Prescriptions and Promises

by Jessica Matthews

  Regardless, if he didn’t call a halt to this, he’d reach the point of no return. Reluctantly, he cooled his jets and shifted position. Jenny’s dazed and bewildered expression was worth more to him than if he’d been offered a new addition to Springwater’s fifteen-bed hospital with all the latest equipment money could buy.

  Jenny stared at Noah, surprised at how quickly passion had flared between them. She’d intended her kiss to be platonic, a sign of appreciation. Instead, she’d been swept away in a flash flood of desire.

  Aware of her arms still entwined around his neck, of her fingers toying with his hair, she stilled her hands. Part of her wanted to jump out of his embrace and pretend this had never happened. The other part wanted to revel in the experience and prolong it for another eight hours. She’d kissed a fair number of men in her lifetime, but those encounters seemed like the moves of a fumbling adolescent in comparison.

  The questions plaguing her earlier in the day now seemed answered. Their relationship had proceeded to a new level, although she was still hesitant to categorize her feelings as ‘love.’ Regardless, her actions would set the tone for the future and, oh, how she wanted to consider a future!

  She chose to acknowledge the magnetism between them rather than ignore it.

  Stroking the back of his neck, she asked, ‘So tell me how a man who packs such a powerful kiss is still unmarried?’

  A lazy grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and his eyes sparkled behind his lenses. ‘No fair, asking questions.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I haven’t lost tonight’s game.’

  She was incredulous. Her knees were too shaky and she certainly wasn’t in the right frame of mind to do justice to her sport. ‘Do you still want to play?’

  ‘I’m willing to call a tie if you are.’

  ‘OK.’

  One eyebrow lifted and he tightened his hold as if he’d expected her to run, both physically and emotionally. ‘And we both ask questions?’

  Jenny nodded, aware that her decision had lifted the unspoken limits each had imposed. Tonight’s discussion would explore deeply personal topics—sensitive subjects that she didn’t want to touch with the proverbial ten-foot pole. Yet maybe it was time to clear the air.

  ‘For the record,’ he began quietly, ‘the bride left him at the altar.’

  Stunned, she let her hands drop to his biceps as she took a step back, pleased at how he allowed her the distance but didn’t relinquish contact. ‘She left you?’

  He shrugged. ‘Yeah. The entire wedding party came down the aisle as the pianist played the entrance song. Instead of Patricia’s father escorting her in, he came alone.’

  ‘How awful.’

  ‘It wasn’t one of the happier days in my life,’ he admitted.

  ‘I don’t imagine it was,’ she said, aware of an ache building in her heart for the shame, disappointment, and rejection he must have felt.

  ‘I should have seen it coming,’ he said. ‘She reminded me of a butterfly, flitting from one thing to another. No matter what it was, school, a job, her apartment, she wasn’t satisfied with it for long. I should have expected to fall in the same category.’

  How shallow, Jenny thought in righteous indignation. She’d love to scold this woman for the prize she’d let slip through her fingers.

  ‘It was a long time ago,’ he said. ‘And best forgotten.’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ she agreed, although she wondered if he’d truly forgotten or was simply trying to convince himself. From the way he’d reacted so strongly when she’d originally announced her plans to go out of business, she suspected that the wound of rejection hadn’t fully healed. To Noah, promises were like rules—they weren’t made to be broken, even if there were times when a broken promise worked out for the best.

  Even if the broken promise saved him from an unsuitable marriage.

  ‘Better luck next time.’

  ‘Maybe,’ he said, his tone noncommittal. ‘But I doubt there will be a next time.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘If I choose to marry, we’re going to elope.’

  ‘What if she wants the works? It’s her ceremony, too.’

  He shrugged. ‘I’m not planning on getting married, so it’s a moot point.’

  It didn’t make sense, but his entire attitude saddened her. His name evoked biblical images of pairs which his near-constant presence had enhanced over the past few weeks. Apparently her sense of being one-half of a couple was horribly one-sided. The hope of excitement rising within her seemed to wither under his declaration. Her expectations had obviously leapt further ahead than his had. Perhaps she would be wise to approach this in the same, slow manner that he did. After all, she was leaving Springwater. It would be best if neither of them got their emotions tangled up before then. Unfortunately, she was afraid that her decision had come too late.

