Just Perfect (25 page)

“I passed my certification exam.”

“Of course you passed. I bet you kicked butt.”

“I did actually.”

“Does that mean… I guess you took the position at St. James.”

“They offered me a very generous five-year contract.”

“Five years? Yeah, um, well. That’s great. Congratulations. I mean that. I’m happy for you. Really. I just—Never mind. Tell me about the job.”

“I start next week. You should see their emergency ward. They have awesome equipment and enough staff to actually handle the patient load. I can’t wait to get started.”

“You know, I really am happy for you. I just… miss you.”

“I miss you too. I—”

“Oh shoot, my radio just went off. I gotta go. I’ve got your number on my caller ID, though, so I’ll call you back!”

“Chris, hey it’s me.”

“Hello, Alec, of course it’s you. It’s five o’clock Mountain Time, which means you’re heading to the pub for a cup of joe. Time to call Christine.”

“Am I getting that predictable?”

“A little. So what’s shaking in your world today?”

“Jeff and Linda are having another baby. Oh and Brian is in
luuuuv
.”

“Really? That’s wonderful. On both counts. Although, try not to razz poor Brian too much.”

“Yo, Doc, that’s what guys do.”

“You’re right. What was I thinking?”

“So how about you? Did you have another wild and woolly day in the ER?”

“Well, let’s see…”

“Hey, Chris. It’s me again.”

“Alec? You’re calling awfully late.”

“Yeah, see I was just lying here in bed, thinking about you.”

“I’ve been thinking about you too.”

“Good. That’s good. Because I was going to ask… you ever had phone sex?”

“Alec! I swear, you’re so outrageous sometimes. I never know when you’re joking and when you’re not.”

“Then let me be very clear. I’m not joking.”

“Oh my God! Have you ever done it before?”

“No.”

“Well, me either!”

“Cool. That makes us both virgins. Let’s see, how does this go? I think I’m supposed to ask what you’re wearing.”

“I can’t do this. It feels too weird.”

“I’m not wearing anything. Although, there is an impressive tent in the bed sheets. Are you in bed too?”

“Oh God. Give me a minute to stop laughing. And blushing.”

“Blushing is good.”

“Okay. Okay. Yes, I’m in bed.”

“What are you wearing?”

“You know that red corset my little devil wears? What would you say if I told you I have an outfit just like it, and I’m wearing it right now…”

“Hello, Dr. Ashton speaking.”

“It’s me.”

“Alec! Where’ve you been? I haven’t heard from you in three days. I’ve been worried sick.”

“I was on a call. A bad one.”

“Oh, Alec. I’m sorry. You want to talk about it?”

“Yeah…”

“Hmm, hello? God, what time is it?”

“Alec, it’s me. I’m really sorry to call so late.”

“Chris? What’s wrong? You sound upset. Has something happened?”

“No. It’s just, after we talked today, I started thinking. Actually, I’ve been thinking for a long time.”

“I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“We have to stop doing this.”

“Doing what? Are you crying?”

“We have to stop calling each other every day. This isn’t healthy. We agreed when I left Silver Mountain that our relationship has no future—”

“Whoa, wait. You’re the one who came up with that. I’m the one who wants you to move here.”

“Which is why this isn’t fair to you. We need to move on…”

“Alec?”

“I thought you weren’t going to call anymore.”

“Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. I’m confused.”

“I know. I shouldn’t have called…”

“Then why did you?”

“I had a really bad day, and I just—I needed to talk to you. Oh God!”

“Okay, deep breath, baby. It’s all right. I’m here. Tell me what happened. Did you lose a patient?”

“Y-yes. A little girl. I’ve lost patients before, but children always get to me. Then my father saw me crying in the doctors’ lounge and told me I needed to ‘maintain professional distance,’ and… and I don’t know! I just needed to talk to you! I miss you!”

“Jesus. Chris, what are you doing to me?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called.”

“No, it’s okay. You need a friend, and I’m here for you. Tell me what happened.”

Silver Mountain, Colorado Early February

Alec turned his phone off and dropped his hand to his lap. Numbly, he stared at the flames dancing in the fireplace at St. Bernard’s Pub. Outside, a blizzard raged, keeping skiers, and everyone else, trapped indoors.

