Flirting with the Society Doctor / When One Night Isn't Enough (38 page)

In the end, whether due to his actual innocence or his high-priced attorney, Jared wasn’t sure which, the DEA had dropped the case.

“The investigation was all over the news.” The headlines were still vivid in his memory: ‘Community General Physician Suspected of Link to Local Drug Ring.’ ‘E.R. Physician’s Prescription Pad Found in Possession of Drug Dealer.’ ‘Local Physician under Investigation for Prescription Fraud.’ “It didn’t matter that I was never formally charged, or that the DEA dropped the investigation for lack of evidence. My colleagues made their own judgments, formed their own conclusions and found me guilty.”

“Is that why you work for a physician staffing agency rather than directly for a hospital?”

He nodded. “The agency gets the assignments and handles credentialing issues. I don’t have to deal with disclosing the details of the investigation.” Or experience the humiliation of not being hired because of it.

“Until now,” Ali said.

“Until you,” he responded, looking deep into her eyes. Never before had remaining in one place mattered so much.

Someone knocked on the door. “ETA five minutes. And please call the medical director,” Tani said.

Ali stood. “Go back to work and don’t worry. I’ll handle this.”

“Handle what?”

“I’ve seen the damage gossip can cause. I watched my mother withdraw into the house so she wouldn’t have to face it. I will never again allow rumor and innuendo hurt someone I care about. You’re an excellent physician and don’t deserve what is being said about you.”

“So you care about me?” Jared wanted to jump on top of his desk and dance. Instead he took a step toward her.

She gave a shy smile. “Yeah. And you don’t make it easy.”

“Thank you.” He pulled her into his arms. “For coming in today, for believing in me, for still caring about me, for everything.”

“Go.” She stepped back. When he turned to leave she added, “And make time to come back and finish the other half of your sandwich.”

Ali’s concern for him eating, her coming by to support him and her offer to help stave off the gossip gave him hope that things between them would be okay. “May I come by later?”

Before she could answer there was another knock at the door. This time the medical director’s voice came through. “Open up, Dr. Padget.”

The hope of a moment ago turned into a bitter taste at the back of Jared’s mouth. He didn’t want to do this. Not here. Not now. But he opened his office door. What else could he do? The medical director stood there, wearing wrinkled blue scrubs and black dress shoes.

“You should get going,” Jared said to Ali, not wanting her to witness his humiliation.

“Don’t run out on my account, Allison,” the medical director said.

“Hi, Dr. Kleinman.” Ali greeted him with one of her brilliant smiles.

“This isn’t a good time, Dr. Kleinman. I have a—”

“I know. An ambulance on the way. I’ve been trying to call you. It has my sister-in-law in it. My wife’s all in a dither. Told her I’d come down and see what I could do. But I’m just here for show.” He winked at Ali. “To keep the peace.”

“Well, I’ll let you get back to work, Dr. Padget.” Ali picked up her coat and purse. “Nice seeing you again, Dr. Kleinman,” she added as she left the office.

“That the reason you want to stick around?” the older man asked.

Jared held up his crossed fingers.

Dr. Kleinman nodded in approval. “She’s a good girl. I golf with her granddad.”

That was all fine and good, but Jared needed to know the status of his new job. “Sir, about the rumors. I—”

“Don’t give them another thought. They’ll blow over. My assistant is in Human Resources as we speak. She’ll find out who’s responsible.”

“So I’m still under consideration?” Jared could barely breathe.

“You’re my first choice. I have two more interviews already scheduled for Monday morning. Call me late afternoon.”

“I
T FEELS
kind of decadent going to the movies on a Tuesday afternoon,” Ali said to Jared as they waited in line for popcorn. “How did you manage to get the day off?”

“Money may have changed hands. I’m not at liberty to divulge the details.”

She smiled, glad she’d let him convince her to go out for a day of fun. “A day to remember,” he’d said. First lunch at O’Halloran’s, where they’d shared the über-delicious nacho platter she’d been craving, followed by a walk to the arcade where she’d whomped him at air hockey, Pac-Man and Galaga—she’d spent a lot of time in that arcade growing up—and then a romantic movie.

“You are one busy lady. Today was the only day I could pin you down.”

