The Doctor She Always Dreamed Of (6 page)

“Sheila freaked when she found out you reassigned Daisy Limone to another case manager.”

Kira squeezed the bridge of her nose. She'd hoped she could wait until Monday to deal with that. “How did she find out?”

“The agency she'd referred the case to initially left a message that you'd taken back the referral.”

“There's something shady going on there, Con.” Kira planned to get to work very early on Monday morning to review all of Sheila's cases.

“I don't doubt it.”

“Is there really a problem with one of our patients or is Sheila just making trouble?”

“I don't know. For whatever reason, she said she's been trying to get in touch with you and couldn't reach you. So of course she called—”

“Mr. Jeffries,” Kira finished, the mere mention of the man's name causing a twinge of discomfort in her chest.

“Her boyfriend.”

“We don't know that for certain.” But most everyone in the office suspected. If the last CEO, the one who'd promoted Kira, hadn't been in his seventies and happily married, Sheila would have probably tried to seduce him for a promotion, too. She was just that type of person.

“How do you think she knows how to get in touch with him outside of work?” Connie asked. “Do all the case managers have his private phone number?”

No. They didn't. “How did you find out what's going on?”

“Mr. Jeffries called Alison to cover your on call for the rest of the weekend. She called me to see if everything was okay.”

Alison, the Director of Utilization Review, a nice enough woman, but rigid and by the book. Also a nurse, she and Kira split administrative night and weekend call duty. Since Alison had a husband and two young children, the split was around Kira: eighty percent of the time and Alison: the leftover twenty percent, which wasn't such a big deal because usually on call duty was very quiet, more of a formality than a necessity.

Kira leaned her shoulder against the wall and twisted the curly black phone cord around her fingers. “This is bad.”

“Yup.”

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“For making you worry,” Kira said. “For giving Mr. Jeffries a reason to fire me so he can finally promote Sheila, which means come next week you'll likely be working for her.”

“No way in hell that is going to happen. I'll quit.”

Connie needed her job just as much as Kira did. “Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Maybe it's not as bad as it seems.”

“Right,” Connie said, trying to sound positive, unconvincingly so. “He can't fire you for one mistake.”

No, technically he couldn't. But according to Mr. Jeffries, she'd been making lots of ‘mistakes' lately. In his mind a ‘mistake' consisted of any course of action he did not agree with. And he'd been sure to document each infraction. Forget the fact he wasn't a registered nurse and had no training in case management. “I'm going to have to call him.”

“Or,” Connie countered. “I won't tell anyone I tracked you down and you can show up to work Monday morning like nothing happened. What? You couldn't reach me? Why in the world not? I had my cell phone with me the whole time.”

Kira smiled again. “Nice try.”

“Waiting might give him a chance to cool down.”

Probably not. “You really believe that?”

Connie didn't answer right away. “Look, he's going to yell at you either way, so why not enjoy a weekend completely off duty and deal with all this on Monday?” Connie said. “I have this number in my phone now in case I need you. When are you coming home?”

Kira glanced into the living room to see Derrick standing by Daisy's hospital bed, holding her hand, talking quietly. He was so gentle with her, so caring, such a good son. Kira felt kind of bad for being so hard on him.

“Probably tonight.” Although with Krissy home and on call no longer her responsibility, Kira saw no reason to rush. Seeing how much Derrick's mom and dad were enjoying his company, she hated to be the reason he cut his visit short. “Maybe tomorrow.” If she could find a local motel, since Mr. Limone would likely kick her out of the house now that he knew who she was. And if Krissy was willing to stay with Mom, two days in a row was asking a lot. “Don't bother calling Krissy. I'll give her a call now.”

Then she'd call Mr. Jeffries.

CHAPTER SIX

A
FTER
HER
CONVERSATION
with Connie, Kira called her sister, Krissy.

