From Doctor...to Daddy / When the Cowboy Said ''I Do''
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Erika started to explain to her daughter, “Dr. Dillon doesn’t want—”
Dillon found himself responding impulsively, “Sure, Dr. Dillon will carry you inside. Come on.”
Emilia was a little bundle of sweater and cotton overalls. She smelled sweet and he recognized the shampoo scent, the same brand Allaire used on her child. She laughed up at him, her sparkling brown eyes full of mischief. Then as suddenly as she’d reached for him, she tucked her little head under his chin and poked her thumb into her mouth.
“I think she could become attached,” Erika said softly, a bit of worry in her tone.
“She’s a real gift, isn’t she?” he asked Erika, knowing what she’d been through.
“Yes, she is.”
An elemental understanding passed between them. It was bone-rattling in a way. Understanding could be as potent as chemistry.
He wondered if Erika felt the understanding, too, because suddenly she looked toward the social hall instead of looking at him, and said, “We’d better go inside.” Then she went to the backseat for the Crock-Pot. After handing him the chocolates, they strolled up the walk, side by side.
Inside the social hall, Dillon was surrounded by the sound of women’s voices. As he looked around, he realized this was indeed a test. Most of the women were accompanied by children. Already a few casseroles lined one of the tables. Paper dishes and plastic tableware marked each place. For once in his life, he wasn’t exactly sure what he should say, or what he should do. He was bombarded by memories of Toby as he caught sight of children with their moms playing with toys, sitting at the tables.
Leaning close to Erika, he asked, “Will there be gossip about you bringing me here?”
“Not the way I’m going to introduce you. I thought you could give them some tips on nutrition and on keeping their kids healthy.”
It was obvious Erika wasn’t ready to go on a “date” with him. It was also obvious she was comfortable here—more comfortable than she was with her coworkers at the resort. “Okay,” he agreed. “We’ll ward off gossip with facts about nutrition. Why don’t you introduce me? We’ll start with that.”
Erika clapped her hands for everyone’s attention. The chatter ebbed away as the women looked at her expectantly.
“I want you to meet Dr. Dillon Traub. He handles emergencies and ailments at the resort. If you have any questions about the best foods to feed your kids, or how to keep them healthy this winter, feel free to ask him.”
Dillon smiled at the women. “I don’t pretend to know all the answers, but if I can tell you anything that will help, I’ll be glad to do it.”
Tired of being held, Emilia squiggled around in his arms. He raised his brows at Erika.
“You can put her down. She likes to roam from chair to chair. Mom already fed her because she usually gets caught up in play with someone here and doesn’t eat.”
After Dillon set Emilia gently on the floor and she ran toward another little girl who looked to be about three, he took off his suit coat and laid it across the table at the rear of the room. Then he tugged down his tie, slung it from around his neck and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. His shirt sleeves were next. He rolled those up and felt a lot more comfortable.
As he took a seat next to Erika, women began filling the chairs around the table, introducing themselves and asking him questions. They weren’t shy and soon they were having a lively discussion about fresh foods, frozen vegetables and healthy snacks for kids. At one point, Dillon glanced at Erika and caught her watching him. Her interest gave him an odd feeling, but pleasurable and unsettling. What was he doing here? But then he realized, he enjoyed just being with Erika. The sound of her laughter entertained him, the curve of her hair against her cheek aroused him, her quick humor made him laugh. When her knee brushed his under the table, she quickly moved hers away. He felt sorry about that. The closeness of her body against his gave him an adrenaline rush he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
Scalloped potatoes, chili, black-bean soup and homemade bread were all very good and he complimented the chefs. These women knew how to stretch a dollar and do it well. From what he overheard, they seemed to rely on each other for babysitting and rides to work when their cars broke down. Here, Erika was among friends who supported her.
Erika was fielding Emilia’s attempt to run around the table when Dillon caught sight of a young mother. She was holding the hand of a little boy who looked to be about five. As Dillon observed the child, he wondered if the boy had a fever. There was a glassy look to his eyes that Dillon didn’t like at all.
The women were mostly finished eating and talking among themselves. He pushed his chair back and casually made his way to the young woman and her child.
