The Doctor and the Single Mum

Glancing at her best friend’s amused expression, Jill knew Maggie knew what she was thinking. Before she could decide how to sugarcoat her response, Mayor Loretta Goodson stopped beside the table.

“Hi, Jill.” Her Honor was a tall, slender, attractive woman who made the mid-forties look like the new thirty. Her shiny, shoulder-length brown hair was stylishly cut in layers and her jeans, white blouse and navy blazer struck just the right balance between friendly elected official and professional businesswoman. As far as anyone knew, she’d never been married and when she looked at the pregnant lady, there was a mirror image of sadness in her gray eyes. “You look good, Maggie.”

“I feel good.”

The mayor nodded, then extended her hand to Adam. “We haven’t met, Doctor. Mayor Loretta Goodson.”

“It’s a pleasure,” he said. “How are you settling in?”

He hesitated just a second before responding, “Making a change is always a challenge.”

Loretta nodded. “Folks in Blackwater Lake pride themselves on loyalty.”

“And they’re good at it,” he said wryly.

Jill knew it was a veiled reference to everyone in town freezing him out to protect her.

“Their attitude will change. Doing physicals at no charge for the football team helps,” the mayor said. “And it’s important for everyone to accept you. I was elected to grow the tax base here in town, and to do that we need to attract business. People work in businesses and they’ll need services, like health care.”

Now Jill felt really guilty and personally responsible for hindering town expansion. On her account Adam was being treated as if he’d already screwed up just for being a doctor who rented her apartment.

The mayor smiled at him. “It occurs to me that you might want to do a booth at the Harvest Festival next month.”

“I don’t make quilts or pickle cucumbers,” he joked.

“Health screenings were more what I had in mind.”

“Taking blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes checks. Eye exams,” he said, thinking out loud.

“We could set you up between the pumpkin pies and corn dogs,” she teased.

“That’ll make folks love me,” he said ruefully. “A terrible warning.”

Loretta laughed. “Just a healthy reminder. It would be great exposure and a good way for people to get to know you.”

“Sounds like an idea, Madam Mayor. Who should I talk to about setting it all up?”

“Calvin Johnson.” She pointed out a man across the room who had his arm draped across one of the teenage football players. “I’ll take you over there right now and make introductions.”

“I’d like that. I actually came over here to give you a donation for the team,” he said to Maggie. “Give me a couple minutes and I’ll be back with a check.” Then he looked down at Jill. “See you later.”

Speechless, Jill smiled and nodded, then watched him walk away. The information about contributing his medical expertise to the kids was new, unexpected and something the last doctor hadn’t done. She understood that the money he’d spent tonight was about buying town approval and it was for a good cause. But free physicals was time-consuming, not to mention above and beyond the call of duty. That made it awfully difficult not to respect the gesture. And like him for it.

It was a disconcerting realization. How could she hold out against the new doctor who went out of his way for the high school football team and was extra nice to a pregnant war widow? What could a girl do to put up a defense against a man like that?

Somewhere between talking to the mayor and sweetening her disposition, Jill had misplaced the hostility that was her best weapon.

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