Trouble in Texas Page 9

  He turned to her. “Thanks, Alexandra.”

  The way he pronounced her name raced through her veins like a fine wine. Softly, sweetly, as if treasured by him. It warmed the cold depths of her soul.

  She groped for something to say. “Your wife never waited up for you?”

  His harsh laugh made her cringe and her mind instantly recalled the conversation they’d had earlier, before their mind-blowing kisses. “Oh.”

  “An understatement, Doc. Rhea had no use for Sarah or me. She was never interested in when I was coming home from work.” Resentment and rancor rang in his voice. “As a matter of fact, when I was home, she made it plain I was in her way.” He shook his head. “It always amazed me how I could’ve misjudged her character.”

  Alex couldn’t resist trying to soothe his pain. “When people are young and in the first flush of love, sometimes they can’t see clearly.”

  “You mean I was ruled by my hormones?”

  “No, I wouldn’t say that.”

  “I would. But I learned from my mistake and won’t repeat it again.”

  “You aren’t the only one to whom that’s happened. I remember some friends in med school who were physically attracted to each other but never learned to be friends. Their marriage lasted six months.”

  He leaned back against the cushions of the sofa. “You should’ve become a shrink.”

  “Not me. I don’t flow in the same channel as those folks.”

  His mouth curved into that grin that always tugged at her heart. He rested his arm on the top of the couch. “Why did you become a doctor?”

  “When I was growing up, all I wanted was to be a person apart from my dad. I really didn’t have an aim in life until the year I graduated from high school. That year my younger sister, Toni, was in a terrible car accident. She almost died because she didn’t get immediate trauma care. She survived, but it took her years to overcome the injuries. After Toni’s third surgery to repair her shattered legs, I decided I wanted to become a trauma specialist.”

  She brushed her fingers over the weave of the cushion, wondering if she should tell him the rest of the story. “My decision to be an ER doctor was only reinforced by my husband’s death. He’d gone to visit his brother in Mason and was in a head-on collision with another car. By the time they were able to get him to the nearest trauma center, over a hundred miles away, he was beyond help.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. Alex took a deep breath, forcing back the moisture. “It’s late.” She stood and Derek followed her lead. He was too close for comfort. She could feel the heat of his body and wanted to rush into his arms and have him burn away the dark memories that haunted her. But down that path lay insanity.

  Taking a step back, she looked up at him. “Good night.” She hurried around the couch and started down the hall.

  “Alexandra.”

  The sound of her name on his lips was like the voice of temptation, low and seductive. She turned slowly, reluctant to face the devil who called to her. “What?”

  “Thanks for caring for Sarah.”

  “No problem.” She turned.

  “Doc.”

  She heard him walk down the hall and began to tremble. Let me go to bed, Derek, before we both do something we might regret, she silently pleaded.

  He stopped next to her and lightly touched her chin. Her gaze flew up to his. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and shook his head. His fingers fell away from her face and he stepped away. “Do you want me to wake you at six-thirty when Sarah and I get up?”

  Relief washed over Alex. Apparently he’d heard her plea, or maybe common sense had grabbed him, because he hadn’t pushed what had flared between them. “That would be fine.”

  She hurried to her room, aware that he watched her. She could feel his eyes on her back and wanted to look over her shoulder at him.

  Don’t do it, an inner voice warned. It will only cause trouble.

  Slipping into the unlit room, Alex sank against the closed door. Her heart pounded with relief that she had escaped—if only temporarily.

  But had she? What was she going to do tomorrow, when she had to stare into his deep brown eyes and watch his enticing mouth wreak such havoc on her heart? Would Derek be any less of a temptation in the cold light of day than he was in the deep hours of the night?

  How long could she last against the sensual pull he exerted on her emotions without repeating the events of tonight? Heaven knew that she didn’t need any more emotional complications, not with the jumble of feelings she was still trying to sort out. She still didn’t know which end was up in her life, so how could she deal with a body that had decided to spin out of control?

  She prayed she would last the seventy-two hours it would take to read Norma’s test. Then she could leave Saddle and its snares behind.

  Chapter 7

  What the hell did he think he was doing? Derek wondered as he watched Alex scurry down the hall to her room.

  Had he taken a stupid pill this morning or had he put his brain on hold while his zipper ruled his head?

  He ran his fingers through his hair. The action called to mind Alex’s small fingers against his scalp. Her touch had been like a red-hot branding iron, burning him all the way to his toes, vaulting him into a world where feelings reigned and there was no logical thought.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. Of course, he’d acted like a bull after a cow in heat—no finesse, no technique, just groping animal instinct. He didn’t blame her one bit when she pulled back. In fact, he was thankful she’d come to her senses, because he certainly wouldn’t have.

  And that’s what scared him. He had vowed to never again fall victim to his hormones. Seventeen miserable years of Rhea’s manipulation had been more than enough to last him a lifetime. He would never give a woman that power over him again. What he wanted from a woman now was a nice calm relationship that had a little fire, a little companionship, a little laughter. What he didn’t want was this driving fire that Alexandra fueled in him.

  “Ah, hell.”

