One Night with the Doctor (14 page)

Chapter Fifteen

I
n the span of a week, the pendulum of Poppy’s relationship with Ben had swung from comfortable to strained back to comfortable. She wasn’t quite sure of the reason. At first she’d blamed the strain on the fact she’d told him quite honestly he was a man she would never love.

Even though up to this point Ben had demonstrated he was everything Bill was not, she’d been fooled before. Her ex had seemed to be the man of her dreams...at first.

The fact was, Ben seemed so perfect it scared her. How could she trust her judgment when she’d been so wrong before?

When she’d told Ben she was headed over to Anna’s house for a monthly book club meeting on Tuesday, he mentioned Tripp had invited him to come along. This would be Poppy’s first time attending the meeting of a close-knit group of friends and she had the feeling Anna had pushed to have her included.

While Poppy was happy she wouldn’t have to walk in alone, having Ben with her felt weird. She knew the women brought spouses and even their children, but Ben wasn’t her husband.

What would it be like to have Ben for a husband?

She immediately pushed the thought from her head. Ben was easy to live with, at least so far. She didn’t have to walk on eggshells and make sure to give him his space like she’d had to do with Bill. He didn’t dominate every conversation with his interests. He seemed genuinely interested in her and her life.

So far, she hadn’t seen any warning signs. Women flirted with him. He was friendly, courteous but nothing more. Of course, she’d also seen him glancing at pretty women with a look of appreciation in his eyes.

A yellow flag, but not a red one.

Perhaps she could put her toe in the water and give him more of a chance than she had so far. Not with marriage in mind, but with genuine friendship as a possible goal.

“What do you think of their new place?” Ben asked as they walked up the sidewalk to the new ranch house Tripp and Anna had built on Tripp’s parents’ land.

It was a large sprawling structure with big windows and a stone façade. Although the landscaping was new, the flowers were in full bloom.

“This is my first time here.” Her feet slowed almost imperceptibly as the front steps loomed.

“That surprises me.”

“I don’t know why.” Poppy forced a conversational tone. “I was a good friend of Tripp’s first wife, which makes things a bit awkward. Although I do hope Anna and I will end up being friends.”

“Is it hard for you to see Tripp with her?”

Poppy swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat. “I miss Gayle so much.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“I accept that life goes on.” Poppy puffed out her cheeks then released the air. “Gayle would want Tripp to be happy. And, while it kills me to admit it, in many ways Anna is better suited to him.”

“How so?”

“Both Tripp and Anna love Jackson Hole. Though she’d grown up here, Gayle was a big-city girl. And Anna has a good relationship with his parents. Gayle always said that in-laws were great...as long as they were two thousand miles away.”

“Interesting.”

“I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.” Poppy placed a hand on Ben’s sleeve. “Gayle and Tripp were very happy. When she died he was devastated.”

“That’s why it’s important never to love too deeply.”

Poppy brought her brows together. “What do you mean by that?”

But before he could answer, the door swung open and Anna and Tripp greeted them. While Anna looked elegant as always in a paisley wrap dress and strappy heeled sandals, Tripp had gone über-casual in jeans, chambray shirt and boots.

“I’m taking you with me to the kitchen.” Anna took Poppy’s arm then shifted her gaze to Ben. “The men will be in the family room. Tripp will get you whatever you want to drink.”

“I’m on call tonight,” Ben informed her. “Anything nonalcoholic works for me.”

To Poppy’s surprise, before he turned to go with Tripp, Ben brushed his lips against her cheek. “Later.”

Supremely conscious of Anna’s speculative gaze, Poppy kept her expression serene even as heat crept up her neck. They were halfway to the kitchen with Anna ready to pounce when the doorbell rang.

“That has to be Betsy and Ryan,” Anna said.

While Anna headed to the front door, Poppy continued on to the kitchen. Women were everywhere: standing by the counters talking, sitting at the table. She saw Lexi bent over, pulling a plate of appetizers from the oven.

“Do you need any help?” she asked her coworker.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it under control.” Lexi put the baking pan on a cooling rack, her pretty face flushed from the heat.

