Chapter 14
14
TORI
T his morning, I handled the emergency appointments which consisted of a nasty cough, a sore throat, and a mystery rash that had the parents stumped. I issued tests, antibiotics, and hopefully an ointment that would eliminate the rash.
By lunchtime, my back ached. I was exhausted, but it was a good tired. I was helping people, and even if Hugh didn't think general practice was real medicine, I knew it was.
When I came out of my office at lunch time, Xander stood at the counter with a bouquet of flowers, speaking to the receptionist, Lizzy.
"I don't believe I see you off the mountain much these days," she said.
Xander's stance was relaxed. "Yeah, my brothers keep me busy."
Lizzy pursed her lips. "I suppose it is your busy season."
I moved toward the counter, and when Xander saw me, he grinned. "These are for you."
Lizzy looked from Xander to me. "Are you two?—"
Xander grinned. "We're dating. I just talked to her father about it."
"Oh, wow. How sweet," Lizzy said, but there was a roaring in my ears.
"You spoke to my father?" I asked, not quite believing what I'd heard.
Dad came out of his office and slapped a hand on Xander's shoulders. "Xander said you two are seeing each other."
"Oh. Well. Yes." That is what we talked about, but I wasn't prepared for the official feel of it.
"I think that's great. You're putting down roots here in Telluride," Dad boomed.
I smiled. "I said I wanted to move back home and build a life here."
Xander rested a hand on my shoulder. "We're going to grab lunch, then discuss realtors. You have any recommendations?"
"Oh! Let me give you mine. He was so helpful when we bought our first house." Lizzy dug in her purse for a business card and handed it to Xander. "There you go."
"Good luck with your house hunt," Dad said as he moved away, probably headed toward the break room for lunch.
I looped my hand through Xander's elbow as we walked out of the office. I felt everyone's eyes on our backs as we left. When we stepped outside into the bright sunshine, I asked, "What was that about? You didn't tell me you were going to talk to my dad."
"I can't date you and not tell your father. We've been friends for years and always denied that there was anything more between us. Now that there is, it only makes sense to explain it to him. Don't you think he deserves to hear it from me?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it, my brain scrambled. This felt so real. "I guess so. What did he say?"
"He's happy for us. Said your mother always thought there was something there."
"Dad's happy I'm staying in town, but will it be enough?" I chewed my lip as we turned right down the sidewalk.
"We'll have to be convincing." Xander's free hand covered mine that was still curled around his elbow. "Then we'll continue to be seen around town, holding hands and occasionally kissing."
"We haven't kissed yet," I couldn't stop myself from saying.
Xander's lips quirked up. "We'll have to rectify that."
No touchy-feely stuff had happened since the night I was drunk. Was it truly because I'd lost my inhibitions? A part of me hoped that would open the gates for more.
He opened the door to a small Italian restaurant that served sandwiches, pizzas, and soup for lunch. We sat at a booth, tucked in the corner next to the fireplace. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, reminding me that the holidays were quickly approaching. That meant more sicknesses at work, and everyone was busier in general.
We ordered, then set aside our menus.
"Are you ready for this? I think we should be seen in public as much as possible. Then we have the ball."
"That's the ultimate test. We have to prove to both of our families that we're the real deal." I drew in a shaky breath. I wasn't so sure I would survive a formal affair. Xander would look killer in a tux, and for one night, everyone would know he was mine.
Xander nodded, looking around the restaurant. "Hopefully, it makes an impact before your father makes his decision on these buyers."
"One is coming this afternoon. He's in his early thirties and worked for a general practice a few towns over. On paper, he's perfect. We'll see how he is in person. Rapport is so important in a small-town practice. My dad gets stopped whenever he goes out and gets updates on conditions. He's always loved it." But I had a feeling all the candidates would have that. Why else would they be working in this field?
"We should practice kissing this week in private, so that when we get in public, it will look like we've been doing it forever."
My cheeks heated at his innuendo: doing it forever.
Xander leaned forward, effectively sucking all the air out of my lungs. "If you can't handle talking about kissing, how are we going to do it?"
What was it with him and his sexual innuendos? Was he doing it on purpose to drive me crazy? "I handled the incident in the tub just fine the other night, didn't I?"
Xander raised a brow. "I wouldn't call it in an incident. That implies it was an accident."
I raised a brow. "Wasn't it though?"
"Maybe for you, but it was very intentional for me."
What the hell did that mean? He intended to touch me that night? He wanted to get me naked in the tub? Before I could ask, our food arrived, and the rumble of my stomach was too insistent to ignore. We dug in, eating without doing much talking, and when we were done, I said, "I have to get back. The buyer will be there soon."
