by Radclyffe
“She’s been asleep since they brought her up here, maybe two hours ago. The doctors are supposed to look at her again soon.”
“She…uh…she’s pretty sick?”
Bri swallowed hard. “Yeah.”
“Christ,” he growled. “How’s Tory taking it?”
“She’s worn out. She’s been asleep, too.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” Bri looked away. I’m fucking scared out of my mind.
Nelson squeezed her shoulder with one huge hand, then slid his arm around her and pulled her close. He hugged her for a second, amazed as always by her solid strength. “Reese is tough.”
“Yeah,” Bri said again. She’d never leave Tory. But people do leave, don’t they? We lost Mom.
Bri stepped away. “I oughta get Tory some lunch. She forgets, and you know…with her being…you know. Well, Reese would be pissed if we let Tory get sick.”
“You go back in.” Nelson jumped at the chance to do something, anything, remotely useful. He did not want to walk in there and see Reese on the edge. He didn’t think he could take it. “I’ll get Tory a sandwich. That would be good, right?”
“Yeah. And juice. Juice seems to be okay.”
“Great. Got it,” the chief said as he hurried away.
Bri glanced at the clock down the hall at the nurses’ station. Almost three p.m. She thought about calling Caroline. Caroline would tell her that Reese would be fine and make her believe it. Caroline had always been able to do that—make her see the light in the dark, no matter how bad it seemed. Bri closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. I wish you were here. I wish you knew how much I need you.
After a minute, she opened her eyes, straightened her shoulders, and slipped back into the hospital room.
*
Reese opened her eyes, blinked, and focused on the faces leaning over her. The surgeon was closest to her, her dark eyes opaque, her austerely handsome features expressionless. Tory stood across from her. Focusing on those tender green eyes, Reese smiled. “Is this the only show in town?”
A flicker of joy flared in Tory’s eyes, the first sign of happiness in hours. The corner of her mouth lifted in a soft smile. “Apparently, Sheriff, you’re it.”
“It’s good to see you,” Reese whispered, lifting her free hand, which Tory immediately grasped. Then, Reese turned toward K.T. O’Bannon. “How do things look, Doc?”
“Stable.” K.T.’s gaze was on Reese’s arm. Then she seemed to reconsider. “Actually, a bit better than that. I think the cellulitis has receded and the swelling is a little less.”
“I guess that means you and I won’t be getting together then.”
K.T.’s dark eyes rose to meet the deep blue ones. She smiled faintly. “I guess not.” Then she glanced across Reese’s body to Tory. “Can we speak outside?”
Tory looked as if she were about to object, but Reese squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Go ahead, love.”
After a second’s hesitation, Tory nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Once outside, Tory studied K.T., who leaned with one shoulder against the wall, waiting for her. The surgeon wore only hospital scrubs with no lab coat. Her beeper was clipped to the right hip and several pens protruded from her breast pocket. She was still lean and faintly tanned. She looked much the way Tory remembered her, with only a few added lines around her eyes to mark the passage of time. She was still heart-stoppingly beautiful, with that same dangerous glint in her eyes, as if she knew it. Looking at her, Tory’s memories of their years together were clouded by the mists of half-truths and lost dreams. The emotions that had once been so achingly close to the surface whenever she thought of K.T.’s smile, her touch, were gone.
“What is it?” Tory regarded K.T. uneasily. “Did you see something that worried you when you examined her?”
“No, nothing like that,” K.T. clarified quickly. “I just wanted you to know that I’ll be here for another twelve hours. If there’s any change, call me. I’ll come take another look.”
“Thanks.” Tory allowed herself to hope. Maybe the nightmare really is over. “I appreciate you spending so much time with us. I know how busy it gets when you’re the only one on call.”
“That’s okay.” K.T. shrugged. Then, her voice pitched low, she added, “I’m glad things turned out this way. As much as I love to operate, I’m glad I didn’t have to this time.”
