Chapter 5

Doctor Jocelyne.

Well, well, surprise, surprise, Seth thought, as he let the moist warmth do its work. When he'd seen her with Frank, he'd known with every fibre of his being that she was a medical professional. Paramedic, nurse, doctor...she was one of those. She hadn't make so much as a murmur when he'd called her 'Nurse Jocelyne' but she had damn nearly passed out when he'd called her 'Doc'.

So what did it all mean? Why was a doctor from Québec hiding out in a small town in British Columbia? She would need to apply to get a licence to practice medicine in BC, of course, but he would bet his last dime she hadn't done that. That look on her face, it had been...fear. Not of him per se, he was sure of that. She'd been quite willing to strip him right then and there, so she didn't fear him as a man. Plus, he was weaker than a newborn kitten. No, she was afraid of him as a cop. So what should he do? Reassure her? Calm her? Let her know he wasn't going to hurt her?

Except he couldn't do that. If she was a criminal, then he would have to turn her in. Yet what kind of criminal was she? It took all kinds, he knew, and even doctors committed crimes. Malpractice? Fraud? Tax Evasion? Murder?

Some combination of the above?

It was all conjecture and Seth hated that. He wanted facts. He relied on facts.

The water was cooling, so he decided to quickly wash his hair and then get out. Easier said than done, he quickly realized. Damn, who knew just how many things required two hands? Still, he managed to get out of the tub and do a respectable job of drying off. He contemplated walking out to his room naked, but figured that would be a bit much. Instead, he struggled to get back into his jeans. Propriety sucked, but that was an end to it. He was going commando and the snap wasn't done up, but at least he wasn't swinging in the wind. He might as well just sleep in his jeans, uncomfortable as that may be.

When he opened the door, he sucked in a breath as the cold air hit his still-moist chest. Night had fallen while he'd been lazing about and he still had to take care of the dogs.

Yet even as he came out, he saw them curled up on the rug together.

"Here, give me the sling." Jocelyne was there, holding out her hands.

"I'm not going to sleep in it," he grumbled.

"Actually, you are. I've also created a pillow that will help immobilize the arm while you sleep."

He gave her the once-over. "You've been busy, Doc."

"Don't call me that," she said sharply. "Now the dogs had been out and I've fed them. Is there anything else I need to do for them?"

Seth shook his head.

"Okay, well I've set the alarm on the clock upstairs. I'll call a cab in the morning."

He noticed she hadn't actually looked at him, so he reached down to her chin, taking it between his index and his thumb. Then he tipped it up so she was facing him. "You show me your driver's licence and I'll let you take the truck tomorrow."

Indecision warred on her face. She wouldn't be a good poker player, but usually she could hold her own. Tonight, however, it seemed her defences were down.

"If I don't take the truck, you're just going to come into town, aren't you?"

"You'll find out, won't you?"

She let out a long breath and broke eye contact. Then she reached into the back pocket of her slacks and pulled out the card. "You know you've already seen this, right?"

"Yeah, well then some stupid...uh...lady drove her pick-up into my partner and I have to say that everything else kind of fled my mind." He held out his hand.

She pulled her lower lip through her teeth and still she held back. Finally, she whispered, "isn't there another way?"

He wanted to tell her it was okay. That he trusted her and it didn't matter. But he couldn't do that.

Taking a deep breath, she handed it over.

Jocelyne Baldwin. The vital stats all matched the woman in front of him and so did the photo. There was an address in Montréal which he quickly committed to memory. The licence wasn't set to expire for another four years and it had a chip in it. One swipe and he could know everything there was to know about the good doctor.

He flipped the card over and wasn't surprised to see that she was an organ donor. He gave it the once-over one more time before handing it back. "Don't get a scratch on that truck or my brother will hunt you down."

A ghost of a smile passed across her lips, but she didn't meet his eyes.

"Sit down so I can put the sling back on. I also want to check your ribs. I'm not convinced they shouldn't be taped."

"They were," he tossed off carelessly. "Tape came off in the shower and I couldn't have been bothered to find someone to re-tape it."

"Stupid man," she muttered, even as she tucked the sling around his neck. "How many ribs did you break?"

He sucked in a breath when she lay her cold hands to his ribcage.

"Three."

"I owe you my life." Her words were uttered so quietly he might have thought they'd been imagined except that her hands tightened as she said it.

"I was just doing my job, Doc. Don't go thinking you're something special because I would have done it for anyone."

Her hands continued to probe gently. "I know you would have," she assured him. "But still, you took the brunt of it while I walked away virtually injury-free."

That had him spinning around and then sucking in his breath when his arm hit the table. Still, he managed to catch her eye. "What do you mean 'virtually injury-free'? They told me you were unhurt."

Blue eyes seemed to darken in the dim light of the cabin. "I might have hit my hip, but you took the brunt of it and I shouldn't have said anything."

"Has someone looked at it?"

"Of course. I'm not stupid, you know. I'm a-" A look of horror crossed her face.

"A doctor," he filled in helpfully. "Actually, that isn't a big surprise." He reached out again to snag her chin when she began to pull away. "You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

Her eyes shut, breaking the contact. She trembled at his touch. "I have nothing to tell you, Seth. I need to get to bed."

With that, she fled to the safety of the bathroom.

Figuring that was his cue to leave, he stood a little woozily and started towards the bedroom. On his way, he glanced down at the dogs. "You watch out for her, okay?"

This time, it was MacKenzie who barked.

All day, Jocelyne waited for the police to show up.

One call. Seth only had to make one call and he would know about the warrant for her arrest. He would know the crime she had committed. He would know she'd broken her bail conditions and had run.

She was a coward, she knew. She should have stayed and faced the charges. Stayed and tried to defend herself. There was no defence against the truth, though. She had committed a crime according to the criminal code of Canada. She had known better and she had done it anyway.

Still, as seconds ticked into minutes and minutes ticked into hours, no police came. By the end of the day, she had a nasty headache and felt unbelievably cranky. Ducking out right at quitting time, she managed to avoid everyone except Vivi who had taken one look at her and had held her tongue. Considering the woman talked all day long, Jocelyne knew she must look awful. It probably wasn't all that safe for her to be driving, but she knew it was only a short drive to the Hills. Shorter than her normal city commute was, anyway.

