Page 78 of The Doctor's Irreplaceable Love

Ace met his gaze and gave him a slight nod.Ari, in her usual fashion, was far more open.

“It took you guys long enough!I’ve been waiting for this for ages.”

Shelley laughed.“Well, we’re happy to not keep you waiting any longer.”

Trip loved that Shelley held her own with the women—she laughed and joked with them, and even with Ari she gave as good as she got.But that wasn’t what had him grinning like an idiot—it was the way she’d referred to the two of them aswethat did it.

Everyone shuffled over to make room for them to sit, and he was glad to be able to slide onto the end of the bench next to Shelley.

Candy looked around.“I don’t know where everyone is, but we might get away without pulling up a second table this week.”

“I think we will need that table—some of them are coming later today.Ty and Shayna should be here soon,” said Travis, “and Libby said she’ll come when she gets finished if she can.”

Trip nodded his agreement.“And Shelley’s friend Harper’s on her way.”

Retta turned to Shelley.“I was surprised she wasn’t with you when you came in.Did you arrange to meet her here?”

Shelley laughed.“Kind of, but only because she’s riding down here with Jim Sheridan instead of with us—we all left the clinic together.”

Deacon scowled, and Trip knew what he was thinking before he even opened his mouth.

“Don’t look like that, chief,” he told him.“I’m maybe even more protective of Jim than you and everyone else is.Harper was at the clinic when Jim came in for his appointment this afternoon.The two of them hit it off immediately—they got on like a house on fire.Since we were all coming down here together, Harper decided to ride with Jim, that’s all.”

Shelley gave him a puzzled look.He didn’t want to explain to her that his friend had jumped to the conclusion that Harper might be a gold digger.

He didn’t need to—Deacon wasn’t concerned in the least.“What’s she like, this friend of yours?Is she married?”

“No.”Shelley was still looking puzzled.

“How long’s she planning on staying?”

Candy rolled her eyes at them as she slapped Deacon’s arm.“I’ll start calling you Grumpy the Sheriff again if you carry on like that.I know you love Jim—we all do.But I hardly think Shelley’s friend is hoping to marry him for his fortune.”She winked at Shelley.“She can take care of herself, can’t she?”

Trip was relieved to see Shelley laugh.“She can.And I can assure you, Deacon, that Harper is not the kind of woman who would ever be interested in a man for his money.As Candy said, she can take care of herself.”

Trip thought she meant take care of herself financially, but he didn’t like to ask in front of everyone.Harper’s situation was her private business as far as he was concerned.If she wanted people to know how wealthy or otherwise she was, she could tell them herself.

“And so can I.”

They all turned to see Jim standing beside the booth with Harper at his side.An awkward silence descended.

“I was only looking out for you, Jim,” said Deacon gruffly.

To Trip’s relief, the old guy chuckled and rested his hand on Harper’s shoulder.“Maybe we should have come in here arm in arm and really given ’em something to worry about.”

Harper laughed.“I could still bat my eyelashes at you all afternoon and fawn over you.”

Jim seemed more alive than Trip had seen him in years as he laughed with her.His eyes shone as he told her, “You can still do that if you like.It’s been a long time since a woman paid me any attention.”

Trip watched his friends when Harper slapped Jim’s arm.“Now you’re making up stories.There are plenty of women in here paying attention to you.At least half a dozen heads snapped around the second we walked in, and I’d say there are probably that many pairs of eyes out on stalks right now.They all want to know who the floozy from out of town is, and how she managed to get her hooks into you.”

He had to laugh when she looked around the table, meeting the gaze of each of the men before she added, “Just like you guys do.”

Deacon’s scowl grew deeper, and Travis laughed out loud.

Trip got to his feet.“Since I know you only have the most honorable of intentions toward Jim, what can I get you while you convince the rest of them?”

She grinned at him.“Good to know you have some faith in me.For a second before we left, I wondered if you were suspicious of me, too.”