another
doctor for her."
"There isn't anyone like you."
She was in no mood for flattery, she just wanted him on his way. "Be that as it may,
you're going to have to find someone else." She kept her voice as cool and detached as
possible. It was against her nature to be hard, but there was no other way. If she left
even the smallest of openings, Walter would find a way to wiggle through it.
The man looked as if he wanted to say something else, something in protest, but then he
clamped down his mouth. The next moment he picked up the cage, then exited without
uttering another word.
Patience was at the door in two strides. She closed it hard, shutting her eyes and trying
to pull herself together before the next patient.
After a beat she stepped away from the door. Damn, she wished she were tougher. All
those years of putting up a brave front had almost managed to erode her strength. Right
now, it felt as if she were walking along a hairy edge, about to plummet over the side.
Nice way for a doctor to behave, she upbraided herself.
The door behind her opened again, and she immediately thought of Walter. Had he
fabricated some excuse to return? Not waiting to find out, she grabbed a heavy stone
bookend and swung around.
"If you don't go home right now, I'm going to call the police."
Brady stared at her. "Iamthe police. Hey, careful," he cautioned as the bookend slipped
from her hands. He reached for it a second too late. "You could lose a toe like that." And then he looked at her ashen face. "What happened?"
Instead of trusting her voice not to break, Patience threw herself into his arms, catching
him completely off guard.
She was tired of being brave. She wanted someone else to be brave for her for a change,
if only for a second. "Just hold me."
"Okay." He did as she asked. Awkwardly at first and then his arms closed around her more comfortably. The scent of the shampoo she used tripped lightly along his senses, arousing
rather than sedating him. He moved the sensation to the rear of his consciousness.
"Patience, what just happened here?"
He'd never used her first name before. She'd always been just "Doc." Patience felt tears materializing and silently called herself an idiot. There was no reason to feel this
vulnerable. Nothing happened.
This time.
"Walter came."
A tightness formed in Brady's chest. Damn it, he should have talked to the man when
she'd told him her story. "What?"
"His bird was sick."
"What?" Hands on her shoulders, Brady held her away from him. Anger joined forces with
disbelief as he looked at her.
"Mitzi, his pet cockatiel," she explained. Even as she said it, she felt stupid for being this skittish. And yet she couldn't seem to be able to quite shake off the feeling, couldn't
quite get a handle on her resolve. "He wanted me to treat her. He seemed distraught."
"Not as distraught as he's going to be," Brady muttered under his breath.
His words made her rally. She didn't want to start something, she wanted it over with.
Behind her.
Patience squared her shoulders and pulled back. Away from the shelter of his hands, of
him. "Brady, I'm all right. I just got upset, that's all."
"Did he try anything?"
"No." She shook her head. "No," she repeated. "He was just grateful I could help Mitzi."
And then, because she wanted to be honest about what happened, she added, "He did say
that he wished things had turned out better between us."
Storm clouds gathering over the plains appeared lighter than the expression forming on
his face. "I just bet he did."
She pushed her hands deep into her pockets. "Look, I didn't mean to break down like that.
I'm just a little punchy, that's all. I haven't been sleeping all that well lately."
There was a lot of that going around, Brady thought, but he said nothing.
"I'm behind," she told him, stepping to the door. Routine. She needed to lose herself in her routine. That was the only way to keep going. And then
doctor for her."
"There isn't anyone like you."
She was in no mood for flattery, she just wanted him on his way. "Be that as it may,
you're going to have to find someone else." She kept her voice as cool and detached as
possible. It was against her nature to be hard, but there was no other way. If she left
even the smallest of openings, Walter would find a way to wiggle through it.
The man looked as if he wanted to say something else, something in protest, but then he
clamped down his mouth. The next moment he picked up the cage, then exited without
uttering another word.
Patience was at the door in two strides. She closed it hard, shutting her eyes and trying
to pull herself together before the next patient.
After a beat she stepped away from the door. Damn, she wished she were tougher. All
those years of putting up a brave front had almost managed to erode her strength. Right
now, it felt as if she were walking along a hairy edge, about to plummet over the side.
Nice way for a doctor to behave, she upbraided herself.
The door behind her opened again, and she immediately thought of Walter. Had he
fabricated some excuse to return? Not waiting to find out, she grabbed a heavy stone
bookend and swung around.
"If you don't go home right now, I'm going to call the police."
Brady stared at her. "Iamthe police. Hey, careful," he cautioned as the bookend slipped
from her hands. He reached for it a second too late. "You could lose a toe like that." And then he looked at her ashen face. "What happened?"
Instead of trusting her voice not to break, Patience threw herself into his arms, catching
him completely off guard.
She was tired of being brave. She wanted someone else to be brave for her for a change,
if only for a second. "Just hold me."
"Okay." He did as she asked. Awkwardly at first and then his arms closed around her more comfortably. The scent of the shampoo she used tripped lightly along his senses, arousing
rather than sedating him. He moved the sensation to the rear of his consciousness.
"Patience, what just happened here?"
He'd never used her first name before. She'd always been just "Doc." Patience felt tears materializing and silently called herself an idiot. There was no reason to feel this
vulnerable. Nothing happened.
This time.
"Walter came."
A tightness formed in Brady's chest. Damn it, he should have talked to the man when
she'd told him her story. "What?"
"His bird was sick."
"What?" Hands on her shoulders, Brady held her away from him. Anger joined forces with
disbelief as he looked at her.
"Mitzi, his pet cockatiel," she explained. Even as she said it, she felt stupid for being this skittish. And yet she couldn't seem to be able to quite shake off the feeling, couldn't
quite get a handle on her resolve. "He wanted me to treat her. He seemed distraught."
"Not as distraught as he's going to be," Brady muttered under his breath.
His words made her rally. She didn't want to start something, she wanted it over with.
Behind her.
Patience squared her shoulders and pulled back. Away from the shelter of his hands, of
him. "Brady, I'm all right. I just got upset, that's all."
"Did he try anything?"
"No." She shook her head. "No," she repeated. "He was just grateful I could help Mitzi."
And then, because she wanted to be honest about what happened, she added, "He did say
that he wished things had turned out better between us."
Storm clouds gathering over the plains appeared lighter than the expression forming on
his face. "I just bet he did."
She pushed her hands deep into her pockets. "Look, I didn't mean to break down like that.
I'm just a little punchy, that's all. I haven't been sleeping all that well lately."
There was a lot of that going around, Brady thought, but he said nothing.
"I'm behind," she told him, stepping to the door. Routine. She needed to lose herself in her routine. That was the only way to keep going. And then
Similar Books
