Not sure she’d get a chance to say goodbye to him before his release, she walked to his side, grasped the cool metal railing, and listened while he gave Justin a rendition of his little league baseball games. Justin nodded and leaned toward Caleb, appearing to hang on his every word.
He’ll make a good father.
The thought opened up a strange longing in her chest. She pushed it away as jealousy that he might someday have what she coveted—a family. For all she knew, he’d married in the last year. Her gaze immediately dropped to his ring finger—nothing. Thank God. She couldn’t bear the thought that his life had changed so much while she’d been out of touch with him.
Caleb stopped prattling off baseball scores long enough to look in her direction.
She ruffled his hair. “Promise me you’ll check the weather before heading out on a sailboat again.”
He peered up at her sheepishly. “I promise.”
Not wanting to further interrupt Caleb’s conversation with his new hero, she gave his blond locks one last rub and headed out the door, thankful for men like Justin who were willing to risk their lives to save sweet boys like Caleb. As she strolled down the hall, she smiled and shook her head at her own paranoia. She should have known Justin wouldn’t be mad at her. He had too big of heart to hold a grudge.
With an extra bounce in her step, she headed toward the nurse’s station. She’d almost made it to the computer to check out for the day when the sound of pounding footsteps rose above the normal chatter of the hospital. They were too loud to belong to a child wandering the halls, and nurses only ran for emergencies. Thinking someone was in trouble, she whirled around.
Justin stood a few feet away, bent over and breathing hard. He winced as he held his ribcage. “I really have to remember not to run for a day or two.”
Mandy tilted her head, assessing him as she would a patient. “You get beat up saving Caleb and his dad?”
He took a loud breath and grimaced. “You could say that.”
She had the overwhelming urge to pull up his shirt and examine his ribs but stopped short of going over to him. He was a grown man who could take care of himself.
“Doctor says I have to take deep breaths even if it hurts,” he wheezed. “Keeps my lungs healthy.”
She eyed his chest, his raspy breathing making her uneasy.
To hell with taking care of himself.
She stepped forward and grasped the bottom of his T-shirt. “A broken rib can puncture a lung.”
He tensed, then held up his arms, making lifting the fabric easier. She pulled up his shirt and gasped. A large swath of skin over his right ribcage was the color of a ripe eggplant. The man should be in bed, not visiting kids in the hospital.
“That’s gotta hurt.”
He puffed out his chest. “I’m tough.” His ribcage immediately caved in. “Ow!”
“Don’t do that!”
He groaned. “No kidding.”
“Try to be still.”
With her index and middle finger, she carefully probed the purple and black bruise below his left pectoral muscle. He flinched, but didn’t recoil from her touch like most patients in severe pain. That was a good sign. And nothing protruded or moved under her probing fingers. She didn’t feel a crunching sensation, either, a sure indication they were dislocated.
When she peered up to make certain her examination hadn’t hurt him too bad, he stared down at her with an odd look in his eyes. Though she couldn’t read the expression, it definitely wasn’t one of pain.
Feeling intrusive, she released her hold on his shirt. “They’re not broken, just bruised, maybe a little cracked, too.”
He smoothed the cotton material with his broad, blunt-nailed hands. The peculiar expression that marred his features spread into a grin bright enough to light a fire. “You’re worried about me?”
She flushed, heat creeping up her neck to her cheeks. “It’s my job to worry about the injured.”
“I’ve never seen a nurse check a patient in the middle of a hall.”
“Then you haven’t been to a busy ER.”
He shrugged. “Not recently, anyway.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “How’s Caleb’s dad?”
“Fine.”
His gaze locked onto her, and she swore she saw a hint of annoyance. “Can you elaborate?”
“Not without breaking confidentiality agreements.” Then she thought, what the heck. Justin had saved the man’s life. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He should be out in a day or two.”
“Thanks.” He tilted his chin, as if waiting for her to say something else.
She shuffled her feet, uncomfortable with the silence. “Is everything okay?”
