Page 3 of A Doctor for Daisy

“What I expected,” she said. “She’s happy for me but upset.”

“It’s time you moved out on your own,” Mindy said. “Your mom is a grown woman. She should get out and date.”

“I tell her all the time,” she said. “She dates, but she’s always put me first. Maybe with me leaving, she’ll try. I don’t know.”

Mindy shrugged. “You won’t know anything until you try.”

“Speaking of trying,” she said. “Don’t suppose you’ve got any idea of places to rent in this area if I get the job? Cheap places. Or someone looking for a roommate?”

“Sorry,” Mindy said. “I don’t know anyone. I’ll keep an eye out for you. You can stay here a week or so if need be.”

Which told her not to ask for more. “Thanks,” she said. “I’ll let you know.”

She didn’t want to lose this opportunity, but if she couldn’t find affordable housing, she might not have a choice but to be stuck where she was.

You can’t break the cycle if you can’t get out of the damn circle.

1

Not Ever Again

Two Years Later

Dr. Theo Jameswas taking a day off. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a full day off and wasn’t sure what to do with himself.

But he was tired and needed some sleep and had errands to run.

He got up an hour later than his normal five a.m. when he had office days. Even when he wanted to sleep in, he couldn’t.

He’d done laundry. He’d cleaned his house on the water that he lived in. His father’s vacation home. His mother wasn’t thrilled he moved here and he didn’t care one bit.

He was freaking thirty years old and had been independent for years and out from under her smothering ways. He had his father to thank for that.

He was parking his car to run into the dry cleaners when he heard a crash and turned his head.

Shit. He saw a car that was T-boned into the door of another and he took off running. By the time he reached the accident, the one driver that plowed into the car was out and standing, but the other looked trapped and a state trooper was yelling for people to get back while he was running to the passenger side after breaking the glass on the driver’s side. He’d heard the word gas and noticed smoke too and it was obvious the trooper couldn’t get the driver out the way he’d wanted.

Theo didn’t hesitate to join the trooper. “You need help,” he said when they got to the passenger side. “I’m a doctor.”

The trooper didn’t say another word, but opened the door and started to crawl in and remove the seatbelt. Theo smelled the smoke and wanted to tell the guy to move faster, but realized he didn’t need to say the words.

“Shit,” the trooper said, tugging her free and yanking her out, cradling her in his arms and turning to take off. Theo reached in and grabbed the purse on the floor and gave chase to get away too.

The trooper laid the unconscious woman down on the ground, Theo getting on his knees to start to assess the damage. Definitely a head wound along with a busted leg.

“I’ve got her purse with ID,” he said and pointed to where he’d dropped it. “Move back and let me see. The ambulance should be here soon.”

Theo turned the woman’s head to open her airway and heard the trooper yell, “Fuck!”

He looked at the trooper. “She’s breathing. That’s good. Probably has a concussion for sure. Maybe from the airbag. Her ankle and tibia look to be busted, but I won’t know if there are internal injuries until we get her to the hospital. See if you can find some ID to call someone.”

“No need. Her name is Heather Davis.”

“You know her?” he said and realized the trooper was white as a ghost. He hoped this guy didn’t go down on him too.

“Yeah.” The guy’s eyes were filling. “I’ll make some calls. She’s going to be okay, right?”

“I hope so,” he said. For this guy’s sake more than anything. He wasn’t sure he’d ever looked at a woman the way this man was. “I won’t know until she gets to the hospital. I’ll follow along when the ambulance gets here.”

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