by Jill Sanders
Carl nodded and touched his shoulder. “We’ve got this.”
“Thanks,” he said quickly. He pulled Lea towards the car, then stopped and rushed back into the café and tossed some bills down on his table. Seeing the half-finished waffles on both of their plates, he felt his heart sink.
He’d spoiled everything. Well, his father had. Why had he egged the man on? He should have stopped the argument before it had started. He should have…
He stepped outside and saw Lea standing by his car, smiling back at him.
When he walked over to her, an older black woman approached them.
“That was amazing,” the woman said to Lea. “Even though that man was spewing racist hate at you, you still saved his life.” The woman shook her head. “I don’t know if I’d have the power to do something like that.”
Lea smiled at the woman. “I’m a doctor. I’ve saved worse,” she said softly.
“Bless you,” the woman said ironically. “You’re a stronger woman than I will ever be.” The woman chuckled as she walked away, but then she stopped and glanced back at Brett. “You’d do well to hold onto that one,” she added with a smile.
Brett took Lea’s hand and called back, “I intend to.”
Chapter 21
Lea didn’t know where Brett was driving to. She didn’t mind that he had opted out of going to the hospital to check in on his father.
When she’d helped put him in the ambulance, his vitals had been good enough. Far from perfect, but good for someone who she would wager had just had a major heart attack.
She knew that the first few hours after were vital to the man’s recovery and health. But, after that display, she knew that Brett wanted to be as far away from his family as he could get.
This is why she didn’t argue when they hit the highway and headed south. The car weaved around, and then he exited the main road and turned down more narrow windy ones that butted up against the shores of the Gulf. She leaned back and enjoyed the view of the Emerald Coast out her window.
Almost two hours later, he pulled to a stop in Apalachicola, a small town along the Gulf. He parked in front of an old building that appeared to have been a saloon back in the old days. Now, however, there was a massive wood sign that hung from the second-story balcony that read Up to No Good Tavern. On the sign, a mermaid sat in a martini glass, having a drink.
“How about some lunch?” Brett said, speaking for the first time in almost two hours.
“I could eat.”
She knew that he’d needed the silence. If he’d wanted to talk, he understood that she was there for him.
They were seated up on the outdoor balcony, overlooking the small town. Brett ordered a beer, and she ordered a glass of wine.
“Does it ever get to you?” he asked her once their drinks were delivered.
“What?” she asked after a sip of her wine.
“Helping people like him?”
She shrugged and answered honestly, “Sometimes.”
“Do you ever think that if you do nothing, there will be one less racist asshole in the world?” he said, looking down in his beer.
“No. Mostly what I think of is that if I don’t help them, then I’m just like them.”
“How so?” He frowned over at her.
She set her wine glass down and took a deep breath. “If I did nothing and they died, then I’m no better than them spewing their hate at me and anyone else they despise.” He tilted his head at her. She thought of it in a different light. “When you were on the force, if you had seen a man beating his wife but then the wife pulled out a gun and shot and killed her husband, would you have arrested her?”
“Yes,” he answered quickly.
“It’s the same thing. My job as a doctor is to save people. No matter what they believe,” Lea explained.
Her words seemed to sink in. He sipped his beer in silence until their food was delivered.
“I’d like to think he hasn’t ruined double-chocolate waffles for me,” he said when his burger was delivered.
“I’m hoping the same about my car,” she admitted. “I’m thinking of having it painted a different color. I’m afraid that every time I look at it, I’ll still see those red letters.”
He reached over and took her hand in his. “Then paint it cherry red. I’ve always wanted a cherry red car,” he said with a smile.
She laughed. “You are not taking over my Tesla. Get one of your own.”
“I might,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve driven Dylan and Zoey’s a few times.”
She smiled and wanted more than anything to keep the conversation light, but then he sighed and glanced off over the street.
“I should call my mother,” he said softly. “See how my dad is.”
“Want me to call the hospital?” she offered.
He looked at her and for a moment she could tell that he was debating. “No, I’ll call after we’re done eating. I don’t want that man to spoil another meal of ours on our day off.”
She nodded and finished her salad, along with the handful of curly fries he placed on her plate.
“This isn’t such a bad little town,” Brett said as they were walking out of the restaurant. “I’ve been here a few times and have always enjoyed it.”
“I’ve only been here once before. Well, I drove through it at least.”
“Oh?” He stopped. “How about we see some sites, do a little shopping, before I make that call then?”
She knew he was stalling, but it was up to him, so she tagged along. At one of the little boutique stores, she found a sign like the one she had at the camp that read The Doctor is In on one side and The Doctor is Out on the other and purchased it for her new office.
She found a couple more things that she just couldn’t live without, and then they found a small brewery and sat down for a cold beer along the water’s edge. While they sat there, he pulled out his phone and called his mother.
