by Michelle, T.
“Well, can you call him and tell him that for me?”
Kristen reluctantly agreed and they ended the call with Tabitha promising to be in touch again soon.
Before long it was time to visit a doctor about removing the cast and getting new x-rays done. Tabitha didn’t know where else to turn, so she called the only person that came to mind.
“Drs. Larsen and Moore.” The cheery receptionist announced. Just the mention of his name had Tabitha sucking in a steadying breath.
“I’d like to set an appointment to see Dr. Moore about removing my cast.”
“Alright. He has an opening tomorrow afternoon at 3:00. Will that do?”
“Perfectly.”
“Can I get your name and phone number please?”
After passing on her information, Tabitha hung up the phone, praying that Jared wouldn’t be in the office the following day.
It was easy to locate the building and Tabitha waited in the car until she was absolutely certain she wouldn’t have to wait too long in the lobby. She was so damn fearful of running into Jared that she’d taken all kinds of extra precautions – even going so far as to mask her identity somewhat. She had slung a jacket over her shoulders to hide the cast even though the temperature had soared past 100 degrees by noon; she had on dark sunglasses, and was wearing her hair up in a bun.
The nurse ushered her back into a room as soon as she arrived and she sat filling out paperwork on the small examination bed until a slight tap at the door broke her concentration. She could feel the adrenaline dump into her body as she watched the door open, praying it wouldn’t be the one person she was trying to avoid.
Her relief was palpable as Dr. Moore’s countenance filled the entryway.
“Ms. McLean, how are you?”
She broke out into a huge smile. “I’m good, but I’d be doing better if I could get this cast off.”
“Well, let’s see if I can help you out with that.”
Her arm felt light as a feather now that it wasn’t encased in the heavy plaster. But the scars on her arm and hand were hideous. Dr. Moore had explained that she’d need to do exercises to improve her grip and strength and that vitamin E would lessen the appearance of the scars. The surgical scar running only about two inches up from her elbow was a trim, neat little incision that had been beautifully sewn back together. The bulbous, puckered one above served as a reminder of the terrifying ordeal she’d gone through the night she’d met Jared.
Tabitha prepared herself for work, happy to be on full-duty finally. Her boss, Patrick, would be relieved. The waitress she’d be replacing was due to go on maternity leave at any moment and they had all been waiting on bated breath for Tabitha’s arm to heal.
The night was fast-paced and profitable. Tabitha finally got to make tips on top of her miniscule hourly wage and brought home a whopping $175 in cash for the night. It was past three in the morning by the time she collapsed on the bed, the red message light on the phone blinking like a beacon in the darkness.
Tabitha really didn’t feel like expending the energy to get back up to listen to a message so she opted to let it sit until morning. And maybe if she turned her back on the phone, the red light wouldn’t be so obnoxious. When that didn’t work, Tabitha rolled over in a huff and snatched the handset off its base.
“Tabitha,” The message began with a deep, husky voice that made her heart sink into her stomach, “it’s Jared. Dr. Moore told me you were in today.” There was a long, painful pause. “I’m glad that your arm healed well and that you’re doing okay.” Another long, uncomfortable pause. “Give me a call sometime. I’ve – I would like that.” The message abruptly ended with a soft click.
It had been almost four weeks since she’d seen him last, remembering all too well how she’d run from him. As much as she wanted to call him and talk, explain her actions and just listen to his voice, there was no way she’d be able to. The hurt had finally begun to subside. And although the voicemail had produced a minor setback, she needed to continue trudging forward. It was the only way.
Chapter 8
One year later
“Tabby, how did you get those scars on your arm and leg?” The small girl called out from above.
“Falling out of a tree because I was too busy talking to pay attention to what I was doing!” Tabitha called back, cinching the line and propelling herself up onto a higher branch. “Hook into the zipline, Leanne, and go! You’re holding up traffic, hon.” She burst out laughing as the girl whizzed by, screeching as her body shot through the canopy of branches to the stopping point at the next big tree. Tabitha assured that Ben, her co-counselor, was at the ready to catch the girl before heading up to the launching step with the other kids.
She watched as the kids went zipping along on the wire mounted high above the ground, harnessed into a makeshift seat. Deciding to stay in Austin and continue waitressing until a position opened at the Ropes academy had been the best decision she’d ever made. Three months ago, Mr. Parker had called with a full-time position offer. She’d be a certified counselor in another 90 days and her classes began again in the fall. She’d decided to major in child psychology. It was tough going, but she had nothing better to do. She still worked at the club on weekends, and went to school on weeknights. That way she had time to spend with the kids that came in from different area schools during the day.
She’d managed to pay off almost all of her outstanding bills and moved in to a comfortable apartment, waiting until then to look for a house of her own. That decision had allowed her to put almost all her money towards clearing up her credit. Now she only had a couple more bills pay off and she was home free. The college she’d chosen had managed a grant for her and she wouldn’t need a loan until her last semester, or quite possibly not until she began her Master’s program. By then, she hoped to be in her own home and have only a handful of bills to be worried about.
