“If I was a millionaire, I’d buy all those old buildings downtown and turn them into something.”
“If I was a millionaire, I’d buy them for you. Are we still on for tonight?”
“Yep. I’ll be ready at six.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
“You saw me on Tuesday and Thursday.”
“Not alone.”
“It still counts.”
“I know, but it’ll be nice to have you to myself for a change. If I can get away sooner, I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds good.”
Putting down the phone, she returned to chopping vegetables for a salad. Neil’s comment about buying her those buildings had her smiling. He was always getting and doing things for her. She appreciated those qualities about him. The only negative was his tendency to take over a situation when all she wanted was to vent or get advice.
He hadn’t said the ‘L’ word yet, but his actions led her to believe it wouldn’t be long before he did. She hoped it would be later rather than sooner. Her only experience with love had been enough to know that it wasn’t like anything else. What she felt for Stratton had been all-consuming, leaving no room for doubts. Leah hadn’t reached that point with Neil.
* * * * *
It had been two weeks since Stratton touched down at the Jacksonville airport to be welcomed back to a slightly alien-feeling world by a tearful Jade and a smiling Joel. After a delicious dinner with all his favorite foods, he’d spent his first evening wandering through the house looking and listening for the two people he knew weren’t there. The pain of losing Denver would always be with him, but the shadow of grief that had taken possession of his heart and soul was slowly lifting. Life would never be the same, but life did have to go on.
His efforts to reach Leah had come to nothing. Stratton was beginning to feel there was a conspiracy afoot to keep him from finding her. Her phone went straight to voice mail, and a stranger was living in her apartment. It had been much the same at Hutchison Clinic. Leah hadn’t returned there as he thought, and her friend Lydia had left the area a few months earlier to take a job in Florida. As a last resort, he reached out to Esther and drew a blank there as well.
All the evidence pointed to one thing: Leah had left Myrtle Beach. He couldn’t help but think his actions had played a large part in that decision. If she wasn’t here, it was logical to assume that she’d gone home. In spite of an urgent desire to see her, he wasn’t about to show up in Columbus unannounced. He’d given up the right to know where she was and what she was doing. All he could do was hope she’d return his calls. If she didn’t, then he’d know she didn’t want any further contact with him.
The idea of never seeing her again was almost more than he could bear. He’d been given something precious, and he’d thrown it away. He shouldn’t be surprised that he was left with nothing.
Chapter Eighteen
The first week of the new school year ended with a rousing pep rally in the gym. Leah’s ears were still ringing as she made her way back to her office. She was reaching into her pocket for the keys to open the door when she heard a deep voice close to her ear.
“I need to see the nurse.”
Leah grinned as she turned her head to look at the smiling man beside her. “What seems to be the problem, sir?”
“I’ve got a bad case of missing you.”
She rolled her eyes as she slid the key into the lock and turned the handle. “That’s bad even for you.”
Neil laughed. “I’ll try to do better next time.” After following her inside, he closed the door and took her in his arms. “I really did miss you.” He was demonstrating this very adequately when Leah’s phone rang. He drew back enough to whisper, “Ignore it.”
“I can’t. Technically, I’m still on the clock.”
“Okay, but you owe me.”
She laughed as she broke away from him and grabbed her phone. “Hey, Holly.”
“Leah, I hate to do this to you, but I won’t be able to help with the fundraiser tomorrow. Rebecca started running a fever last night. Turns out she has an ear infection.”
“Oh, no! The poor thing.”
“Yeah, she’s not a happy camper right now.”
“Once the antibiotics kick in, she’ll start to feel better.”
“That’s what Devon keeps telling me.”
“He would know. He’s got more parenting experience than both of us put together.”
“Something I’m very grateful for. I hope tomorrow goes well.”
“It’s supposed to be nice weather, so we should have a good turnout. Give Rebecca a hug and kiss for me.”
“I will. Talk to you later.”
“Bye, Holly.”
Leah put down the phone. “Rebecca is sick.”
Neil reached for her hand. “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you want me to trade shifts with someone?”
“It’s sweet of you to offer, but I’ll be fine. Yvette and I can handle the kids’ activities. How was surf fishing?”
He sat down on the edge of her desk. “I caught a cooler full of speckled trout.”
“Which means I need to come up with something for dinner that goes with fish. Do you like asparagus?”
Neil pulled her over to stand in front of him. “I’ve never had it.”
“Then it’s about time you did. Asparagus is one of those vegetables that tastes better grilled.”
“I’m willing to try it.”
“I’ll make some sweet potatoes, too. We need to stop by the store on the way to your house.”
He leaned in closer and kissed her. “It could be your house, too. Just say the word.”
“You better be careful throwing out offers like that. One of these days, I might accept.”
His hands tightened around her waist. “Nothing would make me happier.”
The teasing note in his voice had disappeared. “I want to be sure, Neil,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.
“You’re looking for a guarantee. Life doesn’t come with that.”
“I know, but that’s not an excuse to jump into something as serious as marriage. We’ve only been dating five months.”
