Perfectly Honest (9 page)

Mikaela looked back at the admiration and speculation on Sylvie and Patty’s faces.

“I have to apologize,” Sylvie began.

“Me, too,” Patty added. “We didn’t realize . . .”

“No worries,” Mikaela said, waving their apologies away. “I’ll take it as a compliment. And I have to agree with you,” she said with a grin. “He is a tasty dish.”

Patty and Sylvie grinned and the ice was broken.

“Well, if you ever decide you want to share . . .” Sylvie hinted.

“Not gonna happen,” Mikaela said without missing a beat.

Patty shook her head and drew Sylvie away. “Well, it was nice meeting you. We should get going too.”

Mikaela nodded and watched them go.

Was that a taste of things to come? she wondered. Would she be spending her time chasing away hungry females and worrying about Sam’s past?

Add it to the list of new responsibilities. Wasn’t change fun?

Chapter 14

happenstance horoscope

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Proceed cautiously as you test the waters. Now is not the time to rush in headfirst. Take control, but avoid confrontation.

Mikaela pulled into the driveway at six that evening. Dusk had turned to darkness, but welcoming lights lit the walkway and front entrance. The afternoon had gone smoothly. She met Bob Crispin, the chief of surgery. He was a man of few words, but was respectful and diligent as he reviewed her paperwork and discussed department protocol. He confirmed she had two days a week to operate. That seemed to irk him, but that was the allotment to obstetrics and gynecology, and as the sole staff, she got it all. It was, in her mind, a double-edged sword. More operating time meant more patients. So she’d be busy.

And that, Mikaela decided, as she sat in the driveway, might be a good thing. More time at work meant less time at home, sharing a space with Sam. Last night when she arrived late and spent time putting things away in her room, she wasn’t hiding in her bedroom, exactly. She just wanted to get settled before today. Perhaps it wasn’t necessary to fold all of her underwear into triangles, make a symmetric pattern with her socks, or hang her clothing in alphabetical order. But it was justified, somehow. The option was to go out to the living room and relax with Sam as he watched the game on television.

Mikaela squared her shoulders. Today was a new day, and she would face him head on. Take control as happenstance suggested. She could handle this. Act perfectly natural. Set aside the fact that they had mind-blowing sex, and he hadn’t called. Or texted. Or emailed. Set aside the fact that they had mind-blowing sex, and now he was sleeping down the hall from her. Set aside that he probably had mind-blowing sex with half the nurses at the hospital. Every time she met a female acquaintance of his, she wondered if they’d slept together. That irked her. Wasting energy being jealous irritated her even more.

And then she heard her mother’s voice in her head.
If you don’t like how you feel, change the way you think and act.

Good advice, Mikaela sighed. But did that mean she should stop the jealous thoughts? Or should she seize the moment and ac-sex the fake fiancée rights, as Margo suggested? That probably wasn’t what her mother had in mind.

Mikaela gathered up her briefcase and headed inside.

She was surprised to see Sam standing by the stovetop stirring a pot.

“Hi.” He smiled. “You’re home.”

“Hi.” Mikaela hesitated. “I’m later than I thought, but I stayed to organize my office.”

“Did you get everything all settled?”

“Pretty much,” she said. She set her briefcase aside and wandered over to the counter.

“I’m heating up spaghetti sauce, and the pasta will be ready in about five minutes if you want to change.”

“You made dinner for me?”

Sam laughed. “Well, Mrs. Davy has the fridge well stocked, so I can’t really claim to have made it. But I did heat it up,” he said with a grin. “It can simmer longer if you don’t want to eat right away. But if you’ve only had cafeteria food all day, I figured you might be hungry.”

“I am. I’ll go change.” She started to walk to her bedroom and turned before she left the kitchen. “Sam? Thanks.”

Sam gave a slow smile. “You’re welcome.”

Mikaela went to her room and replaced her suit with more comfortable yoga pants and a loose warm sweater. She pulled the band out of her hair and let it fall to her shoulders.

