Sugar Springs (6 page)

Cody took in the rounded belly of the woman making her way up the sidewalk and had to agree with Holly’s earlier assessment. Keri Wright was about to pop. That baby had to be making its entrance soon.

He stood from the rocker on the clinic’s front porch and moved to reach out a hand to help the lady vet up the brick steps. She looked like she might topple over backward if she didn’t have something steady to hold on to.

“Thank you,” she said, the words wispy with a shallow breath, and accepted his hand graciously. Her other hand pressed low on her bulging belly as she made her way up the three stairs. “Cody, right?” At his nod, she continued, “Sorry I didn’t make it back over last night. I get home these days and can’t seem to get myself back up to do anything.”

“No problem,” he said. He opened the door to the office and held it for her to enter before him. “I got in later than intended anyway and found the key exactly where you said I would. Boss and I made it fine.”

“Boss?” Keri shot a wave and a smile at the curly-haired receptionist as she led the way through the narrow halls to her office.

“My dog.”

“Oh, that’s right.” She laughed a little as she fanned her face with her hand. “Pregnancy brain. I can’t keep anything straight these days. I also can’t believe you’re going to be okay in that little space with a Great Dane.”

It wasn’t ideal, but they’d had worse. “He’ll spend the better part of the days down here with me, and we go for runs a couple times a day. It’s only six weeks. We’ll make it work.”

With an audible grunt, she lowered herself to her chair and motioned across the desk. “Please, have a seat. I need to rest a minute before I show you the place.”

“Looks like you need to go have that baby.” The words were out before he could catch them and keep them in, and he instantly felt heat form in the back of his neck. “I’m sorry—”

Her laughter cut him off. “No need to be sorry. You’re right. Only this little guy is being stubborn.”

“When’s he due?”

A tired smile touched her lips. “Yesterday.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” She sighed in agreement. “
Oh
. I needed to keep working at least until you got here, anyway, so I can’t decide if he’s being helpful or stubborn. Given the doctor says I’m likely still at least a week away, I think it’s pure stubbornness.”

Cody couldn’t help but agree. He’d been around plenty of animals in the later stages of pregnancy, but no humans. He was aware each gestation period could be somewhat unique and that babies came in their own time. He felt bad that he hadn’t been able to make it to town before yesterday so she could take some time off, but the surgery he’d needed to handle in Los Angeles couldn’t be scheduled before Tuesday. As it was, he’d made it cross-country in only two days. Luckily, Boss liked to travel as much as he did.

A black long-haired cat wandered into the room and wound through Cody’s legs. He reached down to scratch the top of its head and it purred in contentment.

“That’s Howard,” Keri said. “He showed up right after I opened the doors to this place three years ago. No one claimed him, so I kept him.”

“Well that answers one question. I didn’t remember the clinic here when I was last in town.”

“And that was what? Ten years ago?”

“Closer to fourteen.” He’d learned she wasn’t a Sugar Springs native when they’d talked on the phone, so anything she knew about him would have come purely from the residents. “Seems there was a guy who came to town once a week back then, but not a full clinic. I don’t remember his name, though.”

“That’s right. Dr. Goldberg. Crotchety old man, from what I hear. He retired a year before I opened this place. Okay,” Keri said, pushing herself up out of her seat. “Enough lollygagging. Let’s get to it. I’m going with the theory that if I stay busy, this little guy will decide to make his entrance just to disrupt something else I have going on. We’ve got a couple surgeries scheduled for today, as well as getting you acquainted with the staff and equipment.”

As they made their way through the treatment rooms and small laboratory, Cody learned that the clinic could handle most common diagnostic tests and treatments. Routine surgeries were performed almost daily, and only for the more difficult cases did they have to refer patients to a larger clinic, simply because Keri hadn’t yet managed to afford the needed equipment.

“I’m impressed,” he said. “For a town this size you’ve got a really good setup.”

“Thanks. We’re beginning to get more patients from surrounding areas, so I try to budget in as much as I can to grow. It’s difficult when it’s all yours and you have to make the big decisions, but I’ve never been more thrilled.” She patted her protruding stomach. “Little Eli and I love that this is where we landed. I couldn’t be happier.”

As long as you didn’t mind everyone knowing your business, it wasn’t a bad place.

“Come on, I want to formally introduce you to the techs, assistant, and my receptionist slash office manager. I also have a groomer who comes in twice a week and a part-time receptionist who works here after school. She’s a senior this year, sharp kid. The groomer doesn’t live in town, but the rest of the staff does.”

Cody spent the remainder of the day getting acquainted with everything in the office and performed the two surgeries on the books. He apparently passed the test, because by four thirty Keri had her feet propped on a low stool and a satisfied smile across her face. “You’ll handle things just fine while I’m out, I think. Thanks for coming on such short notice. You’ve no idea how much I appreciate it.”

“It was no problem. Worked out perfectly in fact. Especially seeing as it’s on my way to my next contract.”

“I just hope you don’t go stir crazy while here. The pace is far removed from that of LA.”

He chuckled. “Tell me about it. But I knew that coming in. Also, I’m rarely in LA anyway. It’s my base, but I travel the majority of the year. I actually spend many of my weeks in towns similar to this one, so I’ve gotten used to entertaining myself.”

“That’s good. As long as you know what you’re up against.” She raised herself to an upright position and began
gathering the papers from her desk. “There’s not much going on this weekend. A bake sale up at the junior high, then a basketball game over at the high school tomorrow night, I believe. Unless you’re interested in helping put out Christmas decorations with the town council. They’ll finish up this weekend, so the lights will be ready to be turned on the day after Thanksgiving.”

