Have Bouquet, Need Boyfriend (6 page)

settling for less than her dream, she assured herself as she climbed

from bed and headed to the shower. She was simply facing reality. If she

couldn’t have Thomas, she could at least have his child. That would be

enough.

A moment of trepidation hit her as she turned on the spray of water.

What would Thomas think of the idea?

In the early-morning sunlight the idea of asking Thomas Emerson to

father her baby didn’t seem quite so wonderful. In fact, the more

Rebecca thought about asking him to help her with the baby plan, the

more nauseous she became. By the time she’d walked the two blocks to the

bookstore, her legs felt like rubber bands, and she suspected that if

she actually ran into Thomas or even saw him on the street, she’d lose

the muffin she’d finally managed to down for breakfast.

Why couldn’t she be more like Suzanne?

Disgusted with herself, Rebecca rushed toward the Book Nook to open up.

Maybe she’d talk to Mimi today and ask for some advice. Or she could

browse the shelves for some good self-help books. Something on

bolstering courage and acting with confidence. Or one on not acting like

an idiot in front of men.

Could there possibly be a miracle book on talking without tripping over

your tongue? Or flirting for the fainthearted?

Just as she reached the awning, she spotted Thomas driving by in a

lemon-yellow Mustang convertible, obviously one of her uncle Wiley’s

loaners. A cold

breeze suddenly stirred, sending leaves fluttering and her loose black

skirt flying up around her legs. She tried to grab the billowing fabric,

but it swirled up around her waist.

Nerves bunched in her stomach, and Rebecca panicked. Like a fool she

swung around, ducked inside the door, crouched against a stack of

magazines and pretended she hadn’t seen him.

Thomas frowned. He could have sworn Rebecca had seen him, but she’d

ducked inside the bookstore as if she wanted to avoid him. Why?

After all, she’d left that hurried message on his answering machine

saying she’d contacted her insurance company and her agent had assured

her his car would be taken care of. He’d run from the shower, dripping

wet, to reach the phone, but she’d babbled the message in seconds and

hung up as if she was afraid she might actually have to talk to him.

He’d simply wanted to assure her that he received the message.

Why was she avoiding him? Did she think he was a big ogre?

It wasn’t as if he’d never been rejected before. He had. Dozens of

times. Mostly because he’d always been Mr. Nice Guy, every girl’s best

friend or brother figure, and women liked the bad-boy types. Except, in

this little town, the women had been especially friendly.

Of course, here pickings were slim. Half the townspeople had never left

Sugar Hill. The half who’d stayed had married each other in high school

and were now in the throes of mortgage payments, pregnancy, diapers,

babies and small-town life with its lack of arts

and entertainment. Either that or they were entrenched in divorce. Both

comprised the population of his patients.

He wasn’t sure which were more dangerous, the frustrated housewives,

divorcees or hopeful singles faced with choosing mates from the same

male pool they’d known since grade school. The limits of the small-town

life.

Hormones and husband hunting were running rampant.

He waved to several patrons, chuckling at the raised eyebrows when they

saw him driving the lemon-yellow car. Wiley Hartwell was a character,

his used-car business a perfect extension of the outlandish man himself.

What kind of man was his brother Bert?

From what he’d heard, he couldn’t imagine the two men being at all similar.

Just like Rebecca and that sister of hers. Suzanne. The pretty brunette

at the wedding.

Though Suzanne had a great pair of legs and would turn any man’s head,

something about Rebecca stayed with him.

Her innocence. She possessed a genuine sweetness that had been missing

in most of the women he’d dated the past few years.

He ran a hand over his face, reminding himself not to start caring about

her as he pulled into the clinic drive. He would be leaving soon. No

time for attachments.

Taking a quick look at the Victorian house Hannah Hartwell had rented to

house her practice, he couldn’t help but mentally compare the

old-fashioned structure to the modern women’s center in Atlanta. Painted a

pale yellow, the white gingerbread trim gave the Sugar Hill office a

picturesque look, something his patients had commented on more than

once. Patients claimed the building had a calming effect. Yet the

cutting-edge technology and latest medical equipment and techniques in

the modern facility in Atlanta were comforting in a different way.

