Discovering Pride (Pride Series) (25 page)

Even during one of the worst days in his California offices, he hadn’t had to deal with so many cases in one day. A day in which he had only a few hours of sleep. His mind kept wondering back to Lacey and their conversation last night. He wondered why she’d backed away so quickly. Was she trying to back away from the relationship? Did she want her space? Well, she would just have to get disappointed. He had no intentions of backing away or letting her back away either.

Half the waiting room was cleared out by the time his parents strolled in. He had his next patient on one of his hips, she was a small child covered with red blotches, her fevered head rest on his shoulder.

His mother looked perfect, of course, not a hair on her head was out of place as usual. She had on one of her designer suits the color of pearls, a light pink jacket, and sensible heels. She was taller than most women at five-eight. Her slender build and tan face could easily be that of any model on any glamor magazine. Her medium blonde hair was styled in the latest fashion and of course she had on all the right jewelry, no doubt bought at Tiffany just for this occasion.

His father had always reminded him of an older version of himself with the exception that his father always looked like a GQ model in his suits.

His father’s hair was cut shorter than his and was always well trimmed. His blue eyes never missing any small detail of a room as he walked in with his wife casually draped on his arm.

He had never seen the pair wearing jeans or any other form of casual wear. Aaron had seen a picture of them once when he’d been a child; they were on a beach somewhere tropical and both clad only in bathing suits. Still he remembers thinking that it could have easily been a professional shoot for a bathing suit commercial.

But, what really shocked him was the woman who stood behind his father’s left shoulder.

She was taller than his mother, thinner, and looked like she’d just walked off the catwalk. Her longer blonde hair ran down her back in a wave. She had on one of those smiles that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Eyes that were scanning and criticizing everyone and everything. Aaron’s back stiffened and his headache tripled.

Just then the small child in his arms lifted her heated head from his shoulder and groaned.

“Aaron, what are you doing here?” His mother asked when she looked around at the room of crying, itching children.

Handing the child to Betty, he said. “Please take Melissa and her mother to room three. I won’t be long.” Then he said to his mother. “Hello Mother. Please come back to my office.” he ushered the trio to the back room.

As soon as the door was closed, he rounded on them, but before he could get out a word, his mother interrupted.

“You go away for a week sabbatical and we find you living here. Jennifer was worried, we haven’t heard from you in almost eight months. We show up to find you doing God only knows what. Really Aaron, we raised you above all this.” she said waiving her hands around the room.

Jennifer stood in the background twisting the engagement ring she’d refused to return when he’d called it off. Her eyes scanning the back of his parents and refused to meet his glare.

“Mother, what I do is no concern to you. I’ve been here almost a year with only two calls from you and one was just today. I’ve left several messages for you on your voice mail with no return calls. I’m living here now and have taken over Grandpa’s practice for good. I have a house, a practice, and no intentions of having that woman in my life anymore.” He pointed to the corner Jennifer stood in.

“You know we broke it off last year. Why would you bring her here?” he paced the small room.

“Aaron, you mind your tone with your mother.” His dad piped in. “You’ve had quite enough fun here. It’s about time you went back to your responsibilities. If LA won’t work for you, I’ve made arrangements for a new position at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. I pulled a few strings to get you an excellent position. Jennifer is excited about the move as well and has arranged for all your things to be shipped.” His father walked over and patted Jennifer’s hand. “She’s been instrumental in the whole process.”

“What? What? I can’t believe what I am hearing.” Aaron rubbed his forehead. “What about
‘Engagement called off’
do you people not understand?” His voice grew louder.

“I agreed for you Mom and Dad to visit, however after listening to this, I want you to leave. I can’t handle you here just now.” He rounded on Jennifer. “And you, you knew what my reaction would be before you stepped foot in Oregon. What did you think would happen?”

Since that minute, Jennifer had been hiding behind his parents. Now, the whole room turned to look at her.

“Aaron, I know we had an argument, it was foolish. I’m sure you didn’t mean the things you said and well, I was upset at you and said some things back. Your parents are right, won’t you listen to them? This position in Philadelphia is just want we need. A new beginning, you should see the facilities there.” She walked over and tried to reach for his hand. “Oh, Aaron you will love it and your parents have found the perfect little house for us.” she ignored his glare and tried to continue.

“Out.” It was no more then a whisper, but cut the silence.

Just then, there was a quick knock and Betty’s head peaked in quickly. “Sorry to interrupt, Melissa and her mother are waiting in room three, Johnny Cavanaugh and his mother are in one, and the whole Miller family is in two.” Then just as quick her head disappeared and the door closed.

