6. Chapter 6
six
Dr. Bloom secured a brace around Amanda’s wrist. He then went back to the computer setup in the examination room. For a small-town clinic, his practice had a top of the line system and equipment. They’d taken an X-ray of Amanda’s arm in-house. When a doctor was as popular as Dr. Bloom, it was great to know he was always thorough.
“Promise me you’ll rest that arm, young lady,” Dr. Bloom warned her. “I know you. You can’t stay idle. Your head and wrist need it, or you’ll risk making things worse. You’re one lucky young woman.”
“I know, Dr. Bloom. I’m lucky Dr. Rowland stayed with me.”
“Ah, yes. Dr. Rowland is an excellent emergency doctor, but now I see he has the disposition to be a family doctor as well,” the old doctor said. “I heard he took good care of you last night.”
“Gene was concerned about the head injury because I refused to go to the hospital,” Amanda explained. “He’s not in trouble, is he? I know it wasn’t his job to babysit me.”
“Gene was being a good doctor and a good friend. I heard you went to high school together,” Dr. Bloom said.
“Uh, yeah.”
Amanda didn’t elaborate that Gene didn’t quite remember her.
“I think he’d do well here if he wanted to stay,” the doctor concluded.
“I’m glad you’re taking on a new doctor,” Amanda said. “Even if it’s only temporary. Maybe it’ll lighten your load.”
“Oh, it will. I just need to make sure he’s the right doctor.” He looked at her meaningfully as they walked into the hall. “You know?”
She understood completely. Amanda would always be grateful to the old doctor for his time and attention when her mom was ill. He’d referred her mother to a specialist, but he’d always been available to explain all the medical jargons and to prepare them as a family for any possibilities. He was one in a million, but he was getting on in age.
Yeah, I know exactly what he means.
“All good?” Gene appeared from the staff section.
“Just twisted. Nothing broken,” Amanda volunteered the information.
Gene looked relieved and smiled.
“You got the paperwork done, Gene?” Dr. Bloom asked.
“Yes, Mrs. Bloom had everything prepared.”
He referred to Dr. Bloom’s wife, head nurse and office manager.
“Good.” Dr. Bloom patted Gene on the back. “I’m so glad you’re joining us for a bit. How was Costa Rica?”
“Costa Rica was different. Refreshing,” Gene answered briefly.
Costa Rica?
Amanda eyed Gene.
“You’ll need to tell me all about it next week,” Dr. Bloom said. “Unfortunately, the next patient is waiting.”
“I can clock in early if you need me, too,” Gene offered.
“You just arrived and had a rough night. Take it easy. Get settled.”
Dr. Bloom waved goodbye, leaving Gene with Amanda.
“Ready to go?” Gene asked as he put a hand on the small of her back to lead her out.
“You take good care of Miss Amanda now, Dr. Rowland,” Nurse Colleen said as she walked past them with Mrs. Howard.
“I heard what happened last night. I hope you’re okay, dear,” Mrs. Howard said.
Amanda smiled. “I’m fine, Mrs. Howard. Thank you.”
“I bet you are. I’d feel fine too if I had a handsome young doctor taking care of me,” Mrs. Howard whispered to her and winked with a suggestive smile before she rose her gaze to Gene.
Amanda was too shocked to respond.
“Alright now, come this way, Mrs. Howard.”
Nurse Colleen herded the old woman when she looked like she was about to say more.
Amanda couldn’t find her voice as she and Gene walked through the waiting room. She smiled at a couple of familiar faces, but she got an odd vibe from them.
“Was it just me or was everybody staring at us?” Amanda asked when they were outside.
“Oh, they were definitely staring at us,” Gene confirmed.
She looked back at the clinic. “What the hell?”
“You live in this town and you don’t know people gossip?”
He looked at her, bemused.
Amanda’s eyes widened. “What would they be gossiping about?”
“Your accident is probably the talk of the town.”
