Hellooo, Good-Looking Samaritan.
Beneath the Tennessee Vols cap he wore, he had thick brown hair and a fantastic face. Not blandly attractive in the urbane metrosexual way as some of her guy friends back in Atlanta, but rugged. Though he couldnt be much older than Treble, there was a lot of character in the intriguing planes and angles of his face, the slashes bracketing sensual lips where dimples might appear when he smiled, the deep, deep blue eyes.
Charity had sky-blue eyes, nearly pastel. This mans were dark like the ocean with serious potential for undercurrents that could suck a girl in without her realizing. Or protesting.
Treble?
Her body warmed when he said her name, making her feel silly. You know me? Had they gone to school together in Joyous? With her somewhat public antics, there were plenty of people who might recognize her before she recognized them, but she imagined this guy would have left an impression even as a teen.
No, I havent had the pleasure. He shoved the cap back on his head, that blue gaze sliding over her in assessment. Keith Caldwell. Charity sent me.
Treble was dimly aware of gaping. This broad-shouldered man with the piercing gaze and large hands, currently resting with thumbs hooked in his front pockets, was Doc Caldwell? Women in Joyous must be forming lines down Main Street just to get their temperatures checkedthough a fever in the good doctors presence seemed a foregone conclusion.
HIS BRAIN ON autopilot, Keith extended a hand toward the woman in front of him. Nice to meet you.
There was a framed wedding picture on Charity and Bills mantel that included Treble, but the flesh-and-blood version looked less like the satin-clad demure brunette in the back row of a bridal party and more like the wild-child stories hed heard since moving to Joyous. Hed never asked Harrison or Charity to expound on the gossip about the ungrateful stepdaughter and her unlawful habits of shoplifting and grand theft auto. Keith knew what it was like not to want to discuss a painful family past or self-destructive siblings.
Id shake your hand, Treble drawled, but I just painted my nails. She waggled her fingers near her face long enough for him to notice the flash of blue, a color choice that made him think momentarily of frostbite.
He almost laughed at the irony since everything else about this woman said hot.
She wore a cropped black T-shirt, with sleeves so short it was almost a tank top, and denim shorts. While her outfit wasnt unduly revealing for June, she definitely showed a tantalizing amount of supple skin. There was even a light sheen of sweat across her rosy cheeks. Whether shed wanted her hair off her neck because it was cooler or she just customarily wore it up, shed pulled the wavy mass into a haphazard topknot with a sparkly black barrette. Several strands fell free, however, giving her a look that was arrestingly bold when combined with her full lips, high forehead and the tiny cleft in her chin. Each detail from the almost indefinably exotic shape of her dark eyes to the sliver of bared skin at her midriff suggested she was a girl who liked to color outside the lines.
Or was he projecting based on speculation?
You about done looking? Treble asked, her tone amused.
Keiths face warmed. He felt as awkward as a teenager caught ogling a hot substitute teacher. Sorry. Guess I was surprised. For sisters, you and Charity dont look alike.
Trebles eyes narrowed. Half sisters. Im sure as a doctor you understand how having different fathers leads to very different genetic makeup.
Which part was she touchy about, Charity or the father situation? Harrison certainly looked tense whenever someone made mention of his stepdaughter. The last thing the older man needed right now was more tension, although that was something the family would have to sort out themselves.
For now, best to change the subject to something that didnt make her glare daggers. What all do we need to grab out of your car before we lock it up and go?
I have a couple of suitcases in the trunk. She turned on her heel and headed toward the back of the vehicle.
Keith wished he could realistically offer to help get the car started, but his specialty was fixing people, not automobiles. Hed leave the mechanical maintenance to the professionals. Treble hefted two bright red suitcases, and he reached to take them from her.
She frowned, not letting go. Im able-bodied, Dr. Caldwell.
And so gracious, he said mildly. Why do I feel like we got off to a bad start?
Silently, she handed over the cases, then ran a hand through her hair as if shed forgotten it was pulled back, further dislodging ringlets that fell into her face. Sorry. Its been a stressful day.
Well, dont worry. Ronnie will take care of your car, for sure.
