by Diane Craver
***
Mallory went to the door when she heard Seth’s car in the driveway at six o’clock. Seth had called earlier to check on her, so she’d told him about Heather leaving to take her sister to the hospital. Before she even mentioned Elizabeth’s conflict with her schedule, Seth told her that he’d be there soon. In a way, she was glad that Elizabeth had phoned her about not being able to come because she felt a rush of excitement about Seth’s visit. It was reassuring to know if something weird should happen from the surgery, he’d be here to take care of her.
He was dressed in jeans with his broad shoulders filling out his gray polo. Watching Seth shut his car door made her feel light-headed. Well, her dizziness might not be just from staring at her extremely good-looking surgeon but from the surgery itself. Or not eating much. I should have changed my clothes. She still wore her sweat pants and an oxford pale blue blouse that she’d put on in the morning. She’d been told to wear loose pants and nothing that had to go over her head when arriving for surgery.
“How’s my favorite patient?” Seth asked, carrying flowers and a small grocery bag.
I can’t believe he brought me a bouquet of flowers. She hadn’t received flowers from a man for a long time. No, that wasn’t true. Seth had given her a pot of hyacinths on the evening of their barbecue. “I’m doing okay. Do you like my new look?”
“I’d like it better if you were resting.”
“I’ve been a good girl. I even took a nap. And I’ve been putting the cold compress on my face.”
“That reminds me I brought you a couple bags of frozen peas. You can alternate using them in place of the ice. The peas maintain their cold temperature and will help make the whole icing thing easier.” Seth handed her the bouquet of mixed flowers. “I’ll put them in water in a minute. First, I want you to get off your feet.”
She stared at the brightly colored arrangement. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
He followed her into the living room, sitting by her on the couch. “What about eating?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been drinking liquids and ate some Jell-O. Did you eat yet?”
“I had a sub a couple of hours ago. Did you tolerate the Jell-O okay?”
“Yes.”
“If your stomach’s settled, I’ll make macaroni and cheese for you to eat. I brought the ingredients to make it.”
How sweet of him to take time to buy what was needed to make her dinner. “My stomach feels fine and macaroni and cheese sounds yummy. The perfect comfort food for a lady after nose surgery.”
He stood, grinning at her. “It’s a good thing I helped you clean up after the barbecue so I know where you keep stuff. Before I get started, I’ll fill a compress with ice for you. You can use the vegetable bags during the night to make it easier. You need to keep changing the ice compresses every fifteen minutes, so you’ll minimize your bruising and swelling.”
After Seth put the flowers in a vase, he brought her the compress. “Here, I’ll put it on.”
Even with her puffy face, she loved the touch of his gentle fingers and murmured, “Thank you. For everything.”
His closeness made her wish she didn’t have a stupid splint and a sore face because she wouldn’t mind a kiss from him. Or maybe she was hallucinating from the anesthesia. He wasn’t about to kiss her now. Or would he?
“You’re welcome,” he said. “I hope you’ve been avoiding long conversations. Don’t feel like you have to talk to me while I cook. I want you to rest and stay quiet.”
“Yes, Doctor, except I did talk to Josh and my ex-mother-in-law but I kept it short.”
“That’s good.”
She had a good view of Seth preparing dinner and thought how at home he looked in her kitchen. Sometimes it was hard to imagine how much he meant to her in such a short time. After the macaroni was cooked and drained, he stirred the cheeses in the sauce. He turned and said, “I hope you like pepper cheese. I’m using both Pepper Jack and Colby Jack.”
“I do.”
Once he had the casserole in the oven, Seth walked into the living room. “It’ll take thirty minutes. After we eat I need to make phone calls to patients.” He smiled at her. “Usually, I don’t make house calls after surgery but call instead.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you?” His blue eyes filled with amusement. “Your mom leaves on her honeymoon, Heather’s sister goes into labor early, and Elizabeth has to stay at work. I think you wanted me here.”
“Hey, don’t make me laugh. You told me to avoid smiling, grinning and any excessive facial movements for one week. I’m sure that includes laughing.”
“I didn’t mean to make you laugh. Just thought I’d tease you a little.”
“Well, you’re right. I planned it all, knowing you’d make the long trip.”
“I enjoy taking care of you but I think you know that.” Seth gave her a thoughtful look. “I also enjoyed kissing you the few times we’ve been together. I’m hoping you’ll miss me when I go out of the country and want me in your life.”
She leaned forward, tossing her compress. Why was Seth leaving? And what if she had complications and he wasn’t around to take care of her? “How long are you going to be away?”
“Just for a week. I’m flying to Vietnam on the thirteenth so I’ll be here to remove your splint. I do this a couple of times a year with the organization, Operation Smile. Have you ever heard of them?”
“I’ve heard a little about them.”
“I’m on a volunteer medical team and we repair deformities. I’ve performed surgery usually on children with cleft lips and cleft palates. In Vietnam, families think children are cursed when they have deformities. After surgery’s done, the children are finally accepted in their villages and have friends to play with. Their lives are completely transformed.”
