“You need to talk to her, Alejandro. She misses you.”
“Believe it or not, Nona, I miss her, too.”
His mother had been upset with him for taking a posting so far from home when he’d had the opportunity to do basically the same job and work off the same amount of student debt closer to home in rural communities in New Mexico and Arizona. But after a visit to Mount Desert Island and the towns of Bar Harbor and Lobster Cove, he’d decided to accept their offer. The place was so different from southern California, so peaceful, so uncongested. There was no rush-hour traffic on the island; nothing on the island was in a rush, including the traffic. Being on the ocean, albeit the cold North Atlantic, was a point in Lobster Cove’s favor, too. He didn’t think he could live anyplace far from an ocean.
Of course he’d seriously questioned his decision after experiencing his first winter on the island. He’d managed to survive, but he wasn’t keen to experience it again.
His mother had wanted him to stay in San Diego and had been disappointed that he hadn’t gone into a specialty like cardiology or plastic surgery, something that really brought in the bucks. All his life she’d been obsessed with climbing social and economic ladders.
“Then you’ll call her?”
“Yes, I’ll call her soon. I promise.”
“Good.”
With that out of the way, they chatted about members of his extended family, events in the news, and other miscellany, until his grandmother declared it was nearly time for her weekly card game with her friends.
“I’ve got to run, Alejandro, but I’ll call you soon. Te quiero.”
“Te quiero, Nona. I love you, too.”
Alex grabbed some clean towels and jumped in the shower. As the steaming water melted the stress of the day, he wondered how long he could postpone a conversation with his mother.
Chapter Five
After dropping Ava at Tracy’s, Julia headed to her parents’ house, her stomach feeling sicker the closer she got. She told herself she was speaking to her parents, not people she didn’t know. They loved each other. They could work this out. She hoped.
She pulled into the driveway and walked to the side entrance. As she pushed open the door and stepped inside, she called, “Hello.” Passing through the small mudroom and the kitchen, Julia followed voices into the living room at the front of the house. Her father was resting on the couch and her mother was in her favorite recliner, a half-knitted sweater on her lap, her knitting needles in her hands. She looked up and smiled at Julia.
“Hi, honey.”
Julia bent to kiss her cheek and breathed in the scent of her mother’s favorite perfume. The fragrance took her immediately back to warm memories of childhood and being tucked safely into bed with a goodnight kiss. It occurred to her that their roles were slowly reversing. She would soon have to parent her mother.
“I wanted to see both of you, to talk to you.” She perched on the edge of the armchair and faced them. “I had a visit from Dr. Campbell today. He told me he found you in his carport last night, Mom. You were in your nightgown and were disoriented. You didn’t know your last name. Do you remember, Mom?”
Dora looked at her blankly. “I don’t remember that.”
“He had to call the police because he didn’t know who you were.” She turned to her father. “The police brought her home. He saw you open the door, Dad.”
Paul slowly sat up. “She was walking in her sleep, that’s all. She’s all right now.”
“Dr. Campbell and Tracy both feel Mom should see Dr. Willson for a checkup, see what’s going on with her. I could make an appointment—”
“No!” Paul got to his feet. “I told you. She’s fine.”
“Dad, she was wandering in the middle of the night.”
“It was nothing, just bad dreams. She’s fine.”
“Dad—”
“I said leave it alone, Julia.”
His face had turned an alarming shade of red as they argued, and Julia was afraid he’d have another anxiety attack, or worse. “Okay, Dad. I’ll leave it alone for now. But we’ll talk again very soon.”
She went to him then and put her arms around him in a hug. He felt bonier than he used to. Had he lost weight? She stepped back and looked into his face.
“Did you fill your nitro prescription?”
“I did.” He gripped her forearms. “We’re fine. We look after each other. You don’t have to worry about us, sweetheart.”
She dredged up a smile for him. “I like worrying about you. You’re my favorite two people to worry about.”
He chuckled. “You’re just like your mother. She likes to worry about everyone, too.”
Julia glanced at her mother. Dora was unraveling the row of knitting she had just completed. “Thanks, Dad. She’s the most special person I know.” She faced him again, her voice low. “But we are going to talk about this again. Soon.”
He sighed and nodded. Julia kissed his cheek and then went to her mother once more.
“Bye Mom. I’ll see you later.”
Dora gave her a sunny smile. “Bye, honey.”
Julia put her arms around her small shoulders and hugged, trying desperately to hold onto the mother she loved. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
As she left the house, she took a deep breath. What did she do now? Nothing had been settled. Nothing had even been discussed. Did she have to force her father to seek help for her mother? What if she upset her father so much he had a heart attack? She couldn’t bear to distress him that way. But she couldn’t sit back and do nothing, either.
Glancing toward the house next door, she saw Alex Campbell’s car in the carport. On impulse, she headed across the lawn to his front door. She rang the doorbell once, then again, and was about to leave when he opened the door, his shirt wide open and his dark hair slick and dripping onto his shoulders.
“Mrs. Stewart, hi. Sorry I didn’t answer the door right away. I just got out of the shower.”
