Reunited With Her Army Doc. Dianne Drake

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СКАЧАТЬ laughed. “Not so much. Mrs. Purcell still runs the grocery, Mr. Merrick is still the only mechanic in town, the post office is still in the back room of the hardware store. But there’s a health club now, and the hospital. I suppose everything gives way to progress at some point, don’t you think?”

      Despite his feelings, Caleb chuckled. “And there’s a stoplight on Main Street, and a coffee shop and even a movie theater.”

      “Second-run movies, though,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she smiled.

      “So, Seattle?” he asked, to get his mind off the past and the comfort beginning to set in that he simply didn’t want there. “Never been.”

      “It’s a nice place. Home. Career.”

      “Good life?”

      She frowned, and paused a moment. “Most of the time, yes. I have a pretty good life.”

      “Which you don’t want to change by moving back to Marrell.”

      “Something like that. And that brings me to the point of this conversation. Since you’re staying, or thinking about staying, would you consider running the hospital?”

      So that’s what it was, Caleb thought. Step one. She wanted something.

      “Maybe even look at buying it sometime in the future?”

      Step two: lead him on with an expectation. “Buying it?”

      “Something I don’t want Dad knowing just yet. I have some plans...nothing solid, but I may be making a big change in my life, and it’s all about being in Seattle. Not here.”

      “Would congratulations be in order?” he asked, waiting for step three to drop down on him. Because it would. It always had with her.

      She shook her head. “Not yet. Eric’s been offered a big promotion, and we want to make sure he’s settled into that before we take the next step. So, the timing for that is a little off right now. But in a while...”

      Caleb shook his head, and blew out a long breath. Well, her steps were out there. At least, most of them. And he hadn’t had to wait too long. But he had some steps of his own to take and, until Matthew was settled, he wasn’t sure in which direction they were going. “Let me think about it.” Because if it was a legitimate offer, it was interesting. Even tempting. But he wasn’t going to allow himself to buy too far into it, as he’d bought too far into her so many times before. Still, she did need someone here. So maybe... “I’m not making any permanent decision until I find out what’s going to happen with Matthew. If Schilling accepts him, we stay. If he doesn’t, we’ll probably move on until we find the place he needs.”

      “I understand, and I won’t press you for an answer, because I know what I’m proposing is a pretty major life-changer. So, take all the time you need. In the meantime, Dad’s going to have a fish fry tonight. Care to come? Maybe we can reminisce about old times.”

      “I usually have plans with Matthew every evening.” That was the truth. The other truth was, he still didn’t want to reminisce about anything with Leanne, even if they’d just shared a few nice moments. What was there to reminisce about, besides memories of hurtful events?

      “Then breakfast some morning? We could meet at Millie’s Diner down on Main Street, and have some of her world-famous pancakes.”

      “Don’t eat pancakes. And it takes me a while to get Matthew ready in the morning so he can spend the day with his grandmother.”

      The smile on Leanne’s face finally melted, replaced by a look of confusion. “You don’t want to get together with me, do you? Did I do something to offend you?”

      Too many things to discuss. Too many memories he didn’t want to deal with. Nancy had wiped him out and he didn’t want to step back into the ring to take a beating from another contender. “Look, Leanne. I’m busy right now. I’m trying to settle into a new life, set up a home, adjust to a new job, get Matthew situated... I’ve got a lot going on, and not enough time to get everything done.” That much was true. He didn’t. “So, since the only thing you could possibly want from me has to do with the job, drop into my office, ask Betty, the clinic’s secretary, to find a spot in my schedule for you, then put your name in it.”

      “You used to be friendlier, Caleb,” she commented, pushing back her tea, then standing.

      “I also used to be more gullible. But like you said, times have changed, and I’m part of that change.”

      “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked him.

      “Whatever you want it to mean.” With that, he picked up his lunch tray, carried it over to the dirty dish area, set it down and left the cafeteria. Didn’t look back. Wasn’t even tempted to. But it did surprise him how all that water he’d thought had long since flowed under the bridge hadn’t flowed as far as he’d thought it had.

       Chapter Two

      WHAT SHE’D PLANNED and what she got were two entirely different things. Funny, she didn’t remember Caleb being so cool. And he was cool—almost cold. She recalled him being a nice boy, one she’d had a crush on when she’d been little. His intellect, his humor... Then, when he’d got a little older, he’d turned wild. Gotten himself in a lot of trouble. But it seemed he’d worked through all that, because look at him now—to all appearances a great dad, and a great doctor, according to her dad. Well, time had a way of changing people. She certainly wasn’t the same person she’d been whilst growing up in Marrell. That girl had been so unsettled. This one knew her place.

      “He wasn’t friendly at all, Dad,” she commented to Henry, who was headed out the front door of his cabin on his way to meet Dora. Leanne was sitting in the porch swing, looking out over the meadowlands to the south, enjoying the nothingness of the moment. She didn’t get too many of those in her life, and this one was nice. “Cordial, and having a hard time maintaining that.”

      Henry stopped at the edge of the porch, at the top of the wooden stairs leading to the path below, then turned to face her. “Don’t know what to tell you, Leanne. He’s been very pleasant to me, and to everybody else around here. But he’s got some bad years behind him, so maybe that’s what you’re seeing coming out. Or maybe he was only having a bad afternoon.”

      “No. This went beyond a bad afternoon. There was something else going on, something I can’t explain.” And it made her wonder if she did want him to run her hospital after all. Of course, who knew what had gone on in his life? Maybe her dad was right. Maybe she was catching a glimpse of his past. Whatever the case, until she knew more, she would give him the benefit of the doubt and keep the offer open.

      But what if she’d seen his real personality?

      “Want me to have a talk with him?” Henry asked, appearing impatient to hop down those steps and be on his way. “See if I can figure out what’s bothering him?”

      She shook her head. “No. It’s his business, and it’s not my place to interfere. If he wants to talk, he can, but I won’t force him into it.” Because she didn’t like being forced into something she didn’t want to talk about, or admit, or do. A couple of months back she’d been promoted to the head of family СКАЧАТЬ