Wanting something to be a certain way and behaving as if it is that way doesn’t make it come true. Wishful thinking isn’t reality. When the rubber met the road, she failed miserably. It had only taken five seconds in Stratton’s company to rock the foundation of her existence and send all her resolutions and assurances tumbling to the ground. He was the only man she’d ever loved, and it was looking more and more as if he always would be.
The thought of what she had to say to Neil weighed heavily on her. She didn’t like the thought of hurting someone; especially someone who’d done so much for her and asked so little in return. But it wasn’t right to stay with him when she couldn’t give all of herself. When she knew she would always be holding something back.
As Neil had once said, life doesn’t come with a guarantee. She didn’t know what the future held for her and Stratton, but she had to try. She’d never forgive herself if she let this second chance slip away. Maybe this time their story would have a happy ending.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Stratton strolled out of the changing room of the surgical unit and reached for his phone. He didn’t usually have appointments on surgery day, but one of his post-op patients had called in that morning complaining of swelling. Between two messages from Jade was a text from Faye telling him Mrs. Davis was coming at four-thirty. He hoped she’d be on time. He’d signed up to teach a martial arts class at the rec center, and the first one was tonight.
At his office, Faye greeted him with relief. It transpired that Mrs. Davis had been taking out her frustration on his staff. After assuring the woman that everything was healing as it should, he made his own preparations to leave.
Faye stopped him as he passed by her desk. “Don’t forget about the Founder’s Day Gala Saturday night.”
Stratton rolled his eyes. “Do I really have to go to that?”
“You work here at the clinic, right? Then yes, you have to go. It’s not that bad. The speeches are boring, but the food and the scenery make up for it.”
“What scenery?”
“Didn’t I tell you? They hold this shindig at The Cloister on Sea Island. You can bring someone. I took my sister last year.”
There was only one person Stratton wanted to bring, but he doubted Leah’s boyfriend would let him borrow her for an evening. “Thanks for spoiling my weekend.”
She grinned. “You’re very welcome.”
On his way to the rec center, he decided to stop at Subway. His lunch had been sketchy and the class wouldn’t get out until eight. His rapid steps slowed to a halt when he came through the door and caught sight of Leah standing at the counter. It was the first time he’d seen her since that disastrous near run-in at the theater a few weeks ago.
He saw her head turn and knew the exact moment she saw him. The pretty smile on her lips widened in what his stunned brain and trembling heart wanted to believe was happiness. He returned her wave and took his place at the end of the line. Seeing her in bright yellow scrubs brought back memories of when they’d worked together. The silken tips of her ponytail just skimmed the nape of her neck. Stratton had no trouble remembering how her hair felt running through his fingers.
After she received her order, she shocked him further by coming over to where he stood.
“I never thought I’d see Mr. I-Don’t-Eat-Fast-Food in here.”
Stratton laughed. “There are exceptions to every rule. Did you just leave work?”
She smiled slowly, and Stratton’s heart did a nosedive into his shoes.
“How did you guess? Was it the scrubs or the stethoscope in my pocket?”
“Cut me some slack. I’ve been in surgery all day, and I foolishly volunteered to teach a martial arts class tonight.”
“Dear me! You’re a glutton for punishment.”
“Not unlike someone else I know. Are you on your way somewhere?”
“Just home. I wasn’t in the mood to cook.”
He hesitated a few seconds, and then asked, “Do you want to eat with me?”
“I’d love to.”
After they sat down, he remembered the guy from the theater. “Will your boyfriend mind?”
Leah removed the lid from her chicken salad. “I don’t have a boyfriend anymore.”
This latest shock nearly did Stratton in. His suddenly nerveless fingers dropped the cup in his hand. Fortunately, it had only been a few inches from the surface of the table. “That was sudden, wasn’t it?”
She smiled wryly. “You could say that.”
“Was it your choice or his?”
“Does it matter?”
“To me, it does.”
Leah unfolded a napkin and placed it on her lap. To Stratton’s overloaded senses, she seemed to be moving in slow motion.
“Why does it matter to you?”
His glance shifted to the striped wallpaper behind her. “Because if it was your choice, then I know you’re over him.”
“How do you know when you’re over someone?”
Stratton took a deep breath. “They lose the ability to hurt you.”
“That’s an interesting answer.”
“Isn’t that what love is? You basically give someone the power to influence you.”
“That definition is as good as any other. It’s six-fifteen. What time is your class?”
He’d forgotten all about the class. “Seven, but I need to be there at a quarter till.”
“What ages are your students?”
“Six to eight year olds.”
“How cute! Do you mind if I tag along?”
Her question had him gasping for air. Leah no longer had a boyfriend, and she was asking to spend time with him. The implications of those two things were mind boggling. “Not at all.”
“How’s your practice doing?”
