Demon Wind (3 page)

"Every time I read all night, I swear I won’t do it again. I always feel like crap the next day. I didn’t mean to take it out on you."

"And I don’t want to go to the doctor and I’m taking it out on you. Guess that makes us even, huh?"

"Sounds to me like we’re two ladies who need a fun day on the town. Why don’t we make a day of it?

We haven’t done that in a while," Jayden suggested, reluctant to return to the cottage where she’s be forced to think, forced to remember. If anyone could make her forget for a while, it was her grandmother who, despite her age, had a sharp mind and possessed a quick wit. She could also be hilariously funny and was an outrageous flirt.

"Want to make a wager on who gets the most phone numbers?" Theresa asked.

"Usual forfeit? Loser treats the winner to dinner and a movie?"

"Considering that we’re starting out with a lousy day, why not up the stakes?"

"To?" Jayden asked.

"Winner gets a "You owe me one" to be collected whenever they want a favor."

It was a sucker bet, Jayden being the sucker. Considering where they lived, and the average age of the locals, her grandmother always won. "Sure, why not," she agreed. "One of these days I might just surprise both of us and win." She’d had sex with a god. Anything was possible.

As she pulled from the drive onto the road, Jayden asked, "Why are you so reluctant to see the doctor, Grams? Is something wrong? Something you’re not telling me?"

"I just don’t understand how Paul could up and abandon his patients. He has to know how much we rely on him, how much we trust him. It isn’t right," Theresa complained.

"It isn’t like you to be unfair. You know Dr. Grant wanted to retire years ago, but he stayed on until he found just the right person to take over his practice. Someone who he felt would be right for his practice and for his patients," Jayden reminded her.

The older her grandmother got, the more she resisted change. And since her heart attack, she’d been forced to make so many. Jayden could understand that under those circumstances, the prospect of changing from a doctor you know and trust to an unknown had to be unsettling.

"That doesn’t mean I have to like it. Maureen Nelson phoned yesterday. Said she’d met the new doctor.

She went on and on about how good looking he is."

"And that’s a bad thing?" Jayden asked.

"It’s embarrassing. I’m old, Jay, I’m not dead. How would you feel if you were stuck in this wrinkled, sagging body, sitting on an examining table wearing nothing but a skimpy, hospital gown with no back, and some gorgeous young stud is about to examine you?"

"Oh Grams," Jayden said, realizing that her grandmother was in fact more embarrassed than afraid. "You are, and will always be, the most beautiful woman I know. Think about all your friends who are your age. You look a good ten to fifteen years younger than they do."

"I do, don’t I?"

"Yeah, you do. But, I’ll tell you what, if you see this new doctor and you still feel uncomfortable, you don’t have see him again. We’ll ask Dr. Grant to recommend someone else. Maybe even a female doctor.

Agreed?"

"Agreed," Theresa said with a relieved sigh. As she settled back in her seat, she appeared to relax for the first time since Jayden picked her up. "You’re a good granddaughter, Jay."

* * * *

Unlike many doctor’s offices, Dr. Paul Grant’s office was on the first floor of a beautifully restored Victorian. His longtime nurse, Gayle Perkins, lived on the second level which had been converted to an apartment. The waiting room was a comfortable, authentically furnished parlor.

While waiting for her grandmother, Jayden leafed through every magazine in the rack, unable to focus on anything. She now found herself pacing. Now was not a time for staying in one place for too long. She wanted to take another shower. Jayden needed to wash her hair, which she hadn’t had time to do this morning, settling instead for a vigorous brushing to get out the sand. But she didn’t want to go home either. As long as she was doing ordinary things, she could almost convince herself that last night had in fact been nothing more than a dream. She....

"Jayden, your grandmother asked me to send you back," the doctor’s nurse informed her from the parlor doorway.

"Is she okay?"

"If the laughter I heard coming from the examining room is an indication, I’d say she was just fine,"

Gayle responded with a grin. "She just wants you to meet her new doctor."

* * * *

"Is that you, Jay?" Theresa asked from within the curtained dressing area.

"Yeah, Grams. How did it go?"

"I worried myself silly over nothing. What a bedside manner. The young man had me laughing so hard I forgot what I was nervous about. He…."

