A Perfect Homecoming

by Lisa Dyson

  He stepped through the large, wooden double doors to enter the colonial-inspired restaurant with its dark wood tables and turned spindle chairs. The furnishings were enhanced by the backdrop of pale green walls and a white chair rail, crown and picture-frame moldings, as well as the abundance of fox hunting–theme prints.

  “Hi, how are you? I’m meeting someone,” he told the hostess who greeted him with a warm smile. “I’ll wait for her in the bar.”

  The hostess directed him with a wave of her hand to the right side of the room. “Through that doorway. You can take an empty table if there’s one available.”

  “Thank you.” He went into the bar, pleased to discover there were only a few other patrons in the quiet space. He chose a small table next to a window where he could watch for Theresa’s arrival. He drummed his fingers on the table, his pulse rate elevated, as he waited. He requested a soda when the server came to his table, deciding to avoid alcohol at least until Theresa arrived. In his mind, he pictured them toasting to their new home.

  About two minutes before their appointed time, Theresa’s car pulled into the parking lot. She strolled confidently across the asphalt wearing a flowing abstract top under a deep blue shrug. Skinny jeans and tan wedge sandals completed her outfit. She smoothed back a lock of hair that blew into her face.

  He’d desperately missed her, he realized.

  And he’d do anything to get her back.

  He got out of his chair to go and meet her at the entrance. “Hi.” He smiled as Theresa entered the restaurant, tamping down the urge to hug her—he didn’t want to scare her off.

  “Hi.” A tentative smile formed on her lips.

  He put a hand lightly at her lower back and guided her to the table in the bar. “Is this okay?”

  “It’s fine.” Theresa took the seat across from him. “What did you want to talk to me about, Tom?” She got right to the point as she hung her purse on the back of her chair and folded her hands on the table in front of her.

  “We’ll get to that later,” he answered, his eyes drawn to the hint of cleavage at the edge of her neckline. “First, tell me how you’ve been.”

  Their server interrupted before Theresa could answer. He ordered a Scotch and soda, while she ordered a margarita. “Are you hungry?” At her nod, they decided to order the artichoke appetizer to share.

  “I’ve been really good. I’m actually going on a cruise in the Caribbean,” she said when the server left. “We depart the Friday after school is out.”

  “How exciting.” He tried to act as if it was exciting, but all the while he wondered who she was traveling with now that he knew it wasn’t Kyle.

  “A few of the teachers at school organized the trip and invited me to join them,” she said in answer to his unasked question.

  “That’s great.” His entire body relaxed. She was probably using the money she’d saved to put toward their wedding to pay for the trip.

  “We’re getting a group discount, so I decided to go for it,” she said.

  Should he mention that he knew she wasn’t seeing Kyle? “How’s your job going?” he asked instead. “Happy the school year is almost over?” The last two months before summer break had always been the most stressful for her.

  She groaned. “I can’t remember a year like this one. I’ll be extremely happy to promote the entire class and let some other unsuspecting teacher deal with them next year.”

  Tom laughed. “That bad?” Their drinks and appetizer arrived and he enjoyed her company as she told him tales of her third-graders.

  “It’s funny now.” She told him about one incident where several of her students decided to fake being sick to avoid giving oral reports. They all headed to the nurse’s office right after lunch. “But when their parents had to leave work to pick them up and discovered they weren’t actually suffering from upset stomachs from the cafeteria food, they got in more trouble than they’d bargained for.” Theresa put her hands over her mouth when she couldn’t stop laughing. Her eyes widened to saucers when she admitted, “They were the first ones I called on to give their reports the next day.”

  Tom and Theresa continued to catch up on each other’s lives as if they’d never been apart. He couldn’t believe how smoothly they slid into the easiness of their former relationship. At least the way it had been before Theresa had become so unhappy.

  She checked the time on her watch and Tom’s chest constricted. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

  “Do you have to be somewhere?” he asked.

  Startled, she looked at him almost guiltily. “No, I didn’t realize we’d been talking for so long.”

  Both of their glasses were empty and they’d devoured the artichoke dip. “I’m having a good time and would love to continue talking,” Tom ventured. “Would you like to order dinner?”

  Theresa hesitated a few seconds longer than Tom’s heart could bear. “Sure,” she finally said.

  “Do you want to stay here or get a table in the dining room?” he asked.

  Theresa looked around the bar, still pretty quiet. “Let’s stay here.”

  Tom agreed and got the attention of their server. “Can we get some menus, please?” He looked at Theresa. “Another margarita?”

  “Actually, I could use a glass of water,” she said, and he ordered a soda for himself.

  After they placed their food orders, Theresa said, “You still haven’t told me what you wanted to tell me.”

  Now was as good a time as ever. Their time together had been going much better than he’d expected.

  “Well.” He inhaled deeply. “I put in an offer on a house.”

  “You did?” Her demeanor changed slightly as she shifted in her seat.

  He plowed on, hoping to get her as excited about the house as he was. “Yes. It’s about two blocks from the one you looked at last fall.”