His broad shoulders sagged. “Why didn’t you return my calls?”
Mandy sighed, feeling as though an ugly, black cloud of guilt had descended on her. She wanted to spare his feelings and tell him she’d been too sick to talk to anyone, but he deserved honesty, even if the truth cast her in an unflattering light. “I was in a bad place, Justin. Being around you didn’t seem like the smartest thing to do after Ty left.”
He nodded as if he understood, but the grooves in his forehead deepened.
Mandy stilled, sure she saw hurt in his brooding expression. She’d anticipated that her answer wouldn’t appease him, but she hadn’t expected him to look so stoically injured. Could she make amends? She steeled herself to try. “We should have coffee sometime.”
He lifted his chin. “Go to the beach with me tomorrow.”
She stiffened. Avoiding the topic of Ty over a caffeinated drink was easy. The beach was another story, because she’d spent countless lazy days at the seashore with Justin and Ty, barbequing and drinking beer by the shore. Heck, she hadn’t even been to the ocean’s edge since Ty had dumped her. The sand and surf held too many painful memories.
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
His voice dropped. “I’ve missed hanging out with you.”
“Aren’t you mad at me?”
“Why?”
“For not calling you back?”
“You were going through hell. How could I be mad at you?” Unexpectedly, his face lit up with an impish grin. “Oh, wait. Yes, I’m furious with you. The only way you can win my forgiveness is by going to the beach with me.”
She chuckled. Same old Justin, always making her laugh. “Ty would be okay with us spending a day together?”
“I don’t care what Ty thinks. Do you?”
She shrugged. “Not really.” Except that wasn’t entirely true. She didn’t want Ty to get upset with Justin. “You and Ty seemed like a package deal. Lose one, lose both.”
“I never wanted that.”
She didn’t either, because she’d missed how easy he was to be around and what a good listener he was.
He sidled closer and nudged her arm with his elbow. “Some fresh air would do you good. You’re looking a little pale.”
She playfully batted at his arm. “The sun causes cancer.”
“I’ll rub you down with sunscreen.”
“No!”
His eyes widened, reminding her of an innocent little boy, as he shoved his hands into his front jean pockets and rocked on his sneakered heels. “I’ll buy the spray-on kind. I won’t even have to touch you.”
She chuckled, remembering he was a master at playing the virtuous hero. But she was still sure Ty would give him hell if they spent a day together, even though she knew good and well Ty had gotten over her long ago. And didn’t an unspoken code exist between best friends, barring all contact with the other’s ex?
Mandy held her ground. “I have to work.”
His eyes narrowed. “You told Caleb’s mom you had tomorrow off.”
Dang. He’d been acting so interested in Caleb’s little league stories, she’d been sure he hadn’t heard their conversation. She jumped in surprise when someone wrapped an arm around her waist.
Lori bumped her hip against Mandy’s. “Justin’s rig
ht. You’re as white as a ghost.”
Mandy shook her head. It figured that Lori was eavesdropping. “Next to you, Jennifer Lopez would look like an albino.”
“I can’t help it if God blessed me with the perfect skin color.”
Justin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward as if he were enjoying the show. From the grin on his face, she was sure he was.
Lori’s face sobered into the expression of a woman on a mission. “Go to the beach with Justin for one hour.”
Justin winked at Lori, then turned his attention to Mandy. “Do you need to make a pros and cons list?”
“My God, he knows you well,” Lori said.
“Don’t you have a shift to start?” Mandy asked.
Lori checked her watch. “I’ve got five minutes left to harass you.”
“I can grab a piece of paper,” Justin said.
“I’ll transcribe,” Lori added with an impish grin.
Mandy rolled her eyes. So what if she had made a few pros and cons lists in her day. She liked to analyze before making a commitment. There was nothing wrong with being thorough.
