The inside of the house looked more like a medieval prison cell than a place of potential healing. Dan hadn’t a clue where to begin, how to get started.
It took him a second to realize that he didn’t have to know how to get started renovating his new home. Behind him, he heard Tina organizing the women, breaking them down into smaller groups and assigning them to different areas. He’d never heard a drill sergeant with a soft voice before.
“Lucinda, Rachel, Claire, you’re with Olivia. Go upstairs and get started on the two bedrooms. Becky, Allyson, Rosa, you’re with me. Let’s tackle the kitchen first and leave the men to see what needs fixing or rebuilding.”
The next moment, he was aware of the clatter of buckets, mops and bottles of cleaning products rubbing against one another as they were carried off to various destinations within the dank-looking house.
Within minutes of the group’s arrival, Dan found himself working with the sheriff and the town’s only car mechanic, replacing the sections of rotting drywall that had been uncovered in the kitchen.
If either man noticed his severe lack of expertise, neither of them made any mention of it. Instead, Rick scaled back his initial instructions to him. The man took over the bulk of the work, using the same excuse that Joe had used when the deputy had urged him not to attempt to push open the door on his own. Rick overruled his protest by telling him that he couldn’t risk doing any damage to himself.
“Especially not to your hands,” Rick pointed out. “You get hurt and then all of this will be for no reason,” he added, nodding toward the different clusters of people who were now busy working on the ground floor of the house.
From the sounds Dan heard overhead, more people were doing the same upstairs. He hadn’t even been up there to see what they were up against, but he had a feeling that it was more of the same—if not worse.
“Town’s been waiting for a doctor for thirty years. Wouldn’t seem right letting you run the chance of getting hurt your first day here,” Rick told him, taking another pass over the newly installed drywall—how had he done it so fast?—with his trowel. The sheriff flashed a grin at Dan. “We want you to like the place.”
He wondered what the man would say if he knew that whether or not he liked the town had nothing to do with his remaining here. He decided it only fair to set the sheriff’s mind at ease.
“Don’t worry about that,” Dan told him. “I’m not about to leave.”
Tina was standing right behind the doctor when he said that. She wondered if it was her imagination, or if anyone else thought that the man sounded very solemn—perhaps even sad—when he assured her brother-in-law that he wasn’t going anywhere. She’d heard Dan talking earlier, when he’d told Miss Joan that, in coming here, he was taking his late brother’s place.
What was the story behind that? she couldn’t help wondering.
Ever since she’d moved here with her son and her sister, she’d found herself taking a far greater interest in people, in their lives, than she ever had before. She was fascinated by what caused them to make certain choices in their lives.
Well, she decided, when Daniel Davenport was ready, he’d tell people the backstory behind the reason he was here. Until then, she was content with speculating. It made life interesting.
“Ready for a beer?” Tina asked as she made her way into the center of the three men. She was carrying four bottles of beer nestled in her arms and without waiting for an answer, began distributing them. The last bottle she took for herself.
“Thanks,” Dan said.
He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. He hadn’t been aware until this moment just how tired, sweaty—and thirsty—he was. Twisting the cap off, he took a long swig from the bottle. Dan couldn’t remember when he’d had something that tasted this good. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually had to physically exert himself. Undoubtedly he would pay for this. He could feel his muscles already aching.
He realized that Tina was about to walk away and dug deep for the words to say so that she would linger a moment longer. “I don’t see Miss Joan around.”
Tina smiled. Pausing, she broke the seal on her bottle, twisted off the cap and took a sip. “That’s because she’s not.”
“Why? I would have thought something like this was right up her alley. Holding court, ordering people around,” he added when Tina made no comment.
“Someone had to stay behind and run the diner. People are always passing through. In the meantime, they’re hungry and thirsty. Besides, she volunteered to take care of Bobby so I could help out here.”
She’d mentioned the name before, but he couldn’t remember in what context. “Bobby,” he repeated, hoping she would take the hint and embellish.
Tina nodded. “My son,” she told him just before she tipped the bottle back and took a longer swig from it. “You’re going to have to work on your memory skills, Doctor,” she commented.
He nodded. “I’ll put it on my to-do list,” he promised.
Dan suddenly realized that he was flirting with her. Wow. He hadn’t thought he was capable, given his present state of mind. Was that a hopeful sign? Or was he just on automatic pilot, responding to a given situation the way he always had before?
The next moment, someone was calling Tina away.
“Got more drywall to replace, Doc,” Joe called out to him.
“Coming,” he responded, setting his bottle down. He needed to be kept busy, Dan thought, looking over his shoulder at Tina. For more reasons than one.
Chapter Five
“Why?”
Dan asked the question as he slid onto an old love seat. Several women had transformed the seat by stripping away the decomposing leather and replacing it with a soft fabric that made it look almost new. He was so tired at this point, he would have sank down onto a mound of hay.
Struggling to keep his eyes open, he still needed an answer to the question that had been nagging him since the first Jeep-load of people had arrived at the would-be medical clinic’s front door.
