to know all the answers, but if I can tell you anything that will help, I’ll be glad to do it.”
Tired of being held, Emilia squiggled around in his arms. He raised his brows at Erika.
“You can put her down. She likes to roam from chair to chair. Mom already fed her because she usually gets caught up in play with someone here and doesn’t eat.”
After Dillon set Emilia gently on the floor and she ran toward another little girl who looked to be about three, he took off his suit coat and laid it across the table at the rear of the room. Then he tugged down his tie, slung it from around his neck and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. His shirt sleeves were next. He rolled those up and felt a lot more comfortable.
As he took a seat next to Erika, women began filling the chairs around the table, introducing themselves and asking him questions. They weren’t shy and soon they were having a lively discussion about fresh foods, frozen vegetables and healthy snacks for kids. At one point, Dillon glanced at Erika and caught her watching him. Her interest gave him an odd feeling, but pleasurable and unsettling. What was he doing here? But then he realized, he enjoyed just being with Erika. The sound of her laughter entertained him, the curve of her hair against her cheek aroused him, her quick humor made him laugh. When her knee brushed his under the table, she quickly moved hers away. He felt sorry about that. The closeness of her body against his gave him an adrenaline rush he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
Scalloped potatoes, chili, black-bean soup and homemade bread were all very good and he complimented the chefs. These women knew how to stretch a dollar and do it well. From what he overheard, they seemed to rely on each other for babysitting and rides to work when their cars broke down. Here, Erika was among friends who supported her.
Erika was fielding Emilia’s attempt to run around the table when Dillon caught sight of a young mother. She was holding the hand of a little boy who looked to be about five. As Dillon observed the child, he wondered if the boy had a fever. There was a glassy look to his eyes that Dillon didn’t like at all.
The women were mostly finished eating and talking among themselves. He pushed his chair back and casually made his way to the young woman and her child.
When he crouched down by the little boy, he said, “Hi, there. What’s your name?”
The little boy looked up at his mother.
“It’s okay,” she said.
“My name’s Kevin.”
Dillon extended his hand to the boy’s mother. “Dr. Traub.”
She took his hand hesitantly and shook it. “I’m Sue. Sue Kramer. Kevin isn’t feeling well. He has a sore throat.” Her arm went around her son’s shoulders.
Dillon felt Kevin’s forehead, then he took the boy’s pulse. It only took a few seconds for him to be able to tell Kevin’s heartbeat was fast. It was possible he could have strep, or it could simply be a virus. There was no way to know without a culture.
“I can’t really do a proper examination here,” Dillon said. “I’d like to make sure he doesn’t have strep throat.”
“Oh, but we don’t have any insurance,” she said, looking embarrassed.
“Do you have transportation?”
“Yes, my brother’s pickup truck. Why?”
Erika came over to them then and asked curiously, “What’s going on?”
“Kevin isn’t feeling well,” Dillon explained. “I’d like to take him to my office so I can examine him properly.”
“Where’s your office?” Sue asked.
“Thunder Canyon Resort.”
“You’re kidding! You want me to drive up there?”
Dillon could see she was uncomfortable with the idea.
“You really should get him checked out,” Erika advised her. “If you’re not comfortable going up there alone, I’ll come with you. I really should drop off Emilia first then we can meet you there.”
Sue looked from her son to Dillon, then at Erika. “I can’t pay him,” she said, her eyes becoming shiny.
Erika’s gaze settled on Dillon.
He made a quick decision on how to handle this. “You made that black-bean soup, right?” he asked Sue.
She nodded.
“I thought it was great. How about if the next time you make it, you drop off a serving for me. The restaurants are great at the resort, but the truth is I get tired of restaurant food. Your soup would make a great lunch.”
“You’re serious? I mean I could easily make you some next week.”
Dillon held out his hand to her. “It’s a deal.”
A smile came to Sue’s lips and she shook his hand again. “Okay.”
“We need about twenty minutes,” Erika told her. “Then head up to the resort.”
“I’ll wait in my car until you get there,” Sue told them, obviously not wanting to go inside by herself.
Dillon didn’t try to convince her otherwise. “We’ll meet you there,” Dillon assured her, then he pushed Kevin’s bangs across his forehead, remembering too vividly doing the same thing to Toby.
A little over an hour later, Dillon and Erika stood outside the side entrance to the main lobby of the Thunder Canyon Resort and watched the taillights of Sue’s truck pull away.
“I’m glad it wasn’t strep,” Erika remarked as she watched the truck wind down the hill away from the resort.
“It will just have to run its course. But the vaporizer I gave her to use should help.”
“Will the resort mind you giving that out?”
“She’ll bring it back when she brings the soup. There are plenty more in the supply closet.”
Erika turned to Dillon then, placing her hand on his arm. “That was a nice thing you did tonight.”
“What? Acting like a doctor? She had a sick child. I had to do what I could for her … for Kevin.”
The way Erika was looking at Dillon made him feel as if he’d accomplished some great feat. What she did next totally surprised him. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek.
Before he could stop himself, his arm went around her. She was slim but curvy and felt just right in his arms. She didn’t pull away and he took that as a sign that she was as interested in him as he was in her. The light from the entranceway illuminated the area so he could see she was willing to stay just where she was. The wind lightly pulled a few strands of her hair from its mooring in her bun and they blew across her cheek. Her dark eyes sparkled.
“You’re a beautiful woman.”
“Thank you,” she
