MADISON HAD SPENT most of the week working herself into a tangle of nerves and trying to build the courage to face Adam again. She’d planned how she’d act and rehearsed what she’d say in an attempt to convince him that Tuesday night had meant nothing to her and that she could forget the passion she’d found in his arms and move on.
It wasn’t lying if she intended to make it so.
Then she’d arrived at the airport and discovered Adam had sent one of the coowners of the plane to pick her up. Her adrenaline level had crashed, but thankfully her cardiothoracic surgeon pilot hadn’t noticed. He’d been too busy yammering about the conference he’d attended over the weekend and about how his revolutionary procedure had been the hit of the event. He’d been flying over her area on his return trip and had volunteered to pick her up for Adam.
He’d been a narcissist to the bone, and she’d had enough of those to last a lifetime. Too bad she hadn’t been smart enough to know the difference between confidence and conceit when she’d met Andrew.
She’d ignored her pilot as best she could and had begun to prepare herself all over again for confronting Adam upon landing. But in the terminal she found Helen, not Adam, waiting. Her stomach did another roller-coaster swoop. Of disappointment? No. Definitely not. She simply wanted—no, needed—to get the encounter with Adam behind her.
She never would have expected him to be a coward. Ducking and diving or flat-out denial had been Andrew’s M.O. when he’d done something wrong. She’d expected better of Adam, the one who claimed he faced his fears and who’d accused her of running from hers.
“Where’s Adam?” she asked Helen, noting her mother-in-law looked better, more rested and less like she was teetering on the edge of a breakdown than in previous weeks.
“He couldn’t get away from the hospital. Didn’t his coworker explain?”
“No. He was too busy bragging about his brilliance.”
Madison headed toward the parking lot, but Helen lagged behind, looking as if she had something to get off her chest. “You told Danny’s staff about his cancer.”
Madison stopped inside the double doors and braced herself for an ugly argument. “Kay asked a direct question—I told you I wouldn’t lie. Danny hadn’t informed them of his situation—he promised me he would.”
“Danny has never had more than a sniffle or a twenty-four-hour virus in his life, and none of those kept him from the office. He wanted to believe he’d sail through this, too, that he was somehow stronger than most people.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I guess we both did. We didn’t expect the treatment to be as difficult as it has been.”
Compassion lowered Madison’s defenses. “That’s why you need a support team, Helen.”
“Lisa, Jim, Susie and Kay have each visited this week, bringing food, entertaining Danny and shooing me out of the house. Danny really needed that this week, Madison.” Looking uncomfortable, she shifted on her feet and tangled her fingers. “And I...I did, too. Thank you.”
Taken aback by the tears of gratitude brimming in Helen’s eyes and the emotional wobble in her voice, Madison nodded. “You’re welcome. Danny’s staff thinks the world of him, and they have a vested interest in his return. They need to contribute, as much as you need their help. They want the best for him, and they’ll be there for him long after I’m gone.”
“I can see that now. So does Danny.”
They continued to Helen’s car. “I should warn you before you see him tonight that we had to shave his head.”
If Danny had been half as enamored of his hair as Andrew, Madison knew that was a biggie. “That must’ve been tough on both of you. How are you holding up?”
Helen blinked. “Me? I’m fine. He’s the one...” She sighed. “I’m managing. His hair was one of the first things that drew me to him. And with it gone it’s just such a visible reminder that...I m-might lose him. It’s hard for me seeing him suffer and not being able to fix it. I always took good care of my boys.”
“Yes, you did. To the exclusion of looking out for yourself most of the time.”
Helen held up a hand to halt the words. “You don’t need to say, ‘I told you so.’ You warned me that I was unprepared for life without Danny. And you were right. Once I get him through this, I’ll think about going back to school or getting certified for something.”
“Good idea.”
