His Long-Awaited Bride

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Maybe he was also a glutton for punishment, because he wanted to know exactly what had prompted Mr. Money Bags to set his sights on Marissa. Travis Pendleton didn’t seem the type to be interested in a working girl, not when rumors abounded that moving out of the city manager’s position in the small town of Hope and into a similar job in a major metropolitan area was the first stop on his goal to reach the state senate. A fashion model or a business tycoon’s daughter seemed more his style.

“Seven bouquets showed up for me today,” Marissa admitted as her cheeks turned a dusky pink. “They came as quite a…um, surprise.”

Justin thought it odd that she almost sounded pained to claim them. Most women would have been floating three feet off the ground under similar circumstances, and he was curious why Marissa seemed almost embarrassed by the gesture. Then again, Pendleton probably hadn’t figured out that Marissa didn’t like to draw attention to herself. If the man had possessed any inkling of Marissa’s character, he would have known seven was overkill. Unfortunately, discussing the man’s shortcomings would have to wait until he had finished with Lucy. He simply couldn’t afford to let his attention wander too far off the mark.

At one time, he could have gone through the motions of this procedure with his eyes closed. However, ever since he’d broken his hand in the plane crash that had killed one of Hope’s physicians and injured a few others, it had taken a lot of physical therapy to get to the point where he could even perform a spinal tap. While he was pleased that he’d regained eighty percent of his preaccident dexterity, he hated that he still hadn’t reached the hundred percent mark. Lucy, or any other patient, didn’t deserve to have a physician who couldn’t perform at peak efficiency. If he didn’t carry out this procedure flawlessly, he could do lasting damage.

As if aware of the stress he’d placed himself under, his hand cramped as he picked up the needle off the sterile supply tray and it slid out of his stiff fingers. Fortunately, it landed back on the sterile tray and not on the floor.

For an instant he stared at the scene, aware of Marissa hovering nearby. To her credit, she didn’t cast a pitying glance at him, like so many other nurses would have. Neither did she suggest that he step aside for someone else.

He flexed his right hand to ease the cramp as he met her steady gaze. The faith in her green eyes and the smile on her Cupid’s-bow mouth gave him the confidence boost he needed.

Heaving a wordless sigh, he picked up the needle again with his gloved fingers and hefted it in his hand. He could do this. He would do this.

As soon as the needle went into the subarachnoid space with a satisfying pop, he relaxed. Unbidden, his attention returned to Marissa, whose wide smile and thumbs-up sign was more than enough reward.

“They must be from that young man who came by last night.” Lucy’s comment drew him back to the conversation.

“They are,” Marissa confirmed as her pixielike face turned a darker shade of pink and highlighted her cheekbones.

“What a nice gesture. He’s certainly thoughtful.”

“Yes, he is.”

Justin wanted to point out that if Travis was as thoughtful as they believed, he wouldn’t have sent more flowers than some people received at their funerals. Neither would he have sent them to a unit where flowers weren’t permitted and where the potential of causing problems for Marissa was so great.

“I noticed he held the car door for you,” Lucy commented.

“Why, Lucy, were you watching me?” Marissa sounded horrified, which rankled Justin. Just what had they been doing that she hadn’t wanted Lucy, or anyone else, to see?

“Of course, dear. One can’t be too careful about strangers arriving in the neighborhood. He has exquisite manners, which is quite unusual in this day and age.”

“Yes, it is,” Marissa agreed.

Manners. Justin frowned. What was it with women? They claimed to want independence and all that, but then they got all gooey-eyed because someone helped them with their coat or opened a door. Men simply couldn’t win. They were damned if they did, and damned if they didn’t. He knew because his wife—his ex-wife—had taught him that particular lesson well.

Even so, he’d spent enough time with Marissa over the years to know that he hadn’t treated her like one of the guys. He may not have been overly attentive, but he had put his mother’s teachings to good use.

“I wouldn’t say that holding doors open for a date is so unusual,” he said as he removed the stylet and spinal fluid dripped out of the needle and into the collection tubes. The fluid was clear and not cloudy or bloody, which came as a relief.

“You’d be surprised,” Marissa said grimly.

While he didn’t believe Travis, the Wonder Date, had actually done anything out of the ordinary, it didn’t hurt to find out exactly what had impressed them. One never knew what piece of trivial information might come in handy, not that he intended to put it to use anytime soon.

“What do women expect from men these days?” he asked.

“My goodness, Justin,” Lucy said weakly, although her surprise was still obvious, “don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to court a lady.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” he protested. “I date on occasion.”

“Oh, really?” Marissa sounded skeptical and she had every right to be. Medicine and his patients came first in his life and he only fit in the odd date or two on the fringes. He usually spent his spare time playing basketball with the guys at the gym or watching movies at Marissa’s.

“Really,” he affirmed. “I went to the Valentine’s Day ball with a date. Cam proposed to Dixie, remember? And before that was the annual hospital Christmas party. Don’t forget the end of harvest festival coming up in August. I always bring a guest to that.”

“Three dates in a year?” Lucy asked, incredulous. “No wonder you’re still single.”

