A Doctor's Dilemma Read online

  “You better go to Trinity’s ED to have your shoulder looked at,” Jessica advised when she arrived. “Remember how Ivan needed surgery after being slammed by a patient? You might need surgery, too.”

  “I’m so glad you brightened my day with that bit of happy news.” Kate knew Ivan’s surgery had been long ago, and his injury had been far worse. She preferred to think positively, but the pain in her shoulder was bad enough that she didn’t dare ignore it much longer. Reluctantly, she took Jess’s advice.

  The ED was fairly busy, but they did send her for an X-ray to make sure there was nothing obviously broken. Finally, after a few hours, Dr. Hart, the orthopedic resident, returned.

  “The good news is no broken bones. The bad news—a possible tear in your rotator cuff. We’ll need to do an MRI to be sure.”

  Kate raised a brow. “Why do I need an MRI? How bad can a small tear be? I’m sure it will heal by itself in a few days.”

  “More likely a few weeks. Surgery is a possibility if it’s a bad tear. I’ve got the MRI scheduled for eight o’clock on Tuesday morning. That’s the earliest they could fit you in. But you better resign yourself to being off work for at least a few days.”

  To her dismay, Dr. Hart fit her with the shoulder sling. The idea of being off work while stuck with one arm in a sling didn’t thrill her. At least Ethan would be relieved to know he wouldn’t need to fly with her for a while. The idea made her sad. She’d failed in her resolve to teach Ethan to smile.

  After gathering her prescriptions, she left the ED. Glancing at her watch, Kate realized it was seven thirty, just about the time she would normally be heading home. Steering the car with one hand was difficult, but she managed. With a grin and a light heart, she pressed harder on the gas and ignored her pain as she looked forward to spending some time with her granddad.

  This break from work could be a blessing in disguise.

  Chapter Three

  Granddad lived fifteen minutes outside Milwaukee’s city limits. He owned a two-story house set in the middle of ten acres of wooded land. When she approached, Kate noticed a strange car parked in his driveway. Obviously, he had company.

  Knowing her granddad, the visitor was most likely female. She didn’t remember her grandmother very well; she had died when Kate had just been a young child. But over the years since, her granddad had kept a very active social life. A social life that included lots of women, usually a new one every couple of months. Granddad claimed he was just showing them a good time and couldn’t settle down because he needed to spread himself around.

  After all, Katie girl, single men my age are rare. I’m a catch, no doubt about it.

  She and her granddad had always shared a special bond, ever since her rebellious teenage years. He’d pulled her through those dark days after her best friend had committed suicide. He’d taught her how to laugh at herself and to appreciate the funny things that happened in the world around them.

  She could use a few laughs from him now.

  Kate pressed on the brake, slowing to a stop behind the strange car. No doubt, Granddad was in his glory, telling jokes and sending his companion into fits of laughter. Did she really need to bother him by going in? Yes, she promised her parents to keep an eye on Granddad, so that’s what she would do.

  She climbed the steps to the front door, knocked, then waited. When no one came to the door, she pounded again, harder. Abruptly, the outside lights came on and her granddad opened the door.

  “Katie girl!” His weathered face broke into a wide, welcoming smile. “What a nice surprise.” He opened the door wider to let her in, then frowned when he noticed her shoulder sling. “What in blazes happened to your arm?”

  “I . . . uh . . . hurt myself at work.” She stepped inside and gave her granddad a hug with her good arm.

  “Lifting patients?” He returned her hug with surprising strength.

  “Not exactly, but I almost dropped one.” Wryly, Kate remembered Ethan’s horrified expression as they pulled the gurney out of the chopper only to nearly dump their biker patient on his head. Thankfully, Ethan’s quick reflexes and amazing strength had prevented their patient from suffering a second head injury. Deciding Granddad didn’t need to hear the details of how she’d obtained her injury, she changed the subject. “Is this a bad time? I noticed you have company.”

  “It’s never a bad time for you, Katie girl.” Granddad gestured toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friend, Miranda.” He winked at her over his shoulder. “She’s a younger woman,” he said in a loud stage whisper.

