by Dianne Drake
Seeing her didn’t cause the emotional flutter he’d expected. But it wasn’t an easy thing either. So, he kept his distance, stayed on the other side of the hall, like that little barrier would separate more than his body from hers. And, damn, he wanted her body closer. Like last night.
Caleb cleared his throat, then answered. “No, that’s fine. Since I was late...ten minutes.”
Leanne laughed. “Oh, Helen. She was on the warpath this morning, wasn’t she?”
It was as if last night with her hadn’t happened. Whatever happened happened. Then nothing. Like all those things she’d done when they’d been kids. The way she’d treated him, bullied him, made him the target of her agenda, whatever that had been, then...nothing. He didn’t get how someone could just do something, then walk away from it so easily. Maybe even forget it. But that was Leanne, through and through, and it concerned him that he couldn’t get past her blatant omissions. They bothered him, didn’t faze her. “Well, from everything I hear, she’s a great nurse. So, I guess she’s entitled to go on the warpath every now and then.”
“Or every time she sees you. You do know you rub her up the wrong way, don’t you?”
“She made that painfully clear to me when I was fourteen years old, the same way she did five minutes ago.”
Leanne fidgeted with the button on her white jacket for a moment, then frowned. “She holds you personally responsible for the way Scott turned out.”
He noticed her nervousness and wondered if she was finally having a reaction to their kiss. “He does OK. Good job. Nice house. A couple of divorces. Except the divorces, what’s so bad about that?”
“You got him arrested a couple of times.”
“He got himself arrested. It just coincided with times when I was busy getting myself arrested.”
“But you corrupted him, according to Helen. He was a good boy until he met you.”
Caleb laughed out loud. “That’s probably true. He got sent away shortly after I did. Juvenile crimes too many to count, I was told. And Helen wasn’t happy about that. So, tell me, if I take over managing the hospital, how am I supposed to manage her?”
Leanne stopped fidgeting with her button and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “You don’t. You let her do what she wants, and get by the best way you can.” Scooting around Caleb, she took every precaution not to brush up against him. So much so, it seemed awkward. And she didn’t say anything as she walked away from him. Not a single, solitary word.
Yep. Had to be that kiss, he thought as he headed off to see his first patient. Then he smiled for the first time since it had happened. And what a kiss it had been.
Although it still didn’t explain his attraction to the last person he should ever be attracted to. Maybe it was simply hormones, he decided as he veered into his first patient’s room. Maybe a simple case of too long without a woman, then finally encountering the woman who’d always been able to push those buttons. He hoped so. Really hoped so, because horny he could explain. But something else... “Hello, Mr. Gardner. I see you had a rough night...”
* * *
OK, it wasn’t a date. He had no reason to be nervous about it. But going out to Priscilla Anderson’s was a long ride, so what the hell was he doing, taking Leanne along? This was an easy visit, one he could have made alone. But he’d passed her in the hall on his way out the door and next thing he knew she was sitting next to him in his truck, going along for the ride. Frankly, it had surprised him when he’d opened his mouth and heard the invitation fly out, but what surprised him even more was her acceptance. Eager acceptance.
Now here they were, bumping along a pitted mountain road, both probably wondering what had gotten them to this place. Especially considering the kiss—not the friendly one but the one that could have easily taken them straight down the hall to the bedroom. “So, did you know that, years ago, Victor Spencer at the hardware store got a little drunk and ended up on Betty Hollander’s sofa? No one knew how he got there. She kept her doors locked and said she’d never given anyone the spare key. But she got up one morning, was in the process of getting ready to go to work and there he was, all sprawled out on her sofa in all his full, naked glory, snoring like he was king of the house. Or in other words...one of Marrell’s interesting stories.”
And a big, fat way to avoid real conversation, which was his only aim now.
“And I’m sure there are more.”
“Many more,” she agreed. “Deeper and more mysterious.”
“Such as?” he asked, not twisting an inch to look at her, since to look at her was to wander off into dangerous territory, and he was too tired to wander. Or wonder.
