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“Thank You, God,” she whispered into the darkness, the prayer fading on her lips as she fell fast asleep.
* * *
The next day, Lexie woke refreshed. She grabbed a banana from the fruit basket on the Carlyles’ kitchen counter and waved at Clara as she headed to her car to drive to the clinic.
“Bright and early,” Dr. Marcus said, turning to wave at her. “Let’s hope we see more patients today than yesterday. Not that I’m hoping for sick people. A few well-check visits would be welcome, though.”
Lexie unloaded her belongings and slipped her arms into the sleeves of her white doctor’s coat. She’d worn a pretend lab coat everywhere she went as a child, fostering this dream. Now she was finally a doctor.
She and Dr. Marcus stared at the clinic’s unbudging front entrance, holding their breath until the door finally opened with the first patient of the day.
* * *
Mason’s skin felt like it was melting as he worked the sidelines of the forest fire. Helicopters overhead dumped the water as fast as they could and the unquenched forest drank it. The loads were like spitting into a fireplace, though. None of it seemed to make a dent in putting out the blaze.
He stabbed his shovel into the ground, digging faster. All of the machines were busy making trenches where the fire was most threatening. If the winds changed, though—he’d seen it happen before—the fire would be heading this way, toward the schools.
And Lexie Campbell’s rental home for the summer.
Guilt knotted inside his stomach. He regretted the way he’d treated her so far. He hadn’t exactly been the most welcoming guy, even if he’d extended the smallest of olive branches to her at the center last night. He could deal with her assistance with algebra equations. Diagnoses and prescriptions, on the other hand, were entirely different. Lexie didn’t have enough knowledge backing her medical advice. What if she made a wrong decision and someone got hurt in the process?
He shook the thoughts away and continued to work. A string of other firemen helped in the effort. A small trench would deter the fire long enough to get the machines over here if they needed to be. All of the firemen from surrounding communities were involved with the effort. Hopefully, within the week the blaze would be handled.
He stopped and wiped his forehead, resting against the shovel’s handle. He’d been here well past his shift, but despite his chief’s earlier encouragement, he couldn’t leave. Besides, if he went home, the beautiful Lexie might be there.
Beautiful? Had he really just thought that? He preferred to think of her as an inexperienced doctor who needed to return to wherever she’d come from. Even though he had to admit having extra help at the center was nice.
Mason started digging again—harder and faster. Maybe the smoke was playing with his thinking.
A loud crack interrupted his thoughts.
“Heads up!” someone yelled through the trees.
His eyes immediately followed the familiar sound through the dense gray smoke hanging in the air. A tree was coming down. Maybe the fire had gotten to it. Maybe the vibration of the machinery on the ground had rattled an already fragile pine. His eyes darted toward the path the tree would most likely take in its fall. Everyone was safe. With a prayer on his lips, Mason began to run, too. The farther away he could get, the better.
A second later, the ground shook with impact.
Mason’s heart raced and blood hammered his eardrums as he turned to inspect the damage. There was more danger here than just the fire. That was a lesson that the newer firemen hadn’t learned yet. They would though, in time. That’s why they worked as a team. He had everyone’s back and everyone had his for the safety of all. In Mason’s experience, that wasn’t true with doctors. They had the backing of their own knowledge, and a new doctor had less knowledge than one with decades of experience. Maybe if Kristin had seen someone else at the emergency room after her accident, she’d still be alive.
Mason swallowed, pushing down the what-ifs. They didn’t help. His wife was gone. She’d trusted him and the young doctor who’d taken care of her. Ultimately, it had been God’s plan to take Kristin. Mason knew that in his head. His heart ached with her loss, though, and no matter how much counseling he’d done, he couldn’t help feeling like he could’ve changed what had happened that day.
Mason walked toward the shovel he’d thrown down when he’d started to run. His cell phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it to his ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, buddy,” Dave said. “Trevor is on his way to see a doctor. One of the older kids is dropping him off.”
Mason froze. “What happened?” he asked.
“A skateboarding accident. Don’t worry, he’s okay. Just a little scraped up. He’s going to need a ride home, though.”
Mason was already walking in the direction of his truck. Trevor was one of the teens at the Teen Center. He was a great kid with a big heart, who just needed a little extra adult influence in his life.
