Love M.D. (37 page)

“I’m sure she cares. That was just
probably her defenses talking. Did you mention the case?”

“No. I came close, but I didn’t.
You stopped me just in time.”

She walks around the sofa and sits
on the ottoman facing me.

“I don’t know who she is anymore.
And I know I made mistakes in my marriage, but she blamed me for Audrey’s
affair.”

“I heard her. It was cold and
insensitive, but I think she just wants to justify her actions for leaving
right now. Maybe you should go for a workout and a swim. It will help clear
your head.”

“That might not be a bad idea.
Right now I’m so fucking angry, I could explode.”

“Go. I’ll keep an eye on the kids
and make sure they’re occupied.”

“Thanks, baby.”

A while later and probably a good
few hundred laps in, I hear the laughter and screams of the kids. As I open my
eyes, they all jump into the pool, screaming my name.

Zoë looks on at me. I realize how
well she understands me. Her reaction is just what I need after this fight. She’s
been supportive and given me some space. Now, she’s thrown in the kids to
distract me. It works.

On Christmas Eve,
Zoë and Abby spend the day together
wrapping Christmas presents that are so beautiful they look like they should be
in show windows. It’s nice to see them both so excited.

While Zoë is busy and preoccupies
Abby, I leave to attend a memorial service for Deandre and Shaun, my second goodbye
service in months. I realize while in the church how short and precious life
is. If I never have to attend one of these services again, it won’t be too
soon.

It’s almost 3 a.m.
on Christmas morning. The
draperies are wide open. Through the windows, the lights from San Francisco
sparkle through. Morgan is not beside me. I suppose he’s in the bathroom.

Zach and I always spent Christmas
day together. We’d make a dinner with all the trimmings from scratch. I’ll miss
him today. As sad as it might be, Morgan Drake is the best thing that’s
happened to me this Christmas. I look forward to spending the day with him and
Abby.

I look forward to the day when I’m
free to live my life again—safely. I miss going for drives with Pixie and
Peaches. I miss going to work and spending time with my staff every day. In a
few days though, I look forward to a break from all of this, where I don’t have
to worry about looking over my shoulder and where I could enjoy the beauty
around me.

Sometime later, I hear a loud thump
from downstairs. I check the bathroom and when I realize Morgan’s not there, I
hurriedly slip into a robe, pick up a metal vase off the vanity, and try to
quietly open the door to see what’s wrong. As soon as I open it to head out,
Morgan bumps into me, walking in. He’s fully dressed in sweatpants and a
sweater.

“Hey. I was just about to come look
for you,” I whisper. “What was that noise?”

Kissing me gently on my lips, he
takes the vase from me and sets it down on the vanity.

“Is Abby okay? Did she wake up?”

“She’s fine.” Holding my hand, he
leads the way downstairs. “Abby would sleep through a marching band playing
Little Drummer Boy outside her bedroom door.”

The lights from the artwork are the
only thing that illuminate the space. When we arrive at the base of the stairs,
he turns to face me. “I have something to show you,” he says. “This is your
Christmas present from me to you.”

“What did you do?”

Taking a few more steps, I now have
a clear view of the living room. The glow of the fireplace radiates through,
and in the corner, with one spotlight shining down upon it, sits a baby grand
piano with a massive red bow on the front.

“Oh God,” I whisper.

“I know not even the most grand of
pianos in the world will ever replace the one that you lost, but I was able to
track one the exact make and model through the manufacturer.”

“Morgan. Oh my God,” I murmur,
holding his hand and heading toward it. “It looks almost like the exact piece.
How did you know?”

“Your staff and Megan helped me.
They searched through Zach’s files to see if they could find any paperwork.
Eventually, Megan found it at the house. It had all the information on the
shipping details. I sent it to Steinway & Sons. They located one that was
the same make and model, refurbished it and sent it over.”

I’m elated. I’m so grateful, I’m
not quite sure where to start or what to say. “I love you so much,” I cry. “And
it’s not just because of this absolutely remarkable, thoughtful and magnificent
gesture. I’ve known it for a while, but it scares me. Morgan, I’ve lost almost
every person I’ve ever loved. I’m so afraid of losing you, too.”

He surrounds my head in his hands,
pulls me toward him, and tastes my lips. “Baby, I love you, too. Now I want you
to listen to me. I don’t want you thinking like that. Take those thoughts out
of your head. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know, but—”

“
Shhh
. No buts. I’m not
going anywhere. Trust me,” he says, kissing my neck.

“You will never know what this
means to me. Thank you so much,” I say, surrounding him in my arms.

