20. Consequences of a Moment
CHAPTER TWENTY
Dalton
Consequences of a Moment
B efore every mission as a SEAL, Dalton would get focused on double and triple-checking his gear, adding extra ammunition, and checking his medical supplies. Then he’d get antsy for the departure from base, but once they were headed to the target location a calm would envelop him, like he was now cast off in a direction that couldn’t be changed. His fate was sealed. That was how he felt now with Brooke, as if he couldn’t keep his distance, or not touch her anymore. Like he belonged to her and his fate was set.
He had been shocked when she pulled him into the laundry room and kissed him. And pleasantly surprised that she hadn’t dated anyone since Max’s dad. She was a great mom, and he could see how a child would take over a person’s life, especially since she was alone. But Brooke was the kind of vibrant woman it was impossible not to notice, and he was surprised no one had managed to break through her shell. He assumed she expected him to leave again, and that was why she didn’t want anyone in town knowing they were together.
Which now left him with an even bigger dilemma: he would have to tell Wes and Levi that it was his fault their parents died, and he would have to accept his brothers’ reactions. If he wanted to stay in Sandy Point, he would have to face that memory of causing his parents’ deaths and then hold on to it for the rest of his life. But what was maybe even worse was that he’d have to tell Brooke too, and he could end up losing all of them.
“Good morning, Doctor.” A thick Southern drawl broke through his thoughts as he was looking over notes about the patients who had come through the evening shift. When he looked up from the table, there was a woman dressed in a bright white tennis dress, with barely enough fabric to cover her very large chest. She had a lot of makeup on for seven thirty in the morning, and wore large sparkling diamond earrings.
“Good morning, are you in need of medical assistance?” he asked, looking around for Nora.
“I guess I am.” She held up her hand, where she held an icepack on her wrist. “I’m so silly. I was grabbing my tennis gear and accidentally slammed my hand in the door.”
“Ouch,” he said, and looked around again, but still no Nora. “Alright, come on over to bay one and have a seat. I’ll get your information and take a look at your hand.”
He ushered her over to the open bay that had a crisp white sheet on the low set narrow bed. But he kept his distance, standing a few feet away while he pulled up the entry form on the tablet.
“Usually we have the patients complete this, but unless you’re left-handed that might be difficult.”
“Very observant of you, Dr.—what is your name?” the woman asked with a formal but flirty tone.
“I’m Dr. Hart.”
“Oh, you’re the man everyone’s been talking about in town,” she said.
His head whipped up, and he realized she’d stopped holding the ice pack against her wrist. Instead her hand now lay on her bare thigh, right where she had her legs crossed as she sat on the hospital bed. Not exactly the posture of someone in pain.
“Which man would that be?” he asked, right before Nora reappeared at the front desk with her hands on her hips and her eyes squinting at the woman.
“You’re the Navy SEAL doctor everyone has been saying is so gorgeous and single. Did you come home to settle down or just have some fun?”
He gulped.
“It’s hard to believe Wesley Hart has an equally gorgeous brother. Aren’t there three of you? Oh my word,” the woman continued as she recrossed her legs the other way.
Nora groaned in the background.
Dalton laughed. “Thanks, I think.” He shifted on his feet. “Looks like our intake nurse is back. Nora, can you help this patient fill out the paperwork? I’ve ordered an X-ray for her injured hand.” He turned to the woman. “We’ll wait to wrap your wrist until after the X-ray to see if it swells any further.”
“An X-ray, oh, I don’t think I have time for that today. It’s funny, my hand is already feeling so much better. You’re so thorough, Dr. Hart. Must have the magic touch,” she said, rotating her wrist and then uncrossing her legs before popping down off the hospital bed about a foot away from Dalton. “I’d like to invite you out to the beach club as my special guest for taking such good care of me.”
He didn’t miss Nora’s eye roll.
“Beach club?” What was she talking about? Just then Brooke walked through the sliding doors and looked between him and his patient before pasting on a big fake smile.
“Hi there, Ms. Robinson, you feeling alright?” Brooke asked.