The door opened and her grandmother’s new doctor walked in. He froze mid-stride, a startled expression on his undeniably handsome features. Jayden’s mouth opened but no sound came out.

At least now she knew that she’s made love with a very mortal, human male, and not some supernatural entity. That should have made her feel better. It didn’t. And for that matter, who was she kidding? Made love? She didn’t even know the man for heaven’s sake. What they’d had was sex, pure and simple. Hot, uninhibited, incredible sex.

Fitting right in with the relaxed, casual atmosphere established by Dr. Grant, he wore jeans and a pale blue T-shirt. Only the stethoscope draped around his neck identified him as the doctor. With his longish, sun streaked brown hair curling slightly at his neckline and his to-die-for body, Jayden thought he looked more like a male model, or a Greek god, than a doctor. The visual image of him as she’d first seen him last night flashed through Jayden’s mind forcing her to grip the back of a chair for support.

Tyce Cantrell spent the morning functioning on automation, trying unsuccessfully to put the bizarre incident on the beach last night and his inexcusable behavior, out of his mind. Not wanting to find himself trapped in uncomfortable situations, he had perfected the art of deflecting the matchmaking attempts of his patients. Theresa Parrish had skillfully out-maneuvered him into meeting her granddaughter before he knew what hit him, a granddaughter who was a teacher of computer science at the local high school. He’d considered having Gayle go in claiming an emergency to get him out of it, but he’d been so charmed by the old gal he couldn’t bring himself to disappoint her. So, he’d walked into examining room two expecting to meet the stereotypical computer nerd. The last thing he expected was the find the very woman he’d made love to the night before, looking even more gorgeous than her remembered. That she was just as shocked to see him was unmistakable. He hadn’t missed her gripping the chair for support, nor the blood appearing to drain from her face.

Theresa chose just that instant to step from the dressing cubicle. "There you are, Tyce. Isn’t she as beautiful as I said she was?"

What could he say? He answered the doting grandmother with complete honesty. "That she is, Mrs.

Parrish." His eyes met Jayden’s. She appeared almost shell shocked. Every instinct he possessed urged Tyce to go to her, to reassure her in some way. But until he had a chance to talk to her privately, he didn’t want to arouse Theresa’s curiosity. His examination revealed a blood pressure that was higher than he liked and he didn’t want to risk upsetting his patient.

The soothing, velvety quality of his voice made Jayden’s knees go weak, ideal for a doctor ... or lover.

She suddenly realized that throughout their strange encounter on the beach last night, not a single word had been spoken.

"Jay, this is Tyce Cantrell, my new doctor. And Tyce, I’d like you to meet my granddaughter, Jayden."

Theresa made the introductions and Jayden immediately recognized the undercurrent of excitement in her voice ... and the matchmaking gleam in her eyes.

"It’s a bit late for matchmaking, Grams," she thought to herself. As common courtesy demanded, in response to her grandmother’s introduction she said instead, "Doctor Cantrell."

Taking his cue from her, "Miss Parrish," Tyce responded with an acknowledging inclination of his head in Jayden’s direction.

"Such polite formality," Theresa scoffed. "We’re neighbors for heaven’s sake." Then to Jayden, she explained, "Tyce is leasing the Clarkson beach house. We should have him to the house for dinner one night next week to welcome him to the neighborhood."

"This is a nightmare," Jayden nearly groaned aloud. That’s it. It was a nightmare. She was still home in her own bed sound asleep. She’d wake up and discover that it had all been a dream after all.

"What do you think, Jay? Jay?" her grandmother repeated. "Good Lord, Jayden, you’ve gone as white as the tissue paper on the examining table."

"I’m fine, Grams," Jayden insisted.

"You are not fine. I knew you weren’t feeling well when you slept so late." Turning toward the doctor, Theresa explained, "My granddaughter has lived with me since she was six years old, and in all those years I have never known her to sleep as late as she slept today. I know my granddaughter, and I’m telling you, something is wrong. Since we’re already here, I’d appreciate it if you’d check her over."

