The Lawman's Agreement (Entangled Scandalous) (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Suzanne had mulled over whether or not to broach the subject of relocation with Zack, finally deciding in the end, she didn’t want to leave Greenville. As if to sweeten his offer, Jason had given her some wonderful new equipment to inspect, reminding her of how she would be able to access that same equipment if she went with him to Knoxville.

Yet, at the end of their visit, she’d given him her final decision. She was staying in Greenville with Zack. She’d agreed to see him off on the stage the next day and promised to return the loaned equipment before he left.

She arrived at the clinic early that next morning, the first of her patients not far behind. When the bell above the clinic door chimed, Suzanne looked up from the patient sign-in sheet to find Jason Pennymaker standing in the doorway. With five patients waiting to be seen, now was not a good time.

Jason scanned the compact area quickly, his gaze coming to rest on hers. “Good morning, Suzanne.”

“Dr. Pennymaker, I wasn’t expecting you this morning. I’ve got clinic hours at present.”

“I thought I’d observe your little operation, assuming your patients don’t mind a second opinion.”

“I don’t think that would be wise.” Suzanne referred back to the sign-in sheet and called out the first name. “Mrs. MacKinnon.”

When the Pastor’s wife stood to follow Suzanne to the exam room, Jason asked, “Mrs. MacKinnon, would you be averse to my sitting in on your exam? I assure you I’m a fully accredited physician.”

Suzanne wanted to tell him she didn’t care what her patient said, she didn’t want him anywhere near her exam room. Yet, she also didn’t want to put words in Alice MacKinnon’s mouth.

The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, Dr. Pennymaker, but I’ve waited years for the luxury of a woman doctor, and I prefer to speak with her alone.”

Alice MacKinnon’s response was like a beautiful song to Suzanne’s ears, and nourishment to her soul.

“What about the rest of you?” Jason asked, turning his attention to the elderly Wilber Thompkins. “Surely a man your age could benefit from a second medical opinion on any possible condition you may have.”

Thompkins shook his head. “Nope, not me. I like the doc. She’s level-headed and speaks in words I can understand.”

Again, Suzanne’s emotions soared at the realization of how completely the town had taken her into their trust. How could she have even considered leaving them, no matter how enticing the offer?

“You’re welcome to come back after clinic hours, Dr. Pennymaker. I can spare a few moments then.”

“The stage leaves at two, Suzanne. I hope you were still planning to meet me there,” Jason said, his voice curling around her name in an unwarranted and totally unwanted fashion.

“I’ll do my best to be there before the stage leaves. However, at the moment, my patients come first.” Her response barely given, Suzanne wished she’d worded things differently given how easily what she’d said could be misconstrued.

“Of course. I fully understand.”

Once Jason left the clinic, Suzanne turned to the small group of patients. “I’m sorry for the interruption. Alice, if you’d like to follow me, we’ll get started.”

At quarter-to-two, Suzanne made her way from the clinic to the walkway in front of the mercantile. The stage sat waiting for the few passengers who would eventually board. In her arms, she carried a large canvas bag, the item most likely drawing the stare of everyone she passed. She wanted desperately to turn to each and every one of them and explain the bag’s contents, yet she didn’t. They would soon see by her actions, not her words, that she’d made her decision. Only she knew it had been one of the most difficult decisions of her life.

She thought quickly about the contents of the bag, the expensive equipment meant to entice her to Knoxville, to show her what she could have if she went with him. Jason was waiting when she arrived. He looked down at the single bag she carried and then raised his head to meet her gaze. “I see you haven’t changed your mind.”

“No, I haven’t. This town, these people need me. And, quite truthfully, I need them. I know my surgery skills won’t get the attention they would in Knoxville. However, I will never stop reading, practicing, and honing my abilities.” She stretched out her arm and handed Jason the canvas bag. “Thank you for the opportunity to use the new microscope and the chance to read Dr. Lister’s extensive paper on
Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery
. His research is astounding, to say the least. I’ve made dozens of notes.”

