Читать книгу First Comes Marriage - Sophia Sasson - Страница 13
ОглавлениеJAKE SURVEYED THE SCENE. Not bad. Meera had gone to quite some expense, renting a tent, tables, chairs, even a dance floor. The tables were draped with red-and-white-checkered cloths and little vases of fresh-cut flowers. She’d turned his entire field into a photo-worthy barbecue.
He’d seen the light on in the cottage well into the night for the past two days, and she was up before sunrise today. She set up the tent right in front of the hay barn, the red structure providing a picturesque backdrop. She even managed a great day: partly cloudy sky, pleasant breeze and dry ground.
She had already loaded coal in the chimney starters of the grill he’d lent her, and he made a mental note to check that she’d opened the vent. Meera was standing near the grill with a clipboard in hand. He could see her checking things off. She was dressed in jeans and—what do you know—a T-shirt. She looked amazing, but then she always did—in whatever she had on, even the severe dresses she wore to work. Her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail. He liked it. It showed off her big, expressive brown eyes.
She’s something, isn’t she? He didn’t know many people who would take on the town of Hell’s Bells. Jolene certainly hadn’t; she’d run away as soon as they turned on her, and she was born here. He admired Meera’s gumption. Although she looked like a fragile little thing, he sensed an inner strength. She was a fighter.
He walked toward her.
“Need some help?”
She looked up and smiled. Oh, wow. His legs suddenly felt unsteady, and he slowed down. It was the first genuine smile he had seen since she arrived, and it was spectacular. He stopped when he reached her and stared at the ground, not wanting to meet her eyes. She was wearing flip-flops with sequins on the straps, calling attention to her bright red toes.
“I think I have the grill going.”
He gave it a perfunctory look and nodded, unable to take his eyes off her. “You do—the coal looks nice and hot.” She gave him another stunning smile, and he found himself grinning like a teenage boy. She had put it all together by herself. Given her obviously wealthy upbringing, he’d expected her to ask him or his staff for help on any number of little things, from moving tables and chairs to starting the grill, but she hadn’t.
“People should be here any minute. I think I’ll start the first round of hot dogs and burgers. I just need to check the package...”
“Package?”
“The instructions on how to cook them without burning.”
Instructions? “What?”
She pointed to the cooler. He frowned. It wasn’t one of his coolers; he’d assumed it held the beer. “Where did you get that meat?”
She smiled broadly. “It’s meatless hot dogs and burgers.”
Meatless meat? He gripped the cooler lid and lifted out a package. Precooked? This was going to be bad. Really bad.
“Tofu?”
She nodded excitedly. “They taste just like meat, but they’re made of soy. Sustainable soy, I might add.”
Why am I getting involved in this? She’s her own worst enemy. He looked at her excited face. She had her convictions, and he respected her for that, but she was headed for disaster. “Listen, Meera, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it won’t work. Meat is meat, and nothing else tastes like it. You told the town you’re throwing a barbecue; they’ll be expecting meat, you can’t just—”
“But that’s the point—I’ll show them they can follow a healthy lifestyle and keep their traditions. They don’t have to give up barbecues, just eat less red meat.”
“This is a ranchin’ town, Meera. You’re not going to win them over in one night. I pulled out a bunch of meat from the freezer yesterday—Kelly was supposed to give it to you. It’s all in the fridge. I’ll go get it. You can offer up your tofu dogs and burgers as another option.”
“No!” She gave him a sharp look. “That defeats the purpose. Part of my rotation here is to improve public health. I want to introduce the town to the notion that there are healthy, tasty alternatives to red meat. I have it all planned.”
He shook his head. Add stubborn to the reasons I shouldn’t get involved. “The whole point of this barbecue is to make up for not understanding what’s important to the town. Meat is important.”
“I’m trying to show them how to enjoy their traditions in a better way.”
He threw up his hands.
He turned. “I’m not gonna waste my time arguing with you.”
She looked defiantly at him. “It’ll be fine, just wait and see.”
