by Linda Turner
Surprised, Janey almost reminded him about the plans he’d claimed the other night that he had for this evening—then she saw the women hovering nearby and understood. “Looks like the sharks are circling,” she murmured. “Maybe you should help me with the painting.”
She didn’t have to make the suggestion twice. “Good idea,” he said, picking up the can of paint she was reaching for. “Where do you want this?”
The man had never held a paintbrush in his life. That much was immediately obvious as they started to paint the plywood pieces of the workshop bright red. He didn’t have a clue where to begin, which wasn’t surprising. After all, high-priced L.A. surgeons didn’t have to know how to paint—they paid someone to do it for them. In spite of that, Janey had to give him credit. He didn’t let his lack of experience stop him from participating. Following her lead, he threw himself into the work and was soon slapping paint onto the workshop pieces as if he’d been doing it all his life. And when he got paint on his hands and clothes, he didn’t complain as she expected him to, but simply went on with what he was doing.
“Not bad, Doctor. I’m impressed,” she told him as they changed from red paint to white and started on the trim. “So is the peanut gallery. They haven’t missed a stroke.”
She nodded toward the three who had joined Martha Hoffsteader and her sons to work on one of the food booths they were constructing nearby. Lana Stevens, Beverly Green and Jennifer Pruitt were notorious flirts and had a reputation for chasing Martha’s good-looking sons every chance they got. But not tonight. They may have been working with “the boys”—as they were called around town—but their attention was definitely elsewhere. With sharp, hungry eyes, they watched Reilly’s every move. And he didn’t spare them so much as a glance. Janey had to admire him for that. There weren’t many men who could ignore those three when they set their minds to being noticed.
“Ignore them,” he said with a shrug. “I am.”
“So I see.” Amused, she arched a brow at him. “Have you always had this ability to close out the rest of the world? Medical school must have been a snap for you.”
“Well, it wasn’t a walk in the park, but I never had a problem studying,” he retorted, flashing her a grin. “I bet you didn’t, either.”
Caught flat-footed by the unexpected smile, Janey felt as though a Mac truck had come out of nowhere to flatten her. Dazed, she just stood there while the blood roared in her ears and her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. Good Lord, she thought, no wonder he had half the women in town drooling over him. When he smiled like that, he could make a woman forget her own name.
Observing them from a discreet distance, Dan made no attempt to hold back a smile. “Look, Sara,” he said, nodding to where Janey stood staring at a grinning Reilly like she’d never seen a man before. “I’d say they’ve made peace, wouldn’t you?”
Glancing over at her daughter, Sara had to admit that it certainly looked that way. And that worried her as much as it pleased her. For the last few days Janey had walked around the house like a bear with a sore tooth, and it was all because of Reilly. And now she was looking at him in a way she’d never seen her look at a man before. “I just don’t want her to get hurt, Dan. I don’t think it’s even entered her head that she’s attracted to him. What if she falls in love with him and he still doesn’t want to get involved? She’d be devastated.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“How can you be sure of that? He was obviously very hurt by his wife’s death. There are people who lose a spouse and never get married again—look at us. It would break my heart if Janey waited all these years to find someone and he couldn’t love her back.”
Dan patted her hand and almost told her that didn’t happen as often as she thought—he did love her, and with time she would realize that she felt the same way about him—but that wasn’t something he planned to discuss when they were surrounded by a crowd of people. “That’s not going to happen,” he assured her again. “She has a wonderful, caring heart, and that’s what Reilly needs—someone to care for him. Not Reilly Jones, the doctor, but Reilly Jones, the man with a broken heart. They already seem to like each other. Just give them time. Everything will work out fine.”
She wanted to believe him—he could see it in her eyes—but in many ways, Sara was just like Janey. She was a natural caretaker and worried about the people she loved. And although she didn’t have favorites among her children, Janey was very close to her heart. It would be very difficult for her to stand by and do nothing if Janey got hurt, even though she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Hey,” he teased when her frown didn’t lighten. “We’re here to have fun, remember? And Janey’s not the only one who’s got a good-looking man working with her. Or hadn’t you noticed, Mrs. McBride? For your information, I have it on good authority that I’m still a fine figure of a man.”