“Yo, dude.” Trent came into the pit, stomping snow from his boots. The place rang with voices and music as everyone did their best to make merry while off the slopes. Trent dropped into the chair next to Alec and plopped his feet on the hearth. “We’re gonna have powder junkies out in droves when this stops blowing.”

“Yeah,” Alec answered sourly.

Trent frowned at him. “So what’s up with you?”

Alec tossed his phone on the table between the two chairs, where it clattered and spun, then came to a stop. “Nothing, apparently.”

“Don’t tell me.” Trent looked from the phone to him. “Chris called. Again.”

“Actually, this time, I called her. To give her a friggin‘ weather report,” he said with self-disgust.

“Jeez, Hunter.” Trent rolled his eyes. “I thought you two broke up. Again.”

“We did.” Alec scrubbed his face and realized he’d forgotten to shave.

“I don’t get you two.” Sympathy and confusion lined Trent’s face. “If you’re ‘moving on,’ then move on. Stop calling each other.”

“I don’t think we can.” Alec gave thanks that the noise in the bar was enough to keep them from being overheard, but not enough to keep them from talking. “It’s like an addiction. It’s killing me, and I know it’s killing her too, but it’s like we can’t stop.”

“Harvey!” Trent straightened enough to call to the bartender. “Bring a beer for Hunter here.”

“No, coffee’s fine.” Alec scowled at the mug and realized his coffee had gone cold.

“Pal, you don’t look like a man who needs coffee. You look like a man who needs to get drunk.”

“Like that ever solved anything.”

“Oh, so you have a better idea? Like actually doing something about your sorry love life? You know, if you two can’t break up and stay that way, maybe you should stop trying.”

“And do what?” Frustration joined despair. “Have a relationship over the phone?”

“How about find a way to be together?”

“I told you, her moving here isn’t even an option since she signed a contract with that hospital.”

“Then maybe you should move down there.”

“Move away from the mountains and be miserable? Give up the job of
my
dreams?”

“Seems to me you’re pretty miserable in the mountains. Besides, what was it Will said the night before he married Lacy and moved to Ohio? When it’s for the right woman, it’s not a sacrifice.”

Alec felt a leftover shudder at the thought of Ohio. Yet here he was, faced with losing Christine or moving back to Texas—the place he’d sworn he’d never return to. “The deal is, search-and-rescue jobs don’t exactly grow on trees. What if I give this up, move down there, and things with Chris don’t work out?”

Trent cocked a brow. “And yet aren’t you asking her to do exactly that for you?”

Alec scowled at the fire while the logs popped and sparks danced upward. Trent was right, damnit.

Austin, Texas One week later

Christine pulled her silver Mercedes convertible to the curb before Maddy’s old house and saw Amy’s yellow Beetle sitting in the driveway. The pretty, two-story limestone house sat on a professionally maintained lawn in an upscale neighborhood west of Austin. The for-sale sign in the front yard had a new Sold banner attached to one corner. Next to it stood a sign announcing an estate sale that weekend. Maddy had flown in yesterday to pack up her things, sell off the furniture, and make her move to Santa Fe official.

The end of an era, Christine thought, looking at the house. How many years of laughter and tears had she shared with Maddy and Amy inside that house?

Maddy and her first husband, Nigel, had moved in shortly after their wedding. They’d planned on filling the rooms with children and growing old within those walls. Then Nigel had been diagnosed with cancer two years into their marriage and died five years after that.

Christine and Amy had been there for Maddy through all of that and now couldn’t be happier that Maddy had found love a second time. Well, actually, they’d be happier if her getting married didn’t involved moving away, but they had to admit that Joe Frazer put a huge smile on Maddy’s face, and that was what mattered.

Too bad life hadn’t handed her a similar happy ending with Alec.

She looked at her purse sitting in the passenger seat, with the all-too-silent phone inside. He hadn’t called since the blizzard last week, and she refused to be the one to give in this time. Even though there was the urge to rub it in that here she was driving around with the top down, enjoying beautiful springlike weather while he was snowed in. Of course, he’d just say, “Are you kidding? This is great!”

But no, she wouldn’t do it. She feared he’d add a suggestion that she buy a three-day ski package and come enjoy the snow with him. That thought terrified her, because she wasn’t sure she had the strength to say no.

