Her Mr. Right? Read online

  Randall didn’t like his answer one bit and Neil could see that. “I want this investigation over and done with so we can fight this takeover with our armor intact.”

  “Then tell everyone to cooperate with me,” Neil suggested.

  “I have,” Randall returned indignantly. “And so has J. D. Sumner.”

  “Where is the hospital administrator today?”

  “He had a meeting in Pittsfield. There’s a trauma center there and if he likes what he sees, we’ll model ours after theirs.”

  Neil had to admit the people he’d talked to here seemed like good people, but he knew from experience the real story was often hidden beneath the surface.

  Although Peter Wilder and his fiancée, Bethany Halloway, gave him a nod, none of the other board members acknowledged his presence. He was used to being treated as an outsider and an enemy. But sometimes he wondered what it would be like to be an insider.

  Owen had just introduced the board member who was going to run the meeting when Isobel opened the door and came hurrying in.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she murmured, slipping into the empty seat across from Neil. When she saw him, she looked surprised, but then she gave him a little smile.

  He didn’t know why that smile was so welcome. Why it warmed some place cold inside of him. Or why Isobel suddenly seemed to be the only other person in the room.

  Paul Monroe, a board member who owned his own contracting firm, stood at the head of the table holding a sheaf of papers in his hand. He passed a handout to each person at the table. “This is the result of our feasibility study. There’s no question that a fitness center subsidized by clients as well as the hospital would be a success in Walnut River. With the number of residents in the general community who we believe would use this facility, we could easily break even or turn over a small profit.”

  One of the female board members asked, “And how would this be different from a health club?”

  “Isobel, would you like to answer that?” Monroe asked, then went on to explain to the board, “Isobel has contacts with medical personnel, rehab facilities and doctors’ offices that she deals with. She left questionnaires in all those offices and doctors had their patients fill them out.”

  Isobel looked a bit flustered, but stood and smiled at the group. “Anyone who would use this fitness center would need a prescription from his or her primary physician, which would indicate a medical condition. On the questionnaires many patients commented that they hate the regimen, the cost and the insurance hassles with physical therapy. With this center, they would pay a monthly fee, like a commercial gym.”

  “Would needing to lose weight apply?” asked a male board member who was about twenty pounds overweight.

  “It would,” Isobel answered, then continued, “As long as the patient is being monitored by his doctor.”

  “Why a warm-water pool?” the man next to Neil asked.

  “Who would want to swim laps in warm water?”

  Isobel didn’t seem ruffled at all as she answered calmly, “If a patient can swim laps, he probably wouldn’t need the use of this pool. But anyone with arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, even continued rehabilitation after a stroke would benefit from a warm-water pool.” She gestured to a pretty young woman. “Melanie, do you want to explain the benefits?”

  Melanie Miller introduced herself as a physical therapist and Neil listened with half an ear. His attention was still on Isobel—her sparkling brown eyes, the professional way she fielded questions, the energy she brought to a room. She was wearing a conservative royal-blue suit, yet the silky top under her jacket was feminine. She wore a silver chain around her neck with one dangling pearl. He was too far away to catch the scent of perfume but he remembered the honeysuckle sweetness he’d inhaled on Saturday.

  While Melanie answered questions, Isobel took her seat again, and her gaze met his, once, twice, three times. After a moment or two, maybe feeling the same connection he did, she looked down at her notes, at another board member, anywhere but at him.

  Was this attraction one-sided?

  Damn it, there shouldn’t be any attraction. Isobel was under investigation just like everyone else.

  The discussion continued for about a half hour and then, as at most meetings like this, nothing was decided except that the hospital would have to consult with a fund-raising expert.

  Randall took the floor once more. “I’ll send a memo to all of you as to the time and place of our next meeting. We’ll be sure J.D. is present so he can give us his thoughts, as well as any other staff member who is interested. Thank you all for your time. Your attendance is appreciated.”

  Neil took note of which board members spoke to other board members, and of how Melanie conversed animatedly with Isobel. Most important, he noticed who seemed to be the most hostile, who ignored him, and who didn’t seem to care that he was there. Nonchalantly he stood and walked out into the hall, catching bits and pieces of conversations.

  When Isobel emerged, she saw him propped near a window, merely observing. The hallway was empty for the moment as she approached him. “I was surprised to see you at the meeting.”

  “I’m poking my nose into everybody’s business. That should ruffle feathers and shake loose some information.”

  Another board member exited the conference room, spied Neil, and headed in the opposite direction.

  “I’m sorry everyone’s being so cool to you.”

  He shrugged. “It goes with the territory. I have a thick hide. I can take it.”

  “I imagine you can, but it’s not a pleasant way to work.”

