Winter Creek Book Four -- More Than A Kiss

 I've only got one chapter to read over before I will published More Than a Kiss. 

Release date is August 1, but will have it set for pre-order.

Here's the cover

 

 

An AI-generated look at Winter Creek

 Okay, I'll admit it. I like using AI for pictures. All the Winter Creek covers are created that way. (I like the way they came out.)

I've also been messing around with Copilot, and came up with some pictures of the town and people.

The saloon from Entangled Hearts

 The shop from Dressmaker's Dilemma

 

 The classroom from Trusting the Cowboy

And, for the soon-to-be released More Than a Kiss

 

 

 Not to mention, an AI-generated picture of Winter Creek itself.

 

 I really need to start writing again.

 

 Oh, almost forgot, all of my Winter Creek books at 50% off the entire month of July. Why not go and check it out? 

 https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TheresaStillwagon6651

Just For You.

Calling all readers! It’s a new year and I’m ringing in 2025 with N. N. Light’s Book Heaven New Year New Books Fete. 25 books from multiple genres featured plus a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, Benefits of Friendship, will be featured on
January 29. I even talk about my resolutions/goals for 2025. You won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this bookish get-together and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/new-year-new-books-fete

Here you go

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Virtual Book Tour--Truth and Dare

 

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ann M. Trader will award a randomly drawn winner a $20 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course.

Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch.

Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?

Read an Excerpt

Max walked toward me, thumb hooked under the shoulder strap of his bag, and smiled. Clearly, he aces the masculinity test with no preparation at all. He tilted his head, like he was thinking over something. Obviously, he had no idea he could ask me anything, and I’d say yes. Readily. Breathlessly.

“So,” he said, dragging out the word, “about dinner tonight—”

“Oh, I got it,” I said, waking up my phone. “Sofia texted me everything. Reservations downstairs at seven o’clock.” From the look of his furrowed brow, I wondered if I had a fleck of apple skin stuck between my teeth from my mid-flight snack.

“Yeah…there’s been a slight change of plans. You and Ethan were having dinner downstairs. I have something else planned for us.”

Us. The word sounded dreamy coming from his mouth, floating through the air like a kite in springtime. My toes curled inside my sandals.

“That text,” he said, gaze flickering to his phone, “was from one of my best friends from college. We’re meeting him and his wife for supper. I don’t know what the hell got into Ethan.” He rubbed his knuckles under his chin. “You can’t come to the coast and eat hotel food. Even this hotel’s food.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “No, of course not.”

“We’re meeting Jack and Leigh at Thibodeaux’s at eight.”

Thibodeaux’s. The name twirled through my thoughts.

Max leaned a shoulder on the wall, and our gazes met. “It’s this fantastic urban grill—gorgeous waterfront views—fresh catch served daily. Exceptional food and service—”

As exceptional as you…?

“—so, how’s that sound?”

My heart skipped a pair of beats, then I relaxed into my natural Goldie grin. “Sounds wonderful.”

About the Author

I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring recipes on the lighter side of southern comfort foods. I’m a member of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and I love relaxing on my back porch to read and write. These days I take walks around my neighborhood, but when I was sixteen, I hiked the Grand Canyon with a group of friends. I love watching television dramas (in no special order): Palm Royale, The Buccaneers, The Bear, Mary and George, Emily in Paris, Outlander, Shrinking, Shogun, Bridgerton, Outer Banks, Stranger Things, The Crown, and Peaky Blinders and reading a great romance book.

Website: http://www.annmtrader.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/annmtrader
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ann-m-trader
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annmtraderbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21925238.Ann_M_Trader
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anntrader5

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Dare-Wonder-Wildflowers-Book-ebook/dp/B0D3JG5KQ8/ref=sr_1_1

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Book Blitz--Love by Design

 

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The Lilac Lake Inn Series, Book 1

 

Romantic Women’s Fiction

Date Published: August 22, 2023

 

 

Keeping a family promise can be the beginning of a whole new life for everyone in town...