“Growing bigger every week. I have a more diverse caseload than what I had in Myrtle Beach. At Hutchison’s, I dealt with older adults and retirees. Here I have patients from five to eighty.”
“Which I would guess is more interesting.”
“Very much so. I’m getting to use some of the newer, less-invasive procedures.”
“I think being a doctor is something of a calling. Did you always want to be one?”
He shook his head. “For a long time, I wanted to be a meteorologist. When I was in high school, I joined a group of storm chasers. If there was any kind of weather system within driving distance of Stone Mountain, we’d be there.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It was dangerous and downright crazy. We got involved in some pretty hairy situations.”
“Your parents let you do this?”
He laughed. “They didn’t know we were actually chasing storms. How about you, Miss Nightingale? How early did you get the calling to be a nurse?”
“Not until high school. I wanted to be an undercover operative; you know like Jason Bourne.”
“How did you get from that to nursing?”
“I spent the summer before my junior year in high school with my Aunt Anita. She was a traveling nurse who went all over north Georgia and Alabama. Because of the long hours, she took me with her. I was uncomfortable at first, but gradually my attitude changed. I started seeing individuals instead of illnesses, and I wanted to be a part of something that helps people.”
“You’ve certainly done that. I’ll never forget how you were with Denver.”
She looked down at the table. “I miss him so much. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him.”
“It’s the same for me. I’ll be walking down the hallway at work and something he said or did will pop into my head. The next thing I know, I’m crying like a baby.”
“Does it bother you to talk about him?”
“I’ve found that not talking about him hurts more. He’s part of me, just like Sullivan and Charity. They’ll always be alive in my head.” He finished the last bite of his sandwich and glanced at his watch. “I don’t want to rush you, but we need to
leave in five minutes.”
She wrapped up the rest of her salad. “I’ve eaten all I want. I’ll give the rest to Aristotle.”
“He’ll enjoy that. In case we get separated, you know where the rec center is, don’t you?”
“It’s on Flowers Lane, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Stratton rose to his feet. “I hope you won’t be bored out of your mind.”
“We established a long time ago that I don’t find you boring.”
“It’s nice to know that hasn’t changed.”
* * * * *
From her position at the back of the room, Leah had a great view of Stratton (looking both unfamiliar and enormous in his white karate uniform) and the similarly dressed boys and girls hanging on his every word. Her request to accompany him had surprised her as much as it had Stratton. It was one of those instances where the words were out before she could stop them. For the few seconds it took him to respond, she’d wished there was some way she could call them back. Now she was glad she said them.
In the two weeks since she broke up with Neil, she’d been plagued with uncertainty about how to proceed. Calling Stratton made the most sense, but she hadn’t yet worked up the nerve to actually do it. Running into him at Subway was the stroke of luck she needed.
Over the course of the sixty minute class, her glance collided with his numerous times across the distance of the twenty feet separating them. Each subsequent glance got a little longer and more intense. A room that had seemed cold when she first entered it began to feel increasingly warm. Leah knew this had nothing to do with the air conditioning.
Once the last parent and child were gone, he crossed the room to where she waited. “Ready to sign up for a class?”
“I should. It looks like a great way to stay in shape.”
“It has the added advantage of being more fun than working out at a gym.”
“I like the outfit, too, and the fact that you don’t have to wear shoes.”
Stratton laughed. “I had a feeling the subject of no shoes would come up at some point. It was always a race between you and Denver to see who could get their shoes off first.”
“You’re one to talk. You and Joel had an ongoing competition to see who could eat the most chocolate chip cookies.”
“If you hadn’t made such good cookies, we wouldn’t have had anything to fight over.”
Leah pushed away from the wall and started walking toward the door. “There’s such a thing as self-control.”
He bent down to get his duffle bag and then followed her out into the hall. “You don’t use self-control with cookies. You save that for other things.”
“Like what?”
Stratton sent her a quick sideways glance. “Situations where you want to do something, but you know you can’t, or it’s not the right time.”
“Something tells me we’re no longer discussing food.”
“Right again, Nurse Levy.” He held open the door to the parking lot. “Sal’s been after me to come to another football game. Will you be there Friday night?”
She reached into her purse for the car keys. “I doubt it. Neil will be there watching his son play.”
“I guess that would be awkward. Poor Leah. You’re dealing with an ex-husband and an ex-boyfriend.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
“What about the rest of the weekend? Do you have plans?”
They stopped next to her car. “Just the usual. Working at Twice as Nice with Holly and catching up with laundry and cleaning.”
“My work is having their annual Founder’s Day celebration at Sea Island on Saturday evening. Would you be interested in coming as my guest?”
Leah couldn’t stop the color from entering her cheeks. “I’d like that very much.”
“It starts at seven-thirty which means we’d need to leave by six.”
“Holly won’t mind if I cut out a little early. Is it black tie?”
“Unfortunately, yes. According to Faye, we get to sit through a lot of boring speeches, but the food and scenery will make up for it.”
