For Better or For Worse

by Debbi Quattrone

  “I don’t know. I never met one before.”

  “He’ll grow on you.” He turned to the bird. “Plato?”

  “Alex.”

  Jenny gasped. “He said your name.”

  “Plato?” Alex drawled the bird’s name in warning.

  “Alex,” the bird repeated.

  “Knock it off.” He flicked a fingernail against the cage, and Plato let out an annoyed squawk. “Behave yourself. There’s someone I want you to meet. This is Jenny.”

  Plato said nothing. He looked around the room... anywhere but at her.

  Alex sighed. “He’s being stubborn. Plato?”

  “Alex.”

  “Okay, that does it.” He motioned to Jenny for them to leave. “Let’s go to dinner. The little tyrant can sit alone and stew.”

  “What about water?” Jenny wasn’t sure if she liked the little bully or not, but she didn’t want him to go thirsty.

  Alex winked. “He’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

  They got to the door, and Plato let out a panicked squawk. “Alex! Alex!”

  He slowly turned to the bird. “Are you ready to say hi to Jenny?”

  Silence.

  “Okay, Jen, let’s go.” Alex opened the door.

  “Alex! Jenny! Alex!”

  She gave a startled laugh and stared at Plato in awe. “He said my name.”

  “Can you say hello?” Alex kept his hand on the doorknob.

  “Hello, Jenny.” Plato made an otherworldly sound, then repeated, “Hello, Jenny. Hello, Jenny.”

  “Okay, Plato, enough.” Alex shook his head and glanced at Jenny. “Now he has to have the last word. We’ll leave for dinner in about twenty minutes. Let him have his little triumph.”

  She still couldn’t believe how the macaw could communicate. He was incredibly articulate. “Does he bite?”

  “Let’s just say you’d better let him get to know you for a few days before you get too cozy.”

  The bird eyed them as they talked, as if he were trying to figure out what they were saying. Jenny took a seat on the couch with her back to him. Not that she thought he could actually understand, but still... “What about Bagel? Will he have a problem with Plato staying here?”

  Alex sat at the other end of the couch, and swung his long legs toward her. “Plato is around dogs and cats at the clinic. Sometimes he has a temper tantrum and squawks up a storm for a few seconds. If Bagel gets curious or too close, Plato will get rid of him.”

  “Thank you for bringing him home. It’s a great surprise.” She still didn’t know how she felt about having the bird around. But she appreciated the gesture.

  He smiled. “That isn’t your surprise.”

  “Oh.”

  “This is.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out something that looked like a credit card.

  “What is it?”

  “Here.” He handed it to her.

  Her eyes widened. It was an insurance card with her name on it. “I’ve been approved.” She raised her gaze to his. “I’m officially insured?”

  “Yep.”

  She put a hand to her throat. “Oh, my God. It finally seems real.”

  “It’s real, all right. You can call Dr. Sage’s office tomorrow and set up the appointment to discuss the surgery.”

  She wanted to cry. She wouldn’t, of course—certainly not in front of Alex. “This is so unbelievable. Thank you.”

  “No more thanking me.” He looked pretty emotional himself. “As soon as you get the appointment, I’ll take care of our plane tickets and any other details.”

  She leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck. She couldn’t help it. He had to be the nicest man in the world. She hoped she hadn’t just scared the daylights out of him.

  He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “I want you well,” he whispered. “That’s all that’s important.”

  It finally dawned on her what he’d said, and she straightened to look at him. “You said our plane tickets.”

  “That’s right.”

  “You’re coming to New York with me?”

  His eyebrows dipped in a frown. “Of course.”

  “You can’t. What about the clinic?”

  “I have a partner, remember?”

  “But—but...” She shook her head. “I don’t expect you to baby-sit me. You’ve done so much already.”

  His expression tightened. “I’m not going to baby-sit you, but I am going.”

  “But I feel awful keeping you away from—”

  “Jenny.”

  “I’ll be fine by myself,” she continued when he tried to cut her off. “I’ve been doing research on the computer and I think I understand—”

  “Jenny,” he said again, this time with impatience.

  “Jenny! Jenny! Hello, Jenny.” Plato flapped his wings excitedly.

  “Not now, Plato.” Alex muttered a mild oath. “Look, Jenny—”

  “Jenny! Hello, Jenny!”

  “Damn it, Plato.”

  Jenny burst out laughing. “You’re not going to win this round.”

  Alex stared at her with an annoyed expression, then his lips started to curve. “You two start ganging up on me and I’m taking him back to the clinic.”

  She grinned. “No, you won’t.”

  His left brow went up. “I won’t?”

  She shook her head, unable to lose the smile. “You’re a big softie, Dr. McAlester.”

  “You think so, huh?”

  “I know so.”

  He pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully, his eyes glittering with amusement. “You may change your mind about that. Just try talking me out of accompanying you to New York.”

  At his intimate tone, she shivered. The thing was, she wanted him to go. But she’d never dreamed he would. She certainly would never have asked it of him. “I won’t say anything more about it.” She whispered, because that’s all her vocal cords were capable of.