Like Anna, Lexi wore a dress, one in hunter green that was a perfect foil for her dark bob and creamy complexion. When Anna had informed Poppy the event was casual, she’d pulled on her last pair of black pants that still fit and coupled it with a bulky cotton sweater in blocks of red, black and white. Her ballet flat shoes were more comfortable than stylish.

Until Betsy entered the room wearing jeans and a simple flowered top, Poppy felt as if she’d been invited to a party and given the wrong dress code. Only when Mary Karen moved to ooh and aah over Betsy’s little boy, and Poppy noticed the mother of five was also wearing jeans, did she relax.

“Come over here, Poppy.” Mary Karen motioned to her. “I bet it’s been a while since you’ve held a little one. You’re going to need to get in some practice. Might as well start now. Love the glasses, by the way.”

Poppy didn’t feel particularly attractive this evening, but she appreciated the compliment. “Thanks, M.K.”

“Nate is almost a year.” Betsy kept a firm grip on her wriggling son. “Not all that little anymore.”

“He’s the smallest one here,” Mary Karen pointed out. “He’ll have to do.”

The dark-haired boy with the big gray eyes went easily into Poppy’s arms. But he was surprisingly heavy and after only a few seconds he squirmed to get down. Poppy glanced at Betsy and she nodded.

The second the nine-month-old’s sneaker-clad feet hit the floor, he was off and running.

“Isn’t he pretty young to be walking?” Poppy asked.

Mary Karen smiled. “I’ve had a couple walk that early while Sophie waited until thirteen months to take a first step.”

“About fifty percent of babies walk by one year. But anywhere from nine to sixteen months is considered normal,” Michelle Davis, a pediatrician, added.

The conversation then turned to babies and children. In the past, Poppy would have been bored stiff, but now she was fascinated. Soon, this world would be her reality.

“Food is ready,” Lexi announced. In addition to being a wife, mom and a social worker, Lexi also ran a catering business. While each woman attending the book club contributed to the dinner, Lexi always brought the entrée. She turned to Poppy. “Could you please let the men and kids know it’s time to come and fill their plates?”

Poppy couldn’t figure out why Lexi had asked her, until she realized that Anna was busy setting out the napkins and plates.

She’d passed the family room on the way back to the kitchen, but had only glanced at it. As Poppy stopped in the entryway, she took a moment to study the room. The ceilings were high with open beams and the massive furniture was deep burgundy leather. The floors were hardwood with woven rugs.

There was a large flat screen on one wall that was tuned to some sporting channel. Kids of all ages, shapes and sizes littered the room. Several older girls were putting a puzzle together on the coffee table. Poppy recognized one of them as Lexi’s oldest, Addie.

“The food is ready,” Poppy announced. “Lexi said to come and get it.”

Two identical blond-haired boys jumped to their feet. But Travis put a hand on their shoulders. “Ladies first,” he told his sons.

The girls smirked as they sauntered past.

Ben rose from the sofa where he’d been talking to Travis and moseyed over to her side. With a finger, he pushed a strand of hair back from her face. “How’s it going?”

The concern in his eyes told her she hadn’t been entirely successful in hiding her earlier trepidation. The fact he’d not only noticed, but cared, warmed her heart. “I was worried I’d dressed too casually, but I’m fine.”

His gaze dropped and he slowly surveyed her from top to bottom. She could feel the heat beneath her clothes rising to the surface wherever his gaze touched. “You look more than fine to me.”

An invisible web of attraction formed around them. Poppy found herself leaning into him.

“Hey, break it up.” Tripp punched Ben in the shoulder as he walked past. “This is a G-rated event.”

“Get your eyes checked, Randall,” Ben said mildly. “We’re just talking.”

“I know what both of you are thinking,” Tripp said to him, then shifted his gaze to Poppy.

Poppy just laughed. “You need to tout your talent as a mind reader during your upcoming mayoral bid. Trust me, it’ll set you apart.”

“Thanks for the suggestion.” There was a speculative gleam in Tripp’s eyes as Ben took her arm.

With his dark gray pants and pewter-colored shirt, Ben fit right in with the men whose attire ranged from Tripp’s jeans to Nick Delacourt, who’d come directly from a business meeting in his suit.

As she mulled over the clothing, she decided she really was a stick-in-the-mud. What happened to her spontaneity? Really, how many people spent time analyzing what everyone was wearing instead of simply focusing on enjoying themselves?