“I admit, in the past when you pushed me to find a career I thought you were comparing me to your mother. I know she and your father were unhappy, because she was trapped, but—”
“You’re not my mother.” She didn’t mean to snap the words, but she didn’t want to talk about the horrible discovery that had driven her from home.
Helen stiffened, looking affronted. “I know that.”
Madison shook her head. “I meant you would never do what she did.”
“No. I wouldn’t do that to Danny. Ever.” She checked her watch. “Speaking of Danny... He’ll be waiting. We should go.”
“Helen, cancer treatment is a marathon, not a sprint. Let anyone who offers to help help. You can’t do this alone.”
“You learned all this from your patients?”
“In a small town all we have is each other, rather than a surplus of psychologists. Sometimes an ear is all people need. You absorb a lot if you’re willing to listen.”
Again, Helen shuffled her feet. “Madison, I—I’m sorry I’ve been so difficult. Standing by my baby’s bedside and watching him slip away was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I kept clinging to the hope that Andrew would wake up, and...I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t help him. I needed to blame someone. You were the easiest target. I’m sorry.”
Madison had waited six years for that apology, but it still surprised her. “You were hurting. You’d just lost your son.”
Helen’s gaze bounced around the empty terminal before returning to Madison. Pain, confusion and regret mingled in her eyes. “For a long time I wondered... No, I convinced myself that the wreck wasn’t an accident.”
Madison flinched. It wasn’t any easier to hear a second time what Adam had already told her. “Helen, I would never have intentionally hurt Andrew or my baby.”
“I see that now. But Andrew had told me you two were having problems and that you didn’t want little Daniel. I believed you were rejecting my son and my grandchild. I became defensive because I couldn’t imagine my life without my children—no matter how they came into being.”
No matter how they came into being?
The odd phrasing alerted Madison. Had Helen known about Andrew’s trick?
“You thought I didn’t want Daniel even after I asked you about watching him while I worked?”
Helen lifted one shoulder. “I didn’t know what to believe. You were telling me one thing and Andrew was saying another. And you wanted to go back to work six weeks after giving birth. I just couldn’t imagine not wanting more time.
“Despite how hateful I was then, you still came back for Danny. You interrupted your life and your practice for us. I know coming here every week hasn’t been easy, but I don’t know what we’d have done if you’d refused.” Her voice wavered. She blinked furiously, then dug in her purse for her keys.
Madison circled to the trunk of the car, giving Helen a moment to get herself together. “You’d have hired the service and managed fine.”
“You don’t understand. Madison, having you here is a reminder of when life was still perfect, when we w-were still a fa-family.”
A family who had no idea how devious and manipulative their son had become. Or did they?
Madison watched her mother-in-law struggle until it became impossible to resist the need to comfort. She dropped her gear and wrapped her arms around Helen. She was more than a little surprised when Helen hugged her back so tightly it almost crushed the breath from Madison’s lungs. Helen held on for a very long time.
The embrace felt familiar, like coming home. Warning bells rang in her subconscious, but she didn’t pull away. Helen trembled as if fighting for control, then she stepped back and swiped her damp cheeks. Her expression turned all business.
“Let’s get you to the house. I left dinner in the slow cooker. Danny’s going to want to hear about your week. He’s been following the weather on television. It sounds like you’ve had some stormy days.”
Acceptance from the Drakes felt good. Too good. But it was treacherous ground. She had to keep her emotional footing, because if she allowed herself to travel that path, it was only a matter of time before she’d slide back out into the cold again. And if Helen ever found out what had happened with Adam, then it would be sooner than later.
And God forbid if there was a baby.
* * *
IT WAS ALMOST two o’clock Monday morning when Adam dragged himself into his house. Madison’s floral fragrance lingered in the air. She was here. Adrenaline flooded his veins.
He’d received no response to his text telling her he was sending someone else to pick her up, and after last Tuesday’s mistake he hadn’t known what to expect. Could he have blamed her if she hadn’t returned? No. He’d crossed a line and had sex with his brother’s wife.
