Career Girl in the Country / the Doctor's Reason to Stay

by Fiona Lowe

  Truth was, he wasn’t sure at all. But he hoped, like he’d never hoped for anything else in his life. “I’m not sure of anything, Henry. Not one damned thing, except that Molly needs to be with Edie.”

  Henry cocked a bushy eyebrow then exited the den, smiling. And whistling.

  “I’m not going to be the one to keep Molly,” Rafe shouted after him. To which Henry did not reply.

  “It’s not as easy as it looks,” Edie said, looking at Rafe in the mirror. “First, you divide her hair into three sections, then your job is to alternately cross each outer section, one at a time, over the center section. And make sure it’s consistent.” She was demonstrating braid technique on her own hair for him. “I mean, you’re a surgeon, you’ve got good hand technique, so how hard should this be?” He was cute, actually. All thumbs and frowns. She liked the vulnerability she saw in Rafe when it came to Molly. He tried so hard to please her, which gave Edie hope that Rafe might be reconsidering his position.

  “Let’s just say that by the time I got through with her, she was in tears. This party tonight is important to her, and she’s set on having her hair braided.”

  “Then I’d say that if you’re not up to it, take her to one of the salons in town. While you’re at it, does Molly have a new dress to wear?”

  “She has a closet full of clothes.”

  “But a new dress for the party?” He was such a man! She didn’t mean that in a bad way, but Rafe was so … oblivious. Definitely oblivious to little girls, probably to women as well. “And shoes! She has to have new shoes to go with her new dress.” With a couple of twists, her hair turned into a perfect braid, and she spun around, smiling at him. “See, not that difficult.”

  “Then maybe you could braid her hair tonight. And take her shopping for a new dress and shoes.”

  “Or maybe you could,” Edie suggested. Sure, it would have been easy enough to do that for Molly, and having a girls’ afternoon out would have been fun. But that was something Rafe needed to be doing. He was the one who had to get closer to Molly, who had to see how much fun she would be in his life. He was also the one who had to discover, for himself, that Molly was the person he most needed to fill out his life. In other words, open himself up to her. She could see the signs, see Rafe’s willingness to do anything he thought was necessary for Molly, see how he tried hard to be responsive. But she also saw the way he kept himself distanced. It was like he was going through the motions yet not letting himself fully invest in them. An hour in a beauty salon could help that. Watching Molly try on ten or twenty pairs of shoes definitely would.

  “With a woman’s touch?” he asked. “Would you come with us? I’ll do what needs to be done, but if this party is so important to Molly, I think you being there to help in her decisions would be a good idea. Especially as this is the first time she’s really ventured out since …”

  Well, Rafe had her on that one. Maybe Molly did need the extra emotional support. God knew, she’d needed it after her mother had died. Needed it in ways she hadn’t seen coming. In fact, she’d needed it so desperately she’d pretty much jumped straight into a bad marriage on her first time out, and while Molly certainly wasn’t at risk of that, Edie did understand the emotions involved in moving on. “I’ll go, as long as you’re not backing out of this.”

  “Not backing out,” he said, on an obvious sigh of relief.

  “Oh, and just so you’ll know, we should pick out the dress first so Molly can have co-ordinating hair ribbons. Things like that are very important to the total ensemble.” Was that panic creeping to his face? Actually, it looked adorable there, and she really wanted to laugh at his discomfort over such simple little-girl things, but she wouldn’t. Rafe was trying hard to do the right thing for Molly, even though he was that proverbial fish out of water. “It’s going to be fun. Just relax. Enjoy yourself.”

  “Fun? Back home, I have a shopper. She’s a nice lady who has a thriving business going, shopping for people like me who find it easier to pick up a phone and tell her what I need rather than going out buying it for myself. And I have a barber who makes house calls. These people do what they do for me, first, because they’re making a good living at it and, second, because for me, shopping and going to the barber shop isn’t fun. It doesn’t make me relax, and I never enjoy myself doing either!”

