“WHAT IS DR. CHAUVRE’S first name?”
“What?” Rachel’s reappearance in the ER surprised Seb. He’d assumed she’d gone back to Pediatrics after whatever patient she’d been helping with.
He’d finished treating the boy with the broken leg and had helped stabilize the kid’s father, who’d been struck with the chain saw. It had been touch and go since the blade had glanced off the man’s head with enough force to breach the skull. It looked like the brain itself had been spared, although there was always the possibility of swelling from trauma. The patient wasn’t out of the woods yet.
She wouldn’t quite meet his eyes. “I was just in surgery with him and realized I didn’t know his full name.”
“It’s Philippe.” That was odd. Although Sebastien had been at the hospital long enough to know most of the staff members by name—first and last—it just seemed an out-of-the-blue question. As was the fact that she was still not quite holding his glance. “How did surgery go?”
“It went well. We were able to get Monica’s arm back in place, and she’s awake. The arm has a temporary cast that will be replaced tomorrow if everything looks stable.”
“Good news.”
“How about the other victims? Are they doing okay?”
“Yes,” he said. “Even the head injury patient is stable for the moment. All in all, that family was very lucky.”
“Yes.” This time she did meet his eyes. “It’s funny how we classify luck sometimes, isn’t it?”
He hadn’t thought about it much, but she was probably right. Hadn’t he thought about the fact that even though Claire had had cancer that Rachel was lucky enough to still have her?
Rachel probably thought the same thing about someone whose child came through with some minor illness or injury: well, at least they didn’t have to deal with cancer.
“Yes, it is.” He paused before deciding to change the subject. “Any word on your mom’s arrival?”
“Oh, damn. My phone rang while I was in surgery, then Dr. Chauvre wanted to speak with me afterward and I completely forgot.”
He’d wanted to speak to her afterward?
Rachel fished her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the readout. “It’s Claire.”
Without saying anything else, she pressed a button on her phone, mouthing sorry at him.
He wasn’t sure whether he should just walk away and give her some privacy or if she wanted to touch base about the storm.
“Hi, honey. Are you okay?”
He watched her body language, glad when she drew a deep breath and blew it out. “She did? What time does she arrive on the island?”
Claire must have said something else, because Rachel listened without speaking for a minute or two. “Like I told you yesterday, it was Grams’s idea. I didn’t call her and ask her to pick you up this soon. And no, the storm isn’t dangerous at the moment. It might never be. But since she’s coming, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to go back to her house for a short vacation if the storm gets worse. She’s missed you.”
Rachel’s eyes suddenly jerked to his. “I—I’m not sure what Sebastien’s schedule is, sweetie.”
His schedule? Why would she want to know his schedule?
Whatever Claire said next made her mom suck down a quick breath. “I’ll ask him. But no promises.”
“Ask me what?”
There was a deer-in-the-headlights moment before she put her hand over the bottom of the phone. “She wants to come by the hospital tomorrow with my mom to see you, since she doesn’t know when she’ll need to leave the island.”
She did? He wasn’t sure why she wanted to do that, but it made something burn in his chest. “Of course she can. Just let me know what time, and as long as there’s not an emergency I need to deal with, I’ll be happy to see her.”
Rachel gave him a slight smile and mouthed thank you. “He said he’ll try. We’ll work out the time with Grams tonight, okay? I’ll bring some food home with me.” There was a pause. “I’m sure he has other things to do tonight. See you when I get there. Let Grams know what the plan is for dinner.”
She hung up the phone. “Sorry. I thought it was an emergency or I wouldn’t have subjected you to that.”
Subjected him to what? Her end of the conversation? Or Claire wanting to stop by? So if he hadn’t been standing there, he probably never would have known.
It didn’t matter. He wasn’t sure why he’d been so quick to agree to Claire stopping by to see him, other than the fact that he didn’t want to have any regrets if the storm wreaked havoc and Claire and Rachel left the island, and he never saw them again.
The burning in his chest grew at that thought.