"He’ll do no such thing." Jayden’s rejection was too quick and far too adamant, resulting in a surprised gasp from her grandmother and a raised eyebrow from the good doctor.

Jayden struggled for some semblance of control. The last thing she’d wanted to do was upset her grandmother, and had succeeded in doing just that. Once again in the space of a few short hours, she was forced to lie to explain away her uncharacteristic behavior. "I have a simple, ordinary headache, Grams.

You know I have no appetite when it gets too hot. I had next to nothing to eat yesterday, then I slept so late that I didn’t have time before I picked you up. I’ll feel much better after we have lunch."

Considering that the good doctor was responsible for her current dilemma, Jayden prayed he would back her up and help her get out of here with what remained of her dignity intact. "We’ve already taken up enough of Dr. Cantrell’s time. I’m sure he has other patients waiting."

Tyce couldn’t deny that the mere suggestion that he examine Jayden sent his thoughts into areas which had nothing to do with the Hippocratic Oath. "Actually, I do have...."

There were a couple of quick raps on the door before it opened slightly and Gayle stuck her head inside.

"Claude Peters is in examining room three when you’re ready, Doctor."

* * * *

Sitting back in the Adirondack style lounger on her front porch to watch the sunset was a normal, routine experience and right now Jayden desperately needed, normal and ordinary. The only good point in an absolutely hellish day was that the heat wave had finally broken, resulting in a beautiful evening with a breathtaking sunset and a refreshing ocean breeze. She never ceased to be amazed that every sunset was different. This evening, the color palate was predominately purple and yellow, the vibrant and muted shades of each merging and blending to create different colors. Colors which reminded her of a bruise in the process of healing. A real indication of her current state of mind. At the moment, that’s exactly how she felt, bruised and confused.

Thankfully, her grandmother had begged off on their day out claiming to be too tired. Jayden knew better. Knowing Jayden would have continued with their day as planned no matter how lousy she felt, the crafty old gal used reverse psychology to get her granddaughter to go home and get some rest. She’d spent most of the day trying to figure out what had truly happened last night and was no closer to an answer than when she woke up this morning to find sand in her bed. Her thoughts and her emotions were in chaos. Nothing made sense. The only theory that made sense and stubbornly refused to be dismissed was the Demon Wind. But that was just a silly old superstition. Or was it?

"We need to talk."

Startled by the sound of Tyce’s voice, Jayden jumped, nearly knocking over her glass of wine and spilling the contents into her lap. She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t been aware anyone was there until he spoke. "And it just keeps getting worse and worse. Lord, will this day never end?" she thought to herself.

Wearing jeans which could have been deliberately shrunk to mold his legs and an unbuttoned Chambray shirt with the sleeves cut out, he looked sinfully sexy. No mortal man had the right to look that good, and most definitely no doctor. For the first time she fully understood her grandmother’s apprehension and embarrassment at the prospect of being examined by a handsome doctor. Jayden found the very thought of having her annual pap smear done by someone who looked like Dr. Tyce Cantrell appalling.

"Are you okay?" Tyce asked when she failed to respond. He was standing at the bottom of the steps, his hand on the railing. She had such a ready-to-bolt air about her, that he was reluctant to get any closer.

Once again the term shell-shocked came to mind, a definite indication that she appeared to be as shaken as he was by their encounter on the beach last night.

"Yes, of course I’m okay," Jayden answered, then deciding to be honest recanted. "Actually, if you want the truth, no, Dr. Cantrell, I am not okay. Last night I went to bed and fell asleep reading, had what I thought was an incredibly erotic dream, and woke up with sand in my bed. Followed by a day from hell where I’ve jumped back and forth from wanting to scream or laugh hysterically, all the while attempting to put on the good granddaughter face and pretending that everything is just hunky-dory." She’d just opened her mouth and everything that had been building up all day came rolling out. Jeez, talk about venting. It was his fault after all ... well, at least partially.

Throughout her impassioned outburst, Tyce had been unable to take his eyes off her animated features.

She was so incredibly adorable. He half expected her to come out of her chair and physically rip into him for the part he’d played in the encounter that he was at a loss to explain or defend. There was also no denying that she had summed up exactly what he’d been feeling all day as well. "Feel better?" he asked.