A Stallion's Touch (12 page)

“I shouldn't forget!” she cried out. “I should know better!”

“He's going to be fine, Tarah. Do you need me to come back?” Nathaniel tried to reassure her.

Nicholas yelled. “No! I'm good. I told you it was no big deal!”

The doctor shook his head. “I'm keeping you overnight for observation. That's a nasty bump on your head.”

Tarah brushed the tears from her eyes. She groaned, the anxiety that swept through her consuming. “I am so sorry,” she said, repeating the statement for the umpteenth time.

The doctor gestured for her attention. “I've ordered a room for him, and I placed a call to Dr. Harper and his medical team. They may want to order some additional tests.”

Nicholas's gaze skated around the room. “I'm fine,” he exclaimed, frustration washing over his expression.

The doctor nodded. “Better safe than sorry, Mr. Stallion.”

“Tarah? Hello?” Nathaniel's voice sounded from the device in Tarah's hand. She and Nicholas looked at one another, having forgotten that his brother was still on the line. Tarah apologized.

“It's no problem, but the doctor's right, Nick. They need to check you out. Just to be safe,” Nathaniel admonished him.

Nicholas closed his eyes briefly. He fell back into the pillows, pulling his good arm over his head to shade his eyes. Spending the night in the hospital was the last thing he wanted to do. He listened with one ear as his brother and his girlfriend concluded their conversation, Tarah promising to call Nathaniel if anything changed with his condition.

It took no time at all for them to transfer Nicholas to a private room. The doctor on call came to check his vitals and give the nurse on duty instructions. Once he was settled in, Tarah pulled up a chair, determined to remain by his side.

“You should go home.”

“I'm not leaving you, Nicholas. You may need my help.”

“Tarah, it's only a stress fracture. I don't even know why they put it in a cast. The doctor said it will be back to good in a few weeks.”

“They put it in a cast to make sure you don't do any more damage.”

“Whatever, but we're not talking about me. We're talking about you. You need to go home and get some rest. You've been working nonstop and you're exhausted. The last place you need to be is here in the hospital with me.”

“Being with you is the only place I should be.”

“And I appreciate that, but you also need to get your rest, and you can't rest well watching me all night long.”

“I'm fine!”

“You're not, Tarah. You are the most levelheaded woman I have ever known. Your emotions are always in check. You don't cry, and you definitely don't cry in front of people. But you've been bawling like a baby since you called the ambulance to come get me. That tells me you're exhausted and you need to get some rest.”

“I want to be here, Nicholas,” she said, moving to the side of the bed to sit next to him. Tears pressed hot behind her lids again, and she blinked them back.

He touched his good hand to her cheek, his fingers caressing her gently. “And I want you to go home. Please. Do it for me.”

Tarah shook her head. “Are you upset with me?” she asked, apologizing yet again. “I really didn't mean to be so careless. I am so, so sorry!”

“I'm not upset, Tarah. It wasn't your fault.”

“Can't I do anything for you?” she asked. “I have to do something, Nicholas!”

He nodded. “Yeah, find me a hamburger and some fries. Then go home, get some sleep and pick me up in the morning.”

* * *

Nicholas's overnight turned into a four-day hospital stay. Dr. Harper had some concerns, wanting to run a battery of tests to ensure everything was well. Relief flooded Nicholas's face as the doctor confirmed the results of his last CT scan.

“The swelling we were initially concerned with is gone. Everything looks good. How are you feeling?”

“I feel good,” Nicholas said. “I'm ready to go home.”

Dr. Harper nodded. “Well, I'm going to sign your release papers. It'll take a minute for them to get everything together, but you'll be home before the afternoon is over.”

Nicholas extended his good hand, shaking the doctor's. “Do you by chance know where I can find Dr. Boudreaux?” he asked. There was a hint of excitement in his tone, the wealth of it shimmering in his eyes.

Dr. Harper smiled. “Tarah's in surgery at the moment. She has a full schedule today. Do you need me to pull her away?”

Nicholas shook his head. “Oh, no! I just wanted to share the news with her. I'll see her when she gets home tonight.”

Dr. Harper smiled, a twisted smirk appearing. Nicholas swore he saw a hint of deception trickle across the man's face.

“I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds, but I'm glad we have a moment to talk.”

