“None of that sounds bad to me,” she said.
He wanted to believe her. He wanted to think they were doing more than just playing, but he knew that wasn’t the case. When Kelly made up her mind to get involved, it would be with another doctor, or a lawyer, or maybe some upper-level corporate executive.
“So tell me about your Mr. Right. He’s rich and successful, with a bunch of degrees.”
She straightened. “You seem to have more answers than I do. I haven’t thought much about Mr. Right, or Mr. Anybody. I don’t really date much. Work keeps me busy.”
“Not that busy. You’re way too pretty and successful not to have a bunch of men hanging around you.”
She surprised him by blushing. Color climbed up her cheeks and she looked away. “Yet I remain surprisingly unfettered by men. It’s one of life’s great mysteries.”
I want to change that. But he only thought the words, he didn’t say them. Nor did he move closer, even though he wanted to.
The kitchen seemed to shrink in size and all he could think about was taking her in his arms and kissing her. He wanted to feel her next to him again. He wanted her tall, lean body pressed against him, her breasts flattening against his chest. He wanted to get hard and rub his arousal against her belly, then…
“I have to warn you that I’m only yours for the next two weeks,” she said. “After that, my time has been committed to someone else.”
“I see.” He tried to ignore the flare of jealousy burning inside of him. An old boyfriend returning?
“Yes, I’m going to be involved in a rather complex relationship. There will be four of us all together.”
He caught the light of laughter in her eyes. “Four of you, huh? Sounds kinky.”
“Actually, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m taking Ryan’s kids while he and Ronni run off to get married.”
“You are?” They’d asked Kelly?
“Don’t sound so surprised. I’ll remind you that I’ve been the one helping you out with Lia. I do know something about children.”
“It’s not that. I told them I could still do it.”
She laughed. “You’re incredibly optimistic. Lia isn’t going to be sleeping this much forever. In the next week or so, she’s going to be awake more and more. You’ll have your hands full with one newborn. You don’t need three other kids tossed into the mix.”
“We could join our forces together,” he said impulsively. “You’re staying at Ryan’s right? I could bring Lia and stay with you. I know my niece and nephews pretty well and they can be a handful.”
As he waited for Kelly to answer, he told himself he was being crazy. Even if she wanted him along, they were already spending too much time together. Did he really want to head into this dangerous territory?
“I’d like that,” she said.
As she spoke the words, something clicked into place inside of him. He had a bad feeling he was already in too deep and it was too late to think about getting out now. The only course of action left to him was to follow this road to the end. Maybe, for once in his life, he was going to get it right.
Chapter Nine
The Women’s Center Clinic took up half the second floor of a small, older office building in downtown Honeygrove. Kelly spent every other Thursday afternoon and evening at the clinic, donating her time. Her office here, with its scarred wooden desk and a cracked window, was a far cry from her spacious suite back at her regular practice, but Kelly didn’t mind. Her purpose was to provide quality health care for those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to receive it.
“All right, Granny Bea,” Kelly said as she patted the older woman’s arm. “Those supplements are working. According to the latest test, you have the bones of a seventeen-year-old runner.”
The white-haired grandmother grinned at her. “You’re exaggerating, Dr. Kelly, and we both know it.”
“Maybe a little, but you’re doing better. Keep taking those pills. Tell Sharon, the nurse up front, to give you another refill. Be faithful, all right?”
The tiny woman, a little bent but still in good physical condition, rose to her feet. She used a cane to help her balance. “You’re a good girl,” Granny Bea said. “I appreciate that you worry about me.”
“Of course I do. You have my number, right?” Kelly made sure all her clinic patients had her pager number. If there was an emergency, most of them wouldn’t bother going to a hospital. Large institutions hadn’t been kind to the women in this neighborhood.
Granny Bea patted her purse. “Right behind my driver’s license.” She chuckled. “Not that I drive anymore, but I figure if I win the lottery one day, I want to be current so I can go right out and buy a big Mercedes. A black one.”
“I can’t wait to see you behind the wheel.”
Granny Bea was still laughing as she walked to the door. “See you in six months, Dr. Kelly. You take care of yourself.”
“Granny Bea,” Kelly called. “You know the rule.”
The elderly lady shook her head. “Silly child. You really think I’m doing anything like that, with my husband gone to his reward nearly ten years ago.”
“You never know, Granny Bea. If you win the lottery, you’re going to find yourself chasing away young men with your cane. I want you to be prepared.”
“I think it’s foolish. I only use them for water balloons with my grandson. Of course he thinks I’m incredibly hip for such an old lady.”
She reached into the large jar of condoms Kelly kept by the door. One of the rules of both her clinic and her private practice was that every patient had to take a handful home. She didn’t want anyone telling her she’d gotten pregnant or caught a sexually transmitted disease because she didn’t have any handy protection.
“Bye, Granny Bea.”
“Bye, child. You take care and find yourself a man one of these days.”
Kelly grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
She was still smiling when she walked into the first examining room.
