Eagle's Destiny (16 page)

Her look was incredulous, “Why should I believe you, because you didn’t believe me?”

“Tammy you know that I believe you.”  How could I get myself into this type of conversation?  Better yet, how was I going to get myself out of the conversation?

“You’re only going to hurt him like his other girlfriends.”  She said the words and the real reason for her anger became clear.

“It’s not my intention to hurt your dad.  For goodness sake Tammy, your dad and I are just friends.”  I had not yet concentrated on her use of the word girlfriends in the plural.  This would probably strike me later on in the day.  “Instead of talking to me about this, shouldn’t you talk to your dad about it?”

“I tried,” Tammy replied, “but he told me that it wasn’t any of my business and to stay out of it.”

I thought how typical of a man, what a way with words he had.  “Tammy, it looks like your dad and I are probably going to have a relationship that is more than just casual friends.  I don’t have a crystal ball, and I don’t know how this will end or what will happen.  I’m hoping that it will turn out well, but face it your dad and I don’t have good track records.  Both of us have been divorced so that means we aren’t very good in the relationship department, but we’re trying.  If your dad wants to share or not to share with you that is up to him.  He does deserve his privacy as do I and so do you.  So, I hope that you allow us to stumble around making whatever mistakes we make without your input.”  I swallowed down the remaining coffee and rose from the chair.

Tammy stared up at me with a look of surprise and shock on her face.  “Okay.”  She said quietly.  I walked to the back door and she called out to me.  “Are you still taking me to the doctor on Wednesday?”

I turned around before opening the door, “Absolutely.”  I smiled at her and then walked out to the back porch closing the door behind me.

As I turned around to go down the steps of the porch, Debi drove by with her car.  When she saw me, she pulled up by my house and got out of her car to wait for me.  Rolling my eyes, I c
ouldn’t believe my good fortune.  M
y day was getting better and better.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Debi followed me up to the back door.  “What an interesting jogging outfit you’re wearing this morning Elizabeth.  Or is that the walk of shame you’re doing?”

“Shut up Debi.  Come in and make some coffee while I feed the dogs.  I’ll fill you in.” 

Debi knew her way around my kitchen.  She started the coffee maker while I prepared breakfast for the dogs.  As the dogs ate, we sat down and drank our coffee.

“You look a lot better than you did yesterday.”  She said.

“I took your advice.  I talked to him.”  I drew little circles on the table with my fingers and then looked up at her.  “You were right.  It was a misunderstanding.”

“So, I take by your attractive outfit this morning you finally gave it up?”  Debi smirked at me.

I shook my head, “Why does everyone assume that we’ve had sex?”

Debi looked with wide eyes, “Who do you mean by everyone?”

Laughing, I told her about my conversation with Tammy.  Debi took my hand, “I think Mr. Don can top that one.”

“What do you mean Debi?”  I asked suspiciously. 

It would be just like Don to get involved in my private life.  He had been rescuing me forever, and of course, he wasn’t always successful, evidence Kevin.

Debi hesitated then laughed knowing that somehow it was well intended, “Well, after the game Don told Michael he would do him great bodily harm if he hurt you.”

I laughed loudly, “Michae
l must have laughed at that one.  H
e’s at least six inches taller than Don and probably has fifty pounds on him.”

Debi laughed with me, “Hey my Donny is scrappy.”

“I know.  I love him too because of that character trait.  I just hope that he doesn’t have to follow up on his threat.”

“You and me both.”  Debi chuckled.

We spent the next two hours talking like the two old friends we were.  We poured over the note Michael had written to me and analyzed every word.  We laughed and admitted that we were being terribly silly.  Debi had always accepted me just the way I was with no pretense.  She made me promise to come over for dinner and since I was responsible for the girls, I was supposed to bring them with me.

After I showered, I worked on my book for several hours.  When the phone rang, it was Katy asking me to come and rehearse with her and the boys.  I hated to admit it to myself, but I was disappointed that Michael hadn’t called yet.  I knew it was ridiculous for me to wait for his call.  However, there I was jumping up when the phone rang.

When I arrived over at the house Tammy was in the kitchen baking cookies.  The kitchen looked like it had exploded in flour with baking pans scattered from one end to the other. 
She
smiled and seemed to be in a better mood than this morning. 

Tammy stood by the stove with bright red oven mitts on, “Hi Elizabeth, here to rehearse?  Cookies will be ready soon.  Would you let Katy and the boys know.”

