Second Opinions: A Lizzy and Dr. Darcy Story (Meryton Medical Romances Book 2)

by Ruby Cruz

  “But you and Charlie…”

  “We fight. We have our disagreements. Like he’s a total slob and has been waited on his entire life so I have to pick up after him all the time, but he’s learning I’m not his unpaid maid. All that stuff doesn’t matter, though, because in the end, we love each other. We’re willing to make it work because we want to be together more than we want to be apart. So, when you leave here, I want you to ask yourself what you really want from him. What’s really important to you? Because if you and Will are going to make your relationship last, you need to figure out if you want to stay together despite all the obstacles thrown your way.”

  “You’re way too coherent for someone just coming out of anesthesia.”

  “Apparently I was repeating myself quite a bit when I first came out, something about leaving my salad at home. I guess I did miss lunch today. And you’re deflecting. Please, talk to Will.”

  “Actually, I was going to today. I figured making sure you were okay took precedent.”

  “Well, I might not be totally okay, but I will be. Eventually.”

  ~

  Jane’s blood work came back on the low side of normal, so she was discharged to home with a prescription for iron supplements and without any further incident. We were all allowed in the discharge area, and as Jane dressed and was given her discharge instructions by a friendly nurse named Charity who had given a small bag of coloring books and crayons to Chloe, the rest of us stood awkwardly in the small space. Mom insisted on accompanying Jane and Charlie home “to help with Chloe” while Lydia offered Hal a ride back to their house.

  That left Darcy and me pretending not to stare at each other. Even after everyone else had shuffled to their designated vehicles, Darcy and I remained just outside the discharge area, which wasn’t too far from the emergency room, so a good flow of people still moved through the hallways.

  We stood in silence for what seemed an eternity. His eyes burned into me, the deep brown seeming intensely black in the artificial light of the hallway. I made the first move. I took one step closer to him, then another, until I was in his arms and his lips were on mine, warm and hard and demanding.

  “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I’ve been stupid.”

  “I have been also.”

  He held me in his arms and rested his head on top of mine. “I guess that makes us a pair of idiots.”

  “I guess so.”

  “When Charlie called, I kept thinking, ‘What if that had been you? What if you were the one bleeding, needing surgery?’ And I realized that all of this fighting we’ve been doing, all the misunderstandings, they’re nothing compared to the love I feel for you. I literally don’t know what I would do if you were gone. So, tomorrow, I’m going to New York and I’m telling my aunt that I’m done. I’m quitting the company and coming back to Meryton. I just want us to be together.”

  I raised a hand to his cheek, felt the prickle of stubble beneath my fingers. To be able to hold him and touch him again…my heart swelled with the knowledge that he’d offered the most precious gift to me. “I don’t want you to quit,” I answered, and the surprise in his countenance probably mirrored my own at hearing my words. “You would never forgive yourself for leaving your aunt and breaking that relationship.”

  “But what about us? We can’t go on as we were.”

  “It’s probably what I should’ve have done weeks ago. I don’t have to stay in Meryton. Wherever you are, I can be there. I haven’t been completely happy at my job, not with Dolores there, and I can transfer my credits to a different school and finish up in New York, California…wherever you are.”

  “But you would be giving everything up.”

  “No, I wouldn’t be, because I wouldn’t be giving up the most important thing: you. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

  “I’m sorry I made you think you weren’t the most important person in my life, because you are. My aunt…Ana…they will always be a part of my family, despite their opinions, but you…I can’t imagine a life without you in the center of it. I can give up my job, my house, everything, as long as you’re with me.”

  Finally, I felt like we were on the same wavelength, the same goals in sight.

  He hugged me again and kissed me, and as the kiss deepened, I was all too aware that we were still in a very public hallway, though I hadn’t realized exactly how much of an audience had accumulated until applause broke out. “Go, Dr. Darcy,” someone called out.

  Another person joked, “Anyone got a cigarette?”

  We pulled away from each other, embarrassed. “All right, show’s over,” I announced to the disappointment of the other nurses, doctors, and patients who had gathered around us.

  My face felt hot as we escaped from the crowd and made our way to the parking lot, his arm around my waist and me feeling as if we’d survived a long and arduous battle.

  “Are you ready to go home?” he asked. We’d reached my car first, and I could see his SUV parked not much further down the line.

  “And what happens after we get home?”

  He pulled me closer to him, and I got a very real image of what he wanted to happen. After a moment, I blew out a breath and let out a giggle. “Stop distracting me. That was a real question.”

  “Well…after I show you exactly how sorry I am, I’m going to arrange a meeting with my aunt and the rest of the board. Even though I have a feeling I know what her response is going to be, as much as I love her, I can’t allow her to manipulate me and continue to degrade the woman I love. After that…I’ll have to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be.”

  “We’ll have to deal with the consequences. We’re a team, remember?”

  When he grinned in response, there was none of the sadness which had touched earlier discussions about his aunt. “That’s right.”