“So am I. I know you weren’t happy when I wanted to wait.”
“The both of you would have been hard to take on.”
Tory smiled. “Reese is not someone you want to challenge at any time, even when she’s flat on her back.”
“I haven’t even seen her at her best, and I believe you.” Uncharacteristically, K.T. looked away for a heartbeat, and then brought her eyes back to Tory’s. “I still miss you.”
Tory’s lips parted in surprise. They hadn’t seen each other since separating nearly seven years before. The first few years after that had been agonizingly difficult for Tory. She’d been through medical school and residency with K.T., and she had planned on a lifetime with her. When all that had changed, she’d lost faith in love and even worse, in herself.
Determined to reclaim her life, Tory had left Boston. First, she had regained her identity and sense of purpose by establishing her medical practice in Provincetown. She’d rebuilt her life while keeping her heart locked safely away. Then Reese had come along and made it impossible for her not to believe in love again. Reese had brought hope back into her heart, and because of Reese’s love, her life was filled with joy and promise.
“Take care of yourself, K.T.,” Tory said quietly. “I need to get back to Reese.”
As Tory turned away, the deep, sensuous voice she knew so well murmured, “If I called you, could I see you?”
“No.”
Without looking back, Tory walked through the door and let it swing closed behind her.
*
“Everything okay?” Reese watched her lover approach. She’d been fading in and out for what felt like days, but she remembered realizing who the surgeon had to be—Tory’s ex-lover. Do you still hurt, love?
Tory pulled a chair close to the bedside and lowered the rail that separated them. She placed both hands around Reese’s below the intravenous line, lifted it, and pressed her lips to the top of Reese’s hand. “Everything is wonderful.”
“O’Bannon’s your K.T., right?”
Tory stiffened slightly, then shook her head gently. “No, honey. Not anymore.”
“You feeling all right?”
“I am now. Now that you’re better.” Tory lifted Reese’s fingers and brushed them against her cheek, then turned her face and kissed each one. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been on maneuvers for four days straight in a swamp somewhere without water. My head hurts, my insides are empty, and I don’t think I could stand up if the room was on fire.” Reese grinned weakly. “But compared to this morning, I feel like a million bucks.”
“You’re going to be fine.”
“I can think a little bit clearer now, and I seem to have most of the feeling back in my right hand. I’m just so damn weak.”
You’ll get over this. You have to, because I need you so much. Tory closed her eyes as a sudden rush of emotions swamped her. Then she couldn’t stop the tears, even though she wanted to. “Oh, God, Reese.”
“Tory,” Reese whispered. “It’s okay, love.”
“I was so scared,” Tory murmured, her eyes still closed. “I don’t know how I would manage without you. I can’t even imagine…”
“I love you. I will not leave you.” Reese moved their joined hands until her fingers touched the tears. “Besides, we have a baby coming, and I intend to be there for every second of the fun.”
Tory leaned closer and rested her head against Reese’s shoulder. “Fun. Ha.” But her spirits lifted at the sound of Reese’s steady heartbeat beneath her cheek.
“I can�
�t wait.” Reese wrapped her free arm protectively around Tory’s shoulders and held her as close as she could. “You should go home, love. You need to get some rest. Especially now.”
“No.”
“Tory, please. Everyone agrees I’m going to be okay, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Please.”
“Later, I promise. I’ll go home in a little while.” She lifted her gaze, her green eyes still swimming with tears. “I just need to be with you a little longer. I need to feel safe again.”
“Okay.” Reese’s fingers softly stroked Tory’s face. “Okay, love. Whatever you want. Always.”
They both jumped as a knock sounded at the door. Then it slowly swung open and Bri peered around the corner. Her face lit up when she saw that Reese was awake. “Hey! You okay?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Come on in.”