“I want you to keep the items, Suzanne. I know this is a small hospital, but your patients deserve the best care and equipment you can provide. Both the microscope and Dr. Lister’s findings are important to the work you’re doing in your clinic.”

“That’s very generous of you, Jason. I do appreciate it.”

Jason raised her fingertips to his lips for a soft kiss. “Call it a parting gift,” he said when he lifted his head. “An apology, of sorts.”

“An apology?”

“For being such as ass three years ago. I should have never let you go.”

“That’s in the past, Jason. I do hope you’ll keep in touch, professionally speaking, of course.”

“Yes, of course.” He paused, and then nodded toward where the passengers were climbing aboard the stagecoach. “Good luck to you and your marshal.”

“Thank you, Jason. Have a safe trip back to Knoxville.”

Suzanne stood on the walkway and watched the stagecoach until it turned onto the main road leading out of town. She glanced around. What had happened to the crowd she’d passed on her walk over? Why weren’t they here to see her now and to notice that she’d stayed with them?

…

Deputy Bailey stood in front of Zack’s desk, his head bowed in regret, as if delivering bad news was as painful for him as it was for the one hearing it. “I’m telling you, Zack, that’s what Miss Maribell said. Doc Martindale was headed for the stage with a traveling bag in hand. And, earlier, Alice MacKinnon overhead the doc telling that ex fiancé of hers she’d meet him at the stage.”

“There must be some mistake.” Even as he defended Suzanne, Zack jumped to his feet, anxious to see for himself. “She wouldn’t leave like that without telling me, without giving notice at the clinic.”

Zack set off for the clinic. How could she do this? To the town, to him? Had their time together meant so little to her that she could up and leave him? Zack shook his head, doing his best to dislodge his thoughts. Surely there was more between them than mind-boggling physical attraction. Wasn’t there?

“Suzanne!” His shout echoed through the clinic, his arrival met by Sara, one of the day shift nurses.

“Dr. Martindale’s not here,” she said. “She left a while ago to meet Dr. Pennymaker at the stage.”

“She’s leaving?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” Sara confirmed. “At least she never mentioned it to anyone.” As if she could read the angst in his expression, Sara hastened to ease his worry. “I’m certain if Dr. Martindale were going anywhere, she’d at least tell us. Especially you, given you’re engaged and all.”

Zack sighed deeply, hoping for all that was sacred, the young woman was right. The thought of losing Suzanne hurt like a knife twisting in his gut. “If you see her, please tell Dr. Martindale I’m looking for her.”

“I will. In the meantime, perhaps you could check the hospital. There are no patients at the moment, but she does like to reorganize the layout of the wards from time to time.”

“Thank you, Sara, I’ll do that.” Zack turned toward the corridor leading to the adjoining storerooms.

“If there’s anything I can do,” Sara offered, “just let me know.”

Zack nodded and then started down the hall, intent on finding Suzanne and straightening out the confusion.

So, it took the thought of her leaving to make you realize how much you want her to stay. How much you want her
.

Zack did his best to push aside the taunt of his conscience. He needed to know what she’d meant earlier when she’d said she would meet Jason Pennymaker at the stage. Were they having a tearful goodbye? Were they making plans to meet later in Knoxville? Had they kissed and made up? Why would she have been carrying a bag if she weren’t leaving? With each possibility, Zack’s anger grew, his heart steeled against hurt and rejection.

He crossed between the two adjacent rooms, securing the doors as he went. When he stepped out of the hospital storeroom and into the main corridor, he could hear Suzanne’s voice off in the distance. He moved in the direction of the sound.

“Listen,” she was saying as he walked into the children’s ward. “This is what your heartbeat sounds like.”

Zack came to a complete stop. Suzanne was sitting in the chair next to James O’Hara, the young lad with the artificial limb. His mother, Katie, sat on the other side of the bed.