“I’m on my way to the hospital now,” Mason said, picking up speed. He spotted his truck in the distance.
“I think he’s going to that new health care clinic instead,” Dave told him.
Acid rose up in Mason’s throat. Trevor’s mom worked two jobs, and they didn’t have health insurance. No way was he going to let Trevor trade his fear of a big hospital bill for proper health care. Mason didn’t want to see anyone do that, especially the teens. A lot of them came from low-income families. Some were smoking, abusing drugs, dealing with stuff that they were afraid to tell their parents about. They needed health care, of course, but not from inexperienced doctors like Lexie.
He climbed into his truck and cranked the engine. He needed to get to the clinic as soon as possible to make sure Trevor was treated by Dr. Marcus instead.
Chapter Three
A few patients had wandered into the free health care clinic this morning, but the pace had been slow. Dr. Marcus definitely could’ve handled this on his own, but Lexie was glad to be here. And hopefully, as word got out about the clinic, there’d be more patients.
When a teenage boy walked in the front door that afternoon, she turned to Dr. Marcus.
“Do you mind seeing him?” Dr. Marcus asked, pretending to be busy.
Lexie nodded thankfully and led the young boy back to her examining room.
“Where is your mother?” she asked as he climbed onto the table.
“At home. She told me to come here. It was just a skateboarding accident. Happens all the time,” the kid said. Lexie recognized him from the Teen Center the other night. He was wearing an oversize button-down shirt and had a backward ball cap on his head. There was a grin on his childlike face despite the intermittent grimace that came when he moved his arm.
Lexie nodded, turning her focus to his wrist. She’d already palpated the bone and he’d nearly jumped off the table. His wrist wasn’t broken, just sprained. A dark pool of purple blood resided just below the skin between his forearm and hand. She gently placed an ice pack over it.
“Ouch!” The boy shifted uncomfortably.
Lexie lifted her gaze to the rectangular bulge in his front pocket. “I’m more concerned about those cigarettes in your pocket. You’re not even eighteen.”
His mouth dropped slightly. “They’re not mine. They’re for my mom.”
“I see.” She twisted her mouth to one side thoughtfully, knowing a lie when she heard one. In the sterile room, she could smell the stale smoke clinging to his clothing. “Do you know the harmful effects that smoking can have on a body? You’re young now and probably think you’re invincible, but cigarettes are bad for your health,” she warned.
The teenager stared at her, his eyes glazing over. He wasn’t listening. He might as well have had earbuds blasting music in his ears like all the teens she’d seen around did lately.
“By the time you’re my age, you’ll be short of breath just going up a flight of stairs if you keep that up. You certainly won’t be fit enough to ride your skateboard.”
“They’re for my mom,” the teen said again, his gaze skittering to the wall behind her.
She frowned. “Well, in that case, you should tell your mother that I advise her to quit the habit and take care of herself, because she’s worth taking care of. And so are you.” Lexie pulled a pen out of her white lab coat and jotted down something on her prescription pad. She wasn’t sure her patient was fully listening to her right now, and she wanted to make sure he followed her instructions. “Rest your wrist. Keep ice on it over the next few hours and take over-the-counter ibuprofen for the swelling. You should be fine by tomorrow, but if you’re not I want to see you back here in my examining room.”
The kid nodded. “Okay.”
“And I’d give the skateboard a rest for the next few days. You don’t want to fall on your arm again while it’s healing.”
The kid jumped down from the examining table. “Thanks, Doc.” He took the paper and started to walk toward the door.
“And remember to tell your mother my advice about those cigarettes,” she said, even though she was really advising him. “Quitting now will be easier than trying to quit later. Taking care of yourself is important.”
Lexie opened the door for him and froze at the sight of Mason on the other side of it. “Mason. What are you doing here?”
His mouth was set in a deep frown just like last night. His gaze moved from her to Trevor. “I told you that you could call me anytime,” he told the boy. “I would have taken you to the hospital.”
“I just saw this doctor,” Trevor said, pointing at Lexie. He held up the piece of paper she’d handed him, which outlined her care instructions. “See? Rest and ice. That’s all I need.”