“I’m positive I’ve gone out more than three times,” he protested. “I just can’t remember them. In any case, it doesn’t hurt to hear what women expect. What, exactly, did Trent do?”

“Travis,” Marissa corrected.

He shrugged. “Whatever. It rained last night, so I suppose he spread his coat across a puddle to keep your shoes from getting wet.”

“No, but he had an umbrella.”

Considering the weather forecast hadn’t given decent odds for moisture, he was marginally impressed. “A regular Boy Scout.”

“Jealous?”

He glanced at her to see the question in her green eyes that reminded him of sparkling emeralds. “Hardly. Although I thought you liked to walk in the rain.”

He hadn’t planned to sound accusatory, but somehow he had. Probably because he could remember several Saturday afternoons when the two of them had ambled along the park’s walking path during a heavy drizzle just so she could enjoy the fresh air. He’d agreed, not because he enjoyed getting soaked down to his skivvies but because there had been something so childlike about the experience. Revisiting his childhood wasn’t something he did often, but once in a while the stress of his profession got to be overwhelming. For the length of those walks he could forget that he held people’s lives in his hands, that some people simply couldn’t be saved.

“I do when I’m dressed for the occasion, but not when I’m wearing a dress and heels.”

She had a point.

“You know, dear,” Lucy interjected, “your Travis sounds wonderful. Did you have a good time?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“Is he the one?”

Justin’s ears perked as he waited for her answer. The fact that she hesitated meant that she had doubts or at least some reservations.

Reservations were good. If he’d listened to his inner warnings about Chandra, he could have avoided a heap of trouble in his life. As Marissa’s friend for many years, he was bound and determined to save her some grief, if he could.

“It’s too soon to tell,” she finished smoothly.

He let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Don’t rush into anything,” Lucy said in a far-away voice. “I know you aren’t getting younger and people like to talk about a woman’s biological clock ticking, but it doesn’t hurt to be positively sure about a decision.”

“Here, here!” Justin chimed in, refusing to let Marissa’s glare intimidate him.

“Although,” Lucy continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “I’ve never been able to understand why you two have never gotten together.”

“We are together.” Marissa sounded puzzled. “I met Travis a few weeks ago.”

“Not him. You and Justin.”

Justin nearly swallowed his tongue. From Marissa’s sudden intake of breath, he knew she’d experienced the same reaction. “Us?” she squeaked.

Us? he echoed in his mind. Where would Lucy get an idea like that?

And yet the idea didn’t send him recoiling in horror. Yes, they spent several evenings a week in each other’s company and had ever since he’d moved to Hope and discovered that Marissa lived here, too. They’d also gone to dinner and the movies whenever a new film had come to town, but those had always been platonic outings. More often than not, they went Dutch, although there had been a few times when he’d left his billfold in his scrub suit at the hospital and Mari had paid for their hamburgers and movie tickets.

But he’d always paid her back. Hadn’t he? He frowned, trying to recall the circumstances, then decided they didn’t matter. What was more important was understanding how Lucy had jumped to her conclusion.

“What made you think that?” he asked, curious to hear her answer.

“You spend a lot of time together,” Lucy said, clearly oblivious to the charged atmosphere swirling around the two people in question. “Look at how often you see each other at the hospital. And don’t forget all those evenings you drop by Marissa’s house. Don’t deny it because I see your car parked outside several times a week.”

Lucy was right. Why had he never noticed how his “official” dates were scheduled into his life like appointments with his physical therapist, but he saw Marissa more often than not? While he was shocked and surprised by the notion, the mental picture it generated didn’t horrify him.

Not one bit.

“We’re just friends, Lucy. Justin isn’t my type.” Her firm tone couldn’t have made her opinion more clear. As far as she was concerned, the idea plainly fell beyond all realm of possibility.

Instead of feeling reassured, his ego bristled. Just what type did she think he was?

While they didn’t necessarily like the same things—he preferred coffee over her tea; she liked golf while he was happier playing basketball or football; she favored spicy foods while they gave him heartburn—they got along well. They might have differing opinions, but he always felt as if he could say what he thought without worrying if he would offend her. From their rousing discussions, he’d hazard to say that she did the same.

But if she thought that smooth-talking snake-oil salesman Travis Pendleton was more her type than he was, then he would definitely have to work hard to convince her of how wrong she was.

“And I’m not his type, either,” she added firmly. “If it weren’t for us both being in health care, we’d have nothing in common.”

Nothing in common? He wanted to protest, but Lucy beat him to the punch.

“Nonsense. Differences are good.” Lucy’s words slurred. “Don’t forget how well you both connect with each other. You’ve laid a strong foundation and it’s a shame you two haven’t built anything on it.”

“I think you’re suffering from an overactive imagination,” Marissa stated kindly to her neighbor. “We’re only good friends. Even if we weren’t, Justin is a die-hard bachelor, so you’re wasting your time at playing matchmaker. Isn’t that right, Doctor?”

Her description stung. A bachelor, yes, but die-hard? Not particularly. He might prefer to keep his relationships simple and uncomplicated, but Marissa’s version made him seem so…inflexible and stubborn, not to mention lonely.