“Sounds like lots of options,” he murmured. When she’d mentioned the bake sale, his mind had immediately returned to Lee Ann. He’d thought about her on and off throughout the day, unsure what the best plan of attack was. He kept telling himself that if he put off approaching her too long, that would make it even harder when he finally got around to talking to her. He preferred to deal with things head-on and get them out of the way. It was a practice he’d started some years back, and so far it had been working for him. “Actually, someone mentioned the fund-raiser to me earlier. Holly over at the diner offered to go with me.”

He wasn’t about to call it a date, but also wasn’t going to let it be known she merely wanted to make some man jealous. That was her business and he wasn’t sharing it.

“Yeah? You should go. The women of this town seriously know how to bake.” She shoved a couple of notes in her purse, then she popped her head up, beaming at him. “If you go, you have to get some of Lee Ann London’s cinnamon rolls. I swear, they’re legendary. They seriously melt in your mouth. I’d be forever in your debt if you’d bring me one, too.”

He went mute at the request. He hated to not bring the pregnant woman what she wanted, but really, he couldn’t go.

“You might have seen her at the diner if you were in this morning. Short, always on the go, dark hair—”

“I know her,” he said, stopping her mid-description, hoping to stop the talk about him bringing anything back from the fund-raiser.

“Really? Oh, good, I hadn’t heard. Then you’ll find her easy enough. Get me two, if you don’t mind. I’ll get you some money.” She shoved a hand into her purse, but he reached over and stopped her before she could draw out any bills.

“How about you go and I work here tomorrow? You probably need to rest more than I do, anyway.” He wasn’t going to tell her that she looked like she needed to be horizontal, but it was the truth. He didn’t know how she’d remained upright the whole day without falling over.

She eyed him from underneath long lashes that were way past drooping. “I can hold up my end of the deal, Dr. Dalton. I told you when we talked earlier this week that I would work this Saturday. That’ll give you time to do your grocery run, get the lay of the place, rest up from your cross-country drive. Whatever you need to do, you take the weekend and do it. Monday is soon enough for you to start full time.”

“But I don’t mind.”

“But I do.” Her tone suggested this was not an argument he was going to win. “I take care of my responsibilities, and this one is mine. I’ll work tomorrow. You bring me baked goods.”

Son of a gun. Looked like he was going to the fund-raiser.

He couldn’t believe he’d been there less than twenty-four hours and had already been shanghaied into attending a large community event. He slumped in the chair in resignation. Nothing about small-town living was easy, not even avoiding
people. “Fine. I’ll bring you baked goods. Anything else you want while I’m there?”

With a small smile, Keri heaved herself from her chair and slid a twenty across the desk. “A lemon tart bundt cake from Larissa Bailey, please. I’ll call her tonight and ask her to save me one. You’ll know her from her white-blonde hair and purple-rimmed glasses. She’s a bit younger than you.”

He scooped up the twenty and held it out for her. “Take your money back. I can get it.”

“I’m sure you can, but I can also pay my own bills.” She made her way to the door, both feet pointing slightly outward to accommodate her stomach, and he wondered what her story was. She had some serious pride issues going on.

Not willing to argue with her and make it worse, he shoved the twenty into his front pocket and stood to follow her out to the now-empty waiting area.

When she got to the front door, she turned back, her round face brightening. “I almost forgot. When you get the cinnamon rolls, will you say hello to Lee Ann’s girls for me, please? I probably won’t see them again before the baby comes. Tell them I look forward to seeing them after Eli is born.”

She left, the glass door swinging closed behind her, and Cody’s entire body turned cold. Lee Ann had a kid? Kids? Girls.

Well, hell. Didn’t the questions just keep rolling in?

Lee Ann turned her back to the crowd and dug out another batch of cinnamon rolls. Her rolls were famous in Sugar Springs and this year’s batch was apparently living up to the hype. The few remaining pastries, along with the other
tables’ dwindling offerings, ensured the committee would surpass its goal and close the gap on the money needed for the trip.

As she settled the box on the table, taking the opportunity to enjoy the unusual lack of customers, she scanned the crowd scattered throughout the gymnasium. Her mom had disappeared to purchase items to take home, and Candy was outside finishing up her turn holding up the sign to beckon customers in. Kendra was also out there, helping her out. Not that the entire town wasn’t already aware of the event, but the planning committee had decided years ago that it would go a long way toward developing the kids’ responsibility if they were required to work, as opposed to relying solely on their parents to do it.

Spotting her mother in the crowd as she purchased what appeared to be a red velvet cake, Lee Ann knew the girls would enjoy the treat after decorating Reba’s yard. Lee Ann returned to her task and began strategically placing the individually wrapped treats along the table.

Worn brown boots came into her line of sight, causing every muscle in her shoulders to tense. Surely he hadn’t shown up here.

Lifting her head hesitantly, she scanned over the same hard body she’d checked out only the morning before, continuing to go up until she finally came face-to-face with Cody. Yep, he’d shown up here. And just like the day before, taking in those penetrating eyes and square jaw made her heart skip a beat.

It surprised her, honestly. No matter how much she’d once hated him—or how much she still loathed him—her body apparently didn’t remember. Instead, it remembered
how she’d also wanted him. The bad boy and the good girl. It had been a fantasy from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him.

She had to get this ridiculous reaction under control. And she had to get him the heck out of there. She did not need the “big family reunion” to happen in front of half the town.

“You can’t escape me so easily this time.” His deep voice vibrated over her, reminding her how she and her friend Joanie had once made up excuses simply to get near enough to hear his low timbre.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before glancing toward the gym doors the girls would soon be coming through. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”