“I started to, but she insisted on taking that beautiful quilt into your office herself.”
He stilled, his feet suddenly rooted to the floor. “She?”
“The bag tipped over when she bumped the chair and we couldn’t help but see what was inside,” Marge called out over her shoulder as she kept walking. “I tried to put it back, but she insisted and I knew it was useless to argue. Oh, and she was also adamant about waiting for you, too. Be back soon.”
Before Thomas could say another word, Marge disappeared with a quick wave.
He remained standing there, staring at the door, trying to grasp the fact that Annabel was waiting for him on the other side.
Her coming back here to his office was the last thing he’d planned on, the last thing he expected. It was too early for Smiley’s session. She must have come to see Maurice.
And him.
He pulled in a deep breath and moved forward, regretting that he didn’t have the afternoon to figure out exactly what he was going to say to her. That he’d brought the quilt to the hospital was probably explanation enough, but still she’d persisted on waiting for him.
Determined to keep his focus completely on the facts and not the wild beating of his heart, he straightened his tie, turned the latch and stepped inside. His gaze was immediately drawn to the woman sitting at one end of his couch, the quilt spread over her lap, her fingertips tracing the mutely shaded blocks and the intricate stitching.
“Grandmother?”
Ernestine’s hand stilled as she raised her head. “Good morning, Thomas. Or should I say good afternoon. You know, this quilt is a beautiful piece of work.”
He walked farther into the room, bombarded with regret when he realized it wasn’t Annabel who was waiting for him.
He tried to control the emotional roller coaster he was riding, knowing the fact he was on this ride in the first place was of his own doing. “Ah, yes, it is.”
“The time and attention to detail it took to create such a lovely work of art.” She returned her attention to the quilt, her hands again moving lightly over the fabric. “Someone must have been working on this for a very long time.”
“Almost two years.”
The words left his mouth before he’d even realized he spoke, remembering Annabel telling him about how she’d started the quilt as a way to keep busy during a crazy winter storm that dumped almost two feet of snow on Thunder Canyon.
He’d spent that same long weekend holed up in his empty condo with nothing but a home designer’s catalog to flip through. It still amazed him how the colors she’d chosen had perfectly matched the furniture, carpeting and drapes he’d picked for his place that first weekend he’d been back in town.
Deciding he’d better sit before his shaky legs gave out on him, Thomas moved to the chair behind his desk.
“And it fits so perfectly with both your office and your home. Wherever did you have it made?”
“I didn’t. I mean, it wasn’t created specifically for me. For my place. The fact it matches is…just a fluke.”
“Oh?” His grandmother slightly tilted her head, a familiar motion that spoke volumes despite her abbreviated question.
“It was a gift, actually.” He paused and cleared his suddenly tight throat. “An unplanned gift. From a friend.”
That caused his grandmother’s gaze to sharpen with curiosity. “A lady friend?”
Thomas remained silent.
“A very special lady friend.” Her words were spoken as a statement of fact as she answered her own question. “Well, that’s even better.”
“No, it’s not.”
She laced her fingers together and rested them primly on her quilt-covered lap. “I’m intrigued. Please go on.”
“There is nothing to be intrigued about, Grandmother.” He leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to appear relaxed as he returned her direct stare. “There is no special lady friend.”
“But there was.”
A heartbeat passed. “Yes, but it’s over.”
This time her head tilted ever so slightly in the opposite direction. “And does Miss Cates share in that assessment of your relationship?”
Thomas couldn’t contain his shock. “How did— How did you know it was Annabel Cates?”
“Oh, my darling, you’d be surprised at the things I know.” Ernestine gently folded the quilt into a neat package and laid it next to her on the couch. “With age comes wisdom, as the saying goes.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“It means I was hoping you would find more here in Thunder Canyon than just a brilliant career that you’ve worked so hard for and deservedly so.”
Then it hit Thomas that his grandmother knew everything that happened back in California. “How did you find out?”
“Haven’t you learned by now that there’s little that goes on in this hospital that I don’t know about? Including the professional backgrounds of our staff?” She held up a hand when he started to speak. “And when one of those staff members is related to me you can be certain my fellow administrators made sure I was aware of what exactly led to you looking for work away from Santa Monica.”
Thomas leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you about all of that myself—”
“No apologies necessary, Thomas.” She cut him off. “The way your personal and professional lives collided, and the fallout it created, was not something you could control.”
“It was my fault.”
“You were lied to. Your feelings were manipulated. How can you take responsibility for that?”
“I have to.” Thomas rose and walked to the window, unable to take the sympathy he saw in his grandmother’s eyes. “I have to make sure that ‘collision,’ as you called it, never happens again.”
“By closing off your heart?”
“By choosing to focus all of my attention on my patients.” Despite the rudeness of the gesture, he kept his back to her. “I missed something last weekend that could’ve cost a man his life.”
