Page 3 of Her Grumpy Doctor
I shouldn’t care. Icouldn’tcare. She was my patient.
I heard what she muttered under her breath.Not like I’m having sex anyway.
No way a gorgeous woman like her wasn’t having sex. I could understand not dating or no committed relationship, but no sex at all? No way. I didn’t believe it.
Her blue eyes drew me in, the almond shape and long eyelashes adding to their beauty. Long auburn hair thrown over her shoulder and creamy skin spattered with freckles.
What does she taste like?
My cock twitched to life, and I shifted in my seat. I needed to get my shit together. I was at work, for fuck’s sake.
It had been a long time since a woman awakened desire inside me. I had no idea how to feel about it.
Especially when it was a patient of mine.
I needed to forget about her and move along to the next patient. My schedule was jam-packed, and I’d be lucky if I got a lunch break.
Besides, love sucks, remember?
After an ex who couldn’t handle children and left them behind like an old sweater, and then a string of bad dates after finally joining the dating world again, I wasn’t taking any more chances. I had my kids, Marley and Matt, to think about.
Love had fucked my life up more than once, and I wasn’t about to let it happen again. Even with the most gorgeous woman I ever saw.
The day continuedlike any other day, seeing patient after patient until I finally closed at five. My receptionist, Patty, and my nurse, Jane—the only two people I had working for me—stayed until five as well, and we all headed out together. A cleaning crew came in overnight. Patty was also in charge of supply orders, with the help of Jane, and the business ran well. A medical billing service and accountant took care of the financial side of things, leaving me to really focus on patient care. There’d been an occasional hiccup since I opened the doors a couple of years ago, but overall, it was a success.
After my children’s mother decided she no longer wanted joint custody and took off to God knows where with God knows who, I decided enough was enough. The children needed stability and fresh mountain air, and I needed more time with them instead of being swamped at the busy emergency roomdepartment at the city hospital. So I packed our shit and hauled ass to Appleridge mountain, where I bought a cabin and opened my own practice. Years of saving helped make it all possible.
It was the best decision I’d ever made. The townsfolk of Appleridge were happy they no longer had to travel so far to see a doctor, and I was able to raise my two children in a small town, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
A year passed before I tried dating again, and all I got out of it was a bunch of discouragement. Dating was the pits, blind dating was even worse, and honestly, I missed my kids. I’d rather spend time with them than suffer through a bad date.
On my way home, I stopped by the diner and grabbed a to-go order of two cheeseburger meals and one chicken finger meal. Camille and Zach, who ran the diner, were great people and even better cooks.
I scooped the kids up from their after-school program, and finally, we were home.
“The chicken smells so yummy, Daddy!” Marley said from the back seat, a huge smile on her face. I loved how easily she got excited over the little things, like takeout dinners or her favorite movie. At eight years old, she was smart and beautiful, and so curious about everything around her.
“It sure does,” I said after unlocking the side door. The kids scrambled inside first. “Go wash up for dinner.”
“My burger smells better.” Matt, my six-year-old son, teased as he ran off to the bathroom.
Marley pouted. “No, it doesn’t!”
“Just ignore him, sweetie. Wash your hands in the sink and have a seat.”
When our evening routine of TV, baths, and bedtime was finished, I cleaned up the house, threw a load of laundry in, and finally sat down on the couch with a cold beer.
With how tired I was, I should’ve put my ass to bed. But this was the only part of my day I had entirely to myself. I wanted to enjoy it.
I kicked my feet up, cracked open my beer, and turned on the sports news.
About half an hour later, my cell phone rang. An unknown number flashed across the screen.
I braced myself in case it was my children’s mother, spouting off some bullshit about how I took the kids away from her when I moved even though she was the one who signed over her custody rights.
“Hello, Dr. Walker speaking.”
“Hi, Doctor. Blair Genga, EMT, here. We have an emergency with one of your patients. She’s en route to the hospital right now. Name is Raelynn Smith. She’s had an allergic reaction to the medication you prescribed, according to the patient and pharmacy. Can you meet us there?”