This had to stop. Prolonging the inevitable wasn’t making the breakup easier. Especially now that they’d agreed to start seeing other people. Well, actually, she’d brought it up and Alec had gotten mad and hung up on her. When he’d called back the next day, neither of them had mentioned it, which was sort of an agreement.

What would she do, though, if she called him now and he told her he was dating someone?

Since the thought made her physically ill, she grabbed her purse and headed up the walkway to the front door, needing the distraction of friends. Formal chimes sounded inside when she pushed the bell, followed by bare feet running on tile.

“Christine!” Maddy flung open the front door, a striking contrast to the house, the neighborhood, and even the doorbell with her wild red hair and saucy grin. Her generous curves filled out a pair of ratty jeans and crop-waist tie-dyed T-shirt. With a happy squeal, she pulled Christine into a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you too.” Christine squeezed back, realizing how much she missed her friend. E-mail and phone calls just weren’t the same.

Grabbing her hand, Maddy pulled her inside. “Amy’s already here.”

“Yes, I saw her car in the driveway.” Christine glanced around and noted the knickknacks covering the dining room table and price tags dangling from lampshades. “I see you’ve started without me.”

“There’s still plenty for you to do, believe me.” Plopping her hands on her hips, Maddy considered the cluttered room. “How did Nigel and I acquire so much stuff?”

“By never throwing anything away?”

“That’s me.” Maddy laughed. “I’m sure getting rid of a bunch now, though.”

“Are you really selling everything?”

“Well, not everything, but darn near. Time to start fresh. Joe will be here with the truck in a couple of days to pack up the few things I’m keeping.”

“Which leaves you to deal with all of this on your own.” Christine frowned.

“Actually, I insisted.” Maddy looked around. “I wanted time by myself to say good-bye, if that makes sense.”

“It makes perfect sense.” Christine gave her another hug. “You holding up okay?”

“Mostly.” Maddy smiled, but her eyes looked suspiciously wet.

“Hi, Christine.” Amy appeared in the archway that led to the kitchen. Christine bit back a sigh at seeing the baggy Capri pants and oversized T-shirt. Amy had lost forty pounds over the last two years, yet still refused to show off her figure or wear her curly brown hair in anything but a long braid down her back. “You’re just in time to help me price the dishes.”

“Forget that,” Maddy said. “I’m declaring it time for a break. Anyone up for margaritas by the pool?”

“Me!” Amy huffed out a breath and looked to Christine. “The woman is a slave driver.”

Minutes later, they sat around the table on Mad-dy’s covered patio, watching the sunlight sparkle off the swimming pool. The lawn company had kept up the grass and trimmed the hedges, but the flower beds no longer burst with vibrant color the way they had a year ago. Another sign of change, Christine thought, and how life was duller without Maddy around.

“I’ve forgotten how warm it is in Texas even in February,” Maddy said, plucking at her T-shirt. “It seems so strange when we have snow on the mountains in New Mexico.”

“Yes, I heard about the snowstorm that hit the

Rockies last week,“ Christine said, then went still, hoping her friends would assume she’d heard it on the news. They’d both scolded her for making the ”wrong“ decision with Alec, then ragged on her more for staying in touch with him, claiming she was torturing him as well as herself. Since they were right—about the second part at least—she’d stopped confiding in them, which was something she’d never done. The three of them shared everything. ”So, um, how are the wedding plans coming?“

“Pretty good, now that Joe took over.” Maddy sucked her margarita through a straw. “Can you believe he fired me as our wedding planner?”

“Maddy.” Christine laughed. “You have trouble scheduling a hair appointment, so yes, I can believe it.”

“I think it’s sweet.” Amy smiled. “And wonderfully romantic for him to be so eager.”

“We’ll see how romantic it is when the day arrives. A former Army Ranger planning a wedding?” Maddy made a horrified face. “I have visions of camouflage decorations and the minister barking out vows like a drill sergeant.”

“When’s the date?” Christine asked.

“The second Saturday in April, right here in Austin so my family can attend. If that works for the two of you to be my bridesmaids.”

Christine and Amy looked at each other, then both nodded.

“Great.” Maddy beamed. “I really wanted to go with that because it’s the one-year mark for our bet.”