  Kate grinned. Since her granddad had just turned seventy-two a few months ago, finding a younger woman probably wasn’t too difficult.

  She followed Granddad inside. A trim petite woman with a cloud of pretty silver hair stood at the sink, washing dishes. The woman turned and smiled in greeting when they walked in.

  “Miranda, this is my granddaughter, Kate. Kate, my friend Miranda Purdy.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Miranda.” Kate offered a polite smile.

  Miranda dried her hands on a towel and crossed the room to take Kate’s hand warmly in hers. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard so much about you.” Miranda sent her granddad an adoring smile. “I’ve been dying to meet everyone in Tony’s family.”

  Kate raised a brow and glanced at Granddad in time to see a dark flash staining his cheeks. What was this? Her eyebrows rose higher. No snappy comeback? No jokes?

  Belatedly, she realized there were candles on the table in an intimate place setting for two. Mentally, she smacked herself in the forehead. Duh. “I’m sorry. I’m interrupting your dinner.”

  “Oh no, don’t be silly.” Now was Miranda’s turn to blush. The older woman, who is probably only in her midsixties, twisted her hands nervously. “We’ve finished eating, haven’t we, Tony?”

  “Yep, we sure have.” Granddad’s gaze softened when he looked at Miranda. “The food was excellent and so was the company.”

  Flustered, Kate took a quick step back. Oh boy, she was intruding, big-time. Granddad’s relationships in the past had all been lighthearted and fun. His attitude had been the more the merrier. But the atmosphere in the kitchen was decidedly romantic. A sparkle in Granddad’s eye warned her that Miranda might not be like all the others.

  Kate quickly backpedaled. “I can’t stay, I have to get home. I only stopped in to see how you were feeling. Mom worries, you know.”

  “About me?” Granddad raised his hands innocently. “I’m fine, and you can tell your mother that if she calls. In fact, I haven’t felt better in years.” He winked at Miranda.

  “Tony!” Miranda was blushing again. “You are such a tease.”

  Her granddad let out a hearty laugh, and Kate couldn’t help but grin. True, his heart attack had been well over three years ago, so there really wasn’t a need to be concerned. At the moment, he looked as healthy as he claimed.

  Spending time with his new lady friend obviously agreed with him.

  “It was nice meeting you, Miranda.” Kate took another step toward the door. “I need to head home. I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Even with your sore shoulder?” Granddad asked.

  Drat, she’d completely forgotten her shoulder. The idea of her granddad having a relationship with Miranda had blocked the pain right out of her mind. “Lucky for me, it’s a work-related injury, which means they’ll make me do paperwork or post-flight follow-up visits.” She flashed a smile at Miranda. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting the rest of your family, too, Kate.”

  Granddad followed her outside. “Are you sure you’re all right, Katie girl? Is that shoulder of yours bothering you more than you’ve let on?”

  “Not really.” Although, all it took was to mention the pain for the feeling to return with a vengeance. “I’ll be fine.” She eyed the woman waiting for Granddad in the doorway. Should she ask about their relationship? No, bet
ter not. “Sorry for my lousy timing.”

  “Never too busy for you, Katie girl.” His tone was casual, but she noticed he glanced back at the house as if anxious for her to leave.

  She didn’t need to be clubbed on the head with a brick, she got the point. After sliding into the driver seat, she started the car and slowly backed out of the driveway. Granddad waved as she left.

  Kate drove home, trying not to read too much into the scene at her granddad’s. Certainly, he deserved to live his own life. And if Miranda made him happy, great. Kate would be happy for him, too.

  She just hoped Granddad wouldn’t get hurt. He’d always claimed her grandmother had been the love of his life. Had something changed in the past couple of weeks? Why the sudden closeness with Miranda?