Before Justin could grab a notepad, Mandy shrugged in defeat. Getting out of her apartment for more than a doctor’s visit or grocery shopping would probably do her good, anyway. And eventually, she needed to get back to the beach. Memories of her and Ty couldn’t dictate her life forever. Besides, with two against one, the odds weren’t in her favor. “Okay, one hour of sunbathing. Spray-on lotion only. We take separate cars.”
Justin grinned so wide his lips practically disappeared. “Two o’clock, Mustang Island parking lot. I’ll bring the towels.” He stepped back and pointed toward Caleb’s room. “I’m gonna leave before you change your mind.”
“Good idea,” Lori said.
Justin dashed down the hall. As he opened Caleb’s door, Mandy noticed him holding his ribs. Poor guy.
Lori snorted. “Getting you out of the house is like negotiating the Treaty of Versailles.”
Mandy shoved her hip into Lori’s waist, pushing her off-balance. “You are such a bitch,” she teased.
Lori swiped her fingernails across her shirt and blew on them. “Whatever it takes to get you out with a man.”
“It’s not a date.”
“Guys don’t want to hang out with a female friend unless they’re hoping to turn it into something more.”
Mandy straightened. “You think?”
“From the smile on his face, I’m sure you made his month.” She squinted at Mandy. “He’s got the hots for you.”
Mandy’s gaze rested on the door to Caleb’s room. No way. He’s just being nice. As she pondered Justin’s intentions, her stomach clenched. “Oh, my God! I have to wear a swimsuit!” If she’d thought about the scanty clothing she’d be wearing, she would have insisted on coffee.
“What’re you freakin’ out about? You could model underwear with your body.”
Her scars. What else would she freak out about? She swallowed hard. “I haven’t bought a swimsuit since the mastectomy.” Absently, she brought her hand to her chest. Though reconstructive surgery had helped, things were just different. Her breast looked different. It felt different. Nothing even fit the same way.
Lori’s eyes tightened with understanding. “We’ll head to the mall tomorrow morning and find something that looks great on you. Besides, Justin knows.”
He did know about her cancer, but that didn’t ease her anxiety. “My mammogram’s tomorrow morning.”
“That’ll take thirty minutes. I’ll drive you, and then we can hit the stores.” Lori patted her back. “If Justin hadn’t come along, what were you going to do after your screening?”
“Go home and obsess over the results.”
“Exactly. Now, you can shop in the morning and hang out with an old friend in the afternoon. You won’t have time to obsess.”
Mandy nodded, though she knew she was extremely good at multitasking.
* * *
The next morning, Mandy stared at her reflection in the dressing room mirror. As if the unflattering light wasn’t bad enough, she could see the edge of her scar peeking out of the side of the yellow bikini top. “This isn’t going to work.” She rubbed her temple, trying to ward off a tension headache. “I should just cancel.”
Lori stared at Mandy’s reconstructed breast. “It’s not that bad. I mean, really, no one’s going to notice something so small.” Her brow furrowed. “Bend over.”
Mandy leaned forward and peered in the mirror again. The bikini top gaped at the side, leaving a good two inches of her mutilated breast on show for the world to see. “Gah! It’s hopeless.”
“No, it’s not.” Lori rested her hands on her hips. “We’ve been trying on bikinis, but I think it’s time for something less revealing.”
Mandy shot up straight. “A one piece?” She hadn’t owned one of those since her age was in the single digits.
Before Lori could answer, someone knocked. “Is she decent?” Kirsten asked through the fitting room door.
Mandy stared down at the offending red slash. “Not really, but come in anyway.”
Lori crammed into the corner of the small room as Kirsten walked inside. Kirsten wore a crimson mini-skirt that matched her lipstick and a black tube top with a sequenced heart over her right breast. Even on a weekend morning trip to the mall, her friend felt compelled to dress for the club scene. She held up a bikini with a thong bottom and smiled expectantly. “You like?”
Mandy cringed. “That wouldn’t cover the freckle over my ass crack.”
Kirsten pursed her lips while she shimmied further into the room and shut the door behind her. “That’s the whole point. No one will notice your boob if they’re staring at your ass.”
