Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 04 - Saddle Up (11 page)

My stomach dropped when I heard the click, a few seconds before the words.

“What the hell are you doing in my office?” the gruff voice yelled.

CHAPTER 11

I quickly slid the folder back into the open drawer and stood. Two men walked through the door, both in jeans, brightly colored collared shirts with snaps, cowboy boots, and carrying straw cowboy hats, both in their mid-fifties, one slightly taller, the other slightly wider. The taller man’s deep set brown eyes were narrowed at me. He was the one yelling – must be the doctor.

Go on the attack, that’s the quickest way to diffuse or confuse someone.

“I came in and nobody was here. The front door was unlocked, so I expected to find someone around. Don’t you have a receptionist? I tried to find a piece of paper to write a note. I didn’t want to rummage around in the exam rooms, so when I found your desk I knew you’d have something to write on.” I picked up a small white notepad from the desktop. “And here it is.”

The shorter man said, “I’ve got to go, Glen. Thanks for the tour around the rodeo arena. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

The doctor shook hands with the other man and said, “Be careful with that beautiful car on the way out of town, Dean. We’ve got more potholes than a dairy farmer has cows on the road that gets you to the highway.”

Dean laughed and said, “Make sure you stop by the club when you’re in Vegas again.”

The doctor nodded and the man tipped his head to me and left.

Doc Sanders turned his attention back to me and signaled, with his hands, for me to get out from behind his desk.

I slid around the desk and sat in one of the leather chairs.

He hooked his hat on a wooden rack in the corner, sat down behind his desk, and said, “My name is Doc Sanders, what’s yours?”

I extended my hand which shook a bit since I couldn’t settle my nerves from being caught in his office. “My name is Liza Wilcox.”

He shook my hand, then glanced at the books in the chair next to me and said, “Are you here for the rodeo?”

“Yes, I got in this morning.”

“The rodeo is a lot of fun. It’s my favorite event of the year.”

I wanted to add that it is the only event in the town, but said, “This is my first one.”

“Oh you’ll enjoy it.”

“Thanks.”

He was making small talk to relax me. What a nice guy.

“Okay, what can I do for you?”

The light conversation was over. Now what? I was so busy trying to figure out a way to explain my being in his office I forgot to figure out what to say after that.

Doc Sanders’ entire demeanor changed. His face and body relaxed. He leaned back in his chair. “It’s okay. Take your time, honey.”

Oh great! Now he thinks it’s something bad and that I’m embarrassed or scared to tell him.

“I’m pregnant!” It was the first thing to come to my mind, so it came out of my mouth.

“Is this something you’re happy about or not?”

Good question?

“It’s just a surprise.” I held up my left hand. “I just got engaged and my fiancé and I haven’t even talked about a wedding date. In fact, we both assume it won’t be for years since we live and work in two separate towns. We planned on taking it slow – to take our time to figure out what we would do and where we would live. He’s got a stepson I haven’t even met yet.”

“Is this something you’re happy about or not?” The doctor repeated his question.

Huh? Why was he asking that again? I bit my lower lip, definitely a sign I was under stress. Then it hit me. He needed to know if I want to keep the child or not.

“I’m not overly excited about the idea, but I’m not unhappy either.”

“Is the child your fiancé’s?”

I was dumbstruck by that question. Did I look like the kind of woman who had a fiancée and got pregnant by someone else?

My silence gave him an answer, although not the right one.

“That’s okay. How are you sure you’re pregnant?”

“I did one of those at-home pregnancy tests, three days in a row. They all came out positive.”

“How far along do you think you are?”

I bit my lower lip again. This was getting too complicated.

“That’s okay. Do you take any medication on a regular basis?”

“No, I can’t remember to take anything on a regular basis.” I admitted. Now that was the first truth I had spoken to the man.

“Well, you will need to get some prenatal vitamins and start taking them right away.” He looked over my head toward his examination rooms.

Oh crap! I hope he didn’t want me to get on a metal table covered with that white scratchy paper so he could do a full exam. Could he tell I wasn’t pregnant if he did?

“The grocery store in town doesn’t carry any but I’ve got a bottle I can give you to get you started. But I want you to see your own doctor when you get home.” Doc Sanders stood. “Wait here a minute and I’ll be right back.”

When he left, I finally sighed in relief. That had been too close. It would have been better to wait for Tom or Dad. I needed the doctor distracted so I could go through his office and files not make up something.

He returned a few seconds later with two bottles, one clearly labeled Prenatal Vitamins, and the other was just a plain medicine bottle.

“Is your fiancé coming up for the rodeo, too?” The doctor asked when he sat down behind his desk.

“Yes, he should be here tonight.”

“Are you planning on telling him right away that you’re pregnant?”

I bit my lower lip. “I’m not sure.”

Doc Sanders poured the vitamins into the plain bottle. “This will give you a few days to decide what you’re going to do and say to him.”

When he handed me the bottle, I put it into my purse and took out my wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing, my dear. All we did was talk and the vitamins are from my sample stock. Just remember no alcohol or smoking while you’re pregnant.”

No chance of that, since I didn’t do either. It was time to leave.

I stood and extended my hand. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He shook my hand, then came around the desk. “Will I see you at the Cowgirl Event tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. What is it?”

“It’s a luncheon and fundraiser for our school. It’s after the parade and before the rodeo gets started. There will be booths at the event that feature cowgirl attire, jewelry and décor items for sale. Then you’ll be hand-served a steak lunch complete with corn-on-the cob, baked potato with all the trimmings, garlic bread and green salad. You’ll have fifty cowboys, some local but most from the rodeo circuit at your beck and call. They even got the specialty act from the rodeo as entertainment.”

