Blue Like Elvis (18 page)

“Okay, I need to
just say it. The thing with Cassie and me—”

I pulled my hand
free. “Oh, Tucker, that’s not necessary. Really. You don’t have to—”

“But I do. You
need to hear it. From me. Because if you just think I’m rushing into something
after such a recent breakup, you’d be wrong.”

“Wrong? How?”

He toyed with his
dessert fork, pushing around the crumbs left on the plate. “I made a huge
mistake with Cassie. And I didn’t even realize it until . . .”
He looked up at me. “Until you showed up.”

I felt my mouth
fall open.

“I know, I know.
We have a pretty crazy history, you and I.” He smiled, shaking his head. “Never
saw this coming, that’s for sure. But that day when I saw you by the elevators
and realized it was really you . . . Shelby, everything changed.”

I closed my mouth
and swallowed hard. I’m pretty sure he must have heard it, even with “Misty”
playing in the background.

“I can’t even
explain it, except that I knew immediately I wanted to get to know you again.
To spend time with you. Which, of course, wasn’t good, considering I was
engaged at the time.”

I arched my brows,
nodding in agreement, but didn’t even try to speak.

“And from then on,
nothing was the same with Cassie. It’s like it all came into focus—how we’d
been pushed together. Her dad, my dad . . . I think I just went
along for the ride at first, y’know? And then it just seemed to evolve on its
own. She’d call me up, tell me what parties we’d be attending, what causes we’d
support . . . and then last summer, while we were on vacation
with her family in the Bahamas . . . I don’t know. She kept
wanting me to propose, to make it official there in that setting with her
family all around.”

I was imagining
the two of them on a sandy beach, the sun setting behind them, the family
looking on in expectation. “Let me guess. It would have been too awkward to
disappoint them all?”

“Ohhhh yeah.
Unbeknownst to me, the whole trip was a set up. Her mom, her dad and
sisters—they were all in on it. And when push came to shove—quite literally, I
might add,” Tucker folded his arms across his chest and continued. “I guess
what I’m trying to say is, rather than cause a scene, I just went along with
it. I loved Cassie. I really did. And at the time, I thought I loved her enough
to make a lifetime work with her.”

“What changed your
mind?”

“I already told
you. You changed my mind.”

I tried to keep my
breathing calm. It wasn’t easy. “But I would never have—”

“Of course, you
wouldn’t. And you didn’t. This wasn’t anything
you
did. It was me. That
first day when I saw you, it’s like my blinders fell off. I realized I was just
allowing myself to be dragged along in the undertow of something that . . .
something that was comfortable, but was anything but right. It wasn’t fair to
Cassie, for me to go along with the flow just to keep everyone happy. Not when
my heart wasn’t sold out to her.

“And you’re
probably not going to understand this, but I believe with all my heart that God
used you to open my eyes to what had been happening.”

I heard myself
scoff. “You’re absolutely right. I
don’t
understand. And I’m not sure I
want to be somehow responsible for causing you and Cassie to break up.”

“No, that’s not
what I meant. You didn’t cause it. It would have happened eventually. I just
think God used the timing of your first day on the job as a means to plant a
seed of doubt in my heart. To face up to what was going on. Please don’t feel
badly for my telling you this. I just wanted you to understand how it all fell
in place.”

I shook my head,
trying to make sense of it. “But the fact remains, you didn’t break up with her,
Tucker. Cassie broke up with you. I was there that day. In the hall outside the
cafeteria. I heard her tell you it was over.”

“You did?”

I looked down to
avoid his gaze. “Yes. Sandra and I both heard most of it.”

He chuckled. “I’m
not surprised. I had a feeling the patients on the entire Union wing heard most
of it. Cassie is nothing if not vocal.”

I smiled, wishing
we could get off the subject. But I knew he had more to say.

Just then, the
waiter returned with the folder. “I hope you enjoyed your meal. Please come
again.”

“We will,” Tucker
said, then quickly filled in the receipt and slid the folder aside. He picked
up where he left off.