Yes, Andrew was gone, but she would always be Andrew’s girl, and Adam had never taken anything that belonged to his brother. Not his toys, his clothes or his women. Too bad Andrew hadn’t felt the same.
Pushing aside the negative memories, he headed toward the kitchen. Tonight he could feel Madison’s presence rather than just hear the echo of his own footsteps, and for some reason it was comforting to know the place wasn’t empty.
He dismissed the crazy thought. All he felt was relief that he wouldn’t have to track her down or find a last-minute substitute veterinarian for tomorrow. He’d been fine without Madison before and he would be again.
He passed through the foyer. The earring his housekeeper had found wasn’t on the credenza where it had been since Wednesday. The small gold hoop had been the first thing he’d seen each night when he arrived home and the last thing every morning when heading out—to remind him of Madison and what had happened during the storm. Madison must have picked it up.
The sight of her cooler sitting in its usual spot by the back door halted him short of the refrigerator. He’d been waiting for a call from her all week. Was she pregnant? Would there be long-term repercussions from his loss of control?
“I never would’ve taken you for a coward.”
Her quiet voice behind him yanked every muscle in his body taut like a puppet master pulling slack from the stings. He pivoted. Every inch of Madison’s skin was covered save her bare feet and head. Loose pajamas concealed her legs and her short robe was belted tightly at her waist—the same robe she’d shrugged out of that night. Her long, tangled hair draped her shoulders.
“What are you talking about?”
“After your nasty comment about me running from my problems, you are avoiding me.”
“I texted to let you know I’d been held up and sent a picture of Saul so you’d know who to look for.”
“I didn’t get a text. All I know is your conceited friend was at the right place at the correct time with the same plane. He told me he was my ride. I tried to call to verify. You didn’t answer. I almost didn’t get on that plane.”
“I had my phone turned off.” He pulled it out of his pocket, turned the gadget back on and saw the Message Undeliverable icon by the text he’d tried to send her. He flipped it around so she could see it. “I’m sorry. The text didn’t go through. Sometimes that happens when I’m deep in the hospital building.
“Speaking of pawning off on friends, you pawned me off on yours. Deputy Jones interrogated me all the way to the airport. She probably dusted the cruiser and ran my prints after dropping me off.”
Madison grimaced. “June’s protective. If you weren’t hiding from me, then what kept you at work?”
“I was trying to avert the nursing strike. The deadline was midnight tonight.”
Caramel-colored eyes, narrowed with distrust, searched his face as if trying to weigh the truth of his statement. Had Andrew lied to her the way he had to his family? Probably. Another reminder that Andrew had been far from perfect. Having Madison back forced Adam to face that harsh reality on a regular basis. He’d be glad when the accident report came through. Pete Lang, the investigator, had promised to get on it as soon as he could.
Then Madison’s gaze met and held his. “Fine. But if you have to send someone else for me again please don’t send him. He’s convinced he’s the greatest surgeon ever born.”
“His ego is matched only by his surgical skills. He’s one of the best, but he’s a little hard to take in big doses.”
They shared a smile, then awareness of what they’d done invaded the room, seeping into the cracks and crevices until they were surrounded by it. Memories rushed forward. The warmth of her skin. The taste of her mouth. The wet heat of her body gripping his. His temperature rose and his pulse jackhammered against his eardrums.
Sex. That was all it had been.
But damn, it had been good.
He needed to get her out of here before he did something stupid like give in to the temptation. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
“I wasn’t asleep. Have you eaten?”
“Not since breakfast.”
“Yesterday?” She barely waited for his nod, then crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out a pot. “Your mother sent some chicken and dumplin’s and told me to make sure you ate.”
“Madison, I can feed myself.”
She gave him a look that should have made his thickening anatomy duck for cover. “I know that.”
“Are you pregnant?”
She gasped at his blunt question. “I don’t know yet.”
“When will you know?”
