Chapter Seven

KT walked out the front door of the clinic, stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and waited for the queasiness in her stomach to dissipate. She'd anticipated the difficulty in asking for a job. What she hadn't expected was how very hard it would be to see Tory again. This was the longest they had been alone together since that afternoon she'd returned home from her interrupted tryst in the on-call room to find Tory waiting in the living room, hollow-eyed and so terribly wounded. The apology she'd intended to make had died on her lips when she was faced with the enormity of Tory's pain. As had been the case just moments before, on that day she'd simply waited in silence for Tory's judgment. It had been swift and irrevocable.

"Get out, KT. Get out now and don't come back."

Get out, KT. Get out...Get out...

Involuntarily, KT fisted her hands. A river of pain surged in her damaged arm, nearly unbearable. Severed nerves screamed, and inflamed blood vessels pulsed and throbbed. Nausea rose in her already unsettled stomach, and she bit back a moan as she fought to stay upright. Unconsciously, she felt in her right-hand pants pocket for one of the small white tablets and dry swallowed it. Then she took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on her surroundings, relegating her regrets to the past and forcing the pain down to manageable levels.

The parking lot was crowded with patients' cars and enclosed by scrub pines, low bushes, and sand dunes. Overhead, the sky was clear blue with fluffy white clouds that were so postcard perfect they didn't seem real. As she watched, a seagull actually coasted by, wings spread, white body gliding on the air. The idyllic picture was a far cry from the bustling, exhaust-fume-sullied streets of

Boston and the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the trauma center. From the turmoil of her life. She'd been on a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows for fifteen years, from the day she'd started her residency in surgery. She'd battled for a place on the team with the big boys, and she'd bested most of them at the high-stakes game of life and death in the trauma ER. Along the way, she'd garnered a reputation for being decisive in a crisis, fast in the OR, and faster with the ladies. The pace and the challenge had suited her need for the adrenaline infusion that came with living on the edge. There was only one thing missing. One huge aching void. Tory.

As if to remind her that there was no going back, a police cruiser pulled into the gravel-and-sand parking lot and slowed to a halt twenty feet away, and Reese Conlon stepped out. The last time KT had seen the sheriff, they'd been standing side by side in the pediatric intensive care unit, gazing down in mutual awe at Tory's newborn daughter. Reese and Tory's baby daughter. KT braced herself as she held the gaze of the steely-eyed woman who approached.

"KT," Reese said evenly as she stopped two feet away. The brim of her hat was pulled low, obscuring her eyes. The rest of her face was unreadable.

"Reese."

Reese's gaze traveled from the laceration on KT's cheek down her body, lingering for a moment on her left arm, and then returning to her shadow-filled eyes. "You doing okay?"

"Managing." The corner of KT's mouth turned up in a rueful smile. "You?"

"Things are good. I won't bore you with the baby pictures."

KT's dark eyes flashed, even though Reese's voice held no hint of victory. "Tory says she's beautiful."

"Yes." Reese considered the earlier phone call and KT's presence at the clinic, and made the obvious connection. "Just finished your interview?"

"A few minutes ago." KT scrutinized Reese's face for some sign of anger or aggression. Nothing. Total control. Impressive. "Problem with that?"

"Not my call."

"If it was?"

Slowly, Reese shook her head. "It's not. I need to see Tory for a few minutes. Can I give you a lift somewhere after that?"

"No, thanks. I feel like a walk."

"Good enough. I'll see you around, then."

"Maybe." KT flashed a grin. "I guess that will be up to Tory."

Reese said nothing, merely nodding as she turned and walked toward the clinic. KT followed Reese's powerful form as she took the four stairs up to the front door two at a time, her movements graceful and quick. She was an. imposingly attractive woman. Not the kind of woman KT was interested in bedding, but a worthy opponent, and therefore exciting nonetheless. She tried not to imagine Tory in Reese's arms as she made her way out to the street and headed toward the center of town.

Forty minutes later, KT realized that a two-mile walk in the middle of the day in early September wasn't the brightest idea. She was hot and thirsty and light-headed by the time she found the address she was looking for on the far west end of Commercial Street. A white half-Codder with baby blue shutters sat at the far end of a narrow driveway behind a much larger guesthouse that bore a historic sign indicating it was one of the original structures in the Provincetown settlement. At the end of the driveway fronting the street, a discreet, hand-painted wood sign hung from a curved wrought-iron post: Pia Torres, PT, OT, CMT.

KT was halfway to the small cottage before she noticed the woman kneeling by one corner of the small porch, tending a flower bed filled with day lilies and a profusion of brightly colored annuals. A wooden box holding garden tools rested by her side. At the sound of KT's footsteps, the woman looked up. KT's immediate impression was one of searching dark eyes, glossy midnight hair that glinted in the bright sunlight, and acres of smooth sienna skin. A sleeveless T-shirt and white boat shorts left her slender, well-toned arms and her shapely legs bare. KT stopped on the sidewalk and nodded in greeting. The answering smile was warm and open.