When he crouched down by the little boy, he said, “Hi, there. What’s your name?”
The little boy looked up at his mother.
“It’s okay,” she said.
“My name’s Kevin.”
Dillon extended his hand to the boy’s mother. “Dr. Traub.”
She took his hand hesitantly and shook it. “I’m Sue. Sue Kramer. Kevin isn’t feeling well. He has a sore throat.” Her arm went around her son’s shoulders.
Dillon felt Kevin’s forehead, then he took the boy’s pulse. It only took a few seconds for him to be able to tell Kevin’s heartbeat was fast. It was possible he could have strep, or it could simply be a virus. There was no way to know without a culture.
“I can’t really do a proper examination here,” Dillon said. “I’d like to make sure he doesn’t have strep throat.”
“Oh, but we don’t have any insurance,” she said, looking embarrassed.
“Do you have transportation?”
“Yes, my brother’s pickup truck. Why?”
Erika came over to them then and asked curiously, “What’s going on?”
“Kevin isn’t feeling well,” Dillon explained. “I’d like to take him to my office so I can examine him properly.”
“Where’s your office?” Sue asked.
“Thunder Canyon Resort.”
“You’re kidding! You want me to drive up there?”
Dillon could see she was uncomfortable with the idea.
“You really should get him checked out,” Erika advised her. “If you’re not comfortable going up there alone, I’ll come with you. I really should drop off Emilia first then we can meet you there.”
Sue looked from her son to Dillon, then at Erika. “I can’t pay him,” she said, her eyes becoming shiny.
Erika’s gaze settled on Dillon.
He made a quick decision on how to handle this. “You made that black-bean soup, right?” he asked Sue.
She nodded.
“I thought it was great. How about if the next time you make it, you drop off a serving for me. The restaurants are great at the resort, but the truth is I get tired of restaurant food. Your soup would make a great lunch.”
“You’re serious? I mean I could easily make you some next week.”
Dillon held out his hand to her. “It’s a deal.”
A smile came to Sue’s lips and she shook his hand again. “Okay.”
“We need about twenty minutes,” Erika told her. “Then head up to the resort.”
“I’ll wait in my car until you get there,” Sue told them, obviously not wanting to go inside by herself.
Dillon didn’t try to convince her otherwise. “We’ll meet you there,” Dillon assured her, then he pushed Kevin’s bangs across his forehead, remembering too vividly doing the same thing to Toby.
A little over an hour later, Dillon and Erika stood outside the side entrance to the main lobby of the Thunder Canyon Resort and watched the taillights of Sue’s truck pull away.
“I’m glad it wasn’t strep,” Erika remarked as she watched the truck wind down the hill away from the resort.
“It will just have to run its course. But the vaporizer I gave her to use should help.”
“Will the resort mind you giving that out?”
“She’ll bring it back when she brings the soup. There are plenty more in the supply closet.”
Erika turned to Dillon then, placing her hand on his arm. “That was a nice thing you did tonight.”
“What? Acting like a doctor? She had a sick child. I had to do what I could for her … for Kevin.”
The way Erika was looking at Dillon made him feel as if he’d accomplished some great feat. What she did next totally surprised him. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek.
Before he could stop himself, his arm went around her. She was slim but curvy and felt just right in his arms. She didn’t pull away and he took that as a sign that she was as interested in him as he was in her. The light from the entranceway illuminated the area so he could see she was willing to stay just where she was. The wind lightly pulled a few strands of her hair from its mooring in her bun and they blew across her cheek. Her dark eyes sparkled.
“You’re a beautiful woman.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, still looking up at him.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you.”
“Dillon, we shouldn’t even consider a kiss.”
“You kissed me,” he teased.
“That was just a thank-you kiss,” she whispered.
“Maybe this could just be a thank-you kiss.”
He really intended the kiss to be short and light and simple. But when his mouth settled on hers, when his heat ignited hers, it became more than a thank-you, more than short, much more than simple.
Her arms twined around his neck and he embraced her tighter. His mouth opened over hers and she responded in kind. She tasted so good, and she responded so passionately that his blood heated. He was more aroused than he’d been in years.