  “Well, it could be fun, if you were doing those things with the right person.” Did he ever allow himself to relax? Even in something as simple as shopping, Rafe kept himself distanced. In a way, it was sad he limited himself the way he did. It almost seemed like he was afraid to let himself go even a little.

  “Well, you’re the right person for Molly. I want to make this fun for her.”

  “But not for you?”

  “What I want for me is to make sure Molly gets what she needs to make her happy. That’ll be sufficient for now.”

  It wasn’t exactly what she’d wanted to hear from him, but somewhere in his words lurked a pure motive. It was better than nothing. “Then I say let’s go down to the stables, get Molly, and see what kind of power shopping we can get ourselves into.”

  “Power shopping?” Rafe actually moaned aloud. “I thought this was about a dress, a pair of shoes and a perfect braid.”

  Laughing, Edie whisked around him and headed to the door. “It’s never just about a dress, a pair of shoes and a perfect braid.”

  Prophetic words, as it turned out. Because three hours later, with no less than five dresses, six pairs of shoes, and more accessories than Edie could count, and a pair of cowboy boots Molly just had to have, the three of them stumbled into the beauty salon ready for the next part of the adventure. Or, as Rafe would put it, ordeal.

  “She’d like …” Rafe started to tell the beautician, but Edie laid a hand on his arm to stop him.

  “She can do that,” she whispered to him. “Part of this needs to be a teaching experience, too.”

  “Maybe you should make me a list, telling me everything I should know, because I’d have never guessed that a hair appointment could also be turned into a teaching experience.”

  He dropped the shopping bags on the floor then slid into one of the chairs lined up along the wall. It was pink, rather undersized for him. He looked awkward, but cute, she thought. In the past three hours, her estimation of Rafe had grown about a hundred times more. He was patient, considerate … not very adept at little-girl things but trying harder than anybody she’d ever seen. “With kids, everything can turn into a teaching experience. The thing is, they don’t have to know that’s what it is. Right now, Molly’s involved in a huge decision that’s going to affect the outcome of her evening. All those books the beautician is taking to her … they’re full of different hairstyles suitable for a child her age. Molly’s going to get to choose.”

  “But I thought she wanted a braid. Isn’t that pretty simple?”

  Edie laughed. “I’m afraid you’ve just wandered into a very complicated world, Rafe. There’s nothing simple about a braid. I’m mean, there are so many types … French braids are one of the classically most popular. It’s where hair is woven in small chunks on top of the main braid, which lies close to the scalp. The final result is a tidy and very sophisticated look. Maybe a little too old for Molly, but who knows? Then there are herringbone braids, which are thin, layered braids that use a number of small intertwined pieces of hair. And lace braids, which are simple braids that crown the head of the wearer in a half-moon shape, like a tiara. Personally, I think that would be a lovely choice for Molly. But she might like cornrows or Dutch braids, or …”

  Laughing, Rafe held out his hand to stop her. “OK, so when you said there was some teaching value here, I didn’t know I was the one being taught. So, a braid is not a braid is not a braid.”

  “You’re catching on.”

  “Just like a party dress is not a party dress is not a party dress.”

  “Has it been that awful for you?”

  “Not awful so much as … exha
usting. She tried on that pink dress three times then bought the blue one instead.”

  “And she might still change her mind and want to exchange the blue one for the pink one. That’s a woman’s prerogative.”

  “My world’s a whole lot simpler. You just—”

  “I know. Call your shopper, and wear what she picks out. But where’s the fun in that? I mean, think about it, Rafe. What would happen if you took Molly out shopping for you? You might discover that there’s more to life than gray dress slacks and blue dress shirts.”

  “How do you know that’s what I wear?”

  “You’re predictable. Sure, you’re in jeans right now. But you’re out of your element. What happens when you get back into your element … your rut?”

  “I wear gray and blue, which suit me just fine, thank you very much!” He said this almost defensively.

  “But what if Molly found you a pink shirt or, heaven forbid, navy-blue slacks? Could you handle that?” “It’s just colors. What’s the big deal?” “The rut’s the big deal.” She didn’t know if he liked his rut, or if it was just easier for him being stuck in it.