“And stop smoking the cigarettes,” Lexie added.
Mason’s brow lifted. “Really?” He shook his head. “We’ll talk later. Right now we’re getting a second opinion on that wrist.”
Lexie crossed her arms and took a deep breath, mentally counting to five before speaking. “I’m sure Dr. Marcus wouldn’t mind doing that for you if that’s what you need to feel better about my treatment of Trevor.”
“I want the best for him.”
Meaning that she was not the best.
She rolled her lips together and held her tongue, turning to Trevor. “Is that okay with you?”
The teen shrugged. “Mr. Mason is overprotective. He acts like my father sometimes.”
She forced a smile, trying not to take Mason’s behavior personally. “Nothing wrong with that. I’ll just go see if Dr. Marcus can take a quick look.” She gestured for him to take a seat in her examining room again. Mason followed behind him.
He was right. She was a new doctor, not skilled enough to complete brain surgery. But she’d known how to treat a sprain since she was in the Girl Scouts.
“Dr. Marcus?” she called, poking her head into her mentor’s office.
He turned and offered a quick smile. “Everything okay?” he asked. “I saw Mason come in.”
She nodded. “And he wants a second opinion on my patient.” She blew out a breath. “Would you mind?”
Dr. Marcus stood and patted her shoulder. “I’m sure you did a great job, but if it eases Mason’s mind, I’ll take a look. He tends to hover over the kids from the Teen Center. That place means a lot to him.”
She watched Dr. Marcus head toward the examining room that she’d just left, staying back and deciding to keep her distance right now because she didn’t enjoy being doubted. And also because Mason made her nervous for more reasons than his scrutinizing gaze. He was handsome and she admired the fact that he wanted to look after the teens that he volunteered with. He was one of the good guys, even if he didn’t trust that she was any good at the moment.
* * *
Mason glanced around as he walked out of the examining room with Trevor at his side. Lexie was nowhere to be seen, probably off treating another patient, he guessed. Good. He was a little embarrassed by the fact that Dr. Marcus had given Trevor the same diagnosis and medical advice that she had.
“No shooting hoops for you for at least a week. Your arm needs some R & R,” Dr. Marcus said, following them out of the tiny room.
Trevor shrugged and mumbled an inaudible agreement.
“Trevor.” Mason bumped him gently.
With a sigh, Trevor met Dr. Marcus’s eyes. “Yes, sir,” he said. “No shooting hoops for a week. Got it.”
“And?” Mason urged.
Trevor grinned. “Thank you, Dr. Marcus. And that other doctor lady, too.”
Dr. Marcus laughed. “You’re very welcome, Trevor. Anytime.”
Mason was as proud of his teaching the kids at the Teen Center as he was of putting out fires and helping kittens out of trees. “I’ll take you home,” he said, his gaze falling on the rectangular bulge in Trevor’s front pocket. “And we’ll talk on the way there.”
“Hey, Mason,” Dr. Marcus called as they started to leave. “The clinic’s open house is next weekend. I was hoping you’d help.”
“Help?” Mason turned back to look at the older doctor.
“Well, I know you’re trying to raise money for the Teen Center. You could set up something outside to raise money for your group and to draw people in for us. It would help with the clinic’s outreach efforts, as well.”
Mason considered this. It wasn’t the clinic that he had a problem with. Dr. Marcus was a great doctor and he’d told Mason just now in light conversation that other experienced doctors from Carolina Medical would be volunteering their time here, too, in the coming weeks. It was really just the inexperienced physicians that Mason didn’t trust. Mason glanced around the room for Lexie, not seeing her. “I wanted to talk to you in more depth about those outreach efforts.”
Dr. Marcus frowned. “Dr. Campbell is a fine doctor. And she’s here in part to be mentored by me. She’s not going to do anything to intentionally harm anyone.”
Mason nodded. “She’s been great with the teens this week.” Not that he was happy about having one of them in her examining room. “If the wildfire is out by that point, I could spare some time for the open house. I’m sure a few of the other guys could, too.”
Dr. Marcus clapped another hand along his back and gestured to one of the patients in the waiting room. “Great. I’ve got to get back to work. Good seeing you, Mason. Trevor. I’ll see you Sunday at church.”
