Restored (4 page)

“Well, that makes sense. My cousin Ashley and I were trying to figure out who you were, but I couldn’t remember your name,” Lexi confessed.

“I didn’t want you to drive, you know? I was worried about you, and I didn’t have your number to call and make sure that you made it home safely.” His eyes narrowed, as if to gauge her reaction.

“I found your number, but I didn’t want to call you and sound stupid,” Lexi said. She knew she should filter her words, but they wouldn’t come out right.

“There’s no way that you would’ve sounded stupid,” he said, grinning, dimples indenting his cheeks.

“Why did you help me, Dr. Avery?” Lexi held her hand over her mouth—the words flew out without warning.

“Please call me Caleb…I was happy to assist you. Your blood was pretty easy to clean up too,” he said with a laugh.

Lexi began to sweat, a sheen of it beading on her forehead. Her hearing grew fuzzy, and dizziness swept through her.

Caleb moved swiftly by her side. “Are you okay? I was just joking.”

He eased her forward and instructed her to put her head between her knees and breathe in slowly and deeply. Within moments, Lexi’s nausea diminished. She sat upright as her head cleared. The clamminess of her skin slowly evaporated.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Caleb’s face held a worried expression.

“It’s how I react. It’s crazy—I know,” Lexi said, feeling herself blush but trying to will away the redness.

“I’ve seen this reaction before. It’s not uncommon. I’ll just have to be more careful around you. I don’t want to set you off again,” Caleb said. A slight smile edged his lips, those attractive dimples barely showing.

A persistent knocking jarred the open door, and Linda appeared.

“Ms. Lindsay, if you’ll come with me, I’ll show you the basics on the computer,” Linda said in an authoritative tone.

Lexi rose and, for the moment, felt better. “It was nice to meet you again…Caleb.” His name on her tongue felt different but not unpleasant.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” he asked. His gaze was warm.

“I’m fine,” Lexi said. “See you later then.” Lexi turned to follow Linda.

“Bye, Lexi,” Caleb said. “Don’t forget to see me before the end of the day. If you don’t come, I promise I’ll find you,” he said in a lower register, as if he wasn’t kidding.

It was nearly closing time, and Lexi obediently hobbled to Caleb’s office. Waves of nausea shifted around her stomach. She couldn’t leave without having the dressing changed, though it was a temptation. At Caleb’s door, Lexi heard his voice, and he sounded intense. The door was slightly open, so there was little to muffle the sounds from inside.

“No really, just send me the bill. I’ll take care of it… Corrine, please, I said that I would take him. I’ll pick him up after work, okay?” Caleb said in a controlled tone. “No, I’ll come to your place to get him. When will you be home? Okay, I’ll see you then. Bye.” The phone was slammed down on its receiver.

Lexi hovered her hand parallel to the door, uncertain if she should even knock. There was no getting out of this. She gently tapped on the door.

“Come in,” Caleb said, his voice clipped.

Tension hung in the air as she entered. She could still leave, but then he’d be angry at her. She walked in, unsure if she really wanted to ask Caleb anything after what she’d overheard. The dim lighting of his office made it difficult to read his face. “Is this a bad time?” It was certainly a bad time, though Caleb had adamantly insisted on changing her dressing today. She hadn’t touched it since injuring it three days earlier.

“Oh, Lexi, not at all.” His expression warmed, though he still seemed strained. “So are you ready to have your dressing changed?”

“Um-mm, yes,” she said in a quivering voice. Her cheeks burned, and her fingers trembled. Panic pulsed through her body, and not for the first time she wondered why on earth she worked in anything even closely related to health care. Perspiration formed on her forehead, and within seconds the back of her shirt clung to her body. She took off her light jacket. Denial wouldn’t keeping her from passing out, but that was the only thing left in her arsenal.

“Are you sure? You seem a little hesitant.” Caleb’s eyes examined her. Had he sensed she was scared? His tension seemed to vanish as he focused on Lexi.

She sank into the leather chair in front of his desk as her legs gave way. “I don’t really do blood,” she said as she closed her eyes. Her head began to spin at the thought of seeing her ripped toenail.

