Dance with the Doctor (12 page)

When he’d answered the bell and found Darcy standing there, his first instinct had been to send her away. His and Taylor’s lives had been comfortable and relatively trouble-free before Darcy stepped into the picture. Taylor didn’t get into fights at school or obsess over belly dancing costumes, and Mike certainly didn’t punch out strangers in restaurants or lie awake nights thinking about curvy blondes who could swivel their hips in ways designed to drive a man wild.

But tonight, as had happened so often before, what Mike’s brain told him to do and how his body responded were in direct opposition. It wasn’t only lust that made him hold his tongue and let Darcy in to see Taylor. She had an essential goodness that made him ashamed of blaming her for something he should have addressed with Taylor himself. After all, Taylor was his daughter and they’d always been close. He should have picked up on how much the appearance thing was bothering her and done more to reassure her.

The bedroom door opened and Darcy stepped into the hall. “Taylor wants you to come kiss her good-night,” she said.

He entered the room and found a girl transformed. Taylor smiled at him for the first time in two days and held her arms out for a hug. “It’s good to see you feeling better,” he said as he embraced her.

“Darcy and I had a long talk,” she said. “She explained all about boys being weird, and about how all the changes in my body are making me feel weird, too.”

He started to remind her she could have talked to him, but stopped himself. Much as he tried, he could never have explained things the way Darcy had, from a woman’s perspective. “Do you think I’m weird?” he asked.

She giggled. “Only sometimes.”

Fair enough. He kissed her good-night, and returned to the living room, glad to see Darcy was still there. “Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked.

“A cup of tea might be nice,” she said.

“I’ll see if I have any.” He rummaged in the cabinet and came up with a boxed assortment of herbal teas Taylor had gotten on a school field trip to the Celestial Seasonings plant in Boulder. “Chamomile, peppermint or lemon?”

“Peppermint.”

He decided to stick with water and brought both drinks back to the living room. “Thanks for stopping by tonight,” he said.

“I was afraid you’d think I was interfering in some thing that was none of my business.”

“You made Taylor feel better, and that’s what counts.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s hard for me to admit I can’t be everything to her.”

“You do your best. Tonight, she needed a woman’s perspective.” She set the teacup on the coffee table.

“I care about Taylor. I care about you, too.”

Once more he acted without thinking, sliding over closer and pulling her into his arms. She responded with all the warmth and passion he remembered from their previous kisses.

“I care about you, too,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ll admit it makes me nervous.”

“Why is that?”

“For so long, I haven’t had room in my life for anyone but Taylor,” he said. “She was so sick and all my energy was directed toward getting her well.”

“But she’s better now.”

“Yes. And medications can help prevent rejection. But they can’t guarantee it, and the treatments themselves have side effects that might damage other organs.” He shook his head. “She could live a healthy, normal life or she could get sick again tomorrow.”

“Every one of us is fragile that way.”

He sensed her own fragility. She’d endured so much, yet how much had that cost her? They kissed again, a long, tender exchange. She shifted to press more closely to him, and he put one hand on her hip, feeling the curve of her body through her jeans.

His heart pounded with desire and fear. There had been no other woman in his life since Melissa. Yes, their divorce had been for the best, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t wounded the part of him that had believed the vows he’d made that their love would last “till death do us part.”

“After Riley and Pete died, I told myself I deserved to be alone,” Darcy whispered, her lips against his throat, the words felt as much as heard. “I’d made bad choices and obviously didn’t know how to have a healthy relationship.”

He cradled the side of her face and lifted her head until her eyes met his. “Maybe it’s time to try again,” he said.

“Maybe it is.”

They kissed hungrily, tongues entwined, bodies pressed together. He could feel himself slipping further from the reality of his living room into the promise of the fantasies that had haunted his dreams.

It took everything in him to pull away from her. “I’d ask you to stay, but…”

“I know. And I’d take you up on that offer, if we could.” She stood, straightening her clothes, smoothing her hair, the innocent gestures making him only want her more. “I’d better go.”

He walked her to the door, where they kissed again, pressed against the wall like lovers who wouldn’t make it to the bedroom before they tore their clothes off.

She was the one who pushed him away this time. “See you soon,” she said, and slipped out of the door before he could convince himself it would be all right for her to stay, even if Taylor was right down the hall.

He stood at the door a long time after she drove away.

“Maybe,” Taylor said. She looked anxiously at Darcy, who winked.

After class, she ushered Taylor to the sewing room. Mike had agreed to let Taylor stay late again today to work on her costume. Afterward, Darcy would drive the girl home. “I’ve been working while you were away,” Darcy said. “I still need to hem the skirt and add some sequins, but I want to know what you think.”

She’d sewn a simple cropped top out of the purple glitter material and added long, full sleeves that ended in a ruffle at the wrist. To this she’d added a panel of flesh-colored knit that reached to the waist, also dusted with glitter. A row of silver sequins at the neck and bottom of the crop top gave it more sparkle.

