One Night to Change Their Lives

by Tina Beckett

  Garret came into the room a minute later with a frown directed right at her.

  “Before you say anything, I was headed out the door. There’s my purse.”

  “Good to know.” He glanced at the patient. “Neuro consult?”

  “No, I need some advice. Can I see you outside for a minute?”

  Once they were in the hallway, she gave him a quick rundown of what they were dealing with. “In short, Ann is calling the house to see if her husband—her real husband—is home.”

  “And if he’s not?”

  “That’s where I need the advice. Do I call social services?”

  “We may have to, if we can’t find a caregiver.”

  Ann came over a minute later. “I got an answer at the house.”

  “And?” Addy and Garret responded at the same time.

  “Mrs. Trentford’s son is there, but I’m afraid—Well, he found Mr. Trentford dead of what looks like natural causes. And when he went to look for his mother, he couldn’t find her anywhere. He’s relieved she’s safe.”

  Tears blurred Addy’s eyes for a moment. “She walked all the way to the hospital, and no one noticed?”

  It was now pitch black outside and the streets of South Beach were no doubt gearing up for another Friday night of partying. It was a wonder she hadn’t been hit by a car at some point.

  Ann gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. “She knew enough to try to get help for him, even if she couldn’t remember his name.”

  “How did she even find the hospital?”

  “She’s been here quite a bit. It could just be imprinted somehow. Who knows? Alzheimer’s doesn’t always follow a prescribed course.”

  Garret glanced at the closed door, his jaw tight. “Is her son coming for her?”

  “He’s waiting on the coroner to get to the house for his dad. But his sister—Mrs. Trentford’s daughter—is on her way.”

  Addy knew this scenario played out time and time again across the nation, but it never failed to break her heart when someone came in with dementia. Her mom had passed away from it in this very hospital a year ago. Ann would remember that, which was why she’d squeezed her shoulder.

  And tomorrow was her mom’s birthday. She was going to put flowers on her grave—the start of what she hoped would become a yearly tradition. Her mom had loved daisies, her flower beds had been filled with them, until she could no longer remember how to care for them.

  Garret didn’t know any of that, however. And there was no reason to tell him.

  “I’ll just go make her comfortable, until they get here.”

  When she turned to go to the room, though, Garret stopped her. “Are you okay? You seem a little funny.”

  “I’m fine.”

  It was a lie, but he wouldn’t know that. Unless he could somehow see the hard squeeze of her heart in her chest.

  “You don’t look fine. Why don’t you let me take this one?”

  “I want to care for her.”

  Ann stepped in. “I’ll do it, Dr. Santini. Why don’t you go ahead on home? Her daughter will be here soon.”

  She stood there, torn. There was really nothing she could do. And she could still remember her dad’s heartbreak over her mom’s death as if it were yesterday. Even though her mom hadn’t known any of them by the time she passed away, he’d still insisted on caring for her every moment of the day. Then she’d choked on some food and contracted aspiration pneumonia.

  Her dad was still living on his own in the house where Addy was raised, and, although she grieved her mother’s death, she was glad her father was no longer shouldering that weight by himself.

  Would Marilyn even realize her husband was gone?

  That wasn’t any of her business. “Thanks, Ann. I do appreciate it.”

  “Sure thing. Go home.”

  She went back in the room to retrieve her handbag. “Ann, one of our nurses, is going to come in and help you get settled.”

  “What about Daniel?”

  Addy swallowed hard. “She’ll help him too.”

  Then, feeling like the worst form of traitor, she walked out of the room and started down the hallway. Garret fell in step beside her.

  “I think I need a drink,” she said.

  “May I ask why?” He tugged her arm to make her stop walking. “And if you’re planning on driving home afterward?”

  “I’ll catch a cab—don’t worry.”

  “How about if I join you?”

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say I’ve had a rough day as well.” He rolled his eyes. “Hospital politics. Nothing new.”

  She hadn’t told him about her mom, but he seemed to sense something was wrong.

  “Are you going to take a taxi as well?”

  “I’ll be the designated driver.” He smiled. “I don’t generally drink anymore. But if you’re planning on getting completely wasted, you might want to give me your address before you’re too far gone.”

  “Nope. One drink is my limit. But I would appreciate the ride home. I’ll catch a cab to work and pick up my car tomorrow. It’ll be safe in the parking lot.”

  A half hour later, they were in one of the bars that didn’t boast thumping music or a party atmosphere, because Addy was definitely not in the mood for a party of any type. Instead it was a small Irish pub that served sandwiches with their liquor. Addy had been planning to get a margarita, but decided on a dark ale instead.

  “A surfer with a penchant for dark bitter beer.”

  The grief that had threatened to overcome her in the hospital dissipated. “I have to keep people on their toes.”

  “I’d say you do that on a regular basis.”

  The waiter brought their drinks and took their food order. Garret was getting a burger, medium rare, while she was getting a turkey club. “A doctor who eats partially cooked meat. What would our patients say?”

