The Doctor and the War Widow

by Russell, Viola

  Nico moved closer, nuzzling against her leg. “This man’s older than I am. A lot. But maybe I should take a chance. Young people can die, too.” A tear rolled down Harley’s cheek. So tired of loss.

  A squirrel diverted Nico from Harley. He almost pulled her to a tall oak tree. The small creature quickly scampered to the treetop. Nico moaned softly in frustration and pulled at his chain. “Sorry, you can’t climb. Besides, you didn’t help me with my problem. Donna will tell me to e-mail, but she’s almost like the girls at work, determined to see me married or at least hooked up. Cousin Judy will warn me in a thousand different ways to be careful.” Harley knelt to hug her dog.

  Nico licked her face. Harley laughed. Her mood had suddenly lightened. “You’re right. What the hell can it hurt?”

  When she returned to the house, Harley opened the box of dog biscuits and fed one to the waiting Nico. She then returned to the last round of edits and submitted. After these edits were approved, Harley would have to approve the cover art for her book and write the dedication page. She had nothing to do until she had the final approval. Besides, she had an idea for another story. She opened a new document and then paused. In not answering that man, Harley knew she was being a coward, and a rude one at that. Neither of her parents would approve. Her mother was undoubtedly rolling over in her grave that she’d raised a rude child. Her father would chide her for being gutless.

  “Oh, why the hell not! Right, boy?”

  Nico yawned and settled at her feet.

  “Okay I’m boring you. I’m on my own, I guess.” Harley scratched the dog’s ears, logged on to the site and clicked ‘reply.’ She wrote quickly. I was reading your profile. I like everything from opera to Rock ‘n’ Roll. I have two degrees in English. Like you, I enjoy reading, writing, and gardening. I also love following current events. Some people say I’m opinionated.

  Harley submitted the e-mail, still grinning at the last sentence. Would the man read her sarcasm? Would he think she was serious? Well, if this man didn’t like what she had to say, he wouldn’t respond. No big loss.

  Would you like to meet?

  Harley’s heart pounded as she read her e-mail early the next morning. Would she? Abisi’s e-mail was literate, sane, and intelligent. He was eloquent. I love opera. As a boy, my father bought records of “LaBoheme,” but I also listened to the Beatles when I was a medical student in London. He then went on about his garden. I love roses, but they are hard work in this soil. Pansies are beautiful and work well here. He finished in a gentlemanly fashion. I’ll meet you anywhere you want. I know a woman has to be careful.

  Harley scratched behind Nico’s ears. “I guess I could do worse.” She smiled down at her dog’s adoring face. “Well, should I agree to meet him?”

  Nico wagged his tail, mouth open.

  “You think I should, don’t you?” Harley shrugged. “Okay. It couldn’t hurt so long as I meet him in public. My goal is ten pages today. I’ll write him after I reach my goal.” Good, a chance to chicken out if I choose.

  Harley was working on a project unlike any she’d attempted before. Most of her romances were what she called “typical chick lit.” She didn’t deride chick lit because it had earned her some substantial bucks through the years, but this new novel was the story of Grace O’Malley. Nico sat at Harley’s feet as she typed, occasionally coming to her side as she muttered to herself. Sometimes, she thought the dog was reading as she worked.

  “Pretty good, eh, boy?” She rubbed Nico’s head and gave him a nose kiss.

  The dog wagged his tail enthusiastically and trotted off toward the kitchen. He returned with his leash gripped firmly between his teeth.

  “Good idea, let’s take a walk.” Harley attached Nico’s leash to his collar and led him to the doorway. She slipped her keys into her pants pocket and gazed down at the dog. “You know I’m putting this off, don’t you?”

  Nico opened his mouth, tongue protruding, in what looked like a huge grin. Harley walked him around the block, unlocked her door, released Nico, and then refilled his nearly full water bowl. The dog sat in the middle of the kitchen, watching her as she worked. To Harley, his eyes held a judgment.