* * *
“WHAT THE HELL is this?” Rose spit out the first bite of hot dog. Others followed suit, seeming equally appalled.
“It’s a tofu dog,” Meera explained.
“Toe what now?”
Meera looked at the disgusted faces. About fifty people were here—a good turnout, according to Jake. What’s wrong? She’d tasted the first hot dog; it was delicious. Jake’s advice on the mix of wood chips for the grill had given it quite a flavor. So why were they spitting it out?
She watched in dismay as people used her thoughtfully placed trash cans to toss perfectly grilled tofu dogs and burgers.
“Where’s the meat? I didn’t sign up for this veggie crap.”
“Rose, remember how Dr. Harper has been talking about getting the town to eat healthier? Well, this is—”
Rose grabbed her arm and said in a low voice, “You don’t mess with a barbecue. A barbecue is about meat—juicy, fat, red meat. It’s not the time to introduce tofu. Dr. Harper meant to do some health seminars, hand out flyers, that kind of thing. You silly girl.”
“I’m leaving! Should’ve known she was gonna screw this up,” she overheard someone say.
“Why don’t you go back to wherever they actually like this stuff,” another local added.
“That’s enough!” Jake’s booming voice made Meera jump. “Meera’s gone to a lot of trouble, so why don’t we give her a chance?” There he was, tall and lean, cowboy hat and jeans and a T-shirt that showed off every flex of his sinewy muscles. He was towing a cooler behind him. “I’ve got some fresh meat here, and we’ll grill it right up. And she’s got some cold beer, so settle down.”
There were cheers from the crowd. Meera’s face burned. How dare he? “What do you think you’re doing?” she whispered angrily when he got near.
“I’m saving you from yourself—you’ll thank me later.”
“Oh, you are such a pompous—” She took a deep breath and turned to the crowd. She was wasting her energy on Jake. “Listen, everybody, can I just take a second to tell you about some of the health benefits of eating soy rather than red meat? Studies have shown that eating soy can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as...” She stopped. Her guests were crowding around Jake, choosing meat, chatting away. Jake started poking coal in the grill, taking off the tofu burgers and dogs and throwing them in the trash bin.
She crossed her arms. She noticed something on the ground, near the grill. The clipboard. Someone stepped on it, and she heard it snap.
“Well, if you’ll pardon me, I need to take care of something back at the cottage.” No one listened. No one cared. She turned on her heels and ran.
She flung herself on the bed.
The nerve of him! She wanted the town to get to know her as a person, not “the Queen of England,” as they’d all taken to calling her—a not-so-endearing name that Jake had no doubt perpetuated. Dr. Thurm and Dr. Harper had asked her to work on preventative medicine in Bellhaven as part of the community education component of her rotation. Teaching the townsfolk how to eat better was the perfect way to achieve that, and she’d been sure the party would convince them she wasn’t just some clueless foreigner. She’d planned every detail of the barbecue so they could see how simple lifestyle changes could make a difference in their health. It was the basis for her research, a way to prove to Dr. Thurm that the development of her blood pressure compound could work. People would be willing to make a change for their health. Jake had ruined it all.
She let her tears fall. She could have turned it around, explained the benefits of soy...if Jake hadn’t shown up with meat. How could she compete with that? Serving meat at her party! Her parents would be furious if they ever found out.
What am I doing here? she wondered. This will never work. Maybe I should have waited until after the wedding, taken some time to talk Dr. Thurm into letting me do this in New York. Why am I trying to get this awful town to like me? I’m so in over my head.
But she couldn’t go back to London, not after she’d fought so hard with her mum to come here now. This was her final shot at independence, to be free of the social obligations that came with being a socialite’s only daughter, before taking on the duties of marriage. She’d seen the opportunity and jumped on it.
Meera would never have this kind of freedom again. Raj hated traveling.
Her phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID. As usual, his timing is great. Maybe talking to him will help.
“Hello, Raj.” She tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice; she didn’t want to worry him.
