by Unknown
Brijette smiled and finished the last of her tea, then sat toying with her napkin.
“What else is on your mind?”
Frowning, she tried to decide how to word what she wanted to ask without steering herself into a discussion she’d rather avoid.
“Usually best to spit out what you want to say and worry about the cleanup later.”
“I just wondered why you didn’t tell Cade he’d be working with me at the clinic before he came. You let me know weeks in advance, but he was shocked when he saw me.”
Doc Wheeler grinned. “Yeah, I’d have loved to see that myself.”
“You intended for him to be surprised?”
“I didn’t imagine he’d come if he knew you were working here.”
“Why in the world would you ask him to work for you if you knew he’d be miserable working with me?”
Doc Arthur pushed a chicken bone around on his plate. “He’s not miserable. The boy has no idea what he wants or needs in his life. Those parents of his have pulled his strings for as long as I can remember. As an only son, he feels he has a duty to respect his parents’ wishes. But what they wanted for him and what he wants has always been different.”
“I can’t imagine that he’d want to work with me. I surely don’t want to work with him. Couldn’t you have found someone else?” She dropped the fork she’d been holding onto her empty plate and the clinking sound echoed in the kitchen. “That was a rotten thing for me to say. I’m sorry.”
“Is it that bad? I didn’t do it to make things hard for you. I wanted to help Cade, and he needed a change of scenery right now. Besides, I thought…” He stopped to take a drink of his iced tea. Setting the glass on the table, he wiped at the condensation with his finger.
“You thought what?”
“That the two of you would work on things, maybe get together again. You were such a happy couple before.”
“I was seventeen. And I hate to say it because Cade’s your nephew, but he showed me years ago what kind of man he’d be in a pinch, and he didn’t impress me.”
“A lot of things were going on that summer and, like you said yourself, you were both young. He’s solid, dependable and he’d be the perfect father for Dylan.”
Her eyes met his. She searched their depths for a hidden meaning. Had he guessed the truth? She could tell nothing from watching him, and she could only pray that if he knew anything he’d keep quiet. “I don’t want my child to grow up thinking she can do whatever she wants and pay her way clear of trouble because her father has money. And I certainly don’t want her to look down her nose at people because they don’t have the advantages or opportunities she has, because then she’d be looking down her nose at me.”
“It wouldn’t be like that.”
“I think it would.”
He shrugged. “Have you talked to Robert about his horse?”
She nearly laughed out loud at his abrupt change of subject. As if he knew he wouldn’t be changing her mind today. “No, I haven’t.”
“He came by this morning and brought me some books and magazines. When I asked about his horse getting stolen, he said he asked the sheriff to discontinue the investigation because he thinks his nephew might be involved.”
“What? I didn’t even know he had a nephew.”
“Well, apparently he does. He has a much younger sister who lives out of state. It’s her son, and the boy’s been in trouble with drugs. His parents cut him off financially, so Robert thinks the boy took the horse to sell.”
She shook her head and stood to go. “How awful for Robert.”
Doc only nodded as she left the room. Poor Robert, she thought, families with money had their problems. Maybe if Cade’s mother had realized that, all their lives would be different now.
THE SCENT OF GARLIC in the steam flavored the air and Cade stirred the sauce a few times, then poured it over the shrimp in the heavy black skillet. It was too much food for one person but he’d put it in the fridge for tomorrow. A loud ring made him drop the potholder to the floor.
He went to the living room and on the other side of the leaded-glass door, he could see Brijette on the porch, shifting from one foot to the other. She’d been especially short with him the last day or two, which bothered him even though he wished it didn’t. He’d finally had to admit he enjoyed working with her at the clinic. The Cypress Landing clinic demanded more from him than the clinic in Dallas, but he enjoyed the work more. A fact that didn’t really surprise him, nor did it change anything. He’d always wanted a practice like this, but he hadn’t been able to voice that wish to anyone in a long time. Brijette was quick, efficient and good with the patients. She’d even offered him a few pointers on dealing with the locals, which had helped him tremendously and earned him a homemade chocolate cake from one elderly lady.
This evening, she didn’t appear too friendly when he opened the door. “Brijette, what’s up?”
“I need to talk to you if you have a minute.”
He glanced toward the kitchen and his dinner.
“If you have company I can come back another time. I don’t want to bother you if you’re entertaining.”
He snorted. “I don’t have a soul in this town to entertain except my uncle, and you know it. I’m in the middle of making dinner, but if you’ll come into the kitchen you can talk and I’ll finish what I’m doing.
“Where’s Dylan?” he asked as he shoved the shrimp into the oven.
“She’s staying overnight with a friend, but she’s why I’m here.”
“If it’s because I’ve been fishing with her, it was only for a few minutes.”
“I’ve been thinking about this since I heard it a few days ago. It’s not the fishing. It’s you questioning the sheriff to find out who her father is that bothers me. Her father is none of your business.”
He grimaced but tried not to let it show. Small-town rule number one: things get back to people. “I wanted to know if he’d ever lived here or if I knew him.”