As Julia stared at the dusting of dark hair across his broad chest, down to a flat, muscled stomach, she had a sudden vision of him stepping naked and wet from the shower, all hard muscle and sleek, lean power. She had to blink a few times to dispel the scene in her head.
“I’m sorry to intrude on you at home. I was at my parents’ house, and I saw that your car was home…” What was she doing here? Alex Campbell didn’t want to hear her problems. She took a step back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
Alex stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You’re not bothering me. Come inside and tell me how your meeting with your parents went.”
She looked at his hand on her arm, at the contrast of his olive skin against the paleness of hers. She felt the warmth of his hand, the strength of it. She so desperately needed to borrow some of that strength, needed someone to talk to. Looking up into his dark eyes, she nodded her assent.
“Okay. Thank you.”
She stepped inside the house, and he closed the door behind her. “I was just about to make some tea,” he said as he buttoned his shirt. “Would you like a cup?”
“Sure, I’d love some.”
She followed him to the kitchen and sat at the table while Alex filled a stainless steel kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. His movements were economical and graceful as he moved around his kitchen in his bare feet. Reaching into a cupboard, he pulled out a china teapot in a flowery pattern. The idea of such a masculine man using an object so feminine-looking made her smile.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a tea-drinking, flowered-teapot-owning kind of guy.”
He grinned at her over his shoulder. “You can blame my grandmother. She’s Mexican-American, but she has an obsession with all things English. She’s a big fan of afternoon tea.”
“My grandmother used to believe all problems could be solved over a hot cup of Earl Grey.” Happy recollections flashed through her memory. “I was only twelve when she died, but I
still miss her.”
“I’m lucky. My grandmother is still alive, but I’ve been kind of blindsided by how much I’ve missed her since I’ve been here. It’s tough not being able to drive across town to see her.”
“I know what you mean. I missed my parents terribly when I lived in Thailand.”
“You lived in Thailand?”
“Yes. My ex-husband and I taught English there for a few years after we finished college. It was a fun adventure, but I was homesick a lot of the time. I guess I’m not meant to be a world traveler.”
Alex warmed the teapot with a bit of water from the kettle, swirling it for a moment before emptying it in the sink. Then he placed a couple of spoonfuls of loose tea into the pot and filled it with hot water, letting it steep while he brought teacups and milk and sugar to the table. Julia was comforted by the little ritual that reminded her so much of her grandmother and her mother.
After bringing the teapot to the table, along with a strainer to catch the loose tea, he sat across from Julia. “Tell me what happened with your parents.”
He poured her tea, and Julia wrapped her hands around the cup, savoring the warmth. “My mother remembered nothing about talking to you or being outside in the middle of the night, and my father said she was sleepwalking. When I tried to tell him that we should take Mom to have her checked by a doctor, he became very agitated, so I dropped it. I was afraid he was going to get sick again. I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m no expert in this area either, but I understand it’s not unusual for a spouse of an Alzheimer’s patient to deny the symptoms. I’ll talk to the hospital social worker tomorrow and have her get in touch with you. Maybe she’s got some ideas.”
“Okay.” Relief flowed through her. At least she wouldn’t have to face this problem on her own.
They drank their tea in silence, but the silence didn’t feel awkward. Julia felt soothed, the stress slowly leaving her body. Perhaps her grandmother had been onto something. The tea seemed to be working.
She finished the last of it and set down the cup. “I should be going. I left Ava with Tracy, and she’s probably hungry by now.”
Julia got to her feet and headed to the front door, with Alex following her.
“Thanks for the tea, and for listening. I guess I needed both today.”
“Anytime. Seriously, Julia, anytime you need to talk, about anything, give me a call.”
She wondered if he was speaking as a doctor, as a friend, or as a man. Which one did she want him to be?
“Thank you.”
“I’ll try to keep an eye out for your folks, see if there’s anything I can do for them.”
She was touched by his offer. “I really appreciate that, but I know how busy you are.”
He waved away her concern. “It’s no big deal. I appreciate my grandmother’s neighbors checking in on her, and I’d be happy to do the same.”
He really did understand how she felt. “In that case, thank you.”
She opened the front door and stepped outside. Turning to Alex, she smiled. His thick hair had begun to dry, and the dark strands gleamed in the spring sunshine. Her breath caught in her throat at his beauty.
“Bye, Alex.”
“Bye. Take care.”
Julia hurried down the steps and across the lawn to her car. An appreciation for his looks was as far she could take any relationship with him. Her life was too complicated, too full already. And she would never get involved with a man who planned to leave Lobster Cove in only a few more months.
****
Julia picked up Tracy and Ava and headed to Maggie’s Diner. Located in downtown Lobster Cove on Oak Avenue, the diner’s reputation for excellent food had spread across the island, and, as usual, the place was packed. Luckily, her secretary Beth was seated alone at a large table and waved them over when they entered.
“Hey, Boss! I’ve got room here!”
They joined Beth at her table, and Maureen Bennett brought menus, along with glasses of water and cutlery wrapped in paper napkins. After taking their order, she turned to Julia.
“Ms. Stewart, do you have a minute? I’d like to speak to you.”