“Hello, love, glad I caught you. I tried ringing earlier...” She felt a twinge of guilt. She’d been so busy planning the barbecue, she’d forgotten to return his call.
“Yes, I’ve been quite busy settling in. How are you getting along?”
He began talking about patients and giving her an update on the practice. Everything was falling into place. She and Raj would run her father’s practice after they were married and eventually merge with the medical conglomerate Raj’s parents owned. Her father was looking forward to retiring after Meera and Raj took over the medical center. Their research project was progressing well, and once they secured permissions and funding for their own laboratory, the sky was the limit.
She listened to his familiar voice, letting it soothe her as she lay back on her bed. The tension eased out of her muscles. This was why she was marrying Raj: he always calmed her. Given what had happened tonight, should she go back early? She could come back later and complete the rotation or maybe even transfer somewhere else. But then she wouldn’t be able to apply for the funding she needed to start the lab. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Raj was talking about a new computer system her father wanted to invest in. Her thoughts went back to the barbecue. Jake had been right about it bringing the town together, and he’d been nice enough to let her host the party at his ranch. And even though she hadn’t wanted him to, he’d been generous to offer up all that meat. She would pay him for it, of course. Jake! Why did he infuriate her so much? And yet, she couldn’t hold on to her anger. No matter how wrong he was, Jake was well-intentioned. She thought back to a few nights ago when he’d made her a grilled cheese. Despite disagreeing with her about being a vegetarian, he respected her choice.
So why had he brought out the meat today? She thought about the way the town had reacted to her tofu dogs. Obviously, Jake knew the folks of Bellhaven better than she did. Maybe she had pushed too hard? She should go back; it was rude to leave her own party and perhaps a little grumpy. After all, the band would be there soon... Surely, there was a way to salvage the evening? The original purpose of the barbecue was to convince the townspeople she meant well; maybe she could still make that happen.
She interrupted Raj. “Listen, I’m rather in the middle of something right now—do you mind if I ring you later?”
He paused. “Well, I suppose that would be all right, although now is the best time for me.”
“Sorry, but I really need to go.”
“Meera...”
She stabbed the end button and immediately regretted it. Raj hadn’t done anything wrong. Oh, well, she’d explain it to him later.
She walked back to the barbecue and saw the band setting up. People were sitting down and eating, and loud conversations drifted to her ears. There was general merriment in the air. It was exactly as she planned it, except it wasn’t. Jake had done this.
She wrinkled her nose as she approached the grill. Jake was placing fat, bloody pieces of meat above the coals. Bile rose in her throat, and she clutched her stomach, resisting the urge to throw up.
He held out a plate to her and she stared at him in horror.
“Relax. I saved you a tofu burger before I put the meat on.”
She smiled gratefully and took the plate. There was the sweetness again, the way he thought about her needs. Not many men would be that considerate.
“Who are they?” Jake pointed at the band.
“Don’t worry, I thought the meatless meal would be enough of an experiment. The band is from Richmond—they do country music. The online reviews said they’re quite good.”
He smiled mischievously. “Well, then, you’ll have to save a dance for me.”
A shiver ran down her spine. She looked down shyly. “I don’t dance very well.”
He leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.” His breath warmed her ear.
“Jake, these burgers are yum-mum-mee.” While Meera was staring at her feet, Gloria had sidled up to Jake and put her hand on his arm.
Meera smiled brightly at her. Best fake smile, Meera—time to mend fences. Gloria was wearing extremely small shorts again, showing off miles of legs that ended in wedged heels. Ah, note to self: pointed heels get stuck in the mud, wedges are the way to go. She would have to go shoe shopping soon; retail therapy might be a good antidote to the stress of Bellhaven. Gloria had paired her shorts with a red-and-white-checkered shirt tied in a knot above her belly button, and a pink cowboy hat completed the look. She and Jake would make a picture-perfect, all-American couple.
