"I had fun this weekend. Thank you for going." She gave him a big smile that made his heart lurch in his chest.
"Did you think I'd let you go to Vegas without me? No way. I had a good time. A very good time." In fact, he couldn't remember having a better time in his life before this. He enjoyed Madison's company, both in and out of bed. "I'd like you to meet my kids."
He'd just blurted it out and now they were making their way through the aircraft to their seats. Madison didn't answer and he was beginning to think he'd blown it. They settled down, buckled their seat belts, and she put her hand on his. "I'd like to meet your kids very much."
He relaxed under her touch. "I'll call Emily and Chris." He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. Her opinion of him was now very important. "I have a granddaughter. Does that bug you?"
"No." She shook her head. "I knew that before we got involved."
"I'm older than you. I'll be forty-five on Friday."
Her face lit up. "A birthday. We'll have to do something special."
He lifted her fingers and kissed the knuckles. "Focus, honey. I just told you I'm going to be forty-five. That's not dog years."
She giggled. "I heard you. I just don't care. Your age is just a number. Are you upset that I'm thirty?"
"Men are never upset about a beautiful young woman."
"Well, I'm not upset about a handsome older man. Relax, Tanner. It's all good. Don't look for problems where there aren't any."
Maybe he was looking for issues. Things with Madison were great and that scared him. He'd rarely had anything in his life go smoothly.
"I just want you to be happy, that's all."
"I am happy." She closed her eyes as the engines started to rev underneath them. "Now hold my hand while we take off. I get nervous."
He clasped her hand, rubbing her wrist with his thumb. He'd set up dinner for them with Emily and Chris. His son might not even show up, but Emily certainly would. He could see Madison and Emily getting along well.
And while Emily was here, Tanner could talk to her about staying in the city for awhile. At least until Fenton was flushed out. That left Abby and Chris, and Tanner had no ideas how to convince them to stay away from Fenton when the truth couldn't be told.
He glanced at his watch, determination welling up inside him. He'd do everything and anything to keep his family and town safe. Now he just needed to figure out how to accomplish it.
* * * *
Madison shoved the clothes into the washer and poured in the detergent. It was kind of sad to be home after the weekend in Las Vegas, but she was looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow. Mondays were always a busy day.
"I made some hot chocolate. Come and have a cup." Her father stood at the doorway of the laundry room holding two large, steaming mugs and a big smile. "I want to hear about the wedding and your trip. It's been years since I was in Vegas."
She laughed and took one of the mugs from his hand and followed him into the kitchen. Settling into one of the chairs at the table, she asked, "When were you in Vegas? Did Mom go?"
Her father settled across from her, his hands wrapped around the mug. "Your mother and I did go for vacation a few years after we were married. You hadn't come along yet. We had a marvelous time. We saw a few shows and gambled a little. Not much. Your mother was very cautious. But still, we enjoyed ourselves."
"We saw Criss Angel after the wedding. It was a good show." Madison sipped the hot liquid and it almost burned her tongue, making her wince. She blew on the surface to cool it down. "The wedding was great. I thought it might be cheesy, but it really wasn't. I got choked up when they took their vows."
"Good weddings are like that." Her father nodded his head. "Dan and Sherry make a nice couple. I'll have to send them a wedding gift."
Her father's voice trailed off and his expression was troubled. He was staring out the kitchen window as if his mind was captured elsewhere, lines grooved into his forehead.
"Dad, is everything okay?"
Her dad set the mug on the table. "I need to tell you something and I'm not sure how you're going to react."
Alarm pierced her heart. "You are sick aren't you? I asked you this once but you said no." She sat up straight in the chair ready to call the Mayo Clinic, but he waved away her concern.
"I'm not sick." He sighed and reached across the table to pat her hand. "Madison, I've met someone."
"Met someone?" Her mind whirled the words around. Her father appeared to be miserable, his mouth turned down and his eyes sad. "That's great. You don't seem too happy about it. Is she...married?" She dropped her voice to a whisper.
