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“Ah, that’s a good question.” She tried to think of a non-complicated answer. “When you hurt yourself, your body tries to fix the injury by sending white blood cells to the area. And while that is good, lots of swelling hurts, too.”
The little girl scrunched up her forehead. “Doesn't the body know better than to send so many white blood cells?”
She had to laugh. “No, not really.” She lifted the corner of the cold pack again, keeping an eye on the clock. They’d been there for a good fifteen minutes without any worsening symptoms. “Here, see how much better it looks? The cold makes your veins close up and helps the body stop sending so many white blood cells to the area that hurts.”
Shannon peered at the sting site in her arm. “Doesn't hurt as much now, either.”
The cold pack had probably numbed the area. She glanced at Alec. “You may want to give her some Benadryl tonight, before she goes to bed. The antihistamine will help counteract any bee serum left in her system.”
“Benadryl,” Alec repeated with a frown. “Okay, I'll have to stop on the way home to buy some.”
She opened drawers to check if there were any samples. When she found a small packet of Benadryl, she handed it over. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He stepped closer to take the medication in his unique musky scent drifted towards her. Suddenly, the small trailer seemed even more cramped, his broad shoulders taking up more than a little space. Now that Shannon's minor emergency was over, Jillian didn't know what to say.
Small talk had never been easy for her. She was more comfortable with books.
“Well, I think it's probably time that we head home, right munchkin?” Alec asked.
“No!” Shannon pouted. “We didn't get to spend hardly any time in the children's tent.”
“Children's tent?” She wasn't sure what the little girl was talking about.
“I received tickets to come here today from my older brother, Adam. He told me they have a children's tent where the kids can do finger painting and other artsy stuff.”
Adam? She quickly made the connection. “Oh yes. he was here as one of the volunteers. I thought he looked familiar.”
“I missed him? Figures.” He glanced down at his daughter. “Are you sure you want to stay?”
Shannon pulled the sucker from her mouth. “Yes, Daddy.” Then she plopped it back into her mouth and gave a vigorous nod for emphasis.
Removing the cold patch, she took one last look at Shannon's arm. “The swelling has really come down. If you want to stay to enjoy the children’s tent, she should be fine.”
“Okay then.” Alec glanced at her. “Thanks again.” He paused and then added, “How long are you working?”
“Another few hours or so.” She was deliberately vague.
He nodded. “Maybe we'll see you later.”
“Sure.” She knew he was just being polite.
Shannon nimbly jumped down from the exam table. “Bye, Dr. Jillian.”
“Bye, Shannon. Have fun in the children's tent.”
Alec took his daughter's hand as they left. He was a good father. And why that had suddenly become an attractive trait in a man was beyond her. Alec obviously cherished his daughter and the feeling was mutual.
Her memories of her own father were mostly centered around doing homework. He'd always been willing to help, showing great patience when it had come to her studies. She had been an only child, and her parents had been in their early forties by the time she'd been born. They viewed education as being critically important. Most of the kids her age had younger, more active parents, but Jillian hadn’t really minded. She'd loved books and once she'd hit high school had fallen in love with science. She'd known then she was destined to become a doctor.
Her choices, sacrifices some would say, had never bothered her before. There was no reason for them to nag at her now. Her career was something she'd worked hard for. Having a family of her own just hadn't been a priority. Especially after her mother had gotten sick and her attention had been focused on caring for her mom, rather than having a personal life.
Now she couldn't help but wonder what she might be missing. When Shannon had rested her head against her shoulder, she'd been struck by a flash of tenderness for the motherless little girl. Never had she been so tempted to gather a child into her arms for a big hug.
But Shannon was Alec’s daughter, not hers. And she had bigger issues to deal with right now. Better to stay focused on her health than pining for something she couldn’t have.
At the end of her shift, Jillian stepped from the trailer to find Alec and Shannon walking toward her. Alec’s gaze was warm as he acknowledged her with a nod.
“Just in time. Are you hungry?” His eyes twinkled. “We were thinking of having barbecued spareribs for dinner.”