Danielle “Dani” Gilford eagerly accepts her share of the gift of a cottage on the property of the Lilac Lake Inn in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Her grandmother, Gigi, has decided to sell the inn after realizing it’s too difficult to run as she ages and with rising taxes. Dani and her two sisters, Whitney and Taylor, must renovate and maintain the cottage and live there at least six months of each year, as a means of helping Gigi keep a vow to hold onto as much of the family property as possible.

The first person that Dani meets when she returns to the lake is Brad Collister, who, with his brother, has been hired to renovate the inn for the new owners. His brother, Aaron, is as attractive as Brad, but life with the brothers is complicated. Brad is still grieving for his wife, who died two years ago from cancer and Aaron’s interest lies with the business. And after working in Boston at an architectural design firm where the men in the office do everything they can to keep her from getting recognition for the work she does, the last thing Dani is looking for is a man. But the little town of Lilac Lake is full of interesting people, and surprises await Dani as she and her sisters work together to keep a promise to their grandmother, and Dani discovers new possibilities for herself about life and love.

Another of Judith Keim’s series books celebrating love and families, strong women meeting challenges, and clean women’s fiction with a touch of romance—beach reads for all ages with a touch of humor, satisfying twists, and happy endings.

About the Author

Judith Keim, A USA Today Best Selling Author, is a hybrid author who both has a publisher and self-publishes. Ms. Keim writes heart-warming novels about women who face unexpected challenges, meet them with strength, and find love and happiness along the way, stories with heart. Her best-selling books are based, in part, on many of the places she's lived or visited and on the interesting people she's met, creating believable characters and realistic settings her many loyal readers love.

She enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New York, and now makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their two dachshunds, Winston and Wally, and other members of her family.

While growing up, she was drawn to the idea of writing stories from a young age. Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library, or about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the books in general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid imaginations.

Ms. Keim loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm for her stories.

 

Contact Links

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Purchase Links

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Smashwords

Hidden Away at Promise Lodge

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Returning to the fan-favorite world of the closeknit Amish community of Promise Lodge, the small-town Missouri setting of her beloved Amish inspirational romance novels, Charlotte Hubbard continues to delight readers with uplifting tales of faith, family, and the blessings and happiness of true love and caring partnership.

There are no secrets among Missouri’s Amish community of Promise Lodge, as they share their joys, burdens, and blessings. But two visitors with a hidden agenda bring some surprising revelations—and unexpected saving graces…

When Karen Mercer and Andi Swann come to Promise Lodge for a week’s stay, the Kuhn sisters quickly detect the guests are not Plain folk, despite their kapps and homemade dresses. Entranced by the idyllic Amish lifestyle they’ve read about in romance novels, the visitors have gone undercover to revisit the place that was once the church camp where they spent happy summers. They mean no harm—but when the truth is uncovered, their deception has an intriguing impact on the faithful, hard-working community . . .

Meanwhile, amid bustling preparations for a spring wedding, a shy horse trainer is encouraged to share his colorful world with a newcomer awaiting a miracle . . . while the widowed baker of luscious Promise Lodge Pies sees a long-time friendship in a romantic new light. And in the wake of a destructive storm, Karen and Andi’s insider knowledge of the grounds may offer the safe passage they all need to renew and rebuild—stronger than ever . . .

Read an Excerpt

“Look at how this place has changed since we went to church camp here,” Andi remarked as they stood at the entry to Promise Lodge. “This must be a new metal entryway sign, because I don’t remember it having sunflowers and wheat sheaves, do you? And this plot to the left was a mowed pasture for horseback riding, and now it’s planted in green beans and tomatoes—”

“Probably to be sold at this produce stand,” Karen said, nodding toward the wooden structure at the roadside. “And look at all the houses! And there’s a tiny home with a dock on the far side of Rainbow Lake. How cool is that?”