Medicine was about saving lives and the latest in technology, not hominess.

He parked in the shade, Wiley’s reminders about the sunlight fading the

new paint job on the Mustang rattling in his head, then grabbed his

medical bag and hurried inside, hoping to clear his appointments by

lunch so he’d have time to stop by the bookstore for a minute. If he

intended to convince Rebecca to introduce him to her father, he’d have

to do so soon. Her grandmother’s surprise party was in just a few days.

He couldn’t let the opportunity slip by without doing something.

Rebecca spent the morning tagging books for the after-Christmas sales

and inventorying the results of the year’s profits. The rush of women

buying holiday craft books and cookbooks seemed endless. She’d half

expected the women in Sugar Hill to be exhausted from baking for the

various seasonal parties, but instead, they were planning New Year’s Day

dinners, Super Bowl get-togethers and church functions to collect food

and clothing for the needy.

Mimi popped over with her baby, Maggie Rose. “Hey, Bee, you’ve been busy

today.”

“I know. Thank heavens. I’ll need all the money I can get to pay my

insurance premium now.”

“You talked to your agent already?”

“How’d it go when you drove Thomas home after Alison’s wedding?”

Rebecca cringed. “Awful, Mimi. I’m such a klutz.”

Mimi squeezed her hand. “Don’t beat yourself up too much. Thomas handled

the accident pretty well.”

“I suppose so. Then again, he is a nice man.”

Mimi laughed. “Yeah, the nicest. Alison hated hurting him, but they

weren’t right for each other.”

“Do you think he’s still in love with her?” Rebecca asked.

“I don’t think so.” Mimi rocked Maggie Rose back and forth, and

Rebecca’s heart tugged at the tiny little fists sneaking their way out

of the pink blanket.

Goodness, she wanted a baby so much.

Karina Peterson and Darlene Wilkerson, two girls her age, waltzed in a

cloud of perfume and designer clothes.

Mimi rolled her eyes. “Looks like those two have been dipping into their

daddies’ cash.”

Rebecca laughed. “They’ve probably never worked a day in their lives.”

“I know. Listen, I need to run Maggie to Hannah’s for a checkup.” Mimi

gestured toward the adjoining coffee shop. “Bernadette and Angelina are

running things, but I’ll be back for the art class this afternoon.

You’re still having story time first?”

“Of course, my bag of puppets are ready.” Rebecca tickled Maggie Rose

under the chin, her heart touched by the angelic face staring up at her.

“She’s so beautiful.”

Mimi tenderly kissed her daughter’s forehead. “I

know. And if I don’t get going, Seth will be pacing the halls wondering

why I’m late. That man’s crazy about this kid.”

Rebecca waved at her and returned to the register, fighting another bout

of envy. The bell above the door tinkled and Bud and Red, two

old-timers, loped toward the magazine rack for the latest wrestling

magazine. A handful of teenagers milled around looking at teen magazines

and comic books, already bored from the winter break.

Karina and Darlene browsed the sale area. “This spinach casserole looks

fabulous,” Karina cooed. “I’m going to cook it for Doc Emerson.”

Rebecca froze at the cash register, her hand on the roll of quarters she

needed for change.

“Isn’t he the cutest thing to ever set foot in Sugar Hill?” Darlene said.

Karina giggled. “You bet your boots. I fabricated cramps last month just

so I could sneak in an extra visit.”

“Better watch out. I heard Trish Tieney is out to snag him. She told

Elvira Baker that he’s number one on her husband list.”

“Drat. Trish does have those big boobs.”

“And she’s taking a French-cooking class.”

Karina wrinkled her nose and reached for a book on desserts. “I know

just the thing to win Dr. Emerson’s heart-a double-chocolate layer fudge

cake.” She fanned her face. “Maybe I’ll even dribble chocolate syrup on

me and let him lick it off.”

Rebecca coughed and dropped the roll of quarters she’d been opening,

sending them rolling across the floor.

