Crain's Landing (23 page)

“Are you headed there now?” Peyton was now trying to scramble off the table. She knew the quicker we left the office, the quicker we could play.

“I am, actually. I need to stop by the library and check on things, but yes, I’ll be there soon.” Dr. Garrison had assisted Peyton down from the table and she was now trying to open the door.

“I’ll call you when I finish here at the hospital and if you’re still there, I’d like to see you.”

“Okay, sounds great.” I smiled as I helped Peyton open the door. “Peyton, are you going to say thank you to Dr. Garrison?” Peyton’s blue eyes looked to mine and then to Tiffany’s.

“Bye, Gwant.”

I looked to Tiffany with big eyes and then had to hurry out of the room as Peyton was running down the hall. As I rounded the corner, Tiffany called my name from behind me, stopping me in my tracks.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m so happy she’s doing better.”

I smiled as I watched Peyton choose which lollipop she wanted out of the drawer.

“Yes, well, she had excellent doctors working on her. Thank you, Dr. Garrison, for your help.”

Peyton chose a red lollipop and was trying to tear the wrapper off, having a great deal of difficulty doing it.

“Well, it’s what I live for as a doctor.” She sighed and then placed her hand on my arm.

I looked from her hand to her face.

“Ms. Reid, I wanted to let you know that Dr. Crain frequently goes behind me and checks my work. His desire to meet you in the park is simply that, checking to see that I listened to her lungs properly. I didn’t want you reading anything into his desire to see you otherwise,” she said in a sympathetic, caring voice. She was so full of shit.

The thing was, I had a theory about jealousy in women. Some women became jealous and immediately tossed their shoes and earrings to their girlfriends and started throwing punches. Then there were the women who ran away and cried, only telling their diary how they really felt. But women like Tiffany Garrison, they were calculating, manipulative, and intelligent. They worked diligently to bring you into their inner circle, giving you a false sense of camaraderie. Then they slowly dropped hints of doubt to make you feel bad about yourself and undermine your relationships. This type was the most dangerous of woman and by far my favorite to deal with.

I removed her hand from my arm and looked her square in the eye. I moved closer to her so that only she and I could hear what I had to say. “Actually, Dr. Garrison, Grant knows how shitty my insurance is and since I haven’t met my deductible, he’s letting me give him blowjobs instead of paying the copayments. Trust me, his visiting me has nothing to do with you.”

I didn’t bother to turn around and see her face. I took Peyton by the hand, made my way to the car, and then to the library.

Tiffany Garrison was biding her time as she waited to finish her residency. She wasn’t stupid enough to make a move while he was her supervisor. I could only imagine what she would do once that time was over.

“Natalie, what are you doing here?” Ashley was manning the front desk as we entered the door. Brittney was busy putting books away and once she noticed me, she came over to where Ashley was standing.

“Well, ladies, Peyton just had her follow-up visit and she’s fit for play duty, so we’re off to the park.”

Peyton had already gone straight over to the music booth. She loved to stand in there and dance.

“Oh, my gosh! I’m so happy to hear that,” Brittney spoke from behind her stack of books.

“Me, too. I can’t wait to get back to work and have adult conversations.” Everyone laughed at my admission. Brittany was still dressing down, her hair was now darker and her face still void of any makeup. “Brittney, I’m sorry to hear about your mother.”

She looked at me while removing her glasses. “I’m not, she knew better than to do something like that. She let her emotions get in the way of her job. What kind of person does that to an innocent child?”

I was floored at her admission. “Brittney, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” I leaned over the counter to get closer to her. “When I first came in here, you dressed…”

“Like a slut? I know. You don’t have to sugar coat it. See, I’ve listened to my mother and my aunt for my entire life. They told me I had to dress like that in order to give men the idea of a fantasy they would want to fulfill. But then I saw how you and Ashley didn’t act or dress like that, and yet Ashley has Drew who’s a great guy, and you have Dr. Crain who’s tripping over his own tongue to get to you.

“I decided to try and do what you guys do and it worked. I have Dustin now and he’s the best boyfriend in the world. He opens doors for me and he calls me when he says he’s going to. He hasn’t even pressured me for sex, not one time. And the best part is that he isn’t from around here, so he hasn’t slept with any of the girls I know. He told me he doesn’t go for girls who dress like hookers, because they usually act like it, too.”

I smiled and placed my hand on hers. I was so pleased for her. She was truly happy for the first time.

“When his mother heard what my mom did, she told him to go pack my things and bring me to her house.” I watched as a tear rolled down her pale face. “She hugged me, Natalie. She hugged me and told me I would always have a place to stay if I wanted it.”

I couldn’t help myself as I rounded the desk and took Brittney into a hug of my own. “Oh, sweetie, everyone deserves their prince charming, you just had to kiss a ton of frogs to find yours.”

We all laughed through our tears as Peyton came running over to the counter.

“Momma, go now?” Her voice was pleading. I knew she was anxious as I was to get out into the fresh air. I said goodbye to everyone and made my way back to my car.

I barely found a parking space in the lot at the park. It seemed everyone was enjoying the weather, as there were tons of people everywhere. I remembered what I had told Brittney about finding her prince and kissing frogs. Was Holden just one of my frogs? Was Grant my prince charming or was he merely another frog I had to kiss?

“Stay where I can see you, Peyton!” I shouted as I took a seat on a bench. There were too many people to let my guard down. I watched as Peyton ran toward the giant jungle gym that sat in the middle of the park, her hair glowing in the bright sun. She turned quickly, before climbing up the ladder, and waved back at me. My phone began to ring; I didn’t take my eyes off of her as I answered it. Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful, turn around.” His voice was again like a cool breeze on a warm day as it swept over me. I turned around to see Grant getting out of his car. He started walking toward me and I would have sworn it was in slow motion, he looked so good. His sunglasses covered his eyes, but I could see that his smile lit up his whole face. He looked like a runway model as I watched him cross the grass, heading in my direction.

