In the Doctor's Arms Read online

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Okay, well, um, like Copper Crossing here...” Debra paused to gesture around the breakroom where Iris had been conducting the interviews. Her gaze zeroed in on Tag, again, and lingered.

  Iris stifled a sigh. She’d encouraged Tag to sit in on the interviews and she wondered, not for the first time, if that had been a mistake.

  At Tag’s encouraging chin dip, Debra continued, “It’s a regional shipping company based in Anchorage. They have a fleet of trucks, three boats and two airplanes. They ship everything you can imagine.” The entire response was directed at Tag, as if Iris wasn’t the one asking the questions.

  Mistake.

  Leaning toward him, skirt officially hiking up into the range of inappropriate, Debra added, “Part of my job is to be the best.”

  Tag’s eyebrows drifted far up onto his forehead as he subtly leaned back in his chair and away from Debra.

  “And what do you mean by that, exactly?” Iris asked. Several seconds of dead air screamed back at her. “Debra?”

  Debra tore her attention away from Tag. “You know, to identify the best type of packaging and form of transport for absolutely any object, no matter how big or small.”

  “Hypothermic moose?” Iris peered intently at Debra, but she could feel Tag’s eyes locking onto her in surprise.

  Debra’s mouth formed a silent O before she stuttered, “Wh-what?”

  “You said everything I can imagine. I’m imagining a cow moose who has fallen through the ice on Jasper Lake. After being stuck in the frigid water for hours, she’s now freed but requires medical attention. Wildlife officials have determined that she needs to be transported two hundred miles to a wildlife rehabilitation center.”

  “Oh... I, uh, don’t think we ever handled a live-moose transport.” Swinging toward Tag and displaying her cleavage, she gushed, “Have you, Captain James? I’d love to hear about it sometime.”

  Captain James? Iris mouthed behind her back along with an eye roll. Time to wrap this up. “All right,” she said flatly. “Debra, I’d like you to imagine that you’re working here at Copper Crossing and you’re about to arrange your first problematic transport. What’s the first thing you do? Who do you call?”

  “Um, Captain James?”

  Iris couldn’t tell if that was her answer or if she was passing the question off to Tag.

  “Why would you do that?”

  Debra hesitantly asked-answered, “Because he’s the pilot?”

  “Yes, he is that,” Iris agreed patiently. “At AWSG did the pilots also prepare the planes for transport?”

  “Where?” Debra asked, expression twisted with confusion. She was beginning to sweat. Iris felt a tinge of sympathy, but she needed someone who could handle both the office work and the high-pressure situations that sometimes arose.

  “AWSG, Anchorage Water, Sky and Ground—you used the acronym in your written description of your job duties.”

  “Oh, of course. Um, not usually...”

  Iris studied her for a few long seconds then asked patiently, “If not the pilot, then who?”

  “The ground crew?” She immediately answered her own question more confidently. “Yeah, I’d call the ground crew.”

  “And then?”

  “And then Captain James?” Another eager smile at her brother.

  “Okay,” Iris said, rising to her feet. “I think I have all I need.” Tilting her head toward Tag, she added, “Captain James, do you have any questions for Debra?”

  She could see from the twitch of her brother’s lips that he was valiantly fighting off a laugh. “Uh, nope. Can’t think of any.”

  Iris offered a smile and reached out a hand. “Thanks so much for coming in today, Debra. I’ll be in touch.”

  A triumphant-looking Debra thanked them both, gathered up her bag, tugged on her too-short skirt and headed for the door. But not before tossing one more inviting look over her shoulder. “It was really, really wonderful to meet you, Captain James. It would be an honor to work for you.”

  When she’d departed, Tag gave Iris a pointed look. “A hypothermic moose? In what universe would we transport a live moose in one of my airplanes?”

  “Well, Captain,” Iris drawled. “It could happen.”

  At his dubious grin, she added, “It was a hypothetical to see if Debra could think on her feet.”

  “I take it she failed?”

