Restored (3 page)

Caleb didn’t know if what he had said was too blunt, but he knew Corrine only understood assertiveness. As for what would happen next, he could guess. She’d be back. In that sense she was like a fungus. She kept too much stuff at his house not to want to retrieve it. He didn’t want to fall back into her trap. His time with Corrine had felt like a prison sentence of his own making, and he’d served hard time.

***

Lexi stretched in bed, her arms stretched above her head and her toes pointed downward. The scent of bacon frying had roused her. Once she remembered where she was, she pulled her lionlike mane up into a loose twist. She didn’t want to scar Ashley with her untamed look just yet. She’d have to ease Ashley into accepting her insane morning style. She pulled on wrinkled sleep pants that clashed with her tie-dyed T-shirt. At least all the important parts were covered.

When Lexi made it to the kitchen, Mike was flipping pancakes. Lexi was about to turn back and go upstairs, but Mike swiveled at the sound of her feet on the linoleum floor.

“Good, you’re awake!” he said.

“You caught me,” Lexi said with a shrug. She didn’t want to be a nuisance, but she wouldn’t turn down breakfast.

Lexi had known Mike only a few days, but his big personality made her like him instantly. He was tall, but his stocky frame made him look more like a teddy bear. His floppy brown hair hung in his eyes, and his grin was so wide that only his teeth showed. His lips disappeared into obscurity. Mike didn’t live with Ashley, but sometimes he spent the night on the weekends. He was a chef at a local restaurant, which meant he worked odd hours.

Ashley entered from the back door of the kitchen. She wore her jogging clothes but still looked put together. Even her workout clothes looked tailored. Lexi didn’t jog. She’d likely find herself in traction if she even attempted such an activity.

“You’re in for a treat this morning, Lexi. Mike is making his famous buttermilk pancakes!” Ashley said.

“And bacon.” Lexi’s nose had already detected that much. “It all smells fantastic.”

“Well, I do dinner better, but this should be decent,” Mike said.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. Everything you cook is good,” Ashley said with a smile as she snuck a piece of bacon.

Mike set more than enough food on the counter, buffet style—bacon, buttermilk pancakes, freshly whipped cream, and sugared strawberries. He obviously was used to cooking for a crowd.

“Thank you, Mike. This is amazing.” Lexi sat at the table and took a bite of pancake.

“You’re certainly welcome, Lexi.” Mike joined the girls and set his plate and juice down on the table. “Caleb called this morning,” he said to Ashley.

“Remember, Caleb is Mike’s brother,” Ashley said in a whisper to Lexi.

Lexi nodded.

“He’s broken up with Corrine,” Mike said with a smile.

Ashley choked on the lemon water she was drinking, and Mike patted her on the back until her throat cleared. “When did this happen?” she asked in a croak.

“Friday evening. He told me that he’d wanted to break things off before, but she would always rein him back in somehow,” Mike said.

“So this is good news?” Lexi asked.

“Oh yeah. It’s good news,” Ashley said.

“Hopefully, I’ll get to see more of him now. They’d come in the restaurant occasionally, but she took up a lot of his time. It’ll be good having my brother back,” Mike said.

“Plus, we won’t have to be nice to Ms. Perfect either,” Ashley said in a catty tone.

Mike nodded as he chewed a slice of bacon.

After breakfast, Lexi insisted on doing the dishes. The whole process wasn’t too bad since there was a dishwasher in the kitchen. Her mom’s house only had the sink, so Lexi didn’t mind doing the dishes if it meant using the dishwasher.

When Lexi finished, she headed back upstairs to get dressed.

“Hey, Lexi,” Ashley called.

“Yes,” Lexi said as she walked into the living room, where Ashley was sitting on the sofa. Lexi froze. There were scissors, gauze wrap, and antibiotic ointment laid out on the coffee table.

“You’ll need a fresh bandage. Yours is getting worn and dingy,” Ashley said.

“Um. It’s fine. Really.”

“At least let me try. If I hurt you, then I’ll stop. I promise.”