“Cassie called it
off because I was lazy and hadn’t done it myself. With every passing day I knew
I needed to end it, but I was chicken. Cassie’s a strong-willed woman. I knew
it wouldn’t go down well, no matter how I handled it. But I kept putting it
off. And then the night she dragged me to Taylor’s to pick out rings—”

“That had to be
rough.”

“You have no idea.
But it was my own fault. I just couldn’t make myself do it. And I have to say,
it made me a little crazy. I’m not normally a pushover. So to keep putting it
off, keep avoiding the confrontation to the point of actually shopping for
rings? I mean, who does that?”

“But you didn’t
buy a ring, right?”

“Uh, no. No, I
didn’t. We got into a rather heated argument right there in front of that
saleswoman. Which was also a set up. This woman had sold all of the McElroys
their jewels for years. Cassie had obviously been there before and picked out
exactly what she wanted. When I didn’t respond and make a big fuss over it like
she’d hoped, she got
really
upset. Then she informed me she would be
purchasing the ring since I obviously couldn’t. Which didn’t set well with me.
At all. And I have to admit, I did kinda gasp at the idea of buying a ring that
cost more than my
house
.”

“Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah. Much
more. But that wasn’t it. I wouldn’t have paid a penny by that point, but I
didn’t want to make a scene in the store in front of her family’s friend. But
Cass just stormed out and by the time I got out to my car, she was driving off
in hers.”

“Whoa, that had to
be awful.”

“Yes, but again, I
had no one to blame but myself. So, like any good coward, I avoided her for a
couple of days. I had a 48-hour shift which kept me out of sight, for the most
part. And that day when she showed up at the cafeteria . . . well,
you know the rest of my sad little story.”

I took a final sip
of my water and slowly set the crystal glass back down. “Tucker, I’m so sorry
about all of this.”

“No!” he said,
reaching for my hand again. “Look, I didn’t bring you here just to tell you all
that. I really didn’t. But you had to know. I really do believe God brought you
back into my life when He did for two reasons. One, to finally get it through
my thick skull that Cassie was not the one for me. And two, to give me a second
chance.”

He twisted the
gold initial ring on my pinky for a few moments then said, “Please don’t
misunderstand. I’m fully aware it’s awfully soon after my split with Cassie. I’m
not suggesting we go ring shopping or pick out dishes.”

“Well, that’s a
relief.”

He laughed, then
put his other hand on top of mine. “I guess I’m just asking for your permission
to spend time with you. Go out together. Get to know each other again. But I’m
done with being anything less than 100 percent honest. Which is why I’m telling
you right up front that this is more than just Chubby Tucker asking Jimmy
Colter’s kid sister out for kicks.”

“Oh, is that so?”
I said, smiling.

“Oh, that is most
definitely so.”

He looked into my
eyes for a moment more, then leaned over, slowly nearing me. I didn’t even
think about it. I leaned toward him, anxious for what I knew was coming. I
closed my eyes, unable to breathe as he gently kissed me. He squeezed my hand
once more then pulled away.

“You don’t even
want to know how long I’ve waited to do that,” he whispered.

“I don’t?” I asked
coyly.

He smiled as he
stood up. “Shall we go?”

Tucker held my
hand the entire way home. We talked about all sorts of things—Baptist Hospital,
the church, Dr. Love’s recovery, and a lot more. I have to admit I was
disappointed when I realized we were heading toward my townhouse. I’d hoped we
might go somewhere else for awhile. I knew Sandra was home, and I didn’t quite
feel like sharing the rest of my evening with Tucker with her.

“I’m sorry to have
to make it a short evening, but I’ve got to work at six in the morning.”

“I’m convinced you’re
a mind reader. That’s the third time this evening you’ve said something in
response to a thought that just went through my mind.”

“Is that so? And
what thought was that?”

“Only that I was
disappointed you were already taking me home.”

“Yeah?” he asked,
his face lighting up in the glow of the dashboard reflection. “I’ll take that
as a good sign.”

