Unexpected Truth

by Cecilia Fyre

  Unexpected Truth

  Love Medicine - Book Two

  Cecilia Fyre

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to others. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Published 9 June 2020

  © 2020 Cecilia Fyre

  Cover: Lyss Em

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Thank you!

  About the Author

  Also by Cecilia Fyre

  1

  The shift seemed to have gone on forever. Lea put the clipboard on the front desk and stretched, a hand on her back. She winced as her sternum cracked.

  Why was she so tired? She should be used to being on her feet for twelve hours. But today her lower back hurt, her feet ached and she just wanted to crawl into bed.

  Her cell buzzed. The sound still startled her. She wasn’t used to having her phone during work. But now that Ricco was in her life, and his availability was unpredictable, she’d started carrying it during shifts.

  This shift was as good as over, so Lea allowed herself to peek at the screen. It was a text message from Ricco, and her heart beat faster.

  Hey baby girl, how’s work? U got 10 mins, can I call u? X

  Lea frowned. In the last couple of weeks, he'd started calling her baby girl, especially if he had bad news. Still, a message from him gave her butterflies. And it was unlikely that his news was migraine-related, or he would've called, no matter what she was doing.

  She wrote back, Just finishing handover. Will call you in 15 mins. x

  Lea took care not to let her mind wander while she gave the day shift instructions. Only when she was confident that she had delivered a good handover did she hurry into the junior doctor’s changing rooms.

  Ricco answered on the first ring. “Morning, doc.”

  “Morning,” she said. “You’re up early. It’s five am.”

  “Couldn’t sleep, there’s too much to do.”

  “Don’t give yourself another migraine over it,” she admonished.

  “Good point.” He sighed. “Listen, babe. Some stuff’s come up. Travel show shit, someone fucked up and we gotta smooth things out before we can move ahead.”

  This sounded ominous. Lea’s heart fell. “If it’s not convenient for me to come to Ottawa tomorrow, don’t worry about it,” she said, even though it was hard not to show her disappointment. “We’ll do it another time.”

  There came another sigh. "I hate this, y'know," he said. "I want you here so much. Finally, show you the place."

  “Hey, they’re not gonna ban foreigners from visiting Canada anytime soon, are they?” she joked. “I’ll come next time you’ve got a few days to spare, don’t worry.”

  “You’re the best,” he said in a quiet voice, sounding relieved.

  “I know I am.” She had to make light, it wouldn’t help if he was upset. “Wouldn’t be much fun sitting in your house while you get drunk with suits.”

  “Ha-ha.” His laugh was subdued, but at least it was a laugh.

  “Listen, I’m really tired,” she said. “And I still have to drive home. Call me tonight?”

  “Will do, babe. Drive safe, and get some real sleep, okay?”

  “Hark who’s talking,” she sighed. “Have a good day, darling.”

  “Speak later.”

  “Bye.” Lea thumbed the phone off, disappointment bubbling inside her. She hadn’t wanted to make him feel bad, so she had kept a lid on it, but the thought of going to Ottawa had sustained her all week.

  It had only been two weeks since the jazz club. A few days together without distraction was what they needed to see where things would be going from here. They both wanted things to work, but if they couldn’t spend any time together, that would be difficult.

  But there was nothing to be done just now. Lea yawned and changed into her street clothes. She had to get to bed, she was beat.

  When she emerged from the changing room ten minutes later she noticed several of her colleagues staring at her. What was going on? Had she – her heart lurched – left the changing room without putting her jeans on? She looked down to check. Well, it wasn’t that, thank goodness. Kathy, her favorite nurse, beckoned her over to reception. A long, white box sat atop the counter.

  “You got an admirer, Dr. Holm?” asked one of the day shift nurses and giggled.

  “What do you mean?” Lea stared at her, then at the box, dread forming in her gut.

  Kathy pointed at the box. “It’s addressed to you. Open it!”

  Confused, Lea did so without thinking. When the lid came off she gasped, along with the nurses.

  A dozen long-stemmed red roses nestled in white tulle paper, looking more expensive than any present Lea had ever gotten. Dazed, she picked up a small, gold-embossed card.

  Sorry doc… x Before anyone could peek at it, Lea slipped it into her pocket.

  “Who are they from?” The day nurse’s voice was hushed.

  “No idea,” Lea lied. “No name on the card. Excuse me.” She snatched up the box, lid on akimbo, and hurried away without another word.

  When she got to her car she bundled herself in and dumped the box onto the passenger seat. Then she sat there, out of breath from fleeing at high speed. After a minute she lifted the crumpled lid an inch. The red petals glinted through the gap. Lea snatched her hand away as if scalded.

  That had been a real shock. Sure, Ricco was sweet and thoughtful, and he was sorry that they wouldn’t see each other this weekend. But why this grand gesture? They’d already talked on the phone, and he’d apologized. And why send the flowers to her workplace? Did he want everyone to know about the two of them? Maybe he did. They hadn’t discussed it. The possibility made her heart race.

  Or was this another case of Ricco thinking he had to mollify her with an expensive gift? That she expected something like this?