It was also obvious that Claire had wanted to invite him over to their apartment for a meal, and Rachel had been quick to put the kibosh on that. As well she should have. Intruding in that space where Rachel, Claire and her mom would try to talk while none of them admitted how scared they were about that situation that hovered a thousand miles offshore put a lump in his throat. How did you leave things when you weren’t sure if it was the last time you were ever going to see each other?
Maybe that was part of the reason why Layla’s parents kept sending him Christmas cards—there’d never been any true goodbyes said. Layla had left without ever saying she wasn’t coming back to the house. And he’d never gotten in contact with her. Instead, their unfinished business hovered out there in the ether, kind of like that storm offshore.
It might be time to pick up a pen and write Layla and her parents a letter, finally cutting the last of those ties and wishing them well. Bleu really was the only thing that connected them now, and that thread was frayed so deeply that one hard tug and it would be over.
“You’re fine, Rach. Nothing to apologize for.”
She blinked, then stared down at her feet for a second. “I...um, appreciate that. And if you decide you’d rather not meet with Claire, I’ll certainly understand. Please don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I do want to. I know what it feels like to not have closure.”
Her head cocked to the side for a second before she sighed and nodded. “Yeah. So do I. What time do you work tomorrow, so I can kind of coordinate times?”
“I’m scheduled at eight and will be here the whole day, so whenever they arrive will be fine.”
“Perfect.”
It wasn’t. But he wasn’t going to tell her that. He was just going to show up and start doing what he hadn’t done for years—close chapters so they weren’t left hanging open in his life. Doing that with Claire and Rachel might be a great place to start. Despite the fact that that chapter had barely been opened.
Seb’s phone buzzed, and he glanced down at the readout before swearing softly, tapping something on his screen.
“What is it?”
He moved closer, holding his phone so they could both read the warning that was scrolling down his screen, before he realized she wouldn’t be able to read the French fast enough to understand.
“The storm has strengthened far ahead of the predictions. So we’ll need to get our evacuation plans underway.”
“How far away is it?”
“It’s still moving in this direction, although its trajectory has changed a bit, canting more to the north. But it’s still uncertain where it might make landfall first. Although somewhere in the Leeward Islands is the best guess.”
That might be good news for Taurati but would be very bad for some of the islands to their west.
Her hair grazed his chin as she tilted her head to try to look at the small image on his phone, and a mixture of coconut and vanilla hit his senses. He swallowed, forcing his glance to stay on his phone.
“What do we need to do?”
He tried to think past the sense of awareness that was now swinging through him. “I know you said you were going to take food home to Claire and your mom. But is there any chance they could come here instead? I think we may have to work through the night, just in case. Or if you can’t—”
“My mom can watch Claire, so I can. And I will. Let me go call her.”
“Tell her she may need to take Claire back to the States sooner rather than later.”
She bit her lip and stepped away. “Okay.”
Rachel waited for her mom and Claire to arrive at the hospital. She was nervous, and she wasn’t sure why. She really didn’t want her mom meeting Sebastien, although she couldn’t put a finger on why that was. Maybe it was the stress over the storm. Maybe it was because she felt the less Seb knew about her the better, especially since Claire had seemed far too interested in keeping in touch with him. But how could she try to discourage Claire when Sebastien had been the one to calm her daughter’s nerves both when she was sick and when she realized there was a storm that would possibly head in Taurati’s direction?
Rachel wasn’t used to anyone helping with her daughter other than her parents. It had felt good to be able to sit back and let someone else reassure her. Too good, in fact.
It would be all too easy to get used to that.
But she had to remember that eventually he wasn’t going to be in their lives, so she had to be careful about letting her daughter think that he was anything permanent. He was a work colleague, and that was it. That was all it would ever be.
Sebastien arrived before her mom and Claire did, lugging two bags of food from a local takeout joint.
“Wow, that looks like enough to feed an army.”
“It’s not. I just decided to get some typical American-style food. Fried chicken.”
That made her smile. “Claire will love that. Thank you.”