“But it didn’t.”
“No, but to take that chance again…” He turned and looked at his grandmother. Pride welling inside him at all she’d accomplished here at the hospital, at what his family has achieved in this town. “To do anything that would result in a repeat of what happened in the past, to bring shame to this hospital, our family…to you. I won’t take that risk.”
“Thomas—”
“Besides, love and marriage and medicine aren’t a good mix. Look at all the people here at TC General going through breakups and divorces.”
His grandmother smiled as she stood, using her cane for balance as she walked toward him. “Thomas, you could say the same thing about any profession. Love and marriage take a lot of hard work, commitment and attention to keep it strong and healthy, just like any career does.”
“Mother and Father haven’t had to work that hard.”
“Yes, they have,” she countered. “Children don’t always see all that goes into their parents’ relationship, especially you because you were away so often at school and such. Believe me, with the two of them being hardheaded lawyers, like your grandpa Joe, they made some of their arguments more entertaining than most federal court cases.”
His grandmother’s assessment of his parents’ stable and rather sedate marriage surprised him. Even more so was the hint that her own marriage had suffered its share of ups and downs. “You and Grandpa Joe?”
“We had our troubles as well, darling.” She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “Both long before and after that horrible accident. When we first met, your grandfather told me on our third date that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. To an eighteen-year-old girl that sounded crazy, but he was so sure we were m
eant to be together.”
Thomas did the math quickly in his head. “But you were married just before your nineteenth birthday.”
“Yes, we were. With a lot of promises of forever from him and a big leap of faith on my part.” Her eyes filled with long-ago memories. “Your grandfather told me he loved me enough for the both of us and that would carry us through until I was sure. And he was right. When he lost his legs all those years later, it was my turn to be the one to convince him our love was strong enough, that I could be strong enough, for the both of us.”
“But you’d been married over three decades when that happened.” Thomas remembered his own devastation at what his grandfather had suffered through when Thomas was a child. To picture those events again from his grandmother’s point of view put a totally new spin on things. “Looking back now, as an adult and a doctor, I can see all he had to deal with, both physically and mentally, but I honestly never thought your marriage—”
“Our marriage lasted another twenty years because we found a way to make our love strong again, a feat achieved many times over.” Her attention was back fully on him. “The ups and downs, the good times and bad, the strengths and weaknesses…when you find the right person, when you’re that lucky, you need to grab ahold of that love and never let go. Fifty-five years or fifty-five days…I would’ve been happy with either because I was with the man I loved.”
Thomas turned back to stare out the window again, folding his arms over his chest after his grandmother released her hold on him. His head swirled with everything she’d said, making sorting it into logical steps and facts difficult.
Falling back on his training, he started compartmentalizing, pushing away his emotions even as the desire to find Annabel, to go to her, surged inside of him.
The gentle cuff to the back of his head caught him completely by surprise.
He turned to stare at his grandmother, his mouth rising into a grin that matched hers. It’d been years since she’d swatted him one.
“What was that for?”
“I know you’re going to think and reason and debate all we’ve talked about, because that’s who you are and that’s what you do, but don’t take too long.” She turned and headed for the door. “Your young lady doesn’t seem to be as naive as I once was. I think it might take a lot more than fancy words and heartfelt promises to show her how wrong you were.”
“I didn’t say I was wrong.”
“Not yet, you haven’t.” She glanced back and gave him a quick wink. “You’re a smart boy. You’ll get there eventually.”
Thomas turned back to the window after his grandmother departed, closing the door behind her.
He didn’t know how long he stood there, reflecting on the past few days, weeks and years. Thinking about all he’d gone through in California thanks to both his own choices and the things that had been out of his control.
Yes, he’d fallen hard and fast for Victoria and he’d overlooked—or just didn’t want to see—the obvious signs that something was wrong with their relationship from the start. All the hiding and secrecy over the months they’d spent together should’ve been red flags that everything wasn’t as it seemed.
She wasn’t all she seemed.
While his day-to-day work at the hospital hadn’t been affected, his career had suffered because of his own actions, even more so, by all that Victoria had done. Not just to him but to the poor schmuck still married to her.
Annabel wasn’t Victoria though.
Yes, they’d only known each other a few weeks, but the way he felt when he was with her was so much more than he’d ever experienced with Victoria. With anyone, for that matter.
And the only one trying to keep their crazy and wonderful courtship a secret had been him, because of the past.
When he’d finally admitted to himself—and to her—how much he wanted her, wanted to be with her, everything fell in place so easily. It was almost scary at how perfect they fit.
Another reason why he’d tried to run.
Not that everything would always fit so flawlessly. They came from two different worlds. Her loud and adoring family, so different from his small and demure one, would require some getting used to. His demanding career, her devotion to her dog and their equally strong commitment to both would also require a lot of give and take.