“The old timbered lodge and the cabins look just the same as I remember them,” Andi said wistfully. “Except the Amish here have obviously done a lot of painting—and that looks like a new roof. The summers we spent here as campers and counselors were some of the best times of my life.” “Yeah, they were.” Karen pointed toward a large white barn. “And look at those adorable black and white cows! Everything looks too neat and perfect to be real—”

“But what about us?” Andi interrupted, her smile falling a notch. “Do we look authentic? We’re wearing these calf-length dresses we made and the kapps we ordered from a store in Lancaster County—and we’ve read hundreds of Amish novels—but what if they call us out as fakes? What if they make us confess in front of everybody at church and then—”

“They can’t do that, silly!” Karen reminded her with a chuckle. “We’re just taking a little trip down memory lane while we live the Amish life instead of just reading about it. If we stick to our script and imitate the way these folks do things, we’ll be fine, right?”

Andi sighed as though she wasn’t too sure about that. “But we made our phone reservation request and sent our money as though we were Plain, and the Amish think it’s a sin to lie. Maybe we should’ve—”

“But we didn’t,” Karen pointed out quickly. Her pulse was pounding with anticipation as she picked up the old-fashioned suitcase she’d bought at a thrift store. “If we follow our plans, we won’t have any problems. We’re just a couple of Amish maidels who’ve come to Promise Lodge for a week to check it out because we read about it in the Budget newspaper—which we did. Let’s walk to the lodge before you get cold feet and back out on me.”

About the Author

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband and their Border collie, Vera.

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A Family for Sam Chapter Two

 

Image by juan grullon from Pixabay 

A free read.

Introducing the hero, Sam Morgan. 

Here's a link to Chapter One.

I'm thinking of self publishing.

Chapter Two 

Sam Morgan stood at the opened gate of the corral, staring at the activity around him. Cowboys of every shape and size, older men with wisp of gray hair flying around their ears and younger men with old cowboy hats crammed a top their heads raced around the area. Excited young horses leaped up onto their hind legs and backed away from the approaching men, relaxing easily when one of the cowboys reached for their dangling reins. One beautiful black and white stallion stood like royalty in the center of the pen, ignoring the yelling voices around him. The animal firmed up as one of the younger cowboy's moved carefully toward him, and then side-stepped a few feet before the man snatched the trailing reins and led him into the barn.

Winterwind was a credit to his linage.

Even if the stallion did belong to the Hunters.

"He's beautiful."

His sister’s familiar voice broke through his studious attitude.

"Is that Dusty Cloud's baby?"

He nodded at Kay. "And Pale Moon's."

"I haven't forgotten. Jessie told me yesterday one of the other mares is pregnant by him."

Sam wriggled his eyebrows. "Still going strong, is he? What a stud!"

His sister didn’t respond to his comment. "Hey, Kay, are you okay? I just said something stupid, and you didn’t roll your eyes like you usually do.”

She wandered toward his left side and half stepped up the fence, looking out toward the stallion. Standing on the third from the bottom rail put her eye-to-eye with the magnificent animal. Small and petite, nothing like him or Jessie, and only vaguely like Dad. Every time he looked at her, he saw her long-gone mother.

"A couple of the scheduled patients cancelled their appointments when they found out Larry went fishing."

Her comment broke through his rambling thoughts. He'd been thinking way too much about family lately. "Cancelled, really?"

"Yeah." She settled her bottom on the top rail and looked toward him. "I think it upset All… Dr. Anderson."

Sam shrugged. "Well, what did you expect? The townspeople to welcome her back with open arms?"

"Last week they did," she said. "Or at least the men and younger folks did. Nothing's changed since then."

He leaped up on the top rail and flicked his sister's upper arm. She didn't respond. "You, okay?"

She shrugged. "I don't understand why people cancelled their appointments."

Obviously, Kay hadn't heard the rumors going on about the town's new doctor. Sam didn't want to believe it, but it made a kind of weird sense. She did arrive with only a little girl, and no husband. She still didn't have a husband. That didn't mean she'd lied to Old Doc Sanders about being married, though.