Because Monday she’d worked on 5E, Wednesday was early dinner and bingo with Gramps, and Thursday and Friday she was scheduled to work back-to-back twelve-hour shifts on 5E. On Saturday he’d be gone.

When the clerk came to take their order he turned to Ali. “Do you want artery-clogging butter?”

She nodded. “And a box of those.” She pointed to her favorite candy-coated chocolates.

“Good for you. Go all out.”

“There’s something about sitting in a movie theatre that makes it okay to indulge.”

He looked ready to say something, maybe about indulging more than her tastebuds. But he remained quiet. Good. After finding out about his marriage, Ali wouldn’t entertain anything more than a platonic relationship between them.

Yet in the darkness, as they watched the story on the big screen unfold, when he took her hand into his, she didn’t pull away. And when he put his arm around her, she leaned in close to rest her head on his shoulder, loving the feel of him, the scent of him. She was going to miss him.

“That wasn’t at all what I expected,” Jared said with disgust, tossing their empty popcorn bag into the trash can by the exit.

“Didn’t you know what the movie was about?”

“No. I heard Polly mention you wanted to see it. The main character’s a soldier. I pictured action scenes, fighting, blood and guts.”

“There was some of that.” There was also the angst of young lovers separated by circumstance, the man who didn’t return when he was supposed to, the woman who married another. “But it was a romance.” That had affected Jared. She’d seen him wipe at his eyes twice.

“It was sentimental crap. Let’s get out of here.” Jared took her by the hand. “It’s time to go talk to Gramps.”

Way to ruin a perfect day. “About that.” She pulled him to a stop in front of the hardware store next to the theatre. “I decided I’d rather hold off and tell him in a few weeks.” Or maybe later on, by cell phone, in between pushes. Holding his great-grandbaby would lessen the sting of disappointment when he learned his granddaughter had wound up unwed and pregnant like her mother before her.

“Come on.” Jared dragged her toward the parking lot.
“I told you, I’m not leaving without accompanying you to tell your gramps. I own up to my responsibilities.”

Great. She’d plummeted from an object of lust to a responsibility.

How low would she sink in Gramps’s eyes?

She remembered one time, several times actually, when he’d caught her with a boy and yelled, “You are going to wind up just like your mother.” The way he’d said it, winding up like her mother was the worst possible thing that could happen to her. “What if he …?”

Jared stopped, turned to face her and placed his cold hands on her cheeks so she couldn’t look away. “Your gramps loves you. Regardless of how he reacts to the news, I’m confident that won’t change.”

“After Mom had me, they barely spoke.” Growing up, she remembered seeing Gramps only a handful of times, each visit filled with tension.

“You don’t know what went on between them.” He took her hand and began to walk. “Let’s get this over with so you can stop worrying.”

In the short two-minute drive to Gramps’s house, Ali dropped her knit hat to the floor and managed to twist two knots in her hair. Jared untangled them, hating to see her so nervous. “It’s going to be fine,” he said, believing it in his heart.

When Gramps opened the front door to greet them, Ali burst into tears. Thank goodness Mrs. Meyer was also there. “May we speak in private, sir?” Jared asked Gramps, who darted a concerned glance to the older woman.

“Come into the kitchen, Allison,” Mrs. Meyer said, helping her remove her coat. “Whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as you seem to think it is.”

“Oh, yes … it can,” Ali mumbled in between choppy
breaths as she followed Mrs. Meyer down the hallway leading to the kitchen in the back of the house.

“Sit,” Gramps said, motioning to the out-of-style beige floral sofas in the living room.

“How are you feeling, sir?”

“Stop with the sir and tell me what’s wrong with my granddaughter.” Gramps shifted in his seat and threw a worried glance toward the kitchen.

Not wanting to drag this out Jared told him. “She’s pregnant.”

Gramps clutched at his chest and let out a breath. “That all?”

“She’s a little emotional.” Major understatement. “And she thinks you’re going to be disappointed that she’s wound up in the same situation as her mother. She mentioned you were estranged from your daughter and I think Ali fears the same thing will happen between you and her.”

Gramps started to stand. “Of all the …”

“If I can have a moment of your time before you go in there, I’d appreciate it.”

He sat back down. “Make it quick. I’m guessing you’re the father.”