“Soon, I hope. I’ve never been the regular type. Stress tends to throw off my cycle.”
“If you are—”
“I won’t be.” Her quick denial made it clear she didn’t want to discuss the possibility.
“If you are, what will you do?”
She bit her lip, ducked her head and busied herself by reaching into the cabinet for a bowl. Her hands shook as she ladled out the stew, very precisely covered it with plastic wrap then put it into the microwave and turned on the machine.
“Madison.”
“I don’t know, Adam.”
“Ignoring a problem won’t make it go away.”
“I’m not ignoring anything. I just refuse to panic unless there’s a need.”
“Will you panic if you are?”
Her throat moved visibly, and the pulse at the base—the one he’d laved with his tongue—fluttered wildly. “A baby would...complicate things.”
His gaze dropped to her flat stomach. Andrew’s words echoed in his head. “You don’t want children?”
“I never said that. I’m trying to be practical. The timing is wrong. Child care is expensive. Money is tight. I barter animal care for what I can’t afford, but I wouldn’t be willing to let just anyone look after a child in trade for services rendered.”
“You wouldn’t be so tight for money if you joined a larger city practice and put your training to better use.”
“We’ve been through that. Quincey needs me.”
He wasn’t going to change her mind about that tonight. “If you are pregnant you could move back here.”
“No!”
“I’ll help financially wherever you end up.”
“If I am, it’s not your problem.”
“I’m equally responsible.” He paused. “Would you have it?”
She closed her eyes tightly. Seconds ticked past. Her hands shifted toward her navel, then she yanked them back to her sides. Her lids lifted. “I don’t know.”
“If it turns out that you’re pregnant, I want to know and I want to be part of the decision making.”
“I—I’ll let you know.”
What would he do if she was and decided to keep the baby? They lived too far apart for him to be a decent father. Would he have to leave the hospital he’d worked so hard to improve in order to spend time with their child? To do that he’d have to leave his parents.
When he’d first started at Mercy he’d considered it a temporary stop, a rung on the ladder to a larger, more prestigious hospital. He’d planned to get his mother past her emotional meltdown, then move on. But he’d become invested in the hospital’s people, in Mercy’s growth and continued improvement. Instead of limitations, he now saw potential, and he no longer wanted to move up and out.
He wiped a hand across his face. A child with his brother’s wife. How could he have been so careless? He’d never been a slave to his desires before. Why now? Why Madison? What about her turned him irresponsible?
How would his mother handle Madison having his child? He shook his head. For once he wanted to borrow Madison’s philosophy and not anticipate trouble. If it happened, he’d deal with his mother.
The microwave beeped, making them both jump. She fetched the bowl and a spoon and put both on the bar in front of him. “Did the nurses strike?”
He let her change the subject. He’d said his piece and he was too drained to press the point. “No.”
Residual anger from the past week’s events made his jaw so rigid it was hard to eat. He shoved a bite into his mouth anyway.
“And...? That’s all you’re going to give me?”
He chewed, gulped, washed down the food with the glass of iced tea she’d provided. If she insisted on talking, then the nursing issue was a safer topic than the awareness of her he couldn’t shake.
“We’re an excellent hospital. Voted one of the best in the state for the past two years. But one malicious person with a chip on her shoulder created an atmosphere of discontent that contaminated others around her. It took time to make the rest of the staff see past her poison. But we did it and averted the strike.”
The positive outcome was the only reason he wasn’t pounding out his frustration with the weights in his gym now the way he had every other night for the past few weeks.
“Did you, personally, stop the strike?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I hear pride in your tone.”
Perceptive, wasn’t she? He lowered his spoon. “I was part of a team.”
Her head tilted as she assessed him and her dark hair glided across her shoulder, making him recall the feel of the silky strands slipping across his skin.
“Andrew never would’ve shared the credit.”
Another unpalatable truth. “No. He wouldn’t have.”
