“You’ll like Glenda. She’s great.”
“Collin’s not much like his dad, you know,” she said cautiously.
So she knew about her uncle Charlie’s flirtations. It couldn’t be easy for her, coming back to L.A. where so many people thought they knew her because they knew her family.
“Which is Mona’s desk?” she asked, leading the way to the front office and picking up the flowers. “In the interest of a peaceful transition, I brought these for her.”
The flowers were arranged in a container shaped like a dove. Noah smiled as he pointed out Mona’s desk. It looked as if the doc had done her homework and knew what she might expect from Mona.
“And I have this for Vanessa…”
It was a candy dish, shaped like a pair of kangaroos, their pouches full of candy. Beth placed it on the front desk. Vanessa did have a sweet tooth. How had Beth known that? Since she was batting two for two and there were a couple of gift bags remaining, he wondered what she might have for him.
“And for Noah…” The big bag held a long white box, the kind that long-stemmed roses came in.
Roses? For him?
But the “flowers” were big chocolate chip cookies attached to long green wires sprouting leaves. “Have you ever had a cookie bouquet?” she asked.
“No, this is a first,” he said, pleased with his gift. “My daughter’s going to love these.”
“I saw her picture on your desk when I was moving in. I thought she would like these even if you’re not a cookie kind of guy.”
Now, that was the way to his heart. A kindness to his little girl topped anything Beth could have given him. “Chocolate chip cookies are her favorite, but she’ll think these are too pretty to eat.”
“I know!” Beth said with that soft laugh he was getting to know. “That’s why I got these.” She handed over the smaller bag which held a commercial brand of chocolate cookies with icing. “These are for eating until the novelty of the others wears off.”
Three for three. She couldn’t do better than that. “I have something for you, too,” he said, unrolling his daughter’s sign.
“Oh, Noah!” Her voice rose in delight.
For a second, he thought his new boss might cry.
“Your daughter made this, didn’t she? And she signed her name, Kendra McKnight. We need to put this up for everyone to see.”
He couldn’t have asked for a better reaction. “I wanted to have it up before you got here.”
“Her drawing really looks like the clinic. How old is your daughter?”
“She just turned seven.”
“So, she just started second grade?”
He nodded. “She loves school.”
“It’s very advanced artwork for a child so young,” she said with that truly knockout smile, taking the picture to the bulletin board and placing it in the center.
A piercing screech came from the lobby. Noah took a deep breath and geared up for the storm. Hurricane Mona had arrived, and there was no telling the damage she’d do.
Chapter Three
Beth squared her shoulders and prepared for the blast of anger about to walk through the door. As Grandpa had said, getting along with Mona Fitz would be as challenging as getting along with Beth’s own mother, but Beth could walk on eggshells in her sleep.
“Beth Brennan, you’ve turned this place into a zoo.”
“Good morning, Mona,” Beth said, as pleasantly as rushing adrenaline would allow. Her body might react to Mona’s wild accusations, but her mind would stay clear.
Judging from Mona’s flushed face, Beth would say the woman’s blood pressure was stroke-high. She’d hate for her first patient to be her own nurse.
“Good morning, Mona,” Noah echoed, going to his desk as if this were just another day.
“I suppose you think this is just fine and dandy,” Mona said as she brushed by him to her own desk.
“Take another look,” he teased. “Notice the pairs? It’s Noah’s ark.”
“Ark, smark,” Mona said, her face puckered angrily. “It’s not appropriate for a professional office.”
“I like it,” Noah said, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “But then I get to play the part of Noah. Be nice, and you can be Mrs. Noah—either my wife or my mom.”
Beth couldn’t believe it. A smile crept over the woman’s lips. Grandpa’d said he thought Mona might have a soft spot for Noah. If she did, who could blame her? Noah seemed to be as nice as he was good-looking. Even better, he didn’t seem to know it.
If he’d been this nice when they met, why couldn’t she remember him? Guys this great weren’t forgettable.
Mona shoved her purse into the bottom drawer of her desk and noticed her flowers.
Beth was counting on those flowers. What woman could resist something that lovely, to say nothing of the sweet dove container?
“Achoo!” Mona sneezed, not once but again. Grabbing a tissue, she held it to her nose. “Noah, get those flowers out of here.” Another sneeze punctuated her complaint.
Beth bit her lip, trying not to laugh. A child could have faked sneezes better than that.
“Your office?” Noah muttered, barely suppressing a grin as he walked by her with the flowers.
She nodded. Perfect. It would keep Mona out.
“All better?” she asked as Mona’s sneezing ended miraculously. “Are you taking something for that allergy, or can I prescribe something?”
“No, you can not!” Mona pointedly ignored Beth.
“Oh, wow!” Someone in the lobby liked the ark.
Beth opened the door and saw a beautiful dark-haired young woman with absolute delight in her sparkling eyes.
“Would you look at the aquarium! And all the little fish! And the darling animal chairs for the kids! This is unbelievable! Hey, Noah! You have an ark out here!”
Noah joined her, wearing a big matching grin. “Kendi’s going to love this, isn’t she, Vanessa?”
“Oh, she will. All the kids will!”
The glowing approval was a boost after Mona’s reaction.
“Hi, Dr. Brennan. I’m Vanessa Taylor, as you’ve probably figured out, and I’m so happy you’re here.”
How nice that her patients’ first impression would be this lovely young woman’s smile. “Hi, Vanessa. Please call me Beth.”
“Really?” Vanessa looked as if she’d been offered a raise. “But what if I forget around the patients? Maybe I should call you Dr. B or something?”
“Pfft!” The sound was comically incongruous coming from an impeccably groomed woman. Mona’s manicured nails matched the rose color on her thin lips and the flowers of her smock. There wasn’t a hint of gray in her upswept black hair, and her pants, shirt and shoes were very white.
“A man of Dr. Crabtree’s stature didn’t require a nickname,” she said with a sniff.
But the Brennan kids had given him one anyway. Dr. Crabby had seemed perfect back then. When Beth knew him as an adult and realized he was just shy, she’d felt bad about that.
“Let’s go with Beth or Dr. Beth,”