“What about breakfast? You want me to bring something there?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I don’t want you to come near here. I have four patients with a stomach virus, puking all over the place. You could catch it.”
“What if you catch it?” She needed to take better care of herself.
“I’ll be fine,” she replied. “Come to think of it, I do have a big guy here who says he has a transmitter in his rectum that was implanted by aliens. You want to help dig that out?”
“You are kidding, aren’t you?” he asked tentatively.
She laughed. “Well, you wouldn’t believe what people stick up there.”
“I do not want to know. That’s information I can live without.”
She laughed again. He liked the sound of her laughter. He realized he had not heard it often enough.
“I guess I’ll see if Truman wants to play some golf.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she said. “Catch you later.”
And he thought he was a workaholic.
While he was taking a shower and getting dressed, he decided Marla was going to take a vacation whether she liked it or not, and he was going to have exclusive access to her.
He tapped his phone and said, “Call Jacob Damaire.”
The hotel manager answered immediately. “Mr. Blackwell, what can I do for you?”
“I need a yacht.”
* * *
That afternoon Marla left her sanctuary. The infirmary represented all that was secure and familiar to her. It was the first place she’d gone this morning after waking up in Carson’s bed. She had not wanted to think about the future and what trauma lay ahead for her.
For a while, the practice of medicine had monopolized her thoughts. She had stepped into the role of a mentor. Kevin had actually seen and treated the patients while she offered her insight. Of course, all the illnesses were minor in nature.
There were a few who needed to follow up with their physician, and she explained to Kevin the underlying conditions that might exist. It had been a thoughtful exchange between student and teacher. Mostly, she was glad to focus on someone else’s problems while dismissing her own troubles.
Yet she knew she needed help.
She needed a good friend to see her through this. She checked the time. In Lafayette Falls, it would only be nine o’clock at night. Kayla would still be up.
The small garden at the hotel provided her with a quiet place to make a private telephone call. She settled on a bench inside one of the gazebos. Hidden beneath floppy elephant ear plants, white hibiscus bushes, and climbing bougainvillea, she waited for Kayla to answer.
“How’s paradise?” Kayla said.
“Have you got time to talk? Doctor to patient?” she added, letting Kayla know that was not a casual call.
“Yeah. Sure,” Kayla replied, losing her cheerful tone. “Are you all right?”
“No.”
“Marla? What’s going on?”
She forced out her words. “I’ve been living a lie for a long time. I know I have to fix it, but I know nothing will ever be the same and that scares me to death. Every time I think about it, I break out in a cold sweat.”
“Listen, there’s nothing that can’t be fixed,” Kayla reassured her. “It may not be as bad as you think.”
“Ben isn’t Sophie’s father,” Marla blurted out.
“Oh my God,” Kayla gasped.
“I’ve never told anyone. Not even my parents. No one knows. I buried the truth when I found out I was pregnant.”
Silence followed and Marla knew she’d stunned her best friend. “Kayla?”
“Yeah. I’m processing.” Kayla let out a breath. “Okay. Does Ben know?”
“Yes. He knows he’s not her biological father,” Marla answered. “I had been seeing Ben for a couple of weeks when I found out I was pregnant.” She struggled with her explanation. “Earlier in the summer, I’d had an affair. Just a fling. Nothing serious at all. Then it was over and I needed to put it behind me. I started seeing Ben because I wanted to forget the other guy.”
“That’s the classic thing women do.” Kayla offered her support. “I’d do it.”
“It seemed like the right thing to do. I knew Ben loved me, and I wanted to fall in love with him. He was the perfect guy. We’d known each other all our lives. We loved medicine. We had the same goals. It should have worked.”
“Sometimes that doesn’t happen.”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I spiraled into a depression, and I felt like there was no hope. I didn’t think I could make through a residency program. Not with a baby to take care of.
“I thought everything was over. I’d never be a doctor, and I knew that would kill my parents. You know, they were so proud of me. No one in my family had ever become a doctor. I started falling apart and Ben insisted we get married.
