The Surgeon's Christmas Wish

“That’s his name,” Fraser was looking at her with an odd expression as he held up a driver’s license he’d retrieved from the man’s wallet. “Arthur Jones.”

“Yes, right, of course.” Of course. Really proving your worth in the doctor department, aren’t you, Tara? “Mr. Jones?” Tara rested a hand gently on the man’s shoulder. “Mr. Jones?”

The gray-haired gentleman’s eyes fluttered open with a look of bewilderment, “Where—where …?”

“It’s all right, Mr. Jones. I’m Dr. Braxton and this is Dr. MacKenzie.” Tara didn’t afford herself a glance in Fraser’s direction. “I’m afraid you’ve had a heart attack. Are you here with any family?”

“Yes, all my family.” Arthur’s voice was weak but audible.

“Can you tell us how to get in touch with them?”

“We’re staying in one of the lodge’s chalets. The Pine … The—”

“It’s all right, Mr. Jones.” Tara laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “We’ll call the lodge and find your family for you. Right now, your job is to rest and we’ll get everything organized for you.”

Fraser leant back against the counter, enjoying watching Tara interact with the patient. She had a soothing nature—a good bedside manner they called it in med school. He’d reluctantly inherited the moniker Smooth Operator by his medical peers, teased for the warm responses he seemed to elicit from the female patients in particular. Any smooth operations he might’ve pulled off in the past few years had passed him by. He wasn’t one for one-night stands and dating someone for the fleeting duration of a ski season just seemed cruel when he knew he had no intention of hanging around. He was going to have to watch himself around Tara Braxton because everything about the last few hours at Deer Creek was teasing at his psyche, asking the unthinkable, Why not stay awhile?

One thing Fraser knew he couldn’t handle was settling down. Long term just wasn’t for him.

“Dr. MacKenzie, would you mind getting Liesel to call the Valley Hospital, please? We’re going to need to transfer Mr. Jones for further tests.”

“What about Thanksgiving?” Arthur tried pushing himself upright on the medical trolley. Gently pressing him back down to his pillow, Tara replied with a regretful smile, “I’m afraid you will definitely have to go to the hospital. I suspect they will want to keep you overnight for observation just in case you need to have an operation.” Arthur closed his eyes and let out a quiet moan. “Ginny’s gone to so much work! All those pies …”

“I’m afraid pie might be off the menu for a while.” Tara chuckled, gesturing to Fraser to help her raise the patient’s bed so he could sit a bit more upright. “We’re just going to move you into a seated position, Arthur, all right?”

After helping Tara, Fraser slipped out of the room to hunt down Liesel. Once he was happy the ambulance had been organized and family members had been contacted at the lodge, he decided to take a little nosy around the facility. Of course, he wouldn’t be staying in Deer Creek forever, but he may as well be familiar with his immediate surroundings for the next few months.

Behind the reception area there was a break room kitted out with the requisite coffee-maker, refrigerator, table covered with a smattering of local newspapers and a halffinished Sudoku puzzle. The refrigerator wore the usual array of amusing medical and skiing cartoons that usually found their way into any ski clinic. A strip of coupons and flyers for local attractions were held in place by a magnet advertising a local real-estate agent. The bowling alley looked fun. The art house cinema? Maybe. House buying? He put the magnet back in place over the clipping. House buying was the last thing on his agenda.

A corridor off the room led to one other examination room with X-ray facilities. He nodded approvingly. It was a good set-up. They had everything they needed to deal with the bread-and-butter cases a mountain clinic dealt with and just enough to see patients through to a fully equipped hospital for the more extreme cases. He worked his way back to the reception area of the clinic, where he found Tara and Liesel bent over the counter, sorting out some paperwork.

“Having a look around our humble clinic?” Tara offered a tentative smile.

“Yes.” He tried to put on a hokey Southern accent. “Looks like you folk know what you’re doing round these parts.”

Despite herself, Tara let out a peal of laughter. Hearing a hillbilly accent was one thing, but hearing a hillbilly Scottish accent was hilarious. “You’d better watch how you use that lingo of yours, mister, or you’re going to find yourself lost up some holler or another, drinking hooch with the local yokels.”