“After seeing Dr. Hart, I feel just fine.” The woman winked at him. “Don’t forget to swing by the club later. I’ll have your name added to my guest list.”
He just nodded as the woman tossed her ice pack in the trash and sauntered away with a playful wave. “Bye now!”
“So I see news about you has made it into the beach club circles? Guess we better get ready for more minor injuries at the tennis club,” Brooke said.
“Good morning, and what beach club?”
“The Banks family opened a tennis club with beach access and a pool several years ago. It’s an exclusive club for residents of Sandy Point.”
“Residents with deep pockets who can afford the annual membership,” Nora said.
“I don’t like tennis,” Dalton replied.
“I doubt that woman wanted to play tennis with you,” Nora said.
His eyes shot to Brooke, but she just laughed and looked him up and down.
“I’m one hundred percent sure she doesn’t intend on playing tennis with you if she can lure you to the beach club,” Brooke said.
Then she and Nora burst out laughing before Brooke walked back to her office, leaving him to wonder what Brooke wanted to do with him. He was counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds until tomorrow night.
Wednesday. His night with Brooke.
He wasn’t sure if he should cook for her or if they would both be too busy exploring each other to worry about food. But he didn’t want her to think that all he wanted was a physical relationship, but she had been pretty clear on what she wanted from him.
“Dr. Dalton, the paramedics just phoned in, they’re on the scene of a bad car accident and bringing in at least three victims,” Nora said.
He immediately snapped out of it. “I’ll prep the stations. Can you let Brooke and Dr. Jones know?”
“Dr. Jones won’t be in all week. Now that you’re here, I doubt we’ll see him much at all before he retires in the fall.”
“No problem, we can handle three, and they must not be critical if they’re coming here first.”
“Actually, protocol has been to bring all cases here whenever possible for us to triage, and then we can send severe cases into Savannah once we stabilize them. The medics use the bay flight only in the extreme trauma cases.”
Dalton nodded. He’d better review what constituted extreme in Sandy Point, because he had a feeling that he’d be seeing some serious injuries.
“Did they say where the accident happened?”
Nora had a monitor dedicated to messages from the local dispatch on incoming cases. There was no audio, but each update popped up on the screen like an incoming text message with any details dispatch thought the hospital would need.
“They were on Bluff Road and collided with an oncoming service truck.”
Dalton’s stomach twisted in a knot. That was the same road his parents died on, a picturesque and winding road along the coast of Georgia. It connected the beach roads from several small towns and was a favorite of locals to cruise. It was also too narrow for service trucks, so they weren’t supposed to use it.
“Two adults, and one child approximately twelve years old,” Nora said. Then she picked up her phone to let Brooke know they’d need her help.
The next half hour was chaotic as the medics brought in three adults: the parents of the twelve-year-old, and the driver of the service truck. The child was the least injured in the car, which was a blessing, but she was also likely the most traumatized, having had to go through the crash and then call for help. She had some minor scratches from a side airbag and some glass breaking. Her father had been driving, and had taken the brunt of the accident. He’d been stuck in the vehicle as it teetered on the edge of the bluff, but Wes and the volunteer fire department were on the scene in time to pry him out and pull the car onto a tow truck. The man suffered a broken leg, broken arm, head wound, and abrasions. The mother had cuts on her face, abrasions from her seat belt, and a deep gash in her leg from impact into the side of the door. The driver of the truck was shaken up and complained of chest pain along where his seat belt had cinched during the accident.
“If a patient needs to stay for observation, who stays with them?” Dalton asked.
“Typically, the doctor on shift stays. We send any critical cases to the hospital in Savannah, either by ambulance or helicopter depending on your assessment.”
Dalton rested his hands on his hips and thought. It would be nice to get a CT scan of the dad’s head to determine whether there was swelling on his brain.
Brooke and Nora continued to wait for a decision.
“It’s your call, Dr. Hart. You have the most experience with this kind of trauma, and your background in the field is really ideal for helping triage these kinds of cases. We just don’t have the funding or staff to have the type of equipment to offer those tests,” Brooke said.