  Much of his work wasn’t pleasant, but it was challenging. The only thing he didn’t like particularly was all the traveling. That traveling had broken up his marriage. At least that’s what he and Sonya had blamed it on. Now he wasn’t so sure. He’d done a lot of soul-searching since his divorce and a contributing factor was definitely his penchant for keeping his own counsel, for not letting anyone get too close, including his ex-wife. During the marriage he hadn’t realized he was closing Sonya out. But afterward…afterward he’d understood he’d closed people out since his brother had died when Neil was in high school. He had good reasons for wanting to protect himself, for not confiding in anyone, for dodging his feelings. Preventing self-disclosure had become a habit, a habit he’d taken with him into his marriage.

  Skipping over Isobel’s comment, he said, “You seem to be the go-to person for Randall on this project.”

  “Peter Wilder suggested Mr. Randall include me in the discussion.”

  “The Dr. Wilder who was chief of staff after his father died?”

  “That was only temporary. Peter’s not a paper-pusher. He likes treating patients. But yes, he’s the one.”

  “And Peter Wilder is Ella Wilder’s brother, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “And also Dr. David Wilder’s brother—the physician who was called in to help with the little girl who needed plastic surgery.”

  “Yes. Their father was well-loved as chief of staff. He was an extraordinary man. His children are as dedicated as he was. Except…”

  “Except?” Neil prompted.

  “Anna Wilder. She’s Peter, Ella and David’s adopted sister. Ironically, she happens to work for Northeastern HealthCare.”

  Neil looked shocked. “Now that I hadn’t heard.”

  Isobel looked troubled. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “I’m glad you did. Isobel, I need to know the ins and outs of what’s going on here right now. That’s the only way I’ll get to the truth.”

  Two more board members and Owen Randall emerged from the conference room. All three exchanged looks when they saw Neil and Isobel together talking.

  Isobel’s cheeks reddened and she murmured, “I have to get back to work.”

  “You’ll stop at my office before you go home?”

  “Yes.” Without a “goodbye,” “see you later” or “it was nice t
alking to you,” she hurried to the elevator.

  Randall was staring after Isobel thoughtfully.

  Neil would give her a couple of minutes to get away from him and then he’d take the elevator to his office. Better yet, maybe he’d just take the stairs.

  He knew why Isobel had hurried away. She was a member of this hospital community. She had respect here and lots of friends. She didn’t want to be seen consorting with the enemy.

  Neil hated the idea of being Isobel’s enemy. His job had never interfered with a personal relationship with a woman before.

  But there was no personal relationship here. He was just going to do his job and return to Boston.

  So why had Isobel’s rushing away gotten to him?

  Chapter Three

  Neil definitely had a height advantage.

  When Isobel entered his office and he stood, she felt small. His size could be intimidating if he wanted it to be.

  He’d been working at the table again, printouts spread all over it. He motioned to the extra chair. “Did you get a breather or did you come straight from working?”

  “No breather. I had a consultation with one of the doctors about a patient.”

  She lowered her briefcase and purse to the floor and sank into the chair. She knew she had to be alert and on guard in this setting with Neil. Maybe in all settings with Neil. She didn’t know if he separated the personal from the professional and couldn’t take the chance that he didn’t. She’d been a little too open during their lunch, not that she’d revealed anything she shouldn’t have. She wasn’t a guarded person by nature. But she didn’t know what Neil might use against her, against other personnel, against the hospital.

  He looked at her as if sensing her apprehension. “Isobel, I’m not going to attack you,” Neil said quietly.

  “Of course, you aren’t. I mean, I didn’t think you would.”

  “As soon as you sat in that chair, your shoulders squared, your chin came up and you looked at me as if I were the enemy. I’m not.”

  But his saying it didn’t make it so.

  He sighed. “Let’s start with something easy.”

  She didn’t comment.

  “You mentioned Anna Wilder works for Northeastern HealthCare. Has that caused a rift in the Wilder family?”

  “You’d have to ask the Wilders.” Peter had come to her last month in confidence to talk over the situation. She was afraid she hadn’t been much help. Peter, David and Ella were on one side and Anna on the other. Every conversation they had seemed to push them further apart.

  “I will talk to the Wilders,” Neil assured her. “But I just wondered if Peter, David and Ella are really all on the same side. They might portray a united front, but could one of them want to help their sister? Could one of them be feeding information to my office?”

  This wasn’t the kind of questioning Isobel had expected. She’d thought he’d be asking about dollars and cents and patient charges.

  Considering his question, she answered honestly, “I think it’s highly unlikely. Peter, Ella and David are very straightforward in what they believe and they’ve all been vocal in how they feel about the takeover.”

  “But it’s possible one of them could be sympathetic to Anna?”

  She thought about her strong relationship with her sister, Debbie, and her brother, Jacob, and remembered what Ella had told her about the bonds between her and her adopted sister, Anna, when they were small. “I suppose it’s possible.”

  Neil looked thoughtful and glanced down at the legal pad where Isobel could see a list of scratchings. She couldn’t make out most of the writing, but her name was clearly printed at the top.

  “I understand no one objected when Peter Wilder temporarily took over the position of chief of staff.” Neil was fishing again. “Was anyone surprised when Peter didn’t keep the position? Were you surprised?”

