A military pilot? Active duty? That was the last type of woman Logan needed to get involved with, especially while the country was still at war. What if he met this Susan and fell in love with her. She could be deployed, and he might get notification, the same way she had, that Susan wasn’t coming back. The pain would almost be unbearable. It wouldn’t be fair for him to have waited all this time to meet someone, only to lose that person, the way she had.
“Claire, are you still there?”
She blinked, realizing she hadn’t been listening to whatever else Asia had been saying. “Yes, I’m still here.”
“So, when are you coming?”
Claire frowned. “Coming where?”
“To Paradise Island, silly. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. But I’m not sure when I’m coming. Like I said, Logan asked me to go on vacation with him.”
“But you haven’t decided if you will or not.”
“Yes, I have. I’m going. I’ll tell him when I see him later. He’s taking me to dinner.” No need to tell Asia that sitting in a restaurant was another hurdle Logan was helping her get over.
“Oh, okay. Well, if you change your mind, let me know so we can get one of the guest cottages ready for you.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and by the way, I talked to Mom this morning. She and Timothy are taking a short cruise to the Bahamas.”
“Again?”
“Yes, again. I have a feeling that they’re going to look for land to build on while they are there.”
“Whatever makes them happy,” Claire said.
“Yes, whatever makes them happy,” Asia agreed.
Once Claire ended the call with her sister, she sat down and rubbed a hand down her face. She hoped she hadn’t lost her mind in deciding to go traveling with Logan. Maybe she was doing him a favor. Sure, she was keeping him company. Nobody wanted to go on vacation alone. But she was also, possibly saving him from the heartbreak he’d told her he’d never had to endure. And she wanted to keep it that way.
He had been with her this whole week, spending all his time with her. For three straight days, they’d gone to the African-American Museum, and then in the afternoons they would hang out at her place, drinking wine, eating various meals and playing cards.
She glanced at her watch. Logan would soon be here. He was taking her to dinner, and that’s when she would tell him she’d sky-hop with him. In a way, she was looking forward to it. After yesterday’s memorial service, she wanted to get out of DC for a while.
Claire refused to admit she’d made the decision only after finding out her sister’s plans to introduce Logan to some woman named Susan. That had nothing to do with it. After all, she’d planned to introduce him to Mindy. She just wanted to spare him heartbreak. Nothing more. Hopefully, during their trip, she could advise him to steer clear of gorgeous women in the military—at least, when the country was at war. With that thought in mind, she headed to her bedroom to get dressed.
“I decided to join you on your vacation, Logan. That is, if you still want me to come.”
Logan glanced up from his meal to gaze across the table at Claire. He’d just been thinking how grateful he was that she’d decided to join him for dinner at this restaurant, instead of ordering in again. And now this. He couldn’t believe his twist of good luck. “You have?”
“Yes.”
He wouldn’t even ask what had changed her mind. It didn’t matter. “We can leave Friday morning, if that’s okay.”
“That’s fine with me.”
“I’ll text you a copy of the itinerary. If you’d like, you can select the places we’ll be staying.” That way she could choose the sleeping arrangements, whether they had separate quarters or shared quarters with two bedrooms.
“Okay, and I’ll be paying half of everything.”
No, she wouldn’t, but he didn’t intend to get into an argument with her about that now. “Where would you like to go first?” The itinerary he’d put together were the places he wanted to go, but they weren’t listed in any particular order. The only destination where the timing mattered was the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque.
She shrugged her beautiful shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll leave that up to the pilot.” She grinned. “I’m just going along to keep him company.”
He smiled. Whether she knew it or not, she was going along for more than that. “And he appreciates it.”
“Excuse me.”
Both Logan and Claire glanced up at the couple standing at their table, a man and woman who appeared to be in their mid-thirties. “Yes?” Logan said, studying the couple. For some reason, they seemed familiar.
“Are you Dr. Logan Montgomery?” the woman asked nervously.
Logan stood when he slowly recognized them. “Yes, I am. And you are the Stewarts,” he said, extending his hand. “I remember you.”
Huge grins appeared on both of their faces. “That’s us. Thanks for remembering. We thought it was you, but we weren’t sure,” the woman said.
“And this is Claire Fowler, a friend of mine,” he said, introducing Claire to the couple.
They shook hands. “We hate to interrupt your dinner, but we just had to come over and thank you again for what you did.”
“It was nothing,” Logan said, as the details of his involvement with the Stewarts came tumbling back in his mind.
“It was something and we will be forever grateful.” Lottie Stewart turned to Claire and said, “Our son was born sixteen years ago with a lower extremity defect. His legs were joined at the ankles. At the time, our insurance company refused to pay for any surgery to have it corrected and we didn’t have the money to do it ourselves. Dr. Montgomery offered to perform the surgery and wrote off his charges.”
“In other words,” Mr. Stewart said, taking up the story. “He did it for nothing. Even later, when we got on our feet and tried to pay him back, his office returned the check to us, with a note telling us to put it in our son’s college fund. Which we did.”
