stay.”
All three touched their cups together.
W HEN C AROLINE RETURNED to the clinic, she found a message to call her mother. She slipped on her lab coat and sat down behind her desk. She had about fifteen minutes before her first afternoon patient.
“Mom? You called?”
“Yes, dear. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after your ordeal last night.”
“It wasn’t that bad. When I used to do eighteen-hour shifts in the ER, I made it.”
“But Connie said you arrived at work late this morning.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “True, I overslept, but I don’t intend to make a habit of it.” She’d have to make sure of it if her every move was going to be reported to her mother.
“All right, dear. Want to come to dinner tonight? You could ask Mike to come, too.”
“Mom! I didn’t expect you to help Dad.”
“I just thought Mike might deserve a reward for his performance last night.”
Caroline was glad no one was watching her, because the “performance” that came to her mind was not the one her mother meant. “I’m sure he doesn’t. Mike is a professional.”
“Well, we appreciate him taking such good care of you.”
She blushed again. “I’ll tell him,” she said.
“Oh. So, you’ll see him?”
“I would guess so. Rawhide isn’t that big a town, Mom.”
After a few minutes, B.J. hung up. Caroline reached for her appointment book, and was preparing her patient list when the phone rang again.
“Dr. Randall,” she answered.
“Caro, I’m going out to the ranch for dinner. Do you want to come with me?”
She recognized his voice, but she wasn’t going to allow Mike Davis to think that. “Who is this?”
“Oh, sorry. It’s Mike.”
“Why are you going for dinner? Did Mom just call you?”
She could hear puzzlement in his silence. “Actually, Red did. And he suggested I invite you, too. I need to speak with your dad, and—”
“What about?” she interrupted.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I just wondered why you needed to talk to my dad,” she hurriedly said.
“It’s police business.” His voice wasn’t as warm as it had been.
“I’m sorry. Mom had just—that is, I’m not going for dinner tonight.”
“Then you’d better call Red. I’m not going to upset him. He was real excited to have you there again.”
“That’s not fair!” she exclaimed. Red was her surrogate grandfather, and she would never disappoint him if she could help it. Was it asking so much, that she let him cook for her? “Fine! I’ll go with you. We can talk on the way.”
“What will we talk about?”
“Don’t play dumb, Mike Davis. You know what we have to talk about!”
“I’ll pick you up at six,” he said, and hung up the phone.
She wanted to hang up on him, but he’d beaten her to the punch. She squared her jaw. He may have had the last word now, but she’d make sure she got the last word tonight.
“S HERIFF ,” Willie Martin said, practically meeting him at the door as Mike came in after walking around town.
“Yes, Willie. Did something come up?”
“After lunch I tried to start doing my jogging today, but I had chest pains. I think I need to see the doctor. Is that all right?”
Mike frowned, worrying that he might have asked too much from the fifty-year-old man. “Of course it is. I’ll call the clinic. Harry, you go with Willie, okay?”
Mike grabbed his phone and called Jon. He didn’t want to talk to Caroline again until he picked her up. “Dr. Wilson, please. It’s Sheriff Davis.” Then he waited for Jon to come to the phone.
“Anything wrong, Mike?”
“I don’t know. I asked my men to start jogging today and Willie is having chest pains. He’s on his way over.”
“Hang on,” Jon said. Mike heard him ordering a room for Willie, alerting his nurse of what was coming. “Okay, we’re ready for him.”
“Thanks, Jon. Bill the office.”
“If all your men are going to start jogging, they should be checked to see what kind of
All three touched their cups together.
W HEN C AROLINE RETURNED to the clinic, she found a message to call her mother. She slipped on her lab coat and sat down behind her desk. She had about fifteen minutes before her first afternoon patient.
“Mom? You called?”
“Yes, dear. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after your ordeal last night.”
“It wasn’t that bad. When I used to do eighteen-hour shifts in the ER, I made it.”
“But Connie said you arrived at work late this morning.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “True, I overslept, but I don’t intend to make a habit of it.” She’d have to make sure of it if her every move was going to be reported to her mother.
“All right, dear. Want to come to dinner tonight? You could ask Mike to come, too.”
“Mom! I didn’t expect you to help Dad.”
“I just thought Mike might deserve a reward for his performance last night.”
Caroline was glad no one was watching her, because the “performance” that came to her mind was not the one her mother meant. “I’m sure he doesn’t. Mike is a professional.”
“Well, we appreciate him taking such good care of you.”
She blushed again. “I’ll tell him,” she said.
“Oh. So, you’ll see him?”
“I would guess so. Rawhide isn’t that big a town, Mom.”
After a few minutes, B.J. hung up. Caroline reached for her appointment book, and was preparing her patient list when the phone rang again.
“Dr. Randall,” she answered.
“Caro, I’m going out to the ranch for dinner. Do you want to come with me?”
She recognized his voice, but she wasn’t going to allow Mike Davis to think that. “Who is this?”
“Oh, sorry. It’s Mike.”
“Why are you going for dinner? Did Mom just call you?”
She could hear puzzlement in his silence. “Actually, Red did. And he suggested I invite you, too. I need to speak with your dad, and—”
“What about?” she interrupted.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I just wondered why you needed to talk to my dad,” she hurriedly said.
“It’s police business.” His voice wasn’t as warm as it had been.
“I’m sorry. Mom had just—that is, I’m not going for dinner tonight.”
“Then you’d better call Red. I’m not going to upset him. He was real excited to have you there again.”
“That’s not fair!” she exclaimed. Red was her surrogate grandfather, and she would never disappoint him if she could help it. Was it asking so much, that she let him cook for her? “Fine! I’ll go with you. We can talk on the way.”
“What will we talk about?”
“Don’t play dumb, Mike Davis. You know what we have to talk about!”
“I’ll pick you up at six,” he said, and hung up the phone.
She wanted to hang up on him, but he’d beaten her to the punch. She squared her jaw. He may have had the last word now, but she’d make sure she got the last word tonight.
“S HERIFF ,” Willie Martin said, practically meeting him at the door as Mike came in after walking around town.
“Yes, Willie. Did something come up?”
“After lunch I tried to start doing my jogging today, but I had chest pains. I think I need to see the doctor. Is that all right?”
Mike frowned, worrying that he might have asked too much from the fifty-year-old man. “Of course it is. I’ll call the clinic. Harry, you go with Willie, okay?”
Mike grabbed his phone and called Jon. He didn’t want to talk to Caroline again until he picked her up. “Dr. Wilson, please. It’s Sheriff Davis.” Then he waited for Jon to come to the phone.
“Anything wrong, Mike?”
“I don’t know. I asked my men to start jogging today and Willie is having chest pains. He’s on his way over.”
“Hang on,” Jon said. Mike heard him ordering a room for Willie, alerting his nurse of what was coming. “Okay, we’re ready for him.”
“Thanks, Jon. Bill the office.”
“If all your men are going to start jogging, they should be checked to see what kind of
Similar Books