He shoveled in another mouthful and chewed while reviewing the facts as he knew them. “You seemed happy with Andrew. Did I misread the situation on my visits home?”
“I was happy.”
The slight emphasis on was combined with the flatness of her voice indicated otherwise. “Was...?”
“He’s gone. I’m not. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Stop running, Madison.”
She paused but didn’t turn. Her fists clenched by her side. “I. Am. Not. Running. Stop accusing me of that.”
“Then why are you so eager to escape this conversation?” And why was he trying to detain her? Letting her go would be better for both of them. He was in a weird mood tonight, tense, his nerves and thoughts tangled, similar to the way he’d been after the flight. Probably due to lack of sleep. But he wanted company. Madison’s company. He needed to understand what had happened six years ago, and the only way to get answers was to dig.
She slowly faced him. “I’m not versed in awkward ‘after’ encounters.”
That couldn’t mean what he thought it did, could it? But the flush on her cheeks said more than words. Andrew had bragged that Madison had been a virgin when they’d met and how he’d been the one to teach her everything. As much as Adam wished he could forget that long-ago conversation, it played in his brain like annoying elevator music.
“You haven’t been with anyone since Andrew?”
The pink deepened into red. “I didn’t say that.”
“You’re an attractive woman. You could have any man you wanted. Why wouldn’t you satisfy a basic human need like desire?”
She looked flustered by his compliment. “Because I didn’t want to feel cheap.”
That stung. “Do you feel cheap now?”
She bit her lip and flipped back her hair, feigning a nonchalance her troubled eyes refuted. “No. I—I...”
“You what, Madison?”
“I don’t feel cheap, Adam, but I do...regret what happened.”
The blend of vulnerability and latent hunger in her eyes tugged at him. “You didn’t answer my previous question. Have you had a relationship since Andrew?”
She stiffened to rigid attention. “That is none of your business.”
No. It wasn’t. But the need to know was as compelling as the need to take his next breath. “There’s nothing wrong with moving on after a decent amount of time, Madison.”
“That’s what I hear.”
But not what she believed.
He searched her face, noting the shadows in her eyes. His father had been right. She’d been grieving when she left them six years ago. Was she still mourning her loss?
“Do you still think of him when you close your eyes?”
“Sometimes.”
Revulsion rose in his throat. Despite her denial, had he been a substitute for his twin?
“Not in the way you mean,” she added hastily.
“Then how?”
“I’m a goal-oriented person. I had my future mapped out. Then it all changed. I was so naive. I never saw it coming.”
He could understand that. Andrew’s death had shocked them all. But her plans weren’t the only ones that had been derailed. If she’d stayed he wouldn’t have had to move back to keep an eye on his parents. And if he hadn’t, where would he be now? Would he have continued his climb to larger hospitals and more responsibility in an effort to impress his father? Would he have become as ambitious as his father? Would he have ever found a facility that provided the satisfaction Mercy did?
“Did you ever consider sticking with your plan to join Dad’s practice?”
“I lay in that hospital bed alone mourning the death of my child and then my husband. Not once did any of you come to check on me or to update me on Andrew’s condition. That proved to me that the only tie I had with your family was Andrew. With him gone I didn’t belong, and after the confrontation with your mother, coming back was not an option.”
It shamed him to admit he’d never once thought of visiting her. He’d been too wrapped up in watching his brother slip away.
“You didn’t visit Andrew, either.”
“I was hemorrhaging and they wouldn’t let me move. No one offered to wheel my bed down to ICU. I didn’t know that was an option, so I didn’t ask. By the time the doctors gave the okay for me to get in a wheelchair, Andrew was gone.”
“I’m sorry. You should’ve been allowed to say your goodbyes.”
She glanced away, her fingers picking at the hem of her robe. “Yeah. Adam, your mother and I have worked out a truce. If she ever finds out what we did... It won’t matter to me because I’ll be gone. But you—”
“She won’t find out. Stop beating yourself up. If not for the fact that you’re my brother’s wife, there’d be nothing wrong with what we did.”
