Better With You

by Ellen Joy

  Lauren shrugged. “Isn’t love worth all the complications?”

  Twelve

  Adam couldn’t wait for Drew to arrive. The fridge was full of local craft beer. He had a worn deck of cards, and enough meat to last a week. It had been a long time since he’d had a guys’ night. Well, a guys’ night when Lucy was asleep. Dr. Andrew McAlister had been his closest friend since they were roommates at Dartmouth, freshman year.

  Drew also knew his history with Michelle and had been around during their rocky relationship. He knew her before the addictions, before her sickness changed her.

  When Adam saw Drew’s car pull up the driveway, he felt like a kid again, excited to play with his friend. He’d be able to talk like a guy for the first time in months. He was walking back to the playroom to tell Lucy that her godfather was there, when he heard two car doors slam shut. He stopped in mid-step and looked out the window. Drew walked hand in hand with a tall, slender woman with dark brown eyes and caramel skin. He kissed her on the cheek and put his arm around her as they walked up the steps.

  Did Drew bring a woman to guys’ weekend? What the...?

  Drew didn’t knock, just opened the door and saw Adam standing there, staring at him. “This place is amazing.” He came over and gave Adam a hug.

  After a few rounds of how-are-yous and pats on the shoulder, Drew stepped back into sync with the woman, taking her hand in his. She looked like someone had just plucked her off the cover of a magazine. “Adam, this is Natalia.”

  Natalia? Adam almost smirked. Drew was so predictable. Was she French or Spanish this time? “Hi, I’m Adam.”

  Drew winked at Adam. “She’s Brazilian.”

  She hit Drew in the chest. “And from New York.”

  “But speaks Portuguese fluently,” he pretended to whisper to Adam.

  He ignored his friend, slightly irritated still. “What made you come to New England?”

  She smiled and rolled her eyes at Drew. “Work.” Drew’s face lit up as she said, “I’m a pediatric cardiologist.”

  His best friend appeared completely and utterly happy.

  “Where’s Lucy?” Drew asked, looking around the room.

  “She’s in the playroom.” Adam pointed toward the hallway.

  Drew walked past him, patting him on the back, leaving Adam and Natalia alone.

  “This is a beautiful farm,” she said with a tint of an accent, peeking out the windows. “Drew said you just quit your job and left it all behind.”

  “Not exactly, but ... yeah.” How could he ever really explain how he found his purpose in life without sounding like Oprah?

  “Are you going to practice here?” The tone of her voice made him smile. She sounded like a concerned mother. Having a law office in the middle of nowhere was probably not one of his best ideas, but until the farm was all set, it didn’t matter much anyways. “We just saw a great space down in the town near this adorable bakery.”

  He hadn’t thought about finding a new space. Working at the firm, he mostly met clients at their place of work. Meeting at the firm usually meant the client had a problem with one of the attorneys, and that fortunately had never happened with Adam. However, now that he would be practicing more with families and small businesses, he just might want a separate location that was more convenient for clients, and to get some exposure. He had seen the tourist season in this town. It grew to five times the normal population. He’d probably pick up a few clients headed to the beach.

  Soon, Lucy and Drew came to the kitchen. As was always the case, Natalia was instantly smitten with Lucy, and the two disappeared to meet the rest of the Cahill family in the barn.

  “This place is pretty incredible ...” Drew’s voice trailed off as they stepped out onto the front porch. “But you’re in the middle of the sticks. How do you get laid?”

  Adam thrust his hand toward Lucy opening the barn door. “Do you think I get laid anymore?”

  “Well, you’re not going to, in that getup.”

  Matt looked down at his tatty pair of jeans and Dave Matthews T-shirt. “Someone didn’t tell me I was having company. I thought it was a guys’ night.”

  “Touché.”

  “Who are you?” Adam didn’t recognize his best friend. “She’s got you speaking French now?”

  After a tour of the farm and a late lunch on the back deck, Lucy had taken all the adult conversation she could handle and headed to her happy place with the animals in the barn.