Nicholas met the man's gaze. “Is something wrong, Doc?”

Dr. Harper took a seat at the end of Nicholas's bed. “I don't know if she told you or not, but Tarah and I spent quite a bit of time together before your accident. In fact, I didn't even know the two of you were in a relationship until your accident.”

Nicholas nodded. “Tarah and I are very private people.”

Dr. Harper hesitated. “Okay, if you say so.”

“Where are you going with this, Doctor?” Annoyance pressed like a lit match against Nicholas's spirit.

“Tarah's a good friend, and I'm concerned about her.”

“Excuse me?” Nicholas shifted forward slightly.

Dr. Harper paused as if he were choosing his words carefully. “Tarah has a brilliant career ahead of her. She has worked extremely hard to get to this point in her surgical career, and she's been making quite a name for herself in the field. But lately she's been distracted, and rightfully so. But a distracted surgeon makes mistakes. Tarah can't afford to make mistakes.

“Obviously it's important to her to be here to support you. I don't know how serious you two are, but I wouldn't want to see her continue to make all the sacrifices she's been making for you, then lose herself and everything she's worked so hard for if you two don't work out.”

“Tarah's not going to lose herself,” Nicholas said defensively.

Dr. Harper smiled. “I'm sure you don't think so, and I'm sure you don't mean to be a burden to her, but let's face facts, Mr. Stallion. Tarah has hopes and dreams that she will never see come to fruition. She once talked about having children, a family, a stellar career and a partner to share that with. She never once talked about being a caregiver.”

Nicholas bit down on his bottom lip to stall the quiver of emotion that had suddenly hit him broadside. “And your point?” he finally muttered.

Dr. Harper moved back onto his feet. “Sometimes, Mr. Stallion, patients see only what they want to see. As your doctor, I would do you a great disservice if I didn't point out things you
need
to see. That, and I wouldn't be a good friend to Tarah if I ignored what I see happening to her.” He moved to the door and, with one last glance over his shoulder, made his exit.

Nicholas sat in stunned silence for over an hour, the conversation replaying over and over again in his head. He couldn't deny that everything the good doctor had said had concerned him at one time or another. To have the man put it so bluntly made him think that he'd been deceiving himself, and her, to believe that what they felt for each other was enough to get them through. He pressed the call button for his nurse. When he became impatient, he used his one good hand to lower himself into the wheelchair that rested beside the bed. The effort was exhausting, and he struggled for a minute to catch his breath.

Rolling himself to the open door, he paused, catching sight of Tarah and the doctor huddled in conversation at the other end of the hallway. Dr. Harper was whispering in her ear. There was a smile on her face, and he clutched her shoulder too casually. And then the doctor kissed her cheek.

Nicholas rolled himself back into his room. He was lost in reflection again, not sure what to think about his relationship with Tarah. Moving back to his bedside, he reached for his cell phone and dialed his brother.

“Noah, hey! I need your help.”

* * *

Tarah's eyes widened. She was stunned into silence. She took a big step backward, shaking herself out of Dr. Harper's grasp.

“We're very proud of you, Dr. Boudreaux,” he said.

Dana looked from one to the other. “Is everything okay, Tarah?” she asked, moving to stand by her side.

“Everything is just fine,” Dr. Harper answered. “I was just congratulating Tarah. Dr. Boudreaux has been named this year's recipient of the prestigious Field Foundation Award from the Society of Neurological Surgeons. The award recognizes individuals for outstanding and continuing commitment to research in neurosurgery.”

“My goodness!” Dana exclaimed. “Congratulations!” She threw her arms around Tarah's shoulders and hugged her.

Dr. Harper nodded his approval. “This is one of the greatest honors that can be given to a neurosurgeon,” he said.

Tarah was still in complete awe. She hadn't even known she was in consideration. The award recognized the accomplishments of a neurosurgeon with exceptional surgical proficiency and an outstanding work ethic. Her research studies and her mentoring skills with young people pursuing academic neurosurgery careers had only added to her qualifications. The tribute acknowledged everything Tarah believed in, and to have her hard work culminate in such an honor left her stunned.

“I need to go tell Nicholas!” she said, her gaze shifting down the hallway. “He's going to be so excited for me!”

“I'm sure,” Dr. Harper said. He looked at his diamond-encrusted wristwatch. “Your good news will have to wait, though. You have surgery.”

