The Doctor's Redemption (Shadow Creek, Montana) Read online

“I’m a doctor. Don’t be embarrassed. I’m going to get this off you and then get you to bed.”

  She muttered something that didn’t sound very polite but dropped her hand. He opened the belt and pulled the robe down her shoulders and pulled her arms out of the fuzzy robe. She was wearing a clingy tank with spaghetti straps and no bra. He shut his eyes for a second and turned away. He reminded himself he was a doctor. But Gwen wasn’t his patient, and she was also a woman to whom he was incredibly attracted. None of that mattered, he told himself as he tried to help her into a standing position, because she was practically unconscious and that would make him a perv for checking her out.

  She leaned heavily on him and they slowly made their way to her bedroom. “Okay, sit on the edge of the bed and I’m going to fix this up for you,” he said, making sure she wasn’t going to fall off before he stripped the bed of the five layers of blankets. He fluffed up the pillows, straightened out the sheets, and then helped her in.

  “Why are you here?” she asked. He tried to focus on what she was saying but she was distracting him with her incredible body as her breasts looked ready to spill out of the top of her tank that left nothing to his imagination. He feebly attempted to pull it up but that only ended up leaving her smooth stomach bare. His mouth was dry. He quickly pulled up the sheet and tucked it under her chin.

  “I’m so cold. What kind of sadistic doctor takes away a patient’s blankets?”

  That was more like it. “You had too many and you have a fever. I’ll give you one blanket,” he said, looking for the thinnest one. “That ibuprofen should kick in and should help regulate your temperature in a bit.” He noticed there was no water glass on her nightstand. “Besides the water I just gave you, have you had anything to drink lately?”

  She shook her head. “Not since…I have no idea. All I know is that yesterday afternoon I was feeling okay and then by dinnertime it was like I had a plague and haven’t moved since.”

  Classic flu. “Okay. I’m going to keep giving you water and some immune boosting supplements, okay? You need to sleep and be a good patient.” He couldn’t resist adding that last bit in because he knew it would bother her.

  Sure enough, she attempted opening her eyes but instead of making a sassy comeback, her eyes filled with tears and she whispered, “Thank you.”

  His throat constricted at the unexpected emotion that coursed through him. He leaned down and brushed the hair off her face. “Just rest, okay?”

  She was already asleep. He stood there for a moment, knowing he was falling deeper into this abyss Gwen was creating. She was the woman he was supposed to stay away from. She was part of the family that he needed to repay. It was becoming harder and harder to walk away from her, but he knew that he shouldn’t worry about that.

  As soon as she found out who he really was, she’d walk away from him.

  …

  Gwen opened her eyes, feeling as though a deep fog was finally lifting. She was disoriented but then recognized her bedroom. She was lying in bed. She had the flu, that’s what she remembered…panic flooded her exhausted system and she lay there perfectly still as groggy memories of her very hot Dr. TMM scorched her. Was he still here? She turned her head slowly to the direction of her door; it was open.

  “Yeah, it’s Dr. Thomson.”

  He was still here! His deep voice, slightly hushed, could be heard from her bedroom. She listened to see if she could make out what he was saying. It sounded like he was on the phone.

  “I should be able to get back to work tomorrow.” There was a pause. How much time had he taken off work? For her? “Ah, I’ll remind you, Noreen, I haven’t taken off a single day since I’ve been here and I’ve covered way more shifts than anyone else.” He spoke in an authoritative voice even though he was still being polite to “Noreen.” A moment later she heard him say that he’d see her tomorrow and then she heard him walking around. Was he coming in her direction? She tried to lift her arms to check her hair but it took way too much effort because it felt as though her arms weighed one hundred pounds each.

  Seconds later, he was standing in her doorway looking like every dream she’d ever had about him. His hair was damp, which meant he’d showered in her shower. His hands were bracing either side of the door and his T-shirt was hugging some pretty hot muscles and chest. He was wearing some worn and scruffy jeans that matched his stubble. And she…well, she was a hideous creature she was pretty sure. Except he wasn’t looking at her like she was all that hideous. His blue eyes were all soft and there was concern in his face.