That got her attention, just as he’d known it would. Turning her attention back to him, she lifted a delicately arched brow at him. “Oh, really? And who’s been flirting with you now, Doctor? That conniving little gray-haired floozy from Mountain Springs? I warned you to watch out for her. All she’s interested in is how fat your bank statement is.”
Laughing, he just loved it when her blue eyes sparked with jealousy. “Now, Sara, you don’t know that for sure. I think she really likes me. And her hair’s not gray. It’s white. Snow-white.”
“Oh, pleaaase,” she sniffed. “Spare me the fairy tales. We’re both too old for them. And so is that little—”
“Don’t say it,” he warned with twinkling eyes.
“Tart,” she substituted. “She’s older than the two of us together. And don’t tell me she doesn’t look it. She’s had three face-lifts, for heaven’s sake! Talk about vain.”
Delighted, he started to laugh, and that’s when the pain hit him hard and fast, right in the heart. Shocked, he gasped and couldn’t seem to catch his breath. He clutched at his chest, but the pain was excruciating. Instinctively he reached for Sara as the blood roared in his ears. “Sara! Help me!”
Horrified, she sprang to catch him as his legs buckled. “Dan! Oh, my God! What is it? Somebody help us!”
At her first cry, everyone in the hall seemed to freeze. Then, suddenly Janey and Reilly were at her side, and she never even saw them move. “His heart,” she gasped as they moved to quickly lower Dan to the floor. “I think it’s his heart.”
“Somebody get my medical bag out of Dan’s car,” Reilly ordered, never looking up from the older man’s face as he quickly loosened his tie and jerked it off, then started on the buttons of his shirt. “And call an ambulance. Now!”
He didn’t have to repeat himself. Joe ran outside and retrieved the medical bag while one of the Hoffsteaders called 911. Literally within seconds Reilly had his stetho scope in his ears and was bending over Dan to listen to his heart while Janey took the older man’s pulse. From down the street they heard the scream of the ambulance’s siren as it pulled out of the garage at the fire department.
It arrived in less than a minute, but that wasn’t soon enough for Reilly. Dan was in serious trouble, and the quicker they got him to the hospital, the better. His eyes grim, he glanced up at Janey and saw that he didn’t have to tell her they didn’t have any time to waste. Everything he was feeling and more was reflected in her pale face.
Still conscious, his face gray with pain as the EMTs lifted him onto the stretcher, Dan grasped at his hand. “I’m going to be okay,” he said weakly. “It’s indigestion.”
If Reilly hadn’t already cared about the man, he would have then. There he lay in pain and possibly dying, and he was cracking jokes and trying to reassure his friends. Grinning affectionately at him, Reilly squeezed his hand. “Indigestion, my ass. You’re having a heart attack and you know it. But you’re right about one thing. You are going to be okay. I’m going to make sure of it. C’mon, let’s get you to the hospital.”
“I�
��m going, too,” Sara McBride said quickly, stepping forward.
“We all are,” Zeke said as he and Joe flanked their mother and Janey. “C’mon, let’s go.”
The hospital waiting room and nearby corridor were packed with Dan’s friends and neighbors, but Sara hardly noticed. Numb with worry, all she could think of was that fateful day twenty years ago when she’d sat in this same waiting room, waiting for some kind of news about her husband, Gus. He, too, had suffered a heart attack. Unlike Dan, however, there hadn’t been a doctor at his side when he had the attack. By the time she’d gotten him to the hospital, it had been too late. The doctors and nurses had done everything they could for him, but in the end they couldn’t save him.
What if that happened again? How would she bear it?
