“No Texas charm,” he clarified.
Settling back down on his chest, she sighed. “Haven’t found the right one yet. But I guess I need to get busy. I don’t have much time left.”
Not much time left. The words opened a canyon of regret. Regret that she was moving on. Regret that this thing with Travis was just friends with benefits. Regrets that she’d never have children—although that regret caught her by surprise. She’d thought she’d handled that one a long time ago, but here it was raising its ugly head.
Regret was a waste of time. Too bad she couldn’t convince her mind of that.
Chapter Eleven
When Caroline awoke, she was alone in bed. She stretched her arms over her head. Tight muscles unused to her activities of late protested. After slipping on Travis’s robe—the belt wrapped twice around her waist—she made her way to the kitchen. A white piece of paper was propped on the coffee maker.
Morning, darlin’.
Headed out at four. Didn’t want to wake you. Have a nice day. See you tonight.
T
Caroline clutched the note to her chest and laughed at her silly response…like a fifth grader who’d just gotten her first note from a boy. Still, she couldn’t throw it away. She shoved it in the robe’s pocket and poured coffee. As she sipped, she glanced at the clock. Almost eleven. How decadent to sleep all day. She sort of liked it.
A muted beep had her searching for her cellphone. After finding it at the bottom of her purse, she scrolled for messages. A lunch invitation from KC Montgomery flashed from text messages. That sounded like a fun way to spend her last free day. She texted KC back to accept and then hurried to the shower.
After lunch, Caroline ran by her house to get clothes for Tuesday and to check her email. She had a couple of emails from Noah. They broke her heart. He was so lost without Mamie. She answered him back and promised to come see him soon, but her gut twisted at the thought of walking back into Mamie’s house after she was gone. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face that.
The office receptionist emailed Caroline’s patient appointments and hospital round lists. Both lists were extensive, but she was ready to get back to work. Her real world—the one where she slept alone, ate alone and watched television alone—could wait a week or so.
Monday night, Travis surprised her with steaks off the grill and homemade ice cream. Somehow, the ice cream made it to the bedroom. As she licked the ice cream from the dips and valleys of Travis’s chest and abdomen, she remembered how much she loved sweet and salty together. She was pretty sure she’d just found a new source for this favorite combination.
On Tuesday, the office staff greeted her return with hugs and sweet words of condolence. On her desk, she found a large floral arrangement. The card read, “We are so sorry for your loss. We missed you. Your Staff.”
As she read the words, she had to sniff back the tears. She’d never been so in tune with an office staff. In fact, she’d never considered the people she worked with her staff. Instead, she had always thought of them as just the staff. To think that they considered her one of them… She smiled and tucked the card into her purse. It was definitely destined for her memory box, along with Travis’s note from yesterday morning.
Travis called about noon, just to check on her, he said, which was nice. But what made her heart jump was when he ended the call with, “see you at home tonight.”
When she got to Halo M ranch Tuesday evening, Travis was there waiting for her. Dinner was in the oven. The house was clean. She had no responsibilities other than what she wanted to do. And what she wanted to do was Travis…so she did.
Every morning she suggested she go back to her house. Every morning Travis talked her into staying another day…not that he had to work very hard at convincing her to stay.
By Friday, she knew she had to go home. Not because she felt like she was a burden, and not because she felt like she’d overstayed her visit. The fact she didn’t want to go home clued her in that maybe it was time to go. She liked being with him a little too much. She liked having someone waiting for her when she got home.
But this wasn’t her real life, and she had to continually remind herself of that. Travis never suggested she stay beyond her contract date in December. He never once hinted that he wanted more than the sexual relationship they were experiencing. They were playing with fire. She recognized that.
Finally, he must have too, because when she’d been at his house for a week and she said she really needed to go home, he didn’t argue or protest. He simply said she should do what she needed to do and then helped her get her things loaded into his car, which she was still driving. Her car was dead, junkyard material. She hadn’t gotten up the energy to car shop, but who would when they had a loaned Porsche to drive?
The next week rolled by filled with long hours of work broken up by lunches with Lydia or KC and evening phone conversations with Noah. He wasn’t adjusting well to living with Patrick and Leslie. They didn’t like his friends, which didn’t surprise her much. Mamie hadn’t liked the boys he’d run around with much either, more than once lamenting that they were a bad influence on Noah. Leslie had discovered Noah and his friends smoking behind the backyard fence and had forbid him from seeing them again. That hadn’t gone over well.
Patrick and Leslie had decided that if Noah got a part-time job, he’d have less time to get in trouble. They’d put him to work in the church office of Patrick’s parish. Noah had shown up exactly once. Threats, bribes, cajoling…nothing worked to stem what appeared to be an out-of-control downward spiral for her baby brother.
Caroline was at a loss what to do. Her parents were of little help, offering prayers and suggestions, but Caroline could envision Noah’s eye rolls at anything their parents offered. Lord knew, she’d seen plenty of those looks from the teenagers in her practice who considered her, at thirty-two, old and out of touch. She prayed that time and a little more maturity would help Noah before he totally lost himself.
