Texas Whirlwind
A Contemporary Christian Romance
By
Bonnie Blythe
Smashwords Edition copyright 2010
All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan.
All rights reserved.
Cover by Magyar Design
Cover photos by
© Jill Battaglia
© Christopher Halloran
© Alanpoulson
To Vickie. We'll always have Galveston.
As you do not know the path of the wind,
so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
Whirling like a windmill through
the dirty scud to lee
-Rudyard Kipling
Prologue
Emmaline Hayes gripped the steering wheel as a gust of wind buffeted the little rental car. She felt the tires hydroplane slightly on the dark road before gaining traction on the asphalt once again. Blowing out a shaky breath, she peered through the drenched windshield and frantic wipers at the anvil shaped mass of blue-black clouds in the sky.
What do they call that here? A “blue norther”, if she remembered right, caused by cold air over a warm front blowing in from the Gulf.
Emma reached for the controls to crank up the heat as the interior temperature dropped. In the unfamiliar car, she bumped the dial for the radio, knocking the station from classical to the unmistakable fiddle and twang of country music.
Well, I might as well get used to it. I’ll be hearing a lot more of it in the near future.
Emma squared her shoulders and concentrated on keeping the car on Seawall Boulevard. She could easily imagine the smell of oleander blossoms and salty air of the coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. Squinting through the rain, she tried to distinguish the storm tossed surroundings for familiar landmarks. Neon signs and streetlights shone feebly in the absorbing darkness, palm trees shuddered, and the huge raindrops glowed eerily in her headlights on the deserted roadway.
Maybe too much had changed for her to rely on memory. She still couldn’t get used to the idea that she was back in Texas. A lifetime ago she never wanted to leave. Now she was back because she had nowhere else to go.
A sheet of rain slammed into her car, nearly forcing her from the road.
Some welcome.
After twenty tedious minutes, Emma managed to locate the correct neighborhood and then, the right driveway. She pulled the car under the upper deck of the beach front house and shut off the engine, listening to the rain pummeling the landscape. Behind her, the surf foamed and fomented against the sand with a ferocious roar.
Closing her eyes, Emma tried to quiet the storm in her mind while outside her car it continued to rage. She thought of the Bible passage where Jesus had calmed the tempest—and wished it might be so in her life. What had that disciple said? "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
Emma opened her eyes and glanced in the rear view mirror at her sleeping passengers.
I could use a little help, too, God.
1
...heave the windy sigh.
-Oscar Wilde
“Rumor has it you’re a hardened bachelor. I personally see that as a challenge.” The diminutive elderly woman gave her snowy white curls a pat and batted her eyes.
Travis Taylor peered over the top of his chart at Charlotte Evans seated opposite him. The florescent light of the exam room winked off the colorful gems of her costume jewelry, highlighting the web of wrinkles creasing her face.
Lowering the chart, he raised an eyebrow. “Why, Mrs. Evans, I do believe you’re flirting with me,” he drawled. “And you, a married woman.”
Charlotte simpered and gave his hand a playful slap. For a moment, Travis saw a shadow of the great beauty Mrs. Evans must’ve been in her youth. Still a handsome woman, her Southern Belle airs had never waned in all the years he’d known her.
“I didn’t mean me, silly. I was thinking of my granddaughter, Rosemary.”
Travis struggled to compose his features. He’d once seen this Rosemary. He supposed there was nothing wrong with her appearance, if one considered the white-faced, black-garbed Goth look appealing.
Stifling a shiver, he smiled. “Well, ma’am, sure as shootin’, a crusty ol’ galoot like me doesn’t deserve someone as sweet your granddaughter.”
Charlotte gave him a suddenly shrewd look. “I just mentioned my Rosemary in passing since your current lady-friend hasn’t managed to get you to the altar.”
Travis frowned. Whether in annoyance at Mrs. Evan’s meddling or the thought of his sometime girlfriend, Lucy Street, he didn’t know. He stood and gave a chilly smile. “It looks like the new medication you’re on has leveled your cholesterol. Come back and see me in three months and we’ll make sure it’s still doin’ its job.”
Charlotte pursed her lips, gripped the handle of her cane, and rose slowly from her chair. Her girlishness vanished, replaced by the mien of a stuffy dowager.
“Don’t get all worked up on me, young fella. An old woman like me is allowed to match-make from time to time. It’s not my fault you’re thirty-something and still unmarried. Don’t you know that the best way to stop all the interfering hullabaloo is to just get hitched?”
Travis felt his face grow warm and regretted his churlishness. Offending long-time patients who were also family friends didn’t accomplish any good. He put on a sheepish smile. “My apologies, ma’am. You’re right. I’ll do my best to enter that exalted matrimonial state as soon as someone will have me.”
“Don’t honey-talk me, boy. I remember when you’re mamma paddled your behind for sassy talk, God rest her soul.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Travis said, feeling like a chastened schoolboy in spite of the fact that he towered over the elderly woman by more than a foot. Once she preceded him through the exam room door, he rolled his gaze to the ceiling. This is what happens when a fellow practices medicine in his hometown.
As Mrs. Evan made her way down the hall to the checkout desk, he called after her. “Come see me in three months!”
She waved a gnarled hand in a dismissive gesture without turning around. Travis sighed and pulled a micro-cassette recorder from his white coat pocket. Scanning Mrs. Evan’s chart, he dictated the medical gist of her visit, wishing he could get a fortifying cup of coffee before his next appointment. But first he had another patient who’d been waiting an hour to be seen.
It seemed liked he’d spent the entire day apologizing to patients for being behind schedule. Taking a deep breath, Travis went on to the final patient before his lunch break—a Well-Child appointment for a four-month old boy. As he went through all the developmental checks of the fuzzy headed baby, he thought about Mrs. Evans’ words.
Since beginning his practice, he’d been more or less content to live vicariously through the lives of his patients. It was about all he had time for. Being on call after hours and keeping up with continuously updated policies and procedures on top of his day job, he felt he didn’t have much to offer a real family.
