“I’ve seen that mess. An hour wouldn’t even make a dent.”
Emily sighed. “You’re right, Mel. I guess we both know what I’ll be doing on my next day off.” She started toward the door, unbuttoning her lab coat as she walked.
She passed Trudy in the front foyer, polishing an antique cabinet that served as a coat closet. In the kitchen the dishwasher was humming. As she stepped out onto the patio, she saw her grandmother and Jason seated on the glider, heads bent in quiet conversation.
The sight of them together did something strange to her heart.
They both looked up and saw her at the same moment. Jason was on his feet and helping her grandmother to stand before they both hurried across the patio to greet her.
“Emily.” Bert kissed her granddaughter’s cheek. “I was hoping you’d find time for another visit, but I never dreamed it would be so soon.”
“Two cancellations in a row.” Emily grinned. “I’m learning that this is the life of a small-town doctor. Too many patients and not enough time, and then sudden holes in the schedule that leave me feeling oddly disconnected.”
“Your father used to love those unexpected cancellations. He claimed they gave him enough time to fish a dozen nearby streams.”
Emily burst into laughter. “I’d forgotten that.” She turned to Jason. “Dad used to carry his fishing gear in a black bag similar to his medical bag. He used to stow both in the trunk of his car. One day he was flagged down by a man whose wife had gone into labor.”
“Milt Levender,” her grandmother added.
“That’s right. Dad reached into his trunk, grabbed his bag and hustled into the Levenders’ bedroom. When he pulled out a tackle box, and Milt caught sight of all those lures and hooks, he fainted on the spot. Poor Dad had to run back out to his car, exchange the fishing gear for his medical bag and hustle back inside to deliver a baby.”
Bert took up the story. “By the time Milt came to, his wife Deb was lying in bed holding their brand-new son in her arms. To this day, Milt and Deb credit Christopher with their son Eric’s love of fishing. I believe Eric won the annual trout competition three years in a row.”
Jason was laughing as he turned to Emily. “So, are you thinking of taking up fishing, too?”
“Not a chance. I wouldn’t have the heart to put the worms on the hook.”
“You could bring Hannah along for that.”
She shook her head. “It wouldn’t do any good. I’d just have to toss the fish back in the lake anyway.”
“Or bring them home and make pets out of them,” Bert said dryly. She patted her granddaughter’s arm. “If you two will excuse me, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She walked away, leaving them alone.
Jason nodded toward the pitcher on the glass-topped table. “Want some iced tea?”
“Sounds good.” Emily moved along beside him and watched as he poured a glass of tea. He handed it to her before topping off his own.
Instead of taking a seat she walked to the edge of the patio and looked out over the water. Jason paused beside her.
“Did you and Bert have a nice visit?”
He nodded. “She seems to think you might stay in Devil’s Cove.”
Emily shrugged. “I hope she doesn’t pin too much hope on that. I honestly don’t know how I’ll feel a month from now. A year. Or even tomorrow.”
“I think whatever you decide will be just fine with your grandparents.”
“There’s something to be said for having so much family. If I go, they’ll still have my mother and sisters to fill their hours.”
“Who will you have to fill yours, Em?”
She stared into her glass with a frown. “I could ask you the same thing.”
When he didn’t say anything she turned to glance up at his face. She’d expected him to be laughing, or perhaps mocking. Instead, what she saw in his eyes was a look so bleak, it twisted a knife in her heart.
She touched a hand to his arm. “What are you doing for dinner tonight?”
“Having dinner at the Harbor House with Robeson. Join us.”
When she started to shake her head he set aside his glass and closed a hand over hers. “We have a lot of years to catch up on. And so little time. Say yes.”
Emily fought to ignore the curl of pleasure at his touch. “All right. But you and Robeson may have to start without me. My last appointment is Mrs. Crenshaw, and she’s always late.”
He bent close and pressed a kiss to her brow. “You’ll miss the best gossip.”
Her hand tightened on his arm. “Don’t you dare talk about anything juicy until I get there. Promise?”
She saw the way he studied her mouth, inches from his, and felt the heat.
They both looked up when they realized Bert was standing in the doorway, watching them.
Jason stepped back a pace. “Promise.”
When the older woman walked up, he paused to brush a kiss over her cheek. “Thanks for the lunch, Mrs. B. And the conversation. Both were even better than I’d remembered.”
“I’m glad. Will I see you again, Jason?”
He nodded. “You bet.”
The two women were silent until he was gone.
Emily drained her glass and glanced at her watch. “I’d better get back to the clinic. Before I go, what did you want to see me about?”
“See you?”
Emily nodded. “Mel said you wanted to see me.”
Bert shrugged. “Whatever it was, it must not have been too important. It seems to have slipped my mind.”
Her granddaughter gave her a speculative look. “Nothing ever slips your mind, Bert.”
“I’m an old woman. These things happen.”
“The last time you admitted to being old was when you wanted to con Poppie into hiring a limo for your birthday. What’s your con this time?”
“You offend me, Emily. Can’t I simply crave your company?”
“Uh-huh.” Emily gave a throaty laugh. “You’re up to something, Bert.”
