Wednesday also marked her first counseling session with Cynthia Hernandez, Heather’s nurse. The young woman’s mood was more cheerful than it had been the previous week, mostly because Heather had returned to work.
She poured out her story to a sympathetic Amy. Earlier in the year, Cynthia had begun dating a man, only to learn later that he was married. By that time, she was pregnant—with twins.
Even though she knew she’d been tricked, Cynthia had a hard time accepting that her boyfriend wasn’t going to leave his wife and take care of her. Amy encouraged her to talk about her emotionally abusive father and to see the similarities to her boyfriend. Pleased at the insight, Cynthia scheduled another session for the following week.
By Friday, Amy was more than ready for the weekend break. She’d been racing around yesterday and today, checking on her new roof and paying for it when the work was finished, which had happened that afternoon.
To complicate matters, she hadn’t slept well all week. Her brain kept replaying Saturday’s fiasco, trying to make it come out differently. And failing.
The result was a stretched-out, light-headed sensation. Maybe that was why, as she prepared to leave work on Friday, the babies and children on the wall laughed and tumbled so vividly that she could almost hear their little voices. Merry eyes seemed to fix on her longingly.
It was like a dream come to life. They were so sweet, she wished they were hers.
You must really like kids. Quent had thrown out the comment so casually that, at the time, it had scarcely registered.
Now tears blurred Amy’s vision. She wanted so much to hold a baby in her arms! A child of her own, someone who needed her. Someone who belonged to her.
This was irrational, Amy scolded herself. She wasn’t even married and might never be. It must be the prospect of Natalie’s wedding that made her so emotional.
She went out, locked the door and leaned against it. Her heart was pounding and her throat felt dry. This was crazy. No, this was what people called her biological clock, ticking overtime in spite of her best intentions.
“Is something wrong?” She hadn’t heard Quent approach until he spoke.
“I guess I’m a little overexcited about the wedding rehearsal tonight,” she said.
“Do you need a hug?”
More than he knew! “Is that the pediatrician’s favorite prescription?”
“It works wonders.” Quent pulled her against his shoulder. “Tell your troubles to Dr. Ladd.”
“What if my trouble is Dr. Ladd?” Amy hadn’t meant to say anything so revealing. “Just kidding. All I need is to shift gears and get ready for tonight’s events.”
“There’s more than one?” he asked.
“There’s a dinner at Patrick’s sister’s house after the rehearsal.” She found herself reluctant to mention that Rob Sentinel was escorting her. As Natalie had predicted, the soft-spoken obstetrician had accepted her invitation immediately.
Although Amy liked him, she had no desire to nestle against him as she was doing now with Quent. Pushing aside her reflections, she took several deep breaths. Quent smelled like home, she mused happily. And like safety.
But the impression was illusory. Even the curve of his arm closing around her, holding her in place, was only the support of a friend.
Regretfully, Amy slipped away. “I’d better go or I’ll be late.”
“We can’t have that.” He watched her thoughtfully. “I’m afraid I’ve got to work.”
“Maybe I’ll see you at the wedding tomorrow.”
“I’ll wave as you go down the aisle,” he said.
Outside, Amy drove home beneath a spectacular pink sunset that transformed Serene Beach into a fairyland. She wished Quent were here to see it.
Rob Sentinel arrived at Aunt Mary’s door promptly at six-thirty. The young obstetrician looked darkly attractive in his suit, and Amy wished she could experience something stronger than admiration.
In his early thirties, Rob had an air of confidence and a ready smile, but there was something reserved about him, too. Perhaps it was the scar on one cheek that gave him an air of mystery.
In the car, they talked about Heather’s return to work. Rob, who’d been taking care of her patients while building up a caseload of his own, was glad his colleague had returned.
The rehearsal took place at the Serenity Fellowship Church, located next to Doctors Circle. Amy was touched that Patrick had not only chosen his brother-in-law, advertising executive Mike Lincoln, as his best man, but also his two young nephews as his ushers.