Suzanne looked up and met his gaze. “Marshal, I wasn’t expecting you. Is there something I can help you with?”

“No,” he said, his gaze drawn to where Suzanne was working on James’s leg. “I’d stopped by the clinic and you weren’t there, so I thought I’d try here.”

Suzanne nodded in the boy’s direction. “I’m just making a minor adjustment to James’s artificial limb. We’d have done it in the clinic, but Sara was doing the weekly cleaning so we came here instead.”

“Doc let me listen to my heartbeat through her stefascope,” the boy said proudly.

“Stethoscope,” Katie corrected. “Remember your ‘th’ sounds.”

“Yes, mama.”

“I’ll go and leave you to your work,” Zack said. “If you’d like, I can come back to escort you home.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.”

Suzanne smiled up at him and Zack’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest. “Five o’clock?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s perfect.”

…

Suzanne finished up the last of her paperwork and stored the expensive new microscope away for safe keeping. She thought very briefly of Jason, of the past few days they’d spent in each other’s company, and of the opportunity he’d offered her. She didn’t regret turning him down. Her heart was here in Greenville and, even though he wasn’t aware as yet, it belonged to only one man. Somehow, she needed to find a way to broach the subject of their agreement to make yet another alteration.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew Suzanne from her introspection and focused her attention on the doorway. Zack stood there, his big body framed between two equally strong pieces of wood.

“Right on time,” she said, meeting his dark gaze.

“We need to talk.” His short, to-the-point response set her heart racing.

“Yes, you’re right. We do.”

Suzanne crossed the room to where Zack waited and when he offered her his arm, she gladly accepted.

“Would you like to stop for supper at the caf
é
?” he asked.

“I’ve got baked goods at home as well as meat in the smokehouse. Unless, of course, you’d prefer some of Miss Maribell’s fried chicken.”

“I thought we might put in a public appearance, given that half the town thought you were leaving me for Dr. Pennymaker.”

“Did you think I was leaving?”

“No,” he admitted, “at least not without telling anyone.”

“Then, I see no need to display the fact that I stayed. As long as you understand I’d never leave without a word, that’s all that matters.” She could see the obvious relief in his expression, and sensed the acceptance of what she said in the relaxation of his posture.

Zack turned the sign around in the window of the hospital and then locked the door while Suzanne waited on the wooden walk. When he placed his hand at the small of her back and urged her forward, every nerve ending in Suzanne’s body sprung to life. The steady cadence of her heartbeat gathered speed, driven by the possibility of making love with Zack.

“So, Dr. Pennymaker got away safely on the afternoon stage,” Zack said as they began their walk. Rather than offer his arm as he had back at the hospital, he took her hand in his and closed his fingers snugly around hers.

“Yes. However, he did leave behind a gift.”

“A gift? What kind of a gift?”

Suzanne couldn’t hold back her laughter at Zack’s tone. “A new microscope and a very informative paper on sterile procedures.”

“He gave them to you?”

“Not to me, to the hospital and the people of Greenville.”

Zack nodded and squeezed her hand. “That was very generous of him.”

“Yes, despite being a bit snippety, he can be very kind as well. And he’s not stupid. He knew he was on the losing end of an argument.”

Once they’d reached the cottage and gone inside, Suzanne busied herself with fixing their evening meal, while Zack lit the lamps and brought in more wood.

“After we’re done with our meal, I thought we might run a bath.”

“A bath sounds heavenly.”

“What I said earlier, about needing to talk,” he began.

Suzanne drew a breath in anticipation of Zack’s next words. When he didn’t immediately say anything, she asked, “Was there something particular you wanted to discuss?”

“I wanted to apologize, first,
cher
.”

“For what?”

“I’ve been purposely avoiding you ever since Pennymaker arrived in town, which likely explains why everyone thought we’d broken up.”

“There was no need to stay away. The few hours Jason and I spent together each day were always at the clinic or the hospital and almost always in the company of others.”