?Well, I think one of my favorites was cliff diving in Hawaii.”

He blinked. “You did that?”

“Sure I did. And walked volcanoes and learned to surf. I didn’t do so well with the surfing. Hurt my pride a fair bit.”

“Excuse me, but that does not seem like the Dr. Howard who shows up at my clinic pressed and dressed for a day of diagnoses.”

She hesitated for a minute. “You know, I think you aren’t all that you seem, either.”

He looked over at her. “Me?”

“I think the amiable guy who goes casual in faded jeans and T-shirts might be a bit of a front. You, Dr. Collins, are not as laid-back as you appear. Am I on the right track?”

That he didn’t look at her this time said a lot; at least she thought it did.

“I’m no workaholic.”

“Okay.” She wasn’t about to press the issue. And he had taken a day off and left her at the clinic on her own earlier in the week. The day he’d cut himself on the utility knife. Maybe he wasn’t a workaholic, but there was an intensity about him, a restlessness. Maybe small-town medicine wasn’t enough for him, either. It was pretty slow compared to a city emergency room.

Damn, she was all curious now. And it really wasn’t any of her business.

“I’d better check on Charlie. The heat really seems to get to her these days.”

“You’re coming to Jess and Rick’s?”

“Apparently.” They paused at the edge of the parking lot. She realized Josh’s old truck was only a few vehicles away, dusty and with rust patches along the bottoms of the doors. “Josh, I have to ask. Why the old truck? You’re a doctor. You could afford something so much nicer.”

His face hardened and he met her gaze. She wished she could tell what he was thinking, but she realized he knew how to do this thing where he could look right into the person he was talking to but not reveal anything of himself, like a two-way mirror. She wondered if he’d learned to shutter away personal feelings as a doctor or if he’d mastered the art of it when he’d been in the Army. Either way, it was very effective.

“Why do I need anything nicer? It does what I need it to do and gets me where I need to go. I’ve never seen the point in status symbols. Just because I’m a doctor doesn’t make me anything special.”

He spun on his heel and walked away, and she was rooted to the spot, nonplussed. There’d been a hostility in his voice that was unexpected. Like she’d touched a nerve.

She came to the conclusion that sure, they’d worked together just fine this afternoon, but on a personal level he didn’t like her very much. Not that she needed him to, but she was a little offended. All she’d done was ask a simple question. And his response had felt personal. Like it was obvious she thought she was something special and drove a fancy car.

She shook her head, coughing a little as his truck spun up a bit of dust as he pulled away. If he only knew how unspecial she was, he’d maybe keep his opinions to himself.

CHAPTER 5

Josh knew he hadn’t been fair.

He twisted the top off a bottle of beer and took a long swig, standing in Rick and Jess’s big backyard. Their new retriever, Riley, romped around, going from person to person with a ball in his mouth, looking for someone to play with him. Most of the alumni teammates were already present with their spouses and kids, laughing and munching on the snacks Jess had put out to tide people over until dinner. Music played from outdoor speakers placed on either side of the steps that led from the back porch, which used to be Rick’s studio. Now the long and narrow room was decorated with wicker furniture and a profusion of plants. Jess came out through the screen door, carrying a platter of something for the buffet table, looking blissfully happy.

What was it about Collins family meals that put him on edge? It was only a little more than a year ago when he faced his cousin Tom for the first time since Erin died, at a similar backyard party. A lot had changed since then. Josh had faced a lot of truths about his marriage, and he and Tom had patched things up. Progress. Back then Rick had been drinking too much and dealing with his own demons. Now Rick and Jess were blissfully happy and expecting a baby. Tom and Abby had been married since last October and were happily settled at the Foster mansion on Blackberry Hill. Heck, even Josh’s sister Sarah and her husband, Mark, seemed to be doing better after her miscarriage a year ago.

And Josh was back home where he belonged and going through the motions of being happy. Fake it until you make it was his policy, but that went out the window last week when Lizzie Howard came to work with her uptight hair and flashy convertible and capable ways. Confidence was so not a problem with her, was it? He’d done some checking up, and his suspicions had been verified. She was the daughter of Russ Howard, who’d been one of the top trauma specialists on the East Coast. Talk about money and privilege. Sounded like another family he knew. Erin’s. Overachievers and so concerned with status and appearances.

And so he’d snapped at Lizzie today when she’d done nothing to deserve it. All because she’d made a simple comment about his truck and he’d gotten all up in arms about her elitism.

He was in the middle of a ladder golf game with his nephew, Matt, when she walked in with Dave and Charlie. Charlie looked refreshed—they’d likely gone home after the game to change—and Lizzie had dressed up as well, in a flowery sundress with a light sweater draped over her arm. She’d let her hair down, and soft curls touched her shoulders. Josh watched as Jess went over and said something to Lizzie and she smiled, popping a dimple he hadn’t realized she possessed.

Because she hadn’t had much cause to smile at him, had she?

“Hey, Uncle Josh. It’s your turn. Quit staring at the girls.”

He looked down at his nephew, who was grinning up at him cheekily. “What do you know about it, short stuff?” Josh looked at the ladder and noticed two of Matt’s throws had scored three points each. “Damn. No fair. I was distracted.”

“Too bad, so sad,” Matt answered.

Tags: Donna Alward Jewell Cove Romance
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