The old woman turned away. “I think it’s time you got back to work.”
“You’re right.” Emily brushed a kiss over her cheek and started away. Over her shoulder she called, “Tell Trudy I won’t be here for dinner tonight. I’m joining Jason and Robeson at the Harbor House.”
“I’ll tell her.” Bert was smiling as she picked up the empty glasses and headed toward the kitchen.
It had been a very productive afternoon. She’d had a lovely visit with a young man she really liked. She’d had a chance to see for herself that the magic was still there between him and her granddaughter. And she’d managed to get those two young people together again. If they hadn’t spotted her, she was pretty sure they’d have kissed right here on the patio.
She had a feeling tonight would take care of itself.
Chapter 8
Emily knew she was taking too much care with her dress. She’d changed three times. The first, a black jersey, had been too bland. The second, a bold print, too colorful. Now she slipped a simple red silk sheath over her head and felt it glide over the dips and curves of her body in one fluid sweep. She decided it was just right. Sexy without being revealing. And proper enough, if she ran into patients, to keep them from going into cardiac arrest. That thought brought a smile to her lips. But, she decided, the hair was all wrong. She pulled one side off her face, fastening it with a jeweled comb, and added blood-red teardrop earrings before standing back to study her reflection.
She should have taken a pass on dinner tonight. She was treading on dangerous ground with Jason. He’d already hurt her once. If she allowed it to happen again, shame on her. But she wouldn’t permit it, she thought with a fierce shake of her head. She was a smart woman. Smart enough to graduate number one in her class at Michigan, and to compete against the best and the brightest at Georgetown before taking up residency at University Hospital. This was nothing more than a dinner date with an old school friend. If they enjoyed a little flir
tation, what was the harm? She’d keep it simple.
She wasn’t going to sleep with him.
There. She smiled at her reflection. Now that she had that out of the way, she would simply enjoy the evening.
She turned and picked up a small handbag, tucking in her cell phone and pager along with her wallet and keys.
The entire family had gathered in the dining room. The judge and Bert, her mother and sisters, were already seated at the table, with Trudy standing beside the judge’s chair. The two were arguing about something, as usual.
Emily paused in the doorway.
“Big date?” Sidney smiled as she looked over.
“I’m joining Jason and Robeson Ryder at the Harbor House.”
“Killer dress,” Hannah said with a grin.
“You think so?” Emily struck a pose, her hand on her hip.
“Yeah. If I ever have a hot date, I’d like to borrow it.”
“It’s yours.” Emily blew her family a kiss and turned away. “Don’t wait up.”
The dining room of the Harbor House was bustling with activity. Waiters in crisp white shirts and black pants, most of them college students home for the summer, made their way through the crowds. Candles flickered invitingly in low bowls of roses and peonies that adorned each table. On the enclosed patio a piano player entertained with show tunes.
“In a lot of ways Malibu is like a small town.” Jason sat back in the half-moon banquette, enjoying a spirited disagreement with Robeson that felt amazingly like old times. It occurred to him that they hadn’t bonded all those years ago because they’d both been outsiders, but because they’d fed off each other’s strong opinions. It had been the same with Emily.
His head came up sharply, sensing her even before he caught sight of her. He spotted her threading her way toward them, and was instantly on his feet.
Robeson glowed with pleasure as he caught her hand. “I’m so glad you were able to join us.”
Emily felt the brush of Jason’s hand at her back as she took her seat. She wasn’t surprised at the way her body reacted, the quick skitter of heat along her spine, the way her heart lurched ever so slightly. Still, it was disconcerting. Was she going to have this reaction every time he touched her?
There was such heat in his eyes when he looked at her. As though he could devour her on the spot. It had the blood pounding in her temples.
She sucked in a breath and turned to Robeson. “You’re sure you don’t mind the intrusion?”
Robeson settled himself on one side of her, with Jason on the other. “You could never be an intrusion, Emily.”
She dimpled. “I don’t know. You two seemed awfully deep in conversation.”
Robeson grinned at Jason. “We were on our favorite topic.”
“Politics?”
Jason shook his head. “Women.”
Emily wrinkled her nose. “I thought you would have outgrown that by now.”
“A man never outgrows his appreciation for women. Especially beautiful women. It’s something in the genes.” The way he said it had her cheeks coloring.
She strove to keep the atmosphere light. “I should have known.”
When a waiter hurried over, Emily ordered a drink. Minutes later she sipped cabernet and found herself in the middle of a debate between her dinner partners on the advantages of living in a bustling urban area after a childhood in Devil’s Cove.
“I hated everyone knowing my business.” Robeson watched as a waiter placed a tray of appetizers on their table. “When I was a kid here, even the grocer knew when we couldn’t pay our bills.”
“But at least he let you buy on credit.” Emily helped herself to a curried shrimp. “My father probably knew everyone’s business, too, but he kept what he knew to himself. And he continued to treat their illnesses with kindness and compassion, even if they couldn’t pay. Would you find that in a big city?”
Jason laughed. “Emily makes a good point. What do you say to that?”
Robeson shrugged. “It’s true that there may be some advantages to small towns. But you can’t deny that you hated everyone knowing about your father, Jase.”
