Judith Bowen - The Doctor's Daughter

Lucas sipped his coffee, then set down his mug. “Theresa’s in a patch of trouble. She’s had problems with substance abuse in the past, liquor mostly, and she swears she’s going clean this time. She’s checked into a sweat lodge or some damn thing on Vancouver Island. Something she thinks is going to do the trick for her. Get in touch with her Indian spiritual side, all that stuff.”

“You don’t sound like you believe her,” Virginia said flatly, still frowning.

“Hey, I’ve heard a lot of big dry-out plans from Theresa over the years. She’s been through detox, through different twelve-step programs, you name it. I’ll keep an open mind on the sweat lodge.” He shrugged. “Who knows? It could work for her this time.”

“What about Tammy’s father?” Virginia didn’t know why she asked that question. The whole thing was none of her business.

Lucas paused and their eyes held for a second too long. “He’s not in the picture. Theresa’s never told me anything about him.”

The statement seemed to hover there. The waitress brought their carrot cake just then, and Virginia was glad of the interruption and determined to change the subject.

“I’ll have a look at the apartment. Thanks. Is it close to town?”

“Alder Street. Not far from the office.”

Virginia thrust a fork into her cake. It was very good. She tried to ignore the statement about Tammy’s father, but she couldn’t. Lucas—everyone, the whole town—must be wondering about her son. Who was Robert’s father? Well, she did know that, although sometimes she wished she didn’t.

“The apartment’s not big. Two bedrooms, one fairly small, which I used for a den, a kitchen, one bathroom, a small living room. It’s on the top floor of Mrs. Vandenbroek’s house. There’s a separate entrance. She’s okay. Decent-landlady, not too nosy.”

“Furnished?”

“Yeah. I had some of my own stuff, so she put a few things in the basement. She could rent it completely furnished, I’m sure.”

Virginia didn’t miss the curiosity in Lucas’s dark gaze. He must wonder why she’d want a furnished place, like some oilfield worker moving in with a pair of jeans, two T-shirts and a case of beer for the fridge. The truth was, she hadn’t accumulated much in the past few years. She’d moved too many times to want to burden herself with furniture. Apart from Robert’s toys and their clothes, there wasn’t much to bring down from Stettler. She could easily get it all in her car.

“Shall I tell Mrs. Vandenbroek to hold the place for you?”

Virginia met Lucas’s gaze. “Yes. I...uh, I really appreciate this, Lucas. It makes things a bit easier.” She barely recognized her own voice, low, hesitant, even slightly wobbly.

“Hey.” Lucas covered her hand with his briefly and signaled for the check. “What are friends for?” he asked easily. “Do you want to go over and see it now?”

“No, I’d better get back to see how Robert’s getting on with Mother. Thanks, Lucas.”

Almost as though conscious that things were moving a little too fast—although in which direction Virginia couldn’t have said—Lucas nodded. “I’m going back to the office for a couple of hours. Anything I can do for you?” He held the door open for her as they left the café.

“Not at all. You’ve been very helpful. Very kind.”

He smiled. “I, uh, I guess I’ll see you later.”

Virginia nodded. “Thanks again.”

“I’ll call your folks and leave my landlady’s number with them. You can see the place whenever. You don’t have to wait until I move out.”

“Okay.” She watched him cross the street, then turned and began to walk slowly toward where she’d parked her car.

She was glad he’d left it at that. That he hadn’t made her any offers she’d have had to refuse. Friends. They were thinking along the same lines, at least

CHAPTER FOUR

LUCAS REALIZED he’d been counting the days until Virginia came to town. It was now precisely twenty-two days since he’d spotted her application and eight days since he’d seen her at the christening.

He peered into the fogged-up mirror and drew the razor carefully over his chin. It was Thursday, but he wasn’t going into the office today. He was moving.

He’d better come clean with her right off the bat. No sense letting her go on thinking he’d forgotten everything that had happened twelve years ago. Maybe it meant nothing to her—just another date—but it had meant plenty to him. He’d never forgotten her, not in all that time. His thoughts of taking up where he left off when he’d looked over that application sure hadn’t changed since last week.

She was beautiful now. Of course, she’d always been beautiful to him, even the first time he’d seen her when she was scrawny and maybe eleven or twelve. She’d been up a big sycamore, determined not to let any of the neighborhood boys into her tree house, and was pelting down anything she could lay her hands on—twigs, stuff from the treehouse, one of the other girls’ sneakers. He’d just happened by with his buddy Adam Garrick. They were too old and too cool to get involved—must have been sixteen, at least—but he’d never forgotten it. Spit, vinegar, sass. She’d been on fire with righteous indignation and he’d thought if she was a little older, he’d like to get to know her.

Well, she’s a little older now. He whistled under his breath as he dabbed at the traces of shaving cream on his face and swiped the mist from the mirror with his towel.

He glanced out the small bathroom window, which he’d propped wide-open. Another gorgeous day. He was moving his stuff over to the new house this morning, and Virginia and her son were moving into this place on the weekend. Tammy was arriving on the weekend, too, on Sunday. He’d drive to Calgary and pick her up at the airport.