When she went back to the kitchen, Sam was draining the spaghetti in a cloud of steam. “I opened a bottle of wine if you’d like a glass,” he said as he scooped the spaghetti onto two plates and added the sauce. He grated cheese on top and brought the steaming plates over to the table.

“That smells delicious,” Mikaela said, her mouth watering.

“Mrs. Davy makes a mean bolognaise sauce,” Sam agreed. He grabbed cutlery and napkins and, setting them on the table, gestured for her to sit down. “Bon appetite.” He picked up his wine glass and clinked it with hers.

She sipped her wine and looked at him over the rim of her glass. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be home yet. I thought you might still be at the hospital.”

“I picked up OR time and finished at four. I did a bit of paperwork, but with no residents and no teaching,” he grinned, “I was home by five. It’s great. I had a swim, made dinner. And after dinner, I’m going to watch the game. I don’t have to prepare rounds, work on research, or go to a meeting.”

Mikaela looked at him. “You really love it here.”

“I really do. I could use more OR time, but I love coming home to this,” he said, waving his fork around the room. “How about you? How did it go for you today? Was it what you expected?”

Mikaela looked across at his beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous smile. She certainly hadn’t expected to come home, share a meal, and sit and enjoy his company. “For the most part. I’m glad I met the docs doing obstetrics and sorted out call. I don’t know if it’s a small town thing, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed. And they all know each other, three generations back. I’m glad they’ll be wearing name tags.”

“Call everyone Junior. You’d probably be right.”

“I know.” She laughed. “They’re all related. There seems to be a certain pride in what they do for patients. I like that. I expected to feel like an outsider or, I don’t know, like I would have to prove myself somehow. But it’s not like that at all. Generally, it seems, people are genuinely happy to have me here.”

Sam nodded. “They are. I had a few people mention it to me, too. You’ll be as busy as you want to be.”

Mikaela nodded. “I’m taking call on Tuesday nights for the group so I was thinking of taking Wednesdays off, at least occasionally.”

“Good idea. It’s easier to add a clinic if you want more work, and it’s hard to cut back once your schedule is set. I keep Monday afternoons open, and I’ve managed to snag some extra OR time. It’s a bonus.”

“So I can expect dinners made for me every Monday?” Mikaela laughed.

“As long as Mrs. Davy stocks the fridge, I’m your man.”

Mikaela’s heart swirled. “Well, we better keep Mrs. Davy happy then,” she said lightly. “This is really good.”

“Save room for chocolate chip cookies.”

Mikaela groaned. “I can’t resist, but I’m going to need to swim off the calories.”

Sam looked at her. “Did you bring a swimsuit?”

Mikaela looked away and tried not to squirm at the memory of the last swim they shared. “Yes, I did,” she said. “Is it okay if I use the study?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation to safer ground.

“Sure.” Sam shrugged. “Just push any papers aside.”

“Thanks. I’d like to look over some plans for the new wing tonight. They want to move ahead with the next phase.” Mikaela picked up her plate and took it over to the sink to rinse it. “Maybe I’ll take the rest of my wine in there,” she said, suddenly anxious to leave. “Thanks again for dinner.” She grabbed her briefcase and headed to the study.

Mikaela heard Sam rinse his plate and set it in the dishwasher, and then turn the television on to watch the game. Mikaela sat looking at the plans, not really seeing them. This was going to be harder than she thought. There were too many memories of the weekend here together and too much hurt along with it. She was going to have to harden her heart and pick up her self-esteem, or it was going to be a very long year.

Chapter 15

Written in the Stars by Esmeralda Garnet

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Take time to recharge. Put energy into something that makes you stronger mentally and physically. Don’t jump to conclusions or take action in haste.

Mikaela yawned and rolled over, snuggling into the soft blankets and pulling the warm duvet up over her head. She had been at Emerson for a month and this was her first Wednesday off. She sighed contentedly. She had the whole day to indulge herself.