But the best part of all these changes had to be that she wasn’t plagued with nightmares anymore. She was able to sleep through the night, which in her current role was a much needed commodity.
She raced Leanne to the rock and scaled down it, forcing the waif of a girl to push herself further. When they crossed the finish line, almost at a tie, they both crumpled to the ground in a heap.
“You did great today!” Tabitha praised, pulling the girl to her feet.
“Wanna go get some water?”
“Nah, kiddo, I have to get going. I have plans tonight.” It was Labor Day weekend and the club was sure to be packed. It was a trendy joint playing up to the more hip crowd, with an open dance floor, multiple pool tables and game area, and the most up-to-date D.J. in the Austin area. There would barely be room to move by midnight. Besides, Kristen was coming up with her new boyfriend. She needed to get some rest before the weekend began.
Patrick let her off early so that she could hang out with Kristen and Doug and after closing down the club, they’d gone for a bite to eat before Tabitha escorted the tipsy couple to their posh hotel. While Doug was using the restroom, Kristen flopped back on the huge bed, characteristically dragging Tabitha down with her.
“Isn’t he fabulous?” Kristen squealed.
Tabitha agreed. Doug was perfect for her and Tabitha was thankful that Kristen had finally found someone. He was a gorgeous executive at a lucrative advertising firm in Downtown Houston; they’d met at a campaign function six months ago and had been inseparable ever since. He was courteous, intelligent, sexy, independent and completely wrapped around Kristen’s little finger. They’d already gone on a vacation together and it looked like the ever-single Kristen had finally fallen in love. Tabitha was ecstatic.
The three talked and laughed a while longer, making plans to spend the holiday on Lake Travis. Finally, Tabitha made her escape, promising to call when she was up and functional.
It was already closing on five in the morning as she made her way across the lobby. Her mind so muddled from fatigue, s
he didn’t watch where she was going and tripped over a large bag set away from the Concierge counter.
She managed to keep from falling, but made quite a loud noise at being caught off guard. A hand snagged hold of her and helped her right herself.
“I’m so sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying any attention.” She looked up into a set of clear, green eyes.
“Tabitha?”
“Jared? I…hi, how are you?”
“What are you doing here?” He was looking her over, up and down, utter disbelief adorning his handsome features.
“I was visiting a friend, Kristen. I’m on my way home.” She couldn’t breathe. She was going straight into a panic attack.
“You look great. Congratulations on the Ropes job. I’m glad you finally got in over there.” Just then a tall, leggy blonde sidled up to him, wrapping herself catlike around his arm.
“Who’s this, honey?” She purred. God, in the heels she was wearing she was almost as tall as he was. She was model-perfect with full red lips, big brown eyes and skin women killed for.
“Amanda, this is a…patient of mine. Well, not anymore really. Tabitha McLean.”
Tabitha shook the woman’s dainty, perfectly manicured hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tabitha.” Her voice was like warm honey and she exuded elegance.
“Yes. So are you two in town for the weekend?”
Jared nodded. “I’ve got a convention starting on Tuesday so I thought to go ahead and spend the weekend up here.”
If possible, Amanda leaned in closer to him, placing her petite head on his shoulder. “Yes, I finally convinced him to take some time off for me.” She beamed a perfect smile.
Jared looked stiff and uncomfortable. Tabitha was finding it hard to remain upright. “Well, I’ve had a long night. I should get going. It was great to see you again. Enjoy Labor Day.” She took off without a look back.
Her heart was pounding and her hands shook so badly she was having trouble steering her car. She finally pulled into a gas station parking lot and leaned her head on the wheel. How did he know about her job?
Amanda had been so perfect, the ideal woman for him. Her stomach lurched at the thought of that woman hugging onto him. Well, it was no concern of hers anymore. It had been twelve months since she’d seen him. But with that one brief encounter, she was whisked back to the time they’d shared and that one unforgettable night, every last detail as fresh in her mind as the day the memories were made.
Tabitha remained in bed for the next two days, torn between bouts of crying and anger. On Monday, she managed to pull herself together and meet her friends at The Oasis, a restaurant that overlooked the lake.
“You seem drab.” Kristen observed after an hour or so without much conversation. “What’s wrong?”
“I ran into Jared Larsen Friday night, well Saturday morning, when I left you two.”
“Really? Where?”
“In the hotel lobby.”
At a confused look from Doug, Kristen squeezed his hand. “Dr. Jared Larsen is the man responsible for the scars on Tabby’s leg and arm. He’s also the man she’s been in love with for over a year.”
“Shut up, Kris.” Tabitha gulped down her frozen margarita. “It was his dog that attacked me last year, Doug. And he helped get me back on my feet.”
“Well, that’s the least he could do considering.”
“Actually,” Kristen piped up, “it was Tabitha’s fault for trespassing.”
“I didn’t have a choice, remember? My car broke down – ”
“Around a pole.” Kristen interjected.
“The weather was bad and I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“I see.” Doug responded, steepling his fingers under his chin.
“They slept together one night and Tabitha took off running the next day.”
“Thanks, Kristen. I’m sure Doug wants all the sordid details.”
“I don’t mind.” He presented her with one helluva smile and wrapped an arm around Kristen.