His jaw dropped. "No! Gwen is not married. I would never date a married woman."
"Then what's the prob—"
"She lives in Seattle." Her father's words came out in a rush. "She's a friend of your aunt. Gwen is a wonderful woman. She's also a widow. Two children, both sons. They're in college."
Madison couldn't remember her father ever going out on a date the entire time she'd been growing up. He'd once said her mother was the love of his life. She had to remind herself that her father was still young, not quite sixty. He'd been alone a long time and deserved to find happiness again.
"I'm happy for you, Dad. That's why you've been spending so much time there isn't it?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now." He was staring into his cup, which made her think there was more to this story.
"You're in love aren't you, and you think I'll be upset?" She grabbed her father's hand. "Dad, I'm happy for you, really. You deserve this. Will Gwen be moving here soon? I can move out."
Madison didn't relish becoming a third wheel. She was used to living on her own anyway. If anything, it had been an adjustment moving back to her childhood home.
Red stained her father's cheeks. "That's just it, honey. Gwen isn't moving here. I'm moving to Seattle."
She blinked. "You're going to Seattle?"
He ran his hand down his face. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I convinced you to move back here to take over the practice when I retire, and now I feel like a heel. I had no idea I'd be moving when we started talking about this."
She didn't doubt his word. They'd been discussing this for almost a year. "It's okay, Dad."
She rubbed her temples, her head starting to pound. She'd left Chicago to come home to Montana and now her only family was planning to leave.
Greg Shay looked like he rather be any place but sitting at the kitchen table with her at the moment. Madison loved her dad and she needed to let him off the hook.
"I understand if you're angry, sweetheart." Her father jumped up from the table and began to pace. "I begged you to come home and now you probably feel like I'm abandoning you."
"I'm thirty years old. I can hardly call it abandonment," she protested.
His shoulders slumped and he turned his back to her, his hands gripping the edge of the sink. "I just love Gwen so much. She has her own catering business in Seattle. I'd be asking her to pick up and start all over again if she moved here." He swung around. "Gwen and I want you to move to Seattle with us. She can't wait to meet you and I can't wait for you to meet her."
Madison got out of her chair and walked over to her father, wrapping her arms around him for a hug. "I'd love to meet her. As for moving to Seattle, I don't see that happening, Dad."
Her father started to speak but she held up her hand. "I wouldn't know anyone there except you two. Trust me when I tell you moving to a new city is hard. I've done it and it wasn't easy."
"Will you move back to Chicago?"
She shook her head. "No, I like being home. Chicago was good but Springwood is more."
Greg Shay sighed. "I'm so sorry I brought you back only to pick up and leave. You're being more understanding than I deserve."
"What I remember is a man who put me before himself the entire time I was growing up. You never dated–heck, I don't think you even saw a movie without me until I was in high school. I'm grate
ful for that, Dad. Now it's your time. I'm happy for you. Really, I am."
He crushed her in his embrace. "How did I get so lucky? I love you, Madison Eloise Shay."
"If you love me, you won't mention my middle name. And I love you, too."
"Your grandmother insisted on that middle name." Her father chuckled. "Your mother and I agreed to it to keep the peace."
"I've forgiven you for that because you were a terrific parent. Now let's drink our hot chocolate and you can tell me all about Gwen. What is she like?"
They sat back at the table and her father's body language was completely different. He was leaning forward, his eyes twinkling. Her father was in love, and Madison recognized the signs. It was exactly what she saw when she looked in a mirror.
Chapter Fourteen
Sara, Madison's receptionist, stuck her head around the door to the kitchen where Madison was trying to gulp down lunch in record time. She was running behind today and she hated that. She didn't like to keep sick people waiting, especially in their tiny waiting room.
"Can you squeeze in one more patient?" Sara grimaced. "Sandy Donovan's toddler has a fever and she's worried."
