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those it did moved to where the money was. Which makes me wonder
how you ended up here.
Corinne came with two Styrofoam boxes and the bill. You want
me to package it for you?
No thanks, Shelly said, taking the boxes from her. We ll be
fine.
Ooo-kayyy. So, Dex, when are you going to take me out to
Corinne, I m having dinner with Doctor Newman.
Sorry, Corinne muttered, seeming to finally get the hint, and
walked off.
Sorry, Dex said.
Shelly shrugged as she transferred fries into her container. No
problem. But she was happy Dex hadn t set up a date while she sat
across the table from him.
No, it s not no problem, he said. I went to school with her dad.
He shook his head. It s a little creepy.
Shelly chuckled and popped a fry in her mouth. You re a local
celeb. All the hot little things are going to want to get in your pants. The
tragic, wounded hero who needs to be saved. She winked.
Dex laughed and shook his head. That s just sick.
When you re her age and live in a little town like this, believe me,
fantasies are all you ve got.
Sounds like you speak from experience. He ate a couple fries off
his plate then reached for the ketchup.
Yep. Grew up in a town almost identical to this one minus the
hospital in Iowa. She set the take-out container down and picked up
her knife and fork to cut a piece of her steak sandwich. Trust me when I
say I had some major hero worship going on with a few of our hometown
soldiers who came back from Desert Storm.
But you were&
About Corinne s age, give or take a year or two. She made a face.
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Dangerous Intentions by Anna Leigh Keaton
Stop trying to guess my age; that s rude.
Dex grinned. You re about my age, I d guess. Pushing forty.
Shelly gasped in mock horror. I will never be forty, thank you
very much.
He chuckled and cut a piece of his steak. Yeah, sure. And I didn t
see a couple gray hairs at your temple last week before you colored and
covered it up.
Oh, my God, Pete Dexler! You are an ass.
He outright laughed then, and popped a bite of steak into his
mouth. Guilty. Never said I wasn t. I like your hair. It s very pretty.
She rolled her eyes but couldn t stop smiling. Even the backhanded
compliment made her feel a little too warm inside. She forked a bite of her
salad, dipped it in the dressing, and ate it while reminding herself he was
her patient.
So, are you going to tell me how you wound up in Cooper
Valley? he asked after he finished his beer.
Not a real exciting story, she said when she d swallowed her
food. I went to college in Chicago, did my residency in Milwaukee, and
then went back to Chicago and worked at a sports medicine clinic. She
speared the tender steak with her fork and cut another piece. I hated the
big city and searched the Internet constantly for a job in a smaller place.
When I found the ad for a physical therapist here, it was perfect. And, best
of all, I m only about a six-hour drive from my parents in Cedar Falls.
She put the meat in her mouth.
And your reason for going into physical therapy? he asked
between bites.
An almost zero percent mortality rate. Then she narrowed her
eyes on him and grinned. Unless I kill them on purpose.
Dex snickered.
Seriously though. I did my rotations during my residency.
Surgery, internal medicine, emergency medicine& Shaking her head, she
reached for her ice water. Too much death. I just couldn t hack it. I went
into medicine to help people, and some people can t be helped. So after I
passed the medical boards, I changed course and went into PT. At least in
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Dangerous Intentions by Anna Leigh Keaton
therapy they re more likely to get better, and I haven t yet lost a patient
due to death from an injury I couldn t fix.
Just death by strangulation when they piss you off too much,
right?
She grinned. Not yet, but there s this one guy who s come close.
I promise, from tomorrow forward, I ll let you help me.
She grinned at him. Bout time.
He laughed.
They finished their meal without too much talking other than
laughing over the fact they d actually been starving and had both cleaned
their plates. Dex paid the bill, and Shelly helped him into her truck,
stowed the wheelchair, then started the car to warm it up before she went
out to brush off the two more inches of snow that had fallen while they
were inside the pub. The snow fell heavier now, and she was glad she
wouldn t be out in it much longer.
At his house, she helped push him up the snowy driveway in his
chair.
Thank you, he said as he dug in his jacket pocket and pulled out
his keys. I ll see you Friday.
If you re not hurting, okay? she said. Now that she was here, she
was loath to end the evening. It was the first time she d been out with
anyone but Celeste and Celeste s husband since she d moved to Cooper
Valley three years ago. And Pete Dexler was actually a great guy when he
wasn t fighting with his therapist.
Yes, Doc, he said with a grin. If I m not hurting.
Thank you for dinner. I had& I had a really good time, all
considering.
He looked up at her. I did too. Would you like to come in? I don t
think I have any chamomile tea but I m sure
She shook her head. She was a doctor, and he was her patient.
Having dinner alone with him was probably pushing the boundaries.
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