“You two are the perfect pair.” Tabitha observed. “But you know, a question comes to mind. He knew about my job.” She leveled a piercing gaze at her friend. “How did he know that, Kristen?”
“Are you accusing me of something, Tabby?”
“I don’t know, Kris, am I?”
Kristen casually slumped back against her chair. “All right. We’ve kept in contact. I give him free game tickets and he helps out my guys when they get injured.” Tabitha stared at her hard, disbelieving her friend had kept something so important from her. “It’s not like I was hiding it from you. I just figured you didn’t want to know.”
“So, why does he know all about me?”
“Because he cares, Tabby. Who do you think sent you all those flowers and the two bears while you were in the hospital? Have you really never put that together?”
Tabitha held up a hand. “Wait. What? Those flowers were from him?” She paused, searching for an explanation. “He was just trying to make me feel better…to…to cover up for the lack of family and friends who knew.”
“Is that so? Then what about the job he created for you?”
“He needed help so he could relieve his assistant and take some much needed time off.”
“That he never managed to take. All the while, a fully staffed office operated just fine in the absence of the receptionist. Think about it, Tabitha.”
She did pause in thought. “He just felt sorry for me, Kris. That’s all. And probably wanted to ensure I wouldn’t find something to sue him for.”
“Yeah, which completely explains why he’s kept in touch with me.” Kristen’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on her.
“I don’t know his reasons, Kris. But I do know I don’t like you just freely sharing all my business to him.”
“He asks, I answer. I don’t spill everything. I just let him know how well you’re doing. That you’ve finally gone back to school and all that. It’s no big deal.”
“Yes it is! I don’t want him knowing anything about me. Why should he care anyway?” Tabitha stumbled over a thought and glared at her friend. “You knew he’d be here this weekend, didn’t you?”
“Well, I…yes. I invited him up. I told him Doug and I would be here and you’d be coming out to visit.”
“How could you, Kristen?”
“I didn’t think you’d run into him. It’s a large hotel! Plus, he has some work thing going on next week, it just made sense to invite him up for the weekend. He has to be in town anyway.” Kristen began twisting a straw around her finger. It was a nervous habit she’d had since she was a kid.
“So, you invited him and his girlfriend up here. That’s just great.”
“He brought Amanda with him?”
“Oh, yes. All perfectly proportioned, beautifully decorated six feet of her.”
“You’re jealous.” This comment was offered up by Doug.
“Hell, yes, I’m jealous. She’s everything I could never be.” Now Tabitha was twisting a straw around her fingers. “God, she was stunning.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Doug asked.
“Huh.” Is all she could muster in response.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Tabitha, but there are many different forms of beautiful and plenty of men who would dream about you the rest of their lives after only one night.”
She smiled at him. “No wonder you’re in advertising. Jesus, you could talk a horse into eating glue.”
“It’s true, Tabby, and you know it.” Kristen had laid down the straw and grabbed her hand. “You’re beautiful. All that black hair and shining blue eyes. You’ve never had to worry about weight gain with that petite, girlish figure. Everyone loves your smile. In fact, the only reason you stay single is because you obviously want to.”
No, the only reason she’d stayed single was because she couldn’t have the man she wanted. Not even if his girlfriend was out of the picture.
“Thanks for the complimen
ts, but can we move on to a different subject?”
“Actually, Jared invited us to go sailing this afternoon.” Kristen flashed a toothy grin. “C’mon, Tabby. You love sailing. Would it be so bad?”
“Yes. No, really, guys. You go on ahead. The weather’s perfect. I think I’ll sit this one out. Besides, tomorrow’s going to be busy out at the ranch. I could use some down time.”
Doug protested, Kristen balked, but in the end, Tabitha went home rather than meet Jared at the docks.
It didn’t hurt as badly anymore. The pain had subsided to a dull ache and she wasn’t even prone to the ‘what if’s’. It had been an immense shock to her system seeing him again after so long, but he was doing well. And in the grand scheme of things isn’t that all that really mattered?
Tabitha threw herself into her workload for the week, running through the different activities with a renewed gusto, falling asleep at night as soon as her head hit the pillow. And after working just as hard at the club, Patrick had given her the upcoming weekend off and by Thursday she was grateful for it.
Kristen had called numerous times to apologize, even though it wasn’t necessary, but Tabitha wasn’t up for long talks with her – it brought back the memory of him. Since him she hadn’t even humored a date, unwilling to tear herself up again. It made it easier to focus on her life without all the complications relationships could bring on board.
She decided to order pizza, too tired to cook, and sat stuffing her face when her phone rang. It was 10:00 o’clock at night and no one usually bugged her this late in the evening.
“Hello?” She muttered, trying not to spit bits of pizza onto handset.
“Tabitha?” She panicked and hung up the phone. How had Jared gotten her home number? She stared at the cordless phone as though it was alien and jumped when it began to ring again. She swallowed the food in her mouth and took a deep breath.
“Hello, Jared.” She answered, knowing who it was on the line.
“Hi.”
“How are you?”
“Good.” She sat through a pause, listening to the white noise.