“I can believe it about the scenery. Holly and Devon spent a weekend at Sea Island not so long ago. The pictures she showed me were beautiful.”
“I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to see at night.”
“That’s okay. I’ll enjoy the experience of being at an expensive resort and getting to mix with the other half.”
He laughed as he deftly slid the keys out of her hand and opened her car door. “Even if you have to put up with me to do it, huh?”
Leah placed her purse on the seat. “I’m a glutton for punishment, too.”
“I guess I asked for that. See you on Saturday.”
Later when she lay in bed, Leah went over the evening’s events. For the first time in her long acquaintance with Stratton, she knew his interest in her was for himself alone. Any relationship that developed between them would be unencumbered by obligation or a result of gratitude. This meant she didn’t have to pretend anymore. At long last, she would be able to express the feelings she’d had to keep hidden inside.
* * * * *
Stratton had no problem admitting that spending time with Leah was as intoxicating as ever. This discovery didn’t surprise him as much as make him aware of how empty his life was without her. He’d thought finding out she broke up with Neil was the highlight of the evening, but that was before she asked to come with him to his karate class and before she agreed to go with him to Sea Island.
It was hard to stay grounded and not look ahead when what he’d wanted for so long didn’t seem so far out of his reach. Being patient wasn’t something that came easily for him, but he was determined to do things right this time. Their previous experience had been but a parody of what a relationship should be. He wanted to be with her for the right reasons. And most of all, he wanted the chance to be the husband he hadn’t been before.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Leah’s impatient glance swept over the piles of clothes on the bed as well as the chair next to it. This was ridiculous. It shouldn’t be this hard to pick out something to wear. Thanks to all those weddings she’d been in, she had dresses in every style and color. A quick eeny meeny miny moe took care of the problem.
Her choice was a burgundy dress with see-through long sleeves, a scoop neck and full skirt that just touched her knees. Unlike the others, it wasn’t a bridesmaid’s gown. Leah had worn it for her college graduation.
Moving into the bathroom, she surveyed her tangled hair with a frown. It took several minutes with a curling iron and some mousse to subdue the chaos. A look at the watch on her wrist had her muttering under her breath. Stratton was going to be there any second, and she still had her makeup to do.
Putting on mascara with a hand that wouldn’t stop shaking was a recipe for disaster. Leah was frantically trying to repair the damage with a cotton swab when she heard the pealing of the doorbell. Groaning loudly, she raced down the hall to the front door and swung it open.
Her breathlessness wasn’t entirely caused by the fact that she’d run to the door. Stratton in a black tuxedo was something to behold. “You look very nice,” she said, belatedly moving out of the way so he could come inside.
“Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I’m not ready yet. I had a little crisis.”
“Was it the usual one?” he asked, following her into the living room.
Leah’s lips twitched. “If you must know, yes, it was.”
His laughter followed her to the bathroom where she finished her makeup without further mishaps. Slipping her feet into a pair of strappy black sandals, she grabbed the teardrop pearl earrings and necklace her parents had given her for Christmas last year.
Stratton rose from the couch when she walked back into the room. His eyes moved slowly from her head to her feet, his appreciation of her appearance obvious. “You look beautiful, Leah,” he said softly.
The feeling of not being able to catch her br
eath swept over her again. “Thank you.” After putting in her earrings, she reached for the necklace. Her fingers fumbled to get the small eyelet through the clasp. She was about to give up and just go without it when Stratton came up behind her.
“Let me do it.”
“That’s okay…” Her words trailed off as his fingers swept her hair to the side. In their wake, they left behind a trail of tingling skin. This was quickly followed by the warmth of his breath on her neck. Standing still (or just remaining upright, for that matter) was nearly impossible under such conditions. Her legs had the consistency of wet noodles.
“All done,” he said, stepping back. “You’re wearing a different perfume.”
This remark heightened the feeling of intimacy Leah was already dealing with. “Violet gave it to me for my birthday.”
“I like it.”
“Me, too,” she said, reaching for her purse. “I’m ready to go now.”
As they walked to the truck, he started to laugh. “I was just thinking about what I’m going to face on Monday when I go back to work. Everyone will be talking about the beautiful woman I brought to the gala.”
“You can end the speculation; just tell them I’m your ex-wife.”
He opened the door and helped her step into the truck. “That would mean admitting I was dumb enough to let you go. No, thanks. It’s bad enough that I have to live with it.” He closed the door and walked around to his side.
“Just do what you usually do. Give them the trademark Dr. Levy cold stare. They won’t bother you with any questions.”
Stratton chuckled. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope.” She smoothed down the skirt of her dress. “I hope I didn’t make us late.”
“If so, you were definitely worth the wait, and everyone there will agree with me.”
Leah laughed. “My, how times have changed.”
“What does that mean?”
The Gift of Love (Finding Love Book 9) Page 17