by EMILIE ROSE
The door flew open before Adam’s fist could connect. Helen wore a scowl. Her pallor and the tension carving lines in her face shocked Madison. She looked even worse today than she had last week.
“Why are you knocking?” Helen had her purse strap hooked over her forearm and keys in her hand.
“Hello, Mother.”
“I need groceries.” Helen barged down the steps before they could ascend. “Dinner’s in the kitchen. Your father has already eaten. Please keep an eye on him and convince him to get in bed if you can.”
Helen directed her comments toward Adam and didn’t even acknowledge Madison as she passed.
Adam, concern clear in his eyes, took a step after his mother. Madison grabbed his forearm. “Let her go. She probably needs a break.”
His muscles tensed beneath her fingertips, then his head slowly turned her way. She saw concern in his blue-green eyes before he lowered his gaze to her hand, making her aware of her instinctive trespass. She shouldn’t have touched him.
Withdrawing her hand, she wished she could attribute her skyrocketing pulse to Helen’s snub, but the tingling sensation that traveled up her arm before raining down like hot ash into her belly made the truth undeniable.
The slam of the car door was a welcome distraction. Madison watched Helen back her sedan out of the driveway and disappear around the corner.
“Don’t just stand there. Bring my girl inside,” Danny called out from the bus.
“After you.” Adam swept a hand, indicating Madison precede him.
Grateful that she wouldn’t have to visit Danny in the house that held so many memories or worse yet, the hospital, she climbed the stairs and found herself standing between the leather driver and passenger’s seats. A large living room as wide as her den at home lay in front of her. Danny was stretched out in a leather recliner beside a fireplace.
A fireplace in a motor home? Above that, a big-screen TV hung on the wall and a long leather sofa occupied the opposite wall. She had no experience with this method of travel, and the luxuriousness of the house on wheels overwhelmed her.
“Maddie, come in and have a seat.”
She crossed the tile floor, stopping in front of Danny with an awkwardness she couldn’t suppress. He extended one arm, demanding a hug. She quickly and gingerly embraced him, then stepped back. She would not let herself come to depend on such demonstrations again.
“You have more color in your face than the last time I saw you,” she observed with her best clinical detachment.
“Hospitals drain the life out of you.”
His words brought a quick jab of pain. She caught herself pressing a hand to her stomach and lowered it to her side. “Yes, they do.”
She averted her face and caught Adam watching her.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Yes.” She wasn’t, but she’d rather Adam believe that than know about the grief that still took bites out of her at unexpected moments.
He passed her, heading toward the galley kitchen. Were those granite countertops? He piled food on two plates. Having him serve her was unsettling in ways she couldn’t even begin to explain. It made her feel cared for.... And that couldn’t be further from the truth. She was a necessary evil to the Drakes—except for Danny—and she’d best not forget that.
She perched on the edge of the sofa, deliberately angling away from Adam, but her ears were attuned to his every move.
“How did it go at the office today?” The hunger in Danny’s eyes plucked her sympathy strings. He’d lived for two things when she’d known him—his practice and his Corvette.
“We had a good day. Busy, but your crew is top-notch even without their captain. Why did you lie to them about your cancer, Danny?”
“Madison—” Adam rebuked.
Danny sliced a silencing hand. “It’s a valid question, son.”
“I told her you didn’t want to worry your employees about their job security.”
“That’s part of it. Primarily I didn’t want my clients deserting me like rats do a sinking ship. Cancer is a death sentence to a private practice. If people believed there was a small chance I wouldn’t make it, they’d start looking for a new vet. And if the doctors are wrong and I can’t return to work, I’ll have to sell out. I want the business to have as much value as possible. Your mother has become accustomed to things like this.” His gesture encompassed the motor home. “I want her to continue to have them.”
That made sense, but it left Madison in a difficult position. “You expect me to keep lying for you.”
“It would be best. For now.”
“No.” Danny opened his mouth again, but she cut him off. “I won’t volunteer the truth, but I will not lie for you. You won’t be sidelined for long—I know you better than that. You might not feel up to it this week or next, but soon you’ll want to get out of this RV and exercise your brain. You’ll have days when you’ll be strong enough to go into the office for a few hours even if all you do is sit at your desk and review files. And when you do, you won’t be able to hide the toll that chemo will take on your body. You’ll need your staff’s support until you’re back to one hundred percent. You won’t get that by lying to them.”
“It’ll be a while before he’s ready to return to the office,” Adam said as he put a plate in the microwave.
“You never know. The meds affect people differently. Some have it rough. Some have few side effects.”
“And you know this how?” Adam asked.
“I’ve seen a lot of patients and their pets through cancer treatment.” Madison turned her attention to Danny. “There’s one more thing I don’t understand. You told me you scheduled your surgery the Monday after I agreed to come, yet your staff knew about an upcoming surgery for a month.”
Adam’s head whipped around. “What? How long have you known, Dad?”
Danny shifted, his expression turning guarded. “About three months,” he admitted grudgingly.