Fraser laughed with her, a twist of bewilderment washing across his face, “I have no idea what you’re saying, but I’ll be sure to try and take your advice.” Pointing at the medical paperwork, he moved back to more familiar terrain. “How’s Mr. Jones faring?”

“He’s doing well. Ambulance will be here in ten,” Liesel answered easily. Efficiently. Tara didn’t know how the nurse did it but she was clearly unaffected by Fraser’s lilting brogue. And his lovely midnight-blue eyes, and his broad chest … Stop. It. Now.

“Once he’s been picked up by the EMTs, how about you take me on a quick spin around the village so I can get my bearings?” Fraser flashed Tara one of his full-mouthed smiles, oblivious to the incredibly unprofessional thoughts swirling round her head.

“Sure, yes. That’s fine. Liesel, we’ll be on the radios if you’re all right manning the fort for a bit. I’ll be back for the afternoon shift.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Liesel gave her boss a comedy salute.

Tara winced at the memory of Fraser doing exactly the same thing. Was she really such a taskmaster? Her concerns weren’t allayed when Liesel crinkled her brow and chewed on her lip for a moment before asking, “You’re still all right covering Thanksgiving on your own tomorrow so I can have dinner with Eric’s family?”

“Yes, of course! You must! Don’t be silly!” Aha! That was it! Now she remembered why Liesel hadn’t fallen under the same spell she seemed to have been smitten with. The local ski patroller had already taken Liesel’s heart. Tara had promised her she would cover the clinic over the holiday as she had no plans to celebrate it herself. Thanksgiving was definitely a family holiday—something you celebrated with loved ones. Right now, Tara’s family consisted of herself. She was okay with that. But having Fraser watch her exchange with Liesel was making her behave like an over-cheery spinster. Not a winning look. Not that she cared. Oh, mercy …

“I’ll be sure to bring you some pie if I can weasel it out of Eric’s mum. I’m sure she’ll make loads. Your favorite is pumpkin, right?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Tara waved off Liesel’s concern. “I’ll pick up something from Marian today before she closes. I’ll be just fine.”

“What about me?” Fraser interrupted, putting on a forlorn expression. “What’s a poor Scotsman to do with himself all alone on America’s biggest holiday?”

“I—I’m going to be running the clinic,” Tara faltered. She hadn’t been expecting Fraser to be working for a few more days. Her plan had been a simple one. Block out the fact she didn’t have her own family to celebrate her second-favorite holiday with and work in the clinic. There would probably be a few of the usual bumps and bruises that came along with skiing, but hopefully the worst thing that would happen to any of the visitors to Deer Creek was a bit of indigestion. “Besides—” she tried to cover her dismay with false cheer “—there’s always Christmas!”

“Not a problem, Tara.” Fraser waved off her concerned expression. “I’m sure there will be some lonely ski bunny I can lure off the slopes for a bit of hot toddy and some pumpkin pie. Don’t you worry about little ol’ me.”

Any trace of Tara’s smile vanished. “Right. Well, that’s everyone’s Thanksgiving plans taken care of, then.”

She’d been a fool to think she could trust Fraser MacKenzie to be anything other than a typical ski-season Dr. Don Juan. What an idiot to have been so weak-willed as to even entertain the tiniest bit of pleasure at his James Bond looks. Her conscience gave her a sound rap on the knuckles. No more eyeing up Fraser as if he were a delicious piece of Christmas candy! She was here to work, to save lives, to settle down. Alone. Stick to the mission, Tara.

Suppressing the volley of emotions she was experiencing, Tara knew her only option was to go to her usual hiding place—her work. “Liesel, I think I’m going to man the clinic for a bit. Mr. Jones deserves a bit more attention before he’s off to the hospital and I’d like to catch up on some paperwork. Would you be so kind as to acquaint Dr. MacKenzie with the wonders of Deer Creek?”

After hearing the expected “Sure thing!” in response, Tara riffled through the papers on the desk, not daring to look Fraser in the eye. Talk about taking the express lane to getting under my skin.

