“Good evening,” she said.
Instantly, he started to smile. “Hey. Will you come see me this weekend?” He could drain Isabella’s stomach, repair VSDs, study echocardiograms, and debate what to do about fixing a bad repair done by a hack. But in order to do all of those things, he had to know when he’d get to see her again.
“Actually,” she said, “yes.”
“What?” He sat up straight. “You will?”
She told him that one of the nurses who’d cared for her at Magnolia Avenue Hospital was willing to meet her tomorrow in Atlanta.
Thank God. “My apartment only has one bedroom,” he told her, “but you’re welcome to stay in it. I’ll take the couch.”
“I will not be staying in your apartment, I—”
“I’ll book you a hotel room, then. There’s a hotel across the street and a few doors down from my building.”
“I’m delighted to inform you that I’ve already booked and paid for my hotel room. It’s non-changeable and non-refundable.”
“Leah,” he groaned.
“I learned something from all those non-returnable gifts you sent us.”
“Tell me you’re going to get in the car right now and start driving.”
“I am not. I have to get Dylan squared away with Tess and Rudy tomorrow morning. It will take some time to bring them up to speed because I want to ensure Dylan’s prohibited from situations that involve red plastic cups and teens making out on furniture while I’m gone. I should be there by mid-morning tomorrow.”
“And you’ll stay in Atlanta until Monday?”
“Yes.”
Thank God.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Finally,” Sebastian said when Leah arrived at his apartment. She had on a gray collared shirt opened at the throat and patterned with polka dots bigger than quarters in bright pastel colors. Jeans. He took one long drink of the details of her—soft blond hair, defined eyebrows, gently sloping cheeks—before wrapping her against him. The side of her face came to rest against his chest and he set his chin gently on the top of her head.
He was ridiculously glad that she was here. The weather had been depressing so far today—wet and dark. But now that she’d arrived, everything was right and bright. Nothing could be better than it was in this moment.
For years he’d understood in a detached sort of way that he was lonely. But it was only now, with Leah, that he understood how deep his loneliness had been.
“Hi,” he whispered, drawing her closer to him.
“Happy Halloween.”
“Happy Halloween. Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome. Though I didn’t come for you, remember. I came to talk with Nurse Tracy.”
He looked down at her. “I don’t care why you came, only that you’re here.” Besides, no matter what she said to him or to herself, she was here, at least in part, for him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be staying until Monday. She’d be heading back to Misty River today after her meeting with Tracy.
“I will concede,” she said, “that the opportunity to see you while in Atlanta is a nice perk.”
Her misty blue eyes killed him. They communicated so many things—wisdom and disappointments and commitments fulfilled.
“I’m determined to become the best perk ever,” he said.
“Impossible. I’ve already received the best perk ever—a bag of wookie cookies given to me by a student last May the Fourth Be With You.”
“I can be better than wookie cookies.”
“You’re overly competitive.” Her attention slid to his chest, then back up again. “Have you been at the hospital this morning?”
“Yeah.”
“I like this look.”
“A white T-shirt and scrubs?”
“You are aware, are you not, that several Hollywood actors have built careers on this look?”
“Those guys are fake doctors. Chumps.”
He kissed her. He’d planned to keep it quick—didn’t want to scare her off—but at the first taste, need overwhelmed him. After a few minutes, he had to use all his self-control to break the contact. “Thank you for coming.”
“You already said that.”
“It was worth repeating.” He gave a lopsided grin. “How much time do we have before the meeting with Tracy?”
“Are you planning to join me for the meeting?”
“Is it okay with you if I do?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll join you.”
“We have two hours.”
“That gives us plenty of time to grab some lunch.”
I think this might be her,” Leah said two hours later.
She and Sebastian had arrived early at the park Tracy had specified. They’d been waiting and watching for a redhead in a gray coat, and the woman who’d just entered the park fit the bill. Her body language radiated caution as she scanned her surroundings.
Leah caught the woman’s eye, raised her hand in a wave, then approached. She could sense more than hear Sebastian walking beside and slightly behind her. Wind had swept the morning’s gloomy weather to the east, leaving hesitant sunshine, high-sixties temperatures, and rain-scrubbed foliage.
“Tracy?” Leah asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Leah. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me. This is my friend Sebastian.”
Tracy nodded tightly at Sebastian. She was of average height and almost painfully slender. Her lovely hair was parted on the side and tucked behind her ears before continuing in a smooth, shiny plane to her mid-chest. It was the only soft and inviting thing about her. Her pointy features looked as if they’d been chiseled from marble.
“Would you like to sit down?” Leah indicated a picnic table nearby.
Tracy gave another nod. Leah and Sebastian took one side of the table, Tracy the other.
“As I mentioned over the phone,” Leah said, “Magnolia Avenue Hospital granted me access to my hospital records, which is how I knew that you were working there the day of my birth.”
Tracy’s lips formed a horizontal line. “I decided to get a degree in nursing when I was eighteen years old. Worst decision I ever made. Magnolia Avenue was my first employer, and as soon as I started my job there, I realized I’d made a mistake. Nursing was not for me.”
Apparently, the hospital hadn’t exactly been fond of Tracy either, since she’d been let go after just a few years on staff. Leah supplied her birthdate, full name, and the names of both sets of parents. “Does any of that ring a bell?”
“Not at all.”
“Do you remember the nurses who were working the shift with you that day?” She rattled off the other women’s names.
“I hardly remember Lois. Bonnie was much older and treated me like I was a child. Joyce was loud and obnoxious. She never stopped talking.”
“Do you happen to have any contact information for Bonnie?”
“No. We never saw or talked to each other outside of work hours.”
“Do you remember anything about Lois, Joyce, or Bonnie’s personal lives?”