  “Hey, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  “Kind of like hell, but not as bad a hell as the last few days,” she said, wincing as she heard how hoarse her voice sounded.

  “Do you think you can sit up and drink water?”

  A wave of memories flooded her—him holding a glass of water to her head, giving her medication, tucking her in, smiling at her, brushing hair off her face…omigod. She nodded, trying to slowly get up even though her muscles ached. She managed to drink the water. “How long have I been out?”

  “I’ve been here for three days, but you got sick the day before that. So, you’re on day five of the flu.”

  Her eyes widened. He had been here for three days? She moaned. “Omigod, I’m so sorry. Please don’t tell me you’ve been here that long. You didn’t need to stay here. I would have been fine.”

  “It was no big deal. You were a great patient,” he said with a grin that suggested otherwise.

  “I think I want to go take a shower,” she said, feeling gross and now self-conscious with Mr. Hot Doctor/TMM standing there looking all gorgeous and…clean.

  “I can help,” he said with a grin that made her heart skip a few beats.

  “As if.”

  His grin widened for a moment, those blue eyes twinkling. “Okay, but in all seriousness, I don’t think you should rush out of bed yet. You haven’t walked or had a solid meal in days. You’ll probably be dizzy.”

  She sat up a little straighter and slowly brought her legs around the side of the bed. She heard him cross the room and he sat beside her on the bed. She couldn’t believe he’d been here for days. He barely knew her. They kissed once. No, twice. But he’d taken time off work. He’d slept here. He’d seen her at her worst. She really needed a shower. “I think I’ll make it to the shower.”

  He gave her a nod. “Okay. Just yell if you need me.”

  She was not going to blush; she was just going to walk out of the room. Except walking wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be. She made it around the bed and then sat down again. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “It’s what’s wrong with the entire population in the winter that gets influenza. It can suck the life out of you for weeks. You’ve actually gotten through it pretty quickly.”

  “Thanks to you, I guess. Not everyone has a doctor waiting on them hand and foot.”

  “Ah, you just needed rest and fluids. I barely did a thing.”

  That wasn’t true, but she wasn’t ready to deal with that until she felt somewhat human again. “Okay, I’m going to do this.” She eyed the bathroom down the hallway as she looked out the door. She could totally make it there, which led her to another round of memories…omigod going to the bathroom. She whipped her head in his direction.

  He held up a hand and grinned. “I helped you to the bathroom and then shut the door. Relax. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

  She glared at him. “Your bedside manner is really lacking. I can barely remember anything,” she said.

  The teasing smile left his face and he looked at her with such tenderness that she wanted to sigh out loud. “You had a nasty fever. Listen, nothing to be embarrassed about. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I see,” he said, shooting her a reassuring smile.

  Great. What a wonderful way to attract a man. He was now comparing her to the horrors he’d witnessed in the ER. “Thanks. I think I can make it there on my own,” she said, forcin
g her legs to work. She stood and didn’t move for a moment, careful to be sure all her clothes were actually on. God only knows what he’d seen these last few days. She tried lifting her feet but ended up shuffling her way to the bathroom. She breathed a sigh of relief and braced her arms on the counter.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yup. I’m shutting the door now…taking a shower.” She shut the door but didn’t lock it, just in case. She managed to brush her teeth while at the same time doing an examination of her sorry looking face. She looked like hell. She grabbed one of her folded and fresh towels from the cupboard and hung it on the hooks beside the shower—next to the other damp towel. His. Right. Because Luke had stayed here and showered here. She turned on the water and let it warm up, worried because she’d barely done anything and now her energy was almost gone. She needed to shave too, she realized as she looked down at her legs. Moaning she climbed into the shower.