He’d whispered his question so quietly that the few people who were still in the house, either packing up their tools or carrying out the last of the debris, hadn’t even heard him speak.
Tina was among the remaining few. Tired herself and having put in a really long day that had begun at four that morning, she knew no one would have faulted her for passing on this fast-paced building renewal the others had engaged in. But she had her own reasons for participating. A recipient of the kindness that Forever dispensed so easily, she thought it was only right to pass on a little of the same to another newcomer.
Looking the doctor’s way now, she debated whether or not she’d actually heard his voice or just imagined it in her exhaustion.
She drew closer to him and asked, “Why what?” She sank down next to Dan on the sofa.
For just a moment, her closeness made him forget about everything else. Some women lost their appeal close up, because all their flaws were magnified. Others only became more appealing the closer they came. Tina fell into the latter category. It took several beats for him to remember what he was asking.
“Why did all of you go out of your way like this and do all this work?” He just didn’t understand why anyone would work so hard to improve things for a stranger.
The house was far from perfect, but it was in much better condition now than it had been eight hours ago. Not only that, but several of the men had left, promising to be back tomorrow to complete their projects.
When the good citizens of Forever got rolling, it was a little like being in the path of the forces of nature. “Because that’s what they do,” she told him simply.
Tina paused, thinking back to how she’d felt when she’d first passed through the town. She’d been utterly isolated and alone, despite the fact that she was with Don and had Bobby with her. Despite the fact that she knew Olivia was out there somewhere, most likely looking for her. At the time, Forever had seemed like
just another small town to pass through. A small town to look down on if she noticed it at all.
She knew better now.
“People in Forever see something that needs doing and they do it.” She smiled fondly, once again thinking how lucky she’d been to find this place. “They look out for one another.”
Apparently, Dan thought. But it still didn’t make sense to him. He liked things to be logical, and lately, nothing was. If logic had existed, he would have been the one who’d died and Warren would have still been alive.
“But why?” he pressed. “What’s in it for them?”
Tina shrugged. Some questions didn’t come with explanations. She’d been in Forever for close to seven months now and not a day went by that she wasn’t grateful for having passed through the town. Who knew where she’d be if it had been any other place.
“A good feeling, I guess.” She saw the look that came over the doctor’s face and speculated on his thoughts. “They didn’t do it to trade for favors, or to make you feel indebted to them. In this case, they did it because they’re thrilled to finally have a doctor in the town and they just wanted to show you their appreciation.” She glanced around at the surrounding area. “If this house had been in top shape instead of falling apart the way it was, you would have probably been inundated with pies and cakes and more homemade jam than you ever knew existed.”
Tina laughed, thinking of some of the women she and Olivia had become friendly with. “You still might be. I’d gauge my calorie intake if I were you,” she warned. “They make fantastic pies and cakes here.”
“You keep saying ‘they,’” he noted, curious about the distinction. “You don’t feel the same way the others do?” Even as he asked, it didn’t seem congruent, given that she had joined in the work and was still here, even after so many of the others had already left.
“Actually, I do. Now,” she qualified. She could see that she’d raised more questions for him than she’d answered. “Olivia and I haven’t been here all that long, so I’m still getting used to the idea of being part of this town. And of the way they think.”
Her accent was just as lilting as the other people in the town. “Where are you from?”
“Olivia and I grew up in Dallas,” she told him. Looking back, it felt as if her childhood—and most of her life, really—belonged to another world. She’d never felt as relaxed, as happy, as she did once she’d settled in Forever.
Dan couldn’t picture someone who’d lived most of their life in a sophisticated city like Dallas willingly moving to a postage-size town that seemed almost rural in comparison.
“What brought you here?”
Tina sat up a little straighter. “Circumstances,” she said evasively.
And that, he thought, was all he would get out of her on the subject. At least for now. Well, he could respect that. After all, he wasn’t about to talk about why he was really here, either. He’d told the diner owner that he was here to take his brother’s place, but he hadn’t elaborated on the circumstances, or the oppressive guilt he felt. The guilt that popped up at any given time, delivering a sucker punch to his gut when he was least prepared for it.
Glancing down at her hand, he noted the absence of a wedding ring again. And, he had to admit, his curiosity chafed at him. Again.
But that was a question for another day, he decided. Right now, most likely, if she was inclined to tell him he’d probably fall asleep in the middle of her answer.
Turning her head, Tina noticed Rick approaching them. She and her brother-in-law made eye contact.
“Looks like my ride’s ready to go,” she told Dan. With one hand on the arm of the sofa, she pushed herself into an upright position.
Dan found he had to do the same in order to stand up. Eighteen-hour shifts notwithstanding, he couldn’t remember when he’d ever felt so incredibly tired before. Every part of his body ached and a small voice in his head whispered a warning, Wait until morning. This is nothing.
“All set?” Rick asked as he joined them.
Tina nodded, then looked around. She’d expected someone else to be with him. “Where’s Olivia?”