“And you said nothing?” Anger tinged Adam’s voice. “Why?”
“I needed time to come to terms with the diagnosis, to investigate my options and get my ducks in a row.”
“You should’ve told me, Dad.”
“And you would have told your mother. What difference do a few months make?” Danny’s serious expression morphed into a smile. “You and I practicing side by side again. I’m looking forward to that day, Maddie.”
“As long as you remember it will be temporary. I’m not coming back permanently, Danny. You need to accept that, and stop encouraging your staff to expect it. I’m happy with my little rural practice.”
“You can’t be. You’re too smart to stagnate in some backwater town.”
“I’m not stagnating.” Was she? “I get to treat large and small animals there—like I wanted to do back when I started college, before I met Andrew and you asked me to join your small animal practice.”
“I may not treat horses or cattle, but I get more variety than you.”
“True. But I love helping people make a living and that’s what tending livestock does. Remember, I’m a farm girl at heart, and I see a lot of patients on the barter system. Just because someone doesn’t have money doesn’t mean they couldn’t benefit from loving a pet.”
“The risk of getting hurt is higher with large animals. You’re too fragile—”
“I’m stronger than I look, and it’s a chance I’m willing to take. Which brings up another concern. Why have you been spying on me, Danny? And for how long?”
“You call watching out for you spying? Is it wrong to care how you’re doing? You’re family, Madison. I gave you the space you needed to process your grief, but I needed to know you were okay.”
He cared. Emotion squeezed her throat. She gulped it down—she was not family. “I’m b
etter than okay. Jim tells me you’ve finished restoring your Corvette.”
Danny beamed. “Yes. Why do you think I had time to start on the house renovations?”
“I need a car while I’m here, Danny. I don’t like being stranded or taking Adam out of his way, and your practice is on the opposite side of town from the hospital. Since you’re not driving yours...”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Adam’s head snap up, proving he’d been listening.
“Maddie, I love you, but I’m not loaning you the ’Vette. She’s too temperamental.”
“And too valuable,” Adam added.
She ignored Adam. “Then loan me your bicycle. I can bike to work each morning. I brought my helmet and riding shoes.”
“Bike to work in Norcross? It’s not safe. As much as I love this town, the drivers are too aggressive.”
“But—”
“You and Adam end up here every evening anyway, so it’s only a few miles out of the way in the mornings.”
The microwave beeped. She ignored it. “Then how about a rental car?”
“I’m afraid to spend the money when you’re only bringing in a fraction of my usual income and my medical bills are piling up.”
She’d bet the motor home cost more than her entire farm. This wasn’t about the money. “You like me dependent on Adam.”
Danny shrugged and winced. “I like him seeing to your safety. You were raised in a small town, and you’ve been living in one long enough to forget what goes on in a metropolitan area.”
Another valid argument, but she knew she was being played. “I’m not that naive. It’s what Adam said. You don’t trust me to fulfill my promise. Danny, if I wanted to cause trouble I could do more damage to your practice by wreaking havoc with your patients. Either you trust me. Or you don’t.”
“Of course I trust you, Maddie. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. Now, who did you treat today?”
Stymied, she bit her tongue and let him change the subject. She wasn’t getting anywhere. “You want a rundown of everyone who came through the door?”
“Each one you can remember.”
“You’re obviously feeling better, Dad, if you want to talk shop,” Adam said.
He settled on the sofa beside her and offered her a plate. She took the dish and their fingers brushed. Her mouth watered and her heart quickened. But that was only her appetite making an enthusiastic appearance because she’d spotted Helen’s fried chicken and homemade macaroni and cheese—her favorite foods.
“Dad, if you want Madison to have the stamina to run your practice, let her eat.”
“But—”
“You can talk after dinner.”
The frustration on Danny’s face was clear, but so was his exhaustion. For a man who lived for his work, it had to be horrible being kept from it. Another wave of empathy washed through her. As he’d said, being a sole provider came with risks that a larger, multidoctor office did not. If something happened to her, she, like Danny, had no one to cover her caseload. But for her it wouldn’t be financially feasible to use the substitute service. Danny, on the other hand, had enough clients to cover the substantial fee.
June’s grandfather had passed away a year before Madison had bought the practice. The area animals had gone without routine care during that period and only dire circumstances had been enough to warrant a long drive to another facility. Madison felt guilty for not being there now. But this was a temporary measure. A means to an end that would bring her peace of mind. Eventually.
She pushed the worry aside and focused on Danny’s tired face. “Tomorrow I’ll bring you the patients’ files. You can review my treatment protocol and tell me if you approve. If necessary, I’ll make follow-up calls next week.”
In her peripheral vision she saw Adam’s head swivel her way. She resisted as long as she could before looking at him. The approval in those eyes meant far more than it should. And when he mouthed a silent “Thank you,” her insides went warm.
She tamped down the reaction. His opinion of her should not—did not—matter.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HELEN TURNED INTO the driveway as the summer sun slid toward the horizon. It was almost eight. Had Adam been able to keep his father awake or would Danny have fallen asleep in his recliner the way he’d done every night since she’d brought him home?
