself to the baby's father. “Hello, I'm Dr. Fortune.”

“Max Allen. Are you here to examine Anthony?”

“No, I…” Jeremy glanced at Kirsten, wondering if she had any idea why he was actually here.

Hell, how could she? He was still struggling to make sense of the thoughtless blunder himself.

He returned his focus on her husband and tried to
make light of it all. “Actually, I met Mrs. Allen in the parking lot yesterday. She'd spent a lot of time in the waiting room and hadn't been seen, so I wanted to make sure she got in quickly today.”

Max stiffened. “Yeah, well, she shouldn't have done that.”

Done
what?
Left without seeing a pediatrician? Talked to a man in the parking lot?

“Excuse me?” Jeremy pressed, picking up some negative vibes and hoping he hadn't gotten her in trouble.

“Kirsten brought Anthony here yesterday without my permission.” Max tossed a frown her way.

Now it was Jeremy's turn to tense and give out some negative vibes. What kind of man controlled his wife like that?

“Maybe I'd better explain,” Kirsten said. “First of all, I'm Max's sister. And I was babysitting his son yesterday.” She turned to the young man beside her. “I shouldn't have taken it upon myself to bring the baby for a checkup without getting Max's okay.”

Jeremy was still struggling to understand what Max's problem was, but that didn't stop him from realizing that Kirsten wasn't married to Max and being relieved at the news.

Just then, the door opened, and Jim Kragen, a pediatrician, stepped into the now crowded room. “Sorry. I was told to come to exam room four.”

“You're in the right place,” Jeremy told his colleague. “I just stopped in here for a minute. I'll leave you to your patient.”

As Dr. Kragen stepped inside, Jeremy made his way to the door.

“Excuse me a minute,” Kirsten said to her brother and to the pediatrician. “I'll be right back.”

Was she following Jeremy out?

Apparently so. And he couldn't help feeling a rush of pleasure. That was, until he glanced at Max, who seemed to be annoyed at her departure.

If Jeremy didn't know better, he'd think that Max was sizing him up and finding him lacking. But maybe that was only his imagination.

When Kirsten and Jeremy left the small room and shut the door behind them, she said, “Thank you for coming to check on us.”

“No problem. I knew you were worried about the baby, so I wanted to make sure you finally got to see a doctor.”

“Actually, I kind of panicked yesterday, thinking Max wouldn't get around to making an appointment for the baby himself. But Anthony is really sweet, and he's eating well. So Dr. Kragen will probably say he's doing fine.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a small diamond stud. “You probably think I'm a worrywart, but I've never really been around small children before. And up until a few days ago, Max didn't even know he was a father. His ex-girlfriend just dumped the baby on him—well, on us, actually. Max is living with me for the time being. So we've had a crash course on child care and still have a lot to learn.”

“How long will your brother have Anthony?”

“Permanently, I guess.” Kirsten blew out a soft sigh. “And I'm sure that's for the best. His girlfriend isn't very maternal.”

Was Kirsten maternal? Was she the kind of woman who'd make a good partner for a man like him?

It was hard to say without knowing more about her.

“If I'd done more babysitting as a teenager,” she added, “I might not feel so out of my league. But I'm…well…my brother and I are both novices.”

“I'm sure you're doing fine.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She flashed him a pretty smile. “You should have seen us shopping that first day. We had to buy just about everything other than a car seat, and we didn't have a clue what we were going to need. It must have been comical to anyone watching us.”

“You're a good sister,” he said.

Her smile faded some. “I try to be.”

Something told him that Max didn't always make it easy for her, but that was only a hunch. And Jeremy rarely went with his gut feelings, even though that was exactly what he'd done when he had first spotted Kirsten in the parking lot.

They stood like that for a moment, studying each other in the narrow hallway.

She gave a little nod toward the closed door of the exam room. “I guess I'd better get back in there and make sure I don't miss anything important.”

Jeremy didn't want to let her go without having some way of getting in touch with her, so he reached into the
pocket of his lab coat and pulled out one of his cards. Then he took the pen he kept handy, jotted his cell number on the back and handed it to her. “If you need anything, give me a call. Like I told you before, I'm not a pediatrician, but I'll try to answer any questions you or your brother might have.”