Still, when she pulled into Seth's driveway, she felt herself overcome with emotion. Taking deep cleansing breaths, she fought to still her racing heart. There was no guarantee Seth wasn't waiting with someone here. Silly, she told herself, to think that he would bring a cop here to take her into custody.

All day she had been thinking irrational thoughts and still more were coming in staccato bursts.

What if she just told him the truth?

No, that was ridiculous. Of course he would turn her in, that was his job.

What if she ran again?

No, that wasn't the answer either. She had a good job and a roof over her head. She had stopped running when she had come to Mission City, so this was where she was going to make her last stand.

Finally, at length, she gave in and climbed from the SUV. She tried to put on a smile when she went through the door, but found she simply couldn't. She didn't see Seth right away, but the dogs spotted her and came barrelling over. She dropped to sit on the floor and pulled them close. She'd had a golden retriever when she'd been growing up and she missed Mischa fiercely even though he'd been gone for many years. She had wanted to get a dog after her marriage, but Morris had insisted that dogs were undignified creatures, unworthy of taking up space in his house.

His house. It had never been their house, even after the marriage. She had simply been a guest staying because of her host's good graces. They'd even had separate bedrooms. Hell, they would see each other more at the hospital than they did at home. No, not home. She had never thought of the Westmount monstrosity as her home.

How many times had she wanted to go crawling back to her father?

Of course she couldn't. With Morris' wealth, pedigree, and eminent qualifications, her father had advocated the marriage. Her father had been wrong and she never should have married a man almost twenty years her senior. Still, she had believed herself in love. Only later had she discovered the real reason he had courted and then married her.

"Doc?"

Through a sheen of tears, Jocelyne looked up at Seth.

He started towards her, but she held up her hand. "I'm fine," she said, even as she was wiping away the tears. "I was just remembering the dog I had growing up and I had a moment of weakness. I'm fine."

He looked skeptical, but said nothing, keeping his distance.

She tried to rise, but dizziness had her reaching for the sofa.

"Sit down, Jocelyne, for God's sake. You look like you're about to fall over."

She wanted to argue, but the room was starting to spin. "I need my purse," she said. "I need my pills." Then she watched as he upended the well-organized contents of her purse onto the coffee table. Precious items went everywhere, but he quickly found the bottle. He handed it to her as he went to the kitchen. By the time he was back with the water, she had the two pills in her hand. She popped them in her mouth and then drank half of the cup of liquid.

"Do you need an ice pack?"

How had he known?

"Yeah, that would be great," she said, cursing when it came out as a slur. "I'm just going to lie down." Then, without waiting for permission, she lay on the couch and curled up into a ball. She made no demur when he lay the ice pack on her forehead, instead she simply clutched it even closer and let out a long breath.

Then, there was blessed oblivion.

Grateful she'd worn sensible slip-on shoes, Seth eased them from her feet. Then he lay a blanket across her prone form. Damn, but she looked awful. She had from the moment he'd seen her and he was in no way convinced it was simply because she was missing her childhood pet. No, if he didn't miss his mark, she'd been carrying around that pain for quite some time.

Stupid stubborn woman shouldn't have driven home, but he could hardly fault her for that because he'd have done the exact same thing, given similar circumstances.

Now, as he kept vigilant watch over her, he began to put everything back in her purse. He'd also checked the pill bottle. The prescription was a month old and more than half of the pills were gone. Problem was, he had no idea what that meant. He suspected it meant she'd had a lot of headaches, but that was just a guess on his part. He could call Marco or Owen, he supposed, but what for? She had taken her pills and had gone to sleep, so he didn't really have any reason to reach out to the doctors.

All of a sudden, Charley jumped up on Jocelyne. Seth was about to get him to jump down when he burrowed himself under her chin. An arm snaked around to hug the dog and Jocelyne let out a little sigh, so Seth settled back into the chair. Maybe Charley could help Jocelyne in a way Seth wasn't able to.

All day he had eyed his phone, ready to make the call to Dorrie. She would keep the search under wraps for him, he knew. But what then? What if the doc was really running from something? Then Seth would feel obliged to turn her in. Or Dorrie would. No, he wasn't going to put his colleague and friend through that ordeal. If he was going to run her name then he would have to do the search himself.

All day he'd been back and forth. Coming up with a dozen reasons to run her name and then a dozen not to. It all came down to trust. She had trusted him enough to show him her driver's licence so he had to repay that trust by not turning on her. Maybe, in time, she would find a way to trust him.

It was nearly dark when she finally stirred. Charley leapt from the couch and went to sit next to MacKenzie who promptly began to groom him. An odd ritual, that one, but who was he to question.

Her eyes opened and they were still glassy.

She tried to speak, swallowed, then tried again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He got up and came to sit in front of her on the coffee table. "Here," he said, "have some water."

Her eyes shone in gratitude as she took a sip. Then she lay back against the cushion, her lids drifting closed.

"Do you need more pills?"

There was a shake of her head, but she didn't move her body.

"Why don't you just go down for the night, then?"

Now her eyelids fluttered open. "If I don't eat something then I'll be in real trouble. Even just a few bites of something will make all the difference."

"How about saltine crackers?"

She offered him a small smile. "And could you make some tea? With honey?"

He nodded. "Of course. Are you sure the caffeine won't keep you up all night?"

"No, but thanks for asking." She struggled to get up and he was about to help her before she gave him a sharp look. "Don't you dare risk further injury. Just because I got a headache, doesn't mean you have to do something stupid."

Seth just inclined his head. "I'll go make that tea, you take your time." With that, he went to the kitchen. He could still see her out of the corner of his eye, and he was glad she was slow to get up. All he needed was for her to get dizzy and pass out.

He noticed that Mac and Charley both followed her to the bathroom then waited outside for her. Did they sense just how fragile she was? Because one moment she was as strong as steel and then in the next she was as delicate as a hot-house flower. She was a bundle of contradictions and Seth found himself wanting to get to know her better. Wasn't that why he had all but dragged her back here?

