“That’s true.” In the dim room, with just the two of them, Emily finally admitted the truth. “I’m so tired. I know that if I don’t get help with my practice, I’m going to burn out. It’s too much.”
“No one can keep up with that amount of work. And here’s what bothers me. I remember the girl you were and I see the woman you are now. I can tell how much you still love horses, photography and, apparently, plunging into swamps in pursuit of injured eagles. I want you to have time to be you, in all those different ways. You’re a great veterinarian. But is that all you want to be?”
Tears were welling up in her eyes and that was a disaster because she’d put on mascara tonight. She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a cocktail napkin.
“You’re crying?” Wes looked worried. “I’m sorry. I get my boot wedged in my mouth when I’m around you.”
“It’s not that. It’s that you’re being so nice.” Why was she getting so emotional? People were nice to her all the time. This was Shelter Creek, after all.
“Oh.” Wes picked up his chair and scooted it next to hers. “It’s a good kind of cry.” He draped an arm over the back of her chair and patted his shoulder. “You can cry right here if you want.”
She smacked him gently on the spot he’d indicated. “I’m not that teary.” But she rested her head on his shoulder for a moment and leaned into him. How long had it been since she’d let anyone carry any of her weight?
His arm came around her back. “This is how I wish it could be,” he murmured.
Emily wished it, too. But could she let herself fall for him again? The bliss of being close to him like this gave a hint at the pain she’d feel if he went away. He said he was back here to stay, but was it true? She pictured the simple silver promise ring he’d given her, the summer before senior year, still tucked away in the back of her jewelry box at home. The twining silver strands were supposed to represent the way their lives would weave together. He’d had a good reason to leave, but still, that ring represented a promise he hadn’t kept.
“Hey,” Wes whispered. “I hear music starting up. How about we go dance? This is our prom, after all.”
“I’d like that.” Emily stood and straightened her dress. She didn’t want to think about broken promises or wishes that came with risks. She just wanted to enjoy this night with Wes and not worry about what it meant. He held out his hand and she took it, relishing the feel of his fingers wrapped tightly around hers. They made their way through the crowds, stopping to say hello to the people they knew, until they finally found the source of the music. A big band was playing swing music in the vast ballroom, and couples were filling up the parquet dance floor. “Do you know how to dance like this?” she asked.
“Nope,” Wes said. “We’ll just have to make it up.” He took her in his arms and they swayed to the music, keeping their feet in time with the quick rhythm. Being in his arms was exactly what she needed, the rippling, rocking music making it impossible not to move. “Look at us.” Wes lifted his arm so she could turn under it. “We’re dancing.”
“We make a good team, don’t we?” Emily said when he pulled her back in close.
Wes grinned and spun her around. “I agree. You’re my perfect partner. Thank you for giving me the chance.”
Eva danced by with the owner of the one law firm in Shelter Creek and gave Emily a knowing smile. “Looking good, you two,” she said before her partner whirled her away.
“Those ladies in your book club seem like they know how to have fun,” Wes said.
Emily smiled at him. “Yes they do. Stick around Shelter Creek long enough and they’ll drag you into some of their antics.” She glanced around. Vivian was dancing with Jace on the other side of the dance floor. Trisha was sitting at a cocktail table with Liam, Annie Brooks and her husband, Juan Alvaro. Jade and Aidan were sitting at another table, talking with Caleb. The dance floor was packed. Everyone had come out tonight to support the wildlife center.
Just then Emily caught sight of Maya hurrying toward them, cutting through the chaos of the dancers, a serious look on her face. Wes must have noticed it, too, because he stopped abruptly and tightened his arms around Emily, as if he could protect her from whatever had put the tears on Maya’s cheeks.
“Emily, it’s your father. He’s having trouble with his heart again. An ambulance is on its way.”
Emily clung tightly to Wes as the room lurched around her. “Where is he?”
“There’s a small room near the front door. Let me show you.”
Wes kept a supportive arm around Emily’s back as they followed Maya through the crowd to a lounge across from the parlor with the bar. Her father was slumped in a love seat, his tie loosened. Her mother was pressing a damp cloth to his forehead. The fear in her eyes chilled Emily to her bones. She put a hand on her mother’s arm. “Did you give him aspirin?”
“Yes, honey. Dr. Corbin is here tonight and he’s been helping us out. He’ll be right back. He’s just on the phone conferring with dispatch.”
Her father waved Emily over and she knelt at his side and took his hand. “You look so pretty. I’m sorry to ruin your prom night.”
“No, Dad, don’t worry about it.” Emily could see beads of sweat at her father’s temple but his hand felt cold and clammy. “We’ve had a great prom, haven’t we, Wes?”
“Absolutely.” Wes knelt next to her and put his hand over hers and her father’s. “Don’t worry about a thing, Tom. I can hear the ambulance now. They’re going to give you the help you need and get you all fixed up again.”
Wes was right. The siren was getting louder. Her father put his free hand over Wes’s. “You take care of my girls, okay? If something happens to me, you’ll look out for Emily and Meg?”
“I will always look out for them,” Wes promised him. “But I know nothing is going to happen to you. The doctors sorted you out last time and they’re going to do it again.”