  As we climbed into our respective cars and drove back to our shared home, I thought about us and how life and death were so ingrained in our lives as healthcare professionals. Maybe that was why it took such drastic measures to remind us to hold on so closely to the people we loved and not take them for granted.

  Still, I knew things between Darcy and me weren’t fully settled. We still had to figure out how to reconcile our relationship with his aunt. We had to figure out where we were going to live and work and when we were going to be married. In the grand scheme of things, those questions were minutiae and would not, should not, supersede our being together. Because that was what was most important.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  A Proper Lead-In

  The next day was extraordinarily busy, even for Darcy and me. I muscled through my online class in the morning followed by my afternoon clinical, then spent three hours anxiously waiting for a phone call from him.

  He’d returned to New York to confront his aunt. A part of me wanted to be there, if only to see her reaction, but I still needed to attend my classes, even if I was planning on transferring the credits.

  When the phone rang, I immediately answered but was surprised to hear Jane’s voice instead of Darcy’s. I’d been so eager to answer, I hadn’t even checked the readout. “What’s going on? Are you okay? Are you bleeding again?” I asked worriedly.

  “I’m fine. More than fine, in fact. I confronted Bob.”

  “What? When?”

  “Just now. I haven’t even told Charlie yet.”

  “Wait. Start from the beginning.”

  “I was so upset about what had happened, about losing the baby, and so angry at Bob, I packed Chloe up, and we drove to the dealership and I demanded to see him.”

  “You what?”

  “And he was right there, trying to sell a car to some silly girl with big boobs and no IQ. She kept giggling at him, and I kept thinking that that was me five years ago. I pushed Chloe up in the stroller and, Lizzy, you should’ve seen the panic on his face.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He didn’t want
to scare away the customer, but I did it for him. I told him that if he wouldn’t waive his parental rights to Chloe, then he was going to have to get a DNA test and start paying child support, and no judge in his right mind was going to deny that of me.”

  For once, I was speechless. And apparently, Bob had been also. “He just stood there, staring at me because he knew I was right and he knew I would do it. He just kept looking at Chloe like she was an alien life form, and her reaction was so great. She just smiled at him and asked, ‘Mommy, why does his mouth look like a fish?’”

  The image she painted brought a smile to my face. “So he’s agreeing to go to court and sign the adoption papers?”

  “We have to get him tested, and he’s insisted on a lawyer, but, yes, he agreed to it. Finally.”

  “Good for you. I’m ecstatic.”

  “I just…after losing the baby, I never wanted Charlie to feel like Chloe wasn’t his. I know he would never express that because he is her father, he loves her so much, but I never wanted it to be a question for her or for him.”

  “You don’t have to explain it to me.”

  “Anyway, I should go and call Charlie. His shift should almost be over.”

  “When you see him later, give him and Chloe a huge hug from me.”

  “I will.” She sighed happily and said, almost as an afterthought, “I’m so sorry, I almost forgot to ask how things went with Will. I’m guessing well, since I didn’t receive any teary phone calls last night.”

  “They went well. Will is back in the city now talking to his aunt. He’s telling her he wants to be with me, despite her objections. As for everything else, we’re working them out. We’re talking openly, for the first time in a long while.”

  “That’s wonderful, Lizzy. I’m so glad you were able to work things out.”

  “I am, too. I just wish the situation with his aunt wasn’t so difficult.”

  “Life isn’t supposed to be easy, or perfect.”

  “I know. But I just want Will to be happy and not conflicted about being with me despite how his aunt feels about me.”

  “Believe me, I understand. It was difficult for Charlie when his father disowned him, especially because he didn’t even try to meet me. Just remember that you and Will are family now. You’ll be making your own memories together whether or not his aunt wants to be a part of your lives. Just focus on making sure those memories are happy ones.”

  ~

  Later, I was attempting to eat dinner with Mrs. Pratchett when the call finally came through. “What happened? I thought you would’ve called hours ago.”

  Darcy’s voice was weary. “We just finished speaking with the other board members. While the merger with Bingley Pharmaceuticals is still going through, I will not be required to relocate to California and head the San Francisco site.”

  “Okay. Well, that’s a relief, but what about your aunt? What did she say?”

  When he didn’t immediately answer, dread filled me. “She’s disowning you, isn’t she?”

  “No, but she’s extremely unhappy with the decisions I’ve made both professionally and personally.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I’ve decided to stay on the board, but only in an advisory capacity, and I’m resuming my cardiovascular practice in Meryton until you graduate from school.”

  “Why do I feel like there’s some type of conditional statement hidden in there?”

  “Well, the next part is entirely up to you. I’ve been in contact with Nina since my grandfather’s funeral, and she’s posed an interesting proposal to me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “After hearing about your background and your desire to advocate for patients, her partner is interested in interviewing you for a full-time position as a nurse practitioner at her free clinic. The pay is lousy and you’d need to get licensed in New York, but it would be closer to Manhattan if I do eventually take a larger role in my aunt’s company.”