“He wouldn’t let me give up. He said we could make it together with a baby. Ben saved me, but I don’t know that I deserved it.”
“Marla, don’t beat yourself up about that,” Kayla said. “Ben didn’t have to marry you. That was his choice.”
“He was hoping I would fall in love with him, but instead, he fell out of love with me. It was never meant to be.” She sighed. “Despite everything, he’s always been there for Sophie. He’s the only father she knows and she loves her daddy. I don’t want that to change.”
Kayla was quiet for a moment. “What about Sophie’s biological father?”
“I know I have to tell him about her,” Marla wailed. “I thought about it last night. I have to do it because I know now that a child would be important to him.”
“Marla, is it the rich guy? Blackwell?”
“Yes,” Marla answered in a small voice. Then she told Kayla about the trip to Carson’s house when she had found out she was pregnant. “I had planned to tell him then, but the house was like a fortress. Kayla, I ran and a part of me has been running ever since,” she confessed. “I’ve had nightmares about Sophie being locked away behind those gates. He can hire the best attorneys in the country. I won’t stand a chance in a custody battle with him. I don’t have that kind of money. I didn’t have it back when I found out I was pregnant, and I don’t have it now.”
“Do you think he’d sue you for custody?”
“Definitely.” She thought back to Noah and Ella Warren’s father who had faced Carson’s wrath for neglecting his children. “He’ll take me to court and he won’t give up until he wins.” Tears flooded her eyes. “Sophie is my life. I can’t imagine losing her.”
“Listen, you aren’t going to lose Sophie. There’s no way that will happen,” Kayla said. “You’re the custodial parent and Ben has rights, too. As long as you’re willing to agree on visitation, the judge should rule in your favor.”
“You sound like a lawyer.”
“I’m not, but my dad is. Remember? He’s one of Nashville’s top attorneys. Total badass in court,” Kayla said. “And he’s big on helping single moms since he was raised by one.”
“I wish I could talk to him. I think it’d make me feel better.” She felt like a patient facing the unknown. Reassurance from a professional would be a good thing.
“I’ll call him tonight and tell him you need to see him.” Kayla got right on it. “You want to meet with him on Monday?”
“Yeah.” Marla rubbed her chest. “I think my heart rate is like two hundred.”
“Just calm down and breathe deeply. We’ll pretend you’re in labor, and you’re giving birth to a soap opera.”
Marla smiled. Sometimes a ray of light came from unexpected places.
“Hold it together and don’t say anything until you talk to my dad. I do know that when it comes down to the legal system, you never talk and if you do, it’s deny, deny, deny. Of course, that’s if you’re arrested, but same difference, you know.”
“I’ve already decided I’m not going to say anything while we’re here. I want to wait until I’m home.” Sh
e wanted to be home. Be on familiar ground in Lafayette Falls and surrounded by her support system of family and friends. “I asked him last night if he’d come to Royal Oaks in a couple of weeks. I thought that’d be a good place for him and Sophie to meet.”
“That’s a great plan. By then, you will have my dad in your corner, too. I’ll text you after I talk to him.”
“Okay,” Marla said. “I feel better now.”
“Just call me Doctor Phil.” Kayla chuckled. “Talk to you later.”
Marla checked the messages on her phone. Her family was en route home from the Gulf Coast. Earlier in the day, she’d talked to Sophie, who had told her all about seagulls and sand castles. She had messages from Nolana and Christy, who were looking forward to her homecoming and hearing all about the trip, and Dr. Hughes had sent her a medical cartoon of an overworked doctor. She hoped to fill his shoes someday. Be the kind of doctor who had spanned decades and never lost the love of medicine.
She left the garden, lighthearted and hopeful and making plans. Once she met with Kayla’s father, she would know what legal options were available to her. She would need to explain things to her parents. She would probably need to revive them afterward. Plus she’d also have to talk to Ben, who would be reasonable as long as Sophie’s best interests were protected.