Lately, he’d been plagued by feelings of isolation. Charlotte Evans had only echoed a theme he’d be thinking about for months.
Travis looked down at the little infant wriggling on the tissue paper-covered exam table. He made a funny face at the baby. The baby grinned and jerked his plump legs, which dislodged the unfastened diaper covering the baby’s groin. Suddenly, an arc of moisture hit the front of his white coat. Travis leaned back in surprise.
“Hey, we got a gully-washer here!”
While the embarrassed mom giggled, Travis refastened the baby’s diaper and handed him back to her with a rueful smile.
After the appointment was over, he took off the white coat, tossed it in a laundry bag, and headed to the kitchenette. As he poured a cup from the coffeemaker into a mug emblazoned with the name of a pharmaceutical company, his partner, Dr. Gary Roberts, entered the room. Gary was several years older than Travis and had the peppering of gray hair to prove it. Travis counted him as one of his best friends and was thankful he had asked him to join the clinic they now shared.
Gary motioned toward the coffee. “Fresh, I hope?”
Travis shrugged. “It’s hot and has caffeine in it.”
The older doctor ambled over and poured himself a cup while Travis picked up a withered donut from a grease-stained box and stared at it with a scowl. Disgusted, he dropped it back into the box.
Gary gave him a curious look. “Anything wrong?”
Travis stretched his arms above his head, willing the tension to ease from his body. “Is it me or is this day dragging out?”
“It’s you, ‘cause it’s Friday and you have a date with Lucy tonight,” Gary said with a grin. “You must be all hot and bothered.”
Travis conjured up a picture of Lucy in his mind. Jet black hair smooth as silk and clear green eyes. So why am I not excited?
He blew out a measured sigh, careful not to further alert Gary to his true state of mind. How did a guy explain a nebulous feeling of nostalgia mixed with longing for who knew what?
After a quick drink, Gary grimaced. He poured out his coffee into the sink and slapped Travis on the back on his way out of the room. “Let me know how it goes with Lucy.”
Travis mumbled some reply, thinking about Gary’s wife and four kids. Somehow Gary managed both career and family. He’d need to ask him some time how he did it. Yep, kids would be nice. But he needed a female to beget ‘em. Could Lucy be a part of that equation?
Well, one thing was for certain, he’d never know unless he put out a little more effort. Lucy had made it obvious she was very interested in him, at least from a social-climbing point of view. Problem was Lucy didn’t believe him when he told her he was the small-town type. She didn’t bother to hide the fact that she chafed at the confines of Galveston, Texas. Houston was more her style, and she often tried to woo him there with the potential of a dazzling medical career in the big city where her family had social connections.
Beyond that, she was a decent girl. Maybe he hadn’t tried hard enough to discover her qualities. Travis squared his shoulders, determined to consider her as a potential mate rather than a date to fill an occasional Friday night. With this difficulty more or less dealt with, he headed toward the front desk to check the afternoon schedule. As he neared, he heard his efficient secretary speaking in her firm, business-like tone to a client.
“If you don’t have insurance, ma’am, then you’ll have to make financial arrangements with the bookkeeper.”
Travis frowned and pulled a pen from his pocket, putting the end of it in his mouth. He hated that aspect of his profession. A part of him wished for the days when payments for medical services could be rendered with chickens and strawberry-rhubarb pies. The thought of pie made him chew down on the end of the pen. He wondered if Lucy could bake.
“But I have insurance,” a soft voice replied. “It’s just that my daughters aren’t on the paperwork yet. My life’s been a little crazy lately.”
Travis came to a stop, sucked backwards in a vortex of time. He remembered a girl with a voice like that.
Emmaline Hayes.
He’d fallen for her like a chain-sawed tree back in his high-school days. They’d spoken of marriage before her high-brow parents whisked her away to another country. He’d never seen her since. As far as he knew, she was still globe-trotting the planet, taking his heart along for the ride.
Naw. That was a long time ago. Just a teenage romance. I must be getting dotty in my old age. As well as hearing things that aren’t there.
Panged by the bittersweet memories, he smiled ruefully as he rounded the corner. The smile evaporated from his face when he caught a glimpse of the woman at the front desk. The pen in his mouth shot out in a whoosh of air, landing like a dagger in the low pile carpeting near the tips of his black Lucchese boots.
Emma Hayes? Here?
Pressing his back against the wall, he peered around the corner to make sure it really was her.
That look confirmed it. No one else in the whole state of Texas had that wispy, pale blonde hair that floated around her head like golden cloud. And those blue, blue eyes that made a man feel he was drowning in a warm tropical sea. She still had that vague, dreamy look he remembered so well.
What has it been? Fourteen years?
Travis raised a brow. He also noticed some differences. Two to be precise—one on each hip. Little girls with black, curly hair, and rich, brown skin. So Emma was married with kids. Why should that surprise him? He’d wanted her for himself, after all.
He pressed a fist to his chest at the sudden spasm of pain there. Must be a touch of indigestion from the bad coffee and donuts he’d eaten for breakfast. Still hugging the wall, he peeked around for one more look.
“Watcha doin’? Are ya hidin’? Sometimes I hide like that when my momma’s looking’ to give me a wallop. Like one time when I—”
“Hush, Henry!”
Travis snapped his head around and met the interested gaze of a young boy. One of the boy’s cheeks bulged from a sucker. His red-faced mother tugged on his hand, urging him past. Travis offered a weak smile in response, feeling a little red-faced himself.
He walked backwards down the hall before spinning on the heel of his boot and stomping into his office. He had a minute or two before his next appointment. Would it be with Emma? What would he say to her? What had brought her back to Galveston? Fourteen years was a long, long time.
Maybe she won’t even remember me.
Travis smiled at the thought. He’d never forget her. They’d been inseparable for that year in high school until her parents had caught wind of the relationship. Although Mr. and Mrs. Hayes loved to spout about open-mindedness, it apparently didn’t extend to small town boys who worked at a horse stable for tourists, cleaning out stalls after school.