"She's nothing like Liz, Megan, or Mark."

Kay's quiet statement stopped his internal argument. "What do you mean, Kay? Everyone says she looks a lot like Liz."

"Well, yeah, she looks like her, but…" Shaking her head, she jumped from the fence into the corral. "Oh, never mind. I just thought she'd be easier to get to know. Like her brother and sisters."

"She's not?"

His sister shook her head.

"So, I guess some of the rumors are true." He got off the fence and followed her through the passageway between the fairground bleachers into the cooler barn. A horse whinnied while a man shouted orders to one of the green horns, arguing male voices yelled at the other end of the grounds. Normal sounds finishing up a normal day. He stopped at his office door and waved his sister through it. "People I've talked to told me she's a bitch."

Her back straightened as she jerked around. "Who told you that?"

Sam lifted his hands and backed away. "I don't remember exactly. It's just what I heard around the fairground today."

"She's not a bitch," Kay said adamantly. "Sure, she can be a bit proper at times and I don't think she even owns a pair of jeans. But I wouldn't say she was bitchy."

"I'm sorry I said it."

"Maybe you shouldn’t repeat rumors until you actually met her."

Sam wandered toward his desk and switched on the light. Brightness moved the shadows of the room away. He looked at his sister as he sank down into the big chair and leaned back. The old chair groaned under his bulky weight. Kayla didn't say a word. She fell lightly onto an ancient sofa in front of the only window in the room and pulled her legs up under her, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her tension eased a bit as she relaxed into the rough cushion.

"I feel so uneasy around her," Kay finally said. "I mean, I'm second guessing myself on everything I do there. Even when it comes to drawing blood, and I've been doing that for years."

"The lady doc makes you feel insecure?"

She nodded but didn't look up at him. "I'm not even sure what to call her."

"Her name is Allison, right?" Sam leaned forward in his chair and placed his arms flat on the desk. "Doesn't her family clan call her Allie?"

"Yes,” she whispered. “Calling her that doesn’t seem right, somehow.  She seems so…different from me.”

Sam didn't know what to tell her.

"I did call her by her first name today, though," Kay said in a soft way. "She looked so startled."

A knock sounded on the edge of his opened door. He looked up and frowned. Shit, this woman was the last person he wanted to see now, or ever. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping Kay and the rest of the ladies with the Memorial Day dance."

His sister jerked her head up at the older woman's harsh tone. He saw the right side of her mouth rise before she turned toward him. Her brows arched as her eyes sparked in a wicked way. "Oh, didn't I mention I asked Renee to help me with the party? I thought I told you, Sam."

If he'd known this obsessive woman was going to be around today, he would've found somewhere else to be. Sure, the Memorial Day rodeo and dance was one of the biggest events happening in Hendersonville, but he had plenty of time and help to get it all finished.

He scowled at his smirking sister. "Cute."

"I thought so."

Renee stepped into the small office and stopped at the side of his desk. "It's good to see you, Sam."

He wished he could say the same.

"Kay told me you didn't have a date to the dance yet?"

She leaned over the desk, allowing her loose tee shirt to flop open at the top. Sweet mounds of tasty flesh peeked out from her too tight bra, leaving him with a major problem. His hands itched to feel the firm, warm skin yet he knew it would be a big blunder, one he wasn't going to allow to happen again. He'd made that mistake when he'd first accepted her sexy offer a few years ago. The vague memory of the last time they'd been together at his uncle's old house outside town forced his glance away from the temptation.

Yeah, he liked sex as much as the next guy. Yet that morning was just too homely. Sam may not remember the sex, but he still remembered the rest of it. Even after two months, he could still hear her hints about marriage.

"I don't have a date either," Renee said. "I thought we might go together, for old time's sake."

He glared at his still smirking sister. "Sorry, but my sister's wrong. I do have a date."

