A Marriage In Wyoming (The Marshall Brothers 3) Page 3

  As Kim left them, Garrett rubbed the nape of his neck. “Acceptance is a hard enough lesson for an adult to learn, much less a teenager. This kind of situation poses a real test of faith.”

  “Faith isn’t the solution here.” Rachel took a deep breath, trying to curb her impatience at his approach to the problem. “We have to convince her that medical science can’t be ignored. It’s a fact that she has diabetes, a fact that she has to take insulin or suffer serious consequences. Faith won’t change those facts. There’s no other reasonable choice.”

  His brows drew together in a worried frown. “Easier said than done.”

  “It is a daunting prospect.” His obvious concern softened her mood, and she put her hand on his upper arm. “But you’ll take it a day at a time. An hour at a time.”

  The frown cleared and then he smiled at her. “That’s all we ever have to manage, in fact. This moment. Thanks for reminding me.”

  For a moment, she returned his smile, surrendering to the attraction she’d been resisting all day.

  Then she remembered his vocation and disconnected her gaze from his. “We should check on Lena. I hope she’s calmed down by now.”

  In fact, the girl had fallen asleep, curled on her side toward Justino, who sat next to the bed, holding her hand. When Rachel and Garrett entered, he eased his fingers free and came across the room to face them.

  “Tell me the truth,” he said, his young face set in grim lines. “Will Lena die from this diabetes?”

  When Garrett glanced at her, Rachel tilted her head to indicate that he should field the question.

  “The effects of untreated diabetes can be life threatening,” he told the boy. “What we have to do is convince Lena to take the medicine that will prevent those effects. It won’t be easy—at first anyway. But with care she can live to be a grandmother. Or a great-grandmother!”

  Justino sighed. “She has always hated getting shots at the doctor. But somehow she will manage. She’s strong. And I’ll help her.”

  Garrett gripped his shoulder. “I know you will. We’ll all be on Lena’s side, supporting her as she gets used to a new routine. And we have Dr. Vale here in town as an added bonus. She’ll be great backup.”

  Justino gave Rachel one of his rare smiles. “Maybe you will be more than backup,” he told her. “Maybe you will be the mother Lena doesn’t have.”

  *

  AFTER CALLING THE ranch to give everyone a report on Lena’s condition, Garrett sat down beside Rachel in the waiting room. He leaned over and spoke in a low voice. “You look terrified.”

  She stared straight ahead. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “When Justino said you could be the mother Lena lost. You went pale.”

  “I was startled, that’s all. Teenagers are usually more suspicious of adults.”

  “I think these two are grabbing at whatever resources they can reach. You’re going to be one of them.”

  Her expression relaxed slightly. “I’m glad to be Lena’s doctor. But I can’t step in as her mother. There’s a reason doctors don’t treat their own family—it’s called objectivity.”

  “Do you want kids some day?”

  Now she frowned at him. “I don’t know. Do you?”

  He nodded. “Definitely. Kids are fun.” Then he reconsidered. “But also scary. I guess I have to get past that somehow, to be useful to Lena.”

  “That’s the point of remaining objective,” Rachel said. “When you’re taking care of somebody, you focus on the facts and what can be done, not the emotions involved. It’s called equanimity—staying calm in the midst of a high-pressure situation. As one of my teachers suggested, ‘First, take your own pulse.’”

  “So that’s how you doctors manage. Must take lots of practice.”

  “Internship and residency are all about equanimity. The more cases you see, the better your control.”

  Garrett cocked his head. “And you like being in control.”

  “Are we still talking about medicine?”

  He grinned. “That’s up to you.”

  “Well, then, I admit I’m pretty much a control freak, professionally and personally. Life runs smoother that way.”

  “You’ve never encountered circumstances you couldn’t control?”

  “Of course I have,” she said, her tone sharp. Then she drew a deep breath. “Everybody does,” she said more calmly.

  “That’s good. For a minute there, I thought you were perfect.” When she laughed, he nodded. “There you go. I knew you’d have a great laugh.”

  Her lips parted in surprise, and her cheeks flushed. He wondered if he might get a flirtatious comeback.

  But in the next moment, she stood up abruptly. “I’m going to stretch my legs. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Before Garrett could say another word, she’d hurried out the door.

  *

  BETWEEN A TRIP to the restroom and a walk around the entire hospital, Rachel managed to waste half an hour she might have otherwise spent sitting with Garrett Marshall. Flirting with Garrett Marshall.

  Not that flirting was a skill she’d had much practice with—medical school and training hadn’t left a lot of time for romance.

  But Garrett wasn’t someone she wanted to think of in a romantic context anyway. She wasn’t going to fall for the cowboy type, no matter how ruggedly handsome he might be. Of course, Garrett was more than a cowboy. He was also a minister.

  And that was the real issue between them, one that couldn’t be resolved with any amount of flirting or getting better acquainted. As a pastor, Garrett Marshall counted on the effectiveness of prayer and the possibility of miracles. He led a church—a congregation of people who shared his convictions.