“That’s wonderful,” Logan said. “How is he doing?”
The woman quickly pulled her phone out of her purse and clicked on her photos. “This is our Roy, now,” she said proudly, first showing the picture on her phone to Logan then passing it over to Claire. “He’s sixteen and is the captain of his high school baseball team. He would not have been able to play ball if you hadn’t performed that surgery. He would have been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.”
“They need more doctors like you, Dr. Montgomery. You have a heart,” her husband said. Then, after one last handshake—and many more thanks--the Stewarts went back to their table
Moments later, Logan sat back down and noticed Claire staring at him. “Something wrong?”
She took a sip of her wine and then shook her head. “No. All this time I thought the only thing plastic surgeons did were tummy tucks and breast enhancements.”
He couldn’t help chuckling as he took a sip of his own wine. “You would be surprised how many people think a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon are the same thing.”
“Aren’t they?”
“No. Although I’ve done several cosmetic surgeries in my day, my office mostly handles plastic surgeries. My field of concentration is similar to what I did for the Stewarts. Lately, I’ve had a lot of scar revisions, burn repairs and congenital defect type surgeries.”
She nodded. “I remember hearing that you were part of our government’s mercy mission in Haiti several years ago, too.”
“Yes, I was. That earthquake was a true humanitarian crisis. I did everything I could to help. Since then, I’ve spent more hours than I can count, trying to make things easier for victims of natural disasters. And we’ve had far too many of them lately.”
“Sounds like you’ve been quite busy,” she said.
“I have. That’s why I need this vacation. But then, I bet you need a real vacation, as well. When was the last time you just went somewhere to en
joy yourself?” he asked her.
He could tell she was thinking. “I have to admit, it’s been a while.”
“Then this is the time off we both need so badly. Let’s take it and enjoy it, okay.”
His heart began pounding deep in his chest when she smiled over at him. “Okay, let’s do it. I just hope you don’t regret inviting me along.”
He returned her smile. “Trust me, I won’t.”
6
Gary, Indiana
JEREMIAH
The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress and grows brave by reflection
– Thomas Paine
Jeremiah Montgomery left his doctor’s office and headed for the lot where his car was parked. He had a lot to be thankful for. According to Dr. Perry, his health was extremely good for a man nearing sixty-five. But when you had two sons who were doctors--one who was even a heart surgeon--you either took their advice when it came to taking care of yourself or suffer the consequences. And the last thing he wanted was for either Logan or Lyle to worry about him. His other son Lance and his daughter Carrie were bad enough. They got on him constantly about eating right and exercising. At least he still got to drink a little Jack Daniels every once in a while, without them having a hissy fit about it. Lord knows he was grateful for that.
He got into his new truck, the one that he had received last Christmas from his kids. He felt he’d still had a lot of life left in his old truck but he hadn’t been able to convince his kids of that. When he had awakened on Christmas morning to find a new Chevy truck parked in his yard, he hadn’t known what to say. He’d been grateful. He had never wanted his kids to spend their money on him, but they seemed intent on doing it. Honestly, he had noticed other things around his house being replaced over the years. He had good kids and he appreciated all four of them. He didn’t like to think about the time when Carrie hadn’t been with them. She was back in their lives now, and every night before going to bed, he thanked God for the miracle of not only sending her back to them, but for sending a man like Connor to love his daughter.
Carrie and Connor were blissfully happy and expecting a baby very soon. He couldn’t wait. Then he would have two grandbabies, and was hoping that Lyle and Monique would soon give him a third. Since they’d just gotten married earlier that year, he wouldn’t rush them any. And then there was Logan, his oldest son. Logan was about to go on a long, much deserved vacation and Jeremiah was glad about it.
He had driven about a mile when he came across a broken-down car on the side of the road. A woman was standing beside the vehicle. Pulling off to the shoulder, he parked his truck behind her car.
Jeremiah got out and approached her, trying not to stare. She was a very nice-looking woman, well-dressed, with a natural hair style that complimented her face. Tilting his ballcap, he said, “Afternoon, ma’am. Need some help?”
He saw distress on her face. “I think I have a flat.”
He glanced at her front tire, glanced back at her and smiled. “Yes, I’m afraid that you do.”
“I called for road service, but it will be a couple of hours before they can send someone out.”
He nodded. “You can call and cancel. I’ll have that tire changed in no time. My name is Jeremiah Montgomery, by the way,” he said extending his hand out to her.
“Nice meeting you, Jeremiah,” she said, taking it. “I’m Thea Manchester. I’d appreciate any help you could give me. I’m late for an appointment.”
“No problem. Just show me your spare.”
As soon as he pulled the tire from the trunk of her car, he went to work replacing it. As he did, he couldn’t help but notice a few things about Thea Manchester. Like how nice she looked in her dress and high-heel shoes, how neat her hair was and how articulate she was when she spoke. It was obvious she was a classy, educated woman. He wondered how old she was. His guess would be in her mid-fifties. Of course, he wouldn’t ask. He knew better.