Disbelief widened Kay's eyes. "You're such a liar."

"I just met her," he said, "a couple of weeks ago."

Renee straightened up as a hard frown formed on her mouth. "Is it that bitch doctor?"

Oh, shit. "No, it's not the new doctor."

The older woman glared at him for a long moment, then jerked around and left the office.

"Oh, Sam, you've just put your foot in it."

He stood up hard from the chair. "This is not funny."

"Yes, it is."

His sister unfolded easily from the sofa and stepped toward him. She swallowed down her laughter long enough to place her hand on his bicep. "You know she's going to harass Allie now, don't you?"

He sighed in frustration. "I haven't even met the lady doc yet, and I'm already causing her problems."

"Well, there's a way to remedy that, big brother."

Sam leaned into the wall. "Yeah, I guess I'll have to go and say hello."

"I would say sooner rather than later." Kay slapped his arm and grinned. "I guess she should meet the man she's accused of stealing before Renee starts in on her."

Shit.

"And you are Hendersonville's only EMT," Kay added. "About time you introduced yourself to the new doctor.

****

 

Sam could  still hear his sister's laughter when he pulled into the small parking lot of the clinic fifteen minutes later. Experience told him Larry would ignore the pounding on the front entrance door at this time of night, without first being notified of an emergency, so he didn't even bother stopping there. Instead, he raced around the house toward the warm block of light coming from the kitchen. He placed his fist against the window portion of the door and froze at the sound of a low, breathy voice. Larry's harsher tone answered back, causing warm laughter to flow unchecked toward his stilled body.

Shit.

Did the sexy laugh belong to the new doctor?

Didn’t sound at all bitchy?

Sam shook his head and pressed the buzzer. The laughter stopped as soft footsteps wandered to the door. The curtain at the window fluttered open. All he could see of the face was smooth skin and the tip of an ear, brushed by long, soft-looking strands of hair.

He swallowed down his usual greeting.

"Well, who is it?"

The half-hidden face was replaced by a craggy, lined one. "Sam?" The door swung open, and the older man waved him into the cheery kitchen. "What are you doing standing out there? When did you get here?"

"Only a few minutes ago," he said. His gaze flashed over the woman. Tall and slim, with light-brown hair falling halfway down her back, she didn't look anything like he'd imagined. The wavy strands of silk-like material wiped around her as she turned and stepped out of the room. "Was it something I did?"

"Well, you were gawking at her," Larry said, with a lop-sided grin. "Allie just made some fresh coffee. Want some?"

He pulled his gaze off the woman’s disappearing back and moved into the house, slamming the door behind him. He stepped toward the table and hooked his foot on the leg of the nearest chair.

"Here you go, Sam."

He straddled the seat and threw his cowboy hat in the center of the table. Grabbing the cup from the doctor, he leaned his arms over the back of the chair. "Thanks."

Larry sat in his usual seat at the head of the table. "So, what brings you to the clinic this late? I thought Kayla told me you were working on the Memorial Day rodeo."

"Renee showed up." He spoke to the older doctor but didn't take his eyes off the kitchen doorway. "Kay played a dirty trick on me and asked her to help with the dance."

"Oh?" Bushy eyebrows rose and fell as he leaned forward. "Why should that bother you? The two of you were an item at one time, right?"

"Not anymore." Clasping the hot cup between both hands, he glanced toward the back door. "The last time we had sex—" He stopped the harsh word. "I mean, when we were together last, she started hinting about…things."

Larry sipped at his coffee. "Things?"

"You know," he mumbled, staring down at the hot liquid, "about marriage, and starting a family. You know…things."

"Oh?"

"I'm not ready to settle down yet," he said, glancing hard at the doctor. "I'm not ready for someone to call me 'daddy'."

Larry didn't say anything, just sat and stared at him, sipping his coffee.

"You need to stop doing that, Doc."

"Doing what?"

