The Two of Us

by Victoria Bylin

  And what about Lucy, Sam, and the baby? Mia could see the baby smile and hear gurgles of laughter through her phone, but she couldn’t kiss the top of the baby’s head, change a diaper, or rock the teething child in her arms.

  Mia’s patients worried her too. Without a buyer, Dr. Collins would close the doors on the clinic. Kelsey would be out of a job, and patients like Mrs. Hargrove would have to drive an hour one-way for routine care.

  “Mia?” Sally prompted.

  “Yes. Let’s see.” She could barely recall the question. Something about her eyes being opened. Think, Mia. Refocus. You can do this. She didn’t dare talk about her personal turmoil, so she focused on the people who had touched her the deepest. Jake topped that list.

  “Probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned in Echo Falls is that one person can make a difference. A friend of mine is starting a camp for teenage boys who have lost a parent in the line of duty. It’s a great cause, but there’s some local opposition.”

  Dr. Benton grunted. “Politics. I hate it.”

  So does Jake. Without knowing it, he had come to her rescue. “My friend dislikes it too. But he’s committed. I admire him tremendously. He retired from the Denver Police Department because of a duty-related injury. Instead of being bitter, he’s taken a tragedy and turned it into the motivation to help others.”

  “That’s admirable,” Sally said. “We don’t all recover from trauma. It changes us in some deep, intrinsic way.”

  “And trauma and tragedy hit us all.” Mia paused. “My parents both died too soon. As hard as it was, that loss made my faith stronger.”

  “How?” Dr. Winkler asked.

  “I had to take care of my sister.” Now Mia was on familiar ground. “I was twenty when my mom passed away. Lucy was barely ten. I had a choice: take care of her, or let her go into foster care.” Mia would never forget those frightening days after her mom’s passing, being alone in their apartment and telling Lucy not to be afraid.

  “I was terrified,” she admitted now. “I used to say to Lucy, ‘It’s you, me, and God.’ And it was. Somehow we made it, and here I am.”

  Dr. Winkler gave a respectful pause. Dr. Benton nodded, and Sally just smiled until Dr. Winkler cleared his throat. “One more question, Mia. If we don’t accept your application, what will you do?”

  “Exactly what I’m doing now.” The ease of her answer surprised her. “I’m very happy in Echo Falls.”

  “Thank you, Mia.” Dr. Winkler stood, and everyone else followed suit. “You’ll hear from us in a few weeks.”

  She shook Sally’s hand, then turned to Dr. Benton. He squeezed her fingers, leaned in a bit, and whispered, “You nailed it.”

  “I hope so,” she murmured.

  As she exited the conference room, the photographs of children called to her heart, and she shivered with the hope the panel would move her to the next step. What a terrific opportunity! And to think God had opened this door.

  But how could she bear to leave Echo Falls?

  This minute, still high on adrenaline, she missed Jake so much her knees wobbled. Plunging her hand into her purse, she rummaged for her phone. When she turned it on, a text from him popped up on the screen. You’ll do great. Praying for you.

  She could hardly wait to see him. Was that an answer to her prayer for clarity? On the other hand, she was terrified of the risk to her heart.

  A female voice came from off to the side. “Mia?”

  Startled, she turned and saw Sheryl from the Skype interview. Mia reached out to shake her hand, but Sheryl hugged her instead.

  “So tell me—how did the interview go?”

  “Good. Maybe even great.” A genuine smile split Mia’s face. “I’m kind of in shock.”

  “Dr. Benton, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s a good man. I knew you were scheduled now, so I came to say hello.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “Coffee?”

  As much as Mia wanted to chat, she wanted to hear Jake’s voice even more. “I wish I could, but I need to make a phone call.”

  “I’ll walk you to the elevator.”

  She and Sheryl fell into step, passing the posters as Sheryl asked her more about the interview. When Mia told her about Dr. Benton wanting her on his team, Sheryl stopped dead in her tracks. “Girl, you better get ready for some big changes.”