“You never mentioned leaving.”
“I meant to tell you but always forgot when I was talking to you.”
“It’s kind and generous of you to do surgery for these poor children.” Mallory tried to keep her voice normal, but she wished Seth wasn’t going away. “But I’ll miss you.”
“I won’t be gone long.” He gave her a tender look. “I’ll miss you too.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m so glad the week’s up.” Mallory squirmed on the seat while waiting for Seth to remove her nose splint.
“Before I take the cast and tape off, remember there will be swelling. It won’t already look like the computer imaging I did for you.”
“I know. I bet even with swelling, my nose will still be smaller.”
After he finished gently pulling the splint off, Seth squeezed her shoulder. “It looks great.”
Dena leaned a bit closer to Mallory and handed her a mirror. “You’re going to love Dr. Whitman’s work.”
Even with her nose looking bruised and swollen, she realized her goal had been accomplished. Her nose looked awesome. “My face looks so balanced now. When I look I don’t just see my nose. This is definitely a better version of me. Thank you so much.”
Seth smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re happy with the result. And in a few weeks, it’ll be even better.”
Turning her head, she looked at her nose from all sides. “It’s going to be so wonderful to be able to walk into a classroom or any room and not wonder if people are looking at my nose.”
Dena tossed the cast into the trash can and said, “I’ll check to see if your next appointment is here.”
Seth nodded at Dena. “I’ll be along in a few minutes. I want to go over some directions with Mallory. I need to take the pictures of her nose too.”
She looked curiously at Seth. She bet he just wanted an excuse to spend more time with her. “Do you actually have directions for me?”
“Sure, I do.” He crossed his arms. “For another week, I don’t want you to take part in any physical activity, especially bending or lifting. And don’t bump your nose for a few months. Any trauma to your nose could
have an adverse effect on the healing process. Stay out of the sun, which I know will be hard during this time of the year. Any exposure to the sun can cause scarring because the new layer of skin is sensitive. Wear a hat or cab with a visor when you do go out and also wear sunscreen on your nose.”
“I’ll be careful.” I won’t mention that he’s already told me all this stuff. In such a short time, Seth’s become an important part of my life. I’ll miss him when he goes to Vietnam.
“I’ve been thinking of opening a satellite office in Findlay. I’ll still do all my surgery here, but I’ve hired a professional to see if there’s enough interest for patients wanting to see a plastic surgeon in Findlay. I’d have the consultation and follow-up visits in the branch office, so that the Findlay residents won’t have to drive all the time to Toledo. What do you think?”
He’d surprised her with his idea of opening an office in her hometown. She’d never thought of that happening. “That sounds like a good plan. If you do I might just apply for a part-time job.”
“What are your qualifications?”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you have to ask. You know that I’d be the perfect person since I can tell people about the excellent care and surgery I received from you. I mean, you even spent the night after my operation.” He’d slept in Josh’s room but still it’d been great having him stay overnight.
“Other patients don’t receive the same type of care that I gave you.” He reached for her hand. “Mallory, you know how I feel about you. When I return from Vietnam, we need to have a serious talk. ”
She needed to keep the mood light because she was feeling way too much for Seth. How far could a relationship with Seth go? Could she marry him? She was pretty sure that’s what he wanted to talk about when he returned. She laughed. “I’m happy to know that you’re interested in me and weren’t just after my money.”
“I have something for you,” he said, pulling her to her feet. His warm lips gently touched hers in a long and sweet kiss.
Oh no, why did she have to enjoy kissing Seth? This man complicated her life. She hated to admit it but she liked his manly smell. Heck, she liked everything about him.
He pulled away slightly to stare at her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? I know your face’s sore but I just couldn’t resist kissing you.”
“I shouldn’t give you any encouragement but I liked it.” She sighed. “Hurry back. It’s going to be lonely without you around.”
“Maybe we’ll have something to celebrate when I come back from my trip.”
***
“Thanks for driving me to my appointment.” Mallory glanced at Elizabeth behind the steering wheel. How did Elizabeth always manage to look so perfect? Her friend never had a bad hair day.
“Hey, you did me a favor. I got to see your new nose first.” Elizabeth slowly pulled out of the parking lot.
“What do you think?”
“I hate to admit it but I guess you did the right thing. It looks great even though you’re all bruised and swollen.” While at a red traffic light, Elizabeth looked at her. “How long are you going to wait before you take Josh to see Toby in Vegas?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure but probably will go in a couple of weeks.”
“What does your hot surgeon say about traveling?”
“I haven’t asked him about flying but it should be fine.” She smiled at Elizabeth. “I just have to make sure I don’t bump my nose while lifting our luggage.”
“Just don’t carry anything on the plane to be on the safe side.” Elizabeth exhaled a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about Derek.”
“What’s wrong?”
“He wants to leave sales and return to college.”
“But he’s so good at his job. What career does he have in mind?”
Elizabeth left the ramp and got on interstate 75. “He wants to enroll at Ohio Northern University for engineering. That was his original major before he switched to the business college so that should help.”
