Then He Kissed Me (26 page)

L
auren’s hands shook as
they gripped the steering wheel. Nora had offered to sell her the land for just a little over ten million dollars, but Lauren had managed to get her take off a hundred thousand. Which barely left her enough to start her business, but it was more than doable.
She could do this
.
And
she could stop Ted Ferguson from getting his paws on the last piece of undeveloped beach front property left in Whispering Bay.

But just because she
could
do, didn’t mean she should. Once she tapped into that money it would be gone. Her nest egg would be no more. She’d wanted to build her company from the ground up, not use the money Grandpa Handy had left her. In some ways, it felt like cheating. But what good was the money in her trust fund if she didn’t use it for something good? This company could be the best thing that ever happened to her. To Dhara, too. And maybe all the future employees they’d have one day.

Go big or go home
.

She pulled her car into the gravel driveway. Daddy would know what to do. She came barreling in through the door. Felicia was at the kitchen sink, peeling carrots. “Hey!” she said to Lauren. “What are you doing here this late in the afternoon? Did you close your shop early?”

“I have some exciting news. Well, not news, really, but an exciting idea. Where are Momma and Daddy?”

Felicia lifted a carrot to indicate the backyard patio. “Your daddy’s out by the pool, reading.” At the look on Lauren’s face, she added, “Don’t worry, that’s why I’m standing here at the sink, so I can watch him through the window.”

“Oh, I didn’t think…where’s Momma?”

“She’s at the Piggly Wiggly. Do you want to stay for dinner?”

“Maybe. Probably not. I’m too excited to eat.” Lauren took off for the patio. Daddy was sitting under the shade, the newspaper in his hand. Lauren was startled to realize that the paper was upside down. “Hi, Daddy.”

He looked up at her. “Hello.”

She gently took the paper from his hands. “I went to see your cousin, Nora, today. Daddy, why didn’t you tell me that Old Earl was giving all his beach front property to the city when he died?” The night of couples Bunco, he’d hinted that he didn’t think Nora could sell the land she was leasing, which, he’d been wrong about. It was the
rest
of Earl’s land she couldn’t sell.

Daddy looked at her and shrugged.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I think it’s a wonderful idea. I wonder if Bruce Bailey knows?  After that Billy Brenton fiasco, his days as mayor are numbered anyway.” Lauren took a deep breath. “So, I have a big question to ask you. I’m thinking of buying the land my shop is on. You know how I told you about the business plan Dhara was working on? Well, you were right of course, we’re going to need some capital, which means I’m going to have to tap into my trust fund anyway, and I was thinking, why not just buy the building, too? I know it seems a little extreme, but land is always a solid investment, right? And I’d be investing in my own company, which, of course, is very small potatoes at the moment, but you never know. I could be the next Lilly Pulitzer!” She laughed. She was babbling but she couldn’t help herself. “So, what do you think?”

He stared at her. “Do you have a menu?”

Lauren froze. “What?”

He frowned. “The waitress was just out here a minute ago. She said she’d bring me some water.”

Lauren felt like the air had been knocked from her chest. “
Waitress
? Daddy, we’re not in a restaurant.”

She could feel Felicia’s sudden presence next to her. The older woman placed her hand over Lauren’s arm. “Lauren, baby, I think your daddy is confused right now.”

He looked over at Felicia and blinked. “There you are.” He looked around the table. “Where’s my water?”

“Coming right up,” Felicia said. She scurried off to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. She placed it on the table in front of Daddy.

He picked it up and took a long deep sip then laid it back down again and picked up the paper.

“Daddy?” Lauren whispered. “Don’t you know who am I?”

He looked at her again. But this time all Lauren could see was the same glazed stare Earl had given her just a couple hours ago. “Are you here to take my order?” he asked her.

“No, I’m
not
. Daddy, look at me. It’s Lauren.”

Tears pooled in her eyes, making her vision hazy. She had thought the day Daddy had been diagnosed was the worst day of her life. A sure ten on that scale of bad days. But she was wrong. That day had been awful, no doubt. But this was the day she’d been dreading the most. It was the first time since the whole thing had begun, that Daddy didn’t recognize her.

He took another sip of his water, then glanced back at the paper. Lauren took a seat next to him. Her hand shook as she reached out to place it over his. They sat there for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything. Despite the shade provided by the overhanging patio umbrella, it was hot. Her shirt clung to the damp skin of her back. Somewhere in the distance, she heard a car pull up in the driveway. It was Momma. She came around the back garage entrance.

“Lord, almighty! You’d think they were giving away food at the Piggly Wiggly!” She carried two bags of groceries in her hands. She stopped when she spotted Lauren. “Well, hi, sweetie! What are you doing here at this time of day? Is everything all right at the shop?” Before Lauren could answer, she said, “Dan, get up and give me a hand with these groceries.”

And just like that, Daddy was himself again. Or at least, he seemed to be. “Let me get that,” he said to Momma, reaching out to take the grocery bags from her. He glanced around, saw Lauren, and smiled. “Sweet Tea! What are you doing here?”

Lauren forced a smile. “I…came to see you, Daddy.”

“You did? What about?”

She walked alongside him and helped him with the rest of the groceries and told him about her plan to buy the land from Nora. She spoke slowly and from time to time he nodded, like he understood what she was saying.

“I think that’s a smart plan, Sweet Tea.”

“You…do? You don’t think I’m being reckless with my trust fund money?”

“You’re investing in yourself, and there’s nothing reckless about that.” He winked at her. “Besides, it’s the only parcel of land Nora can sell. When Earl dies the rest of his land goes to the city to be made into public beach access, and when that happens, your land will be the only lot available for private development. A fine investment if I ever saw one.”