He nodded toward the front door. “In the car. Probably falling asleep,” he guessed. For Dan’s benefit, he explained his current problem with the woman who’d managed so effortlessly to capture his heart. “Olivia keeps trying to prove that she’s still a superwoman, capable of juggling twelve things in the air even though she’s more than eight months’ pregnant. I tell her it’s okay to slack off a little now, but she just won’t listen.” Rick laughed, shaking his head. “I guess it’s just hard to keep a good woman down.”
“I think she’d like to hear that from you in person,” Tina told him.
“That would only encourage her to do more. You know your sister.”
Tina blew out a breath. The momentary second wind she’d gotten, talking to Dan, was gone. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed. She silently blessed Miss Joan, who she knew had put Bobby to bed long ago. The woman doted on the boy.
“You’re probably right,” she agreed. “But we’ve got a doctor in Forever now. He can take care of Olivia if she needs anything. You can stop worrying about my sister so much.” Tina turned to the other man. “Right, Doctor?”
Dan preferred that his first challenge in this town would not involve a premature delivery.
“You keep right on keeping an eye on her,” Dan advised. “Nothing ever takes the place of good common sense.”
Rick laughed. “I’ll tell her that. Nice to have someone agree with me for a change,” he underscored, looking at Tina significantly.
“Hey, I’m always on your side,” she reminded him with a grin that Dan, even in his tired state, found incredibly sexy and engaging.
“Yeah, right,” Rick cracked, then looked at Dan one last time. “See you later, Doc.”
The etiquette that his uncle had always held so dear would have dictated that he walked the sheriff and Tina at least to the door. But that was only if he had the actual energy to do so. Dan decided he needed to conserve what little he still had available in order to make his way up the narrow staircase to the second floor and the bedroom that waited for him.
“Thanks for all your help,” Dan called out.
“Don’t mention it,” Rick answered.
The next moment, the door closed behind them and Dan suddenly realized that he was alone. Finally alone. It was the first time since he’d stopped his car to look down on the town that would be his home for the next nine months.
It felt good not to be surrounded by the hum of continuous voices.
For half a second, he debated just going to sleep right there on the love seat. But while it was all right to sit on, the thought of spending the night on the somewhat lumpy cushions was far from enticing.
He pointed himself toward the stairs.
The large box that one of the women had brought from Miss Joan sat open on a makeshift table someone else had dragged out into the reception area. Earlier, the box had been filled to overflowing with a variety of different sandwiches. To his surprise, there were still several left. Not that he could eat anything. Eating required chewing and he was much too tired to chew.
He’d have them for breakfast, Dan decided as he walked past the open box. Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was make it up to the bedroom and fall flat on his face onto the mattress.
This acutely reminded him of the marathon sessions he and Warren had in at the hospital as interns and then as residents. Warren had thrived on them but he’d barely survived.
Thank God those days were behind him. The lure of getting a good night’s sleep was just too tempting to pass up. It was one of the reasons why he’d picked radiology as his field. No one ever called a radiologist at three o’clock in the morning to take an emergency X-ray. They always found a way around it. Or ran the machine themselves.
Clutching the banister and pulling himself up one step at a time, Dan finally made it to the top o
f the landing. He hadn’t realized until this moment that his knees had become unbelievably wobbly. So wobbly he had his doubts for a moment that they could support him. He let go of the banister very gingerly. When he remained standing, he felt like rejoicing.
There wasn’t a part of his body that wasn’t exhausted.
Stumbling into the slightly larger of the two bedrooms, Dan fell facedown onto the new mattress that had been brought in. He figured he’d be asleep in a matter of seconds. If Tina had been standing in front of him, dressed in nothing more than a smile, he wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it.
His face pressed into the mattress, Dan’s eyelids sprang open in total stunned surprise.
Where the hell had that thought come from?
He hadn’t even been thinking about the woman just now. Yes, she was attractive, he’d already admitted as much, but that kind of thing didn’t really matter to him right now. He was here for one reason and one reason only and that reason did not involve socializing with sexy blondes.
As exhaustion restaked its claim on him, Dan remembered that he’d forgotten to empty his pockets. He got as far as putting his right hand into his pocket.
Forever’s new, temporary doctor was asleep before he could pull his hand out of his pocket again.
“MAMA.”
The tired, croaky, pleading voice penetrated Tina’s dreamless sleep.
As a teenager, she’d been known to sleep through anything. Olivia used to tease her that she could sleep through the Apocalypse, not to mention any number of natural disasters or disturbances of nature, including, but not limited to, earthquakes, tornadoes and thunderstorms.
Back then it seemed like nothing could rouse her. Certainly not any man-made noise.
Motherhood had changed all that. These days, the slightest sound coming from the direction of her baby’s crib had her sitting up, awake in an instant if not immediately alert.
Blinking, Tina tried now to pull herself together. “What is it, honey?” she called put soothingly, finding her way across the small guest room to where Rick and she had set up Bobby’s crib in Miss Joan’s house.
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