Evans - One Summer in Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Y OU want me to what ? Dr. Taylor Jenkins asked his sister. Hed do anything for her. Except this. This was impossible and entirely beyond his abilities. He was a physician, not a

Please, Taylor. Ive never asked you for anything. After all the things weve been through together. I need this.

Caroline walked forward and placed her hand on his, her pale blue eyes begging. Pleading. Working on the guilt he strongly resisted. For so many years, guilt had ruled his life, and he had vowed long ago to elude its poison. No commitments, no guilt. It was that easy. He lived his life his own way, followed no ones rules but his own.

I cant send him to Mom and Dad. You know that.

What about

Jos? No. His father is off on weekend military camp and could be deployed at any time. She waved that suggestion aside. I can barely get him to take Alex one weekend a month. I couldnt comfortably leave Alex with him for that length of time.

But Panic clawed up his throat and tried to strangle the life out of him. He was a well-respected professional. He would figure a way to get out of this situation Caroline was presenting him with. There was no way he could

You can do this. I trust you completely. And its only for six weeks, not forever. Hes old enough to be by himself some. I have babysitter names for you, too, and his cousins will want to see him over the summer. Carmelitas been very helpful since I divorced Jos. She doesnt want her kids to lose touch with him, despite her brothers problems. She stepped closer and kept her gaze locked with his.

Damn. Somehow, she sensed he was caving in. Women had an extra sense about those things and used them to their advantage against the men of the world. Resistance was futile. He was going to be assimilated.

Taylor hauled out a long sigh and placed a hand over his face as his shoulders slumped. He just knew he was going to regret this. The idea that he could care for a child, his nephew, for weeks at a time was preposterous. He simply didnt have it in him to care for another living creature for longer than a few hours. He didnt even have a plant or a fish in his house.

I knew you would do it! Hes going to be so excited. Thank you, Taylor. Thank you. You dont know what this means to me. She hugged him and nearly bowled the two of them over. If he hadnt leaned against the desk, theyd both be on the floor.

You promise youll be back in six weeks, Caroline? Not a day longer? Putting his life on hold for six weeks was about all he could cope with. By the end of it his tolerance would have run out.

Yes, yes, yes. This is going to help me build a solid future for Alex and me. The company provides everything, so the only cost there is my food, but they absolutely refuse to allow children during the focus training session in California. She took a deep breath. Its the only way I can do this. Believe me, Ive thought of everything else.

Sadness crept into her eyes, and Taylor knew he was doing the right thing for his sister. Just didnt know if it was the right thing for him. His life was about freedom, about adrenaline, and physical challenges, testing himself, testing what he could accomplish after the next challenge was met. Would he have any time for his own life while he was caring for his nephew? If hed wanted to be a parent, he could have been one by now.

Anyway, she said, and playfully slapped him on the shoulder, its about time you got to know your nephew better.

I resent that. I know my nephew. Didnt he?

Caroline snorted and flung a few tears away from her face. She never cried. You know his name, his birthday, and stuff like that. But you really dont know the young man deep down inside him. Again, she touched him. Alex needs you right now. His father has let him down so many times that I dont know if hell ever recover. Kind of like you in that way with Dad.

I know. I know. Taylor thought of the times when his father hadnt been there for him. Had been off doing something more important than getting to know his own son. Pushing those memories away, he focused on Caroline and gave a long, long sigh. When do you leave?

Next Monday. Early.

Bring him over Sunday afternoon, and well go through everything I need to know about being a parent for six weeks.

Thank you so much, Taylor. Somehow, Ill make it up to you.

Right. Was there anything that could truly make up for this lost time? Then again, was six weeks that much to sacrifice if he could help out his sister and nephew? He wasnt that selfish.

Sure I will. When you have kids, Ill be the best auntie theyll ever have.

Having kids of my own seems pretty farfetched at this point in my life. There were no guarantees that hed be a better parent than his own and childhoods like theirs should be avoided at all costs.

That should be avoided at all costs. Caroline was certainly trying to give Alex a good home and a stable life despite the challenges of being a single parent. No, hed be better off just living his life single and being a good uncle to his eleven-year-old nephew.

If you ever stop jumping out of airplanes and climbing mountains by yourself, you might meet a woman that intrigues you enough to keep your feet on the ground. She patted his shoulder and gave him a look that made his stomach knot. Then it will be easy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Didnt we have this conversation when you tried to fix me up with that nurse friend of yours? The memory of the disastrous arranged date made him shiver. Never going there again.

We did, but repetition helps. Someday youll get it.

Doubtful, Taylor ushered her out the door and returned to the ER where it was safe.

Nurse Piper Hawkins walked into the ER on the first day of her new travel assignment to pure chaos. Before introductions could even be made, she shoved her purse under the desk and dove into the fray. Adrenaline pumped through her system, and she was ready to tackle anything. At her best in the midst of an emergency, she just hoped the other staff would accept her help quickly. Every assignment was different, and she hoped this one would be a good one. First impressions were always important, and she was about to make one right now.