“What are you thinking about?” Sydney asked.
Gramps stood. “Sydney, I think this is my exit cue. It was truly a pleasure meeting you. I had my misgivings, but …”
Noah jumped in. “Goodnight, Gramps.”
Gramps was Team Sydney. He gave Noah a warning glance, which said, “You’d better tell her.”
Noah nodded. He walked over and stood behind Sydney seated on the couch. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered.
Noah pictured Sydney in his arms at night, and taking her to his bed. He saw them praying together and sharing the word. Noah welcomed that life with Sydney. He shook his head. He didn’t know how he could be certain about someone so soon. But he was. It felt right.
Noah massaged her shoulders, needing to make physical contact.
Sydney leaned into him. “I’m glad to be here with you. I love your grandfather. I feel like I’ve known you both forever.”
Noah’s hands stilled. Sydney’s thoughts were along the same lines. He ran his fingers through her curls. “We’ve known each other a few weeks, but we’re in sync. This doesn’t happen often.”
Sydney pulled on his arm.
Noah obeyed the cue and walked around to join her on the couch. He made sure there was a respectable amount of space between them.
“I never imagined this feeling was possible. I’ve only read about this kind of romance in books,” she said.
Her eyes called out to him like a siren. It took all his willpower to resist his natural urges. “I’ve never felt this strongly about a woman this early on. I think this is God’s doing.”
“I like you, but I’m not as sure as you are.” Her voice was now a mere whisper. A slight blush stained her cheeks.
“That’s fair. I’m expressing my feelings. There’s no obligation for you to return them. If it’s meant to be, God will open your heart in time.” He changed the subject. “Why weren’t you answering my calls?”
Sydney turned to him. “I’m sorry. My head was messed up after visiting my mother. She called and said she needed to see me. I was excited to share how I’d met you. But once she told me her news, I ran out of there.”
Noah leaned further into the couch. “What happened?”
She seemed as if she searched for words. “I might as well say it. My father’s alive and she didn’t tell me.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed. “She hid your father from you?”
“She told me he was dead. I never knew him.” Sydney said, “The only reason she told me the truth is because they met up on Facebook. They’re dating and now he’s her boyfriend.”
“Why did she tell you he was dead?”
Sydney stood and paced. “I was too angry to listen. I lost it.” Her voice rose. “All I keep thinking is I could have passed this man on the street and not known him. If I was into older men, I could have dated him. How could she do that to me?”
“Have you spoken to her since then?”
“No, and I don’t intend to. You don’t lie to someone their whole life like that.” Sydney moved to stand by the sliding door.
He heard her stubborn tone. “You can’t leave things up in the air. You should speak to her.”
“I know you’re right, but I can’t look at her. I can’t look into her lying face.”
Noah walked over to where Sydney stood. Anger wafted off her body.
“She’s your mother. You need to honor her.”
Sydney lifted a hand to him. “She lied to me!”
“Maybe if you heard her out, you would understand.”
“There is no good reason for lying.” She spoke through her teeth. “I can understand when I was a child, but once I became an adult she should have told me.”
“I understand. You do have a right to be angry, but you have to settle things with your mom. It’s what God requires of us.”
She rolled her eyes. “How convenient. People can do whatever they want and hide behind an apology. And because I’m a Christian, I’m supposed to let them hurt me.” She shook her head “No way. I don’t want anything to do with her.”
Noah folded his arms. “I know it’s not easy. Everyone won’t walk this path.” He softened his tone. “Please consider my words. Let your mom have a chance to explain.”
“I … I will. I’m not ready.”
Noah hugged her. “I’ll drop it. Let me pray with you before you leave.”
She nodded. “I need it.” Her lips quivered. “I’m so hurt. My mom and I were like best friends. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t tell her. I can’t believe she would …” She blinked. Her eyes had a glassy sheen. “Pray for me, please.”
Noah prayed with her. He kissed her on the cheek. His heart ached seeing the pain on her face. “Thanks for opening up to me. I’ll keep you in my prayers.”
“Thanks so much for letting me unburden on you.” She yawned. “I’ll be able to sleep like a baby tonight.”
Noah walked her to her car. “Text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
Noah watched until her vehicle disappeared. He tidied up the remnants of their late night snack and hauled himself to bed.
Sydney sent him the text when she arrived home. He was relieved to see it, but it brought him no comfort. He tossed and turned. Sydney showed the first chink in her angel’s wing. She was every bit human. She didn’t know how to let go of hurt and move on. Any memory verses Noah thought to share sounded trite. He knew from personal experience how wonderful forgiveness felt. Noah knew Sydney had to discover that on her own.
Noah offered another prayer on her behalf. He got on his knees by the foot of his bed. “Dear Lord, at this moment, I put Sydney before You. I ask that You ease the pain of her heart. Help Sydney extend the same mercy toward her mother You give her on a daily basis. I ask this prayer, in Your Son Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Noah slipped under the covers. Looking up at the ceiling, he began to reflect on his past. “My sin is ever before me, Lord,” he whispered. “I know You’ve thrown it in the sea of forgetfulness, but I should’ve told her. I’m a coward.”
