Bayview Heights Trilogy (92 page)

Kurt stared at Johnny’s back as he followed
him out the door. Something about the flicker in his eyes reminded
Kurt of when Johnny was a street kid...But the boy was heading down
the hall, chart in hand. It wasn’t until they reached the examining
room that Kurt said, “Johnny, I need to see the chart.”

“What? Oh, sorry. We’re swamped. And I was up
late studying.” He nodded to the door. “Think you could do this on
your own? Dr. Frank asked for my help.”

“Yeah sure, but send in a nurse.” Kurt shooed
him away.

“Glad to have you back, Kurt,” Johnny called
over his shoulder, again a strange note in his voice. Humorous,
almost.

Shaking his head, Kurt studied the chart.
Forty-one-year-old woman. Chest pains for weeks. He checked the
name. Johnny’s scribble was worse than usual. He couldn’t decipher
it. Jeez, it looked like nobody had even taken her vitals. Knocking
briefly on the door, he was still staring at the chart when he
stepped inside. “Good morning,” he said, taking out a pen. “It
seems I can’t read your na—” Then he looked up.

Seated on the examining table, dressed in a
faded hospital gown that skimmed her thighs, was Zoe. Behind her,
the fickle February weather changed dramatically, and the sun made
a rare appearance and streamed in the window, bathing her in its
warm glow. In that moment he knew in his heart that she was the
love of his life.

Shoulders back, she cocked her head. “Good
morning, Doctor.” Her eyes devoured him, as his did her. She
did
look a little thin, but so good he was immobilized for
a minute.

Finally he said, “Good morning. What can I do
for you?”

She cleared her throat. “I’m, um, not feeling
well,” she said softly. “I really need your attention.”

His heartbeat hit double time at the meaning
of her words. Slowly he walked toward her and pulled a light out of
his pocket. “Fine. Let’s check your vitals. Look at my nose,” he
said as he turned on the light and stared deeply into her eyes.
“Eyes seem fine. More than fine. Beautiful as ever.”

His gaze roamed over her face. “Good color.
Maybe a little pale.” Then, for the first time in almost ten weeks,
he touched her. “What did you say was the problem, miss?” he asked
hoarsely, his hand on her throat.

She grasped his wrist and slowly drew his
hand down to her chest. “Right here,” she said, achingly. “My
heart. It hurts. Badly.”

His eyes locked with hers. He opened his palm
and pressed it against her. “How long has this been going on?”

“Nine weeks, three days and—” she checked the
clock “—a few hours.”

The corners of his mouth turned up, and
simultaneously he felt a hurt so deep it stunned him.

He untied the gown and slid it gently down
her shoulders. The freckles he bared beckoned him. Leaning over, he
placed his lips on a little patch he was particularly fond of. She
startled, then grasped his shoulders. “Oh.”

“Something wrong, miss?”

“I’m, um, feeling weak,” she whispered.

“Then hold on to me.” He slid the stethoscope
to the area over her heart as she clutched his upper arms.

“Hmm. Your heart rate’s up.” He studied her
face again. “I’ll bet your blood pressure’s right off the
charts.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“I wonder what’s wrong with your heart.”

“I know what’s wrong with it.”

He arched a brow.

“It’s broken.”

His throat clogged. “Zoe—”

She raised her hand and stopped his words.
“The man I love broke it when he left me. And—” she smiled, though
her eyes clouded “—I’ve found I just can’t live without him.
Nothing’s the same. Everything I always loved—teaching, spending
time with my friends, even shopping—aren’t any fun.”

“Wow, even shopping?” He picked up her hand
and cradled it against his chest. “This is a very serious symptom.”
He kissed her fingers.

“But I’m not sure I can help you. I haven’t
been very reliable in that field lately. Maybe you need someone
else. I can re—”

She leaned into him and looped her arms
around his neck. “I don’t want anyone else,” she whispered. “Ever.
I want you.”

There was only a moment’s hesitation before
his arms closed around her. Both their hearts beat with a dangerous
arrhythmia.

He buried his face in her hair. “I missed you
so much.”

She hugged him to her. “I missed you, too. I
need you, Kurt. Please give us another chance.”

“I can’t bear the thought of hurting you
again. Letting you down.”

“None of that matters,” she said. “We just
need to be together.”

Brushing back her hair, he asked, “Are you
sure?”

She brought his hand to her heart again. “I’m
sure. I love you. I’ll always love you.”

“I love you, too,” he whispered, his voice
catching on the last syllable.

They held each other for long moments. Then
she drew away. “So, are you going to take my case, Doctor?” Her
brown eyes, shining with moisture like his own, were also filled
with devilment.

“It looks that way.” Without releasing her
gaze, he stepped back to the door and snicked the lock behind
him.

Those eyes of hers danced.

“But I’ll have to spend a lot of time with
you, miss.”

She shrugged, letting the gown slip an inch.
“How long?”

“Oh, the next fifty or sixty years ought to
do it.”

“Sounds good to me.”

He came closer. “Mmm, me, too. We’ll start
with a thorough examination.” He reached for the gown.

“Now?” she asked huskily.

“Now,” he whispered in her ear. “And
forever.”

“Can I count on that?”

He drew away. Looked deeply into her eyes.
“You can count on that. And on me.”

“That’s all I need,” she said as she pulled
him to her.

-o0o-

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed
Count on Me,
the
third book of the Bayview Heights Trilogy which also included
Cop of the Year
and
Because It’s Christmas
. I
think
Count on Me
tackled a difficult subject, just as the
other two did, while focusing on the joys and heartbreak of
teaching kids today in a modern high school.

First let me comment on the focus of the
story—the romance between Kurt Lansing and Zoe Caufield. Kurt
betrayed Zoe in the most elemental way a man can betray a woman. In
the course of the book, he had to learn just how hard it is to win
back the trust of the woman he’s never stopped loving. In turn, Zoe
learns that her feelings for him haven’t diminished despite the
mistake he made and that she can, indeed, count on him this time.
The road to happiness was rocky, but worth the trip.

One of my favorite parts of this book is
Caufield’s Chicks, the group of girl students Zoe is close to. They
remind me of different students I had in my teaching career—ones I
got close to and got involved (sometimes, too involved) with. I
loved those kids as much as Zoe loves her girls, and they made my
three-decade-long teaching career satisfying and worthwhile.

Last, I hope the message of this book was
clear: with enough concern and caring, any problem—between men and
women, between teachers and students, among friends and family—can
be overcome.

Kathy Shay

o0o

Contact Kathryn Shay
at
www.kathrynshay.com
(contact Kathryn);
www.facebook.com/kathrynshay
;
www.twitter.com/KShayAuthor

o0o

Kathryn Shay’s Books available on Smashwords:

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