Page 32 of Fight or Flight
“Don’t mind if I do.”
The ear-piercing sound of Katherine’s disposable cell phone halted her response. She grabbed the phone, looked at the caller ID, then ended the call. She didn’t recognize the number; it wasn’t Karrie’s. But who else had the number? Karrie was the only person she’d called using the phone.
“You okay?” Tyler asked.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I’m fine. Just a wrong number.” She felt his gaze on her. “It’s nothing, really,” she continued. “Probably a prank call.”
She knew she was digging deeper into unnecessary lies. She stuck the phone in her front pocket, leaving her personal cell phone in her back pocket. She went over to the stove and turned the burner on for the peas. “This won’t take long,” she babbled, as she tried to gather her thoughts. Now wasn’t the time for Karrie to call her—or whoever it was. Maybe it was the father? Possibly he’d taken Karrie’s phone away from her, then used his own to make the call. A million possibilities filtered through Katherine’s head as she tried to get control of herself before she had a full-blown panic attack.
Tyler sat back down, munching on a piece of cheese. “I can wait however long it takes.”
Katherine dropped the spoon into the pot. In a hushed voice, she asked, “What do you mean?”
Tyler nodded at the stove. “The peas.”
Shaking her head, she said, “Oh, yes, of course.”
“Were you thinking of something else?” he asked, his azure eyes lighting up his handsome face.
Katherine felt a knot of heat in the pit of her stomach. “No. I’m sorry. It’s a work thing,” she explained, hoping he didn’t ask her to expand, because she wasn’t sure if he knew she was an author. Had Doc told him? If he had, surely he would have mentioned it to her. Or maybe he had, and she’d completely forgotten. Either way, she didn’t see any harm in telling Tyler her occupation if the topic came up again.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked, his voice changing to that of Dr. Newlon. At least, that’s how she perceived it to be.
She took a deep breath, then slowly released it. She turned her back to him while she tended to the peas. She scooped the spoon out, tossed it in the sink, then took another spoon from the drawer next to the stovetop. “That’s a very loaded question.”
“How so?”
She gave a wry laugh. “It would take forever to explain.” She turned away from the stove to face him once more.
Reaching for another chunk of cheese, he said, “I’ve got all the time in the world.”
“Is that what you tell your patients?” She had to ask, because she didn’t want to have dinner with Dr. Newlon. Katherine needed him to be Tyler tonight, just for a while.
“No, most of my patients have appointments and come to my office,” he reminded her. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you? Ever since your phone rang, you seem disturbed.”
He was very spot-on. “I’ll make a deal with you,” she said.
Tyler chuckled, the sound music to her ears. Though cliché, it was true.
“I’m game. What are you offering?”
Determined to reserve her problems for later, she spoke confidently, even though she felt rattled. “After dinner, we can talk about my . . . issues.”
“I agree, but only if you’re comfortable. I’m not here as a doctor, Katherine. I want to be honest with you. You’re a very attractive woman and, I’ll admit, I’m more than a bit smitten with you.”
Once again, he grinned, causing her stomach to tighten with long pent-up frustrations that had lain dormant far too long. She wondered how it was possible to be “smitten” when they barely knew each other. If she were being honest, she would say the feelings were mutual, and in the scheme of life, it didn’t really matter how long they’d known each other.
“That’s a relief,” she told him. It was all she could come up with. Her emotions were dancing like jumping beans.
“That I’m not here as a doctor, or that I’m smitten with you?” he asked in a teasing tone.
She turned back to the stove so he couldn’t see her smiling. “Both.”
“And would I be jumping the gun if I asked if being smitten is mutual?”
Oh boy, he was not one for being subtle. “I think you’re very nice. Doc Baker said you’re an excellent doctor, so I guess I am a little smitten, too. Now I need to finish this.” She motioned to the pots on the stove. “Otherwise, that cheese is all we’ll have for dinner,” she teased in a humorous tone, hoping it would take focus off the fact she’d acknowledged she was just as smitten with him.
“Then what can I do to help speed up the process?” he asked, standing up and walking across the kitchen to where she stood. Having him this close made her dizzy, though also in a good way. “I love the fire and the table. I didn’t notice them at first,” he said when he saw her handiwork around the corner. He’d been unable to see that area earlier, since the large room was L-shaped and the fireplace area was more of a small sitting room. She’d use it as her new dining room now. It would be cozy in the winter. She could bring her laptop with her and work.