Mikaela had been busy with call the night before, and had fallen into bed at three in the morning. The last delivery, with twins, had been the most hectic. In the end they had popped out without a hitch and the neonatal teams, one for each twin, had been wonderful. It was the first delivery in one of the newly designed obstetrical suites. Doctor and nurse teams, and all the equipment for each of the babies, fit comfortably. It was efficient and managed to mimic a home delivery hidden in a very high tech, state-of-the-art world. She’d made a note to make a couple of minor adjustments, but overall, it was good. Really good. Over the next six weeks, three more rooms would be converted, and then things would settle down. But so far, the staff had been extremely patient with the upheaval, and the patients loved the changes. It was definitely worth the time and trouble.

But today, Mikaela wasn’t going to think about work. She had signed her call over and left all the paperwork at the office. It could wait a day. She curled into the blankets and smiled at the thought of having the house to herself. Sam was at work. She wished she wasn’t so attuned to his movements, so aware of him. But unfortunately, that wasn’t getting any easier.

If they happened to see each other at the hospital, he would lightly hold her or kiss her quickly. He would speak quietly in her ear. To the outside world, he definitely acted like the besotted fiancé. Maybe his motive was to keep up the charade of their engagement, but he really didn’t give anyone reason to doubt it.

They shared dinner together most nights. He would prepare something or she would, depending on who arrived home first. Mostly it meant warming up Mrs. Davy’s meals.
Thank you, Mrs. Davy.
Mikaela hadn’t met her yet, but every Tuesday the house was cleaned and the fridge and freezer stocked. Bless her heart.

She was secretly surprised Sam was home most evenings, but she loved it. She loved sharing her day with someone and loved hearing about his. She could talk to him about everything from hospital politics to patient care, and he got it. He didn’t try to solve her problems. He asked questions and listened. It was refreshing and just made her happy that he cared.

Mikaela laughed and hugged herself. Sam O’Brien, well-respected eye surgeon, with the sparkling eyes and amazing smile, was interested in
her
. He made her dinner. Regularly. Who’d have thought?

When dinner was over, they would go their separate ways. Mikaela generally holed away in the study looking over architect drawings, planning meetings, or reading the latest medical journals. Sam usually went for a swim, and despite all she had to do, most of her time was spent trying not to picture him stripped down. Mikaela thought about joining him, but it was fleeting. When they were alone, he hadn’t touched her. They had a sort of truce going, and despite its tenuous hold, she didn’t want to rock the boat. Once or twice Mikaela caught a hungry look in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking, but he certainly didn’t act on it. If the air sizzled when they were together, she tried to ignore it. Mikaela threw herself into work and Sam, it appeared, threw himself into exercise. The more she got to know him, the more time she spent with him, the deeper her feelings and the more she wanted him. It was driving her crazy, and eventually she would have to deal with it.

But today, Mikaela wasn’t going to think about it. She would be content that they shared their space and their meals. Wondering what he felt for her and wondering what to do about her feelings could wait another day.

So how was she going to spend her day? Mikaela rolled over and stretched. First, she’d have a leisurely breakfast of French toast and strong coffee. Then, she’d try out some of Sam’s very impressive exercise equipment. Free weights or machines? She laughed, hoping that was going to be the biggest decision of her day. She would definitely go for a swim and sit by the fire and read. She had a new Nora Roberts novel, something she could curl up with until it was time to eat again. Her mouth watered at the thought of Mrs. Davy’s delicious lunch waiting in the refrigerator. Eat, exercise and relax, Mikaela thought. It sounded like the perfect day.

Mikaela pushed back the covers and glanced at the clock. Eleven o’clock already? She could probably skip the strong coffee.

Mikaela pulled open the curtains and looked with delight at the snow falling. Big fluffy flakes slowly swirled down and covered the ground with the first snowfall of the season. It was just the beginning of December, and the air was cool enough for the snow to stay. Perfect weather for a cozy day inside. Mikaela shrugged into a warm housecoat, pulled on thick socks, and headed to the kitchen.

As she licked the maple syrup off her fingers, Mikaela scanned the news and marveled how it was all about living in the moment. Today, it turns out, we should build a pipeline, depend on wind farm energy, and use wine to prevent heart disease. Last month, last year, it was all about the oil spill, windmills causing health problems and wine linked to liver failure. Really, life was one big gamble. You had to make the most of it and hope you were making the right decisions.