“Such as why you asked me to come with you.”
“Since when is it a crime to ask someone along on a ride?”
“It’s not a crime. It’s just...curious.”
Finally, he glanced over at her. “As curious as your motive for accepting my offer?”
She laughed. “We really are good at going around in circles, aren’t we?”
Caleb glanced at Leanne out of the corner of his eye, and finally gave in to a smile. “And exactly what circles would those be?”
* * *
“Never thought I’d live to see the day,” Priscilla Anderson said, leading Caleb and Leanne in through her door, past her many, many cats. “Caleb Carsten and Leanne Sinclair together. In my house, no less. You didn’t take a detour through my medicinal patch the way you used to, did you?” she addressed Caleb, winking.
“You still have that thing?” Caleb sat his medical bag on the side table near the nineteen-sixties sofa, then turned to face the woman. She hadn’t changed a bit. Long gray hair, sharp blue eyes, bright smile, faded blue jeans and a T-shirt sporting the peace sign. Somewhere well north of seventy, although he didn’t know how much, as she’d always refused to tell anybody when they asked. Age is in the mind, and my mind is young, she’d always say. In fact, that’s what she’d written into the medical information that was on file for her at the hospital.
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t,” she said, this time addressing her wink to Leanne.
“Well, I was never interested in your medicinals, but I’d sure take a chocolate-chip cookie, since that’s the only reason I came out here.”
She reached up and tweaked his cheek. “If you’re good, you can have as many as you like.” Then she looked at Leanne. “Don’t guess I ever expected to see you back here in Marrell, working.”
Leanne shrugged. “Don’t guess I ever expected to come back here to work. But things happen. And I’m only here until I get everything sorted at the hospital.”
“Yes, Henry getting married and retiring,” the older woman said, then broke into a wide grin. “To my daughter. Which makes you my granddaughter now, doesn’t it?”
Leanne laughed. “I guess it would, wouldn’t it?”
“Which makes you and my grandson Jack...cousins? I used to hope you and he might work something out. You seemed like a good couple. Well suited.”
“We never dated, Priscilla. We weren’t interested in each other that way. He was a friend. He and his best friend, Palloton, taught me how to climb. That’s all there was to it.”
“I know, especially with what you and Caleb had going on,” she said, then nodded toward Caleb, who’d found the cookies in the kitchen and was busy pouring himself a glass of milk to go with them.
“Nothing going on there either. Not then, not now.”
“Well, there was that whole thing about you getting him arrested.”
“I didn’t get him arrested,” Leanne protested, as she opened her medical bag and pulled out her stethoscope. If ever there was a person who spoke her mind, that was Priscilla. Usually, she didn’t mind the bluntness. Right now, she did. It made her feel uneasy. Made her feel frustrated over something that just wasn’t there. “He got himself arrested on
his own.”
“With a little help from a friend,” Priscilla continued. “But true love makes you do crazy things, I suppose. Don’t know for certain since my true love happened so long ago.”
“It wasn’t true love,” Caleb called out from the kitchen.
“Are you sure?” she called back.
“Think I’d know it, if it happened to me,” he teased, stepping back into her living room, cookie in hand.
“Or, maybe you wouldn’t. For a genius kid, you weren’t always too smart.” She dismissed him with the wave of a hand, then turned to Leanne. “So, let’s get this over with. Since Caleb’s obviously not going to examine me while he’s engaging with my cookies, and you’ve got the stethoscope, I’m assuming you’re the one who’s going to do it.”
“In your bedroom?” Leanne asked.
Leanne followed Priscilla down the hall, entered the bedroom after her and shut the door. “OK, let’s make this quick,” she said, pointing to a vanity chair and instructing Priscilla to take a seat.
“You’re not going to hurt him again, are you?” Priscilla asked, as she sat. “Because he doesn’t deserve that. Didn’t deserve it then, doesn’t deserve it now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leanne said stiffly. Another accusation. This was really starting to bother her. What had these people seen in her they’d thought was so bad?
