Another update! Feedback most welcome, as it fuels my muse to keep writing!
9
"Do we have any guest checking in today?"
She's got the blender going with her daughter's favorite green smoothing, and she nods above the noise. Shutting it off, she pours the contents into a travel cup. "We do. Her name is Amy, and she's a cardiologist the hospital is trying to recruit." Sliding the cup across the counter, she wipes her hands. "Why do you ask?"
Grace takes a sip, shrugging her shoulder. "I was kind of hoping we could go through some of the old boxes in the attack to find some things for the Merriwick display."
With everything that had been going with her shop, she completely forgot about the Historic Middleton exhibit.
"You forgot," Grace deduces.
"I didn't forget." Coming around the counter, she heads to the sitting room to retrieve the box of photos she was going through. "I was actually going through some old photos."
Grace follows, sitting at the tiny table by the window, peering into the box. "Where did you find these?"
"Tucked upstairs in the closet."
Grace leafs through the box, stopping at an old, black and white photo. "Who is this?"
She looks over her shoulder. "That's your great, great-grandmother, Laurel."
"Who's this standing next to her?" Grace questions, holding up the photo for her to see.
She doesn't recognize the man standing next to her, and she takes the photo looking at it more closely. "I don't know."
"It's not her husband?"
She shakes her head looking at the back of the photo hoping to find his name written there. "This isn't him in the photo with her."
"A mystery man, then," Grace muses.
"Maybe," she smiles
.
Taking her smoothie, Grace slings her bag over her shoulder. "I guess we can do it later?"
"Of course." She returns her daughter's kiss as she heads for the door. "Have a good day. Love you."
"Love you too!" Grace calls, stepping out onto the porch.
There on the step, is her newest guest. "Hello Amy," she greats, moving to help her with her bags.
The young woman smiles back unsurely, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Hi…I'm a little early."
Cassie gestures her inside of Grey House. "You're right on time. Welcome to Middleton."
"Thank you."
"How was your flight?" She asks, gathering the key to her room.
"Bumpy," she laughs. "But I'm here."
"We're glad you are," she smiles, handing her the key. "Your room is the first door on the left, and if you leave your bags, George will take them up for you."
The young woman twists the key in-between her fingers. "Great, thank you."
She senses her nervousness. "Would you like some tea?"
Amy relaxes a little, smiling. "I would love some, actually."
. . . . . . . . . .
Pouring each of them a cup, Cassie slides onto a stool at the counter next to her newest guest. "There's nothing like a cup of tea after a long journey."
Amy nods, looking down into her cup. "I couldn't agree more."
"Your journey isn't quite over yet, is it?" She questions gently.
"No, it's not," she sighs, rubbing her forehead. "I've followed the plan; get into medical school, finish my residency, graduate top of my class. I jumped right in, two feet, establishing myself, publishing journals and becoming the youngest department head in the Cardiac Unit."
"That's very impressive."
"Is it?" Amy questions. "Here I am, drinking tea in a small town I didn't even know existed until I received an email from a small town Dr. Radford…..this isn't exactly what I signed up for."
"What did you sign up for?"
Amy leans back into her chair. "I want to help people….really help them."
Cassie takes a sip of her tea. "I think you and Dr. Radford have more in common than you think."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Eve is on the phone when she lets herself in, and Sam's receptionist greets her with a wide smile. "That sounds terrible, Mrs. Wilkins! I'll fit you right in. Not a problem at all."
Setting the takeout box on the counter, she tries not to laugh a little at the way Eve is attempting to sooth the elderly Mrs. Wilkins that the slight tickle in her throat is probably not pneumonia. The waiting room is empty for a change, which means he's probably in an exam room reviewing files.
"We'll see you tomorrow at 2:30, Mrs. Wilkins. Bye-bye now!" Eve hangs up the phone, letting out a sigh. "She can talk your ear off, that lady!"
Cassie chuckles. "She knows she has a kind ear that will listen."
"Sam is always saying I'm too kind," she jokes. "I'll let him know you're here."
"Oh, you don't have to interrupt him-"
"-standing order," Eve informs, picking up the phone placing the receiver to her ear. "Dr. Radford, Cassie is here. Ok." Hanging up, she gives her a smile. "He'll be right out."
She's taken aback a little, and Sam is turning the corner the next minute.
"Hey, is everything ok?" He questions.
There's worry in his eyes and he's reaching for her, rubbing her arm. "Everything's fine. I brought you both a treat." She gestures to the box of cookies on the counter.
Eve grabs the box before Sam can get to it. "Oh no! Last time you ate them all! Me first!"
"Fine," Sam concedes.
She laughs, reaching for his hand twining her fingers with his. "Do you have a minute?"
His thumb sweeps across the back of her hand. "Always." Turning to Eve, he points towards the cookies. "Don't eat them all, and hold my calls, please?"
Eve nods, taking a bite of a cookie. "I'll hold your calls, but I make no promises on the cookies."