“Hi, Dr. Kelly,” Corina said from her seat on the table.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fat.” Corina wrinkled her nose. “I can’t believe how huge I am.”
“Hey, you’re eight months pregnant. What did you expect?”
“I’m the size of the space shuttle.”
Kelly studied the seventeen year old’s round belly. “Generally women don’t make space shuttle size until their ninth month. You’re more like the nose cone.”
“Very funny.”
“I am,” Kelly agreed cheerfully. “How are you feeling otherwise?”
While Corina told of swelling and the occasional aches and pains of a basically textbook pregnancy, Kelly examined her. Unfortunately Corina hadn’t become a patient until after she was pregnant, so the free condoms hadn’t been available in time. Now this pretty, intelligent young woman faced motherhood the month she was supposed to be graduating from high school.
“Tell me what you’re eating,” Kelly said.
Corina rolled her eyes. “Three servings of protein, one with each meal. Milk with every meal. Fresh vegetables, four servings and at least two fruits. No sodas, only one candy bar every couple of days.”
“You’re still getting the food stamps?”
Corina nodded. Her long black braids swayed with the movement. She had beautiful wide, brown eyes and skin the color of cafe au lait.
“I keep them at a friend’s house,” Corina said. “And I only shop for a couple of days at a time. My mom doesn’t know about them.”
“Good.”
The teenager’s mother had a drug problem, not to mention a fondness for alcohol. There wasn’t much money left over for things like food and heat. Until Kelly had stepped in, Corina had often gone without a decent meal for days at a time.
“How’s school?” Kelly asked.
“Okay. I’m studying hard. I’ve been talking to my teachers about maybe taking my finals early, so that I don’t miss them. The baby’s due t
hat week.”
“I’m glad you’re planning ahead, but you do know that the baby might be late, right? This is your first and they like to take their time.”
“I know. I just want to be prepared.” Corina’s chin dropped. “I’m thinking of getting a job when I graduate.”
“For the summer, you mean?”
“Not exactly.”
Kelly’s heart froze. As the teenager continued to avoid looking at her, her concern grew. “I thought you were going to college in the fall. You have that scholarship to Stanford. Corina, that’s an incredible opportunity. You’re one of the smartest young women I’ve ever met. You have a chance to be anything you want. Why would you turn your back on that?”
The girl shrugged. “I wouldn’t, exactly.”
“Then what’s going on?”
Corina shrugged again.
Kelly struggled for patience. “If you stay here, you’ll always be trapped by your past. Look around you. Is this what you want for yourself? Your mother has been on drugs since she was twelve. You don’t know who your father is. You have half brothers and sisters scattered who knows where. When you leave this town, you can be anyone you want. Your past stops here and you only have to worry about your future. You have dreams, I know you do. We’ve talked about them. Why don’t you want the chance to make them come true?”
Corina blinked back tears. “I want that so much,” she whispered. “But it’s not like you think. All my friends…they keep their babies. They stay here and find a life. They’ve been telling me that I’m a bad person for wanting to give up my baby. Half of them won’t even speak to me anymore. They’re saying if I was a real woman, I couldn’t give up my child, and that I’m selfish and wrong.”
Tears flowed in earnest now. Corina brushed them away. “Dr. Kelly, I want to be just like you. I want to go to medical school and make something of my-self, then I want to come back to a place like this and save people’s lives. I can’t do that with a baby. I can’t. I want to go to college, but now I’m afraid that it’s wrong to want so much. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I should stay here and just get a job. Maybe learn to do hair or something.”
For Kelly, listening to Corina was like staring into the mirror of her own past. She wasn’t sure what to think, let alone say.
“Dr. Kelly? You have to tell me what to do.”
Kelly pressed her lips together. Who was she to give answers? She’d messed up her own life so much she hadn’t been on a date in years. She was afraid to allow herself any joy because she felt she didn’t deserve it. According to her father, she was hiding behind a busy schedule. And she suspected he was right.
She knew the past had a way of catching up with a person, but she hadn’t expected it to come in the form of a lost, frightened seventeen year old.
Kelly opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t find any words. Just then her pager went off. Grateful for the interruption, she glanced down at the display.
“It’s the hospital,” she said, trying to keep the relief out of her voice. “I have to call them.”
When she made the call, she was told about an emergency with one of her patients. She hurried back into the examining room.
“I have to go,” she said, telling herself there was no need to feel guilty. “Make an appointment for two weeks and we’ll talk then, all right?”
Corina was still crying.
“I’m sorry,” Kelly said. “It’s an emergency. Remind Sharon to give you your vitamins. You’re doing great. Hang in there.”
What pitiful advice, Kelly thought as she ran down the stairs and raced toward her car. The worst thing Corina could do was to be like her.
As she drove toward the hospital, Kelly vowed she would make it up to the girl. Just as soon as she figured out how.
Tanner felt as if he’d stumbled into an old master’s painting. Kelly sat in the rocking chair in the corner, holding Lia in her arms. Subtle light brought out the gold in Kelly’s blond hair and made her skin glow. Lia was awake and staring up into Kelly’s eyes.
