A Doctor for Keeps Read online

  “Can I get you some water?” He stood, the last of his erection in evidence.

  “Love it. I’m dying of thirst.”

  He smiled at her with those heavy-lidded eyes, rekindling her desire as if they’d never been together tonight. She glanced at her watch, the only thing she still wore. How long could she stay here before Grandma might get suspicious?

  Still flying from their lovemaking, she was nowhere near ready to figure out what any of this meant. She watched with total fascination as he walked to the kitchen, handsomeness in motion.

  While he was gone, she lay there, with one thought on her mind: Where did they go from here?

  A quick minute later, when he’d obviously gone to the bathroom and cleaned up, he returned with one tall glass of water. She took it and sipped. When she offered him some, he took a drink. Their gazes met and held. There went that nuclear-fusion thing again smack-dab in the middle of her belly, and soon the water was on the coffee table and completely forgotten. Their only thirst was for each other, and they reacquainted themselves with each other’s bodies, one touch at a time.

  Chapter Nine

  Midmorning Monday, Desi went into town specifically to talk to Cliff Lincoln. She’d bonded with him in more ways than the color of their skin and wanted his advice. She knew he’d be in the kitchen whipping up his luncheon special, so she went around to the back. The door was open and the wondrous aroma of simmering onions, garlic and green peppers made her mouth water.

  “Knock, knock,” she said, eyeing Cliff at the extra-large gas stove, stirring the contents in a thick iron pot.

  He turned and broke into a toothy grin. “Well, well, if it isn’t Desdemona Rask.”

  “Is it okay if I come in?”

  “Sure. Put your feet up, take a load off those dogs. I’ll pour us some coffee.”

  Cliff made Desi feel as at home in his restaurant kitchen as Gerda did at home. Combined with her hot next-door neighbor, Heartlandia was beginning to have a hold on her. The good kind. Would it make you happy, Mom, to know I’ve found some peace of mind in the place you ran away from? Somehow it didn’t seem right. Could these feelings turn into a stranglehold like they had for her mother? The mixed-up thoughts confused her.

  “I wanted to thank you for sending over that delicious soup the other night.”

  “Ms. Gerda Rask, besides being our mayor, is a fine woman of the community. She’d do the same for me and mine.” He handed Desi a thick mug full to the brim, remembering and including the creamer. “That’s Louisiana’s finest right there.”

  Desi smiled, nodding her head in thanks, taking the cup with both hands and inhaling the potent coffee.

  “What brings you around today?”

  She scrunched up her nose, not knowing how to begin. “I’ve just been wondering…” She blew into her mug and took a quick sip of the strong, bitter brew. “How did you know Heartlandia was the place for you?”

  Cliff stopped stirring, a wise expression consuming his face. “Ah, the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.” He nailed her with a one-eyed squint. “You thinking of moving in with your grandmother for good?”

  She shrugged. “First I’ve got to find my father.”

  “Is that so?”

  “I think it’s important that I do. But maybe I’ll come back.”

  “Right. Right.” He turned off the gas flame and moved the pot to the side, then leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “So you want to know how I knew Heartlandia was the place for me. Here’s the long answer. As soon as I turned eighteen I joined the navy, went around the world, then got hired on the cruise line. I guess you could say I’d been a vagabond my whole life.” He picked up his mug and drank heartily. “There was just something special about Heartlandia right from the start. Every time that cruise ship docked and I came ashore, the people here didn’t look at me like I planned to mug them like in so many other cities around the world. They didn’t seem to care that I was black. I liked the Scandinavian feel, the beautiful trees, the gracious people and the river. It felt like home. I never get tired of looking at the Columbia River. It brought me here, and if I ever want to leave, it will take me away.”

  It felt like home. What does home feel like?

  “You met your wife here, too, right?”

