A Home For The M.d.. Gina Wilkins

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СКАЧАТЬ “Are you okay?”

      “Yeah. Just bruised my pride a little. I’m really sorry I frightened you. I didn’t know which bedroom to sleep in.”

      “I was under the impression you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”

      “Last-minute change of plans. I hope you don’t mind that I’ll be staying for a few days.”

      “Of course not. It’s your sister’s house and she invited you. You have every right to be here.”

      She pulled at her jersey again, and he realized abruptly that she was probably uncomfortable with his presence in her bedroom. He reached for his duffel. “I’ll move to the other guest room. It’s across the hall, right?”

      “Yes, directly across.”

      Moving toward the door, he spoke lightly. “Okay, then, I’ll let you get back to sleep. Good night.”

      She remained standing in the center of the room. “Good night.”

      He stepped out in the hallway then couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder to say, “Oh, and Jacqui? You won’t be needing that weapon again tonight.”

      Her mouth twitched in what might have been a reluctant smile as he closed the door firmly between them.

      Turkey bacon sizzled in the pan while whole-wheat muffins browned in the oven. Sipping her first cup of coffee Saturday morning, Jacqui kept a close eye on the fluffy scrambled eggs cooking in the skillet in front of her. She’d heard Mitch showering upstairs, so she figured he’d be down soon. If he was like most of the men she knew, he’d be hungry.

      On awakening this morning, and wincing when she saw her suitcase still lying on the floor, she had decided to put last night’s awkwardness behind her. So Mitch had seen her in her nightshirt, with her hair all a mess and her cheek creased by her pillow. Big deal. Starting now, she was back in professional housekeeper mode. She wouldn’t let that facade slip around him again.

      “Good morning.” Dressed in a new-looking white shirt and khakis, his sandy hair still damp from his shower, Mitch greeted her with a crooked smile that crinkled the corners of his clear blue eyes.

      “Good morning, Dr. Baker.” She removed the muffins from the oven with a potholder, setting the pan on a trivet. “I hope you like turkey bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. I wasn’t sure if you’d have to report to the hospital this morning, so I thought I’d have breakfast ready just in case.”

      He studied the food with almost visible eagerness. “Looks delicious, but you didn’t have to cook for me.”

      Having expected that comment, she shrugged lightly. “I was going to make some for myself anyway. Have a seat at the breakfast table. Do you drink coffee? Would you like orange juice to go with it? I have fresh-squeezed.”

      “You certainly don’t have to wait on me. I’ll get my own coffee.” Moving to the coffeemaker, he poured a cup and carried it to the table.

      Jacqui set a well-filled plate in front of him when he took his seat. “There’s homemade jam and apple butter in those little crocks. Help yourself if you want some for your muffin.”

      Mitch picked up his fork, then raised his eyebrows when she didn’t immediately join him at the table. “Aren’t you eating?”

      “I’m going to wash a load of cleaning cloths and then feed Waldo,” she answered lightly. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll have something when I’ve finished those things.”

      Mitch set down his fork. “I’ll wait.”

      “Don’t be silly, Dr. Baker. Your food will get cold.”

      “So will yours.”

      “I won’t be long.”

      “Then it won’t be a problem for me to wait, will it?” Leaning back in his chair, he picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, looking prepared to sit there all morning.

      “Fine.” Foiled in her plan to eat alone when he’d finished, she placed a spoonful of eggs and a muffin on a plate for herself and carried it to the table, setting it at the opposite end from Mitch. She retrieved her coffee mug from the counter, then took her seat.

      Looking satisfied, he picked up a strip of bacon. “Just so we’re straight—you work for my sister, not for me. I don’t expect you to serve me or to wait until I’ve finished eating to have your own meal. Nor to address me as Dr. Baker. I answer to Mitch or Mitchell. I don’t think my sister or her husband ask those things of you, either, for that matter. I’ve heard you call them Meagan and Seth, and I suspect you’ve shared a few meals with them.”

      “Well, yes,” she admitted, stabbing her fork into her eggs to avoid looking at him. “But you’re a guest.”

      “Hardly a stranger. We’ve known each other more than a year. And you’re pretty much a member of my sister’s family. There’s no need for formality between us.”

      She spread a little jam on her muffin, busying herself with the task to avoid having to answer.

      The table faced a sliding-glass door, on the other side of which lay a rock patio and beyond that, an inground pool. Mitch nodded toward the grinning yellow dog watching them through the glass, tail sweeping the air behind him. “Waldo didn’t prove to be much of a watchdog last night. He never even barked when I parked outside and came into the house.”

      Following his glance toward Alice’s beloved pet, Jacqui smiled. “As sweet as that dog is, I would never depend on him to guard the place. If he did catch someone sneaking in, he’d probably just bring up one of his toys and beg to play. I’ve always heard Labs are very territorial and protective, but Waldo … not so much.”

      “Maybe he’d react differently if someone were threatening a member of the family.”

      “I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed some spirit then. Especially if it were Alice being threatened. Waldo does love Alice.”

      “Can’t blame him. She’s a great kid.” He reached for his coffee. “Anyway, if Waldo were any kind of a guard dog, I wouldn’t have taken you completely by surprise last night. Of course, that suitcase of yours did make a fairly effective warning system.”

      The corner of her mouth twitched at the memory of him sprawled at her feet, staring warily at the brass candlestick in her hand. It hadn’t been funny at the time. She could still feel her heart pounding when she’d woken with the awareness that someone was in the room with her. But now she could see the wry humor in the situation. The way his eyes twinkled made her suspect he was struggling not to laugh.

      Her humor evaporated when she remembered what had brought him there. “I’m sorry about your house. Alice and your mom told me it burned completely.”

      “To the ground. It was a rental, a duplex. My neighbor in the other half is a few fries short of a kid’s meal. No one who’s ever met her was surprised that she caused the fire.”

      She couldn’t help being a little amused by the analogy despite the gravity of the situation. “She really left candles burning when she left the house?”

      He СКАЧАТЬ