  “She’s a great kid, Adam,” Drew said, leaning back in his chair, taking another sip from his beer.

  Adam got up to grab another few from the fridge and nodded. “She is.”

  The three fell into an easy conversation and soon Adam was glad he got to meet Natalia. She fit right in.

  As Natalia told the story of how Drew made an idiot of himself asking her out, Adam could hear Lucy yelling from the barn. He stood, listening closer to make sure he wasn’t just hearing things.

  “Is that Lucy?” Natalia asked, hearing it, too.

  Lucy ran around the back yard. “The puppies! The puppies are coming!”

  “Now?” Adam wasn’t fully prepared for the puppies to come. “I thought you said there were no changes?”

  “Well, now there are. Big changes!” Lucy looked like she did on Christmas Eve. She clasped her hands together. “We’re going to have puppies!”

  “Okay, I’ll call Dr. Elizabeth.” Adam immediately pulled out his phone.

  “You have a vet on call?” Drew asked.

  Adam shook his head. “Sort of. She said she’d help with the delivery, maybe, if she’s around. Otherwise, we might have to do it ourselves.”

  “We totally could handle it,” Drew said.

  Natalia laughed and shook her head. “I’d call the vet.”

  JOAN LAY ON ELIZABETH’S legs as she read the new Kristan Higgins. She had successfully avoided all family members for the past twenty-four hours. The night before, she took a bath, read a book, had a glass of wine, and watched reruns of Gilmore Girls.

  Her thoughts stormed throughout the night, but in the morning, in the quiet, her thoughts slowed and she realized she needed to let go and let things happen on their own. The more she tried to think things through, the more she overanalyzed every word and look. It was making her crazy.

  “Joan, I’m thinking Chinese tonight,” she said, as Joan stretched her legs out.

  On the coffee table, her phone began to ring.

  It was Adam.

  She sat up straight before answering. “Hello?”

  “Elizabeth, I’m so glad you answered.” His voice was rushed. “Mildred’s in labor.”

  Elizabeth moved Joan to her usual resting space in the corner of the couch. “How long has she been showing signs of labor?”

  “Lucy! How long have you noticed changes?” There was a muffled response, then he said, “About forty minutes.”

  “Tell Lucy to grab as many towels as she can. I’ll be right over.”

  Elizabeth quickly changed, drove to the vet’s office to grab supplies, and was on her way within fifteen minutes. Energy rushed through her body as her blood pumped with excitement. She had helped with animals’ labor for years, but the nervous excitement never wore off for her.

  She pulled the truck up at the front entrance to the barn and jumped out. Her heart pounded even harder as Adam walked out with his eyes instantly on her, and then just as quickly away. Lucy came running out, and another couple she didn’t recognize came after.

  “How’s Mildred doing?”

  “She’s in her kennel,” Lucy said, pulling out a notebook. Elizabeth noticed times listed with descriptions of what Mildred was eating and doing. “I’ve been keeping track of everything like you said.”

  “Good girl, Lucy.” Elizabeth looked the information over. Mildred’s behavior had been changing. She moved toward the barn. “Do you think you could find some dental floss from inside, and get even more towels?”

  Lucy immediately
turned and ran out of the barn without answering.

  The couple, who had their arms around each other’s backs, laughed as she slammed the porch door shut.

  Adam, who hadn’t yet spoken suddenly said, “This is Dr. Elizabeth Williams, she’s our vet.”

  Elizabeth tried to ignore the sting in her heart as he called her the vet.

  The woman extended her hand and they shook. “I’m Natalia, and this is Drew.”

  “Lucy’s told us a lot about you,” he said.

  Elizabeth mustered up a happy face, now embarrassed that she even considered the thought that there was something between her and Adam. He certainly didn’t seem pleased to see her. He just placated her at the party. She must’ve looked so desperate.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She faked a smile.

  “We should probably check on Mildred,” Adam said abruptly, and walked into the barn.