“What act?”

“This year the clown has trained dogs that do all sorts of tricks.”

“Clown?”

“Sure, there is always a clown at a rodeo. He’s there to be a distraction to the bucking bulls. You’re not one of those peoples who is afraid of clowns, are you?”

I thought about my first adventure with the psycho clowns, but said, “No.”

“Great. I’ll be there as well.”

“You’ll be serving?”

Doc Sanders laughed. “No, I’m not young enough to be a server but I’m escorting the mayor to the event. I’ll probably be the only guy in the place not holding a tray.”

“Ridgedale’s mayor is a woman?” I asked, although I knew the answer. The more information I could gather on the town and its people, the better.

“Absolutely. Priscilla Banner has been our mayor for the last ten years. She’s donating all the meat for the fundraiser and another local woman, Sheryl Ann, is doing the cooking.”

“I’m staying at Sheryl Ann’s house,” I said.

“Really?” The doctor looked confused, then clarity showed on his face. “That’s right, she opens up that big old house of hers to boarders during the rodeo. You’re lucky because she’s the best cook in town. She’s usually my receptionist, but took today off to get her house in order for her weekend guests.”

I glanced at my watch. It was after five and dinner was at six.

He saw me check my watch and said, “And she’s prompt. If you’re late for dinner, those cowboys staying at her place will eat your portion. Remember you’re in your first trimester and food may not set right with you, especially in the morning. Crackers are good for that, so if you feel nauseated, get some at the grocery store.”

Doc Sanders opened the front door for me and as I left I said, “Thanks again.”

“No problem, Miss Wilcox. You take care of yourself and the baby, okay?”

I nodded, turned and left. On the way back to the house, my phone rang. It showed Tom’s number.

“Hi, Tom.”

“Hi, honey.”

“How are the domestic issues with Davis and Doreen?”

“I think they’re finally settled down. I sent him over to the house to pick up a few things and he’s going to stay at my place while I’m gone. That way he can take care of Duke and give Doreen some personal space and time.”

“That’s a great idea. Every woman needs some time alone to think without having a man under her feet.”

“Well, I just hope she’s not there so he can slip in and out without running into her. She’s supposed to be getting her hair done so he should be clear to just run in and then get back here. I loaned him my truck, so as soon as he gets back I’ll be on my way up to Ridgedale.”

“How long will it take you to get here?”

“I’m thinking a little over two hours, so I’ll eat on the road. Don’t wait for me. Are there any local cafés where you can get dinner?”

“I had lunch at the café. They make a great cheeseburger.”

Tom laughed. “I know how you feel about meat, honey, but is there anyplace else? You don’t want to have another hamburger, do you?”

“Excuse me?” I said.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re the woman who can eat the same meal three times in a row just to finish it.”

“Very true,” I said, then remembered about the inn. “Hey, I forgot to tell you. We’re not staying at the inn.”

“Why not?”

“Computer snafu with my reservation.”

“So where are we staying?”

“A local woman has opened up her home into a boarding house, so we have a room there.”

“I’m going to be staying in a house with a bunch of other people?” Tom’s tone sounded not too happy.

“Yes, but I hear she’s the best cook in town.”

Tom ignored my comment and asked, “Will I be sharing a bathroom with other people too?”

“Yes, but it was either this or we’d have to stay out of town and I didn’t want to do that.”

“Your dad’s not staying at the boarding house, too, is he?” Tom asked tentatively.

“Nope.”

“That’s good. How is the investigation going?”

“I’ll tell you all about it when you get here. I’ve got to hurry or I’ll miss dinner.”

“I never want to come between you and food, honey. I’ll see you
in
a couple of hours.”

“I can’t wait for both!”

I put the phone in my purse and walked to Sheryl Ann’s house.

The truck with the huge tires was gone, but it had been replaced by four other trucks ranging from several years old to one so new it didn’t even have plates yet. As I came through the front door, two things hit me at once. The living room was full of voices. It sounded like a boy’s frat house. They were laughing and yelling at each other. And an aroma of meat, spices and fresh bread filled the air.

When I came into the room, it fell silent. They all stood, nodded at me and smiled. Two had been lounging on the couch and the others were scattered around the room, either sitting on chairs or standing. They were five good looking young men, all tall, muscular, tanned and polite. If this group put out a calendar, I would buy more than one copy. All wore blue jeans, t-shirts with various rodeo logos on them, and boots.

“Howdy ma’am,” said a young man with jet black hair, dark brown eyes, and a dimple right in the middle of his chin. He had been sitting on one of the overstuffed chairs. “Would you like to sit down?”

“No thank you. I’m going to go up and freshen up for dinner. My name is Liza.”

“Mine’s Jody, and that’s Buck, Jackson, Shelton, and Barry.” He pointed to the other young men in the room who, as they were introduced, nodded at me.

“I’m glad to meet you all.”

Just then Sheryl Ann came into the room. “Dinner is going to be ready in ten minutes. All of you go wash up. I won’t have grimy hands at my table.”

The group nodded and hustled out of the room and up the stairs, whizzing by me like a tornado.

After they were gone I said, “Well, I’ve never seen a room clear out this fast.”

Sheryl Ann laughed. “They’re hungry. You’d best wash up too, and get to the table quick. These boys will devour everything I’ve cooked in a matter of minutes.”

“I’m on my way.” I turned and started up the stairs. I was met with a moving wall of young men tramping down.

As soon as they saw me, they stopped and moved aside, letting me pass easily up the middle.