Contrary to what people might believe, he wanted the same things that every other man wanted—a cozy house and a warm wife. The problem was that he’d chosen poorly the first time and he dreaded a repeat of his mistake.

He would have explained his reluctance to Lucy, but he was ready to wrap up both the procedure and the conversation that reminded him of lost dreams.

“Okay, Lucy, we’re done.” Justin removed the needle from her spine and pressed a pad of gauze to the site. A sense of relief swept over him for accomplishing the task without another mishap. He’d officially scaled one more obstacle in his own healing process. As long as his good days outnumbered the bad ones, he intended to prove the specialist wrong. He’d already progressed further than initially expected.

“Really? Now, that wasn’t so awful,” Lucy said. “I’ll have to be sure and tell Morris that he’s been worrying over nothing. He’s such a sweet husband, always fretting about me.”

Knowing that Lucy had been a widow for at least ten years, he raised a questioning eyebrow at Marissa, who responded with a puzzled shrug.

“He’s waiting outside, you know,” Lucy added dreamily.

Marissa frowned. “Lucy,” she said hesitantly. “Your husband isn’t outside. He’s…”

“Oh, that’s right. He went to the garden store because I need food for my roses, fertilizer for my flowers and mosquito spray. With all the moisture we’ve had, those pesky insects are quite bad this year. If you don’t mind, I’m rather tired and I’d like to sleep now.

“And don’t you two worry about me,” Lucy added, as if sensing their concern. “Morris says I’m going to be just fine.”

At a sudden loss for words—what would it hurt if remembering her husband gave her comfort?—Justin exchanged a final helpless glance with Marissa before he moved to a corner of the room to record his notes and lab orders. As he scribbled on the pages, he listened with half an ear to Marissa’s soft voice cautioning Lucy to lie quietly for at least an hour. From the older woman’s condition, he suspected Lucy would do so even without Marissa’s advice.

“I want the usual cell counts, glucose and protein and culture,” he said as soon as Marissa joined him in the hallway. “I also want blood drawn for a West Nile virus test. And call me as soon as you have those results.”

“West Nile?” she asked, clearly surprised by his request.

“’Tis the season,” he quoted. “It’s early, I know, but when she mentioned mosquitoes, I thought of it.”

“I’ll call as soon as I hear from the lab, but the West Nile test will take a couple of days.” She paused. “I’m a little surprised that she talked as if her husband was still alive.”

“Me, too. Keep a close eye on her,” he said as he handed over the medical record.

“I will.”

His gaze landed on the pot of flowers remaining on the nurses’ counter and his mouth tightened in displeasure. He didn’t know why Mr. City Manager’s exorbitant display irritated him so much. If Pendleton wanted to spend hundreds of dollars on flowers, who was he to stop him from supporting the local economy? Yet irritate him it did.

His irritation only grew when he saw the arrangement in Newland’s room, although he didn’t show it. But by the time he’d examined Newland and talked to his wife, he was well and truly sick of flowers.

To add insult to injury, the sight of Marissa at the nurses’ station only reminded him of Lucy’s comments. “Call if anything changes,” he said more gruffly than necessary, before he disappeared into the nearby stairwell to escape the sweet aroma saturating the ICU. Unfortunately, he couldn’t escape the memory of Lucy’s words.

I’ve never understood why you two have never gotten together…. Don’t forget how well you connect with each other…a strong foundation…

Contrary to what Lucy thought, he knew exactly what they had. Their friendship had started on the first day of his French I class, when he’d slid into the chair next to a brown-haired girl with hazel eyes that turned deeper shades of blue or green, depending on her mood. She’d quietly listened during the lecture and acted as if she understood every word the professor had said, while he’d been completely lost.

Marissa had helped him pass the course and throughout the rest of the semester he’d discovered that not only was she intelligent and possessed a soft heart, but she was also a good listener. Their mutual interest in medicine had cemented their friendship, although his path had led to med school and hers into nursing.

They had exchanged Christmas cards at that point, although his had been the e-mail variety and usually late. Those annual contacts had gradually dwindled and finally ended once he’d married Chandra Weaver. It was only after they’d both reconnected in Hope several years ago after his divorce that they’d caught up on each other’s lives. Since then, it had seemed as if they’d never been separated.

What surprised him the most was Marissa’s single status—waiting, as she said, for the right man. Were the eligible fellows blind? But whether they were or not, he didn’t want her to make his same mistakes, so he did his best to keep a watchful eye on her prospects. It hadn’t been too difficult because in a town this size, everyone knew everyone else’s business.

Unfortunately, Travis Pendleton wasn’t a home-grown boy. He was a new arrival and although people in his circles spoke favorably of him, if something was too good to be true, it usually was.

Normally, he wouldn’t worry about Marissa being taken in by a handsome face or sappy romantic gestures, but now he wasn’t so sure. She hadn’t actually confirmed that she and Terrific Trevor were an item, but she hadn’t denied it, either. She’d simply declared that Pendleton was a friend, but that was how she described him, too.