Practice Makes Perfect Read Online Free Page A

she saw in the child’s big brown eyes. Paige ignored the quiet gasp from Casey’s mother, who sat in a chair across the room.
    “’Kay.” Casey had scooted over on the examining table to make room for her imaginary friend. “Linus, this is Dr. Kendrick. She’s nice.”
    “Hello, Linus,” Paige said easily. “How are you feeling today?”
    “He says good.”
    Paige smiled. “Well, fine.” After a bit more conversation designed to gain information about Linus, she picked up Casey and carried her to the sticker box. “Why don’t you choose a sticker for yourself and one for Linus?”
    Her chubby hands around Paige’s neck, the girl said, “He likes cats.”
    “Well, there’s a kitty one there.”
    “Can I look at them all?”
    Paige smoothed Casey’s hair. “Sure.” She smiled. “I like the Casper the Ghost one best.”
    Ignoring the restless shifting behind them from Casey’s mother, Paige read the words on each sticker to the child.
    After the big decision was made, Paige set Casey down. Then she nodded to her nurse, Marla. “Now, why don’t you and Linus go with Ms Simmons and let me talk to your mom.”
    “Okay, Dr. Kendrick.” Casey threw her arms around Paige’s waist and hugged her. The affection soothed Paige, as always. It made up, in part, for having to deal with the child’s mother.
    When Casey was gone, Paige turned to Mrs. Riley. “As I said on the phone, it’s not unusual for young children to have imaginary friends.”
    The woman threw back her shoulders. “My husband says it’s unhealthy.”
    “On the contrary, it’s a way of fitting in. I’ve advised you before to get Casey into some kind of social group. TenderTime Day Care has a terrific Saturday-morning program for six-year-olds.”
    Mrs. Riley sniffed. Paige knew that sniff, from dealing with other yuppie parents. “
Day care?
We don’t use day care. We even home-school Casey.”
    Which is part of the problem
. Paige assumed her own haughty-queen demeanor. “And because you do, Casey needs friends. She doesn’t have them, or even acquaintances to interact with every day, so she makes them up.” Paige arched an eyebrow. “Enter Linus.”
    Mrs. Riley stared at Paige; Paige folded her arms across her chest and stared back. A knock on the door broke the stalemate. “Come in,” Paige said coolly.
    Marla Simmons peeked in. “Dr. Kendrick, I know you don’t like to be disturbed, but there’s an emergency of sorts in examining room three.”
    She spared her nurse a glance, said, “We’re finished here,” then recaptured the other woman’s stare. “Think about what I said, Mrs. Riley. Darcy O’Malley runs a top-notch program at TenderTime.” Pivoting, Paige walked out the door.
    “I’m sorry, Paige,” Marla apologized.
    Preoccupied, she looked at Marla. “It’s fine. What’s going on?”
    “Rob Roberts is having trouble with Jimmy Linstrom. The boy’s due for a booster shot.”
    “Doctors—even residents—don’t give shots.”
    “Dr. Roberts decided to do this one because Jimmy hates shots.”
    Paige shook her head. Thankfully she only had a few more weeks of working with Rob Roberts. The current resident rotation finished May 10; it couldn’t come soon enough.
    Would he be off to work in the Elsa Moore Center? Ian had tried several times over the past few weeks to get Paige to change her mind about working at the Center. She’d continued to refuse. There were rumors that he was thinking about asking Rob to take the position. She’d recommended the guy, after all. Hell, Rob was a superb physician; he just needed to work on his bedside manner.
    Pushing away the disturbing thought, she knocked brusquely on the door to examining room three and walked in. At the far end of the room, Kari Linstrom held little Alyssa on her lap. The young mother’s eyes were wide and fearful.
    “Jimmy.” Rob towered over the examining table, a syringe in his hand, a clip in his voice. “Come out from under there