Suddenly shy, Bri came slowly forward until she stood on the side of the bed opposite Tory, her hands in the front pockets of her low-riding pants. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too, kiddo.” Reese smiled. “You know, I seem to remember you managed to find some food earlier. Any chance of repeating that trick?”
“Sure, if it’s okay.” Bri looked to Tory questioningly.
“Now that we know she’s not going to need surgery, I don’t see any reason she can’t eat. I’ll check with Jill Baker. She’s the attending.”
“How about Bri hunts down some hoagies, and by the time she gets back, we’ll have our answer?” Reese suggested. You look ready to collapse, love. Hoagies will have to do until I can get you to go home.
“You mind, Bri?” Tory hated to impose yet again on their young friend.
“Hell, no. Anything, as long as I don’t have to eat what they have in the hospital cafeteria again.”
They all laughed and Bri hurried out.
“She’s been here all day,” Tory said quietly. “Nelson was here earlier, too.”
“He see Bri?” Reese’s eyes fluttered closed, and she fought them open.
“Yes. They seemed okay.”
“Good. I’m glad Bri…was here for you.”
“She’s been great. It’s hard to believe that she’s not a kid anymore.”
“Yeah,” Reese agreed. “She is and she isn’t, you know? She’s not a kid, but she’s still…so damn young.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m a little…worried…about her.”
“Rest for a while, honey. I’ll wake you when Bri gets back with the sandwiches.”
“Maybe just for a few minutes,” Reese murmured as she drifted off into healing slumber.
Chapter Seven
A week later, Kate Mahoney looked up from the newspaper and regarded her daughter with amused consternation. “Reese, darling, I don’t think that’s exactly what Tory meant when she said you should rest today.”
“If I rest any more, I’m going to be comatose.” Reese awkwardly pried open a can of primer with her left hand. The right was tucked into a sling across her chest. She wiped her hand on her faded fatigue pants and glanced at her mother in frustration. “I’ve been home from the hospital for four days, and I’m perfectly fine. If there were any real paperwork to do, I’d beg Nelson to put me on desk duty. But until the end of the month, there’s hardly enough of that to keep him busy in the office.”
“I know you’re bored,” Kate sympathized. “But somehow, painting a room does not seem like resting.”
“It’s therapy. She said I could use my hand.”
“No. What she said was that you could start gentle strengthening exercises. I doubt very much that includes wielding a paintbrush.”
“Did Tory assign you to spy on me?” Reese regarded her mother with faint suspicion. Kate and Jean had been in Boston for a weekend of shopping and theater-going when Reese had been admitted to the hospital. Upon their return and subsequent discovery of Reese’s illness, they had taken turns spending time at the hospital. Reese had been enormously grateful when Kate convinced Tory to go home in the evenings rather than spending all of her time with Reese. But now she wanted everyone, including her mother, to leave her in peace.
“No,” Kate said with a laugh. “I just happen to like your company. I know once the season starts, you’re going to be too busy even to visit.”
“Shouldn’t you be working in the gallery? Don’t you have paintings to hang or something?”
“The gallery is in good shape. Jean is taking care of the all the details for the opening.” Kate smiled benignly. “I have absolutely nothing on my schedule.”
“I’m not going to do anything foolish.” Reese stirred the paint and sighed. “I don’t want anything to keep me from getting back to work as soon as possible.”
“Tory said it would be a month,” Kate reminded Reese gently.
“It needs to be a little sooner,” Reese said determinedly. “The stitches will be out in another week, and there’s no reason I can’t start getting some of the strength back in my arm now.”
“If you use it too much, too quickly, you’ll just prolong the swelling.”
Reese raised an eyebrow. “Is the house bugged? Tory said something just like that this morning.”
“No, but I lived with your father for fifteen years, and I’ve seen my share of physical injuries. Marines tend to get banged up a good deal, as you may recall.”
