Free Nothing But Trouble by Erin Kern Page B

signs of
ADHD and none of them having evaluation charts in their folders.
The odd behavior of the parents when they realized that Rebecca
would be examining them instead of Dr. Gross. And, finally, the
fact that almost all of them knew Dr. Gross on some sort of
personal level.
    Within minutes, Rebecca reached the shop. She
pulled her car into the almost full lot and walked toward the
building. Her sweaty palms were probably a sign that she should
skedaddle. She didn't want to see R.J. anyway. Lately he'd been
bringing the worst out in her. Instead of thinking how being near
him was so bad for her, she kept fantasizing about him. But that
was nothing new.
    Just last night, she'd had another dream
about when he'd snuck into her bedroom window, locked her door and
lifted her nightgown over her head. She'd woken up from the dream,
in the middle of the night, as though she'd lost her virginity all
over again. Her body had been achy, and the extra-long shower
hadn't helped. The hot water had only irritated her already
sensitive skin. She'd arrived at work with R.J. competing with her
thoughts about her patients.
    As she walked across the parking lot, she
spotted R.J. inside the shop, standing at the open hood of a car.
One of his employees stood by, and the two of them were conversing
while they worked. And her heartbeat kicked up just at the sight of
him. For a weak moment, she allowed her gaze to travel down to his
drool-worthy rear-end. The faded, worn jeans molded over his hard
cheeks like they'd been specifically designed just for him. In an
instant, the memory of how they'd felt underneath her fingers, how
firm and toned they were, slammed into her. Because she couldn't
face him with the heat flaming her face, Rebecca bypassed the shop
and walked to the reception area. Danielle was in there with the
phone pressed to her ear. Rebecca took a chance and stepped into
the area, to get a good look at the woman.
    Judging by the stiff set of her shoulders,
Danielle wasn't happy to see Rebecca. She continued her
conversation while raking her gaze over Rebecca in close scrutiny.
Once again, Rebecca was struck by how stunning the woman was. Her
fair skin and bright blue eyes were an odd combination with her
black hair. She had Rebecca by at least three inches and had full
pouty lips that most men probably fantasized about. Rebecca could
see why R.J. would have been attracted to her. Tall, busty women
had always been his Achilles' heel.
    However, her sharp collar bones and bony
fingers sent Rebecca's radar on high alert. Adderall could often
curb an appetite, so a lot of people on the medication could go all
day without eating. People who were on the drug needed to be
careful about not dropping too much weight.
    Rebecca stopped in front of the desk and
tried to think of a good reason for stopping by. Danielle hadn't
acknowledged her past a casual glance. She continued her
conversation while typing on the computer. Her soft laughter led
Rebecca to believe it was not a business-related phone call.
Rebecca was a paying client, so being ignored did not set well with
her. She cleared her throat in a subtle attempt to get the woman's
attention. Danielle slanted Rebecca a look and said, "I'll call you
later," into the receiver.
    She turned in her chair and pasted just about
the fakest smile Rebecca had ever seen. "What can I do for
you?"
    "I just came to check on my car," Rebecca
fibbed.
    Danielle just stared at Rebecca as though she
wanted to call Rebecca out for the liar that she was. Just as
Danielle stood from her chair, the phone rang, which she answered.
After reciting a crisp greeting, the woman placed the call on hold
and walked out of the office.
    O-kay. Was she supposed to stand there and
wait for Danielle to come back? Was she supposed to go into the
shop? She already figured that R.J.'s manager had lukewarm feelings
for her, to say the least. But to treat a paying client like this?
Very strange.
    Danielle came back in the room a