Mason nodded. Then he led the boy to his truck and headed down the road, already knowing where Trevor lived. Mason had been to the run-down house a few miles away a couple times to fix a broken heater and a leak in the roof. Mason also knew that Trevor’s mother wouldn’t be home right now. She was working tonight, either at the gas station down the street or at her second job caring for one of the elderly members of the church they both attended. She was a well-intentioned mother who had little time to invest in her son, at least if she wanted to keep him fed and clothed. What time she did invest, however, appeared to be quality time.
“So, tell me what really happened.” Mason glanced over at Trevor in the passenger seat of his truck.
“What’re you talking about?” the teen asked.
“If you got that sprain on a skateboard, where’s your skateboard?”
Trevor stiffened and his gaze averted out the passenger-side window.
That was what Mason thought. “We’ve talked about this. Fighting doesn’t resolve things.”
Trevor glanced back, but he didn’t say anything, which told Mason he was on to something.
“And neither does smoking.” Mason tipped his head at Trevor’s front pocket.
“You sound like that woman doctor you treated so bad back there.”
Mason stiffened now. “What are you talking about?”
“She was nice. Is it because she’s a girl?” Trevor asked.
“I don’t have a problem with girls being doctors. You know that. Besides, Dr. Campbell is a woman, not a girl.”
“A pretty one. Is that why you don’t like her? ’Cause she’s pretty?” Trevor was smiling now. The kid was too smart. Somehow in the first two minutes of their “talk,” he’d flipped the cards and was trying to shine the spotlight on Mason.
Mason frowned. “I know what you’re doing, and it won’t work. You’re trying to make me forget about lecturing you on those cigarettes and fighting. You know better than that. How’re you going to play pro basketball if you’re carrying around an oxygen tank?”
Trevor crossed his arms at his chest, then winced at the pain in his bandaged wrist. He leaned forward, looking at the surroundings outside the window. “I thought you said you were taking me home. This isn’t the way to my home.”
“I called your mom on the way to the health care clinic. Told her you’d be going to the Teen Center with me tonight if you checked out all right. And then Mr. Dave would be taking you home afterward. She agreed.”
From the corner of his eye, Mason could see Trevor trying not to smile. He liked the Teen Center. “Fine. You got ice there? Both of those doctors said to rest and ice my arm. Means you shouldn’t make me clean up when we’re done, either.”
Mason laughed. “Talk to Mr. Dave about that. I’m not staying. Not tonight.” He had something else he needed to do. Something that was suddenly weighing on him like a ton of bricks. He wasn’t a mean guy. The fact that Trevor had accused him of treating Lexie badly had convicted him just now. Lexie was just trying to help, which he admired about her—even if she was young and inexperienced, and he absolutely did not want her providing medical treatment for the people in his life.
* * *
Lexie finished writing in the last chart and released a long breath. They’d had a steady stream of people earlier in the morning, but the afternoon until closing had been slow. “I’m not sure you really needed me today,” she said, turning to Dr. Marcus as he walked into the room.
He sat in a rolling chair beside her and laughed. “I couldn’t have done today without you. I’m glad you’re here. I hope you know that.” His gaze narrowed.
Lexie shook her head as her mind trailed back to the incident with Trevor earlier in the afternoon. “I’m not sure everyone in town feels the same way.”
Dr. Marcus frowned. “You’re talking about Mason Benfield. Don’t take that personally. It’s not you. He...” Dr. Marcus’s brows knit tightly together as he considered what to say. “He hasn’t had the best of experiences with doctors.”
“He didn’t have a problem with you seeing Trevor.”
Dr. Marcus smiled warmly. “You didn’t learn this in school, but some people want a doctor to look a certain way. Whether it be male or female, old or young. There’s at least one person in this town that thinks it’s time for me to retire. She’s accused me of practicing ‘old medicine’ on her. I just have to shrug it off and do the very best I can for every patient who comes to see me. Sometimes that means letting someone else treat them.”
Lexie considered this. “You are still the very best teacher I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, Lexie. And you’re the best student I’ve ever had, which is why I invited you to Carolina Shores to help me open this clinic. I’m sure there are a lot of opportunities in Raleigh, but this will be a great experience, I think.”
