Parking at Multnomah was at a minimum. The bustle of people coming and going from the lodge-type visitor’s center/souvenir shop and various food carts made walking to the falls an adventure. But it was worth the effort.
I craned my neck back to see the top of the falls, passing the bridge that hung as if magically suspended in front of the falls on the way up. The combined din of people and rushing water made conversation difficult. But I don’t think I could have found words for the beauty before me. I would have loved to have taken the quarter mile hike to the bridge that spanned the river running below, bringing tourists closer to the thundering falls, but Andy didn’t want to brave the crowded foot path and bridge; especially when a light rain began to fall. As I waited for Andy to snap a picture of me by the sign naming the waterfall, I vowed I’d return to experience it myself one day.
"I wanted to let you know I GOT MY TICKET," Adri shrieked.
I laughed and pulled my phone away from my ringing ear. "I'm so excited. When do you come?"
"In three weeks. Start planning how you are going to keep me busy. You get one week to convince me why I should move to Oregon."
"No pressure. There are some beautiful waterfalls. Andy is a fair tour guide. I'm sure he'd be willing to help persuade you," I joked.
"Why would Andy be persuading me? What about all the persuading he's been doing with you?"
"I find I'm not easily persuaded. He's cute and his overbearing personality sort of grows on you, but I'm just not feeling it."
"You make him sound like a puppy."
"I kind of feel like I'm with a puppy sometimes. We've been out a few times now and it's all about him. He demands all the attention, plays like crazy if it's something he enjoys, but then loses interest quickly. The cuteness wears off and soon you are just left with the emotional clean up."
"Well, rub his nose in it and move on."
"I'm going with him to his cousin's birthday bash Friday night."
"Perfect time to cut him loose. How's the doctor?" Adri asked nonchalantly.
"I'm not sure. It's almost like he seeks me out sometimes, but then he pulls back mid conversation and I don't speak with him again for days."
"Maybe he's seeing someone. Or maybe he's one of those guys who lets work dominate his whole life."
"I don't know. Whatever."
"Well, I'm not moving there if you can't show me solid proof that the guys are worth it."
"I told you a month or more ago that they aren't," I defended. "Besides, you wouldn't move here for a guy anyway."
"You’re right, but the idea of chasing a guy across the continent is romantic. Provided he makes enough money that I could have the gym for hours a day and excessive shopping."
"Could you be any more shallow? And since when are you a romantic? Hey, maybe you and Andy would hit it off. I'd be willing to part with the puppy for your more capable hands."
"What does he do for a living?"
"You know, I don't even know." Suddenly I was feeling bad that I didn't know more about Andy than I did. "Maybe I'm the one with the problem."
"We've always known that. But we love you anyway," Adri teased.
"Thanks. With friends like you..."
"I'll take a look at the puppy when I come," she promised. "Maybe he'll be so cute, I won't be able to resist."
"You'll fall in love instantly. Hey, I've got to go. Stacy needs to go feed Dylan."
"Speaking of Dylan...How is he?"
"He had surgery last night. It was kind of an emergency. I felt bad that Stacy stayed home with Jeran, but I was already at the hospital. It made more sense to have one of them come rather than wait til I got home so they could both go. I spent the evening in the waiting room with Trevor." I couldn't help the image that filled my head of Dr. Anderson and the almost tangible, compassionate look he sent me right before he left the waiting room. It left me wanting to crawl into his arms and stay there for good. I can't read men, I guess. I shook the image out and focused on my conversation with Adri. What had I been saying? Oh. "I did go home after the surgery while Dylan was in recovery and Stacy took my car back to the hospital so she and Trevor both could be with him. It was pretty emotional. But Dr. Anderson is good at what he does."
"I'll just bet he is," Adri commented.
I laughed. "You are terrible. I didn't mean it like that."
"I know. But just think about it. This hot- according to you-, rich doctor who saves babies lives..." she sighed. "What could be more attractive? He sounds like the ideal man. I'd definitely have a bad case of hero worship if I was in your shoes. Besides, there’s no harm in dreaming."
