Page 22 of Man Glitter
It was Charlie, and me, locked in an embrace outside my soon-to-be clinic.
His hand cupped my jaw like I was a delicate piece of fine China.
My hands gripped his hair like a lifeline.
“Holy shit,” I muttered, the shock of seeing us in black and white making me dizzy.
The headline read “Has the new town doctor mended this bachelor’s heart?”
My extremities went numb, and the bottom dropped out of my stomach. Not good. Not good at all. I’d been hell bent on diffusing the sleeping together rumors yesterday and instead, I’d been caught in his arms for all to see in the goddamn newspaper. And then I really did go and sleep with him!
I threw the paper back down on the porch and ran.
It wasn’t until I slammed my front door closed behind me and I breathed in the scent of new carpet and paint that I could breathe. The bag slipped off my shoulder, landing with a thud on the floor.
“One, two, three…” I mumbled to myself, getting to ten and starting over again. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on just breathing. The panic began to recede after a while, leaving me with an urgency to make things right.
“Damage control,” I announced to my empty house.
I missed the sound of Chester’s nails scraping on the floor as he rushed over, his head butting my hand until I petted him.
“Nope. Not going there. I have a business to save.” I sucked in a deep breath, pulled myself up tall, and marched over to my office to sit down with my business plans.
I was knee deep in headache territory going over the financials when my cell phone rang. The mayor’s office.
“Oh shit,” I mumbled.
Time for that damage control.
I answered with a smile on my face, hoping whoever was on the other end couldn’t tell how fake it was.
“The mayor is on the line, please hold,” the secretary announced, followed by a click.
“Dorado?” barked the mayor.
“Y-yes, Mr. Mayor.” I rolled my eyes at myself. Showing a decent dose of respect was one thing, but sounding like a shrinking violet was not my style.
“What’s this business in the paper?”
I cleared my throat. “Well, to be honest, sir. It’s none of your business or anyone else’s. Nor is it something that will affectmybusiness.”
He made an odd noise while I held my breath. “See to it that it doesn’t. I just vouched for you to the city council. I’d hate to have to rescind my support.”
I tilted my head at the thinly veiled threat. “Understood. Plans for the urgent care are still on target, so no need to worry.”
He harrumphed and hung up.
I stared at my phone for a minute before putting it down on my desk and rubbing my forehead. I guess that’s what I got for opening a clinic in a small town. They were notorious for being up in people’s business and turns out Auburn Hill was no different.
My doorbell rang. I wanted to bang my head against my desk. What now? A visit from Poppy wanting to get the inside scoop? I shoved back from the desk and went to the door, practicing a response that was kind yet gave nothing personal away.
I swung the door open to find Charlie standing on my doorstep, his worn jeans molded to his thighs, his faded green T-shirt straining the boundaries of cotton and thread. And that face I’d stared at just this morning, no longer still and peaceful. His eyebrows drew together, and he didn’t look happy.
“Charlie,” I started.
He stepped forward, and I stepped back. His jaw tightened, but he came through the door anyway, shutting it and backing me up against it, a heated couple of inches between us.
“Why’d you leave?”