The whistling kettle caught his attention and he turned it off while he rummaged through his cupboard. As it happened, he liked a cup of Earl Grey himself, he often had honey on his toast, and saltines were his default cracker.

He was just finishing off two cups of tea when she came to join him. Pleased he hadn't spilled hot water, he let her carry the mugs to the table where they joined the crackers, already laid out. He'd also put out cheese, slices of ham and pre-cut pieces of watermelon.

"I didn't add honey because I didn't know how much you wanted."

"Thank you," she said softly. Her eyes were clearer, he thought, and there was a bit of colour in her cheeks. Then he watched as she let a stream of honey into her cup.

He frowned. "Would you like some tea with your honey?"

She laughed and finally stopped. "I guess I go a little overboard, but it's my Achilles Heel."

"What, honey?"

"Honey and tea. Most doctors live off of coffee, but not me. I live off of tea. My nurses always have a cup ready for me after a major trauma."

"You work in the ER?"

Her look shuttered just a bit. "Yeah, I do. And the OR. I'm a trauma surgeon. It's gruelling work, but it's what I'm good at. Was good at," she corrected.

"Is it as easy to let go as it is to change verb tenses? Because you're a doctor with every ounce of your being. How could you walk away from that?"

She flicked him a quick glance and then looked out the window towards the gloaming. "Once a doctor, always a doctor, you would think."

"But not for you."

She sighed. "No, not for me. I had to walk away, Seth, please just accept it."

He would. For now.

"Will you be up for a drive to Vancouver on Saturday? Frank is out of intensive care and has asked for me. Sheila also told him about you and now he wants to meet you as well."

"Sheila's his wife?"

"His first wife."

Jocelyne raised a brow but said nothing.

"They got divorced after twenty years of marriage. Then he married wife number two. She lasted about three years. Then came number three. She lasted a day. That divorce was five years ago. Frank swore he was never getting married again and there's been no one in his life since then."

"Yet Sheila came."

Seth looked up at her. "You're a doctor, right, so you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Frank is sterile. He found out when they couldn't get pregnant. He kept wanting to give her a divorce so she could meet someone who could give her kids, but she refused saying he was enough. Frank had thought the whole thing settled, then one day he comes home to find divorce papers on the table and Sheila's disappeared."

"What happened?"

"She met someone who got her pregnant - while she was still married to Frank." Seth clicked his tongue. "That hurt Frank more than anything else."

"Then what happened?"

"In the sixth month she went into premature labour. The baby lived for five days."

"And the father?"

Seth shrugged. "Frank never knew who the guy was and whoever he was, he wasn't there for Sheila after the baby died. Frank would have taken her back, but she moved back to Prince George under the auspices of looking after her aging parents. She told Frank she wanted nothing to do with him, so he walked away."

"And then got married twice more?"

Again, Seth shrugged. "Frank's a really good guy and he's been my partner for two years now, but sometimes he doesn't have the good sense God gave him. He's old fashioned and believes that after a suitable courting period, you're supposed to get married."

"Do you think they'll get back together?"

Seth considered. "She raced down here as fast as she could and she was really torn up about the whole thing. She hasn't left his side. She told me her parents are dead, but what she didn't tell me is if there's somebody waiting for her back in Prince George."

"What's your read?"

"That she's as alone and lonely as Frank is." Seth took a sip of tea, searching for time to gather his thoughts. "Frank's only a couple of years to mandatory retirement and, honestly, he could have gone anytime in the past five years. He says he stayed on because of me, but I figure it's because he doesn't have a life beyond the force. You saw him and you know. He's never going to be a Mountie again. At least not on the streets."

Jocelyne didn't even put up a token protest, which was perhaps most telling of all.

"Do you need to go to bed? I can go to my room and read. By the way, I really appreciate you sleeping in the loft."

She waved him off. "No big deal. It's kind of cozy up there, actually."

"When you get home from work tomorrow, I'll show you the site."

"What site?"

"Of the house I'm building."

Her eyes widened. "You're building a house?"

He nodded. "It's pretty slow going, but then I'm not in a rush. I just want to give my wife more than this place."

Her eyes shot open and she sputtered. "You have a wife?"

He laughed. "No, I meant my future wife. I mean I haven't met her yet...or at least I don't think I have." He waved away his own thoughts. "I just want to make a home where I can raise my kids. I want a bunch of kids. You want kids, right?"

"No." The answer came without thought. It was the answer she always gave. She was a hot-shot trauma surgeon destined for great achievements and accomplishments. She and Morris had never even discussed children. He'd had a vasectomy years ago and it had never even been an issue. Children were messy. Children took time. Children required a division of attention that she wasn't willing to make. It wouldn't be fair to her, the children, or her patients.

"Okay." Seth's reaction was tentative.

"You have a dangerous job and still you want kids?"

"Of course." His answer in the affirmative came as swiftly as her denial had. "I want my own soccer team."

Jocelyne tried not to let her jaw drop. "How many makes a soccer team?"

Seth shrugged, a grin on his face. "Well, a soccer team might be a bit of an exaggeration. At least three, preferably four."

"Four?" Four was inconceivable. She had a sister, yes, but that was the extent of her family. Both her parents had been only children, so she had no aunts, uncles or cousins. What Seth was proposing was beyond her realm of experience.

"I think four is the perfect number. I have two sisters and a brother. They're all married with kids. Christmas is a riot."

Finding this conversation less and less comfortable, Jocelyne simply stared. "Isn't that a bit chaotic?"

"Not a bit chaotic," he assured her, "a lot chaotic. That's the best part. I love spending time with my nieces and nephew. Kids are our legacy, our reason for being."

"There are other things in life, you know." Now she was bristling. "Volunteering, community service, career. Those are all important contributions."

Seth held up his hands in mock surrender. "I agree there are other ways to contribute to the greater good. In my job I see a lot of people who never should have become parents. I'm just saying that when it's done right - with two loving parents - childrearing can be the best experience in the world."

"But how can you be so sure? I mean, if you're not a parent yourself..."

