Dr. Hot Stuff (Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies Book 9) Read online

  Dr. Hot Stuff

  Tawna Fenske

  Contents

  About Dr. Hot Stuff

  Also in the Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedy Series

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  16. Your exclusive sneak peek at Show Time

  17. Your exclusive sneak peek at Chef Sugarlips

  Don’t Miss Out!

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Also by Tawna Fenske

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2020 Tawna Fenske

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

  www.tawnafenske.com

  Cover design by Craig Zagurski

  Created with Vellum

  About Dr. Hot Stuff

  Life’s taken strange turns for Lady Isabella Blankenship. Bouncing from royal blueblood to the twisty branches of the Bracelyn family tree was wild enough, never mind the surprise kidney transplant. All she wants is quiet bonding with her new fam at Ponderosa Resort, and maybe a chance to ogle her hottie doc. But letting anyone close means exposing one monster secret, and no way does Izzy feel ready.

  Dr. Bradley Parker makes no secret he’s scouting for a wife, or that Izzy kicks his heart into high gear. All symptoms suggest she’s fiery with the same fever, so why is Iz dodging him?

  The puzzle turns perplexing when weird things start happening at the resort. Maybe it’s coincidence about the lethal looking guy trailing Iz like a creepy puppy, but Bradley’s not taking chances. He’s sticking close, even if it means enduring Izzy’s bizarre culinary tastes and a pig named Kevin.

  The more Iz avoids Bradley, the harder she falls for the fine, funny physician. Will Izzy’s two lives collide in a monstrous mass of heartache, or can the good doc find the cure for all that ails her?

  For my devoted lap warmers: Maestro, Luna, Maggie, Kenny Linguine the Spaghetti Kitty, and His Royal Fluffiness Matt the Cat. Pets make the world go ‘round, so you must be the reason I’m dizzy?

  Also in the Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedy Series

  Studmuffin Santa

  Chef Sugarlips

  Sergeant Sexypants

  Hottie Lumberjack

  Stiff Suit

  Mancandy Crush (novella)

  Captain Dreamboat

  Snowbound Squeeze (novella)

  Dr. Hot Stuff

  If you dig the Ponderosa Resort books, you might also like my Juniper Ridge Romantic Comedy Series. There’s even some crossover with characters featured in both worlds. Check it out here:

  Show Time

  Let It Show (coming March 2021!)

  Show Down (coming soon!)

  Just for Show (coming soon!)

  Show and Tell (coming soon!)

  Show of Hands (coming soon!)

  Chapter 1

  Isabella

  “Thank you all for being here.”

  James adjusts his tie, then starts a slow circuit around the conference room. He picks up a lamp and studies the underside. Frowning, he puts it back and moves on to the stapler. I wait for one of my other siblings to address this peculiar behavior.

  I don’t wait long.

  “For fuck’s sake, give it a rest.” Mark sounds gruff, but I saw him rescue an injured duck by the pond yesterday. I know what sort of man he is.

  “Seriously, bro.” Jonathan folds his arms over his chest and regards our older brother with bemusement. “No one bugged the damn conference room.”

  James looks utterly unconvinced, but before he can object, Bree stands and touches his arm. “Would you feel safer having this meeting somewhere else? Your cabin or maybe the resort stables?”

  My brother’s eyes drop to the baby strapped to Bree’s chest in an odd American contraption called a Cuddlebug. It’s a bit like the slings they use in my home country, though in Dovlano they’re made of silk instead of cotton. I’m certain my mother never wore one, but perhaps my nanny did.

  The sight of his nephew must soften something in James because his green eyes warm just a little. “I’m being cautious,” he says. “Switching meeting venues won’t be necessary.”

  Across the table, Sean raps a long-handled spoon on the table. “We’d have plenty of privacy in the walk-in cooler. Just need our winter coats and—”

  “Is there a reason you brought a damn spoon to this meeting?” Jonathan reaches over to grab it, but Sean snatches it back.

  “Maybe I felt like stirring up shit?” Sean grins and turns his attention back to James. “Or maybe it’s for the guest in cabin 34. I’m running it over right after this.”

  Mark frowns. “Someone requested a special fucking spoon?”

  “I guess he’s making stew or something.” Sean shrugs. “Beats me, but I’ve got enough spoons. I can share.”

  Bree lifts one perfect eyebrow. “Is he aware he doesn’t need to prepare his own meals? We do have a Michelin starred chef on the premises.”

  “Yeah, but he sucks.” Jon laughs and makes another grab for the spoon, and Sean retaliates by whacking him on the arm with it.

  “Keep that up, and I’ll bring lima beans and clam pizza for poker night.” Sean tucks the spoon safely in the pocket of his chef’s coat. “No homemade pretzels and beer cheese dip for you.”

  Mark grumbles something profane while James launches into a lecture on professional meeting conduct. While the Bracelyn men are squabbling, Bree leans toward me with a sly little smile.