Xander threw enough bills to cover the meal on the table, plus a generous tip. Then he stood and held his hand out to me. When I hesitated, he continued, "You're my girl, remember?"
Warmth flooded my body. I wanted to be his girl. I wrapped my hand around his, and he intertwined his fingers with mine as we headed toward the exit. Outside, it was windier than before. I held my coat more tightly to my neck. Xander must have noticed because he drew me into his side with his arm over my shoulders. "Warm enough?"
His scruff teased my cheek as he spoke into my ear.
I could only nod, the sensations of being this close to him overwhelming me. On the sidewalk in front of the little house that housed dad's practice, a man in a suit stood on the front porch. "You must be Lincoln Sterling.”
The man turned, his gaze flicking from me to Xander who still had his arm draped over my shoulders in a proprietary gesture. "That's right. And you are?"
"Tori Clark."
"Ah. The daughter." A smile spread over his face as he held out his hand for me to shake.
I didn't like his characterization of me as the daughter. I didn't know what that meant, but as soon as he said it, the tension went out of his body. As if I wasn't someone to worry about. Had my father said I didn't want the practice? "I'll find my father for you."
Xander opened the door for both of us, then followed us inside. I expected him to make his excuses and go to work. But he stayed by Lincoln's side while I ducked into my father's office. "Your first appointment is here."
Dad looked up from his screen. "Oh, good. Did you meet him?"
"He seems fine." What could I judge in a few-seconds-long interaction?
Dad smiled. "He said he wants to move closer to his family and settle down."
I felt a little underdressed in my sweater and slacks. "Did you need me to tag along?" Suddenly, I wanted to know everything about these buyers so I could plan my strategy.
"That won't be necessary. I'll drop him off at your office at some point so you can get to know him. I'm sure you want to know if he'd be willing to keep you on."
"The practice could use two, if not three more doctors, but don't you think any new buyer wouldn't want to keep the daughter of the previous owner on?" It was the way Lincoln had said the daughter that had me jumping to that conclusion.
"I would think they'd want all the help they could get, especially from someone who's already worked here and is known in the community," Dad said as he headed out the door to greet Lincoln.
My stomach sunk like a rock. Dad was naive. Any new owner would see me as competition. By the time I joined them, Dad was introducing Lincoln to the front office staff.
Xander leaned on the counter, his demeanor relaxed. He didn't feel out of place in his ski uniform of fleece and thick sweats. He was confident in himself. Why couldn't I feel the same? Dad's belief in these buyers was throwing me off my axis. I had little control over my professional life at the moment, but I could maintain a grip on my personal one.
Xander's gaze flicked to me as I approached, his eyes darkened with desire. That couldn't be for show, could it? Besides, everyone was paying attention to the new doctor, who was young and handsome. He wasn't as built as the man standing in front of me though.
"I should get back." Xander grabbed my hand and tugged me closer. My entire body heated from the proximity. He smelled like the outdoors with the lingering fresh scent of soap. It was intoxicating. With his free hand, he cupped my cheek. "I'd kiss you, but we haven't had our practice session yet."
My muscles turned liquid at that statement. Were we going to practice tonight? If so, I couldn't wait to get home and start our lessons.
He lowered his face, and my heart rate picked up. But he only kissed me on the cheek. "Have a good day."
"You too," I said as his hand fell away, and he walked out.
I watched him go, his ass filling out those sweats to perfection. It was the skiing he did every day. He was in shape from the squatting and bending. I bet his body was sculpted under those clothes. When he finally walked out of view, I sighed and turned to greet our receptionist.
"You and Xander, huh? I didn't see that one coming," Lizzie said.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
Lizzie rolled her eyes. "He's a bit of a playboy. Surely, you know that."
Irritation shot through me. "I think Xander is charming, and people mistake him for being a ladies' man. But it couldn't be further from the truth. He's sweet, kind, and caring." The best man I knew. I walked away before she could answer. I wasn't interested in hearing her response. Now I knew what Xander was talking about. Everyone had dismissed him: the town, his family. He was fighting an uphill battle, and my heart ached for him. He wanted to be seen differently. I hoped our fake relationship helped others see him in a different light.
I saw a ten-year-old who'd been complaining of fatigue, knee pain, and headaches. I ordered a blood test for her. It could be a few things, and I wanted to ease her mother's mind, so I promised to call them with results instead of having her find them on the online portal first.
When I came out of that appointment, Dad stood at my office door with Lincoln. "Oh, good. I'll take your next patient so you can get to know each other." Dad was practically beaming. He must really like this guy.
