03_The Doctor's Perfect Match (9 page)

At her poignant tone, Christopher sent her a speculative look. “It sounds like you wish that would change.”

She rubbed her palms on her jeans, leaving streaks of dirt on the fabric. “Sometimes. J.C. finds great solace in his faith. Even my other brother, who was never very interested in religion, has embraced the whole concept. But I’m not sure.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and kept her face averted. “Let’s just say I’m not exactly a role model for Christianity.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Believe it.”

He thought about pushing, but had learned to recognize that firm set of her jaw as a sign to back off.

“Well, no matter why you believe that, I can promise that you’d be welcome at services. And it would give you a chance to meet Reverend Kaiser.”

There was silence for a few moments as she dug in the fertile earth.

“I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Sure.” At least she hadn’t refused outright. “Is this ferny stuff a flower?”

She crawled closer to inspect it. Close enough for him to get a whiff of her sweet scent. Close enough to feel the warmth emanating from her body. Close enough to find himself fighting the impulse to lift his hand and touch those golden curls.

“That’s an astilbe. They get colored plumes later in the summer. Or so Henry tells me.”

She crawled back and resumed her work.

For the next hour, they spoke little. Christopher tried a couple of times to start another conversation, but Marci didn’t cooperate. At last, after checking his watch, he rose.

“I need to have some dinner and take care of a few things before I head back to town.”

She stood as well, brushing off the knees of her jeans. “I’m about to wrap up for the day, too.”

After they stored the garden tools in Henry’s shed, Marci went to retrieve her purse and the file and notes from the chair on the porch.

“I’m going to go home and change.” She dug in her purse and withdrew her keys. “Would you tell Henry I’ll stop by later?”

“Sure. Let me give you my cell number. You can call and let me know what you decide about church. I’ll have my phone with me in the E.R.”

Once more she opened her purse, rummaging for a pen and paper. As he recited the number, she jotted it down. “Okay. Thanks for helping.”

“No problem.” He looked over the fence at the back of Henry’s property, where grass gave way to sand and the sea sparkled in the sun. “It was nice to have an excuse to spend time outside on such a beautiful day.”

And with such a beautiful woman
, he added in silence when he turned back to find a winsome smile tugging at Marci’s lips as she, too, admired the view.

“Yeah. This spot feels like a little piece of heaven.”

Only one thing could make it better, Christopher thought as he regarded Marci in the golden afternoon light.

“Well, I better be off. See you later.” With a wave, she headed for the gate.

A couple of minutes later, he heard her car pull away from the cottage. And as the sound receded into the distance, leaving quiet in its wake, only the pounding of the surf, and of his pulse, disturbed the tranquility around—and inside—him.

T
his was a mistake.

As Marci flipped through the small closet in her cottage, trying to decide what to wear to church, she was having serious second thoughts about agreeing to attend. She didn’t belong in a house of God.

On the other hand, she did want to meet the minister. Christopher had said the man was enthusiastic about the elder-assistance idea, and if she was going to pull anything together in the short time she had left on the island, she needed a lot of help. And the sooner the better.

The Lord would just have to put up with her for one day.

Pulling a beige skirt and a cotton madras blouse off their hangars, she tossed them on the bed as a knock sounded at the door.

Her pulse took a leap, and she checked her watch. Christopher was twenty minutes early. And she wasn’t anywhere close to ready!

“Marci?” Another, more persistent knock. “You there?”

She sagged against the wall. J.C.

Relieved, she padded over to the door and pulled it open.

Her brother grinned as he eyed her baggy sleep shirt, tousled curls and bare feet. “Did I wake you?”

“It’s eight-thirty. Only slugs sleep this late.”

“Hey, it’s okay to sleep in on vacation. Although this hasn’t been much of one for you, from what I can see.”

“I like keeping busy.”

“That’s not what vacation is supposed to be all about.”

At his chiding tone, she folded her arms across her chest and gave him a pointed look. “To each his own. So, what’s up?”

“A little prickly this morning, aren’t we?”

She chose not to dignify that comment with a reply. Instead, she arched an eyebrow and shot him a disparaging look—a well-practiced stance that discouraged most men.

But it didn’t work with her brother. It never had.

Chuckling, he propped a shoulder against the doorframe. “You know, I love you even when you’re in one of these ornery moods. Anyway, Heather and I are going to brunch after church. Want to join us? We could swing back around and pick you up.”

Uh-oh. She hadn’t told him about her plans for the morning, intending to simply walk into church and surprise him. That way, he’d have the whole service to recover from his shock at her presence. And if she was lucky, Heather would rein in the interrogation that was sure to follow.

“Um, I’m not sure that will work.”

“Why not? We’ll have the car, so you can’t go anywhere. You might as well eat with us.”

She was stuck. He’d keep pushing until she gave him a reasonable explanation for her refusal.

Taking a deep breath, she plunged in. “I don’t know what my plans will be after church, J.C. I’m going to the service with Christopher.”

Her brother’s astonished expression was almost comical. “You’re going to church?”