“I am, sir. And I want to assure you I will take care of Ali and the baby.”

Gramps grimaced. “Her father fed me the same line of bull.”

“I love her, sir, more than I ever thought possible. She doesn’t know it yet but I’ll be starting at Madrin Memorial full time in March. And if she likes it, I’m planning to buy us a house on the next street over. I’m going to surprise her with both when we leave here.”

“So you’re looking to buy a house?” Gramps asked, looking contemplative. “Come by later tonight, after you take
Allison home, so we can talk more about it.” He pushed up from the couch. “Now, let’s see to my granddaughter.”

In the kitchen Ali sat cuddled in Mrs. Meyer’s arms.

“Allison Elizabeth Forshay, you come over here this instant.”

Ali moved slowly, as if dreading what was about to happen. She rose to stand in front of Gramps and made Jared proud when she looked her grandfather in the eye.

“You are the bright light in my life, Ali.” He reached up to cup her cheek. Ali leaned into his touch. “I love you, have always loved you, will always love you. And there is nothing you could ever do to change that. The problems I had with your mother had nothing to do with you, and how I feel for you has nothing to do with her.”

Ali flung her arms around him. “I love you so much.”

“Mrs. Meyer,” Gramps said over Ali’s shoulder. “Our girl’s going to give us a great-grandbaby, and she didn’t think we’d be happy about it.”

Mrs. Meyer scooted out of her chair, tears in her eyes and pulled Ali into a hug. “That’s wonderful news, dear.”

“Our girl?” Jared asked.

“Mrs. Meyer’s been like a grandmother to Ali for years.”

“Like a mother,” Ali clarified.

“Any woman would be blessed to have you for a daughter,” Mrs. Meyer said to Ali. “Knowing you, watching you change and mature into the woman you are today has enriched my life.”

Ali had enriched Jared’s life too, made him want to be a better person, a better man.

“This calls for a celebration.” Gramps reached into a cabinet and took out a box of cream-filled snack cakes.

“You can’t eat those,” Ali said, drying her eyes with a napkin. “They have absolutely no nutritional value.”

“That’s why I serve them with milk,” Gramps replied, and they all laughed.

After saying their good-byes Ali and Jared stood out on Gramps’s front porch. She looked up at him. “Thank you. For convincing me to tell Gramps today and for coming with me.” And there it was: the brilliant I-care-about-you smile he’d waited months to see directed at him.

He knew in that instant that one would never be enough to last him a lifetime, as he’d originally thought. Because in that quiet moment, in her straight white teeth, her curving lips and sincere blue eyes, he’d found serenity.

He smiled back at the woman he loved. “Now it’s time for my surprises.” He was so excited, felt so high on life he would have skipped to the car, if there had been a way to do it without looking like a total dweeb in the process. He couldn’t wait to share his news, to see her joy when she found out he was staying in town for her, and their baby.

A few minutes later Ali stood in absolute shock, the only indication she hadn’t frozen stiff the white swirling mist of her warm breath hitting the frigid air as she stared at Jared’s surprise. A house, a block over from where Gramps lived, a huge white two-story house, with black shutters, a white picket fence and a “For Sale” sign sticking out from the snow in the front yard. Window boxes held dehydrated remnants of summer flowers, now brown and straw-like, but Ali could picture colorful blooms brightening the bland facade.

Jared came up behind her and put a hand on each shoulder. “What do you think?” he asked.

“About what?”

“This house. Isn’t it perfect? If you like it, I can call my real estate agent to give us a tour of the inside.”

He had a real estate agent? She turned to look at him.
“You’re buying a house?” He may as well have told her he was considering a sex change operation. “Why are you buying a house? In Madrin Falls?” A huge house that could easily accommodate a family of five. And a couple of pets. And probably a live-in relative or two.

“Because of you. Because you’re here.”

“It’s so big.”

“Four bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a finished basement,” he said with pride, as if he’d pounded the nails himself.

“Four bedrooms?”

“Ali.” He put his arm around her and lifted her chin so she had to look up at him. “We’re having a baby, and I don’t want to stop at just one. We’re going to need someplace to put them.”

“But you’re leaving.” In four days. Did he plan to set her up in his house so he had an open invitation to swing by whenever the mood suited him?