“It’s beautiful,” Taylor said, eyes wide.

“Try it on.” Darcy handed her the matching skirt, trimmed with more glitter and sequins.

Taylor darted into the bathroom. “Do you need any help?” Darcy called through the door.

“No, I’m okay.”

She emerged a few moments later, walking on tiptoe, arms held out from her sides, as if at any moment she might execute a ballerina twirl. “How does it look?” she asked anxiously.

“Gorgeous.” Darcy covered her mouth with one hand, sudden tears stinging her eyes and the back of her throat. Taylor was a princess straight out of a Disney movie.

“You think this bottom part is okay?” Taylor smoothed the spangled knit over her stomach.

“From the stage, no one will even know it’s fabric,” Darcy said. “And even up close it looks very natural.”

“Like those ice-skaters,” Taylor said.

“Better. Like a belly dancer. What do you think?”

“I love it.” She threw her arms around Darcy, surprising her with the strength of her hug. “Thank you so much! It’s the best present ever.”

Darcy put one hand on the girl’s back, and stroked her hair with the other. She closed her eyes, savoring the weight and warmth of a small body clinging to her, of a child’s love radiating through her. Remembering…

Taylor pushed away, breaking the spell, and began to twirl, the skirt flaring around her legs. “It’s the most beautiful costume ever. I can’t wait to show Dad and the other girls.”

“I thought maybe we should surprise him at the show.” Darcy wasn’t sure if Mike was ready to see his daughter dressed as a belly dancer, even if the costume wasn’t at all revealing.

“Yes!” Taylor clapped her hands together. “He’s going to be so surprised when he sees me.”

“You should have someone waiting with a camera. Now hop up here.” Darcy patted the chair beside her. “I need to measure the hem.”

Darcy measured and pinned, then Taylor changed back into her jeans and sweater. Darcy tucked the costume into the closet with all her outfits. “You can stay after class again next week,” she said. “We’ll check the hem and add any finishing touches you think the costume needs.” It was time to drive to Mike’s office. Darcy wished she could drive slower, to make her time alone with Taylor last longer.

“I knew Dad didn’t mean it when he said I shouldn’t dance anymore,” Taylor said. “He always acts like that when I try new things he thinks might hurt me. He was the same way about skiing. The first time I wanted to go skiing after my surgery he was worried I’d get too tired or too cold or I’d fall, or all the people there would have too many germs. It took forever for me to talk him into letting me go.”

“Are you a good skier?”

“Pretty good. I’d be better if I could go more often. I wish we could live in our condo in Breckenridge all winter, but it’s too far from Dad’s office.”

The mining town turned ski resort was a picture postcard place of restored historic buildings and colorful new ones against the backdrop of snow-covered peaks.

“We’re going this weekend,” Taylor said. “I can hardly wait. I hope we get lots and lots of snow.”

A weekend she wouldn’t see them.

“Are you dancing this weekend?” Taylor asked.

“No, I have the weekend off.” March was a notoriously slow time of year. She was doing transcription at home for a law firm to fill in the gap in her income.

“You should come skiing with us!” Taylor strained against her seat belt.

Darcy felt a flutter of excitement. “Your father might have other ideas,” she said. She parked and shut off the engine, wondering what Mike would think of the prospect of the two of them—the three of them—spending the weekend together.

“We’ll ask him now,” Taylor said, unbuckling her seat belt.

“Taylor, I don’t know…” But the girl was already out of the car, racing up the driveway. By the time Darcy reached the front door, Taylor was there with Mike. “Daddy, can Darcy come skiing with us this weekend, please?”

Darcy felt his eyes on her. She couldn’t read his expression. Their eyes met only briefly before he returned his attention to Taylor.

“I asked and she’s not dancing this weekend and she likes to ski and the condo has plenty of room,” Taylor said in a rush.

“Your mother sent a package for you from Italy. I put it in your room.” He patted her shoulder. “Why don’t you go check it out while Darcy and I talk?”

He waited until Taylor had shut the door behind her before he turned and pulled Darcy into his arms.

By the time he raised his head they were both breathless. “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since you left my house last week,” he said.

“Mmm.” She stroked his cheek, the sharp bristles of his five-o’clock shadow rasping against her palm. “You know where I live.”

“It hardly seemed appropriate to make out with a ten-year-old in tow, and I couldn’t think of a good excuse to abandon my patients during the day.”

She nodded. “My students might have been shocked at your sudden appearance, as well.”

He kissed her again, and she arched against him, loving the feel of his body, hard and muscular, against hers.

“So will you come with us to Breck this weekend?” he asked.

“I’d love to.” A full weekend of sun, snow and Mike’s kisses. It would be tough, behaving themselves in front of Taylor, but Darcy had always liked a challenge.

“I hope it’s snowing in Breckenridge,” Taylor said. “It’ll be great for skiing.” She turned from the window. “I don’t know how I’ll sit through school. I wish I could skip just this one Friday and we could go to Darcy’s house and leave now.”