  But during her mother’s illness, Rachel had witnessed the damage such groups and their beliefs could do. In the wrong hands, religion became a tool for deception and greed. If it weren’t for her unquestioning faith in a corrupt con man, Sarah Vale might still be alive. While Rachel didn’t question the right of others to their devotion, she certainly didn’t intend to join them.

  By the time she returned to the waiting room, Lena had awakened. She was calm, though Rachel saw the fear of an uncertain future in her eyes. When her dinner arrived, she ate a few bites, which was a good sign. After a night on insulin, she would probably wake in the morning ready to finish her entire breakfast and more. Rachel said as much to Garrett on their way back to Bisons Creek.

  “I’m glad to hear her appetite will improve,” Garrett said. “She’s always been slender, but I didn’t realize until today that she was losing weight. I should have noticed.”

  “You wouldn’t necessarily recognize the signs,” Rachel assured him. “Unless something brought it to your attention.”

  “I hate leaving Lena in the hospital alone,” Justino said from the backseat. “She looked so scared.”

  Garrett blew out a breath. “I know. But she’s got the television for a diversion. She’ll probably fall asleep pretty fast.”

  “Can we go see her early in the morning?”

  “We’ll leave after breakfast.”

  Though Rachel didn’t have her bearings yet about locations in and around Bisons Creek, she was surprised when Garrett turned onto the Circle M Ranch drive before taking her to the clinic. He stopped the truck at the house to let Justino out.

  “Miss Caroline will have saved you some dinner,” he told the boy. “Try to take it easy tonight and not worry too much. Lena’s being well cared for and she’s getting better.”

  “I hope so.”

  “He doesn’t sound convinced.” Garrett drove back toward the ranch entrance. “I guess I can’t blame him.”

  “He would have stayed with her all night if you had let him,” Rachel said. “They’re very close for such a young couple.” She paused for a moment. “Did you want to talk to me about something? You could have dropped me off first.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “It occurred to me t
hat neither of us has had lunch or dinner. I thought maybe you’d be interested in getting something to eat.”

  “Oh.” The suggestion should have been simple enough, except for the combination of excitement and reluctance ambushing her brain. Garrett Marshall was way too appealing for her to spend a lot of time with. The last thing she wanted to do was get closer to him.

  “Is that a yes or a no?”

  Still, she was hungry. “Um, okay. Sure. Food sounds like a good idea.”

  “Great. We’ve got a diner here in town—the only restaurant, actually—where the cooking is really excellent. You might as well get familiar with it on your first day here.”

  “It is still my first day, isn’t it?” She sighed. “I haven’t even unpacked the car. Or gone to my apartment. That’s the way medicine is sometimes.”

  “We appreciate your being here for what was clearly an emergency.” He pulled the truck into a parking space beside a building with the sign Kate’s Diner. Then he looked over in the dim light and grinned. “The least I can do is buy you dinner on your first night in town.”

  Alarms went off in Rachel’s head—he made it sound way too much like a date. But she could hardly retreat at this point. Maybe she could talk him into splitting the check.

  Garrett opened the door for her, a courtesy that upped her discomfort level. Then he pulled out a chair at the table and invited her to sit. Short of staging a fight, there wasn’t much she could do other than take the seat he offered.

  She met his gaze directly as he sat down across the table. “This isn’t a date.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Not technically. No.”

  That response didn’t reassure her. “Not even remotely.”

  He folded his arms on the table. “Would it be such a bad idea?”

  “We aren’t a couple. Aren’t going to be a couple.”

  “That’s a pretty sweeping prediction. We only met this morning. Do you dislike me so much already?”

  She had to tell the truth. “No, of course not. But the two of us are incompatible.”

  “I disagree. I think we’ve had a good day together.”

  A pretty, brown-haired woman came to their table. “Hey, Garrett. Long time no see.”

  “Hi, Terri. Yeah, we’ve been pretty busy out on the ranch with the kids plus the regular chores. Let me introduce you to the newest citizen in town—this is Dr. Rachel Vale. She’ll be operating the Bisons Creek Medical Clinic.”

  Terri’s face brightened. “I heard we were getting a doctor. Welcome! It will be so great to be able to visit a clinic in town when one of the kids has an ear infection instead of driving half an hour just to get a prescription.”

  Rachel smiled. “I’m glad to be here. I look forward to helping you out when you need medical advice.”

  “I’ll be sure to call. But for right now, what can I get you two to drink?”

  “Water,” she and Garrett both said at the same time.

  “Got it.” Terri scribbled on her notepad. “We still have some of the special available, which is meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and Kate’s slow-cooked green beans. I’ll be back in a minute to take your orders.”

  “So,” Garrett said when the server had left, “you were going to tell me why we’re incompatible.”

  “We have different worldviews.” Rachel clasped her hands on the table. “As a minister, you operate on the assumption that faith will make things right. But as a doctor, I use science and facts to deal with the world.”

  Terri reappeared with a glass of water for each of them. “And what will you have to eat?”

  Once they both ordered the meat loaf, Rachel resumed her explanation. “People with such opposite perspectives can’t find common ground for a relationship.”

  Laughter sparked in his blue eyes. “Are you hoping to persuade me or yourself?”

  She glared at him. “You’re awfully sure I’m attracted to you, aren’t you?”