As I hung up the phone, I thought about what Adri said and had to disagree. I'd been dreaming about someone like Dr. Anderson all my life and all it had brought so far was heartbreak. So yes, there was harm in dreaming. Trouble was, I couldn't control my dreams.
James
"Hey, you caught me on my break. What’s up?” I asked Kaley the next day.
“Well, since you never seem to have time to call me, I have to be the better sibling and call you.” She paused and then asked, “How’s life?”
“Life’s life. What do you want to know?” I asked.
“Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? The kids would love to see you.” Kaley always used the kids as a lure. I wasn’t biting this time.
“I’ll see you in a few days at the party, remember?”
“Fine. If you don’t want to spend time with your favorite sister, I’ll just see you in a few days.”
“Okay,” I sighed in resignation. “There is something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about because you were there with the whole Nicole thing and…something weird is happening to me.”
“Define weird,” Kaley said.
“Well, there’s this girl…” I barely got out before she squealed in my ear, deafening me.
“I’ve been praying that you would find someone after all this time. I’m so happy for you.” I rolled my eyes and ran a hand through my hair. Oh, brother.
“Wait a second. Don’t get too excited. She’s… married.” I held the phone away from my ear to avoid the tongue lashing that was spewing through the phone.
“…and if you think I won’t say anything to mom and dad about this you are way wrong.” I put the phone back to my ear figuring I’d missed the worst of the rant. She wasn’t finished. “A married woman? Oh, James, you are worse off than I thought.” She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Time to intervene.
“Kaley bug, would you just hold on a minute and let me explain? I promise it’s not as bad as you think.” At least I hope not. I went on to tell her about seeing Mrs. Mitchell for the first time and the resulting slow but steady thawing of the unused organ in my chest. “But I haven’t had feelings like this for any woman in years and there have been plenty that should have sparked something. Why would I have feelings like this now and for a married woman?” I finished.
“Maybe this is your sign that it’s time to let go, James,” she said quietly. “It was so long ago. You deserve to be happy. Not with a married woman, mind you, but really happy. I want that for you so badly. Take your heart out of deep freeze. It hurts to put yourself out there, but isn’t feeling something better than going through life feeling nothing?
“I’m afraid,” I said almost to myself. “I was so young and stupid. I made so many mistakes. I haven’t allowed myself to feel for so long, that the thought of breaking down barriers terrifies me. I can’t go through all that again.” I heard the anguish in my voice and knew that Kaley couldn’t have missed it either.
“You’re a different person now than you were then. You’ve learned a lot from that experience. You will be more careful, take things slowly. Just promise me that you will be open to it. If you happen to meet someone, don’t push her away. Allow yourself to feel something…"
"I don’t know if I’m ready,” I started to protest, but she talked over me.
“I’m not asking
you to propose to the first woman you go out with. I’m just asking that you go out with someone and that you not push away any small feelings you may have. Let them grow, explore them, and then see if you can open up a little more.”
After all the sacrifices she made for me, I couldn’t deny her anything. “I guess,” I said grudgingly.
“Thank you. I love you. I’ll see you in a few days at the party.”
“Thanks, sis. Love you too.”
“I’m bringing Sophie to the party tonight,” Andy informed me.
“Is this the one you swore never to introduce me to?” I chuckled.
“Yeah. But since you have sworn off women for the rest of eternity, I figure we are all safe. She spends time with her nephew in NICU most days of the week at your hospital. I can’t believe you haven’t already seen her. If she hasn’t caught your eye yet, you’d better get them checked while you are at work one day.”
“Yeah, yeah. There are quite a few women walking around the hospital. I’m supposed to know yours from the others? I gotta jump in the shower,” I replied as I headed down the hall.
Chapter 9
Sophie
I parked in front of the upscale apartment building and looked it over, searching for Andy. “Hopefully Google hasn’t failed me again,” I muttered under my breath.
