The Rebel Doc Who Stole Her Heart (17 page)

Fear filled her. She let go of him and pushed away. “I’m worn out. I could use some sun time.”

Ty didn’t argue. He took her hand and helped her stand as the tide washed the sand beneath their feet away. Had she ever had more fun being with someone? But he wouldn’t be there much longer. Her heart would break when he left. She slipped and his strong arms supported her, not unlike the way he had done over the last few weeks. He’d been there when she’d needed someone. It had become so easy to depend on him.

She plopped into her chair and he followed suit after picking up his hat. Ty shifted the umbrella so that most of their bodies were in the shade.

“We’re both going to need some sunscreen,” he said, pushing his wet hair back and pulling on his hat.

Michelle dug through her bag and came out with a bottle. She squirted a blob into Ty’s outstretched hand. Planning to do the same in her own, it was forgotten when she got caught up in watching Ty apply the lotion across his chest.

“Hey, you’d better get that sunscreen on. With your fair skin you’ll be red in no time.”

Michelle refocused, burying a shard of hurt deep down, and started spreading the liquid over her skin. She glanced at Ty again, this time noticing how he pulled his hat low to shade his eyes. “I’ve been meaning to ask you where you get those ridiculous surgical caps you wear all the time. They’re certainly not the usual ones offered in the supply magazines.”

“You don’t like them?”

“They suit you.”

“That was a nice dodging of the question. They’re made by the sister of a guy I worked with over in Virginia. His niece has cancer. A group makes and sells them as a way to raise awareness and make some money for his niece’s treatments.”

Michelle’s mother was the one with cancer and Ty was doing more to speed the need for research than she was. “I see.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, and closed her eyes.

A few minutes later she turned her head and opened one eye to find Ty with his eyes closed and breathing deeply. She shut hers and joined him in sleep with a soul-deep rightness that came with knowing he was near.

* * *

Ty woke to find Michelle still resting beside him. She looked peaceful, content for the first time since he’d met her. He’d not allowed her much sleep the night before. It had been so good to have her in his arms again.

She’d amazed him on the drive over with the aggressiveness and confidence she’d shown as she’d driven. He hadn’t been sure she’d like the sports car, worried that she’d consider it frivolous and unsafe. Instead, she’d embraced it. He normally liked to do all the driving but he had to admit he found it nice to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Michelle took advantage of the limits of the car without overstepping the bounds of the law.

His stomach growled. It had been a long time since their rushed drive through breakfast.

“Is that you making all that noise over there?”

He rolled his head towards Michelle. Her eyes were still closed but there was a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.

“As a matter of fact it is, smartypants.”

She opened her eyes and grinned. “I’m hungry too.”

“Then I’d say it’s time for some food.” He pulled the cooler toward him. Opening it, he removed a clear plastic-wrapped sandwich and handed it to her. “Ham and cheese on wheat or if you prefer it ham and provolone on a Kaiser.”

“Ham and cheese on wheat sounds great.”

He handed her the sandwich along with a small bag of chips and a can of drink. Then chose his own. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

“Ty?”

“Hmm?” he said around a bite of sandwich.

“Will you tell me why you got so upset earlier about me asking about you staying here?”

The food stuck in his throat. He had to force it down in a gulp. He should have known she’d ask. Michelle wasn’t the type to pretend a problem didn’t exist. “My family lived here during the summer sometimes.” He heard her shift but he focused on the waves hitting the beach.

“So what was bad about that?”

“When I say lived here, I mean in a tent under a pier or in a vacant house.’

“Why? Did your father lose his job?”

Ty chuckled, the sound dry and bitter. “I’ve never known my father to have a job in the traditional sense of the word.”

He’d told few people about his parents. In fact, he’d found it easier when he’d been in college and med school just to say they had died. But it felt good to be telling Michelle the truth. Saying it, having it out in the open was cleansing. Also he was sure the information wouldn’t go beyond Michelle. Even if it did, did it matter any more?