  “I deal with politics, nowadays, not patients, remember? So I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t care.”

  Damn, she’d forgotten that he didn’t practice anymore. Garret still had all the mannerisms of a doctor. “You treated Matthew. And I’m sure there are others you’ve looked after since your accident.”

  He took a long drink of his water. “Nope. Matthew was the first.”

  “He’s the first patient you’ve treated in four years?”

  “Yes.”

  She couldn’t help but wonder if he was headed down a wrong path. Whether he could operate or not, he should be in there consulting or diagnosing, something where he could still have a hand in medicine, even with a damaged hand. But that was his choice. She’d already tried to meddle once and he’d rebuffed her in no uncertain terms.

  “Well, you did a great job. I’m pretty sure his mother thought so as well.”

  “There was no choice and no one else. It was as simple as that.” He leaned forward. “Mind telling me what that little exchange between you and Ann was back at the hospital, and why you suddenly felt the need to come to a bar?”

  She toyed with how much to share, but decided to hell with it. Why shouldn’t he know? Maybe he already did, in fact.

  “My mom died of Alzheimer’s a year ago. It was a long hard road. And her birthday is tomorrow.”

  “I’m sorry. Tonight’s situation with Marilyn must have hit hard. Your dad?”

  “He’s still alive and well, but it was an awful time for him—for all of us. She lived for five and a half years after her diagnosis. But at least she wasn’t aware of what was happening at the end.”

  It hadn’t helped that Leo had pretty much withdrawn from the marriage by the time she died. It made the grieving process that much harder. He attended the funeral, but as far as emotional support? There’d been nothing. So it shouldn’t have come as much of a shock that he’d cheated. She hadn’t exactly
been a fun partner for the last couple of years. She wasn’t going to tell Garret any of that, though.

  “Any siblings to help you through?”

  “Nope. I was an only child and my mom was my rock. And that rock slowly rolled further and further away, until it was a mere speck on the horizon. And then one day it blipped out of sight forever.”

  “It’s a pretty terrible disease.”

  “Yes, it is. And when she was first diagnosed, I kind of went crazy. Made some stupid choices. Got married.” She took a deep drink of her beer, welcoming the bitter taste that lingered at the back of her tongue.

  “Ouch. But I do understand about making stupid choices.”

  She swallowed her mouthful of brew. “What about your parents? Still living?”

  “Yes. They’re in New York. Both retired at this point. My dad was a neurosurgeon like—like I was. My mom was a schoolteacher. She still tutors algebra on the side.”

  “Algebra. Wow. That’s impressive.” And his parents were probably the same age as hers. He was blessed to have them both alive and healthy. “Do you have any sisters or brothers?”

  “I have a younger sister. She’s a colonel in the army.”

  “You have very strong family members.”

  “Yes. Your dad had to have been pretty strong too, from what you just said.”

  He was, and that was what had made her life with Leo such a disappointment. He’d presented himself as calm and stable, something she’d really needed at the time, but the reality had been far from that. He’d barely scraped by in his studies to be an EMT. And wanting to get divorce counseling?

  She pushed her beer away from her with a suddenness that almost sloshed some of the liquid over the rim of the glass.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I must be a lighter weight than I thought.”

  If he suspected she wasn’t quite telling the truth he didn’t say anything. And then the waiter had their food ready, placing the plates in front of them and asking if there was anything else they wanted.

  “I think we’re good,” Garret said.

  “Thanks for coming with me. You were right. That patient hit me a little harder than I realized.”

  “It saved me from going home to an empty house. It’s nice to go places from time to time. Something I haven’t done in a while.”

  “Me either.” She and Leo hadn’t gone anywhere together since her mother died. There was no way their marriage could have survived, affair or no affair.

  They ate their food, the conversation turning to lighter subjects like medical school horror stories. They’d gone to different schools but the trials and tribulations were the same everywhere, it seemed. Every school had “that” instructor. One who seemed to delight in making students’ lives miserable.

  “You’d never be that guy,” she told Garret. She pulled up short, realizing what she’d just said. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m not saying I’ll never teach, but it’s not on my radar at the moment. My current job keeps me pretty busy.”

  Well, at least he was no longer reciting that stupid quote about teachers not being able to do what they taught.

  He went on. “Are you that anxious to get rid of me?”

  “What? Of course not.”

  He smiled. “Maybe you have your eye on my job.”

  “Huh-uh. No way. You couldn’t pay me enough to be a hospital administrator.”

  “Why not?”

  She pulled her glass back toward her, deciding maybe she did need a little more after all. It seemed she was determined to keep stepping into dangerous territory. The beer would either set her on a right path or make it so that she didn’t care if she stumbled into a ravine. Too bad Garret wasn’t indulging as well. Then maybe he wouldn’t remember every stupid word she was busy spitting out.

  “It just isn’t something I’d be interested in. Your mom is good at algebra. I am not.”

  “I don’t remember using any algebra at all in my job.”

