Shelley Galloway - The Mommy Bride

“I’m with a private physician one day a week, then spend the rest of the time in the emergency room at the hospital.”

“And then you’ll be up at the high school, working with the kids?”

“When I can.” He shrugged off his crazy schedule like it was no big deal. “What about you?”

“Oh, I have pretty much the same schedule every day. On most days I work from eight to three. On Wednesdays I go in early and leave around noon.”

“Then you’re off to your other job, huh?”

He’d lost her. “What do you mean?”

“Being a mom?”

Glancing in her son’s direction, Claire couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. Lately, that’s been just as challenging.”

“If you handle motherhood like Deanna, I’d say you’re doing all right. I had a chance to visit with her after I got Taylor patched up. She’s a nice lady who really cares about her kids.”

“I agree.” Remembering Deanna and the tumble of emotions that the woman brought forth, Claire shook her head. “I hope they’ll be okay. I gave her the name of a shelter.”

“She mentioned that. If I had to guess, I’d say her luck was about to change.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know. Something tells me there’s more to her than meets the eye. Some people are kind of like my house, a little rundown, but inside, they’re in pretty good shape.”

Claire laughed at the analogy. “Your place is like that, doctor? And here I thought you’d have a manicured lawn and organized cupboards.”

“That’s not me at all. I have very little in my cupboards, which is a good thing, because Maisy would probably find a way to get into them and chew everything in sight.”

Wes joined them right at that minute. “Who’s Maisy?”

“My dog. She’s an old golden retriever.”

“I love dogs,” Wes said. Over his head, Claire shared a smile with Ty. Wes’s dream had always been to have a dog of his own.

“Maybe one day you’ll get a chance to meet her,” Ty said offhandedly. “If you two do get the chance to meet, I’m sure the feeling will be mutual. Maisy loves everyone.”

Their chili came. Claire picked at hers. She’d never been one to totally love the chili-spaghetti-cheese-and-onion combo that everyone else in the city seemed to crave. Of course, it didn’t really matter what was on her plate, anyway. The reason she was at Skyline was to make Wes happy.

With a lump in her throat, Claire realized Wes was having the time of his life. He really liked being around Ty. And Ty, for his part, seemed to know all the right things to say to her son.

She couldn’t help but notice how skillfully Ty guided the conversation with Wes, discussing dogs and wrestling and video games with an ease she never had.

After a half hour of conversation, the check came. She’d just pulled out a twenty when Ty stood up to go pay at the counter. “Put that away. This is my treat.”

“I can pay our way.”

“It’s just chili. You can pay next time.”

Claire was just about to fumble her way through—not being sure there was going to be a next time—when Wes spoke up. “Mom likes to cook.”

Ty’s blue eyes issued a challenge. “How about you invite me over for dinner someday?”

Claire didn’t trust herself to reply. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, she’d do something stupid, like actually offer an invitation. The next thing she knew, she’d be thinking about a real date with Ty. And that would be a huge mistake.

Unfortunately, her son had no such reservations. “How about next Saturday night?”

Claire’s stomach rolled as Ty grinned. “How about next Saturday night, Claire? Would you like to have dinner together then?”

She glanced at Wes. Once again, she saw hope in his eyes. He liked Ty—he liked him a lot. And, well, she couldn’t buy him iPods or new furniture, but she could cook Ty dinner, right?

True desperation engulfed her, making her feel anxious and…excited? “Sure. Why not? Next Saturday night would be fine.”

“Girl, you’ve got a date with a doc-tor,” Lynette sang to Claire when the waiting room was empty for the first time since they’d started their shift.

“He’s a resident.”

“Shoot, that counts! You just raised yourself a good two feet, in my estimation.” She paused, looking Claire over with her famous dark-as-night eyes. “Or just lowered yourself into my black book. Everyone knows doctors are egotistical jerks.”

Everyone who knew Lynette Brown knew that her “black book” was the opposite of the proverbial bachelor’s. Inside her book were lists of people she didn’t care to associate with.

Well, so she said.

“Yep, as soon as I get out my pen, I’m going to have to hover it over the Gs and once again weigh the pros and cons of your clearheaded thinking.” Pursing her lips, she added, “Or lack thereof.”

Claire didn’t know whether to burst out laughing or to hit Lynette with the file folder she was carrying. She settled for doing her best to maintain dignity. One of them had to do that, after all. “Stop.”

“No way! This is the most exciting thing I’ve heard about since Jobeth over in radiology announced she was having twins!”

Jobeth’s news had been good. This news was…strange. “Let’s just drop it, can we?”

“Not on your life.”

“Now I’m sorry I told you.”

“I’m not.” Waggling her freshly waxed eyebrows, Lynette whispered, “What else you got going in that top-secret life of yours? You inherit a bunch of money, too?”

“My life’s not top secret.”

“It feels that way. You never give me any news.”

That was because there wasn’t any news to tell. Usually, she liked it that way, too.

Claire couldn’t even joke about her situation. From the moment she’d said yes last Saturday night she’d felt like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff, just one more misstep and she’d fall through the air. It was only because Ty was coming over the following evening—tomorrow night!—that she’d broken her normal code of silence.

Which had not been a good idea. Lynette’s ribbing had been constant and full of mischief.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Forget I even told you.”

“No way. This is the first time I’ve ever heard you knew people of the opposite sex. Most days, you never even notice when a man comes waltzing in our double doors.”

“I’m not that bad.”

“Pretty close.” Glancing toward the doors fondly, Lynette murmured, “Remember Hunk-O-Man?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sakes. Not Hunk-O-Man again.”

“Why not? He was the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen in this Petri dish of a waiting room. Blond, blue-eyed, tan. Tall. Cover-model worthy.”

Claire had to admit Hunk-O-Man had been memorable. Especially since he’d only come in with a jammed thumb—nothing infectious. And when they’d found out he’d hurt himself while climbing onto his neighbor’s roof to fix a broken shingle, he’d gone down in waiting-room history as Lynette’s model of the perfect man. Rugged and thoughtful.

Still talking, Lynette said, “I thought we were pretty close, but I’ve never, ever heard you talk about going on a date.”

“That’s because I don’t date. I’m a widow, remember?”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re doing something. Finally. And if it has to be with Dr. Ty I’m-handsome-as-sin Slattery, so be it.”

Claire was saved from a reply by the arrival of an elderly couple sick with the flu and a teenager who’d cut his knees in a bike accident. Dutifully, she escorted them to a semi-private cubicle and took down their vital information.

But in between, she kept thinking back to the heart of what Lynette had been saying. Why now? Why Ty?