by Dianne Drake
“Pretty much med school, then medical practice. A couple of promotions. One I backed out of because it didn’t suit me. Haven’t had time for anything else.”
“Then you’re not married?” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked because he didn’t care.
She laughed. “Not yet, but...” She smiled, shrugged, then took a sip of tea. “I always knew you were going to be a doctor. Knew I was, too. But both of us here, back in Marrell...”
“I’m here because most everything I do now is for Matthew. No other reason.” He wanted to be clear about that. Wanted her to know he made time for little else. Because, if she was looking for a friendship, or anything else from him...
“It was difficult on Dad, raising me alone, so I’m sure it’s just as difficult for you. I’d like to meet him sometime, if we can arrange it.”
She sounded sincere, and the gentleness in her eyes wasn’t the same look he’d gotten used to seeing there all those years ago. “He’s not settling in too well yet. My parents have him while I’m at work, and I have him the rest of the time, and he’s just not finding his niche here.”
“But if he gets on with Hans Schilling, I’m sure that will help him find his place. It’s got to be difficult for him, all these changes he’s gone through at such a young age. When I was his age, I don’t think I’d ever been any farther away than Saka’am, or Westslope.”
“He’s been cool with the travel part. He’s a lot like I was, though. Too smart to fit in. Always trying to wrap himself in his own little world.”
“When you were a kid, I remember you used to like to hang out at the hospital and read Dad’s medical texts for fun. You’d sit in his study for hours, reading, all wrapped up in a cocoon you’d built around yourself to shut people out.”
“Matthew does that with his practicing.”
“What does he do for fun?” she asked.
“He considers what he’s doing fun. Like I said, Matthew is...serious. Too smart for his own good, too talented for his age, and the things that are fun for him are all tied up in that. Probably too much, which is why I’m hoping Schilling will accept him, because I think training tailored specifically for Matthew’s talents will help him see there’s more to life than his studies and his music.”
“He needs to have the kind of fun we did back then,” she said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself. “Remember how I always looked forward to seeing you?”
Seriously, that’s what she remembered? That, and not the rest of it? How convenient, not dwelling on the way she’d treated him. But why? Because she wanted something from him again? The way she always had in the past? Ask for something, lead him on with expectations, then smash him to bits? “Yeah, good times,” he said, trying not to sound too bitter even though, to his own ears, his words came out, as they said, as bitter as gall. “That was a long time ago, Leanne. I try not to dredge up old memories.”
“Me neither, to be honest. All I wanted was to get out of Marrell. I think everything I did from the age of thirteen or fourteen was centered on that.”
Or humiliating him. “But you’re back. So, are you going to stay?”
“No. But Dad’s trying hard to convince me to.”
“He is pretty set on having you run the hospital.”
“I know. But I’m set on getting someone else to do it for me so I can go back to Seattle. Which isn’t what Dad planned for me, and it’s really causing me a lot of conflict because I don’t want to hurt him. But I don’t want to get hurt in this either.”
“You coming home is all he’s talked about ever since I got here,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee.
“Well, times are changing and that’s going to include my dad, who’s totally resisted change pretty much as long as I’ve been alive. I’m worried about him, though.”
Yes, times did change but, fundamentally, did people? This Leanne seemed nicer than the one he remembered. She seemed more genuine. Closer to the younger one, the little girl who’d been his friend for a time. Or was it all a deception, the way Nancy had been a deception? Thinking about all those pretexts in his life and how they’d hurt him, Caleb forced himself to smile. “Well, times may change everywhere else, but I wonder if they ever do in Marrell.”
Leanne laughed. “Not so much. Mrs. Purcell still runs the grocery, Mr. Merrick is still the only mechanic in town, the post office is still in the back room of the hardware store. But there’s a health club now, and the hospital. I suppose everything gives way to progress at some point, don’t you think?”
Despite his feelings, Caleb chuckled. “And there’s a stoplight on Main Street, and a coffee shop and even a movie theater.”
“Second-run movies, though,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she smiled.
“So, Seattle?” he asked, to get his mind off the past and the comfort beginning to set in that he simply didn’t want there. “Never been.”
“It’s a nice place. Home. Career.”
“Good life?”
She frowned, and paused a moment. “Most of the time, yes. I have a pretty good life.”
“Which you don’t want to change by moving back to Marrell.”
“Something like that. And that brings me to the point of this conversation. Since you’re staying, or thinking about staying, would you consider running the hospital?”
So that’s what it was, Caleb thought. Step one. She wanted something.
“Maybe even look at buying it sometime in the future?”
Step two: lead him on with an expectation. “Buying it?”
“Something I don’t want Dad knowing just yet. I have some plans...nothing solid, but I may be making a big change in my life, and it’s all about being in Seattle. Not here.”
“Would congratulations be in order?” he asked, waiting for step three to drop down on him. Because it would. It always had with her.