  “Don’t worry,” she whispers. “He already made the pretzels and saved extra cheese for us since ladies aren’t invited to poker night.”

  “How lovely.” I’m not sure I’ve ever had beer cheese sauce, but I appreciate being included. “Who goes to poker night?”

  I know full well it’s all the Bracelyn brothers, plus a few men in the community. There’s something quite specific I’m wondering, but I don’t have the courage to ask.

  Will Bradley Parker be there?

  Bree smiles like I’ve spoken aloud. “These dorks started the poker night thing.” She gestures at our brothers, who are still busy bickering. “Austin joins when he’s not on duty. Oh, and Bradley Parker, of course. You remember Dr. Parker?”

  Heat floods my cheeks, and I pray she doesn’t notice. “Of course. Nice man. Very polite.”

  It’s an idiotic thing to say, but Bree only smiles. “It’s probably the military background.”

  “Military?”

  She shrugs like it’s unimportant, but this is an enormous nugget of information for my collection of personal data on the handsome doctor. “He started as an Army doc, but got out when his father died,” Bree says. “So he could be there for his mom.”

  “I see.” I had no idea about any of this, though we’ve crossed paths plenty in the year I’ve spent at Ponderosa Resort.

  Bree’s watching me closely, and I swear she reads my thoughts. “He’s single, by the way.”

  My c
heeks get even hotter, but before I can respond, James claps his hands to bring the meeting under control.

  “Welcome, Isabella,” he says. “I know this is your first official meeting as part of the Ponderosa Resort team, and we’re happy to have you with us.”

  A murmur of agreement rolls around the table, filling my chest with sunshine. I’m thrilled to be included, even if I’m unsure how best to contribute.

  “Shall I take notes?” I pluck a pen from a polished metal container and scan my siblings’ faces. “I’d like to do my part.”

  “No notes.” James frowns at the pen until I lay it down and fold my hands. “No record of this conversation should leave this room.”

  Oh.

  Now he’s got my attention. Everyone else’s, from the looks of things, though no one appears as alarmed as I’m feeling now. Do they know something? Have they heard from my mother?

  Or worse, from the Duke of Dovlano, the man who raised me as his own until I learned my biological father was a man named Cort Bracelyn. That’s what brought me here, much to the chagrin of the Duke and Duchess.

  I realize I’m fidgeting with the notepad, so I push it away and hide my hands under the table. “Right. Of course, strictly confidential.”

  Jonathan gives a hearty laugh. “Watch out, Iz,” he says, delighting me with the casual nickname I’ve acquired only recently. “You write anything down, he’ll make you tear it up and eat the pieces.”

  “I’ve got a great recipe for that.” Sean pushes up the sleeves of his chef’s coat and leans back in his chair. “A little heavy cream, a touch of tarragon, and then—”

  “Will you please be quiet?” James is scowling as he takes his seat. As the CEO, he’s the one running this meeting. Or maybe it’s because he’s the eldest brother. I’m still not entirely familiar with this country’s customs, let alone Bracelyn traditions.

  James glances at me, and his expression softens again. “We’re very glad you’re with us, Isabella. You’re part of this family, and as we’ve all stated before, you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you like.”

  I nod as my brain telegraphs words I won’t say aloud.

  How’s forever?

  I don’t say this aloud. It’s an impossibility, of course. I simply fold my hands on the table and nod like the perfect lady I was raised to be. “Thank you,” I tell him. “All of you have been so gracious since my arrival.”

  Gracious doesn’t begin to cover the fact that Jonathan gave me an actual kidney mere days after I landed in Oregon. It’s been almost a year, and even though I’ve thanked him daily, I should probably do so again.

  Before I get the words out, James resumes his speech. “Typically in these meetings, we go around the table and assess what’s happening with resort operations,” he says. “We review financials, discuss future plans, consider any requests we might have for major events or guests with special needs.”

  Jon snorts at that. “Like the guy who visits a luxury resort to make stew?” He nods at the spoon in Sean’s pocket. “That’s the big bald guy, right? The one in cabin 34?”

  “Creepy motherfucker.” Mark frowns. “Checked in yesterday, and I’m pretty sure he’s packing heat.”

  “Heat?” I’m not familiar with the term.

  “A gun.” Bree glares at our brothers. “Don’t scare her like that. No one shows up armed to stay at a luxury resort.”

  A shiver ripples up my arms. I know who they’re talking about now. I spotted him across the lawn this morning and tried to convince myself it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be, right?

  But I know I wasn’t seeing things, just like I know I can’t breathe a word to my siblings about their new resort guest. Not yet, anyway.

  “Would anyone like tea?” I start to stand, desperate to be helpful. “I’m happy to go fetch some.”

  Bree gives me an odd look. “I think we’re okay, but if you’d like something, I can ring for someone to bring it.”

  “No, no—I’m fine.” I sit back down, resigned to feeling like a burden. An interruption in the family dynamic. “Go on, please. I don’t want to hold up the meeting.”

