Hot-Shot Doc Comes to Town. Susan Carlisle

intimate feel with Taylor in it. To cover her unease, Shelby gathered the sandwich fixings. Having Taylor in her home made them seem like more than colleagues. Maybe friends? In just a few short days. Could a woman be just friends with someone who exuded all-male sex-appeal as Taylor did? No, she needed to protect herself. He’d never settle here and she’d never be someone’s two-week stand.

      Placing the bread, ham, cheese and condiments on the table, Shelby poured two glasses of iced tea. She set Taylor’s glass before him, taking special care not to touch him. Taking the chair opposite him, she reached for the bread. Her hand circled the mustard bottle at the same time his did. His fingers brushed across hers. Their warmth against the coolness of hers made her shiver. She let the bottle go but Taylor’s touch lingered.

      “Ladies first,” he quipped, going after the cheese instead.

      A sense of disgust filled her. She was acting like a ninny and he wasn’t even affected. After her meltdown the other day, he probably wasn’t surprised by the way she acted.

      Taking a sip of tea, she carefully set the glass down and finished making her sandwich. She’d never let him know that even his casual touch rattled her. She took a restorative breath and said, “So what do you want to talk about?”

      “I was wondering if the clinic is open on the weekends. I have a date for the opera in Nashville and need to know if I should cancel it.”

      It shouldn’t have surprised her that Taylor might have a love interest back home but until then she’d not given it any thought. He’d said there was no family but that didn’t mean he didn’t have someone special waiting for his return. One he obviously missed. A girlfriend. The prick of rejection caught her unawares. Why should she feel that way? There wasn’t anything between them.