Lexi walked slowly toward the couch, but hesitated. Ashley wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, but that didn’t mean it would be painless. Lexi finally sat down, and when Ashley picked up the small cuticle scissors, Lexi’s vision began to blur.

“No. This won’t work.” Lexi held her hand to her head. “I feel like I’m either going to pass out or throw up.”

Ashley set down the scissors and fanned Lexi with a
Coastal Living
magazine that had been sitting on the coffee table. “Put your head between your knees. That’s supposed to keep you from passing out.”

Lexi reluctantly did as Ashley instructed and tried to breathe at a normal pace. Within minutes the waves of nausea eased, and she lifted her head.

Mike came into the living room. He’d already dressed and was about to drop by his parents’ house, like he did on most Sundays. “Why is Lexi green? You’re not sick from anything you ate, are you?” Mike asked.

Ashley rolled her eyes. “No, she’s nauseated from me. I was going to change her bandage for her so it’d look cleaner for tomorrow.”

“I’m sure that someone at the clinic can do it for you tomorrow, Lexi,” Mike said. “If nothing else, I’m sure my brother will.”

Lexi sat upright but remained focused on her breathing. It always took her a while to recover from fainting, or even a near-fainting event.

“How about I help you back upstairs? You can at least rest there a little more comfortably,” Mike offered.

“I’m sure I’m heavier than Ashley,” Lexi warned.

“I’m sure that I’ll manage,” Mike said as her looped Lexi’s arm around his neck. He led Lexi to the stairs and to her bed.

“Thank you,” Lexi said as she pulled the covers over herself.

“No worries, Lexi. Besides, you’re no worse than carrying a sack of potatoes at the restaurant,” Mike said with a laugh.

Lexi made a fake laughing sound. “Sack of potatoes? Listen, you. If I wasn’t so weak…”

“I’ll see you later. Ashley is right downstairs. Just call if you need her,” Mike said as he left the room.

“Thanks,” Lexi said in a forced whisper to Mike’s back as he left.

2

We Meet Again

L
exi pulled into the Hale Health parking lot thirty minutes earlier than the time she’d been scheduled to begin work. She yawned after she parked the SUV. She’d have to start drinking black coffee to give her some much-needed energy. Lexi tapped at the corners of her eyes with a tissue to wipe away the tears that yawning had brought on.

She’d only get one chance at making a good first impression. She’d uncharacteristically fussed in the mirror this morning with the intention of looking as close to perfect as she could. The one thing she couldn’t tame was her hair. She wore a tightly fitted teal camisole with a white denim short-sleeved jacket, a teal-and-white chevron-patterned maxiskirt, and thong sandals that buckled in the back, but the dressing on her foot had discolored and frayed from wear. Today Lexi would ask one of the doctors to take look at it for her since she couldn’t take care of it herself. Lexi smiled into the visor mirror. Nothing was in her teeth, so she grabbed her lunch and purse and limped to the staff entry.

The back parking lot was edged with trees, which only added to the rural feeling of the area. The office was still technically in Caribou, but like everything else here, the building looked like it belonged on this plot of land. The office was a one-story, aged-brick building, the doorways rounded and welcoming. The buildings in Tampa didn’t have the same appeal and felt forced on their surroundings, but here, nothing seemed forced. The pine trees that surrounded the employee parking lot provided a sweet perfume. Lexi inhaled deeply as she walked to the back door, and then she sneezed. Whatever the spores were in the air, they tickled her nose.

She knocked a couple of times—the door was locked even though there were a few other cars in the parking lot already. A gal with the name tag
Yvette Wade
opened the door and ushered Lexi inside.

“Welcome, Lexi. We’re so excited to have you here. Let me show you where to put your stuff.” Yvette signaled Lexi to follow her.

“Thank you, Ms. Wade,” Lexi said. She tried to keep a smile on her face, but it was forced and unnatural. Lexi trailed behind the secretary, who wore her hair in tight brown curls close to her head and was clearly older than Lexi.

“Just call me Yvette. It’s just easier,” Yvette said. She then led Lexi to the employee break room.