“Don’t you do it, Lexi! Not again!” Caleb urged. He ran his fingers through his hair and positioned himself in front of her, halfway sitting on the top of his desk. “Okay, I want you to take slow, deep breaths and just concentrate on your breathing. Can you do that?” He moved closer and knelt right in front of her. He stroked her hair away from her face.

Lexi breathed in sharply as Caleb fingered her hair. His touch unexpectedly calmed her. She kept her eyes closed, but there was a sensation change she didn’t recognize. Something else started to burn in her. He stroked her hair again. She felt the warmth of his hand as it brushed against her forehead and away from her face. Disoriented. That was what she was. She couldn’t even tell if she felt pain or pleasure.

When she was little and her mom held her, that felt safe too, but not like this. Even when Justin held her, it hadn’t been this personal. Apparently there was a difference, and she wanted more. Caleb’s light, soothing touch was all for her, and it was as if he poured himself into each caress. Lexi was afraid to break the enchantment, so she refused to open her eyes. Somehow the dressing change didn’t pose as much threat as it originally had. Lexi wouldn’t watch, but there was something about Caleb that she trusted. He wouldn’t hurt her. He was close enough that she could hear his rhythmic breathing and feel the warmth that radiated off his body.

“I’m going to put you on the sofa, and we’ll get through this together,” Caleb said in a hushed tone, the timbre of his voice deep and slightly raspy.

Lexi was startled as she felt his arms scoop under her legs and behind her back. He cradled her and moved her to the leather sofa that was against the wall across from his desk. She could have easily walked the short distance to the sofa, but being carried was something she wouldn’t turn down. For a brief moment she could smell him, spicy cologne and musky masculine scents. He lowered her onto the sofa and delicately supported her head as he moved his arms free. Lexi told herself that Caleb wanted to be close to her, though she knew that couldn’t really be true.

“Lexi, I’m going to remove the old dressing, if that’s okay?” he said as his hands pushed her skirt out of the way.

Lexi watched as Caleb proceeded. She didn’t want to see her injury. She only wanted to admire him. He looked serious, yet he was still delicate with her.

“Yes, that’s okay. You don’t have to tell me what you’re doing. It might be better if I didn’t know.”

Caleb smiled. “Okay then, have it your way.”

Lexi kept her eyes open but focused on the ceiling. The dressing fell away as Caleb cut it free. A slight tugging made her muscles clench and her breathing quicken. There was no pain, and she tried to exhale normally.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s looking good.” Caleb briefly paused before picking up a spray can.

Lexi willed herself to relax.

“I’m going to spray your toe with ethyl chloride. It will help numb the area. It’s going to be cold though.” Caleb shook the can.

“I’m ready,” Lexi said as she braced herself. The spray was cold, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Goose bumps rose on her exposed legs. His warm hands rubbed her shin, and then goose bumps rose up her arms too. Her breasts ached for a more intimate touch, and she spasmed as a chill skittered through her.

“Sorry to make you so cold. I’ll be finished soon.”

Lexi nodded. He thought he made her cold? It was embarrassing how he affected her without even realizing it. How could his touch make her feel this way?

“I’m going to put a smaller dressing on your toe. The nail bed looks good. I don’t think you need to worry about infection at this point as long as you keep it covered and clean. It’s healing well. You could probably use a Band-Aid to cover it, though I’m going to give you a little more padding for now. It’s going to be more sensitive than usual until the nail regrows over the exposed nail bed,” Caleb said as he wrapped gauze around her toe.

Lexi inhaled deeply as the dressing was applied. She pushed the foreign sensation down—even her toes were engulfed by his touch. The ache that had gripped her breasts seemed to travel downward, where she was left with a dull throbbing that cramped her pelvis.

“Good as new,” Caleb said as he finished securing the dressing.

Lexi was still flushed and a little out of breath. Caleb grabbed her hand and pulled her up to a sitting position. His face neared hers, and his breath warmed her skin. She replayed the kiss in her mind, his stubble scraping lightly against her face with the contrast of his soft lips. Lexi met his gaze and could see that he must have felt something too—his eyes looked ablaze.

Caleb’s expression softened. “I’m sorry about kissing you. I shouldn’t have forced myself on you like that.”

Lexi spoke breathlessly. “Honestly, I was beginning to think that I had made that up in my head.” Lexi flopped to the side, but didn’t realize that she was falling into his lap until he held her still. That darn vertigo.