  “Okay, I know. I’m putting this off.” Harley trod into her office and switched on her computer. Navigating to the site, she pulled up her mail. The words jumped out at her. I’ll meet you anywhere you want.

  Harley took a breath. The tears burned behind her eyes. She suddenly saw John before her quite plainly. She remembered the warmth of his hand in hers as they walked along the river. Harley saw him vividly as he pumped his arm in the air during a Saints game, and the tears stung her eyes when John appeared before her in uniform on the day they were married. More than any time in her life, Harley wished her mother were alive. Wiping a tear from her eyes, Harley glanced at the picture of Eden framed beside the computer. “What should I do? I know. You never liked it when I took chances.”

  Harley paused and considered the fairness of her comments. Eden had always pushed her to make friends and to meet new people. Harley simply wasn’t a gregarious person, and it was time to admit that. She and John had clicked because they were somewhat bookish and solitary. In John, Harley had had a soul mate, and she doubted she’d find another any time soon. Well, maybe this man would be an interesting diversion. She’d bring her own money on the date, but maybe this Abisi was an old-fashioned gentleman and would pay for lunch. She’d at least have a free meal.

  She began typing. “Hi! I’d love to meet you. Do you like pizza? Theo’s Pizza on Canal Street is great. Would you like to meet Saturday around noon?” She clicked the submit button. Harley figured she had three days to chicken out.

  Nico’s mouth spread into what looked like a smile. He nudged her leg.

  With Nico beside her, she made her way to the kitchen, reached into a cabinet, removed a bottle of whiskey, and poured herself a shot. God, was the thought of dating sending her to the bottle?

  An hour later, Harley checked her messages. He had replied. Instinctively, she knew her destiny would change, but she was unsure if that change would bring her happiness. Loving meant taking risks. Harley’s lungs deflated when she read his response. “Yes, I’ll meet you anywhere. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Harley arrived five minutes early, turned onto Carrollton and parked in the lot behind the building. She retrieved a compact from her purse and gazed at herself for several minutes. “Not half bad for somebody almost forty.” Her makeup was always tasteful, and her jeans definitely were slimming. She glanced at her hands to see if there were no chips in the nail polish. She straightened her pink silk blouse, stepped out of her car, locked the door, and made her way to the restaurant. With each step she took, Harley prayed that this date would be painless. She mumbled, reciting a mantra, “Please, God, don’t let him be an ass. This is lunch, not just a drink. I can’t escape so easily.”

  Harley recognized him from his picture the minute she saw him. Abisi stood the minute she entered. He’d been waiting for her. She extended her hand, and he took it firmly in his. His hands weren’t soft. They were a gardener’s hands. The man’s profile said he was sixty, but no gray shone in his close-cropped beard or in the ebony hair that clung to his head like a crown. His black slacks fit nicely. He was not a skinny man, but definitely not fat and much taller than she. Harley liked that. She was 5’9, and she’d liked that John was 6’2. Abisi was probably taller than John. His dark gaze was intelligent but kind. He pulled out her chair. Harley smiled broadly. Most of them didn’t even stand when she’d entered. A warm liquid slowly melted through her body. He was the first to display such Old World politeness, and Harley’s face grew warm at the subtle heat his very nearness generated.

  “I wanted to wait for you to order. Your profile indicated you were vegetarian. Do you also abstain from wine?” Abasi spoke the words close to her ear
. He had a distinctive, rich accent.

  Harley had to admit that this initial meeting was not only turning out well but was exciting. She answered quickly, “No, no, I don’t. I’d love a glass of Merlot.” Harley smiled at him as he sat across from her. The man was polite and considerate of her as a woman. Could she have met a winner after such a long succession of sad losers?

  “Since you suggested this establishment, I imagine you know the place.” Abisi gazed at her over the menu. “What would you suggest?”

  Harley replied quickly, “The hippie pizza and the house red wine.”

  He nodded. “The hippie pizza it is, but since this is a special occasion, may I suggest the merlot, especially since you did?”

