by Rowe, Julie
Alex glanced at her and held out his hand. “Promise.”
…
Calla took his hand. Hers was shaking.
Alex frowned. “You’re really worried about him, aren’t you?”
“Men like him don’t know how to deal with rejection gracefully. Actually, they don’t know how to deal with it at all, so they convince themselves that the woman they want, for whatever reason, can’t possibly mean what she says.” She was silent for a moment, then said softly, “I’ve seen this sort of situation go badly. Very badly.”
“Define ‘very badly?’”
“In one case, a husband stabbed his wife thirty times with one of the steak knives they got as a wedding present.”
How did she say that like she was shopping for groceries?
“Another man,” she continued. “Showed up in Emergency with a gun and threatened to kill everyone if his wife didn’t go with him.”
Was this shit what passed for normal at hospitals? “What happened?”
“The woman in the first case died. The man in the second case shot his wife and then himself. She survived. He didn’t.”
Alex cleared his throat. “I don’t think Jeff MacKay is homicidal.”
“That’s what they all say. ‘He was such a nice man. They were such a quiet couple, I don’t know how this happened.’ Usually the woman is too afraid to say anything. When she does, it’s too late.”
Calla’s hands were so tightly clenched her knuckles were white. Her lips were mashed together, creating lines he’d never seen before around her mouth. Her shoulders were drawn up and hunched over, as if she was trying to shield herself.
“Calla?” Was her reaction because of what she’d seen at work, or something she experienced herself? “Calla?”
She glanced at him, her brows hung low over her eyes.
“Were you…? Did your fiancé ever…?” For the first time in his life, he couldn’t finish a question. Couldn’t imagine Calla being yelled at or beaten without wanting to kill the man who did it.
“Not physically, but emotionally… He could guilt-trip a nun into robbing a convenience store. When he left me, I was completely convinced it was my fault, that I’d failed him and my family. It took me a long time and the help of good friends and my brother for me to realize it wasn’t my responsibility, that he’d made all his own choices and I hadn’t deserved what he put me through.” She breathed through her nose, deep, drawn-out gulps of air. “Jeff MacKay reminds me of him. A lot. Smiling one second, snarling the next. I had to fight not to throw up when he confronted me at the restaurant. I don’t know why it hit me so hard, but I’m afraid I’m going to react physically when I see him again.”
“Like post-traumatic stress?”
“Yeah, like that.”
He couldn’t put her through that again. He wouldn’t. “I’ll call my grandmother and cancel the party.”
“No.”
“Calla, I won’t allow him to hurt you.”
“I need to face him.”
“Why, so you can say you faced down your fears? That’s junk science. Bullshit.”
“I won’t let him win.”
“Letting him upset you is letting him win.”
“I want to look that idiot in the eye and tell him he isn’t going to be able to bully me into doing what he wants,” she snarled. “I want to look that idiot in the eye and tell him he’s going to have to take responsibility for his actions.”
“He is not worth this much effort,” Alex told her. Why wasn’t she listening?
“No, he’s not, but I am and you are.”
“Me?” Nice try, Doctor, but he wasn’t going to allow her to deflect the topic. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“He’s attacked you because of me. He won’t stop unless we make him.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“But this time you don’t have to. We’re a team.” She watched him for a moment. “At least for now.”
“We are a team, but I worry about you.”
“Of course you do.” She waved off his concern. “You’re my lawyer. It’s why I pay you the big bucks.”
How did she know the exact thing to say that would make him laugh?
“Look, why don’t we sit down with Helen and talk all this out with her? She may have some ideas and she certainly has the right to know what we want to do.”
“Good idea.”
They pulled into the employee parking lot behind Seacliffe and Alex’s office. He parked in his regular spot, then they went into the clinic. Alex led the way to Helen’s office.
The door was open. He poked his head inside, and saw that she was staring at her computer screen with a scowl on her face. “Is this a bad time?” he asked.
“I was about to call you.” She drummed her fingers on her desk. “Please come in.”
Calla followed him in. “What’s wrong?”
“More confidential clinic pictures in the tabloids, print and online.”
Alex had never seen Helen so defiantly angry before. Squared shoulders, eyes narrow, and her mouth pulled down in a severe frown. “What else?” he asked.
“Several clients have cancelled appointments. I expect that to continue as long as these leaks keep happening.” Helen’s fists clenched tight. “The negative media coverage is killing us.”
“Has Jeff MacKay tried to contact you?” Alex asked.
“I’m meeting him in an hour.”
“About what?”
“He wasn’t specific,” Helen explained. “He wants to make things right.”
Alex didn’t believe that for a second. “I think he wants the media to see him making the motions, but in reality, he’s only trying to strengthen his claim that he’s a victim.”
“A victim of what?” Helen asked.
“Of a fall-down artist and a shady doctor.”
“You mean Alicia, the woman Calla operated on after Jeff hit her?” Helen’s tone was incredulous. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Everything he’s done and said since has been calculated to avoid responsibility, and any lawsuits that might result from the accident,” Calla said. It was the first thing she’d said since they’d arrived.
