The Girl of His Dreams

by Susan Mallery

  She crossed to the calendar on the wall. The picture on top showed the Seine and the Left Bank of Paris after a storm. Everything was wet, all grays and dark browns, except for a spray of bright yellow and pink flowers resting on a table by the river. A black marking pen hung from a string next to the calendar. Kayla glanced at the clock and saw it was after five.

  “Another day closer,” she said, and made a big X in the box with today’s date.

  Patrick looked at the calendar, but didn’t say anything. What did he think about her leaving? she wondered. She knew he would miss her. But how much?

  “Any news on the grant?” she asked.

  “Nothing.” He shoved his hands in his lab-coat pockets. “It’ll be a while, so stop asking.”

  “I want them to hurry. I want to know what’s going to happen, and I don’t want to find out after I leave.”

  He smiled and lines fanned out from the corners of his blue eyes. “I’ll call them up and tell them they have to let me know by July first.”

  Several months ago, Kayla had thought her birthday would never arrive. Now it was just around the corner. “I’m not leaving that day. How long will it take to start construction?”

  He leaned against the edge of her desk. The overhead light made his short light brown hair gleam. “I’ve already picked the construction company. I suppose they can break ground as soon as the check clears.”

  She sat in her chair. “This is going to be an exciting project. I’m thrilled for you.”

  “I hope it all works out. I haven’t done any serious research since college. I’ve been keeping current on what’s going on, but that’s not the same as being in the middle of it. People lose pets to diseases that should already have a cure. And we never know what part of our animal research is going to spill over and help humans.”

  She tilted her head and studied him. “You’re a good man, Patrick Walcott. One of the last nice guys.”

  He frowned. “Gee, thanks. All men want to be told they’re nice.”

  “Okay, you’re nice, good-looking and sexy. Is that better?”

  “Nice try, but I don’t believe you.”

  She stiffened in her chair. “But I’m telling the truth.”

  “If I was so good-looking and sexy, how come you didn’t have a crush on me when you first came to work for me? Jo does.”

  Kayla tried to keep calm. She didn’t want to start blushing. She’d had a crush on Patrick when she started at the clinic. Thinking about him had kept her up more than one night. But she’d been terrified to let him know. She’d been just a kid, and he an older, mature man. Now the age difference was no big deal, but at eighteen, seven and a half years had felt like a lifetime.

  The phone on her desk rang. Kayla picked it up. The voice at the other end asked for Patrick, and she gladly handed over the receiver.

  While he was busy talking, she made her escape. How odd of him to bring up the subject of crushes. Thank goodness he didn’t know about hers; he would tease her unmercifully. Although it had been a long time ago. Why should she be so sensitive about it now?

  She didn’t have an answer. All she knew for sure was that she would do almost anything to keep Patrick from knowing how she’d once felt about him.

  ***

  “Remember,” Patrick said. “You know your pet best. If you think something is wrong, then bring the animal in.”

  He glanced around the crowded room. The Children’s Community Center had been built almost entirely with donations. It sat in a poor section of the city, nearly dwarfed by large office buildings. Traffic sounds spilled in from outside, but in here was a haven for children.

  The center served as an after-school day-care facility for children ages six to thirteen. It stayed open through the summer, offering different programs for kids whose parents had to work. Patrick had been coming here since he first opened his practice.

  “Anybody here ever get vaccinated?” he asked.

  A little girl in blond pigtails pulled her fingers out of her mouth long enough to ask, “What’s that?”

  “Shots,” an older boy announced. “You got ‘em when you were a baby. They’re so you don’t get sick.”

  “That’s right,” Patrick said. “What’s your name, son?”

  The boy, maybe eleven or twelve, sat a little straighter. “Jackson.”

  “Jackson, should pets get vaccinated, too?”

  The boy thought for a second. “Sure. They get sick, just like us. And if you don’t, they’re gonna get rabies, then everybody dies.”