Then in a flashing instant, he felt the change. Her response came to a halt. He knew exactly what was going to happen. When he released his hold on Erika, she pulled out of his arms.
“I never should have done that,” she murmured, her hand over her mouth. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t thinking, and neither was I.”
She was shaking her head. “I can’t get involved. I have Emilia to think of. I never should have kissed you.”
He could see the panic in her eyes. The desire that had risen up in him when he’d taken her into his arms had rattled him, too. “Erika, it’s okay. It was only a kiss.”
“Only a kiss,” she agreed, looking over his shoulder and a little less panicked. “I hope no one saw us,” she murmured.
That made him frown. He wasn’t ashamed of being with her. They hadn’t done anything wrong.
But before he could put those thoughts into words, Erika stepped farther away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The next moment she was running for her car, hopping inside, starting the engine. As she drove away, Dillon knew that taking advantage of her friendly kiss had been the wrong thing to do.
Chapter Four
All morning Erika had sat at her desk, answering the phone, printing guidelines for the stores downtown who were involved in Frontier Days. Still, she couldn’t erase Dillon’s kiss from her mind, or the feel of his lips on hers. Yet she had to try. She’d put so much time and effort and focus into getting her life back on track. She couldn’t let a handsome doctor who was going to leave in a few weeks ruin everything she was building.
Still, she was curious about him. She wondered why, whenever Dillon was with children, she glimpsed so much sadness in his eyes. Would he ever tell her what that was about? Did she really want him to?
Entering the three-story main lobby of the resort from the corridor that led to the shops and restaurants, she noticed Dave Lindstrom standing by the life-size elk sculpture near the huge central fireplace. He was speaking with another guest. Crossing the vast lobby to reach the check-in desk, she was surprised when Dave’s son Jeff approached her, casting a glance at his dad before he asked, “Can I talk to you? Maybe over there?” He pointed to one of the leather sofas that faced away from his father.
Crossing to the sofa and sitting down, Erika felt a sense of urgency about Jeff. She didn’t know if she should talk to him with the threat of a lawsuit in the air, but his gaze was so beseeching she gave in. She had a few more minutes on her lunch break to spare.
She smiled at him reassuringly. “What would you like to talk about?”
He fidgeted with the hem of his T-shirt. “My dad said the chef who made my lunch got fired. And a lawsuit will cost the resort lots and lots of money and more people will get fired. Is that true?”
Jeff was mature for his age … and bright. The chef had in fact been fired, though she’d sworn she’d been very careful with his salad and his burger that day. Erika hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Why are you worried about this?”
“I watch the news. Dad has the cable channel on a lot. If people lose their jobs, they could lose their houses, too. And their kids won’t have a place to live!”
He was upset and now she suspected why. Jeff was a good kid and what she saw in his eyes was … guilt. “Your dad said you had a salad and that’s what caused your allergic reaction. If the chef wasn’t careful …” She let her voice trail off, giving Jeff an opening to tell her what really happened.
Tears came to Jeff’s eyes as he glanced toward his dad, then back at her.
She said gently, “Your dad loves you. All he cares about is that you’re well again.”
“He tells me over and over again not to eat anything someone else gives me. I have to eat stuff different from everyone else. It’s no fun.”
“I imagine it’s not.”
“I made a friend here. We went fishing together and skipped rocks and just walked.”
“Who’s your friend?”
“His name’s Ken.”
“Did you and Ken share something?” she guessed.
Jeff wiped his palms on his jeans. “He had this candy bar. He said it was just chocolate, no nuts. He gave me half of it and I stuck it in my pocket. That day at lunch when I saw that salad—” He sighed. “I just get so tired of salads. But Dad says they’re good for me. He got a phone call and left the table and I just … I just ate that half of the chocolate bar. It wasn’t supposed to have any nuts in it!”
Erika knew all that chocolate had to do was touch part of a conveyor belt where a nut product had lain. That was all it took for someone with food allergies to have a reaction.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do with the information. She didn’t want to put Jeff and his father at odds in a public place, or interfere in the proceedings if there was a lawsuit. So she simply asked, “It wouldn’t be fair if your father sued the resort, would it?”
