by Nancy Fraser
“But I was so looking forward to having a doctor for a son-in-law.”
Her mother’s attempt at lightening the mood drew Rebecca’s smile. “Who knows? Maybe my next boyfriend will be a surgeon rather than an intern. Or, even a business tycoon.”
“As long as he’s a good man.”
“Yes, Mother, I’m sure he will be.”
Chapter Five
Rebecca sat at the desk in the corner of her bedroom and thumbed through the last handful of geography tests, her thoughts more on the previous day’s dinner than on her students’ work. She’d not gone to the hospital after school, despite wanting to give Phillip Langley her best wishes for a successful surgery. A phone call would serve the same purpose, she’d decided, and save her from having to face Wyatt.
She’d also thought a lot about her conversation with her mother. Kissing Wyatt, while definitely high on her list of enjoyable experiences, had been a mistake. And, more importantly, totally unfair to Garrett. Until they were able to clarify their relationship, she’d deemed his brother out-of-bounds.
The last of her students’ papers graded, she joined her parents in the study.
“I’d have thought you’d be at the hospital,” her mother said when Rebecca plunked herself down on the arm of her father’s chair.
“I’m sure Mr. Langley has enough company for the evening. If anything, he should be resting up for tomorrow’s surgery.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” Heloise reached out and turned on the television. “We’re getting ready to watch Bewitched. Get comfortable on the settee and watch with us.”
****
Thankfully her class kept her busy the next day so she had little time to dwell on the senior Langley’s surgery. Still, she kept an eye on the clock and waited somewhat patiently for the school secretary to deliver Garrett’s promised message.
“Miss Winston.”
She looked down to see Abigail Purdy standing beside her desk. “Yes, Abigail.”
The little girl nodded toward the classroom door just over Rebecca’s shoulder. “There’s a man standing at the door. I think he wants to come in.”
She glanced over her shoulder and met Wyatt’s somber expression through the glass. Panic tightened her chest yet she managed to smile down at her tiny messenger. “Thank you for telling me. You can go back to your desk now.”
Rebecca stood and took a first step toward the door. Her knees wobbled. Had something gone wrong with Phillip’s surgery? She drew a breath for strength and made her way across the last few feet.
“Students, I’ll be away from the classroom for a couple of minutes, and just outside the door. Please work quietly on your math problems.” Her orders given, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “Wyatt, what are you doing here? Is your father okay?”
He stared down at her. Emotion clouded his expression. His dark eyes were glassy. Just when she feared the worst, he said, “He’s going to be okay. Finally.”
She held out her arms, and he stepped into them, wrapping his own arms tightly around her back. “Thank heaven.”
“The surgery took far longer than they’d anticipated,” Wyatt explained, his mouth hovering beside her ear. “I was so certain we were going to lose him. I could feel every tick of that damned waiting room clock as if it were my own heart beating. Once the doctor finally came out to let us know he was okay, it felt as if an anvil had been lifted from my chest.” When she would have released him, he tightened his hold and pulled her close. “I know Garrett or I could have called. But…”
She raised her head and prompted, “But?”
A weary, deeply wrought sigh escaped him. He loosened his arms and stepped back so he could meet her gaze. “I needed to see you. Hold you.” He glanced around them. “And, if we weren’t standing in the middle of this hallway, kiss you.”
“I can’t…we can’t.” Tears clouded her vision and she blinked them back. “At least not until Garrett and I have talked.”
He cupped her cheek gently in the palm of his hand and traced her lower lip with his thumb. “How soon can you make that happen?”
“Soon, I promise.” She stepped back and grasped the door handle. “Perhaps we should let your father recover a bit first…make sure everything is fine.”
“You’re right. Pops adores you. And, like your mom, thinks you and Garrett are a match made in heaven. It wouldn’t be a good idea to upset him.” He took another two steps back, effectively putting some distance between them. “Just…please…don’t take forever. We both need to know where this attraction is headed.”