“Yeah.”

“With Christopher Morgan? Henry’s neighbor?”

“Yeah.”

He squinted at her. “Why?”

“It’s a chance to meet the minister. He’s interested in helping get the elder-assistance program I told you about off the ground. And that will be good for Henry.” She checked her watch. “Look, he’s going to be here in a few minutes. I need to get ready.”

She started to close the door, but J.C.’s hand shot out and grabbed the edge. “Not so fast. You can’t drop a bombshell like that and then shut the door. I’ve been trying for years to get you to go to church. Yet the first time the good doctor invites you, you accept. How come I think there’s more to this than helping Henry?”

“Because you have a suspicious and cynical mind honed by years of detective work among the dregs of Chicago humanity.” She shook the door. “Let it go, J.C. And I’m talking about more than the door.”

He ignored her. “Am I sensing a touch of romance here?” A grin once more tugged at his lips. “I can’t remember the last time I saw you blush.”

“Just because you’re a newlywed does not mean others share your interest in all that mushy stuff,” she said through clenched teeth, ruing the telltale warmth in her cheeks.

“Sounds like a certain ’Sconset doctor might.”

She clamped her lips together, jerked the door free and slammed it in his face.

Much to her dismay, she heard his muted laughter on the other side of the door.

“For the record, I’m all for it,” he called. “Assuming he’s a good guy, of course.”

“Goodbye, J.C.”

Another chuckle. “See you at church.”

The sound of his off-key whistling floated in through the open window as he headed back down the flagstone path toward Lighthouse Lane.

Stomping into the bathroom, Marci rummaged through her makeup kit and twisted the cap off her mascara. Talk about overbearing big brothers!

He was reading way too much into this church visit, she assured herself as she added a touch of blush, applied some lipstick and returned to the main room. Christopher’s only reason for suggesting they attend services together was to introduce her to the minister. There had been nothing personal about the invitation.

Not true
, a little voice whispered in her mind.
A simple phone call to the minister would have sufficed as an introduction. He invited you for the same reason you accepted
.

She had to face reality.

While she’d consented to accompany Christopher on the pretext of implementing his plan and helping Henry, the primary drive behind her decision had been her attraction to the blue-eyed doctor with the compassionate heart.

And after that moment in the garden when he’d almost kissed her, she knew the feeling was mutual.

That was the truth. Straight-up. And ignoring it wasn’t going to change anything. She needed to confront the situation head-on and with absolute honesty. That was the best way to deal with it.

However, that honesty did not have to extend to her brother, she decided as she smoothed her skirt over her hips.

Because the last thing she needed in her life was another matchmaker.

As the pianist played the introduction for the final hymn, Christopher sent Marci a discreet glance. Each time he’d
checked on her, she’d appeared to be engaged in the service. She’d listened with rapt attention to Reverend Kaizer, who had used the story of Mary Magdalene to illustrate the theme of forgiveness in his sermon. She’d followed along in the hymnal, though she hadn’t joined in the singing. She’d closed her eyes a few times during the readings, as if contemplating the words of scripture.

Although she’d seemed a bit on edge when he’d picked her up, her expression now was serene, suggesting she’d found the experience worthwhile.

And that was good. For a lot of reasons—some of which were personal. It had always been important to him that any woman he dated share his basic beliefs.

But this wasn’t a date, he reminded himself.

Even if he wished it was.

The hymn ended, and Christopher stepped out of the pew. When Marci exited behind him, he took her arm and guided her toward the back of church.

“What did you think?”

“It was interesting. I didn’t expect to leave with such a peaceful feeling. Is it like that for you?”

“Every Sunday.”

As they joined the groups of congregants gathering on the church lawn, Edith waved to them. Taking Chester’s arm, she tugged him in their direction.

“Well, isn’t this cozy!” She beamed at them as she drew close. “I didn’t realize you two were so well-acquainted.”

Christopher sent Marci a quick look, noted the pink tinge on her cheeks and diverted the conversation to a less personal topic. “Marci’s doing some development work on that elder-assistance program I mentioned to you a few months ago. She might need to tap into your network of contacts.”

“Glad to help. Sounds like a worthwhile effort. What got you interested?” she asked Marci.

“Henry Calhoun, Christopher’s neighbor. He had a fall, and he’ll be needing some assistance once he goes home. I met him when he came to tea, and we hit it off.”

“I heard about Henry’s accident from a friend who works at the hospital. Don’t know him well myself, but our paths have crossed a few times. Nice man. You’ve met him, haven’t you, Chester?”

“Yep.”

Christopher took Marci’s arm—a propriety gesture not lost on Edith, judging by the sudden twinkle in the older woman’s eye. He hoped Marci hadn’t noticed. She was skittish enough already. “If you’ll excuse us, I want to introduce Marci to Reverend Kaizer. He’ll be another good resource for the program.”

“By all means. Grab him while he has a free minute. See you both later.” With a flutter of fingers, Edith headed toward another cluster of people, Chester trotting along a few steps behind.