“Darcy and I have work to do, and your job is to go to school,” Mike said. “Three-thirty will be here before you know it.” He’d agreed to take off early to drive to the mountains.

“I’m so glad Darcy can come with us,” Taylor said. “It’ll be so much fun to be with her all weekend.”

Mike had hardly slept last night, his thoughts too full of everything that might happen this weekend, and everything he wanted to happen. Darcy still had the power to throw him off balance, but he was growing accustomed to the feeling, and even looked forward to it. At almost forty it was exciting to think a woman could inspire new feelings in him.

He followed a bus into the school driveway. Traffic was lighter than usual. Even Taylor’s usual carpool buddy, Curtis Askew, had decided to stay home. “I’ll see you at three-thirty,” Mike said, as Taylor unbuckled her seat belt and leaned forward for her goodbye kiss.

“With this snow, maybe they’ll dismiss us early,” she said.

“I still have to see all my patients before we can leave.”

“Maybe the snow will make your patients cancel their appointments and stay home.” She slid out of the car. “Bye, Dad. See you soon.” Backpack over one shoulder, she disappeared into the mass of students and swirling snow.

The weather certainly wasn’t keeping any patients home this morning. By the time Mike arrived at his office the waiting room was full and Nicole greeted him with a stack of charts. “Typical Friday ‘I need to get well before the weekend’ stuff,” she said.

He nodded. People might let their kids limp along all week with symptoms, hoping they’d get better on their own, but the prospect of a weekend wiped out by illness drove them to the doctor, hoping for an instant cure he was rarely able to offer.

He worked steadily all morning, snow forgotten. At noon he retreated to his office to wolf down the sandwich Peggy ordered from the deli down the street and was surprised to see a near whiteout outside his window. Traffic to the resort would be a nightmare. Any sane person would stay home. But he had a little girl and a woman who were looking forward to this weekend. And he’d spent his life driving in the snow. If they took it slowly, they’d get there fine, but the sooner they left, the better.

An hour later, the school called. “They’re releasing classes early,” Peggy told him. “Taylor wants to know if she can ride the bus to Darcy’s house.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” He had Taylor’s ski gear and suitcase in the car with his own things. He could swing by Darcy’s without making the extra trip back to his house.

At two he took another break and checked the highway department Web site. Plows were keeping the major highways clear and though traffic into the high country was moving slowly, it was moving. “Heavy snow is expected into the night,” the site in formed him.

“How many more patients?” he asked Nicole. If he could wrap it up here, they could get started well before dark.

“Two. Nothing major.” She smiled. “We’ll have you off to your romantic weekend in no time.”

“I’m taking my daughter skiing, Nicole.”

“And that dancer is going along to babysit?” Nicole laughed. “Have a good time, Dr. Mike. You deserve it.”

“Mrs. Jankowski is on line one,” Peggy interrupted them, no humor at all in her expression. “She says Brent is ill.”

Mike took the call. “I’m so sorry to bother you on a Friday afternoon,” Sarah Jankowski began. “I wouldn’t have called, but the school sent Brent home today with a horrible cough and he says he’s not feeling well.”

“How long has he had this cough?”

“Well, he coughs some all the time, you know. Since that last bout of bronchitis it’s almost like a habit with him. But this is different—deeper. And he says it hurts.”

“You’d better bring him in.”

“It’ll be a bit before I can get there, with this weather.”

“That’s all right. I’ll wait.” He hung up, sighing. So much for getting away early. But he couldn’t let Brent go the weekend with a possible return of his bronchitis—or something worse.

He let Peggy and Nicole know Brent was on his way, then picked up the phone again and punched in Darcy’s number. “Hello,” she greeted him. “Taylor phoned and said she’s taking the bus to my house, so we’ll be ready when you get here.”

“I have an emergency patient coming in, so I’m going to be late,” he said. “I’ve been monitoring the traffic and weather reports and while things seem to be okay now, as it gets dark they’re bound to get worse. I was wondering if you wanted to take Taylor and head on up to the condo. I’ll follow in my car when I wrap things up here.”

“Oh.” Pause. “Are you sure you don’t want us to wait for you?”

“I’d feel better knowing you and Taylor were safely out of here in daylight. I should only be a couple hours behind you. That is, if you’re okay driving in the snow.”

“Oh, yes. I did a birthday party during the Blizzard of 2003, and you’d be surprised how many people still show up at a restaurant when the weather’s bad. It’s like no one wants to get trapped at home, so they all head out.”

“It’s freeway almost all the way to Breck, so you should be fine.” He gave her directions to the condo.

“Taylor knows it well, so she’ll help you find it and show you where to park,” he said. “I’ll be up there as soon as I can.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Simple words, but there was an extra heat behind them that sent a shiver of anticipation through him. Damn Brent’s cough. He hated to be away from Darcy one moment more than necessary.