As he had done to her earlier, she reached out, cupped his cheek and dusted his full, lower lip with her thumb. “Go. Be with your family. I’m sure Christina will appreciate your support, and I know your dad will want you to be there when he comes out of recovery.”
When she lowered her hand to her side, he asked, “You’ll come by to visit after school?”
“Yes. And, if I can tear him away from his work, I’ll do my best to get Garrett alone for a talk.”
For the first time since she’d stepped into the hallway, Wyatt smiled. “I’ll see you later.”
The urge to throw herself into his arms had her gripping the doorknob like a lifeline in a raging storm. “I should be there by four-thirty.”
Afternoon recess came and went, yet the hands on clock were ticking by so slowly Rebecca thought she might scream out in frustration. She flexed her hand and wiggled her fingers, the feel of Wyatt’s mid-day beard against her palm still fresh in her mind. If she concentrated, she could feel the strength of his heartbeat against her chest when he’d held her in his arms.
“Miss Winston?”
She looked up from where she’d been staring at her desk. “Yes.”
“Can we go?” Tommy Boyd asked. “The bell rang almost two minutes ago.”
“Yes, of course. I’m so sorry.” She smiled out at her charges. “Class dismissed.”
Despite her earlier eagerness to be done with the day, thoughts of Wyatt had preoccupied her so thoroughly she’d missed the bell signalling the end of class.
She really needed to get a handle on what was happening to her…to them…before she completely lost her mind.
****
By the time she reached Philip Langley’s hospital room, Rebecca had rehearsed what she would say to Garrett at least a hundred times. She’d even taken the much longer route from school so she could clear her head. What she hadn’t thought of, was what she would say the moment she walked into the room.
Surrounded by family and friends, the elder Langley held court from his hospital bed much the same as he did in the corporate boardroom. Despite the frenetic activity surrounding him, when she crossed the threshold, he raised his head and grinned.
“There she is,” Philip announced. “We were beginning to think you’d gotten lost.”
Everyone turned in her direction and, for the first time in ages, she found herself tongue-tied. She made her way through the throng of well-wishers and headed straight for Philip’s bedside. “Yes,” she confirmed finally. “Here I am, and not the least bit lost.”
Garrett came to her side and placed a proprietary hand at her waist. “What took you so long? We were starting to worry.”
She shrugged. Glancing over her shoulder, she offered Garrett a weak smile. “I thought I’d give the family time to visit before I came barging in.”
Phillip clasped her hand in his. “You could never ‘barge.’ You are family. Or, at least, you will be some day.” Aiming a narrowed gaze at his youngest son, he added, “Hopefully not too long from now.”
A rather nervous laugh escaped Garrett’s throat but he said nothing.
Rebecca felt the pinch of her teeth against her lower lip. She dared not turn and look at Wyatt. She could feel the warmth of his gaze on the back of her neck, almost as if he were daring her to speak up, to comment when Garrett wouldn’t.
When Wyatt spoke, the low tenor of his vo
ice turned the warmth into an outright tingle.
“Perhaps my kid brother’s got cold feet,” he suggested.
Garrett shot his brother a glare and then turned back to his father. “It’s not that. It’s just…”
In an almost uncanny unison, both she and Garret said, “We need to talk.”
Phillip spared them both a quick glance and then shook his head. “Not now. Right now we’re going to have a nice visit. The nursing staff will likely shoo you all out of here just before the supper hour, and I don’t want to lose a moment of my family’s company.” He shifted against the pillows and cast a glance around the private room. “So, Toby, how did your math exam go?”
The remainder of their visit was taken up by innocuous chatter that included anything and everything except hers and Garrett’s relationship. From time to time, she’d catch a glimpse of Wyatt and when their eyes met, he’d smile. Not a broad grin but, rather, a slight uplift of one corner of his mouth meant only for her.
When the announcement came heralding the end of afternoon visiting hours, Rebecca pushed herself to her feet and started for the door.
