Again.
* * *
Josh tipped his chair back and stared at the ceiling of his office where he’d taken advantage of a few quiet moments to scarf lunch and call Maggie.
It’s just because it’s their first day alone. It didn’t have anything to do with Maggie’s long legs or that smooth, dark hair that fell in a thick mass past her shoulders. Nothing to do with those clear blue eyes, or the wariness with which she watched him. And, of course, he wasn’t thinking about her because he was attracted to her.
Not at all.
She was the nanny for God’s sake.
“Hey, Doc.” Marta, his nurse, leaned in his office. “Julie Henney’s ready in One.”
Great. “Thanks. I’ll be right there,” he said, and let the chair legs thump forward onto the floor. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Julie Henney for an actual illness, unless he considered her inability to take a hint a sickness.
“Everything all right?” Marta asked and Josh arched a brow.
“Of course. Why do you ask?” Marta possessed the finely tuned radar of a protective older sister, except she was younger and not related to him at all. Well, unless he counted the fact she’d married his best friend.
“You just seem a little distracted.”
Josh shrugged. “No, everything’s fine. Just Cody’s first day with his new nanny, that’s all.” The truth as far as it went.
Marta nodded and seemed to accept it. Josh struck out for Exam One, where Julie Henney waited.
Before opening the door he grabbed her chart from the box and steeled himself. Ms. Henney had been after him for years. In fact, she’d offered him what she’d termed comfort not two months after Lucy’s death. The memory still made his stomach turn.
The worst part? Lucy had considered Julie a good friend.
He pushed open the door and fixed what he hoped was a neutral expression on his face. He couldn’t give an inch or she’d be all over him like he was a chocolate buffet. “Hi, Julie. What brings you here today?”
She perched on the end of the table, her skinny legs crossed at the ankle, her skirt stopping midthigh. She’d braced on her arms, leaning forward, no doubt to be sure he’d get an eyeful of what he knew to be artificially enhanced cleavage since he’d recommended the surgeon. Bottle blond hair loose and silky on her shoulders? Check. Pout firmly in place, predatory gleam in her pale blue eyes? Double check.
She must have broken up with her latest sugar daddy.
“Hey, Josh.” Her voice was a throaty purr.
“Let’s see.” He made a show of examining Marta’s few notes. “You’re here for a sore throat?”
She shifted on the table. Probably to make sure he noticed her rack. “Yes.”
Josh grabbed his laryngoscope and clicked it on. “Open up so I can see.”
When he shone it down her throat—no redness, no drainage, no surprise—Julie grabbed his arm. She looped one foot around his leg and rubbed her hand on his chest. “I’m all fine now,” she murmured. “Why don’t you lock that door and ask me to open up again?”
Hell. Josh extricated himself from her grip and stepped back. Enough was enough. He’d been polite to Julie for years, out of respect for Lucy, and this woman never got the hint. He looked her straight in the eye.
“I’ve been nice about this for way too long,” he said, keeping his voice cool. “I’m not interested in you, Julie. I’m not interested in anything you have to offer. I think it would be best if you found another doctor.”
She turned purple and her jaw dropped then snapped shut. She sat up straight, tugged at the hem of her skirt. “Oh, come on, Josh. I didn’t mean anything by it,” she sputtered. “What’s a little sex between friends? You’re alone, I’m alone. Lonely. Why can’t we enjoy each other?”
Josh inhaled a deep breath and hissed it out. Damn. “I’m not interested in a relationship,” he said firmly. “Of any kind.”
She shot up one manicured eyebrow. “I’m not looking for marriage, Josh. Are you still hung up on Lucy? She’s been gone a long time. And you’ve been alone a long time—fine,” she snapped and threw up her hands. “Fine. I get it. I’m outta here. If you change your mind—”
“I won’t,” Josh said. “It doesn’t matter how long Lucy’s been gone. She was my wife.” Not that I was much of a husband. Josh shoved the thought and the accompanying pain away. “Do you want a recommendation for another physician?”
She slid off the table, her skirt slipping up so it barely covered her cheeks. She tugged it back down and grabbed her purse. “No. I do not. This is your loss, Doctor.”
She sailed out, her chin up. Relief flooded him. He turned to gather up the paperwork. He’d been willing to keep her in his life out of respect for Lucy but clearly Julie’s idea of respect and his were very different.
“Well, looks like that went well.” Marta’s dry voice came from behind him.
Josh turned and gave a half shrug. Actually, if it kept Julie from trying to jump him, he’d say it was a resounding success. “As well as it ever could, I guess.”
She ripped off the paper cover on the table and began to unroll a new one. “That woman’s had her eye on you for years.”
Josh grunted. What could he say? “She was Lucy’s friend. It just never seemed right.”
She nodded. “You’re a good guy, Doc. You’ll find a good woman someday, too.”
He gritted his teeth and turned on the water to wash up. “I’m not looking, Marta. You know that.” Why couldn’t people just leave him alone? Why was it so hard to believe he could be perfectly happy with just him and Cody? They were a team. They didn’t need anyone else.
She studied him for a long moment and shrugged. “Maybe not. But sometimes, Fate does the looking for you.”
* * *
Marta’s words rang in his ears as he drove home that night, hard as he tried to ignore them. Fate. Was it Fate that had brought Maggie to them? He’d seen the glint in his mother’s eye when he’d hired Maggie. Marta and half of Holden’s Crossing—the half that wasn’t trying to hook themselves or their single female relatives up with him—would undoubtedly have a similar look. A young, single, very attractive woman in his home. Conclusions would be drawn.
Too damn bad. Josh flexed his hands on the steering wheel. People could think whatever they wanted. He knew the truth, was fully aware every single moment of every single day of the promise he’d made to his dead wife. No one else knew, except his best friend. He’d made his bed, so to speak, after Lucy’s death and stuck to his word for the past three years. He saw no reason to go back on it now.
Even if he was lonely.
Josh hissed and cranked the radio up as if the driving beat of Nickelback could squash that thought and all it implied. He’d never allowed himself to go there, to consider it. Cody was his first priority. Period.
The brightly lit house greeted him when he pulled in the driveway and he noticed smoke curled from the chimney. In the garage he caught a whiff of dinner from the kitchen. Did he smell a roast? He chuckled as he climbed out of his SUV. No doubt Cody would be relieved that a casserole wasn’t on the menu tonight.
Maggie stood at the sink, her back to him as he came through the connecting door. Her long, dark ponytail fell down her back and the ties of her red apron draped over her shapely rear.
Not that it was the first place he looked or anything.
He