  He shook his head, walked back into the living room and turned off the light, then made his way to his bedroom, shucked off his clothes and climbed into bed.

  Folding his arms behind his head, Derek stared up at the ceiling. Well, he certainly found himself in a hell of a mess. Not only was he facing a probable epidemic with panicked people and no permanent doctor, but he also had a suspected ring of smugglers operating close to his ranch, bringing in heaven knew what contraband. And if that wasn’t enough to give him an ulcer, he now had to face the most deadly situation of all: guarding his heart. It wasn’t going to be an easy fight, because his body had already betrayed him and would probably do so again at the slightest chance.

  This was a battle he couldn’t afford to lose. Not if he wanted to remain sane.

  * * *

  Sunlight streaming through the bedroom window woke Alex. She rolled to her side and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little after ten.

  A frown puckered her brow. What had happened? Hadn’t Derek told her last night that he would wake her at six-thirty? Rolling out of bed, she groped for her robe and headed for the door. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she wandered down the hall.

  “Hello, anyone here?”

  Silence answered her.

  There was no one in the living room, so she tried the kitchen. A single mug and bowl sat on the table, a sheet of paper next to the bowl.

  Doc, You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Help yourself to anything you can find in the kitchen for breakfast. Derek.

  A sob caught in her throat, and she felt another ominous shift in the icy block encasing her heart. He had been concerned for her well-being. Her knees turned to jelly and she stumbled into a kitchen chair. Her hands trembled as she reread the note. He had cared. Oh, boy, was she in trouble.

  “Stop it, Alex,” she whispered to herself. It could have been Sarah who had not wanted
to wake her, she told herself, and not Derek.

  Clamping down on her seething emotions, she fixed a cup of coffee. This morning she needed the shot of caffeine. After pouring a bowl of cereal she tried to keep her mind on something besides the handsome deputy sheriff. Maybe after she ate and got dressed she would wander over to the post office and check out the interior. If Norma tested positive for TB, they would need to find the point of contact for the disease.

  Yes, that was what she would do. And if she was fortunate, she wouldn’t have to face Derek until dinnertime. And then Sarah would be there to act as a buffer.

  * * *

  The post office was the perfect breeding ground for the TB germ. The thick stone walls kept the interior cool throughout the brutal heat of summer, but it also kept the interior dark and dank. The small windows allowed little direct sunlight into the building and the overhead light consisted of a couple of hanging bulbs that had been installed in the late thirties. From the musty smell, the ventilation in the place was poor. If Norma had the disease, then this building would have to be abandoned until changes could be made in the lighting and air circulation.

  “Hello, Dr. Courtland.”

  Alex turned to the young woman behind the faded wooden counter that ran the length of the room. On the wall behind the counter were cubbyholes that held each individual’s mail.

  “I’m Lorraine Mayer, Billy’s wife. Norma is my mother.”

  After shaking the girl’s hand, Alex asked, “How’s Norma doing?”

  “She’s prowling around the house, anxious for the time to be up so you can read her test.” The woman looked down at her hands. “We’re all kind of worried about it.”

  Alex heard the fear in Lorraine’s voice. It was a tone of voice that she had heard often over her years as a doctor. The patient or patient’s relatives were wanting her to reassure them that they would get well and everything would be all right. Normally, Alex’s heart embraced her patients and she strove to find the right words to comfort them. This time she didn’t have the reserve in her.

  “Whatever the result, we need to find out why Norma isn’t feeling well,” Alex answered.

  Lorraine nodded her head. “Uh—I wanted to apologize for what my husband did to your car.” She stared down at her hands. “He shouldn’t have done that. It’s just he was so worried about my mom. He loves her like she was his own.”

  At this point, Alex would cheerfully have strangled Billy Mayer. If he hadn’t loosened that hose on her car, then she wouldn’t be in this mess. Pasting a smile on her face, she said, “Don’t worry about it, Lorraine. What’s done is done.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  A shout came from the street. “Help!” The yell came again. Lorraine and Alexandra rushed outside.

  A man stood in front of the feed store, his face filled with alarm. As soon as he saw Alex, he ran toward her.

  “Doc, there’s been a bad accident. Fred’s been hurt and he needs help.” He motioned to her. “Hurry.” He turned and raced back into the store.

  Other people had gathered on the street, drawn by the yelling. The automatic response built by years in the emergency room kicked in and Alex followed the man into the building.

  A cluster of people were gathered in the back of the room. A moan floated above the heads of the throng.

  “Fred, the doc’s here. Everything’s gonna be all right.” The man who had beckoned her pushed his way through the crowd. “Make way for the doctor,” he announced.

  Like Joshua parting the Jordan River, the bodies shifted, giving Alex a clear view of the injured man. Fred was sitting on a stack of feed, his right hand clamped over his left forearm. Blood ran between his fingers and dripped onto the floor. In the sudden silence, the sound of each drop of blood sounded like a drumstick on a snare drum.

  Alex’s eyes locked on the spreading blood on Fred’s forearm and the widening pool at his feet. Suddenly she was no longer in Saddle, Texas, U.S.A. Instead she was in a small war-torn town in the mountains of Bosnia, looking down at the bits and pieces of the youth she’d spent days nursing back to health. He had been killed by a shell blast.