“Are you coming back later?” Phillip asked.
She spun around and met his questioning smile. “Not tonight. You need your rest, and I’ve got papers to grade. I’ll be back after supper tomorrow.”
He nodded his understanding. “I look forward to it.”
Rebecca stepped into the hallway and waited for Garrett to follow. However, it was Wyatt who came through the door first. “It sounds like Garrett has some of the same doubts.”
A shallow breath escaped her. “Perhaps.”
“It should make your conversation go better than you’d thought.”
“I hope so. The last thing I want to do isˮ
“The last what?” Garrett asked as he stepped through the door and inserted himself in the space between her and Wyatt.
She rested her hand on Garrett’s arm. “Do you have time to talk?”
He shook his head. “Not right at the moment. However, we have our standing Thursday night dinner. I thought we’d go to Mario’s. It’s quiet, cozy. A great place to talk.”
“Sounds nice,” she agreed. Rebecca leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Garrett’s cheek. “I’ll be ready by six, as usual.”
Once Garrett had reached the nurse’s station, Wyatt grasped her elbow and nudged her forward. “I’ll see you safely to your car.”
As inconspicuously as she could manage, she pulled out of his hold. “I’m sure I can find the way on my own.”
She started toward the elevator, and Wyatt fell into step beside her. “But I insist. How would it look if I let ‘family’ walk alone?”
“What about Christina?” she asked, a purposeful tease in her voice. “Doesn’t she need someone to escort her to her car?”
He shrugged. “She’s got Toby. Besides, I’m pretty sure she used valet.”
Chapter Six
Rebecca sat at her dressing table and fidgeted over which earrings she should wear, whether to put her hair up or leave it down. She’d never once been this nervous about going out to dinner with Garrett.
Admit it, Garrett’s not the brother who has you on edge. Rebecca gave her inner voice a purposeful shove.
Wyatt had walked her to her car the other evening, taken the keys from her hand, and opened the door. After helping her inside, he’d returned her keys, smiled, and wished her a good night. Then, shut the door between them.
She’d wanted to scream, “Kiss me, please.” Fortunately, common sense and decorum had prevailed.
A flush warmed her cheeks at the mere memory of his delightful kisses. As much as she regretted the end of her relationship with Garrett, she longed to explore this new attraction.
And, if she were being true to herself, she’d never once desired Garrett with the same intense anticipation and excitement as she did his older brother.
Does it make me a bad person to want someone so completely?
For once, her pesky inner voice had nothing to say. No pearls of wisdom to impart.
Ten minutes to six. She pushed away from the dressing table, slipped into her cashmere cardigan, and went to the living room to await Garrett’s arrival. Every nerve ending in her body tingled with apprehension. The last thing she wanted was to hurt the one man she’d assumed she’d always love. Still loved. Yet, as she’d told her mother, not in the way she should.
The doorbell rang promptly at six. Despite the fact she’d come downstairs to greet Garrett at the door, her mother reached for the doorknob ahead of her.
“Garrett, sweetie, come on in for a minute,” Heloise said, her voice laced with motherly kindness.
“I’d love to, Mrs. W, but our dinner reservations are for six-fifteen. We’ve got to hustle. You know how they get at Mario’s if you’re late.”
Rebecca stepped past her mother and out onto the porch with Garrett. “I’ll be home early.”
Her mother shook her head. “Not to worry, Becca. I know you’re in good hands with Dr. Langley.”
Garrett chuckled softly. “You’re right. I have early rounds tomorrow and Becca has work.” Before her mother could comment further, Garrett grasped Rebecca’s hand and drew her across the porch and down the stairs.
“Sorry about that. My mother can be a bit…uh…pushy.”
He laughed again, a bit louder this time. “No more so than my dad. He even offered to buy…” His words trailed off, as if he’d almost let some fidgety cat out of a thin paper bag.
