The Doctor's Undoing (9 page)

He glanced at his watch. “Time to get back to work.”

“Yeah, me, too. See you later, Ron.”

“Want to have dinner together after work? Maybe study a little?”

Her hesitation might not have even been noticeable to anyone else. Her smile might have looked entirely natural to someone who didn't know her as well as he did. Which made it all the more satisfying when she nodded and said, “Sure. I'll meet you after work.”

One step at a time, he told himself, tucking his stethoscope more snugly into his pocket and heading for the wards. They'd shared the first kiss, and now they needed to spend more time together—not as classmates or study partners, but as a potential couple.

Taking it slow—but definitely taking it forward. Satisfied with that observation, he turned his attention to his young patients.

 

Mia's birthday was the last Saturday in September, and Connor invited everyone to their house for a birthday barbecue. He told Ron it was the first time since he'd started medical school that he had time to properly celebrate Mia's birthday. This time he wanted to do it right.

He invited the study group, of course. He'd also extended invitations to a few of his and Mia's coworkers from the school where they'd both taught before he'd started medical school and she'd entered graduate school to obtain her doctorate in education. A few other mutual friends of Connor and Mia's rounded out the sixteen-person guest list.

Haley, of course, had volunteered to help with the party. It wasn't a surprise affair, but Haley wanted to make sure Mia didn't have to go to any extra effort for her own birthday. Though Connor said he had everything under control, he'd asked Haley to meet with him briefly the Wednesday afternoon prior to the event to go over his list and make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, just as a precaution. He'd told her to bring Ron along so the three of them could chat a little before the party, where he would be too busy hosting to have much time for catching up.

Connor was waiting at the coffee shop when they arrived. Seated at a small table with three chairs, he sipped from a steaming cup as he made notes on a pad in front of him. He looked up with a smile when they walked in. Standing, he brushed a light kiss over Haley's cheek and shook Ron's hand.

Ron watched Haley and Connor while he placed an order for Haley's latte and his espresso. Connor had obviously spoken literally when he'd referred to his list. Haley had her head bent over the pad of notes and was involved in a spirited discussion with their friend. Ron figured there would be no details overlooked by the time Haley and Connor were finished today.

They were talking about food for the party when he carried the two steaming drinks to the table, setting Haley's latte in front of her. She looked up with a slightly distracted smile. “Thanks, Ron.”

Immediately turning her attention back to Connor, she said, “I'll bring enough of the broccoli slaw for twenty people. That should be plenty.”

“You're sure it's not too much trouble?”

“I wouldn't have volunteered if it were too much trouble.”

Connor smiled at her. “I really do appreciate it. Mia loves your slaw.”

“You're sure there's nothing I can bring?” Ron asked. “I really wouldn't mind picking up some drinks or something.”

“All taken care of,” Connor assured him gratefully. “But thanks.”

“I'm still amazed that everyone's free that afternoon,” Haley commented after taking a cautious sip of her beverage. “It's pretty much a miracle these days.”

“No kidding. With the five of us on different rotations, it's hard to be sure when anyone has the same Saturday off. Not to mention my own crazy schedule right now, with me in ob-gyn and Mia buried up to her neck in classes and assignments, and Alexis enrolled in after-school dance classes and soccer—let's just say things are sort of hectic at the Hayes house these days.”

“And what's new about that?” Ron teased.

Connor's home life had been complicated for as long as Ron had known him. Before his first semester of med school was half over, Connor had learned he was fully responsible for a six-year-old daughter whose existence had been a secret to him until that time. Then he'd realized he was falling in love with Mia, who'd moved in to help him with Alexis.
Connor had known Mia for several years as a friend and coworker before he'd realized his feelings for her were more than platonic.

That thought made Ron glance at Haley, who was already going over the list one more time with Connor.

Finally reassured everything was on track, Connor folded the list and stuck it into his computer bag. “You know you're both welcome to bring guests, if you like. There will be plenty of food for everyone.”

Ron shook his head. “Haley and I will come together.”