  Her phone buzzed. Lea flinched. It was another text from Ricco. U got them yet? They okay? Do u like them? Is it too much? X

  Lea smiled. He was sweet, that silly doofus. And he seemed as much at sea with their thing as she was. She typed a reply. They’re quite something. My colleagues were impressed!

  His response came within seconds. Too much, I knew it! Damn… I’m sorry?

  Guilt churned in her gut. Sure, the roses were overkill, but he shouldn’t feel bad. Course not. I love them. Speak later, okay? x

  Okay. I’ll call u. Sleep well! X

  Shaking her head Lea put the phone away. It would take a while for him to believe that she didn’t need grand gestures. And she had to work on not freaking out about a gift. She glanced in the box again. The roses were exquisite.

  Shame she had no vase for them, never mind a suitably grand place to put them on display.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey babe… uh, did I wake you? It's only nine pm.”

  Lea rubbed her eyes. “It’s fine. I went to bed early. I meant to text, but I must’ve fallen asleep holding my phone. I decided to go into work tomorrow, since, well—”

  “I’m so sorry about that, y’know.” He sounded dejected. “And for waking you up, and all. Damn!”

  “Hey, it’s no big deal.” She sat up. “You didn’t know I’d gone to bed with the birds.”

  “Still. It’s not my day today.” There was a pause. Lea waited. When Ricco spoke again he sounded more composed. “Listen, I got my new itinerary. I’ll be in th
e city for two days next week, just before we start filming the travel show.”

  “Oh, yeah. Is that coming up already?” Another reason not to spend time together. Swell.

  “Yeah. I’m flying from JFK to Cuba, and we go on the yacht from there.”

  “Won’t you be busy prepping when you’re in New York?” she asked. “Tie up the loose ends with Stuart on the logistics? Don’t worry if you can’t squeeze me in.”

  “You don’t wanna get together?” He sounded disappointed.

  “Of course I do, honey,” she said quickly. It wasn’t easy navigating this conversation half asleep. “When are you here?”

  “Flying in Wednesday. Flying out again Friday lunchtime,” he said. “Wanna come over to my place Wednesday night?”

  “Sure. Hey, thanks again for the roses, they really are beautiful.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, “Yeah, well, that was corny, I get that now.”

  “No, it wasn’t!” she said with emphasis. “Listen, we’ll get there in the end. I need to learn not to freak out so easily.”

  “You didn’t freak out, it was me. I get carried away.” He sighed. “Go back to sleep now, doc, and I see you Wednesday. We can have that take-out and Netflix you keep talking about.”

  Lea chuckled. “I can see where this is going. Better shave my legs, then.”

  “I know what you Europeans are like, doc, don’t pretend,” he said, cheerful now that they were bantering. “Nothing I haven’t seen before, buncha cave people, y’all.”

  “Tosser,” Lea said affectionately. His laugh gave her a warm buzz in her belly.

  “Night, baby girl,” he said in his most seductive voice.

  “Goodnight, darling,” she said. “You go to sleep soon too, you hear me?”

  “Yes, Mom!” He was still chuckling.

  “Watch it,” she warned.

  “I’d rather watch you shave your legs.”

  That made her laugh again. “Really now, goodnight, Ricco!”

  “Night, doc.”

  On Monday Lea had another delivery at work. This time she took the box – a much smaller one this time - to the Starbucks down the block. On her way out, Kathy and the other nurses gave her a knowing look. Someone muttered, “Box of chocolates, too big for an engagement ring,” and, “Sugar daddy”. Lea ignored them.

  But she was puzzled. Why would Ricco send her another gift? They had texted a few times over the weekend. He'd not gone into detail, but Lea got the impression that he'd worked flat out. Was it normal for actors to work on weekends? Even doctors got more time off. But he was both producing and starring in, the travel show, so it probably made sense for him to burn the midnight oil just before a shoot.

  At Starbucks, with a double latte in front of her, Lea was keen to solve the mystery of the square little box. She tugged on the string, then lifted the lid.

  Inside was another, smaller box. On it, a Post-It. Call me when u get this! X

  Lea stared at the pink iPhone the note had been stuck on. Why’s he sent me a phone?

  Her Nokia worked fine. She’d never mentioned credit being an issue. And he knew now that gifts were a tricky issue for her.

  Keen to find out what was going on, Lea dug in her bag for her old phone.

  He answered on the second ring, and his first words were, “Don’t be mad!”

  So he knew she’d find this weird. Just knowing that was a relief. She decided to make a joke instead of a scene. “You sent me a phone that matches my car.”

  He chuckled, relief palpable even in that small sound. “I hadn’t thought of that, but now you mention it, it sort of does. I was gonna give it to you on Wednesday, together with an explanation. I want you to have that phone so I can call you when I’m abroad. I’m off to Cuba, and I should’ve realized that every time you call me in Canada it costs you money. I can’t let you keep paying for that. So I got you the phone. It’s contract, unlimited minutes and texts, so use it as much as you like.”