He gave her that dazzling smile. "My brother and brothers-in-law all cried each and every time their wives gave birth. My brother, he notes every milestone. The best part of his day is when he comes home and hears what his kids did that day. He loves them more than anything in the world and would lay down his life for them in a heartbeat."

"That all sounds well and good, but how much of that is instinctual? Aren't human beings programmed to protect their young?"

"Sure, on some basic level." He sobered. "But genetics don't determine parenting ability. I'm lucky because I have the best examples - my parents were great parents. But that feeling, that desire to be a parent, is a very human thing. Don't suppose I could change your mind?"

"About what?"

"About having children?"

"Why would I change my mind?" She felt baffled. "I have my career."

Seth considered her carefully. "You had your career," he corrected. "You're not a trauma surgeon anymore. Besides, a career won't give you a legacy."

"Maybe it will. Maybe I'll invent a new surgical technique. Maybe I'll save someone who goes on to cure cancer."

Seth realized she was serious. She was equating professional achievement with the joy of parenthood. She was entitled to her opinion, of course. It just happened to be counter to his beliefs.

At least she was being honest about her feelings, he supposed. Better than finding out later. Just another reason, he reminded himself, why getting involved with this intriguing woman was such a bad idea.

Still, as her colour continued to improve, he felt himself feeling the stirrings of desire. She just looked so damn beautiful. Her hair was askew, her eyes a dark blue.

"Why don't you let your hair down?"

"I'm sorry?"

He grinned. "I was being literal, not metaphorical." He pointed towards the slipping clip. "I just thought you might be more comfortable without that thing in your hair."

Her hands flew to her hair and he knew the exact moment she realized how dishevelled she really was. "I, um, didn't look in the mirror."

He waved dismissively. "You look fine, but don't ever fuss on my account. I'm pretty easy going."

Then she did what he had thought previously impossible - she let her hair down.

And Seth found his mouth going dry.

She had glorious, thick, wavy hair. It was luxurious and went all the way to the small of her back.

"How do you do that?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"Keep all that hair in that little itty bitty clip?"

Her laugh was deep and rich. And Seth realized he had never heard her laugh before.

"Do that again."

"Do what?"

"Laugh," he said. "Please, just laugh again."

The moment was gone, however, and, right before his eyes, she began to close up. Not wanting to lose out on something so unbelievably precious, Seth reached out and took her hand. "Please, Doc, just smile for me."

Her eyes were filled with doubt and she pulled her hand back. "Why should it matter to you if I smile? If I laugh?"

Had no one ever told her how precious those things really were? Apparently not.

So he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Because you look beautiful when you smile."

Now her look was wary and he realized the reason.

"You don't like being judged by your looks, do you?"

She shook her head. "No. I think one of the reasons I prefer trauma surgery is because the patient doesn't get to pick you. I mean often it's me or death and they usually wind up picking me. If I were a cardiac surgeon, they might judge me on my looks instead of my abilities."

Wow, that was harsh. "Who told you that? Who made you question yourself?"

A denial was on the tip of her tongue, but it never materialized. Because he'd hit the jackpot, he realized, although he sure didn't feel like he'd won anything.

Jocelyne rose jerkily from the table and Seth moved just as quickly to block her escape. She did halt, although her eyes were downcast. He reached out to snag her chin, tilting her up to face him. To his dismay, her eyes were closed and tiny tears were streaking down her cheeks.

Without thought, he leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek, absorbing the moisture. Then he repeated the process with the other side. She trembled under his hand and he longed to haul her against him. He wanted to engulf her in the biggest embrace possible. He wanted to take away her pain.

All of her pain.

But he could do none of that and when she stepped back, he let her go.

"I think I am tired after all. If it's okay with you, I'll just use the bathroom and then go to bed."

"Sure," he said, hoping the strain he was feeling wouldn't be evident in his voice.

In the end, it didn't really matter because she slipped away from him without another word.

So close, he thought, yet so far away.

Friday morning was harsh for Jocelyne, as it always was the day after a migraine. The medicine might get rid of the pain, but it left her with a nasty hangover. Or at least what she imagined a hangover would feel like. She'd never had more than two glasses of wine with dinner in her entire life. She'd certainly never imbibed. First her parents, then Morris, and finally her work, had convinced her the evils of alcohol in great quantities. She'd lost count of the number of innocent victims of drunk drivers she'd treated over the years. She'd treated a few of those drunk drivers as well and although her care had been above reproach, she'd been less emotionally involved.

Rolling out of bed, Morris' words came back to haunt her. Don't get emotionally involved with your patients. They are simply a means to an end. The ends being the goal of recognition in her chosen field. Yet some patients had gotten to her.

Patients like Mikaela Leblanc.

Ruthlessly, Jocelyne pushed aside the feelings which flooded her every time she thought of the young woman. The woman who, at twenty-five had already had three children. The woman who had loved those children as fiercely as she had loved their father.

She stood up so abruptly she almost hit her head on the low ceiling of the loft. All she needed was a concussion, she told herself. As she smoothed out her blouse and trousers for the day, she eyed her pitiful stash of clothes. As of Monday she would be officially into rotation. She could do a bit of mixing and matching as well as adding a scarf, although that was ridiculous in this heat, but the truth was that everyone at the clinic was bound to notice the lack of variety in her wardrobe. Not that she'd had much to begin with. She owned about a dozen pair of scrubs and had a closet full of fancy clothes she'd worn once. She'd always meant to donate them to a charity store but had never gotten around to it. She wondered what Morris would do with the clothes now. It would never occur to him to donate them to charity, but maybe Eliana might just do it.

Eliana was the housekeeper of Morris' estate and although she was always prim and proper, the woman had a heart of gold. She had always been there to listen when Jocelyne had lost a patient, but she never let her feel sorry for herself. Jocelyne missed Eliana most of all. She had been like a second mother to her when Jocelyne had lost her own.