The ambulance stopped out front and, mercifully, cut its siren. Two paramedics bustled in with a stretcher. They helped her dad stand and loaded him on, ignoring his grumbling that he didn’t need a stretcher and could walk on his own. Emily took her mother’s hand. “Do you want me to ride with Dad?”
“No, I’ll go.” Her mother squeezed her fingers tightly. “He’ll just give everyone a hard time if I’m not there.”
“We’ll follow you,” Wes told her. “We’ll see you at the hospital.”
Wes kept a firm arm around Emily as the paramedics lifted her father’s stretcher and carried him to the ambulance. Emily watched as her mother climbed in after him. She leaned on Wes, grateful for his support. Her legs were shaking. Her hands were shaking.
“Take some deep breaths,” Wes murmured in her ear. “Try to stay calm. There is a lot doctors can do to help people with heart trouble. Have faith they’ll be able to fix whatever is going wrong.”
Emily hung on tightly to his words and his strength as he wrapped his suit jacket around her shoulders and walked her to his truck.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
EMILY TWISTED THE handle of her purse between anxious fingers as Wes pulled into the parking lot of the hospital in Santa Rosa. He found a space in the crowded emergency room parking lot and reached for her hand, stilling her fidgeting. “It’s going to be okay. Your dad is a tough guy.”
She wanted to believe him. But she couldn’t stop one thought from taking over all others. “He’s already had surgery. That was supposed to take care of everything. What’s gone wrong?”
“Doctors aren’t perfect. Maybe they missed something. But that isn’t a reason to panic, okay? Let’s just take this one moment at a time. Your dad is getting help right now. That’s what matters.”
Wes was right, she had to stay calm. But a voice in her head kept asking, Why now? Why again?
“Come here.” Wes held out his arm and she unhooked her seat belt and
snuggled in under it. His other hand crossed her body to pull her close. He was warm and solid and he smelled delicious. Emily let herself relax her cheek against his chest. How long had it been since anyone had held her like this? Only now, with Wes to lean on, did she realize just how long she’d been alone. He brushed his lips over the top of her head. “I’ve got you, Emily. And I won’t let you go until you tell me you’ve had enough.”
There might never be enough. She knew that now. Wes had captured her heart when she was sixteen years old and despite her efforts, she’d never broken free. Emily tightened her arms around him and closed her eyes, inhaling his strength, the calm center of him. This must be what horses felt around him. That deep knowledge that as long as this man was here, everything was going to be okay.
“We should go in.” She reluctantly let go and pulled his suit jacket more closely around her shoulders.
He nodded, still looking at her intently. “You’re the strongest person I know, Em. You can do this.” He got out of the truck and came around to her door. When he opened it, he offered his hand and she took it. His firm grip on her fingers, his calm presence reminded her that she had to be strong. She had to be steady to support her father and mother.
The neon light of the emergency room lobby cast everything in stark, cool reality. This was where life and death happened and she didn’t know which one her father might face.
“Remember, your dad got help right away.” Wes let go of her hand to put his arm around her shoulders and pull her into his side for a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll bet the doctors will fix him right up.”
Her mother was huddled in a blue plastic chair in the far corner of the waiting area. She looked up when Emily and Wes approached, and dabbed at the corner of her eye with a tissue. “He’s doing okay. He stayed conscious through the whole ride. They’re giving him some tests right now.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Emily sat next to her mom and put her arms around her. “That’s good news.”
“Yes, it is.” Her mother’s voice grew more brisk. “And I’ll have a few words for him when this is over. He took on way too much in the garden today, insisting on digging up some beds for early planting.”
Emily released her mother from her embrace. “Mom, please call me next time. I can do that kind of stuff for him.”
“And I’ll be happy to lend a hand anytime.” Wes sat on the chair next to Emily. “He doesn’t need to do those projects by himself.”
“That’s very kind of you both.” Meg gave a little shiver. “I just hope he’s going to be okay.”
“I’m sure he will.” Emily repeated what Wes had said to her earlier. “Dad is a tough guy.” She put her hand over her mother’s. “You’re cold.”
“A cardigan sweater isn’t quite warm enough for an ambulance ride,” Meg said. “But I’ll warm up.”
Emily glanced down at Wes’s jacket, wrapped around her shoulders. “Mom, take this. I rode here in a heated truck.”
Wes stood. “I’ll go see if I can round up a couple blankets.”
Meg smiled faintly. “Weston Marlow, you’ve grown up to be quite the gentleman.”
He smiled at her. “I learned any good manners I have from you.”
Emily draped the jacket over her mom’s shoulders and watched Wes walk over to the front desk to speak with the receptionist. Her mother squeezed her hand.
“He’s become a lovely man. You two looked so gorgeous together tonight. I’m sorry your special date was spoiled.”
That was so like her mother, to worry about Emily’s evening even when she had a more serious concern to contend with. “Please don’t worry. We had a nice time and now we’re happy to be here to support you and Dad. Where else would we be?”
“I know, of course you should be here.” Her mom sighed. “I just want you both to be happy. And it seems like you could be happy together.”