She took the card, then blessed him with a smile. The light in her eyes and a single dimple in her cheeks just about turned his stubborn heart on edge. “Thank you, Dr. Fortune. I really appreciate this. I'll try not to bother you, though.”

“You won't. And call me Jeremy.”

Her hand lifted to the silver necklace she wore, and she fingered the delicate heart charm that lay against the soft cotton fabric of her light blue T-shirt. Her head cocked slightly to the side, as if she was considering whatever might be brewing between them.

Of course, there wasn't anything going on between them. At least, not yet.

“So you're not married?” he asked.

“No, I'm not.”

A grin tugged at his own lips. He realized that now wasn't the time to ask her out, but he wondered if her thoughts were drifting in that direction, too.

The attraction seemed to be mutual, although his interest in her had been heightened by that crazy dream he'd had. And while his rational nature knew there hadn't been anything prophetic about it, he didn't want to let her slip away again without at least having a deeper conversation with her.

If he had her number, he'd give her a follow-up phone call tomorrow. Then he might even ask her to dinner. But he didn't have her number and wouldn't go as far as to ask for it.

If there'd been anything to his dream, if his attraction to her was due to something bigger than either of them, then she would have to call him.

And he'd just have to wait and see if she did.

W
hile Max ran into the pharmacy to pick up some vitamins and a special diaper rash ointment Dr. Kragen had recommended, Kirsten waited in the car with the sleeping baby secured in his seat in the back.

She'd been relieved to hear that Anthony was healthy and thriving. And now that her worries had been somewhat stilled, she couldn't help thinking about the kindness of Dr. Fortune—or rather, Jeremy. He seemed to have taken a special interest in her, although she couldn't say how or why she'd come to that conclusion.

It was in the way he looked at her, she supposed. The way their gazes seemed to connect and the hormones and pheromones that seemed to spark whenever he was near.

She reached into her purse and pulled out his business
card. She'd been a little surprised that he'd given it to her—and pleased that he had.

But how many doctors actually gave out their personal phone numbers? Not many, she suspected.

She turned the card over and looked on the back, where the numbers were written in bold strokes—clear and legible, unlike the proverbial doctor's scrawl she would have expected to see.

He'd given her permission to call him, but would she?

Should
she?

Maybe she could use the results of their visit with Dr.

Kragen as an excuse to call him now. At least, he would then have a record of her number.

She hesitated only a moment before taking her cell phone from her purse and dialing the number he'd given her.

Jeremy answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

Her words jammed in her throat as she contemplated hanging up before indentifying herself. But she felt compelled to finish what she'd started. “Dr. Fortune? This is Kirsten Allen. I just wanted to let you know that Dr.

Kragen told us Anthony looks good and appears to be healthy.”

“I'm glad to hear that.”

“I'd worried about not having any of Anthony's medical records, but Dr. Kragen ordered a blood test to check to see if he's had any of his immunizations yet. So that's one less thing for me to stress about.”

“Jim's one of the top pediatricians in the county, so
you were in good hands. He has a private practice, but he works one day a month at the clinic.”

Kirsten bit down on her lip as she contemplated a response. She wasn't ready to end the call, although they really had nothing else to talk about.

“Well,” she said, “I just wanted to thank you again for being so nice to me…to us.”

“It was my pleasure, Kirsten.”

As silence stretched across the line, she suddenly wondered if she'd been wrong to think that he was interested in her in any way other than that of a kindhearted professional.

“Well…”

“Would you like to have dinner some night?” he asked, throwing her a curve.

Her heart dropped like dead weight, then rumbled back to life. “That sounds like fun.”

Fun?
She rolled her eyes. Why hadn't she given him a more sophisticated answer, one more grown-up and better suited to a doctor's dinner date?

“How about tomorrow night?” he asked.

So soon?

Goodness. Where would they go? What would she wear? Yet in spite of the questions and the fly-by-night insecurities that pelted her, she found herself saying, “Sure.”

“I'm looking forward to it,” he said.

So was she, even if a swarm of butterflies had settled in her stomach.

After he asked for her address and she gave it to him, he said, “I'll see you tomorrow night.”

When the call ended, she sat dumbfounded for a while, the cell phone still in her hand.

Had she just imagined that conversation? Had the handsome doctor just asked her out to dinner? Would she have the right clothes to wear? Would she say the correct things?