“There was no salade de pomme de terre—er...you call it potato salad? They were sold out.”
“That’s okay. It’s not her favorite anyway. And she loves Taurati’s food.”
He pulled out a mango. “Especially this?”
“Yes. Especially that.”
Just then she heard a familiar voice coming from the elevator, which had just arrived on their floor.
Claire appeared first and came careening toward her, arms outstretched. She gave her a big hug. “Grams says we have to leave tomorrow and that you’re not coming. Why?”
Her mom, making her way toward them, gave a half shrug. “I didn’t think it was my place to tell her without you there.”
“It’s okay. She knows what’s happening for the most part.”
Rachel watched as Sebastien smiled at Claire’s greeting. Unlike Dr. Chauvre and his perfectly straight teeth, Seb’s left canine stood at just a bit of an angle. That slight imperfection made him unique and added to his appeal rather than detracted from it. It was hard not to stare at his mouth every time he smiled. Made her want to do something to make those firm lips curve upward for that very reason.
Oh, girl, you are getting in too deep for your own good.
Realizing she actually had been staring at him, she cleared her throat to say something, but before she could, he nodded at the woman to her left. “This must be your mom?”
Great. Not only had she been staring, she’d evidently forgotten her manners as well. Something about this man made her normally orderly thoughts turn topsy-turvy. “I’m sorry. Yes, this is Marion Palmer. Mom, this is Dr. Deslaurier. I’ve been working with him on storm preparedness for the hospital.”
“So you told me on the phone.” Her mom held out her hand, eyes fixed on Seb’s face. “Nice to meet you. I trust you’ll make her leave the island, if it comes down to it.”
“Mom!” Her voice was a little sharper than she’d meant it to be, and she sent her mom a wordless apology before adding, “I will follow the recommendations of the island’s officials and hospital administration.”
If Sebastien was shocked at her mom’s demand, he didn’t show it. “Your daughter has a good head on her shoulders. I trust her to do the right thing.”
Did he? Did that mean if she decided to move to Orthopedics, he would support her in that decision? Not something she wanted to think about right now.
Claire turned back to face her. “So why are we leaving, anyway?”
“The storm is bigger and moving faster than it was before.” She tried to choose her words carefully. “It looks like it might hit one of the smaller islands west of here, and if that happens, there is going to be a lot of panic and maybe even some injuries. Part of my job is to help our patients here at Hospitalier, and I don’t want to have to worry about you and whether or not you’ll be okay.”
“But what about that other island? The one that might be hit.” She paused, head tilted as she evidently processed what Rachel had told her. “You’re going to help them, too, right?”
“We’re not positive yet that it’s going to stay on the same path. It’s changed a couple of times already.”
“So it might not hit any of the islands?”
That was unlikely at this point. The islands of French Polynesia were scattered in a loose pattern, as if someone had skipped them across the ocean and left them where they landed. It would be hard for the tropical cyclone to miss all of them. The question was, would it hit the populated or unpopulated ones before continuing on its way? Their only hope was that the storm would weaken once it made landfall and pose less danger to the rest of the group.
She tried to figure out a way to explain their predicament. “They think it will hit at least some of them. We just don’t know enough to say which ones yet. The bad news is, I have to work all night tonight, Claire, to make sure Hospitalier’s patients have a place to go in case it does hit here first.”
“I understand.” Her daughter glanced at Sebastien. “You guys will be together the whole time, right?”
“What?”
“I’m scared you’re going to be trapped somewhere by yourself and that...” Claire’s eyes watered, and her voice trailed away.
“Hey, I’ll make sure your mom is safe.” The deep gruff tones from beside her made Rachel swallow, a shiver washing over her.
How long had it been since she’d had someone say something like that? She was normally the one having to make sure others were safe, because her experience was that no one else was going to do it for you. Roy had left her to do everything on her own, and when the going got really tough and he realized having a child would change his life, he’d literally left her to do it on her own. Rachel had sworn to herself that she could do it all.