Ruthlessly tamping down thoughts of the kind but strict woman who had raised her, Jocelyne went down the ladder, clothes in hand. She would hang them on the back of the door while she had her shower with the hopes that might eliminate the few creases. Jocelyne preferred the crisp and polished look, even if she did spend most of her time in a back room at a computer. Actually, she preferred scrubs. Vivi, the medical office assistant was allowed to wear them and although Jocelyne was tempted to ask, she knew she wouldn't. Besides, she hadn't actually brought any scrubs with her.

Too many memories.

Since she'd washed her hair yesterday and it didn't need to be done every day, she clipped it to the top of her head. The warm water was a pleasantry that she enjoyed, but she was quick, mindful of the small water tank. Plus, she was used to quick showers. Often she would hop in and out before going home to grab the requisite sleep before turning around and going back to the hospital. Even though she was now an attending physician, she still put in over sixty hours a week, sometimes getting closer to eighty. She spent all her time at the hospital because she had nothing else to do except attend the odd function as the wife of the Chief of Surgery. Of course, Morris was Chief of Surgery at the prestigious centre attached to the university while Jocelyne preferred the hospital where the less fortunate of the city were brought. It had stuck in her husband's craw, but on this she had been firm. She didn't want any chance that there might be the appearance of nepotism and the only way to avoid that was for her stay away from Morris' hospital.

She stepped from the shower and efficiently dried herself. Her clothes were now, in fact, wrinkle-free and she slipped into them. By the end of the day, however, she suspected she would look wilted as the day was going to be even hotter than yesterday.

Carrying her shoes in her hand so she wouldn't make noise, she started when she found Seth in the kitchen. He was shirtless, the button of his jeans was undone and he had bare feet. Jocelyne wasn't sure she'd ever seen anything so sexy in her life.

"You're up," she managed to say.

"Yeah, I'm making you toast and I've put the kettle on to boil. Why don't you have a seat?"

"I can make my own breakfast, you know."

He eyed her and she realized her tone had been a little defensive.

"I know you can, Doc, but you didn't eat breakfast yesterday morning and last night you ate a few crackers. You're already slender enough, you don't need to go losing weight."

Jocelyne felt a flush of pleasure wash over her. So he had noticed her body after all. Not that he'd said anything inappropriate, she rushed to tell herself, but it did feel good to have him notice. Of course he had called her beautiful last night, but she had practically attacked him on that one.

"I...I need to get more clothes."

"Sure. You might as well swing by and get the rest of your stuff from that room you were in. I know you're not comfortable here, but if you won't take a loan from me for first and last, at least stay here until you can save up the money."

She hesitated. "I don't feel uncomfortable here, but I think you misunderstand. I mean, I went by the old place yesterday to hand in the key, but there was nothing left for me to get."

His look of disbelief would have been priceless had her circumstances not been quite so dire.

"You own two suitcases? That's it?" He shook his head. "I don't know any woman who doesn't own a closet full of clothes."

"Well now you do," she said tartly. Then she relented. "I left behind some fancy dresses and stuff. I see now I should have packed more, but I just wanted to get out of there."

"What were you running from?"

Jocelyne let out a breath of frustration. "This is going to get very old very quickly if you don't let up on this. I told you, I'm not running from anything." Was the lie visible on her face or was she conveying what she hoped was a disinterested glare?

Seth gave her a long return stare as he handed her the toast. The honey, she noted, was already on the table. "We have two charity shops and a used clothing store. There are also a couple of regular clothing stores - maybe they've got stuff on sale."

She was grateful he seemed to understand her predicament.

"There's better shopping in the next town over, though. Abbotsford has three times our population and therefore about three times the selection. Why don't we head over there after work tonight?"

"You're not going anywhere," she said with annoyance lacing her voice. "You're staying right here and relaxing. There's no rush," she pointed out. "I have enough clothes to get through for a while."

His eyes flickered. "Please, Doc, I'm going nuts."

"So you want to go clothes shopping with me?" She shook her head in amazement. "You must really be desperate."

"Actually, Roxie's thirteenth birthday is coming up and I wanted to get her a gift certificate for a clothing store. We can kill two birds with one stone."

Jocelyne rolled her eyes. "Just give me the cash and I'll buy it for you."

"Can't," he replied smugly. "Don't have any cash and as much as I trust you, I'm not giving you my debit card and PIN."

She couldn't argue with that. "Okay, I'll pick you up after work, we'll go to the store so you can buy the gift certificate and then we come home."

Seth shook his head. "Nope. We do dinner, shopping and then a movie."

Her eyes shot up to his. "What part of bed rest do you not understand?"

"You know me, Doc, I'm not built to just sit around. Please, let me do this."

As if she could really stop him. "Dinner and one store," she agreed cautiously. "But there's no way you're sitting in a movie theatre for two hours."

"Actually, it's two-and-a-half."

She eyed him warily. "You already know which movie you want to see." It was a statement, not a question.

He named a movie she had never heard of which ended in the number three.

"A sequel, I take it?"

"Yeah, and I've been waiting for a year for it to come out. Tonight is opening night."

How could she argue with that? It was so clearly evident he was going stir crazy and it had been all of a day. At least she would be chauffeuring and there to drag him home if he was overdoing it.

"We'll see how you're handling things," she agreed, trepidation seeping into her voice. "But know that you are going against doctor's orders."

"Yes, Doc."

She set down her mug and looked him square in the eyes. "Please, Seth, don't call me that. I'm not a doctor anymore."

"Yeah, you are. Maybe something happened and they took away your licence, but you saved Frank's life when no one else would have been able to."

Standing abruptly, she nearly knocked the table. "I should be here shortly after five. We can head out then." She was about to leave when she turned back. "Your body really does need time to heal, Seth. Promise me you'll lie down today."

He looked like he was going to argue, but then relented. "Yeah, Doc, I'll lie down."

Well at least he was going to do one of the things she was asking.

At four-thirty, Seth let the dogs out for a run around the yard. Luckily, the last people living here had kept a cow, so there was a large fenced in pasture. Why they had kept a cow was a bit beyond him, but who was he to argue. Charley was valiantly trying to keep up with Mac and was doing a pretty good job, even if he was hampered by the injured leg. Zephyra had told Seth to let the dog do what he wanted as long as he didn't do anything to re-injure the leg. Seth had been dubious, but apparently the little mutt and the vet knew what they were talking about.

