Acadian Waltz (13 page)

“Drop dead.”

He smirked.
“Only if you give me that ring, and the man who goes with it.” Steve whirled
around and headed for my office door.

“Hello, Jean
Marc,” I said after Steve firmly closed the door behind him.

“Hello, Nora.”
His delectable voice came over the line, making my insides warm over. “I was
calling to give you some good news.”

I glimpsed the
large diamond on my hand. “I could use some good news.”

“I got your
uncle working at the house.” I could hear the happiness in his voice. “Mother
was the one who suggested it. She’s been bugging me to send out a handyman for
a while, and told me to hire Jack for the job.” He paused and I could hear
another phone ringing in the background. “I think it will be good for both of
them. Give Jack something to do and Mother someone to look after.”

“Jean Marc, that
sounds wonderful.” I sighed with relief. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me.
My mother is the one who insisted on the arrangement.” He paused and I could
hear the shuffle of papers. “I’m just glad that everyone is happy. Jack came
over to the house this morning and my mother had a long list for him. She’ll
pay him out of her house funds, and we don’t need to worry about the insurance
company anymore.”

“Jean Marc, I
don’t know what to say.” I could feel my heart beating a little faster as I
listened to his deep voice over the phone.

“I’m just glad I
could help out.”

“You have been
so good to him, and to me. I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, well…” He
became very quiet and I could hear other voices in the background.

“I ran into
Henri a few weeks ago at my stepfather’s jewelry store. Apparently, he is a
pretty good customer there. He says he’s doing well,” I told him.

“I wouldn’t
know.” The cool, hard voice was back. “Henri and I haven’t spoken since I came
back from Texas over twelve years ago.”

An uncomfortable
silence hovered between us. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” I
finally admitted.

“No, it’s my
fault. I don’t like to talk about my brother.”

I removed the
ring from my finger, suddenly feeling encumbered by it. “I understand. I don’t
like talking about my mother.”

That made him
laugh; a heartfelt laugh that sent a pleasurable tingle through my body. “Yes, Claire
is a piece of work.” His laughter abated and again the silence loomed. “Well,
I’d better let you get back to your job. I know you must be busy, and then you
have your wedding to plan.”

I placed the
ring on my desk. “Yes, I have that.”

“Why don’t you
come by the house this Sunday? You can check on Jack, and I know Mother would
love to see you. She hasn’t seen you in years.”

“I would like
that, Jean Marc.”

“I want to see
you again, Nora.” The voices in the background began getting louder. “I, ah,
have to go. Bye, Nora.” He abruptly hung up.

I sat there
holding on to the receiver as his words replayed in my head. I wasn’t sure how
long I was lost in my thoughts before a sudden loud rap on my door startled me.
I looked up to see the door to my office open.

“Sorry to
disturb you, Ms. Kehoe,” Steve began trying to sound uncharacteristically
professional. “But there is a gentleman here to see you.”

“I don’t know
any gentleman, Steve.”

I stood from my
desk as John stepped out from behind Steve.

“Hello, Nora.”
John moved toward my desk.

I quickly picked
up my ring and placed it back on my finger. 

Steve was
standing behind John, holding his hand to his chest and mouthing the words,
“I’m in love.”

“Thank you,
Steve,” I commented, trying not to laugh.

John, fortunately,
did not turn around to see Steve sending several rather obscene gestures my
way.

“This is a
surprise,” I said, taking in John’s wrinkled scrubs and tennis shoes. His hair
seemed a little windblown and he had his usual five o’clock shadow, despite it
being only eight in the morning.

He sank into the
chair across from my desk. “Keating, the faculty head of the emergency room for
LSU, sent me home for the day.”

I sat down in my
chair. “Why did he send you home?”

“Too many fish
in the pond. He had more residents than he knew what to do with. Several first
years started rotating through the ER today, so he told me to take the day
off.”

I noted the dark
circles under his eyes. “Why don’t you go home and get some sleep?”

He shook his
head. “Nah, I got three hours last night in the lounge. It was slow in the ER
for a change.”

