Teasing Tammy (Rivers End Ranch Book 47) Read online

  Teasing Tammy

  Pamela M. Kelley

  Piping Plover Press

  Copyright © 2018 by Pamela M. Kelley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek

  Chapter 1

  Tommy, hit it to me one more time. You’ve got this!” Clark Baker called to the timid, nine-year-old hockey player. He coached the midgets, the nine- and ten-year-old boys. He watched with appreciation as a moment later, the puck went exactly where it was supposed to go, into the net.

  “Nice job, buddy!” Clark high-fived the boy who was beaming.

  “Thanks, Coach!”

  “Okay, everyone, we’re done for today. See you next week.” The boys all shuffled off the ice and Clark followed. As he walked by one of the mothers, she stopped him.

  “I’m Tommy’s mom. Thank you for taking extra time with him today. You’re really good with these kids.”

  Clark was uncomfortable with the compliment but pleased to hear it at the same time.

  “Thank you. I love helping them learn the game. I still play it myself, in the men’s league.”

  “My husband plays in that league too.” She smiled and looked thoughtful before saying, “Say, are you dating anyone these days?”

  Clark laughed. “No, not at the moment. But wish me luck, there’s a girl I’m hoping to see tonight that I’d love to ask out.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, if it doesn’t work out, let me know. I may have someone in mind.”

  “I’ll do that.” Clark smiled politely and hoped he’d never have to take her up on that offer. His luck so far with fix ups wasn’t good. And he was hoping to see Tammy soon at Thursday Trivia. He’d enjoyed talking to her and had even teasingly suggested twice now that they go out sometime but each time she’d laughed it off. She didn’t seem to think he was serious. But he was and tonight he was going to ask her out for a proper date, a dinner at the best restaurant in Riston. At least, that was the plan.

  * * *

  The only problem was that Tammy didn’t go to trivia that night. When Clark arrived at the restaurant at Rivers End Ranch, the rest of the gang was all there,—Jaclyn and Simon, Wade Weston, who was one of the owners and general manager of the ranch and his wife Maddie, who ran the spa. Bernie and Lily, who both worked in the office with Wade, Melanie, who ran the new fitness center at the ranch, and her husband Bryan, who was also Clark’s brother, and their sister Cameron.

  Clark slid into the only empty seat, between Cameron and Wade and looked all around the restaurant hoping to see Tammy on her way in. The restaurant had trivia night every Thursday night, and it was a popular night for families to come early and take advantage of the two for one pizza special. Clark had only just recently begun to join the group. He really enjoyed it and looked forward to Thursday nights, especially since he’d met Tammy a few weeks ago. But after about ten minutes, he was starting to think that she wasn’t going to make it.

  “Tammy’s not coming tonight,” Jaclyn confirmed. “I saw her earlier today at the bookstore. Stopped in for my weekly romance novel. Melissa’s going on vacation after work tomorrow and Tammy’s staying late tonight to go over everything she needs to know while she’s gone.” Jaclyn and Simon were in their seventies and both lived and worked part-time on the ranch.

  They seemed like an old married couple, but only admitted to being the best of friends. Jaclyn lived out by the RV park with dozens of pet rabbits and Simon was a retired golfer who liked to keep busy by helping out in the pro shop.

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Clark said. He tried not to look as disappointed as he felt.

  “You look like your dog just died,” Cameron whispered to him. Guess he didn’t do so well at hiding his feelings.

  “I was looking forward to seeing her. I was going to ask her out tonight,” he admitted.

  Cameron laughed. “Because that went so well the last two times you tried?”

  Clark sighed. “I don’t think she thought I was serious. Maybe she just doesn’t like me, but I could have sworn I sensed some interest. I’m usually good at this.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem. You’re too good at it. You do have a bit of a reputation you know. Could be Tammy just doesn’t want to go there.”

  Clark frowned. “You know that’s not true though. I’m a perfect gentleman. I just don’t have the best track record so far.”

  “No, you don’t. You haven’t always made the best choices.”

  Clark had to agree with her there. He’d too easily been swayed by a pretty face only to discover that the girls were more interested in his bank account and the prestige of dating a successful doctor than in spending quality time with him. After a few dates it usually became apparent that they had little in common. But the women didn’t always take it so well, hence his reputation. Tammy was like a breath of fresh air.

  She was good friends with Anna who recently married his friend Ben and he first met Tammy not too long ago at trivia. She wasn’t the prettiest girl in the room, but she had a simple beauty that took Clark’s breath away. Her hair hung straight to her shoulders and her green eyes had specks of gold and brown in them. Clark had to stop himself from staring into them. She laughed at his lame jokes and poked fun at him now and then. It kept him on his toes, wondering what she was going to say next. He wasn’t used to that, and he liked it.

  “If you’re that hung up on her, go see her tomorrow at the bookstore and ask her out already. But if she says no this time, let it go,” Cameron advised. A moment later, she added, “There’s a new dating site, Soulmates, that just opened. It might be really good for you. You don’t exchange pictures until you get to know each other first and are interested in a meeting. So, it’s not as shallow as the other sites. The focus is on finding a quality relationship.”