  “Really?”

  “It’s not for me to say. You know that. But John Benton is a legend around here. If I were you, I’d get ready for the next step. It’s a big one.”

  “You’re talking about the team-building exercise.”

  “Also known as ‘the scare the daylights out of you’ exercise.”

  “The what?”

  Sheryl repeated herself, emphasizing daylights. “It’s designed to test both your personal fortitude and your ability to work with other people.”

  They were in front of the elevators now. One of them was open and waiting, but Mia ignored it. “I know about the team-building exercise, but the ‘scare’ part is new to me.”

  “That’s because the candidates all take an oath to keep their stories to themselves. No blogging, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook posts, because surprise is part of the plan.”

  “But you just told me—”

  “Yes, I did,” Sheryl said with a hint of glee. “You see, I’m part of the plan. The team building can be anything from extreme camping to something tamer—whatever Dr. Winkler cooks up for your group. Either way, now you have something to think about.”

  “You mean worry about!” Mia tried to laugh off her concern, but she didn’t deal well with the mysterious and unknown. “Any hints about what this experience might involve?”

  “Two years ago a group went skydiving.”

  Mia gaped at her. “You have got to be kidding.”

  “I’m dead serious. And I’m relieved to say they all lived through it.”

  When Mia sputtered, Sheryl broke out laughing. “The skydiving part is true, but in fairness, the five people in that group all had military experience.”

  “Well, I don’t!” Mia thought a quick prayer. Okay, God. That’s a deal-breaker. I’m not jumping out of a plane. “What else have they done?”

  “One of the crazier things was stock car racing.”

  Maybe she could handle that, but only with a helmet, a safety harness, and a flame-retardant suit. “Did anyone crash?”

  “No, but the final race was sure exciting.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Dr. Winkler plans the challenges himself. Frankly, the ones I told you about were extreme even for him. The exercises typically involve camping with next to nothing, or your group could be given something entirely different, maybe even low-key. The idea is to take you out of your comfort zone, whatever that is.”

  Another elevator dinged. As people spilled out, Mia gave Sheryl a quick hug. “I better run, but thanks for the warning. I think.”

  Sheryl laughed. “You’ll do fine. Just let God be your guide.”

  “Amen to that.”

  Mia meant it. God had never let her down, and she was sure He wouldn’t start now. She just needed the courage to grow in her faith and do whatever He asked of her . . . except skydiving. If Mission Medical asked her to jump out of plane, she’d politely decline.

  Alone in the elevator, she shot to the nineteenth floor without stopping. Her pulse sped up with the ride, and when the doors opened, she had her card key in hand. The instant she walked into her room, she tossed her purse on the bed and called Jake.

  Shirtless, sweating, and frustrated, Jake raised the splitting maul high over his head and brought it down on a round of pine. Chilly evenings were a few months away, but the wood needed time to dry out. If the coming winter was typical, the Tanner clan would burn through four cords.

  He did his best thinking when he broke a sweat. With Mia and the interview heavy on his mind, he welcomed the physical exertion. Today’s interview mattered to
her, which meant it mattered to them. He wanted her to do well, but he also wanted her to stay in Echo Falls.

  He raised the ax again, aimed the blade, and let it fall into the wedge of pine. The two halves shot in opposite directions and landed ten feet apart.

  “Nice cut,” his dad said from behind him.

  “One cord down. Three to go.”

  Frank picked up the piece at his feet and added it to the growing pile that would need to be stacked. More work for Jake’s muscles while he tried to keep his mind busy. Knowing his father was here for a reason, he wedged the ax blade into the stump, then wiped his face with his shirt, which was hanging on a nearby fence.

  “So what’s up?” Jake asked.

  “I just got back from town. You need to know that I had a run-in with Hatcher.”

  Jake muttered under his breath. “He needs to leave you out of this. What happened?”

  “Your mom and I were at the Brownie Emporium. Bill was politicking as usual. You know your mother. She may be losing her memory, but she’s a mother bear when it comes to her cubs.”