He steadied her and then helped her upright. “Here I thought you’d like to assist me with surgical procedures,” Caleb said in a joking tone.

Ah…he changed the subject. “Right, I’d be the perfect fit for that,” Lexi said. Her head cleared, and the euphoric bubble that had surrounded her popped. “Thank you for this. I’m sorry to be so squeamish. I really can’t help it.”

“I could tell that the first time I saw you. If I were honest, I like tending to your wounds,” Caleb said.

There was a knock at the door, an unrelenting knock. It was just after five, and the last patient’s appointment would have been at four. Linda entered with a slip of paper in hand.

“Ms. Wylie has called twice in the last fifteen minutes. Here is her call-back number. She was very insistent that you call her back as soon as possible,” Linda said brusquely.

Caleb took the handwritten phone message and looked it over. “Thank you, Linda. Have a nice evening.”

Linda’s face betrayed nothing. “You’re welcome, Dr. Avery. Good evening, and good evening to you, Ms. Lindsay,” Linda said as she exited Caleb’s office.

“Good evening, Linda,” Lexi said, though Linda was already out of the room.

Caleb turned to look at Lexi, who had recovered. “Do you still have my number?” he asked, though he seemed distant again.

She shook her head. “It’s a new phone. I’m still not used to it. My cousin Ashley has added numbers for me so far—”

“Hand me your phone.” Lexi dug it out of her purse. He made a few swipes and tapped it a couple of times. “My cell is in your contacts. If you have any issues—swelling or puss—call me.

“Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I’ll manage,” Lexi said, nearly dizzy at the word
puss
.

Corrine was on her mind, though she hadn’t yet had the pleasure—or displeasure—of meeting her. Corrine was probably waiting for Caleb now, despite the fact that they were supposed to be broken up.

“Thanks again. You really are a good doctor, Caleb,” she said, even though she probably sounded ridiculous. But what else was there to say? Overwhelmed by unfamiliar feelings, she fought back tears, not wanting anyone to see her like this. As she walked to the small car lot in the back, only hers and Caleb’s vehicles remained. Linda must have left right after she gave Caleb the message.

Why had she let herself feel something? He hadn’t seemed interested in her beyond bandaging her toe…but there was that kiss… She shook her head, troubled by her own naivety.

***

The exterior door clicked shut. Its sound carried down the hallway. The silence magnified the empty building. So she was a Lindsay? Could it be…but no, how could it? He hadn’t even thought about the last name when he’d seen her résumé. But after meeting her in person, she triggered his memory.

Caleb pulled up the article on Google. It was old news, but the basic facts would still be there. William Lindsay. He had died in an automobile accident in autumn 1994.

Caleb hesitated but dialed the phone anyway. Three rings later…

“Hey, bro?” Mike answered.

Caleb had told Mike about Corrine and how he finally ended it, but he hadn’t been around enough to make a call out of the blue seem normal. Even the details of why things ended with Corrine were vague, but Mike hadn’t seemed to care about the reason for the split. He never cared for her as it was.

“What’s up?”

“Well, I just wanted to call and let you know that I met Lexi. Or rather, met her again. I was the one who helped her at the BMV…”

“Lexi told Ashley about that. So that was you? Wow. So how did she do at work?”

Caleb omitted his personal thoughts. What if William was her father? “She seemed like she’ll fit in fine here. I wondered about her parents though. You said that she was from here originally?” Did he seem overly interested? He rubbed his forehead as he listened. Tension pushed from behind his eyes.

“Oh man… She’s lost both of her parents. Her dad died when she was little, and her mom passed away in the spring. Don’t you remember me telling you this?” Of course Mike had said it before, but that was before Lexi had a face in his mind. Before there was a reason to care about her life story.

“That’s terrible. Do you know what her father’s name was, by any chance?” This had to sound prodding, but how else would he find out?

“It’s on the tip of my tongue. Let me think… I think Ashley said he was called Billy. So would that make him a William?”

Suspicion confirmed. Caleb’s heart pounded, and his palms were slick with sweat. “Thanks, Mike. Listen. I’ve got to finish up here, but we should get together soon.” His voice cracked, but he hoped that his mock enthusiasm would suffice.