“Adam, this is Rusty Michaels. He’s a brilliant veterinarian.” She flashed Rusty a wry grin. “Rusty, this is Adam Harris, a brilliant doctor.”
Adam reached out to shake Rusty’s hand. “It’s good to meet you, Rusty. I hope you’ll enjoy your visit to Aspen Ridge.”
“Thanks, Doctor. I think I will.”
Alana glanced back and forth between them. Dang—Morgan was right. Two incredibly good-looking, successful men? How had she gotten that lucky? Except there was one major difference between the two. Adam wanted her, and Rusty had turned her away.
“Melinda’s awake and eager for visitors,” Adam said. “I’ve got another patient, so I’ll be on my way, but maybe the two of you would like to join me for dinner tonight. I won’t have time to cook, but I’ll treat you to my favorite restaurant.”
“I’d like that,” Rusty said. “Is that all right with you, Alana?”
“Hmm? Sure, that sounds great.” Just great. Great in the most uncomfortable sense of the word. She took a deep breath. Serenity. Calm. Peace.
When Alana walked into Melinda’s room, it was a relief to put her own feelings and drama aside and concentrate on her friend. “Hey, woman. How are you today?”
“Not terrible. Dr. Harris says he might release me day after tomorrow.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“Yeah, and my sister’s flying in from New York tomorrow to spend some time with me. She can be here for three weeks. I finally broke down and called her.”
“I never did understand why you didn’t want her to know about the cancer.”
“It’s a pretty long and complicated story. I promise—I’ll tell it to you sometime.” Melinda turned her head and smiled at Rusty. “Hi there. We haven’t met.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Melinda, this is Rusty.”
“You’re the vet Alana trained with years ago, aren’t you? It’s good to meet you.” Melinda held out her hand and acted casual, like she didn’t know the whole story. Alana gave her a mental high five.
Rusty pulled up a chair and sat down, and the two of them started chatting like they were old friends. Alana watched on, amused. Rusty could make friends with absolutely anyone, even people he’d met just thirty seconds before. It was one of the things that made him so good at what he did—that ability to put people, and animals, at ease.
They stayed in Melinda’s room for about an hour, then Adam came in and checked her chart. “You’re still doing really well,” he said. “The nurse tells me your blood pressure has stabilized.”
“It has, thank goodness,” Melinda replied.
“I’m very glad to see it. Keep it up, and we’ll start talking about releasing you.” Adam turned to Alana and Rusty. “I’m ready for dinner if you are.”
“We are.” Alana stood up and squeezed Melinda’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Melinda glanced over at Rusty and Adam, then motioned for Alana to come closer. “I need to hear the whole story,” she whispered.
“I’m not even sure what the story is, but I’ll tell you as soon as I figure it out,” Alana replied.
Chapter Twelve
The restaurant Adam chose was nice, but not so nice that Alana felt underdressed in the outfit she’d put on that day. Once they were seated, Rusty excused himself to use the men’s room, and Adam reached out to take Alana’s hand.
“How are you?” he asked, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. “I’ve missed you.”
“You saw me yesterday,” she reminded him.
“I did, but we haven’t had a real date for a while. I can’t wait for things to slow down so we can spend some time together.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” Alana studied his face, the expression in his eyes. “Melinda looks good today.”
“And I’m so glad to see it. If my experiment had gone south . . . well, let’s just be glad it didn’t. For all our sakes.”
“I’m glad of it every day.”
Adam squeezed her hand, then let go as Rusty walked up to the table and sat.
“What do you recommend, Doctor?” Rusty asked, picking up his menu.
“Are you in the mood for beef, chicken, fish, pork, or vegetarian?” Adam asked in return.
“Beef sounds good to me tonight.”
“Then I recommend the roulade. They use fresh herbs, and it’s delicious.”
“Thanks. I think I will.” Rusty put down his menu and turned to Alana. “What are you having?”