“You’re happy?” He sits on the
bench and pulls me into his lap.

“Happy does not begin to explain
how I feel. This is just as special as Zach locating that piano and finding a
way to get it all the way here in the first place. I’m floored and immensely
grateful. I don’t know what I did to deserve you. Thank you so much. I love it…
I love you.”

The orange flames of the fireplace
burn brightly, giving me a clear view of his face. I sit, speechlessly gazing
into his eyes. I’m so in love with him.

The lid is already propped open.
Removing the bow from the music rack, I place it on the end table nearby. Then
sitting next to him, with as much love, passion and skill that I can, I play
him one of my favorite pieces. I’m so overwhelmed it brings tears to my eyes.
And when I’m done, I hug him as tears of joy flow.

“That was beautiful.” he says. “I
know I’ve heard that piece, but I don’t know the name. What is it?”

“
Claude
Debussy’s
Clair de Lune
.
Both my parents played. It’s the one thing I
distinctly remember about them to this day. I did music for a few years at
school in Paris. But when it came time to make a career choice, I decided I
like design much better. I used to play every Saturday and Sunday morning at
home. I suppose it was my way of spending time with them.”

“Why do you feel guilty?”

“How do you know that?”

“I sense it in your voice.”

“You know me so well. The older I
got, the more I forgot. I suppose I’m just trying to hold on to whatever
memories I have left of them. I feel guilty about forgetting.”

“You realize that happens to all of
us though, right? Even if they are alive.”

“Maybe. I’ve forgotten what their
voices sound like, and the only reason I still remember what they look like is
because of the pictures we had. When I remember them, I see just figments. I
remember them the way they are in the photos we had, not the way they were when
they were alive. All I have are just a few memories, and I feel like I need to
hold onto them for dear life. Now that Zach is gone all these feelings are
magnified.”

“Maybe going back home will help
you remember.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t want to talk
about it now. No man has ever made me feel as cherished and as special as you
have tonight. This is extraordinary. I can’t say thank you enough.”

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too.”

He caresses my profile and kisses
me softly on my lips. “Today is going to be special.”

“I know, and it’s because I have
you. I love you… so much it hurts.”

He circles his arms around me. “I
love you, too, baby. I don’t want you to be scared, because I’m not going
anywhere. I promise you that. I will always be here for you.

Encircling his face, I kiss him
tenderly on his lips. “Je t’aime tellement. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce
soir?” [I love you so much. Would you like to sleep with me tonight?]

“I don’t know what that was, but it
sounds beautiful rolling off your lips.”

Standing, I tug the hem of his
sweater over his head. He pulls away the tie that surrounds my waist and gently
pushes aside my robe, causing it to fall onto the hardwood floors. Pulling my
naked body toward his, I span his thighs. He captures my lips. Kissing leads to
touching, and touching leads to foreplay. He makes love to me on the piano
bench, the chaise by the fire and one more time in the shower. The restlessness
is gone, and for the first time, I feel one hundred percent secure in our
relationship.

Christmas morning,
an excited Abby opens her
presents. We exchange gifts, including a purple tie from me to Morgan and a
case full of fashionista must-haves for Abby. Perhaps, besides my piano, what
means the most to me this Christmas morning is the card Abby made me.

“To my new friend Zoë. Merry
Christmas. I’m so happy I met you. Hope you like the necklace and the earrings
and hope you think of me every time you wear them. I love you. Always. Abby.” I
fold her in my arms. “I love you, too, Abby. This is the best present ever.”

By noon, the turkey is half-cooked
and Barney and Uncle Tony will arrive soon. We’ll work on getting the rest of
dinner prepared together.

I had hoped that Robin would get in
touch with Morgan, but it’s almost one o’clock and still nothing. It’s awkward,
but no one knows and understands better than me the importance of family. I had
hoped that they’d work it out, not only because they’re family, but also
because of the kids.

The doorbell rings. I open the door
to screams and cheers of Merry Christmas. I was expecting Barney and Uncle Tony,
but Jada, Megan and the rest of the Kole family are all here, too.

“Oh my God. I wasn’t expecting all
of you. Please, come in.” I step aside. “You’re all here.”

Jada hugs me tightly. “Merry
Christmas, babe. Your man’s been planning this for a while.”

“What?”

“Yes. Awesome
huh
?”

They all walk in with hugs,
Christmas wishes and some very delicious aromas. I’m dying to test the dishes
everyone brought in. I look around, and Abby and Jordan are playing together.
The kitchen is bustling with activity. I don’t know who did it, but the dining
table is now set to accommodate everyone.