He slammed his cup on the table. Drops of dark brown liquid burned his fingers. He ignored the sting. "You know what, Larry? My dad's been giving me the same look the last few years."

"You are forty-two," Larry said simply. "Don't you think it's time you started acting like it?"

Sam glared at the old man. "Just because I don't want to settle down with Renee doesn't mean I'm not acting my age. Some day I'll find the right woman. She's not Renee."

The older man investigated his coffee cup for a long moment. Something close to sadness glistened in his eyes. Sam understood the reason for the man's quietness. He'd heard the story of his lost love so many times he could repeat it word for word. Old Doc Sanders' one and only love had been killed in a car crash on her way to his graduation from medical school. They'd planned to be married the following September.

"I know she isn't the right woman for you, Sam." His strong voice wavered. "If she was, you would've married her years ago."

"You've got it right."

"I always knew Wilma would be the only woman for me," he said, looking at something Sam couldn't see. "I can still remember the first time I set eyes on her. She was so beautiful with all that long, flowing bright red hair falling out of her scarf. I think I fell in love with her at first sight."

Sam glanced over at the door leading to the living room. The new doctor's hair was long and flowing too, but not bright red. More like a light sienna color, with hints of darker brown weaved into the silky strands. A familiar itch burned the palm of his hand as a sudden need to run his fingers though the softness rushed into him.

Man, it hasn't been that long since he touched a woman.

Sam tore his gaze off the doorway and looked at his friend. "Could I ask you a personal question?"

Larry closed his eyes for a moment, then focused them on him. "You can ask, yes, but it doesn't mean I'll answer."

"Fair enough." He glanced at the living room door one last time. "You remember your lady's flowing red hair, right?"

Larry sighed out a yes. "I'll never forget it."

"Do you remember what you were thinking when you first saw her? Did you want to run your fingers through it, maybe?"

Silence lingered in the kitchen as the older man studied him. Then his eyes narrowed and cut hard toward the living room door before refocusing on him. "I can still remember how it felt."

"But did you have the urge to feel it that day?"

His eyes looked toward the door again as he snorted out a rough laugh. "You know what, Wilma raced out of the room a few seconds after I'd entered it too."

Shit.

---

Need to verify the pictures.

Horse  

Image by B Snuffleupagus from Pixabay

Kitchen table

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

A Family for Sam Chapter One

A free chapter.

This is a rewrite of one of my once published romance novels. Originally, it was the fourth book in a five books series called The Sisters Callaway. Now, after a major change to the characters and story A Family for Sam is the first book in a three-book series I'm calling Home to Hendersonville. The second book will be a completely different story with one of the sisters, and the third will be Kayla's story. After revisions, of course.

I've introduced that heroine in the first chapter here.

Enjoy!

A Family for Sam

Chapter One

 "I need you to take your shirt off, Mr. Wilson." Dr. Allison Anderson glanced at the elderly man. Thank God he was the last scheduled patient. "I can't tell if the cream I gave you on Monday is helping if you won't let me examine your back."

"Where's Doc Sanders?" The gentleman backed away from the exam table, bumping into a storage cabinet. "Doc knows how to take care of me."

Allie blew out her breath. Why is he acting this way? She'd already seen him at the beginning of the week. He'd been willing to let her examine his rash then, and he even allowed her to give him a corticosteroid shot. Now it's almost like he'd never been in the office at all.

"Where's Doc anyway?"

Allie sighed out her angry frustration. "He went fishing."

"Fishing?"

"Yes," she said, glancing sharply at him. "He hasn't been in all day. If you don't get check out now, you'll have to come back on Monday."

A light tap sounded on the exam room door behind her. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"You better, Kayla." All day, one patient after the other, had given her a hard time. Just because Dr. Sanders wasn't in the clinic, they all acted like Allie didn't have a clue what to do with them. "Maybe you can talk Mr. Wilson into letting me check out his rash."

Kayla stopped at the other end of the table and looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Sighing out her annoyance, she glanced at the smaller woman. "He's refusing to take off his shirt."