  He glanced around. ‘Where’s Carrie?’

  ‘Is that your question for the evening?’ she asked innocently, following his lead to drop the subject although she wanted to discuss this further.

  He pulled her close until they were nose to nose. ‘Not on your life,’ he said, his growl plainly all show and no substance.

  Jenny didn’t think she’d slip past his turn so easily, but it had been worth a try. ‘She’s at Miranda’s house. She’ll be home some time this evening.’

  ‘Do we have time to go out to eat?’ he asked.

  ‘Not really. She’s supposed to be home by seven and it’s already six-fifteen. How about a BLT?’

  ‘Bacon-lettuce-tomato. My favorite,’ he said. ‘What can I do to help?’

  Letting him go was bittersweet. Jenny would have liked to have remained nestled against him for several more hours, but the prospect of later comforted her.

  She put him to work, slicing the tomatoes, washing the lettuce and toasting the bread while she microwaved the bacon and prepared a pitcher of peach-flavored iced tea.

  Later, while they were eating, she posed the question she’d tried to ask before his kiss had sidetracked her. ‘Why did Herb say those things if they weren’t true? What would he gain?’

  ‘It’s hard to say. It sounds more like sour grapes on his part.’

  ‘I’m sorry Uncle Earl didn’t leave a portion of his business to him but, taking his frustrations out on me, it won’t change a thing.’

  ‘No,’ Noah said, ‘But you’re here and Earl isn’t.’

  ‘So I’m the scapegoat.’

  ‘Exactly. He knows better than to spread gossip about Earl now. Herb may be working in Hays, but he still lives in Springwater. People won’t tolerate anyone who tarnishes Earl’s memory.’

  Jenny certainly hoped so. She bore responsibility for a lot of things in her life, and she’d hate to add ruining her uncle’s reputation to the list.

  Her choice of the word ‘ruin’ sparked a new worry. After their high-voltage kiss, Noah wouldn’t look favorably on her news of two possible replacements. And that certainly wasn’t the sort of news she could keep from him. If nothing else, she owed him honesty.

  ‘By the way,’ she said, plunging into her task before she lost her courage, ‘two applications came in yesterday’s mail. Both people have great credentials, so I’ve asked them to come for interviews.’

  Momentary surprise flared in his eyes. ‘Then you’ve given up the idea of completely selling out?’

  ‘I suppose I have,’ she said, somewhat amazed by the turn of events. Selling had been at the top of her list of options, while finding a pharmacist had come in a distant second. Somewhere along the line, probably after she’d incorporated her family’s antiques into the decor and stamped her own personality on the place, her priorities had shifted.

  ‘Why not just stay here yourself?’

  ‘I can’t,’ she said, willing him to understand her position. ‘I have a teaching contract. Even if I wanted to break it, I couldn’t, without paying a huge penalty. I’ve sunk every spare dollar into the phar
macy, so I can’t afford to do that.’

  She had slowly regained her confidence in her abilities, but it was easy to be confident, knowing that teaching acted as her escape hatch. And if the truth were known, she wasn’t convinced that she could handle pharmacy work on a long-term basis.

  He leaned forward and planted his elbows on the table. ‘What if your two applicants don’t work out?’

  She hadn’t let herself dwell on the possibility because she didn’t have a solution figured out for that scenario. ‘I’m keeping my fingers crossed that at least one of them is suitable. I don’t have a lot of time to hold out for someone else. It’s already the end of June, which means I only have about six weeks before I start back for school.’

  ‘I see.’ When he spoke, his tone was deceptively calm. ‘Shall I ask my question before or after we do the dishes?’

  Her smile froze on her face. She sensed the topic was one she’d rather not have discussed but, as much as wanted to, she couldn’t change the rules now.

  She thought about waiting until they’d washed the dishes and stacked them in the cupboards, but she didn’t want to prolong the inevitable.