A rueful grin playing at his lips, Christopher shook his head. “To use an old cliché, I don’t think any grass grows under her feet.”

“No kidding.”

“Let’s catch Reverend Kaizer before someone else corners him.”

Five minutes later, after a conversation that included setting up an appointment for Marci to meet with the man early in the week, they strolled side-by-side across the grass toward his car.

“I stopped in to see Henry on my way to pick you up.”

“I’m planning to visit him later. How is he?”

“Improving. When I left, he was trying to convince Patricia to go home early.”

She gave him a wry smile “I can’t say I blame him. She’s—”

“Marci!”

At the summons, they stopped. Marci’s brother and his wife were approaching, and Christopher thought he detected a quiet sigh from the woman beside him.

J.C. stuck out his hand, and Christopher took it in a firm grip. As the two men exchanged a greeting, he recognized the protective look in J.C.’s eyes. Marci’s brother was sizing him up. Interesting. It seemed Edith and Henry weren’t the only ones picking up the vibes between him and the lovely lady beside him.

“Hello, Heather.” He smiled at the elegant woman with the light brown hair.

She tucked her hand in her husband’s arm with an amused smile. “Nice to see you, Christopher.”

“Marci, I wanted to check with you on the brunch. You never did say what your plans were for after church.” J.C. gave Christopher a speculative perusal.

“If it’s okay, I thought I might borrow Heather’s computer and do a little work on the elder-assistance plan.”

His gaze whipped back to her, and he frowned. “You’re not supposed to work on Sunday. This should be a day of rest and relaxation and fun.” J.C. directed another glance his way, and Christopher recognized the hint.

So did Marci.

And she didn’t like it.

Stepping closer to her brother, she fixed him with a narrow-eyed glare. “I don’t have a lot of time left here, J.C., and I want to make some progress on the plan. In fact, if you don’t mind, you and Heather can drop me off at the house on your way to eat and save Christopher a trip.”

“I don’t mind taking you home,” Christopher chimed in.

She turned to him with a smile that seemed pasted on. “Thank you. But this is more practical.”

And it also sent a clear message to her brother, he acknowledged. Back off. Butt out. Don’t push.

A grin twitched at Heather’s lips, and she moved closer to her husband. “We’ll be happy to run you home, Marci. Right, J.C.?”

He gave his sister a disgruntled scowl, clearly not pleased with the outcome of the conversation.

“Thanks, Heather.” Marci sent the other woman a grateful look before she addressed him. “I’ll see you around, Christopher. Thanks for introducing me to Reverend Kaizer.”

“My pleasure.”

Linking her arm with her brother’s, Marci propelled him toward the car. Flanked by the two women, J.C. had no option except to follow.

Christopher shoved his hands into his pockets and watched them walk away, a grin of admiration tugging at his lips. Marci Clay was one feisty woman. If her deft handling of her brother was any indication, very few people managed to outmaneuver her.

“Lovely girl, isn’t she?”

He shifted around to find Edith once more approaching. “Yes, she is. With a very protective brother.”

“J.C. feels a lot of responsibility for his siblings. He raised them after their mother died, you know.”

“I heard part of that story.”

“He just wants what’s best for Marci.”

“I can understand that.”

She nodded in approval. “In that case, you and he will hit it off fine. Well, it’s off to The Flake and some sugar doughnuts for us. I’ll talk to Marci later today and see how I can help with that plan of yours.”

Signaling to Chester, who was talking to another older man across the lawn, she headed toward the parking area.

As Christopher ambled back to his own car, he replayed Edith’s comment about J.C. wanting what was best for Marci. He did, too.

The question was, what
was
best for her?

Based on the message she’d just sent her brother, it was clear she didn’t think it was a relationship between them. And he would have agreed with that conclusion until a few days ago.

Now he wasn’t as certain it was true.

For her…or for him.

She was finished.

Wiping her hands on her jeans, Marci stepped up onto Henry’s back porch and surveyed the yard. After nine days of hard work, the garden lining three sides of the fence looked pristine. The myriad of flowers lovingly planted by Henry’s wife had been revealed, and though she didn’t know many of their names, Marci appreciated the blending of heights and colors and textures that spoke of careful planning and an eye for beauty.

Today marked another milestone, too. Henry was leaving the hospital for the rehab facility.

She’d taken to calling it that, hoping it would reinforce the temporary nature of his stay. But the older man still wasn’t happy about it. He wanted to come home. Sooner rather than later.

The one bright spot was that his daughter had gone. Meaning his life was much more peaceful.

Gathering up the heavy-duty gardening tools for the last time, Marci glanced over at Christopher’s cottage as she lugged them toward the storage shed. Since their trip to church three days ago, she’d made a conscious effort to avoid him. No sense adding more fuel to the fire. Both Edith and J.C. had been peppering her with questions about their relationship.
Edith had taken the subtle approach, always prefaced by the delivery of some sweet treat to her cottage. J.C. had been much more direct.