Derrick tried not to eavesdrop, really he did. But Mom and Dad lived in a small house, the living room, where the three of them were, opened into the kitchen which held the only house phone on this level, and Kira was yelling.

“And you thought now would be a good time to tell me? Over the phone?” He could hear the frustration in her voice. “On Monday? So soon?” She went quiet for a few seconds. “So that's why you came home.” The frustration in her voice turned to disappointment. “I should have known it wasn't to see me or Mom.” After another few seconds she said, “Tomorrow...yes, tomorrow,” she added. “I'm sorry if that means you can't hang out with your friends.” She didn't sound at all sorry. “Welcome to my world.” Then she lowered her voice and said a few things he couldn't make out before hanging up the phone.

“You hungry?” Derrick asked his mom, looking for an excuse to go into the kitchen to check on Kira, to start making amends.

Mom shook her head to indicate ‘no.'

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Kira staring at the phone as if deep in thought. Then, with a swift inhalation followed by a slow, measured exhalation she stood tall, picked up the receiver and dialed another number.

“Hello, Mr. Jeffries, it's Kira,” she said. “I'm so sorry—” she dropped her head forward and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Yes, sir. I know, sir. If you'd just let me explain.” She stood quietly, listening. “Yes, sir. Your office, first thing on Monday morning. See you th—”

Apparently Mr. Jeffries didn't let her finish. The man was an ass. So was Derrick. By thinking only of himself and his need to get up to see his parents, he'd gotten Kira into trouble with her boss. After all she'd done for them.

When she emerged from the kitchen she walked through the living room right up the stairs, without saying a word. Derrick started after her.

“Don't.” Dad grabbed his arm.

“You heard what just happened.” Derrick tried to pull away.

“Have to be deaf not to.” Dad looked up at him. “Fifty-four years of marriage have taught me a few things.” Derrick stopped to listen so Dad released his hold. “When a woman's all fired up, especially if you're the one who got her that way, you need to give her some time alone to cool down.”

Derrick looked upstairs, waiting, wondering, expecting Kira to appear at any minute, her bags and shoes in hand, demanding to be taken home. Dread filled his belly at the thought of four tension-filled hours cooped up in a car with her, especially when she had every right to be pissed at him.

Her sneakers came into view first. The rest of her followed. She'd put her hair up into a high ponytail and added an armband above her left elbow to hold her iPhone which was attached to the white earbuds in her ears. Without looking at anyone she said, “I need to go for a run,” and walked right out of the house.

Once again, Derrick started to follow.

“Leave her be,” Dad said.

“She doesn't know her way around, GPS won't work.”

“Town's not that big,” was all Dad said.

True. But still.

Derrick hurried to the door in time to see Kira take off at a fast pace, her form excellent. Based on her physique, she jogged a lot. He watched for as long as he could, before she turned right at the end of the road and disappeared from view.

Over the next few hours, Derrick busied himself by doing laundry, helping Mom with her exercises, and then occupying her so Dad could get out for a much needed haircut in town and a few hands of cards at the firehouse. By three o'clock, though, he was done waiting for Kira to return. She could have pulled a muscle or cramped up or been hit by a car. She could be lost or injured and waiting for him to come find her.

“I'm going after her.” Derrick stood.

“About time.” Dad looked up from reading the newspaper he'd gotten while in town.

“About time? You're the one who told me not to go after her right away.”

“Wait too long and a woman'll start thinking crazy stuff and creating problems that don't exist.”

Unbelievable. “It would have been nice if you'd shared that important bit of information a little bit earlier, don't you think?” Derrick grabbed his car keys and left.

A new coffee shop had opened on Main Street about two blocks down from a dollar store and six blocks before a fancy gas station/convenience mart. Growing up, Derrick couldn't wait to get out of this town. Now, he felt a tug of longing for the slower pace and peaceful quiet of small-town life. “Hey, Mr. Harvey.” Derrick waved out his car window. The owner of the local hardware store had to be pushing ninety years old, yet there he stood, sweeping the sidewalk out in front of his store.