Emma never seemed to mind about his job. Her gentle, sweet manner made him easy pickins’ where his heart was concerned. He could still remember the sweetness of her kiss. The memory of her lips suddenly seemed a lot more desirable than strawberry-rhubarb pie.
Maybe in lieu of payment arrangements, I’ll tell her one little kiss and consider payment made in full.
Travis shook his head. He couldn’t think about her that way now that she belonged to someone else. He glanced at the clock. His break was over and it was time to see patients.
Even if one of them was his old high school sweetheart.
****
Emmaline Hayes looked around the small exam room at the colorful Noah’s Ark motif wallpaper and pile of children’s books in a basket. Her gaze continued along the jars of tongue depressors, bandages, and cotton swabs lining the counter before returning to her wristwatch.
Her scheduled appointment time had passed some twenty minutes ago and the children were becoming more restless by the minute. Kendra, age two and a half, hugged Emma’s knees, and her twin, Katrina, clung to Emma’s side like human Crazy Glue. Both girls whimpered tiredly, which made Emma wish she’d scheduled this appointment earlier instead of later in the day.
Fighting her own exhaustion, she pulled the girls onto her lap, speaking to them in soothing tones. Emma pressed her cheek against their soft heads, glorying in their baby scent and the feel of their warm bodies snuggled against hers. Once again, she thanked God for the blessing of these children.
My girls. The adoption was to be finalized after the probationary period was over. Just six more weeks.
A curt knock on the door heralded the arrival of the doctor. Emma looked up with expectation as the door began to swing open. When she saw the tall man enter the room, her smile slid away. Dazed at the sight of her old boyfriend, she blinked, suspecting she would’ve fallen out of her chair had the children not anchored her to her seat.
“Travis?” she managed when she could force air past her vocal chords. His achingly familiar smile hit her in the solar plexus, leaving her winded.
“Why, Emma. It’s been a long time.”
“Areyou’re not Dr. Taylor?”
He motioned to the framed certificate on the wall. “That’s what my license says. University of Texas Medical School right there in black and white.”
“I, uh, had no idea. I mean, nobody told me your first name—someone recommended the clinic and—”
He cleared his throat. “How have you been?”
“Um, fine.”
The words came out automatically as memories whirled like eddies through her mind—of Travis’s earnest desire to marry her, of an argument with her parents about the unsuitability of a relationship with a kid unlikely to make anything of his life. Their daughter, they’d said, should marry someone worthy of her—like a doctor.
Emma stifled a hysterical urge to laugh as she looked up at the towering man in the steel blue button-down shirt, black slacks, and boots. Without a white coat, he didn’t look anything like a doctor, except for the stethoscope draped around his neck. Then she realized he still had those liquid brown eyes fringed with lush black lashes, that sweet dimple in his cheek, and—
“So, Mrs.—” he said, flipping open a folder, “uh, Hayes? Sorry to keep you waiting. Who do you want to start with? Kendra or Katrina?”
Travis! After all these years! Her heart continued to pound as she stared up at him, the noise eclipsing her attempts at reason. She finally gathered her wits and glanced down at her daughter. “I’m not m—” Emma bit her lip and wondered how much she had to reveal. Without another word, she handed him Katrina.
Travis eased Katrina onto the exam table. The girl’s dark eyes watched him with a grave expression while he went through the check up. He turned to her. “So, your daughters must take after your husband?”
Emma looked up into his soft brown eyes. A sudden longing for the shelter of his strong arms knifed through her. She gave herself a mental slap and sat up straight, hugging Kendra to her side. “No.”
Travis gave her a curious look before scribbling in the chart. He handed Katrina back to Emma and picked up Kendra. The little girl went to him without resistance and allowed herself to be seated on the edge of the table. He went through a battery of checks. Emma saw him frown. After writing on the chart, he turned to her.
“So, what’s the story with your girls, Emma? I see no previous records, and there are signs ofissues.”
Emma reached into her diaper bag and rummaged around for several seconds. The medical records! She felt her face burn. How could she have forgotten the all-important paperwork?
Pushing a wisp of hair from her eyes, she sighed. “I guess was running late and forgot to grab their records. I know it was stupid, but I was in such a rush—”
“It’s all right. Just get them to me when you can. Right now what can you tell me?”
She rested her chin on Kendra’s head, fiercely protective of her girls and her choice to raise them in a bi-racial family as a single parent. Surely she could trust Travis to understand—unless he’d changed a whole lot since high school.
“Kendra and Katrina were born in Haiti and placed in an orphanage. I adopted them and brought them home to live with me. Just me. No husband.”
Travis nodded slowly. “Understood.” He lifted Kendra off the table and handed her back. “And you are aware of the inherent difficulties in such an undertaking? The disabilities and behavioral problems associated with neglected children? At least I’m assuming they came from such a place.”
Sad memories rose to the fore as Emma remembered the poverty, the hopelessness, in the part of Haiti she visited. “Yes, it was horrible. But the orphanage was wonderful. A Godsend. And yes, I know this won’t be easy.”
He sat down on his stool and leaned close until their knees touched. Emma sensed the warmth from his body. The tenderness in his gaze overwhelmed her and she rubbed her bare ring finger with her thumb.
“This is so like you, Emma. Always the softie. I remember how you wanted to adopt every stray critter that crossed your path—and you would’ve if your parents had let you.”
“This is different than stray animals, Travis!”
“And the girls couldn’t have ended up with a better mother.”
Emma flushed at the softness in his tone and lowered her gaze. In the short time she’d had the twins, she bonded with them so completely, she knew she’d die for them. Emma took a deep breath. “Tell me what I need to do to get them on the right track, at least physically.”
“Well, I’ll know more once I see their records. But for now, let’s start off with some blood work, and then we’ll talk about immunizations and such. I’ll get some information for you geared to their needs and the names of specialists.”