“How long did you date Stratton?”
The mention of Stratton was like a splash of cold water. Stung, Leah drew away from him and took refuge behind her desk. “We agreed not to talk about our exes.”
A few seconds passed as they stared at each other across the space of several feet. She saw the upward movement of his shoulders and chest suggesting a heavy sigh.
He held out his hand. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
She took his hand, relieved to have evaded a discussion that was coming up more and more. “I can go to the store by myself, if you prefer.”
He chuckled. “I said I was sorry. There’s no need to get into a snit.”
Leah poked him in the chest. “What’s a snit?”
“It’s where you pretend I don’t exist.”
“I don’t recall ever doing that.”
“I can refresh your memory on the way to the store.”
“Better wait until later,” she suggested. “We don’t want to be in a bad mood while we’re trying to shop.”
“Good thinking. The last thing I want is to have sweet potatoes thrown at me.”
Leah’s lips twitched as she closed her laptop and reached for her purse. “I’m not in the habit of throwing things.”
“There’s always a first time.”
As they walked to the parking lot, she only half-listened to Neil’s suggestions for how to spend the upcoming Labor Day weekend. The other part of her mind was remembering his question about Stratton. While she could understand Neil’s impatience to take the next step in their relationship, she wasn’t going to be rushed into a commitment she wasn’t ready to make. She already had one failed marriage. She really wanted to avoid a second.
* * * * *
Stratton parked his truck in the gravel lot of Cro
oked River State Park and followed the colorful signs shaped like paw prints to the registration area. There he found his secretary doing a great imitation of Groucho Marx pacing.
“You’re wearing out that patch of grass.”
Faye looked up in relief. “Oh, good, you’re here.”
“You sound as if there was some doubt about it.”
“There was plenty of doubt. I’ve already had three people bail on me today.”
“Who would dare do that?”
“My soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend and Sierra from billing.”
“I can’t find it in my heart to feel sorry for Sigmund. You’re too nice for someone who would rather spend his days playing Xbox than finding a job.”
They stepped up to one of the tables, signed in and received their Camden County Animal Rescue shirts. Stratton eyed the neon green color with raised brows. “We don’t have to worry about being seen. This thing is probably visible from space.”
“Oh, stop complaining,” Faye said, slipping on the shirt over her tank top.
As Stratton did the same, he wished he’d worn something more lightweight. Two shirts was overkill when it was already eighty degrees. “I thought there would be more people here.”
Faye’s glance fell to the grass at their feet. “The run doesn’t start for another half hour.”
“And yet you told me to be here at eight-thirty.”
“I wasn’t taking any chances,” she explained, pulling him into the shade of a live oak tree.
“I didn’t get back from Myrtle Beach until after midnight. I could have used that extra half hour of sleep.”
“It was your sister’s birthday, right?”
“And my brother-in-law’s. Jade and her husband were born in the same year two days apart.”
“Who’s older?”
“Jade. Joel never lets her hear the end of it, either.”
“My mom is five years older than my dad. He teases her about it all the time.”
“I was older than both my ex-wives. Maybe that’s why neither of those marriages worked out.”
They were joined by one of the physical therapists who worked with them at St. Marys Orthopedics.
“I can’t believe you guys talked me into this,” Tessa said.
“You got a t-shirt out of it,” Stratton pointed out.
“That’s true.” She waved a hand at the man beside her. “Everyone, this is my cousin Frank. Frank, this is Dr. Levy and his secretary Faye.
Stratton shook the man’s hand. As he did so, he noticed the Violets are Blue logo on his shirt. “So you’re Frank the flower guy.”
“That’s me.”
“One of my patients told me that your shop provides flowers to terminally ill patients. That’s a great thing you’re doing.”
“My business partner and I came up with the idea after one of our customers got sick. We like to think we’re helping to brighten someone’s day.”
“You’re definitely doing that.”
A woman’s voice could be heard coming from a marquee set up adjacent to the registration area. She gave the usual welcome speech before directing them to take their places behind the green ribbon. Once everyone was more or less in the right spot, the whistle sounded.
Stratton’s group was located in the middle of the pack. While they waited for the crowd to move, he did a quick headcount. There were about two hundred people, not a bad turnout considering it was the opening weekend of college football.
The trail being used for the charity run took them through a canopy of pine, oak and hickory trees. Mixed in with them were lush magnolia and wild holly. Along with being very aesthetically pleasing, the dense coverage provided relief from the warm temperatures.
“Now I know why this place is so popular,” he said to Faye.
“It’s great for family reunions, outdoor weddings and company picnics.”
“I’m not waiting for one of those. I plan to come back tomorrow.”
“Are you going to Bill’s football party tonight?”
“I’m not sure. I promised to help one of my neighbors install a shower door.”
Faye laughed. “You’re setting the bar pretty high for your friend.”
“How so?”
She nudged his arm. “You know how. When Duncan gets back from California, he’s going to wish he’d never let you live in his condo. You’re always doing something for someone. Last weekend, you replaced Mrs. Flibberjibbit’s ceiling fan.”
