Emotionally spent, Pam collapsed against the back of the recliner.
“Congratulations,” the doctor said. “That’s a major breakthrough. You forced your subconscious to recall the accident.”
Wearily, Pam pulled herself up and walked over to a bronze bust of Chopin sitting on a tall, pedestal table near a heavily draped window. She pretended to examine it.
“I understand what you’re saying. But what about the green can I was holding? I can name two types of beer that come in green cans.”
“And I can name at least one kind of soda,” Dr. DeOreo interjected, playing devil’s advocate. “Furthermore, a lot of different kinds of beer come in brown bottles. You guys were kids. And under age. Chances are you didn’t have too much variety of booze. If I were voting, I’d say that the green can was filled with soda.”
“Like ginger ale,” Tom recalled. “You loved the stuff. I remember you ordering it every time we’d go out.”
Pam remembered it, too. She also remembered her mom bringing her a two-liter bottle when she was in the hospital. To their surprise, she had gagged on it and hadn’t touched a drop since. Wasn’t that weird? Who was she kidding? The whole thing was weird. And being here, getting hypnotized, was even weirder.
She met the gaze of both men. “Okay. I hear you. I guess I’m thinking that if I was drinking, even if I wasn’t legally drunk, my reflexes would have been impaired. Therefore, even if there had been some way to avoid Ryan, I wouldn’t have been able to think or act fast enough to do it.”
“You could be right,” DeOreo replied. “But there’s more about this, Pam. Isn’t there? Something that won’t let you let go of it.”
“What do you mean?” Tom asked. “Pam?”
It took her a full minute to respond. He was right. Something still irked her. But what? She couldn’t put her finger on it. “I don’t know. It’s more like a feeling, I guess.”
“Should we try the hypnosis again?” Tom suggested.
Dr. DeOreo rose and shook his head. “Not at this time. I think you’ve learned enough for now. Take some time to digest it. And don’t be surprised if other details come to you during the next few days.”
He opened the office door and led them back to the foyer. Shaking Pam’s hand, he said, “Call me next week and let me know how you are. We can schedule another session if you think it could be helpful.”
****
The following evening, Pam broke away from the hospital at six to join Tom at Cherrystones, one of her favorite restaurants on Boston Harbor. She found him seated at a table on the patio when she arrived.
“Welcome to the life of a physician,” she told him apologetically, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
“You’ll find no complaints here,” Tom assured her.
Dreamily, Pam gazed at the man across from her. He’d charmed his way into her life when she was sixteen. He was her first love and her first heartache. And now, he was still all she could ever want.
Yes, the accident continued to bother her. Specifically that one piece of the puzzle she couldn’t find. But for the first time in so long, she felt a little less guilty. Of course now they needed to find the lunatic who was trying to drive her mad. But if God could forgive her, and she prayed every day that He did, and Tom still wanted to stand by her, then maybe everything could work out for them.
Pam directed her attention to Tom.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
He closed the large, leather-bound menu and smiled. “Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking what a beautiful night it is.” And it was. The sun had recently set, changing the air to one of those crisp October nights in New England that everyone looks forward to.
After being indoors all day, Pam relished putting on a bulky sweater and sitting outside, overlooking the harbor. Lights inside the nearby waterfront condos clicked on one by one. Early stars popped out high in a sapphire sky. She smiled at Tom and reached for his hand.
“We’ve been through a lot,” he said, after the waiter left with their orders. They bowed their heads and whispered a prayer of thanks before he spread salmon mousse on a water cracker and fed it to her across the table.
“That’s for sure.”
“I think I could get used to living in Boston.”
Pam stopped chewing. Even though he’d made the suggestion before, she’d never considered it a real option. At the same time, the topic reminded them both that their time together was limited. He’d been here five days now. During that time, they’d crammed in a ton of sightseeing and that session with Dr. DeOreo. He’d also gone out exploring on his own while she was working. But there was only so much of that someone could do as a visitor. Tom was accustomed to being kept busy. He shouldered an enormous amount of responsibility, running the farm and the medical center’s emergency operations. With dread, the question of his departure, even if temporary, weighed heavily on her mind.
“I’m not kidding about moving here. What are your thoughts on the idea?”
“Your father and your children need you,” she said quietly.
Tom shrugged. “We’ve already talked about that. They’ll manage.”
Pam pretended not to hear him. She just couldn’t see it happening. And yet he seemed completely serious. Should she probe further and risk ruining what promised to be a wonderful evening or just dismiss the idea? To her surprise, Tom made the decision for her.
“I worked on my résumé this afternoon. Do you think you can give me a reference?”