“Thank you, Tra—, I mean, Dr. Taylor.”
He held out his hand. Emma hesitated before placing her hand in his. His warm, strong grip seemed like a lifeline.
“It’s been good seeing you. Call me if you need anything, okay?”
Emma nodded and tugged her hand away. Travis gave a gentle shake of Kendra and Katrina’s hands, coaxing a smile from them. Then he pulled two lollipops out of his shirt pocket.
“Is this all right with you, Momma? They’re sugar free, of course.”
Momma. Would she ever hear her girls call her that? So far, they still cried for their father, who out of poverty had placed them with the orphanage. He’d died shortly thereafter.
Emma nodded and watched as he unwrapped the lollipops before handing them to the girls.
“Wendy will schedule a follow-up appointment in a few weeks so we can go over the blood work and chart a course for their care.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He held her gaze for the space of a heartbeat—his brown eyes seemed to search her soul. A hundred words tripped on her tongue, words of regret, apologies—
With a faint smile, he turned and walked out the door. Emma closed her eyes, waiting for her world to right itself again.
I never thought I’d see him again. Never in a million years.
She realized he hadn’t seemed shocked to discover her in his exam room. Why should he? I was the one who did the leaving. He has nothing to be sorry for.
A phlebotomist came in and led them to another room. Emma forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She thrust thoughts of Travis from her mind, as she’d done many times before. Her gaze went to her daughters. They’re who I need to concern myself with now.
Emma’s heart wrenched at the girls’ feeble cries when blood was drawn from their stick-like arms. She did her best to comfort them, feeling inadequate to the task. It seemed the path to healing would bring so much pain.
Did she have what it would take to see these little girls through childhood and beyond?
2
...and through the wind pierced ever a child’s cry.
—Lord Alfred Tennyson
After the appointment, Emma pulled into the driveway of the large beach house built up on stilts along the sandy beach overlooking the Gulf. She needed to think about purchasing a car of some sort. The rental was getting expensive. The thought of one more task among many made the muscles bunch up in the back of her neck.
Emma glanced at the backseat and saw the twins sound asleep in their car seats. She lowered her head and rested it on the steering wheel for a moment, allowing the cool, hard plastic to press against her skin.
After a deep breath, she raised her head and clambered from the car. She eyed the stairs to the upper deck, wishing she had a one level house inland instead. The wet summer heat hung suspended in the air, causing beads of perspiration to form on her forehead.
She turned and stared out at the flat, watery expanse of the water. The luxury beach houses lining the shore were interspersed with sparse rows of low palm trees and foliage to relieve the harsh lines. The area had an isolated feel to it, nearly soundless aside from the sibilant cycle of the waves. Broken shells and litter lay scattered along the gritty brown sand—remnants of the last storm.
Out of the many cities, towns, and even countries she’d resided in, why had she ended up back in Texas? An image of Travis sprang unbidden into her mind. Emma gave a slight shake of her head. How could that be? She’d had no idea he’d still be in Galveston. In fact, she hadn’t thought about him in years.
At least not in any real way. If she had, it had been like a yellowed photograph—a hazy image viewed with a touch of nostalgia and sadness. That was all.
Bottom line, she’d needed a place to live and the beach house was available. Her parents had many rental properties around the country and having no permanent home of her own, she’d brought the girls here to begin their new life.
So why Galveston?
She hadn’t really thought it through before now, but it was the one place she’d lived the longest in her life. Maybe it had the feel of home.
And it has Travis. Emma frowned. No, it can’t be the reason. I had no way of knowing he was still here. This rental property was one of the only ones available. My options were limited. She sighed, too tired for soul-searching at the moment. Besides, her heart had been too abused recently to give thought to a long-ago romance.
Emma looked up at the house, inappropriately referred to as a “beach house”, which brought images of a snug little cottage to her mind. This place had three bedrooms, a professional chef’s kitchen, and home theater system. When it had become vacant in between the usual string of wealthy renters, Emma decided it was the providence of God. Until she found the right place to settle in and bring up the girls, the beach house would have to suffice.
She smiled at her incongruent thoughts. The luxuries of the house would more than suffice, but she felt uncomfortable relaxing in a place that looked like the latest cover shot for Better Homes and Gardens. Of course, now that she’d moved in with a couple of kids, the interior had taken on a decidedly cluttered look. Fortunately, her parents wouldn’t see it any time soon—they were currently in India, one stop in a yearlong trip through Asia.
Emma trudged up the steps, focusing on what she had accomplished—not on what she hadn’t. The adoption was nearly final and she had a place to live. Now it looked like she’d get the necessary medical care. Travis had mentioned specialists.
After unlocking the front door, she went back to the car for Kendra. Easing the sleeping child from the car seat, Emma hurried her into the house before returning for Katrina.
Once she had the girls settled for a nap in one of the guest rooms, she thought again about the shock of seeing Travis after all these years. The referral she received had only mentioned the clinic name and Dr. Taylor happened to be the physician who could see her the soonest. Somehow she’d imagined a white-haired man—certainly not her old boyfriend!
That he actually became a doctor floored her even more in light of her parents’ disapproval of the young Travis. And yet as she thought about it, the role fit him. He’d always been caring, thoughtful, and personable.
And now he’s my daughters’ doctor. She shook her head in disbelief and made sure the girls were settled peacefully in their bed. The phone ringing jarred her from her musings. Emma went to the kitchen and answered. Her shoulders slumped when she heard the voice on the other end.
“Emma, I got your message that you’ve adopted some children? Is this possible? You’ve done some unsuitable things in your life, but this tops—”
“Hi, Mom,” she said, stuffing down the familiar frustration at their disapproval. No preambles. Just accusations. She could never seem to do anything right in their eyes and she had no delusions they’d be keen on this endeavor either.
