Sweet Southern Nights - Rochelle Alers

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day before her wedding.

       They would’ve hunted him down and beat him to a bloody pulp if she hadn’t convinced them it was better to find out that her fiancé was unfaithful before she’d married him. If she’d found out after they’d exchanged vows, then it might have been her who would have tried to pound the life out of him with a cast-iron frying pan.

       It didn’t matter if Duncan wagered or paid Levi Eaton to be her date because come Sunday, it would be the first time in five years she would come face-to-face with the duplicitous pair who’d turned her life upside down.

       Soft meowing caught her attention. Shifting on the chair, Angela saw the tiny, white-coated cat with gleaming blue-gray eyes staring up at her. To say the cat was spoiled was an understatement. “What do you want, Miss Divine?” The cat meowed in response, arching her back and stretching out her front paws. Putting the manuscript pages and pencil on the table, she leaned over and picked up her pet.

       Angela knew Miss Divine could jump up onto her lap without any help, but she was training her to stay off the furniture. The exception was when she sat at her desk working during the day. Miss Divine would find a spot on the corner of the L-shaped desk and settle down to sleep as sunlight poured in through the skylight and French doors.

       She was one of those rare cats who had learned that the kitchen, dining and living rooms were off-limits. Angela had resisted having a cat or dog because of the pet hair and dander. And she refused to resort to covering her furniture if Miss Divine decided to sit wherever she pleased. But once she saw the tiny kitten, she knew she had to have her.

       “Well, Miss Dee, it looks as if you’re going to be on your own on Sunday,” she said as the cat stared back at her owner as if she understood what Angela had said. “As much as I tried to fight it, yours truly has a date for Yvette’s wedding.”

       Angela was more than willing to sit at the singles’ table, but somehow Duncan—no doubt at their mother’s urging—had recruited someone to be her date so Dianne Chase could save face. Her mother was the only one in her social circle whose daughter was unmarried. A society grande dame, she had been denied the chance to flaunt her status as mother of the bride when Angela’s wedding was abruptly called off. Of course, the fact that the groom had run off with the maid of honor made it all the more embarrassing.

       “What my mother doesn’t realize is that I’m one of those women who happens to be quite content to be without a man in her life,” as she continued her dialogue with the cat. Miss Divine blinked, meowing softly in response. “I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, Miss Dee, because you don’t have a man in your life, either. Even if you did, I doubt whether anything would jump off because you can’t have any kittens.” She ran her fingertips over the smooth fur that felt like velvet. “If I hadn’t had you spayed, you probably would’ve had an adorable litter.”

       No, she didn’t need a man. Not when she was able to live out her fantasies vicariously through her characters.

      Chapter 2

      Levi had spent a restless night wondering why he’d allowed himself to be set up on a blind date. The last time he’d been on one was his second year in college when he’d taken his roommate’s sister to her senior prom. Going to the prom with a college student as her date had appreciably elevated his roommate’s sister’s “geek” image. What her brother hadn’t realized was that his sister wasn’t a nerd, but really more of a freak. He was fortunate to have survived the night without being sexually assaulted. Of course, Levi didn’t tell his roommate about his sister, but it was the last time he’d agreed to go on a date with a woman without first meeting and talking to her.

       It was after two o’clock before he’d come to the conclusion that he hadn’t been set up, but instead had willingly agreed to escort a woman to a wedding that was just a day away. Admittedly, his social life had been pretty much nonexistent over the past few months, and it was time he enjoyed a few hours of female companionship.

       If Levi had been in New York, his free time would’ve been filled with dinners, parties, occasional trips to Philadelphia to see his relatives and having fun with his circle of friends in his off-hours. If he needed a date, all he had to do was call. He’d established a coterie of female friends who were willing to step in at a moment’s notice, and he was always quick to reciprocate whenever they needed an escort. He made certain never to blur the lines between friendship and intimacy. Women he counted as friends he didn’t sleep with. Those he’d slept with, he relegated to the past. When he ended a relationship, he never wanted to send mixed signals.

       Levi planned to meet Angela Chase later that evening. He wanted to find out whether they both were on the same page in case someone asked how long they’d known each other or where they’d met. After all, the wedding guests were Angela’s friends and family and he didn’t want to do or say anything that would embarrass her.

       His head popped up when he heard the knock on his office door. He stared at the receptionist-slash-secretary-slash-insurance claims manager as she peered through the slight opening. He turned off his tape recorder.

       “Yes, Krista.”

       “I just got a call from a mother who would like you to examine her son.”

       Levi capped his pen, slipping it into the breast pocket of his lab coat. “What’s wrong with him?”

       “She claims he fell out of the back of her dad’s old pickup and hurt his arm.”

       “Tell her to bring him in.”

       Office hours were over and he’d just finished updating notes for his last patients’ medical records. If he hadn’t been thinking about his dinner date with Angela Chase later that evening, he probably would have already left for the day. Ten minutes later Krista returned to tell him the patient was waiting in one of the examining rooms.

       It took only a glance for Levi to know the boy was seriously injured, and would need X-rays. He gave the six-year-old a shot to minimize the pain, stabilized the limb with a splint and sling, and then called the local hospital to alert them that the boy’s mother was bringing him in, and that he needed emergency medical attention. He promised to fax over the incident report.

       He ended the call, and then turned to stare at the young mother sitting on a chair cradling her son to her chest. The boy’s eyelids were fluttering. “Mrs. Godfrey, I want you to go and start up your car. I’ll carry Jeremy for you.”

       Debra Godfrey stared up at the tall doctor with the friendly smile. Within minutes of bringing her son to the clinic, Dr. Eaton had managed to ease her son’s fears by asking him what his favorite cartoon was. When Jeremy said Sponge Bob Square Pants the pediatrician pretended to be one of the cartoon characters. It was enough to stop the flow of tears while Dr. Eaton deftly injected him with a painkiller so he could examine the child’s arm to better determine the severity of the injury.

       Debra nodded as she bit her lip to stop it from trembling. “I… I don’t have enough gas in my car to make it to the hospital. “I’d hoped you would be able to take care of Jeremy’s arm here at the clinic.”

       Levi gave the mother a reassuring look. Most of the patients who came to the clinic were hardship cases, living at or below the poverty level. Many were on Medicaid, and those who were uninsured were charged a nominal fee. He knew Debra Godfrey was the mother of three school-age children and had moved in with her parents after her husband was sentenced to an eight-year prison sentence for armed robbery. If she’d come into his New York office, Jeremy would’ve been x-rayed by a staff technician, an orthopedist would have set the child’s arm and fitted it with a lightweight cast. The fully staffed medical group offered an array of services including minor surgery.

       “I’ll call Larry at the gas station and tell him to fill up your car.”

       Debra’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ll pay you back soon as I get paid next week.”

       Levi patted her hand. “Don’t worry about paying me back, Mrs. Godfrey,” he said, smiling in

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