Lexie nodded. “I think so, too.”
Dr. Marcus stood, pulling off his white doctor’s jacket and draping it on the back of the chair. “It’s time for me to go home to my new bride.”
The b-word sliced through her. She’d been so busy today that she hadn’t even thought of her canceled wedding and happily ever after.
“You coming? Time for you to go home and get some rest, too.” Dr. Marcus turned to her, oblivious to her sudden heartache. She wasn’t sad because she regretted not marrying Todd, but because she regretted not having the wedding she’d put so much time and effort into. It was going to be a beautiful wedding, just like she’d always dreamed of, with white roses and bridesmaids’ dressed in shades of pink.
Lexie rose to her feet and began to collect her belongings. Home. She wouldn’t exactly call the Carlyles’ place home, but Clara and Rick certainly did make her feel that way. Mason, on the other hand, did not.
She waved good-night to Dr. Marcus in the parking lot and got inside her car. As she drove, she listened to her voice mail. There was one from her best friend, who was currently preparing for a baby-moon with her husband.
“Last chance,” Trisha said into the phone. “You can still decide to go to Hawaii by yourself instead of gifting the trip to me.”
Lexie smiled at the message. She’d rather spend her summer days doing exactly what she’d done today. The next message was from her mother.
“Are you coming home yet?” her mother asked. “I’m worried about you being all alone in a strange place. And the news says there’s a forest fire there. Are you okay? I love you.”
Lexie turned her phone off and tossed it onto the seat beside her. She’d call her mother back after dinner. Pulling her car into the Carlyles’ driveway, her heart sank as she noticed Mason’s truck. She was hoping he’d be at the Teen Center tonight. She couldn’t bear to see the disapproval or judgment in his eyes again today.
No, thank you.
In fact, maybe she wasn’t feeling well anymore. Her stomach was no longer rumbling. Instead, it was tying itself into tiny knots. Clara would understand if she just went straight to bed. It’d been a long day at the new health care clinic, after all.
Getting out of the car, Lexie took a step toward the Carlyles’ side entrance.
“Lexie?”
The voice was deep and even though they were still strangers to one another, she recognized it immediately. Turning, she faced Mason, who was standing in the dimly lit driveway. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. She didn’t want to fight. Like Dr. Marcus had said, some people had preferences for what their doctors looked like. She had to respect that. Don’t take it personally, Dr. Marcus had told her. Except Mason’s rejection since she’d arrived in Carolina Shores had felt very personal to her.
A soft word turns away wrath, she reminded herself. “Hi,” she said softly. She tried to summon a smile as she looked up to meet his gaze. She didn’t see judgment or disapproval there this time, which relieved her. “What’s going on?”
He took a step closer, coming out of the shadows. He’d been waiting for her in the driveway. She could only imagine why. Trevor had come to see her just like any other patient. She couldn’t apologize for treating him. She’d taken an oath to help people who were sick, hurt and troubled. Looking into Mason’s eyes now, she wondered if he was one of those things, too.
Soft lines formed off the side of his eyes as he returned her smile. It was the first time she’d seen him smile so fully, and...it suited him.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
Chapter Four
Mason offered his friendliest smile, hoping Lexie would find it in her heart to hear what he had to say, which was that he was sorry. Not for feeling the way he felt, but for the way he’d made her feel. Judging by the look on her face, he’d made her feel awful.
“Please,” he said. “It won’t take but a minute.” Her green eyes softened and she gave the smallest of nods.
He led her up the steps that ran up to his apartment above the garage. He didn’t want the all-seeing-and-hearing Clara to be party to their conversation. Clara had a way of getting involved in areas of his personal life that he really wished she wouldn’t. She was like family in that way, and he loved her like a parent. Unlocking his apartment door, Mason walked inside and turned to Lexie, who lingered in the doorway. “My bark is worse than my bite. I promise,” he said.
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She didn’t step any farther into the room however.
“I want to apologize.” He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from fidgeting. Very few things made him nervous anymore, but Lexie was making him anxious for a reason he couldn’t quite explain. “I was a little demanding earlier. And insensitive. I was out of line,” he rambled on, waiting for her to stop him. She didn’t. Instead, she added to the list.