“Yes, I have,” she said, “and—”
“You know how busy your father and I are. You can’t expect us to rush home as if we were the natural grandparents!” Her mother groaned. “I had hoped you’d make better use of your trust fund—that’s why we made you wait until you were twenty-five”
Emma held the phone away from her ear and counted off ten seconds. The rant about the wasted money on private schools and parental disappointments was a well-known tune she didn’t have the stomach to hear just now. She put the phone back to her ear.
“—and I hear you’re using the Galveston property. I have to say the timing is bad as this is the busy season and—”
“I’ll pay rent, of course,” Emma said, suppressing a sigh.
“Well, I think that’s reasonable, and I will have to hold you responsible for any damage inflicted by the children. Oh, Emma, I can hardly understand your decision-making processes. And why did you break off your engagement? Why can’t you do things the right way?”
“Please don’t talk to me like I’m a child, Mom. I’m thirty-one years old—”
“Exactly! And what do you have to show for it? You’ve had access to the best education, travel, exposure to cultures, and yet you continue to do the inexplicable.”
Emma closed her eyes, clamping down on her rising anger. “You’ll be paid for everything you’re entitled to, so don’t worry. I need to go now.” She gently replaced the receiver, cutting her mother off mid-sentence. Sorry, Mom, but I can only handle so much.
Her head began to throb. No wonder. She closed her mind to her mother’s words and headed to the chintz-covered sofa in the living room. Emma shoved off a pile of clean laundry into a nearby basket and collapsed onto the soft cushions. Hearing the crunch of paper beneath her, she reached under her hip and pulled out a small stack of papers. The twins’ medical records. With a snort of disgust, she tossed them on the coffee table and flung her arm over her head to block out the afternoon light peeping through the shades.
Her eyes fluttered closed when the absence of movement lulled her body into sleep mode—something she’d had too little of lately. As her breathing slowed, Emma thought once more of the handsome Travis Taylor, of the way he used to kiss her under the high Gulf moon—and of the shameful way she abandoned him fourteen years ago.
****
A thin wail pierced Emma’s subconscious, dragging her up from the depths of a dream. She forced her eyes open, noting the lack of light coming through the windows.
How long was I asleep? A bleary glance at her watch revealed the time to be nearly seven in the evening. Good grief, the girls must be starved by now! Another cry came from the direction of the bedrooms.
Emma lurched off the couch and stumbled into the room the twins shared. Switching on a bedside lamp, she groaned at the sight of Kendra sitting up in bed, covered in vomit. Tears poured down the little girl’s cheeks as she blinked at the sudden light. Emma looked over at Katrina, who sat next to her, knuckling her eyes.
Forcing down a feeling of panic, Emma gingerly lifted Kendra from the blankets and took her to the bathroom. Speaking to the little girl in comforting tones, she peeled off the soiled clothes and put her in the bathtub. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt the heat emanating from Kendra’s skin. Her temperature had been normal at the doctor’s office. How could she suddenly have a fever?
Once Emma had cleaned Kendra up, she wrapped her in a towel and took her to the master bedroom. From there, she rushed to the twin’s bedroom to change the sheets. As she entered, Katrina began to vomit as well. Emma clutched the door frame. I don’t know if I can handle this!
Trying not to breathe through her nose, Emma scooped Katrina into her arms and cleaned her up in the bathroom, noting the little girl seemed feverish too. Once Katrina was bathed and wrapped in a towel, she took her to where Kendra waited. A familiar, pungent smell assaulted her nostrils. Finding Kendra had thrown up again made Emma close her eyes in despair. She set Katrina on the edge of the bed and tried to calm her rising anxiety.
How serious is this? Should I take them to the E.R.? What if they have food poisoning? What did we eat today? What if it’s one of those horrible tropical fevers, or something worse? I don't know what to do!
Emma bit her lip as the last thought occurred to her. Okay, get a grip! The twins are a gift from God and He wouldn’t have given them to you without supplying all your needs as well. You can deal with this. Closing her eyes, she released a long breath. Now, what next?
She opened her eyes. Travis. He’d know what to do. “It’s okay, girls. Momma’s going to call the doctor.”
After dialing Information, she called the office number, breathing easier when she was connected to the answering service. “Yes, my daughters are patients of Dr. Taylor. They’re very ill. I need to speak to him right away.”
“If this is an emergency, hang up and dial nine-one-one,” said an impassive voice at the other end of the line.
Emma frowned, wishing she felt more confident. “I don’t think it is. Can I please just talk to the doctor?”
“Dr. Taylor is not on call tonight. Dr. Roberts is taking calls. What is the nature of the problem?”
Her fingers tightened on the receiver. “What! I don’t know any Dr. Roberts! I need Dr. Taylor!”
“I’m sorry. He’s not available this weekend.”
Watching helplessly as Katrina began another round of vomiting onto the bedspread, she groaned. “Okay, get me Dr. Whomever!” After giving her call-back information, Emma dropped the phone down back into its cradle and reached for her girls.
****
Travis regarded his reflection in the mirror as he buttoned up the front of his new shirt. He couldn’t decide if he was paying such close attention to his clothes to impress Lucy or armor himself against her. He grimly suspected it was the latter. He hoped seeing her pretty face would alleviate this annoying ambivalence gnawing at him in the last few weeks.
The phone rang. Travis checked his watch, wondering if Lucy might be canceling their date. He scowled when he experienced a twinge of relief at the thought. He snatched up the phone.
“Yes?”
“Travis, this is Gary.”
A grin replaced his frown when he heard his friend’s voice. “You’re a little early, Gary. I don’t have any details for you yet on my date with Lucy.”
Gary chuckled. “No, I’m not calling about that. But do take notes. My wife has every intention of pumping me for any information you have to give.”
“Tell Dottie not to get her hopes up.” Travis held the phone between his shoulder and ear as he tucked in the shirt.
“That’s what I keep telling her. But seriously, I thought you might be interested in a call I got from the answering service just a few minutes ago. Some woman claiming to be your patient called demanding for you.”
“What was her name?”
