by Diane Moody
“Nah, I bet we can find something suitable to your Southern palate.”
“Is that so? Well then, what would you recommend instead?”
He leaned toward me, his brows dancing. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d skip the roast duck. I mean, it’s kind of tacky, don’t you think? Parading them around the lobby then plucking their feathers and roasting their little carcasses?” He winced and produced a fake shiver. “That’s just wrong.”
“Good to know.”
“However, their steaks are out of this world, if you’re so inclined.”
And so it went. Teasing conversation while lavishing in that extraordinary restaurant, waited on hand and foot by an exceptional staff. Our glasses never emptied and not a single crumb ever remained on the linen for more than a moment, quickly whisked away by the non-intrusive staff. The live piano music set a relaxing atmosphere, the talented musician playing a wide range of songs from Glenn Miller to Peter, Paul, and Mary, to Billy Joel’s newest hit, “Just the Way You Are.”
Tucker was right. The steak was the best I’d ever had. As was the Caesar salad which started our meal. The crisp-tender asparagus was cooked just the way I liked it as was the baked potato.
We shared an unforgettable slice of key lime cheesecake and sipped after-dinner coffee, our conversation never stopping even for a moment.
“Tucker, this is really lovely. I can’t begin to thank you for bringing me here.”
“Good. I was hoping to impress you,” he said with a smile.
“Me? Why on earth would you feel the need to impress me?” I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know.
He folded his napkin and laid it aside. “You really want to know?”
Goodness, is he into mind reading now?
“Sure.”
“Because . . . because I hoped this might be a beginning for us.”
Oh no.
Of course my face heated. Doesn’t it always?
“A beginning?”
“Shelby, I—” He stopped, reaching for my hand. “I want to know if you’d consider seeing me. I mean, more than just as friends.”
My heart pounded. It’s too fast. Too soon! I’ve barely gotten beyond thinking of him as Chubby Tucker. How can I possibly think of dating him?
“I know it’s fast.”
There goes that mind reading thing again.
“I realize you must think I’m jumping the gun a bit. So let me explain something.”
“Explain what?” I tried to keep my eyes on his and not on our entwined hands.
“Okay, I need to just say it. The thing with Cassie and me—”
I pulled my hand free. “Oh, Tucker, that’s not necessary. Really. You don’t have to—”
“But I do. You need to hear it. From me. Because if you just think I’m rushing into something after such a recent breakup, you’d be wrong.”
“Wrong? How?”
He toyed with his dessert fork, pushing around the crumbs left on the plate. “I made a huge mistake with Cassie. And I didn’t even realize it until . . .” He looked up at me. “Until you showed up.”
I felt my mouth fall open.
“I know, I know. We have a pretty crazy history, you and I.” He smiled, shaking his head. “Never saw this coming, that’s for sure. But that day when I saw you by the elevators and realized it was really you . . . Shelby, everything changed.”
I closed my mouth and swallowed hard. I’m pretty sure he must have heard it, even with “Misty” playing in the background.
“I can’t even explain it, except that I knew immediately I wanted to get to know you again. To spend time with you. Which, of course, wasn’t good, considering I was engaged at the time.”
I arched my brows, nodding in agreement, but didn’t even try to speak.
“And from then on, nothing was the same with Cassie. It’s like it all came into focus—how we’d been pushed together. Her dad, my dad . . . I think I just went along for the ride at first, y’know? And then it just seemed to evolve on its own. She’d call me up, tell me what parties we’d be attending, what causes we’d support . . . and then last summer, while we were on vacation with her family in the Bahamas . . . I don’t know. She kept wanting me to propose, to make it official there in that setting with her family all around.”
I was imagining the two of them on a sandy beach, the sun setting behind them, the family looking on in expectation. “Let me guess. It would have been too awkward to disappoint them all?”
“Ohhhh yeah. Unbeknownst to me, the whole trip was a set up. Her mom, her dad and sisters—they were all in on it. And when push came to shove—quite literally, I might add,” Tucker folded his arms across his chest and continued. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, rather than cause a scene, I just went along with it. I loved Cassie. I really did. And at the time, I thought I loved her enough to make a lifetime work with her.”
“What changed your mind?”
“I already told you. You changed my mind.”
I tried to keep my breathing calm. It wasn’t easy. “But I would never have—”
“Of course, you wouldn’t. And you didn’t. This wasn’t anything you did. It was me. That first day when I saw you, it’s like my blinders fell off. I realized I was just allowing myself to be dragged along in the undertow of something that . . . something that was comfortable, but was anything but right. It wasn’t fair to Cassie, for me to go along with the flow just to keep everyone happy. Not when my heart wasn’t sold out to her.
“And you’re probably not going to understand this, but I believe with all my heart that God used you to open my eyes to what had been happening.”
I heard myself scoff. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t understand. And I’m not sure I want to be somehow responsible for causing you and Cassie to break up.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. You didn’t cause it. It would have happened eventually. I just think God used the timing of your first day on the job as a means to plant a seed of doubt in my heart. To face up to what was going on. Please don’t feel badly for my telling you this. I just wanted you to understand how it all fell in place.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. “But the fact remains, you didn’t break up with her, Tucker. Cassie broke up with you. I was there that day. In the hall outside the cafeteria. I heard her tell you it was over.”
