Carol Steward - Second Time Around

After the sports segment ended, Kevin switched off the TV, immediately deafened by the silence. He turned it on again and tossed the remote control onto the sofa, then retreated into his office. He clicked on the radio, hoping the noise would drown out the emptiness so he could concentrate on work.

He had already waited a week past the deadline to hear from the clinic regarding the renovations. If they wanted to break ground in a month, a decision had to be made soon. He couldn’t afford to put off other projects much longer.

Having spent a year looking for the right project to launch a commercial branch, he couldn’t believe it when he learned the best prospect would mean facing Emily on a daily basis. This decision came with a bucketful of mixed emotions. He’d almost backed away because of her; yet Bryan had convinced him to go through with it, even agreed to remain a silent partner to show his support and assure Kevin that he’d have the money necessary. They both knew Kevin couldn’t manage the financial end without Bryan’s investment. There was a lot riding on this bid. It was one thing to jeopardize his own financial security, but Bryan’s and his employees’ was another issue altogether.

The renovation of Sonshine Medical Clinic was a high-profile project with a strong emotional tie to the community. Even if Kevin lost money, if all went well, it would bring in more work than his growing company could manage. He wasn’t going to get anywhere in this business by playing it safe. His dad’s experience had proven that. In order to prove to himself and his family that he could have kept the family business going after his father’s death, he had to do this, and succeed. Nothing was going to stand in his way. MacIntyre Construction would make it to the top, and stay there.

He looked at the note Bryan had given him and read the verse from the Book of Proverbs: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Kevin shook his head, trying to maintain his optimism. If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out. Think positively.

Kevin perched himself on the edge of the chair, the clinic’s blueprints spread across his drafting table. He took a deep breath and let it out, struggling to get his mind back on business. He looked at his changes. “Okay. We’ll have to open this wall to do the extra wiring.” He jotted notes to contact subcontractors as he went along. His eyes roamed down the sketch to the office with “Dr. Emily” in the corner. His mind drifted back to the day he went to visit Laura in the hospital and ran head-on into his past…

“If you’ll excuse us, sir.” Emily had said. No hello. Just that phony smile plastered across her face. Her disposition was as bristly as steel wool. Trying to ignore Emily, he had joked with Laura, leaving the poor patient in tears because it hurt to laugh after her abdominal surgery. Emily had mistaken Laura’s tears for her feelings having been hurt, and the doctor had actually scolded him. So much for bedside manner.

Even angry, she’d attracted him. Affected him. Made him look at the years without her and see how empty life was. He faced the truth—he’d been living a superficial and indulgent existence. After nearly eight years apart, merely seeing Emily had changed his life—again.

Kevin slapped the ruler onto the paper and drew in the new wall. It’s strictly business, Emily. Strictly business. He tried to erase the image of the unforgettable redhead from his mind. He didn’t need to be reminded of the pain. Hers, or his. Eight years was a long time.

He had changed. The past was over. And love was out of the question—something to be avoided at all costs.

But handing my troubles to God just isn’t as easy as it sounds.

The phone rang, and Kevin let the answering machine do its job, glad the volume was turned down. He was in no mood to talk to anyone. The machine clicked off, and he returned to work. A couple of hours later he decided to call it a night. On the way through the kitchen, he pushed Play on the recorder, and was puzzled by the final message.

Kevin rewound the tape and played the last message again.

“How could you?” the woman’s voice said.

“Emily?” He sat down at his desk and dialed the only listing in her name, but was intercepted by the clinic’s answering service. She wasn’t the doctor on call. He tried to explain the situation, only the receptionist wouldn’t give out a home number.

He thought of calling Laura and Bryan to get her number, then realized it was far too late to call anyone. Besides, Laura would never give up her task as matchmaker if she knew he was trying to reach Emily.

That night Kevin slept fitfully, pondering what exactly she had meant by her message. How could I what? Could she have found out he was bidding on the job? No, that couldn’t be the case. They couldn’t reveal names on a silent bid. Unless they’d already hired another contractor. No, he couldn’t even consider that.

If he didn’t get the bid, he’d be furious she found out he had even been interested in the project. Knowing the way women think, she’d jump to the conclusion that he’d done it to be near her. Not a chance. It was business, pure and simple.

By dawn, he was just plain mad. He wondered why she thought she should have any say in his life at all. It was still too early to reach Emily at the office, and he had plenty to do before the clinic opened, anyway. After breakfast, he loaded his briefcase, tossed it into the cab of his truck and headed to the job site.

Kevin inspected the equipment, gave directions to get the workers going, then went into his pickup and pulled out his cellular phone. He called his office manager, relieved that she had a message for him to call the clinic director. Kevin called right away, encouraged when the director wanted to set up a meeting as soon as possible.

When Kevin asked to speak to Dr. Berthoff, though, he had no better luck getting hold of her than he had had the previous night. He considered leaving his mobile number, but decided against it. Sounds like it won’t be long before I’ll have plenty of opportunity to talk to her.

After getting the crew started on the two houses they were finishing, Kevin left for the clinic. Trying not to be overly confident, he gathered his courage and walked inside. He was escorted through the lobby, down dingy halls, and into the director’s office.

“Kevin, I’m glad you called.” The balding gentleman pumped Kevin’s arm enthusiastically and motioned for him to sit down in the vinyl-upholstered armchair. Kevin could see why they were renovating. Run-down didn’t begin to describe the place.

An hour later he walked out of the meeting with a new contract that would drastically change his life, one way or another. If all went as planned, he’d be doubling his staff size within the year. If not, he’d be jumping into the market looking for a new employer himself.

He turned left and headed to the lobby.

“Kevin?”

He’d know that voice anywhere.

Pivoting, he realized he must have taken a wrong turn and ended up near the examination rooms. Emily and another doctor stood shoulder to shoulder, having been reading a chart. He looked at the man, then to Emily, then back again.

“Excuse me, Bob. Unless you need this immediately, could we finish discussing it later?”

Kevin watched as the doctor assessed him. “Sure, why not over lunch?”

Emily’s gaze met Kevin’s as she gave the preppy doctor a curt response. “You know why not.”

As if her punch needed help, Kevin mumbled sympathetically to Bob, “I wouldn’t let it keep you up nights.”

Emily paused momentarily to scold him with her eyes, then motioned for Kevin to follow her. There was a tilt to the corners of her lips, but he could say with certainty that it wasn’t a welcoming look. “How are you, Kevin?”