The minister outlined the service, the choirmaster told them when the hymns would be sung, and the bridal party walked through their roles. Then they left for Mike and Bernie Barr Lincoln’s house in Serene Cove.
“I hadn’t seen this part of town before,” Rob said as they drove between harborside luxury homes. “It’s impressive.”
“I’ve never been here before, either.”
They fell silent. Amy suspected there was a deep mind at work beneath Rob’s low-key manner, and under other circumstances he might be a fascinating conversationalist, but it would take the right woman to bring him out. Tonight had demonstrated to her satisfaction that she was not that woman.
Inside the Lincolns’ multi-level home, caterers had set up a sumptuous buffet. In addition to the wedding party, Patrick and Natalie had invited several out-of-town guests and close friends.
Their hostess, Patrick’s sister Bernie, bubbled with good spirits as she greeted her guests. A vivacious young woman whose curly brown hair showed flashes of red-gold, she clearly enjoyed making everyone feel at home.
Amy was glad to see Rob become absorbed in talking to Mike. Although he might not excel at small talk, her date did know how to connect with people.
“Well?” Natalie asked her when they met by the coffee server. “How’s it going?”
“Fine,” she said.
“No heaving bosom? No rocketing pulse?”
“Nowhere close,” Amy told her.
Natalie pretended to pout. “Who am I going to throw my bouquet to?”
“Not me!” said Heather, who was pouring herself a cup of decaf.
“Not me, either,” Natalie’s sister Candy chimed in from where she stood nearby. “I like being single.”
“I’ll take it,” volunteered Angie, Natalie’s mother. “I wouldn’t mind getting married again.”
As Candy and Natalie teased their mother about her latest boyfriend, a long-haired carpenter named Clovis who was making short work of the dessert offerings, Amy rejoined Rob by the buffet table. She wanted to make sure he had a good time, since he was her guest. “How’re you doing?”
“Mike was telling me about his latest advertising campaign. I’m surprised Doctors Circle hasn’t made more use of his talents,” Rob said. “He could be a major resource for the Endowment Fund campaign.”
“That’s a good idea,” Amy said. “You should send Patrick an e-mail and suggest it, although obviously he won’t be doing anything about it right away.”
“Why not?” Rob said.
“He’s going to be on his honeymoon.”
“Oh, right.”
At this point, she’d have been poking Quent in the ribs and giving him a hard time about forgetting such an important event. With Rob, she didn’t dare crack a joke for fear of looking foolish.
That was when, on the far side of the expansive living room, Amy spotted Quent, holding a couple of packages. Even in a crowd, he caught her attention instantly. What a relief! Nothing felt right without him.
It took a moment before she realized he wasn’t alone. In fact, he was riveted on the stunning blond woman at his side.
Who was she? And, come to think of it, why had Quent showed up at an event he had no business attending? Amy wished all these other people would go away so she could give him a piece of her mind.
WHAT WAS Amy doing with Rob Sentinel? It was possible they’d simply run into each other by the buf
fet table, but something in Rob’s stance gave Quent the impression he took a protective interest in her.
Beside him, the blonde continued talking. She’d explained when they arrived on the doorstep at the same time that she was Natalie’s oldest sister.
“I flew down from Oregon as a surprise,” Alana was saying as she accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. “My mother and I don’t see eye-to-eye, and I’m not close to my sisters, although I did lend Nat my wedding dress. My husband said if I missed the big day, I’d always regret it, so here I am.”
“You can’t skip an event like this.” Inspired to elaborate, Quent added, “Families feud for generations over less. In fact, I think that’s how the Hatfields and the McCoys got started. Somebody missed a wedding reception, and the next thing you know, they were shooting each other.”
The remark tickled her. “My gosh, you have a funny way of putting things. I’ll bet your patients love you.”
“Mostly they’re too young to get my jokes.” Quent wondered why he couldn’t catch Amy’s gaze. He was almost certain she’d seen him come in. “Of course, I charm the pants off their parents.”
Alana burst into giggles. “I’d like to see that!”