Alex scrutinized her expression, but her face was blank.
Too blank.
“He’s not just attacking me,” Calla went on. “The clinic, Alex, and attempting to make himself out to be some sort of good guy or fall guy.”
“We’re having a formal engagement party on Friday night at my grandmother’s home,” Alex told Helen “We’d like you to be there, and we’re inviting MacKay.”
Her jaw dropped. “Why?”
“Because we want him to see that we’re not backing down and he can’t bully us into doing what he wants. He confronted Calla yesterday, scared her, and made some threats.”
Helen shook her head. “This is crazy.”
“MacKay is a two-year-old in a man’s body,” Alex said.
“What about him coming to see me today?” Helen looked from Alex to Calla. “Should I cancel it?”
“No, but I want to be there,” Alex made it an order. “I don’t want him alone with you.”
“Can I second that?” Calla asked. “He was really nasty to me yesterday. One minute I was talking to Dr. Jekyll, the next I was arguing with Mr. Hyde.”
“Fine. I’ll let you do most of the talking, Alex.”
“Do you mind if I spend some time getting some of my paperwork done while you’re meeting with him?” Calla asked. “I also need to call my brother.”
“That’s perfect,” Alex said with a nod. “In fact, let’s keep the fact that you’re here between us. Lock your office door and only open it for Helen or myself.”
Calla snorted, stood, and glanced at Alex. “Want to pick a secret knock?”
“Three short, three long, three short?” Alex suggested. He’d always wanted to use the Morse code SOS signal.
She rolled her eyes and left Helen’s offi
ce.
Helen stared after Calla for a long moment. “This kind of humor is out of character for her.”
Alex had to agree. “I think Jeff MacKay scared her more than she wants to admit.”
Helen slanted a sideways glance at him. “Are you sure that’s the reason?”
“What other reason is there?”
“Has she told you about her ex-fiancé?”
Alex frowned. “Only that she had one and he left her after the car accident that claimed her parents and put her brother in the hospital permanently.”
“There’s more to the story.” Helen’s expression became suspiciously blank.
Alex pulled out his most charming smile. “Do tell.”
“No, I’m not saying anything else. That’s for Calla to explain. What I will say…she was deeply hurt. The sort of hurt that never really heals on its own.”
“I think you’re underestimating her. She’s a strong woman.”
“This has nothing to do with brains and everything to do with the emotions of a woman betrayed, belittled, and abandoned by…” Helen stopped herself, took a breath, then finished with, “A woman who is also, at her core, a healer. Imagine, for a moment, that you had been lied to by a loved one. A lie with the power to destroy everything you hold most dear.”
A chill spread through Alex, freezing him in place. “Destroy?”
Helen nodded, then looked at the papers strewn across her desk. “Let’s talk about the clinic’s problems. How can we deal with the release of confidential information and pictures?”
Alex attempted to rip his icy thoughts away from the subject of Calla and threw them at Helen and Seacliffe. He was only partially successful.
What had happened to his ultra-competent doctor?
He was going to find out.
…
Calla left Helen’s office with her muscles clenched so tight her entire body ached. Before going into hiding, she grabbed a cup of coffee from the staff lounge. It felt surprisingly good to shut and lock her door.
Maybe she wouldn’t open it to anyone.
On her desk was a bouquet of flowers.
This one was small and delicate, composed of pansies and miniature roses arranged in a small glass vase. The card taped to the front of the vase had her name on it.
Life is full of peril and heartache. Take time to stop and smell the roses. A few moments in a garden can help heal wounds of the heart.
The card fell from her fingers to the desk. Who was sending her the flowers, and how did he know what words to write to make her feel better?
She put her head in her hands and sat for several minutes. Things had gone from bad to worse to ridiculous in the last few days. So ridiculous she wasn’t sure she was going to survive with her career intact. Losing her job wasn’t an option. She had her brother to take care of, and patients, too.
Alex was behaving wonderfully. Kind, considerate, even sarcastic when that’s what she needed. How long was that going to last? A few days? A month? Then what? She was already relying on him too much. He wasn’t really her boyfriend or fiancé; he was playing a part and having fun with it.
What about her pen pal? How could she be so drawn to a person she’d never seen, let alone talked to directly? Was Jeff MacKay the letter writer?
No, he couldn’t be. No man could be so rude and selfish in person then so generous and thoughtful on paper.
Thinking like this wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She’d been over it all in her head so many times she didn’t know which direction was which.
Calla grabbed her phone and called her brother. He answered on the second ring.
“Hey, big sis, how’s it going?”
He sounded so darn chipper she almost chose to lie. “I’m so confused I don’t know if I’m going uphill, downhill, or cross country.”
“Sounds more like you’re taking a cruise up crap creek.”
That made her chuckle. “Most people say shit creek.”
“I’m not most people.”
“Thank God.” Richard had handled his injuries with remarkable resilience. A lot of people would still be angry, but he’d gotten that out of his system within weeks of the accident and moved on to determining what he could do rather than what he couldn’t.