Of course she would. She was a college graduate, for Pete's sake—an accountant. Okay, so she was unemployed at the moment. But that was only temporary. She had the skills and the résumé to land another job soon.

A knock sounded at the passenger window, and she turned to see Max waiting to get into the car. So she hit the unlock button and slid the cell phone back into her purse.

“Who were you talking to?” he asked, as he climbed in. “Dr. Fortune. He asked me out to dinner tomorrow night, and I told him yes. Do you think you'll be okay by yourself with Anthony?”

Max chuffed. “I don't believe this.”

“Believe what?”

“You brought Anthony to the clinic yesterday so you could hook up with a doctor? How long has that been going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your crush on Dr. Fortune.”

“You're imagining things. I don't have a crush on him.”

“Then what's going on?”

She had no idea. She found Jeremy Fortune attractive and the thought of dating him exciting. And for some wild reason, he seemed to find her attractive, too.

“It's no big deal,” she told her brother. “Like I said, I met him in the parking lot yesterday. We've talked briefly a couple of times, and he asked me out.”

“A doctor seems to be a cut above your usual boyfriend. Don't you think a guy like that is out of your league?” Jeremy Fortune
might
be, but that didn't keep Kirsten from smiling—or from dreaming about being with him.

It was all very Cinderella-ish, she supposed. And even if she didn't have stepsisters to tell her that she wasn't princess material, she didn't need them to. Between her own doubts and Max's, she was already having second thoughts about her date with the handsome doctor.

But she shook off a few lingering insecurities, as well as any possible shortcomings she might have, and looked forward to tomorrow night.

 

Jeremy pulled up along the curb of an older, two-story home in a quiet Red Rock neighborhood. It wasn't anything like the yard or porch he'd seen in his dream, but then why would it be?

The house in his dream had only been a random nocturnal image, he reminded himself. It didn't mean anything.

Sure, when he'd spotted Kirsten in the parking lot of
the clinic, he'd thought she bore a slight resemblance to the woman he'd envisioned, but that was just a coincidence. He would have found her attractive anyway. The similarity had only opened his eyes and allowed him to escape his troubles for the time being.

After parking his car, he made his way to the front door and rang the bell.

Max answered, a scowl plastered to his face. He invited Jeremy in, but he didn't crack a smile.

“How's it going?” Jeremy asked.

“Okay.” Max closed the door. “My sister will be out in a minute. Have a seat.”

Jeremy scanned the tidy room, noting the simple furnishings that had been carefully placed around the room: a beige sofa adorned with brightly colored decorator pillows, a wrought-iron floor lamp with a matching shade, dark wood furniture.

Red candles and a few photographs were displayed on the mantel over a brick fireplace.

The living room had a cozy, welcoming feel about it, and he could tell Kirsten took pride in her home.

Max sat in a recliner, his eyes glued to the television, watching a college basketball game. A portable travel crib rested beside him, where Anthony lay on his back, kicking his feet and watching a dinosaur mobile.

“Who's playing?” Jeremy asked, taking one last stab at being friendly.

Max was so focused on the game that it took him a moment to respond. “Oklahoma State at Texas A&M.”

“What's the score?”

“The Aggies are up by five.”

Silence again.

Jeremy decided to let it go. He was just about to take a seat when Kirsten entered the living room wearing a simple black dress and heels. Her hair had been swept up into a twist, revealing that small pair of diamond studs.

She wore only the slightest bit of makeup: mascara to highlight those pretty blue eyes, a pink shade of lipstick to accentuate a natural pout.

He'd known she was attractive in denim and T-shirts. But the transformation from casual tomboy to classy dinner date was jaw-dropping.

“You look great,” he said.

Her cheeks flushed when she smiled. “Thank you.”

Max lifted the remote toward the television and turned down the volume. Then he stood, crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one hip. “So where are you guys going?”

Jeremy hadn't suffered through a date-night interrogation since he'd been a teenager going to his last high school prom. And it prickled him to have to go through it now, especially from a man who was probably more than ten years his junior. But he shook off his irritation and played the game. “I thought we'd go to Bernardo's, the new Italian restaurant that just opened up a few blocks down the street from Red. That is, if Kirsten doesn't mind.”