“Emma Hayes.”
Travis’s hands stilled. “What did she say?”
“She said her daughters are running sudden high fevers and have been vomiting. She sounded frantic. I tried to calm her down and tell her it was probably a touch of a virus, but she seemed to think that it might be something more serious. I told her if she was that worried she should get them to the E.R.”
“Thanks, Gary. I’ll take it from here.” Travis hung up and dialed Lucy’s number. While he waited for her to answer, he grabbed the backpack of basic medical equipment he kept at home. When he heard the sound of her voice, he took a deep breath.
“Lucy, I’ve got, um, a medical emergency I have to deal with. I have to cancel our date.”
****
Travis sped through the darkened streets in his black Ford pickup, heading for the beach community where Emma lived, glad he’d noted the address on her chart earlier in the day.
When he located her house, he blew out a breath, seeing a car in the driveway and lights on in the house. He parked the truck and took two steps at a time up onto the landing. Hearing the sounds of children crying, he shot up a brief prayer for the girls. Travis rapped on the door, tapping the toe of his boot against the porch floor.
The door swung open. Emma stared at him with her mouth open. Her blonde hair was a mess, her face wan, and the front of her shirt blotted with a wet, suspicious substance.
“Oh, Travis!” She grabbed onto his sleeve.
Amazed that even the disheveled sight of her caused his pulse to leap, he edged into the house and set his bag on a nearby table. “Dr. Roberts said you called. How are the girls?”
Emma seemed to realize the state of her condition. With the back of her hand, she smoothed her wayward hair.
“They started throwing up about an hour ago and they’re running temperatures.” She clenched her hands together. “I don’t know what to do. I’m worried it’s something they may have picked up in Haiti.”
“Let me see them.”
Emma led him to the bedrooms where Katrina and Kendra sat on her bed. Travis saw two miserable little girls, huddled in bath towels. He approached them slowly and crouched down next to the bed. “Hi. Remember me?”
Kendra put out a little hand to him. “Bon bon.”
“She means candy,” Emma said. “Like the lollipop you gave her earlier.”
Travis smiled. “Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t have any with me now, but I’ll bring you some soon, okay?”
Two pairs of serious brown eyes regarded him with steady gazes. Kendra nodded her head. Travis sat on the bed next to them and began a cursory check of their vital stats. He looked over at where Emma stood wringing her hands.
“Let’s get them bathed and medicated, and from there we can keep an eye on them. Their fevers aren’t too high, and if they’re asking for candy, I think that’s a good sign.” He grinned, hoping to reassure Emma.
“What about Dengue fever or something like that?”
“When did you arrive in the states?”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
He saw the shine of moisture in her eyes. “Let’s start with what I suggested. If they don’t improve or they get worse, we’ll go from there.”
Emma sniffed. “Areare you sure?”
Travis nodded. “Why don’t you change the bedding while I get the girls cleaned up? It will give me a chance to observe them a little.”
She released a breath. “Thank you, Dr. Taylor.”
“Travis.”
Emma gave him a watery smile but said nothing.
****
Lucy Street brushed out her hair with swift, angry strokes as she mulled over Travis’s phone call breaking their date. She knew he wasn’t on call and didn’t understand what kind of emergency he’d be needed for.
She regarded her reflection with a critical eye. The folds of her red dress hung perfectly on her figure. The dress was new and it annoyed her Travis wouldn’t see it tonight.
So why shouldn’t it be seen? Why should I sit stuck at home on a Friday night? She knew of a party at a beach front house that she’d hoped to talk Travis into going to later.
Tossing the hairbrush onto the top of the dresser, she reached for her address book.
3
...rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding.
—Gerard Manley Hopkins
An hour later Kendra and Katrina rested with a measure of peace in their clean beds. Emma stood just inside the door, her heart reaching out in prayer for them.
“Emma.”
She turned at the sound of Travis’s voice. His smile tugged at her heart.
“They’re fine. Come and sit down. You need a break.”
Giving one last languishing look at her daughters, she nodded. “Just let me change my shirt and I’ll be right there.” Then she saw Travis’s shirt. The wet fabric clung to his skin from the girls and their baths. Emma bit her lip. “You should let me find you something clean to wear.”
Travis wrinkled his nose as he looked down. “I’ll take you up on that.”
She led him to her bedroom. “I think there’s box of my father’s clothing somewhere.” She plunged into the depths of the walk-in closet. A moment later came out with a black T-shirt and held it out to him.
“Will this work?”
Nodding, he reached out for the shirt. “Thanks.”
Emma averted her gaze. “You can change in the guest bathroom down the hall. Just leave the dirty one there and I’ll see what I can do with it.”
He gave her a slow smile, making her heart thump hard. “I’ll meet you in the living room.”
“Okay.”
After he’d exited her room, Emma shut the door with a snap behind him. She went to her dresser and picked out a soft blue cotton top with lettuce edging. Peeling off her soiled top, she scrubbed herself clean and changed into the clean shirt. At the last minute, she ran a brush through her hair and applied a touch of make-up.
Emma peeked out her bedroom door down the hall to the guest bath. When she saw it was dark, she went in and retrieved his shirt. Holding it away from her, she took it to the laundry room, grabbed a bottle of Woolite, and went to the kitchen, deciding to hand-wash it in the sink. As she squeezed the excess water out, Travis ambled into the kitchen and leaned against the counter.
Staring down at the bubbly water, Emma sighed. Since arriving in Texas, she’d struggled with the adjustment of being the sudden parent of twins, of doing everything on her own. Travis seemed such a tower of strength. His presence made her feel weak and silly. A lone tear dripped off the end of her nose, falling into the sink with a little plop.
“You don’t need to go to all that trouble, Emma.”
She stood straighter. “It’s the least I could do after dragging you away from your plans.”
“You didn’t drag me. I came of my own accord, remember?”