“Surely you know a joke when you hear one, Tara.”

The frustration in Fraser’s voice forced her to meet his gaze, his eyes snapping with something deeper than irritation. “I don’t know what you expected from me—but I’m here to work. That’s it. It would be nice if the work environment was a bit more ‘user-friendly’.”

Tara tried to smile at his comment, but knew she hadn’t fooled him. “The environment was perfectly delightful before you blew in off the slopes, Dr. MacKenzie. Just bear in mind Deer Creek is a community. This isn’t a love-’em-and-leave-’em sort of town. We take care of each other here.”

Uh-oh. Too much information again. Why hadn’t she just let the whole thing go? Perhaps there truly was more to his suave veneer than she was giving him credit for.

“I’ll be sure to remember that, Dr. Braxton. Thanks for the social etiquette tips.”

Stinging from the exchange, Tara watched as the pair quietly left the clinic after a minute or so of silent coat gathering and boot lacing. Her terse tone had affected everyone’s mood. Not to mention the fact she’d betrayed her golden rule: keep your game face.

She’d done everything but break down in tears in front of the man. How mortifying. No doubt the whole of Deer Creek would know how she felt by sundown. Which was what, exactly? Like a giddy princess who thought she’d just met her Prince Charming, only to discover he was a frog?

Tara rested her head on the reception counter and closed her eyes. She felt like such a fool. Not to mention a poor loser. How could she have thought, even for a moment, that a man in the exquisitely gorgeous form of Fraser MacKenzie would be anything less than a ski-season Lothario? She was usually smart enough to see through that.

All the signs had been there. Never stayed anywhere longer than a season, flirty banter with Marian, with her. And she’d fallen for it! Hook, line and sinker. At least her body had. Now her head was in a tailspin, not knowing if she was in the right or wrong. Tara scrubbed her fingernails along the counter. What a nightmare.

It was so frustrating to feel this vulnerable to Fraser’s charms after all the hard work she’d put in at building herself back up from nothing. Finally allowing herself to become the woman she’d always known she was. Strong. Fun-loving. In charge of her own destiny.

It was a far cry from the year-long relationship with her ex. Tara had done everything he had wanted. It made her fingers curl to think of it now, but she’d been young and so bewitched by his status at the university. Her parents had both recently passed away in a horrific car accident. It had always just been just the three of them and suddenly, whoosh, she had been all alone in the world. Their deaths had fuelled her to work even harder in medical school, where her persistence and drive had won her the best grades in her course. Then suddenly the Great and Mighty Professor, renowned orthopedist and research maverick, had not only wanted Tara to be his intern but also had wanted to be with her romantically. From chief bookworm to object of affection. Tara had been completely overwhelmed. And naïve.

At his behest, she’d attended all the research conferences alongside New York’s medical elite, put in ridiculous hours and stayed in the lab well into the night, week after week. A fat lot of good it had done her.

Her trust in him had been so true, so blind, she had been oblivious to the fact all her hard work had only been so that he could steal her groundbreaking research.

Being single, she didn’t mind. Having had her ex take the credit for all of the advances she’d made in orthopedic surgery? That had been the deal-breaker. And the end of her ability to trust anyone fully with romantic intentions.

After working at a couple of other labs, Tara had thrown caution to the wind and taken the job here at Deer Creek. She’d entered the community cautiously at first, but had then realized, as long as she kept her wits about her, this was the perfect place to heal. To grow. To close the doors on romance and fill all the voids with her passion for medicine.

And look at her now.

All wobbly-kneed and hot under the collar after less than a full workday with Fraser MacKenzie. Great. Just great.

Tara scanned the empty clinic and huffed out a sigh as she sank into an office chair. Blocking out the fact that tomorrow was Thanksgiving wasn’t the only thing on her new to-do list. She also faced a day of sitting alone in the ski clinic with little more than a mug of lukewarm coffee and a stale packet of mint cookies, figuring out a way to clean the slate with Fraser and start again. What fun! If time travel were an option, she’d fast-forward to spring. If she stuck to her plan she’d own the clinic outright by April, Fraser would be gone and she’d be back in control again.