Madison tried to chew and swallow her sandwich. "Is she already here?"
"She is." Sara nodded. "What should I tell her?"
There was no way Madison was turning away a sick toddler and a concerned mother.
"Put her in room two and give me a minute. I'll be right there."
There were only two examining rooms luckily, and there had been a steady stream of patients in them today. Madison tossed the remainder of her sandwich in the trash and gulped down half a glass of iced tea in one shot. She checked her teeth in the mirror, popped a breath mint and headed to the exam room, knocking on the door.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Madison Shay. What can I do for you today?"
Madison clearly remembered Sandy Donovan from school but the woman in front of her barely resembled the girl. It struck her that Tanner was right when he'd said that life had been hard on some of Madison's classmates. Sandy looked older and sad, almost humbled. Her shoulders were hunched and she was staring at the floor intently. It was a far cry from the girl with fancy clothes and perfect hair who had made Madison's life such a misery.
Sandy looked up and tried to smile. She held a tiny blonde-haired girl in her arms who had a very red nose and glassy eyes. She was clutching a stuffed dog to her chest and staring at Madison with a dubious expression.
"Hello. Kylie seems to be running a fever."
Madison headed to the small sink and washed her hands. "Well, let's take a look then. Can you set her on the table? You can sit with her there if you like."
Sandy looked dead on her feet, with purple smudges under her eyes. The woman hesitated for a second but then sat down on the table with Kylie next to her.
Madison smiled at the lovely little girl. "My name is Dr. Madison. What's your name?"
The child's blue eyes were like saucers and she took her thumb out of her mouth long enough to answer. "Kylie Marie." Back went the thumb.
"That's a very pretty name, just like you. I'm just going to check a few things, okay? I'll tell you everything I'm going to do before I do it and you can ask me anything you want."
The girl nodded solemnly and Madison started her examination. Kylie sat still for having her ears checked but wasn't as happy about having her throat examined. She was downright upset when Madison looked up her nostrils but calmed down when Madison listened to her heart and lungs. She completed the exam as quickly and efficiently as she could, knowing a sick child could be unpredictable. Happy one second and crying the next.
"Kylie has an ear infection in her right ear. That's why her temperature is elevated and she feels crabby. According to her records, she gets these quite often. Have you talked to an ENT about possibly putting tubes in her ears?"
Sandy looked like she might cry. She scooped Kylie up in her arms and cradled the child. "No. I don't get insurance where I work and there's no money for a specialist. Gary got hurt and he hasn't been able to work for almost a year. Your dad's taken good care of Kylie since she was born."
"Gary Howard?" Madison remembered him as a handsome jock who had helped the basketball team go to State their senior year.
Sandy nodded and looked down at the floor again. "He's a good dad. We've been planning to get married but haven't had the money to do it yet."
"Well, congratulations on your engagement and this sweet little one. She's absolutely beautiful, Sandy."
Sandy raised her eyes, her forehead wrinkling. "How come you're being so nice to me? I was never nice to you. I was one of those mean girls, you know, like in the movie."
Madison exhaled slowly. Tanner was right about how things had changed. It was time to put the past firmly behind her. "Yes, I remember. But I've learned since coming back to town that people change. You're not being mean to me now, so why would I be mean to you?"
Sandy’s mouth turned up. "She is pretty, isn't she? She's a good girl."
"I can see that. She's been such a quiet, good girl since you got here. Very well-behaved."
Beaming, Sandy placed Kylie on the table where she could play with her stuffed dog. "I want to say I'm sorry about how I treated you in school."
Madison didn't want to think about those years at all. "Apology accepted."
Sandy put her hand on Madison's arm. "I was real insecure, and I know this sounds bad but it made me feel better about myself to tear other people down. I'm not excusing what I did." Sandy shook her head. "I'm simply trying to explain it. I wanted people to like me."
Madison turned back to Kylie’s folder. "So did I," Madison said quietly. "I understand."