  Elizabeth followed, taking a deep breath. She’d be professional and get through the births, but then she’d tell him to find another vet, because she couldn’t handle feelings like this. One day he couldn’t stop looking at her, the next he couldn’t even make eye contact.

  Mildred was lying on her side in the straw. All the troubles in Elizabeth’s mind soon faded away as she got into the zone. It didn’t take long to see Mildred’s visible contractions and soon the puppies began to emerge. Elizabeth helped each one along, removing the sac and handing the puppy to Lucy.

  “Now rub the puppy down and clean everything off, and make sure it’s breathing okay.”

  The little girl didn’t appear squeamish or nervous, but kept her composure. Six puppies arrived, were rubbed down, and soon rested next to Mildred. She wasn’t sure if she was more proud of Mildred or Lucy.

  Natalia clapped her hands, taking photos of the puppies. “We should celebrate!”

  Lucy knelt down next to the puppies and smiled into the camera. “Yes, it’s their birthday!”

  “I’m sure Mildred and her babies are exhausted,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll just clean up here and head out as soon as I’m done.”

  “Nonsense,” Natalia said. “You should stay and have dinner with us. We have plenty.”

  Adam shoved his hands in his pockets and said, in his kind way, “We have tons of food and lots to drink. Please, join us.”

  She had every excuse to leave. It would have been the sensible thing to do, given her mental state lately. No more ups and downs, just safe, like a harbor. No, thank you was on the tip of her tongue, and then he gave her that look. “Sure, that sounds nice.”

  She apparently liked roller coasters.

  Elizabeth spent the rest of the night eating the best burger and fries she’d ever had, checking on Mildred and the puppies, and wishing she could read Adam’s mind to know what he was thinking.

  “You could always cook,” Drew said, leaning back in his chair after finishing a double patty cheeseburger with a fried egg on top. “Adam could make a bag of ramen taste like it came from a restaurant.”

  “Now that’s a talent.” Elizabeth liked Adam’s friends. The whole night had been fun and easy.

  “Doesn’t your whole family feed all of Camden Cove?” Adam teased. “You must cook pretty well.”

  Elizabeth laughed as she shook her head. “I’m the only Williams who can’t cook.”

  Meals were a touchy subject for her. It was the time when she felt most alone. Most recipes made family-sized portions, or at least enough for two. How many cookbooks offered something for one? It wasn’t that she needed a man to make her life happy, but she’d love to make a meal for her own family someday.

  As the night continued, she and Natalia talked about all the things they strangely had in common, like how they shared the same birthday and both attended Boston College as undergraduates. The men told embarrassing stories only roommates would know from their college days, most of them stories they said Elizabeth and Natalia had to have been there to understand.

  They all sat out on the new patio that Adam had put in himself. Elizabeth noticed he had saved all of Mrs. Sanborn’s garden beds and incorporated them into his yard design. He had outdoor lights strung around a pergola with honeysuckle climbing up its posts. Adam lit a small fire in a stone fire pit and they all sat around as Lucy stayed with the puppies in the barn.

  “You must’ve loved growing up in Camden Cove as a child,” Natalia said to her.

  “Yes, it’s great place to grow up.” Elizabeth knew she had been lucky, but her conversation with Lauren blipped in her head. Was she happy here as an adult?

  “Elizabeth rode horses on this farm as a little girl,” Adam threw into the conversation. “Maybe Lucy will grow up in her shoes and become a brilliant veterinarian.”

  The compliment threw Elizabeth, and she wished they were the only two people there. She would ask him what he meant by it. Did he enjoy her company for Lucy’s benefit? Or did he enjoy Elizabeth for herself?

  “Daddy?” Lucy stepped outside in her pajamas. “Will you bring me to bed?”

  Elizabeth stood at the same time as Adam did, and they bumped into each other. He grabbed her arm. His touch radiated all the way through her body.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Oh, yeah.” She rubbed her shoulder, but it didn’t hurt. “I should do one final check on Mildred, then I should probably head home.”

  Natalia and Drew got up, too. “It was so nice to meet you.”

  Natalia hugged Elizabeth and said, “Call next time you’re in the city and we can grab dinner.”