She would simply tell Sophie that she was going to have two daddies now. Sophie would understand that. She had two mommies now. Ben’s wife was Mommy Kelly. And since she had two mommies, it would be great fun to have two daddies as well.
The first thing Marla noticed when she walked into the penthouse was a large bouquet of red roses on the coffee table. Greenery and white baby’s breath were mingled with two dozen roses. A card addressed to her leaned against the crystal vase.
“How beautiful!” She gently touched one of the delicate petals as she inhaled the sweet fragrance of the flowers. You know how to win a girl over.
“Carson,” she called, but there was no answer. She reached for the card and ran her fingers over the envelope. She liked that he had left her a card. In a world of text messages and emails, hand-written words were unique and cards you could treasure forever.
She opened the envelope, withdrew the card, and smiled. On the front, a beautiful supermoon hung over the ocean. Moonlight washed over the dark waves. Inside the card, Carson had written:
Pack an overnight bag and meet me at the Flamingo.
We’re gonna find out if the lunar effect is for real.
She laughed as she recalled their conversation last night. She responded with a text message: Sounds crazy! Just like us. Will be there shortly.
She headed for the bathroom where she showered and went through the primping routine. After she had finished with her hair and makeup, she reached for the dreadful cologne that he found so erotic. She held her breath as she dabbed here and there and everywhere.
What a girl won’t do for love.
She decided to wear the black silk slip dress he’d bought her along with a tropical-print shawl she had purchased on the island. With her essentials crammed into her tote bag, she headed downstairs to the Flamingo Bar and Lounge.
Dressed in black pants and a white polo shirt, Carson stood at the bar, drinking a margarita. She sidled up to him and pressed her back against the bar.
“Hey, handsome, looking for some company?”
He grinned. “You’re wearing the cologne.”
“I charge by the hour.”
He pinned her with a ravenous gaze that made her pulse quicken. Then he reached for her hand. “Let’s go. The Love Boat’s waiting.”
Chapter 17
The Love Boat was actually a two-hundred-foot white yacht named the Water Lily that Carson had chartered for a cruise around the island. Marla remained restrained as the captain gave them a tour of the elegant ship. She nodded and smiled as they walked through the floating palace.
Not once did she gape and gasp. Not outwardly. But her thoughts were a different story as they walked through the main salon where gleaming dark oak panels added contrast to the light neutral tones of the furniture and carpet.
Oh my God! Look at this! A staircase. A baby grand piano. A chandelier.
The stateroom featured a king-size bed encased in dark cherry, side windows with a view of the ocean and tiny spotlights, like stars, scattered across the ceiling. Stunning photographs of tropical water lilies graced the walls.
You could live on this ship. Wow! The bathroom is gorgeous. A separate formal dining room. A gym. No way! And my brother thinks his new pontoon boat is fancy.
She followed Carson and the captain outside to what he called the aft deck. Half the deck was a covered area featuring a curved wet bar with stools and a Jacuzzi. Beyond the shade was the sun deck portion where one could soak up rays on chaise lounges.
The captain gave them an itinerary of their cruise. They would be sailing along the south shore of the island tonight and tomorrow they would cruise past the Na Pali coast and then return to Hanalei Bay. “Time to get underway,” he said, and he left them on the aft deck.
As the waves slapped against the side of the yacht, Carson hooked his arm around her waist. “What do you think of the Love Boat?”
“I think I could live on it.”
“Okay,” he agreed. He pressed his lips against her ear. “I’ll have the captain sail us off into the sunset.”
Wouldn’t that be grand? Just sail off into the sunset and forget everything. Who hadn’t longed to do that? Run away from life?
Carson kissed her beneath her ear and inhaled. He inhaled again and she drew her brows together. “Are you sniffing me?”
“You smell so good.” He buried his nose against her neck.
“Should I start calling you Fido?”