  “So, when is a shopping trip not a shopping trip?” he asked. “When it’s meant to show me just how much I need to be a father?”

  “I’m not denying it,” Edie said. “And I’m not buying into it,” Rafe argued. But he was, hook, line and sinker. She knew it. And an hour later, when Molly hopped out of the beauty chair, her hair done in a pretty lace braid, the look Edie saw on Rafe’s face only confirmed how much he was truly buying into everything.

  “She’s beautiful,” he whispered, his voice full of emotion. The emotion a father would have for his daughter.

  It was such a touching scene, it brought tears to Edie’s eyes, and she turned her head quickly so Rafe wouldn’t see.

  “Rafey,” Molly called out. “Can we take the blue dress back and get the pink one?”

  Rafe laughed out loud. “Of course we can.” He gave Edie a gentle nudge, then held out his hand for Molly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  IT WASN’T like she was a schoolgirl out on her first date yet somehow that was exactly how she felt. A little bit giddy, a little bit nervous … all of it probably owing to the fact that she hadn’t actually been out on a real date with Rafe yet. Or, for that matter, any kind of date for some years. Occasionally, there’d been casual coffee at the corner coffee house or lunch with a casual friend … Casual, casual, casual … that was about as far as her life had gone in the dating department since her one and only venture into the real relationship world had sent her running for shelter before the ink had barely dried on the marriage certificate. She took the blame … all of it. She hadn’t been ready to be out in the world on her own let alone tied into a relationship. But marriage had seemed stable, and she had been at a place in her life where she’d wanted stability. Alex, though, he’d wanted a real marriage … something she hadn’t been able to give him even after the hasty vows had been pronounced at the county courthouse. Oh, she’d playacted for a while, fashioned herself in the role and given it her best effort, but her best hadn’t been good enough. So after that, no men, no dates until now. The thing was, Edie wasn’t even sure that this qualified as a date. As they were exchanging Molly’s blue dress for the pink one, a mention of dinner had slipped into the conversation, barely without noticing. Then the next thing she knew, she was home worrying, primping and worrying some more. Admittedly, she was attracted to him. What woman wouldn’t be? Big, rugged, handsome. The kind of man who brought a sigh to her lips … lips she’d tried to keep those kinds of sighs away from for a long time. After all, what was the point? She’d dipped her toe into that pool once and found she didn’t like getting wet. So why bother with the sighs when she wasn’t willing to allow anything more?

  Except with Rafe those sighs seemed inevitable now, even when she fought them off.

  Well, she’d just have to deal with it, wouldn’t she? Keep her distance, as well as a good, hard bite down on her lower lip. “Besides, it’s just a silly little dinner,” she chided herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “Food, conversation. A way for Rafe to kill a couple of hours waiting for Molly to be finished at her party.”

  But who was she kidding? She was nervous. No avoiding it. Suppose they got on too well, or discovered they didn’t get on at all? How would either way affect her quest to win him over to adopt Molly? What she did, or said, could have such a strong bearing on Rafe’s intentions with Molly, and that was the thought that pestered her for the next ten minutes, until the doorbell rang.

  “Rafe, it’s so nice to see you,” she said, trying not to sound breathless when she opened the door to him. Her first look at him nearly took her breath away, though. Casual jeans, tight. Boots. Close-fitting T-shirt showing off a nice expanse of chest. Leather jacket. Everything about him impeccable. Not bad at all, she decided as he helped her into her wrap. Actually, very good … his look, her reaction. Because she was still focused on her mission in spite of Rafe’s incredible good looks. This was about Molly, not about her. So, it was all under control, she decided as Rafe took her arm and led her down the walkway to his car then helped her in. About Molly, she kept telling herself the whole way to Mama Bella’s World Famous Pizza.

  “You don’t mind casual tonight, do you?” he asked, holding open the restaurant door for her. The hostess, a jovial, matronly woman with short red braids who spoke with a fake Italian accent, showed them to a secluded table for two, probably the table considered to be the restaurant’s most romantic, even though the tablecloth was red-and-white-checked vinyl.