Lexi put her lunch bag inside the full-sized refrigerator. She looked around the break room but was pulled from her observations as Yvette prompted her to follow. Yvette stopped a short way down the hall, opened an office door, and turned on the overhead fluorescent lighting.

“This is your office. Just above the computer is a locked cabinet. You can keep your purse there.” Yvette handed Lexi two keys, one to open the door at the employee entry, and the other to open her cabinet. “Keep the keys on your key ring. You’ll need to keep them handy.” Yvette smiled.

Once Lexi had locked away her purse and put the keys on her personal key ring, she toured the office. Yvette introduced Lexi to Linda Muller, sitting in the reception area and already busy at work. Linda gave Lexi an obligatory nod. They stopped at the nurse practitioner’s office. A woman with highlighted blond bobbed hair sat at a desk. Her overall appearance was put together and trendy. A tall, handsome man—a young Tony Danza—stood behind her. His muscles rippled on his exposed forearms. Yvette pointed to the blonde and said, “This is Melissa Neil, our nurse practitioner.”

“I’m Missy,” the blonde corrected.

Yvette shifted her gaze to the muscular man. “And this is Anthony Emerson, our registered nurse. We all call him Tony.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tony said. His cheeks dimpled as he smiled, which only enhanced his perfectly angled face.

Of course everyone one called him Tony, Lexi thought. He looked like a temple of perfection. Lexi brought her mind back into focus and politely shook hands with both Missy and Tony.

Lexi followed Yvette to Dr. Hale’s office. Dr. Hale was an older man, probably in his upper sixties. He’d interviewed Lexi initially. She still hadn’t met Mike’s brother yet.

“Oh, Lexi, we are so glad to have you here with us. Please, if you have any problem, just let me know, and I’ll take care of it.” His tone was overpowering, but he seemed welcoming.

Dr. Hale made Lexi feel at ease with his casualness. She smiled naturally at him.

“Thank you, Dr. Hale. I certainly will do that,” Lexi said with a grin.

“There’s one more doctor for you to meet, Lexi. Just this way,” Yvette said. She walked with vigor to the final office.

Lexi noticed the nameplate that read Dr. Caleb Avery, and she knew he had to be Mike’s brother. Lexi followed Yvette inside the office, and as Lexi turned the corner, a familiar face greeted her. There sat the man who had helped her with her toe, the Good Samaritan—who was Mike’s brother?

“Lexi, will you please excuse me? I hear the phones ringing, and I think Linda needs my help,” Yvette said as she excused herself.

“I’ll get her acclimated,” Dr. Avery said as he backed his chair up and stood. His eyes ran down Lexi’s body and focused on her toe. “You haven’t taken care of yourself.” His dark brow furrowed. “I’ll change that for you at the end of the day,” he said as if there would be no questioning his orders. His gaze focused on hers.

Lexi shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She looked around the office. She wondered now if he had kissed her or if she had made it all up in her mind. It certainly would have been something worth making up, she mused. He was even more handsome than she’d remembered. His hair was a rich glossy brown, and he seemed to have a permanent five o’clock shadow. Even though he half sat on his desk, he seemed tall. He wore an expensive-looking navy suit tailored to his every contour.

“I was hoping someone would look at it for me today,” Lexi said sheepishly. With forced confidence, she looked him in the eyes. “Thank you again for helping me the other day.” That act of kindness was so personal that it felt intimate, like he knew her secrets, which made no sense.

“Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the leather seat in front of his massive carved desk. The lighting in his office was dim, except for the light that was over his computer. He returned to the chair behind his desk.

“So you’re Mike’s brother?” Lexi asked, searching for something to say.

“Yes…” he answered.

“I’m his girlfriend’s cousin.”

“Oh, well, that makes more sense. So you’re Alexis Lindsay?” Caleb asked as his brow creased. “I passed your résumé on to HR, but I didn’t realize you were the same Lexi.”

“Yes, that was me.” She deliberately relaxed her posture and tried to appear casual, though it wasn’t easy.

“I hadn’t told Mike about our meeting, since I didn’t know who you were at the time.” He wore a confident smirk. Something in his expression was almost cocky.