Janie nodded and rubbed her tummy.
Courtney frowned. “Is something wrong? You haven’t said anything, kiddo.”
“She told me that it feels weird on her chin when she talks. So I suggested she not talk.” David folded his arms over his chest, drawing her attention to his wide shoulders and flat abdomen.
As soon as the word hot popped into her head, Courtney turned back to her daughter. The little girl pointed to her arm, which was in a sling.
“She wants to know if your wrist hurts,” David said.
“I got that.” Amused, Courtney looked back at him. “But since when did you learn to interpret sign language from a six-year-old girl?”
“You’ve heard of a horse whisperer,” he said.
“Yes. And you’re what? A babe whisperer?” She couldn’t resist the zinger or hold back a smile.
“Exactly,” he said, not without smugness. “I understand women from six to sixty.”
“Word on the street is that you concentrate your powers of persuasion in the twenty-to-thirty range.”
“Do you always believe everything you hear?”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “Pretty much.”
Janie tapped David’s arm and he lifted the cup closer to her mouth. She made a noisy job of finishing every last drop of her milkshake, then reclined in the bed with a satisfied sigh. She was on the mend, thanks to David. But Courtney hadn’t expected to see him again.
She looked up at him. “I thought you’d be on the first plane back to L.A.”
“I wanted to check in on Janie. Make sure everything’s okay this morning.”
And bring her favorite food to coax her to eat. Courtney didn’t trust this heroic act and wondered what he was after.
“And?” she asked.
He grinned. “I’m happy to say the stitches look good and there’s no sign of infection.”
“If every part of my body didn’t hurt, I’d be doing the dance of joy,” she said.
“Can I have a rain check?” Amusement was another good look for him.
They stared at each other for several moments and the pulse at the base of her throat began to flutter. “So,” she said, dragging out the word slightly, “the airport is probably your next stop after you leave here?”
His expression was bemused. “Since I’m here, I thought a short visit would be nice.”
“Family before facelifts?” As soon as the words were out, she put her hand over her mouth.
“Shoots and scores,” he said, one eyebrow lifting.
“David, I—” She shook her head and felt like the world’s biggest jerk. “I’m not sure why you bring out my snarky side—”
“So it’s my fault?” His mouth twitched with amusement. “If I were a shrink,” he said, “I’d have a field day with how you can’t take responsibility for your sarcastic streak.”
“I’m pretty tired.” She blew out a breath. “In my own defense I have to say that spending the night here doesn’t reveal my naturally sweet disposition.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing it.”
There was no good way to interpret the cryptic comment so she refused to think about what he meant. “I was teasing and it came out wrong. Your relationship with your family is none of my business.”
“True. But since we both seem to be defending ourselves, let me say that my family understands being busy. Medicine is a demanding mistress and everyone but my sister, Anna, is a doctor.”
Courtney noticed the slight frown when he mentioned his sister, which was a different—darker—expression from when he’d talked about his other siblings. She wanted to ask, but until she could regain full function of the filter between her brain and her mouth, she figured it was better not to comment.
The fact was that doctors were busy. His father had put in long days here at the hospital until he retired. It’s where she’d met him after Janie was born. When her husband had moved them to Walnut River—scratch that. He’d dumped her pregnant and alone in this town, then taken off to join the army. Like everyone else, at first she’d thought him noble and patriotic. It wasn’t until later that she’d found out his motives were selfish and shallow. Everything he’d done—and what he hadn’t done—had cost her. Everything except leaving her here.
She’d grown to love this place and that had started with James Wilder. She knew his son Peter from working here. And recently Dr. Ella Wilder had returned. But Courtney had never met his other sister.
“I don’t know Anna,” she said.
“Me either,” he answered, so softly she wasn’t sure she’d heard right. And his frown deepened.
“Mommy, I’m a little bored.”
Janie wasn’t too uncomfortable to talk. But that wasn’t the only reason Courtney felt tears well in her eyes. A lump of emotion jumped from her chest to push against her throat. “I’m so glad,” she whispered.
David looked puzzled. “The dance of joy because she’s bored?”
“What happened to the ‘babe whisperer’?”
“I guess my radar is down. Care to explain?”
“Normally those words are enough to send a mother over the edge. But in this case they’re so incredibly normal. After what she’s been through, it’s dance-of-joy worthy.”
“Ah,” he said. “Keep in mind that kids are pretty resilient.”
She knew he was warning her to keep a stiff upper lip through what was to come, but she couldn’t think about that now. She’d take every victory she could get.
“Do you have many patients who are children?” she asked.
“Some,” he said mysteriously. But there was something in his eyes, something he wasn’t telling.
“Mommy, what am I going to do?”
“I’ll turn on the TV,” she suggested.
Janie shook her head. “It’s all cartoons or baby shows.”
“And you’re so grown up,” David teased. He walked over to his jacket and pulled something out of the pocket. “How about a game of cards?”
“I don’t know how to play,” Janie said.
“Then I’ll teach you.”
“Do I hafta hold ’em?” Janie lifted her right arm and showed off her hot-pink wrist cast.
“No.” He pulled over the mobile table, then rested his hip on her bed. “You can put your cards in your lap face up. I won’t peek.”
“Promise?” Janie said.
He made an X over his heart. “Promise.”
Courtney’s heart would have to be three sizes too small not to be moved by his attention and gentle caring. She watched David patiently explain the rules of Old Maid, Go Fish and solitaire. Although one eye was covered in bandages, Janie’s good eye sparkled when she looked at David. Her little girl liked the handsome charmer.
Courtney’s feelings were far more complicated. She was attracted to and wary of this man in equal parts. They said patients fell in love with their doctors, but she wasn’t sure that held true for mothers of patients. Fortunately she wouldn’t have to test the theory.
He had a glamorous