  Iris executed a slow incredulous shake of her head as if to say you were here. “Miserably.”

  Chuckling, Tag reached around and rubbed the back of his neck. “Iris, I know that you are aware of the fact that we’re not hiring a rocket scientist here, or even a pilot. I don’t expect to find another you.”

  “I know that.” Iris reassured him with a pat on the shoulder. “I do. But you do need more than a...Debra. You need a multitasker, a problem solver, someone who can think under pressure and outside the box. You need...” Iris stopped in midsentence as her gaze drifted toward the recycle bin. She crossed the room toward it.

  She was dumping it out when Ally came through the door.

  “Hey, guys, are you—” Ally stopped short as she caught sight of Iris. “I take it the interview is over already. How did it go?”

  “Don’t ask,” Tag said, reaching for Ally’s hand.

  “Good,” Iris said at the same time.

  “Uh-oh,” Ally said. “Another one? Wasn’t this the promising applicant with experience?”

  “Yep,” Tag said.

  “You’ll thank me later,” Iris assured them both as she took a seat on the floor and began shuffling through the papers.

  “If you say so,” Tag muttered. To Ally, he added, “She literally has experience in this exact business. She works for an air-transport company based in Anchorage.”

  After a pointed look at Tag, Iris addressed Ally. “Unfortunately, Debra did not have the ingenuity and strategic thinking required to join the ranks here at Copper Crossing Air Transport.”

  Ally tipped her head like she was thinking carefully about her next words. “Iris, are you sure you’re not being just a tad picky about the applicants? Tag is right that the job—”

  Iris interrupted, “Did I also mention that she was ogling your husband?” Iris held up her thumb and forefinger, leaving about an inch of space between them. “And that her skirt was this long?”

  Ally swiveled back toward Tag.

  He scoffed. “Iris exaggerates.”

  “I do not. Ally, you know my track record here.” Iris had been the one to accurately predict the attempt by Tag’s ex to sabotage his and Ally’s relationship.

  Ally offered a helpless shrug. “Sorry, honey. Clearly, Debra wasn’t qualified.”

  Tag chuckled and shook his head. “You two...”

  “I know. Lucky you, right? A sister and a wife who always have your best interests at heart.”

  “Yeah, buddy, don’t forget it,” Ally teased. “But, Iris, I have to ask, what are you doing?”

  Tag answered, “As far as I can tell, she’s either sleep-deprived from taking care of Lily, or she’s literally lost her mind and is looking for it in the recycle bin.”

  “Ha! Found ’em.” She held up some sheets of paper and returned to her desk. It took only minutes to quickly grade the exam. “Highest score so far,” she muttered, vaguely aware that Tag and Ally were watching her. Did she want to do this? Relief and satisfaction mixed with determination to stifle any doubt. Iris found herself smiling as she realized she was going to enjoy telling Ashley that she was the successful applicant.

  “Found what?” Tag peered at her, curiosity stamped across his face.

  “Iris, are you okay?” Ally asked.

  Still grinning, she looked up at them. “I am now. I just found your new office manager.”

  Picking up her
phone, she dialed the number near the top of the application. A few weeks ago, Iris would have lost a lot of money by betting this was a call she’d never make.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “ASHLEY ELLER IS working for Tag now?” Seth asked, stretching one arm across the back of the sofa in an obvious attempt at nonchalance.

  Hazel, on the other hand, sounded anything but. “You sure about this, Trippa?”

  “Yep.” Iris peeked into the bassinet where Lily was napping. “I am.” And she was. It felt good to put that part of her life behind her. Strangely, it felt good to help Ashley. Iris sympathized with her—she knew what it was like to feel alone, to feel different and not quite good enough. She joined Seth on the sofa.

  “Why wouldn’t she be?” Seth asked.

  “Because Ashley is a mean girl,” Hazel snapped, somehow managing to do so quietly from her spot in the recliner. “Who was awful to Iris in school. I don’t understand why you ever liked her in the first place.”

