Seaside Heartbeats: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 2) (6 page)

Lana nodded. "We ran into each other in town. Apparently, he didn't like being called Dr. Hunter outside of the office."

"It has a nice ring to it, though," Cora teased.

Brayden looked as uncomfortable as Lana felt. "What brings you two to this side of town?"

"We smelled some fresh-baked pies and went to the bakery," Cora said.

"All the way from the beach?" Brayden asked, smiling.

Butterflies danced in Lana's full stomach. He was even more gorgeous when he smiled. "We just wanted to get away from the noise. So, did you think any more about which building you want to demolish?"

"I like the hardware store," he said. "Like you said, it has potential. I just need to lay out some plans."

Cora nudged Lana closer to Brayden. "You know this one is an architect, right?"

"I do. How long are you staying in town? Maybe we could discuss possibilities. I'd love some ideas. I'm not very creative, unfortunately."

"Oh, I'm sure you have more than you give yourself credit for."

"I know," Cora said. "Why don't you come over to our beach house for dinner tomorrow? Our dad's an architect, too. He's been at it forever. You guys could bounce ideas off each other."

Lana glared at Cora. Brayden would never give her a chance if he met her family. Their dad would talk his ear off, and the boys would likely break things and scare him away.

"I wouldn't want to impose," Brayden said.

"Oh, heavens, no," Cora said. "Dad would be thrilled to have someone to talk architecture with."

They exchanged details, and then parted ways. Brayden's gaze lingered on Lana before he walked away. She couldn't take her eyes off him until he was out of sight.

"I can't believe how hot your doctor is," Cora said, nudging Lana. "And he likes you."

"Shut up."

"And you definitely like him. Not that I blame you." She fanned herself. "If I wasn't taken, you'd have competition."

Seven

Brayden held up two ties. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so concerned about what to wear. Usually, he wasn't one to worry about what anyone thought of him. But he couldn't help worrying about impressing Lana and her parents. It wasn't a date—who's first date included the girl's parents?

He stared at the ties. He threw the turquoise one on the bed, going with the sea-foam green one that Sophia had given him the last Christmas she'd been healthy enough to shop. She'd been the queen of fashion, so that tie had to be the right one. She had said it brought out his eyes. Even Rafael, the fashion designer had agreed.

Brayden buttoned his shirt and then slid the tie under the collar and made the perfect tie. No. It was slightly crooked. He undid it and tried again. Still crooked. What was wrong with him?

Looking at the time, he knew he needed to hurry. He didn't want to be late, and make Lana and her family wait. He tried the tie again, and finally got it right. Well, close enough. He was too nervous to get it perfect.

Every time he thought about Lana, he grew nervous. Was it because she was his patient or because she was so beautiful? Maybe both. Well, that and the way she looked at him. It was different from most women. They usually wanted one thing, and he wasn't that guy. There were plenty of doctors who took advantage of their prestige, putting their jobs on the line getting involved with patients or nurses.

One married surgeon in the pediatric clinic, of all places, was in the middle of a lawsuit with a receptionist claiming her unborn baby belonged to him. His career was on the line.

That was the last thing Brayden wanted or needed. He was determined to think with his brain and keep all boundaries clear. Adjusting his tie, he wondered if going over to Lana's beach house was blurring those lines.

No. They were going to discuss the future urgent care clinic. He would get some ideas and then present them to the other doctors who were considering joining him in the venture. If Brayden had actual plans for a building, they would be a lot more willing to join him.

This was a good business decision. Getting to spend some more time with Lana was an aside benefit.

That was a stretch, and he knew it.

Brayden went into the bathroom and squeezed some gel into his hand and then ran it through his hair. He looked as good as he was going to. He slapped on a little more aftershave, and then headed for the front room. It was too cluttered, but he didn't have time to deal with it. One of these days, he would have to break down and hire housekeeping service for his condo.

He managed to keep everything else in his life together, but the only place he let things fall apart was at home. What was he going to do when he finally settled down and had a family?

Sliding his shoes on, Brayden shook his head. He wasn't even going on a date, and yet he was thinking ahead to a family. He was letting Cruz's comments get in his mind.

"She's a tourist," he muttered. All the locals knew what that meant—don't get attached. All too often, someone would fall in love with someone visiting, and no matter what promises were made, things always fell apart.

In fact, Brayden only knew of one person that managed to keep a relationship with a tourist—his brother, Jake. Though he was the youngest of the brothers, he was the first to marry. And his tourist relationship really didn't count, because Tiffany hadn't even been a real tourist. She had ended up stranded in town with no desire to stay even a day.

Brayden ran his fingers through his stiff hair, trying to make it more natural. He didn't have time for a relationship. Why was he so worried about Lana? She'd just go back home to her architecture firm where she probably already had a boyfriend. Even if she didn't, she might think Brayden was too old for her.

Given what she'd told him about how long it took her to get her license, she would only be twenty-six or twenty-seven. She might not want anything to do with someone pushing thirty-six. Thirty-six was practically pushing forty. And that was halfway to the grave for a lot of people.

He looked in the mirror over the coat rack. "Pull yourself together." What was wrong with him? He was thinking like an insecure teenager, not the doctor who had built the Dallas clinic up from almost nothing. He turned away dates from nurses several times a week. He could handle a dinner with a tourist family discussing building plans.

But why didn't he believe it? His stomach twisted in knots just thinking about Lana. She made him question everything, and they'd just met. What would a dinner do to him?

He would just have to stay strong. After all, he was Brayden Hunter, and he'd accomplished so much. He could handle a dinner with the beautiful woman who had a sweet smile. With any luck, she was as focused on her career as he was on his. She was just a distraction that he didn't have time for.