“It sounds like he’s thought this out pretty well.”
“The only problem is I wanted to get pregnant soon after our wedding, but we’ll probably have to wait until he gets his engineering degree.”
“I’m sorry. Whenever you start your family, you’ll be a great mother.”
***
Eleven days after her surgery, she should be ridiculously happy. Right? Her protective splint was off, and even with some swelling, her nose was definitely smaller. Her nose didn’t ache any longer so that was another reason to be thankful. Her loved ones were back home. Josh couldn’t stop talking about fishing and playing with his grandparents. She loved seeing her mom delighted with her new husband.
But she wasn’t happy. A void was in her life without Seth. She couldn’t wait until he returned from his trip. How could she so quickly fall in love with Seth? Was she deep down trying to show Toby she was desirable to another man? She had felt jealously that Toby found other women more attractive than she.
Her mom and Alan picked up Josh for her at the lake house since they were in the Toledo area. They’d landed at the Toledo Express Airport after their honeymoon. Her mom’s comment had pleased her. “You were gorgeous before but even more so now. I’m glad you had your surgery.”
She mentioned her surgery briefly to Josh. All he said was, “Is my nose okay?”
“There’s nothing wrong with your nose. It’s perfect.”
With Josh playing at Billy’s house, she felt restless and paced in the living room. She stopped by a photo of the three of them. Picking up the framed picture, she remembered the day Elizabeth had snapped it. It’d been one of those days you never want to end. She ran her finger over Toby’s face smiling at the camera. She looked closer, only seeing a genuine grin.
The phone rang and she put the picture back on the shelf. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was Toby. He’d just talked to Josh last night.
As soon as he heard her voice, he asked, “Is Josh at Billy’s? He mentioned going there today.”
“Yes, he’s at Billy’s. Why?” She moved to the chair to get comfortable, hoping it’d be a long conversation about the upcoming trip. The flight reservations for her and Josh to visit Toby in Las Vegas hadn’t been made.
“We need to talk. I’m sure my mom told you that Samantha’s here in Vegas with me.”
“Was that why you told her, so I’d have time to absorb it?”
“You know me too well and—”
“Was Samantha the reason you divorced me?” Even though she knew the answer, she wanted to hear it from him.
“I couldn’t help it, Mallory. I tried to fight it in the beginning. She has the same passion for law that I do. Samantha’s a female version of me. Once she passes the bar exam, we’re going to start a practice together.”
How chummy. He wants to work with his girlfriend all the time. “So let me get this straight. You became involved with her first because of her intellectual interest in law. When did it become a physical attraction?”
“I don’t remember exactly. I suppose there was a physical attraction soon after I met her. There’s more, Mallory.”
No, she didn’t want to hear more about Samantha. I’ve heard enough. She hadn’t planned on telling Toby about her nose, but decided to tell him. “While Josh was with your parents, I had nose surgery. Seth did a great job making my nose smaller.”
“Why in the world would you have plastic surgery? How did you pay for it?”
Good, I got him off the topic of the beautiful Samantha. “I paid for half myself and Mom gave me the other half. I’ve always hated my nose.” In an angry voice, she said, “And I hated you having an affair but I couldn’t change that. Having my nose surgery was something I could do and control. I’m happy I had my nose done.”
“I’m glad you’re satisfied with it.” Toby cleared his throat. “I loved you at one time, but my feelings changed for you. I don’t know… it just seemed like you always wanted to c
hange me. You were never happy that I didn’t have the kind of faith you have. Samantha’s different. We’re happy and good together. I’d already hurt you enough when I had the affair with Lacey, so I didn’t want to tell you that I was sleeping with Samantha. Once I met her, I realized I slept with Lacey to get back at you for constantly harassing me to go to church. Mallory, Samantha and I were married five days ago.”
“And this is how you tell me?” Strong emotions bubbled up inside her. How could he blame their failed marriage partly on her faith? “You aren’t being fair. I loved you with my whole heart. I just wanted us to go to church as a family.”
“You also wanted me to go to Bible study and prayer group with you. But it wasn’t just your faith. We got married right after college and it was wonderful in the beginning. But it seemed like after I became a lawyer, you were more demanding about my time.”
“I had to be because you spent little time at home. I knew you wanted to get ahead in your career, but I missed not seeing my husband.”
“You wanted the divorce too. Don’t deny it.”
“I know it was wrong of me not to be forgiving about Lacey, but it sounds like it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference. I did the right thing agreeing to the divorce. You committed adultery with Samantha too.”
“You’re right. It wouldn’t have made any difference. I love Samantha.”
She just had a terrible thought. “Is she pregnant?”
“Of course not. We aren’t planning on having any children for several years.” He sighed. “Mallory, I should’ve been honest and told you my feelings sooner. I just didn’t want to hurt you. I broke off with Lacey because of Samantha.”
Her voice became hard. “It seems like you owe me. I worked two jobs while you were going to law school, and now I bet you’re paying for Samantha’s education.”