I smiled, “The cookies smell delicious.  We’re supposed to go over to Debi and Don’s for dinner this evening.”  I silently hoped that the kitchen would be clean before Michael came home on Thursday, but I had my doubts.

“Yeah, Jason called to let me know about dinner.”

“Have you heard from your dad?”  I asked trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

Tammy nodded her head, “Yeah, about an hour ago.  He said he arrived safely and was on his way out to start shooting the alligators.”

I looked at her and then she laughed, teasing me, “But you know only taking their pictures, not killing them!”

I chuckled and nodded my head as I left the kitchen, “Yeah yeah.”

I joined Katy and her band mates.  They wanted me to learn three classical jazz pieces.  All three of them were happy when I told them that I already knew the songs.  We worked for two hours rehearsing the music and my style of singing.  They appeared to be pleased with the results of the rehearsal.  While we took a break, Tammy brought us cookies.  The rehearsal was enjoyable.  It reminded me of a time that I shared with my mother.  She had her own quartet, but they usually only performed for friends and family.  Katy’s group hoped to perform in nightclubs, but they needed to make a demo tape, and yes, they were going to do the taping Sunday night with my singing.  Before leaving, we planned one more
rehearsal on Thursday.

The answering machine did not have a blinking light when I walked into my kitchen.  Disappointment hit me immediately since Michael had already called Tammy.  His note said he would call.  What would it take to stop me worrying?  I knew the answer was simple
.
A
ll it would take was a call.

I changed into shorts and a t-shirt and called the dogs.  I needed to burn off the excess energy I felt and a run usually did the trick.  Normally it was not my routine to run so late in the afternoon but it had been a cool day for August.  Being too close to the phone was driving me crazy too.  Still there was no message when we returned home and after my shower, I checked the machine again.

The phone rang suddenly as I was dressing.  I nervously picked up the receiver.  It was Tammy letting me know it was time for dinner.  I hung up the phone and frowned, I was not going to be able to take much more.

Arriving back home after dinner I was again disappointed to see that Michael hadn’t called.  Maybe he forgot I told myself.  It was already midnight in Louisiana, and I knew that a call would not be coming tonight.  I threw on a t-shirt after undressing for bed.  The dogs were already in their places on the bed.

Turning off the light and slipping under the covers, Topper crawled his way up to me to snuggle with me.  As I petted the top of his head, we were both jarred with the ringing of the phone.  My heart jumped into my throat when I answered the phone.

“Hey Babe.”  Michael’s voice was clear but he sound tired.  “Are you in bed?”

I cleared my throat and tried to put my heart back into its proper place.  “Yeah, I just got home from dinner.”

“I figured.  Tammy called me to let me know that both she and Katy were tucked in safely.”

“So you arrived safely?”

“Yeah, I got right to work.”  A noise on the other end of the line sounded like he was situating himself in bed.  “I wanted to call you just before you went to bed so you’ll dream of me tonight.”

The comment made me laugh.  “Hey the next time you leave in the morning, make sure you wake me up, I wanted to say goodbye to you.”

“So you’re promising there will be a next time?”  His voice sounded dreamy and smooth and it made lower parts of my body react to him.

I giggled and turned over on my side.  “There is a very good possibility of that happening.”  I paused for a moment and then continued.  “I peeked in your office this morning.”

“Did you see anything you liked?” he asked.

“Yeah, I surprised to see my books on your bookshelves.  Have you read them?”

“Of course I read them.”

“And?”  I asked.

“They told me a lot about you.”

“You think so?”

Michael paused thoughtfully, “Yes.  Jessica has a lot of you in her.  Not everything, but I could see the similarities.  The erotic parts were great too.”

I laughed, “Oh you liked the sex?  You didn’t think it was too over the top or too much fantasy?”

He laughed with me, “No, I thought it was all doable.  That is why I can see us together.  You created the stuff in your books.”

I was quiet, “Well, that doesn’t mean I’ve done all the stuff that’s in my book.  My editor prompts me on some of it.”

Michael chuckled, “Then with the next book you can tell the editor you’re writing from experience.” 

I could feel the blush immediately on my face.  I had no comeback for that comment. 

“You’re blushing aren’t you?”  He asked.

“You can tell over the phone?”

“Not too difficult to tell.”

I filled him in about the day’s events with the girls including the conversation I had with Tammy early in the morning.

“She told me about it too.”  He added, “I told her that my relationship with you was none of her business and that she needed to stay out of it.”

