front of a patient, especially a frightened child, she said no more. There would be time later to clarify the rules on this mountain.
“Hi, I’m Baylie,” she said to the child, smiling reassuringly. “Cassie, can you tell me where it hurts?”
The girl put her hand to the back of her head.
“I found a goose egg in the back on the left side,” Kyle said from behind her.
Moving her fingers along the girl’s scalp, Baylie located a knot. “It’ll be sore for a few days,” Baylie told the girl. “Do you mind if I listen to your heart and check a few more things?”
“I’ve already done that, and she checks out fine,” Kyle said, moving to the other side of the bed.
He wasn’t going to leave this alone.
“Do you mind if I do it again?” she asked the girl.
The girl nodded her head in agreement.
“Good. Your mother and father should be here soon.”
“Father. My mother doesn’t live with us anymore.” Sadness filled the girl’s eyes.
“Well, how about we get you all fixed up before your father gets here?” Baylie smiled at her and pulled out her stethoscope. She began to examine the girl and was just finishing when a man’s fearful voice called, “Cassie?”
With quick steps Kyle moved out into the lobby area.
“You must be Cassie’s father.” Kyle’s rusty-timbred voice carried into where Baylie and Cassie waited. “She’s fine. Just a little bump on the head. Come this way.”
The men continued to talk. The man’s voice lowered. Kyle had effectively calmed the father, she grudgingly admitted. Seconds later the men entered the room.
The father rushed to the girl’s side. “Honey, are you all right?”
“Uh-huh. But I hit my head.”
“Hi, I’m Baylie Walker, the courtesy-patrol leader on the mountain.”
The man glanced at her before returning his attention to his daughter.
“Cassie’s going to be just fine. You’ll want to keep some ice on the bump until the swelling goes down,” Baylie continued as she squeezed the girl’s hand.
“That was just what Dr. Campbell was telling me.”
The father had effectively dismissed Baylie. She pursed her lips and looked at Kyle. He raised a shoulder and let it fall.
“I’ve given Cassie a thorough exam. Other than the knock on her head she seems fine. You’re welcome to take her with you but I suggest you watch her closely. You’re also welcome to the disposable ice pack. If you need anything, just let me know.” She stepped over to the counter, retrieved a card and handed it to the father. “You can reach me twenty-four hours a day.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” the father said, giving Cassie a hug.
“I bet a cup of hot chocolate would make that head feel better,” Kyle said with a grin that did something to her insides she wasn’t entirely comfortable with. His mouth could be a weapon against her if he chose to use it.
“Uh-huh.” Cassie looked at her father. “Can I have a hot chocolate, Daddy?”
Her father picked her up in his arms. “Sure, honey.”
Okay, Kyle officially had a great bedside manner. He might have some other grating personality issues but he’d dealt well with Cassie and her scared father. Baylie had seen none do better. Still, he had no business being so high-handed about making decisions that should have been hers.
“The best on the mountain is over at Snow Mountain Café,” Baylie suggested. “You know where that is?”
“Sure do. Thank you again.” The father smiled at her and offered his hand to Kyle. “Thanks, Dr. Campbell, for taking care of my little girl.”
“You’re welcome.” Kyle ruffled Cassie’s hair. “See you on the slope.”
She grinned.
When the outside door to the clinic closed behind them, Baylie turned to Kyle. “You didn’t tell me you were a doctor.”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes. I would’ve made it clear that you make no decisions regarding injuries without my approval.”
“So this is a territorial thing?”
Baylie’s hands went to her hips. “That has nothing to do with it.”
“Then what’s the problem? I saw the girl being hit and went to help. It wasn’t more than I am qualified to handle by the American Medical Association.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t, but at this resort I make those calls. If an injured person isn’t cared for in the proper way there could be problems.”
“I understand. My apologies,” he said in a flat tone.
Did he think she was overreacting? “The resort can be liable. Now you should understand why I was so concerned about you going through an orientation.”
“Again, I agree.” This time he sounded as if he meant it.
She’d give him the benefit of the doubt. “You’re going to need to fill out a report as you were the one who brought Cassie in. I’ll log it in the book.”
Kyle moaned. “You mean even at a ski resort there’s still paperwork?”
“’Fraid so.” Baylie took perverse pleasure in him getting what he deserved for being so high-handed. She stepped over to a desk and turned on the computer. “Better now than later. You won’t like doing it at closing time.”
“If you insist.”
“I do.” Baylie logged onto the computer and pulled up the page he needed. She stood, letting him have the chair.
Even in heavy ski boots there was a grace, an athleticism in his movements, where others moved like bad renditions of an ostrich. It was as if he was at ease. His square jaw was already showing a midmorning shadow. Some men grew beards against the cold, but it would be a shame to cover up that strong chin or surround his expressive mouth with hair.
What had got into her? She wasn’t some snow bunny out for an après-ski fling. In fact, she couldn’t face another relationship. Losing Ben had been far too hard. She wasn’t ready to be involved with another man—not that this one was offering. The memory of Ben was still too sharp. Hurt too much. she wouldn’t give her heart again so easily.
She and Ben had been in the same company. He had been the captain, she the medic. They had known they could be in big trouble for fraternizing, but neither had seemed to let that matter. The patrol had been routine as they had been in a friendly section of Iraq. But the words “routine” and “friendly” had