Treble laughed dryly. She followed him to the truck, strangely rigid for a woman with blue fingernails and carefree curls. There was more on her mind than automotive problems, but he didnt pry. She didnt owe him explanations in return for the ride. In fact, Keith frequently sought out chances to do favors for Harrison Breckfield and Charity.
Keith had first seen moving to Joyous as an escapefrom the double loss hed suffered in Savannah, from the chaos of working in an Atlanta E.R.but it had become more than that. With the endorsement of the towns leading citizen, Keith had gradually become a true part of the community. He had a brand-new life and was aware of how much he owed to Harrisons support. When you were replacing a town institution like Doc Monaghan, people didnt warm to you right away. Some old-timers didnt cotton to the idea of progress and had repeatedly stressed the way Monaghan had done things. Meanwhile, husbands and fathers expressed discomfortand occasional outrageat the thought of Keith examining their wives and adolescent daughters. A few people had actually chosen to drive to the GP in nearby Devlin rather than visit that young newcomer.
Harrison Breckfield, however, had been propelled into the downtown clinic five months ago when hed experienced chest pains. After a brief subsequent stay at the county hospital, Harrison had taken Keith under his wing. Hed invited the younger man to dinner, given him a tour of the original Breckfield Dairypart of a Southeastern empire with its own line of milk, yogurts, cottage cheese and dessertsand made it clear to the townspeople the new doctor was to be trusted and accepted. Following that first dinner at Harrisons gigantic house, office appointments had doubled and other invitations had gradually trickled in. Keith loved this town, its slow rhythm and the way hed been accepted here. Though it would be crass to think of them as replacements for the sister who drowned or the father who later died, Harrison, Charity and her husband were the closest thing to family Keith had found since his mom remarried while he was away at college. If only Keith could pay back the older mans generosity by getting Harrison to take his heart problems more seriously.
Temporarily lost in thought, Keith hadnt realized how quiet it was in the cab of the truck.
Um, Keith? Is it cool with you if I turn on the radio?
Of course. Sorry, Im usually more companionable than this, I was just thinking abouta patient.
Stumped by a medical mystery? she asked. I occasionally tape episodes of House.
He laughed. Nothing that dramatic. And only a really talented actor can pull off that bedside manner. The people of Joyous expect someone more traditional.
Um, Keith? Is it cool with you if I turn on the radio?
Of course. Sorry, Im usually more companionable than this, I was just thinking abouta patient.
Stumped by a medical mystery? she asked. I occasionally tape episodes of House.
He laughed. Nothing that dramatic. And only a really talented actor can pull off that bedside manner. The people of Joyous expect someone more traditional.
You got that right, she muttered, a scowl darkening her face. But then she forced a smile and reached for the radio dials. A twangy ballad about a redneck Romeo seeking his honky-tonk Juliet spilled from the speakers.
Yeesh. She punched the buttons quickly.
Not a fan of country music? he asked. There were a few other options in this neck of the woods, but not many.
My view on music mirrors my philosophy on men, she told him with a mischievous glance. I dont have just one type, but I am selective. That song was bad on many levels. Ah. This is more like it. Shed landed on a classic rock station for the opening chords of a late-seventies hit.
Keith smiled as he turned up the volume. This ones a little before your time, isnt it?
Baby, Im timeless. She flashed him a grin that nearly had him skidding off the road.
It occurred to him that, since moving to Joyous, hed been subjected to a much different male-female dynamic than hed known in his twenties. Lately, potential romances involved aging couples with single daughters inviting him to Sunday dinner or available women bringing him frozen casseroles and gelatin molds. Treble hadnt meant anything by her throwaway comment, but there was a lot to be said for a brazen smile and baby-doll T-shirt over a strawberry gelatin salad.
Not that Keith would ever do more than appreciate from a cautious distance the smile that belonged to the notorious prodigal stepdaughter of Harrison Breckfield. As appealing as she might be, the woman had trouble written all over her, and that was the last thing Keith needed in his new life.
Chapter Three
By the time theyd rolled into town on picturesque streets flanked by storefronts and pink flowering crepe myrtles, Treble was so tense she felt as if her neck muscles might actually shatter. If Keith had noticed, he hadnt commented. About all hed done was occasionally bob his head in an endearing manner along to guitar riffs and drum solos. Maybe he was oblivious to her stress, but werent doctors trained to be observant? Shed flinched when theyd passed the town limits sign.