She wasn’t surprised when he had to leave a message. If her father was in the ICU, visitors were asked to turn off their cell phones.
“Want me to call and check on him?” she asked.
Brett sighed and then nodded. “Thanks.”
She called and spoke with Karen, who told her that Brett’s father had already been moved to recovery.
“When the man was brought in, he was yelling and cussing up a storm. He wouldn’t let Dr. Rufkin work on him. Yelled at the top of his lungs that he wasn’t going to put his life in no foreigner’s hands.”
“What happened?” she asked Karen.
Karen sighed. “Dr. Rufkin mentioned that if it hadn’t been for you, he wouldn’t be here. That he’d heard that you had brought him back from the dead and that he should be thankful. I’ve never seen the doctor go off on anyone like that before.”
She smiled and realized that maybe, just maybe, she’d misjudged Sanjay.
“How is he now?” she asked.
“Still cursing every non-white nurse that walks into his room.” Karen chuckled. “I’m half tempted to only send in the ones he doesn’t want.” Karen sighed. “But unfortunately, that’s not who we are.”
“No,” she agreed. “Please keep me posted if anything changes.”
“Will do,” Karen agreed and hung up.
“So?” Brett asked after she tucked her phone back into her purse.
“Your dad is in recovery. Sounds like he’ll be back on his feet in no time,” she relayed.
He leaned back and glanced out at the water. “How about a walk?”
“Sure,” she said. She finished the last of her beer.
After putting the items she’d purchased into his car, they strolled hand in hand towards the edge of town and out onto a long fishing pier that overlooked the Apalachicola Bay. Leaning on the pier, they watched the small fishing boats come and go.
A few minutes of silence passed by before he turned towards her.
“What would you think of me moving into your place full time?�
�� he asked.
She was a little taken aback by the question. Not that she didn’t think it was a great idea. Actually, she’d been wondering how to convince him to move in with her. It was just that she hadn’t thought he’d wanted to make that big of a move yet. He’d seemed pretty happy with staying at his place two nights a week.
“I’d love it,” she blurted out, afraid that if she didn’t answer right away, he’d change his mind.
His eyebrows shot up as he pulled her into his arms. “Love?” he asked, his voice going low.
She felt her entire body melt against his. Swallowing, she nodded.
He smiled. “I’d love to as well.” He emphasized the four-letter word that sounded so good to her ears and her heart. “Do you know what else I love?” he asked. She held her breath as she shook her head slightly. There was a long pause before he finally finished. “Chocolate cake.”
She couldn’t help the laughter or stop herself from playfully punching him in the shoulder.
Then he pulled her closer, tight up against him, and kissed her so deeply that she wondered how she could be expected to walk after.
“I love you,” Brett said when he pulled back slightly from the kiss. “Just so we’re clear.” He smiled down at her.
Her smile was instant. “I love you too,” she said, knowing that, with everything she was, she meant it. Down to her core, she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. Brett had spoiled her. Ruined all other men. He was the one. Without a doubt.
They walked hand in hand back through town. They found a small bakery and sat down to some coffee and chocolate cake.
They had spent only a few hours in the small town before heading back up the Gulf shoreline towards home. Their home.
She didn’t ask when he’d move his things into her place. Didn’t even ask what the next step in the process was. What she did was a marvel at the fact that he’d said he loved her.
They talked about her business as they drove back to Pelican Point. She had signed the last of the paperwork and was not only the unit’s owner but an official business owner in the town. She had her business license and all the legal paperwork had been dealt with, thanks to her mother.
Tomorrow, she was officially going to put in her resignation at the hospital. She was so nervous that she was dreading going to sleep.
“Ready for tomorrow?” he asked as he drove into town.
“No,” she admitted. “How did you get through it? Quitting a job that you loved?”
He shrugged and glanced at her. “It was easy. I focused on what was ahead. Knowing that I had you. The camp.” He smiled. “I had to admit to myself that it was the best move. I’ve probably only walked about two miles today and my leg is killing me.” He rubbed his thigh. “There’s no way I could ever spend an entire day standing, let alone chase someone.” He shook his head. “Besides, I like my new job. You’ll still have the camp.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “But I won’t get to cut people open,” she said with a shrug.
He laughed. “That would be something I wouldn’t miss.”
“Squeamish?”
“Not really. But anytime I had to help someone not bleed was a bad day in my book.”
“You really loved your job?”
“I did,” he agreed. “At least at first. If I’m being honest with myself, it’s sort of a relief that I’ve moved on.”
He turned into the neighborhood and slowed down. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll move the rest of my things in this weekend on my day off.”
“Will you need help?” she asked.
“I can ask Aiden to help.” He parked in her driveway next to her rental and shut off his car. “I’m not sure what to do with my sofa and other furniture.”
“Well, since I like your sofa and chair better than mine, how about you move it in here and find something to do with mine?”
“Really?” he asked, turning towards her.