  Several children gasped.

  Patrick held up his hands. “Wait a minute. Jackson’s half-right. Your dogs and cats need vaccinations to keep them from getting sick. One of the vaccines is against rabies. But very few domestic animals get rabies these days, and even if a rabid animal bites you, you’re not going to die.”

  Kayla stood next to him. “They’re not going to like the cure much, though,” she said in a soft voice.

  He smiled at her. “I wasn’t planning to tell them what it was.”

  “Good thinking.”

  He returned his attention to the children. “My clinic is open on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. You can bring your dogs and cats to me, and I’ll vaccinate them for you. You don’t have to remember my name or the days I’m there. I put up a flier on the bulletin board.” He pointed to the bright yellow sheet of paper.

  Jackson eyed him cautiously. “Shots cost money. Sometimes there’s not even enough for dog food.”

  “I know,” Patrick said. He’d dealt with this question several times before. “If your pet needs shots, bring it in. We’ll worry about paying for it later. Also—” he addressed the whole room “—if your pet is sick, don’t wait for those two Saturdays. Call the office and tell them you need to come. Any other questions?”

  Kayla leaned close. “You’re going to be swamped with work from this.”

  He shook his head. “I’ve made the offer before. Only a couple take me up on it. Most of these kids can’t afford to have a dog or cat. I wish it was different. I would rather worry about my bottom line and have their lives enriched by a pet.”

  “Just like I said. One of the good guys.”

  “As long as you don’t call me nice.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  When he answered the children’s questions, he’d moved aside to let Kayla take his place. She set their latest stray on the portable table he’d brought with them. He spoke to Mrs. James, one of the volunteers who worked at the center. She showed him where to fill the tub with warm water, then offered several pitchers so they could rinse the dog.

  “Someone brought her into the office,” Kayla was saying when he returned. The children had left their seats and gathered around the table. “A family moved away and left her behind.”

  A beautiful girl with expressive brown eyes and coffee-colored skin petted the dog. “On purpose?” she asked.

  “I’m afraid so. Sometimes people do that.”

  He set the tub in front of Kayla. She smiled her thanks, then returned her attention to the children. She handled their new charge gently, soothing the animal with continuous touches.

  They’d only had the dog six days, but already she’d started to gain weight. Her eyes were clear, her expression was interested. She’d stopped shaking a couple of days ago.

  Kayla worked quickly and efficiently. She told the children that the dog didn’t have a name. Would they like to pick one?

  “Benji!” someone called.

  “Benji’s a good name,” Kayla agreed, “but this little dog’s a girl.”

  They argued over names for a couple of minutes, and then Jackson stepped forward. “How about Rhonda?”

  The girl in pigtails nodded. “Rhonda was nice. She used to work here, then she moved away.”

  Kayla glanced at their faces. “Everyone agree?”

  The kids nodded.

  “Rhonda it is.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “That o
kay?”

  “Anything but Muffin.”

  She grinned.

  Kayla finished rinsing the dog, then wrapped her in a fluffy towel. Patrick watched the proceedings. Kayla talked to the children as if they were intelligent adults. They responded to her attention and practically glowed when she favored them with a smile. He knew what that felt like. Sometimes when she turned her smile on him he felt—

  He frowned. He wasn’t sure what he felt. He shouldn’t feel anything. They were friends.

  She finished towel-drying Rhonda and released the little dog. The animal approached the children slowly, interested but cautious. Kayla urged them to sit on the floor and be very still. They did as she asked. In a matter of minutes, Rhonda was racing from kid to kid, yapping happily, her whole body vibrating from the vigorous sweep of her tail.

  Kayla looked on, obviously pleased. Her full lips turned up at the corner. Odd that he’d never noticed how smooth her skin appeared, or the slender line of her neck. She wore a baggy T-shirt tucked into worn jeans. A uniform he’d seen her in a hundred times before. Yet today he admired the curve of her hips and the tempting roundness of her behind.

