Snowbound with Dr Delectable. Susan Carlisle
make it back to take over. Had a car accident. Totaled. Everyone is okay but Robbie’s in the hospital with a broken arm.”
Kyle was glad no one had been seriously injured, but he knew he wasn’t going to like what was coming next. “I need you to finish out the week for me there. Price said he’d cover your call duty and with the clinic closed for Christmas we should be good. It’s slow because of the holidays anyway. I really wouldn’t ask except you’d said you weren’t planning to go out and see your sister until mid-January. Will you stay?”
Kyle gripped the phone. He couldn’t last seven more days. Heck, he wasn’t sure he could do one more.
“Come on, it can’t be that hard with your background. You know I’d be there if I could,” his associate said in a far too cheerful voice.
Kyle sucked in a sharp breath. He couldn’t see a way out of it without sounding completely heartless.
“I’m sorry about Robbie. I guess I’ve no other choice if we don’t want the clinic to look like we don’t honor our commitments. I’ll handle it. Baylie might not even need me.”
“Baylie? You found you a woman up there?”
“She’s the head of the courtesy patrol.” He worked to keep the displeasure at Metcalf’s implication out of his voice. Baylie wasn’t some bit of snow fluff. “Take care of your family.”
“Will do. Thanks, buddy.”
Kyle wanted to slam the phone down and say, “Right, buddy.”
He turned to find Baylie watching him with an inquisitive expression on her face.
“There a problem?” she asked.
“My partner, who was going to be here in the morning, isn’t going to make it after all.”
“I was really counting on him,” she said more to herself than to him.
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
She continued, “My staff is pretty thin during the week but the crowd will still be heavy because of Christmas.”
Baylie had no idea how uncomfortable he was with the idea of staying. One of the things that had made him so successful on the skiing circuit and later in medical school had been that he’d always risen to a challenge. This next week would be just that. A challenge to keep his fear locked away—and his hands off Baylie.
Baylie needed help even if it came in the form of this holier-than-thou doctor. He’d made it clear he was more than ready to be on his way. Still, she had to convince him to stay. Was he going to make her come out and beg him?
“Is one more going to make that much difference?” he asked in a formal doctor tone.
“I need your help.” Oh, how she hated to admit that to this man in particular. “That is, unless you have family plans.”
The long pause wasn’t a surprise.
“No. Not until later next month.”
“So you’ll stay?’
“Yeah.”
It was the least enthusiastic agreement she’d ever heard.
“Really? Uh, good,” she said before he changed his mind.
“Will I still be handling ski school?”
“Sure.”
The arrogant, irritating and highly attractive man was going to be around for another seven days. Would having him here be more trouble than he was worth?
Kyle walked into the patrol building the next morning with more confidence than he’d felt in the past two days. He searched the area for Baylie. Despite all his efforts, his heart beat a little faster in anticipation. Something about being around her made him feel more alive. Maybe it was just their clash of words and ideals but, whatever it was, it stimulated him.
Not immediately seeing Baylie, he started toward the assignment board. He saw one of the volunteers he recognized from the weekend standing behind the counter.
“Do you know where Baylie is?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah, she had to check on one of the cooks over at the Always Snowing Grill. You’re Dr. Campbell, aren’t you?”
Kyle nodded.
“I’m Mike. I’m doing the slope assignments this morning. You’re on the beginner slope. Thanks for being here. Baylie would be panicking. I can’t believe we’re so shorthanded this year.” He shook his head then went back to studying the board.
Kyle took that as a dismissal and headed toward the outside door. As he pushed on the door, it was jerked open from the other side. With a humph, a small red bullet in the form of Baylie ran into him. His arms automatically wrapped around her to prevent her from falling. Her small hands grabbed his waist. Even in the almost zero-degree weather he wished he didn’t have a shirt on so her fingers could touch his skin.
Heaven help him, he had the hots for the woman and she barely gave him the time of the day. He’d never had any trouble attracting a woman before, especially when he’d been a skiing star. Then girls had flocked to him. As a doctor he’d done all right as well. But not with Baylie.
“Hey, I thought you might be glad to see me but I had no idea you’d run smack into my arms,” he remarked dryly, but followed it with a grin.
She shoved away. Suddenly he wished he hadn’t said anything.
Stepping back, she glared at him before saying, “Thanks for helping out, Kyle.”
“You’re welcome.”
The displeasure left her face. “You have your assignment?”
Okay, she was back to the all-business Baylie. “I do.” He’d like to see Baylie let go a little bit. With all that bottled-up angst, he bet she’d be great fun if she was ever uncapped.
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