Lucas was still whistling as he finished dressing. Jeans, an old T-shirt, sneakers. Much as he enjoyed playing the lawyer-about-town, he liked getting into his old gear at home. He was looking forward to furnishing the new house on Second Avenue and settling in with his niece. He’d always gotten along well with Theresa’s daughter, and this way afforded a chance to try out being a parent. Plus help his sister.

Not that he wasn’t ready to make the big leap himself. Marriage. Kids. A mortgage. He already had the mortgage and now he had a woman in mind, as well. And she came complete with a kid already, which was just fine by him.

Robert. Kind of an odd little duff, with his glasses and his serious face and big brown eyes. Somehow Lucas had pictured a miniature version of Virginia, only male, but Robert was dark, not fair. He’d met the boy the day after he’d seen Virginia at the christening; the two had been downtown when he’d gone to the hotel to meet a client for lunch. That was Glory—business lunch was over a burger and a mug of beer at the Glory Hotel, not a steak and a glass of cabernet at the Palliser. Which was just fine with him. Lucas’s clients tended to be more of the break-and-enter variety than the insurance-fraud type. Which was fine, too.

He might have set up practice in Glory initially to rub the town’s nose in his success, but he had to admit he’d grown fond of the place; now he couldn’t imagine leaving. That was why buying the old Murphy house hadn’t hurt quite as much as he’d thought it would. A house, after all, was a big commitment.

Two stories, white-painted, wide wooden veranda with gingerbread trim, picket fence, lilac hedge, the works. It was in an older neighborhood, close to the center of town. Lucas liked everything about it, from its hardwood floors and stone fireplace to the sunny kitchen and the big yard out back with the raspberry bushes and the Norway maples. Next on his list, after he moved his stuff over this morning, was to buy more furniture and get it delivered.

Maybe Virginia and her boy could help him pick some out

Lucas pulled the door shut behind him and clattered down the outdoor stairs.

Virginia and Robert were coming up the sidewalk.

“Hello!” she said, shading her eyes against the morning sunlight. “We just wanted to get a key from Mrs. Vandenbroek so I can show Robert the apartment. Are you leaving?”

“Just to grab some breakfast at the Chickadee.” Lucas had most of his morning meals at the Chickadee Café, a low-end, no-nonsense place tucked in behind the Glory Hotel.

He peered in his landlady’s kitchen window. Everything was spotless and shining and silent inside. “I believe she said something about going over to her sister’s to pick peas this morning. Hey, come on up. I can show you the place.”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

Lucas regarded her for a few seconds. She looked gorgeous in khaki shorts and a plain, long-sleeved white shirt and sandals. Robert wore green shorts and an Edmonton Oilers T-shirt—in the middle of Calgary Flames country. He’d have to set the boy straight. “It’s no trouble at all.”

They followed him up the stairs.

The door opened into the kitchen. There was another door, a fire escape, off the main bedroom. Lucas stood back as Virginia and her son walked into the apartment.

“See, Robert? Here’s where we’ll be having our meals. Does the table stay?” She turned, her sea-blue eyes echoing the query.

“Table and chairs stay. Bed stays. Stuff in the den goes. Sofa and chair stay. End tables and lamps go.”

“Coffee table?”

“It stays.”

Lucas leaned against the doorjamb, watching them. It felt weird to have Virginia in his apartment. It felt even weirder to think she’d be sleeping in what he’d thought of as his bed for well over a year. And she’d be sitting down at his table with her son.

“You mean this is mine? I get a room all to myself?” Robert said, looking up at his mother in wonder.

She smiled quickly, glanced at Lucas, then back at her son. “Yes, Robert. All yours.” She ruffled his hair in a gentle gesture and Lucas felt his heart go thump-thump.

“Do I get my own bed’ and everything?”

“Yes, honey. We’ll have to buy you some furniture, won’t we? For your very own room. A desk, maybe, and a—”

“And bunk beds?” Robert grabbed his mother’s hand. “Oh, boy! Bunk beds, so I can have a friend sleep over with me?”

Virginia paused, but just for a second. “Sure. Bunk beds.”

Lucas cleared his throat. “I’m, uh, I’ll be doing some shopping myself when I get my stuff moved over. After lunch. Maybe you and Robert would like to come along.” This was as good a time as any to jump in and show her that he had every intention of being a friend and more if she’d allow it.

“Here in town?”

“There’s always Riddley’s. Or we could go to Lethbridge or drive into Calgary. Make a day of it.” Man, he was full of good ideas.

“Can we, Mom? Can we get bunk beds today? Yippee!”

Robert suddenly bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door. They heard his excited voice, slightly muffled. “I’m going to try out our new toilet!”

Lucas and Virginia smiled at each other. Lucas waited. He’d thrown out the invitation. The next move was Virginia’s.

“Well, it’s very kind of you to offer, Lucas. We’ve got our car, though—”

“I’ve got the pickup. Come with me. We’ll take Robert over to the Grizzly Drive-in. You remember it?”

Virginia laughed. “Is that still around?”

“Yep. And Mrs. Perkins is still running it, too.

Then we’ll go shopping for bunk beds.”

Virginia laughed again, then shrugged. “Okay.

Sounds fine.”