His Long-Awaited Bride

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.”