Everything You've Got: Anything & Everything, Book 2 (24 page)

“Let’s talk about it.” He took her hand and started to tug her away from the group.

She resisted. “I just need to think about it myself for a while.”

He looked so frustrated. “Kat, I—”

“Just give me some time,” she said. “I need some time. Let’s enjoy the party. Everyone’s having such a good time. Let’s stay for a while.” She couldn’t deal with this right now. She wanted him, was pretty sure she was falling in love with him—and not the crush-in-college love that she’d felt before, but actual real love—and had just started believing that he might feel the same way about her. Now she was going to have to tell him something that would change what he thought of her.

Luke’s jaw tightened. “I want to know what’s going on.”

It was inevitable. She was a little surprised he didn’t know already. She’d made Marc swear he wouldn’t tell Luke, but that left at least six hundred other people who would hear the rumors and who would tell Luke anything he asked.

That he hadn’t called anyone, especially Marc, asking what they knew said something. He really did want
her
to tell him.

“You’ll find out.”

“Promise?” he asked.

There was no way to avoid it. “Yes.”

He grudgingly returned to the picnic table with her. They sat and visited with the others for a while, then Luke moved off to refill their drinks and got stalled by a group of men. He was talking and laughing, much as he did in his restaurant’s dining room each night, and she knew he was happier there than with her when he knew she was keeping a secret from him.

Kat was fine sitting by herself, thinking. She hadn’t lied to Luke when she’d said she wanted some time to sort through things in her mind. How did she tell him? And what exactly? The whole sordid story? Just the facts she knew? Or her fears and guilt too?

She took a deep breath and looked around. It was nice here. These were nice people, who thought she was great because she’d taken care of a gash on Sandy’s forehead and had spent some time at the nursing home. She liked people who thought she was great. She should definitely spend more time here.

“Mrs. Benton told me that I should hire you. Apparently you’re much sweeter than I am and know more about Jane Austen than I do.”

Kat looked up to find Stan Haken standing next to their table with a beer in hand.

“Mrs. Benton told me that you used to play football with her son and that you bring her your wife’s copies of
Cosmo
. I think she likes you just fine,” Kat told the other physician. She slid down to give him space to sit on the picnic bench.

“Thanks for pitching in today,” Stan said, settling in next to her.

“It wasn’t a problem,” Kat told him. “I checked in on some really nice people. No one had any issues, so I got off pretty easy.”

“It was still a big help. I’m short-handed on a good day and when something like this happens—well, it’s not a good day.”

“It was my pleasure.”

They both took a drink. Then Stan turned to face her more fully. “What’s your background, Kat?”

“Family practice. Small town. I cover the ER in Alliance so we see a little bit of everything there. Not too different from here really.”

She was happy and
settled in Justice. But that might change when she got back. And there wasn’t much she could do about it. She hated that. Her stomach knotted and she felt her eyes sting. Knowing that people were talking about her hurt. Knowing that people were doubting her hurt. Knowing that there was a man in the hospital that she should have helped and hadn’t, really hurt. And the idea that she might not be able to go back to her life in Justice as it was before made her feel like curling into a little ball under the covers and not coming out. Ever.

She could defend herself. She could try to explain that strokes were tricky and could happen suddenly without warning. She could remind people that even with the best medicine sometimes bad things happened. But it wouldn’t change the fact that Tom Martin had suffered a stroke while under her care. That was just pure fact.

“You ever think about relocating?” Stan asked.

“I may be looking at options,” she answered. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m shorthanded and you’ve made a great impression. Just couldn’t let you go without at least asking if you’d be interested in staying.”

Kat’s attention went to Luke, where he was still talking with the guys. Would Luke consider— But she couldn’t even finish that thought. Luke said he loved her, but if it came down to choosing between her and his hometown…

No, if she left Justice it would be alone.

Which did not make her stomach, or her heart, feel any better.

“You don’t know how much I appreciate that, Stan.”

He looked surprised, then pleased. “I can offer you a smaller salary than anyone else in your med school class, horrible hours at least half the time and a pager that will go off on every major holiday.” He paused and looked around the gathering. “But I can also offer you some of the most honest, caring, hardworking patients you’ll ever meet.”

She smiled. “Sounds like home.”

“Maybe it will be.”

Her throat tightened and she looked again to Luke.

“Are there any good attorneys in Rolland?”

Clearly surprised by the question he said, “As a matter of fact, there is one.”

“What kind of law does he practice?”

Stan chuckled. “Small-town law is a lot like small-town medicine. A little bit of everything.”

She smiled, then sighed. Stan was a nice guy, a seemingly caring doctor who was offering her a job. He deserved to know about the baggage she would be bringing with her. He might not want her once he knew but suddenly she wanted to talk about it, to
someone
. “I don’t suppose he’s ever handled a malpractice suit?”

Half an hour later, she’d told her story to Stan and to Larry Tripp, attorney at law. Thank goodness Luke had been asked to act as a judge in the chili cook-off.

“Well, Kat, sounds to me like you need a lawyer, and without some research, I’m just talking off the cuff here, but you have a good case. It’s certainly not a slam dunk
against
you.”

“I agree,” Stan said. “You could get any number of expert witnesses to testify on your behalf. If that’s even necessary. Honestly, the attorney for this patient’s family should be advising against suing you. It would be difficult to prove negligence.”

“Thanks.” Kat really did appreciate the words of support. “My bigger problem is my reputation.”

“That’s another story,” Larry agreed. “Not sure if I can help with that.”