But, man, it felt good to have someone stand there and imply that—if not outright say—she wasn’t alone. Just like the other times that Seb had offered reassurance. God. Claire was worried that she might be trapped somewhere alone? Well, she needed to make sure she was ready to rescue herself rather than expect someone else to do it for her. Even if it was just emotionally.
It took another swallow and a few beats before Rachel could say anything at all. To hide her emotions, she enfolded her daughter in a tight hug. “Everyone at Hospitalier will be talking. We’ll all be taking care of each other. So try not to worry, okay?”
She wasn’t trying to discount Seb’s offer to make sure she was okay, but, for Claire’s sake, she had to be careful not to buy into that line of thinking, otherwise it would be that much harder when the extra support was withdrawn. And she was under no illusions about its permanence. Her ex had more than taught her that.
When she dared a quick glance beside her, she saw that Sebastien was frowning. But he didn’t contradict her. Instead he said, “Well, we’d better eat before we have to get back to work.”
“Can we eat on the beach?” Claire pulled her head from her mom’s shoulder. “I haven’t been able to go in a while.”
Seb’s frown eased. “I was thinking that exact thing. I even have a blanket in my closet that we can bring to sit on.”
That might even be better. The ocean breeze might help to clear her head. Or at least it would prepare her for the reality that was to come.
Rachel took one of the bags of food and Claire the other while Seb got the blanket. She did her best to not to think about how this was the second time they would be sharing a meal together. Almost like a real...
No. They were not a family.
Leaving the hospital, they walked down the same boardwalk as the one where they’d helped to save Sharon’s life. The lifeguard stand was empty, but that made sense, since it was getting to be late afternoon. Looking at the sky, you would still never know that a big storm was threatening to disrupt the idyllic life around them. Her mom glanced at her. “This is absolutely beautiful.”
“You’ve been here before.”
“Yes, but it’s been a while, and I’d forgotten how lovely it is here.”
Yes, it was. And Rachel made an effort not to take it—not to take life—for granted. She draped an arm across Claire’s shoulder as they stepped onto the sand. “We really love it here, don’t we, kiddo?”
“Yes, we do. I wish you and Gramps could come live with us.”
Her mom laughed. “You will never get Gramps to leave Wisconsin.”
It was the truth. Her dad had been raised on the farm where they currently lived. It wasn’t very likely they would talk him into leaving it. And somehow, she couldn’t see her dad in swim trunks hanging out on the beach. It just wasn’t his style.
She glanced at Seb. “Where do you want to eat?”
“Let’s go down a little farther. Maybe between here and the overwater cabanas.”
She was glad he hadn’t suggested eating inside one of them. Not only would it be warm this time of day, but she didn’t want her mind to wander to another—more luxurious—cabana, where some pretty sexy things had happened. Especially not with Claire and her mom here.
They got to the spot, and Sebastien tossed out the blanket. It was larger than she’d expected, with plenty of room for them to spread out to eat.
“Ooh,” said Claire as she took her plate. “I haven’t had fried chicken since we left Wisconsin.”
Rachel smiled at Seb. “Evidently that was a good choice.”
While they ate, Seb regaled them with stories about things from his childhood. Claire sat there as if entranced by every word that came out of his mouth.
Rachel felt the same way. She knew he’d grown up in Tahiti, but she didn’t realize he’d been a daredevil as a child. He seemed so...calm and unflappable nowadays. Maybe from the result of having a normal, happy childhood.
But then she remembered those whispers she’d overheard about something bad. From his childhood? Or from his later years?
He hadn’t actually said anything about his teenaged or young adult years. Was that on purpose? Or was it just an oversight?
A slight movement from the waterline caught her attention, and she tensed. “Something’s out there.”
“Where?”
“To the right. About twenty or thirty yards.” She stared at the spot, thinking maybe someone was swimming in the shallows, although the sun had all but disappeared from the horizon. She hadn’t realized it had gotten so late. And then something slowly emerged from the water. And it wasn’t a swimmer. Not a human one, anyway.