“Mmm... This is so good, Jake—what did you put it in?” Gloria purred. She leaned in, and Jake took a step closer to the grill, away from her.
“It’s just beef, Gloria, nothing special.”
Oh, I can’t watch this. Meera excused herself, much to Gloria’s delight and Jake’s apparent dismay. She headed over to see the band.
“Dr. M., can I talk to you for a minute?”
Meera turned to find a young woman standing behind her. The girl was red in the face and heavyset. Meera frowned. The raised rash on her face could indicate a medical problem. “Of course. Come with me.”
Meera led her to the cottage, and she looked around nervously as she hurried along. “Please don’t tell anyone I’m talkin’ to you.”
Meera ushered her into the living room. “Don’t worry. If I’m here as your doctor, I won’t repeat anything you say unless you ask me to.”
“Okay. My name’s Lily...” She still seemed anxious. “I have this problem, and I can’t tell anyone else in town...”
Meera nodded and scanned the young woman’s body, looking carefully at her face. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
Lily’s eyes widened. “You can’t tell anyone!” Her voice was panicked.
Meera put her arm around Lily soothingly. “Like I said, this is confidential. Nothing you tell me will leave this room.”
Lily relaxed visibly. “You promise? You can’t tell a single soul in this town.”
Meera nodded.
Lily collapsed on the couch. “How did you know?”
“The rash on your face looks like pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. And your weight.”
“Everyone thinks I just got fat, but the rash is new and I... Is the baby okay?”
Meera went to her bedroom and brought out the medical bag her father had given her. She opened it and began taking Lily’s blood pressure. She asked Lily some questions and did a brief exam, pressing on her belly. “The rash can happen with pregnancy, and I think you’re fine, but I need to do an ultrasound to be sure. If you’re right about your last period, you’re about thirty-two weeks along.”
Lily shook her head. “I can’t come to the office for an ultrasound. Rose would blab about it to the whole town.” She paused and touched her cheek. “I haven’t told the baby’s father—that’s why I haven’t seen Dr. Harper. I can’t have this town knowing...” She stopped and looked down. “It’s a little complicated.”
Meera squeezed her hand. “If you haven’t seen a doctor since you got pregnant, it’s really important we do an ultrasound and run blood tests to make sure everything is all right. Come to the clinic tomorrow after twelve. Rose goes to lunch and Dr. Harper goes home to check on his wife around then. Wait in the car until you see them leave, then ring the bell and I’ll come get you. They’ll never know.”
Lily nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Dr. M. I had no idea what to do or who to go to. Jake said you’re a good person...” She sat up straighter. “I know the town doesn’t want you here, but please don’t let them run you off.” She put her arms around Meera and held her tight, taking her by surprise. Meera had never been hugged by a patient before. And I haven’t even done anything for her.
She let Lily leave the cottage and followed several minutes later, watching as the young woman rejoined the crowd.
She hasn’t seen a doctor since she got pregnant! Maybe being an outcast isn’t such a bad thing. Then people who need privacy, like Lily, can come to me, and I can focus on those who really need my help. She felt a spring in her step as she went back to the barbecue.
She had to remember to thank Jake for sending Lily. The fact that she’d gone to him when she hadn’t told anyone else in town said a lot about the type of person Jake was.
The band was in full swing and from the look of it, everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were several people on the dance floor, yelling with delight and teasing each other. Perhaps all was not lost. She took in the gleeful faces and grudgingly wondered whether Jake was right. Maybe it was too much to expect the town to rethink their way of life with one barbecue. Where was Jake, anyway?
“Hey.”
She placed a hand on her chest. “Could you not sneak up on me like that?”
“What was that about?” He nodded toward Lily.
Meera shrugged. “Nothing. She just had to use the bathroom and wanted to tell me how much she hates tofu burgers.”
Jake smirked. “You’re such a bad liar, it’s written all over your face.” Meera started to protest, but he waved her off. “It doesn’t matter. It’s time to do the two-step.”
“I beg your pardon?”