  Seth picked at the sofa cushion. “She’s misunderstood. She couldn’t have been that bad or Iris wouldn’t have hired her, right, Iris?”

  Her brother looked so hopeful that Iris almost agreed. But there was no way she could let Seth pursue Ashley unless he knew the truth.

  “Hazel is right, Seth. She was worse than awful. I’m giving her a chance because she apologized, and besides, people can change. I want to trust her, but...” But that didn’t mean she trusted her with Seth’s heart. “She’s trying, but she still has some things to sort out.”

  “In other words, stay away from her, Seth,” Hazel said, leveling him with a determined glare.

  This was the only topic Iris had ever known her triplet siblings to fight about. They argued, sure. Disagreements, yes. But the topic of Ashley Eller infuriated Hazel. Iris had always assumed it was because of her, but now she wondered if there might be more to it than that. Derrick Shaw, the love of Hazel’s life and the man who’d left her heartbroken, was Ashley’s cousin.

  Seth said, “Iris is right. Ashley has changed.”

  “Okay, Seth, everyone knows that leopards can’t change their spots. They move and contort themselves so that the spots appear to be different sometimes but that’s it.”

  Seth shook his head. “What does that even mean?”

  “It means Ashley is a leopard and you are a wildebeest. She will bring you down.”

  Iris cringed, her gaze bouncing from Hazel to Seth and back again.

  “Hazel—”

  Lily let out a small cry. Grateful for the interruption, Iris went to get her. Although, she had a feeling this subject was far from over where her siblings were concerned.

  * * *

  “THE SAMPLE DOESN’T MATCH. You’re not the father.”

  Flynn heard Trent’s voice, but it took him too long to make sense of the words.

  “Flynn, are you there, buddy?”

  “Um, yeah, I’m here. Just a little surprised, to be honest.” He realized now that he’d already prepared himself for the news that he was Lily’s father.

  “Me, too. I thought under the circumstances, since she went there seeking you out and all, that you must be the one.”

  And Trent didn’t even know about the will. It was on the tip of Flynn’s tongue to say that it didn’t matter—he was still the one.

  “Just so you know, it’s not me, either. I went ahead and ran my DNA, too. I got a little paranoid. So, that’s a relief.”

  Relief? Flynn should be awash with it. But instead, he didn’t know how he felt. Not being Lily’s dad, not acceding to Sonya’s wishes, meant a way simpler life on so many levels. But what would it mean for Lily? Sonya’s parents were older and likely not prepared to alter their lives so radically to raise a child.

  But was he? Not really, no. There would have been no decision to make if biology linked him to Lily. And yet, Sonya had known Flynn wasn’t the father and she’d still wanted him—him and Iris—to raise her child. He couldn’t explain it, but in his heart, they were already linked. Bottom line, he wanted to do this. He wanted to do this with Iris. But what would he do if Iris wasn’t in this with him?

  “Thanks, Trent. That’s good to know.”

  “You can always submit her DNA to one of those databases and see if any close relatives pop up.”

  Flynn thought about that possibility. He’d ponder it later, talk it over with Sonya’s parents. First, he needed to find out where they stood regarding custody of their granddaughter.

  “I really appreciate you doing this.”

  “Anytime. Hopefully, it’s the only time, huh?”

  Flynn managed a chuckle. “For sure.”

  They ended the call. Flynn made a quick call to Jonah and then went to tell Iris the news.

  * * *

  IRIS AND FLYNN left Lily sleeping in Seth’s arms while they went for a walk outside. Another stunningly beautiful summer day radiated around them as they strolled across her parents’ green lawn. Flowers bloomed in the beds, birds chirped in the trees. Alaska at its finest. Iris had to admit that she did see this place differently now.

  She’d felt the tension in Flynn since he’d arrived nearly an hour ago. She suspected he had news, but she wasn’t about to interrogate him while he’d fed Lily her bottle, changed her diaper and then rocked her to sleep. The way he sang to her and whispered sweet baby compliments made Iris’s insides melt. She marveled at how fatherhood seemed to be a part of his makeup. Content and completely comfortable with the baby, it made her wonder why he’d never considered being a father.