His old employer waved back, although Derrick got the impression he had no idea who he was waving to. After scanning the sidewalks and benches all through town, the playground at his old elementary school, and the track behind the high school, he took a right toward the park...and spotted Kira, lying on her back under a big old weeping willow tree, her legs crossed at the ankles, both hands up behind her head.

He pulled into a parking spot, shut down the engine, and climbed out of his car.

Kira rolled onto her elbow. Seeing him, she rolled right back into the position she'd been in when he'd first spotted her without so much as a wave or a smile or any sign of welcome.

He approached anyway, on guard, not sure what to expect.

“It's so peaceful here,” she said, keeping her eyes closed. “I've just managed to calm myself down. Please don't ruin it.”

Without saying a word he lied down next to her, assuming the same position, only eyes opened so he could watch the fluffy white clouds floating along the beautiful blue sky. He inhaled a lungful of fresh country air tinged with the scent of fresh cut grass. When was the last time he'd laid in the grass, looking up at the sky? When was the last time he took a few minutes to appreciate a beautiful day?

He couldn't remember. Long hours at medical school and now work, both leading to exhaustion, kept him mostly indoors. His present life was so different from his life as a child, so cluttered with responsibilities, so lacking in time to relax and enjoy life.

“If I'd grown up in a place like this,” she said quietly. “I never would have left.”

“Trust me,” he turned to face her. “If you'd grown up in this town you'd have been counting the days until you could get out same as I did.” She kept her eyes closed, her pretty face turned up toward the sky. Derrick continued, talking and watching her. “After I graduated high school I couldn't pack up and get out of here quick enough. I'd even signed up to take summer classes at college. I'd told my parents it was so I could get ahead, before the fall semester started. But really, I couldn't stand the thought of another boring summer working two jobs, swimming in the same lake, playing in the same baseball league, going to the same drive-in movie place, eating the same boring burgers at the only diner in town.” He closed his eyes, remembering. “Now...those are some of my happiest memories.”

“I grew up in New York City, went to college there, work there, and live there.” She inhaled deeply then exhaled. “It's not often I get to enjoy the fresh air and peace and quiet of a perfect summer day all by myself.”

“You must get away on vacations.”

She slid him a glance. “Nope. Mom does best when she sticks to her routine, when she's surrounded by what's familiar. And I can't afford what round the clock care would cost on top of vacation expenses.”

Derrick rolled onto his side and pushed up onto his elbow. “If you don't mind me asking, why does she need round the clock care?”

“Not care as much as supervision, assistance, and direction,” Kira clarified, without answering his question.

So he asked again. “Why?”

“Severe traumatic brain injury and all that goes with it, memory loss, mood swings and unpredictable behavior. She's ambulatory, but with assistance.”

“How'd it happen?”

She bent one leg at the knee and started rocking it from side to side. “I'd agreed to babysit my cousin, but I had a huge test the next day. I was all stressed out. Mom said she'd babysit in my place. She was attacked on her way home.”

My God. “How long ago?”

“I'd just turned eighteen so twelve years ago.”

Which meant her mother was most likely as good as she was going to get recovery wise.

Kira blew out a breath. “If it's okay with you, can we not talk about my mother? I'd like to go back to enjoying this beautiful day and pretending I don't have a care in the world.”

Derrick wanted to know more. “What about your father?” Why did care for her mother fall all on Kira?

She closed her eyes and turned away. “Dad left when I was fourteen, Krissy was only ten. My mom was the most caring woman I knew. She looked out for everyone in the family, aunts, uncles and cousins included. If she could do something to help, she would.” Kira smiled. “Or she'd send me.” She turned back and opened her eyes. “Dad didn't like sharing her, but he put up with it until my grandmother had a stroke and Mom wanted to move her into our condo. Dad had a fit, said she belonged in a nursing home. Mom insisted, like she always did, “Family takes care of family.” Dad issued an ultimatum. “It's your mother or me.” Mom cried and pleaded, but in the end, Grandma had no one else, so Mom chose her.” Kira swatted at a fly that'd landed on her forehead. “Dad packed up and left that night.”