His eyes gleamed. Grinning ear to ear, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her onto the dance floor. She squealed. He twirled her and began showing her the steps to the dance. She felt breathless as she followed his steps, feeling a little anxious at her clumsiness.
“I can’t do this, Jake.”
He shook his head. “Let go, Meera. It’s about the music and having fun. You don’t have to do it right—just try it, be free.”
She grinned. You don’t have to do it right? Then how was she supposed to have fun? She took a breath and started moving again, watching everyone else’s feet so she could copy their steps perfectly. Several people on the dance floor were making eye contact with her, nodding encouragingly. Jake introduced her to old Mr. Leeland, who grabbed her hand and twirled her. She couldn’t help dissolving into giggles as the elderly man tried to dip her. She caught Jake’s eye, and he winked at her as she stepped on Mr. Leeland’s foot. He laughed good-naturedly and led her across the floor. She couldn’t keep up with the steps; everyone’s feet were a jumble.
Someone twirled her and suddenly she was being passed from partner to partner, each one kind about her mistakes. She caught Rose staring at her, a smile on her face. Maybe Jake was right. She stopped worrying about the steps and started enjoying the music.
She felt completely carefree as Jake caught her hand and lifted her up when she began stepping on his toes.
She didn’t know how long she spent dancing, enjoying herself with each breathless round on the floor. There were cheers and hoots from the crowd as she finally made a circuit without stepping on any toes. I can’t remember the last time I felt this free. Jake had long since passed her off to another dance partner, but she searched for him in the throng.
Billy John had just grabbed her hand when a loud scream jolted her. Several others joined in, and chaos broke out as people began running in all directions. The band stopped playing. “Everyone clear out.” It was Jake’s voice, but she couldn’t find him in the sea of arms and legs. What’s happening? She looked around frantically and gasped. Flames! The grill was on fire along with the edge of a tablecloth.
“Move aside.”
Meera saw Jake running toward the fire with an extinguisher. The tablecloth was now fully ablaze and lighting the roof of the tent. She took out her cell phone, but put it away when she heard the faraway sound of sirens. She ran out of the tent and stopped a safe distance away, noticing Jake had done the same. A few of the ranch workers were approaching with extinguishers, but Jake waved them back. The fire had spread too much. The slight breeze had carried the flames across the field, right up to the barn. The fire department would have to handle it.
The fire engines arrived in a blaze of lights, their sirens screaming. Several firefighters ran toward the fire, aiming their hoses.
Jake stood several yards away from her. As if he knew she was looking at him, he turned and caught her eye. Oh, boy! Even from a distance, she could feel his fury. He stalked over.
“Tell me you opened the vent on the back of the grill when you set it up.”
Her mouth went dry. She put a hand to her forehead, trying desperately to remember. She could see his instructions in her mind’s eye; she had written them down precisely on the clipboard. The paper said to open the vent after the coal heated up, but all she could remember was that she had been reading that very instruction when he walked up to her. And she had lost her train of thought. She didn’t remember actually opening the vent.
“I...I’m not sure I did. Oh, God, Jake, I’m so sorry.”
His eyes reflected the flames that were demolishing the barn behind her. “Do you have any idea how dangerous a fire is on a ranch? What it can do to the animals? Not to mention the fact that I may have lost a barn full of hay. Do you know how much bales cost these days?” He began pacing as the firefighters doused the fire. It seemed to be coming under control, but Meera could see a mess of soggy black ash on the ground and a black shell where the pretty red barn had stood. She thought that she’d ruined the barbecue earlier with the veggie dogs, but this? This was a complete disaster.
When Jake came close to her again, she touched his arm. “I’ll pay for the damage.”
He whirled to face her. “Are you kidding me? You can’t wave your magic credit card and make this all okay, princess.”
She inhaled sharply, trying to breathe against the tightness in her chest.
“Tomorrow morning, I’d like you to leave. I’ll talk to Marty about giving you a room—although after tonight, I’m not sure you’ll ever recover with this town.”