“Hey, hey,” he said, concern turning the two words into ones of comfort. “What’s going on?”
“It’s a long list.” Her voice broke and she struggled not to cry. “I’m not sure where to start.”
“How about with the thing that’s bugging you the most.”
She blew out a deep breath and said, “A celebrity is trying to get my medical license revoked.”
“Wow, that does suck. Man or woman?” Richard asked.
“Man.”
“Patient or not?”
“Not.”
“Asshole or idiot?”
That answer required no thought at all. “Asshole.”
“This is fun,” Richard said, chuckling. “Twenty questions villain edition.”
Calla laughed. And laughed, and kept on laughing until tears ran down her face and her stomach hurt. “I so needed that,” she said, still trying to catch her breath. “Why didn’t I call you days ago?”
“I don’t know, why didn’t you?”
“Because I’m stubborn and I thought I could deal with it on my own.”
“You know,” her brother said in a contemplative tone. “For a smart person, you’re awfully dumb sometimes.”
“I love you, too. Jerk.”
“Back at ya, diva.”
“God, I wish I was a diva, then all you’d have to do is smack me.”
“Ha, smacking is so not me. I prefer to baffle people with bullshit. Are you going to tell me the identity of this asshole anytime soon? Or am I supposed to keep guessing?”
Calla sighed and said, “Jeff MacKay.”
“The guy who starred in that military thriller last year?”
“Yeah.”
“Huh,” Richard grunted. “He didn’t strike me as the diva type.”
“He’s a schoolyard bully.”
“Ouch.”
“And I have no idea what to do.” Calla propped up her head on one fist. “He won’t leave me alone. He’s complained to the AMA and he’s making life for my employer hell.”
“Why don’t you start from the beginning and tell me the whole story.”
It took her a half hour to go through the high points. When she was finished, her brother was silent for a long time.
“It sounds like a train wreck, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“Sort of. It would be hard to engineer a series of events that bad on purpose.”
“Yet, MacKay seems to be doing it without too much effort.”
“I don’t know, his reaction to your conversation at the restaurant sounds like a guy who had what he thought was a done deal taken away from him. I’ll bet he hasn’t had that happen to him too often.”
“That’s what Alex said.”
“Now, Alex, he interests me.”
Calla didn’t trust the excitement she could hear in her brother’s voice. “Why?”
“I think he likes you.”
“I like him, too. There aren’t many men out there who will tell you the truth no matter what.”
“I mean, I think he like likes you.”
“Oh, no, he doesn’t.”
“He’s sleeping with you, isn’t he? Don’t bother to deny it. A brother can tell these things.”
She cleared her throat. “Well, yes, but there’s been no talk of a future beyond straightening this mess with MacKay out. And the first time we slept together it was sort of an accident.”
Her brother cleared his throat. “When it comes to a man sleeping with a woman, nothing is ever an accident.”
“You weren’t there.”
“I’m a guy. I know.”
“There is no way he could have planned it.”
“Maybe he didn’t plan it, but I’m sure he took t
he opportunity when it presented itself.”
She snorted. “I’m not dignifying that statement with a response.”
“So, I’m right.”
Calla sighed. “You get cocky when you’re right.”
Her brother hooted out a laugh. “So tell me more about him. He never lies?”
“Not once since I’ve met him. He seems to take great satisfaction in telling the truth, almost to the point of arrogance.”
“What does he look like? Handsome, I suppose. You always have the handsome ones after you.”
“He’s tall, slim, with eyes that see right down to the smallest molecule in your body. He would be considered very handsome if his nose was a bit smaller and a little less crooked. As it is, it makes him interesting to look at in ways perfection never could.”
“Does he want a nose job?”
“Nope, and he makes fun of anyone who suggests it.”
“I’m starting to like this guy. Intelligent and sarcastic.”
“He is. You two would get along much too well.”
Her brother was silent for a second. “Can I meet him?”
Since the accident and the emotional damage caused when her fiancé left, she hadn’t introduced a single new potential boyfriend to Richard. “You want to?”
“Yeah. Despite the shitty situation you’re in, it sounds like you’ve got a guy you can depend on, but as your brother it’s my duty to check him out.”
“Duty, huh?” She struggled not to cry. She missed Richie, missed their frequent wide-ranging conversations.
“Yep.”
She sniffed. “You’re not going to beat him up are you?”
“I promise to go easy on him. He’s from California after all.”
“Yeah, they’re kind of soft.” She breathed through her mouth, trying to stave off blubbering into the phone.
“Ha. So, when can I expect a visit from you and super lawyer?”
“I’ll have to ask him.”
“Anytime is good for me.” He paused then asked, “You’re sure this engagement isn’t real?”
“Oh, it’s real, we’re just planning on canceling the nuptials after this mess has been cleaned up.”
“I have to congratulate you on your inventiveness, Sis. I would have never thought of a fake engagement to get rid of an annoying celebrity.”
“Yeah, well, save the congratulations until we know if it’s worked or not. I still feel like I’m clinging precariously to a runaway train.”