Matchmaker, Part 2
Matchmaker, Part 2

Definitely a knockout, he found himself thinking as he looked her up and down.

But who was she? Craig Wesley wondered to himself as he looked at the slender woman standing next to him. New intern? Medical student? Possibly a recently-hired resident? Maybe even a nurse?

She reminded him of someone he knew, but he couldn't quite place it. It was something about her posture, perhaps the shape of her calves. She was wearing a plum-colored knit dress and her hair was pulled back into a braid.

Conservative, yet stylish. Very ladylike.

He decided to investigate.

"Are you new in town?" he asked casually.

"I'd say that's pretty obvious."

Frosty tone, rigid body language. Tough shell to crack.

"Dr. Craig Wesley," he said to her, extending his hand while smiling at her in what he hoped was his most roguish and appealing manner. "And you are?"

"Completely uninterested," she replied calmly, not looking at him.

The receptionist stifled a giggle and Gus winked at her with her right eye. Gus wasn't a fool; she recognized a smooth talker when she saw one.

Craig was taken aback and his eyes widened at her response. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." A ghost of a smile hovered at the corners of her mouth.

She was treating him as if he was an insignificant little bug. Needless to say, Craig was just a little bit miffed.

"But I didn't think I heard you correctly."

"Come now, Dr. Wesley, this is not necessary. I'm sure a lot of women are taken in by your boyish good looks and your imagined charisma, but I can promise you that I have no intention of paying you any attention. Good day, Dr. Wesley."

He should have been put off. Anyone else would have been offended, but he could see that her cheeks were reddening slightly, as were her ears. She wasn't as immune to him as she'd like to think. Good sign. He arched an eyebrow and smirked as he leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, "Why are you blushing, hmmm?"

She shot him a look that could have pulverized granite. "I am not blushing!"

"Oh, yes, you most definitely are." His smile became a grin and he added for good measure: "Pink's a good color on you. You should wear it more often."

"You're insufferable," she said, finally turning her head to speak to him.

"Just trying to get your attention," he replied.

"Gus Fredericks, I was wondering when you would show up in this little corner of the world."

Augusta turned around at the sound of that familiar voice.

"Mike Horton? Oh, god it's good to see you!"

She flung her arms around him and he picked her up and swung her around.

"Mike, put me down! You're causing a scene!"

"Okay, okay, anything for you, Gus."

Mike set her on her feet and she kissed his cheek.

"So tell me, Horton, is this one married, too?" Craig asked, folding his arms over his patient charts.

Mike missed it, but Craig noticed that the woman Mike had called Gus actually looked a little frightened for a moment.

"Aunt Gus?"

All three of them turned around at the sound of another familiar voice.

Carrie was standing there, displaying a mixture of surprise, shock and joy. Augusta, for her part, responded much the same.

"Carrie, sweet pea!"

Mike watched them, happy to see Carrie truly happy for the first time in weeks, while Craig looked on, dumbfounded, as the two women hugged each other so hard that they ended up laughing and struggling for breath at the same time.

In that instant Craig understood exactly where he had seen those legs, that hair and those incredible lips. The mystery woman was related to Carrie somehow.

"God, I haven't seen you in years, Aunt Gus!" Carrie said when they finally let up on the stranglehold. "Where have you been?!"

"Ireland for awhile, but Israel for the last ten years. Oh, I've missed you, too, sweetie!" Gus said, resting her forehead against Carrie's. "Heard you got married while I was away. How could you?!"

Mike bit his lip and looked at the floor, wondering what Carrie would say. Craig, slightly interested in the conversation, tuned into it while moving away to stand near the wall and pretending to look at his charts.

Carrie just sighed and said, "It's a long story, Aunt Gus, a really long story. . ."



Back to B&H, Inc.