  “Excuse me?” she asked, biting back a smile as he was pulled out the chair for her.

  “Casual. You don’t mind making this a casual evening, do you?”

  “But doesn’t the candle on the table automatically make it romantic? Most of the other tables don’t have candles.” The candle was a drippy red thing, burnt down to a stub, stuffed into a used wine bottle.

  In one swoop Rafe grabbed up the candle and put it on the floor. “There. Casual.”

  In a way, that was disappointing, not that she’d expected a romantic evening with him. Or even wanted one. But to dismiss it so quickly … to just whisk the candle off the table the way he had, was, oddly, a letdown she hadn’t expected. It’s about Molly, she reminded herself. “There, casual …” she said, picking the candle up off the floor and handing it to a passing waiter. No more hints, no more reminders, no more awkwardness … at least, on her part. “OK?”

  “Well, it occurred to me that I should have mentioned what I had in mind for this evening, so you could dress appropriately.”

  “I’m not?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious. She was wearing black slacks, a simple powder-blue sweater, something that should have covered both worlds—casual or dressy. Even romantic. Damn, did he actually think that was what she thought? Now she felt awkward again.

  “And I’ve gone and said the wrong thing, haven’t I?”

  “It shows?” she asked.

  He smiled. “You don’t hide yourself very well, you know. Everything shows on you. But it’s nice. Very nice.”

  “So what you’re saying is that I wear my heart on my sleeve?” This wasn’t the first time someone had told her that. In fact, that was what her mother had always said.

  “And a very nice heart, and sleeve, they are. Oh, and before I put my foot back into my mouth, let me just say that you look beautiful this evening. That’s what I was trying to say a minute ago when I went so horribly wrong.”

  “Not horribly wrong. Just a little wrong. And you’re forgiven.”

  He laughed out loud. “Beautiful and brutally honest. No wonder my aunt liked you.” Settling in, Rafe stretched back in his chair. “Look, Edie, let me be brutally honest here for a minute. I don’t … don’t date. Don’t do relationships.”

  “And you think that’s what my accepting your invitation is about? That I�
��d want a relationship … with you?” She could already feel the flush rising in her cheeks. “That I’d accept a date for pizza and expect a side order of commitment to go with it?”

  Immediately, Rafe went rigid in his chair. “I feel my foot wedging in my mouth again.”

  “Both feet,” she snapped. Sure, she was angry. And humiliated. Embarrassed, too. So much so that she tried to shove back her chair so she could stand and muster the dignity to march out of there. But Rafe stood first, caught her by the wrist on her way up, and had the decency to look a little embarrassed himself.

  “Could we just start this over?” he asked.

  “There’s nothing to start over,” she said, not sure whether she wanted to sit back down or stand all the way up and leave, the way she’d planned.

  “I was trying to explain myself, Edie. That’s all. Trying to tell you a little bit about the way I am. which, as you can see, is pretty damned pathetic.”

  Admittedly, he did look pathetic. Which was why she sat back down. She was curious about Rafe, was interested in hearing what made him tick. “OK, tell me. But it had better be good, Rafe Corbett, because so far I’m not impressed with your dating manners.”

  “Neither am I.” He let go, then sat back down. “Which is why I need to explain myself. The thing is, Edie, I really don’t date, don’t get involved. For a lot of reasons I don’t want to get into this evening, it’s easier that way. So I’m rusty.”

  So this was a real date in spite of what he’d said! Not a romantic date, but a date nonetheless. Suddenly, she was nervous again. “Trust me, you don’t know rusty. That’s my middle name. But, in my defense, it’s fine. I don’t date, per se, either. Bad marriage aside, dating’s scary.”

  “Ah, yes, the marriage thing. You don’t seem like the type who would un-commit once you’ve committed.”

  “Well, I’m probably not, under normal circumstances. But it was a low point in my life. I was desperate, afraid of being alone, he seemed … nice. And he was. But not for me. So my mistake cost me a lot of time, but I suppose you could say I came out of it wiser.”