I am thrilled. In so many ways,
everyone here is as close as it gets to family for me. I think about Zach, yet
I am thankful and overjoyed that they’re all here.

I realize this special day would
have never been possible if it weren’t for Morgan. A few months ago, I felt so
alone. Now all these people I’ve grown to love and care about surround me.

After dinner, we gather around the
tree while a small fire burns. I hand out presents.

 “Thank you guys for spending
Christmas day here. You all have been there for me in ways I can’t imagine this
year, and I want you all to know how grateful I am to you for that.”

Morgan replies, “I wanted to give
you a family for Christmas. I wanted you to feel loved and supported by my
family. I want you to know all of us are here for you.”

“That’s an extremely sweet… and
kind sentiment. In the last few months, Morgan, you’ve given me everything I
need. And you have given me a family. I have you and Uncle Tony, and I love
you, Barney. You’ve embraced me, Peaches and Pixie. You’ve fed me, put a roof
over my head. My God, you wouldn’t even take a check to let me help pay for all
this. If that’s not family, then I don’t know what is. You all showed me that
family isn’t only about having the same blood running through your veins, and I
love you all so much for that. This Christmas is so special. You all have
already given me more than I could ever ask for.”

“We love you,” Jada says.

“Oh God, enough with all this lovey
dovey stuff. You and Morgan are going to make me ugly cry in front of
everyone,” I say.

They all laugh at my response.
Caroline, Megan and Jonathan’s mom wipes away a tear.

Next to me, Megan cries, too.

“I have something to tell you,” she
says.

Megan speaks loudly
enough for everyone else to hear.
They all look at each other and smile, and I get the impression everyone else
but the Drakes and I know what she’s about to say.

“I’m pregnant. Zach would have been
a daddy.”

I’m flabbergasted, “What?”

She looks at me, nodding, with
tears running down her face.

“Did you have time to tell him? Did
he know?”

She shakes her head, crying, “No, I
just found out.”

“Oh God.” I hug her. We cry in each
other’s arms. All the women in the room are in tears. “I didn’t think it was
possible… but this is the worst Christmas and the best Christmas ever.”

We spend the
next two days together at home with
Abby. I try to convince Morgan to go out with her, but my efforts are
pointless. The day after Christmas, we bake cakes and cookies together.

José stops by with the twins the
day before Abby leaves. Apparently, the excuse Robin gave her husband for
cancelling dinner is that she was down with the flu, but conveniently, she was
well enough to go to China.

At one point, while the kids play
and José and Morgan chat, I sneak away for a while to pack for our trip
tomorrow.

By 6 a.m. Saturday
, it’s time to take Abby to the
airport. Since it is evident that someone put a contract out on my head, I
refuse to be in Abby’s presence anywhere else besides this house.

I say a difficult goodbye to her
before Morgan takes her to the airport. After hugs and kisses and promises to
stay in touch, her tears cease. They leave for the airport.

I call the kennel company to come
pick up Peaches and Pixie. Lucas helps me get our luggage into his SUV, and he
and Rick take me to the airport. Rick drives; Lucas is in the front passenger
seat.

Handing me a large envelope, Lucas
says, “These are first class tickets, nonstop, round trip. I’ve already checked
you in online. You will arrive just before noon. The hotel will send a liaison
named Nicholas Dale to the airport to meet you. His picture is inside the
envelope. He is the only one you should contact if you need anything at all
throughout your stay. Also, make sure you use only cash or the debit cards in
that envelope.”

“What is the limit on the card?”

“More than you can spend in a year.
And both you and Doctor Drake can use those cards. There are two in there.”

 “Where did Morgan find you? Did he
pick you up from the CIA or something?”

Lucas laughs. “Twenty years a
Marine, eight in the CIA. That’s why he pays me the big bucks. I know what I’m
doing.”

“Impressive. That’s quite the
résumé. Anything else I should be aware of?”

“In addition to the two thousand
dollars I gave you to put in Doctor Drake’s wallet, there’s two thousand
dollars cash in there for you, too.”

“Okay.”

“One last thing. First names only.
No last names.”

“Perfect,” I reply, slipping the
envelope into my bag.

“You have one thing left to do,”
Lucas says.

“What’s that?”

“Find out exactly where he is at
the airport. If everything went as planned, he should be saying goodbye to Abby
right about now.”

I call Morgan’s cell phone.

“Hey, baby,” he answers sadly. “I’m
watching the stewardess walk away with her now.”

“Which terminal?”

“One. Why?”

“Meet me outside the terminal when
you’re done.”

“You’re at the airport?”

“Almost. Just meet me outside the
terminal. By the time you’re done, I’ll be outside with Lucas.”