He bit down on his lips to keep from laughing. “Her name is Mrs. Fletcher.”
Faye dismissed this information with a shrug. “Close enough. You also put in a car battery for someone. I remember because you were late starting your afternoon patients.”
“That was my fault. I forgot to put on surgical gloves before I started. It took a while to get the grease off my fingers.”
As they were approaching the finish line, Stratton noticed a small crowd gathered off to the side. He didn’t think too much about it until he saw someone walk away with what looked like blood-soaked paper towels.
Without a word to his companions, he changed direction and parted the crowd with a simple, “Let me through, please. I’m a doctor.” The woman sprawled on the ground trying to keep herself from bleeding to death was Leah. The shock of seeing her halted his movement mid-step, but his professional instincts kicked in almost immediately. This wasn’t the time to wonder why she was so far from Columbus. He quickly stripped off his event t-shirt and clamped it over the gaping cut on her leg. Then he gazed into the face that still haunted his dreams every night.
“It looks like I got here just in time.”
* * * * *
If not for the searing pain in her leg, Leah might have fainted at the sight of the ex-husband she hadn’t seen or talked to for almost a year. As it was, she watched the scene playing out in front of her in hazy disbelief. It was known that loss of blood could cause hallucinations.
Stratton held out his keys to the young woman who appeared behind him. “Faye, could you get the passenger door of my truck open?”
“Sure thing, boss,” the woman said calmly, as if this kind of thing happened every day.
As she walked away, Stratton turned back to Leah. “I need you to keep pressure on the wound while I carry you to the truck. Can you do that for me?”
Still not sure this was really happening, she slowly nodded.
“Good girl.”
The next moment she was in his arms. Neither of them spoke on the way to the parking lot. Leah didn’t know the reason for Stratton’s silence, but she was grateful for it. Every nerve in her body was aware of him as if their parting had only been a few minutes instead of months. She quickly came up with an explanation for this disturbing reaction. She wasn’t herself right now. Her defenses were down because she was injured.
As he lifted her into the truck, the more practical elements of this bizarre situation reached her consciousness. “I’m going to get blood all over the seat and carpet.”
“That’s not my main concern at the moment.” He closed the door and sprinted around to his side.
“It might be important tomorrow,” she told him when he joined her in the cab.
His lips parted in the half smile she’d always found so appealing. “Wanna bet?”
She directed her attention to the front window. “No. I’m more interested in where you’re taking me.”
“To the ER so I can stitch you up.”
How did he know where the ER was?
Stratton kept up a flow of small talk about the weather that lasted until they pulled into the physicians’ parking lot of St. Marys Hospital, a detail which more or less answered her question and gave rise to dozens more.
When he came around to get her out, she said, “I can probably walk from here.”
“Is that your professional opinion or personal preference?” he asked as he swung her into his arms once more.
“Does it matter?”
“Not rea
lly. As you know, doctors are a law unto themselves.” He carried her through the swinging double doors and past the crowded nurses’ station. No one seemed to find anything unusual about one of their doctors carrying a patient into the ER. “JoAnn, I need you in cubicle 1, please. We’ve got a deep, jagged laceration.”
Without pause, he swept through an opening in the curtain and deposited Leah gently on the gurney. Then he stepped over to the sink to wash his hands. While JoAnn cleaned the wound, Leah could hear him talking to someone outside the curtain. How could he be so calm and relaxed? He had to be as stunned by this unexpected encounter as she was.
“She’s ready for you, Dr. Levy.”
He reappeared wearing a pair of sterile gloves. With his windblown hair and bloody clothes, he looked more like a victim than a doctor. “Thanks, JoAnn.” Stratton reached for the syringe on the tray beside him. “I don’t have to tell you that this is going to hurt.”
“No, you don’t. Let’s just get it over with, please.” When his fingers lightly grazed her skin, she gasped, but not from pain. His touch elicited feelings she had no desire to rekindle. She shifted her gaze to the ceiling. Counting the tiles didn’t help distract her from what was happening. Her mind was imprinted with that moment when he appeared through the parting of the crowd like a white knight coming to the aid of a fallen princess.
“I’m almost finished,” he said into the silence.
Daring a look into his face, she said, “You’re very quick.”
There was the merest quiver of his lips. “Thanks. I’ve had lots of practice.”
“That was a silly thing to say, wasn’t it?”
“Not really. You’re doing your best in an awkward situation.”
“Is it any easier for you?”
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” He placed a bandage over the stitches and secured it with tape. “Leave this on for twenty-four hours. If you notice any redness, swelling or drainage, you know what to do.” He stood up and stripped off his gloves, dropping them on the tray. “I’ll take you to wherever you’re staying.”
Leah didn’t want Stratton to drive her home. She wanted to pretend this was all a bad dream. “I can call Yvette to pick me up.”
“Why go to all that trouble? I’m right here.”
The Gift of Love (Finding Love Book 9) Page 13