“I won’t have you talking to your fiancee and mother this way. You have responsibilities Aaron; it’s time you grew up. We’ll be staying at your Grandfather’s place. I expect you to be there for dinner tonight so we can discuss this further.”

With that, the group walked from his room. Aaron grabbed the first thing handy and threw it at the closed door, then he went over and sat behind his desk. Putting his head on the cool wood and wished more then anything he’d never agreed to their visit.

L
acey heard that the chicken pox had hit town. It was hard to work in one of the major hubs in a small town and not hear everything that was going on in it. She’d hired two of the girls whom she had interviewed that morning and one bus boy.

Currently, the restaurant was full, thanks to the noon rush. She had watched the trio walk in and had almost had to do a double take. At first she’d thought it was Aaron that had walked in with the two blondes on either arm. Noticing the differences, she could only assume it was his father and felt another twinge in her chest. So his parents had been planning a trip and he hadn’t told her. She knew he wasn’t close to them, but in her mind, it just assured her more that it was truly over between them.

Of course they had been seated in her section. She was trying to train one of the new girls, Julie. On approach she heard the young blonde asking Aaron’s parents if they wanted to eat somewhere nicer. Lacey felt an instant dislike for the woman.

Lacey felt intimidated instantly noticing the perfection of the trio, all of them were beyond tall. Aaron could double for his father any day.

His father had a few gray hairs around his forehead, she saw that he had smaller shoulders; and a little leaner.

His mother was tall, thin, and tan. She could easily have been a model. Lacey could see Aaron had inherited his mother’s mouth and chin. But, the other woman who was with them was a complete mystery.

To say the woman was gorgeous was an understatement. Not a single hair was out of place and her simple dress looked exotic. Lacey looked down at her black skirt and her red and white striped shirt with wine stains and felt even planner than before. She was sure her eyes were still puffy from the nights cry.

So, this is what Aaron came from? Well, they could have him back. Raising her chin, she walked over with Julie tagging behind.

“Hello, my name is Lacey. Have you had a chance to look over the menu?” She noted the younger woman hadn’t even looked up at her, was smirking at the front cover of the menu. A menu that her brother Todd had drawn years ago.

Aaron’s father ordered first, ordering the most expensive steak, followed by Aaron’s mother, then the other woman who only ordered a “clean” salad.

When Lacey placed their orders in the computer, she told Julie to take her half hour lunch. She felt a larger headache coming and didn’t want the girl to take any brunt of her anger.

When she’d delivered their food, the woman had looked down her nose at the crisp fresh salad and made a face as if she had smelled something foul. Lacey ignored it and smiled back.

When she’d been leaving the table she overheard some of their conversation. Lacey desperately wanted to ease drop, so she made sure all the customers on either side had their waters full, taking her time as she went.

“Really Jennifer, you know what’s going on here… It’s the last fling before the wedding. Aaron will enjoy the move to Philadelphia and before you know it, the director’s chair will be his. You’ll see, a fall wedding in Philadelphia is just perfect.” Lacey heard Aaron’s mother saying.

Looking at the table next to her she saw the woman, Jennifer, twisting a large diamond ring around on her finger and then for the first time in Lacey’s life, everything went white.

She woke in warm arms and felt groggy enough to know that her brother was screaming at her, which in itself was a funny thing because there were other  people present. Iian never really spoke in public, let alone screamed.

When she finally opened her eyes, she could see she’d been moved to his office couch. “Damn it Lacey come on…. Go call the doctor.” he yelled at someone.

That got her eyes opened and she pushed Iian away enough to sit up.

“No! Don’t call the doctor! I’m perfectly fine.” she pushed herself into a sitting position.

Frustrated, Iian signed to her. “What the hell are you doing? I’m taking you over there myself. You’re as pale as death. What’s wrong?” he finished

Signing back she started to tell him everything. By the time she’d finished, she could see he was steaming.

Iian asked Katie to finish training the new staff. He demanded that she head home and take the rest of the day off. Someone had called Todd, because when she walked outside fifteen minutes later, he was just pulling up; he rushed forward and encased her in a firm grip.

“What the hell are you doing scaring us like that?” he said pulling back to take a better look at her. Noting her pale face and the dark circles under her eyes, he barked at her. “You aren’t pregnant are you?” She could see the anger growing in his face.

If she hadn’t been so tired she would have laughed.

“No, I’m not pregnant. I just haven’t gotten a lot of sleep with us at the hospital until late, and Aaron and I sort of had a fight.” She pulled away as the front door opened and the trio came gliding out. She’d almost forgotten about them. Her back stiffened as she looked again at Jennifer.

Todd noticed her gaze and reaction, quickly putting a protective arm around his sister. He looked at the three people coming out of the restaurant. Instantly he recognized Bradford Stevens. He’d met him several years back.