Lauren pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you, Daddy. I needed to hear that from you.”

“Any time,” he said with a smile.

She smiled back, but it felt bittersweet. Today had been a horrible glimpse into the future. One she wasn’t certain she was strong enough to get through.

*~*~*

N
ate was about to
see his last two patients of the day, when Doc showed up at the office.

“You look pretty good for someone who was too sick to come into work this morning,” Nate said. Considering Doc still wore his golf clothes, Nate didn’t think he was too out of line.

Doc shrugged like a kid caught playing hooky. Not that he had anything to be embarrassed about. It was Nate who should feel embarrassed. Doc had had to pretend to be sick, all to foist him on patients who didn’t want to see him. It was humiliating at best.

“Nate, have a seat. How’s it going?” Doc asked. It had been a while since their last “talk.” Nate had hoped there wouldn’t be any more. Apparently, he was wrong.

He knew the drill by heart now. He took a seat and braced himself for what came next.“I hear your mother’s joining us on the cruise. Lovely idea, and Arlene is just thrilled.”

 “No offense, Phillip, but can we just cut to the chase here?”

Doc nodded somberly. “Did you know that Frances Kiefer has been my patient for almost twenty years now? She came to see me yesterday. Tears in her eyes, clutching a handkerchief. All distraught.” He paused. “She really is quite a character.”

Nate shifted in his seat. “I see. So, she’s complained about me again?”

“Complained? No, not exactly. She came to see me to tell me she’s switching doctors. After all these years, can you believe that?”

Nate felt his gut tighten. “She’s going to a practice in Panama City?”

“Oh, no, she’s staying right here in town. She was sniffling because she was afraid I’d get my feelings hurt when I found out she’s switching to
you
.”

“To
me
?”

“Yes, apparently, you’ve made quite an impression on her.”

“I see,” he said, feeling a little stunned. He thought he’d made progress with her for sure. But to switch over to him? From Doc?

“No, I don’t think you do, Nate. I know we got off to a bit of a rough start, but the office staff, they like you. You know what Bianca said to me the other day? ‘Doc, why can’t you be more like Dr. Miller? He’s so patient, so kind…’ Of course, she was only partially kidding, but she was serious, too. Ellen respects you. And more importantly, the patients like you. I don’t know what you did for Maureen Handy, but I saw her at the country club this afternoon and she told me that if I let you get away, I was the biggest fool she ever hoped to meet.”

“I…don’t know what to say, except, I’m glad to be here, sir, um, Phillip.”

“Good to hear that, because I plan to take more sick days in the future.” He winked. “My golf game needs work.”

There was a momentary pause in which neither of them said anything.

Nate checked his watch. Old habits were hard to break. “Is that all? Because, I really do need to get back on schedule.”

Doc waved him off. “Sure. Get back to work, Nate.”

Nate was about to leave the office when he stopped himself. “I want you to know that I appreciate you telling me all this. It means a lot to me. But I do have one question. You left out an important member of the office. Do you know what I can do exactly to make Lola like me?”

Doc leaned back in his chair and grinned. “She doesn’t like you, huh?”

Nate shook his head.

“Well, if you figure it out, then by all means, share it with me. We’ve worked together for almost thirty-five years now, and she doesn’t like me, either.”

*~*~*

L
auren thought about going
inside the office, but it was nice out here in the parking lot, next to Nate’s car. It gave her time to gather her thoughts. He was the last one out the door. Hector walked alongside him on his leash. They were so cute, the pair of them. Nate, tall and handsome, and so protective of his tiny dog. It was a sight Lauren didn’t think she’d ever get tired of.

He looked surprised to see her.

“What are you doing here?” He looked in her eyes. “Are you all right?”

“Can we go for a walk?” she asked him.

They walked quietly side by side for a few minutes. Hector did his “business,” as Nate called it. It was an early evening in June, technically not quite summer yet, but warm and muggy enough to feel like it. Lauren didn’t mind, though. This was home.

“I’m going to buy my building. The whole lot actually. About two acres’ worth.”

He stopped and looked at her. “Can you afford that?”

“I have a trust fund. Ten million dollars. So, yeah, I can afford it. But after I invest what I need for the company, it will pretty much wipe me out.”

She let him digest that.

“I went to talk to Daddy about it. He’s a…was a businessman. Well, you know that. I knew he’d have some advice for me.”

“What did he say?”

She felt herself shudder. “He thought it was a good idea. But at first, he didn’t know who I was, Nate.”

He let out a breath. “Oh, baby…”

Lauren hurled herself in his arms. He tucked her head under his chin and held her. She hadn’t come here to cry…
No
, that was a lie. She had
definitely
come here to cry. She wanted to cry a river. An ocean. A whole universe full of tears until there wasn’t an ounce of fluid left in her body. But she hadn’t wanted to cry alone. She’d wanted
this.
She’d wanted Nate to put his arms around her and comfort her and make her feel better. Because she knew that somehow, he was the
only
one who could.

“I’m so sorry, Lauren,” he said, stroking her hair.

She nodded against his strong chest. “I knew it would happen. I just…didn’t want to think about it. But…you know what the worse thing is, Nate?”

“What?” he asked softly.

“I know this sounds incredibly selfish, because this isn’t just about me, but all I could think about when Daddy was staring at me with those vacant eyes, was that…” She began to cry again, “One day, there isn’t going to be anyone to call me Sweet Tea, anymore.”

*~*~*

N
ate took her to
a bench near the woodsy area by the parking lot. He’d seen Lauren cry. That night of the festival, and it had been hard enough then. But this? This tore his guts out. He let her cry it all out and when she was finished, he held her hand and waited for her to speak.