The black tee shirt, she noticed with a surreptitious peek, had a snug fit, showing off the contours of his upper arms and torso. She remembered how nice he looked when he showed up on her doorstep. Emma wiped the remaining moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I didn’t spoil a special evening, did I?”
Travis’s cheeks darkened under his tan. He looked away. “I’m glad I could help tonight.”
Emma noticed his hesitation, figuring there was a girlfriend in the picture. She ignored the sharp little stab of regret. Then a new thought occurred to her. Was he married? A quick glance at his hand revealed he wore no ring. She wasn’t sure how the knowledge made her feel.
Wiping her hands on a towel, she avoided his direct gaze. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”
Emma wasn’t surprised when Travis shook his head. After the episode with the twins, she didn’t feel hungry either. She hung up the shirt to dry, and walked into the living room. Dropping onto the couch, she looked up when Travis sat down next to her. He stretched his arm along the back.
He tilted his head toward her. “It was quite a surprise at the office for me, seeing you after all these years.”
She folded her hands in her lap, his nearness stirring up a dervish of thoughts and memories she’d tried to keep at bay all afternoon. Travis is ancient history.
“So tell me what you’ve been doing all this time?” he asked. “My story is pretty obvious. College, med school, residency, practice. Yawn.”
She shook her head, unable to resist a smile. “Not boring, Travis. It’s a wonderful accomplishment, and I’m very proud of you.”
“I wonder what your parents would think.” Travis shook his head as if he regretted the words.
She understood what he meant. Her face grew warm. “I don’t really worry about what they think anymore. We’ve pretty much gone our separate ways.”
“Where are they now?”
“India. Chasing another rainbow, I guess.”
“And what about you?”
She shrugged. “Nothing impressive, I’m afraid. I spent a lot of time drifting, trying to figure out what God wanted me to do.” And how I would get over you. “I traveled all over Europe with my parents for a time. They finally got tired of me moping around, as they put it, and told me to go ‘find’ myself.”
She looked down at her hands, bare of any jewelry, her fingernails short and unpolished. “Then I went to Bible college for a couple of years, but when my money ran out, they refused to pay for me to finish. Religion was okay to them, as long as it wasn’t Christianity. ‘Too narrow’ they said.”
Emma looked up and saw Travis’s lips thin, aware that he’d always disapproved of her parents.
“What else have you been doing since then?” he said. “It’s been so long since high school.”
High school. Emma remembered those days when she and Travis had been an item. Everything had seemed so simple then. She loved him and he loved her. They’d even talked of marriage. Her parents had other plans. Leaving Travis to relocate to Indonesia had been one of the worst experiences of her life. And I was too much of a wimp to do anything about it.
Emma peeked up at him from under her lashes. Yet here Travis sat, as sweet and stable as ever, helping her when she needed help. She cleared her throat. “After dropping out of the Bible college, I moved to Florida, worked at some art stores, volunteered at a camp for special needs children, did some tutoring, and eventually tagged along with a missionary group headed to Haiti. From there I began to volunteer at a local orphanage.” She took a deep breath. “Then I saw the girls and knew they were meant for me.”
Travis leaned in closer, seeming to study her every facial feature. “I would’ve thought you’d be married by now. I remember you always wanting to be a mom.”
Emma’s thumb sought out the skin of her ring finger. She lowered her gaze, wondering if she should confess. The thought of her ex-fiancé made her wince. “I am a mom now,” she whispered. “What about you?”
Travis shook his head. “My life has been too hectic to be married. I just haven’t had time.”
At least that had always been his excuse. Travis looked down at Emma’s silky blonde hair when she lowered her gaze. He suddenly noticed the way she touched her ring finger and detected a band of skin lighter than the rest of her tanned hands. She’d obviously worn a ring there for some time.
Travis wondered if she was divorced. If that was the case, she’d kept her maiden name. She’d only said there was no husband. He didn’t think he had the right to ask for all the gritty details. Whatever happened, it’d been a recent break up, and from the way she rubbed the skin, she was still bothered by it.
She looked up at him. As if guessing his thoughts, she shoved her hand into her lap.
“So tell me how you ended up adopting your girls,” he said in an effort to banish the idea of a heartbroken Emma.
She leaned her head back, her gaze becoming far away. “After hearing about the AIDS crisis in Haiti, I wanted to do something to help. I started working for a Christian-based orphanage there and was helping foreign families adopt eligible Haitian children.”
“I’ve heard some terrible stories of the conditions there.”
Emma frowned. “It’s worse. And it tore my heart to see desperate parents giving up their children because they couldn’t feed them.”
Travis couldn’t resist touching her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. She looked so distressed. Emma acknowledged the contact by giving him a small smile.
“I remember the day Kendra and Katrina were placed. Their mom had died and their dad couldn’t care for them. They were eighteen months old and each weighed only about fifteen pounds. The orphanage gave them prompt medical care and regular meals. They’re still skinny, but nothing like when they first arrived. When their father died shortly after, I knew I wanted to adopt them.”
She leaned over and picked the papers up off the coffee table. “Here are their records, by the way.”
Travis took them and scanned the information. Aside from being treated for giardia and scabies, the worst of their condition had been malnutrition. He was pleased to note negative test results for AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, and Sickle Cell Anemia.
“I think with lots of love and good nutrition, your girls will do great.”
Emma smiled. “That’s what I’m hoping for.” She appreciated Travis’s upbeat attitude more than he knew. It was a direct opposite of the reaction she’d had from her fiancé. After leading a misfit life trailing her wealthy, restless parents all over the globe, all Emma had ever dreamed of was settling down to marry and have a family of her own—to find a stability that had always eluded her.
Such a mundane desire, yet, for her, so difficult to achieve. She’d broken up with Stephen, and thankful the orphanage allowed single people to adopt, put all her energy into bringing Katrina and Kendra home.
Home. She still wasn’t sure where that was, but she knew she’d taken a step in the right direction by coming to Texas. Emma glanced up at Travis and found him regarding her with an amused expression on his face.