  Do not use the term “bean counter,” Addy, if you know what’s good for you.

  “Since I don’t really know what your job involves, I guess I shouldn’t make blanket statements like that. I’m just not an administrator type. I’d rather be out on the floor doing stuff.”

  Another gulp of the bitter brew to wash her mouth out. She was such an idiot. Maybe she really was a lightweight and the beer was doing the talking. Somehow she didn’t think so, though.

  This time Garret didn’t correct her or tell her she was wrong about his job.

  “I’d rather be out on the floor ‘doing stuff’ too. But since I can’t—”

  And that was so much worse. Because he’d put her in her place with a plop and there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it. Because he was right. Hospital administrator wasn’t his chosen profession. He was a surgeon. Except surgery was now out of his reach.

  It was really none of her business what he did, or what field he chose to go into. Sometimes life dealt you a bad hand. And sometimes you dealt yourself a bad hand. He’d had an accident after falling asleep at the wheel. And Addy had married a man who was wrong for her in so many ways. They’d both whipped up disasters and been forced to dine at the table afterward no matter how awful the main course turned out to be.

  But, as he’d said at the beach, you could learn from your mistakes and avoid making them again.

  She was never going to jump into a relationship without carefully considering the person and the timing. She and Leo had come together and married way too quickly. The fact that disappointment had come just as quickly shouldn’t have been a surprise to either of them.

  “You’re right, Garret. And this is why I shouldn’t drink. And why I should have come by myself. I hope you’ll forgive anything I’ve said that might be off the mark.”

  He smiled. “Was it really the beer talking? I seem to remember having some of these same conversations and you were stone-cold sober at the time.”

  She laughed. “Okay, you’ve got me there. My mouth has gotten me in trouble plenty of times—as you can tell. I remember more than one teacher sending home a note to my parents with that same remark. I’ll try to do better.”

  “I like that you say what you think. So many people don’t anymore.”

  The topic changed to treatment options and work-related subjects and Addy was off the hook. Because these were things they could agree or disagree on without being in danger of stepping on each other’s toes. She assumed Garret was divorced. He’d never actually mentioned a wife, but had said his daughter died of leukemia. So either he’d been a single dad or he was divorced or separated.

  And then they were done with their meal and Garret was asking if she wanted to walk down the sidewalk on this balmy South Beach evening.

  She did, and she wasn’t sure why, other than she’d enjoyed tonight far more than she should have. Maybe it was just such a change from what she’d had with Leo.

  The moon was huge as they strolled down the walkway, its reflection on the ocean turning it into a shimmery curtain. She’d come out here a few times with friends when she was younger, and they’d actually skinny-dipped at midnight without anyone catching them. Another of the times she’d let her impulsiveness take charge.

  Not that she was going to skinny-dip with Garret.

  So why did she itch to go down to the shore and feel the sand between her toes? Because it was a beautiful night, and she didn’t often get down this way anymore after dark.

  “Do you think we could walk on the beach before we leave?”

  “I’m not exactly dressed for wading.”

  He wasn’t. His polo shirt and chinos were very business-oriented. But that didn’t matter. She’d already told herself she wasn’t going to do anything wild and crazy. So they’d be fine.

  “Neither am I. It�
�s just so gorgeous, and we’re right here.” She turned to face him, walking backward, the breeze lifting her hair off her neck and making her sigh. “Come on. Just for a few minutes.”

  “You talked me into it.”

  “Good.”

  Kicking off the low heels she’d worn to work, she twisted the side of her loose gauzy skirt into a knot that held it up without actually revealing anything more than a little sliver of her legs. She bent down to pick up her shoes and then ventured onto the fine grains that made up the beach. The sand was still warm from the afternoon sun and felt so good against her bare toes. She glanced back to make sure Garret was following her lead.

  He was. He’d taken off his shoes and socks and had rolled his pants up to midcalf. His legs were still tanned from their outing last week.

  Her mouth watered.

  The man looked as good in business attire as he did in his board shorts. It wasn’t fair. He had everything a woman could possibly want in the looks department. And the more she learned about him, the more she realized he had a lot going for him in the personality department as well. She held her arms out from her sides and closed her eyes, letting the breeze flow across her. Her skirt billowed against her legs, a sensual tickle that nothing could imitate.

  “Feels so good out here.”

  “Yes, it does.” The words were a soft murmur. “I don’t think I’ve ever walked on a beach at night.”

  Her eyes flew open. “You’re kidding.”

  “I didn’t grow up in a coastal town, remember? I went for walks in Central Park instead.”

  “Is it as beautiful as this?” Her arms were still outstretched, and she did a slow spin to encompass everything around them: the sand, the moon, the stars glistening on the water.

  “There are a lot of beautiful things in this world.”

  Something about the slow solemn way he said that made her stop turning, a shiver going over her. He was watching her, hands planted low on his hips, his bad one seeming to perch comfortably for once. His shoes were now on the ground beside him. “Addy...”