  They reached the edge of the lawn, where the ground sloped down and slender poplar trees gave way to the brushy forest below. Flynn reached out and entwined his fingers with hers.

  “I have news.”

  Giving him a warm smile, she said, “I know, I just can’t tell if it’s bad or good. I don’t even know what would be bad or good at this point.”

  “I’m not entirely sure, either, if I’m being honest. The DNA results came back. I’m not Lily’s dad.”

  The logical part of her brain said she should be relieved. Now she and Flynn could go on with their life, their plans, but... “What about Lily? What happens now? Do you know who the father is? Is there any way to find out?”

  “Trent and I both think it would be difficult to find out. Plus, we don’t even know for sure if Sonya becoming pregnant had anything to do with the lab. I believe it was, but I have no proof.”

  “Sonya’s parents will take her, right? If you can’t find the biological father?”

  Iris had several other questions, but before she could get them out, Flynn said, “There’s more.”

  She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

  “Jonah called me yesterday and we met for lunch. I didn’t want to say anything until I had the test results. Sonya went to see him before she died.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sonya made a will. She wanted me, us actually, to be Lily’s guardians in the event of her death.”

  Once again, Iris recalled that day in the park, when Sonya had said she had an appointment and pointed in the direction of Jonah’s office.

  “Us?” she repeated.

  “I believe so, yes. The will gives me custody, but she had Jonah add ‘and his future wife.’ You know, I told Sonya we were getting married. I think, like Lily’s name, this was her way of letting me know that she wanted you to do this with me.”

  Iris nodded. The way he spoke and the words he chose—do this with me—made Iris’s heart ache with a brand-new pang, deep and sharp.

  “I thought she came here to Rankins and put my name on the birth certificate because she knew I was the father, but that wasn’t it.”

  Flynn wasn’t Lily’s biological father, but Sonya had made him Lily’s dad. She’d made Iris... No. She hadn’t named Iris specifically, so that
meant that while she approved of Iris, she trusted Flynn to find the right mom for Lily, whoever that may be.

  “The will wasn’t signed, so technically her parents are still her heirs. But Jonah says he is compelled to disclose the contents to the Travers. Apparently, I can ask the court to consider the will and validate it. They could dispute it.”

  “Are you going to do that?”

  “Not sure. I don’t want to fight the Travers for custody. Lily is their biological granddaughter. Jonah has a meeting with them this afternoon and he’s going to explain all of this. I’ll meet with them after they’ve made a decision. Depending on what they say, how they feel about the terms of the will, I’ll go from there.”

  “I see.” Her heart, already fragile, cracked a little more. Because she knew Flynn and she knew what he would do, even if he hadn’t yet admitted it to himself. She also knew herself, and she knew what she couldn’t do. She loved him so much. How she wished it was that simple. She’d do anything for him. Except this.

  “Iris, I don’t know what to do.”

  Eyes awash with tears, throat clogged with emotion, she somehow uttered, “Oh, Flynn, yes, you do. You know exactly what to do, and I love you even more for it.”

  Iris watched as those soulful brown eyes of his filled with tears. “I feel like I don’t have a choice...”

  “I know.” His integrity, his empathy and compassion, were such huge parts of why she loved him. How cruelly ironic that these qualities were the very things that were going to tear them apart.

  Iris wrapped her arms around him and they hugged.

  Flynn loosened his hold to smile down at her. “I have to go to work. I’ll let you know what happens.”

  * * *

  JONAH HAD TWO cushy leather love seats that faced each other in his office. Flynn sat on one, with Richard and Cynthia across from him. Flynn couldn’t read a thing in their somber expressions or predict how this was going to go from the few minutes of small talk they’d engaged in.

  Jonah was between them in an overstuffed chair. Betty, Jonah’s secretary got coffee for him, Flynn and Richard, and tea for Cynthia.