Seb squinted at the area she indicated and saw it in the shadows. A low shape, pulling itself forward with flippers. It was a sea turtle. He got the group’s attention before putting his finger to his lips and making a low sound.
This was nesting season. They sat in silence on the warm sand so they didn’t disturb the magnificent creature as she followed the instincts of her ancient ancestors and moved slowly, push by push, over the beach.
It was the first time Seb had actually witnessed this. He made a mental note to mark the spot once she was done so that one of the island’s conservation groups could flag it. He wasn’t sure what would—or even could—be done if Tropical Cyclone Koji actually made landfall on Taurati. But hopefully with the course being recalculated hourly, this nest would be spared.
Bit by bit, the turtle moved across the sand. There was an intimacy to the scene that was both sacred and profound. And it was hard not to feel a connection with the people he was with as they also watched the creature’s progress. Then she passed them, continuing for a few yards before stopping. She looked neither right nor left. The nearby humans might not have even existed, for all the attention she paid them. Which was a good thing.
She stayed where she was for several minutes. Resting?
But then she started moving again, flippers pushing sand with an efficiency that was surprising in a creature that rarely ventured onto land. She was digging. Sebastien didn’t dare move for fear of disturbing the turtle.
After what seemed like forever, she stopped again, and although he couldn’t see from this distance, he was pretty sure she was busy laying her eggs.
No one said a word, and if he’d never seen this before, he was pretty sure this small group from Wisconsin had also never watched a sea turtle lay her eggs. Claire laid her head on her mom’s shoulder, and Rachel grabbed her mom’s hand.
A ribbon thread of jealousy went through him. Not for romantic reasons, but more a feeling of missing out on something important. Something he hadn’t realized he’d lacked.
Thoughts of storms and loss were nowhere on his radar right now as the turtle showed them that special things only came with much effort.
Like having a family? Something he’d sworn he would never have again?
No, don’t think about that right now. Not when you’re tired and facing a situation that could prove to be life-threatening.
But the turtle didn’t seem to care about any of those things. Didn’t care that there might be a storm. Didn’t care that her eggs might or might not make it. She could only do the things she had control over, and that was to find the safest environment she could for her eggs. And the stuff she couldn’t control?
Well, that she left up to the universe.
Was that same universe trying to tell him something?
He had no idea. What he did know was that he wasn’t a turtle. He couldn’t just act on sheer instinct and let the chips fall where they may.
But maybe none of that needed deciding right now. He could think about the lessons of this particular turtle later. But right now, couldn’t he just live vicariously through Rachel’s little family?
As if guessing his thoughts, a voice whispered into his ear, “She’s so beautiful.”
Rachel was right. And not just about the sea turtle. He found himself leaning closer, having to hold himself back from touching her. “Yes, she is, Rach.”
She stared at him for a minute before giving him a smile that went straight to his head, even as a rock settled in his stomach. It would be so easy to give in to the fantasy that he belonged here. That that incredible smile had meant something special, and that this family was actually his.
For twenty minutes, time seemed to stand still. And for once he was okay with not hurrying it along.
Then the turtle’s flippers started moving sand again. Only this time, she wasn’t digging. Instead, she was pulling it over the top of her eggs. Little by little. Push by push. And when she was finished, she slowly trudged back across the beach, each pull seeming to take a Herculean effort. But it was evidently worth it to her.
Something tickled at the back of his mind before he pushed it away again. He forced his attention back to the turtle.
She reached the surf, and a few more pushes had her buoyed up by the water. She soon disappeared from sight.
Trying not to disturb the group, he pulled his phone from his pocket and took a couple of pictures of the spot, using landmarks of the area to help conservationists find it.
“I can’t believe we just witnessed that.” Rachel’s words were still low, even though the turtle was long gone.
“I can’t, either. It’s my first time.”
Claire glanced around at him. “Really? You’ve never seen a turtle lay eggs before, even though you’re from here?”
“I never have. Even though it’s the season, it’s still a little early, and it would be almost impossible to plan a time when a sighting would be guaranteed. I’m just glad our presence didn’t deter her.”
