House Calls
Page 15
“I thought, because you didn’t tell me about the job, you weren’t going to ask me to stay.”
“Is that why you’ve been so quiet this week? Because you thought I was going to tell you I was staying here and say so long? You actually thought I would do that to you?”
She looked up at him and nodded, her eyes filled with guilt.
“Next time, instead of making yourself miserable, why don’t you just ask me? As my therapist you’ve never had a problem getting in my face and giving me what-for. It’s one of the things I like most about you. Don’t turn into a doormat now.”
Anger sparked in her eyes, and he could see he’d gotten her hackles up. Well, good. He didn’t like it when she got quiet and withdrawn. It just wasn’t her. He liked her feisty.
“Okay, fine,” she snapped. “So why didn’t you tell me? Didn’t you think I might have wanted to know?”
“You’re right,” he agreed, “I should have told you, and I’m sorry I didn’t. I just wanted to make sure all the pieces were in place before I brought it up. I had certain criteria they had to meet before I would even consider taking the position.”
“What kinds of criteria?”
“Well, you said you love what you do, so I thought you might be more likely to stay here with me if you had a job offer.”
The feisty look drained from her face. “A job offer?”
“I told them if they wanted to hire me, they would have to hire you, too.”
“You actually said that?”
“Yep.”
She couldn’t believe he would do that for her. That he would hinge his career on her. These were not the actions of a man who didn’t have a pretty darned good idea of what he wanted. She couldn’t stop the hope from welling up inside her and spilling out all over the place. She didn’t want to stop it this time.
And since he didn’t seem in any hurry to tell her what had happened, she couldn’t help demanding, “So what did they say? Did they have an opening?”
“They said first they would have to check your references. So I gave them the name of your boss at the hospital. I hope that was all right.”
“And…”
“And they called her.”
She gave him the evil eye. Now he was just dragging this out to torture her. Not that she didn’t deserve it just a teensy bit. She’d done her share of torturing him, by not trusting him.
What had she been thinking?
“And?” she asked.
He grinned. “And if you want the job it’s yours.”
“Well, jeez,” she said, giving him a playful shove. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was going to, then I came home to find your bags packed.”
She folded her arms stubbornly over her chest. “And what about you? Did you take the job?”
“I start September first…but only on one condition. That you stay here with me.”
“And if I don’t?” Like that would ever happen. He would need a crowbar to get rid of her now.
“Then I’ll have to follow your stubborn behind home and try to get my old job back. I’ll follow you around for the rest of your life if I have to. If that’s what it takes to show you this is not my imagination.” He reached up, touched her cheek. “Whatever it takes.”
He really truly loved her, and she was kicking herself soundly for not realizing it before. For not trusting him.
For not trusting herself. It was time she started.
“Can I ask you a question, Maggie?”
She nodded.
“Your patient, the one you were engaged to, did you love him?”
“I tried to make myself love him. I think…I think I was in love with the idea of pleasing my parents, and I knew how much they approved of him. But when it ended, when I got over feeling bad, and feeling guilty for disappointing them, I was relieved.”
“He didn’t make you happy?”
“I tried to pretend I was. But deep down I was just fooling myself.”
“Do I make you happy?”
Tears gathered in her eyes. “Always.”
“Even this past week, when you were so unhappy?”
The tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. “That was me making myself miserable. You never did anything wrong.”
“Do you believe that I love you? Real, honest-to-goodness-until-the-day-I-die love?”
She grinned. “Yeah, I do.”
Pete sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “Thank God.”
“No kidding.”
He cupped her face in his hands, kissed her. “If we’re going to make this work, Maggie, we have to be able to talk to each other. If you have any concerns or any doubts you need to tell me.”
“And if you’re planning on making any life-altering decisions, you have to tell me.”
“Well, I’m thinking about asking you to marry me. That would be pretty life-altering.”
There was so much love, so much sincerity in his eyes, she knew this couldn’t be anything but one-hundred-percent genuine. “Ask me.”
He grinned. “Will you marry me, Maggie?”
She got on her tippy toes and gave him a big, toe-curling kiss. “Absolutely.”
That night, Pete had a dream.
He was back in the hospital in Detroit, standing by the elevator, but this time there was no gunfire, no screaming people. No fear.
He turned, and from around the corner there was a light. A light so radiant, so bright it should have hurt his eyes, but for some reason, it didn’t. He walked toward it, more curious than he was apprehensive. It was as if it was pulling him, beckoning him closer. And as he rounded the corner he saw her.
Rachel.
She stood in the hallway, waiting for him. All around her the light glowed. It seemed to be coming from inside her, and at the same time it didn’t. It was coming from everywhere and nowhere.
“Pete.” She held out her hand. There was no blood, no horror, just her sweet, friendly smile.
He walked toward her, reached for her hand, and when they connected, her touch filled him with a deep sense of calm. That’s when he knew: the nightmares, the bad memories—they were over. It was as if they had been erased from his mind. Every time he thought of Rachel now, he would see her like this. Full of radiance and life.
“Be happy,” she said, and he felt her squeeze his hand.
He had so much he wanted to tell her, so much to say, but already she was fading.
“Be happy,” she said again, but she sounded far away. He grasped her hand tighter and realized he was holding air. But that was all right, because he knew now that everything would be okay.
Then the last of the light faded and she was gone.
Pete opened his eyes.
The room was dark. Maggie slept soundly beside him, her breathing slow and deep. They were alone, yet he had the eerie, almost surreal feeling they weren’t.
It had been a dream. Right?
Then he realized, it didn’t really matter. The message had been clear. It was time to get on with his life.
He loved Maggie, and she loved him. Being happy and happy with her, that was the thing he definitely planned to do.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7417-8
HOUSE CALLS
Copyright © 2006 by Michelle Celmer
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