Tarah looked down at her own watch. She'd had only a thirty-minute window of free time between her last surgery and her next. She'd been headed to Nicholas's room to check on him when Dr. Harper had cornered her. Their conversation had started off awkwardly, Dr. Harper lauding her with praise. And it had surprised her. For weeks he'd been ignoring her, refusing to allow her near the operating room. She'd been relegated to grunt work, and she had done it with a smile on her face, refusing to let him get the best of her. Then, out of the blue, she was scheduled for back-to-back surgeries, barely having time to eat or pee. The extremes, topped with Nicholas breaking his arm, had put her on emotional overload.

“You are scrubbing in, aren't you, Dr. Boudreaux?” Dr. Harper had started down the hallway toward the elevators, turning back for her attention.

Tarah gave him an anxious smile. “Yes, sir,” she said reluctantly. “I'm coming.”

She tossed Dana a look. “Would you tell Nicholas I'll be back up to see him as soon as we're finished? It should be about an hour, maybe two.”

Dana nodded. “I'll do that right now,” she said.

Tarah gave her a quick hug, then raced off, catching up with Dr. Harper, who was still lauding her with praise.

Chapter 11

T
arah's two-hour operation took just under seven hours to complete. By the time she was able to release the patient from recovery and change into a clean pair of scrubs, the sun had set and a full moon sat high in the evening sky.

After checking all of her patients one last time, she took the elevator up to the fifth floor, anxious to see Nicholas. Bursting into the room, she was surprised to find a strange woman lying in the bed and what she guessed were her three adult children and husband visiting her. Tarah apologized profusely for the intrusion as she backed herself out of the space.

Dumbfounded, she moved down the hall to the nursing station. Just as she reached the desk, Dana called her name, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

“Hey, did you talk to Nicholas? Do you know where he is?” Tarah asked.

Dana nodded. “Dr. Harper released him.”

Confusion washed over Tarah's expression. “Released him? When did that happen?”

“This morning.”

“This morning? That doesn't make any sense. During surgery he was making snide comments about me wanting to check on Nicholas. He never said a thing about releasing him.”

Dana grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall. She didn't speak until they'd entered the elevator, the conveyor doors shielding them from prying eyes and ears. “Dr. Harper is a snake!”

“I don't understand. What the hell is going on?”

“I was talking to Valerie, Nicholas's nurse, and she said she overheard Dr. Harper telling Nicholas that he was being a burden to you. She said he really went in on him about holding you back from achieving all of your goals. Valerie said she thinks the conversation knocked Nicholas offside. He didn't look happy. She didn't want him to feel embarrassed that she'd overheard the conversation, so she figured she would give him a moment to himself. But when she went back to the room, he was gone.”

Tarah began to shake, something like rage building. It was a fast burn, and she knew that it would take very little time before she combusted into a full-fledged firestorm. She felt Dana grab her forearm, sensing her distress.

“I called your home to check on him, but he didn't answer,” Dana said. “I'm sure he's there waiting for you.”

The elevator door suddenly opened, making an unexpected stop on the second floor. Dr. Harper stood in wait, his mouth lifting in a wry smile when he saw them. Tarah suddenly felt like she was trapped in the middle of a really bad movie, everything that could go wrong playing out on the big screen.

“Ladies, good evening!” he said as he stepped into the conveyor and pushed the button for the first floor. “Are you two headed out to celebrate Dr. Boudreaux's good fortune?”

“You told Nicholas he was a burden to me?” Tarah snapped. “Who the hell gave you the right to speak on my personal relationship?”

The man's gaze narrowed as he looked from one woman to the other and back again. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “I told him the truth!” he spat. “I explained to Mr. Stallion that much is expected from a doctor of your caliber. He will never be the man you need him to be. And you don't need a man who is going to hold you back. You deserve better. So I told him what he needed to hear. What you
both
needed to hear!”

The elevator opened onto the first floor. Dr. Harper gestured for both women to exit.

Stepping out of the space and into the foyer, Tarah spun back around to face him. “Dr. Harper, make no mistake, I have truly valued my time here at Phoenix Hope. Being under your tutelage has pushed me to be a better doctor and an even better surgeon. Not only have I learned what
to
do, but I've learned what
not
to do. And what I have never done is allowed my personal life or my personal feelings to get in the way of my professional judgment.”