Gene opened the passenger door for her.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Then there’s Mrs. Howard and her assumption,” he added flatly before he closed the door.
Oh shit. He didn’t miss that crude remark.
Amanda cringed inside. But how did Mrs. Howard know about Gene taking care of her?
Miss Lydia!
They had just walked out of her unit to go to her appointment when her neighbor, Miss Lydia, peeked out of her unit and said hello. Amanda had introduced Gene to her, but hadn’t thought much of it. Miss Lydia having a direct line to Mrs. Howard and the rest of the town’s gossip belt ladies wouldn’t surprise her.
“I’m sorry,” she told Gene as he got behind the wheel.
“For what?”
“For putting you in an uncomfortable position.”
Gene shrugged. “People will assume whatever they want.”
“Well, I don’t want to make it any worse,” she said. “I’ve taken too much of your time. If you just do me one more favor, then I’ll get out of your hair.”
“And what’s that?”
“Drop me off at a car rental. I’ll call my insurance and someone to tow my car into town from there.”
“You shouldn’t be driving, yet.” Gene turned to her. “Didn’t Dr. Bloom tell you to rest?”
“Yes, but I need to deal with the car and I need transportation.”
“I’ll drive you. Then at least I can make sure you’re not overdoing it.”
Crap.
“No, Gene. I can’t impose on you more than I already do.”
Gene started the car. “You’re not. Relax.”
Amanda watched him pull out of the parking space, feeling uneasy about accepting his help. Last night, she’d been desperate. But today, she really shouldn’t bother him anymore. Besides, she had a mission she knew he wouldn’t approve of.
“Gene, seriously. I can take care of myself,” she insisted.
Gene glanced at her with a smile.
“I’m sure you can. Just humor me for one more day. I really don’t think you should drive yet.”
“What about the gossips?” Amanda tried another route. “You seemed annoyed about that.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but I bet this looks worse for you. I mean, I can guess what they think. You, a doctor with his patient… y’know. It might not look appropriate.”
She pressed on the word appropriate.
“Well, good thing you’re not a patient,” Gene said. “I’m only doing an old friend a favor, that’s all. I just happen to be a doctor.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes at him. “Old friend? You barely knew me in high school.”
“You were on the soccer team, weren’t you?” Gene said, ignoring her protest.
“I was.” Amanda couldn’t help the little burst of happiness that he finally remembered.
“You’re the Amanda who was running the ball for a winning goal at the semifinal, but—”
“Butchered it and sprained my ankle in the process?”
Amanda’s happiness turned into self-deprecation.
“If I recall correctly, their defense was overly aggressive, and you were trying to avoid a full on collision.”
“Yeah, and she intercepted the ball and took their team to the state championship,” Amanda finished.
“But you saved both your and the other girl’s legs. You ended up with a sprained ankle, but you both could’ve broken a tibia or worse if you hadn’t done what you did. To me, going to the championship isn’t worth a possible life-long issue. You did the smart thing.”
Amanda never thought of it that way. She just remembered her team’s disappointment. Though it’d been years, it was nice to hear a different perspective.
“Thanks for saying that,” she said. “And for taking care of me then, too.”
“It’s becoming a habit.” He flashed a grin. “Me, taking care of you.”
Those words would’ve melted Amanda’s resolve, and she’d let him do exactly that. But she needed to get rid of Gene Rowland.
“Exactly, and it’s not right,” Amanda said. “You did me a solid last night. But today, I’m all good. I don’t even have a headache anymore. And the wrist isn’t a big deal. I can drive one handed.”
Gene glanced at Amanda. She was quite persistent about being dropped off at the car rental. Too persistent.
Is she that upset about being the subject of the town’s gossip?
He noted the fingers of her uninjured hand played nervous nellie on her thigh over her cargo pants.
“Take the next right. There’s a car rental place up that road,” she said. “Then I’ll be out of your hair. No more gossip.”
“You can’t possibly be this worried about my reputation,” Gene said. “Once gossip starts, it takes a life on its own. It won’t matter whether I stay with you.”