“You did?”
I looked down to avoid his gaze. “Yes. Sandra and I both heard most of it.”
He chuckled. “I’m not surprised. I had a feeling the patients on the entire Union wing heard most of it. Cassie is nothing if not vocal.”
I smiled, wishing we could get off the subject. But I knew he had more to say.
Just then, the waiter returned with the folder. “I hope you enjoyed your meal. Please come again.”
“We will,” Tucker said, then quickly filled in the receipt and slid the folder aside. He picked up where he left off.
“Cassie called it off because I was lazy and hadn’t done it myself. With every passing day I knew I needed to end it, but I was chicken. Cassie’s a strong-willed woman. I knew it wouldn’t go down well, no matter how I handled it. But I kept putting it off. And then the night she dragged me to Taylor’s to pick out rings—”
“That had to be rough.”
“You have no idea. But it was my own fault. I just couldn’t make myself do it. And I have to say, it made me a little crazy. I’m not normally a pushover. So to keep putting it off, keep avoiding the confrontation to the point of actually shopping for rings? I mean, who does that?”
“But you didn’t buy a ring, right?”
“Uh, no. No, I didn’t. We got into a rather heated argument right there in front of that saleswoman. Which was also a set up. This woman had sold all of the McElroys their jewels for years. Cassie had obviously been there before and picked out exactly what she wanted. When I didn’t respond and make a big fuss over it like she’d hoped, she got really upset. Then
she informed me she would be purchasing the ring since I obviously couldn’t. Which didn’t set well with me. At all. And I have to admit, I did kinda gasp at the idea of buying a ring that cost more than my house.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, yeah. Much more. But that wasn’t it. I wouldn’t have paid a penny by that point, but I didn’t want to make a scene in the store in front of her family’s friend. But Cass just stormed out and by the time I got out to my car, she was driving off in hers.”
“Whoa, that had to be awful.”
“Yes, but again, I had no one to blame but myself. So, like any good coward, I avoided her for a couple of days. I had a 48-hour shift which kept me out of sight, for the most part. And that day when she showed up at the cafeteria . . . well, you know the rest of my sad little story.”
I took a final sip of my water and slowly set the crystal glass back down. “Tucker, I’m so sorry about all of this.”
“No!” he said, reaching for my hand again. “Look, I didn’t bring you here just to tell you all that. I really didn’t. But you had to know. I really do believe God brought you back into my life when He did for two reasons. One, to finally get it through my thick skull that Cassie was not the one for me. And two, to give me a second chance.”
He twisted the gold initial ring on my pinky for a few moments then said, “Please don’t misunderstand. I’m fully aware it’s awfully soon after my split with Cassie. I’m not suggesting we go ring shopping or pick out dishes.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
He laughed, then put his other hand on top of mine. “I guess I’m just asking for your permission to spend time with you. Go out together. Get to know each other again. But I’m done with being anything less than 100 percent honest. Which is why I’m telling you right up front that this is more than just Chubby Tucker asking Jimmy Colter’s kid sister out for kicks.”
“Oh, is that so?” I said, smiling.
“Oh, that is most definitely so.”
He looked into my eyes for a moment more, then leaned over, slowly nearing me. I didn’t even think about it. I leaned toward him, anxious for what I knew was coming. I closed my eyes, unable to breathe as he gently kissed me. He squeezed my hand once more then pulled away.
“You don’t even want to know how long I’ve waited to do that,” he whispered.
“I don’t?” I asked coyly.
He smiled as he stood up. “Shall we go?”
Tucker held my hand the entire way home. We talked about all sorts of things—Baptist Hospital, the church, Dr. Love’s recovery, and a lot more. I have to admit I was disappointed when I realized we were heading toward my townhouse. I’d hoped we might go somewhere else for awhile. I knew Sandra was home, and I didn’t quite feel like sharing the rest of my evening with Tucker with her.
“I’m sorry to have to make it a short evening, but I’ve got to work at six in the morning.”
“I’m convinced you’re a mind reader. That’s the third time this evening you’ve said something in response to a thought that just went through my mind.”
“Is that so? And what thought was that?”
“Only that I was disappointed you were already taking me home.”
“Yeah?” he asked, his face lighting up in the glow of the dashboard reflection. “I’ll take that as a good sign.”
“You should.”
“Okay if I call you tomorrow sometime?” He pulled into my apartment complex parking lot.
“Sure. Preferably not at six, but I’ll be up later.”
“Good. I’ll look forward to it.”
He pulled to a stop in front of our townhouse, then a moment later, walked me to my door.
“I had such a nice time, Tucker.” I stopped short of the welcome mat in front of our door. “Thank you so much for a wonderful evening.”
Then, before I knew it, he wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close. I was sure he could feel my heart pounding through that little black dress. Then I realized I didn’t care. He lowered his lips to mine and this time, there was nothing brief about it. I felt my knees go weak and he pulled back.
“Are you okay?” he said, his voice husky.