  “Actually, I wasn’t sure what Peter would do. I mean, I knew patient care was important to him. He’s the epitome of a caring doctor. Yet maintaining his father’s legacy was important, too. So I imagine the decision he made wasn’t easy. In the end, I guess he did what he knew would make himself happy, and that was taking care of patients. Why are you so interested in the Wilders?”

  “Because they’re involved in everything—the running of the hospital, interaction with patients, the board, as well as their connection to the takeover. I imagine a family like that is not only respected but can make enemies just by being who they are. If, as you believe, the allegations my office is investigating have no merit, I have to look for other reasons why anyone would want me to give them credence.”

  Could someone be feeding false information to the state Attorney General’s Office because he or she had a grudge against the Wilders? That was possible, Isobel surmised.

  “Tell me about David Wilder. Why did he return to Walnut River?”

  Isobel leaned forward and accused, “That’s another one of those questions you already know the answer to.”

  A small smile played across Neil’s lips and she couldn’t seem to move her gaze from them.

  “Indulge me,” Neil suggested once again.

  “David’s a renowned plastic surgeon. He came back to Walnut River to help a little girl who needed reconstructive work done.”

  “Not because of the takeover attempt?”

  “I don’t think so. But I don’t know for sure. He probably knew about it but he was here to help Courtney’s little girl.”

  “Courtney Albright who works in the gift shop?”

  “Yes.”

  “But she and David Wilder are now engaged.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know if his airfare was charged to a hospital account?”

  “I don’t know. But if it was, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with that, would there? After all, if he was asked to come as a consultant—”

  The beeping of Isobel’s cell phone in her purse interrupted them. “I need to check that,” she said. “It might be my father. With him at home alone—”

  “Go ahead.” Neil didn’t look impatient or even annoyed, and that surprised her. Didn’t he want to get this questioning over and done with as much as she did?

  She opened her phone, saw her sister’s number on the screen and became alarmed. What if something had happened to their dad?

  “Debbie, what’s wrong? Is Dad okay?”

  “Sorry to scare you, Iz. Dad’s okay as far as I know, but I need your help.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Chad had an away game and his bus broke down on the way home.”

  Isobel’s nephew Chad was sixteen and hoping to get a baseball scholarship to college. Since his mom and dad had divorced two years ago, he’d become more quiet, more withdrawn. He obviously missed his father who had moved to the Midwest to take a better job and start a new life. Chad was a big help with his younger brother and sister but sometimes Isobel thought Debbie’s older son felt he had to take his dad’s place, and that could be a burden for a sixteen-year-old.

  “What do you need?”

  “Can you come over and watch Meg and Johnny while I go get Chad? I wouldn’t lay this on you but I can’t find anybody else.”

  Isobel’s niece was six and her nephew was four. “I can come over but I’m in a meeting right now and I’ll have to stop and pick up Dad first. He’s been alone so much lately, I hate to have him spend the evening at the house by himself.”

  “Isobel.” Neil’s voice cut into her conversation with her sister.

  “Hold on a minute, Debbie.”

  “What’s going on?” Neil asked.

  Succinctly she told him.

  “I have a few more questions for you but they aren’t as important as helping your sister. Why don’t I go pick up your father and bring him to wherever you need him to be?”

  Isobel was stunned. “Are you serious? Why would you want to help?”

  “Maybe because I’m a stranger in town and I have nothing else t
o do.”

  Sure, Neil might just want to fill his time, but she saw a kindness in him she hadn’t seen in a man for a long while. Should she accept his offer? What would he expect in return?

  “Isobel?” her sister called to her from the phone.

  “What?”

  “The boys are standing by the side of the road and I really want to get there as soon as I can. Can you cut your meeting short?”

  Isobel’s gaze met Neil’s. She wasn’t sure what she saw there. Curiosity? Interest? Desire? Was her imagination tricking her into thinking this man might be interested in her? She didn’t even want his interest, did she?

  Yet being closed in this office with him, inhaling the musky scent of his cologne, appreciating the baritone of his voice as well as his desire to get to the truth, she had to admit she did want to get to know him better, in spite of the consequences or the risk.

  “You’re sure you want to do this?” she asked him.

  He nodded. “I’m sure. I can have all this packed up in three minutes. Tell your sister you’ll be there as soon as you can.”

  As Isobel did just that, she wondered if she was making a terrible mistake.

  Neil gave Isobel’s sister’s kitchen a quick study as he pushed open the screen door for John Suarez and juggled two pizza boxes.

  A little girl came running to meet the older man, her dark-brown pigtails flying. She looked to be about the age of a first-grader.

  “Grandpa, Grandpa. Will you play dominoes with us? Aunt Iz said I should ask.”

  Aunt Iz? Neil had to smile as he followed her father inside the cheery kitchen with its purple-pansy and yellow-gingham theme.

  A little boy in jeans and a Spider-Man T-shirt added, “Will you play with us? Will you play with us?” to his sister’s question.

  Neil leaned close to Isobel. “Aunt Iz?”

  “Only my family uses that nickname, so don’t get any ideas.”