New scenery was exactly what she needed.
Stiffening her back, Charlotte reached into her back pocket and took out the check she’d written that morning and placed it on the nightstand. She stepped toward the door and turned back only to say, “I’m sorry you feel that way, Aunt Lucy. Take care of yourself.” She walked away.
In the hallway, she started for the stairs when she heard her name.
Jamie met her in the corridor. The friendly woman wore an encouraging smile and she took Charlotte’s hand as she had so many times over the years. “Remember what I said, sweet thing. You go on and find yourself and leave your aunt to me. She’ll be fine. She won’t scare me away. I’ve learned long ago her bark is bigger than her bite.”
“How will I ever repay you?”
“For what?”
“You’ve fed me, comforted me, inspired me over the years. You were the one who came to my school functions. Attended my college graduation.”
“Honey, bite your tongue. You kept this old lady young. You make sure you stay in touch and when you’re in town you stop by.”
“I will.” Giving the woman a quick hug, Charlotte hurried down the stairs before her tears overflowed. Once she was on the sidewalk, she sniffed back the emotion and gathered her feelings. She had nothing to feel guilty about. Lucy should be proud that Charlotte wanted to expand her horizon. Maybe one day her aunt would come around.
CHAPTER TWO
Two weeks later.
Plucking a lollipop from the pocket of her scrubs, she handed it to the sweet little girl with big blue eyes and her blonde hair pulled back into two ponytails. “You were very brave, Isabelle.” The eight-year-old didn’t shed one tear during her immunizations.
“You were wonderful with her. You have such a great bedside manner.” Isabelle’s mom, a young brunette with bright eyes, shook Charlotte’s hand. “I hope you’ll stay here at the clinic. We need more caring nurses like you in this small town.”
“I love being here. I haven’t had much time to explore Tarnation, but the people I’ve met are amazing. Just like this little girl here.” She patted Isabelle on the shoulder. “I’m glad her asthma is under control but if you see any problems let us know. Dr. Healey is finished so you’re free to go.”
She waved goodbye as they left then turned to Meka who was sitting at the nurse’s station popping a raisin into her mouth.
“Patient’s like her make my job much better.” Charlotte loved that things were a slower pace here than back home in the ER. She enjoyed hearing their life stories.
“The next one won’t hurt either.” Meka smiled and handed Charlotte a chart.
Reading the name, she shrugged. “Brennan Colt? Has he been here in the clinic before?”
“He’s a walk in. He was in a ranch accident and hurt his head and leg. He’s ready and waiting.” The pretty redhead went back to typing at her computer.
Charlotte stepped over to exam room three, lightly knocked then stepped inside. “Good morning.” When she didn’t get an answer, she looked up from the notes and to the exam table where her patient was stretched out awkwardly. He was about a foot too tall for the bed and he looked like he was about to bust out of the flowered paper gown. His hat was pulled down covering his face and his arms were extended above his head, his large hands clasped. She could hear his soft snores. Not many people fell asleep here in the office.
Jetting her gaze from his whiskered jaw, over his broad chest covered in blue and pink flowered gown to his bare legs down to the dusty cowboy boots, she smiled. She guessed a cowboy never took off his boots.
People had a way of doing things around these parts. She’d heard Betty Sue explain it with “beating to their own drum”. Time didn’t seem to matter in Tarnation. People were late, and if Charlotte was a couple minutes late, it didn’t seem to matter. Back home she would have been ripped.
Clearing her throat, he didn’t move.
Stepping over to the bed, she patted his shoulder. “Mr. Colt?”
He mumbled something inaudible then grabbed his hat, swiping it off his face. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the light before his gaze came to her in curiosity. He had a few blood splatters on his cheek. “Hi,” he said in a sleep raspy voice.
“Hi.” She bit back another smile. “I’m Charlotte. I’m a nurse here. I hear you’ve suffered an injury. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“Sorry, ma’am. I’ve been up since daybreak.” He pushed himself onto his elbows and rubbed the sleep from his clear blue eyes. When he smiled, he showed off deep dimples and nice teeth.
“So you were hurt?”
“Just a minor injury. I was thrown by a horse.”
“Oh, just that, huh?” In a millisecond of time she evaluated his long legs and the fresh bruising on his thigh and knee under crisp, dark hairs.
“I think we need a proper hello. Hi, I’m Brennan Colt.” He thrust out his hand.
She hesitated before finally laying her palm against his, caught by the sudden warmth and tingles that shot up her arm. The calluses on the underside of his knuckles scraped her skin, not in a repulsive way, but more of a tweaking of her nerve endings. As she’d told