I wasn't certain about him yet. I gestured for him to sit in one of the chairs across from mine.
"How long have you worked here?" Lincoln asked as he looked around at my bare walls. In an ideal world, I would have unpacked my things and placed my degrees on the wall behind me. But I hadn't, and it didn't matter if I was working here temporarily. But it didn't look great. Why would anyone keep me on if I'd only worked here a few weeks?
Panic filled me, making my throat tight. "I just moved back home. I was working as an emergency-room doctor in New York."
Lincoln whistled. "I bet that was busy."
I chuckled. "You have no idea. But I longed for the slow pace of a small-town practice. I like to get to know the patients, in and outside of work. I can follow up with patients here. At the hospital, I'd see them for a few minutes and then never again."
Lincoln leaned forward and clasped his hands. "I have to be honest. It's a little odd that your father isn't giving the practice to you. This feels like a bait and switch. Like he's going to change his mind at any moment and hand it over to you."
“That’s what I wanted when I moved home. In fact, it was the plan when I went to college, then medical school. But I changed my mind and stayed in New York. Dad moved on and made other plans. I don't blame him for looking out for himself."
Lincoln leveled his gaze on me. "But you want more."
I cleared my throat, wishing I had water in my office. "It was always my dream to work here. I hope my honesty doesn't hurt my chances of continuing to work here, should my father offer you the practice."
Lincoln was quiet for a few seconds while my heart galloped in my chest. "I haven't made any decisions yet. But your presence is concerning."
I frowned. "You think my father will back out of the deal?"
"Possibly."
I hadn't considered that my presence would hurt Dad's chances of selling the practice. I wanted him to give it to me, but I also wanted him to get the money he needed for retirement. "Listen, I want the practice, but I can't afford to buy it. I have student loans. You know how it is."
Lincoln nodded. "I do."
"He wants the money for his retirement, and I'd never get in the way of that."
Lincoln nodded. "You're a good daughter."
"I don't feel great that I backed out of my original promise to my father, and I won't do anything to get in the way of what he wants now." Then what was I doing with Xander? If I didn't want to stop the sale and take the practice for myself, what was the point? The voice inside my head reminded me that I wanted to be close to Xander. I was enjoying lunch, the flowers, little touches here and there, and the promise of future kisses.
Lincoln inclined his head slightly. "That's commendable. A lot of people wouldn't do the same."
"I'm not a saint. I just want what's best for my dad." But what if what's best for him wasn't what was best for me? "Tell me about yourself. Where did you work before, and why do you want to own a practice here in Telluride?"
Lincoln leaned back in his chair, relaxing now that the awkward part of the conversation was over. "I worked in a small practice in Denver. I loved the area, but it was a family practice, and I had no chance of ever becoming a partner or co-owner."
That was why he was wary of getting into a similar situation. "I can understand why you're concerned."
Lincoln nodded. "I've been saving up, and it's time for me to make this move now. I want to be a business owner."
"I can understand that. You'll love Telluride. It's a little smaller and quieter than Denver.”
"I think that will be a good thing."
"You'll get to know the people and the community. My dad can't go anywhere without someone stopping to talk to him about their symptoms or recovery."
"That sounds nice, actually."
Lincoln was the perfect buyer. I just wasn't sure he'd let me stay on. "If you were to buy this practice, would you want more doctors?"
"It sounds like you need two or three."
I nodded. "That's right."
"I'd have to see how things worked before I added any additional employees. I wouldn't want to overextend myself."
That meant he wasn't going to keep me on. I stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in my slacks. "I should get back to my patients." I had a few more weeks to enjoy my job before the practice sold and I was out of a job.
Lincoln stood and followed me out.
I offered my hand. "It was nice meeting you, Lincoln."
At the end of the day, I sat at my desk, rubbing circles on my temples. I'd had a low-level headache ever since I met with Lincoln. I knew selling to him was the right thing to do. He wouldn't drastically change the practice, but he couldn't hire me. I understood his caution. Owning a business was a big deal. He wanted to get his bearings first. But what did that mean for me?
Dad came in and sat across from me. "Well, what did you think of Lincoln?"
"He was perfect, Dad."
Dad grinned. "I thought so too. I still want to meet with other potential buyers. I want to make the right decision."
"You will." I didn't have the heart to tell him what Lincoln had said to me, that I wasn't going to be offered a job. I had to figure out what I was going to do if Lincoln got the practice. I'd need to find a new job somewhere else. Dad wouldn't want me to interfere, and I didn't want to disappoint my father anymore than I already had.