“But we can still spin it to our advantage. That you were a good Samaritan, helping a damsel in distress,” Amanda said. “Which really is what happened. Everyone loves a hero story.”
Gene chuckled at her attempt to rewrite the gossip.
She was rather distressed last night. But not for herself…
He took a quick look at her footwear. Hiking boots.
He’d helped her put them on earlier. At the time, he’d fleetingly thought of all the shoes she could’ve put on easily, but she had to choose those. He’d just guessed it was a fashion choice. Something to match her outfit.
“I don’t want to cause a blemish on your reputation, Gene,” Amanda continued to argue.
It wasn’t as if Gene could impose himself on her if she didn’t want him around anymore. But he got a feeling Amanda was about to do something reckless.
“Cut the bullshit. Why are you trying to get rid of me?” he asked pointedly.
“Ah… no,” she stammered.
“You’re planning to go back to Browns Bridge Road and look for that girl you saw, aren’t you?” Gene asked.
Amanda dropped the pretense and twisted her lips in annoyance.
“What if I am?”
“That would be stupid in your condition.”
“What condition? A minor cut that doesn’t even bleed anymore, and a sprained wrist? I can still walk and look around,” she retorted.
“And that’s what I’d call as overdoing it.”
Gene kept going toward Amanda’s house, ignoring her earlier directions to the car rental.
“Hey, you missed the turn!” Amanda exclaimed as they drove past the intersection.
“You’re not hiking in the woods alone after a head injury. Are you freaking kidding me?”
“Like you said, you’re not my doctor. You can’t tell me what to do.” She glared at him. “Turn the car around or I’ll call the police. Then we’ll see about that reputation of yours, doctor.”
“Seriously? You’re threatening me now?”
“I don’t want to, but you gave me no choice,” she said. “I need to go back there.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s a girl alone out there, Gene!” Amanda half-shouted. “I know you and the police don’t believe me. But I saw her. And I need to do what I can to find her.”
Gene heard the frustration in her voice, the fear she felt for the girl.
“I know you won’t let me go out there. But I’m a grown woman, dammit! I make my own decision,” Amanda declared. “Now, drop me off at the rental!”
Gene gave her a sharp look, but she didn’t back down.
“Fine.” He turned into a grocery store parking lot.
“What are you doing?” Amanda asked when he parked.
“Getting some water and snacks. You don’t go into a hike, searching for a missing person without supplies.”
“What?”
“Because you’re obviously determined to go, I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to come, but I need to do this.”
“I will go with you,” he repeated. “But you’ll listen to me when I tell you it’s time to rest. You may feel fine now, but you’re not completely out of the woods yet, Amanda.”
“Dammit, Gene. I don’t need to be more indebted to you than I already am.”
Guilt shadowed Amanda’s face, and Gene hated he caused that. He gently squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, I just don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Amanda turned a resigned gaze at him.
“There’s no chance you’ll leave me alone, is there?”
“If you really want to get rid of me, I can’t force myself to be in your company.” It was more of a reminder to himself than anything else. “But if you insist on looking for this girl, let me help you.”
“Why would you help me?”
Gene blew an audible breath. “I see you, Amanda. After losing that match, the team’s feelings meant more to you than your injury. And not everybody would drop out of a prestigious program to take care of their ailing mother. Then last night, even with a head injury, you insisted the police look for that girl.
“Amanda, you’re a bleeding heart. Sometimes, to your own detriment,” he added, as he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. “Anyone else’s needs always come first, but I’m here to make sure you won’t forget yours.”
Amanda’s green gaze met his, and she smiled. “It takes one to know one, Dr. Rowland.”
There was a charge in the small confine of the car. Gene could feel it crackling when her hand covered his before he could pull it away.
“Thank you.” Her eyes sparkled with her smile. “This means a lot to me.”
Though he knew the wagging tongues would have a field day with them, when Amanda looked at him like he was her hero, Gene really didn’t care.