soft-looking pillow covering the floor. It was better than he’d expected.
“How long will he have to stay here?” Alex thought of Ted, and how delighted he was going to be when he found out Alex wasn’t going to be in New York on schedule.
“Three days, if all goes well.”
“I see. Well, fine. I just want him healthy. Can you point me to the nearest hotel?”
Dani finally looked up at him. He wondered briefly what she would look like with a smile on her face. Pretty, he’d bet. He did a quick survey of the rest of her. Despite the white lab coat, he could see she was quite trim. Petite. But there were curves there, too. Very nice, solid curves.
“I’m afraid we don’t have a hotel here in town,” she said. “The nearest one is about a hundred miles east.”
“A hundred miles? I don’t want to be that far from him.”
“Dani has a room she rents out,” the receptionist said. “You can stay with her.”
“Connie!”
“Well, you do.”
“I’m sure Mr. Bradley would rather stay at a hotel.”
“No, it’s okay. I really don’t want to be so far from Pete. So if the room isn’t rented...”
“It’s not,” Connie said quickly, ignoring the daggers the doctor was sending her. “It’s comfortable, too.”
He turned his attention to Dani once more. “I’d be very grateful. Happy to pay whatever you think is fair.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think—”
“Please,” he said, stopping her objections. “If something should happen to Pete, and I wasn’t here, I’d never forgive myself. So it’s either the room, or I’m sleeping in the car. I’d prefer the room.”
He could see the struggle on her face. It must have been the damn magazine that made her so hesitant. She probably thought the Sexiest Man in the World was also a sex fiend or something. “I’m perfectly safe,” he said. “Completely housebroken.”
That did it. He saw just the hint of a smile on her lips, and he knew the deal was done. And, he’d been right. She was prettier with a smile.
“All right,” she said, looking first at Pete, then at him. “But I can’t take you there now. We’ll have to wait till I’ve seen the rest of my patients.”
“Fine. Great. Whatever you say. Can I stay here and wait?”
She shook her head. “There’s a diner across the street. I won’t be too long. But we’ve got to get Pete settled.”
He wasn’t going to argue. He could use the time to notify Ted and pick up his E-mail. As long as he was close to Pete, it was all right with him. Three days in Carlson’s Gap. Well, he’d wanted to see America. On the other hand, it was also two nights with Dani Jacobson. It might turn out to be an interesting side trip after all.
Chapter Two
A lex ordered a hamburger, french fries and a malt. It seemed appropriate fare in the old diner, with its long counter, plastic patched booths, and a tiny jukebox for each patron. Besides, he was on vacation. No baby Brie, no artichoke pâté for now. Just good old honest American food. He might even have a slice of pie for dessert.
He’d settled in the booth farthest from the door, anxious for some privacy. His laptop was open on the table, his briefcase beside him on the banquette. and he’d just dialed Ted on the cellular. As the phone rang, he caught the waitress, a thin older woman with steel gray hair and thick glasses, staring at him. He must remember that the next time someone wanted to anoint him Sexiest Man in the World, he should say no.
Actually he’d not had a choice in the matter or he would have declined. But World magazine had decided his fate in some New York office sometime last winter. They’d neglected to tell him until one month before the issue arrived on the stands.
In the short time he’d been in the spotlight he’d come to recognize the signs that he’d been discovered. Wide-eyed, glassy stares. Pink cheeks and moistened lips. Actual pointing. Sometimes he got comments, mostly from men or older women,
“How long will he have to stay here?” Alex thought of Ted, and how delighted he was going to be when he found out Alex wasn’t going to be in New York on schedule.
“Three days, if all goes well.”
“I see. Well, fine. I just want him healthy. Can you point me to the nearest hotel?”
Dani finally looked up at him. He wondered briefly what she would look like with a smile on her face. Pretty, he’d bet. He did a quick survey of the rest of her. Despite the white lab coat, he could see she was quite trim. Petite. But there were curves there, too. Very nice, solid curves.
“I’m afraid we don’t have a hotel here in town,” she said. “The nearest one is about a hundred miles east.”
“A hundred miles? I don’t want to be that far from him.”
“Dani has a room she rents out,” the receptionist said. “You can stay with her.”
“Connie!”
“Well, you do.”
“I’m sure Mr. Bradley would rather stay at a hotel.”
“No, it’s okay. I really don’t want to be so far from Pete. So if the room isn’t rented...”
“It’s not,” Connie said quickly, ignoring the daggers the doctor was sending her. “It’s comfortable, too.”
He turned his attention to Dani once more. “I’d be very grateful. Happy to pay whatever you think is fair.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think—”
“Please,” he said, stopping her objections. “If something should happen to Pete, and I wasn’t here, I’d never forgive myself. So it’s either the room, or I’m sleeping in the car. I’d prefer the room.”
He could see the struggle on her face. It must have been the damn magazine that made her so hesitant. She probably thought the Sexiest Man in the World was also a sex fiend or something. “I’m perfectly safe,” he said. “Completely housebroken.”
That did it. He saw just the hint of a smile on her lips, and he knew the deal was done. And, he’d been right. She was prettier with a smile.
“All right,” she said, looking first at Pete, then at him. “But I can’t take you there now. We’ll have to wait till I’ve seen the rest of my patients.”
“Fine. Great. Whatever you say. Can I stay here and wait?”
She shook her head. “There’s a diner across the street. I won’t be too long. But we’ve got to get Pete settled.”
He wasn’t going to argue. He could use the time to notify Ted and pick up his E-mail. As long as he was close to Pete, it was all right with him. Three days in Carlson’s Gap. Well, he’d wanted to see America. On the other hand, it was also two nights with Dani Jacobson. It might turn out to be an interesting side trip after all.
Chapter Two
A lex ordered a hamburger, french fries and a malt. It seemed appropriate fare in the old diner, with its long counter, plastic patched booths, and a tiny jukebox for each patron. Besides, he was on vacation. No baby Brie, no artichoke pâté for now. Just good old honest American food. He might even have a slice of pie for dessert.
He’d settled in the booth farthest from the door, anxious for some privacy. His laptop was open on the table, his briefcase beside him on the banquette. and he’d just dialed Ted on the cellular. As the phone rang, he caught the waitress, a thin older woman with steel gray hair and thick glasses, staring at him. He must remember that the next time someone wanted to anoint him Sexiest Man in the World, he should say no.
Actually he’d not had a choice in the matter or he would have declined. But World magazine had decided his fate in some New York office sometime last winter. They’d neglected to tell him until one month before the issue arrived on the stands.
In the short time he’d been in the spotlight he’d come to recognize the signs that he’d been discovered. Wide-eyed, glassy stares. Pink cheeks and moistened lips. Actual pointing. Sometimes he got comments, mostly from men or older women,
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