  Her stomach knotted. ‘Before,’ she replied, striving to present a calm and unruffled demeanor.

  She felt like a specimen under the microscope as he studied her through his glasses.

  ‘Why did you give up everything to become a teacher?’

  Before Jenny could decide where to begin her story, the kitchen door opened and Carrie breezed in, along with a wave of heat.

  ‘I’m home,’ she called, all smiles. ‘Miss me?’

  Jenny felt like a pardoned prisoner. ‘I certainly did. How was your day?’

  ‘Great! Absolutely, positively wonderful. Can I do it again?’

  Jenny was pleased by Carrie’s enthusiasm. At least one of them had enjoyed a carefree eight hours. ‘Sure. Why not?’

  ‘Tomorrow?’ the girl asked.

  ‘Not tomorrow. Maybe toward the end of the week.’

  Noah interrupted. ‘Looks like you soaked up some sun, kiddo.’

  ‘We did,’ Carrie said proudly. ‘We stayed at the pool all afternoon.’

  ‘Your skin looks awfully red,’ Jenny said. ‘Did you wear sunblock?’

  ‘Oh, yes. Miranda’s mom made us.’ Carrie sniffed the air. ‘I smell bacon.’

  ‘We had BLTs. Do you want one?’

  ‘Nah. We already ate. Boy, Miranda has the neatest bedroom. She’s got stars and planets painted on her walls and ceiling. They glow in the dark. Maybe my mom will let me do that, too.’

  Jenny doubted if the decision rested with Susan. The landlord had a lot to say about what the tenants could and couldn’t do and ‘no’ ranked high on his list of favored responses. Since it was easier to have every unit the same in terms of upkeep, his decorating tastes ran along strict generic lines. She didn’t envy Susan the task of breaking the news to her daughter that glow-in-the-dark permanent decorations were forbidden.

  For the next thirty minutes, Carrie chattered non-stop. Jenny exchanged glances with Noah, aware of how patiently he was waiting for the child to wind down from her fun-filled day.

  Just as Jenny was about to send Carrie upstairs to get ready for bed, Noah’s beeper sounded. He read the message display, then borrowed her phone to call the ER. When he returned, he had disappointment written all over his rugged features.

  ‘I’ve got to go,’ he said.

  ‘Anything serious?’

  ‘Seizures in a child.’

  She mentally ran through her list of patrons. ‘It’s not Mary Beth’s son, Luke?’

  ‘No.’

  Although she was glad Mary Beth wasn’t suffering agony right now, she felt sympathy for the unknown parents. ‘I usually don’t go to bed until eleven. If you want to stop by later, I’ll be awake.’

  He stroked the side of her face with an index finger. ‘I want to, very much.’

  ‘I’ll leave the light on,’ she promised.

  Noah’s departure made the house seem lonely, which was ridiculous since Carrie talked continuously about her exciting day.

  For the next few hours Jenny rehearsed her speech, and jumped at the sound of each car driving by. At one point a car door slammed and she peered through the curtains, looking for Noah’s familiar Blazer. However, it had been the neighbors coming home.

  Perhaps he’d decided to maintain his distance now that she’d announced her intent to leave Springwater in six weeks. Maybe the child’s case had been more complicated than expected. That had to be it, she decided. Noah wasn’t the type to give up before he got answers to his questions.

  Time dragged as she tried to second-guess the reasons for his absence. Finally, at eleven-thirty, she ended her lonely vigil. Tomorrow would arrive far too soon in some respects, and too slowly in others.

  The next afternoon, Gloria Patterson, a widow in her early seventies, stood in front of the display of vitamins and minerals, her forehead puckered as she studied each bottle.

  Frustrated by columns of figures which never added up to the same amount, Jenny gratefully abandoned her ledgers in favor of her customer. ‘May I help you?’ she asked.

  ‘I certainly hope so,’ Mrs Patterson said tartly. ‘Dr Ingram wants me to take Vitamin B12, but I don’t see it on the shelf.’

  ‘B12 is a prescription drug and is given as an injection.’

  ‘Injection?’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Are you sure? He didn’t say anything about that.’