  It didn’t matter that she’d only been teasing him, trying to set him up with her sister. One sentence had changed everything.

  We’d be perfect together.

  He couldn’t forget or let it go, and he didn’t know why. Was he attracted to her, specifically, or to the idea of having a relationship with someone? If it was the latter, then he was fine. It meant he was ready to look around and maybe take a chance on caring. Not love—that was way too risky for him—but affection. Respect. Mutual understanding. If it was the former, if he was attracted to Kayla, then he was in trouble.

  Kayla stood up and walked toward him. When she reached his side, she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed. “You’re doing a good thing here.” She nodded toward the kids, who were playing tag with Rhonda. The little dog raced around small feet, ducked under chairs, and had them all laughing.

  “But I’m not nice, right?”

  She laughed. “You were nice to me. You took in a lonely, homesick eighteen-year-old and gave her something that mattered. I wouldn’t have made it through college if it hadn’t been for my job at your clinic.”

  He remembered that time. She’d missed her sisters desperately. “I never understood why the three of you didn’t go to the same college. You’d been together all your lives. It must have been hard for all of you.”

  “It was,” she agreed. “But we wanted to do it. We’d always been the Bedford triplets. It was time to learn how to be ourselves.” She looked up at him. “So, nearly seven years after the fact, thank you.”

  Her earnest expression made him uncomfortable. “I didn’t hire you as a charity case.”

  “Why did you?”

  He smiled. “Do you remember our interview?”

  “Not really.”

  “I was examining a particularly uncooperative hundred-and-ten-pound Doberman named Thor. You were earnestly trying to sell me on your meager qualifications. The more nervous you got, the more you patted the dog. By the time the interview was over, he was licking your hand and didn’t even flinch when I gave him his shots. I knew then you were a natural.”

  “So it worked out,” she said.

  “Agreed.” But why hadn’t it worked out romantically?

  The question came from inside his head, and he didn’t know how to answer it. Before he could try to figure out what that meant, Mrs. James approached them.

  The woman was about his age, pretty, with soft brown hair. She smiled at him, then turned her attention to Kayla. “I know you take dogs to visit senior citizens. Do you work much with children?”

  “I can,” Kayla said, and stepped away from Patrick. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I heard about a girl through a friend of mine. Her name is Allison, and she’s about nine, I think. She was in a horrible accident. She’s in a body cast at a rehab center. She’s not supposed to move at all. Of course, she’s very upset, and not responding to anyone. I thought if you had time, you might visit her.”

  Kayla didn’t hesitate. “I’d love to.”

  Mrs. James smiled. “Let me get the address and phone number. I don’t think she can have visitors other than family until next week, but I’d like to be able to call her mother and tell her you’re coming.”

  “Please do.”

  While the woman went off to get the information, Kayla sighed. “I know exactly how that girl feels,” Kayla said.

  Patrick remembered Kayla talking about a similar situation when she was twelve. A car accident had put her in the hospital for close to a year.

  He leaned close and kissed the top of her head.

  “What’s that for?” she asked.

  “Because you’re one of the nice guys, too.”

  She smiled. “And I’m more understanding. Being called nice doesn’t offend me.”

  He studied her familiar face.

  “Why are you suddenly looking so serious?” she asked.

  “I hope Prince Albert appreciates what he’s getting when he falls for you.”

  Chapter Four

  Kayla poured herself a cup of coffee and glanced at the clock. Two minutes until nine. She still had time. She added milk and sugar, picked up her plate of toast and moved to the sofa in the living area.

  Saturday morning had dawned bright and clear. The temperature would warm into the high seventies. She’d heard a lot of other places described as paradise, but as far as she was concerned, San Diego had the best weather in the world. She couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  She stared out her large window. Her second-story west-facing view provided her with just a hint of the ocean. If she stood on tiptoe, she could see a sliver of blue. This morning she didn’t bother checking. It was enough to know the water was there.