  After finally finishing everything and feeling human, if not exhausted, she toweled herself off. Blow drying her hair was out of the question because that required way too much energy. She could brush it out and after looking at herself in the mirror, she could finally say she looked respectable again. She realized she had no clothes. All she had was the towel she was wearing. So, she had a few options—she could ask him to give her clothes but that would mean him rummaging through her underwear drawer, or she would have to walk across the apartment in only a towel. Well…she had shaved. Towel it was.

  She tiptoed out of the room, happy she didn’t see him in the kitchen or TV area. She stopped in her doorway at the sight of him. He’d changed sheets, the old ones in a heap in the corner. The windows were slightly open, a cool, but welcome breeze coming through. The bed was freshly made, there was ice water on her nightstand, and everything looked so welcoming. Tears stung the back of her eyes—until she saw him looking at her. His eyes weren’t looking very sorry for her anymore. Instead, they had that glint they’d had the night they kissed. She curled her toes into the hardwood floor and searched for something to break the awkwardness.

  “You didn’t have to do all this,” she said, clutching the towel in one hand and pointing to her bed with the other.

  He shrugged. “You’ll feel better now that you’ve showered and have a fresh bed.”

  “I, um, forgot clothes.”

  He grinned. “I wasn’t complaining.”

  She felt her face heat up.

  “Why don’t I get you something to eat while you get dressed and back into bed?”

  She nodded. “Um, okay. You don’t have to do anymore. I’m fine now,” she said. She realized she didn’t want him to leave. She had been comforted by his presence and maybe that’s how she’d been able to rest without worry.

  He walked past her, pausing to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll be right back.”

  She was speechless. She worked as fast as she could at finding something to wear that wasn’t frumpy or sexy. It was a difficult task. She wasn’t going to even attempt the torture of a bra, she’d just hide under the covers. Besides, God only knew how many times she must have flashed him. She tried not to groan out loud at the embarrassment of it all. She quickly dressed, settling on pink plaid pajama pants and a T-shirt. She shrugged into a hoodie as he walked back into the room.

  “So I have some more bone broth for you and a banana.”

  Who was this guy? “What’s bone broth?”

  “You’ve been sipping it all week. It’s like chicken stock but better. It’s really good for you, rich in minerals and has compounds that boost the immune system and are soothing to the gut,” he said, walking across the room to place it on her nightstand. Great. Guts. Clearly, he was now just thinking of her as a patient, because you couldn’t go from barely dating to seeing a person at their worst and having conversations about guts then move back to romance. He stood there looking at her, his hands in those amazing jeans of his, wide shoulders slightly hunched.

  “You look much better,” he said, with a slight smile.

  “I can’t believe you did all this, and honestly, I have no idea what to say. I’m embarrassed and appreciative all at the same time. I guess free coffee and muffins for you for the rest of your life.”

  He laughed that rich, deep laugh that always made her smile and her toes curl and her stomach flip around a few times. He was the most handsome man she’d ever met, but he was caring too. He filled up her small bedroom, and when his laughter stopped and they stared at each other a bit too long, he ran his hands through his hair. “So, uh, I guess I’ll be going.”

  Panic filled her. She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted him here. He started walking toward the door. “Wait,” she said, not knowing what she was going to say. Quick, think of something. “I don’t feel like sleeping yet. I was thinking of watching TV.”

  He gave a nod, his eyes not revealing anything.

  “Do you…I mean, I know you’re probably dying to go home and I’ve already wasted so much of your time.”

  “You didn’t waste my time, Gwen. If I didn’t want to be here with you, I wouldn’t have been.”

  She swallowed. Oh. “Um, thanks. Do you want to stay a bit and watch TV with me?”

  His gaze went from her to the door and she had the sinking feeling he was going to leave. This would be the end of her sordid affair with TMM. She had scared him off with her disgusting flu.

  “You know what? Never mind,” she said, trying to look casual. “It’s okay. I know—”

  “Sure,” he said.

  She eyed the bed. The fresh sheets and nicely made covers beckoned and the thought of climbing in there was becoming more appealing by the second, especially if Luke was joining her. She settled into her side and he rounded the corner to the other side. She fiddled around with the covers while he stretched out beside her, but on top of the covers.