  Later that night, sleep eluded her. To avoid ruminating on her granddad’s love life, and the lack of her own, she focused her thoughts on Ethan and his young daughter Carly. From the little she’s overheard of Ethan’s conversation with his daughter, either he was divorced from his wife or his wife was out of town. Either way, he seemed to take everything about fatherhood very seriously. Maybe too seriously. Did he ever lighten up at home? Did he hunker down on the floor and play with his daughter? Did they swing on a swing set together, so high your feet almost touched the sky? Did he smile and laugh with her? Kate would like to think so, but the scenario was difficult to imagine.

  Her eyes drifted closed. Her last conscious thought was to picture how handsome Ethan would look once he learned to laugh.

  Ethan dreaded taking his daughter to work, but what choice did he have? Carly was off school for the entire week due to spring break. Mrs. Vanderhoff didn’t return for her scheduled shift, and though he’d called the nanny service several times, they weren’t answering their phone this early. He didn’t have many backup resources as his daughter’s devious tricks had burned most of them out. He had no other option but to go to Lifeline and see if he could find someone willing to switch shifts with him at the last minute.

  Outside, the fog hanging in the air lightened his spirits. They wouldn’t be flying anywhere in this pea soup. It was barely 7:00 a.m., and Ethan felt as if he’d already put in a full day’s work. Worrying about appropriate childcare was draining. And in the bright light of the morning, this idea of finding a mother for Carly, rather than another nanny, seemed ridiculous.

  His wife, Susan, had been the perfect mother. One who had been content to stay at home and play with Carly all day. Susan had never once complained about how many hours he’d worked. How could he ever replace Susan in Carly’s life? On the other hand, how would Carly benefit from a revolving door of nannies?

  Things shouldn’t be this hard, but no one had asked his opinion. For a moment, Kate’s carefree, laughing face filled his mind. She’d use that Pollyanna skill of hers to find something positive in the mess of his life, he was sure.

  “Good morning, Ethan.” Jared O’Connor greeted him with a raised brow as he took in Carly’s presence beside him. “I see you brought a visitor today.”

  “Sorry. Our nanny was a no-show.” He grimaced. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  Jared waved off his concern. “Don’t worry, she can sit here while we figure something out.”

  Ethan was grateful for his boss’s supportive understanding. “Thanks. I’ll make some phone calls straightaway.”

  “By the way, I heard you witnessed Kate’s accident?”

  “Yes. Our big biker patient kicked her right off the seat.” Ethan frowned at Jared. “I had her fill out an accident report and sent her to the emergency department to get her shoulder checked out. Didn’t she call you?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure she will.” Jared rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “I hope she didn’t do any permanent damage.”

  “Me, too.” Ethan glanced down at Carly who was tugging on his arm. He sighed. Patience wasn’t his daughter’s strong suit.

  “Dad, can I play on the computer?”

  He glanced at the computer screen in front of Reese, displaying current weather satellite readings. “No, honey, the computer is for work.” He gestured to the computer, catching Reese’s eye. “I noticed fog on the way in. How were the flying conditions?”

  “Red for the moment. But the fog should burn off within the hour.”

  Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. He had an hour to find someone to switch shifts with him. He was reaching for the phone when Kate strode through the door.

  “Good morning.” Her sunny voice echoed off the walls, and he nearly winced. What did she have to be so happy about? He tensed when her curious gaze zeroed in on his daughter like a homing pigeon. She immediately crossed the room with a wide smile. “Well, hello there. You must be Carly.”

  “Yeah. Who are you?” His daughter didn’t have a shy bone in her body. Of course, neither did Kate Lawrence.

  “I’m Kate, one of the flight nurses working with your dad here at Lifeline.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Carly’s polite tone surprised him. Ethan was secretly amazed his daughter could be so nice. Then she tugged on his hand again, and he tightened his grip in warning. “Dad, can I see the helicopter?”

  “Not right now.”

  “Of course, you can.”

  He and Kate spoke simultaneously. Her lips twitched as if she were about to laugh, and her eyes widened innocently when he frowned.

  “No, Carly, I need to make some phone calls to find someone to cover my shift.” He worked hard to keep the edge from his tone, flashing Kate a look that clearly told her to back off.