Haley shot him a look and he almost winced. She didn't have to say a word to let him know she wasn't pleased he'd made that decision without consulting her first.

As if sensing an undercurrent between them, Connor looked quickly from Haley to Ron. His only response was a nod, and then a change of subject when he asked how their weeks were going in the general peds wards.

Hoping he hadn't just set their progress back a step, Ron made an extra effort to be amusing during the remainder of his and Haley's short visit with Connor. He was rewarded with smiles and a couple of laughs from her. He was even ridiculously pleased when one of his outrageous comments elicited a punch on his arm, proving he really was pathetic when it came to Haley.

Taking it slow, he reminded himself. But still taking it forward. That was all he could ask, for now.

N
o one seemed to find it odd that Haley and Ron arrived at the birthday party together. Nor that they'd gone in together on a birthday gift for Mia. That had been Ron's idea. Saying he had no clue what to get on his own, he'd convinced Haley they could get something nicer if they pooled their money—and if she made the selection. She'd purchased a very pretty scarf and signed her name and Ron's on a casually humorously birthday card. Everyone knew she and Ron were on the same rotation and were spending time together on the wards, so she figured no one would read too much into them carpooling and gift-pooling.

Though she and Ron were now spending quite a bit of time together out of the hospital, too, she wasn't quite ready to announce that they were seeing each other as more than study buddies.

They weren't rushing into anything. The full extent of their relationship at this point was having dinner together
and studying together after work. There had been a few more kisses. Carefully controlled, but each a little more heated than the last. She thought Ron was trying to be careful not to move too fast, not to derail this…whatever it was…before it started. She didn't think he was deliberately trying to whet her appetite, or to leave her frustrated and impatient for more. But if that
had
been his intention, he'd have achieved exactly what he'd hoped.

She could hardly look at Ron now without remembering how it felt to be close to him. How warm and solid he felt pressed against her. She found herself daydreaming at odd times about the spicy scent of his aftershave. The springy feel of his thick hair wrapped around her fingers. The way his lips were both firm and soft when they moved against hers. And she spent entirely too much of her free time wondering when—or if—they would progress beyond kisses. Imagining what it would be like when they did.

Maybe that was what he hoped to accomplish, after all.

They were noticeably hesitant to talk about what might be developing between them. They laughed a lot when they were together. Talked about work. Chatted about their mutual friends. Studied. She talked some about her family and her background; he seemed to enjoy hearing stories about her past, but he was still very reticent about his own. She figured that would come in time.

They didn't talk about the future beyond the next rotation.

She figured Ron was no more ready than she was to go public as a potential couple…or whatever they were, even though he'd been awfully quick to announce they would be arriving together when Connor had suggested they could bring other guests. She was prepared to act that afternoon as if nothing at all had changed between them, and she assumed he would, too.

She was right…to a point.

It was a beautiful afternoon. A crisp hint of autumn in the clear air. The sky a rich blue dotted with fluffy white clouds. Brightly colored balloons hovering above the long, folding-leg table Connor had set up to hold the plates of food. A few people sat around the family's picnic table to eat, but almost everyone sat in folding chairs, holding their well-filled plates in their laps. James hadn't been able to make it, being on call at the hospital that afternoon, but the rest of the gang was there.

After everyone had eaten, Connor brought out a beautifully decorated cake he'd ordered from a bakery Haley had recommended. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Mia, who accepted Alexis's eagerly offered assistance with blowing out the candles. All the guests agreed that the cake tasted as good as it looked.

While Ron helped Connor and some of the other guys clear away the barbecue equipment, Haley was gathering trash into a large plastic bag when Drew Maples caught up with her to stuff a couple of crumpled paper napkins into the bag. “I caught these blowing across the grass.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks.”

She'd met Drew earlier. In his mid-thirties, he was of average height and appearance, but had an infectious laugh that made Haley smile when she heard it, just as it seemed to do everyone else. He was Alexis's soccer coach, and had become quite friendly with Connor and Mia. He was a single dad; his lively eight-year-old son was romping around the outskirts of the birthday party, kicking a soccer ball with Alexis and her best friend, McKenzie, whose mother was busily stretching plastic wrap across bowls of leftovers.