Was Amy purposely ignoring him? She’d been cuddly enough this afternoon, although, come to think of it, she had peeled away rather quickly. Had he done something to tick her off without realizing it?
Natalie, emerging from the kitchen, interrupted his thoughts with a shriek. “I don’t believe it! Alana! You came!” She tore across the room into her sister’s arms.
Candy started screaming, too, and their mother approached somewhat less noisily. As other guests turned to look, Quent seized his chance to slip over to the buffet table.
Amy greeted him with an inquisitive arch of the brow. “I didn’t realize you knew Natalie’s sister. She’s very pretty.”
“We’re old pals,” he said. “We met five minutes ago.”
He could have sworn he saw relief in her eyes. Well, good. If she’d been jealous, he’d laid her fears to rest. Now he needed to clear up what she was doing with Rob.
Before he could ask, she said, “What brings you to the rehearsal dinner? No offense, but I’m surprised to see you here, since you aren’t in the wedding party.”
“I’m surprised, too,” Quent admitted. “I wasn’t exactly invited. In fact, I wasn’t invited at all.”
“Now, this is an explanation I’d like to hear,” Rob said.
Quent explained that he’d been working late when a deliveryman poked his nose into the Well-Baby Clinic. The man had a delivery to make to Dr. Barr’s office but that building was locked tight.
Since the parcels appeared to be wedding gifts, Quent had signed for them and decided to bring them to Mrs. Lincoln’s house tonight. He chose not to mention that the prime attraction had been the knowledge that Amy was attending the dinner.
“It’s a good thing the Lincolns are listed in the phone book,” he said. “I took it as a sign that they wouldn’t mind me barging in. Was that pushy of me?”
“Definitely cheeky.” Amy indicated the packages. “You should give those to Natalie as soon as she stops hollering and jumping up and down.”
“My intention precisely.” Since Dr. Barr had come within earshot, Quent turned to him and joked, “The clinic doesn’t pay enough, so I’ve taken a second job as a deliveryman. This stuff is heavy! And I doubt you’ll even give me a tip.”
“What kind of tip did you have in mind, doctor?” Patrick joked.
“I suspect a plateful of food wouldn’t hurt,” Rob said. “The man looks famished to me.”
The groom relieved Quent of his burden. “Help yourself. And thanks for bringing these.”
“It was on my way.” Quent kept a straight face through this obvious untruth, since Serene Cove, located on a slip of land that thrust into the ocean, wasn’t on the way to anywhere.
“Well, we can always use more gifts,” Patrick dead-panned in return, since everyone knew he’d inherited a house already filled with furniture and kitchenware. “I hope there’s another blender in there. You can’t have too many of those.”
Quent wanted to stick around just in case Rob and Amy wanted company. Or, especially, in case they didn’t. However, he really was hungry, and Rob had left him with no excuse to linger.
“I’m going to eat, now that I’ve been formally invited,” he said. “Anyone care to join me?”
“I’m full,” Rob said. “How about you, Amy?”
“Me, too. Help yourself, Quent,” she said.
As he took a plate and made his way along the table, Quent faced the truth. Since there was no reason for Rob to have received his own invitation tonight, the two of them must have come together.
He glanced back at them. They made a handsome couple, but he didn’t want them to be a couple. Still, he couldn’t blame the guy. If anyone knew how irresistible Amy could be, it was Quent.
If only he hadn’t reacted so strongly last Saturday…yet he hadn’t been able to help it. He simply wasn’t ready to open his heart to Amy.
All the same, he didn’t see how he could bear to lose her to somebody else.
Chapter Nine
Amy was glad she’d invited Rob to the rehearsal dinner. He’d had a good time, and so had she. But it had bothered her, seeing Quent’s confused expression when she took Rob’s arm and walked away.
More than confused. Hurt.
Later that night, she tossed restlessly in bed, wondering if she’d misread him. He wanted to keep her at arm’s length, didn’t he? Then why had he seemed so disappointed?