It took me a moment to catch my breath. “Sure. Why do you ask?”
“I felt you start to go limp there for a moment. Thought I was losing you.”
I reached up and pushed a strand of hair from his eyes. “Not a chance, Tucker. Not a chance.”
Chapter 26
Much to my surprise, Tucker and I settled quickly into a comfortable routine. We didn’t get to see each other every day because of his erratic work schedule, but we always talked by phone if we couldn’t sneak in a moment or two together. On the nights he didn’t work, he’d stop by and take me to dinner or pick up something so we could eat in. I loved how well he and Sandra got along, and how perceptive she was about giving us time alone now and then.
In only a couple of short weeks, I felt like Tucker and I had been together for a year or more. And I loved every single moment we spent together. I loved how he made me laugh. I loved the hint of mischief in his silly smile. I loved that his nose was just a tiny bit crooked—no doubt the trophy of a childhood prank or sports injury. I loved the way he hugged me when he was so tired he couldn’t put a sentence together. I loved that he cried when a patient didn’t make it through surgery. They weren’t bodies. They were people with names and families and friends. I loved that he always put everyone at ease. I loved that he so easily made fun of himself.
And I love that he loved me.
On those long shifts when our paths didn’t cross, he’d call me late at night and we’d talk until he got paged. We talked about anything and everything. I’d never known a guy so open and giving, so interested in who I was and what I thought about this subject or that. We both loved to read, and we’d discuss favorite books and characters and plot lines until there was nothing more to be said.
On the last weekend of May, Tucker and Trevor showed up bright and early on a Saturday morning to help us move. With their help, we had everything out by four that afternoon. When the guys took off with the last load, Sandra and I stayed behind to clean the townhouse.
We joined them at our house just after six. We were actually surprised to find them still there, but even more so when we walked in to find the dining room table set for four with a catered meal from Buntyns.
“Hey, can we rent you guys permanently?” Sandra asked, kicking off her tennis shoes. “I could really get used to this!”
“What—the meatloaf special from Buntyns,” Trevor asked, “or the help of two manly-men?” He flexed his muscles like a bronzed body builder.
Sandra reached up and squeezed his upper arm. “Get a load of that beefcake, will you? So how exactly does a doctor like you have time to work out? I thought you brainiacs never got out much.”
“Ah, mi amiga pequeña, those are secrets I’m not at liberty to share.”
Tucker leaned toward Sandra in a fake whisper. “There’s a gym over on the top floor of the Medical Center. Those aren’t just doctors’ offices, you know. He works out between shifts.”
“Tucker, do you mind?” Trevor teased. “A man needs a little mystery. Thanks for spoiling my fun.”
“You’re welcome.”
We all took a seat around the table and devoured the hot meal set before us. Meatloaf, buttery mashed potatoes, lima beans, a fresh fruit salad, and those life-changing yeast rolls.
“Please tell me there’s no cobbler warming in the oven,” I groaned.
“No cobbler,” Trevor said.
“Thank goodness for that.”
“Just a Mississippi Mud Cake. And we picked up some vanilla ice cream at the store to go on top.”
“You did not!” Sandra scolded, jumping up to peek in the oven. Nothing there, but she quickly spotted a dark sheet cake sitting on the counter in a bakery carton. “Oh Dios mío! You’ll have to roll me out of here come Monday.”
“Hey, we
can just let the guys have the cake. We don’t have to eat it, you know.”
“Are you out of your mind?” she scoffed. “Have you ever had Buntyns’ Mud Cake?”
“Fine. Whatever. Just tell me which box my fat jeans are in.”
The guys stuck around to help us move the last pieces of furniture where we wanted them. We would do the rest later. I was just moving another box into the kitchen when I looked out and saw Sandra and Trevor on the front porch swing. Trevor must have said something funny because my roommate threw her head back, laughing and holding her stomach. Trevor laughed too, so much that he could hardly breathe.
“What are you looking at?” Tucker said, coming up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and looked over my shoulder. “Ah, the good Dr. Knight, weaving his magic on your delightful little roommate.”
“They’re good together, don’t you think?” I mused aloud.
“Who, Trevor and Sandra?”
“Well, who else would I be talking about?”
“Ah, I don’t know. They’re pretty different, those two.”
I turned around to face him, his hands still on my waist. “And different is bad because why?”
“Now, don’t get all huffy. I just mean, it’s okay for them just to be friends, isn’t it? Do we have to pair them up just because he helped her move today?”
“Tucker, I didn’t mean they should—”
He bear-hugged me, planting a kiss on my lips.
“What was that for?” I asked once he pulled back.
“Nothing. Just felt like doing it.” So he did it again, this time slower and sweeter, gentler. I relaxed in his arms, ignoring the fact I was grimy from all the moving and cleaning we’d done. I was getting used to these sudden kisses. And I liked them. A lot.
He reached around me to grab his iced tea off the counter. “So did you decide about the singles camping trip?”
“When is it again?”
“July 4th weekend.”
“That’s a month away. Why do you have to know if I’m going?”
“Because I have to request the weekend off.”
“Oh. I don’t know, Tucker. You know I’m not much of a joiner for stuff like that.”