Page 32 of A Mommy for His Daughter

She would be the perfect physician for this town.

Come on—a surgeon of her caliber, specializing in maternal fetal medicine, is not going to stay in some rinky-dink town.

Janet opened the door. She looked panicked.

“Janet, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Mr. Schilling. He was out on his fishing trawler and there’s been an accident. The trawler is about five minutes out and they’re going to bring him here to get him stabilized before even attempting to fly him to Sitka.”

Derek leapt up and grabbed his jacket. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. They didn’t say.”

“I’m headed there, Janet. Tell Dispatch at the docks that I’m coming.”

“I restocked the blood supply while I was in Sitka. Don’t forget that,” Janet said as she left the room.

Derek went into the supply room and began to grab things he might possibly need for a trauma. Including a cooler with the blood.

He couldn’t think about Evelyn right now, or the fact that she’d be gone by the end of three months. One of his patients needed him.

And that was why he stayed.

It was what kept him going.

CHAPTER EIGHT

IT WAS EARLY Saturday morning, and even though Mo was extremely excited to be spending a couple of nights with her grandma and grandpa it was still too early in the morning for her. She was not an early riser, and for that Derek was extremely grateful.

It had made all those feedings in the middle of the night that much easier on him because she’d let him sleep in. Not that he’d got much sleep in the days after Vivian had died. He had just existed, because he’d had to for Mo, but sleep had been elusive and he’d only slept when his body had collapsed.

Still, Mo would fall asleep again today, which meant the three-hour trip to the ferry terminal would be so much easier. Right now she was chattering happily about Evie coming with them to Juneau.

“Will she come back with us when we come home, Daddy?”

“Of course. I’m her ride.”

“Good. I like her. Do you like her?”

The question caught him off guard. “Yes, she’s nice.”

“Yes. She’s super-nice.”

“Mo, you barely know her—why do you like her so much?” he asked, curious.

“She’s the same as me,” Mo said.

“How so?”

“I don’t know. She’s just like me.”

And that was the last thing Mo said before she fell asleep in her booster seat.

Derek was surprised at how easily Mo had taken to Evelyn. Mo was usually shy with strangers, but not Evelyn. It would hurt her when Evelyn left. He had to make sure Mo understood that Evelyn wasn’t here to stay.

Evelyn was waiting in front of the clinic with a small bag for the overnight stay and a tray with two coffees from Sally and a small box.

Derek parked the car but left it running as he got out and took her bag from her, putting it in the trunk next to his and Mo’s luggage.

Evelyn slipped into the front seat and Derek closed the trunk, returning to the driver’s seat.

“She’s asleep,” Evelyn whispered, peering into the back seat.

“Yeah, she’s not a morning person.”

Evelyn set the coffee into the cup-holders, but held onto the box. “I bought her some chocolate chip cookies.”

“Well, it’s a long trip. They’ll keep. Chocolate in the morning? Would you enjoy a three-hour car ride listening to an endless stream of shrieking?”

She laughed quietly. “Yeah, well, Sally said they were her favorite.”

“Thanks—and for the coffee. It’s appreciated, but unnecessary.”

He pulled out onto the main road and headed out of town to the dense forest road that wound its way through the island and headed for the ferry terminal in Hoonah. From there it would be another three hours or so until the ferry docked in Jordan Springs and then it was a short drive to Juneau.

“So who is going to watch the practice for the couple days we’re gone?”

“There’s a young resident who flies in from Sitka when I need to make a Juneau run. I scheduled this trip long before you showed up. He arrived the same night as I set Mr. Schilling’s leg. Dr. Vance has family here.”

Evelyn winced. “I heard about Mr. Schilling’s accident, but Janet didn’t tell me everything and we’ve been so busy at the clinic since.”

“Well, he got a hook in his hand, and just as he was about to get it out a wave struck the side of his trawler. A boom wasn’t fastened properly and it came down on his leg. He’s lucky it wasn’t crushed. But it was a pretty simple break and I stitched up the hand.”

“For a fish hook?”

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