  James pauses a moment, then looks me in the eye. “Isabella, there are a few things you should know about this family.” Another pause, this one longer than the first. “A few…shall we say, sensitive items for discussion.”

  Mark grunts. “Understatement of the fucking century.”

  James regards him with a look I can’t read. “Would you like to address the first item on the agenda?”

  Mark shrugs and scrubs a hand over his beard. “I’m a bastard.” He announces this like he’s just told us he prefers honey ham over prosciutto, then continues. “I mean, yeah, my mom never married Cort Bracelyn, but he paid a fuck-ton in child support, even though he knew damn well it wasn’t his batter in the oven.”

  “Beautifully put.” Sean’s smile is a whole lot softer than Mark’s voice. “I mean, we’re all bastards in one way or another, so—”

  “Can we please stop with the bastard talk?” Bree bounces the baby in his little holder and gives me a cheerful smile that doesn’t cancel out the tiredness in her eyes. “Biology doesn’t matter in this family. Even though we didn’t know about you until last year, we love you the same as anyone else.”

  “Thank you.” Tears spring up, but I blink them back. “I love you, too. You’ve been so kind and generous and wonderful, and I can’t believe how warmly you’ve all welcomed me.”

  It surely must have shocked them learning their father sired a secret baby with a Southern European duchess, and I can’t say I wasn’t startled to learn I had five half-siblings in America, all with different mothers. Our father produced offspring far and wide, and I wish sometimes I’d met him.

  “That brings me to my next point.” James takes a deep breath. “The following information cannot leave this room. Understood?”

  I nod slowly, nerves prickling the hairs on my arms. “Of course.”

  “James.” Bree glowers again. “Stop scaring her.”

  He gives a beleaguered sigh. “There’s something you should know about our father. Something…not exactly legal.”

  “Or ethical,” Sean adds.

  “Or moral,” Jonathan puts in.

  Mark snorts. “This should go on his goddamn tombstone.”

  I swivel my gaze back to James, breathing deeply to mask my nervous energy. There’s a twinge deep in my low abdomen where the doctors transplanted my new kidney, and I swear I feel a faint tug. “What is it?”

  James flattens his palms on the table and looks me dead in the eye. “Our father is alive.”

  I blink. “I beg your pardon?”

  Sean gives a choked laugh. “You’re a helluva lot politer than the rest of us when we found out.”

  My brain is reeling, trying to compute what he’s just told me. “But—I saw the obituary. The funeral, parts of it were televised.”

  James scowls. “Our father appreciated flashy things.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” Bree strokes the baby’s fuzzy head. “I once watched him spend ninety thousand dollars on diamond-studded cowboy boots.”

  I survey their faces, confirming this isn’t some practical joke. “Where is he?”

  Jonathan shrugs. “No one knows. He’s been laying low since he faked his own death.”

  My gaze lands on James again, since he’s running this meeting. He’s also grinding his teeth to powder if the clenching of his jaw is any indication. “There was an incident several years ago,” he says slowly. “He promised to keep his distance, as his presence would obviously cause quite a disturbance at this point.”

  There’s a pounding in my head, and it’s only partly from this news they’ve shared. They’ve opened up Pandora’s Box, and I can’t imagine what might leap from it next. “Wow,” I breathe, at a loss for words. “What a secret.”

  My head spins wildly, threatening to roll right off my shoulders. I tuck my hands beneath my thighs so no o
ne sees them shaking. Can they tell I’m feeling anxious? All this talk of secrets has me jumpy and paranoid.

  I take a steadying breath, reminding myself to stay calm. They don’t know; they can’t possibly know.

  But the way they’re watching me leaves my mouth dry and my vision a bit blurry. I think I might faint.

  “Isabella?” Bree touches my arm. “Are you okay?”

  I nod because I’m not sure I can find words. It’s not just the news that shocked me. It’s the knowledge that these people—this family I’ve known mere months—they’ve entrusted me with their deepest, most safeguarded secret.

  Meanwhile, I sit here like a deceitful, lying, horrible excuse for a—

  “Does he contact you?” I blurt the question without thinking it through, needing to say something so they stop staring. “I mean, are you still in touch?”

  “No.” James presses his lips together. “Not at this time.”

  I’m certain there’s more to this story, but I don’t want to pry. It’s enough that they’re bringing me into the fold. That they’re sharing something this monumental with the sister who barely counts as a family member.

  I shiver, then do my best to mask it as a sassy little shimmy. Not the most appropriate response under the circumstances, but perhaps they’ll mistake it for a seizure. That may be preferable. Can I fake a medical episode and duck into the restroom? I just need a few moments to collect myself, to get my nerves back in order.

  “Hey.” Jon’s voice is achingly kind, and the tears prick my eyes again. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. We all kinda freaked out on James when we learned about this, so don’t feel bad if you’re reeling right now.”