  “Of course.” Harley smiled, happy, but hoped her date was paying. The wine list was pricey. Harley studied the man opposite her. How in hell did people start conversations these days? She hadn’t dated in years, and her latest forays into Internet dating had been nothing short of disaster.

  Abisi spared her the brain searching. “Your profile said you’re a teacher. What do you teach?”

  “English.” She waited while the waiter took their orders. “When you teach, you hope you touch them, but you’re never sure if you do.” She noticed that when she spoke, he watched her intently.

  He nodded. “I understand. I sometimes wonder what happens to patients when they leave the hospital. Do they really improve? Change?”

  “What is your field?” Harley spread the napkin over her lap. He was handsome, really handsome. Eden would have liked him, and Harley couldn’t deny how appealing he was.

  He gazed at her blankly at first, as if not understanding. He then smiled as recognition apparently dawned on him. “Oh, I’m an emergency room doctor. I work at LSU Interim. I’m not always used to the American term.”

  Harley was genuinely impressed. “That must be very stressful.”

  “At times, yes.” He leaned forward, gesturing with his hands. “As a doctor, you want to save people. When I was in medical school, I really thought I could save everyone, but I had unrealistic expectations when I began my career. One person can only do so much.” Shrugging, he added, “Several people said I was too idealistic. Perhaps they were right.”

  “Sometimes it’s the same with teaching. You want to save people, but it isn’t always easy.” Harley liked his smile, and he was listening with apparent interest to every word she spoke. Most of the men she’d met through this service talked whole monologues about themselves. He was listening to her. “After Katrina,” she said, “we took in a lot of kids from different schools. We were by the river and didn’t have as much damage. I was teaching eighty extra kids. What’s funny is that I’d never had such purpose or felt so needed. Lately, I’m not feeling as fulfilled. I need a new challenge.” Harley stopped suddenly. The blood rushed to her face. She’d never been this open with anyone since her mother’s death. She’d only ever really confided in Eden and John. Even Donna and Judy didn’t know the inner workings of her heart. She swallowed her embarrassment and continued. “The school served its purpose, not teaching but my current position. I started soon after John died, but I no longer belong there. I’m not sure I ever did.”

  “Why not?” Abisi’s dark gaze searched hers. His eyes were penetrating and fiercely intelligent.

  Harley shrugged. She didn’t want to sound as if she were judging adolescents, but something in the man was compelling her to be honest. “Well, I teach primarily middle-class kids from reasonably well-off families. It’s a Catholic school with students who aren’t very conscious of anything but their own pleasure. They worry about their prom dresses and corsages. That’s it. They don’t care about issues like the environment, poverty, or this never-ending war in the Middle East. The school says it teaches social justice, but the students really only give the concept lip service, well, most of them. The worst is that I’ve looked for another teaching position, but jobs are tight right now.”

  “Have you applied to the public schools?” He rested his chin on his thumb and forefinger. His gaze didn’t leave her. She liked his dark eyes.

  “They’re hiring a bunch of Teach for America kids. Those people are cheap. They schools don’t have to pay someone with almost fifteen years’ experience. I also have a Master’s degree. That’s some more money they would have to pay. I went back to school to earn the Masters while I taught. John’s insurance money—” Harley stopped suddenly and took a sip of wine. She couldn’t talk about John to him, not yet.

  “You don’t have to discuss a painful topic. I, too, know about loss.” Abisi smiled at her and cut into a slice of pizza. He looked down for a long time. “I lost my wife almost fifteen years ago.”

  Harley’s mouth went dry. “I understand.” She looked away but felt his gaze on her and turned to him. “John’s been gone a long time, but I had my mother. She was very sick for a year. I had a focus while she was here, but now—” Harley broke off. No stranger would see her cry. Why, then, was she telling him so much?

