Now there was no family. And no girlfriend, neither his nor Warren’s, in the wings ready to murmur sympathetic words. Warren had been so focused on becoming the best doctor he could, he never made time for a social life. As for him, he’d been too busy going from woman to woman to try to create even a semidecent relationship. Sure, he’d had a boatload of friends in college and during his residency, but the only one he had ever been remotely close to, really close to, was Warren.
Without commenting on Miss Joan’s hushed offer, Dan separated himself from the woman only to find himself besieged by the people who had begun to close in on him when Miss Joan had first approached him. Without advanced warning, introductions suddenly came from all sides. People saying names he hadn’t a prayer of remembering.
But he offered a perfunctory smile and nodded as if absorbing each and every one of them. In his place, he was certain that Warren would have remembered every single one. His brother had been like that. Warren had a knack for names and faces. Not only that, but he could zero in on the individuality of each person he came across.
As for him, well, he was better at remembering pretty women. And even then, it wasn’t always a sure thing.
But this time, as names and greetings swirled around his head like bees swarming around a hive, while various people pumped his hand, Daniel found himself becoming progressively aware of the blonde in the background. She appeared to be quietly watching her friends and neighbors swirl around him. She seemed to have no desire to join in the swarming.
He was surprised that it had taken him this long to notice her. Rather than joining in the throng around him, she was perched on a stool at the counter, her body turned in his direction as if a detached observer to this little show.
Questions sprang up in his head even as he went on making automatic responses to the people around him.
Was she from around here?
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Dan had a feeling that maybe she wasn’t.
Which brought up another question. Why would someone who wasn’t born here willingly come to this little burg? Was it a matter of penance, the way it was for him? Or was there another reason the blonde had been transplanted?
As far as he could ascertain, there was no military base in the area, so she wasn’t some serviceman’s wife forced to temporarily call this forgotten part of the state her home.
What was her story?
As he pondered the question and debated how best to work his way over to the blonde, Dan suddenly found himself looking into the face of a man who had the easy air of assumed authority about him. The man had on the same kind of uniform as the deputy who had brought him to this place. Something told him that this man wasn’t just another deputy.
And he was right. “I’m Sheriff Rick Santiago,” the dark-haired man told him as he shook his hand. “You need anything, have any questions, come see me and I’ll try to get you the answers and whatever else you might feel you need.”
The offer was a friendly one, sincerely tendered. There was no false air of bravado. What the sheriff said to him next cemented Dan’s initial impression.
“Nobody expects you to remember all these names,” Rick assured him. “It’ll all come together for you after a while.”
Dan forced a smile to his lips. He knew the sheriff meant well, but he had his doubts that he would remember half these names no matter how long he stayed here. And once he was back in New York, not just the names but the people as well would all become a vague blur to him in less than a week.
All except for the blonde, he amended.
The blonde had the kind of face and body that lingered on a man’s mind long after she was physically gone from the room. That would be especially true if they interacted before he left Forever.
Miss Joan seemed to read his mind. He hadn’t realized that she was still this close by.
Before he knew it, the woman had slipped her arm through his and drew him over closer to where the blonde was sitting at the counter.
“That’s Tina Blayne, the sheriff’s sister-in-law.” Turning her face so that only he could see her smile and hear what she had to tell him, she said, “You’ll probably be seeing a lot of her.”
Now how the hell did the woman know that? He looked at her, banking down his curiosity and only looking mildly interested in what Miss Joan was saying. “Oh?”
Miss Joan nodded. “Yeah. Because of her little boy, Bobby. Cute as all get-out, but he keeps coming down with colds and fevers. She’s been running herself ragged, driving over to Pine Ridge every time the poor kid’s fever spikes. That, on top of working and taking classes for her degree, has been taking quite a toll on her. She’s really relieved about you—your brother—a doctor,” she finally settled on, “coming to town. Maybe the poor thing’ll get some sleep now.” She gestured toward the blonde she’d referred to as Tina, beckoning her over. “C’mere, Tina. Meet the new doc,” she coaxed.
Tina had been sitting there, observing from a distance, thinking to herself that the man who had arrived was just too damn good-looking to be much of a doctor. He looked like Hollywood’s concept of a doctor, not the real thing.
If the man actually had a degree, she had a feeling that he hadn’t really earned it. Most likely he’d gotten it by cutting corners. Men who looked like that always cut corners. Always used their good looks and charm to get by. They didn’t have to be good, they just had to smile and sound as if they knew what they were talking about.
She was well versed in the ways—and shortcomings—of good-looking men. Don had belonged to that club and if she hadn’t had the strength of character, a good-looking man would have been her downfall, if not her complete demise.
But, after Olivia, Miss Joan was like a second mother to her. It was Miss Joan who insisted she and Bobby come live with her once Olivia had gotten married to Rick. Miss Joan was also the one who had encouraged her to continue her education online. Once she was on that path, Miss Joan had urged her friends to take her on as an accountant even though her degree and accreditation were still more than a few months in the future.
So, when Miss Joan wanted her to go some place or be somewhere, she was not about to say no to the woman. Even if she would have preferred to beg off. This was Miss Joan and she’d walk through fire for the woman, she was that grateful to her.
Tina slid off the stool and approached the gathering around the new doctor. Miss Joan deliberately signaled for several of the men to step aside and clear a path for Tina. No one said no or ignored Miss Joan. They knew better than that.
“Dr. Daniel, this is Tina Blayne,” Miss Joan said, resting her hands on Tina’s slim shoulders. The next moment, she delicately pushed Tina in closer to the town’s new addition. “I have a feeling the two of you will be seeing a lot of each other,” she pronounced.
Tina looked at the woman sharply.
Miss Joan smiled innocently, as if she had said nothing out of the ordinary. Certainly nothing that Tina should find upsetting.
“I told him about Bobby and how sick he’s been lately,” Miss Joan explained after a sufficient beat had gone by.
Well, Dan decided, he might not want to be here and was here pretty much under duress—even if it was of his own making. But he was a doctor and he liked to think that he was a damn decent one, even if he hadn’t exactly graduated at the top of his class. That outcome had been not because he didn’t know his material, or because he wasn’t skilled at his craft. It was because he’d preferred partying