Noah returned to his knees. He had more praying to do.
15
Lance rushed up to the nurses’ station. He’d been on his way to lunch when he got a call about a patient in the middle of a bad asthma attack.
“How’s she looking?” he asked the head nurse, Missy Hoffman.
“Much better after the nebulizer and steroids,” Missy said. “Thanks for giving the order over the phone. I know we haven’t worked together before so I’m glad you trusted me. She looked pretty bad when she first got here.”
“Your reputation precedes you. I was told that you basically run the clinic. I just do what you tell me too.” Lance winked, taking the electronic chart. This was his first official day in the pulmonary clinic. “Where is she?”
“Room three,” Missy said.
Lance reviewed the intake information as he made his way to the room. The door was slightly ajar. “Mrs. Johnson, I’m Dr. Forbes.” His eyes widened. The left side of her face was badly bruised. Her husband stood next to her door.
“She’s better now. Well enough to be sent home. We have all her meds at home.” He picked up his wife’s purse and edged toward the door.
“Whoa, slow down a bit. Let me be the judge of that.” Lance gave a concerned look at his patient. “Can you tell me when the attack started?”
She gave her husband a worried glance. Her brown eyes called out to Lance. He squinted. Something about this situation didn’t feel right.
“It’s been going on for about two days, but things got really bad a few hours ago,” the man chimed in. His skin looked like it’d been sun-beaten.
“I see.” Lance clenched his jaw. He held out his hand to the other man. “Mr. Johnson?”
The gentleman nodded. “Call me Raymond, and she’s Marie.” They shook hands.
A chill ran through Lance’s spine when their hands met. Something was wrong. Lance’s intui
tion alarm had been activated.
“If I could ask you to leave the room? I’d like to examine your wife.”
Raymond shook his head. “Marie doesn’t want me leaving her alone. Right, honey?” He chuckled. “She doesn’t have anything I haven’t seen.”
Raymond’s jerky movements made him seem as if he had something to hide. Lance swallowed his irritation. His brows furrowed. “Marie, do you want your husband to stay?”
Her eyes said no. She licked her lips and coughed. “Yes. He can stay.”
Lance stifled the urge to ask again. He pulled out his stethoscope and went to her bedside. Gently, he assisted her to sit up. She winced. He clenched his jaw and placed the metal against her chest.
“Take a deep breath for me,” he asked.
She did.
“And exhale.”
She complied, but couldn’t hide the cringe.
Lance scrunched his nose. “I still hear some wheezing. I think we need to keep you around a little while for another treatment and see how you respond.”
“We’ve been dealing with her asthma for years. I promise you she’s fine.” Raymond asked.
Did Marie have a voice? Besides saying her husband could stay, she hadn’t been able to say anything else.
“Is there anything in particular that triggered this exacerbation?” He gave Marie a pointed stare.
Once again, Raymond answered. “Marie’s asthma acts up when she cleans too much. It’s the cleaning products she uses. I keep telling her they’re too strong.”
Lance lifted a finger. “Please allow your wife to speak.”
Raymond glared. “I’m just trying to help.”
Marie met her husband’s eyes. “He’s doing his job, honey. It’s nothing on you.”
Raymond nodded, somewhat appeased.
“How long have you been married?” Lance asked.
“Twenty-two years.” Marie’s voice was hoarse and raspy like she’d done a lot of yelling and crying in her lifetime.
“That’s remarkable in these days and times,” Lance said and looked at her chart. “Have you ever been hospitalized or intubated for your asthma?”
“No—”
“Never. Just like today, she gets better with a treatment and we go home.” Raymond glanced down at his watch like he had somewhere important to go.
Lance lifted a brow. “Have you ever been hospitalized for anything else?”
This time neither Raymond nor Marie spoke. He just gave her a look that Lance could have interpreted as a threat.
Lance continued with his questions. He wanted to confirm his suspicions. “Have you ever had a concussion? Any fractures? Accidents?”
“N … No.”
“Like I said, she just has this asthma and we usually keep it under good control.” Raymond twisted his hands together. “I’m betting even this attack is nothing more than the fan she makes me keep on all night. She’s going through the change early.”
“Yes, that might be it,” Marie said.
Lance knew what he witnessed. The problem was, what could he do about it? The Johnsons had been married for a long time. He’d seen his own mother make excuses for his father on many occasions. Maybe he needed to mind his business. Focus on the medicine.
Lance avoided eye contact. He didn’t want to see the plea in her eyes. The plea found in the eyes of every woman being abused. He cleared his throat. “I’m going to order a chest x-ray. Let’s make sure there’s nothing going on other than the asthma.”
“You’re not going to find nothing,” Raymond said. He looked at Marie. “Now we’ll have a big hospital bill and co-pays. You’d better not have wasted my time.”
“Let’s just go home,” Marie sat, attempting to sit up. She went into a deep coughing fit.