“I haven’t been Andrew’s for a long time.”
No. She hadn’t. Technically.
The need to make her understand that her desires were normal and moving on was okay swelled within him. He rose and moved toward her even though a smart man would have kept the counter between them.
She backed quickly. “Stop right there. This chemistry between us is...strong but wrong. We both know that complicating an already bad situation isn’t a good idea.”
He stopped close enough to touch her. Only sheer willpower prevented him from reaching out to test the warmth of her soft cheek. “What happened to your marriage?”
Panic flashed across her face. “The past is over and rehashing it won’t change anything. Let it go. It’s late. We have to be up in four hours. I’ll see you in the morning.” She bolted from the kitchen.
Running. She might deny it, but she did it.
He locked his knees, determined to be wise enough not to follow her. Everything she’d said, everything she’d done to this point, raised questions for which he needed answers. The more time he spent with Madison the more he wondered if he’d known his twin at all.
He would find out the truth about Madison and Andrew’s marriage. But not tonight.
* * *
ADAM’S TELEPHONE RANG Friday afternoon, shattering his concentration. He realized he’d been staring blindly at the budget report, lost in thoughts of Madison. Again. Trying to figure her out had occupied too much of his mind lately. He snatched up the phone on his desk. “Adam Drake.”
“Hey, Adam. Pete Lang.”
Adrenaline kicked through Adam’s veins when the accident investigator identified himself. Finally. Answers.
“I wanted to let you know the accident looks pretty straightforward to me. Dark, deserted road. Black ice. According to the officer’s report your sister-in-law admitted she and your brother were arguing at the time, so throw distraction into the mix. For what it’s worth, your brother’s blood alcohol level was double the legal limit, but your sis-in-law had none on board.”
“She was pregnant.”
“Trust me, buddy, that’s no deterrent to some people. Looks like a tragic accident to me.”
Disappointed and simultaneously relieved, Adam sank back into his seat. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing yet. I have to admit something about this case is nagging me. Can’t put my finger on it, but it doesn’t feel right, and I learned a long time ago to trust my gut. In my opinion, given her slow speed, the wreck should’ve been survivable with property damage only. Let me think on it and get back to you.”
“Thanks, Pete. I look forward to your full report.”
So he’d learned nothing to derail his desire for Madison. But he was known on the job for his persistence. He wasn’t giving up.
* * *
SATURDAY MORNING MADISON stared at her office wall, thumped her pen on the file in front of her and tried not to think of Adam or the way they’d tap-danced around each other Monday and Tuesday. The sexual tension between them had been so strong she’d nearly choked on it. But they’d managed to act wisely and keep their physical distance by staying at his parents’ Monday evening until they were too exhausted to keep their eyes open and then heading to the airport directly from Danny’s office Tuesday.
She pressed a hand to her crampy stomach. She wasn’t pregnant. Her period had started Wednesday morning. And even though she should have called or texted Adam to let him know, she hadn’t. How did you break that kind of news?
“Congratulations. You’re not going to be a father!”
“Whew, we escaped that one!”
“I’m not knocked up.”
Nothing she’d come up with had sounded right. But it wasn’t only the awkward wording that had kept her from contacting him—it was the hollow ache of disappointment that had blindsided her. The list of reasons why having a child now was a bad idea was extensive. Logically, she knew that. But emotionally, the emptiness was very real. And very scary. Surely she hadn’t wanted the complication of a baby?
She scanned her immaculate office and her bare, save the file in her hand, desk. Even with her abbreviated hours, every appointment slot wasn’t filled. She spent a lot of time cleaning or reading research articles and waiting for her next patient to arrive, because she couldn’t sit still without thoughts of Adam taking over her brain. Her every-other-Saturday hours were no exception.