“Bernardo's sounds good to me.” She offered him a breezy smile, then grabbed her purse from a small table
near the door. “I'll see you later, Max. You can call me if you have a problem with Anthony.”

“I'll be okay.”

Good, because Jeremy was looking forward to put ting some distance between them. What was that guy's problem?

Jeremy opened the door, then followed Kirsten out of the house. Moments later, they were in his rental car and headed into town for dinner.

“I'm afraid I need to apologize for my brother's rude ness,” Kirsten said. “His life has been turned upside down, so he's been a little testy with everyone lately.”

“No apology necessary.”

“I know. But…” She pursed her lips. “I guess everyone has their cross to bear. And Max is mine.”

Jeremy wasn't sure why she felt that way. “How old is he? Twenty-four?”

“Actually, he's twenty-six.”

“Then I'd say it's probably time for him to move on and make a life of his own.”

“I wish it were that easy.” Kirsten glanced out her window at the passing scenery, then back to Jeremy. “He's between jobs, so I can't very well boot him out into the street. And now that he has Anthony…”

“I can see how that would complicate things.” Jeremy had a strong sense of family loyalty, too, so he under stood why she was supportive of Max. “How's it working out?”

“It's been tough.” She gave a half shrug. “But there's
not much I can do about it until he lands another job and can move out.”

“What kind of position is he looking for?”

“Anything at this point. I think he wants to move as badly as I'd like to see him go. But he doesn't have a high school diploma, which limits his options when it comes to finding something that will pay the rent, and now he has day-care expenses to cover.”

“That's too bad.”

“I know.” She took a deep breath, then sighed softly. “I tried to talk him into getting his GED and picking up some college courses, but he refused to even consider it.”

“Why?”

“I'm afraid it was probably because I suggested it.” She rested her hands on top of the small black purse that sat in her lap. “And because he's never been particularly ambitious. After he dropped out of high school, he just drifted from job to job for one reason or another.”

“In that case, you might not be doing him any favors by letting him stay with you.”

“Actually, two years ago he was hired on at the feed store and was able to keep that one until a couple weeks ago. He really seemed to like it, but when the new management took over, they laid everyone off, and Max was back at square one.”

Jeremy was glad to see that her brother had managed to hold a job, but he couldn't understand why the guy wouldn't try to take the GED exam or improve his chances of getting a better paying position.

He knew he should keep his thoughts to himself, but he said, “Maybe, if he won't take your advice, it might be time for you to back off and let him captain his own ship, even if it has leaks.”

“I'm sure you're right. But my biggest fault is that I tend to think with my heart more than my head.”

Learning that bit of news about Kirsten probably ought to throw up a red flag for a guy who'd always been methodical and rational, but Jeremy found it appealing that she had a soft heart. Maybe because she reminded him of his mother in that way.

Molly Fortune had been the one to encourage Jeremy to follow his dream and go to medical school. Not that anyone had given him a hard time when he chose not to work at Fortune Forecasting. His dad and brothers had been pretty supportive, too. But it had been Molly's proud smile at his graduation that had made it all worthwhile.

He shot a glance across the seat at Kirsten, wondering if she had any other qualities that would remind him of his mother.

Molly had been a dynamic woman—warm, loving and a real mama bear when it came to her husband and her five sons. So when she passed away four years ago, the entire family had taken it hard. But Jeremy had a feeling he might have grieved for her even more than the others had.

He hadn't spent that much time with her after he moved to Sacramento and started his practice with a prominent orthopedic medical group, but he'd valued her
opinion and her unwavering support, even if he didn't always take her advice. And she'd always been just a phone call away.

Of course, he'd accepted her loss and moved on with his life, but her death had left a hole.

He looked across the seat at Kirsten and couldn't help wondering if a loving wife and a family of his own would make him feel whole again. He hoped so—whether that woman turned out to be Kirsten or not.

As he pulled into the parking lot at Bernardo's, he stole another glance at his lovely dinner date.

They'd only met a couple days ago, so he had no way of knowing whether she was the kind of woman he was looking for or not.

But he had every intention of finding out.

 

Kirsten sat across a romantic, candlelit table from Jeremy, listening to him tell her about his day at the clinic. It was clear that he enjoyed his work and cared about his patients, and she found herself smiling at just about everything he said.