  “For today?” Kate’s skeptical glance raked his flight suit. He was irritated with himself for noticing her expressive eyes were back to their normal hazel color. He should have figured Kate’s nosy instincts wouldn’t miss a thing. “What’s wrong? Sitter problems?”

  “Yes,” he replied tersely. Please, make her go away and leave me alone. He did not want to answer twenty questions as to why he was having sitter problems. Carly was basically a good kid, just a little mixed up at the moment.

  “I can watch Carly until you can make other arrangements.”

  “No, thanks.” He knew his instinctive response was too quick by the flash of hurt in her eyes. Inwardly, he groaned. Why did he feel guilty? Kate was a flight nurse, not a babysitter. Besides, she thought his daughter was a sweet, polite little girl when he knew very well that Carly turned into a vixen the minute she was alone with a new sitter. Kate clearly didn’t understand the circumstances surrounding Carly’s mother. He knew he should explain the truth, but he didn’t want to blab his personal problems for everyone to hear.

  All he wanted was ten minutes of peace and quiet to make his phone calls. Was that too much to ask?

  “Your choice.” Kate avoided his gaze. “But I can’t work your shift with the sling, and they’ll need to cover my hours as well. Have you spoken to Shelly O’Connor? She has a friend who helps out with her son. Maybe her friend would be willing to watch Carly, too.”

  Ethan compressed his lips in a tight line. The idea was tempting, as long as Carly didn’t try to annoy the other children, especially Shelly O’Connor’s son. He knew the story of how Shelly’s son was really Jared’s nephew, but since her marriage to Jared, the boy was Jared’s newly adopted son. His boss’s son.

  On second thought, juggling a shift with one of the other flight doctors sounded like a better plan. Or a safer one, anyway. He couldn’t afford to lose his job. His luck, Carly would make Jared’s son eat worms or something equally nasty. “First, I’ll see if someone can switch with me.” Stubborn, maybe, but he didn’t care.

  Carly tugged on his hand again. “Daddy, I want to see the helicopter! You said I could.”

  “I’ll take her to see the helicopter while you make phone calls.” Kate didn’t exactly ask his permission but took his daughter’s hand and led her off toward the hangar. For a moment he hesitated, then turned back to the phone with relief.

  What harm could there be in allowin
g Kate to show Carly the helicopter? And he could use a few minutes to pore through the schedule, seeking someone who might be able to switch a shift with him.

  He’d only completed two unsuccessful phone calls when there was a loud crash from the adjoining hangar. Immediately suspecting the worst, Ethan jumped to his feet and dashed through the doorway.

  “Carly? What happened?” Wildly, he searched for a sign of his daughter’s bright blond hair.

  “I’m right here, Daddy.” Carly stepped away from the aluminum rack located near a line of lockers, her angelic features exhibiting the familiar not-so-innocent expression. “I accidentally knocked over the helmets.”

  After reassuring himself that Carly was all right, he belatedly noticed several heavy helmets scattered over the concrete floor along with open spots on the aluminum rack where they were supposed to be. The grimace on Kate’s features, along with the way she hopped awkwardly, favoring one foot, told him the rest of the story. His daughter had no doubt grabbed the helmets, causing them to fall to the floor, and one of them had hit Kate’s foot. Good thing they wore steel-toed boots for flying.

  Guilt settled like a heavy wooden yoke across his shoulders. Kate had already been injured once on the job. Did his daughter really have to make a bad situation worse?

  “Kate, are you all right?”

  “I’m sorry, Daddy.” Carly must’ve sensed the tenuous hold he had on his temper because she hung her head, long blond pigtails falling forward to hide her face. She ran over to him, throwing her chubby arms around his legs. He reached down to give her a quick hug. No matter what tricks she pulled, he couldn’t stay angry with her.

  Losing a mother was hard.

  “I’m fine.” Kate forced a smile at his blatant expression of disbelief. Grudgingly, he had to give her credit for trying to maintain her Pollyanna attitude when she had every right to be angry. “Really. I think she scared me more than anything.” Kate limped over to the helmet that had rolled the farthest and picked it up off the floor.