“You should.”

“Okay if I call
you tomorrow sometime?” He pulled into my apartment complex parking lot.

“Sure. Preferably
not at six, but I’ll be up later.”

“Good. I’ll look
forward to it.”

He pulled to a
stop in front of our townhouse, then a moment later, walked me to my door.

“I had such a nice
time, Tucker.” I stopped short of the welcome mat in front of our door. “Thank
you so much for a wonderful evening.”

Then, before I
knew it, he wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close. I was sure he could
feel my heart pounding through that little black dress. Then I realized I didn’t
care. He lowered his lips to mine and this time, there was nothing brief about
it. I felt my knees go weak and he pulled back.

“Are you okay?” he
said, his voice husky.

It took me a
moment to catch my breath. “Sure. Why do you ask?”

“I felt you start
to go limp there for a moment. Thought I was losing you.”

I reached up and
pushed a strand of hair from his eyes. “Not a chance, Tucker. Not a chance.”

Chapter 26

Much to my
surprise, Tucker and I settled quickly into a comfortable routine. We didn’t
get to see each other every day because of his erratic work schedule, but we
always talked by phone if we couldn’t sneak in a moment or two together. On the
nights he didn’t work, he’d stop by and take me to dinner or pick up something
so we could eat in. I loved how well he and Sandra got along, and how
perceptive she was about giving us time alone now and then.

In only a couple
of short weeks, I felt like Tucker and I had been together for a year or more. And
I loved every single moment we spent together. I loved how he made me laugh. I
loved the hint of mischief in his silly smile. I loved that his nose was just a
tiny bit crooked—no doubt the trophy of a childhood prank or sports injury. I
loved the way he hugged me when he was so tired he couldn’t put a sentence
together. I loved that he cried when a patient didn’t make it through surgery.
They weren’t bodies. They were people with names and families and friends. I
loved that he always put everyone at ease. I loved that he so easily made fun
of himself.

And I love that he
loved me.

On those long
shifts when our paths didn’t cross, he’d call me late at night and we’d talk
until he got paged. We talked about anything and everything. I’d never known a
guy so open and giving, so interested in who I was and what I thought about
this subject or that. We both loved to read, and we’d discuss favorite books and
characters and plot lines until there was nothing more to be said.

On the last
weekend of May, Tucker and Trevor showed up bright and early on a Saturday
morning to help us move. With their help, we had everything out by four that
afternoon. When the guys took off with the last load, Sandra and I stayed behind
to clean the townhouse.

We joined them at our
house just after six. We were actually surprised to find them still there, but
even more so when we walked in to find the dining room table set for four with
a catered meal from Buntyns.

“Hey, can we rent
you guys permanently?” Sandra asked, kicking off her tennis shoes. “I could
really get used to this!”

“What—the meatloaf
special from Buntyns,” Trevor asked, “or the help of two manly-men?” He flexed
his muscles like a bronzed body builder.

Sandra reached up
and squeezed his upper arm. “Get a load of that beefcake, will you? So how
exactly does a doctor like you have time to work out? I thought you brainiacs
never got out much.”

“Ah, mi amiga
pequeña, those are secrets I’m not at liberty to share.”

Tucker leaned
toward Sandra in a fake whisper. “There’s a gym over on the top floor of the
Medical Center. Those aren’t just doctors’ offices, you know. He works out
between shifts.”

“Tucker, do you
mind?” Trevor teased. “A man needs a little mystery. Thanks for spoiling my
fun.”

“You’re welcome.”

We all took a seat
around the table and devoured the hot meal set before us. Meatloaf, buttery
mashed potatoes, lima beans, a fresh fruit salad, and those life-changing yeast
rolls.

“Please tell me
there’s no cobbler warming in the oven,” I groaned.

“No cobbler,”
Trevor said.

“Thank goodness
for that.”

“Just a
Mississippi Mud Cake. And we picked up some vanilla ice cream at the store to
go on top.”