“Alright. We send the father to Savannah—via ambulance is fine—and I’ll keep the service driver for observation. I’ll stay tonight.”
Brooke and Nora nodded, then went about making the arrangements.
“Thank you,” a small, tired voice said from the third bay. He turned to find the twelve-year-old lying on the gurney under a blanket, looking at him with splotchy eyes. She was obviously still feeling the effects of the crash.
“You don’t have to thank us, we’re just making sure you’re all going to recover so you can get back to your trip.”
She smiled. “My mom was so excited for us to spend the week at the beach, she’s been talking about it for a year. Our first week-long family vacation.”
He nodded. “Well, if the tests I want to run all come back clear, you should still get a few days in the sand with your folks.”
She squeezed her eyes closed, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. It was the kids who always gutted him. “I don’t care about the beach, I just want my dad to be okay.”
Dalton put his hand on her shoulder. “Me too. Try not to worry. That’s our job.”
She looked up and they could both see her mom through the open curtain asleep in the bed one bay over.
“They’re all I have. No siblings.” The girl’s voice cracked.
His stomach churned again, because he knew a little about how this young girl was feeling. Only when he found out his parents had been in a car accident and died, not even having siblings or his grandmother had made a difference. He’d felt only loss and guilt. Like his entire world had shifted and he had no idea how to manage the heartache. He’d pushed away everyone, and in retrospect he knew it’d been a defense mechanism. But even with a medical degree and time, that pain felt just as raw.
“I have two brothers, and they’re both bigger than me.”
Her eyes got big. “Wow. You probably got beat up a lot.” She sniffled.
He laughed. “I could usually run faster, so that helped.”
Brooke appeared with a popsicle for the girl. “Sweetie, is there anything else we can get you while you rest? I’ll get you some lunch if you’re hungry.”
“Can one of you just stay with me?”
“Yes,” they both said in unison. “Dr. Dalton just needs to sign some paperwork, and then he and I will take turns sitting with you until your mom has had a little rest. I even have an iPad loaded up with some movies.” Brooke lifted the bright pink case that Dalton suspected was her own iPad. The girl accepted it with a small smile.
Next Brooke handed him a tablet with a few pages to sign. As his hand brushed hers, the electric current between them was like a live wire. He could tell she felt it too, by the look he now recognized in her eyes. Right before he’d tasted her, he’d seen that look: need. And he would bet it was mirrored in his own eyes.
“They can transport him right away once you sign these. Do you think we should wake her mom? They can’t ride in the ambulance with him.”
He wanted to let the woman rest, but if she felt a fraction of what he was feeling for Brooke, he would guess she’d want to see her husband off. The thought was somewhat alarming, since he couldn’t remember ever thinking of a woman in terms of a significant other or a spouse. Someone to be tied to, someone to worry about more than yourself.
“Yah, we better wake her before he’s loaded in.”
He handed the tablet back to Brooke.
“Alright, in about fifteen minutes we’ll wake your mom up, and then figure out if you all are staying in Sandy Point or if we need to get you a ride to Savannah,” Brooke said to the young girl.
The young girl nodded, and they saw a little more color in her cheeks.
Dalton watched as Brooke finished making the arrangements, then she returned to sit with the girl while he checked on all their patients. The mom woke up before the ambulance arrived and tearfully saw her husband off. But Dalton assured her it was just a precaution and they’d all be on the beach in a few days. Wes arrived to make sure the family had a ride to their vacation rental or the hospital.
“He’s your brother?” the young girl asked.
“Yep, one of them,” Dalton said with a smile, standing next to Wes, who was at least two inches taller.
“You must run really fast,” the girl said.
“You gonna keep the other driver here tonight?” Wes asked.
“Yah, but he’s already grumbling about how he’s late to make a delivery to some club.”
“That damn beach club causes the most accidents out on the bluff—we should bill them. Driver claimed there was no sign saying he couldn’t use Bluff Road.”
“Is there?”