And that, Mikaela thought as she rinsed her dishes and loaded the dishwasher, pretty much summed up what she was doing. She hoped this would all work out. The job, what she had with Sam — whatever it was, she hoped she wouldn’t regret it. Shaking off the mood, Mikaela went to get dressed.

An hour later, sweating, Mikaela thought the one thing she would not regret was living at Sam’s place. His workout room was sweet. How spoiled could you be? Elliptical, rowing machine, free weights, so much to choose from. She ran, did lunges, bicep curls, and burpees all while watching the snow lazily and steadily covering the trees through a wall of windows. It was like a different world, miles away from reality.

A swim was next. Skinny-dipping crossed her mind, but was quickly squashed. Layers of stress melted away as she skimmed through the water. Relaxed and content, she floated on her back and watched the snow fall on the glass above. It melted as it landed and slid slowly down the sides of the pool house.

Mikaela
waded up the stairs of the shallow end and wrapped herself in a warm, plush towel. Snow gathered on the ground, even as waves crashed on the shore. Sounds of summer and scenes of winter, nature made it work.

With all the exercise, she’d built up an appetite and enjoyed a roasted vegetable sandwich on thick ciabatta bread for lunch. She had just finished wiping the kitchen table, when she heard a noise at the front door. There was a brisk knock, and before she could make a move to answer, the locks disengaged.

Mikaela froze. She could hear her father’s voice echoing in her head, and instinct kicked in. She grabbed a knife off the counter and ducked down. Heart pounding, she inched her way along the counter until she couldn’t go any further.

“Yoo-hoo. Sam. Are you home?” a cheerful voice shouted into the quiet.

Mikaela’s shoulders sagged in relief. Mrs. Davy? But now what?

Stand up and scare the poor woman? Or get up and act naturally? Like she regularly spent time squatting behind the counter branding a kitchen knife. She grimaced.

Mikaela
stood up quickly and laid the knife on the counter just as the woman entered the kitchen.

The woman jumped and gave a little scream. “Oh,” she said. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t think anyone was home.”

“Sorry,” Mikaela replied, trying to reassure her. “Mrs. Davy? I’m Mikaela Finn,” she said as she extended her hand to shake hello.

“Oh,” said the woman, looking confused. “I’m pleased to meet you. But I’m not Mrs. Davy.”

“Oh,” said Mikaela, tensing again and itching to pick up the knife. “Who are you?”

Before the woman could answer, a tall man with gray hair at the temples, deep blue eyes, and a welcoming smile walked into the room. Mikaela took a step back. The man standing in front of her was the handsome spitting image of Sam, twenty years into the future.

“You must be Sam’s parents,” Mikaela said.

“We’re Sam’s parents,” the woman said at the same time. “Sorry to barge in like this. We expected Sam to be at the clinic. I’m Marla and this is Walt.”

“Hi,” said Mikaela hesitantly. “I’m Mikaela.” Her mind raced. What had Sam told them? Silently she cursed Sam for not warning her about their visit. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

As Mikaela leaned over to shake Walt’s hand, Marla gasped. “Oh my goodness! The ring.” Marla exclaimed, her eyes wide. “Are you engaged to Sam?”

Shit, Mikaela thought. Yes. No. Yes. What would she like to hear? Yikes.

“That ring,” Marla said, “was my mother’s. She gave it to Sam. And he’s given it to you,” she ended tearfully.

Mikaela handed her a tissue. “I take it Sam didn’t tell you.”

“No, he didn’t. But that’s just like him. He wouldn’t like the fuss,” she said wiping her eyes. “But I’m delighted. We’ve been nudging Sam to settle down for ages now. We’d almost lost hope. And here he’s been busy behind the scenes, and not mentioned a word. That would be so like him. That’s why we make it a point to drop in and visit. I don’t think we’d know what’s going on with him otherwise. Oh, I know he’s busy and all that, but really you’d think he could keep his mother up-to-date.” She frowned and shook her head. “But never mind. It was worth the wait. Welcome to the family.” She walked around the counter to give Mikaela a hug.

Walt followed Marla and gave Mikaela a hug as well. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a smile.