Jeff morosely shook his head.
“I do think it would probably be better if you told your dad instead of someone else telling him, though, don’t you?”
“He’s going to be so mad. I told you because …”
“Because you had to tell someone,” she guessed. “What does your dad do when he gets mad?”
“He yells and his face turns a little red. But afterward he usually says he’s sorry. He’ll probably take away my computer privileges.”
“You’re a smart kid. I think you can find something else to do. I also think your dad will be proud of you for telling the truth.”
“You think so?”
She’d seen firsthand the love that Dave Lindstrom felt for his son. She nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
Opening her purse, she took a slip of paper from it. She wrote down her cell-phone number and handed it to Jeff. “If you get into too much trouble and you want somebody to talk to, just give me a call, okay?”
“I don’t know when I’m gonna tell him.”
“I know. I just want you to know you have a friend if you need one.”
His father had finished his conversation and was walking toward them.
Erika asked Jeff, “Are you going to be okay?”
The boy nodded.
As Lindstrom beckoned his son to come with him, Jeff stuffed the paper she’d given him with her number into his pocket and crossed to his dad.
After a few minutes of considering her conversation with the boy, Erika decided what she was going to do. Following the hall back to the infirmary, she found Dillon in his office. He was filling in information on a patient’s online chart.
His door was open but she rapped anyway.
When he looked up, he saw her, but his expression was unreadable as he said, “Come in.” She realized he’d had a busy morning. Two guests had gone hiking and had fallen; another guest had expressed a problem with dizziness. Later, an older gentleman had rushed in with a nosebleed that wouldn’t quit. Erika had already learned Dillon didn’t let his chart work back up, and he e-mailed duplicate copies of the guests’ infirmary visits to their family physicians. So he had a lot of info to enter.
“Did you have lunch?” she asked as an opener, not knowing where else to begin.
“Not yet. Ruthann just arrived. I’ll take a break in a little while.”
“I can pick you up something at the deli and bring it in.”
“I told you before, Erika, that’s not your job. You’re not here to wait on me.”
No, she wasn’t. She was going to make a place for herself on this management team and become an asset to Thunder Canyon Resort.
“I was just in the lobby and Jeff Lindstrom asked to talk to me,” she began, trying to keep her heart from tripping too fast.
“How is he?” Dillon’s voice was full of obvious concern for the boy.
“He’s fine. But feeling guilty.”
“About?” Dillon stood and came around the desk to where she was standing.
“Employees getting fired because of him. He told me he’d made a friend. This friend had given him half a chocolate bar and assured him there weren’t any nuts in it.”
It was obvious Dillon was surprised. “He actually told you that?”
“Is it so difficult to believe an eight-year-old has a conscience and would confide in me?” she asked a bit defensively.
“No, of course not. I didn’t mean it that way. Did he tell his father?”
She shook her head. “Mr. Lindstrom was in the lobby, too, and Jeff didn’t seem ready. But he knows he has to now that he confided in me.”
Dillon took another step closer to her. “Jeff coming to you was important. This cuts off the lawsuit at its knees … unless the boy denies the whole thing again.”
“I don’t think he will.”
Dillon’s golden-brown gaze was powerful as he suggested, “Denial is a great defense mechanism. We think it keeps us safe, but it really doesn’t. The truth isn’t far underneath.”
She was intuitive enough to know Dillon wasn’t talking about Jeff now. “Sometimes the truth can hurt, or put one in a dangerous situation.”
“Dangerous? In some ways.” He paused to study her. “I’m still thinking about that kiss. Are you?”
“Yes,” she admitted on a sigh. Something about Dillon Traub demanded honesty.
“Do you feel if you became involved with me, you’d be putting your job in jeopardy?”
“I’ve thought about that … and other things.”
“What other things?”
“I’ve been the butt of gossip before. I don’t want to be again.”
“That’s one thing. What’s another?”
“Emilia. Even if I were willing to take a risk for myself, I can’t take risks with her.”
“But there’s still more, isn’t there?”