No more,
Poppy told herself. Tonight she would have a good time. She would enjoy Ben’s company and participate in the book club discussion. And she wouldn’t give one more thought to clothing, glasses, or whether the women liked her enough to ask her back again.

Food was spread out on a large granite breakfast bar. With a serious expression, she pointed out to Ben that he was setting a bad example for the children by avoiding the salad because it included olives. A smile of pleasure lit his eyes at her teasing tone.

When he rested his hand lightly on her shoulder, she had to admit the contact felt good. But once all the men had gotten their food, Anna shooed them and the children out of the kitchen, promising them dessert later.

Poppy had expected the women to start on the book discussion while they ate. Instead the talk turned personal as they sat around the large oval table with plates of food before them.

“Travis said Keenan might be out of prison before Christmas,” Mary Karen said then sighed in ecstasy when her lips closed around a bite of the mango chicken piccata, the entrée Lexi had brought.

“This is fabulous.” Betsy cast an approving glance in Lexi’s direction before shifting her focus back to Mary Karen. “Travis heard correctly. The release may even be as early as this fall.”

“I can’t imagine being imprisoned for something I didn’t do.” Poppy’s heart twisted at the thought of what Keenan must have endured. “He has to be so angry.”

“Not as much as you’d think.” Betsy’s eyes softened. “He’d done a lot of growing up before he went to prison. I think he’s even more mature now.”

“I’m happy for him.” Lexi reached across the table and squeezed Betsy’s hand.

“Thanks.” Betsy’s smile lit her whole face. “But I’m not the only one with good news. Poppy and Ben have some, too.”

“I’m not sure an unplanned pregnancy actually qualifies as good news,” Poppy said, then immediately felt as if she’d been disloyal to the baby. “Although a new life is always something to celebrate.”

“There are a few of us who’ve been in your situation.” Mary Karen chuckled. “In fact we could probably form our own club.”

Laughter rippled around the table.

“It looks as if you and Ben are getting along well,” Anna said.

“He’s moved in with her,” Lexi informed the others.

Michelle looked surprised. “Really?”

Don’t be shy,
Poppy told herself. Like Mary Karen had said, no one here would judge her. “It seemed a good next step.”

“But why your apartment?” Michelle asked.

“I don’t want to tell you.” Poppy dropped her gaze to her hands. “You’ll think it’s silly.”

“No, we won’t,” the women protested almost in one breath.

She wouldn’t tell them it was a power thing, that she worried moving in with Ben would make her feel as if he had all the power. Even if they wouldn’t judge her, and might even understand, it was too personal.

Instead she gave them a reason that was close to the truth. “When I discovered I was pregnant, my life turned upside down. I’ve had a lot of change in my life this past year. I’d moved back to Jackson Hole, got a new job and a new place to live. I honestly couldn’t bear the thought of one more change.”

It was true...as far as it went.

“That was nice of Ben to understand,” Anna said in that soft, thoughtful way of hers.

The other women nodded.

“He’s a nice guy.” Poppy found herself surprised by the fact that the words rang true.

“Do you think you’ll get married?” Michelle asked.

“Our first priority is getting to know each other even better.”

“That’s what David and I decided to do.” July Wahl, whose husband was an E.R. doctor, spoke for the first time.

“You were pregnant when you got married?” Poppy asked cautiously.

Mary Karen gave a hoot of laughter. “Nothing quite that mundane.”

Lexi smiled and took a sip of her wine.

Anna added a thumbnail size of pasta salad to her plate.

“David and I had a one-night stand when he was in Chicago attending a conference and I was working as a photographer for the paper.” July sensed she had Poppy’s full attention and grinned. “Through some strange quirk of fate, I took a job photographing national parks and went into early labor while I was doing the Yellowstone shoot. Guess who was the doctor on duty when I showed up at the E.R.?”

Poppy widened her eyes. “This sounds like a soap opera.”

July laughed and took a sip of wine. “We took time to get to know each other, got married and now have two wonderful little boys.”

“If you think about the reason that soaps are so popular, it’s because in many ways they mirror real life,” Lexi said with a wicked grin. “At least they do if you look at this group.”