Travis called every night. They talked about their days and their plans for the next day, but he didn’t ask her to come back to his house and she couldn’t bring herself to mention it. While she loved listening to his voice over the phone, she would have rather heard it in person. Apparently, he was holding up his end of their friendship. She tried to keep her feelings in that friendship mode, which was getting damned near impossible.
The third week she was back in the office, she found Olivia Montgomery on her patient list. Pleased, she pulled the patient record from the door box. The nurse had taken vitals and weight, all within normal limits. No medical complaint was noted.
“Knock, knock,” Caroline said as she opened the door.
Olivia was sitting in the room chair flipping through a magazine. As soon as she saw Caroline, her face lit with a bright smile. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Caroline replied. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She set the patient record on the counter. “What’s going on with you? Are you having a problem or is this just a regular visit?”
Olivia placed the magazine back into the basket next to her chair. “Well,” she said, drawing out the word until it had three syllables. “I need a good doctor.”
Caroline laughed and spread her arms. “Well, here I am. What can I do for you?”
“I took one of those pharmacy pregnancy tests last week and…” She grinned. “Jackpot.”
Caroline crossed the room and hugged her. Caroline was thrilled as it was obvious that Olivia was beyond elated about this pregnancy. At the same time, Caroline felt a twinge of jealousy. Oh, not that she was the least bit interested in Mitch Landry. It was the obvious head-over-heels love glowing in Olivia’s eyes that had Caroline wishing for things she ought not to wish for. Olivia was pregnant again with Mitch’s baby, but unlike their first pregnancy, this time Mitch would be there for the entire show. This was a lucky couple to have found their way back to each other.
“Oh, Olivia. That
’s wonderful. I’ll draw some blood today just to confirm your home results, but those tests are pretty accurate. Lydia told me you and Mitch had worked things out.” She pumped her eyebrows. “Sounds like you did a little more than just work out your disagreements.”
“I know,” Olivia said. “I can’t believe it.”
“Have you told Mitch?”
“Last night. He was over the moon. It was all I could do to keep him from calling everyone.”
Caroline sat on the rolling stool. “Do you have any idea of how far along you might be? When was your last menstrual period?”
“I know exactly when this baby was conceived. My last period was in April. I must have gotten pregnant in May while I was still at Mitch’s place.”
“Okay. That would make you about three months.” She opened a drawer and removed a cardboard pregnancy delivery date wheel. “Now, let’s see when this baby would be due. The first day of your last period was when?”
“April 18.”
“So…” She twisted the wheel. “Looks like you’ll have a new-year baby. Your due date would be about January 22.”
Olivia hugged herself. “I am so excited.’
“Oh damn.”
“What?”
“I’ll have already left by then. You will have to promise to send me pictures.” Caroline was surprised to hear herself request baby pictures. She’d never asked a patient to stay in touch or send updates.
Olivia sighed. “Of course I will, but are you sure you can’t stay?”
Caroline shook her head. “I can’t stay.”
Olivia’s bottom lip protruded in a pout.
“I’m happy to follow you until I leave, but I have to ask. Why did you ask to see me today instead of Lydia? After all, she’s going to be your sister-in-law one day.”
“Mitch and I thought it might be fun to have a dinner party for the family this Friday. Sort of a tell-everybody-at-once dinner. A big celebration. I wanted her to be surprised too.”
Caroline nodded. “Okay. Makes sense. I’ll just keep your chart in my office until you’ve spilled the beans.” She leaned over and pulled a patient gown from the table. “I’ll step out while you get undressed. Take a seat on the table and let me do an exam.”
Olivia stood. “Works for me.”
Olivia’s physical exam revealed no surprises. A slightly enlarged uterus. Some breast tenderness. But overall, she was in excellent health.
“Well, I can’t find a thing wrong with you,” Caroline said with a smile. “How are we supposed to pay the bills if all our patients are healthy?”
Olivia laughed. “While I was changing clothes I realized that maybe you didn’t realize that I meant for you to come for dinner on Friday too.”
“Oh, no, Olivia. Thanks, but you said family and—”
“And the Montgomerys consider you family. Haven’t you realized yet that once you’re adopted by the Montgomery clan we don’t let you go?” She smiled. “Please say you’ll come, Olivia. Mitch and I really want you there.”
When Caroline hesitated, Olivia added another, “Please.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. You have to be there.”
Caroline nodded. “Okay. What time? And what can I bring?”
“About six. It’s a little early, but Cash rides that night. The PBR is in Nashville and it’s televised. I thought it’d be fun to have dessert and coffee while we watch him go for the points to get him into the finals in Las Vegas.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“And don’t bring anything. This is our treat.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
After Olivia left, Caroline stashed her chart in the top drawer of her desk. As she was closing the drawer, Lydia tapped on her door.
“Hi. Got a minute?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Did I see Olivia’s name on your schedule today?”
“You did.”
“She okay?”
Caroline waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. “It was nothing. A little poison ivy.”
Lydia frowned. “I wonder why she asked to see you instead of me.”
Caroline chuckled. “You’re the big cheese here. I’m just the hired help, the low man on the totem pole. I’m sure she didn’t want to take up one of your spots with something so minor.”