Seth had hoped to take Jocelyne over to the site for the new house, but it could wait. They had all the time in the world. Well, at least until she saved up the money she needed. How long would that take? What if she got a better offer? Owen MacCauley was single, attractive, and considered a real catch according to the gossip around town. Maybe he would make a move on Jocelyne.

Even Marco was single and he was about a dozen years her senior. She seemed like the type of woman who would appreciate an older and cultured man. What had she said? That she'd left behind 'some fancy dresses and stuff'. What stuff? He could understand leaving behind fancy dresses, but to bring only two suitcases of clothes? He had been serious about not knowing a woman who didn't own a closet full of clothes. Both his sisters owned massive numbers of outfits while Ray complained that his wife Bettina had given him the closet in the den for his clothes. Since Ray worked construction and wore the same clothes virtually every day, it wasn't that big of a sacrifice. It was the principal, his brother had complained. His heart hadn't really been in it, Seth could plainly see. Ray adored his wife and his twin daughters.

Seth checked his watch, pleased to see that more than a half-an-hour had elapsed. Time had crawled by today, although he had followed the Doc's orders and taken a nap. He'd slept a solid four hours and was finally willing to admit he was trying to write cheques his body couldn't cash. If he was too tired, then he would suck it up and skip the movie. He needed to be well-rested when he went to see Frank and Sheila tomorrow. They didn't need to see anything more than the bum shoulder.

He put out the food and watched the dogs go to work. He dutifully put out a bowl of little dog food and a bowl of big dog food, but it was pointless. Both dogs ate the food designed for bigger dogs and left the froufrou stuff in the bowl. When the bowl was empty, they each looked up at him and he scooped in another cup. It was impressive how they took turns, neither hogging the food.

Hearing the truck pull up, Seth went to the bedroom to grab his button down shirt. He wasn't above asking for help when he needed it and, seeing as he was going out in public, he wanted to look decent.

"Uh, Seth, could you get the door?" Jocelyne's voice was strained and he moved quickly to the main room so he could get the door. Then he roundly cursed, even as he opened it. "This goes in the kitchen, right?"

"Yeah, it goes in the kitchen. Here, let me help you."

Her eyes shot daggers. "I've got it, now kindly step out of my way."

He obeyed and watched as she hauled the twenty pound bag of dog food into the kitchen. She let it down with a thud.

"Sorry about the less-than-gracious entrance. I'll just go grab the other one."

Seth stepped in her path. "You'll do no such thing. You could hurt yourself."

Jocelyne only rolled her eyes. "I help transfer patients heavier than that all the time. It's not a big deal."

"Transferring a patient with a team of helpers is hardly the same thing."

Her eyes narrowed. "But I'll bet if your brother were here you would let him carry it."

"Ray hauls bags of concrete for a living, Doc, so it's hardly a fair comparison."

"Fine." She leaned her hip against the counter and smiled. "If you don't let me bring in the bag then we're not going out." With that, she tucked the keys into the front pocket of her slacks. He would have to grope her to get them and they both knew he was too much of a gentleman to do that.

Realizing he had very few options and knowing that the food did indeed need to come into the house, he relented. "Fine," he spat out, "but I'm not going to forget this."

Jocelyne only smiled. "I'm sure you won't." Then she disappeared back out the front door. Seth turned to find both dogs watching him.

"What are you looking at?"

Charley simply woofed.

Seth had chosen a nice restaurant, Jocelyne decided. A family restaurant, though, and there were quite a few families. Did he really want four children? Jocelyne could only think about how the earth's population was growing too fast for the planet to handle it. She wanted no part in the population explosion. At the beginning of the twentieth century, there had been about a billion people on the planet. By the end of the century, there had been six. China's one child policy was a bit harsh, but she could understand the impetus under which it had been created.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She glanced at him. "Just thinking about world population growth."

"And here I thought you were admiring your hunky and handsome dinner companion." He gave her a wink and she laughed. The sound was utterly foreign to her because she didn't laugh. It wasn't part of her DNA. Oh, some of jokes the nurses said, when they thought she wasn't listening, were amusing, but nothing more than that. Certainly no one joked in front of her. Occasionally a scared patient would try and Jocelyne would always offer a reassuring pat and a smile, all the while envisioning the surgery she was about to conduct.

"You're zoning again, Doc. Am I really such bad company? Or did you have a rough day at work?"

Jocelyne shook her head, all the while trying to pull herself back to the present. "No problems at work. Vivi and I went to lunch and she talked the whole time. Aside from Owen, Marco, her niece Quinn and you, I didn't recognize a single name. Still, that was no deterrent. I just hope she didn't expect me to remember anything she said and, by the way, what kind of a name is Quinn? For a female or a male for that matter."

Seth shrugged. "Vivi's sister is a bit of a forward thinker and, I believed, didn't want her daughter judged by her name."

"Well I'm not sure the woman is aware of the law of unintended consequences," Jocelyne muttered, but she had a small smile on her face. "I understand Quinn works down at the Mission City Animal Clinic."

"She does," Seth confirmed. "She works with Dr. Zephyra Dixon. Zeph is the one who convinced me to adopt Mac and she's the one who took care of Charley."

Jocelyne wasn't sure where to begin with those snippets of information. "You just adopted Charley a few days ago right? Before or after the accident?"

"After," Seth said and Jocelyne simply goggled.

"You can barely care for yourself and you've taken on another one?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sucker. I found Charley on the side of the road after he'd been tossed from a moving vehicle. Zeph fixed him up for me. I brought him home and introduced him to Mac. I think it was love at first sight."

Jocelyne wrinkled her nose. "They aren't, I mean, they can't..."

Seth laughed. "Well, Mac has been spayed and Charley is getting his balls chopped off in a few weeks, if that's what you're asking. As for logistics, yeah it would be a challenge what with her being ten times his size, but stranger things have happened."

A brow shot up. He must be crazy if he thought... On the other hand, what did she know about the reproductive and mating habits of a husky and a terrier? She tried to rid her mind of that particular image. Then another piece of information. "You and Dr. Dixon...?" She made some vague gesture.