  “The one you wouldn’t buy six months ago because you didn’t think we were ready to take on that kind of debt?” Her tone was sharp, but he began telling her about the house anyway.

  Before he could finish, she held up a hand and said between gritted teeth, “Stop! I can’t sit here and listen anymore.”

  “What’s wrong?” Why wasn’t she happy he was seeing it her way?

  “What’s wrong?” She glared at him. “Are you crazy? Did you think I’d be happy for you simply because you’re doing what I wanted you to do last fall?”

  He was confused. “Yes, I guess that’s exactly what I thought.”

  She blew out an exasperated breath and lowered her voice to where he had to strain to hear her. “I loved that house, Tom. I wanted to share it with you, but like always, you couldn’t see it any way but your own.”

  “But you don’t understand,” Tom said quickly. “That’s why I want to buy this house.”

  Her brows furrowed. “Go on.”

  “I’m trying to make things up to you.” Flop sweat formed at his temples.

  “Prove it.”

  “I understand now why you called off our wedding.” Stan’s advice came back to him. “I’m trying to put you first.”

  Their food arrived. She waited until the server left before speaking. “Why now? Because I’m seeing Kyle?”

  Should he admit he knew their relationship was fake? “I know you aren’t seeing Kyle.”

  Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word.

  “I’m so sorry that you had to drag Kyle into this. I know I hurt you and I want to make it up to you. I want you back, Theresa. I’ll do anything to prove it to you.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she shot back. “Every time you’ve said that in the past you’ve reverted to your old ways. I don’t need to come first all the time, Tom. Once in a while is enough for me. But you never consider my feelings and that’s unacceptable.”
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br />   “I’m trying to put you first now, Theresa. I’m buying the house for you.” He reached out to take her hand which was cold and stiff in his. “I want to make you happy.”

  “I can’t believe you thought buying a house without me even seeing it would make me happy.” Tears gathered in her eyes and she pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry. I want to believe you but I can’t.”

  Before he could stop her, she dug through her purse and withdrew a few bills that she anchored with her drink glass. She rose quickly and her chair nearly fell backward. She left her untouched food on the table and departed the restaurant without so much as a goodbye.

  * * *

  AFTER ASHLEIGH WAS ASSURED that her young patient was settled into a room in Peds, which included a cot set up for the child’s mother to spend the night, she rounded up her nephews and headed for her car in the parking lot. Pulling out her cell phone for the first time in hours, she saw she had three missed calls from Theresa but no voice mail messages.

  Somehow it seemed Ashleigh had become the woman’s closest confidante. Without turning on the car, Ashleigh sent Theresa a text message to say she’d call as soon as she got the boys into bed.

  “Hi, Ashleigh,” Theresa said in a subdued tone a short time later.

  “Hey, Theresa, is everything okay?”

  “Not really.” There was a hitch in Theresa’s voice.

  Ashleigh settled on the couch in Paula’s living room while she waited for Theresa to continue. She wasn’t sure why Theresa was being so friendly when the majority of the town had given Ashleigh such a cool reception. She didn’t even know Theresa that well. Maybe she recognized a kindred spirit.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems,” Theresa said.

  “I don’t mind.” Ashleigh meant it. “I’m happy to listen, even if I don’t have any good advice to impart. You’ve met me, right? I’m the pariah of Grand Oaks.” She tried to lighten Theresa’s mood.

  Theresa chuckled softly. “It’s not that bad, is it?”

  “Eh,” Ashleigh grunted.

  “Well, I personally would love it if you moved back to Grand Oaks for good.” Theresa sounded adamant. “I was just getting to know and like you when you moved away. It’s hard moving to a new town and meeting people, but you were always nice to me.”

  Ashleigh was taken aback. Theresa was probably the only female in her life who wasn’t a colleague or a relative. Even in Richmond, she had acquaintances but not any close friends.

  “I doubt very much that I’ll be staying in town.” She had no reason to stay once her pediatric replacement arrived and Paula had her baby. “But we should stay in touch. Maybe you can visit me in Richmond.” Ashleigh paused and decided it was time to change the subject—she doubted Theresa had called three times just to discuss Ashleigh staying in town. “So what happened tonight with Tom?”

  “Oh, Ashleigh, it was terrible,” Theresa began. “Not at first,” she added quickly, relaying how well their time together at the restaurant had gone—how easy the conversation had been. “But then he told me that he’s buying a house.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Ashleigh said, “isn’t it?”

  “No, it’s awful,” Theresa said. “Last fall I found the perfect house for us, but he said we weren’t ready to buy one. Now he’s put an offer on a house two blocks away from the one I wanted to buy.”

  “Are you upset because it’s in the same neighborhood or because he’s buying a house after saying no to the one you wanted?”

  Theresa sniffled. “I don’t know. Both, I guess.” She paused. “He told me he wants me back.”

  “That’s great news, Theresa. It’s what you wanted.” Ashleigh was truly happy for her. “Isn’t that why you schemed with Kyle?”