The look on her face told Allie she might not be able to convince him either. Yet it didn't seem to bother her nurse. She just shrugged and moved closer to the exam table. "All Dr. Anderson needs to do is look at your chest and back, Mr. Wilson. She won't need to touch you."

Dr. Anderson? Allie swallowed. She'd been working closely with her for two months now, and she still called her Dr. Anderson. But then why should she be any different than the rest of the people in Hendersonville? Except for her parents and two siblings, everyone called her Dr. Anderson.

Or they didn't bother calling her anything at all.

Even Dr. Sanders never called her by her first name.

"No, I'm not taking off my shirt with two women in the room."

Kayla grinned. "Afraid we might attack you?"

"That is not a proper thing to say to the patient."

Her nurse froze, and then stiffened up. Just like must of the other women whenever she spoke to them. No matter how she acted, or what she said, the female residents of the town still hadn't warmed up to her. It was strange, though. The men didn't seem to have the same problem.

Had she done the right thing moving back home?

"Dr. Anderson?"

Kayla's tempered voice broke through her thoughts.

"Allie?"

The sound of her first name startled her head up. "Yes?"

"Mr. Wilson is willing to take off his shirt," the nurse said, a hint of laughter in her lilting voice. "But only if you promise not to touch him."

An answering grin moved over her lips. She wiped it away quickly. "I think I can manage that."

Her nurse stared at her for a long moment, and then turned toward the elderly patient. "Well?"

The patient looked from the nurse to her, then back to Kayla before turning and slipping out of his shirt. Allie leaned in and peered at the pinkish skin on the right side of his chest. "Have you been putting on the hydrocortisone cream I gave you?"

"Yes."

"Let me look at your back."

He turned and Allie examined his back. Patches of red puckered skin showed at the center of his back with pinker skin on the upper and lower areas. "It looks better."

"Feels better."

Allie leaned in closer. "Is your wife putting on the cream for you?"

He shrugged his narrow shoulder. "I've been doing it, mostly."

"I can tell."

"Does it still look bad?"

"No, you're healing fine except in the center of your back." Allie moved toward the cabinet on the left wall and pulled out a tube of hydrocortisone cream from one of the stocked drawers. "I'm going to put some cream on for you. Will you let me?"

"Is that the same stuff I've been using?"

Allie nodded.

Mr. Wilson studied her for another quiet moment, and then shrugged. "I guess that'll be okay."

"Good." She pulled a latex glove from the box on the side of the stand and squeezed a generous amount of cream onto her fingers. She placed the tube down and turned toward the man. "Are you ready?"

He turned his back to her.

She reached out and laid her fingers on the worse of the sores, smoothing the cream over the botchy skin. He flinched but didn't pull away. Allie sighed in gratitude. She spread it over the pink skin until depositing all of the cream off the glove. "I'm all finished."

"My back doesn't itch anymore."

Allie grinned. "That's what supposed to happen, Mr. Wilson."

She turned and tore off her gloves, throwing them into the trash can near the wall. Then went to the sink and washed her hands. She grabbed a paper towel and dried, closing the water faucet with the towel before throwing it away.

"Are you finished with Mr. Wilson, Doctor?"

"Yes." Allie faced the man. "Make sure you have your wife put the cream on your back from now on, Mr. Wilson. The rest of your skin is healing fine."

"I'll do that, Dr. Anderson."

"You should probably make an appointment for him for next week." Allie peered at Kayla. "Dr. Sanders should see him."

"I'll do it before I leave." She followed the man out the door. "Oh, would you like me to stay around to help you clean up the exam rooms?"

"No, go on home." Allie glanced over the room, looking at everything except the woman standing at the door. "It doesn't take much time or energy to clean up the clinic area."

"Are you sure, Dr. Anderson?"

Allie nodded.