“So you're one of Connor's medical student friends?”

Tossing a paper plate into the bag, she nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“What kind of medicine do you want to practice?”

It was a common question when people found out she was in medical school. Most people seemed to think every medical student started training with a specific goal in mind; the ones who did enter with a plan often changed their mind sometime during their classes and rotations.

“I haven't decided for certain yet,” she replied, as she usually did. It was too complicated to explain all the options she was currently considering.

“Connor seems pretty set on family practice.”

“Yes. He'll be good at it.”

“I think so, too.”

“So you coach soccer,” she said, because he seemed to expect her to continue the conversation.

“Yeah. But that's just a hobby. In my real life, I'm a heating and air-conditioning technician.”

Tying the drawstring at the top of the filled garbage bag, she glanced at the little boy now climbing on Alexis's playground set. “Your son is very cute. He certainly plays well with Alexis and McKenzie.”

He followed her to the large garbage can on one corner of the patio, lifting the lid for her so she could deposit the bag. “Yeah, he's a good kid. He stays with me on weekends, and with his mom during the weeks. Doesn't give either of us any trouble. Hope that doesn't change as he gets older.”

She smiled. “I'm sure he'll be fine.”

“Are you from around here?”

“I grew up in Russellville.”

“Yeah? I'm from Morrilton, myself. We were practically neighbors.”

He was definitely flirting. Keeping her smile friendly but just a little distant, she motioned toward the big tub filled with melting ice and a few remaining cans of soda. “I think I'll have a diet cola. Would you like something?”

“No, but let me get one for you. Diet, you say?”

Haley thought Ron was still occupied with the other guys, so she was a bit surprised when he appeared suddenly at her side, a diet soda in his hand. “Thought you might be thirsty,” he said, offering it to her.

“Thank you.”

Nodding cordially to Drew, Ron spoke to Haley again. “Alexis just told me that Connor and Mia are taking her and McKenzie to the state fair next weekend. She's really excited about it.”

Remembering family outings to the state fair from her own childhood, Haley smiled. “I'm sure she is.”

“You and I should go while it's in town. That's something we haven't done together yet.”

It wasn't so much the words as the tone that took her back. He smiled as he spoke, showing a lot of teeth—apparently aimed directly at Drew, whose own smile had faded.

Drew took a step backward. “Excuse me, I think my son is signaling for me.”

Haley spun on one heel. “Ron—”

“Haley, Ron, come on.” Alexis skidded to a stop beside them, nearly crashing right into Ron, who caught her with a laugh. “She's going to open her presents now.”

“I'll talk to you later,” Haley said beneath her voice to Ron as they moved toward the table where Mia had been seated behind a stack of gifts.

He grimaced, but stayed close by her side when they rejoined the others.

 

“Okay, let's have it.”

Ron stood in the center of her living room, visibly braced for whatever was to come. Haley didn't bother with prevarications, nor did she have to ask him to clarify what he meant by the demand. She had deliberately kept the conversation
neutral on the way from the birthday party, not wanting to get into a serious discussion in the car. She'd known Ron was aware she was only procrastinating.

“What was that performance you put on in front of Drew this afternoon?” she asked, planting her hands on her hips as she faced him.

He shoved a hand through his breeze-tossed sandy hair. “It wasn't a performance. He was making an obvious play for you, and I blocked it. That's all.”

She huffed. “I am not a football.”

His lips quirked, but she was sure he knew better than to laugh. “No.”

“And I am perfectly capable of deflecting passes, myself,” she went on, unintentionally continuing the metaphor. “I didn't need you stepping in to make both me and Drew feel awkward.”

The hints of amusement left Ron's face then. “He should have felt awkward. It was damned rude of him to corner you like that at a party for a friend. Especially considering you'd come with a date.”

“I guess he knew I'd ridden to the party with you, but I doubt he or anyone else was aware that we were there…well, together. Not until you decided to act like you were marking your territory, anyway.”