Reading her mind—and the stark worry deepening the lines of her face—Janey hugged her close. “Hey, don’t start thinking the worst,” she chided softly. “Dan’s a tough old coot. And I’ve heard him say more than once that Reilly is one of the best heart surgeons in the country. He couldn’t be in finer hands.”
She wanted desperately to believe that, but suddenly the faith that had kept her strong all these years without Gus by her side wasn’t nearly as unshakable as she’d thought it was. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good the doctor is. Things go wrong. If it’s his time—”
“It’s not.”
“I lost your father. I can’t lose Dan, too.”
“Medicine’s changed a lot since Dad died,” Joe reminded her gruffly. “And Dan’s a fighter. He’ll beat this. You’ll see.”
The words were hardly out of his mouth when Reilly walked into the room. Already dressed in scrubs, he immediately strode over to Sara. “He’s all right,” he assured her immediately. “His condition has stabilized and he’s conscious, but after further tests, we decided he needs a quadruple bypass. We’re prepping him for surgery now.”
She paled. “So soon?”
“It’s for the best,” he said simply. “Next time he might not be so lucky.”
“Will the operation take long?”
He nodded. “If you’d be more comfortable waiting at home, I’ll call you as soon as it’s over with, or you can wait here.”
Sara didn’t even have to consider it. She wasn’t going anywhere until she saw with her own two eyes that Dan was going to be all right. Lifting her chin, she said, “I’ll stay. If I’m not here when you’re finished, I’ll be in the cafeteria.”
A half smile threatening to curl the corners of his mouth, Reilly knew she’d still be there if the operation lasted all night. Dan was lucky to have her in his corner. “I’ll find you,” he promised, and with a brief nod to the rest of the family, turned and walked out.
When he strode into the operating room a few minutes later, Dan was still conscious and refusing to let the anesthetist anywhere near him. Surprised, Reilly hurried forward with a frown. “What’s the problem, Dan? I thought we’d agreed you need the surgery.”
Pale and drawn, he said weakly, “I haven’t changed my mind. I just wanted to talk to you first before I went under. There are some things I need to say—”
“You’re not going to die, Dan,” he cut in gently. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
He’d only meant to reassure him, but Dan’s eyes filled with tears instead. Alarmed, he reached for his hand. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
“I know,” he choked. “I just wanted you to know that I’m glad you’re here. Not just to operate on me. You’re a good man. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have take over my practice.”
Touched, Reilly didn’t know what to say. They’d agreed that they would both take three months before they decided whether to make their partnership permanent or not. So far, Reilly had enjoyed working with Dan, but it was too soon to think about staying in Liberty Hill the rest of his life.
That wasn’t, however, something Dan needed to hear right before going into surgery. Especially since Reilly knew he wasn’t going anywhere until Dan was back on his feet. For now, at least, he was staying.
“I’ll be here for you as long as you need me,” he assured him. “Okay?”
That was all Dan needed to hear. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and sighed. “Okay.”
Chapter 5
As far as waiting rooms went, the one down the hall from the operating rooms was as well or better equipped than most. Magazine and book shelves lined one wall, providing plenty of reading material to distract anxious family members, and the TV mounted from the ceiling in the corner had a zillion and one cable channels that played twenty-four hours a day. For those who were hungry, there were snacks in the vending machines and free coffee that was strong enough to choke a horse. One dose of the strong brew would jump-start anyone who even thought of nodding off.
Though how anyone could even think of sleeping in such an environment, Sara would never know. Her nerves wound tight, she found it impossible to sit still, let alone read or watch TV. With worry eating at her, she paced the confines of the waiting room like a tiger in a cage, but it didn’t help. Every time someone walked down the hallway and passed the open door to the waiting room, her heart froze in her breast. Afraid it was Reilly coming to tell her that Dan had died on the table, she stopped in her tracks each time and went pale as a ghost, her eyes wide with fear as she watched the doorway. Then a nurse or orderly would walk by, and she’d press her hand to her heart and send up a silent prayer of thanks.