“Of course,” she answered automatically. “But Tom, hold on a minute. Even if the farm and the hospital are taken care of, there are your sons to consider. They’ll be young for such a short time. You need to be there.”
As she spoke, Pam wondered why he didn’t talk about them more. Did he think she’d resent them for some reason? Why would she? They were part of him. She wanted him to feel free to talk about them, be with them and be their dad.
Pam caught a flash of anguish cross his face. He quickly replaced it with a look of defiant indifference. He reached for a breadstick and bit down. After a second, he said, “I doubt that. I haven’t seen or spoken to them in over two years.”
Pam’s fork slipped through her fingers onto the china plate. She grimaced. “Sorry...about the fork and your kids.” Picking it up, she noticed Tom’s clenched jaw.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve tried everything. Nothing seems to work.” Uttering a frustrated sigh, he directed his attention to his lobster. “Let’s eat. I’m starved.”
This isn’t good, Pam thought to herself. Tom wasn’t the type of man who would abandon his kids. Something very bad must have happened. She wondered if she should push, then decided against it for now. When the direct approach wasn’t working, sometimes the roundabout route led to better results.
“Why don’t we go to Middleton tomorrow?”
Tom ceased chewing.
Before he could speak, she added, “I’ve got at least a month’s worth of vacation time coming to me. Though I can’t take it all at once, I can manage a few days at a time. And one of the doctors owes me some time. He can cover for me over the weekend. We could leave by five and be there sometime after midnight. That would give us two full days.” And plenty of time for me to talk to Rebecca Cartwright, Pam told herself. I’m sure she must know what’s going on.
Pam could see Tom’s inner wheels turning.
“You can leave tomorrow night?”
“Uh-huh.” Somehow. Hello, Lord, I need a favor. Again.
Thoughtfully, Tom set down his fork and settled back in the chair. He took a drink from the water goblet, then replaced it on the table, folded his hands and rested them on his belt. “Let’s get back to the previous conversation. I don’t think you believe my offer is genuine. But it is. I am totally serious about moving up here to be with you. My folks even anticipated it might happen when I mentioned I’d be seeing you again. They know they can hire people to do the work. And I’m sure one of the ambulance companies e
ither here or in Chicago will take me.” He let out a short laugh. “From what I’ve seen these past few days, they’re certainly busy enough.”
Suddenly, Pam didn’t feel like she was being compelled to give up anything in order to have a relationship with him. Nor did she feel frightened about the culprit who was trying to scare her.
“So what do you think?”
She smiled, hoping he could see the sincerity she felt. “Though I must say I’m surprised, I think I believe you. And I know you could get a job here in a second. I’m just not sure it’s the best solution.”
Tom leaned forward and took both her hands in his. “I can’t lose you again, Pam. And I understand now how hard it is for you to be in Middleton.”
Pam gulped. He was right, of course. “I think it could get better, now that I can remember most of what happened.” She removed an envelope from her purse. “But I need a job. I got my rejection letter today.”
“What?” Tom lunged for it.
“Just kidding.” She unfolded the document, allowing him to see the return address: Middleton Medical Center. “It’s a confirmation of their offer.”
“What does it say?”
“Oh, just the typical stuff. But I have a question about the salary.”
“What! It’s almost twice what you’d make at…” Then he looked at her mouth and saw it twitch as she tried to repress a smile. “Oh, yeah. That’s just to entice you to accept the job. I’m sure the letter fails to mention the salary goes down each year after that. That’s just an insider tip. Don’t tell anyone I told you.”
“Why you!” Pam held up a lemon from her water glass and threatened to squirt him.
His responding grin warmed her all over and washed away the years of their separation. At moments like this, she found herself easily admitting that she never stopped loving this man. Before, with no hope of reconciliation, she’d buried the pain of that realization. Now, she reveled in it. Thank you, God, she prayed silently. Thank you for bringing us back together. And please, help us not to lose each other ever again.
“So what do you think the solution should be?” he asked, intently.
“Your life is there.” And your children, she added silently. “And I’ve got a great job there.”
“And this nut case? What about him? If he took the trouble to get inside your hotel room, and now called your home telephone number, I don’t think we should underestimate him. I want to expose this guy before he can do anything else. And I don’t want you in danger in the meantime.”
Pam agreed. “Thank you, but I think that’s the point. If he found my number, which I thought was unlisted, then he can easily find out where I live.” She shrugged. “So you see? I don’t think it matters where I live. If he wants to cause trouble, he can.”
Tom peered into her eyes. “You’d really move down there?”
Pam held her breath. She heard her aunt’s voice. “In life there are no coincidences. God will show us His way. We just need to be smart enough to see it.”
“I really will.”