“Me, too.”
He realized he was still leaning close to Rachel and immediately sat back. When he glanced at Marion, he noticed she was smiling, and even though she was looking in the direction of the ocean, he got the feeling her expression had nothing to do with the turtle.
Then what was it for?
Maybe the fact that he’d been practically leaning on her daughter?
If so, he needed to be careful. He didn’t want to give Rachel’s mom any ideas. Or worse, he didn’t want Rachel to get any ideas.
So from here on out, he would need to be careful. Not just for his sake. But for everyone’s.
Claire still wanted to say goodbye to Sebastien. And today was the day.
Rachel and Seb had worked all night long, securing places for their critical patients. It hadn’t been easy. Many of the other islands were also on high alert, and there was an air of uncertainty and tension in all the phone calls she’d made. Hospitalier had agreed to receive patients from Bora Bora and other islands in the event that the storm shifted yet again and hit somewhere other than Taurati.
But they’d done it. And Rachel felt better about where things now stood with the hospital.
She’d barely had time to go home and catch a few hours of sleep before her mom and Claire’s flight left today. She felt weepy and out of sorts, and she knew it was due to the prospect of being separated from her daughter. But not just that. There’d been a weird sense of companionship as she and Seb worked together last night. She’d put it down to being tired and having witnessed that magical scene on the beach yesterday. But she needed to banish that feeling—and soon.
They arrived at the hospital, and Rachel dropped her mom and Claire off at the front door and then went to find a parking place. When she rejoined them, she wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders and they headed through the entrance. Claire looked a little silly in her thick cardigan and long pants in this heat, but it was still winter in Wisconsin, and she needed to be prepared for it when she got off the plane tomorrow. Hopefully by then the storm would dissipate and things could go back to normal.
Normal? Like Sebastien calling her Rach for the first time yesterday? She thought of him as Seb all the time, but it was because everyone seemed to call him that. To hear him shorten her name, though, had given it a kind of intimacy she was no longer used to.
And she wasn’t sure she wanted to get used to it again. Claire’s father had called her that, and so it jolted to hear it roll off the tongue of another man. Although Sebastien’s tones had worked some kind of magic over her that Roy’s voice never had.
She glanced up to see Seb coming across the large foyer area to meet them. Alarm bells went off in her head. Ugh! She hadn’t quite prepared herself for seeing him again. She’d told him what time they were coming but assumed he would just wait in his office until they arrived. He shoved a lock of hair off his forehead, sending a shiver over her. It was a study in impatience and sexiness all rolled into one. And his white shirt accentuated his tanned skin and strong neck. Imagining that fabric sliding across that tattoo of a sea turtle on his shoulder did a number on her.
Not the time, Rachel.
He was here, and she needed to pull herself together. Maybe he didn’t want them in his space. Except she’d been there all night long.
Only that had been all work and no play. Not like that night in her cabana. The thought made her stomach tank and edged her nerves back into the danger zone. “Hey, sorry you felt you had to come down to meet us.”
“It was no problem. I wanted to.” His attention shifted to her daughter. “Claire, how are you holding up?”
“I thought this storm wasn’t going to happen. You guys said it might be heading somewhere else.” Her voice shook.
She realized then that Claire’s eyes were red-rimmed, too. Had she been crying in her room before they left? Oh, God, was she even doing the right thing by sending her away?
Yes. She and Sebastien still had work to do, and she would have a harder time doing that if she knew Claire was here and might be in trouble.
“I know, and it still may. But we can’t just sit back and pretend it’s not out there.”
She was surprised at how good a job Sebastien was doing at being supportive rather than just placating her. The respect she already had for him grew into a seedling.
“I understand that. But I don’t really want to leave. Grams and Mom think I should, though. What if that other island gets hit? Who will help them?”
Sebastien seemed to consider his next words. “We will, if we can. And I agree with your mom and grandmother. They want to know you’re safe and with the people you love. And we’ll be working hard over the next several days.”