  “Good, because it would be wasted breath.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face, then cupped his hand over her nape. “Ready to go to dinner?”

  She hesitated, not wanting to ruin the bond growing between them. But she hadn’t realized how much she’d craved his touch until now. His warm palm pressed to her skin was like a balm, a magic elixir.

  While she wanted like crazy to break their eye contact, she stayed focused on him. “I’d rather stay here.”

  He studied her face with undisguised curiosity. “Okay,” he said slowly. “We can do that.”

  She gave him a shy smile and moved a little closer. He took his hand away from her nape, and she sucked in a breath. God, she’d ruined everything.

  “Come here,” he said, sliding his arm around her shoulders and urging her closer.

  Relieved and too excited for her own good, she snuggled against him and laid her head on his chest. “We have leftovers.”

  “I’m not hungry. Are you?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good.” He hugged her and kissed the top of her hair. “We’ll eat later.” He ran a slow, sensual hand down her back. “Much later.”

  * * *

  AN HOUR LATER, Jenny was still asleep on Alex’s chest. He didn’t mind. He was upset with how much she tried to do each day. She pushed herself too hard. For no reason. She could laze around and read or watch television all day. Didn’t she understand how sick she was?

  Her soft sigh drifted to him, and he closed his eyes, reveling in the sensation of her warm body tucked against him. He’d wanted to kiss her earlier. That he’d dug up enough self-control to keep his mouth from hers amazed him.

  The past week had felt like Christmas mornings when he was a kid growing up not far from Cooper�
�s Corner. The present from Santa sat near the tree, tempting, taunting, begging to be opened, but not before his grandparents arrived.

  Brutal. Downright brutal.

  The only thing that stopped him from kissing her was that he knew this was what she needed—the snuggling, the closeness, the human connection, not anything sexual.

  It pleased him that she wanted him to go with her to New York. Although she’d tried to dissuade him, he’d seen the relief and gratitude in her eyes.

  Gratitude. That’s all she felt toward him. That’s all he should expect. But something was waking him up at night and making him edgy at the clinic during the day. It couldn’t be about sex or the lack thereof. He was too old for that sort of nonsense. Not for the sex part, but for acting like a hormonal teenager because she was in the next room.

  She stirred against him, and he shifted to make sure she was comfortable. His arm had gone numb from being still so long, but the tingling that would come was a small price to pay to have her close and safe.

  God, he hated to consider it, but he wondered how much his feelings for Jen had to do with the fact he’d been unable to help Sara. The strong protectiveness he felt toward Jenny went beyond normal. His powerlessness frustrated and astonished him.

  Or maybe this jumble of emotions had to do with Ed. A simple case of transference. Alex couldn’t do anything for Jenny’s father, so he tried to compensate for his failure by helping her. Not that he had had anything to do with Ed’s death or could have foreseen the heart attack. But the mind could be a baffling foe.

  He lightly kissed the top of her head and breathed in the peach scent that clung to her hair. When she stirred again, he loosened his arm from around her. He flexed his left shoulder, and the tingling started, traveling to his wrist. He didn’t care. For now she was safe, and tomorrow they’d move forward.

  His partner, Tuck, knew what to expect and was prepared to take over the clinic for the time off Alex needed. He had so many questions for Jenny’s doctor that he’d been tempted to call the office. But he had a feeling that would’ve ticked Jen off. In fact, he knew it would make her mad.

  He smiled. She was so different from Sara, more opinionated and independent. It could be frustrating sometimes, because she didn’t seem to take her condition seriously enough.

  She yawned and arched her back. Her breasts pressed against his chest, sending his thoughts in a totally new direction. Her lashes fluttered, then she opened her eyes and looked around as if she’d forgotten where she was.

  “Hi.”

  She stared at him in surprise. “I fell asleep.”

  He nodded.

  Straightening away from him, she put a hand to her hair. Her ponytail had loosened, leaving a mass of flyaway tendrils. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. You obviously needed the rest.”

  “You stayed here the whole time?”

  “Yep.”

  Her cheeks got pink. “You should have just pushed me over to the other side of the couch.”

  He grinned. “How about something to eat?”

  She nodded absently, pulled the pink elastic from her hair and redid her ponytail, her thoughts clearly miles away. “You did tell me I’m covered by insurance, right? I didn’t dream it.”

  He tucked a strand of hair she’d missed behind her ear. “It’s not a dream.”

  “I guess there was a part of me that was afraid it wouldn’t happen. The insurance company would find some snafu that would rule out my coverage.”

  “No need to worry now.”

  She sighed and started to relax against him. But a second later she stiffened and moved away, clasping her hands in her lap.

  That bothered him, and he got up. “I’ll go heat up the leftovers.”

  “I’ll do it.” She followed him to the kitchen. “You worked all day. It’s the least I can do.”

  “For goodness sakes, Jen, I don’t expect you to be a housekeeper around here.” He immediately regretted his curt tone.

  It didn’t seem to bother her. She glared at him. “We’ve been through that, if you recall. I need to feel useful.”