Tara opened up the packet of cookies, took a tentative sniff then pushed them to the far end of the counter. This was ridiculous. She shook her head and marched herself into her office.

Snap out of it, Tara! She had worked too hard to let herself wallow in self-pity. Mr. Jones and all the other patients she had seen and would see over the season were her priority—they were where her heart lay. If Thanksgiving came in the form of a microwave turkey dinner and a couple of old cookies, then so be it. And if Fraser MacKenzie couldn’t take it as much as he dished it, too bad.

“I seem to rub Dr. Braxton the wrong way.” Fraser put the comment out into the crisp, wintry air, wondering if Liesel would confirm his assessment of the situation.

Liesel gave Fraser a sidelong glance and let out a good-natured laugh. “Well, I haven’t worked with Tara that long. Just a few months. Let’s just say I haven’t seen her dander rise up quite so quickly before. You seem to have made quite an impression on her.”

“Not really the impression I was hoping to make.” He tried to put on a goofy grin but it felt strained. Sucking up wasn’t his modus operandi. Problem-solving was. He had signed a contract so, for better or for worse, he was going to be here for the next few months. The last thing he wanted was to spend his days squabbling with Tara. Life was too short.

“From what I do know about her, she’s pretty private. She’s probably a bit stressed because she only has a few months left to pay off the rest of her loan to buy the clinic from the lodge. If I were you, I’d stick to medical issues. That’s what seems to keep her happy.”

Quite a commitment from someone who had to be in her early thirties at most.

“Does she have family out here?” Fraser took a stab at the only thing he could think of that would get someone to unpack their suitcases and stay put.

“Not that I know of. She’s never mentioned any family at all but, as I said, she keeps herself to herself.”

He knew that feeling. He hadn’t mentioned his family since the day after his brother’s funeral. His past he kept locked firmly away, where it belonged. Out of sight. Everyone was better off that way.

Fraser turned to face Liesel, his hands firmly squaring her shoulders to his, suddenly fuelled with the need to put things right. Whether or not he stuck around was a different issue, but he was not in the business of making other people’s lives a misery. Not any more. “Let’s not make this a tour of Deer Creek. Let’s make this a tour of Tara’s Deer Creek and see what we can discover about why she loves this place so much.”

Liesel crinkled her nose in confusion, “I’m not sure I follow you. I don’t think Tara would be so keen if we starting poking around her—”

“No, no,” Fraser enthused, “this is to help us—help me—survive the season. It’ll be like a treasure hunt, only … I’m not sure what the treasure is just yet.”

The nurse laughed again, infected by his energy. “I’m still not entirely sure I know what you’re talking about, Dr. MacKenzie, but I’m more than happy to join in. Although the chances are pretty high that everything you’re looking for is behind the doors of the clinic.”

Fraser linked arms with the redhead. “I’m quite sure there’s more to Dr. Tara Braxton than the clinic.” He turned towards Marian’s bakery on the small main street. “Come along, Liesel, I think I know the perfect place to start.”

Tara gave a short wave to the EMTs as they drove off with Mr. Jones safely secured in the back of the ambulance. His pulse and heart rate were stabilized. For now. But further extensive tests were required to ensure he didn’t need bypass surgery, and they were more complex than she could carry out here at the clinic. Luckily, the Valley Hospital was equipped to do most major surgeries. Denver wasn’t too far along the road if something truly complicated came their way. She had seen a couple of rescues that had involved airlifting the patients to Denver but, fingers crossed, nothing so far this season.

Refocusing her energies into her work had proved to be good medicine. Patient care was something she valued and the last thing she was going to allow her new hire to do was compromise her career. It had happened once, and it most certainly wouldn’t happen again.

As the morning wore on and the steady stream of patients ebbed away, Tara felt back on her game. Composed. In control. The morning’s cases had been fairly easy—a fractured wrist, a severe nosebleed and an early case of stomach upset from over-indulgence. Just enough busy work for Tara to almost squeeze images of the dark-haired Scot from her mind.

Almost.