Technically it read Welcome To Joyous, Home of Famous Breckfield Ice Cream, but judging from her suddenly clammy palms and the unpleasant way her stomach had flipped, it might as well have proclaimed, Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here. Get a grip, girlfriend. Nothing scares you, remember? Well, except low ratings and spiders. She was only human.
A fan had asked her once if she ever worried about losing her train of thought or not knowing just the right comeback. Treble could say she truly wasnt too worried about that. Saying something that got her called into the bosss office the next morning was possible, but speechlessness? Unlike her. In fact, in times of nervous crisis, she usually talked more, relying on her radio persona until she felt balanced again.
She relied on chatting now. Will you be taking me straight to my sisters or are we going to the garage first?
Your call.
I do like an accommodating man.
He shot her a quick look with those too-dark blue eyes. A shiverthe good kindrippled through her.
Penny for your thoughts, she said.
The corner of his mouth quirked. Doctors make decent money, even out here. I can afford to keep this to myself.
Spoilsport. Do you need to rush back to the practice? she asked. I missed lunch and owe you for the ride. I could buy us some barbecue.
Not necessary. This was a favor for Charity. But if youre hungry, Ill stop and eat with you.
A favor for Charity. Thered been a protective note in his voice. If her sister werent so happily married, Treble might have entertained a twinge of envy. As it was, she found herself curious.
Soyoure pretty good friends with my family?
Yes, maam.
She waited for him to elaborate before realizing hed completed the thought and showed no signs of voicing another. Treble was nothing if not hardheaded, a trait her mother had remarked upon often. How did you meet them?
In a town this size? Ive met most everyone.
She already knew he wasnt as talkative by nature as she was, but now she got the distinct impression he was actually stonewalling her. Did he not want to discuss her family? It wasnt as if she were a stranger nosing around for Breckfield secret recipes, for crying out loud. She was making small talk. Okay, and prying a little, too, but they were her family.
Maybe she should tackle his instead. Do you have relatives in the area?
No. His jaw tightened in punctuation.
Well, she was just batting a thousand. By the time they parked in front of Adams Ribs, her appetite was no longer her top concern. What had Keith heard about her? Charity wouldnt have said anything bad, not purposefully, but the doctor was a friend of Harrisons. Had her stepfather disparaged her? Was he glad shed done the sisterly thing by coming home, or did he wish she was still in another state? Treble told herself she didnt personally care, she just didnt want any latent tension or awkward moments upsetting Charity this late in a complicated pregnancy.
Whatever bad karma was responsible for her defunct car apparently hadnt finished toying with her. Feeling borderline apprehensive already, the last person she needed to see the second she stepped into the smoke-scented restaurant was Rich Danner. Now you know thats not true, Treb. It could have been Mitchell Reyes But her mind immediately shied away from that memory and the pain associated with it. Rich Danner was bad enough.
Hed been a high school senior, two years older than her, the year her mother had been killed by a drunk driver. Treble had desperately needed solace and felt outside the circle of grief Harrison Breckfield shared with his younger natural daughter. Blindly adoring, Treble had turned to Rich.
More than a decade later and he was still good-looking, she noted dispassionately. Was there no justice in the world? Ex-boy-friends who casually took your virginity, then moved on to college and older girls, were supposed to go bald and develop a paunch. It should be a law of physics. Richs black hair was close-cropped, but showed no signs of male pattern baldness. His body was as lean as ever.
Rich had been enjoying a plate of the best spareribs in the state, but looked up as if hed felt her watching. For a second he was frozen with surprise. Then his lips curved into a slow, meaningful grin. As if he was remembering the good times theyd shared.
Good times that had ended one muggy August night. It wouldnt be fair of me to ask you to wait until we can be together again, hed cooed with persuasive and patently false caring. Im moving on, and youll be here with football games and high school dances you shouldnt be cheated out of. There will be plenty of guys your age who want to go out with you. Yeah, especially after Rich shot off his mouth about how willing shed been in the backseat of his dads Cadillac.