He laughed. A deep genuine laugh that came from deep inside him. He had laughed like that at Royal Oaks when they had been just two lovers letting the good times roll. She had missed his laugh and she knew the day would come when she’d miss his laugh again.
But that day was not now.
She and Carson spent the evening on the deck. She was enthralled by the sunset over the ocean. It was the most beautiful sunset she’d ever witnessed. Where the sky and the ocean met, a spacious canvas of gold, orange, and red provided a vivid backdrop for a large glowing sun. She had used her phone camera to try to capture it, but no pictures could do it justice.
Her delight with the sunset passed when she saw a shark fin surface in the water. She backed away from the side of the yacht in a panic. “There’s a shark out there.”
Stretched out on the chaise lounge, Carson smiled. “Yeah. There are sharks in the water. Especially in the evenings.”
She let out a little shriek and ran from the sundeck to the covered portion of the aft deck. At the curved wet bar, she sat on a stool while Carson rolled with laughter.
“Marla, it’s not like Jaws is gonna jump onboard and grab you.”
“A shark is a shark,” she replied. “I don’t want them any closer than necessary.”
“Bring me a beer.”
“You come and get it.”
He groaned as he stood. At the bar, he opened a bottle of beer and sipped the fizz. “Are you scared of dolphins, too?”
“No. Of course not. Dolphins are sweet. I’m all about dolphins.”
“Good.” He sat beside her at the bar. “We’ll probably see some spinner dolphins tomorrow morning while we’re on the west side of the island. Wait till you see them. They jump out of the water and spin. It’s almost like they’re putting on a show. I love watching them.”
She smiled. “I can’t wait. I’m glad you thought of this. Taking a cruise.”
“I wanted some quality time, Doc.”
“Quality time?” She wasn’t certain what he meant.
He slid his arm around her shoulders. “I missed you this morning. I thought when I woke up, you’d be there.” His breath brushed against her ear as he said, “I want you there, sweetheart.”
His words were more erotic than an intimate stroke. A flush seared through her body, bringing a soft moan to her lips as she sought his mouth. She wanted to be there. She wanted to be his. She wanted to wake up in the morning with their bodies tangled. With her mouth on his, her tongue swept inside his parted lips as her hands held his face. Finally, she pulled her mouth from his to suck in a breath of air.
“I know it’s early, but we could go see if the bed’s comfy.” She wet her swollen lips. “Spend a little quality time together.”
“Woman.” He lifted her off the stool and into his arms. “You’re gonna be the death of me yet.”
* * *
The next morning, a school of dolphins appeared near the yacht. On the sundeck, the trade winds whipped Marla’s hair against her cheek as she watched them with delight. They shot up out of the ocean and spun in the air before they splashed into the water. Sometimes, as many as ten were in the air at the same time.
“They’re amazing!” she told Carson, who sat beside her on the bench seat at the rear of the sundeck. The dolphins acted like joyful children. They swam side by side, chattering at each other, and riding the waves, their gray bodies sleek and fast. Then they would leap out of the ocean as if they knew they had an audience and made a show of completely spinning their bodies in the air.
“Aren’t they great?” Carson said, smiling.
She did use her phone to record a couple of minutes of the dolphins. If you could only see this, Sophie. How she would love to have Sophie here, sharing this moment with her. She could almost hear her daughter’s elated squeals. She tucked the phone back in the pocket of her shorts.
“Did you see that?” Carson clapped for the dolphins. “That looked like a ten-foot jump.”
She glanced toward him. He wore a navy ball cap with the bill pulled low on his forehead, black sunglasses, white T-shirt, and shorts. He tanned easily. So did Sophie. She couldn’t believe the similarities between the two of them. Every day she found something new about him that reminded her of Sophie.
“Hey, you know, I was thinking,” she began, forming a plan for the future. “The weekend after next is the first weekend in July. It’s the Fourth of July holiday weekend.” Two weeks would give her ample time to get done what she needed to be done before they met at Royal Oaks.
One Week in Your Arms Page 15