  “Fine.” She was right. They’d been down that road before, and she was no less stubborn about it now. He opened the refrigerator and poked around the plastic containers, looking for the leftover pot roast.

  She nudged him aside and grabbed a covered blue dish. “Maybe you should have had a nap, too,” she muttered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She hesitated, then slid him a sideways glance. “You’re a grouch.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are, and I don’t understand why.”

  He brought plates from the cabinet and put them on the kitchen table. “I’ve been in a pretty good mood, actually.”

  “Until now.”

  “What did I do?”

  She gave him a dry look as she slid the pot roast into the microwave.

  “Okay, so I was a little abrupt,” he conceded. “That hardly makes me a grouch.”

  She didn’t respond, but placed utensils and napkins near the plates. Next she got out salad fixings. “By the way, I’m not ignoring you,” she finally said. “I’m thinking.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that. Better she ignored him.

  “Can you get me that yellow bowl, please?” She pointed to the top shelf of the cupboard.

  He reached over her, annoyed at the feeling her nearness created. She took the bowl from him then turned to face him. He should have stepped back to give her some space. He didn’t.

  She tilted her head to look him in the eyes and gave him a sweet smile. “I appreciate what you’re doing more than you’ll ever know. But you can’t hover over me. I know my own body. I know when I push too hard and when I have to rest. It’s upsetting to think that on top of having your life disrupted, you’re wasting energy worrying about me, too.”

  “Wasting energy?”

  She laid a hand on his arm. “Keeping a positive outlook is important. Believe me, I’ve learned the hard way.” She raised herself on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I’m so grateful to you, Alex. I don’t want to put you out any more than I have.”

  Damn it. That was the problem. He was starting to want more than her gratitude.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ALEX CHECKED HIS watch as he paced the corridor for the hundredth time. He avoided looking in the rooms, but the smells, the sounds made him feel trapped. Each beep from a monitor, every whiff of antiseptic brought memories of Sara’s last days. He did his best to focus on Jenny, on believing she was going to be fine. But the surgery was supposed to take four hours. It had already been five.

  The waiting room was empty for the moment, and for that he was grateful. Normally, he didn’t mind the idle chitchat of strangers, but not today. He dug into his pocket for change. Another cup of the putrid vending-machine coffee would probably do him in. His stomach was a mess. It didn’t matter. He just wanted to hear that Jenny was all right.

  Less than two months she’d been with him, and already his emotional investment in her had mounted. Considering all the time they’d spent together in the evenings, playing board games or discussing books they’d read, it was no surprise how much he’d gotten to know and like her. But the whole idea of getting too close still scared him. He wanted her well. He just didn’t want to care so damn much.

  “Dr. McAlester?”

  He looked up to see the surgeon approaching, his face expressionless. Alex’s heart slammed against his chest. Why wasn’t the guy smiling? He would be smiling if everything were okay.

  “We just finished with your wife.”

  “Just tell me if she’s all right.”

  Dr. Sage’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Of course. She’s fine.”


  Alex let out a shaky breath. “The surgery was a success?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “No complications?”

  “A minor one...that’s what took us longer than expected. Why don’t you sit down?”

  “Why? What do you have to tell me? The tumor was malignant?”

  The doctor smiled. “No, we never expected it to be. I just don’t want you passing out on me.”

  Alex snorted. “I’m not going to pass out. Can I see her?”

  “Not at the moment. They’re wheeling her into recovery now.”

  “Right.” Alex decided to sit down, after all.

  Dr. Sage sat beside him on the plastic bench. “The tumor was tricky to remove, but I don’t anticipate any permanent nerve damage. We were lucky.”

  Alex listened with half an ear as the doctor gave him details about the surgery. He was so damn grateful and relieved. She was fine. Jenny was going to leave the hospital.

  “We’ve already discussed the kind of physical therapy she’ll need over the next six months. And of course I’ll meet with both of you again to go over it later. But right now I have to prepare for another patient.”

  “I understand.” Alex stood and shook the doctor’s hand. He was one of the three best surgeons in the country for precisely this type of operation. Alex had done extensive research on the man, and he trusted him. “Thank you.”

  The doctor nodded. “You should be able to see her within the hour. Although don’t expect much. She’ll still be groggy.”

  Alex knew that. He just wanted to see her for himself. He wanted to be there when her eyes opened. She probably wouldn’t even remember, but that wasn’t the point. He just wanted to see her.

  Since that wasn’t going to happen immediately, he went to the rest room and splashed his face with cold water, then used his cell phone to call Maureen Cooper as he’d promised. He didn’t want her worrying needlessly about Jenny. Maureen hadn’t been herself lately, probably from the shock of finding Ed Taylor dead.

  After he’d made the call and Maureen assured him she would spread the word about Jenny, Alex headed to the downstairs gift shop for flowers. Jen would probably end up in ICU for a day or two, which meant she couldn’t have flowers in the room, but hell, he didn’t care. He was just so damn glad the surgery was over and a success that he’d give the bouquets to the nurses.