She shook her head. “Not yet. Eric’s been offered a big promotion, and we want to make sure he’s settled into that before we take the next step. So, the timing for that is a little off right now. But in a while...”
Caleb shook his head, and blew out a long breath. Well, her steps were out there. At least, most of them. And he hadn’t had to wait too long. But he had some steps of his own to take and, until Matthew was settled, he wasn’t sure in which direction they were going. “Let me think about it.” Because if it was a legitimate offer, it was interesting. Even tempting. But he wasn’t going to allow himself to buy too far into it, as he’d bought too far into her so many times before. Still, she did need someone here. So maybe... “I’m not making any permanent decision until I find out what’s going to happen with Matthew. If Schilling accepts him, we stay. If he doesn’t, we’ll probably move on until we find the place he needs.”
“I understand, and I won’t press you for an answer, because I know what I’m proposing is a pretty major life-changer. So, take all the time you need. In the meantime, Dad’s going to have a fish fry tonight. Care to come? Maybe we can reminisce about old times.”
“I usually have plans with Matthew every evening.” That was the truth. The other truth was, he still didn’t want to reminisce about anything with Leanne, even if they’d just shared a few nice moments. What was there to reminisce about, besides memories of hurtful events?
“Then breakfast some morning? We could meet at Millie’s Diner down on Main Street, and have some of her world-famous pancakes.”
“Don’t eat pancakes. And it takes me a while to get Matthew ready in the morning so he can spend the day with his grandmother.”
The smile on Leanne’s face finally melted, replaced by a look of confusion. “You don’t want to get together with me, do you? Did I do something to offend you?”
Too many things to discuss. Too many memories he didn’t want to deal with. Nancy had wiped him out and he didn’t want to step back into the
ring to take a beating from another contender. “Look, Leanne. I’m busy right now. I’m trying to settle into a new life, set up a home, adjust to a new job, get Matthew situated... I’ve got a lot going on, and not enough time to get everything done.” That much was true. He didn’t. “So, since the only thing you could possibly want from me has to do with the job, drop into my office, ask Betty, the clinic’s secretary, to find a spot in my schedule for you, then put your name in it.”
“You used to be friendlier, Caleb,” she commented, pushing back her tea, then standing.
“I also used to be more gullible. But like you said, times have changed, and I’m part of that change.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked him.
“Whatever you want it to mean.” With that, he picked up his lunch tray, carried it over to the dirty dish area, set it down and left the cafeteria. Didn’t look back. Wasn’t even tempted to. But it did surprise him how all that water he’d thought had long since flowed under the bridge hadn’t flowed as far as he’d thought it had.
Chapter Two
WHAT SHE’D PLANNED and what she got were two entirely different things. Funny, she didn’t remember Caleb being so cool. And he was cool—almost cold. She recalled him being a nice boy, one she’d had a crush on when she’d been little. His intellect, his humor... Then, when he’d got a little older, he’d turned wild. Gotten himself in a lot of trouble. But it seemed he’d worked through all that, because look at him now—to all appearances a great dad, and a great doctor, according to her dad. Well, time had a way of changing people. She certainly wasn’t the same person she’d been whilst growing up in Marrell. That girl had been so unsettled. This one knew her place.
“He wasn’t friendly at all, Dad,” she commented to Henry, who was headed out the front door of his cabin on his way to meet Dora. Leanne was sitting in the porch swing, looking out over the meadowlands to the south, enjoying the nothingness of the moment. She didn’t get too many of those in her life, and this one was nice. “Cordial, and having a hard time maintaining that.”
Henry stopped at the edge of the porch, at the top of the wooden stairs leading to the path below, then turned to face her. “Don’t know what to tell you, Leanne. He’s been very pleasant to me, and to everybody else around here. But he’s got some bad years behind him, so maybe that’s what you’re seeing coming out. Or maybe he was only having a bad afternoon.”
“No. This went beyond a bad afternoon. There was something else going on, something I can’t explain.” And it made her wonder if she did want him to run her hospital after all. Of course, who knew what had gone on in his life? Maybe her dad was right. Maybe she was catching a glimpse of his past. Whatever the case, until she knew more, she would give him the benefit of the doubt and keep the offer open.
But what if she’d seen his real personality?
“Want me to have a talk with him?” Henry asked, appearing impatient to hop down those steps and be on his way. “See if I can figure out what’s bothering him?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s his business, and it’s not my place to interfere. If he wants to talk, he can, but I won’t force him into it.” Because she didn’t like being forced into something she didn’t want to talk about, or admit, or do. A couple of months back she’d been promoted to the head of family practice, then discovered she hated being in charge. She wanted to go back to her old position where she dealt directly with her patients, knew their names and recognized faces, and didn’t have to contend with budgets and scheduling, personnel conflicts and solutions. So, she’d stepped down, returned to what she loved best.