  Abisi placed a hand over hers. “Losing a beloved is always hard. My wife died of cancer. We hadn’t had an easy marriage. She married me while I was in London, studying medicine. Maureen was a vivacious girl, very beautiful, but she liked a good time. We had a daughter, but she found me unexciting. She spent a lot of time in London. Her family was there, but I loved her. I think she loved me, too, in her way, but I’m dedicated to saving lives. She didn’t like when I worked late. She didn’t like when I had emergency calls. At the time, we were in New York. I was in practice with another group of doctors.” He took a sip of wine. “Maureen even chose to return to London to die.” He looked at his hands and then at Harley. “I followed her, of course, but she didn’t really want me. She said I neglected her. She also blamed me for . . .” He broke off, his voice choked. He stared ahead for a long time before continuing. “Maybe I did neglect her, and she was right to blame me.”

  “How old is your daughter?” Harley’s heart beat in her ears. Why was there so much hurt in the world? At least, John had loved her. She couldn’t imagine how it felt when love turned sour.

  The man visibly brightened. “Jessica is twenty-five. She works as an assistant to a designer in London. She hopes to break into that industry, but for right now, this will suffice. In six months, she is getting married.”

  “That’s good.” Harley smiled and then gazed at him. “It is good, isn’t it? I know some dads don’t like the groom.” She liked gazing at him. The man was easy on the eyes.

  Abisi laughed richly. “Oh, yes, he seems to be a nice young man. A barrister.”

  “Impressive.” Harley grinned and bit into her pizza.

  They ate in companionable silence for a long time. Over dessert and coffee, he gently questioned her about her marriage. “Simply tell me if this is too painful. How did your husband die?”

  Harley swallowed. Her throat was suddenly very dry. “John . . .” She cleared her throat. “John was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. He’d been there for some time.” She paused. Her voice cracked. Damn! She didn’t want to succumb to this paralyzing sadness. “He was due to come home in two months.” Harley drew in a breath. She hadn’t discussed John with anyone except her closest friends and her mother. Her skin was suddenly gooseflesh. Most people at the school didn’t even know of his existence. “I buried the past.”

  “I see.” He squeezed her hand. Harley usually resented a stranger’s touch. She didn’t pull her hand away now. The warmth of his hand soothed her and sent the sadness away. “Let’s discuss more pleasant matters. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I’d like that a lot.” Harley let him caress her hand.

  When the waiter brought the check, Abisi glanced at the bill and quickly produced his wallet. Before she could open her mouth, he said, “Allow me.”

  Abisi insis
ted upon walking her to the car. She gazed up at him when they stood at the car door. “What brought you to New Orleans?”

  “Like you, I felt unfulfilled. Treating spoiled rich people in New York wasn’t my cuppa, as the Brits say.” He smiled warmly at her.

  “I’m sure there are plenty of poor people in New York, too.”

  “Yes, of course.” Abisi reflectively touched his chin as if considering his answer. “I just associated New York with the breakup of my marriage and a lot of unhappiness. Besides, the story of Katrina made me think you all needed a doctor here. The post came open, and I took it.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Harley was surprised at how glad she truly was.

  Chapter 6

  Late June

  “He is not a serial killer.” Harley stared at her cousin Judy in the front pew at St. Anselm’s. Her voice was a hiss. Mass would start in less than fifteen minutes.

  “How do you know?” Judy was more protective of Harley than Eden had been.

  Harley sometimes thought Judy should be on VoodooMatch. She was still lovely with dark hair and an hourglass shape, but she spent most of her time worrying about her family and friends.

  “I searched him on the Internet. He’s everything he says he is.” Harley cast a disparaging glance at her cousin. Judy knew no more about the Internet than a gnat. Harley spoke with emphasis. “He is a doctor. He is widowed. He has a grown daughter.” Harley turned to her cousin and stuck out her chin. “How is he a serial killer?”

  “Just be careful, okay? Think twice before you invite him over.” Judy frowned and turned her attention to the altar. She seemed to be deep in prayer.

  “He’s been to the house.” Harley suppressed a smile at her cousin’s shocked expression. “See! I’m still alive.”