Julia’s stomach dropped into her shoes. What else did she have to deal with today? Maureen didn’t appear upset, but it was difficult to be certain what she was thinking. Had there been problems with either her daughter or stepdaughter at the school lately? Nothing had been brought to her attention. Last year her stepdaughter Avery had been bullied, and her daughter Paige had landed in her office when she’d tried to take the matter into her own hands. Julia had worked very hard to deal with bullying in the school since then.
“Yes, of course.”
After Maureen dropped off their order in the kitchen, Julia followed her into a small, cluttered office. As she closed the door, Maureen smiled. “I won’t keep you from your dinner long. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you, and I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am about Avery’s experience at school this year. She’s been so much happier. Thank you for taking the issue of bullying so seriously.”
Maureen’s speech caught Julia by surprise. In a day full of thunderstorms, this was a welcome rainbow.
“Thank you. My staff has been working very hard to instill a sense of empathy in our students. We want them to know that bullying of any kind won’t be tolerated.”
“They take their direction from you, and I believe you’re leading them in the right direction.”
She grimaced. “Not everyone feels that way.”
“What do you mean?”
She told her about the problems with the daycare she was trying to set up. “It looks like I could be heading into a fight. Can I count on your support?”
“Of course,” Maureen said without hesitation. “I believe the whole community has to work together to give our kids what they need.”
“I appreciate that.” She wished everyone in town felt that way. “I hear Paige is doing really well academically this year,” Julia said.
Maureen’s smile was wide and proud. “She is, especially in maths and sciences. She had some trouble with calculus at the beginning of the year, but we were able to find a tutor online who’s helped her tremendously. She’s determined to get top marks her last two years of high school so she can get into a veterinary medicine program.”
“I’m sure she’ll succeed.” Calculus. Ralph Sykes’ subject. It said a lot about his skill as a teacher, or lack thereof, that a talented, motivated student like Paige Bennett had to seek outside help to get her through the course. How did less academically gifted students fare in his class? She made a mental note to find out.
“Like I said, I don’t want to keep you from your dinner, and I should probably get back to work myself. I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am about my girls’ school experience this year.”
Julia reached for her hand. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear it.”
They went back into the restaurant, and Jill, Maggie’s business partner, brought coffee for her and Tracy and a glass of milk for Ava. A few minutes later, the bell over the door tinkled to announce a new arrival, and Julia looked up to see Alex Campbell walk into the restaurant. Their gazes met across the room, and she felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. She blinked and looked away, unwilling to acknowledge her reaction to him.
“Dr. Alex!”
Ava scrambled out of her chair and ran to Alex, launching herself at him. He scooped her up into his arms.
“Hey, here’s my favorite patient.”
“That’s ’cause I’m special, right?”
He grinned and tugged gently on her blonde ponytail. “That’s right, Sweet Pea.”
“My name isn’t Sweet Pea.”
“Really? I could have sworn it was.”
Julia was aware that this little exchange was being watched by everyone in the diner. She was also aware that every woman in the room, no matter how young or how old, had stopped talking to stare at Alex the momen
t he stepped into the diner. With his dark, exotic good looks, he was an extraordinarily handsome man who could command the attention of any woman without even being aware of it.
But right now she was only concerned with the attention he was getting from one female—her daughter. Ava’s usual reserve didn’t seem to apply to Alex. Since their night in the ER she’d known Ava trusted him, but had that trust turned into an attachment? Should she be worried?
Alex tipped his head in greeting, still holding Ava in his arms. “Hi, Tracy, Julia.”
“Why don’t you join us, Alex?” Tracy said.
His gaze met Julia’s, and for a second she thought she saw a flicker of regret. He turned his attention back to Tracy. “Thanks for the offer. Maybe another time. I’ve got a shift at the clinic in Bar Harbor with Dr. Manning tonight. I just stopped by to pick us up some take-out food.”
Jill appeared at his side with a large paper bag. “Here you go, Dr. Campbell. Bon appétit.”
“Thanks, Jill.” Alex turned to Ava, who rested her uninjured arm trustingly across his shoulders. “Sorry, Sweet Pea. I’ve got to run.”
He set her carefully on the floor, and with another nod at Julia and Tracy, he took his bag from Jill and headed with her to the cash register to pay his bill. As he was leaving, Ava called, “Bye, Dr. Alex.”
He lifted his hand in a wave. “Bye, Ava.”
When he’d left the building, Julia turned to Tracy. “What was that about going to the clinic in Bar Harbor tonight?”
“He volunteers at the free clinic there once or twice a month.”
That was news to Julia. Like everyone else in town, she knew he was using his stint in Maine as an opportunity to help pay off his medical school loans. After four years of university to get her teaching degree, she knew how quickly student debt could add up, and how difficult it was to pay off. It was part of the reason she and Russ had gone to Thailand. She also knew how difficult it could be to attract doctors and other medical professionals to a small place like Lobster Cove. So she had no problem with the Island Health Board making their offer to him. What surprised her was that he would offer his services gratis at the free clinic.
One More Second Chance Page 5