“Have you lived in this area long?” He was pretty sure he’d heard a slight southern accent.
“No, in fact I’m new to Gary. I moved here over the summer.”
“From where?”
“Huntsville, Alabama.”
He hoped she didn’t think he was asking too many questions, but he wanted to know more about her. Because another thing he’d noticed was that she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. He would never be this talkative to another man’s wife. He was too old to play those games. But then, he hadn’t ever played those games, even in his younger days. “What brought you to Gary, Thea?”
She hesitated before answering, then said, “It was time for me to start over. My husband died ten years ago, the kids had grown up and scattered. My aunt died and left me her house here, so I decided to make a few changes in my life.”
“Change is always good,” he said, then wondered how he would know. He’d lived in the same house for close to forty-one years. Logan had been barely six months old when he and Edwina had moved there. It was supposed to have been their starter home, yet he was still there. He had worked at the same job for just as long, after getting out the military. His sons had teased him for years about never retiring, and so, when he’d actually decided to do it, they hadn’t believed him. More than once, they had offered to buy him a new home but he had refused. He’d told them that they needed to keep their money for the things they wanted and needed. He was fine. He didn’t need a new house. He’d admit he’d needed a new truck. But then, he could have bought one. But his kids had a vehicle in the driveway before he could even look. And they’d deliberately gotten him one of those top-of-the-line models that did practically everything. His truck even quoted that day’s temperature when he snapped on his seatbelt.
“Are you a Gary native, Jeremiah?”
He glanced up at her. He hadn’t noticed that she had moved to stand by him. He wasn’t sure what kind of perfume she was wearing, but it smelled nice. “Yes, I was born right here in Gary. Went into the military right after high school and did four years in the army.”
There was no need to tell her that he’d met his ex-wife Edwina during the time he’d been stationed at Ft. Benning. He’d married her and brought her to Gary. He honestly didn’t know what happened after that. His wife slowly went from being Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. He’d started to suspect she was having an affair—or several affairs--when Lance was ten, but couldn’t seem to make himself face the possibility.
“My husband was in the military, too. I liked being a military wife—all the traveling was definitely the high point. My favorite place to live was Germany.”
So was his. “I was there for a year and liked it too. I always said I would go back to visit but I never got around to it.”
“Neither did I.”
He finished changing her tire and stood up to face her, surprised when she handed him a cloth to wipe his hands. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I keep them in my car to wipe the humidity off the windshield.”
He nodded as he leisurely cleaned away the grease staining his fingers. He could have done it quicker, but for some reason, he liked talking to her. He liked being around her. When he couldn’t prolong the inevitable any longer, he handed the cloth back to her.
“What do I owe you, Jeremiah?”
He smiled at her. “Nothing. It was my pleasure. I suggest you get your tire fixed though. You might have hit a nail, or something like it. Any garage will be able to fix it up for you.”
“I will and thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It was nice meeting you, Thea.”
“Same here, Jeremiah.”
He had turned to walk off when she called out to him. “Jeremiah?”
He turned back to her. “Yes?”
She smiled and he thought it was the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. “I really want to show you my gratitude for stopping. I’m a pretty good cook and I was wondering if you and your wife would like to come for dinner on Sunday. I don’t live far from here.”
>
Jeremiah met her gaze and smiled back. “I’d love to come to dinner. Only thing is, I don’t have a wife. I’ve been divorced for over fifteen years now.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute, and then she added, “The invitation still stands. If you hold up a minute, I’ll write down my address.”
“We can do better than that,” he said, taking his phone out of his shirt pocket and flipping to one of those apps Carrie had showed him how to use. “You can write it here. It’s my phone notebook that my daughter set up for me,” he said, handing her his cell phone.
She chuckled. “I have one of those apps on my phone, too. They come in handy when I make my grocery list.”
He watched her key in her address, then she handed the phone back to him. “I also gave you my phone number, in case you change your mind about Sunday.”
“I won’t be changing my mind, Thea. What time is dinner?”
“I figure one o’clock should work. My church services are usually finished by then.”
“Mine is out by that time as well.”
She lifted a brow. “You do go to church?”
He chuckled. “Every Sunday.” There was no need to tell her he was chairman of the board at his church, and had been for years. At least he wouldn’t tell her now. He hoped that when he showed up for dinner on Sunday, they would have a lot to talk about.
“Bye, Jeremiah, see you Sunday.”
“Bye, Thea. I’m looking forward to it.”
He watched her get into her car and pull away. He turned and headed to his truck, thinking he definitely wanted to get to know Thea Manchester better.
Thea was tempted to look back in her rearview mirror to see the exact moment Jeremiah Montgomery pulled out from behind her. Then she could release what some would term a giddy sigh. The man was absolutely stunning. This was the first time she’d been attracted to a man since before she met Eric. But Jeremiah had been deserving of every minute of ogling she’d given him when he hadn’t been aware of it. At least, she hoped he hadn’t.
AT LONG LAST (The Playas Series - Book 4) Page 5