  ‘Did he give you a prescription?’ Jenny asked.

  Her hands crippled with arthritis, Mrs Patterson pulled a scrap of paper out of her purse. ‘No. He just wrote the name down and said I needed this.’

  The words ‘Vitamin B12’ were scrawled on a plain piece of paper, like one might use for a grocery list.

  ‘I wanted to show it to my daughter. She’s a nurse, you know. Checks out everything I take. Can’t be too careful these days. Doctors want to give you a pill for everything, even if you don’t need it.’

  ‘That’s nice you have someone who can explain the medications to you,’ Jenny said. More likely, Mrs Patterson’s daughter had to persuade the woman to take her pills. ‘But that vitamin isn’t available over the counter like the others. Did Dr Ingram say you had to come back again?’

  ‘Next month.’

  ‘Did he mention anything about getting a shot?’ Jenny asked.

  ‘Oh, I got one today. I just thought I’d stop in and see if I could buy this for myself. Doctors charge so much for things these days.’

  ‘Unfortunately, that particular vitamin can’t be purchased as an oral medication.’

  Gloria lifted a vial of B6. ‘Now why can’t I just take two of these? Two B6s should add up to one B12.’

  Jenny smiled. ‘I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. They are two different vitamins because their chemical make-up is different.’ She wondered if she should tell her the scientific names of pyridoxine and cobalamin, then decided against it. Mrs Patterson wasn’t interested in a biochemistry lecture.

  Gloria sniffed, as if she didn’t believe Jenny’s explanation. Jenny hoped her daughter—the nurse—could get through to her since she herself could not.

  ‘If you ask me, it’s a racket. Pure and simple.’

  ‘Maybe Dr Ingram will write an order so you can purchase the vial and your daughter can give you the injection.’

  Gloria’s gaze sharpened. ‘Really?’

  ‘Of course. It’s done all the time.’

  ‘Then I’m going back over there right now,’ she declared. ‘I see the doctor often enough as it is, without going for something like this, too. I’ll be back, or my name isn’t Gloria Patterson.’

  Jenny watched the lady leave. As determined as Gloria was, she wouldn’t rest until she’d arranged the situation to suit herself.

  For the next hour, she helped one man—a golfer—find an allergy product for his hay fever, cautioned a woman to drink lots of fluids while she took a s
ulfa derivative for a urinary tract infection, and assisted an elderly lady with finding the right heating pad.

  Just as she rang up the last sale, a young man in his early twenties, wearing dusty overalls and sporting grease under his fingernails, walked in and headed for the opposite end of the store.

  Jenny handed the package to Mrs Stafford and watched the fellow out of the corner of one eye. ‘Thanks for coming by.’

  As soon as the lady left, Jenny went over to offer her assistance. ‘May I help you find something.’

  He rose from his search of the lower shelves, his face as red as a cherry tomato. ‘I’m looking for a box of…’ He mumbled his last word.

  ‘Pardon me?’ she asked, trying to figure out what he was looking for.

  ‘Condoms. I want a box of condoms.’

  Obviously he wasn’t accustomed to making such a purchase. ‘Right around the corner,’ she said in her most professional voice, as if they were discussing the location of aspirin. The naughty thought of him paying Ms Rose Budd a visit came to mind, but she quickly pushed it aside. What he did on his own time was his own business.

  Taking pity on him for being so ill at ease, she slid the box of twelve into a brown paper bag, before taking his money and sending him on his way.

  Noah called a few minutes later to prescribe an antibiotic for one of his young patients. ‘Do you have any earplugs to fit a five-year-old?’

  ‘Yes, I believe I do.’

  ‘Good,’ he said. ‘According to her mother, Ariel gets swimmer’s ear every year, so I’ve recommended buying a set.’

  ‘I’ll have them ready in case she asks for them,’ Jenny promised.

  His tone became less businesslike. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t make it back last night. I ended up seeing three of my patients instead of one.’

  ‘I understand,’ she said. Doctors’ hours weren’t always nine to five, even in a small town. ‘How’s the seizure patient?’