Mikaela closed her eyes and wondered if this would be a good time to be honest.

“I want to hear all about you and the wedding plans,” Marla insisted. “But just let us get settled first. Did Sam mention that we would be visiting?”

“No, he didn’t,” Mikaela admitted.

“Silly boy,” Marla chastised. “Well, to give him credit, we actually intended to arrive this weekend, but with the weather closing in, we decided to come a bit early. We’re on our way to Arizona. We take the Winnebago every year for the worst part of winter. Get away from all the shoveling and cold, you know. We usually get away earlier, but with Olivia, that’s our daughter, having a baby we stayed. She had her about a month ago, but you probably know that. Cutest little pumpkin, she is. Arielle, they named her. So adorable. It’s hard to leave, but we have a spot reserved in Arizona and we don’t want to lose it. We always stop when we’re passing through and stay a few days. I hope that’s okay with you?”

“Oh, of course,” Mikaela said quickly, trying to keep up. “You’re more than welcome. You’ll want the guest room. I’ve just stored a few things there, but if you give me a moment, I’ll get it cleared out for you.”

“Well, normally we’d say not to bother. We usually sleep in the Winnebago. But with the weather so cold, maybe we will take you up on the offer.”

“Not a problem. It’ll just take a minute to clear some space and put some fresh sheets on the bed. Do you need help carrying your things in?”

“Oh Walt has that covered. Thank you, dear. I’ll freshen up in the powder room.”

Shit, Mikaela thought. She gathered up the clothes in the closet, hangers and all, and dumped them on the bed in Sam’s room. No time to figure out where to put everything now. She raced back and swept the makeup scattered on the bathroom counter into a bag. She pulled a suitcase from under the bed and emptied the dresser drawers into it. Zipping it up, she carried it to Sam’s room and grabbed fresh sheets from the hall closet on her way back to the guest room.

She stripped the bed and made it again. She found new pillows in the closet and straightening the duvet, looked around the room. No trace of her. It was that easy. Focus on the positive, she chided herself. His parents needed a room. This way she could focus all her worrying on the new sleeping arrangements. And how much lying she would need to do to get through the visit.

Mikaela gathered up the dirty linens, carried them to Sam’s room, and threw them in a hamper. She pulled out her cell phone and fired off a text to Sam.

Your parents are here.

After a moment, her phone lit up with Sam's reply.

What? My parents?

Yes. Your parents. What have you told them about us?

Shit. I’m sorry. I completely forgot they were coming. I actually haven’t told them anything about us.

Nothing? Ouch. Before she could text back, he sent another.

I thought it would be too complicated.

Well it just got complicated. How long will they stay?

I don’t know. Usually it’s just a couple of days.

How much do you want them to know?

We don’t have to tell them we’re engaged.

Mikaela grimaced.
Too late. Your mom noticed the ring.

Oh. Well let’s just play along right now. We can discuss it when I get home.

Fine. Get here as soon as you can.

Just finishing the clinic. Shouldn’t be more than an hour.

Mikaela’s heart sank. So much for her relaxing day. It didn’t look like she’d be reading that novel by the fire, any time soon. How much trouble could she get into in an hour? How many questions would she have to lie through? Maybe she could feign a delivery. Have an urgent call. Mikaela sat down on the bed and looked out the window. The snow was falling heavily and the roads would probably be slick. She wasn’t going to go anywhere.

And really,
now
she worried about lying to someone about their engagement? Let’s see, she’s lied to her old department head, the board of directors at Emerson, the new chief of surgery, all the staff, her patients, her peers, and her parents. After all that, should she really be nervous about adding Sam’s parents to the list? Mikaela wiped damp palms on her thighs. Yes, yes she should. She knew she risked being hurt by this deception. But at the end of the day, she didn’t want to hurt anyone else. And Sam’s mom had looked so touched about the ring. Mikaela twisted it nervously around her finger. It obviously meant a lot. Why would Sam give it to her? Why not some cheap make-believe ring to go with their make-believe story? Questions for another day, she sighed. Right now she needed to go and continue this charade and deceive Sam’s parents. Convincingly.