  Panic beat at her brain and her stomach threatened to empty itself.

  “Doc?”

  Alex heard the voice but couldn’t respond.

  “Alexandra.” Derek’s welcome voice filled her head and the warmth of his fingers on her elbow brought her back to the here and now. She glanced up at him, then around at the faces in the feed store. They all wore an odd expression, one that said they wondered what she was doing.

  “Can I help you in any way?” Derek asked.

  She shook off the last bits of the ugly images. She couldn’t help that boy, but she could do something for Fred. “Does anyone have a clean towel, shirt, something to bind the wound?”

  Fred motioned with his head. “My apron up on the counter is clean.”

  Someone snatched the apron and shoved it into Alex’s hand. She wrapped the white cloth around the bleeding forearm.

  She turned to Derek, who stood by her side. “Help me get Fred to the clinic. I can take care of him better there.”

  Instantly he had Fred on his feet and they walked next door. The crowd followed.

  “Everyone needs to wait out here,” Derek called over his shoulder as he left the clinic waiting room. “The doc doesn’t need any help from onlookers.”

  Ruthlessly Alex separated her mind from the haunting memories and concentrated on the injury before her. “What happened?”

  “I dropped a screwdriver on the floor. It rolled under a roll of barbed wire. I was careless and didn’t watch what I was doing and caught my arm on one of the barbs. Made an awful mess, didn’t I?”

  “Indeed, you did,” she answered.

  “I have a talent in that area.”

  Alex began to clean the wound to get an idea of how serious the cut was. “Although the injury’s bled a lot, it’s not as bad as it looks,” she reassured him. “It will require a couple of stitches.”

  “I figured as much.”

  As she sutured the skin, Alex carefully avoided Derek’s eyes. Had he noticed her moment of panic? He would’ve had to have been blind not to.

  When she was finished, she asked, “When was the last time you had a tetanus shot, Fred?”

  “Two years ago.”

  She stripped off the rubber gloves she’d used. “You’re covered, then.” Pulling a roll of gauze from the drawer, she lightly wrapped his injury. “Those stitches will need to come out in a week. I’m sure any of the doctors in Alpine will be happy to take them out for you.”

  “Thanks, Doc. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been here. The drive to Alpine is mighty long when you’re bleeding like a stuck pig.”

  Buried in Fred’s thanks, Alex heard the need these folks in Saddle had for a doctor. And that need pressed down on Alex.

  “C’mon, Fred,” Derek said, pushing away from the wall where he’d watched Alex sew up the arm. “Everyone out in the waiting room is worried that you’re in here losing your arm.”

  “You’re right.” Fred slid off the examining table and gave Alex a big smile. “Doc, you’re one fine doctor.”

  Alex was able to keep control of her unraveling emotions until the men left the room. Once the door closed behind them, her knees gave out and she crumpled onto the rolling chair. She held out her hand and watched the tremors shake her fingers.

  You’re one fine doctor.

  Silent tears ran down her cheeks.

  Fred’s simple words lanced through Alex’s heart. What was most poignant about the compliment he’d given her was that it hadn’t been qualified. Fred hadn’t said she was a good doctor in spite of the fact that she was a woman. No, what he’d said was she was a fine doc. It was the recognition that she’d striven for all her professional life, to be judged solely on her skills, not her gender. Now when that recognition had come, fear crippled her.

  How could she be a good doctor when
she had to beat back panic every time she treated a patient?

  “Alexandra.”

  Without thinking, she put her hands to her face and wiped away the tears before she turned to Derek, who was standing by the door.

  “Is everything all right?”

  He studied her, a speculative look in his eyes. Alex wanted to squirm under his gaze, but she refused to give away any more of her feelings than she already had. “Of course.”

  A heavy silence hung between them.

  She nodded toward the waiting room. “How did things go out there?”

  “Fred proudly showed the crowd his bandaged arm. He bragged on how fast you sewed him up. He had everyone hanging on his every word.”

  Again, the need of these people crushed down on her, making her short of breath.

  “I’m glad I could help.” She busied herself with cleaning up the area.

  “It’s almost noon. Would you like to go to Mabel’s for lunch?”

  Alex wanted to escape the clinic so badly that she readily accepted his invitation, despite the fact she wanted to find a place to hide and regain her mental balance.

  Alex regretted the decision the instant they walked into the restaurant. The people gathered obviously had heard or seen what had happened with Fred, because they smiled at her and nodded their approval.

  Suddenly Alex had no appetite. “I’ve changed my mind and don’t want to eat right now.” She backed out the door. “I’ll see you at your house later.”

  Without looking in any direction, she hurried down the street, praying that no one would speak to her. If they did, she might start screaming and never stop.

  * * *

  Derek glanced at Alex, who was sitting on the sofa reading a Tony Hillerman mystery that she’d found on the bookshelf across the room. Sarah had gone to bed, leaving the two of them together. The edges of the book were curled under with the death grip Alex had on the pages. It appeared every muscle in Alex’s body was tensed so hard that if he said boo, she’d shatter into a million pieces.