“Something like that. My dad took seasonal jobs and occasionally my mother would also.”

“So you’ve never live in a house of your own?”

“Not really. I stayed with my grandparents for a couple of years while I was finishing high school and after that there were dorms and a mattress on the floor, whatever I could find.”

“I didn’t know people still lived like that.”

“You’d be surprised by the number of people that live their whole life as transients,” Ty said as he watched a seagull work himself closer for some food.

“Do your parents still move from place to place?”

This was harder than he’d thought it would be. “I guess. I’ve not seen them in seven years. They showed up when my grandfather died. I don’t know how anyone got in touch with them but there they were.”

“You don’t get along?” she asked in a low voice.

“It’s not so much that we don’t get along as it is that we don’t share the same beliefs.” Even though he answered Michelle’s questions he still wasn’t being as forthcoming as he could be, but he needed to say it and she needed to hear it.

“As in religion?”

“No, it’s more that they don’t believe in traditional medicine and I’m a doctor. They are not impressed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it really doesn’t matter.”

“I think by your tone of voice that it does matter. It would matter to me. What my mother thinks is important to me.” She said nothing for a few minutes. “So you decided at sixteen that you would become a doctor and went to live with your grandparents?”

“Something like that,” he murmured.

“What’re you not telling me?”

Michelle had gotten to know him so well, but he couldn’t tell her about Joey. Couldn’t admit that he’d let his brother die. “Nothing.”

“Yes, there is. I can hear it in your voice.”

His heart constricted and he let out a heavy breath. What would she think when he told her? How could she not think less of him? Be disappointed. “You won’t let it go until you hear the whole sordid story, will you? If you must know, I had a younger brother. Joey had asthma. My parents thought it would get better with rubs and warm weather. After a while he got worse. My parents wouldn’t take him to the doctor. Even though I thought they should I didn’t say anything. Didn’t make them take him. I was there when he drew his last wheezing breath. Now you know it all.”

For a long time all he heard was the lap of the waves against the sand and the scream of seagulls and relived the pain.

Michelle’s hand came to rest on top of his, which lay on the chair arm. She stroked his fingers until he spread his so that hers weaved between his. For once in his life he felt as if someone understood his broken heart.

“I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”

Ty turned his hand and took hers in his. “I am too.”

They sat for a long time, neither of them saying a word. There was healing to just having Michelle’s touch.

“You’re getting burnt,” Ty said. “Let’s go in.”

Michelle didn’t feel like she was but she didn’t question him. She put their leftover stuff from lunch into the cooler. Ty stood and helped her to her feet. She reached for the chair.

“Leave it. We’ll get them later.” He picked up the cooler and took her hand as they walked back to the house.

While passing through the kitchen, he placed the cooler on the island. He led Michelle into the master bathroom. She didn’t ask any questions, seeming to understand that he didn’t want to talk. He turned on the shower and guided Michelle under it. She didn’t say anything as he stripped her suit off and then his own as they rinsed. Turning off the water, he snatched a towel from the rack and dried Michelle’s hair then her body.

“There’s a robe in that closet,” he said, indicating a small door with his chin. He flipped the towel over his shoulder and pulled it across his back. Michelle put on a robe and handed him the other. He shrugged into his and followed her into the bedroom. She opened the door, letting in the breeze, and stood on the threshold. Pushing her damp hair away from her face, she looked out towards the ocean.

Ty came to stand behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. There was something about holding Michelle that made the sadness of his childhood disappear. That made him think that, with her, happiness might be possible.

They watched as a spring storm darkened the sky and slowly rolled towards them. As the first drop of rain hit the deck, Ty stepped backwards, taking Michelle along with him. He kept moving until the bed hit him behind the knees. Letting go of her long enough to remove her robe and his, he pulled the covers back. Slowly they sank to the bed.

* * *

Hours later Michelle lay awake curled in Ty’s arms, looking out at the ocean. His breath brushed her cheek each time he exhaled.