"Thank you. I'm grateful that you were able to see us today." Sandy lifted Kylie into her arms and slung her purse over her shoulder. Madison reviewed treatment for Kylie and mother and daughter left the office.
Madison handed the file to Sara. "Sandy said she doesn't have any insurance. What does my dad normally do with their bills?"
Sara sighed. "He puts it on account. Sandy tries to pay some but that poor girl has had a run of bad luck you wouldn't believe. She lost her father in a ranch accident and her mother has Alzheimer's. Then she gets pregnant with Kylie and Gary has a car accident on some black ice. She's due for some good things."
"Let's see that she gets some then. Let's write off her bill. It's the last thing she needs to worry about."
Sara looked unsure. "Sandy has some pride, Madison. She may think this is charity. It makes her feel better about herself to try and pay when she can."
Madison scratched her chin. "Yes, you're right. How about we forget to send her a monthly bill for awhile?"
Sara nodded. "Now that I can do." She tipped her head. "I wasn't in the same year at school as you were but I know that the kids were hard on you. You're a good person to forgive."
"No, it's normal to forgive." Madison shook her head. "It would be petty and crappy to hold on to the past. I did for a long time and let me tell you it's no fun. It ends up hurting you more than any one else. Kids can be cruel at times. The one thing I've learned is it wasn't personal."
"I bet it felt personal."
"Man, did it ever." Madison sighed. "But strangely, it wasn't. It was about them and their issues. I'm certainly not going to hate them because of it. Doesn't mean I'm looking to invite them over for dinner either." She laughed and headed to exam room one.
"You just wait. By this time next year, you'll be the entire town's best friend. Your dad certainly is."
Madison was already feeling as if these people were her responsibility. As a doctor, she wanted to take care of them and make sure they were healthy. It probably wasn't a long stretch to be their friends as well.
* * * *
Tanner was having a crappy Monday. First, all hell broke loose the minute he stepped into the station. Sam had arrested a prominent citizen over the weekend for violence against his spouse. A blustering high-priced lawyer
had shown up this morning before Tanner had even had a cup of coffee. The attorney wanted his client released immediately and made noises about false arrest and police brutality.
It had taken close to an hour, but Tanner had finally evicted the blowhard from the station, basically telling him he needed to talk to the judge at the arraignment which would be held at ten o'clock in Courtroom A.
It had been call after call all day long capped off with an AA meeting where Chris attended. That was a win. But he was clearly hung-over. That was a loss. By the time Tanner headed down the library steps to his truck, he was ready for something good. He was ready to see Madison. He'd missed her all day long. A hastily sent text before his meeting asking her to dinner had been answered in the affirmative. Maybe the day wouldn't be a total loss after all.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tanner saw Chris heading down the sidewalk. Jogging to catch up with him, Tanner put his hand on Chris's shoulder.
"Chris, got a minute?"
His son whirled around, his jaw jutted out as if ready for a punch. For the life of him, Tanner didn't know how Chris had bottled up all this anger.
"A minute. What do you want? I came to the stupid meeting, didn't I?"
Tanner muffled a heavy sigh. "You did and I'm glad. I saw Harvey talking to you before the meeting. Did he offer to be your sponsor? He's a good man."
Chris shrugged. "He said something about it. But I told him I'm not an alcoholic. I mean, I like to drink, but I could quit anytime I want. I'm just coming to the meetings so Stacey will let me see Annie."
There were worse reasons to go to an AA meeting, but Tanner couldn't think of any at the moment. Chris was deeply in denial about having a problem, which Tanner understood. He hadn't been happy about admitting it either. Arguing about it, however, would get him nowhere.
"Listen, I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me one night soon. I'm going to ask Emily, too. I want you both to meet someone."
Chris's eyes narrowed. "I heard you were seeing Madison Shay. Is that who you want me to meet?"
Justice Healed Page 13