Mother and child, he thought as he continued to study them. A month ago he couldn’t have imagined having either of them in his life. Now he didn’t know what his world would be like without them.
Kelly looked up at him. “You’re not working,” she said. “The wallpaper isn’t going to hang itself. Or are you waiting for me to offer.”
“No, I’ll do it.”
She smiled and some of his tension eased. When Kelly had first arrived a couple of hours before, she’d been quiet and withdrawn. Normally she enjoyed talking about her day, but this time all she’d said was that she’d had an emergency at the hospital and that it had cut into her time at the clinic. She’d gone back to see as many patients as possible, but some hadn’t been able to wait for her.
Tanner knew there was something else bothering her, but he wasn’t going to pry. When she wanted to talk, he would listen. Until then, he was content to enjoy her company.
He checked the back of the border print he held. It was tacky but not too wet, so he climbed the short ladder and carefully smoothed it into place.
“It’s crooked,” Kelly said helpfully. “And there are about a dozen air pockets.”
“Thanks,” he muttered, reaching up to adjust the paper. But he’d waited too long and it didn’t slide against the wall anymore. He gave a hard shove. Instead of moving, the border print tore. A short piece separated from the rest and fluttered to the floor.
“Don’t say anything,” he commanded as he ripped off the rest of the strip and flung it down. “I hate hanging wallpaper.”
Kelly clear her throat. “Wow, so when you offered to pay me back by wallpapering my house, you were lying. Even I can do better than you.”
“Yeah, well, I hate hanging wallpaper. Why can’t people just use paint?” He hunched his shoulder and turned to glare at her. “I wasn’t lying. I would have done it. I was just hoping you’d let me do something else. Maybe something simple like re-wiring your house.”
“Or you could have one of your men do it.”
He shook his head. “That wouldn’t work. It’s my debt, so I have to pay you back.”
“No debt,” she said softly. “We’re friends, Tanner. I’m happy to help.”
She was tall and athletic, not at all petite or dainty, yet she was the most feminine woman he’d ever known. The hands holding his daughter were strong and capable. She was someone he could depend on and there hadn’t been many types like that in his life.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he said, snagging one of the fallen strips of border print.
“Hanging paper?”
“No, hanging a print that’s ballerina teddy bears. It’s so girly.”
Kelly laughed. “You have a daughter. Get used to the girl thing.”
“I guess. I even ordered curtains and the matching lamp. The good news is that when I told Lia about it, she was really happy.”
“Oh? How did you know this?”
“She smiled at me.” He made the statement faintly defensively, but he knew that she’d been smiling at him. Her lips had curved and everything.
“Tanner, she’s three weeks old. She can’t smile. It was gas.”
“It was not.”
“Right.” Her look and her tone were indulgent.
He shifted his attention to his daughter. Three weeks. Is that all the time it had been? It felt longer.
“She still doesn’t have any toys,” he said. “I have to find time to get some.”
Kelly shifted Lia and crossed her legs. “Speaking of buying things for your daughter, I’ve been thinking about throwing you a baby shower.”
“Why?”
She grinned. “Don’t look so panicked. It won’t hurt…much. Actually the shower isn’t for you, it’s for Lia. So many people want to see her, and probably see her with you. It would be a lot of fun. We could register you at the baby store and at a toy store. What do you think?”
“Why?”
“You keep asking that. It’s a girl thing. Trust me. I’ll take care of everything. Just say yes.”
He had a bad feeling he was going to regret it, but he muttered, “Yes,” then asked if anything strange happened at baby showers.
“Define strange,” she told him.
“Never mind.”
“We’ll need to pick a date so that I can mail out invitations. We can’t do it for her one month birthday. For one thing, that’s next weekend and I can’t plan that fast. Not to mention next weekend is booked. I’ll have Ryan’s kids until Sunday evening. Maybe we can celebrate her six week birthday.”
“Whatever.” He began measuring out a length of the border print. At least he’d remembered to buy double the amount so that he would have enough, despite the occasional mishap. “I can’t believe you’re taking Ryan’s three kids for the weekend.”
“I tried to take just a couple of them, but he got pretty insistent that I take all or none. What a perfectionist he is.”
He glanced at her. Laughter glittered in her eyes. “You’re nothing like I thought you’d be,” he told her.
“Meaning?”
“You have a sense of humor. You’re human. I thought doctors were stuffy by nature.”
“They try to teach us that, but I never had time to fit that particular class into my schedule.”
“It’s not just that,” he said. “You don’t act like you’re God. You treat people with respect. I thought you’d disapprove of what I do for a living.”
She straightened in the rocking chair and stared at him. “How could you think that? Tanner, you’re brilliant at what you do. How many people do you know who could coordinate a project of this magnitude? We’re not talking about recarpeting a living room. This is a one-hundred million dollar project.”
“It’s just a building. You save lives.”
“And without buildings, people would die from exposure. Everyone contributes in a different way. I would never judge someone based on their work.”
Their Little Princess Page 11
