Free Courting Alley Cat by Kathryn Kelly Page B

As Dr. York checked Charlie, he asked Alley about her stay, and when he mentioned Justin, she felt the tinges of a blush on her cheeks.
                  “Justin will be sorry he missed you.”
                  “I... um... he took really good care of Charlie the other night.”
                  “I’m sure he did. He’s a top notch doc.”
                  “I could tell.”
                  “He’s a fine young man, too. Responsible.”
                  “You must be very proud of him.”
                  “I am proud of him. I’d just like get him married off, so he can move this blasted clinic to a place of his own,” he winked at her.
                  Alley wasn’t sure if he was winking about the marriage part or the clinic part. “I’m sure he’ll get around to it.”
                  Dr. York just grunted.
                  “He does like girls, doesn’t he?”
                  Dr. York laughed out loud. “He’s straight all right. Smart of you to ask, though.”
                  “So what about you?” Dr. York asked. “Have you thought about settling down and starting a family?”
                  Alley shrugged. Had she? Of course she had. Didn’t everyone? She’d been close once, but that had been as an undergrad in college. Almost too long ago to remember. He’d been from Florida and was a pilot. He’d irritated her at first, but then, she’d found him charming. He graduated and went back to Florida and she had made the decision to stay in Dallas. Since then, she’d dated, but no engagements. She’d thrown herself into studying, then writing and drawing, and spending time with her friends.
                  “Well,” Dr. York said, interrupting her thoughts. “There’s still plenty of time for all that. No need to rush into anything.”
                  “That’s true,” Alley said, but she wasn’t sure she completely agreed with that logic. She was, after all, nearing thirty.
                  “I wouldn’t worry too much about Charlie. Why don’t you bring him on back in next week when Justin is back and let’s take another look at him.”
                  “Justin will be gone a week?”
                  “Oh, I doubt it. You never know about that boy, though,” Dr. York said, handing Charlie back to Alley.
                  “I see.” Though she didn’t. “Thanks for taking a look at him.”
                  “You’re more than welcome. I’m always happy to see Charlie. Say, have you heard from Granny?”
                  “No, not a word. She probably doesn’t have phone service.”
                  “I bet she’s having the time of her life.”
                  “I sure do hope so. I wouldn’t mind taking a trip like that someday.”
                  “Maybe you will,” he said. “Maybe you will.”             
     
                  Four hours later, Alley sat in the glassed-in back porch reading a novel. She wasn’t reading so much as she was watching the rain. As a clap of thunder sounded nearby, she was reminded that she shouldn’t be sitting in the room of glass. Charlie had hidden under the bed. She just didn’t have the motivation to go back inside the house away from the windows. The rain was like a balm to her troubled soul.
                  Holding the open paperback beneath her chin, she gave up on trying to read. She was so confused about Justin. He’d practically begged her go someplace, she had no idea where, with him today. Was that where he was now? She’d gone over this morning to find him, and he hadn’t been home. His parents hadn’t seen fit to even tell her where he was. It was almost as though it was a secret. He must be with