Andy promised he would meet me outside so I wouldn’t have to walk in alone. I spotted him through the double glass doors. “Well, here goes nothing,” I said getting out of the car and walking up to the building. Remind me why I said I’d do this, I silently berated myself as I plastered a smile on my face.
“You made it,” Andy smiled and reached for my hand.
“Good ole’ Google.” I said, briefly squeezing his hand and releasing it. “Remind me who is going to be here tonight,” I requested as he opened the door and gestured for me to walk through.
We headed for the elevator as Andy told me, “A few relatives, but mostly people my cousin works with at the hospital. You will probably know some of them since you spend so much time there.”
That actually made me feel a little less nervous. The hospital was becoming a second home. I wondered which of the doctors or nurses was behind the door as Andy turned the knob and pushed the door open.
Laughter and music immediately bombarded my senses. I smiled as I took in the streamers and balloons. “Nice job with the decorations,” I praised Andy as we walked into the living room. I’m not sure he could hear me above the noise.
He leaned closer, his hand on my back, and talked directly into my ear. “There’s food on the dining room table. Bathroom’s down that hall,” he pointed, “second door on the left. Find a spot wherever. I’m going to go find my cousin. Be right back.”
I turned in a slow circle, taking in the party atmosphere, and smiled when I spotted one of the nurses from the NICU. She waved and I started across the room to say hello. I stopped short in the middle of the room like my feet were trapped in rapidly hardening cement. It couldn’t be…
James
Andy found me on the deck and waited until I finished my sentence before inserting himself into the group conversation. “Sorry ladies,” he apologized, “but I need the man of the hour to meet someone. Go get some food. Dry your tears. He’ll be back soon.” I was too grateful to Andy for getting me out of that conversation to do anything but let him drag me away while silently thanking him repeatedly.
“She’s here. In the living room. I want you to meet her.”
I was going to be forced to meet this girl. She must really be amazing. I’d never seen Andy like this before. He was all but gushing. Do men gush? I’m sure I never have. Disgusting. Pathetic.
As we moved into the house, I wondered why he kept going on and on about her when I couldn’t hear anything he was saying over the music. It occurred to me that I really needed to turn that down before the neighbors complained. I dug deep and replayed in my mind what he had told me about her so I’d have something to say in case of any awkward pauses. Not that we’d be talking that long, hopefully. Texas. Nanny. Hospital. Got it.
The going was slow as I was stopped every few feet to shake hands or receive a pounding on the back from my friends and colleagues. Just when I thought we’d never get to this girl, it was like the parting of the Red Sea all over again and there she stood in the center of the room, still as a statue and staring at us with an expression I’m sure mirrored my own. I felt a slight sinking in my gut and jerked my arm out of Andy’s grasp, stopping dead in my tracks. Oh no. It couldn’t be…
I grabbed Andy’s shirt collar and pulled him to me so I could hiss in his ear. “What is Mrs. Mitchell doing here? You do know you are dating a married woman, right?”
Andy stared between me and Mrs. Mitchell, the disbelief plain on his face. He grabbed my shirt sleeve and dragged me to the middle of the room. Confrontation time.
Sophie
“You’re married?”
“You’re… married!”
“You’re the cousin?”
Our voices rang out in surprised unison, but Dr. Anderson’s accusation was the only one that really registered in my shocked brain.
“Married? Why would you think I’m married? To whom?” I asked, truly puzzled.
Andy looked back and forth between his cousin and me with a slightly worried expression. "I thought you said you had never met her."
“The doctors and nurses call you Mrs. Mitchell," Dr. Anderson spoke to me over Andy's accusation. "You and Mr. Mitchell are together at the hospital all the time. I even saw you together,” -he made a hugging motion with his arms- “in the hall a few weeks ago…“ His voice trailed off and he looked at the floor, obviously embarrassed. “So you’re not married to Mr. Mitchell?” Was that relief I heard in his voice? Interesting.