“I guess.” Claire’s arms went over her chest in a way that showed how dubious she was about going. “There are people that I love here, too, though.”
Rachel swallowed at the way her daughter had worded that. She knew that Claire liked Sebastien, but her daughter made it sound like he was inside that bubble of people she cared about. Really cared about. Claire had always had an open heart that never seemed to run out of compassion and empathy. Rachel liked that most of the time. But someday she was going to let someone in who would hurt her. Roy hadn’t been there long enough to do any real harm to Claire when he’d left. But she’d asked about him, and Rachel had tried to answer her questions as honestly as possible, telling her they’d both been very young when they’d been together and Roy hadn’t been ready to fully commit to her. She’d left out the part about him not wanting to be a father. But someday her daughter was probably going to want to track him down. What if Roy rejected her? How long could Rachel really protect her from that?
She couldn’t. But she could try to protect her from getting too attached to this particular man. “I know you do, honey. But this isn’t goodbye forever. It’s just until this storm is no longer a threat.”
Like the threat that Sebastien posed?
He’s not, Rachel. You’re comparing apples with oranges.
That cyclone could become an unstoppable force of nature, whereas Sebastien... Well, they could walk away from him at any time.
At least she hoped they could.
Marion gave her granddaughter a hug. “You’re acting like this is a kidnapping, honey. This is not just about the storm. I’ve missed you. Just come home with me for a week, and then I’ll bring you back myself, okay? You’ve always loved staying with us. Gramps would be really sad if I came back without you.”
“I’ve missed you guys, too. It’ll just seem strange for Mom and...er...my friends to be so far away.”
“You have your cell phone. You can call her every day. This week will go by faster than you can imagine.”
Claire’s eyes shifted back to Seb. “Will you take care of my mom? Please?”
Horror went through Rachel, and she was quick to take away any notion that she needed anyone to do that. “I’m a big girl, Claire. I can take care of myself. Sebastien has his own family to think about.”
She had no idea whether or not Sebastien’s parents were even alive. He could have been raised in foster care for all she knew.
The pediatrician’s jaw tightened visibly. Probably in response to Claire’s outrageous request.
But other than that outward tell, Seb gave no indication that he was irritated.
“She and I will be working together every day, so if I see something I disapprove of, should I call you?”
Rachel’s head whipped around, and she fixed him with a gaze that that told him to watch his step.
“Could you?” Claire responded.
“I’m sure your mom will be just fine.” Marion glanced down at her phone. “Well, it’s that time. We’d better get going, kiddo.”
“Okay.” Claire came over and gave Rachel a long hug. “I miss you already.”
Clenching her jaws together to keep control of her emotions, she squeezed her daughter tight. “I’ll miss you more. Be good, okay?”
“I’ll try. I’ll call you when we get to Tahiti. And when we get to Wisconsin.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Dropping a kiss onto Claire’s head, she finally released her.
Unexpectedly, her daughter went over to Seb and hugged him as well. There was a moment’s hesitation before Sebastien’s arms went around her back. Over Claire’s head, his eyes met Rachel’s with an odd expression. Almost like...sadness. A lump formed in her throat that no amount of swallowing would dislodge.
Seb took a step back and repeated what Rachel had said. “Be good. See you in a week.”
Said like a father. Like the father that Claire had never had. It would be so easy to lean on him for support, just like she had when he’d treated Claire for her swollen lymph node.
This could turn into a disastrous situation for all of them. And yet he’d said nothing wrong. Any friend or neighbor could have said the same thing and she wouldn’t have thought a thing of it.
Was it because it came from a man she’d slept with?
Probably.
But to overreact would make both Claire and Sebastien wonder about the reason behind it. And in reality, Rachel had no idea why her thoughts and emotions were in such turmoil.
It’s because your daughter is about to fly thousands of miles away.
