Temporary Doctor, Surprise Father. Lynne Marshall

get a cab,” Jan said.

      He shook his head. “That would be too convenient.” His irritated stare let her know in no uncertain terms he was no happier about this than she was. So why had he offered? “I think you’re overdue for a ride on my chopper.” A punishing smile thinned his lips.

      Jan found it hard to sip tea through a locked jaw, especially with Beck sitting across from her, glaring.

      “What?” she challenged.

      “What do you mean, what?” He played dumb, but never broke his stare.

      “We both know you’ve got an axe to grind with me.”

      He crossed a foot on his knee and continued to bore a hole into her head with his stare. “So true.”

      She defied him, refusing to look away, and drank more tea, though it burned all the way down. His long fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop. She took another punishing sip. He cleared his throat.

      “You know, it’s customary when people say they love each other to keep in touch when one goes away.”

      “I didn’t realize you were such a traditionalist, Beck. I thought you couldn’t get out of Atwater fast enough.”

      It hurt like hell to be flippant, but she had no choice tonight. Now wasn’t the time or place to sort out their differences. She’d made her choice years ago and he couldn’t find out about her secret. Not tonight. Not ever. Not if she could help it.

      “We had an agreement, January.”

      “Too bad, so sad, guess I broke it.”

      Beck went completely still. Warning cold serpent eyes sent a chill slithering down her spine. “That’s garbage and you know it. Level with me. Your mother sent you away, didn’t she?”

      She vehemently shook her head. “Nope. I wanted to go.”

      “Where? Where did you go?”

      “To modeling school.”

      “Then why are you a nurse?”

      “Look at me, Beck. Do I look like model material to you?”

      At a stalemate, they stared at each other across the booth, the dim lights hiding the truth.

      “Let’s go,” he said, standing to his full six feet two inches.

      Jan would rather have walked home barefoot on hot coals than ride on the back of his Harley. What had once been exhilarating and sexy as all hell had suddenly turned into an exercise in torture.