  Jake hadn’t been a cub for a long time. Now it was his job to protect his mom. “Do I need to tell Hatcher to his face to leave you out of this?”

  “No. I handled it.” Frank propped a boot on the chopping stump. “He didn’t see us in the corner booth, so he was talking about you personally, not just the camp. Your mom and I both heard him say he hoped the kennel fire taught you a lesson. Your mom stood up like she was going to give him a piece of her mind, but then she just sat back down and started to cry.”

  “What a—” Jerk was too kind.

  “I know.” Frank held up one hand. “I let him have it with everything but my fists. No man makes my wife cry and gets away with it.”

  A steely gleam burned in Frank’s eyes. Jake didn’t see that look often, but when it surfaced, his father was a force to be reckoned with. Jake hated the thought of Bill hurting his parents, especially his mom. “I wish I’d been there.”

  “It was probably best you weren’t. He’s gets pretty hot under the collar when it comes to the camp.”

  “Maybe. But I’d still like to sit down with him and talk this out.”

  “That’s not too likely.” Frank glanced at the pile of split wood. “Any news from Mia?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I sure would hate to see her leave.” Frank watched him, a faint smile on his lips.

  “Yeah, me too.” The memory of the kiss rocketed through him. Not just the force of desire, but how vulnerable she’d felt in his arms.

  Frank clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s what I thought. It’s good to see you smiling, son. You haven’t been your old self since you came home from Denver.”

  Jake glanced at the pile of wood. Until Mia stepped into his life, he’d been dead inside. He didn’t realize just how dead until she boarded that plane for Dallas. He missed her terribly. “Mia’s pretty special.”

  “Yes, she is.” A wistful gleam hardened his father’s eyes. “I know better than most men what a difference the right woman can make.”

  “A big one.”

  “You bet,” Frank replied. “Fight for her, son. And don’t let her down.”

  “I won’t.” Coming from his dad, those words carried a lot of weight. Jake pulled the ax from the block and let it hang from one hand. “I better get back to—” His phone cut him off. He snatched the device out of his pocket and checked the ID. “It’s Mia.”

  “Tell her we’re pulling for her.” Still grinning, Frank ambled away.

  Jake tossed the ax on the ground, accepted the call, and started to pace. “So how did it go?”

  “I’m speechless.” Her sweet laughter rippled past his hearing aid. “I hardly know where to start.”

  “How about the middle?” In Jake’s experience, that was where most stories switched gears.

  “All right. But you won’t believe this. I need to learn to skydive.”

  “Uh—” Jake stopped dead in his tracks. Mia jumping out of a plane? “Over my dead body.”

  “Don’t worry. Skydiving is a deal-breaker for me, but if I make it to the team-building challenge, I’m in for something I’ve never done before. It could be anything from stock car racing to extreme camping, like Survivor. Or it could be something easy. Mostly it’s a surprise.”

  “That’s a little crazy.” Jake didn’t like the idea of Mia taking chances at all.

  “Yes, but it serves a purpose.” She told him about her conversation with Sheryl. “I’m nervous about it. You know me—I like to be prepared. And I’ve never been camping a day in my life.”

  “We can fix that.”

  “You’ll help me?”

  “Of course.” He’d do anything for her, especially something that would ensure her safety. But as he spoke, his chest tightened. Helping Mia advance with Mission Medical could mean losing her in January. On the other hand, how could he not root for her? His father’s words played through his mind. Fight for her, son. And don’t let her down.

  Jake made his voice matter-of-fact. “I’ll teach you whatever you want to know.”

  “How to pitch a tent?”

  “It’s easy.”

  “How to light a fire without a match?”

  She sounded so serious, he couldn’t stop himself from teasing her. “Anything at all. We’ll even dig up bugs and eat them.”

  “Ewww!”

  Jake grinned from ear to ear. Teasing Mia was just plain fun. “We can skip the bugs if you’d like.”