“Sure.” She nodded. “I think your bed is better than mine. But we can put mine in the guest room. I haven’t gotten a chance to put a bed in there yet and we might decide to swap them out later.”
“Okay, you’re being really cool about all this.” He took her hand.
She laughed. “I want you here, and I’m smart enough to know that that includes having your stuff move in as well.”
“Okay, yeah.” He smiled. “So, it’s settled.” He pulled her across the console and kissed her.
Just then his cell phone rang. Rolling his eyes, he pulled out his phone and groaned. “It’s my mother.”
“Take it. I’m going to head in and shower. I have an early morning tomorrow and I have to write my resignation letter still,” she added with a slight groan.
“I’ll be in shortly,” he said and then answered his phone.
Lea stepped into her house, shut the door, and leaned against it. Her eyes moved around her living room as she thought of how much her place had changed in the past few weeks. It wasn’t as if Brett hadn’t been living there already. Sure, most of the things in the place were hers, but there were some of his items. A pair of his shoes by the front door. A raincoat or umbrella in her hall closet. His shaving kit and other items in the bathroom, not to mention some clothes in her closet. And he had a whole drawer of things in her dresser.
Now, as she looked around, she imagined the rest of his things in the space. His soft leather sofa and chair replacing her stuffy white set. She’d purchased the items solely on looks and hadn’t realized just how uncomfortable they were until she’d tried to snuggle down one rainy night to watch a movie.
Her dining room sat empty, as she hadn’t wanted to spend money on a dining set until after she’d saved up enough to open her clinic.
He had a perfect oak table and chair set that would fill the space. It was manly yet practical, like him, and she loved it.
Sure, she’d have to make some compromises. That was the case in any great relationship. Her parents hadn’t always agreed on what to put in their home, but they had always made concessions when needed.
She headed into her bathroom, tossed off her clothes, and stepped under the hot spray. She replayed that morning’s events in her head. She’d tried not to let his father’s words affect her. Really, she had. But she was human after all. She wondered what she’d ever done to Brett’s father to make him believe she was less than worthy to be with his son. What anyone had ever done to make him believe such hateful things.
As far as she knew, William Jewel had been born and raised in the area. He’d attended the same school they had gone to and had gone into the military at an early age and served side by side with men and women of all nationalities.
Brett had told her of his father telling stories of his youth, of how he’d been. Then she and her family had moved into town and… well, even though Brett didn’t say it directly, his father had grown bitter.
To her knowledge, her parents had never had a run-in with Brett’s father before. Her parents had known to avoid the man since it was all over town that he was how he was.
She wondered what sort of event had turned him into the bitter man that he now was.
A few moments after she’d stepped into the shower, hot hands wrapped around her naked body. Moaning, she relaxed back into Brett’s chest and felt just what he did to her.
“You make things better,” she said softly.
His hands moved to her hips, and he slowly turned her around until she faced him. His eyes searched hers.
“You’ve been crying,” he said softly. “God, I’m such a fool. I didn’t think how today would have affected you.”
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’m not crying for myself,” she admitted.
“No?”
“No,” she said with a smile. “It hurts me to know that you have had to deal with far worse growing up.”
He rested his forehead on hers. “Whatever happens, I will never let him get between us again.”
She nodded and felt her heartbeat kick violently several times in her chest.
“Tell me again,” she said with her eyes closed.
His fingers brushed under her chin, raising her face until she was looking deep into his eyes. Then he finally said, “I love you.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Now and forever.”
Chapter 22
About the only thing keeping Brett’s feet on the ground the following morning was the pain in his left thigh. He practically glided into the employee’s dining room. Of course, his friends noticed right away.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Aubrey said with a smile.
“For good reason. I’m moving in with the woman I love this weekend,” he said quickly.
“So, does Lea know?” Levi said, getting a nudge in the ribs from Scarlett. Brett chuckled.
“Haven’t you been living with her for a few weeks now?” Scarlett asked.
“Yes, but this weekend it will be official,” he answered with a smile.
“Congrats,” Liam said, holding up his orange juice.
“Thanks.” He laughed and tapped his glass to the other glasses that had been held up.
“We heard what happened yesterday. How is your dad?” Hannah asked
“Is he okay?” Elle asked.
“He’s recovering,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t know the details. I haven’t visited him.” The table was silent. “He knocked a fork out of Lea’s hand.”
Several people gasped. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. But my dad, being the kind of man he is, didn’t stop at calling her all the terrible things he could think of.”
“So you punched him?” Aiden asked. When everyone looked at Aiden, he shrugged. “Carl texted me and told me to check up on you.”
“Yeah, I punched him. Then he yelled some more and had a heart attack.” He looked down into his plate of scrambled eggs and wheat toast. “The only good thing that has come out of this is that my mother called me last night. For the first time, she talked as if she was free. If for only a little while.”