  He was rambling, worried that he had upset her. But Lea had zeroed in on just one thing. “You’re not coming Wednesday, are you?”

  He sounded tired when he answered. “No, I’m sorry. More…well, stuff came up.”

  “You’ve got the appointment with the psychiatrist on Friday morning.” Of all the things Lea had wanted to say, and all the feelings of disappointment she wanted to vent, this should not have been the first thing out of her mouth. Damn! She rubbed her eyes.

  "I know!" he said quickly. "I'm not canceling that, don't worry! I'm still coming home, but I'm taking the red-eye Thursday night, go to the appointment on Friday, and then head straight to the airport, and Cuba."

  “I—” Lea stopped herself. Would she dare add to his stress?

  “What is it, doc?”

  “No, no, it’s silly…”

  “You’ve not once said a silly thing to me,” he said in a stern voice. “Spit it out!”

  “All right.” She swallowed. “I could still come over Thursday night?”

  Now he was the one hesitating. Lea’s heart hammered. Was she demanding too much?

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t have to come over especially,” he said quietly.

  “What do you—,” Lea began.

  “Look under the phone,” he said.

  Lea lifted the box. Underneath was a set of keys, glinting and new. One of them looked familiar, like the one Carmine had given her when she’d lived in Ricco’s building.

  “You—” Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. “You’re giving me keys to your flat?”

  “I don’t mean you gotta move in or something,” he said quickly. “It’s just, it’d be so much easier for us to see each other.”

  Lea’s knee-jerk feeling was irritation. Sure, her waiting at his penthouse would be very convenient for him. But then she forced her irate thoughts to stop. It was ridiculous to assume he’d summon her whenever it suited him.

  Was it wrong of him to make life a little easier for himself? He worked so hard, he deserved not to have to trek out to Queens in the little free time he had. And she would benefit too. Ricco wanted to make a go of their relationship, and he was coming up with ways to make that possible despite their busy schedules. And he wasn’t inconveniencing her. The trip to Bellevue from his house was easy, and who knew how often she’d get a chance to stay over, anyway?

  “Did I fuck up, doc?” he asked, interrupting her musing. “I didn’t mean to rush you.”

  Lea had been silent for about a minute. She picked the keys up and held them in her trembling hand. “No, honey, you didn’t fuck up. It’s a great idea!”

  He laughed, relief palpable. “Go over whenever you want. I’ve told the cleaner not to freak you out. She comes Thursday mornings.”

  “What about Ciaran?” Lea had yet to meet Ricco’s teenage son.

  “He’s with his mom for the time being,” Ricco said. “I’ve got too much to do. He’s a good kid, but now that he’s discovering girls I don’t always trust him home on his own. Listen, I’ve gotta go, I’ve got a meeting. See you Thursday night, okay? It’ll be late, but we can have a drink, and, you know.”

  Lea grinned. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot! Feed Carl and Bob for me on Thursday? The cleaner usually does it, or Ciaran, but now I’ve scared them off.”

  Heat crept into Lea's cheeks. So everyone knew. But she said, "Sure, will do."

  “Thanks doc, see you soon!”

  It felt weird, being in Ricco’s penthouse alone. Lea sat on the sofa, cradling a mug of tea. She’d been here an hour already and had hardly dared to move.

  When she had opened the street door, taken the elevator to the top floor, and unlocked Ricco’s door she’d been prepared for someone to stop her and demand to know what she was doing. She still half expected the police to come knocking.

  Other than feeding the cats and making tea Lea hadn’t touched anything. There were Post-It notes in the kitchen, telling
her to eat and drink whatever she liked. The ones in the living room invited her to watch a movie or play video games, and there was one in the bathroom that suggested she could take a bath. Fluffy towels, a robe, candles, and bath foams had been arranged invitingly.

  She was touched by this, but the notes didn’t look like Ricco’s handwriting. She hoped they had been his idea, but somebody else must’ve put them around the place, and that made her nervous.

  She hoped that somebody hadn’t been Joanne.

  The earliest she could expect Ricco home was half past midnight, and it was only shortly after nine. Lea hadn’t felt comfortable coming over any earlier, never mind spend the previous night at the penthouse as well, even though Ricco had told her she could. Only the thought that Carl and Bob would go hungry had convinced her that she shouldn’t wait until the last minute.

  There were a couple of books in her overnight bag, as well as some research papers she had yet to find the time to read, but she felt too tense to focus. She glanced at the shelves. Maybe she would watch a movie.

  Scanning the DVDs lined up next to the flat-screen TV she spotted the first three seasons of Hell Riders. She still hadn’t watched it. The longer she knew him, the stranger the thought of seeing Ricco on-screen had become. Since Harlem, she hadn't even googled him again.

  But if he wanted her in his life maybe it was time she learned more about his work. Lea put the first disk of season one into the player. It took her a couple of minutes to figure out the controls on the various remotes, but finally the giant plasma screen came to life.

  Lea curled up next to Carl, who was grooming himself enthusiastically. Petting the cat Lea pressed Play.

  “Wake up, baby girl.” The voice floated into her dreams.