Lydia shrugged. “I guess so.” She looked hard at Caroline. “Are you sure that’s all?”
“That’s all,” she replied, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. It was all she could do to keep from grinning. As a physician, Caroline didn’t get to give good news that often. She loved when she could.
“Okay, as long as she’s not upset with me about something.”
“Nope. Nothing like that. I swear.”
Lydia’s cell phone chirped and she pulled it from her lab coat pocket. After reading the name on the display, her eyebrows rose. “Speak of the devil.” She pushed the green answer button. “Olivia. What a nice surprise.” She listened for a minute then said, “Friday? Sure. I don’t think Jason and I have anything on our schedule. Oh? Well, if he said we were available for dinner then I’m sure we are. What time? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. What can I bring? Really? Well, okay then. We’ll see you about six.” She clicked off the phone. “That was Olivia.”
Caroline smiled. “So I gathered.”
“I guess I was being silly. She’s having the family over for dinner Friday. Said you’d be there too.”
Caroline nodded. “Yeah, she invited me this afternoon. She seemed so thrilled about being back with Mitch. I’m sure this is simply a celebration of that and maybe a way to show everybody their new house. Have you seen it?”
“Not yet. I’ve heard about it from Jason’s mother but I’ve been dying to see it. You know their story, right?”
Caroline lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Yes and no. I know about Adam and their long split. But what’s the story with the new house?”
A dreamy expression flashed across Lydia’s face. “It was so romantic. After Olivia came home from Mitch’s house, she wouldn’t see him or talk to him. Apparently, his ex-wife had been playing a few mind games with Olivia, the little bitch. His ex-wife, not Olivia,” she said with a laugh. “Anyway, Mitch decided he couldn’t live without Olivia and Adam, so as a surprise he bought this ranch with Jason’s little brother, Cash. You’ve met Cash since you’ve been here, right?”
Caroline shook her head. “Nope. Everybody talks about him like he’s a great guy, but really…any guy who rides bulls for a living makes me wonder about his sanity.”
Lydia laughed again. “I know. I know. I am so glad Jason decided lawyering would be a better career move than the professional rodeo. I almost die every time we watch Cash ride. Whenever the rodeo is near here, Jason and I go, but I swear…sitting in those stands while someone I know and care about is being tossed around on the back of a wild bull drives me crazy. But watching it on television is even more stressful. It makes no sense, but what can I say?
“Anyway, Cash and Mitch have gone partners on raising bulls for the professional circuit. He did all this without talking to Olivia. He was desperate to have her back, or so he says. One Saturday, he shows up at her house, drags her out to this ranch and begs her to marry him.” Another wistful expression passes across her face. “Isn’t that the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard?”
Caroline nodded even though she thought she’d probably shoot a guy who thought it was romantic to buy a house without letting her have input.
To each his own.
“So,” Lydia continued, “they’ve been in the house a couple of weeks and we’ve all been dying to see the place now that they’ve got everything settled.” A broad smile stretched across her lips. “I am glad you’re coming too. We are all sure going to miss you when you’ve gone.”
Caroline felt a stab in her heart. Her breath caught in her throat. Swallowing back tears, she pulled the corners of her mouth up into what she
suspected was a sad smile. “I’ll miss all y’all too.”
As general rule, Friday afternoons at the Whispering Springs Medical Clinic were kept open for completing medical charts, returning patient calls and emergencies. Lucky for them, the Friday afternoon of the dinner party was dead. No emergencies. No long-winded patient calls. At three, both Lydia and Caroline headed out leaving instructions with the staff to call if there were any problems. The day was beautiful, if a little hot. A bright sun and cerulean-blue sky met them as they walked out the back door of the clinic into the parking lot.
“What a gorgeous day,” Caroline said. She drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Just wonderful. Nothing but minor problems all day. Is it not the most perfect Friday?”
Lydia stretched her arms over her head and twisted at her waist. “Yep. Perfect. Now let’s get out of here before we get stuck talking to some old person about their latest hemorrhoid problem.”
Caroline laughed. “You must have had Stephen Francis in today.”
Lydia shook her head with a laugh. “How did you ever guess?”
“Hey. Question. Olivia said not to bring anything tonight.”
“Right, so?”
“So, what are you taking?”
Lydia chuckled. “You know me too well. I thought a bottle wine, maybe some champagne to celebrate their new house. You?”
Caroline couldn’t tell her that alcohol was out of Olivia’s diet for the next few months, so she just nodded. “That sounds good. I think I’ll run by that new nursery and check out their plants. Maybe a cactus or some other type of houseplant.”
Lydia snorted. “A cactus. Yeah, that’s the right plant for Olivia. She never remembers to water. See you later.” She waved as she headed off for the small SUV she drove.
As Caroline’s hand touched the Porsche car door, her phone began ringing. For half a second, she considered letting it go to voice mail. However, she was on-call so that wasn’t really an option, but the day had been just too perfect to ruin it with a late-minute patient call. She sighed and looked at the screen. Her heart kicked her chest when she saw the name on the readout. She punched the green answer button and steadied her voice.
Texas Tango: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 2 Page 15