Dr. Harper's jaw tightened. The color had drained from his face, and he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He was grinding his teeth and his eyes narrowed, ice seeping from his stare as she continued.

“Nicholas Stallion is my personal life. And you allowed
your
personal feelings about my relationship with him to cloud your judgment. So now allow me to give you some advice. Nicholas is a better man than you will ever imagine being. He has exceeded my expectations, which is why he has my heart. He will do more with no legs than you will ever be able to accomplish. You aren't even man enough to wipe his sweat! You, sir, are pathetic and small and undeserving of my friendship
and
my respect.”

“You can't speak to me like that!”

“Dr. Harper, I don't plan ever to speak to you again. Tomorrow I'll take this up with Human Resources, and I'm going to file a formal complaint about your harassment. I'll also be giving my notice. You can take this job and you can shove it right up your narrow...”

“Tarah,” Dana called her name, interrupting the rant she was about to spew.

Dr. Harper bristled. He hissed through clenched teeth, “All I did was try to save you and your career. If you can't see that, then maybe you don't deserve to be here. So do whatever you think you need to do. If you really believe anyone is going to take your complaint seriously, you're fooling yourself. You have no proof that I did anything wrong!”

There was a long moment of silence as Tarah narrowed her gaze on the man's face. Her body tensed, her hands clenched into tight fists and he took an abrupt step back, something like fear pinching his expression.

A smirk crossed Tarah's face. “Don't be so sure of that,
Thaddeus
!” And then she turned, storming out the hospital's front doors.

* * *

The interior of the house was dark when Tarah pulled into the driveway. She suddenly got a sinking feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. She had tried a few times to reach Nicholas by phone, but he hadn't answered. She sat in the car for a moment, staring at the outside night-lights that illuminated the property. She was still shaking with anger and frustration, whispering a prayer for God to give her a hand.

Moving inside, she called Nicholas's name. When she got no answer, she raced from room to room searching for him. He was nowhere to be found, and when the reality of that settled over her, she felt completely lost.

She moved to the answering machine to see if he had left her a message, but there were no calls, the little red light not blinking. He hadn't called the house or her cell, and she was suddenly furious with Nicholas, even more than she was with Dr. Harper.

She dropped to the floor, her heart racing as anxiety swept through her. In her mind's eye she imagined the tongue-lashing she planned to give Nicholas when she finally saw him. She crafted each heated word and every irate nuance in her head. She had some choice names she planned to call him, the list lengthy and terse. And then she planned to wrap her arms around him, hold him tight and never let him get away from her again. She swiped the tears from her eyes as she tried to fathom where even to begin her search for him.

Her cell phone chimed in the palm of her hand. Recognizing the number, she answered on the first ring. “Nathaniel, do you know—”

“He's in Utah. Nicholas flew back home.”

“But how...?

“Apparently he called Noah. He hasn't been there that long, but Naomi says he's locked himself in Noah's guest room and he's not talking to anyone. He needs you, Tarah.”

“He left me!” Tarah felt her anger rising again.

“No one ever said my brother was the most logical! He's impulsive and he doesn't always think things through, but he loves you, and you love him. And right now, he desperately
needs
you.”

“I don't understand why he would run off like that without talking to me. I really don't.”

“He's scared and he's feeling out of control. He doesn't know how to handle that.”

“Maybe, but what if he doesn't want me? Maybe this isn't supposed to work out between us.”

“Do you really believe that?” Nathaniel questioned.

Silence filled the space between them as Tarah pondered his comment. She finally took a deep breath, blowing the air out heavily. “I need to call the airlines,” she said. “I need to get on the next flight out.”

“Just pack a bag. There's a plane waiting for you at the airport.”

* * *

A Fly High Dot Com corporate jet sat on the tarmac, the flight crew preparing for takeoff. Nicholas's sister-in-law Cat Moore owned the multimillion dollar aircraft leasing company. Tarah had enjoyed meeting Noah's wife over the holidays, and as the staff went out of their way to ensure she was comfortable, Tarah was impressed.

“Ms. Boudreaux, we'll be ready to depart in about thirty minutes.”

Tarah smiled up at the female pilot, a tall redhead with large eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “Is it okay to use my cell phone to make a few calls?”