“I’m not sure. Adam, do you know where they get their meat, whether it’s hormone free?”
Adam shook his head. “I can find out for you.”
“No, that’s all right. I was looking at the mushroom ravioli anyway—I’m a part-time vegetarian when I need to be.”
Adam chuckled. “Handy.”
The waiter came and took their orders, and then they went back to their polite and uncomfortable small talk. Then Rusty asked a question about cancer treatments and how they could be applied to animals, and the conversation went from uncomfortable to highly animated. By the time their food arrived, the two men were chatting like old friends—she should have known that Rusty’s charm would work on Adam too. She’d never seen it fail.
After dinner, Rusty excused himself again, and Adam smiled. “He’s a good guy—he’s giving us a minute to say good night privately.”
“I just thought maybe the men’s room in this place was super nice.”
Adam scooted his chair a little closer to hers. “Whatever it is, I’m taking advantage of it.” He slipped his arm around her waist and brought her in for a kiss. She accepted it eagerly, but was disappointed to find that it lacked zing. He seemed a little disappointed too, but didn’t mention it.
“Will you be coming back again tomorrow?” he asked.
“I will. After Melinda’s released, though, I’ll probably stay close to home so I can check in on her.”
“That just gives me more incentive to keep her longer.”
“Hey, the road goes both ways, you know. You can come in to Aspen Ridge.”
“You’re right. And I should. Work doesn’t always let me, though.”
“Yeah, your schedule is tighter than mine.” Alana thought back to the conversation she’d had with Rusty about schedules. When it’s the right person . . . would Adam’s schedule really be an issue between them? “Well, when you have a busy week, I’ll come see you, and when you have more time, you can come see me. How’s that?”
Adam grinned. “Perfect.”
* * *
Rusty was uncharacteristically quiet as they drove back from Denver. After several minutes, he said, “Adam seems like a good guy.”
“He said the same thing about you.”
“Alana, you changed the subject earlier when we were at the shop, but I’d like to change it back. Is there someplace where we can pull over and talk?”
“There’s a view area up here in about a mile.”
“Good.”
Alana guided the car into the pullout, then turned off the engine. “You’re right—I did change the subject, but I regretted it later. I should have let you speak. What did you want to say?”
Rusty unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face her. “I wanted to say that I believe our paths have crossed again for a reason. That I think it’s time for us to explore the idea of . . . well, us.”
“Us? Us as in, a couple?”
“Yes. All those years ago, it wasn’t right—we weren’t ready. But we’ve come full circle, and I’d like to see where this might lead.”
Alana blinked. “Are you saying that you’re in love with me?”
“All I know is that when I walked into that funeral and saw you, it was like an atomic bomb went off inside me. You’ve always held a piece of my heart, Alana, and you always will. I’d like to figure out just how big that piece really is.”
“I . . . I really don’t know what to say. I came to you and you said no, and now you’re coming to me, and there’s someone in
my life and I don’t know how I feel. Our timing really stinks.” Alana kept her voice light, but her soul was roiling. What was he saying? Was she imagining this whole thing? Suddenly she became very aware of everything about him—how close he was sitting in her small car, the fabric of his jacket, the faint smell of his aftershave, the broadness of his shoulders. “Do you mind if we get out? It’s a nice night, and I’d like to look at the stars.”
They locked her car and strolled along the path leading alongside the road from the small parking area. She’d come up here for picnics before and knew the area well, although she’d never been here in the dark. She took a misstep and stumbled, and Rusty caught her arm. “Careful.”
“Yeah, I don’t want to sprain my ankle. That would be really bad.”
“But at least you’re with a doctor. An animal doctor, that is.”
She turned to look at him. “You’d take care of me if I fell.”
“Always.”
Neither of them took another step. They stood there, almost toe to toe, looking into each other’s eyes in what little light there was from the moon and stars. For the second time that day, she could scarcely breathe. And then his arm came around her waist and he pulled her close, but this time, he didn’t hug her. He kissed her, and electricity shot through her body and out her fingertips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, finally having this incredible moment she’d dreamed about over and over again.