I couldn’t keep myself from laughing behind my hand at the irony. “No. Thank heaven. He’s my older brother. Can you imagine us married? That would be more than awful.” I shuddered. “I don’t know how my sister-in-law does it…” I rambled on and then stopped when I looked back and forth between Andy and the Doctor, curious.
They were having a silent conversation with their eyes that I wasn’t privy to. Andy’s face held a mixture of pleading and defeat. He looked at me, then back at his cousin, closed his eyes and exhaled, and suddenly called out, “Hey everyone, it’s time to sing to the birthday boy!” He shoved past James and headed for the dining room table and the cake. What just happened?
I allowed the wave of people heading to the dining room to pull me along with them. I recognized Zeke moving with the flow and ending up next to me. “Hey, Zeke. How’d you get the night off?”
“Ms. Sophie,” he grinned as he looked me up and down. I grinned back at him. He wasn’t subtle, but he was harmless enough. I think he teased me simply because he could. “Good to see you. I’m supposed to snag Ms. Gina a piece of birthday cake in exchange for her covering for me for a few. You know, representing the night shift and all that.”
“Gotcha.” I nodded. “Besides you and Andy, I hardly know anyone. Who are all these people?”
“Some staff from the day shift, other doctors at the hospital, the doc’s sister and her family…” He pointed out each group to me.
I looked to where he pointed to see a pretty woman about my age standing with a man- her husband?- and two boys. I never would have guessed she and Dr. Anderson were related. They looked nothing alike except for their hair color.
“…Happy birthday to you,” Zeke and I joined in for the last strains of the traditional birthday song.
“Everyone load up,” Andy called over the cheers and well wishes. I watched as Dr. Anderson’s sister disappeared only to emerge from the kitchen wielding an ice cream scoop and two containers of ice cream. She started to call out to her sons who beat a hasty path to the table to be first in line for the cake, when Doctor Anderson put a hand on her shoulder and leaned closer to tell her something. I watched her sigh in resignation while he smiled adoringl
y at his nephews.
“We’re up.” Zeke shoved me gently from behind toward Andy and the cake.
“Do you want some help?” I asked Andy above the din.
“Between Kaley and me,” he gestured with his head to the lady next to him manning the ice cream, “I think we got it covered. Have a piece of cake and I’ll come find you when I’m finished.”
I grabbed a plate and held it out to Andy. He winked at me as he slid a thick piece onto my plate and stepped back so the doctor’s sister could drop a scoop of ice cream on it.
“I’m Kaley- Andy’s smartest and prettiest cousin- and James’ favorite sister.” She smiled at me and then laughed lightly when Andy snorted, “Only because you are the only sister.”
“I notice he didn’t correct you on the prettiest part,” I smiled at Kaley.
“That’s because he knows it’s true.” Doctor Anderson appeared next to Kaley and slung an affectionate arm around her shoulders. My gaze settled on him, my heart melting just a little at the obvious love between siblings. “Too bad she couldn’t say the same for Chia, here.” He pointed to Andy. I looked at Andy with a puzzled expression and Andy glared at the doctor and then Kaley.
Kaley laughed, shaking her head as she said innocently, “Don’t look at me.”
She laughed louder when Dr. Anderson squeezed her shoulders and said, “Now, now, Kaley bug…” I smiled at the exchange. I really liked this girl.
Kaley’s smile turned to worry when we heard a crash coming from the kitchen. She quickly surveyed the room and groaned, “I’d better go make sure my boys aren’t redecorating your kitchen in a chocolate cake theme.” She handed off the ice cream scoop to Dr. Anderson and hurried into the kitchen. With Kaley gone, awkwardness settled around the table like deflating helium balloons.
“I’ll scoop the ice cream,” I told Dr. Anderson. “The birthday boy shouldn’t have to work.”
“It’s no big deal,” he said. “I’ll just mingle as they come through the cake line.”
Matters of the Heart Page 7