  “Yes, definitely!”

  They shared a laugh, then Jake asked the question that had plagued him all day. “So how did the interview go?”

  “Just fine. In fact, one of the doctors—his name’s John Benton—wants me on his team.”

  Jake hoped the man was a hundred years old and walked with a cane, because he didn’t like the idea of Dr. Anyone wanting Mia for his team. “That sounds promising.”

  “The whole interview went well, but Dr. Benton was especially encouraging. He’s a plastic surgeon specializing in the repair of facial abnormalities. I really admire him.”

  Jake had too much class to be jealous, and too much honesty to pretend he wasn’t. On the other hand, Mia had called him. “Impressive.”

  “It is. But . . . I don’t know how to say this.”

  “What?”

  “I probably don’t even need to say it.”

  It had to be about the kiss. Jake didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone. “Whatever it is, let’s talk about it when you get home. I’ll see you at the airport.”

  “Okay.” She paused. “No. I can’t wait. I have to say it. I miss you.”

  Take that, Dr. Benton. “I miss you too.”

  Silence settled in the way of a freshly laundered bed sheet floating down to a mattress. Slowly. Lightly. Jake took a breath. So did Mia.

  Her voice, normal again, came over the phone. “So how are things in Echo Falls?”

  “Good.” But get ready, Mia. Lucy’s going all out on your party.

  “Any news on Camp Connie?”

  “No, but Hatcher made a scene with my parents.” He told her about the encounter at the café.

  Mia sympathized with him and asked about Claire. They chatted a few more minutes, then she said she needed to call Lucy.

  Jake didn’t want to hang up, and judging by Mia’s long sigh, neither did she. He felt bad not mentioning her birthday, but he had promised Lucy he wouldn’t breathe a word.

  She’s too smart, Lucy had told him. Don’t even wish her happy birthday, because she’ll know I told you. I want her to be completely surprised.

  Jake wasn’t sure a surprise party was a good idea, but he’d do his part and deliver Mia from the airport to Castro’s Cocina. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll text when I land.”

  “Perfect.” They said a final good-bye and hung up at the same time.

  Jake picked up the ax and went back to spli
tting wood. Only instead of wondering about the interview, he thought about taking Mia camping. An overnight trip crossed the line he drew for himself regarding dating, but they could take a day hike to his favorite place in the world, perfect for team building—the kind that involved just Mia and himself, learning to trust, and the perfect spot for a kiss.

  Chapter

  17

  Mia walked into the Colorado Springs airport’s baggage claim, spotted Jake, and waved. When he saw her, a grin lit up his face, and he strode toward her without Pirate at his side. She’d been gone less than seventy-two hours, but it felt like seventy-two days.

  They hugged hard and fast, he kissed her temple, and they stepped apart with Mia wondering if he’d wish her a happy birthday. She hadn’t told him or even dropped a hint, but this morning Lucy had texted. Happy birthday, sis! I know you don’t like b-days—esp this one!—but I have a little present for you. See you tonite at the house?

  She had texted back yes, then spent the flight wondering if Lucy had something up her sleeve. Mia hoped not. Between the excitement in Dallas and the stress of air travel, including a seat next to Captain Chatter, she wanted to go home and crash. Or even better, sit with Jake on the porch swing, watch the sunset, and forget she was turning thirty and facing a crossroads.

  He aimed his chin at the baggage carousel. “Did you check anything?”

  “This is it.” She patted her carry-on. “Where’s Pirate?”

  “I gave him the day off.”

  Mia wondered why, but the decision made sense. Jake mostly used Pirate for hearing issues when he was alone.

  He put his arm around her waist and guided her to the parking lot. In five minutes they were on the road home, and he still hadn’t wished her a happy birthday. Maybe he didn’t know. It would have been like Lucy to blab, but between her pregnancy and looking out for Claire, Lucy had a lot on her plate.

  Jake reached across the cab and rubbed her shoulder. “Air travel stinks. You must be exhausted.”