Tom looked ready to fall off his chair. “Even though you’d be giving up the city life? All your friends?”
She shrugged. “I’d be in the same position if I go to Chicago. Besides,” she grinned. “Middleton’s cost of living is much lower. I’ll get more bang out of the big bucks you’ll be paying me.”
“And you’d be dating me? We’d be together? And it wouldn’t bother you if people talked, saying you took the job so you could be with me? Or that you got the job because of me?”
“Well...” She flashed him a coy smile. Everything felt so much less complicated or threatening now, even with that weirdo out there.
“Well what? I’m dying from the suspense.”
“To tell you the truth...”
“I find truth to always be the best policy,” Tom agreed heartily, making her laugh.
She scratched her nose. “Do you think people will talk? About us, I mean. I already know they’ll talk about the accident, but I think I can handle that now.”
“People in Middleton talk? About us? Romance?” He gave her an astonished glance, making her laugh even more. “What makes you even think to ask a question like that? Heck, we’ll make the headlines before we reach the city limits.”
“Oh, dear.”
A shadow of alarm washed over him. “Will you be okay with that?”
Smiling, Pam rolled her eyes. “I’ll get over it...or at least accustomed to it.”
“Good.” Jumping to his feet, he reached inside his jacket pocket and retrieved a black velvet box. On one knee now, he took her left hand. “Pamela Harrington, will you marry me?”
Truths Unveiled
Truths Unveiled
Chapter Twenty-Five
Completely shocked, Pam felt her eyes mist. Without waiting for a reply, Tom opened the box and slipped a diamond and ruby band onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly.
“The offer’s still good,” he assured her, clasping her hand in both of his. “Even if we live here in Boston or Chicago. I’d planned on proposing tonight anyway. When you left me in the dirt last week, I realized how much I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. And I don’t want to wait a second longer to get started.”
Still tongue-tied, Pam stared at the beautiful sparkling jewels. Then at Tom. She couldn’t believe he’d proposed.
“We can exchange it,” he told her. “I bought it because I liked it right away. I thought it would look beautiful on you.”
Emphatically, Pam shook her head. “No. I love it. I was just thinking it’s exactly what I would have chosen.” And it was. Not that she’d ever gone looking for engagement rings before. A row of six half-carat stones lay in a band of gold. Touching his hands, she smiled out of sheer elation. Yes, they had some unresolved issues, her brain warned. But they could handle them, her heart replied. They were not alone. God wouldn’t have thrown them together like this just to let them languish. “Thank you,” she whispered, gazing into his eyes. “And I love you.”
“So you accept?”
“Yes,” she giggled. “I accept.”
****
Pam checked the time. Deciding to drive, they’d returned Tom’s Taurus to the rental company and took Pam’s Volvo. Tom drove most of the way. Somewhere along the New Jersey turnpike, she finally convinced him to let her to take a turn. Now, calculating the distance left, she figured they’d approach the city’s limits a little after two a.m.
Sighing with more contentment than she could ever recall, Pam listened to Tom’s steady breathing as he slept next to her in the passenger seat. I can’t believe I’m getting married, her thoughts repeated for the millionth time. To Thomas Jarrod! Then a warning voice whispered, And live in Middleton. But Pam ignored it. The medical center was a good career move. The salary was higher than she’d expected and working with Dr. Everett made her incredibly portable, if she ever decided to leave the area.
Immediately, Pam wiped away that thought. Tom’s life was there and she would make her life there, too. In fact, she found it incredible to even consider having any life outside her medical career.
“I bet I can guess what you’re thinking.”
Pam jumped, then let out a laugh. “Is it that obvious?”
Gently, he traced random designs on her forearm with his finger. “Scared?”
“A bit,” she answered, matter-of-factly.
“Happy?”
“Oh, definitely! How about you?”
“Amazingly. But I want you to know that if you begin to feel awkward, or troubled about anything, please let me know. This is a big step.”
Pam’s stomach tightened. Oh, no. Did that mean he was having second thoughts already?
“You mean about getting married?”
He shook her shoulder. “No way, Woman. I mean about living in Middleton. I’ve got to tell you, it’s going to be a big change of lifestyle for you. Our idea of a good time means going to the annual county fair. And
then there’s the bowling league we’ll join. The nearest kind of mall, like you’re used to, is over an hour away, and we only have one cinema. It shows two movies. Max. And sometimes, it’s the same movie. Not like that palace place with twenty-five screens I found yesterday when I went out exploring. Man. That was amazing!”
“Oh, how I remember,” Pam laughed. “I went through the culture shock years ago when we first moved there. And when you rejected my application for the rescue squad.” She shook her head. “I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself.”
Truths Unveiled Page 12