  “Oh, yes, but not right away. She’s twenty years younger.” He gave the smile of a proud man who’d snagged a younger woman. “I worked this restaurant hard for five years, barely keeping afloat. Then I hired this sweet young thing right out of high school as a waitress, and she suggested I cook some soul food. Worked like a charm, got more cruise customers and word spread. Try the gumbo at Lincoln’s Place in Heartlandia. Check out his shrimp and grits. She had a good head on her shoulders and she fell in love with me to prove it.” He pursed his lips, trying to look humble but failing miserably. “Course, it took me a while to notice. Anyway, by then Heartlandia was my home, and I haven’t wanted to leave, not once.”

  Desi envied his conviction. Sure she liked it here. Loved Gerda. Didn’t know where she stood with Kent, but, man, she wasn’t anywhere near ready to walk away from that sexy gift. But did it feel like home?

  She’d made herself a promise to find her father, to learn about her roots. To figure out who she truly was.

  “You want some pie or somethin’?”

  “Nah, I’m good.” Desi drank more of the coffee. “I’ve got some errands to run for Gerda since she has meetings all day, and I need some calligraphy supplies.”

  “You think any more about playin’ the piano on weekends for me?”

  Truth was, she had been thinking about it a lot. She’d even been practicing all of her favorite Scott Joplin rags and more Ellington, too, but wasn’t ready to admit it to Cliff or commit to staying. She really needed to find her father, see where that led first. “Maybe a little.”

  “A little playin’ or a little thinkin’ ’bout playin’? Which one?”

  “I’ve been thinking about whether or not I want to work for you.”

  “But you need to find your father first, right?”

  She gave a wry smile and took another sip of coffee.

  “What you expect to ‘discover’?” He used air quotes. “That you’re an African princess? That you’ve got a dozen brothers and sisters all waiting their whole lives just to meet you? To get in touch with your soulful side?”

  He’d rubbed her the wrong way. “You don’t have to put it that way.”

  “Maybe I do. Maybe I need you to understand that you’re already Desdemona Rask. You already know who you are, whether you realize it or not.”

  She didn’t look at him. Couldn’t he understand there was more to it than that? She’d never met her father. She needed to learn about the rest of her heritage.

  “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but odds are you’d be an intrusion into someone’s complicated life. If there’s a wife involved, it might really tick her off. Maybe you should be ready for that possibility.”

  “That may be true, but I still need to find out, Cliff.”

  “Yes, you do, little sister. If you say so, but I’m trying to tell you, it won’t change who you already are. Don’t become one of those people who’re always looking for something else and forget to notice what’s right in front of them. Take it from me—it’s a waste of time.”

  Cliff gave her a dose of reality that didn’t go down nearly as well as the strong coffee, but she couldn’t give up until she found the man who’d changed Ester Rask’s life forever. Maybe he’d change her life, too.

  She stood, finished off her coffee and put the mug in the huge stainless-steel sink. “I hear what you’re saying, but…”

  “—but you’ve just got to find out. I know. I know. And I wish you well. You know I do.” He turned the burner on again and went back to sautéing the vegetables. “If you decide to work for me, just let me know.”

  Cliff had played the devil’s advocate, the voice of reason, and she needed to think ab
out all the possible scenarios she could face when meeting her father. In his own gruff way, Cliff showed he cared. Heck, he’d offered her a job right from the start.

  The notion came over her out of nowhere, but without giving it further thought, she crossed the kitchen and hugged him from behind.

  “Thank you.”

  Surprise made his nearly black eyes open wide and his lips stretch into a large smile as he turned around and hugged her back with the non-sautéing arm. “Anytime, li’l bit. Anytime.” He squeezed her close to his soft middle then set her free.

  Desi left him smiling and humming to himself, a contented man who knew exactly who he was no matter where he lived. Even if he was the only black man in town. She, on the other hand, felt more restless and out of touch with herself than when she’d walked in.

  She cornered the alley to his restaurant and got back on the main street. It was a beautiful sunny day and downtown Heartlandia looked like something off a book cover—clean, colorful and self-contained.