“I’m not sure anyone can,” she said honestly. “Would you still be interested in hiring me, even with my spotty background?” she asked Stan.

Stan smiled. “I wouldn’t hire you if you were perfect. You’d make me look bad.” He slid off the bench and stood. “I think Luke’s impatient with two other men monopolizing your time.”

She looked over her shoulder to find Luke stalking toward her. Frowning hard.

“Um, yeah, okay.”

“Let me know what you decide and if I can help,” Stan said.

“Me, too,” Larry added, also stretching to his feet.

She felt like crying. “Thanks. I really appreciate that.”

They both greeted Luke. Luke, for probably the first time in his life, was less than gracious and friendly. He simply gave them each a nod as they moved past.

He dropped onto the bench beside her, leaned back and braced his elbows on the picnic table behind him. He continued to watch the party casually, but Kat wasn’t fooled. He was not feeling casual.

“I thought maybe you were discussing patients until I asked someone who the other man was and I was told he’s a lawyer.”

“That’s right. Been practicing here for about ten years. Nice guy.” She took a sip of beer.

“It looked like more than just a friendly conversation about the weather.”

“The weather wasn’t even mentioned,” she admitted.

Shit. She was going to have to tell him about what was going on. It was confusing her to have Luke be the person she most wanted to tell and least wanted to tell at the same time.

Luke pivoted toward her. “Kat, I want to know what’s going on. There’s obviously something bothering you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She stared ahead at the trees and drank again.

“Too bad.”

“I could distract you with sex.”

“Not this time.”

Okay, so he’d caught on that she’d done that before. That wasn’t the only reason, of course, that she’d stripped down for him. But it had worked.

“Why’s it matter so much? I’m here, naked when you want me to be. Isn’t that enough?”

He was quiet for a moment. Then said, “No.”

She looked over at him. Something in his tone caught her attention. “Are you surprised by that?” she asked.

He met her gaze. And shook his head. “Not surprised. I just hadn’t really thought about it—about stuff beyond, well, the obvious.”

“The whole me-being-perfect-for-you thing,” she said.

“Right.” He shrugged. “It seemed easy and natural and like a great idea. But I’ve realized that I want the not-so-easy stuff too.”

Her heart flipped but she kept her expression calm. “And you’ve admitted there might be not-so-easy stuff. I’m impressed.”

He gave a self-deprecating grin. “It didn’t take me long.”

None of this had taken long. That should also be a red flag. They’d been together on the road in the stupid RV for twenty-four fricking hours.

But it didn’t feel like a warning sign. It felt…right. Like if they’d ever spent twenty-four straight hours together before this, it might have happened sooner.

It clicked.
They
clicked. And there was no use denying or ignoring it.

She’d evidently been quiet too long because Luke muttered, “Fuck,” and then grasped her shoulders and spun her to face him.

“This is crap, Kat. I love you. I want to be there for you, but you’re shutting me out. You’re telling everything to Stan and the lawyer. Well, it ends now. I want it all. Starting now. All of it, everything you’ve got.”

She knew she was staring. She knew she looked like an idiot with wide eyes, breathing hard.

“What if it’s bad?”

“Especially if it’s bad,” he exclaimed. “Christ, Kat, what do you think this is? Me just wanting to play house?”

She bit her bottom lip and then slowly nodded. That was kind of exactly what she’d been thinking. “You wanted me because I would be easy, because it made sense. Well…this isn’t easy.”

He frowned at that. “What’s hard about this is realizing that you don’t want to let me in.
That’s
hard. Being there for you, helping you, wanting to fix this for you—whatever it is—is easy.”

Her heart was pounding even harder, but it wasn’t about her now. Luke needed her to share this with him. He needed to be her hero. He needed to be a hero for someone who would treasure it. And even reciprocate from time to time.

She could do that.

She’d loved focusing on his physical needs earlier. She would love taking care of his emotional needs as well—even if it meant exposing her own mistakes.

And having someone want to help her fix this felt good. Stan and Larry wanted to help, but Luke’s help would be…more. Stan could testify that she’d done what she could, Larry could argue her case, but Luke could assure her that she was loved no matter how it turned out.

“It’s bad,” she whispered.

“Tell me.”

“Tom Martin had a stroke. A bad one. He also has a hip and skull fracture from the fall he took when the stroke happened. He’s being flown to Denver.”

Luke frowned. “That’s terrible. How’s Julie?”

“A mess, I’m sure. Dr. Brickham has actually taken over the case. I don’t know much more right now.”

Luke just looked at her for a moment. Then he took her hand and asked, “Why did you want to talk to a lawyer?”

She took a deep breath. “I might have been able to prevent Tom’s stroke.” There. She’d said it. He knew. It was out there.

He started shaking his head. “No. How’s that possible?”

“He was in the clinic with arm weakness and a headache the same day.”

“Are those the sure signs of stroke?”

“No, but they are symptoms.”

Luke frowned. “But they can’t know for sure that something was going on.”

“They confirmed a previous stroke on CT scan, along with the one that put him in the hospital.”

“No,” Luke said firmly. “You wouldn’t miss something like that. Something else happened.”

She smiled at his defense of her but squeezed his hand. She needed to be sure he heard this. “Luke, I missed it. That part isn’t up for discussion. He had a stroke causing the arm weakness that he saw me for and I diagnosed it as a shoulder injury.”

He pressed his lips together, frowning. Finally he asked, “What is up for discussion?”

“If I was negligent in missing it. They’re wondering if I really did everything I could. If it was an honest mistake, I’m fine. If not, if I didn’t do something I should have, then I could be in trouble.”