Eric didn’t understand, though, because he craved leadership and authority. Consequently, they’d argued for days. He’d wanted her to keep the promotion. She hadn’t. Simple as that then, simple as that now. She hated being pushed by him, hated pushing just as much, and she wasn’t about to do that to Caleb. “Anyway, have a good time, Dad. Give Dora my love and tell her we’ll get together soon. I think I’m going to pull some late hours working tonight, so maybe we can figure out something for later this week.”
Henry scooted across the porch, gave Leanne a quick kiss on the cheek, then practically ran down the steps and out to his truck, like a man in love who was bursting to see his woman. It was kind of cute, she thought, a little envious that no one had ever been that eager to see her. Except Caleb, when they’d been kids. And that didn’t count.
Leanne spent the next hour in her dad’s home office, staring at a pile of folders, each one containing something she needed to read. Yes, her dad kept his records the old-fashioned way, even though the hospital had upgraded to a nice computer system, and she’d been urging him to do the same at home. “Just read them,” she told herself, as she picked up a particularly fat one, stared at it for a moment, then tossed it back into the pile.
So, what was bugging her? Being home again? Missing Eric? Caleb’s aloof reaction to her? She didn’t know, didn’t particularly care because, true to her sentiments toward admin work, she wasn’t in the mood to get down to business. Which meant all the paperwork confronting her got shoved aside for the time being, and she went to fix herself a cup of hot tea instead.
As the tea kettle whistled, Leanne glanced at her watch, saw that it was almost three o’clock, and decided it was time to refocus. Maybe text Eric. Right now, he would have finished up with his two-thirty appointment and be on his way to a half-hour break. Same routine every day. Never varied. In his office, lock the door, Do Not Disturb.
But this afternoon she wanted to disturb, so she pulled out her phone and texted.
Video chat coming up. Head to your computer.
She waited a moment for his response, but it didn’t come, so she tried another text.
Eric, where are you?
This time she took a smiling selfie and attached it. But there was still no response. So...
Eric? You there?
Two minutes later came a reply.
Give me ten, babe. Tied up now.
She waited ten, wondering why he was tied up on what was supposed to be his break, then pulled out her personal laptop, since her dad’s computer had been around since the dinosaurs, and connected to Eric. Her first reaction when his face came on screen—he looked frazzled. Flushed. Hair mussed, a little sweaty. Her second, he worked too hard. “I miss you,” she started.
“Miss you more,” he responded, looking past the computer camera to what would be the office door. “How’s Marrell?”
“Small. Am I interrupting something?” she asked, noting how preoccupied he seemed.
“No. Just wrapping up some work. Ready to give you my undivided attention now. Anyway, you’ll do fine there. Just start counting off the days until you come back to me.” And finally, he gave her that smile, the one she’d always counted on to make her feel better.
“Easier said than done,” she said, relaxing back into her chair. For whatever reason, she’d been a little edgy going into this chat, but seeing Eric’s smile fixed all of that. “Especially when every day is going to be the same as the one before and the one after.”
“Can’t be that bad.”
“It would be better if you were here.” Even though he’d hate the place. Eric had no patience for small towns, small hospitals, small anything.
“It would be better if you were here,” he countered. “So, tell me what’s happened that’s got you upset? And before you ask how I know, I can see it in your beautiful face. That little worry line between your eyes that pops up occasionally is popping, and it concerns me, Leanne. I don’t like seeing you that way.”
“I’m fine, Eric. Just a little stressed-out. But dealing with it.” She reached up to feel for that worry line and, sure enough... “I met with an old friend today.”
“Boyfriend?” Eric asked.
“No, nothing like that. We were friends when we were
younger, that’s all.” Good friends for a while. “When I was five.”
Eric chuckled. “Let me guess. He’s seen what a beautiful woman you’ve grown into and he wants you back.”
She shook her head. “Hardly. He’s not very...friendly.”
“So, what did your unfriendly friend do that’s causing that wrinkle?”
“Actually, I don’t know.” And she didn’t. It had been a strange meeting. “But I got the impression he wanted to get away from me as fast as he could.”
“Why would any man in his right mind want to get away from you?”
“Just preoccupied, I think. He’s heading up our family practice clinic here. He’s also a war vet and a single father. I just...just expected him to be a little more open, or friendly.”
“Well, we all have our stories, don’t we?” He shifted in his chair, and glanced away from the monitor for a moment. Then back at her. “Our secrets, our excuses. So just allow the man his privacy, babe. I’m sure he needs it, for whatever reason.”
Eric was right, of course. Whatever had caused Caleb to be the way he was, it was none of her business. In fact, the only thing that was her business was if he’d be suitable to head the hospital. “I asked him to take over here. Dad says he’s qualified, and that would certainly be a great solution for me.”
He grinned knowingly, arching sexy eyebrows. “It would get you back here to me quicker. I don’t know how I’m going to go three months without you, even if we do get to meet in the middle from time to time, as we’d planned.”
“Like next weekend?” Their first planned get-together. She’d made reservations at a quaint little bed-and-breakfast, and if things well...