“What?” she asked.
He shrugged and smiled. “I guess I’m just thinking about how little you’ve changed.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re still pretty. Especially now that your braces are off.”
Gratification warred with embarrassment.
“Seriously,” he went on, “you’ve always been a caring person, Emma. It makes me happier than a gopher in soft dirt to see how God’s still using you to bless others.”
She tucked a curl behind her ear. “Adopting the girls is one of the only things I’ve ever done that seemed meant to be.”
“‘God sets the lonely in families’,” Travis murmured. “It says that in the Bible.”
Emma looked up at him and felt trapped by the intensity of his gaze. Her heart gave a lurch at the tenderness she saw in his eyes. It would be so easy to lean on this man. But no matter how tempting the thought was, she couldn’t drag anyone else into her problems. She and God would get through everything on their own.
The distinct sound of a child’s cry turned her attention away. She hurried into the girls’ room and found Katrina fussing a little in her sleep. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Emma caressed her cheek, speaking in a soft tone. Soon, Katrina settled down and began to breathe deep and regular. When she stood, she found Travis had followed her into the bedroom. Without overly disturbing the girls, he performed a quick vital stat check on them.
“They’re doing well. I think the worst is over.”
She nodded. “I noticed Katrina’s skin felt cooler.”
“Start them out with water to drink if you don’t have an electrolyte solution, in small amounts to make sure they can keep it down. As they improve, you can give them light foods, such as bananas, rice, and toast without butter. And if their condition worsens at all, call me at home.”
He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and extracted a card. Handing it to her, he said, “This is my home phone number.”
“Thank you, Travis. I can’t tell you how helpful you’ve been.”
His dimple appeared. “Aw, shucks, ma’am.”
Emma felt more light-hearted than she had in months. She thought it was interesting how his speech changed according to his mood. When speaking as a doctor, he was all business. When teasing, his accent deepened.
“I remember your ‘cowboy talk’,” she said, leading him from the room. “It always got the thickest when you were the least sincere.” When they entered the kitchen, she turned to him and crossed her arms.
Travis grinned. “You can always tell a Texan, but you can’t tell him much.”
“There you go again.”
He shrugged with a glint in his eyes. “Guess a Yankee like you wouldn’t understand.”
Emma remembered the way he used to always call her ‘darlin’ and ‘sugar’. It was corny but she’d loved it. It seemed another lifetime ago. Thinking of time gone by, she glanced at the clock and let out a sigh.
“Travis, it’s after ten.”
“So?”
She reached for his shirt hanging above the sink. It was mostly dry. “I’ve taken up your whole evening. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not sorry, Emma.”
Her heart leapt at the tone of his words. Then she looked down at the shirt in her hands. It was a designer dress shirt. The kind one wore out on a date. A woman had been expecting him, and Emma had no intention of causing her hurt by encouraging Travis in his misplaced chivalry.
“Let me just get this ironed for you and that should dry it the rest of the way.”
Before he could answer, she hurried down the hall toward the laundry room.
Travis watched Emma go, and shook his head. It had been so easy to want to pick up where he’d left off with her. He’d always felt comfortable around her. Their high school romance had blossomed from a deep friendship—a friendship he realized he wanted again.
Take it easy. Don’t go wishin’ you could rope the wind.
Seeing his dress shirt in her hands reminded him he kinda belonged to someone else. Travis tried to conjure up a mental picture of Lucy, but found it was eclipsed by a lady with soft blonde hair and softer blue eyes. He tilted back his head and blew out a sigh.
Emma was right. It was late—too late for him to get involved with her now. She had a couple of little girls to think of and was still probably heart-sore from her recent breakup. She needed him only for what he could offer medically. Somehow the logic failed to cheer him.
A few moments later, Emma emerged with the freshly-ironed shirt, her expression guarded.
****
Lucy stared out into the night as her friend Patty drove along the road. The staccato of her fingertips on the dashboard matched the restless tapping of her sandaled feet. Hitting a few parties with her friend to forget her suspicions hadn’t helped.
For some reason Lucy didn’t buy Travis’s excuse of a medical emergency. Of course when she married him, she’d have to get used to that—unless she could convince him to come work in her father’s big clinic in Houston. There, he’d have a lighter workload and more of a chance for advancement. In Galveston, he’d remain the kind of doctor clingy people would call for every little thing. She scowled into the darkness.
“Hey,” Patty said. “Isn’t that Travis’s truck?”
Lucy swung around as Patty slowed her car and stopped. Across the road, she saw a black Ford pickup—and recognized the license plate. Feeling a slow burn creep up her face, she jumped out of the car. She marched across the road, stomped up the steps of the house, and banged on the door.
After a moment, the door opened to reveal a diminutive, disheveled blonde woman. Lucy didn’t waste time on her. What grabbed her attention was the sight of Travis just behind herbuttoning up his shirt.
****
“Not a word, buster,” Lucy said through gritted teeth as they drove away from Emma’s house. “Not a word until we get to my apartment.”
Travis gripped the steering wheel with one hand and raked through his hair with the other. “I already told you it wasn’t what it looked like.”
He glanced over at Lucy and saw she’d crossed her arms over her chest. He completed the drive to her place in resigned silence, wondering why he felt so angry. Being at Emma’s might look suspicious, but it rankled him that Lucy didn’t trust him.
He thought back to when he’d seen Lucy for the first time. He’d met her at a medical conference she’d attended with her father. She’d stayed by his side for the rest of that day. After that, she called to ask him out.
At first, he’d been flattered. It was nice avoiding the little games people played. Lucy was someone who saw what she wanted and took it. They’d dated on and off for a few months now, but she had grand plans for the future, and Travis found himself hesitant to really open his heart. Tonight didn’t help matters any.
After parking his truck, he followed Lucy into her apartment. She flicked on some low lights and spun around with her hands on her hips. “Some medical emergency, huh?”
He leaned against the door. “I was doing a favor for a friend.”