Minutes ticked by, then hours, and there was still no sign of Reilly. Sara knew she should have taken comfort from that. No news was good news. But she couldn’t forget the look on Dan’s face when the first pain hit him. He’d realized immediately that he was having a heart attack, and he’d been so scared. She couldn’t blame him. She’d been terrified. She’d never considered the possibility that she could lose him. Not Dan. He was always so strong. Without him by her side, she didn’t know how she would have gotten through Gus’s death. He and Peggy had both been there for her and the children. Then, later, when he’d lost Peggy to cancer, she and the kids had helped him through the grief. He was a part of the family, and such a good friend to her. She couldn’t imagine life without him.
Panicking just at the thought, she glanced at the clock on the wall and scowled. She knew they’d been there hours, waiting for news, but the hands on the clock didn’t appear to have moved at all. “What’s taking so long?” she cried suddenly, shattering the quiet that hung like a dark cloud over the waiting room. “We should have heard something by now.”
“You can’t rush a bypass, Mom,” Janey said quietly, setting aside the magazine she’d been reading. “These things take time.”
Rising to his feet, Joe slipped an arm around his mother’s shoulders. “Why don’t we all go to the cafeteria and get something to eat? It’ll take your mind off things for a while.”
Her stomach turned over just at the thought of food. “I’m not hungry.”
“Then come and watch us eat,” Zeke said. “I’m starving. It’s been hours since I had supper.”
Sara had to smile at that. “You sound like Merry.”
Eight months pregnant and counting the days, it seemed her youngest daughter ate every hour on the hour. When Janey had called to tell Merry about Dan, she’d wanted to come to the hospital immediately, but she’d been on complete bed rest for the last two weeks because of high blood pressure, and Janey had, thankfully, convinced her she had to stay home for the sake of the baby.
“Sorry, Mom, no babies here,” Zeke said with a grin, patting his hard belly. “And don’t give Lizzie any ideas. Cassie’s already been asking us both if Santa’s going to bring us a baby for Christmas like he is Aunt Merry.”
“She does need somebody to play with,” Janey pointed out, her brown eyes twinkling at the thought of two little McBrides running around in Zeke’s house. Three going on fourteen, Cassie was a delight—and wild as a March hare. With a little brother or sist
er as an accomplice, the two of them would turn Zeke’s hair white before he was forty.
“So I’ll get her a puppy,” he retorted. “One big enough to hold its own with her.”
“Oh, c’mon, Zeke,” Joe teased, “you can’t mean to keep her an only child her whole life. She can’t climb a tree or go riding with a puppy.”
“Or tell it ghost stories and scare it half to death like somebody I know,” he said pointedly. “If I remember correctly, it was a dog who tied me to my bed one night while I was sleeping, but it was the two legged kind. I believe his initials were J.M.”
Glad to see his mother was smiling at their banter, Joe only grinned and played innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t remember tying you up.”
“Aha! A likely story. If you’re so innocent, why did you assume I was talking about you? Janey’s initials are the same as yours.”
Caught red-handed, there was nothing he could do but laugh. “Okay, so I gave myself away. But it could have been Janey.”
Guilty of her share of mischief as a child, Janey sniffed in a superior way that was almost ruined by her grin. “It could have, but it wasn’t. I was much more imaginative than that.”
“You certainly were,” her mother agreed, chuckling. “You and Joe together were a handful. I used to lie awake nights wondering what kind of mischief you were going to get into next.”
“Then Zeke and Merry came along, and you realized you’d had it easy up until then,” Joe retorted, chuckling. “Talk about holy terrors. Those two are the ones who gave you all that gray hair, not me and Janey.”
Laughing, Sara started to deny it, but then Reilly stepped into the waiting room, still wearing his scrubs, and her smile abruptly faded. Suddenly pale, her heart pounding in alarm at the sight of his somber face, she took a step toward him. “You’re finished already? Isn’t it too soon? Is he—”