For the first time, she wondered if moving to Taurati had been the best idea. Then she shook that thought aside. It was, actually. Because she was far enough away from home that if things got too weird with Sebastien, or if she developed some kind of crush on the man, she could simply pick up and move house. It had been a lot more complicated when Roy had left, since he’d come from the same Wisconsin town as they had. And although his parents had been killed in a car crash soon after they graduated from college, his romance with Rachel had continued. At least until Claire was born and he decided fatherhood wasn’t for him. He’d stayed in town for a couple of months after that before moving to one of the larger cities just north of them.
But there’d always been that specter of fear. What if he decided to move back to the area? What if he decided to lay claim to Claire or said he wanted to forge some kind of relationship with her? What if Claire decided she wanted a relationship with him?
It all seemed unlikely at this point, but she still worried about it. And when Claire turned eighteen, she could decide for herself what to do about that. All Rachel could do now was to protect her daughter as best she could.
And that might not be just from her biological father anymore. More and more she was realizing that Claire craved what she hadn’t had as a baby—the fairy-tale notion of two parents who loved each other.
God, she didn’t want to be the one who had to smash that fantasy to bits in front of her daughter.
Sebastien broke the silence. “Hey, I have something for you in my office. Do you have a minute to come up?”
Claire looked at her grandmother, eyes wide. “Can we?”
“Yes, just for a minute, though.”
“It won’t take long.”
They took the elevator to the third floor and stepped off. Rachel had no idea what Sebastien was talking about. He’d never mentioned having anything for Claire. But her anxiety levels were starting to climb higher and higher.
Seb opened the door to his office and ushered them in. And then, going behind his desk, he opened a drawer and pulled out a small plastic item. “It’s a sea turtle. Something to help you remember Taurati.”
His French accent came through thicker than it normally did.
Claire accepted the gift, turning it over in her hands. “Thank you. Just like the one we saw on the beach. I’ve always loved sea turtles.”
“So did...” Sebastien let the words trail away for a minute before finishing it. “So do I. Think you can fit that in your backpack?”
“I’m going to put it in my purse for safekeeping.” She looked at Seb. “I’ll give it back to you when we come back.”
“No, it’s yours.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.” He gave her a smile.
“Thank you. I love it. I’ll put it on a shelf in my room when I come home.”
Rachel’s misgivings went even higher. But it wasn’t as if he’d gifted her something expensive. It was probably just some trinket left by a patient of his, and he’d offered it to Claire to take away some of her anxiety.
Something whispered to her in the deepest recesses of her brain. Something about a turtle. She tried to capture it, but it slid away before she could.
She didn’t want to take the chance that Claire would hug him again or form an even closer bond to him, so she interrupted the moment. “Well, you guys better be on your way. I love you. Call me when you land at each of your stops, okay?”
“Don’t worry, we will.” Marion kissed her cheek, then held her hand out to Seb. “Thank you. For everything. I can see why you treat children. You’re very good with them.”
“Thank you. It’s just the training.” Again there was something in his tone that called to her. Like when he’d looked at her while hugging Claire.
“I don’t believe that for a second,” her mom said.
Rachel didn’t believe it, either. She’d seen him with his patients. He was kind and intuitive and seemed to have a gift for helping them calm down.
“I’ll walk you out,” she said.
Her mom shook her head. “It’s probably better if we just go from here. Claire already has her backpack, and I have my things in my whale of a purse. We’ll call you when we land, so don’t worry. And you be careful.”
The admonition was made with love, and Rachel knew it. She gave them each one more hug and then watched as they walked out the door. She stood there staring at it for a long minute before realizing tears were coursing unchecked down her cheeks.
A hand grasped hers and squeezed. “It’s going to be okay, Rach. I promise.”
Something about those words made a rush of emotion sweep into her head, where it grew and swelled until she felt her skull would split open. She whirled around to face him, not bothering to swipe at the moisture on her cheeks.
What did he know about promises?
“Don’t. Just don’t. You can’t know that. So don’t make any promises you can’t keep.”
He searched her face for a long moment. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I’m the last person who should be telling you that everything will be all right. Since I know firsthand that sometimes it’s not, no matter how much you might wish otherwise.”