  “No, thanks.” Clark had tried a few of the dating sites and had so many women contacting him that it was overwhelming. When he complained to his brother about it, Bryan was less than sympathetic.

  “Poor you,” he’d said. “You’re photogenic and a doctor. What do you expect?”

  Cameron wasn’t done with him yet.

  “Fine. But if you strike out with Tammy, I’m going to set up a Soulmates profile for you.”

  “That’s not very optimistic. I prefer to think positive. I am going to ask Tammy out tomorrow and she is going to say yes.”

  “All right then. Break a leg.”

  “Very funny.” Clark was an orthopedic doctor, broken bones were his specialty.

  “You’re awfully serious tonight. I really do wish you good luck tomorrow.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “But if she says no…”

  * * *

  “I can’t stay long. As soon as I get back Melissa is going to head off for her vacation,” Tammy said as she joined her friend Anna, who was sitting at a table at Sadie’s Saloon. The shop was right around the corner from the bookstore and had the best homemade ice cream and coffee. Anna had an appointment for a massage at the Ranch spa and called Tammy on her way to see if she could meet for a quick cup of coffee.

  “I know. That’s why I already ordered your coffee. Here you go.” Anna pushed a large to-go cup of coffee toward Tammy.

  “Oh, thank you. What do I owe you for it?”

  “Nothing, can’t a friend buy a friend a coffee?”

  Tammy smiled and relaxed a bit. “Thank you.”

  Anna leaned forward in her chair and looked excited, which immediately made Tammy nervous. When Anna got that look in her eye, it usually meant she was up to something.

  “So, have you heard about the new dating website, Soulmates?”

  “Soulmates? No.”

  “I’d totally do it if I was single. It sounds awesome. You take a detailed personality test and you don’t post a picture. They match you on who you are, and what you have in common, not what you look like. Though of course you can let them know your preferences if you like someone tall or thin or whatever.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been crazy about online dating. I have tried it you know.”

  “You’ve barely tried it. You went on three dates and then canceled your membership.”

  “It wasn’t for me.”

  “Well, this sounds different, more up your alley. You might find someone really nice that you have loads in common with. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

  “No, it wouldn’t,” Tammy agreed.

  “So just take a look at it. I promise not to bug you about it, but check it out for yourself. Soulmates.”

  “All right. I’ll look it up. I won’t promise to join though.”

  “Fair enough. Well, I should probably let you get back to the store. Let’s get together soon. Maybe I’ll see if I can talk Ben into going to trivia next week.”

  “That would be fun. I was sorry to miss it last night.”
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  “See you soon!” Anna gave her a hug goodbye and then Tammy hurried back to the bookstore. Melissa, the owner of the store, smiled when she walked in.

  “So, I think I’m about ready to go if you’re sure you don’t have any more questions? You’ve got my cell and Jack’s too, in case you need to reach me for anything. We’re just going to Seattle so if there’s any kind of emergency, we can come home.”

  “Don’t be silly. Go and enjoy your week off. I’ll be fine.”

  “All right. Have a good week, and I’ll see you when I get back.”

  Melissa left and the store immediately felt quiet without her presence. It was mid-afternoon though, a few minutes past three and the store usually was slow that time of day. Tammy had plenty to do though. There was a new shipment of books that needed to go out on the shelves and she had a new project she was excited about. She was starting to post short ‘reader notes’ of just a few sentences, giving her thoughts or Melissa’s on some books that they’d read and loved. They were calling them ‘Staff Picks’ and since they’d started posting them, sales of those books had soared.

  After four, the store picked up for a bit and then as usual slowed again around five thirty. They closed at six and a quarter to, Tammy started getting everything in order to close. She was bringing a box of books to the back office when she heard the door chime that someone had just walked in. The store was empty but they almost always had last minute stragglers. She walked back behind the register and did a double-take when she saw who her new customer was. Clark Baker.

  Tammy had mixed feelings about the handsome doctor. He had a reputation for being a huge flirt and she knew he’d dated a lot of girls in Riston and some of them were not happy with him when he broke things off. But she was surprised by how much she liked talking to him. He was funny, and he made her laugh and she felt comfortable teasing him back, which rarely happened. But she thought it might be because she’d immediately put him into the friend box.

  If he was someone she was considering dating, she would never have been able to joke around with him so easily. She’d be too self-conscious and nervous about making a good impression. But, she didn’t really care so much what Clark thought because she’d immediately crossed him off her list. He was not her type at all, not that he was interested. He’d asked her out twice, at trivia, but she truly didn’t think he was serious either time and if he was, she would have said no, anyway.

  She’d dated someone like Clark once and it had been a mistake. A big mistake. One she wasn’t eager to repeat. Besides, she’d seen for herself that he was just a big flirt. Clark flirted with everyone, women of all ages and they loved it. But that’s exactly why she hadn’t taken him seriously. She was curious though what he was doing in the bookstore. He hadn’t struck her as a big reader and he’d never been in the store before when she was working.