Sam shakes his head, heading outback, her hand still twined in his. He leads her to an empty exam room, closing the door behind them. "She's going to eat them all," he jokes.
"Well, she did just manage to navigate Mrs. Wilkins and a certain tickle in her throat."
He shakes his head. "She's called every day this week. I've prescribed everything possible yet nothing seems to help that tickle in her throat."
She moves to sit on the exam table, letting her feet hover above the ground. "You'll figure out something."
"I won't stop until I do," he assures.
She loves that about him. His tenacity. He's got on that tie that she loves, and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled to his forearms. His watch rests loosely around his wrist, and tucked underneath is a leather band she knows is from Nick's first baseball glove.
"How are things at the shop?" He questions.
She exhales, appreciating the way he intuits the uncertainty that still lingers inside of her. "Well, I spoke with the insurance company and they think I can make a claim for most of the lost merchandise."
He smiles, coming to stand in front of her. "That's good news!"
"It is," she agrees. "But it's not the reason I'm here."
His eyebrows raise. "Why are you here, then?"
Reaching for his tie, she tugs him a little closer. "When I woke up this morning, I was alone and I realized how much I really liked having you next to me."
His hands coast up and down her thighs, as he steps closer. "Yeah?"
She nods. "And I was hoping we could do that again." There's a flicker in his gaze, one she's not sure she's ever seen before.
It causes a warmth to unfurl inside of her.
"Your place or mine?" He questions, hooking his hands under her knees, tugging her to the edge of the exam table. He steps into her and his gaze holds her own as he gauges her reaction.
She can feel the change between them, the one that causes a desire inside of her only he can seem to satisfy.
Hooking her legs around him, she draws him in closer. "You pick."
His eyebrow cocks in that way it does when she's caught him off guard.
"My pick, huh?"
She nods again and his hand is at the nape of her neck pulling her into a kiss much like he did at the lake house. Though this one is different.
She's not going to hold back this time.
She's got his face in her hands and when the smile spreads across his lips, she melts just a little.
"Maybe I'll surprise you," he breathes against her mouth. His hands slide underneath her jacket and her blouse glides against her skin as he explores gently up and down her ribcage.
"I'd like to see you try," she murmurs against his lips. A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest and she can feel in reverberate inside her.
"I won't stop until I do."
She smiles against his lips. "I'm hoping you don't." His cell phone buzzes from his desk and although she wants to keep him there, next to her, she pulls back. "You should get that."
He presses another kiss to her lips before he untangles himself from her embrace.
"Dr. Radford….no, I didn't forget." He glances at his watch, wincing at the fact that he actually has. "I'll be there, just, don't overwhelm her or anything." He hangs up, shoving his phone into his pocket. "I have to go. I forgot I was meeting the board and the new cardiologist."
"Amy."
He gives her a confused look as he closes his laptop, rolling down his cuffs.
"The new cardiologist. Her name is Amy."
"She's already checked into Grey House?" He questions, throwing on his jacket. "She's early."
"I got the sense that she wanted some time to gather herself."
"What's your read on her?"
She tilts her head, smiling. "I think you both will have a lot in common."
"What makes you think that?"
Sliding off the exam table, she shrugs a shoulder. "Just a feeling."
Sam shakes his head, throwing on his jacket. "I've learned not to question your 'feelings'."
She smiles, leaning into him. "See you later?"
"You can count it."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Sam glances at his watch for what seems like the millionth time, trying to appear engaged. Truth is, they've been sitting in the board room for the better part of an hour, and no one has yet to let Amy so much as utter a word.
"Can I interrupt for just a second?" He blurts. Several sets of eyes turn on him, and he clears his throat. "I think Ms. Johnson has a pretty good idea about how the hospital operates…unless you're going to share about Taco Tuesday in the cafeteria, I think we're good."
Amy smiles from her seat, looking down.
He gets a stern look from Bruce, one of his fellow board members but he ignores it. "Can I call you Amy?"
She nods. "I'd like that."
"Amy, do you want to take a walk?…I'll give you the unofficial tour."
"That would be great."
They're both out of their seats before anyone can protest, and Sam closes the boardroom door behind them. "I'm sorry about that….they mean well, but they don't always have the pulse of the hospital."
Amy falls into step beside him. "I got that vibe."
"Do you have any questions?" There's a pause on her end, and he can tell that there's something there, just under the surface. "Honest answers. Promise."
"I can work at any hospital in New York, Dr. Radford-"
"-you can call me Sam."
She nods, and they turn the corner to an empty waiting room. She takes a seat in one of the vacant leather chairs, and Sam sits beside her. "….I'm not so sure Middleton is the right fit for me."
He leans back into his chair, hands in his pockets. "I thought the same thing," he smiles. "When I got the email from the Mayor, I had no idea the town even existed."
"I had to google it."
He laughs. "Not much popped up, I'm sure."