  “You find something to watch,” she said, handing him the remote while she picked up the oversized mug of broth. The air felt thick as they sat side by side on the bed. She resisted the urge to rest her head on his shoulder or, better yet, curl up against his warm body. She sipped the warm, soothing broth while he flipped through the channels. “Sorry, basic cable,” she said when the first round of channels turned up nothing appealing.

  “That’s okay. I haven’t watched TV in months.”

  “Really?”

  He shrugged. “No time.”

  “What did you do here for the last three days?”

  “Reading. Medical charts. I was able to catch up on a lot of stuff.”

  His work ethic was admirable and made him even more attractive, if that was even possible at this point. She finished off the broth and then drank half the glass of water. “That was good. Did you make it?”

  He turned a little to her and he was so close that she could see the darker blue flecks of his eyes, the fine lines…and the mouth. She shouldn’t look at his mouth. “No. I bought it at the natural food place.”

  “Still appreciated,” she said, turning back to the television. She yawned and snuggled down into the covers a bit more.

  “Tired?” he asked, his voice as soothing as the soup.

  “It’s so sad. I’ve been sleeping for days.”

  “Yeah. The flu sucks. Don’t expect to be fully back to normal for at least another week.”

  She groaned. “I have so much to do. Poor Lily must be wiped.”

  “She’s fine, don’t worry. You’ll be able to get back to work, you’re just going to be dragging for a bit.”

  If he would lie down beside her, she didn’t even think she’d resist reaching out for him. He was like this big, hot, protector and she didn’t even care what that meant about her. There was something about having him around that reminded her of how lonely she’d been. He adjusted his pillow and then lay down beside her, one arm tucked under his head. She let her gaze roam for a few seconds, taking in the hard length of his body, the way his flat stomach dipped and then his hard chest rose and fell
with each breath. Then up to that great jawline, the sensual mouth, and the eyes…that were staring at her. “Gwen, I swear to God, stop checking me out.”

  “Ah!” she yelped. “I was not!”

  His chest rumbled. “You were. Just like I’m checking you out. We can’t do that. Remember, we can’t get involved with each other.” His voice lit up every nerve ending in her body and she wanted to cry or curl into him. “Besides,” he continued in that deep, husky voice, “you’re still weak. Sick. We can’t do anything that would require physical exertion.”

  …

  He’d always been a sucker for punishment. But being here, with Gwen looking all soft and sweet beside him in her bed, made him forget all the reasons they couldn’t be together.

  There had been many days after the accident that he wished he wasn’t alive. Guilt kept him from living. He had so many damn regrets. So many regrets about Lisa, about their baby. Things he’d never share with anyone. After the accident he had no interest in women, in relationships, in happily ever afters.

  Gwen was the queen of happily ever after. She screamed of promises of forever and love. She believed in all of it. He had none of that left in him. A part of him wished he did. He wished he’d met her when he was younger. He wished he was a different man so that he could act on his feelings toward her. And he felt. A lot.

  She brought out many sides to him. She made him remember who he was when he was younger, when his mother was still alive. At one time, he’d been full of hope. Gwen brought out the man in him again, because he was very aware of her on a sexual level. He wanted her. She brought out a side of him that made him want to fall in love. That was dangerous, not acceptable.

  “As if I’m suggesting anything,” she said, with an adorable disgruntled frown.

  He grinned and lay down beside her, knowing this was dangerous territory, but willing to take the risk. “C’mere, Gwen.”

  She eyed him and he lifted his arm and a second later she was snuggled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder, her soft body pressed against his side, as though they’d lain like this for a lifetime. It felt good. She felt good. It had been a long time since he’d felt this close to a woman. Her damp hair fell against his chest, her hand resting above his stomach. He could feel her breasts rise and fall with each breath he took and he forced himself to concentrate on the television. “I’m not sure I said thank you,” she whispered. “But thank you.”