Is there anything else I can do for you?” He was just
about to leave when she asked him to autograph her copy of 5280 . He shook his head
as if he didn’t understand what she had asked and left the
cubicle.
Standing near the door of
the waiting room, Jacob watched Jill and her family interact. Their
voices would get loud, as if they were arguing, then someone would
laugh. Once one sibling laughed the rest of them
followed.
Intimidated, Jacob
convinced himself that he should probably just go home.
Jill could call him if she
wanted to see him again. He was passing through the outer door when
Steve, Jill’s middle brother came walking in.
“ Hey,” Steve said.
“Running away?”
Trying to come up with a
lie, Jacob stalled for time with a smile.
“ Megan and Mike are at it,
huh?” Steve said. “God, they drive me crazy. I thought they would
be over their bossy brigade by now. Not yet?”
Jacob shook his
head.
“ Yeah, well. That guy’s
looking for you.”
Jacob turned to see Dr.
Drayson flagging him.
“ How’s Katy?” Jacob
asked.
“ She’s improving. Are you
leaving?”
“ Nah,” Steve said. “We’re
going to get a beer.”
“ Being involved with a
woman from a huge Catholic family can be a nightmare.” Dr.
Drayson’s intelligent eyes laughed at Jacob. “Listen, they need to
keep Katy overnight. They wanted me to ask because you are paying
cash. She’ll also need follow-up treatment. A lot of follow-up
treatment. Are you all right with that?”
“ Of course,” Jacob said.
“Whatever she needs.”
“ Good,” Dr. Drayson said.
“I take Irish Breakfast tea with a spot of steamed milk. And a
sweet.”
“ Sweet?”
“ Anything chocolate works.
This hospital’s food is particularly bad. I know because I’ve
picked up call at every hospital around Denver. Have to pay my
historic restoration contractor.”
“ Your contractor has large
hospital bills and appreciates your diligence in
payment.”
Dr. Drayson laughed. “You
might want to get dinner.”
Jacob and Steve watched
Dr. Drayson walk into the hospital. Turning to Steve, Jacob said,
“Beer?”
“ Pasquini’s is close. You
paying?”
“ Sure,” Jacob
said.
“ Then let’s take the
Brit’s suggestion and have dinner,” Steve said. “They won’t miss
us. By the time we get back, they should have settled down a little
bit.”
“ We’ll get them dinner
too?” Jacob asked.
“ Shit, you’re paying,”
Steve said.
Jacob laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Jill noticed Jacob leave
with the administrative woman. She kept one eye on the door, hoping
to see him come back. But he hadn’t come back. After an hour
passed, she knew he had left her.
“ I’m going to use the
restroom,” Jill said.
“ I’ll go with you, Jilly,”
Candy said.
“ I think I need to be
alone,” Jill said. “Thanks.”
“ You sure?” Candy’s
worried face said more than she would ever speak.
Jill nodded. Jill found a
single-toilet restroom and locked herself inside. Sitting on the
toilet, she reviewed the day. She couldn’t remember when she’d had
a better time — at the zoo or anywhere. She bit her lip, wishing
she had kissed Jacob earlier. She wanted to . . .
thought about it . . . but it
was . . . what did he call it? Right. A
non-date.
Then all of
this.
She would leave too.
God.
Pulling up her underwear,
she noticed she was wearing the pretty slip of lace Tanesha gave
her for the engagement party. Sandy was right. She had hoped Jacob
would take the beautiful panties off her. Not after all of
this . . .
Jill was brushing her hair
when she realized that she hadn’t thought about paying for Katy’s
care. Her usual focus on the bottom line had slipped in her
distress over Katy. Leaning forward to wipe the mascara smudges
from under her eyes, Jill furrowed her eyebrows.
Did Jacob give that woman
a credit card? Why would he do that? Katy wasn’t his child, and he
certainly didn’t owe Jill anything. She nodded to herself
about to leave when she asked him to autograph her copy of 5280 . He shook his head
as if he didn’t understand what she had asked and left the
cubicle.
Standing near the door of
the waiting room, Jacob watched Jill and her family interact. Their
voices would get loud, as if they were arguing, then someone would
laugh. Once one sibling laughed the rest of them
followed.
Intimidated, Jacob
convinced himself that he should probably just go home.
Jill could call him if she
wanted to see him again. He was passing through the outer door when
Steve, Jill’s middle brother came walking in.
“ Hey,” Steve said.
“Running away?”
Trying to come up with a
lie, Jacob stalled for time with a smile.
“ Megan and Mike are at it,
huh?” Steve said. “God, they drive me crazy. I thought they would
be over their bossy brigade by now. Not yet?”
Jacob shook his
head.
“ Yeah, well. That guy’s
looking for you.”
Jacob turned to see Dr.
Drayson flagging him.
“ How’s Katy?” Jacob
asked.
“ She’s improving. Are you
leaving?”
“ Nah,” Steve said. “We’re
going to get a beer.”
“ Being involved with a
woman from a huge Catholic family can be a nightmare.” Dr.
Drayson’s intelligent eyes laughed at Jacob. “Listen, they need to
keep Katy overnight. They wanted me to ask because you are paying
cash. She’ll also need follow-up treatment. A lot of follow-up
treatment. Are you all right with that?”
“ Of course,” Jacob said.
“Whatever she needs.”
“ Good,” Dr. Drayson said.
“I take Irish Breakfast tea with a spot of steamed milk. And a
sweet.”
“ Sweet?”
“ Anything chocolate works.
This hospital’s food is particularly bad. I know because I’ve
picked up call at every hospital around Denver. Have to pay my
historic restoration contractor.”
“ Your contractor has large
hospital bills and appreciates your diligence in
payment.”
Dr. Drayson laughed. “You
might want to get dinner.”
Jacob and Steve watched
Dr. Drayson walk into the hospital. Turning to Steve, Jacob said,
“Beer?”
“ Pasquini’s is close. You
paying?”
“ Sure,” Jacob
said.
“ Then let’s take the
Brit’s suggestion and have dinner,” Steve said. “They won’t miss
us. By the time we get back, they should have settled down a little
bit.”
“ We’ll get them dinner
too?” Jacob asked.
“ Shit, you’re paying,”
Steve said.
Jacob laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Jill noticed Jacob leave
with the administrative woman. She kept one eye on the door, hoping
to see him come back. But he hadn’t come back. After an hour
passed, she knew he had left her.
“ I’m going to use the
restroom,” Jill said.
“ I’ll go with you, Jilly,”
Candy said.
“ I think I need to be
alone,” Jill said. “Thanks.”
“ You sure?” Candy’s
worried face said more than she would ever speak.
Jill nodded. Jill found a
single-toilet restroom and locked herself inside. Sitting on the
toilet, she reviewed the day. She couldn’t remember when she’d had
a better time — at the zoo or anywhere. She bit her lip, wishing
she had kissed Jacob earlier. She wanted to . . .
thought about it . . . but it
was . . . what did he call it? Right. A
non-date.
Then all of
this.
She would leave too.
God.
Pulling up her underwear,
she noticed she was wearing the pretty slip of lace Tanesha gave
her for the engagement party. Sandy was right. She had hoped Jacob
would take the beautiful panties off her. Not after all of
this . . .
Jill was brushing her hair
when she realized that she hadn’t thought about paying for Katy’s
care. Her usual focus on the bottom line had slipped in her
distress over Katy. Leaning forward to wipe the mascara smudges
from under her eyes, Jill furrowed her eyebrows.
Did Jacob give that woman
a credit card? Why would he do that? Katy wasn’t his child, and he
certainly didn’t owe Jill anything. She nodded to herself
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