  “Hi Clark. What brings you by?”

  “Would you believe I just wanted to see you?”

  Tammy laughed. “No. Why are you really here?”

  “Well, I did want to see you. I missed you at trivia last night.”

  “I had to stay late. I’m covering for the owner this week while she’s on vacation.”

  “Jaclyn told me last night. There is a book I’m after too though. On coaching.”

  “What kind of coaching?”

  “Well the book is general coaching techniques. But I coach little league. Just trying to keep improving.”

  “I think I know the book you mean.” Tammy walked toward the back of the shop and looked up. The coaching books were higher than either Clark or she could reach, so she turned to get the step stool and crashed right into Clark who was standing there with it. She felt herself go down and Clark reached to catch her but he wasn’t close enough and the stool was in the way. She went down hard on her left foot and felt something snap. A rush of pain exploded in her foot and she tried to get up, but fell back down the moment she put weight on that foot.

  “Let me see your foot,” Clark said and Tammy noticed a shift in his voice. He’d gone into doctor mode. She gingerly lifted her foot and Clark carefully pulled her sock off and gently ran his hand over her foot and ankle pressing slightly as he went. As soon as he finished, he slid her sock back on and stood up. “All right, here’s what we’re going to do. Tell me where your stuff is, your purse and keys. We need to get you to the hospital. You’re in luck though, I happen to be an orthopedics specialist and have hospital privileges so we can go right in.”

  “Okay, but how will I get there?”

  Clark grinned. “My car’s not far from here. You don’t look like you weight too much. I think I can manage.”

  Tammy wanted to die. She also had visions of Clark dropping her on her broken foot. She was on the smaller side, but it still seemed too much for him to manage.

  “Seriously. Don’t worry. I’m stronger than I look,” he assured her.

  She told him where her keys and purse were and he grabbed them and then carefully picked her up and laid her across his left shoulder as if she was a sack of potatoes. He turned off the lights and as they walked out, with his free hand, he locked the door behind him.

  “And we’re off…” he said.

  Tammy held her breath for the first few steps as Clark carried her to his car and carefully helped her get into the passenger side. Twenty minutes later they pulled up to the hospital and Clark told her to sit tight for a minute. He ran inside and was back a few minutes later with a wheelchair. He helped her get into it and then wheeled her into the emergency room. They got her registered and Clark took her right into an empty room.

  Tammy couldn’t believe it. One minute she was almost done for the day and the next thing she knew she was in the ER with a broken foot. The x-rays confirmed that she’d fractured several metatarsals and would need to keep her weight off the foot until it healed. The swelling had doubled in size since they’d left the store. The throbbing was just starting to ease off since they gave her some Tylenol for the pain. Tammy couldn’t wait to get home and go to bed.

  “So, we’re going to get you into a boot to protect your foot and then I’ll take you home,” Clark said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, it’s the least I can do. It’s my fault this happened.” Clark looked as miserable as she felt.

  She sighed. “It’s not your fault. It was an accident.”

  “Well, I still feel terrible about it.”

  An hour later, Clark pulled into the driveway of her condo. He got a pair of crutches out of the back seat and helped her to get herself comfortable with them before trying to walk into the house. He stayed by her side and Tammy easily made it to the door. Clark unlocked it and held the door wide open for her to step inside.

  “At least I don’t have any stairs to worry about. I’m all on one level,” Tammy said.

  “That is a relief. I might have had to bring you home with me if you had stairs. That wouldn’t have worked at all,” he teased.

  “No that wouldn’t have worked,” Tammy agreed with a grin.

  “So, can you manage now do you think? Do you want me to stay for a while to help?”

  “No, I’m fine, really. Thank you.” She was ready for Clark to leave so she could collapse into bed.

  But he looked worried and hesitant to go. “Okay, I’ll be on my way then. But I’ll be by tomorrow morning to bring you to work. Unless you can call out sick?”

  Tammy grimaced. “No, I’d love to stay in bed tomorrow. But I can’t do that to Melissa. I have to go in.”

  “All right, I’ll see you in the morning then.”

  “You don’t have to do that. Don’t you have to go to work too? I can call a cab.”

  Clark grinned. “It’s your lucky week because as of tomorrow, I’m on vacation for ten days. And I have no plans.”

  “All right then. Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Chapter 2

  Morning came all too quickly. Tammy had set her alarm earlier than usual knowing it was probably going to take longer than usual for her to get ready. Having a broken foot was frustrating and inconvenient to say the least. Not to mention the timing was horrible. But when the alarm went off, she slowly eased herself out of bed and reached for the crutches that were by her side. She could get around her condo just fine with the crutches, but showering was out of the question with the boot on her foot. She couldn’t get it wet. She finally decided at least for the first few days, to wash her hair in the kitchen sink and just wash herself all over with a hot cloth. Once she felt a little steadier, then maybe she would attempt a bath and just keep her foot elevated. Or maybe she could put a stool in the shower and wrapped a garbage bag around her foot to keep it from getting wet?