“That sucks.”

Kira shrugged. “He set up very generous college accounts for my sister and me, and had his attorney send a check every month until Krissy turned eighteen.”

“What about after your mom's injury?”

“Not a word, which was fine by me. I was eighteen, legal age to assume responsibility for my sister and my mother. We didn't need him.”

Derrick said the only thing he could think to say. “I'm sorry.” She'd been through so much at such a young age yet had managed to finish college and attend graduate school to earn not one but two masters' degrees, with no support and encouragement from loving parents, like he'd had. And while having to care for her mother and her sister. She was one strong, determined, and admirable woman.

“I'm sorry, too,” she said. “He was a great dad up until he left. And my mom was a great mom. Even though she's still my mom she's not my mom like she used to be my mom...if that makes any sense.”

It made perfect sense. Derrick reached over, took Kira's hand into his and held it.

And she let him.

For the next few minutes, they laid just like that, side by side, hand in hand, listening to random birds and someone hammering off in the distance. A light breeze blew past, the tree's long, graceful branches swayed back and forth, shading them from the sun. Derrick couldn't remember a more perfect late summer day, or feeling so comfortable just doing nothing with a woman.

Kira let out a sigh.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I will be,” she answered.

“Do you want me to talk to your boss, to explain what happened?” He would, in a heartbeat, regardless of any possible consequences. Kira didn't deserve to suffer because of his actions.

“No.” She went up onto her elbows. “I'll handle it.”

Like she handled everything, he was sure, on her own. “But you shouldn't have to.”

“Regardless.”

“I'm sorry,” he said, again. Never had he meant an apology as much as he'd meant that one.

“I know.” She plopped down on her back, bending her knees, her sneakers planted on the grass.

They laid in companionable silence some more until Kira blurted out, “On top of everything else I've got going on, my sister has decided now is a good time to have a baby.”

A decision Kira did not sound happy about. “Just like that? Is she married?” Not that marriage was a requirement or anything.

“Married? I don't even think she has a steady boyfriend. But I don't see her enough to know for sure.”

Derrick did the math. “She must be around twenty-six years old which is old enough for her to do what she wants.”

“You don't get it.” Kira sat all the way up, crossing her legs, yanking on a blade of grass. “When she was nine, Krissy won a fish at a carnival in Central Park. I wound up feeding it and changing the water. When she was thirteen, Krissy insisted she was responsible enough to take care of a cat. I wound up putting out fresh food and changing the litter box. Two guesses who that damn cat still lives with.” Kira pointed at her chest. “Me.”

“In high school,” she went on, “when the novelty of a particular boyfriend wore off and Krissy got bored, she dumped him, no warning, no negotiation, done, goodbye, moving on.”

Derrick felt compelled to point out, “High school was a lot of years ago. You said yourself you don't see her that often. Maybe she's changed.”

“Maybe,” Kira said.

“Probably,” Derrick added.

Kira glared at him. “Whose side are you on?”

He smiled. “Your side, of course. I'm just—”

“Well don't.” Kira wiped dead grass from her leggings. “You stick to dealing with your family and I'll worry about mine.” Kira looked off in the direction of Main Street. “You know what this town is missing?”

Derrick laughed. “Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to answer that?”

Kira smiled. God she was even prettier when she smiled. “A motel.”

Funny that's the only thing she'd noticed. Wait a minute. “Why do you sound like you need one?”

“I'm no longer on call and Krissy—who I have no desire to see right now—is with my mother so there's no need for me to be back to the city today. If there was a motel in town, you could spend the evening with your parents and I could spend the night blissfully alone in my very own room.”