Brayden double-checked his hair before walking out the door. The house wasn't too far. He could easily walk, but it was especially hot outside. He went for his car and turned on the AC. It was a good thing he had a shady parking spot, or the car would have been an oven.

Once it was nice and cold, Brayden pulled out of the spot and made the short, five-minute drive. He found the house easily enough, but another shady parking spot was a different story. He drove up and down the road several times before giving up and parking in the sun. He cracked the windows and put a sun shade in the front window.

His throat grew drier with every step he took toward the house. What would her parents think of him showing up? Doctors didn't visit their patients at home for a leisurely dinner.

Brayden stopped himself from turning around and fleeing. He took a deep breath. Everything was fine—he wasn't doing anything wrong. Cora had invited him, and he only knew her socially. His patient only happened to be there.

He held his fist up to knock, but heard shrieks from inside. The door opened, and two identical little strawberry-blonde boys jumped up and down, yelling, "He's here!"

Lana ran over, looking embarrassed. "Sorry about them. Ryder, Nolan, you two need to calm down. Say hi to Dr. Hunter."

They both looked up at him and smiled widely. "Hi, Dr. Hunter."

Brayden couldn't help smiling. "Nice to meet you boys." He turned to Lana. "Are they yours?"

"Oh, goodness no. They're my nephews."

Relief swept through Brayden. Before he could say anything, Cora showed up. "Sorry about them. They're a little hyper."

"No worries. They're adorable."

"Aw, thanks. We'll see how you feel in an hour."

Brayden looked down at the boys. "I've got four brothers. I'm sure we did a lot more damage than you two ever have." He winked at them.

"Four brothers?" Cora asked, looking faint. "Your parents must be saints."

Lana stepped back. "Come on in. We didn't invite you to stand on the front step."

Brayden stepped in, holding her gaze. He also held his breath. Her eyes were stunning.

A man about Brayden's dad's age stepped forward holding out his hand. "You must be Dr. Hunter."

"Brayden, please."

"I'm Dwight." He took Brayden's hand, squeezing hard as he shook it.

"It's a pleasure, sir."

"You can call me Dwight, but I won't stop you from calling me sir." He laughed loudly, causing Brayden to jump a little.

Lana shook her head, mouthing, "Sorry."

"The women are just finishing up dinner. Let me show you what I came up with for turning the hardware store into a clinic."

"You've already thought about it?" Brayden asked, surprised.

"I never stop thinking about things to build. This gives me a nice break from the mansions I usually design. This is a bit of a challenge, and I find it exciting. It's good for the old mind to try something new. Besides, I finally found something my daughter is interested in."

Brayden looked over at Lana, whose face turned red. "What, Mom? You need me in the kitchen?" She hurried out of the room.

"Take a look." Dwight walked over to a table that was covered in papers. He picked one up and held it up for Brayden to see. "As best as I can tell, this is the current layout of the hardware store. It's open in front, which makes for a nice waiting room. There appears to be a decent-sized back room which work for exam rooms. You don't need a surgical center or anything?"

"No. Emergencies requiring specialized care like that would still need to be sent to the hospital."

Dwight pulled a pencil from behind his ear and wrote some notes on the paper. "Explain exactly what you have in mind."

Brayden explained the number of rooms he pictured and the equipment needed.

Dwight scribbled notes and added to his drawing. "I think we'll have to add on to the back, but there's quite a bit of land on the lot so it shouldn't be a problem. Now, tell me about the private practices on the second floor. I assume we'll need an elevator for the cardiac patients." He pulled out a different sheet of paper, pointing to a layout similar to what Brayden and Lana had discussed the other night.

Brayden looked over at Lana, busily helping her mom and sister in the kitchen. He couldn't believe that she had not only remembered what they discussed about his dream building, but that she had shared it with her father. His heart swelled.

She looked over at him, and they met each other's gaze. Lana froze, and Brayden's heart skipped a beat. He looked back at Dwight's plans and tried to focus on what he said. He couldn't shake Lana from his mind.

He really needed to have one of the other doctors take her on as a patient.

Eight

Lana chewed her lasagna, but was all too aware of Brayden sitting next to her. She could barely focus on anything else. His presence was like a homing beacon, keeping her focused on him.

Why had everyone insisted that they sit next to each other? It wasn't that she didn't
like
sitting next to him—no, she liked it entirely too much. That was the problem.

Every time the conversation came to her, she had no idea what it was about. Lana had to ask what was asked. Brayden had to think she was an idiot. It was time to up her game, and get over her silly schoolgirl embarrassments. She was a woman. In just a few years, she would be thirty. Thirty. Where had the time gone?

Laughter brought her back to reality. She smiled, and turned to Brayden, who also laughed along with everyone else. He was able to stay with the conversation. Obviously, he had the maturity to sit next to her
and
stay focused on everything. There was a spark between them that she couldn't deny, yet he could act like an adult despite that.

She looked back to her plate and picked up some vegetables. It was high time she grew up, even though being back with her family only made her feel young again. Everyone else had matured. She could, too.

Lana picked up her napkin, and her hand brushed against Brayden's. Her skin felt afire and her face heated up. She wasn't sure if he noticed, but she moved her napkin into her lap and scolded herself for being such a baby.

Maybe her friends had been right—she should have dated more while getting her degree. But she thought it would be a waste of time. She would get her degree, work a couple years to build her clientele, and then find a guy to marry. As though she could really plan life like that. And now here she was sitting next to a handsome man who seemed to like her, too, and she couldn't stop acting like a middle schooler.