  “I wasn’t, till you started trying to convince me we can’t go on a simple date.”

  “There’s nothing simple about dating.”

  “So you’ve had some bad experiences?”

  “Hasn’t everybody had a bad date?”

  “Sure. A few years ago, I went out with a woman who brought her grandmother along with us to dinner.”

  Rachel had to laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “At first, I figured her grandmother just wanted to check me out. But when Nana showed up for the second go-round, I decided I’d had enough of the two-for-one program.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “Especially since Nana monopolized every conversation with details of her surgical adventures.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Can you top that?”

  “I don’t think so. Most of my bad dates were with guys who thought buying dinner entitled them to play doctor afterward.”

  “Rude.” He waited while Terri set their plates down and left again. “I promise to keep my hands to myself.” After a moment, he winked. “Tonight.”

  Rachel frowned at him. “You’re a problem.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes, giving the delicious food the appreciation it deserved. “At least now I know where to come for a decent meal,” she said when her hunger had been eased. “I don’t have to depend on peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.”

  “You’re not a cook?”

  “I can make a salad, boil pasta or bake a potato in the microwave. Being a doctor hasn’t offered much opportunity to develop complex cooking skills.”

  “So what do you do on your days off?”

  “There haven’t been many of those. But I usually go for a run if I’ve got an hour of daylight. And I like to read.”

  Garrett grinned at her. “See, we do have something in common. I like to read, too. What do you read?”

  “Not religious texts.”

  “We were talking about free time. And you’re determined to pigeonhole me, aren’t you?”

  She pushed her empty plate away. “I’m a doctor. That role defines my whole life. You’re a minister. Wouldn’t you say the same?”

  “But you’re also a runner and a reader. And probably a few other things I’ve yet to discover. I’m a minister, yes, but I also work on a ranch. I rode bucking broncs in the rodeo. I volunteer with at-risk kids. I’m a brother and soon to be a brother-in-law to a friend of yours. Do you have family?”

  Rachel swallowed hard. “No.”

  He studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “You lost somebody recently.”

  She shook her head. “Not so recent. My mom died two years ago.”

  “I’m sorry.” His voice was gentle. “You still miss her.”

  Just like that, tears stung her eyes. For something to do, Rachel picked up her glass and took a long swallow of water. Blinking hard, she said, “Sorry. I must be tired.”

  “No problem. Losing a parent is tough. If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll be glad to listen.”

  “That’s okay.” She sent him a forced smile. “I’m fine.”

  “Dessert?” Terri asked, appearing suddenly beside them. “We’ve got fresh lemon meringue pie.”

  The idea of so much sugar after a day spent dealing with diabetes didn’t appeal to Rachel. “Just some coffee, please.”

  “Me, too,” Garrett said. “Then I’ll help you get your car unloaded.”

  “No, please,” Rachel started. “I can manage—”

  “But it will go faster with two people working at it.” He winked again. “You can’t get rid of me. You might as well give in.”

  “Then you can let me take care of dinner.” When Terri put the check on the table, Rachel managed to get her fingers on it first. “So there.”

  He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I recognize when resistance is futile. But I will get even.”

  Darkness had fallen before they arrived at the clinic. Rachel stared through the truck window at the building she
’d visited only briefly this morning. “Seems like days ago I arrived.” She blew out a deep breath and turned to Garrett. “You should go home.”

  “Soon. You don’t even know where your apartment is, do you?”

  “Sure I do. Evans Street.”

  “How do you get there from here?”

  “Caroline sent me a map…”

  “Just get in your vehicle and let me lead the way. You can worry about maps tomorrow.”

  Suddenly too tired to protest, Rachel did as she was instructed. In five minutes, they pulled up at the curb in front of an older two-story house with a wraparound porch.

  Garrett came to her window. “This is it. You’ve got Caroline for an upstairs neighbor, though she’s not here much this summer. Luckily, the first-floor tenant moved out just at the right moment to give you a home.”

  “It seems to be a nice place.” She pulled the key she’d been sent out of her purse. “So far, so good.”

  The interior was cozy, filled with secondhand furniture that appeared comfortable, if a little dated and dusty. The kitchen was bigger than Rachel would need, the bathroom smaller than she would have preferred. “This will work for me,” she said as she and Garrett approached her car. “Compared to the places I lived during med school, it’s a palace.”

  He pulled a couple of suitcases out of the back of the SUV. “We make sacrifices when we really want something, don’t we?”

  She didn’t answer because it disturbed her that he understood what she’d been through without having to be told. He was altogether too easy to talk to, too perceptive and too easygoing. It would be better if he got angry or at least annoyed when she resisted him. Instead, he just smiled.

  In a few short minutes, all the belongings she’d labored to fit into her vehicle were set in convenient places around her new apartment. Garrett put the last box of books on the coffee table and straightened. “Do you have more stuff coming?”

  “No, this is it. I got rid of a lot of things before I left Seattle. I wanted to start new here.”

  “An admirable plan.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I should leave and let you settle in. Thanks again for helping out with Lena today—it made a big difference to have a doctor available to deal with this crisis. You’re going to be a real benefit to this community.”