Their lovemaking had been extraordinary. The passion had been powerful, searing and exquisite. Ty had taken his time to bring her close to the pinnacle and had then held her there, only to let her slide down to send her upwards again. She had never felt more worshiped, cherished, as if he was making sure that she had no doubt who was loving her. Had he intended to brand her with his mark, ruining her for anyone else?

Still he whispered nothing about the future.

A few minutes later he woke up. She felt his lips on her shoulder and his length pressed against her bottom. “I have no strength where you are concerned,” he uttered in a rough, sleep-laden voice.

She smiled. There was nothing like being wanted. It was a perfect moment and she sought to capture it and never let it go but she had her heart to consider. It would burst as sure as a glass shattering on the floor but she had to know. Had to prepare.

“Ty.”

“Mmm.”

“What’re we doing?”

He kissed her earlobe. “You mean you don’t know?” His fingers trailed along the curve of her hip.

She rolled over to face him. “I mean us. Where does this go?”

His eyes flickered with something she couldn’t put a name to before he grinned.

“Ma belle, can’t we just have some fun together while I’m here? Enjoy each other. See where that leads.”

She already had an idea of where things would go. She’d be left behind to stitch up her gaping wounds while he rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle. But she couldn’t resist him. She’d learned that life was too short not to grab happiness when she could. Right now she wanted to seize that with Ty. Live a little. No, live a lot. “I guess so.”

He kissed her and made her forget about everything but the moment.

Some time later Ty said, “Why don’t we stay here tonight? My case is the late one and yours is too. We could drive back early in the morning. We could eat fresh seafood and enjoy the sunset. What do you think?”

Why not? She’d decided to live some and today she was going to do that. “Sure. That sounds like fun. But we’ll have to be on the road early.”

“Sure thing.” He had such a boyish grin on his face she was glad she’d agreed to stay. He gave her a kiss on the lips before he got out of bed. “I’ll get what we need if you want to stay here and call your mother.”

He knew her far too well. “That would be nice. I’d like to check in with her and the hospital.”

CHAPTER NINE

T
Y
LAY
IN
bed with Michelle curled against him. He lightly stroked her bare hip as she slept. The last few weeks had been wonderful. The best he could remember.

They had spent every minute together outside work. A number of times they had shared dinner with Michelle’s mother at her house. The more often he sat in the cozy kitchen with the mother and daughter over a hot home-cooked meal the more those old feelings of the need to belong pulled at him.

Michelle had even joined him at Buster’s when the band had played one weekend. There had been a number of curious eyes as they’d entered the bar but soon Michelle had joined the other staff members and blended in as if she had always been one of them. The two of them had even returned to the beach cottage for an entire weekend.

Michelle continued to give generously in her lovemaking and he’d rewarded her in return. The days had been nothing but pure bliss as far as he was concerned. Better than he deserved. But the nagging thought persisted that it couldn’t last. He wasn’t the guy to depend on, to trust when the going got tough. Michelle needed someone strong and sure who could be there for her no matter what came her way. She deserved that much.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” He jiggled Michelle lightly.

“Hi, there,” she muttered into his shoulder, which she was currently using as a pillow. He liked the fact she had to touch him when she slept. He found he liked a number of things about Michelle. If he had been a different man, he could be comfortable with her forever.

He’d sworn he wouldn’t allow himself to develop those feelings. He couldn’t let Michelle know how much he cared. It would only hurt her more when he left. Who was he trying to kid? It was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done to leave her. But they both knew the deal. Michelle had made her choice. He’d been nothing but up front with her.

Once during the past weeks she’d asked, “Have you thought about maybe taking a permanent job somewhere?”

“Not really.”

“What if one came open here? Would you consider staying?”

He’d kissed her and that had been the end of the conversation. She’d hinted a few additional times that she hoped he’d remain longer and he’d never made a comment one way or the other. He was dodging her questions, not wanting to take the joy out of their time together. Neither of them seemed to want to push a discussion about the future but it was racing towards them like a car at the Daytona 500 and it wouldn’t be waved off.