“Of course I did.” Jason nodded. “But I think no matter where we live, it’s impossible to hide dirty little secrets for a lifetime. Sooner or later they get out.”
Emily set down her fork. “I know one secret you managed to hide from your friends for a number of years.”
He arched a brow. “And that would be?”
“That you had a talent for writing. I don’t recall you ever writing anything memorable while you were in school.” She turned to Robeson. “Do you?”
Robeson thought for a moment. “As I recall, Jase once wrote a piece for the Devil’s Cove High Scribe, in which he detailed the science lab disaster that had the entire student body scrambling to escape the stench of rotten eggs.”
Emily’s eyes sparkled. “I’d forgotten that. He wrote the entire piece like science fiction.” She turned to Jason and, without thinking, grabbed his hand. “What did you call it?”
He absorbed the warmth of her touch and managed a grin. “‘The Slime That Ate Devil’s Cove.’ I don’t know how you could have forgotten. It was illustrated by your sister Sidney. That might have been, in fact, a turning point in her career. She drew the entire thing like a really bad comic book. It was the talk of the school.”
“Sid probably has a copy of that somewhere in her portfolio. I think she’s kept everything she ever drew.”
Jason chuckled. “I’ll have to ask her next time I see her. I might want a copy for myself, in case my publisher rejects my next book proposal.”
“Fat chance.” Robeson set his menu aside. “I think half the people in the airport were reading your latest.” He lowered his voice. “And I’ll bet half of them were trying to figure out if it was based on fact, or was just a figment of the author’s wild imagination.”
“Are you ever going to tell us?” Emily sipped her drink. “Or is there a stipulation in your contract that forbids you from discussing your research?”
Robeson grinned. “Maybe the rumors are true, and Jase has uncovered a serial killer right here in town.”
Instead of the expected laughter, Jason picked up his menu and began to scan it.
Robeson reached over, snatching the menu out of his hand. “What kind of an answer is that?”
Jason managed a thin smile. “I write fiction, Robeson. You know that.”
“Right. But your fictional town was too close to Devil’s Cove to have been an invention. And I don’t hear you denying that your story bears an uncanny resemblance to that string of crimes that happened here.” He gave his friend a long, steady look as he handed him back his menu. “Do you know something we don’t?”
Jason set it aside. “The authorities said the murders were unrelated.”
“But you think they were?”
He gave a shrug of his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m a writer of fiction. That gives me the freedom to solve the crimes to my own satisfaction, and move on.”
“So, this wasn’t something you uncovered in your research?”
“I’ll admit that I was given access to a lot of information. I read files that have been closed for years. But in the end, I was left to draw my own conclusions.”
“And this was just your take on something that happened here a long time ago?”
Jason nodded, before turning his attention to the waiter who took their order.
When the waiter was gone Emily saw Robeson staring at a woman across the room. She turned to him. “Someone you know?”
He shook his head. “For a minute I saw the blond hair and thought it was Carrie.” He seemed to consider for a moment before adding, “I asked her to join us for dinner, but she said she had to work.”
“That’s too bad.” Emily smiled at him. “I would have enjoyed her company. The four of us used to have such fun together, didn’t we?”
Robeson gave a thoughtful no
d before signaling the waiter for another drink.
“Do you remember the time we took the judge’s boat out after midnight and ran out of gas?” Emily’s eyes crinkled with the memory. “Jase and I were the strongest swimmers, so we left you and Carrie in the boat with the flashlight, while we swam to shore.”
Jason chuckled. “You were the one who persuaded me to wake up Red Hanson and ask him to loan us a tank of gas and his boat.”
Emily started laughing. “Red was so mad. How was I to know he’d just filled a prescription for sleeping pills because he was having his tonsils out the next day?”
“Your bright little scheme cost me a month of working after school every night without pay for Red’s father in his garage, just to make it up to him.”
“I don’t know what you’re complaining about. Didn’t I bring you pizza and a bag of Trudy’s chocolate chip cookies almost every night?”
“Yeah, you did.” Jason smiled at the memory of stolen kisses in the back of Hanson’s Garage, which were even sweeter than Trudy’s cookies.
When he glanced across the table, Robeson seemed to have gone somewhere in his mind as he sipped his drink. When he realized he’d been caught he set down his drink with a clatter. “You think working for Red’s father was bad, you should have seen Carrie’s mother when I got her home. I’d have gladly changed places with you rather than face that woman’s wrath. I’ll bet even after all these years she’d still like to tan my hide.”
“I haven’t seen her since I got here, but I met Carrie’s daughter.” Jason paused while their waiter placed their meals in front of them. When he was gone, Jason added, “She seems like a great kid.”
Emily nodded. “Jenny and her classmates had a field trip to my clinic for career week. She asked some really bright questions. Carrie said ever since then she’s been showing an interest in the field of medicine.”
“Good for her.” Jason turned to Robeson. “How old is your boy?”
“Three.”
Emily’s eyes lit up. “I hope you brought pictures.”
“Yeah.” Robeson fumbled in his pocket for his wallet and produced a photo of his wife and son. “This is Anthea and Robeson, Jr.”