doctors angry for encroaching on their territory, but she’d also have midwives in a tizzy. And you didn’t want to get a midwife in a tizzy.
Maybe she was going about this the wrong way.
Her SUV seemed to agree, as it made a screeching flappetty clackety sound. Ivey coasted off to the side of Merlot Highway. Perfect. Stranded on a sweltering August day. Wearing a white halter dress—obviously the perfect outfit for car trouble. She made the useless effort of pulling up her hood, always more of call for help than anything else. Like waving a flag of distress. Nothing under the hood made sense to her anyway.
With the hood up, she stared at the engine. Someone would stop and help. She should stand and look concerned. Oh look, the thingamajig is broken. Dear me, I’ll need a new whatchamacallit .
Within a few minutes, she had her first stop. She didn’t recognize the guy, so he might be a tourist. Then again, she didn’t know everyone in town any more. This guy looked like an auto guy, big and burly with a handlebar mustache. And probably no danger to her at all in the middle of the day.
“What’s the trouble?” He asked.
“Ah, well. Not sure.” Ivey looked down at the engine and shook her head. Like she’d tried to figure it out, but dang it, she was stumped this time.
She moved aside so he could look, but before he did he gave her a long look. “You’re Ivey, aren’t you?”
She tried to smile. “Do I know you?”
“Nope, but I know you.” He rocked back on his heels. “I had a blue ribbon.”
“Let me guess. You work at the hardware store.”
He took a few steps back, shaking his head. “I work at the car shop. Bad luck for you that Dr. Jeff doesn’t work on his own car. I’d help you, but I had a blue ribbon.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Everyone took down their ribbons ages ago. It doesn’t count anymore. Are you going to leave me out here? Where’s your sense of decency?”
“Where’s yours? Date a Deusch.com over a doctor, lady? Anyway, it’s the bro code. Nah, tell you what. I’ll call someone else to help you. Someone who had a pink ribbon.” He ambled over to his truck and got back in.
It was official. Everyone in this town was shit-faced crazy. Certifiable.
“He broke up with me !” Ivey shouted as the guy took off.
Ivey stomped her foot, took out her cell and dialed Brooke. She was working, something about the first crush, but maybe she’d answer. No such luck, as the phone switched over to voice mail. Was Ivey really supposed to wait here until someone who had a pink ribbon showed up? Would the insanity ever end?
No other cars passed by in the next few minutes. It was the middle of the day in the middle of the week, and she wasn’t going to stand around until someone meandered home. She was only a few miles from the hospital, and if she didn’t get there soon she’d be late for her meeting with Jeff. Late to tell him that the women’s center might have to be fully staffed by doctors, because no midwives would come near it.
Lillian wouldn’t be thrilled. She’d given her a chance, and Ivey couldn’t blow it now.
Ivey rubbed her forehead. She felt a headache coming on, and the heat didn’t help.
Whipping out her cell phone, she thought about calling Jeff, but that would take him away from the hospital. Sick people needed him more than she needed a ride.
She’d walk. It couldn’t be more than a mile or two.
*****
Some people changed their mind every ten minutes. Ivey now wanted more of his fries. She had that familiar longing in her eyes, so he pushed the plate in her direction.
“Have as many as you want, Little Face.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d called her that, but she didn’t even blink. Smiled and licked her lips.
And since when did she wear lingerie to the diner? How had he failed to notice she wore the same red lace teddy he’d bought her from Victoria’s Secret so long ago?
Damn, she drove him crazy. Always had.
He
Maybe she was going about this the wrong way.
Her SUV seemed to agree, as it made a screeching flappetty clackety sound. Ivey coasted off to the side of Merlot Highway. Perfect. Stranded on a sweltering August day. Wearing a white halter dress—obviously the perfect outfit for car trouble. She made the useless effort of pulling up her hood, always more of call for help than anything else. Like waving a flag of distress. Nothing under the hood made sense to her anyway.
With the hood up, she stared at the engine. Someone would stop and help. She should stand and look concerned. Oh look, the thingamajig is broken. Dear me, I’ll need a new whatchamacallit .
Within a few minutes, she had her first stop. She didn’t recognize the guy, so he might be a tourist. Then again, she didn’t know everyone in town any more. This guy looked like an auto guy, big and burly with a handlebar mustache. And probably no danger to her at all in the middle of the day.
“What’s the trouble?” He asked.
“Ah, well. Not sure.” Ivey looked down at the engine and shook her head. Like she’d tried to figure it out, but dang it, she was stumped this time.
She moved aside so he could look, but before he did he gave her a long look. “You’re Ivey, aren’t you?”
She tried to smile. “Do I know you?”
“Nope, but I know you.” He rocked back on his heels. “I had a blue ribbon.”
“Let me guess. You work at the hardware store.”
He took a few steps back, shaking his head. “I work at the car shop. Bad luck for you that Dr. Jeff doesn’t work on his own car. I’d help you, but I had a blue ribbon.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Everyone took down their ribbons ages ago. It doesn’t count anymore. Are you going to leave me out here? Where’s your sense of decency?”
“Where’s yours? Date a Deusch.com over a doctor, lady? Anyway, it’s the bro code. Nah, tell you what. I’ll call someone else to help you. Someone who had a pink ribbon.” He ambled over to his truck and got back in.
It was official. Everyone in this town was shit-faced crazy. Certifiable.
“He broke up with me !” Ivey shouted as the guy took off.
Ivey stomped her foot, took out her cell and dialed Brooke. She was working, something about the first crush, but maybe she’d answer. No such luck, as the phone switched over to voice mail. Was Ivey really supposed to wait here until someone who had a pink ribbon showed up? Would the insanity ever end?
No other cars passed by in the next few minutes. It was the middle of the day in the middle of the week, and she wasn’t going to stand around until someone meandered home. She was only a few miles from the hospital, and if she didn’t get there soon she’d be late for her meeting with Jeff. Late to tell him that the women’s center might have to be fully staffed by doctors, because no midwives would come near it.
Lillian wouldn’t be thrilled. She’d given her a chance, and Ivey couldn’t blow it now.
Ivey rubbed her forehead. She felt a headache coming on, and the heat didn’t help.
Whipping out her cell phone, she thought about calling Jeff, but that would take him away from the hospital. Sick people needed him more than she needed a ride.
She’d walk. It couldn’t be more than a mile or two.
*****
Some people changed their mind every ten minutes. Ivey now wanted more of his fries. She had that familiar longing in her eyes, so he pushed the plate in her direction.
“Have as many as you want, Little Face.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d called her that, but she didn’t even blink. Smiled and licked her lips.
And since when did she wear lingerie to the diner? How had he failed to notice she wore the same red lace teddy he’d bought her from Victoria’s Secret so long ago?
Damn, she drove him crazy. Always had.
He
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