  Promptly at nine, her phone rang. Kayla picked it up and heard two other voices already chatting. The operator announced that their third party was on the line, then clicked off. Her sisters paused long enough to welcome her to the conversation.

  “How are you, baby sister?” Fallon asked.

  Kayla grinned at the familiar greeting. Fallon was the oldest. Elissa had been born exactly six minutes later, with Kayla a full twelve minutes after Elissa. “I’m fine. What about you guys?”

  “We’re switching computer systems,” Elissa said, then groaned. “I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve been working. They swear it will be done on Monday, but I know they’re lying. I figure Wednesday, maybe Thursday. At least it will be over this week.”

  “Tell me about it,” Fallon said. “The school is putting on a summer festival just before school gets out. Ten-year-old boys do not want to dress up as any kind of plant, especially not flowers.”

  “Gee, my job is going great,” Kayla said. “I have no horror stories to share.”

  The three women continued to chat. Kayla listened as her sisters brought her up to date, and then she told them what was going on with her. There were people who said that in addition to looking exactly alike, the triplets sounded the same, especially on the phone. Kayla didn’t agree. She could always tell who was talking, although she was willing to admit that much of that came from context, as well as sound.

  Elissa changed the subject. “Has anyone been out on a date recently?”

  Silence filled the line.

  Kayla laughed. “I guess that’s a no, huh?”

  “I don’t get a lot of single guys coming through my classroom door,” Fallon stated. “What’s your excuse, Elissa? Don’t tell me there aren’t some gorgeous doctors at the hospital.”

  “You’ve been watching too many television dramas. Of course there are single doctors. At least I assume there are. But I work in administration. I don’t get to spend a lot of time hovering around the surgery unit.”

  “I, of course, have an excuse,” Kayla reminded them.

  “That’s right. T
he ever-single, ever-rich, ever-royal Prince Albert.” Fallon hummed a couple of bars of the “Wedding March.” “Have you written him yet to warn him of your intentions?”

  “Of course not. I don’t want him to think I’m crazy.”

  “The implication being you’re completely sane?” Elissa teased.

  “Mock me all you want, ladies. You’re just jealous because I have a plan. When our trust-fund money is released, I’m going to make changes in my life, and neither of you can say the same.”

  “I have plans.” Fallon sounded superior. “Sensible plans.”

  “What? Buy a couple of savings bonds and put a fresh coat of wax on your car?” Kayla sipped her coffee. “Fallon, you’ve got to get over being so darn sensible. Live a little.”

  “I do live. Just because I don’t want to run off to Europe and fall in love with a stranger doesn’t make me a stick-in-the-mud.”

  Kayla retreated. She didn’t want to argue with her sister. Especially not on such a perfect day. “What about you, Elissa? Any plans?”

  The line was silent so long, Kayla asked, “Elissa? Are you still there?”

  “Of course.” Her sister’s voice sounded strained. “I’ve been thinking about a few things I’d like to do. Nothing is settled yet. Are you leaving on our birthday?”

  “No. I thought we’d spend it together,” Kayla said. “Isn’t that what we’ve planned?”

  Fallon cut in. “Of course it is.”

  “I think it will take me a week or so after that to get ready,” Kayla continued. “I haven’t bought my tickets yet.”

  “Don’t forget our Christmas plans,” Fallon said. “You’ll be back for that, won’t you?”

  “Are you kidding? Christmas in the Caribbean… I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Kayla smiled at the thought. She and her sisters had been planning a holiday in the tropics for years.

  “Fallon, I think you should go ahead and pick out a hotel,” Elissa said. “I don’t mind where we stay.”

  “As long as it’s nice,” Kayla put in. “Five stars for sure.”

  “I’m happy to. My class is studying the history of the area, so I have a lot of research material. Something quiet and secluded.”