“How can you
keep going on so little sleep?”

“You get used to
it during your residency. Most of us feel great after two or three hours. It’s
just the way of it in medicine; no one sleeps, no one eats, no one has a life.”

I perused the
arrangement of charts and budget proposals on my desk. “I would love to take
the day off with you and play hooky, but I’m up to my elbows.” I motioned
across the desk with my hand.

“I didn’t come
by to ask you to play hooky. I’m on my way to your mother’s house. She needs
someone to help her with some decisions about the wedding.”

“Since when does
Mother need help deciding anything?”

He grinned at
me. “She left a message at the house this morning, but she must have called
after you left for work.”

I fidgeted in my
chair. “No, I just didn’t pick up the phone. She’s been calling my cell phone
for days. I’ve been avoiding her.”

His gray eyes
peered into mine. “She seems to think you’re not interested in planning our
wedding.”

“John, my job
here has been rather hectic lately. I really haven’t had time to think about
our wedding.”

“I figured it
was something like that.” He leaned forward in his chair, looking very serious.
“Why don’t you get another job?” I opened my mouth to object, but he stopped
me. “You don’t need the money anymore. I make plenty for both of us, and you
will need your free time to plan the wedding, set up our new home, and get
settled.”

I rose from my
chair. “I like my job,” I angrily asserted.

“Yes, but you
don’t need it anymore. I think it’s time you slow down a bit; get another job
working less hours, or at least something that is less stressful.”

I went around to
the front of the desk. “It took me over two years to get this position, John. I
worked my ass off in the physical therapy department before the surgeons
trusted me enough to take over the total joint program. I can’t just walk
away.”

“Nora, everyone
can be replaced, even you. Your orthopedic guys can find someone else to oversee
their hip and knee replacements. It can’t be that hard to do.”

A wave of
outrage mixed with stomach acid churned inside of me. “John, I like to work. It
gives me purpose and a sense of accomplishment.”

He stood from
his chair and came to my side. “Nora, you will feel differently when our
children come along. Then you will want to stay home and take care of them. All
women do. They will be your sense of purpose and your accomplishment.”

“I’m not just a
breeding machine, John! I can think. I can create, and I certainly intend on
working, even after we have children.”

He put his hands
on my shoulders. “All right.” His voice became soft and soothing. “Calm down,
Nora. All I’m saying is perhaps you should consider changing jobs, or at least
asking if you can cut your hours here.”

“If and when I
choose to change jobs or cut my hours, I’ll make that decision, is that clear?”

“But at least
start looking into some other options. I don’t want my wife looking tired all
the time.” He kissed my cheek.

“I don’t look tired
all of the time,” I refuted.

“Nora, you
haven’t really looked at yourself in the mirror lately. You look tired and
drained, like you have a lot on your mind. I want a beautiful bride, not a
shell of a woman.” He stood back from me. “I promise you will be much happier
when you aren’t working so hard.” He waved to me and then turned for my office
door. “I’ll tell Claire you’ve been too busy to call,” he added over his
shoulder as he left my office.

Steve
immediately entered my office, looking backwards toward John as he made his way
down the corridor.

“Oh, the
inhumanity,” Steve cried out and pretended to faint on my office floor.

I looked over at
him sprawled out in front of my desk. “Get up, you ass.”

“Don’t say ass.”
He jumped to his feet and fastidiously began dusting off his pants. “Makes me
think of that fine little number that just left here.”

I returned to my
desk. “It’s not as fine as you think. It comes with a lot of bullshit attached
to it.” I plopped into in my chair and sighed.

He curled his thin
lips into a sardonic smile. “Trouble in paradise, eh? What did he say?”

“He wants me to
get another job. Says I work too hard at this one.”

Steve folded his
arms over his chest. “He wants wifey home, barefoot, and pregnant with the
brood.”

I glanced down
again at the paperwork on my desk. “Something like that, yes.”

“What did you
say?”

I continued to
stare at my paperwork. “I’m still thinking.”

Steve walked
toward my open office door. “Well, kiddo, it’s your life. The key to living it
is not to listen to anyone who tells you how to live it.”