“I don’t have time to spare … not with Emilia and work and—”
“Okay, I get the idea. But I don’t think I’m wrong about the attraction between us, am I?”
If she answered, she’d be putting too much power in his hands. She lowered her gaze, choosing not to let him see what was going on inside of her.
He lifted her chin with his thumb. “Erika?”
If she stood here much longer, she might end up in his arms! There was a magnetic pull toward him that could sweep her off her feet if she let it. But she had to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. The touch of his finger on her skin, however, gave her thoughts wings. She couldn’t seem to capture even one of them at the moment.
She had her purse slung over her shoulder and now her cell phone rang from inside of it. Saved by “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”—Emilia loved to hear the song play on her phone—Erika dug in her purse. “I’d better get this.” Opening the phone, she saw the caller ID and froze. It was Zane Gunther’s manager! She couldn’t believe it.
“Mr. Nolan! Hello. It’s so good to hear from you.” Even if it was bad news, at least she’d gotten this far.
“Miss Rodriguez?”
“Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry. I was just so excited to receive your call.”
The man had amusement in his voice when he asked, “So you think this is going to be good news?”
“I can hope, can’t I?”
“Well, you must have been doing a lot of hoping since you first called me. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. Mr. Gunther has accepted your offer to appear at Frontier Days for the fee Mr. Clifton has offered to pay. He has one request, though.”
She felt like jumping up and down for joy, spinning in a circle, grinning from now until next year. “Anything!”
“He would like a secluded place to stay before he performs.”
She’d discussed this possibility, too, with Grant and had a couple of options. “We’d be pleased to give Mr. Gunther one of the penthouse suites, though that would be in the main lodge. A second choice would be for him to stay in one of the vacant condos. They’re down the mountain a ways. A third option would be the most secluded. We have a few isolated cabins kept for dignitaries. They’re off the beaten path and no one has to know he’s there.”
“That sounds perfect. Except … is the cabin large enough for anyone besides Zane?”
“The cabins are really more like small villas. Each has two bedrooms and a full kitchen as well as a dining and sitting area.”
“I know Zane will want the cabin and I’ll probably stay there with him. How about one of those vacant condos for the band?”
“Whatever you’d like, Mr. Nolan. I just can’t believe you said yes.”
He laughed, and said he’d be in touch again to finalize details. Then he ended the call.
After Erika hung up, she was beside herself with excitement. Zane Gunther. He was the biggest of all the stars she had tried to contact.
Dillon rose from his desk, his gaze questioning.
She couldn’t keep her enthusiasm from what had just happened tied up inside her. “Guess who’s coming to Thunder Canyon?”
Dillon’s mouth tilted up in a smile. “The governor of Montana?”
“Even better. Zane Gunther’s coming. Can you imagine?
Think about the crowd he’ll bring in! Just think about his music. And I get to sit in the front row.”
“I’m glad you’re happy about it. Convincing him to come could make Frontier Days an even bigger success.”
“Aren’t you excited? Don’t you just love his music? Don’t you wish you could shake his hand and—”
Something about Dillon’s stillness alerted her that he already knew about this. She remembered telling him how frustrating it was not having anyone call her back … how much she needed a well-known country singer to perform … and he’d said he might be able to help.
Why would Zane Gunther come to Thunder Canyon? It wasn’t a large venue like he was used to. Suddenly Erika knew this gig didn’t happen by sheer luck. It didn’t happen because she’d made a call.
“Did you know about this? Did you have something to do with getting him to accept my invitation?”
Dillon said simply, “Zane and I go way back. We went to school together.”
“Oh, Dillon. Thank you.” Before she thought about it once, let alone twice, she threw her arms around him and gave him a huge hug.
In response, Dillon’s arms went around her.
Their enthusiastic embrace turned into something else when she raised her gaze to his. She could feel his muscles go taut under his suit coat. More than that, she felt his body heat, smelled his aftershave and fell into those golden-brown eyes. Whenever she was within touching distance of Dillon, her whole world changed. It became brighter, clearer, more adventurous. It was a no-holds-barred feeling that she could do anything, or be anything. It was so crazy, yet—