"We went out a few times," Seth confirmed, "but it wasn't anything serious." Then he grinned. "Jealous?"

"Of course not," Jocelyne said primly. Then she relented. "Not jealous, just concerned. I mean, are you going to be bringing women back to the cabin?"

His face turned sombre. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"I don't know what kind of guy you are, Seth, so that's why I'm asking." She also wanted to know if he had someone special in his life, but she was never going to admit that.

He grunted. "Honestly, I haven't been on a date for a few weeks and there hasn't been anyone serious in a while."

What had that admission cost him? He didn't seem like someone who prided himself on conquests, but who was she to judge? She'd known a few doctors and nurses - of both sexes - who had counted notches on their bedposts the way she had counted successful surgeries. She didn't understand it, but she knew it was a way to cope with the traumatic things they saw every day. Montréal wasn't a particularly violent city, but she'd seen her share of fights and domestic disputes which had ended badly. She'd treated lots of knife wounds as well as her fair share of bullet wounds. Nothing like she would have in an American city however, for which she'd been grateful. She'd once attended a trauma surgeons' conference in Chicago and had been stunned to hear about thirty people died every day in the US from gunshot wounds. That didn't even touch the people who were simply injured.

Realizing she was drifting away again, she turned back to Seth who was eyeing her thoughtfully. "So how about you, Doc?"

He said the nickname quietly, with a docile tone, and she found she just couldn't reprimand him. "What about me?"

"Will I be giving up my bedroom to you and a suitor?"

Jocelyne stared at him, thinking he was crazy. "You're joking, right?"

He shook his head. "Nope. You're an attractive single woman in a town with lots of single men. They're going to snap you up like fresh meat."

"That's disgusting." The image brought her shivers.

"Maybe, but it's true. Owen's single. Marco is single. I know a cop, Colton Pritchard, he's single. Sawyer the paramedic is single. The fireman you tried to evade, Finn, is single. Then there's-"

Jocelyne held up her hands to stem the tide. "I didn't come to Mission City to find anyone."

"Do you have someone back in Montréal?"

"No."

Liar.

If he saw the truth, though, he didn't call her on it. Technically she didn't have anyone waiting because she had served Morris with divorce papers. All his lawyer had to do was file them with the courts and she would be free of that anvil which had been hanging around her neck for more than half a dozen years. Marrying Morris had been the biggest mistake of her life. One she had no intention of repeating.

She was startled when Seth reached out to place his hand on hers. "I didn't mean to upset you, Doc."

"You didn't," she said, but there was little conviction in her voice. Still, she met his gaze.

"You're not an easy one to read, but you must know that. Sometimes I can't tell if you're telling the truth or not and I find it disconcerting."

"What, no mind-reading abilities?"

Seth shrugged, but held on to her hand. "My job involved making split second decisions all the time about whether or not someone is telling the truth."

"And my job involved being able to tell someone I could save them even if the odds were against me." This time, she noted, she had remembered to use the past tense.

"How many of those people did you save?"

"More than I lost," she admitted. "I didn't like making bets because I thought I was better than that. You know the expression that all surgeons believe they're God and but God knows that he's not a surgeon? You have to have both confidence and arrogance to survive. Otherwise, you burn out." She tugged on her hand and he released her.

"We should go shopping," she said simply, as she caught the attention of the waiter. The bill was delivered promptly and before she could blink, Seth had handed over his credit card. He must have planned it, because for someone with a crippled good hand, he did a damn fine job of producing payment quickly.

So she would pay for the movie, she told herself, even as she admitted she was looking forward to it. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen a movie, let alone the last time she had been to a cinema. She also couldn't remember the last time she had gone shopping for clothes because she had a consultant at the ready for things as mundane as that. In fact, she wasn't even sure she knew her size.

When Seth suggested a row of stores, she pulled into the lot. He pointed to one of them. "I'm going to get Roxie's gift certificate, but I don't think they'll have anything for you." Considering the mannequins were dressed in micro-mini skirts, cut-off blouses which showed a shocking amount of midriff and were wearing three inch heels, Jocelyne had to concur with his assertion.

"But Nancy lets Roxie shops there?"

"Nancy shops with Roxie there," Seth corrected. "It may be a battle of wills, but I promise you that my sister wins every time." He pointed to the mannequins. "No way will you see my niece in those outfits. Those colours, maybe, but the clothes will be more age appropriate."

Jocelyne wasn't sure they were appropriate for any age, but she knew she was a stodgy old curmudgeon when it came to things like that. Luckily, the next store showed clothes which were appropriate for work and relaxation. "I'll just go in there," she indicated and Seth nodded.

The store was bright, but not garishly so. Recessed lighting showed off racks of designs which were in sedate and elegant colours. She was approached by an older woman with a pleasant face and a warm smile. "I'm Olive," she said. "How are you this evening?"

Jocelyne's glance darted around the store and she wet her lips. "I'm fine," she said. "I'm just looking for a couple of things."

"Of course," Olive said. "You're a size four tall?"

"Um, I guess."

"And are we looking for day wear, evening wear, casual..?"

Again, Jocelyne looked around. "I need a pair of pants, two blouses and a pair of jeans." She only prayed it wouldn't break the bank.

"Well, we're having our summer sale, so I'm sure we can find something that will suit. Do you need a pair of shorts as well?"

Considering she would sweat just going from the clinic to Seth's truck, it was probably a good idea.

"Sure," she said. "If they're on sale."

"Discount rack," Olive assured her. "Now, do you prefer khaki or linen?"

"She'll try both," Seth said, catching Jocelyne off-guard, but not Olive. Apparently the older woman had seen him approached.

Jocelyne tried not to stiffen when he stood next to her, his shoulder pressed to hers.

"Very well," Olive said. "Just give me a few moments. I trust that you prefer pastels?"

Considering she was wearing white pants and a pale yellow blouse, it was a good bet.

"But not something that washes her out," Seth said and Jocelyne turned to him while Olive headed towards the sales rack.