"Ms. Torres?"

Pia shielded her eyes from the blazing sun with her hand and stared up at the tall, dark stranger. It was hard to make out her features clearly with the sun casting her form in shadow, but the face beneath the thick, dark hair was pale, an unnatural paleness that made the pink scar on her right cheek stand out dramatically. It took only another second for Pia to register the Orthoplast splint with the metacarpal blocks and flexor tendon pulleys on the left hand. Pia stood. "Dr. O'Bannon?"

"Yes. We have an appointment."

"We do," Pia confirmed cheerfully as she checked her watch. "You're just a bit early. Why don't you come inside and have a drink while I get cleaned up. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

"Please don't hurry," KT said quietly. "I'll be happy to wait out here."

Pia wondered if the other woman even realized that she was swaying where she stood. Perhaps it was the undertone of weariness in her voice or her bold facade even in the face of obvious physical pain that put the gentleness in Pia's tone.

"It's ninety degrees out here and getting hotter every second. I can offer you a bit of shade and cool refreshment. It will make it easier for us to talk if you're not suffering from heatstroke."

KT hesitated, uncomfortable impinging on the woman's personal space, especially since she had pressured her for an urgent appointment and then arrived early for it. Still, she was feeling the effects of the heat and experienced a sudden urge to sit down. It probably won't make a very good impression if I fall over in the woman's yard. "Thank you. Something to drink would be very nice."

Pia favored her with another blazing smile and started toward the small porch and the front door. "Good. Just follow me."

The door to Tory's office was partially open, and Reese-stepped inside. Tory stood at the window on the far side of the room, looking out

"Tor?" Reese said softly.

Startled, Tory jumped and turned quickly, her surprised expression instantly turning to one of pleasure, "Oh! Hello, darling.-I didn't expect you."

Reese smiled and started toward her, noting the same dark shadows swirling beneath the welcome in Tory's eyes that she had seen in KT's. "I decided to go in to work early, and I wanted to let you know. I just left Reggie at Kate and Jean's."

"Good. I need to stay here for a while and take care of some paperwork." As she spoke, Tory stepped up to Reese and wrapped her arms around Reese's waist, resting her head on her shoulder. "I'm so g]ad to see you,"

"Mmm. Me too." Reese kissed the fine, soft hair at Tory's temple and rubbed her palm over her lover's back. Tory trembled and Reese pulled her closer. "I saw KT in the parking lot."

"Yes," Tory replied softly, not moving away from the solace of Reese's embrace. "She was the one inquiring about the position."

"I figured as much." Reese moved her hand to the back of Tory's neck and began to massage her gently. "She looked pretty beat up."

Tory flinched at the memory, and her voice was thick with emotion as she answered. "Someone...hurt her." She closed her eyes tightly and turned her face to Reese's neck. "God, Reese. An injury like that...for her? I can't imagine what she's going through,"

But you can. And that's part of what's causing the pain in your eyes. Reese continued her gentle caresses. "She strikes me as being pretty tough. When she gets her fight back, she'll be okay."

"You saw quite a bit out there in the parking lot." Tory tilted her head back and studied Reese's face. Her blue eyes were calm and steady. Tory caressed her cheek tenderly. "You're very special, Sheriff."

"No." Reese cupped Tory's hand in hers and kissed her palm. "You and Regina are everything that matters to me, Tory. Everything."

"As simple as that?" Tory's voice held a note of wonder.

"Yes," Reese affirmed, kissing Tory lightly on the mouth. "Just exactly as simple as that."

"Oh, I'm so glad."

Reese looked down to Tory's eyes. The sight of the sadness there tore at her. "What did you tell KT about the job?"

"I didn't I told her I'd get back to her about it." Tory stepped away and ran both hands through her hair, pushing the errant strands away from her face. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

Tory leaned her hips against the front edge of her desk and curled her fingers around the dark wood on either side of her body. She kept her eyes on Reese's face, watching her reactions. "I wanted to know if it would bother you if she were around."

"It depends," Reese said quietly.

"On what?" Tory steeled herself for the answer.

"On whether it's going to hurt you like this every time you see her."

Tory's lips parted in surprise and she breathed out slowly. "Me? I'm not hur…"

"Yes, you are." Reese stood without moving, holding Tory's gaze. "This time just like all the other times."

"She stopped mattering to me the day I found her in bed with someone else." Fury rode just beneath the surface of Tory's insistent words.

Reese tucked her hands into her pockets, appreciating that anger was a much more acceptable emotion than disappointment and betrayal. "Can she do the job?"

Tory snorted. "She's one of the best doctors I've ever seen."

"If you weren't considering her, you would have told her no already," Reese pointed out reasonably.