"Well, my brother is waiting for me at the fairgrounds. Sam's planning the Memorial Day Rodeo. Some of the ladies and I are cleaning up the hall for the dance. Memorial Day is a big deal around here." Kayla stopped and looked at her in a questioning way. Her mouth opened, and then she closed it shut. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Yes."

She looked at Allie again. "I'll lock up the clinic on my way out."

"Thank you," Allie said. "Have a nice weekend."

Kayla lifted her lips into a sweet smile. "I hope you have a nice one too, Doctor."

After Allie cleaned and restocked the three exam rooms of the clinic with necessary supplies, she wandered into the reception area of the building. She rearranged all the chairs into their proper places and stacked the old magazines and newspapers, putting them into neat piles on the stands. Then she went to a small walk-in closet behind the reception desk and pulled out a vacuum cleaner.

A little over an hour later, Allie replaced the vacuum in the closet and searched her eyes around the clean and orderly room.

Girlish laughter and a gruff male voice broke through the silence, sending her flying toward the back living area of the house. She entered the cheery kitchen and stopped near the old, wooden table in the center of the room.

Warmth filled her at the sight of her daughter.

"Hey, Becki." She crouched down and opened her arms for her daughter's hug. "Did you have fun fishing?"

"I gots a big one." She stretched her hands out as far as they could go. "It was this big."

"Oh, wow."

"Yes." Her little mouth sloped downward. "Uncle Larry told me I had to throw it away."

"Uncle Larry?"

Dr. Sanders shrugged. "I don't mind her calling me uncle, Doc."

"Are you sure?"

"I like it." He gazed at the yawning girl. "Looks like I tired the poor thing out."

"I'm not tired, Mommy."

Allie picked up her toddler and cradled her against her chest, sitting in one of the padded chairs. Becki struggled for a few seconds, then gave up and settled her head on her shoulder, eyes drifting slowly closed. Of all the rooms in the building, this large old-fashioned kitchen was her favorite.

Larry sat down across the table from her. "She keeps a man on his toes."

Allie grinned. "Yes, she is full of energy."

The man's laughter echoed through the large room. "That is the understatement of the year, Doc."

Becki mumbled under her breath as she curled her legs up in a ball and settled deep into her lap. Allie wrapped her arms around her waist, spreading her hand near her daughter's stomach.

"She's sweet, though."

Allie looked at the man. "I'm sorry if she's a bother."

"No, she's not a bother."

"I thought I found a place to live last week, but..." Allie sighed. "The owner called me this morning to tell me they rented the house to someone else. I really liked the place."

"The Brown's stopped the deal?"

"Yes," Allie said. "And I'm not sure why. Everything seemed fine on Sunday afternoon. Mr. Brown and I met at the little diner in town and discussed the agreement. All I needed to do was give him the down payment and the first month’s rent. Then this morning everything fell apart."

He looked down at Becki. "I'm sorry, Allie."

"Allie?"

"It's your name." He jerked his head up and leaned forward. "Oh, you don't like me being so informal with you."

"No, that's not it." She shook her head back and forth quickly. "It just surprised me. You never called me by my first name before."

He jerked his head back. "I haven't?"

"No." She glanced down at her sleeping daughter. "You usually just call me Doc."

"Well, you are a doctor." He looked at Becki again. "If you don't like me calling you Allie, I'll stop."

"Oh, I don't mind. It's better than being called Dr. Anderson. Kayla is still calling me that."

Larry didn't say anything for so long she glanced toward him. He sat in the chair opposite hers, studying something near the stove. She waited for a few more second as a hint of uneasiness filtered through the man toward her.

"I'm thinking the folks here heard you're divorced," he finally said. "I tried to keep that a secret between us."

"Why would you do that?"

He didn't seem to hear her question. "I think that's what's causing all your problems now. At least with the female part of the population."

Allie focused her look on him. "Why would my divorce upset the women?"

"Because," looking sheepishly toward her, "I told everyone you were never married."

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Below are the links to the two pictures in order of use.

Image by juan grullon from Pixabay 

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay