Iris Johansen - Pandora's Daughter

Don't just stand here. Get packed and go to the airport. She was sleeping now and it would offer him an opportunity to ease her gently into a frame to accept him. While he was on the plane, he'd concentrate on slowly trying to let Megan become aware of him on a subconscious level and cause the link to strengthen.

And God help both of them.

LORD, SHE FELT GOOD, Megan thought as she stepped beneath the shower. Her mind was clear and she felt brimming with energy. Perhaps it was the extra sleep she had gotten. She had slept for ten hours and that was uncommon for her. Maybe that accident last night had upset her more than she'd thought. All she'd been aware of at the time had been anger and later a sense of helplessness that had been even more infuriating.

Stop analyzing and forget about it. That creep who'd tried to run her off the road wasn't worth worrying about. Let the police take care of him. She had a life to lead and it would be a good life, dammit.

Phillip looked up with a smile as she came into the kitchen. "You look full of vim and vigor." He studied her. "And optimism?"

"Why not?" She poured a bowl of cornflakes. "Everything seemed pretty gloomy last night, but I can't go around practicing medicine the way everyone else wants me to do it. I'm doing what's right for me and what I believe is right for my patients. If the hospital kicks me out because I don't fit their mold, I'll go volunteer to work with AIDS patients in Africa. Screw what anyone else thinks."

"I'll second that." He handed her the milk. "You just seemed a little depressed last night. I didn't expect you to bounce back so soon. You're not prone to mood swings. At least, I didn't notice if you are. You're not, are you?"

She shook her head.

"No nightmares?"

"No." She shrugged. "And they say sleep brings counsel. I certainly slept enough last night." She started to eat. "If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late picking up Davy. I have the day off and I promised to take him to the zoo this afternoon after preschool. Could I borrow your Camry until I can arrange to pick up a rental car?"

"Sure." He handed her the car keys. "But you could use a little more rest. You've been burning the candle at both ends for the last couple weeks. You could beg off."

"I don't want to beg off. Davy doesn't get that much attention from Scott or Jana these days. They're too involved in making their marriage work." She shook her head. "Scott tries to ignore the fact that Davy is another man's son but it gets in the way. And Jana is a good mother, but she wants to enjoy being a wife right now."

"So you're mothering the little boy."

"No, he has a mother. I wouldn't try to replace Jana. But love doesn't have to have a name or a title. Davy's a sweet kid and four-year-olds don't have a problem with accepting affection wherever they can get it."

"You should have a child of your own."

"That would be nice." She looked down at her cereal. "Maybe in a decade or so. Providing I can find the right guy."

"And what do you call 'right'? Whatever happened to that young man you were dating in school?" He frowned. "What was his name…?"

"Julio Medera."

"Ah, yes. Very intense and smoldering. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off you. The passionate Latin lover type. Is that what appeals to you?"

"Passion appeals to most women." Her curious gaze lifted to his face. "I can't remember you ever asking me about my love life before. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No way."

"I'm out of school now and I could get an apartment near the hospital. I should probably think about it."

"Don't you dare. You wouldn't want to leave an old crock like me alone. I'd probably just fade away into the sunset." He smiled gently. "We're family, Megan. If there comes a time when you want to go, then I'll help you. But don't be in a hurry. These years have been too good for both of us."

She nodded. "I just wondered why you were talking about love and marriage and babies. It's not like you."

"Perhaps I decided we should talk more about what we think, how we're feeling."

She made a face. "Phillip, I talk entirely too much about how I feel about things. Ad nauseam. I'm not going to put you through any more whining."

"You never whine."

"You say that because you love me." Her smile faded. "Thank God. Have I ever told you how much that means to me? That's what we should be talking about." She pushed back her chair. "And your personal life. If I remember correctly, you haven't had a date since I started my internship."

He grinned. "But I have the excuse of my advancing age."

"Bull."

He chuckled. "I certainly hope you're right." His smile faded. "What did happen to your Julio?"

"Too intense." She turned toward the door but glanced back over her shoulder. "What are all these questions about? Nightmares. Mood swings. My nonexistent love life. You haven't been so curious about my doings since the first few years we began to live together. Why are you being so nosy?"

"You shook me up last night," he said quietly. "I almost lost you. I guess it occurred to me that I should take more interest in the little things." He smiled. "I figured maybe I was neglecting my duty."

She felt a warm surge of affection. "Duty doesn't mean anything. You give me love and that's a hundred times more important." She waved at him as she went out the door. Her smile faded as she crossed the driveway to the Camry.

She hadn't meant to be evasive but she still had a problem talking about Julio. She had hurt him and the guilt had never left her. He had mistaken passion for love and she should have been more careful. The remorse had been so intense it had kept her from plunging into any other relationship. She had been tempted any number of times because she'd discovered sex was an outlet that took away the pain and tension when emotion ran too high. But it wasn't fair to take when it hurt the giver.

First, do no harm.

The first rule of the Hippocratic oath she had taken such a short time ago. A smile curved her lips as she began to back out of the driveway. Not exactly the loftiest application to that creed, but honor was honor.

But now she had to forget about both Phillip's unexpected fixation on her love life. Young Davy was waiting for her and that was the only thing that was important today.

LORD, SHE WAS WONDERFUL, Grady thought.

Standing there before the elephant enclosure, bending down to talk to the small boy, Megan was everything he'd known she could be. She was smiling and she seemed to draw all the light to her on this cloudy day. At fifteen she'd been slight and straight as a board, but she'd still had that smile that was part mischief and part breathless anticipation. Now there was maturity in her body and warmth and loving understanding in that smile.

He could see how the little boy responded, laughing, and drawing closer to her. Who could blame him?

Stop standing here staring at her, remembering what Megan had been and what she was right now.

Think about what she could be.

Do what you have to do.

"MAY I RIDE THE ELEPHANT?" Davy asked. "I bet he'd like me."

"I'm sure he would." Megan offered him her popcorn. "But I don't think they let little boys ride the animals. Maybe we could go to the petting zoo instead."

"I want the elephant. All they have there are boring goats and stuff." Davy's endearingly hoarse voice was filled with disgust. "Not even a gorilla."

"How terrible." She tried to think of an alternative. Davy was not a whiner but he could be stubborn once he got an idea in his head. "I don't know why they didn't recruit King Kong for you. What about riding the train?"

"I guess that would be okay." He looked longingly at the elephant. "If you're sure they won't let me ride-"