“Why do you care who it is?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care.” He threw the dish towel he’d been holding onto the counter. “That’s not true. I do care, but I’m not sure why.”
Shock molded her features into a mask. His words surprised him, too. Thoughts like that had been flitting around in his mind for days, but he hadn’t meant to share them with her or with anyone else. He watched her try to control her emotions. He couldn’t read them, not the way he once could. Her long black hair was pulled back, as usual, and her black eyes were impenetrable. His gut tightened, followed by other parts of his body. She had that effect, always had. He wondered how she kept her skin so smooth that the sight of it made him clench his fists to keep from touching her. Her charcoal gaze didn’t leave him. Were his emotions more visible than hers? He felt compelled to explain himself.
“I hate what happened when I left here before… I wish I could change it but I can’t.” He realized now he should have talked to Brijette himself when his mother told him she’d asked for money to stay away from him. He could have believed in her enough to hear her side. But he hadn’t. He’d been hurt, and he’d let his mother convince him he should walk away and not look back.
“It was your choice.”
Her anger made her jaw tight, and he knew she wanted to blame it all on him, but she’d played a part in the events that had led them here. He wasn’t going to let her pretend she hadn’t.
“You could have agreed to see me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I made every effort to contact you. I even called your house. I was told you wouldn’t speak to me ever again.”
Cade rubbed his forehead. He should have known. “I was told you wouldn’t see me. When they told me about the money I still wanted to hear it from you.”
“Who said you couldn’t?”
“My mother,” he sighed. “I guess I shouldn’t have believed her, but she had seen you and she’d never lied to me. But she’d
never interfered in any relationship I’d had before either.”
“I’m sure you were careful to stick to acceptable country-club girls prior to me.”
He leaned closer to her and he imagined he could feel her breath against his skin. “I’d never truly loved anyone before you, so she didn’t have a reason to get involved.”
He knew those were tears glistening in her eyes. Hell, admitting how much he’d loved her made him swallow hard to maintain his composure.
“But you left as soon as I got into trouble and you never looked back,” she whispered.
“I know I made a choice to leave, but you chose to ask my mother for money to stay away from me.”
“Your mother gave me money to stay away from you.”
He wasn’t quite sure if she was asking a question or repeating his statement. She still had that odd expression on her face, as if she’d rather not discuss this. Maybe they shouldn’t delve into it. Maybe the past was better left lying right where it was. But one thing was certain. He had to touch her. His hand closed around hers and tightened, feeling the strength he’d always admired and the vulnerability he’d hoped to protect. The temperature in the room went up a notch, but she didn’t pull away. She needed to feel the connection between them, too, though she pretended she didn’t. It nearly took his breath, but he was determined to stay in control.
“I realize now why you asked for the money. I mean, I had just abandoned you when things were at their worst. You needed the money to start a new life, to go to school.”
“Yes, I did. I…” She paused, her head tilting slightly to one side. “What did you think when she told you I asked for the money?”
He raked his free hand over his face and decided to be straight with her. “It hurt like hell. When I realized you were going to that youth correctional center and I had gotten off completely free, I was surprised. I mean, the drugs were in your backpack, but we were together and we both denied knowing anything about the package. Part of me was relieved even though I felt bad for you. When my mother told me you’d had the court-appointed lawyer contact her and that you’d offered to stay out of my life for good if she’d give you money, I was crushed. At first I felt like you were a person I didn’t even know.”
“And what do you think now?”
“I realize your wanting the money probably didn’t have a lot to do with our relationship, but more to do with your own survival. You were able to go to school and get a degree, take care of yourself. It was worth it.” In that breath he realized his words were true. The hurt, the betrayal, was actually worth seeing Brijette be able to get to where she was today. Even if he’d imagined other ways they could have done it together. Maybe she’d needed to make it on her own, without depending on anyone. The revelation was a lot for him to swallow and obviously for her, too, because she didn’t say anything else, just stared past him.
What to do now? He could usher her to the door, but he didn’t want that. The rush of heat to his skin when he saw her only proved his enormous attraction to her. But had she really not known that package was in her backpack all those years ago? His words and mind said he understood her taking a payoff to end their relationship for good, but his heart nearly froze at the thought. There had been a time when he’d believed they were perfect together. The fact that they came from such different worlds hadn’t bothered him. He’d never even considered it. Brijette had always said the wealthy would do anything for money, but in the end he’d seen her live by the same code.
“You’re welcome to stay and eat. I’ve got plenty.” The words tripped past his lips.
She shook her head, but still appeared to be preoccupied.
“It’s my best barbecue shrimp. Besides, we’re working together now. Surely we can put the past behind us.”
“Maybe.”
“Come on, we’ll talk shop.” He could tell the scent of his cooking enticed her. He wished the idea of spending the evening with him would make her want to stay. But since he doubted that was the case, he let go of her hand and found his pot holder, pulling the skillet from the oven, waving it near her.
“Talk shop?”
“You know, about the clinic, medical stuff.” Maybe she had a headache. Her expression was pained and a little bit lost.