His brows drew together. “Maybe we should have made it clearer from the start—to everyone—that we weren't just carpooling.”

“Like a general announcement, you mean?” she asked with more than a touch of sarcasm.

He responded more seriously than she'd expected. “Yeah. Something like that.”

She took a tiny step backward, a physical enactment of her emotional response. “We're nowhere close to being ready for that step.”

His frown deepened. “What? Letting people know we're seeing each other? That we enjoy doing more together than just studying? That we're attracted to each other?”

“I just think it's best if we don't mention to the others that anything is different from the way it's always been between us. It's all still too new. Too…well, experimental.”

“Experimental.” He repeated her ill-chosen word with a tone of distaste.

Flushing a little, she shook her head. “That's not exactly the word I meant. What I'm trying to say is that I don't want to make things uncomfortable with our friends when we get together in the future.”

“If things don't work out between us, you mean.”

“For
any
reason.”

Tired of being on the defensive when he was the one who'd gotten out of line that day, she lifted her chin. “We haven't even talked, ourselves, about what's changing between us. All we've done so far is share a few dinners and a few kisses. That's hardly enough to change everything.”

Nor for him to start acting like she was now off the market when it came to other men, she added silently. True, she'd had no interest in responding to Drew's flirting, but still…

“You're right,” Ron surprised her by saying a bit too evenly.

“I am?”

He nodded, taking a step toward her to close the distance she'd put deliberately between them. “A few kisses isn't enough to change everything.”

“Well, yes, that's what I just said. I…”

His hands closed around her forearms and he pulled her toward him with a little more intensity than usual. There was no hint of the clown in his eyes when he lowered his head.

“A change is on the way,” he warned, just before his lips closed over hers.

This kiss was definitely different. Sensations exploded inside her when he deepened the embrace, taking her mouth with a thorough, masculine confidence that made every feminine cell inside her spring to life. His tongue thrust between her lips, exploring and claiming. His arms were strong around her, holding her so tightly against him she couldn't possibly be unaware of his hunger for her.

She locked her arms around his neck and strained to get closer, her tongue parrying his with an equal fervor. All the impatient curiosity building inside her for the past few weeks fueled her response to this embrace, urging her to push on, to explore, to finally have her answer to the question that had been haunting her. What would it be like when they finally came together?

This preview was telling her it was going to be amazing. Perhaps life changing. And that thought scared her as much as it thrilled her.

Ron's hands slid down her hips, moving inward to cup her bottom, to fit her even more snugly against him. He tilted his head to taste her lips from a new angle. She locked her fingers in his hair, holding him there while she thoroughly explored every inch of his mouth.

Her tingling breasts flattened against his broad chest, she rocked lightly against him, eliciting a groan from him. His fingers dug spasmodically into her, and this time the moan was hers.

He tore his mouth from hers with a gasp. “Haley—”

Drawing a deep, hitching breath, she pushed lightly against him. He released her immediately, a kaleidoscope of emotions shifting through his darkened blue eyes.

Everything was changing. Had already changed.

Without a word, she held out a hand to him, pleased that it was relatively steady.

Ron glanced from that offered hand to her face. He must have read the invitation in her expression. He took her hand in a grip that was just short of painful before deliberately loosening his grasp.

Haley turned and led him to her bedroom.

More kisses. More leisurely, yet increasingly urgent, caresses. Exploring touches. Encouraging murmurs.

Clothing fell to the floor, tangled in piles of his and hers. A sweep of Ron's hand and the decorative throw pillows from her bed tumbled on top of the clothing.

What might have been a long time later—or maybe only minutes—Ron hovered over her, his hair tousled around his face, which was taut with need and restraint. The dimmed bedside lamp threw shadows across his features, changing his appearance in some way. Or was she simply seeing him differently now?

She reached up to stroke a lock of hair out of his eyes. Though her entire body quivered with eager need, she didn't try to rush him. She savored the moment. The anticipation. The certainty that the wait would be justified.