  “I will,” Elizabeth promised.

  “You definitely will have to come back to the old stomping grounds,” Drew said. “Seriously, how are you single?”

  Elizabeth made a face, the glanced at Adam. She hadn’t told him about the breakup, yet his best friend knew her relationship status. “I ... should go.”

  She gave a quick wave to Adam and grabbed her bag off the ground next to her chair. Lucy ran into her and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Thank you so much, Dr. Elizabeth. This was the best day ever.”

  She squeezed Lucy back. “I’m so glad to have you as an assistant.” She squeezed back. “Now remember, make sure they’re eating every two hours or so and going to the bathroom okay. If not, call me.”

  “And write down their weight every day.”

  “That’s right, don’t forget to weigh them. I’ll be back in a couple of days to check in.”

  She looked directly at Adam, almost daring him to give her some sort of sign and said, “Have a nice night.”

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Drew asked. His eyes were bewildered as Elizabeth walked away. He spoke in a whisper, but loud enough for Natalia and Lucy to hear.

  Natalia nodded in agreement. “Go get her.”

  “What do you mean?” Adam asked, hoping his feelings weren’t completely obvious.

  “She’s totally into you,” he said back, louder this time.

  “Dude, this is not college,” Adam said, wondering how Natalia would handle his best friend’s immaturity. “I can’t just go up and hit on my vet.”

  “She likes you, Daddy,” Lucy joined in.

  Adam turned to Drew. “I told you about the breakup in confidence. She literally just broke up with her boyfriend.”

  “You should run after her right now.” Natalia got up from her chair. “Lucy, you wouldn’t mind if put you to bed, would you?”

  “No, I don’t mind,” Lucy said, as she looked at him and clasped her hands together, bouncing on her feet. “Daddy, go.”

  Drew gestured toward the barn as Natalia said, “Go.”

  The rational side of Adam said this was a bad idea. What if Elizabeth didn’t want anything to do with him? But he had to find out, so he jogged toward the barn.

  She stood at the entrance and stopped when she noticed him. Standing under the barn light, with her hair pulled away from her face, with the light reflecting from it, he couldn’t help himself. He walked right up to her, wrapped his arms around
her, and kissed her. And she kissed him back.

  When their lips parted, he drew in a deep breath..

  “Sorry.”

  “For what?” she asked, her voice light, and he heard her exhale.

  “I just needed to know,” he brushed soft wisps of hair away, “if I was making this whole thing up in my head.” He leaned over and kissed her again, softly.

  “I should probably go,” she said. “But I had a really nice night.”

  “When can I see you again?” he asked, with a sudden urgency.

  “I’m volunteering at the festival all weekend. You and Lucy should come.”

  He didn’t want her to leave, or to have to wait to kiss her again. He wanted their kiss to last forever. When they parted, he walked with her hand in his and to her truck, when he tried to steal one last kiss from her before she climbed inside. She stopped him and pointed toward the house. “There are eyes watching us.”

  Adam looked up and saw Natalia and Lucy looking out of the bedroom window.

  “Good night, Adam,” she said as she shut the door.

  “Good night, Elizabeth.”

  He watched as she drove away, until her headlights could no longer be seen. He headed to the house, ignoring Lucy and Natalia’s spying.

  “You better be in bed before I get upstairs,” he said loudly enough for them to hear.

  He could hear Lucy’s footsteps pounding against the floor, racing to her bed, even from outside. He laughed out loud, then laughed at himself. A wide smile was plastered across his face. As he walked inside the farmhouse, he realized he had never been happier.

  Thirteen

  Elizabeth lay in bed and thought about her night. By the time the sun rose, she had hardly slept a wink. Part of her couldn’t wait to see him again. Every time she thought back to him kissing her, she’d swoop into some fairytale-like fantasy, riding horses with Lucy on the farm with Adam watching from the back porch. The other part of her wanted to throw up, wishing she hadn’t invited him to the Blessing. She needed time to think.

  She was a horrible person.