She’d left Piper up front with her nose buried in parenting magazines thirty minutes ago. Madison suspected it wouldn’t be long before her assistant decided to have another baby—if she wasn’t already pregnant. Madison was happy for her. Piper had reunited with the love of her life, and together she and Roth were finally forming the family they should have eleven years ago. Why not add to their happiness? Madison could expend her unexpected maternal instincts on Piper’s baby.
She made the last notation in the chart and pushed it aside. On Mondays and Tuesdays she barely had time to dictate chart contents to Lisa, then skim and sign off on her entries. Danny’s practice kept her on her feet both mentally and physically. She missed that bustle and even the total exhaustion at the end of the day. She even missed having her feet and back ache and her thoughts whirling with everything she’d seen and done.
The front door opened. She checked her watch. She only had one more patient scheduled before she closed at noon, and Mr. Rouse had never been early in all the years she’d been treating his bloodhound.
More than likely her visitor was an emergency case. Others’ misfortune put money in her pocket. She hated that, but it paid the bills. She shot to her feet and hustled toward the front of the office.
Danny and Helen stood by the reception desk, shocking her to a standstill. Danny’s face was ashen, but curiosity lit his eyes as he craned his head, examining every nook of the waiting and reception areas. Helen looked uncomfortable, then she spotted Madison and her gaze turned apologetic.
“I tried to convince him not to come, but he insisted.”
“I can’t sit around and stare at the same walls every day. I’ll go crazy.”
“I think you already have,” Helen quipped. “The drive was too much for you, Danny. I told you it would be.”
“I slept most of the way. And if I’m going to sleep all day in that bed, does it really matter whether it’s parked or rolling?”
Madison had never heard them bicker like this. Then his words registered. That bed? Panicked, she crossed to the window. The Drakes’ motor home filled her small parking lot. So much for keeping her past and her in-laws a secret from the rest of Quincey. A motor home that cost more than most of the locals’ houses would definitely garner unwanted attention.
Quincey didn’t get many visitors unless they were lost or searching for antiques. Tongues had probably started wagging as soon as they drove through downtown without stopping.
“Didn’t you have chemo yesterday, Danny?” Madison asked.
“Yes. We left right afterward. Helen drove most of the way yesterday and the remainder this morning.”
The clearing of a throat reminded Madison they weren’t alone. “Helen, Danny, this is Piper Sterling, my assistant. Piper, Helen and Danny Drake.”
Piper’s eyes widened. “Nice to meet you. You’ve had a long drive. I have some of my mother’s cookies and a jug of sweet tea in the back, if you’re interested in refreshments.”
“Thank you, young lady—maybe after I’ve seen Maddie’s office.”
Madison’s heart sank. How could she refuse the grand tour when he’d come this far? “There’s not a lot to see.”
Helen stepped toward the counter. “Piper, I’d love some of that tea while these two talk shop.”
“Great. Come with me.” She shot Madison an “I tried” look, then led Helen toward the back room, leaving Madison with a man who looked as if he’d rather lie down for a long nap than explore.
“Are you sure you don’t want to rest for a minute? The ride had to have been difficult.”
“All I do is rest, and I can sleep or vomit in a moving vehicle. Show me your lab.”
“I’m expecting one more patient. I can show you around until he arrives.”
She led Danny down the hall to the back of the building. He moved more slowly than usual, taking a moment to glance into each treatment room, then he paused in the doorway to her lab and scanned the long narrow space.
“You keep the place spotless.”
“My teacher had high standards.”
A smile twitched on his lips. He’d been an exacting taskmaster. Danny nodded. “He was a bit of a perfectionist.”
“The equipment is old and not state-of-the-art like yours, but it still works,” Madison defended.
He headed straight for her old microscope and stroked a hand along the arm. “This is the same model I had when I started out. Bought mine used. It was all I could afford. The original owner of your practice probably purchased this equipment new when he opened his doors. It’s all about the same age.” He said it with fondness in his voice rather than condemnation.