Mandy shook her head, the room getting smaller and smaller. She backed up against the cool mirror. Why was Kirsten’s idea of personal space an inch? Well, an inch with women. With men, she had no concept of personal space, but most of them didn’t seem to mind.
Kirsten stepped closer and held the offending garment in Mandy’s face. “Come on. You’re so skinny, this is going to look awesome on you.”
“No!”
Kirsten scowled and flung her auburn hair over her shoulder. “Fine. Then I’m trying it on.”
Lori smirked. “You’ve got a closet dedicated to the strips of fabric you call swimsuits. I don’t think you need another one.”
Kirsten pointed at the white bikini top. “It has red targets over the nipples. That’s hot.” She turned, opened the door, and sauntered in her stilettos toward the nearest dressing room.
“What makes her dress like a two-cent hooker every day?” Lori asked.
Mandy was in no mood to delve into Kirsten’s past. “I’ll tell you later.”
“Just remind me why we’re friends with her, and I’ll be happy.”
Mandy didn’t have to think too hard to answer that question. Truthfully, she loved Kirsten like a sister because, when Mandy had been in her darkest hour after Ty had dumped her, Kirsten was the first one on her doorstep with a trashy movie and a bottle of red wine. While Lori was her shoulder to cry on, Kirsten’s naive optimism had been a ray of sunshine during her bleakest year. But she wasn’t in the mood to delve into her own past either, so she just smirked, and said, “No one throws a better keg party.”
“True. She does put together a great shindig.” Lori sighed and tilted her head toward the open door. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll find something that’s going to look great on you.”
“I’d rather cancel.”
Lori pointed a finger at Mandy. “You’re going on this date if I have to buy you a muumuu.”
Mandy crossed her arms over her chest, hiding the scar, as a customer walked through the dressing room area. “It’s not a date,” she whispered.
“Whatever.” Lori hurried out of the fitting room and strolled toward the racks of swimsuits. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder.
Mand
y shut the door and collapsed on the corner seat by the mirror. Did Justin know what a pain in the rump this outing was to her? She rolled her eyes. Of course he didn’t. He was a guy. All he had to do was throw on a pair of swimming trunks and show up. She, on the other hand, had to shave every inch of her body, find a swimsuit that didn’t reveal her mutilation, and put up with Kirsten shoving thongs in her face.
“Can I come in?” she heard Kirsten call.
She thought about locking the door and pretending she was naked, but Kirsten had the door open before she could act.
With a beaming smile, Kirsten held her hands high over her head and swayed her hips seductively. “What do you think?”
The red targets over her nipples reminded Mandy of two red eyes staring at her, heckling her for not having a rack as perfect as her friend’s. “It’s lovely,” she said, through a tight jaw. “Are you sure you’re not shopping in the toddler’s section? It seems to be missing some fabric.”
Kirsten stuck out her tongue. “Very funny. What about the back?” She whirled around, and suddenly Mandy was face-to-ass with Kirsten’s bare tan derriere.
Mandy closed her eyes and groaned. This outing had better be worth the trauma.
Chapter 3
Mandy pulled into the Mustang Island parking lot at exactly two o’clock. She turned off the engine, cracked her window to let in the salty breeze, and peered up at the wispy clouds feathered across the blue sky. Perfect day for an outing.
As her gaze traveled over the nearly empty parking lot, she inhaled deeply. The scent of the ocean made her thoughts spiral down a path she’d been trying to avoid for months. Images of Ty filled her mind, flashing across her consciousness like a movie. Damn. That was exactly why she’d avoided the beach. She clamped down on his memory, refusing to give Ty a second more of her life.
A light rapping on the top of her car made her flinch. She looked up to see Justin hovering over her driver side door. He smiled at her, the little creases around his eyes deepening. She grabbed her beach bag from the passenger seat, as Justin opened the car door and waited for her to step out.
The Calling Page 3