When he released her, both of them were breathless, and Alana’s heart was pounding. What was that? She’d never experienced anything like it before. That wasn’t just a kiss—that was two souls joining and becoming one, and when Rusty stepped back, she felt her soul rip a little as it let his go.
“I’m so confused right now,” she said honestly, pressing a hand to her head. “How can you kiss me like that when you never wanted me before?”
“That’s just the thing,” he replied, his voice a little husky. “I did want you before. I just couldn’t have you. You were eighteen years old, Alana! I was almost thirty. Your father would have killed me. You would have grown to resent me. It just wasn’t right.”
“And now?”
“What do you mean, ‘and now?’ Didn’t you feel that kiss?” He reached out and played with a lock of her hair. “Do we need to do it again so you can be sure? Heaven and earth just moved. I know you felt it.”
“I did feel it. I just don’t know what to do with it.”
He took both her hands in his. “I know I hurt you. I never meant to, but I did, and I’ve felt terrible about it every day since. Yes, literally every day. But I will never, ever hurt you again. I might forget to grab something at the store that you asked for or kick you under the table because I didn’t realize your foot was there, but your heart is safe with me, Alana. Please, trust me with it.”
“Picking things up at the store? That sounds awfully permanent.”
“Maybe that’s what I mean. Maybe I’m not only asking for a chance, but for forever.” He shook his head. “This isn’t a proposal—I know it’s too soon, and I’ve probably already scared you enough as it is. But you’ve got to know, I’m not just thinking about tonight or tomorrow or next week. I’m thinking about forty years, fifty years from now. I’m thinking about two little old people in matching wheelchairs having races up and down the halls of our nursing home. That’s what I see when I kiss you—I see eternity.”
Alana looked away. He was saying everything she wanted to hear, and it would be so easy to throw herself into his arms and let him carry her off into this beautiful picture he’d created. But she’d learned that life wasn’t like that. Life was hard. Life demanded a toll. There was no happily ever after—there was a contentedly making it work, though. “I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s late. Why don’t you take me to my bed-and-breakfast, and we’ll talk tomorrow? I know I’ve shown up out of the blue, with no warning whatsoever. This has to be hard to process.”
“I did have warnings. I had lots of warnings. I just thought my subconscious wanted to take a little trip down memory lane for whatever reason.”
They walked back to the car, and Rusty took her keys and unlocked her door for her before going around to his side. It was very Gregory Peck or Cary Grant of him, and it only confused the issue more. Adam. She should be thinking about Adam. And because of Adam, she should feel guilty about that kiss, but somehow, she couldn’t. It had been a wonderful kiss, an amazing kiss, and how could she feel bad for experiencing something like that? What she did feel bad about was the fact that it had taken so long for Adam to cross her mind afterwards. Wasn’t he important to her?
They drove back to Aspen Ridge in silence. Alana was grateful that Rusty didn’t try to make small talk—it would only cheapen the moment. She dropped him off, told him she’d be at the shop at nine, and then drove to the one place where she most wanted to be—Morgan and Rory’s house.
Chapter Thirteen
“I know I said we should have you over, but I meant, a little earlier in the day,” Morgan said, throwing the door open and letting Alana in. Morgan’s hair was tousled, and her eyes looked bleary. “I’ll be more specific next time.”
“Yeah, might be good.” Alana flung herself onto the couch. “I’m sorry. I just needed to talk, and you were the first person to come to mind.”
Rory came out of the bedroom, a plaid robe belted around his waist and Avengers pajama pants sticking out beneath it. “Hey, Alana. What’s up?”
“Your sister is in need of solace,” Morgan told him.
“Want me to leave? Is this girl stuff?”
“No, you can stay,” Alana said. “It’s time you learned what a messed-up human being I am.”