“But—”

“No buts, babe. Just do it. I’ll
see you in about five minutes.” I end the call.

As I expect, he is thoroughly
confused when we pull up.

“Get in,” I say, pushing the door
open.

He does. “You’re a whole ton of
bossy this morning.”

“Just listen. I’ll give you details
later. I’m taking you on a trip. Lucas organized everything, so there’s no need
for you to worry. He needs your keys to take your car home.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. We’re
getting off at the next terminal.” Moments later, Rick pulls up to terminal
two.

“One last thing,” Lucas says. “I
need both your phones. Here, these are clean. You can reach me on them if you
need to. Try to avoid calling anyone you know unless it’s absolutely
necessary.”

“What about Dad?”

“He knows. You have nothing to
worry about. He and Uncle Tony are going fishing at Coyote Point this weekend.”

Lucas hands me the pair of phones.
I hand him mine. Reluctantly, so does Morgan.

“Time to go,” I say, while Rick
pulls our luggage out the car.

“Lucas, is this okay?” Morgan asks
apprehensively.

“It’s all been handled Doctor
Drake. Miss Jenkins will explain it all to you.”

“Baby, I don’t even have cash or my
passport.”

“Cash, you have—check your wallet.
And I have your passport. And I packed your clothing. I’ve been planning this
for over a week. Trust me, I didn’t forget a thing.”

“How—”

“You ask too many questions. Now
let’s get out of here before we miss our flight,” I say, nudging him out the
vehicle.

“Lucas, I assume you have all the
information regarding where we’re heading?”

“Yes, sir. Go ahead, Doctor Drake.
Enjoy your trip. I’ll see you in a week.”

We get out of the SUV and quickly
make it through security. I packed light since we’ll only be gone for seven
days. Morgan carries the garment bag while I pull the small suitcase behind me.

Our flight doesn’t leave for a
little over an hour so we find a lounge. After ordering some breakfast, I hand
him his boarding pass.

“Merry Christmas, babe. You said
you like to travel, so I’m hoping you enjoy this.”

He looks at the boarding pass.
“Calgary, Canada?”

“That’s where we land, but
this
is where we’re going,” I say, showing him the resort on my tablet.

“Lake Louise?” A huge grin flashes
across his face. “How did you pull this off?”

“I told Lucas I was thinking about
it, and he handled everything. From the tickets down to booking the rooms.”

“Baby, I love you, and I appreciate
this, but I’m not so sure this is the best idea. It’s not safe.”

“Lucas handled everything. He said
we’d be fine.”

“You and I both know you have a way
of twisting Lucas around your finger so you get your own way.”

“I just thought it would be nice
for both of us to get away from all of this and be alone with each other for a
while. I think we could both use some fresh scenery in our lives.”

“I get that. I’m just not sure it’s
worth risking your safety over.”

Rapidly, all my prior excitement
drains from my body. This was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable trip. We haven’t
even gotten on the plane yet, and I find myself convincing Morgan it’s okay for
us to leave. I’m so sick of this situation. More and more, it’s becoming a huge
imposition in my life, in our lives.

“Lucas wouldn’t let me go through
with this if he didn’t think we could do it safely.”

Morgan massages his forehead.

“You know what? If this is going to
make you this uncomfortable then there is no point in us going. I wanted to
give you something special for Christmas. Something that would be memorable,
something we could look back on.” I rise to my feet. “Excuse me a second. I’m
going to head to the bathroom.”

“Zoë,” he says sadly, reaching out
to grab my hand. “Baby, please don’t be upset. Please don’t be like this.”

“I’ll be fine,” I say, walking
away. “I’m sick and tired of tailoring every move in my life around this situation.”

Behind the closed doors of the
bathroom, I take a few deep breaths. I should have known better. I don’t know
why, but the thought never even crossed my mind that Morgan might be opposed to
this. For some reason, even knowing how overprotective he can sometimes be, I
never even entertained the thought. Now that it looks like my grandiose plans
have gone awry, I could almost cry.

I spend a few minutes alone then
return to the lounge. Morgan is on his phone, pacing the glass wall overlooking
the runway. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I suspect he’s calling Lucas to
come pick us up.

At the same time, I hear the call
for first class passengers on Air Canada flight 4067. Morgan looks over at me,
and after a few more seconds on the phone, he ends the call.

Walking over to me, he stretches
out his hand then picks up our bag. “Let’s go. We have a plane to catch.”

Still sitting, I apprehensively
place my hand in his, “I don’t want to go if this is going to be stressful, and
we’ll not enjoy it.”