  Thinking about clean and colorful, she was reminded of the interior of Kent’s house, and how it definitely had a woman’s touch when it came to decorating. If that was the case, his ex-wife had impeccable taste with a perfect mix of French country and small-town charm. The sage-green living room had complementary print wingback chairs on either side of a tall, modern rock fireplace. The deep red microfiber wraparound couch with the chaise-lounge end was perfect for their lovemaking last night. All the hardwood floors were in mint condition and extended into the buttery-yellow kitchen with brown granite counters and copper pots and pans hanging over the island. It looked right out of a magazine. The bland white exterior of the house gave the wrong impression. Kent’s house was warm and homey, and she’d gotten too comfortable there too quickly.

  Deep in thought, she almost didn’t notice the police car drive by and slow to a stop. Out popped Kent’s friend Gunnar. “How’s it going?”

  “Oh, hi. Good. How about you?”

  “Doing well.” The way he smiled at her made her wonder if he knew about her and Kent already. Did men kiss and tell like ladies did? If she had a best friend, she’d have spilled all the details about something that amazing in record time. “I guess I’m not much of a pinch-hitting friend for Kent, so thanks for stepping up with babysitting yesterday.”

  “Of course. That’s what neighbors are for.” Warmth invaded her cheeks. Did he know just how much she’d “stepped up” already?

  “Uh, hey, the police station is just down the street if you ever feel like stopping by. I’ll show you around.”

  Or was the guy hitting on her? “Thanks.” She fidgeted with the strap of her shoulder bag. “Well, I don’t want to hold you up or anything.”

  He may have tried to be subtle, but he looked her over good before getting back into the car. Just before he did, he tipped his hat with a suave smile.

  Seeing Gunnar put Kent front and center in her thoughts again as she walked down the street toward The Paper Mill. She’d thought about their lovemaking all night. He’d satisfied every single cell in her body, and she’d gone home feeling like Jell-O. Her pulse went a little wacky remembering everything they’d done.

  On a nonsexual note, she’d been grossly unfair to him considering his circumstances. She’d expected him to be completely well-adjusted, even after finding out his wife had left, making him a reluctant single father. She’d been impatient and put out by his overprotective ways with Steven, but wouldn’t she have done the same thing in his shoes?

  The last thing she could claim was being well-adjusted. Was she chasing a dream searching for her father, as Cliff had said? Her roots? If she really wanted to find him, how come she hadn’t even tried to look him up yet? Hmm, maybe Gunnar could help out in that department.

  Desi stepped inside The Paper Mill, heading right to the pens and special-paper section.

  “Hi, Desi!” the clerk said.

  What was with this town? She’d been in the store only one other time, introduced herself as the mayor’s granddaughter, and the little bird-framed, blue-haired lady in a homemade knitted sweater behind the counter already remembered her. She waved and smiled.

  After purchasing her items, she left hugging her bag, heading for the market with Gerda’s list, wondering if it was a good or a bad thing to live in such a small town.

  * * *

  Monday evening, Kent tapped on the Rask screen door. Steven stood by his side, antsy. Kent copped to being nervous about seeing the woman he’d thought about all day at work, but couldn’t stay away.

  It was warmer today, and the inside door was open, affording him his first glimpse of Desi as a silhouette sauntering from the kitchen. Need sparked through him when she opened the screen and smiled. How many times had he thought about the way she laughed, light and breezy, how great she’d felt, how tenderly she’d kissed him? How she’d satisfied him beyond his wildest dreams.

  She wore those crazy big hoop earrings today, and the lush glow of peach gloss on her smooth lips. He wanted to kiss her right there in front of Steven but fought the impulse. There was an extra charge in her gaze as she looked at him, and he hoped it was because she might want to kiss him, too.

  “You wanna go have dinner with us?” Steven jumped the gun.

  She tore away from their staring match, eyes darting to Steven. “Oh, I’d love to, but Gerda is feeling so much better she’s teaching me how to make fish balls. You want to eat here?”

  Steven screwed up his tiny nose. “No, thanks. Dad promised me a burger and milk shake.”

  “Aw, shoot. I wish I could go, but you know…”

  “I know. Mayor Rask is old and she needs company.”

