Dueling Drs: A Small Town Hospital Romance

His brows dipped in confusion just as my phone buzzed on the nightstand. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I answered absently and picked up my phone with a sigh. “Gavin gets home today. He and Suzie might want some time alone so I might have the girls for the night.” It wasn’t mostly true and that stopped the pang of guilt I felt for lying and withholding.

“Maybe I’ll come make you ladies dinner.”

I smiled because the sight of Drew putting together a meal was almost as stunning as him parked between my legs, face twisted in sweet, beautiful agony. But nothing was as beautiful as how he looked when he smiled at me. “Maybe we’ll let you.” I kissed him one last time, worried that it might in fact be one last time, and rushed out of his bedroom and out of his house, preparing myself for the inevitable.

Drew

Something was going on with Zola. I knew it with every fiber of my being. She was sick or dying, or something. Her mood was mercurial at best, but not moody. She often fell into these moments of sadness and despair and the next moment she would be smiling and flirting, playful Zola once again. It was confusing as hell and maddening, but more than anything I was worried about her.

I planned to cook dinner tonight so we could talk, but the arrival of her rock star brother meant it would have to wait, because most of the town would be at the mansion for an impromptu barbecue. One that Zola hadn’t mentioned and if not for Suzie, I might not have known about.

Suzie opened the door with a wide, tired smile. “Drew, you came!”

I pulled her in for a tight hug. “You call and I come running, isn’t that the deal? It’s good to see you looking so happy and energetic.”

“I am happy. It’s so good to have him home for a little while.” Her face was flush with excitement and she’d even put on a pair of multi-color glasses for the celebratory evening. “Come in, come in.”

It was still early enough to get in a few moments of personal time with the family and I smiled when Suzie placed Gigi in my arms. “Hey pretty girl, did you miss me?”

The baby giggled and kicked her legs at the sound of my voice and I felt an unfamiliar tug in my chest.

“Yeah you missed your favorite uncle.”

“Only uncle, don’t you mean?” Gavin appeared with Berna in his arms and a wide smile on his face. “Good to see you, Drew.”

“Gavin. How’s the tour going?”

“Great except for the fact that I can’t do it from here.” He pressed a chaste kiss to Suzie’s cheek and she practically melted into him. “Glad to hear you and Zola are finally getting along.”

I glanced at my sister to see if she’d told him anything, but Suzie’s gaze was fixed on Gavin’s face. “It took some getting used to but I think we’re good now.”

Gavin nodded for me to follow him into the kitchen where Granddaddy gave out orders to a duo of caterers. “Drinks, boys? I’m on bar duty tonight since Gavin hired professionals to handle the food.”

“I wanted you to enjoy the party, Granddaddy, not work.” Gavin sighed and shook his head. “I’ll have an old fashioned.”

“My specialty,” the old man said with a wide grin.

“Make it two,” I said because he was family now too and taking care of people seemed to make the old guy happy.

“Excellent!” He clapped his hands together and stepped outside. By the time me and Gavin and the girls caught up with him, he was already muddling the sugar and bitters. “Where’s Zola? She usually appreciates my cocktails.”

Gavin frowned. “I haven’t seen her since she got home.”

Now I was certain that something was wrong because Zola had been looking forward to Gavin coming home for weeks now. She loved her brother and now that he was home, she was nowhere to be found.

Granddaddy shrugged. “She works too hard, been burning the candle at both ends for weeks, maybe months now.” He shook his head. “Poor girl is running herself ragged.”

“I’ll go check on her,” I told them abruptly and handed Gigi off to Granddaddy and grabbed a beer from the cooler before taking the stone path to Zola’s guest house. Something was going on with her and it was time to find out what. The backyard space was large and spacious, giving me time to think, to gather what I would say when I got to her door.

Muffled talking on the other side of the door told me Zola wasn’t asleep, which was somewhat of a relief. I knocked and waited, anxiously but patiently, for the door to open. “Drew. Hey.”

“Hey.” She looked…normal. She didn’t look tired or sick or like she was on the brink of death, but Zola did look like she was hiding something. A lesser man might have said she was being suspicious, but I set that thought aside and watched her carefully. “Are you feeling all right?”