The woman nodded. “Of course, and if you want access to the internet, we do have Wi-Fi.” She smiled brightly as she moved back to her preflight checklist.

Tarah's first call went to Nicholas's voice mail, where she left one more message for him to call her back. Her second call was to Nathaniel to let him know she had boarded the plane and would be landing about two hours later.

“I'm not sure who'll be there,” Nathaniel said, “but someone in the family will be there to pick you up.”

“Does he know I'm coming?”

“No. We all think the element of surprise will work to your favor.”

“You want me to ambush him?”

Nathaniel laughed. “Personally, I want you to do whatever it takes. If you need to beat him, feel free to do so!”

Tarah smiled, shaking her head from side to side. “Thank you,” she said, her voice quivering slightly.

“My brother is a very lucky man,” he said before disconnecting the line.

Tarah's last call was a conference call with her sisters as she filled them all in on everything that had happened.

“What are you planning to say to him once you get there?” Maitlyn asked.

“After I cuss him or before?” Tarah quipped.

Kamaya laughed. “Please don't hurt that man!” she teased.

“No, you need to hurt him!” Katrina retorted. “You need to get him straight. I can't believe he just up and left like that.”

“Didn't you run away from Matthew after a misunderstanding?” Tarah questioned.

Katrina laughed. “That was different.”

“No, it wasn't,” Maitlyn said. “And it's a good thing Matthew went looking for you or you'd still be crying your eyes out!”

“I did not cry!” Katrina bantered back. “And this is not about me!”

“Tarah, are you sure about this? Did you ever consider that Dr. Harper might be right?” Kamaya asked.

“No,” Tarah said emphatically. “I love Nicholas. And he loves me! Dr. Harper doesn't have a clue what that means or how it feels.” Tarah took a deep breath before she continued. “I can't breathe without Nicholas. I feel like the bottom has fallen out of my world, and right now I'm falling into a big black hole. I need him more than he will ever need me, and I have never needed any man! He's a big piece of my heart, and right now my heart is completely broken. I never knew it was possible to hurt this much!”

“How can we support you?” Kamaya finally asked, breaking through the silence. “Because you know we'll do whatever you need us to do.”

“Pray for me,” Tarah whispered. “Then start planning my wedding, because I will get my man back.”

Maitlyn laughed. “Do you still want to get married in a castle with a moat around it?” she asked, surely remembering back to one of Tarah's childhood dreams.

Tarah laughed with her. “I'd marry Nicholas in a tree house in the middle of the Louisiana swamps. I just want to be his wife.”

“Well, we're here if you need us,” Kamaya concluded, all the Boudreaux girls concurring.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Tarah said before ending the call. “Katrina, I need an attorney,” she said. “I want to move forward in resolving that problem we talked about.”

“What problem?” Maitlyn asked.

“Her Dr. Harper problem,” Kamaya answered.

Katrina chuckled. “I'm on it, baby girl. Don't you worry. You focus on Nicholas. I'll take care of helping you keep your dream job.”

Tarah smiled. “Thank you. I really love you guys!”

* * *

Nicholas could hear whispering. Then there was silence, with one or both of his siblings leaving the home. He relaxed into the quiet, grateful for the moment of peace and silence. Noah and Naomi had been mumbling under their breaths since he'd gotten off the plane. His decision to leave Phoenix had been abrupt, but in his mind, necessary. His siblings just didn't understand.

Despite what was in his heart he couldn't shake the doubt that Dr. Harper had put in his head. If he would've spoken to Tarah, he knew she would have tried to stop him, and he would have let her. It wouldn't have been fair to her, and he loved her too much to tax her with any more of his issues.

His cell phone rang once again, and he sent the call right to voice mail.

“How long are you going to ignore her?” Noah asked as he suddenly loomed large and imposing in the doorway.

Nicholas's shoulders jutted toward the ceiling. “I don't know what to say to her,” he finally answered.

“Maybe you need to start the conversation with an explanation and then an apology.”

Nicholas met his brother's stare. Noah moved into the room and sat down in the wingback chair across from him.

“You wouldn't understand,” Nicholas said. “And I know Tarah won't understand. Hell, I can't even make sense of it.”

“It doesn't seem that complicated to me,” Noah said. “You faced a little competition interested in your woman, and you didn't trust that she would choose you. So you ran scared.”