  “Yes, but I can’t get over the fact that Tom put a contract on a house that he wants me to live in, yet it didn’t even cross his mind that I’d want to have a look at it first.”

  “Good point,” Ashleigh agreed. “I’d be upset, too.” Not that Kyle would ever do such a thing.... He had no reason to want her to stay in town. He no longer had feelings for her. He only wanted her for the possible child she was carrying.

  “Now I don’t know what to do,” Theresa said. “I want to be with him, but I can’t get over the house thing.”

  Ashleigh made a suggestion. “Maybe you should come at it differently.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why don’t you look at the house. Maybe you’ll love it.”

  “Maybe.” Theresa didn’t sound convinced.

  “You know you love the neighborhood. You might just be happy with the house, too. You can always make changes to the house or find another one to buy.”

  “True.” Again Theresa sounded skeptical.

  “Look, Theresa, most women would be thrilled that a man loved them so much that he’d go against his own wants in order to make her happy.” That’s what Ashleigh and Kyle had—a long time ago. Before things had spun out of control. “You know that’s all he was trying to do. He loves you. And you love him. Don’t let a stupid house stand in the way of your happiness.”

  Theresa was silent as if considering Ashleigh’s advice. “Okay,” she finally said. “I guess I can at least look at the house and see if it has potential. The one I wanted was a fixer-upper and I was looking forward to spending the time with Tom working on it. You know, making it our own.”

  “Well then, give it and Tom a chance,” Ashleigh advised. “If you don’t, you’ll never know if things would have turned out differently for the two of you.”

  They agreed to talk soon and then ended the call. As Ashleigh went upstairs to get ready for bed, she couldn’t help thinking about all that she would miss if she left Grand Oaks. Up until now, she hadn’t considered staying.

  She also hadn’t considered that her feelings for Kyle had been rekindled. Her heart constricted at the thought of not seeing or talking to him daily.

  Was she falling back into love with him?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  AFTER ASHLEIGH LEFT the E.R. to admit her young patient, Kyle experienced an unusually quiet night. He got home a little after nine the next morning and went straight to bed. He’d taken a few catnaps during the night, but nothing long enough to keep him going the rest of the day.

  He woke to the ding of a text message on his phone, which was recharging on the nightstand. The time on his alarm clock read a few minutes past noon and he checked the message on his phone.

  Maddie. His older sister. They hadn’t spoken in a few weeks. She probably wanted to know the scoop on Paula. Her message read, Give me a call when you have a few minutes.

  He figured he’d slept just long enough to get by, so he took a quick shower before calling his sister.

  “Hey,” he said when she answered. “What’s up?”

  “I wanted to check in and see how Paula’s doing.”

  “Thanks for being so concerned about your brother,” he teased.

  She giggled and, as always, it made him smile.

  “Sorry.” Her tone became serious. “How are you, brother?”

  He wasn’t sure how to answer. How was he? Confused. Anxious. Excited. Worried. He could go on and on, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to get into it with his sister. At least not right now.

  “I’m hanging in there,” he answered instead. “How are you? Anything new in the way of treatment for Jeremy?” Maddie’s six-year-old son had been diagnosed right before his second birthday with Angelman Syndrome, a genetic disorder that caused developmental disabilities and neurological problems. Jeremy’s delayed motor skills and lack of balance had been enough to make his pediatrician begin tests at an early age.

  “He was recently chosen for a research trial of topoisomerase inhibitors.” Maddie stumbled o
ver the medical term in her excitement. “We’re all very encouraged.”

  “That’s great! Are his seizures under control?” Jeremy began having seizures about two years ago, another common symptom of the disorder.

  Maddie and Kyle spoke for the next few minutes about the research trial and the tests Jeremy endured to better evaluate his seizures.

  The conversation got Kyle thinking about his charity and the fact that he needed to spend time finding alternate funding now that Mrs. Thornton had backed out. There were other kids in need of medical care who didn’t have Jeremy’s family’s health insurance and financial resources.

  “Okay,” Maddie said. “Your turn. First tell me about Paula.”

  He gave her the abbreviated version of Paula’s status.

  “I wish I’d been able to come help her out,” Maddie said, “but with Jeremy—”

  “Everyone understands, Maddie,” Kyle said quickly. “No one expected you to drop everything. You have your hands full as it is.”

  “You’re right. But I’m glad she’s doing okay. So, how’s your lawsuit going?” she asked.

  Again, he gave her the short answer and included the search for proof that the guy made a habit of not always wearing his medical alert bracelet.

  “That’s encouraging,” Maddie said. “Sounds like Tom has everything under control.”

  “I hope so.” Kyle wished the whole thing would go away and he would have one less thing to worry about.

  “How’s it going with Ashleigh?” Maddie finally got to the question he knew was coming but had hoped to avoid.

  “Complicated,” he said, which was the simple answer. “It’s been tough on her since she’s been back. Seeing her sister pregnant, treating patients again...”

  The possibility of another pregnancy.

  Maybe he should confide in Maddie about it. He desperately wanted to talk it over with someone and Maddie had always been good at keeping his confidences.