“There was, but someone must have removed it,” Wes said.
“Huh, I’m surprised they managed to get any commercial building approved.”
“Money talks,” Wes said.
“Speaking of, did you hear from Levi?”
“Our baby brother bailed us out for now, but this is the kind of bill that comes every year.”
“Alright, I support whatever you say is best, but if you want to talk it through, I’m game.” He needed to spend more time with Wes and figure out how they were going to keep their family estate.
Wes eyed him. “I’m off tomorrow.”
He flinched inwardly. Wednesday was his day with Brooke, but he’d put off this conversation with Wes for too long.
“I’ll swing by your place after my shift,” Dalton said. That way he could control how long he stayed and still have time with Brooke.
The rest of the day was filled with minor injuries and a few odd visitors that seemed more interested in finding out details about the car crash than having actual medical treatment.
“Is it just me or are some of our patients in need of gossip, not medical care?” Dalton asked Nora and Brooke, who were both typing away at tablets.
“You’ve been away from small-town living for too long. Everyone knows the best gossip can be found here or the coffee shop,” Brooke said.
“Huh, I would have thought the diner or maybe this beach club everyone is talking about.”
“Well, you’d be wrong, but you can do some recon for us when one of your fans finally convinces you to play a game of tennis,” Brooke said.
As if on cue, a woman dressed in all white walked in with her wrist wrapped. But this time the woman was his grandmother’s age, and he suspected she had a real injury.
“Nora, can you please introduce me to this fine doctor so he can tell me if I’ve broken my wrist and destroyed my summer tennis season?”
“Hello, Mrs. Banks, this is Dr. Dalton Hart, he’s our newest attending physician.”
The woman looked him up and down with her lips pursed as if he didn’t quite look like the doctor he claimed to be. “Mm-hmm, you’re Barbara’s grandson, the Navy man. Well, I won’t hold that against you, although your grandmother is one of my oldest competitors.”
“Dr. Hart, this is Max’s grandmother, Mrs. Penelope Banks,” Brooke said.
The woman’s mouth was pursed tight but then a small smile touched her lips. “Oh, Max is a very sweet boy. I wish you would bring him to see us more often, Brooke.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Banks, why don’t you head right over here to bay two and I’ll take a look at your injury.” Dalton wanted to protect Brooke from any more pressure from the Banks family on how to raise Max.
“Just like your father, grandfather, and brothers, easy on the eyes and probably a sweet talker too,” the woman said, shooting Brooke a side look, but then walking ahead to the now-open bay.
He could hear Brooke’s and Nora’s stifled laughs.
“You knew my grandfather?” Dalton asked.
“I dated your grandfather before Barbara stole him from me,” she sighed. “The women in my family have always had a hard time resisting the Hart men, but that trouble ended when my girls all had boys,” she laughed.
He couldn’t help but be surprised. “Well, that doesn’t mean we can’t be cordial, right?” he teased.
“No it doesn’t, it all worked out in the end. I was sorry about what happened with your parents. That was a terrible loss for you boys and Barbara.”
He grimaced. Living in small towns meant everyone knew your family and your business.
“Now, tell me what happened and where it hurts,” Dalton said, cutting off the small talk and gently taking her wrist in his hands.
Finally, at a quarter to six he was done with all the patients and paperwork. The driver had agreed to stay for observation when it was clear he couldn’t get his truck out of the impound until his company paid the tab. He was now asleep in the surgery room.
“I have to get to the ballfield and check in on Max. But the diner will deliver dinner to us when we have overnight patients,” Brooke said, holding her bag and stopping at the front desk to say good night.
“Thanks. Tell Max and the kids I’m sorry I had to miss practice but that I’ll make it up to them tomorrow.”
“I’ll let him know,” she said, and met his eyes. It looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but then Nora joined her, and that was the end of their unspoken conversation. Once they walked out together, he was left alone at the hospital to think about how he was going to tell his brother why he’d left Sandy Point and wondering what Mrs. Banks meant when she said the women in her family could never resist a Hart man.