PRINCE CHARMING M.D. (9 page)

Like Dana. He hated that he gave a damn about her opinion, but for reasons he didn't understand, what she thought mattered.

"I looked over the schedule for next week," Dana said, pulling a slice of pizza out of the box. "You have a lot going on."

"Just a couple of extra cases."

"They were marked as special. Are you working with a national charity foundation?"

He nodded. "I got involved with one when I had my fellowship in
Los Angeles
. They work with the hospital to reduce fees—I donate my time for the surgery." He shrugged. "I think it's important. My father did the same thing when he was still in practice."

Walter had taught him to always give back. Trevor knew he'd been blessed with a gift. For some, surgery was a mystery they could never conquer; for others it was merely plumbing; but when he began a procedure, he felt completely in tune with his patient's body. It was as if the organs and cells whispered to him, telling him the best place to cut, to mend, to heal. He took another swallow of beer. Pretty fanciful stuff for a simple guy like him. Obviously he'd been spending too much time alone.

She handed him the plate with the pizza slice, then took one for herself. "I'm impressed."

"Don't be. There are at least a half-dozen other surgeons in the area donating their time."

She tucked a strand of short hair behind her ear. "Do you know how many surgeons there are in Honeygrove? Believe me, you're in the minority." Her gaze focused on his face.

"Let me guess," he said, trying not to sound cynical or weary. "You never would have expected me to do something like this."

"You're right. I wouldn't have expected you to volunteer your services, but now that I'm thinking about the situation, it makes perfect sense."

Her words pleased him because her good opinion mattered.

Dana took a bite of pizza and chewed. When she'd swallowed she said, "Whatever differences I may have with you over your personal life, I respect and admire your abilities in the OR. I've watched you work, Trevor. What they say is true—you're amazingly gifted."

"So I'm more than a pretty face?"

She smiled. "Apparently so."

They were treading on dangerous ground. He wanted to pursue this line of conversation because he wanted to explain everything. He wanted to tell her that he wasn't what people thought—that he didn't date every single female in a fifty-mile radius, that he wasn't shallow and insensitive, that he wanted a normal life. But he'd tried telling women that before. Oh, they pretended to believe, but they didn't really. Experience had taught him people couldn't be told—they had to take the time to discover who he was for
themselves
. Usually it didn't matter, but with Dana…

Telling
himself
she'd just been some girl in high school didn't help. He'd fallen for her, and without meaning to, he'd hurt her badly. They'd been each other's first time. Maybe that was a bond that could never be broken.

She finished her slice of pizza. "You've always been more than a pretty face. You're intelligent, funny,
easy
to talk to."

"A paragon."

"I don't think paragons have harems."

He raised his eyebrows. "Neither do
I
."

"That's not what the nurses are saying."

"And it's not possible they were making things up? What if I told you I hadn't been on a date since I came back to Honeygrove?"

She laughed. "Trevor, come on. You don't have to play this game with me. I remember you from high school. You were the most popular guy on campus."

"I had an exaggerated reputation."

Her smile faded and her eyes clouded with memories. He knew what she was thinking.

"Dana, about that weekend."

She shook her head. "No, don't let's talk about that. It's not important anymore. Time has a way of fixing things. I'll admit I was a little unhappy when I found out you were coming back, but now I'm fine. We're working well together, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "It's great."

She finished her beer,
then
rose to her feet. "It's getting late," she said. "I have to be at work early tomorrow, so I'm going to head home."

He followed her to the door. "Thanks for helping me." He wanted to say more, to maybe invite her back, but he figured she would make up an excuse to refuse. She wouldn't believe it was anything but a come-on. Of course he was lonely—but he wasn't just looking for company; he was specifically interested in spending time with Dana.

She paused by the front door and looked at him. The overhead light illuminated her face. Her skin was clear, with a faint blush of color at her cheeks. Her full mouth tempted him. He wanted to know if the kissing would be as magical now as it had been all those years ago. He wanted to take her in his arms and remember what it had been like to hold her close.

Just one friendly kiss, he thought, wondering how she would react. Then he thought about the other friendly things he wanted to do with her and knew he wasn't ready to stop at a kiss.

"Thanks again," he said.

"No problem. See you at work." She gave him a quick wave and started out the door.

He watched her walk around to her front door. What was she thinking right now? Did she imagine that he had a hot date lined up? Probably. He would love to tell her what was really going on—or actually what wasn't—then watch the look on her face. Assuming she believed him.

Chapter Five

«
^
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D
ana hummed cheerfully as she dealt with last-minute schedule changes. A couple of emergencies had tied up surgical equipment, rooms and personnel into the morning, but she'd already shuffled everything around. With a little luck, no scheduled surgery would get bumped. She knew that preparing for surgery was traumatic for patients and she hated the thought of telling people they had to wait another day. She also had to worry about having enough staff, not to mention making sure recovery wasn't overloaded. Sometimes her job was like juggling, trying to keep a dozen or more balls in the air. The pressure could be intense, but she enjoyed the challenges and the fact that every day was a little different.