Lance rushed to her side to settle her down. “I’d advise against leaving. Your oxygen saturation is still a little lower than I’d like.”
Raymond’s eyes were wide.
“Let’s order the x-ray and another treatment.”
Lance scurried out of the room to find Missy. After a negative chest X-ray and Marie’s wheezing completely clearing and her oxygen levels returning to normal, he sent her home. He grappled with the guilt of knowing he’d sent her home to more abuse.
His conscience tore into him.
She chose to put up with it.
A battered woman? His conscience said.
I couldn’t do anything.
You could have saved her life.
I did my job. She’ll be all right. She’s lived with it all this time. Plus, I could report it and go through the investigation and she could deny everything.
Lance pushed Marie from his mind and continued seeing patients. The Chief position was within his reach. He wouldn’t jeopardize that for a woman who may not want to be rescued.
16
There was an unwanted intruder in her office. Sydney held her scream. “What are you doing here?” Sydney snarled once she’d recovered from the shock of seeing Lance Forbes in her space. She touched her chest to calm her rapid beating heart.
“Is that the way to greet the man you almost married?”
Her neck snapped back and forth. “It’s how I greet the coward who left me at the altar to face two hundred and seventy-five guests on my own.” Her left eye twitched. “Now what are you doing here?”
“I deserve that,” Lance said.
“You deserve that and more,” Sydney spat. She spoke through her teeth. “How did you get past Portia?”
Lance planted his bottom in one of her chairs. “Your assistant? I waited for her to leave for lunch. Have you received all my messages?”
Sydney remained standing. “Yes, I did. I ignored them for a reason. I didn’t want to talk to you or see you.” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here in Port Charlotte?”
“I’m moving back. I’m working at Fawcett. I wanted…” he paused seemingly considering his next words. “No, I needed to talk to you.” Lance yawned.
Sydney raised a brow. “Am I boring you already?”
“I had to work all night. ICU.”
She held her hands on her hips. “Why are you back here?” She finally moved to sit behind her desk.
“I came to apologize.”
“Seriously? You can keep your apology. That’s a day late and a dollar short.”
“Sydney, please. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you the way I did. I should’ve explained.”
“And you think after all this time, I care?”
His stomach growled loudly. He patted his stomach. “Sorry, I need to eat. Can we continue this over lunch?”
“No. I’m not going anywhere with you.” Sydney eyed the clock. “I have a client due in twenty minutes and I want you to leave.”
“You must be hungry,” he beseeched her.
“I am,” she admitted. “But I’m not going to break bread with you like everything is all right. You …” She broke off.
“I hurt you,” Lance said, in a soft tone.
Sydney gulped. Emotions she’d bottled rose to the surface. Surprising tears filled her eyes. “You did.”
Lance rose to retrieve a tissue from the box near the edge of her desk. He moved to wipe her face, but Sydney shifted away from him. She held out her hand. “Thanks, but I have it.”
Lance returned to his seat. “I’m sorry.”
Overcome, Sydney sniffed. “I don’t even know why I’m crying.” She dabbed at her eyes.
“I betrayed you. And though you’re a strong woman, you’re still human,” Lance said.
“Why?” she asked, tortured. “That question ate at me for weeks. Why did you play me like that? And if you wanted another woman, which I’m not excusing by any means, why not some random person? Why’d you have to run off with one of my friends?”
Lance shook his head. “I … I … this is harder than I thought it would be.”
Sydney drew a breath and composed herself. She was done crying. “You came here.
I didn’t invite you, so answer my question. What did I do to deserve such a low-down treatment?”
He eyes shot to his feet. “You were too independent. You didn’t need me. You didn’t rely on me for anything.” He counted off on his fingers, “You had God, you had your friends, your career, your life … what did you need me for?” He paced the room, his agitation evident.
“Love,” was Sydney’s immediate response. “I needed to know you loved me.”
“I needed to be your hero.”
“I don’t need a hero.”
Lance twisted his lips. “That’s exactly my point.” He came toward her, but Sydney gave him a look that said, “I dare you to touch me right now,” so he stopped within a foot of her.
“You do need a hero. You just don’t know it, yet. Every woman needs the fairytale,” he said. “And I wasn’t your Prince Charming.”
“Spare me the Disney tale. It’s a wonder you don’t have violins playing in the background.” Sydney rolled her eyes. “All that hero talk is to ease your guilt. You can’t turn this around on me. You went out and found a needy woman. You didn’t have to look far. You went right to my friend.”
“Monica wasn’t a friend to you. She despised you and she’s crazy.”
Sydney crossed her arms over her chest. “You know what. I’m not doing this. You’ve said your piece. I’ve cried, you’ve … well, you’ve rationalized your actions. So let’s end this madness of a conversation.”
“No. This is what you do. You trigger my temper and we end up in a big blowout because you don’t want to get into your feelings.”
Sydney dropped into the chair Lance vacated. “You’re right. I don’t want to fight. This is all in the past. I’m not as independent as you think. You confused success and confidence with not needing anyone.”
Tell Me Lies Page 9