  Kent suppressed his laugh. “Now, Steven.” The boy could blurt the most outrageous things. The twinkle in Desi’s eyes proved she enjoyed his innocent faux pas, too. Her thoughtful gaze wandered up to Kent’s.

  He didn’t want to appear too eager in front of his son. “If it’s okay, I’ll stop by later.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I’m all ready for my piano lesson,” Steven chimed in, oblivious to the full-out attraction arcing in the air between his father and the new piano teacher. “You’re going to be proud of me.”

  “I’m sure I am,” she said.

  “So you better have an extra-special treat.”

  She laughed and Kent thought he’d never get enough of her generous and friendly ways where his son was concerned. Or her natural beauty, her golden-bronze skin, round curves and wide fawnlike eyes.

  “Okay, we’re out of here,” Kent said, before his body could get out of hand.

  Desi waved goodbye, and he checked his watch to see how long before he could have some time alone with her again. Every minute would seem like an hour. No doubt about it, Steven was going to bed at eight tonight, no excuses. “You can’t tell your piano teacher how to reward you,” he said, walking down the path to his truck.

  “Why not?”

  “That’s not the way it works.” Though the concept wasn’t half-bad. Kent let a quick fantasy flicker through his brain of the many ways he’d like to tell Desi how to reward him.

  * * *

  At eight-fifteen he strode out the door, heading for the Rask place. Desi must have read his mind because she was sitting on the porch reading. The thought of having a few moments alone with her made his pulse race. A few months ago, he’d never expected anything like this could ever happen again.

  She offered that picture-perfect smile of hers the whole while he walked up the porch stairs and across the distance to where she sat.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hi.”

  He wanted her to stand up so he could hug her, make contact as soon as possible. Again, as if she read his mind, she stood. He welcomed her into his arms and let the wonder of holding a woman close again register in his body.

  “You look pretty,” he said, kissing her hair, remembering how that tropical scent had stuck in his mind all day at work.


  “Thank you.” Her hands rubbed his back, rushing his pulse even more. She looked up, those lush lips there for the taking. Wanting to devour her, he practiced self-control and dropped a quick hello kiss on her mouth instead.

  Don’t make her uncomfortable. Just because you want to jump her bones doesn’t mean she feels the same. She’s a whole person, someone you want to do things for, someone you want to know better.

  He let her go and sat on the love seat. She snuggled close, and her warmth kept his pulse thumping fast and hard.

  “I ran into Gunnar today in town,” she said.

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. He seems nice. Made me wonder if there might be some way he could help me locate my father.” Her honesty about needing to find her birth father made his stomach knot. He’d let his guard down and had sex with her. So it was just sex for her, too, a little gift to help him get beyond the incredibly lousy year he’d survived, nothing more. He shouldn’t be feeling this way, a little lost, empty and worried. Damn, he didn’t know how to do casual.

  “I don’t have a clue how to start looking for him.”

  “Well, maybe Gunnar can point you in the right direction.” It hurt to say it, especially since that direction might lead her out of town, away from him, but he wanted to help her.

  “That’s what I was thinking.”

  “You sure you don’t want to stick around Heartlandia and live with Gerda?”

  “I’m not sure of anything, but I made myself a promise to find that man. See where it leads.”

  It could lead her right out of town to never come back, and the idea gripped his gut, making it feel as if his belt buckle had tightened a notch. That was how it had started with his wife, too, one little step at a time until she was gone for good. Feeling already in over his head, he found it hard to breathe. Maybe it was a big mistake to have sex with her. Why the hell couldn’t he do casual?

  “Dad?” Steven’s voice carried across the narrow yard from his front door.

  “I’m right here.”

  “I had a bad dream.”

  “Coming.” As he got up, Desi joined him. He gave her a quick kiss goodbye in the shadows so Steven couldn’t see. The treat he’d been looking forward to all day had grown complicated and now got cut short. His need to control the situation fought with the way things were playing out. All he wanted was some more time with Desi, and all she wanted was to take off looking for her father. “Good night.”