“That’s kind of harsh don’t you think?’

He sighed, “Sometimes with Tammy you have to be direct.  She’ll be okay now.  I know she really likes you so I can’t understand what it is all about.”

“Michael, she’s probably a little jealous of me.  Here I am taking her dad away from her.  She doesn’t get to be with you as much.”

As we spoke, he told me his trip was extended another day until Friday, but I tried not to let the disappointment appear in my voice.  I would have stayed on the phone with him all night,
which
is one of my faults
.
I never know when to say goodnight.  Michael finally said goodnight.

He was right.  He filled my dreams that night.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tammy and I arrived at the doctor’s office on Wednesday just before her appointment time.  Her nervousness spilled over to me.  I could remember my first visit and understood her feelings.  When the nurse called her name, she grabbed my hand, “Please come with me.”  Her eyes were pleading.

“Are you sure you want me there?”  I asked her. 

Tammy nodded, “Please?  I don’t want to go alone.”

I smiled and stood with her.  We both followed the nurse into the examination room.  Doctor Helga came into the room shortly after.  The doctor was surprised to see me. 

“Elizabeth?  Hello?”  She checked her chart.

“I’m here with Tammy for support.”  I filled in the blanks for the doctor. 

Doctor Helga had been my doctor for years.  In her middle sixties now, she always wore her grey hair tightly rolled back in a bun and was known for her no nonsense putting everything straight style.  Insisting that everyone call her by her first name, she said it was a better alternative than the names she was called by women in the throes of childbirth.  When Kevin and I had first married, she had worked with me on my pregnancy problem.  After the problem eluded her, I saw a doctor down in Southern California who very adroitly pointed out the problem was not Kevin’s, but mine.

  Doctor Helga performed the examination on Tammy quickly. 
She
squeezed my hand so tightly I thought I would have lost all feeling in my hand. 
She
stared at me
and
her face was beet red. 

I leaned over and whispered in her ear.  “It’s almost over.  Everything will be okay.”  I kissed her on the forehead.

After the examination, we met the doctor in her office.  While she was writing the prescription for the birth control pills, she went into a long
commentary about the responsibilities of taking the pill and the responsibilities of having safe sex.  Tammy blushed through the entire discussion
. 
I was glad it was the doctor and not me doing the talking.

Doctor Helga handed the prescription to Tammy, which she quickly stuffed in her purse.  As we walked to her office door, the doctor called back to me.  “Elizabeth, stay for a moment, I’d like to talk to you.  Tammy you can wait in the waiting room, Elizabeth won’t be long.”

Tammy nodded and closed the door behind her.  Doctor Helga pointed to the chair opposite her desk.

I sat down and asked worriedly, “Is there a problem with Tammy?”

“No, this has nothing to do with Tammy, but it is you I wanted to talk about.”  She stood up, walked around the big mahogany desk, and sat on the corner close to me.  Doctor Helga looked down at me over her glasses.  “I’ve heard that you have a new boyfriend.”

I sighed, “News certainly travels fast.”

She laughed, “You know this is a small town.  He created quite the stir in town when he moved here.  First he redid the house and then when we found out he was a famous photographer, well you know how this town gossips.  So, are you having protected sex?”

Surprised filled my face.  “What makes you think we are having sex?”  I sputtered out.

“You’re not?  The stories made it sound like you very cozy, especially last weekend at the bonfire.”

I looked at her in amazement, and here I was the fodder for gossip.  “Well we’re not.”

“Okay.”  She nodded her head.  “When it does happen, what are you planning on doing?  Are you going to go on the pill, use condoms, what?”

“Doctor Helga, you know I can’t get pregnant.  I already went through this with Kevin.”

She nodded and sat down in the chair next to me.  She put her arm around my shoulder.  “I know, I remember going through it with you.  However, if you recall, I was very clear when I said that I couldn’t find anything wrong with you.  I believe that you can get pregnant.”

“The other doctor I saw in Southern California told me it was my fault.”  Tears began to well in my eyes, “He very clearly told me I was to blame.”

She leaned back in the chair, “Do you remember what the diagnosis was?  Maybe we can contact him?”

“I don’t remember who it was.  Kevin kept all those records.”  I shook my head.

“Well to be safe, why don’t we just put you on the pill?”

I stood up.  “No, I appreciate your concern, but, I know I’m not going to get pregnant.  If something happens between us, we’ll use condoms.”  I walked over and opened the door.  “Thanks Doctor Helga.”