"It's not like I have a lot of options. I have to come back to work. I want to come back to work. But I don't want to spend any more time away from you and the baby than I absolutely have to." Tory blew out an exasperated breath. "You're right. I do need the help. Dan is leaving tomorrow, and we're busier than we've ever been." She smiled, her eyes bright. "And in case you've forgotten, Sheriff, you and I are getting married in a few months."

Reese grinned. "Oh, I haven't forgotten."

"Jean and Kate have been wonderful about handling a lot of the arrangements, but there are still things I'm going to need to do myself. Plus, my parents will be coming in." Tory shook her head. "God, I can't think about all of that right now."

"You know I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"I know. But the fact remains, with me going back to work now, it's going to be a strain."

"And KT is available."

"Yes." Tory sighed. "She's ready to start tomorrow."

"If it doesn't work out, there's no reason you can't just tell her so."

"I know."

"But if she hurts you," Reese said quietly, "even just by being here, she goes."

"You're really all right about it?"

"I want you to have help. She's here and she's competent," Reese shrugged. "Seems like the thing to do." She didn't add that it might finally be the opportunity for Tory to truly put that part of her past behind her.

Tory moved away from the desk and back to Reese. She placed her palms flat against Reese's chest and leaned into her, her thighs pressed to Reese's as she kissed her. With her lips still close to Reese's mouth, she murmured, "And if anything about this hurts you, in any way, I'll send her away."

Reese slid her arms around Tory's waist and kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, and finally her lips. "While I have you, nothing can hurt me."

Pia looked up from the copy of the operative report that KT had provided, her gaze unblinking. While she'd read, her face had revealed none of the compassion or sympathy she'd felt at witnessing the impersonal record of a woman's destruction. The harm was done; it was her job to undo it. "You haven't started any physical therapy yet?"

"No," KT replied. She was sitting at the kitchen table in front of the open back door, sipping iced tea and regarding the hand therapist intently. "I've only been out of the cast a few days."

"How much pain are you having?"

KT shrugged. "It's tolerable."

"It's important that I know," Pia continued reasonably, "Otherwise, it's difficult for me to fashion the appropriate treatment plan."

"Seven out of ten," KT grudgingly informed her.

Pia nodded, although she was willing to bet that the surgeon was underestimating her level of discomfort. She'd never met a surgeon without a healthy dose of machismo. Sometimes, in situations like this, that turned out to be unhealthy. The worst thing that could happen in the aftermath of this type of injury would be to rapture one of the tendon repairs or avulse one of the reconnected nerves, and that could happen if the patient or the therapist pushed too hard or too fast. Such an event at this point would almost certainly guarantee a permanent loss of function, and for a surgeon, any loss of function was going to prevent her from resuming her career.

"I anticipate that you're looking at three to six months, possibly longer, of intensive therapy."

"Understood." KT planned to make her stay in therapy as short as possible. She'd work the program the therapist designed for her, and she'd work it hard. She didn't intend to be disabled for very long.

"We'll need to meet daily for the first six weeks," Pia added.

Again, KT nodded. "Whatever you say."

"I can see you here, but the schedule might be slightly erratic depending upon my responsibilities in Hyannis. I don't work a regular shift there, although I go in nearly every day."

"As long as I have a few days' notice, I'll fit myself into your schedule." KT hoped she wasn't being overly optimistic making these arrangements. After all, Tory hadn't said that she would hire her. Still, she'd seen the look in Tory's eyes. It wasn't the sympathy that she cared about or even the anger that she'd seen every other time she'd looked into her former lover's eyes. It had been that brief moment of tenderness, that precious instant when the past had faded and they had been nothing more than two women who cared about one another. The connection, no matter how fleeting, had felt so strong that it had obliterated the long years of loneliness and confusion. At least for her.

Pia tilted her head and smiled. "Are you always so accommodating, Dr. O'Bannon?"

KT smiled, but her eyes remained flat and without humor. "No."

"Can you start tomorrow?"

"What's wrong with today?"

Pia laughed. "Let's say 9 a.m. Just leave me your number in case something comes up."

KT provided her with her cell number and then rose. "Thank you."

"Where are you staying?" Pia asked as she walked KT to the door.

"I've got a room at the Crown Point until I can find a condo to rent."

Pia was about to offer a few suggestions about finding a place, and then thought better of it. It was usually best to keep things on a purely professional level, especially when a woman was as dangerously attractive as this one.

"Good luck. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Dr. O'Bannon."

"Please, call me KT."

"And I'm Pia."

"Thank you." KT looked into the deep brown eyes and smiled. "Pia."

Pia steadfastly ignored the slight flutter of her heart as she watched her newest client walk up the flagstone walkway and disappear down the street. She wasn't particularly worried about her reaction. She had a heartbeat, and that's all it would take to find KT O'Bannon attractive. But she'd had quite a few years of practice being attracted without becoming involved, and she had no intention of changing that now.