Sending Fraser out on a tour of Deer Creek, a small resort village compromising a lodge, a few ski chalets and a tiny town center was hardly going to keep him out of the clinic for long. She could feel herself return to her old habit of chewing on her lower lip. This man was not bringing out the best in her.

Technically, Fraser hadn’t been contracted to start work until the following Monday. It hadn’t even occurred to her to hire someone to start work over the holiday. When she’d found out at the last minute that Tom Brady was heading to Banff, instead of renewing his contract in Deer Creek, she’d made a few phone calls. Soon enough she’d felt she had covered all her bases for the holiday weekend. There were plenty of locals who helped out with search and rescue teams if required, and the team at the fire station were all trained in first aid, not to mention the ski patrollers, who were always rostered on. Bar anything truly horrible happening—she gave a quick subconscious knock on the wooden doorframe—everything would be okay.

“Anybody home?” Liesel quipped as she entered to Tara’s knock.

“Just little old me!” Tara smiled at the nurse, whom she now counted as a good friend. “Sorry about earlier.” She winced apologetically. “I must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

“Mmm … could be that,” Liesel mused. She leant forward and teasingly poked Tara in the arm. “Or it could be that someone has a crush on the handsome new Highland doctor.”

Tara playfully slapped away Liesel’s hand. At least she hoped it seemed playful.

“Do not. I don’t have time for silly crushes.” How humiliating.

“Are you saying my crush on Eric is silly?” Liesel persisted in taunting her boss.

“I would hardly call dating someone for several months and being invited to their family home for Thanksgiving as having a silly crush.”

“True.” Liesel dropped her backpack on the floor behind the reception counter and flopped into the wheeled chair, lazily swinging herself from side to side.

“Where did you leave Dr. MacKenzie, anyway?” Tara wished she could’ve bitten back the words as soon as they’d left her mouth. She was pretty sure they betrayed a bit too much interest as to his irritatingly magnetic whereabouts. Too much interest for her own liking anyway.

Seemingly not having heard her, Liesel turned to Tara with a big grin. “This will be my first Thanksgiving, you know.”

Tara smiled warmly at her pixie-haired friend. She deserved all of the happiness she received. From the sound of it, Liesel’s heart had been picked up at the beginning of a number of ski seasons and soundly dropped at the last ski lift run at the first sign of spring. She was a kind, trusting woman and, from the sound of it, was reaching a point where traveling from resort to resort had lost its luster. “It’s homey here, isn’t it?”

“Where, the clinic?” Tara laughed. The clinic was nice, but not nearly as welcoming as one of those little craftsman houses with all-weather porches tucked away on the hillside. Too bad her finances didn’t stretch far enough to include a house.

“No, silly. Deer Creek. I could really see me staying here a while.” She let out a wistful sigh.

Tara slipped into the chair next to her, joining in the rhythmic swinging of chairs from side to side.

It was nice here. Especially when there was someone to share it all with.

CHAPTER THREE

COULD THE RECEPTION area stand up to a third run with the mop?

Tara scanned the immaculate room.

It was Thanksgiving morning and so far she had helped a whopping single visitor on a quest for a handful of cotton balls. Full marks for keeping everyone fit and healthy on the holiday, zero for keeping her mind occupied.

She felt her shoulders slump a bit as she scanned the empty room. She wondered what Liesel was doing. No. She didn’t. She knew exactly what Liesel was doing. Enjoying the early phases of the holiday with Eric and his family. An involuntary sigh escaped her lips.

It wasn’t the lack of patients that was sapping her good spirits. It was the absence of a certain Scottish doctor. No. That wasn’t quite right.

Tara pulled on a dark curl and chewed her lower lip. It had been a long time—if ever—that someone had made such a full-force impact on her. Talk about setting your senses on fire! She stifled a yawn, knowing full well she’d kept herself up all night doing little re-runs of the previous day. Taking a little memory-lane trip along those well-defined cheekbones, stopping for a moment to enjoy the salt and pepper temples before making a quick turn towards those eyes of his. Mother Nature had come up trumps when it came to Fraser MacKenzie.

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