“Sure, you do. And you also know Caleb was one of the good kids in town. But you...” She shook her head. “Just leave him alone this time, Leanne. That’s all I’m saying. Leave him alone to live his life the way he wants to. And I’m not trying to be mean about this. I’m just concerned.”
“We weren’t even friends back then, Priscilla. And I really don’t have to stand here and defend whatever you think I did when I was a kid.” Especially when it came to Caleb, since to her mind there was nothing to defend.
“He’s a good man, Leanne. And I’m assuming you’re a good woman. At least, that’s what I hope you turned into. So just be careful this time. Whatever you two have going between you, just be careful with it.” With that, she pulled up her shirt, then said, “So, examine me now, then you can go have some cookies, too, if Caleb hasn’t eaten them all.”
But she didn’t want cookies. Didn’t want anything but fresh air, which was exactly what she got as soon as she did her exam. She left Caleb to his cookies and went outside, sat down on the chair on Priscilla’s porch and simply stared up at the sky, wondering why Priscilla Anderson would even think she needed to warn her about being careful with Caleb. How was that relevant? What did it mean? It didn’t make sense. So many things didn’t make sense that she was beginning to feel panicked, feel like something was missing. But what? For the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out.
So, she shut her eyes, leaned her head back against the house, and simply breathed as she tried to shut out the conversation coming through the door she’d left ajar. But it wouldn’t be shut out.
“All I’m saying is watch yourself, Caleb. She destroyed you once, and I don’t want to see that happening again.”
“She’s my colleague, Priscilla. And, technically, my boss. That’s all there is.”
“That’s never all there is, Caleb. Not back then, not now. You know it, and I know it. Probably half of Marrell knows it, too.”
“You don’t like Leanne, do you?”
“I don’t like what she did to you. As for Leanne herself, I’m sure she’s grown up, and now that we’re going to be family, I suppose I’ll get to know her differently. Hope so, anyway. But I’ve always cared a lot about you, Caleb. You know that. You weren’t like the rest of the kids in town. And I just don’t want to see all that come back to haunt you.”
All what? Leanne wondered, letting out a frustrated breath. Exactly what would come back to haunt him?
Chapter Seven
“I’M SORRY, BUDDY, but I’m afraid it’s just the two of us tonight.” Caleb felt bad about that, as Matthew had his photos in queue on the computer, anxiously awaiting Leanne. But she’d called a while ago, told him she couldn’t make it.
“Tell Matthew I’m sorry.” No other explanation. She’d been edgy the whole time they’d been at Priscilla Anderson’s earlier, which he understood since Priscilla and Leanne were not on the best of terms—something that seemed to have grown over the years, at least in Priscilla’s mind. So, by the time he’d dropped Leanne off at her car, she’d looked as strung out as he’d ever seen anybody look, wringing her hands, biting her lower lip, anxiously tapping her foot, tense shoulders...
He’d felt sorry for her. Felt bad for asking her to go up to Priscilla’s with him. But he’d honestly figured he could put everything out of his mind and simply get on with it. That didn’t turn out to be the case, though. The closer he was to her, the more it all came back. So many memories, so many feelings—And Priscilla. She’d always hated Leanne’s influence over him. Had told him, over and over, that she was no good for him, to leave her alone, to forget about her. Advice that always fell on the deaf ears of a teenager in love, lust or whatever it was he’d been in. And now the old lady was taking up the cause again—a cause he would have to take special care to keep Leanne away from. Although he wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to protect her now. She’d been all those things Priscilla had accused her of being—spoiled, stuck on herself, out to use people, especially him...
And, yes, he was flirting with all that once more. Didn’t mean to, didn’t want to...couldn’t even attach a rational explanation to it. But it was happening even though he didn’t want it to. This time, though, he was older, not prone to getting himself hurt.
Except playing with fire always burned, didn’t it?