For a moment, silence descended between them. They rarely talked about Reese’s father, because the terms of Kate’s divorce from him had stipulated her separation from Reese as well. Reese had spent her teenage years and young adulthood with no contact at all with her mother. Had Reese not made a life-altering decision to leave active duty and move to Provincetown, she and Kate might never have had the chance to get to know each other.
“I suppose I’m as bad a patient as he was,” Reese muttered. She knew that in many ways she was like her father, and sometimes that bothered her. She respected him, even admired him, as an officer. But she didn’t want to be like him as a person. She looked at Kate questioningly. “Do you think we’re a lot alike?”
“Only in the sense that neither of you were ever willing to admit there was something you couldn’t do.” Kate looked away, a distant expression in her eyes.
Reese leaned back on her heels and asked softly, “Do you hate him?”
“No,” Kate replied without hesitation. “I don’t like him, but I don’t believe he ever did anything to intentionally hurt you. Hurt me, yes. But not you. That I would never forgive.”
“He never tried to understand you.”
“I doubt that he could. He can’t change who he is any more than I can who I am.”
“He could learn to accept some things.” Reese’s voice held a hint of bitterness.
“Like the fact that his ex-wife and his daughter are lesbians?”
“Maybe.” Reese’s smile was brittle. “Or maybe just that there are more ways to live than his way.”
“I won’t defend him to you, Reese. Not when he took nearly twenty years that I might have spent knowing you.”
“Tory thinks I should tell him about the baby.”
“Do you want to?”
“I don’t know.” Reese leaned her shoulder against the wall and rubbed her eyes. “I’m not sure what the point would be. He hasn’t accepted my relationship with Tory, so he certainly isn’t going to accept our child.”
“Perhaps it isn’t his acceptance, but you telling him that matters.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Reese considered the prospect solemnly.
“You and Tory are about to experience something wonderful, something precious,” Kate said gently. “He’s your father, one of the most significant people in your life. You need to tell him for your own sake and let him deal with his feelings the best way he can. Because if you don’t, it diminishes you and your relationship with Tory.”
“Like hiding being gay to avoid a court-martial?”
“Reese, I know how much that bothers you. But, how does the saying
go? You have to pick your battles?”
Reese grinned. “Uh-huh.”
“Well, when you choose not to reveal your sexuality to General Conlon, it’s a professional necessity. Not telling your father about your child is personal, and in my opinion, much more critical.”
“Being a marine’s a lot simpler. The rules are clearer, and the strategic decisions a lot easier to make.”
“Yes, indeed.” Kate smiled. “I think you’re doing wonderfully as a civilian, by the way.”
“I hope so, because Tory means more to me than anything else ever could. And now…” Reese swallowed and met her mother’s eyes. “I think I’m going to need a fair amount of advice about this parenting thing.”
“I’m sure you and Tory won’t have any trouble at all. I intend to do nothing except spoil him or her, which is a grandmother’s right.”
“Well, as long as you’re available for an emergency rescue mission if I get into trouble,” Reese remarked, hunting for the paintbrush.
“You can count on that.”
*
Tory stopped mid-stride in the middle of the dining room and cocked her head. “Why do I smell fresh paint?”
Reese swiveled on the stool at the breakfast counter and smiled. Tory had been in the clinic all day. Thirteen interminable hours. “Welcome home, love.”
“Let me repeat,” Tory said as she crossed the room. “Who’s been painting?”
“Uh, I thought I’d get started on the nursery.”
“You did.” It was a statement, not a question. Tory leaned her cane against the counter and regarded Reese expressionlessly. Normally, Reese was a recruiting poster example of good health and physical fitness. Now, a trace of illness still lingered. The shadows under her eyes had faded but had not disappeared completely. Her color was better, but she was still pale. She hadn’t been out of the hospital long enough for Tory’s fear to have completely subsided. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Could you kiss me first?” Reese murmured, extending her good hand.
Tory moved between Reese’s parted legs, resting her palm on Reese’s thigh for support. “Hmm, I suppose.”