She sat in her car in the driveway, twisting her wedding rings around her finger. The two-carat diamond sparkled, reminding her that she’d shirked her duty. But looking at Madison was too painful. Hearing Danny sing her praises was doubly so. He’d been “Madison this” and “Madison that” all afternoon until Helen had been ready to throw her cast-iron skillet at him. And he’d cut her off every time she mentioned Andrew. In the end, she’d made enough noise while preparing dinner to make talking impossible, then escaped the minute Adam arrived with her.
The RV taking up so much space embodied everything that had gone wrong in her life. Danny loved it. To him the ostentatious home on wheels, like the huge diamond he’d given her for their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, symbolized his success. She’d give it all up without hesitation if only she could have Andrew back and the promise that Danny would be with her for thirty-five more years.
Camping, if you could call it that, in this luxurious “monster home” wasn’t how she had envisioned herself at fifty-nine. She’d expected to be vacationing at family campgrounds with a newer, larger version of their old pop-up, swatting mosquitos and frying corn bread and the fish that her boys had caught on a camp stove the way they had when Andrew and Adam had been younger. Only she’d have been doing it with little Daniel.
But Madison had robbed Helen of that opportunity. Helen should have been sharing pictures and tales of traveling and her grandchildren instead of listening enviously to her friends and having nothing to contribute. If only Adam would marry...
Her cell phone beeped, reminding her that it was time for Danny’s medication. Her reprieve was over. She didn’t want to go back inside. But she had no choice. Her feet dragged as she made her way across the concrete and up the stairs. At least Danny and Adam would be here to carry the conversation, if Danny was awake. She wouldn’t be trapped alone with Madison as she’d been that day in the cafeteria.
Juggling the groceries, she opened the door and climbed inside. The living room and Danny’s chair were empty. Panic hit Helen hard. Then she spotted Madison in the kitchen.
“Where’s Danny? Did Adam talk him into going to bed?”
“Adam helped him to the bathroom. I don’t think you’ll get Danny into bed for a while. He says lying flat hurts his wired rib. Let me give you a hand with those.”
Stung that Danny hadn’t told her about the bed being uncomfortable, Helen shifted the bags out of reach. “I can manage a few groceries.”
She dodged past her unwanted guest and carried her load to the galley. The sink and drying rack were empty, the dish towel neatly folded on the counter. The cast-iron skillet looked as if it had been cleaned and rubbed down with vegetable oil—the way it should be. Neither Adam nor Danny knew to do that. That left Madison.
“I would’ve done the dishes.” Her grandmother would have rapped her knuckles for her ungracious tone.
“You cooked. Washing up was the least I could do. Dinner was delicious, Helen. Thank you.” Madison hovered nearby like an unwelcome storm cloud.
“Don’t thank me. Thank Danny. He’s the one who insisted I cook all of your favorites.”
“But you did the work and you did it well. You didn’t have to.”
No. She could have intentionally botched the meal. It would have been so easy to overcook the chicken or add a little too much of one ingredient or another. But she wouldn’t do that to Danny and Adam. She’d never serve them anything less than her best effort.
“This is a nice RV. If Danny takes as long on the house renovations as he did rebuilding the Corvette, you shouldn’t suffer too much.”
Helen stiffened. Danny took forever with his little projects, but Madison had no business insulting him even if her observation was right on the money. “The car wouldn’t have taken fifteen years if Andrew had been here to help.”
Silence ticked for a dozen heartbeats, making her feel like a bi—witch. Madison wrapped her arms around her middle, and Helen felt a twinge of shame for being rude. But how could Madison stand there and chat like nothing was wrong? As if one careless act on her part hadn’t ruined both their worlds? Or had it ruined Madison’s? Had she achieved her desired outcome when she’d lost the baby?
“Did you know Andrew hated working on that car? He only did it to spend time with Danny.”
Blindsided, Helen stared at her adversary. “Andrew would never have said any such thing.”
Madison’s lips twisted in something that bore no resemblance whatsoever to the easy smiles that used to make people happy just to be around her. “He liked pleasing Danny.”
Helen searched Madison’s face. If what she’d said wasn’t the truth, Madison certainly believed it was.
Male voices rumbled in the bedroom. Her men were returning. “Don’t tell Danny. He loved his time with Andrew.”
“It’ll be our secret, Helen.”
Not their only one. Helen went rigid. Was that a threat to reveal their other conversation?
If you have any decency at all, you’ll leave Norcross and never come back. The sight of you makes me sick to my stomach.
What would Danny say if he knew Helen had told his precious protégé to get out of their lives forever? She didn’t want to find out.
Danny, walking gingerly with Adam one step behind him, entered the kitchen. Pain flickered across his face with every step—pain Helen wished she could take away. She felt helpless. Useless. Scared.
“Oh, good. You’re awake. It’s time for your medicine.”
“I already took it. Where’ve you been? How long does it take to go to one store?”