"Where do you get off telling that nice woman how I should dress?" She straightened to her full height which was just shorter than him by a few inches.

"I have two older sisters, so I know a few things about fashion. Look, Jocelyne, all the pastels make you look pasty white." Before she could say anything, he continued on. "Just try on one or two jewel-toned tops. If you really hate them then you don't have to buy them."

"And if Olive and I both disagree with you?"

His grin was quick and sure. "I know better than to argue with the ladies." He pointed over to Olive who was standing a discreet distance away, holding several outfits. "Go. And try to have fun."

Jocelyne would never have considered clothes shopping as a fun activity, but it was a necessity and she was good at doing what needed to be done.

After trying on the seventh outfit, though, she was starting to get really grumpy. Olive and Seth had insisted she show them each outfit so they could give their contribution. The problem was that they both liked almost everything she tried on. How on earth was she supposed to choose? One thing Olive had been accurate about had been the prices. They were all quite reasonable, given their quality.

The last outfit was a sundress Seth insisted she try. She had to both appease him and satisfy her own curiosity. In the end, it had been a resounding flop as the waist had been halfway between her breasts and her navel. That made the skirt way too short, so that was an end to that. So she changed back into her clothes while running through her options. Seth had been right, damn him, she did look better in darker colours. Why had her stylist back home not seen that? Or maybe Morris had insisted Jocelyne look washed out so she wouldn't be competition. Because Morris was definitely a vain man. He was tall, imposing, and believed the world revolved around him. In many of their social circles, it did.

She was about to put on her pants when a piece of fabric came flying over the dressing room door.

"Try that on," came Seth's disembodied voice. Jocelyne unquenched the Lycra and found it was a sleek purple bathing suit.

"Um, I don't-"

"We're going to a pool party at Ray's on Sunday. The whole family will be there. It's supposed to be really hot and you'll want to cool off in the pool."

Arrogant man, she thought, even as she pulled the suit on over her underwear. She pulled it up and cursed. It fit. Perfectly. She glanced at the tag and saw that it was eighty percent off. It was cut high at the thigh and emphasized her long legs while providing enough subtle support for her breasts. She looked good in it, she had to admit.

"You win," she said, in capitulation.

"Great, toss it back over."

Within about a minute, she did exactly that. With a sigh, she put her clothes back on. It might have been nice if he'd asked her if she wanted to go to a pool party, but she had to admit the idea both terrified her and intrigued her. Seth's family would be there. She had really only glimpsed his sister and brother-in-law, although she had seen plenty of the kids. Candy had been gregarious while Dougie a little subdued because of the whole toilet incident. Roxie had started out defiant and rude, but she had come around in the end.

Did she really want to spend more time with these kids and the other four? How about his other sister, brother, and possibly his parents? Overwhelming and intriguing at the same time. Well if she could handle a room of the richest people in Montréal being hit up for donations for Morris' hospital, then she could do this. Plus, she couldn't remember the last time she'd gone swimming. Her family had owned a luxurious cottage where they had summered every year, but that had been sold when Chantale had turned eighteen. Jocelyne probably hadn't gone swimming in about fourteen years. She was a good swimmer, though, so she wasn't worried about making a fool of herself.

She exited the dressing room to see a beaming Olive and Seth with a number of large bags at his feet.

"I can't carry all of them, Jocelyne, so you'll have to help."

"But-"

"Take pity on a wounded man."

That was low. Really low.

"I still have to pay."

"Oh, your nice boyfriend took care of that," Olive said smoothly. If she sensed the unspoken conversation going on between Jocelyne and Seth, she was ignoring it.

Realizing that arguing was futile, Jocelyne picked up the remaining shopping bags. She held the door for Seth, feeling a wave of unpleasant heat after the wonderfully cooled environment of the store. It was past eight, but it was still muggy. She used the remote to unlock the door and then stowed the bags in the trunk. She slammed the door with a bit more force than necessary. "What is with you? That was completely inappropriate."

He didn't look the least bit cowed. Instead, he pointed to a store across the way. "There's a shoe store. Let's go get you a couple of pairs."

She didn't move, instead giving him a look which could only be described as mutinous. "We're not going shoe shopping. What we're doing is going back into that store and returning most of this."

"Can't," Seth said simply.

"And why not,' she demanded.

"Because you can't return sale merchandise. Everyone knows that discounted sales are final."

Except she didn't know that. Was he lying? No, she told herself, he wouldn't do that. Seth Jacobs didn't lie.

"Well, I'm sure Olive will make an exception considering it was purchased not fifteen minutes ago."

"She might, but she would need to put it back onto my credit card and I'm not handing it over." His grin was so annoying Jocelyne wanted to scream. She wouldn't, of course, because she was a lady and ladies didn't yell at stupid, pig-headed, obstinate men. No matter how much they deserved it.

"Look, Jocelyne, you needed the clothes and they really were a good price. The cost less than a day's salary for me."

Since she had no idea what he made, she had no idea how much that was. "Well, you work hard."

"Right now I'm on disability and still getting paid. Paid to sit around and do nothing." His face sobered. "This is the most fun I've had since the accident. Please don't take that away from me. You're making more of this than you need to. If it's a point of pride then you can pay me back once you're settled in your new place and on firmer footing financially."

"That might be months," she pointed out.

"So then it will be months," he said, "I'm not in a hurry."

She felt herself relenting. "Okay, but no shoes."

"Do you have running shoes? Hiking boots? How about sandals?"

"No. I don't see-"

"You need running shoes if you're going to take the dogs for long walks. You'll need hiking boots for when I show you the site of my home and sandals to wear to the pool party this weekend."

"Yes, and while we're on that particular topic, you were going to invite me, right? Not just order me to show up?"

He feathered his hand through his hair. "Ray only called today. It's a kind of celebration about the fact I didn't die."

"And you need me...?"

"Because Nancy has told everyone about you and I'll be teased mercilessly if I show up without you. Plus, I need you to drive me and pick me up. You might as well just stay."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't play fair, Seth."

He simply shrugged and snagged her hand. "The shoe store is having a sale."

With that, she let herself be led.