“Oh, I’ve known that my whole life.” He plunked down next to her. “It’s okay, though. I still like you.”
Morgan disappeared into the kitchen, and Alana heard the sound of bowls rattling and the freezer being opened and closed. A minute later, she came back in, balancing three bowls filled to the top with ice cream.
“Chocolate?” Alana asked.
“Of course.”
They didn’t say anything for a few minutes, just eating their ice cream. Alana looked around while she licked her spoon. This was a cute little apartment, just right for the newlyweds. It reminded her of the place she’d taken when she first came to Aspen Ridge, broke and desperate. Morgan had put her touches here and there, though, something Alana hadn’t done until she moved into her nicer apartment. She hadn’t wanted to make that first place think she planned to be there any longer than she absolutely had to.
“So, sis,” Rory said once his bowl was empty, “just how messed up are you?”
She started at the beginning and told him everything—from her resurfacing memories of Rusty to meeting Adam to kissing Adam to seeing Rusty again and kissing Rusty. Rory’s eyebrows went up at each mention of kissing, and she supposed that was natural—it was hard to think about your sister kissing anyone, let alone two guys. When she was done, he just sat there, looking at her. Morgan spoke first.
“Wow. Oh, wow, Alana. Rusty wants to give it a shot? After all these years? That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. Seriously. It’s even better than me going off to South Dakota on a motorcycle to find Rory and getting appendicitis.”
“I don’t know,” Alana said. “That is a pretty good story.”
“It’s good, but yours is better. My heart’s all tied up in knots and I’m getting angsty. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m here. Tell me.”
Morgan and Rory glanced at each other. “We can’t,” Rory said. “You’ve got to figure this one out for yourself. All I know is this—Rusty’s one of the best guys I’ve ever met. I’d never worry about you if you were with him.”
Alana saw a flicker of the little boy Rory used to be cross his face. “And you were worried about me when I was with Vince.”
“Well, of course! Look
what he ended up doing to you.” Rory leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “It’s not easy to see your big sister go through something like that. You have no idea how much I wished I were older and bigger and could go beat him up.”
“You’re right,” Alana said softly. “I had no idea. I’m sorry, Rory. I wish I’d known just how much that impetuous mistake was going to hurt everyone, not just me. I should have stayed far, far away from him.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t change the past.” Rory reached out and slugged her shoulder.
“That’s easier said than done. The past came walking into my shop the other day.” Alana ate the last bite of her ice cream, then leaned forward to put her bowl on the coffee table. “I’ve never felt so stuck in a rut in my entire life. I feel like all I’ve done for the last couple of weeks is rehash the same questions over and over again, and it’s driving me crazy.”
“You’ve got a major decision to make, and soon,” Morgan said. “Until you make it, you’re going to stay in that rut.”
Alana groaned. “I know, I know. And I will—I have to. I just wish I had any idea what it should be. Adam is new and exciting and different. I have so much to discover about him. On the other hand, I know Rusty so well, it’s like seeing into his soul when I look at him. I can almost read his thoughts. If I choose him, is it just because he’s comfortable? What if I’m taking the feelings I had for him when I was eighteen and thinking they’re my feelings now?”
Rory shook his head, chuckling. “I can’t believe this.”
“What?”
“My sister, the one who sits there calmly and tells us all to listen to ourselves and get in touch with the universe and to stop arguing with every little thing, is tearing her life to bits and analyzing it piece by piece. Alana, you believe in fate, don’t you? Yes, it brought you Adam. And yes, it brought back Rusty. Maybe you should trust it and let it guide you to the right decision.”
“You’re right.” Alana picked up the throw pillow nearest her and played with the tassel. “If I’m going to talk the talk, I’ve got to walk the walk. Okay, no more picking my life apart. I’m watching the universe for signs, and I’m listening to my gut. And I could go for some more ice cream.”
In The Stars (Main Street Merchants Book 6) Page 10