“Including a
husband?”

“He ain’t your
husband yet.” Steve chuckled, and then he quickly shut the door behind him.

Chapter 10

The following
Sunday John was to join me for brunch with Mother and Lou. Mother had insisted
that John start being a part of the weekly ritual since he was soon to become a
member of the family. When he arrived at my parents’ uptown home fresh from a
full night of work, he looked completely worn out.

“You sure you’re
up for this?” I questioned when I opened the leaded glass front door.

“I’m fine. I got
an hour or two of sleep before I came over.” He put his arm about my waist as
we stepped through the doorway.

I put my purse
down on the table by the door. “You look like you’re going to fall flat on your
face. Maybe we should keep the brunch brief today. No going over wedding plans
or anything.”

John shook his
head. “Your mother has got several things she needs to discuss with us today. I
assured her I would be here to work it all out.”

I turned to the
ornate rosewood-inlaid foyer that led to the living room. “All right. Let’s
hurry up and get this over with.”

But my mother
was determined to enjoy every moment of planning the wedding, as I found out
when we sat down to eat at the compulsory mahogany dining table a short while
later.

“Now I was
thinking something along the lines of a deep red brushed velvet for the
bridesmaids, and gray morning suits for all of the groomsmen,” Mother began as
she spread out two different swatch samples on the table.

I gawked at my
mother, and pushed away my untouched plate of eggs and grits. “Velvet in
September? The bridesmaids will pass out with heatstroke.” I reached for my
glass of orange juice.

“But velvet
looks so good in the pictures,” Mother whined as she held a swatch of velvet up
to my face.

“Nora’s right,
Claire,” Lou jumped in. “I told you it’s too hot for velvet down here.”

Mother pouted
for a few moments. “All right, fine. We can go with the lighter satin, but I
still think the color is perfect.” She pulled out a piece of dark red satin
from her pile of swatches.

“How many
bridesmaids are we having?” John asked as he looked over his plate of scrambled
eggs.

“Nine,” Mother
answered.

“Nine!” I almost
choked on my orange juice. “I don’t even know nine people, let alone have nine
friends to ask to be bridesmaids.” I banged my glass down on the table.

“They won’t all
be your friends.” She searched the table for one of her many lists. “John has
family, too,” she asserted.

John nodded as
he loaded his fork with scrambled eggs. “Yes, I’ve got my sister, Nancy, to
think of. Then there are my two cousins, Emily and Patrice, and I was thinking
of having Nancy’s two little girls as bridesmaids as well. They’re eleven and
twelve, and I know they would love to be part of the wedding.”

“Then we have
your friends to consider, dear.” Mother gave me a worried look. “Well, at least
the ones you knew in high school. If they won’t do it, I can ask some of the
daughters of my friends to be your bridesmaids. You’ve got to have somebody
stand by you at your wedding.”

“Uncle Jack will
be standing by me, Mother. I won’t need bridesmaids.”

“Jacques? My
brother?” Mother appeared horrified. She placed her hand to her chest and
wrinkled up her brow. After the amount of Botox that brow had been exposed to,
I was surprised she still had use of it.

“Uncle Jack is
going to give me away,” I declared, folding my arms defiantly in front of me.

My mother shook
her head. “My brother cannot be shown in public, child. I can’t have my friends
exposed to the ravings of that drunk.”

“Mother, all of
your friends are drunks. Uncle Jack will fit right in.”

“My friends are
all good, upstanding people.” Mother turned to Lou, her nostrils flaring. “Did
you hear what she said about our friends, Lou?”

Lou glanced up
from his ham and eggs. “Nora is right. Your friends are drunks, Claire.”

“Lou!” Mother
shrieked.

He waved his
fork in the air. “Well, it’s true. Every time those people come over for dinner
they drain my bar. I agree with Nora, Jack will fit right in.”

“You always
liked my brother,” she grumbled.

Lou stabbed at a
piece of ham on his plate as he smiled rebelliously at my mother. “Yeah, I do
like Jack. So what?”