  “But she only met me the one time. And I’m at least eighteen months from finishing my degree and getting my license.”

  “There would be contingencies, of course, but I thought that might be something a little more interesting to you than working at an urgent care or family practice setting.”

  “I…I’d have to meet with her again and tour the facility…and maybe meet with the other staff and…I don’t know anything about the area or the patient population.” Panic started to hit me, but I took a breath. “Okay, yeah, sure, why not? It’s just an interview, right?”

  Holy crap, was this really happening? Were we really and truly discussing a real and concrete future between us, one including relocation and job searches? My mind swam with the possibilities. “What about you? If I worked in Montauk, where would you work if not with your aunt?”

  “In addition to helping evaluate new projects at the company, I was thinking of contacting some of my former colleagues in the city and seeing if they would be willing to work with me again.”

  “You’ve really thought this through.”

  “I have. I miss the city. I know you’re not fond of it, which is why I thought working at the free clinic would put you in the area but not in the city itself.”

  “And what about your aunt? We can’t just keep ignoring her the rest of our lives.”

  “If she wants to remain upset with me, that’s her choice. Up to now, I’ve done everything I could to please her short of breaking up with you, and that is just not an option. If she doesn’t want to be a part of my life because of that, well, that’s her choice. I’m not going to let her dictate my happiness.”

  “And what about Ana? You moved to New Jersey to be closer to her.”

  “True, but she’s past that difficult time. She’s successful, mature. I won’t be able to see her as often as I would like, but I think she’ll enjoy the increased independence. Plus, we can always take the jet if we really want to get there quickly.”

  For once, I wished we were video chatting, if only I could see the smirk on his face and smack it off him virtually. “Funny. I’ll drive, thanks.”

  “My point is that it’s time we worry about ourselves now. It’s time for us to be a little selfish. We can’t let our lives revolve around others when we’re trying to build a life together. You’ll be leaving your family behind and so will I, but we’re not cutting them out of our lives completely, just putting some distance between us so we can find a joint future. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes, absolutely. I just never thought of it that way before.” We fell silent until I asked, “So…what now?”

  “You’re really willing to do this? To eventually move away from Meryton?”

  “Yes. Yes, I am.” I was scared. I was terrified, but I was also filled with a giddy excitement that I’d only felt once before - when Darcy and I first became a couple. “Wherever you are is where I want to be.”

  ~

  The next couple of weeks were spent ironing out details of our life together. I ended up keeping my job at Meryton for the time being, despite my dislike for Dolores. Darcy was planning on returning to his cardiology practice in Meryton, but he had begun putting feelers out to his former colleagues in New York to begin setting up a practice there. He encouraged me to meet with Emilia and Nina in Montauk, if only so I could get a feel for the area and see if the free clinic was something I would truly be interested in working with.

  Even if the job in Montauk didn’t work out, staying in Meryton and working for Dolores would be easy in comparison to my dealings with Dr. DeBourgh. Plus, I was so happy that Darcy was back in Meryton, Dolores could have told me she was demoting me to a nurse’s aide with half pay and I would’ve probably smiled placidly at her (before getting HR involved).

  Darcy spent a few days in New York, then a week in San Francisco before presenting me with his mother’s engagement ring. We were walking on the Columbia Trail, and he stopped at what I thought of as “our spot.” Wh
en he brought out the velvet box and opened it, my breath caught.

  The ring was beautiful - much less ostentatious than I would’ve guessed for someone from such a privileged background, but from what Darcy had told me about his parents, it was perfect: a fiery diamond set in platinum flanked by two smaller diamonds.

  “It’s gorgeous,” I said, my voice coming out much breathier than intended.

  “I’ve been carrying this ring around with me ever since I returned from New York the first time. I think it’s about time I finally put it on your finger.”

  “I think you owe me a question first.”

  He smirked. “I believe the question has already been asked, by you.”

  “True, but I’ve already presented you with a ring. I think it’s fitting you precede your presentation of the ring with the proper lead-in.”

  His expression sobered. “You’re quite right. This question has been long overdue and I must do it justice, though I suspect I’ll never hear the end of it that you’re the first to ask it.”

  “No, you probably won’t,” I admitted, struggling not to grin foolishly. Even though I knew what was coming, my heart skipped a beat when he knelt in front of me and took my left hand in his. “But I still would very much like to hear the question.”

  The heat from his hand burned into my skin, and his eyes were bottomless, the dark irises shining. “From the moment I first met you, you have brought light and excitement and infinite beauty into my life. You’ve also challenged me to be a better man, both personally and professionally. I would like you to continue to challenge me for the rest of our lives, to help me learn from my mistakes, to never stop questioning me.

  “This diamond has many facets, and like our lives, each facet makes up the whole. And while you are the most beautiful facet in my life, you’re connected to all of me and I want you to know every part of me. It would honor me greatly if you would consent to marrying me so that we can journey through life together, so we can learn and grow together and never let each other go. Elizabeth Ann Bennett, will you marry me?”