“You did not!”
Sandra scolded, jumping up to peek in the oven. Nothing there, but she quickly
spotted a dark sheet cake sitting on the counter in a bakery carton. “Oh Dios
mío! You’ll have to roll me out of here come Monday.”

“Hey, we can just
let the guys have the cake. We don’t have to eat it, you know.”

“Are you out of
your mind?” she scoffed. “Have you ever had Buntyns’ Mud Cake?”

“Fine. Whatever.
Just tell me which box my fat jeans are in.”

The guys stuck
around to help us move the last pieces of furniture where we wanted them. We
would do the rest later. I was just moving another box into the kitchen when I
looked out and saw Sandra and Trevor on the front porch swing. Trevor must have
said something funny because my roommate threw her head back, laughing and
holding her stomach. Trevor laughed too, so much that he could hardly breathe.

“What are you
looking at?” Tucker said, coming up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my
waist and looked over my shoulder. “Ah, the good Dr. Knight, weaving his magic
on your delightful little roommate.”

“They’re good
together, don’t you think?” I mused aloud.

“Who, Trevor and
Sandra?”

“Well, who else
would I be talking about?”

“Ah, I don’t know.
They’re pretty different, those two.”

I turned around to
face him, his hands still on my waist. “And different is bad because why?”

“Now, don’t get all
huffy. I just mean, it’s okay for them just to be friends, isn’t it? Do we have
to pair them up just because he helped her move today?”

“Tucker, I didn’t
mean they should—”

He bear-hugged me,
planting a kiss on my lips.

“What was that
for?” I asked once he pulled back.

“Nothing. Just
felt like doing it.” So he did it again, this time slower and sweeter, gentler.
I relaxed in his arms, ignoring the fact I was grimy from all the moving and
cleaning we’d done. I was getting used to these sudden kisses. And I liked
them. A lot.

He reached around
me to grab his iced tea off the counter. “So did you decide about the singles
camping trip?”

“When is it again?”

“July 4
^th
weekend.”

“That’s a month
away. Why do you have to know if I’m going?”

“Because I have to
request the weekend off.”

“Oh. I don’t know,
Tucker. You know I’m not much of a joiner for stuff like that.”

“So? It’ll be fun.
C’mon, you know you wanna go.”

“I do?”

“Sure you do. What’s
not to love? The fresh outdoors. A lake to swim in. Sleeping under the stars—”

“And about a
hundred singles.”

“Well, there’s
that. Though we’ve never had that many go. Usually only about 30 or 40. But
they all know we’re dating now, so I don’t expect the Killer Bs to hit on you
or anything. Besides, they’re afraid of me.”

“They are?”

“Yeah. Last week I
told them you weren’t available and to stop trying to get your number. I put on
this whole tough guy thing. They were shaking in their boots by the time I was
done.”

“Why do I think
you’re lying?”

“Okay, well, maybe
they weren’t exactly shaking in their boots. It was more of a little wobble.”

“Tucker?”

“Yeah?”

“Leave those poor
guys alone, okay? They’ve got enough problems.”

“So you should
invite Sandra to come. They love Sandra. In spite of her Pedro stories.”

“They know about
Pedro?”

“You mean, do they
know Pedro’s a bird?”

“Tucker! You told
them?”

“No! I didn’t say
a word! They just don’t think this Pedro guy is anything to worry about. I
heard them say something about seeing if the mice will play while the cat’s
away, or something like that.”

“Please—we don’t ‘do’
mice anymore. Remember?”

“Just say you’ll
go,” he asked again, nuzzling my neck knowing full well how ticklish I was in
that particular spot.

“Okay! Okay! I’ll
go. Now stop that!” I pushed him gently.

Just then, another
raucous round of laughter spilled from the front porch. We watched as Trevor
and Sandra giggled like a couple of school kids.

“I don’t guess
Trevor’s planning to go on the campout, is he?”

“He’s thinking
about it. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing. I’m just
thinking Sandra could use some fresh air, a lake to swim in, maybe a good night’s
sleep under the stars . . .”