After making the last call to confirm a surgical nurse's availability, Dana leaned back in her chair and sighed contentedly. She'd made it all happen. Moments like these, when she knew she'd done her best and it had come out right, she felt validated in her career choice. So what if she'd focused nearly all her energy on her job? Wasn't it worth it?

She turned her chair and reached for the coffeepot she kept on her credenza. After pouring a cup, she pulled out a file and started checking paperwork. But thoughts intruded. Thoughts of Trevor.

She'd fallen asleep thinking about him. It was, she knew, a dangerous precedent. Bad enough that her body responded every time she was near him, but she didn't want to have to worry about an overactive imagination, too. Still, she had to admit she'd enjoyed lying in bed, remembering the sound of his voice as he'd talked with her. He'd made her laugh while they'd worked on the shelves. There was something about him, something almost sincere. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn he was lonely and really happy with her company. A ridiculous thought considering his active social life. Or was that really true?

What had he said about the rumors? That they might not be accurate? He'd also hinted that he hadn't been on a date since he'd come back to Honeygrove. She frowned. That one didn't make sense. After all, both Sally and Angie had said they'd dated him and neither woman had a reason to lie. Did Trevor? Hadn't she always thought of him as honest? So what was the real story?

Someone knocked at her door. "Come in," she called.

Sally stepped into her office and smiled. "'Morning, boss. I just wanted to thank you for scheduling me with Trevor."

Dana leaned back in her chair. "I scheduled you for a surgery because you're qualified and available. I don't make adjustments based on your desire for a personal life."

"I know. I'm teasing."

Sally plopped into the chair opposite Dana's. The young woman hadn't tied her hair back yet and dark curls spilled over her shoulders. Blue scrubs brought out the color in her cheeks and added a honey glow to her tanned skin. She was
,
Dana had to admit, very pretty. And very young.

"But he is amazing," the nurse added.

"Trevor?" Dana asked, pretending ignorance, while trying to squelch the flash of annoyance that flared in her chest.

"Uh-huh." Sally sighed dramatically. "So sweet and charming. You know most surgeons are remote and demanding, but not Trevor. Oh, he can be a terror in the OR if someone makes a mistake, but privately, he's a very special man."

"I see."

"Last night we—"

"You saw him last night?" Dana asked, cutting her off. "But he was home."

Sally straightened in her chair. "How would you— Oh, that's right. He moved into your town-house complex. Does he live close?"

Dana was already regretting her outburst. It had nothing to do with Sally and everything to do with her own foolishness. Once again she'd been sucked in by the charm. What had she been thinking? Trevor had wanted her to help him with his kitchen because he didn't want to do the work himself. She'd been foolish enough to go along. Not to mention foolish enough to fall asleep thinking about him. Was she crazy? Did she actually think he was interested in her? Okay, he might be intrigued, but so what? Apparently anything female
under
fifty and still breathing interested him.

"His town house is a short walk from mine," Dana said, avoiding the technical truth that he lived next door. "I, ah, happened to see his car when I took out the trash last night."

No way was she going to admit she'd been in the man's house eating pizza until nine. That she'd actually thought they might be friends this time around.

"I see." Sally rose to her feet and stretched. "We were supposed to go dancing, but decided a quiet evening would be better, so we stayed in. He had a lot to do at home, so he didn't get over to my place until about ten."

Dana resisted the urge to throw something. Damn. So while she'd been lying in bed, thinking warm fuzzy thoughts about Trevor, he'd been across town, warming Sally's bed.

"I'm glad things are working out between you," she said, mustering as much sincerity as she could. Hopefully, the younger woman didn't notice the tension in her voice.

"Thanks. I think we have something very special going on." She gave Dana a quick smile, then left.

Dana stared after her, feeling both old and stupid. "Never again," she said aloud. She would not be tricked by him anymore.

But as she tried to focus on her work, a voice in the back of her head whispered that Trevor hadn't done anything wrong. He'd asked for her help and she'd agreed. He'd bought her pizza and had been a pleasant companion. He hadn't broken any promises or mistreated her in any way. They had no understanding—their evening together hadn't been a date. So why was she so upset? Why did the thought of Trevor staying the night with Sally bother her?

"Don't go there," she told herself. "Some things are better left unexplored."

"It makes me nervous when my staff members start talking to themselves."

She glanced up and saw Walter MacAllister standing in the doorway. "I wasn't talking to myself," she said quickly, then grinned. "I was, ah, practicing a speech."

"Of course you were." Walter stepped in and took the seat Sally had recently vacated. He wore a shirt and tie under his white jacket. "The advantage of talking to oneself is that one is always assured an intelligent response. At least, in your case that's true. With some other people I'm not so sure."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I'm not always sure about myself, either."

He set a folder on her desk. Despite his white hair and trimmed white beard, he appeared much younger than his sixty years, which made Dana think about how great Trevor would look at his dad's age.

"There was quite a mess in the OR this morning. First, those car accident victims,
then
the emergency bypass. You did an excellent job of coordinating the scheduled surgeries. I received calls from a couple of surgeons who were pleased you'd managed to keep their patients from having to come back later in the week."