The bottom line?
Finding a way to bring his world and hers together would be challenging and fun and well worth the effort.
Thomas moved back to his desk and sat, thinking about everything his grandmother had said about the hard work and commitment that came with making a relationship last.
He kept coming to the same conclusion.
Why was he running away from the best thing that ever happened to him? Fighting his feelings, hiding from them was useless because they weren’t going to change.
Not now. Not ever.
But what to do to show that he’d finally understood? That he was finally sure?
The idea came to him quickly and while it might be a small first step, it was an important one.
He quickly booted up his computer, typed a simple request in the search engine and waited. As soon as the website appeared he scanned the images, one after the other, until he found the perfect one. Blonde, bubbly and a face that showed all the love in the world to give.
With one click he checked his calendar, relieved to find it empty for the afternoon. Rising, he rounded his desk and headed for the door.
“I’m out of here for the day, Marge,” he said to his secretary, glad to see she’d returned. “I’ll have my cell phone on if any emergencies arise.”
“Has your grandmother left?” she asked.
“Yes, she did.” He didn’t even slow down as he hurried past her desk.
“Where are you going?” she called after him.
“To see a woman about a dog.”
Chapter Thirteen
Forcing a smile had never been something Annabel needed to do, but today, despite stopping in and finding Maurice sleeping comfortably in his new room, it took all the energy she had to remain positive during this afternoon’s Smiley session.
She’d left behind a note and an arrangement of brightly colored daisies for Maurice to find when he awoke, ushering Smiley away from the bed after he’d nudged at the sleeping man’s hand.
Once they arrived at the therapy area, they’d found a roomful of patients already waiting, with more coming and going as the two hours passed. Annabel had already contacted a few members of her therapy group with the idea of adding more dogs to this weekly open session. Having two or three additional animals would allow each person to have more one-on-one time as many were often reluctant to allow Smiley to move on.
Of course, she still needed to get approval from—
Thomas.
Still on bended knee, Smiley at her side after they’d said goodbye to the last child, Annabel bowed her head, blinking hard against the endless supply of tears.
Would they ever stop?
After the past three days one would think she’d exhausted her supply. But after Annabel had responded to her mother’s innocently asked “how was your day” on Monday night by bursting into wrenching sobs, her mother had lovingly pointed out to her that the tears would end when the healing began.
Annabel wasn’t sure that would ever happen.
Something deep inside told her that while the crippling ache in her heart might one day ease, the empty space left behind would always belong to the one man she’d been so sure was the love of her life.
A man who couldn’t—wouldn’t—accept her love.
Smiley’s snout nuzzled her shoulder, his nose cool against her neck. Annabel sighed and her pet moved even closer, instinctively knowing how much his owner needed his faithful and unconditional
love.
“Thank you, sweetie.” Annabel wrapped her arms around the dog’s shoulders and gave him a gentle hug. Smiley had rarely left her side since greeting her at the door on Monday. “I don’t know how I’d get through all of this without you.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
The low masculine voice caused Annabel to look up.
Shock filled her at the sight of Forrest Traub standing in front of her. Rising, she brushed the tears off her cheeks. “What are you doing here?”
The tall man leaned heavily on his cane as he held out one hand for her dog to inspect. “I’m here to see you. And Smiley.”
Seconds later, Smiley offered a quick lick to the man’s fingers and was rewarded with a firm scratch behind his ears.
Forrest leaned over and spoke gently to her pet. Annabel silently thanked him, sure he’d seen her crying, and used those few moments to pull in and then release a deep shuddering breath.
She had no idea why Forrest Traub was back in town or why he’d come looking for her. “No, what I meant was what are you doing back in Thunder Canyon? I was told you’d returned to your family’s ranch.”
“I did, for a while.” Forrest straightened. “But my brother Clay and I have decided to move to Thunder Canyon on a permanent basis.”
Her gaze flickered for a moment to his leg and the brace still visible beneath his faded jeans. “For your treatment?”
His grip again tightened on the curved handle of his cane. “Among other reasons.”
“Ah. Would you like to sit?” Annabel waved at a pair of nearby chairs, already inching toward the one farthest away. “Smiley’s session ended a few minutes ago, but I don’t think they’ll kick us out just yet.”
Forrest sank into the chair, his injured leg stretched out in front of him. Smiley moved in, placing his chin immediately on the man’s good knee, just like he’d done that first day.
“I’ve been standing in the corner for the last few minutes, watching you work,” Forrest said, his lips rising into a small grin when Smiley lifted his head and looked up at him. “Watching both of you work. I’d heard from my cousin about how popular your sessions have become. I guess you were able to convince Dr. North to give your idea a go.”
Puppy Love in Thunder Canyon Page 14