She didn’t understand him. Maybe if she’d had more serious relationships, she would be able to figure Quent out. Even her Ph.D. in psychology didn’t help, darn it.
Oh, the heck with it! she told herself sometime after midnight. Worrying didn’t suit her. Let Quent take care of his own problems. If he wanted to talk to her, he could do it in his own sweet time.
She was not going to give it another thought. Absolutely not, Amy thought, and turned over on her stomach.
Finally, her face half-buried in the pillow, she fell into a much-needed sleep. By the time she awoke, sunlight was streaming through the window.
Her first thought as she blinked awake was, Oh, good! It’s a pretty day for Nat’s wedding!
Then she checked the bedside clock. Eleven-oh-seven. No, not possible. It must have stopped last night or gotten screwed up somehow.
Amy groped for her watch. It took a moment to focus on those tiny hour and minute hands.
Eleven-oh-eight. No question about it.
She bolted out of bed, wishing she could turn back time. The wedding started at one o’clock. As a bridesmaid, she was supposed to meet Natalie and the others at the church by noon.
Amy could have sworn she’d set the alarm for seven. But, as a teenager, she’d been infamous for her ability to sleep through buzzes, beeps and loud music. Obviously, she hadn’t lost the knack.
After grabbing her robe and some underwear, she dashed down the hall to the bathroom. By luck, Kitty wasn’t hogging the shower as she sometimes did. In fact, there was no sign of either her cousin or her aunt.
Getting ready in a hurry made Amy clumsy. The bar of soap slipped and slid into the tub. The shampoo stung her eyes. And, once she got out, her long hair took forever to dry.
Amy said a silent prayer of thanks that they’d chosen hats. As a result, she planned to wear her hair loose, so there was no need to fuss with putting it up.
The turquoise dress came with a sewn-in slip, which helped. Her panty hose ripped when Amy tried to yank them into place, but, thank heavens, she had a spare. The silver sandals went on smoothly, and she grabbed her gloves and her purse, ready to go.
It was five past noon. She’d be a few minutes late, but Natalie would understand, Amy thought as she swept down the stairs while groping inside her pocketbook for her car keys.
No keys.
O
h, come on. They had to be here!
Her fingers probed between tissues, breath mints, her cell phone, her brush and lipstick, but found no keys. What on earth had she done with them?
Amy dashed into the kitchen to dump out the contents on the table. She stopped when she spotted a neatly handwritten note at her place. It read:
Dear Amy,
I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your car. You were sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you. My mom’s gone for the day and my friend called. Her parents’ car won’t start and her grandmother’s arriving at the airport.
I’ll be back as soon as I can.
Love,
Kitty
Amy groaned. Obviously, Kitty had forgotten the wedding was today. She’d run off to do a good deed, which was admirable, but she hadn’t even indicated what time she might be back or which airport she was going to. There were several in the Los Angeles area, from twenty minutes to more than an hour’s drive away.
Amy couldn’t wait. She’d have to call a cab, although the last time she’d done that, it had taken forty minutes to arrive.
As she picked up her cell phone, she remembered that Quent lived only ten minutes from here and was planning to attend the service. It was an emergency, after all.
When she heard his brisk, “Dr. Ladd” on the phone, Amy was glad she’d called him. Just the sound of his voice reassured her.
“It’s me.” She sketched the situation. “Can you give me a ride? I’d really appreciate it.”
“I’ll get there as fast as I can.”
After hanging up, Amy called Nat and told her what had happened. “I’ll be at the church before one,” she said. “I’m sorry about the delay.”
“In a way, it makes me feel better,” her friend said. “Things were going too smoothly. I figured there had to be some kind of foul-up today, sort of a wedding jinx. Now it’s arrived and it isn’t bad.”
“Thanks, Nat. I won’t let you down!”
Amy double-checked her appearance in the hall mirror. The turquoise dress suited her dark coloring and the hat gave her an unfamiliar air of elegance. She scarcely recognized herself.
Prescription: Marry Her Immediately Page 10