Both girls turned to glare at her, and she quickly stooped to pick up

the change, pretending she hadn’t heard their conversation. If beautiful

Karina and Trish had their sights set on Thomas, she didn’t have a

chance.

She gathered the loose quarters and dumped them in the drawer. Karina

watched her like a hawk as she rang up the purchases. “Thanks, ladies,”

Rebecca said.

Feigning nonchalance, she wove her way to the self-help section,

replaying her grandmother’s words-Believe in yourself. Follow your

dreams. But how could she do that when she acted like a simpering

teenager at the mere thought of seeing Thomas?

She had to slay the dragon of self-doubt sitting on her shoulder.

Her eyes tracked the titles: How To Be a Success in Business. Surviving

Summers with Kids. Surviving Your Crazy Teenager. How To Master

Menopause. How To Turn Up the Temperature in the Bedroom. The Art of Love.

Unfortunately, she didn’t see a single book with advice on how to ask a

man for a sperm donation without stuttering.

Mimi jiggled Maggie Rose up and down, trying to calm her after her

vaccination.

“I’m so sorry,” Hannah whispered, patting the baby’s back. “I didn’t

mean to make you cry, sugar.”

“It’s all right,” Mimi cajoled. She cradled Maggie Rose to her.

“You’re a natural,” Hannah said. “Maggie Rose is lucky to have you for a

mom.”

Mimi beamed. “She’s my little doll baby. When are you and Jake going to

take the plunge into parenthood?”

Hannah laughed. “We’re working on it.”

Mimi hugged her. “I hope you have an announcement soon. Maggie needs

some cousins to play with.”

“We’ll see.” Hannah tucked the blanket around Maggie Rose’s feet. “Can

you meet with Alison, Suzanne and Rebecca to plan Grammy’s party?”

“Yep, Seth’s going to watch the baby.” Mimi grinned. “You know, Hannah,

if my radar’s working properly, Rebecca has a crush on Dr. Emerson. I

think that’s why she was so nervous and hit his car the other day.”

“No big surprise.” Hannah smiled. “Half the female population in town

has a crush on Thomas.”

Mimi scrunched her nose in thought, the wheels of mischief turning.

“True, but if he marries anyone, it should be one of the Hartwell girls.”

“He’s on the rebound from a Hartwell now,” Hannah pointed out.

Mimi shrugged. “But Rebecca is so sweet.”

“And shy,” Hannah said. “I wish we could do something to help her.”

“You could talk her up to Thomas.”

Hannah laughed. “I suppose I could.”

“We need to figure out a way to get them together. “

Hannah finished scribbling on Maggie’s chart and closed it. “What are

you scheming, Mimi?”

“Nothing much.” Mimi grinned and surveyed the exam room. “Didn’t you say

you planned to hire someone to remodel the exam rooms?”

Hannah nodded.

“Well, I have an idea.” Mimi wiggled her finger. “Let’s go find Doc

Emerson.”

Hannah gave her a suspicious look. “I don’t think we should interfere.”

“Nonsense. Rebecca needs us.” Mimi winked. “Just follow my lead, and

wedding bells will be ringing for our cousin in no time.”

“My husband left me,” Dorothy Parker wailed. “And I don’t know what to

do, Doc.”

Thomas placed a comforting hand on Dorothy’s back and slowly stroked,

trying to calm her. She’d been crying for close to a half hour, which

had sent her six-week-old infant into a fit, which had upset Dorothy

even more. The two hysterical females had turned his routine follow-up

exam into such a stressful ordeal he’d developed a raging headache.

At least now the high-strung woman was dressed and in his office.

Dorothy cradled the baby and leaned against him. “Harold left me for a

waitress over at Crooked Neck Holler. Can you believe that? Just because

I have a little baby fat left around my midriff.”

Thomas refrained from commenting. “It takes time to lose weight after

giving birth,” he said softly.

“That’s what I told him,” Dorothy said, sniffing loudly. “But he said

I’m not attractive anymore. Do you think he’s right?”

A loaded question from a woman. Thomas pressed a finger to his temple.

“New mothers are always beautiful, Dorothy, but stressed. I’m sure