“I just got off the phone with
Lucas. He explained all the measures he put in place to ensure we’d be safe.”

I look at him, but don’t really
respond. Our last conversation dampened my mood.

He pulls me to my feet, “Come on,
baby. I know you want this. I didn’t realize the amount of energy, thought and
time you and Lucas put into this. And it appears that he’s gone out of his way
to cover his tracks, so I guess it’s okay that we go. It wasn’t my intention to
upset or disappoint you. I just want you to be safe.”

Following his lead through the
gate, I reply, “You know I take our safety seriously, too.”

“Not nearly as much as you should,”
he responds.

“Well, you do enough worrying for
both of us in that department. If I had to join you, too, this relationship
might spontaneously combust.”

He ignores my statement, slipping
our things into the overhead cabin.

I don’t want to fight over this
anymore, much less on a plane. Perhaps I just need time to decompress. I sink
into the leather seat, close my eyes and drift.

As we step
out of the terminal in Calgary, we
recognize Nicholas from the pictures.

“Morgan, Zoë, welcome to Canada,”
he says, shaking our hands. “It’s a pleasure meeting you both.”

“Same here,” we chorus.

“May I take your bags?”

“I’ll help you,” Morgan replies, handing
him the bag he carries and taking the suitcase from me. He opens the door of
the SUV for me to get in then slips in next to me.

Soon we are on the scenic two-hour
drive from Calgary to Lake Louise.

“How long have you worked at Lake
Louise?” Morgan asks.

“I’m fairly new,” he replies. “This
is my second week on the job.”

“Enjoying it?” I ask.

“Yes, thank you.”

“It’s a beautiful place to work,” I
continue.

“Yes, it is.” He smiles, glancing
at me in the rear view mirror then he returns to focusing on the road.

“So where did you work before?”
Morgan asks.

“In Calgary.”

Evidently, Nicholas is very quiet.
He only speaks when spoken to. Beyond that, I’m not sure Morgan trusts him. I
suspect that line of questioning is to see what he can find out about him, not
simply Morgan being friendly or curious.

“Since we’ll only be here for a few
days. What do you suggest we do for fun?” Morgan asks.

“There’s a lot to keep you occupied
on and around the property. Helicopter tours, skiing, skating. Oh, and the
gondola ride is beautiful from what I’ve heard. I don’t know if you’re into
Celine Dion, but there will be a dinner and a show in a few days.”

“I love her,” I respond.

“I’ve gone ahead and prepared a
list of activities and tours you might enjoy. You can take a look at them
here.” He hands Morgan a folder. “My card is in there, as well. Just call me,
and I’ll handle the arrangements for everything.”

“Great.” Morgan replies coolly.

It’s almost 2:30
in the afternoon when we approach
the resort. I recognize some of the rugged mountains and glaciers from the
brochures. I feel a tinge of anticipation as we get closer to the property.
When the tall building appears, I can’t mask my excitement. All the anxiety
from this morning seems like a distant memory.

Nicholas pulls up to the lobby. Two
bellhops open our doors.

“Welcome to the Fairmont Chateau,
Lake Louise,” they say, with complete synchronicity.

“Thank you,” I reply.

Morgan joins me, slipping his arm
around my waist.

Nicholas escorts us to the elevator
then takes us to a private lounge to check in. While signing paperwork, he
tells us about the property and what is available where.

After a short walk down the hall,
he opens the doors and welcomes us into our two-story suite. The living area is
downstairs with a luxurious master bedroom upstairs. I am completely awestruck
at the view. The balcony overlooks Lake Louise and the majestic Victoria
Glacier.

In the pictures and videos, the
water was a vivid turquoise, but now the lake is frozen, it takes on a lighter
blue tinge. Blue skies set the backdrop for the rugged mountains with emerald
green trees that surround us. This is beyond amazing. It’s beautiful, and I am
so happy to share this with Morgan.

In the distance, I hear him talking
to Nicholas. Right now, I want to be present and take in this marvelous place.

I hear the door shut. Moments
later, encircling my hips from behind, Morgan kisses me on my neck.

“I apologize for this morning. This
is spectacular. I can’t believe you did this. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, too. I’m so happy we’re
here together, and that you’re in my life. I wanted this to be special.”

“This is special. No one has ever
gone to the lengths you did to surprise me with something so remarkable.”

I turn to face him. “Just in case
you weren’t sure, I want to make sure you know how crazy I am about you.”

“You’re happy,” Morgan says.

“I am. It’s nice to get out. I love
your house, and I’m comfortable there, but you know how it’s been, not being
able to go anywhere. It was starting to get a little overwhelming.”