“He did. I found the receipts. I’m not much on buying fancy gadgets when the old ones still work.”
He moved onto her centrifuge. “This is the way we did things in the good ol’ days before time and money became the gods everyone worshipped. There are times I miss those days.”
“Your practice has grown so much that I doubt you could manage without the time-savers.”
“I have to delegate everything. No time to do any of this myself.” His sweeping arm indicated the other equipment. “The lab used to be my refuge. Now I own a million-dollar building and there’s nowhere in the place I can go to get my thoughts together.”
“You could cut back.”
“Success is measured by the number of digits on the books each day.”
She debated arguing, but the sound of the front door opening derailed her. “Danny, it sounds like my patient’s here. Why don’t you join Helen for a snack? I’ll be right with you after I get through.”
Disappointment filled his face. “Would you mind if I sit in, the way you used to with me? I miss being in the office.”
Advertising her relationship with Danny and Helen was the last thing she wanted, but how could she refuse? “You should consider popping into your office a few hours a week if you feel that way.”
“We’ll discuss that when we get back. So what do you say?”
“Sure.” With dread-laden footsteps she headed into the hall to meet the newcomer. Mr. Rouse carried a huge wooden box. Charlie trotted along at his feet, tail wagging. No leash, of course, despite the sign in her waiting room saying all pets should be restrained, but Charlie was always well behaved.
“Morning, Doc. I brought you a little something.” He set the crate loaded with corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and blueberries on the counter. “I know you love my Cajun-spiced smoked hens, so I roasted an extra one. And you haven’t been around to tend your garden, so I wasn’t sure if you had produce.”
She deliberately ignored the hint of a question in his statement. “Thank you, Mr. Rouse. Your chicken is delicious, and your corn is the sweetest in Quincey. I appreciate you bringing it in.”
Piper and Madison would divide the goodies later. Rouse’s hound headed for Danny instead of going straight to Madison’s treat pocket the way he usually did. He stood on his back legs, planted his paws on Danny’s shoulders and nudged his chest. Danny winced slightly.
Rouse’s face turned as red as his neck. He reached for Charlie’s collar. “Sorry about that, sir.”
Danny waved him back. “Not a problem. What’s his name?”
Danny scratched the dog beneath his floppy ears, then snapped his fingers and pointed at the floor. Charlie immediately went to all four, then sat.
“Charlie.”
Danny stretched out a hand. He’d been the one to teach Madison to carry treats in her pocket. She dropped a couple into his palm. He fed them to the dog. “You’re a smart boy, aren’t you, Charlie? I had lung cancer surgery last month, and I’m currently undergoing chemo. Charlie smells it.”
Rouse’s eyebrows disappeared under the brim of his hat. “Dogs can do that?”
“Yes. Dogs can sniff out cancer, seizures, diabetes and a number of other human ailments. They’re far more sensitive than us humans, even though we think we’re smarter.”
That was her cue. “Mr. Rouse, this is Dr. Drake. He’d like to sit in on our visit today, if that’s okay?”
“Sure. Sure. Nice rig out front. Yours?”
Danny stood slowly, as if his joints were hurting. “My home on wheels.”
“The missus and I talked about getting one if we ever sell the farm. She has grand ideas about visiting all the grandkids in one. They’re spread all over the country. Kids don’t stick around and farm anymore.”
“No, they don’t. A motor home’s not a bad idea if you think retirement won’t make you crazy. I’m Maddie’s father-in-law. My wife and I drove up to spend the weekend with our girl, then tomorrow we’ll take her back down to Norcross with us. Maddie’s been helping out in my practice while I recuperate. That’s why she’s been scarce here.”
Rouse’s eyes lit with curiosity as he shook Danny’s hand, and Madison’s stomach sank. The privacy she’d fought so hard to maintain had ended with Danny’s words. Before the sun set today Quincey’s residents would know all of her business and be hot on the trail for more.