I parked a couple of spaces over from the expensive sports car to avoid hitting it; no one was in it. A minor ding would probably cost a hundred thousand dollars to fix.
We walked in through the back door, and I went straight to the front while my mom prepped one of the exam rooms. I could see someone was standing outside, but when I opened the door, I wasn’t expecting to see a handsome man dressed in an expensive three-piece suit. Then again, he did drive a Bugatti that was worth over five million dollars.
His caramel-brown eyes raked over my shorts and tank top with surprised humor.
“Dr. Ayla Carington?” he asked, his grin broadening.
I couldn’t tell how old he was, but if I had a guess, I’d say mid-forties, even though he appeared younger. He had a little bit of gray mixed in with his dark hair. But underneath that suit, it was clear he had a muscular build.
“Good morning,” I said, holding out my hand. “And yes, I’m Dr. Carington.”
He shook my hand, his grip firm as he smiled. “Either you’re the worst dentist in town with no patients, or you’re closed today,” he teased. “Which one is it?”
Chuckling, I squeezed his hand as firmly as I could and let go. “We’re closed for the week, but I always come in if there’s an emergency.”
His smile dropped. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He stepped back and held up his hands. “I never would’ve called if I’d known that.”
I held the door wider. “No, it’s okay. Please come in. I do this all the time. Hopefully, you can excuse the clothes, though. I know it’s not exactly professional answering the door in shorts and a tank top. It’s just most of my emergencypatients are locals. They’re used to seeing me in all sorts of attire. I even came in pajamas one time.”
The guy laughed; his teeth were so white they almost glowed. I was curious to hear why he was in Magnolia Grove.
“Now, that would be fun to see. I can’t imagine my dentist from home doing that.”
I motioned for him to come in and shut the door behind him. He was tall, just like Declan, around six-foot-two inches tall.
“Where are you from?” I questioned. I couldn’t place his accent; it was neither southern nor northern.
I took the lead and he followed me toward the back to the exam rooms.
“I live in Atlanta but am from California,” he answered. “My name’s Robert Forbes. I was passing through here on my way to New Orleans when I bit down on a popcorn kernel. I think I broke a tooth, but I’m not sure.”
My mother came out of one of the rooms and nodded that it was ready for us.
“I will definitely take a look, Mr. Forbes,” I said as I led him into the exam room and flourished a hand for him totake a seat.
He sat down and smiled at me. “Please, call me Robert.”
Once I masked and gloved up, I laid the chair down and he pointed out the tooth that bothered him. His teeth and gums were perfect. I couldn’t visually see anything wrong with the tooth, so I took a digital X-ray to be sure. When the picture popped up on the screen, there was no indication of a crack.
“Do you see anything?” Robert asked as I moved his chair back to its regular position.
I examined the X-ray for a few more seconds and shook my head. “Nothing. You have amazing teeth. I don’t see anything wrong with that tooth.”
Robert shrugged and stood. “That’s good, at least. When I was younger, my parents always got onto me about brushing my teeth. They would show me pictures of my Uncle Ray, who had a mouth full of rotten ones. I was told mine would get like that if I didn’t clean them. Guess I’ve been protective of my teeth ever since.”
My shoulders shook with laughter. “Yeah, that’ll do it.” I stood and waved a hand around the room. “I didn’t have to see pictures. I was here every day as a kid, helping my dad. I saw a lot of messed up teeth.”
Robert smiled. “I appreciate you seeing me on your dayoff.”
I held out my hand. “You’re welcome. I feel bad that I can’t do anything for the pain.”
He took my hand. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore. I probably just overreacted and thought the worst.”
“I’m the same way,” I said, laughing. “There was one time I fell off my bike when I was seven and thought I’d broken my leg. I was so afraid my leg would grow crooked if I didn’t get it checked out.” I walked him to the front lobby and stopped at the door.
“And was it broken?” he inquired, facing me instead of opening the door.
“Of course not.”