"A lot came up on you," she offers. "Top trauma surgeon in New York, published, the go-to doctor when it comes to running an effective ER."
"Did it say anything about my failed marriage and my non-existent relationship with my son?"
She winces slightly. "It didn't. Is that the reason why you left?"
Sam nods. "Part of it, yeah….I just got tired of not really helping my patients."
"Me too," she replies softly.
Sam looks over at her. "This profession can be grueling. It can gut you in seconds and cripple you without you even realizing it."
Amy scoffs, nodding. "Tell me about it."
"…it also has the ability to make you feel infinite gratitude and hope."
A small smile tugs at her lips.
"Something tells me you're looking for that part."
"I really just want to help people," she answers truthfully.
Sam nods. "Sounds like we're on the same page."
Amy smiles, nodding too.
. . . . . . . . . .
Sam lets himself into Grey house, proceeding to the kitchen, finding Abigail perched at the breakfast bar a mug between her hands.
"You're just letting yourself in now, huh?" She questions, raising the mug to her lips.
He recognizes the mirth in her eyes and he shakes his head at her. "You like teasing me, don't you?"
Abigail smiles, tilting her head that way she does. "I get immense pleasure from it. Cassie's upstairs getting ready."
"Duly noted." As he makes his way out of the kitchen, he can practically feel the amusement on her face. When he had first met Abigail, he had mistaken her for Cassie and despite being cousins, they couldn't be any more different.
Climbing the stairs to her room, he's about to knock when the door opens in front of him.
"Perfect timing," she smiles. "Will you zip me up?"
He's yet to get used to how she does this, and yet, he hopes she always remains a mystery to him. As she turns her back to him, he's met with the exposed expanse of her back and he's lost in the valley between the nape of her neck, and the dip in the small of her back. The zipper is incredibly tiny and for all the precision and accuracy he performs regularly in surgery, it takes him a minute to wrap his fingers around it. He's partly distracted by her perfume, something that he's come to recognize as distinctly hers: a delicate mix of flowers and air and warmth and light.
She's patient as he finally gathers a firmer hold on the tiny zipper, and he tugs it upward, letting his knuckles trail across her skin gently.
Her back arches at his touch.
The sound of the slider catching the chain is audible in their silence, and he's certain she's holding her breath just like he is. When he reaches the top, he sweeps her hair out of the way so as not to get caught. "There you go."
"Thank you."
It's a second, a quick hesitation, but he feels it. The change, the static that hovers in the space between them.
"How did your meeting with Amy go?" she questions with a quick glance over her shoulder, before heading into the ensuite bathroom.
He exhales, rubbing his jaw. "Great, I think….she really just wants to help people, which is refreshing. I gave her a tour of the hospital and she seemed genuinely interested in our patient care."
"Did you take her to your practice?"
He crosses the room to her bathroom, leaning in the doorframe. She's applying mascara and he watches her a minute in the mirror, taking in her natural beauty. "I did."
She stills, catching his eye in the mirror. "And?"
He shrugs a shoulder, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She loved it, meeting the patients the conversations…I think she loved Eve the most."
Cassie laughs lightly. "What's not there to love about Eve?"
He chuckles too, and she returns to finishing up her makeup. "Thank you, for coming to dinner with us."
"No thanks required," she reassures, leaning slightly to hook the dangly earrings into her ears.
With a final glance in the mirror, she turns to face him and it's then he gets a full view of her. He makes no attempt to hide his perusal of her as he takes in every curve hugged into the blue dress she's wearing.
"You look beautiful, Cassie."
A slight blush fills her cheeks. "You don't look so bad yourself: you're wearing my favorite tie."
He knows as much and doesn't miss an opportunity to wear it for her. "This old thing?" He feigns. She steps into him and he wraps his arms around her as she settles into his chest. He's still getting used to the feeling of her next to him like this. The way her hips align with his, the weight of her body, full and warm and soft all at the same time.
Leaning in, she hovers above his lips. "It makes your eyes pop," she explains softly, before pressing her lips to his in a kiss.
He's still getting used to this too. She leans into him now, so naturally and almost instinctually and he doesn't take it for granted how comfortable they've become with each other.
Her hair is down and sifts his fingers through it as he cups the back of her head, his other hand slides around her waist. The material of her dress is smooth and hugs the curve of her waist like a second skin.
"Sam," she murmurs against his lips. "We're going to be late."
He's not overly concerned, and when he trails his lips along her jaw, her hand slip into his hair encouragingly. She tilts her head as he makes his way down her neck and there's a particular spot he's wanted to taste for months now.
She shudders in his arms, a soft moan passing through her lips.
"Sam."
He knows he should stop; Amy is probably waiting downstairs and he wouldn't put it past Abigail to let herself in right now to tell them to hurry up.
He needs time. With her. Just the two of them. Alone.
Finding her lips again, he kisses her gently before pulling away. Her eyes open slowly and a soft smile tugs at her lips.
tbc