I suddenly found myself hoping he wasn’t fond of flies.

SUNLIGHT GLISTENED OFF THE WINDSHIELD
of Grant’s convertible, its silver paint catching a few beams as well. He looked like a GQ model instead of skilled physician. He stood, leaning against his bumper, cell phone in hand and sunglasses resting on his perfect nose as the sun kissed his already tanned skin. He was a very handsome man, no question or doubt about it. However, after speaking with Constance and Tiffany, I did question why he chose me? A man like Grant, successful, apparently wealthy by the car he drove, with nothing to tie him down, and a history of entertaining beautiful women. He was a puzzle whose pieces didn’t seem to match up.

I watched Grant walk toward me, causing a momentary loss in rational thought. How did I ever allow myself to get here? I was so lost in my head I didn’t realize I had ended the call and placed my cell back in my pocket.

“Wow, this turned out to be a beautiful day,” he commented and smiled widely at me, looking around at the park surrounding us. Good God, how that voice caused things to stir in me, things I had no real time to deal with at this moment in my life.

“I’m glad you gave Peyton the all clear so we could enjoy it.”

His answering smile was not only arousing but, for lack of a better word, magical.

“Mommy!” Peyton’s excited voice rang from beside me. In a quick move, Grant scooped her up and began to walk toward the swings. I watched, with my heart in my throat, as Grant swung her around his neck and placed her on his shoulders. She was giggling and having the time of her life. I fell in line beside them, looking into Peyton’s face, her eyes bright with glee.

“Did you bring sunscreen along, Momma?” Grant asked as he fastened Peyton into the swing. I took the travel tube from my pocket and let him see it. “Very good, Natalie, I’d hate to have to discipline you for failure to protect her skin.”

That million dollar smile of his, its brightness rivaled the sun above, was impossible not to join with one of my own. Grant stood behind Peyton and gently pushed her, the muscles in his forearms flexing with his movement, my eyes fixed on the action. I tried hard to keep my thoughts pure, especially with my daughter so close. Her tiny hands gripped the bar of the swing, while her little legs kicked for all she was worth.

“I’m glad you could join us, Grant.”

“Me, too, Natalie...besides, I really need to talk with you and I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

I looked at him; he was watching the swing that contained Peyton, his eyes focused intently on the back of her head. “That makes two of us. I have something I want to discuss with you as well.”

We continued to play with Peyton, she held Grant’s hand as she went from the swings to the slide and then to the wooden bridge. Finally, Grant told her he had a surprise for her and jogged over to his car. He came back with a box of sand toys. There were three other little girls who saw the box and immediately ran over to where Grant stood helping Peyton take her shoes off. He instructed me to save him a seat on the bench that was directly in front of the sandbox. Grant knew all the children and helped each one of them with their shoes. Once everyone was settled, he joined me on the bench.

“For a single guy, you sure know your way around little girls.”

He sat down, leaving little space between us, both of his arms going along the back of the bench seat, one resting along my shoulders. I chose to let it stay there for now. “I owe it all to my family. I’ve been exposed to little girls my entire life.” He beamed. “I’ll bet your house was a fun place to be when you were growing up.”

We both had our eyes trained on the little girls having a blast in the sandbox. It was amazing how young children were when it came to making friends. I envied their simple outlook on the world around them, even if it was only grains of sand in a park.

“It was the neighborhood hangout. My mom was the mom everyone could come to if they needed help. She always had something baked for us to eat after school.”

I wanted to be that mom—the mom who would kiss away the pain of any child when they hurt themselves, the mom who would listen and tell them what they needed to hear and not what they wanted to hear. “I can see Carolyn like that.”

We were silent for a few minutes. Grant appeared lost in his memories and thoughts. I let him be in them.

“Natalie, I have a confession to make.” I turned my head slightly, his eyes now on my face. “When I knew Peyton was going to be all right, I said something to my father that I wish I could take back.” His eyes were now moving to look at the girls.

“I’m listening,” I stated when he remained silent a few moments too long for my liking.

“During the time I was sending you various gifts, I discovered you’re the type of person who acknowledges when someone does something for you that you didn’t expect.” His eyes stayed on the girls, his face now tinged with pink. “My mother is the same way. She has drawers full of stationary and a cabinet full of empty containers she uses to send people thank you notes, with her famous baking attached.” He took in a deep breath as he turned to face me.

“If, after you hear this, you want to back out of our date, I’ll completely understand.” His eyes were soft, pleading, a look of uncertainty on his face. “I told my father that you’d go out of your way to thank us for helping with Peyton. I bet him that you’d thank me instead of him. I lost.” The latter revelation caused me to gasp. How did he know?

“Why do you say that? Do you not want to go out anymore?”

He hastily placed his hand over mine. “No, Natalie, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I want to have dinner with you, quite badly in fact.” His eyes became downcast. “I overheard my father tell you not to say that you were going to accept my invitation, to thank him.”

I couldn’t help myself, I began to laugh. “Oh, my God, Grant, I knew this place was small, but this beats all.”

He joined me in my laughter. “So you’re not angry with me?” His voice was still hesitant, cautious.

I laugh inwardly at his worry, “No, I’m not mad at all. It’s rather funny if you think about it.” The glimmer in his eyes returned and the smile again took residence across his face.

“It is somewhat funny, but I had to be honest with you. Honesty is very important to me.” His words were like promises, declarations of his intentions.