Her heart raced. Was Garrett about to propose? Had Phillip’s offer been to buy a ring? Telling someone it was time to move on was far less daunting than saying ‘no’ to a proposal.
Once they were seated at their usual table, Garrett made a pretense of intently studying the menu. Penne with their house tomato and red wine sauce. It was what he always ordered…for them both. Predictable, static. Just like their relationship.
Anthony, their usual waiter, stepped forward and hovered next to Garrett’s chair. “Are we ready to order, Dr. Langley?”
Rebecca spoke up first. “I’d like to try the fettuccini with Alfredo sauce.”
When Anthony glanced in Garrett’s direction, Garrett nodded. “I’ll have the penne with the house sauce.”
“I’ll bring your salads and antipasto plate in a moment,” Anthony said. “Can I get you a cocktail before your meal?”
Garrett shook his head. “No thank you, Anthony. However, we’ll have a bottle of cabernet with our meal.”
The moment the waiter walked away, Rebecca asked, “How is you father feeling?”
“He’s recovering nicely, much to the nursing staff’s regret, I’m sure. He was much easier to handle before the sedation fully wore off.”
Rebecca smothered an outright laugh behind her hand. “I’d imagine he’ll start grumbling about the food and the cost of hospitalization before too long.”
“With any luck, he’ll be ready to go home by early next week.”
The one safe subject…Garrett’s father…ended quickly, leaving an uncomfortable silence between them.
Rebecca drew a deep breath, raised her head and met Garrett’s intent gaze. “About that talk we so desperately need to have. I”
He raised his hand, interrupting her. “Let me go first. I have a confession to make.”
Her heart fluttered inside her chest. “A confession?”
“I’m…I…uh. Damn, this is harder than I thought it would be.”
She placed her hand atop his across the width of the table. “There’s someone else?”
“Nothing’s happened between us. Well, maybe a kiss or two.” He gave her a quizzical look. “You’re smiling.”
She pursed her lips together in a conscious effort to supress her excitement. “Yes, I guess I was.”
“You’re not upset?”
“No, I’m not. It’s become obvious to me over these past few months that, romantically at least, we’ve drifted apa
rt.”
Garrett breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you understand. I was certain you’d be livid…jealous.”
“Well, I am a bit jealous,” she admitted. “After all, according to our parents, we’re destined to be together.”
“How will we tell them?” Panic furrowed Garrett’s brow, altering his usually handsome face into a mask of worry. “They’ll be devastated.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Parents can be pretty perceptive. Perhaps all their pushing of late was because they saw the end before we did.” She paused, and then asked, “So who is this new mystery woman who’s taken my place?”
A smile lit his face. “Erin Portland. Dr. Erin Portland. She and I met during surgical residency.”
“As long as we’re making confessions, I have one as well.”
Their conversation paused when Anthony returned with their first course. The moment he walked away, Garrett asked, “This confession wouldn’t have something to do with my brother, would it?”
She swallowed back a sudden lump in her throat. Had they been that obvious? “How did you know?”
“The look in your eyes every time you were together. I used to get that look from you…years ago.”
She felt compelled to echo Garrett’s previous words. “Nothing’s happened, other than a few kisses.”
“I hope they were good kisses,” he said, his tone teasingly relaxed. “I have to admit, once I noticed the glances the two of you shared, I purposely put the two of you together hoping something would develop.”
“You did? Why?”
“I think it was my way of feeling less guilty about finding someone else. Besides, Wyatt was in bad need of a wonderful woman. And you are definitely that.”
She blinked back a threatening tear. “Thank you.”
Garrett picked up a forkful of salad and suggested, “Why don’t we make the most of our last date and enjoy this wonderful meal?”
Rebecca lifted a canapé from the antipasto plate and raised it in a salute. “Happily.” She swallowed the bite of salty sausage and black olives and then dabbed her lips with the linen napkin. “You know, Garrett, I’ll always love you. Just not in the way that makes a good marriage.”