“Look, Matthew, Leanne had...other things she had to do, so we’ll show her your photos another time.”
“But she was supposed to eat with us, too,” Matthew said, sounding as disappointed as a five-year-old could sound.
“I know, but sometimes we have to change plans,” Caleb said, sounding disappointed himself. Surprised how much he’d counted on this evening together. “Anyway, how about I go get dinner cooking?”
Matthew’s answer was to shrug and sigh. “Not hungry,” Matthew said. “I want to go outside and take some pictures.”
“Want me to help?”
Matthew shook his head, then picked up his camera from the table next to the front door and walked on outside. Slowly. Hesitantly. Like an unsure little five-year-old boy. His son—still almost a baby, but so intellectually grown-up. Caleb felt so inadequate as a father, at times it almost pained him physically. Especially at times like this. “Stay in the yard,” he warned. It was a small patch of earth, juxtaposed against a never-ending expanse of wilderness that he’d fenced off for Matthew’s play area, even though his son rarely ever went outside to play.
“And later, I want to go online and look at cameras,” Matthew said. “I need something with a better zoom.”
Caleb didn’t doubt Matthew would progress through the next level of camera, then the one after that very quickly, until he finally landed on a professional model. That’s just the way he was. Always wanting to push the five-year-old boundaries far beyond those very limited years. It made him both proud because Matthew was so focused, yet sad for the things he might never see because of that focus. Much the way he’d been when he was young. Always focused on medicine, then Leanne...never seeing the world around him because he’d been centered only on what he’d wanted to see. “Do you think we should go to one of the bigger cities one day, and have a look in a camera shop? Talk to some experts, see what they recommend for you?”
“No,” Matthew said, in a flat, I-have-no-interest-in-what-you’re-saying voice. A voice Caleb knew, oh, so well. “I don’t want to wait to get it.” With that, Matthew shut the front door behind him, leaving Caleb standing there, feeling lousy. In fact, everything right
now made him feel lousy. Leanne canceling her evening with them. His interactions with Matthew. And that damned fried chicken he was supposed to fix for them.
Matthew felt lousy, he felt lousy, Leanne felt lousy. It had been a hell of a lousy day all around.
* * *
“I’m going to get a new camera,” Matthew said, aiming his camera at Leanne and clicking off several shots as she strolled up onto the front porch and took a seat next to him on the log bench. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Changed my mind. Decided I’d rather be here with you guys than home alone. And look at your photos.” That was true, even after what she’d overheard at Priscilla’s. Tonight, the emptiness at home, alone, hadn’t suited her, and Priscilla’s words had pounded and pounded. So much so, they made her do strange things. Think about things she hadn’t thought about in years. Try to remember events, people, places...much of which had slipped her mind. Which had frustrated her. The harder she’d tried to think, to recall, the worse it had gotten until she’d literally stepped out onto the front porch and screamed her lungs out at the nighttime sky. Why not? No one was there to hear. No one was there to care. So, while she’d hoped for some sort of catharsis from it, all she’d got was a mild scratchy throat, a little bit of a headache, and the overwhelming feeling that she just didn’t want to be alone. Wanted to be with Caleb. And, of course, Matthew. So, here she was, pulling out her phone and snapping a few pictures of Matthew taking pictures of her.
“They’re ready,” he said, turning his focus on a white-tailed deer crossing the front yard. “Got them in albums, ready to look at.”
She waited for him to take his shot before she answered. “What kind of camera are you thinking about?” she asked him, taking a seat next to him.
“Can you help me with that?” He looked at the camera she’d given him, and shrugged. “Some of the things I’ve read got me confused.”
“Sure, I’ll help you. There are a couple of brands I’ve always liked, so maybe after we look at your photos...” It was hard to believe she was talking to a young child this way, but this was Matthew, and to do anything otherwise would be to insult him. He was like Caleb, who’d used a lot of words, most of which she hadn’t understood. But oh, how she’d loved to listen. At her young age, Caleb had been so impressive...like Matthew.