Whirlwind Reunion

Annalise gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know it’s difficult, but this is best for you and your baby.”

“I’m happy to do whatever I need to. I didn’t mean to sound as if I was complaining.”

“It’s fine if you do. You’re used to doing a lot. It’s quite a change to be confined to bed.”

Josie’s green eyes followed Annalise as she placed her stethoscope on the woman’s belly, listening carefully for the baby’s heartbeat.

She smiled at her patient. “The heartbeat is strong.”

“Thank goodness.” Relief spread across Josie’s face. “Did you always want to be a doctor?”

“Yes. My father was a doctor here for years and his work always fascinated me.”

“Where did you get your training?”

“Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.”

The other woman’s eyes lit up. “I’ve never been out of Texas. My home was in Galveston before I came to Whirlwind. Did you like Philadelphia?”

“Yes.” It had given her a place to heal, to try and get over Matt.

“Did you have a special someone up there?”

Annalise thought about Travis Hartford, her dear friend who had wanted to be more, though she hadn’t. “A friend, but we weren’t romantically involved.”

He was also a doctor. She had met him at the hospital where they’d both attended general clinics. Travis was one of the few males there who hadn’t harassed her and the other female medical students.

Annalise packed away her stethoscope. “May I get you anything to drink or eat?”

“No, thank you. Emma brought me some lemonade.” Josie paused, then said tentatively, “Davis Lee told me you and Matt were supposed to get married.”

Annalise stiffened. She wanted to snap at the other woman, but there was no reason to take her irritation out on her. “Yes.”

“But you didn’t. Because you left to go to medical school?”

“That’s right.”

“He didn’t want to wait?”

“He didn’t want me to go,” she said tightly.

“Matt didn’t want you to be a doctor?”

At the disbelief in Josie’s voice, Annalise gave her a small smile. “He thought I would change my mind after we were engaged.”

Josie’s eyes grew big. “Oh.”

Annalise hoped Josie was finished discussing Matt, but she was disappointed.

“Matt says they’re no closer to catching those rustlers.”

“His father said the same.” She liked Josie and they had become friends, but Annalise didn’t want to stir up any more memories of Matt and their past.

After finishing her visit, she promised to check in the next day. She stepped outside, her gaze immediately going to the other end of town and the cemetery at the top of a small rise.

Talking about Matt, remembering Delia, had brought up Annalise’s own dark memories. She thought about her time in Philadelphia after everything with Matt had gone so wrong. She had felt utterly alone, terrified out of her mind. Now, the memories and Matt blaming her for the miscarriage put her on the edge of erupting.

There was no sense in regrets, not now and not about this. His words shouldn’t affect her as much as they had, especially since she had been saying the same thing to herself all these years. But his opinion did matter. She hated that he still had the power to hurt her like this.

Still, it wasn’t his words that had her moving toward Whirlwind’s cemetery. It was her own guilt.

Some minutes later, Matt sat in the Pearl with his pa, Cora and Russ. Annalise had practically run away from him. Now he was even more certain that his former betrothed had lied about knowing she was expecting when she left Whirlwind all those years ago.

And he wanted her to admit it.

Their conversation about the baby had been five days ago. Five days of solid mad for Matt. While his back had been healing, his anger had been festering.

After what she had done, it was no wonder she was avoiding him, but he wouldn’t allow it. She should have to face him.

Matt drained his lemonade. He would’ve preferred something stronger, but this was what Pa wanted before they started for the Triple B. Matt wasn’t done with Annalise by a long shot, but right now he was more concerned with his father and why the man had spent nigh on half an hour in her office. So far, J.T. hadn’t said one dad-blamed thing about it.

Matt exchanged a look with Russ, urging his brother to start the conversation.