“I guess I could stay and eat.”
“Good.” He pulled an extra plate from the cabinet and loaded it with spicy shrimp and French bread he’d heated earlier. After filling his own plate, he joined her at the kitchen table.
“Okay, we’re talking shop. Now here’s what I think.” He peeled a shrimp and chewed, watching her.
“Mmm…” She bobbed the shrimp in her hand over her plate. “This is really good.”
“Thanks. But back to my plan. I know a guy in Dallas and he wants to leave the city to open a practice in a smaller town. I think he’d be perfect to help at the clinic.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding. How long would he stay? Until you leave?”
“Not at all, he wants a permanent position. I know you and Uncle Arthur will need help when I’m gone. Lord knows, you and I need it now.”
“And you think you can sell Arthur Wheeler on this, and you really believe your city friend will be happy here in the country? There was a time when this was what you wanted, but now you’re more than ready to take off when you’re done.”
He tapped his fork on the side of his glass. “That’s not how I feel, but yes, my friend will want to stay here.”
She wiped her hands on the wet towel beside her plate. “How do you feel?”
“I’m doing what I need to do.” He hadn’t meant to give her such a short answer, but he didn’t want to discuss his reasons for not staying. “It would make it easier for you on Thursdays when you go to your field clinic. You won’t have to worry about what’s going on at the clinic in town.”
She rested her chin on her fist and he was reminded of the much younger Brijette who had been in love with him. “You don’t have to convince me we need another doctor. Your uncle’s the one who’s so resistant to change.”
He leaned toward her. “But you’re willing for me to tell him you agree to it?”
She smiled. “He knows I’d agree. I’ve been on him to get more help for a long time.”
“Good. Now, tell me what’s been happening in Cypress Landing the past few years.”
She snorted and gave a low laugh that made him remember all the good things about being with her. Things he thought he’d forgotten.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HE DIDN’T know.
Brijette rinsed a glass Dylan had left in the sink after breakfast. Since that first night Cade had asked her about Dylan, she’d had a nagging suspicion that he didn’t know about her pregnancy. It was the reason she’d held her tongue instead of lashing out at him over his quick and callous choice to abort their child without discussing it with her. She wasn’t sure what kind of game Cade’s mother had been playing, but she’d dealt them both a handful of lies. Cade had no idea she’d been pregnant, that his mother had offered her money on the condition that she have an abortion and never speak to Cade again.
Mrs. Wheeler was a liar. She’d told Brijette that Cade felt they were too young to have a child. Stunned that her sweet and perfect Cade hadn’t been the man she’d thought, Brijette had taken the money with no intention of ever having an abortion. Mrs. Wheeler had the money put in an account in Brijette’s name in Lafayette, where she’d planned to go to school. They’d both left Brijette to serve her three months in youth prison. The people there knew she was pregnant and she could have gone through with her promise to Mrs. Wheeler, but it had been a promise she never once considered keeping.
She closed the dishwasher and lingered at the kitchen window, watching a raccoon in the shadows of the trees. The air conditioner hummed, but she could still hear the noise of frogs and crickets filling the humid night. Mrs. Wheeler had told Cade that Brijette had asked for money to stay away from him. She’d always wondered
why he hadn’t come himself, if she’d misread him so completely. At least now she knew what she’d seen in him hadn’t been all wrong. She roamed around the house, picking up a pair of Dylan’s shoes she’d left near the front door, straightening magazines on the end table. After Brijette was arrested and charged for possession of narcotics, her asking for money to end their relationship must have made Cade feel as betrayed by her as she’d felt when his mother said he wanted her to have an abortion and disappear.
Dropping Dylan’s shoes in her room, she flung herself across the child’s bed. She could tell him. She could tell Cade that his mother had offered her money for an abortion. Maybe he’d stop thinking she’d been a poor backwoods money-grubber. But in some ways she had been like that, because she could have refused the money completely. She hadn’t. The easier road to her education had been offered and Brijette had taken it.
Telling him Dylan was his daughter wasn’t an option. She knew the Wheelers. Cade’s father might have died but his mother remained capable of wreaking havoc in Brijette’s life without her husband. She’d proved that years ago. Being steamrolled by the Wheelers once was enough for her. To them she was a poor girl from the swamp who lived in a shack. Her real estate might have changed but they wouldn’t believe that she had changed, too. Even though she’d enjoyed tonight, Cade couldn’t be in her life again.
The image of him leaning across the corner of the table flickered in her mind. She’d had to stop herself from sliding her palm across his chest to see if it would still feel incredible, as she remembered it had. But she held no illusions when it came to rekindling a relationship with Cade. She didn’t know him now, and he didn’t know her, either. She needed to keep it that way.
In her mind, huge question marks surrounded him. Brijette couldn’t risk going up against the Wheelers to keep Dylan. They had more connections than she could imagine, and she hadn’t raised her daughter alone this long to lose her. Pulling a quilt from the bottom of Dylan’s bed, she covered herself and closed her eyes, praying she wouldn’t dream.