Page 14 of Try Me

Dr. Sunn

Pearl

So far,Declan Bishop was nothing like what Pearl had expected. He was quiet and seemed almost shy. He was polite, well mannered, and considerate. His personality was completely at odds with his reputation. Pearl studied Declan as he observed the waves, feeling guilty in her motives in inviting him to surf. She hadn’t so much wanted to spend time with him as she’d hoped he might be good for her surfing career. If she impressed him, then maybe he would mention her name to his agent. Then, maybe his agent — the most successful one in the industry — would want to meet her. The guilt grew inside her until Pearl felt like she was going to burst. She was no good at pretending. She opened her mouth to confess, but before she could say anything, the van squealed into the parking lot and Oscar threw open the door.

“Pearl!” he yelled. “We need you! Hurry!” He rolled open the side door, and Jenny fell into his arms. Blood covered her dress.

“What happened?”

“I took a corner too fast,” Billy said, “and she fell.”

“I was trying to dance,” Jenny said. Her face drained of color as she looked down at her blood-stained dress.

“Put her down,” Pearl said. “Over there.” She pointed to a bed of pine needles under a tree.

“I’ll go find a phone,” Declan said, jumping in to help.

“Pearl’s got it,” Oscar said, stopping him. “She’ll fix her.”

“Let’s have a look,” Pearl said, bending over Jenny’s leg.

“Ouch,” Jenny cried as Pearl touched her.

“It’s not so bad,” Pearl said. “Billy, go get that jug of water and the first aid kit from the van. And whiskey, if we have any.”

Billy ran over to the van and gave the kit to Pearl. “We only had vodka,” he said.

“What’s the liquor for?” Declan asked.

Pearl grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the cap. Handing Jenny the bottle, she said, “Drink.”

As Jenny swallowed, Pearl eased the glass from the leg. “It’s only a little cut,” she said, pushing aside the bloody dress. “It looks worse than it is.”

Pearl cleaned the wound with the water from the jug, and wrapped Jenny’s leg with a bandage. She did everything with calm steady hands, her mind clear of everything but the task.

“This will probably scar,” Pearl said. “Maybe it will remind you not to try to dance in the back of a moving vehicle. Especially while drinking from a glass. And especially when Billy is driving.”

Billy bent over Jenny and kissed her forehead. “Sorry, babe,” he said.

Jenny sank against the tree and closed her eyes. “It’s okay,” she said. “Thanks, Dr. Sunn.”

Pearl cracked a smile. “You bet.”

She rinsed her hands with water from the jug and looked up to see Declan leaning against the tree staring down at her.

“Dr. Sunn?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.

Pearl shook her head. “I never got that far,” she said. “I didn’t finish.”

She dried her hands on her pants, watching Declan as he processed the information. He crossed his arms over his chest, admiration stamped on his features. “You’re full of surprises,” he said.

Pearl could say the same thing about him. Declan wasn’t anything like the man portrayed in the rag magazines. So far, the only thing the tabloids had gotten right was how good-looking he was. Actually, he was even better looking in person. He even leaned beautifully, as if he was doing the tree a favor. With his tousled golden hair, and square jaw, he looked like he could be in an ad selling men’s cologne. Whatever scent he was selling, she was buying.

“You okay?” he asked, squatting down beside her.

“I’m fine. Why?”

Declan shrugged. “All that blood,” he said, as if he wanted to pick her up and take her somewhere safe, away from all the nastiness of blood.

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