Emily sat bolt upright as her mother’s words sank in. “Mom! We’re not dating. We’re just…I don’t know…making peace with each other. And considering working together. Tonight was just…” She trailed off. It had felt awfully romantic. “Tonight was just us trying to become friends again.”
“Well, it seems like you are starting a nice friendship, then.”
Wes was walking their way with two pale blue blankets. “These don’t really match your outfits,” he said, handing one to each of them. “But they’ll help keep you warm while you’re waiting. Also the woman at the desk says there is coffee downstairs. Can I get you both a cup?”
“That would be really nice,” Meg said. When Wes left, she turned to Emily with a gentle smile. “I understand that you are just friends, but a lot of people would say he’s quite a catch.”
“I’m sure he is, Mom, but I don’t think he’s my catch. No matter how nice he is now, I keep thinking about how he didn’t ever get in touch with me. How can I be with someone who so easily went fifteen years without knowing if I was okay?” She helped her mother arrange the blanket over her lap. “I want something like what you and Dad have. You’ve always been so happy together. I want to be in love like that.”
Her mother pressed her lips together and patted Emily’s hand. “Honey, that’s what we have now, after decades together. It wasn’t always like that. Certainly not in the beginning.”
“What do you mean?” Emily had heard the story of how her parents met, at a dance in San Francisco. It all seemed very romantic.
“Well, we met at a dance, as you know. But your father lived here, in Shelter Creek. He was only at that dance because he was visiting his cousin Martin at the time. After we met and spent the whole evening dancing together, I left on a cloud, convinced I’d found the man I’d marry someday.”
“And that’s what happened, right?”
Her mom shook her head. “Not exactly. It turned out your father already had a girlfriend, and it took him a while to decide that he wanted to end it with her. I didn’t hear anything from him for a few months.”
“That scoundrel!” Emily put an arm around her mom. “He should have dumped her immediately and married you.”
“That would have been nice. But we lived far apart. It made things complicated. And the woman he was dating is a lovely person. It was hard for him to end things, even though he felt strongly that I was the one for him.”
Emily nodded, trying to reconcile this fickle young man with the steadfast father she knew now. “Who was this woman?”
“Your friend from book club. Kathy Wallace.”
“Kathy?” Emily gaped at her mother. “No way.”
“He broke her heart, I’m afraid.” Her mother’s cheeks flushed a little pink. “You can see why I don’t accept your offers to attend that book club.”
“But it was so long ago,” Emily said.
“I think it would be easier if Kathy had married. But she never did. I’ve always wondered why.”
“Well, now you’ve got me wondering, too.” Emily gave her mother a gentle nudge with her elbow. “Thanks for that.”
Her mom’s attention had drifted. A doctor came through the doors and into the waiting room. Meg reached for Emily’s hand. The doctor looked around and then called out someone else’s name. Meg let out a long, shaky breath.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m sure someone will tell us something soon.”
“I know. It’s just that five minutes feels like an hour when I’m sitting here. Anyway.” Meg squeezed Emily’s hand once and then let it go. “All I’m saying is that just because a relationship starts out complicated, doesn’t mean it isn’t right. Sometimes people have things they need to figure out first.”
Emily eyed her mother skeptically. “So does that mean you jumped into Dad’s arms the moment he finally called you?”
It was good to see the hint of mischief in her mother’s smile. “Are you kidding me? I made him wait a few months more bef
ore I’d go out with him.”
This was a side of her mother Emily had never seen. “You took revenge.”
“There was some of that, yes. But more than that, I had to make sure I’d forgiven him for disappearing like that. If I hadn’t tried to understand why, and forgiven him, what was the point of even trying to date him?”
“Ah.” That was the lesson here. “Have you forgiven Wes for running away? For worrying you and Dad so much?”
“I think so,” her mother said. “Now that I know why he left, it all makes more sense. But I think there’s a difference between us. I wasn’t angry with him for leaving the way he did. I was worried and afraid for his safety, but I wasn’t angry. I think, for you, his leaving hurt more because you were young, and you were in love with him.”
Of course her mom knew. She’d probably always known. “Yes. I was. And I thought he loved me back.”
“I’m sure he did.” Meg nodded toward Wes, who was approaching with two steaming paper cups. “And from the way he looked at you tonight during those photos, I’m pretty sure he still does.”
Emily’s stomach twisted into even more knots. “I don’t know. It’s so complicated between us.”
Emily’s mom pulled out her phone. “I’m going to text these photos to you. You take a look at them. It sure looks simple to me.”
Wes arrived with the coffee. “They actually had a café cart open, so you’re spared that stuff that comes out of the vending machines.” He handed Emily a cup. “Cream and one sugar for you. Meg, I didn’t know your preference so I got you coffee with cream the way you used to like it.”
“And I still do. Thank you, Wes.”
“Mrs. Fielding?”
They all froze. Emily’s mother rose, coffee cup clutched between both hands, her blanket falling at her feet. “That’s me.”
The young woman in purple scrubs smiled. She had black hair pulled back in a ponytail and flawless skin. “I’m Dr. Adams, the cardiac surgeon. Your husband is going to need a stent put in tonight.”
“Will he be okay?”
Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set Page 16