Borrowed Time by Edie Claire

Author:Edie Claire [Claire, Edie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Edie Claire
Published: 2011-02-22T13:00:00+00:00

***

Melissa Gardner’s intelligent hazel eyes bore into Adam’s, and their unspoken message chilled him. “You know I can’t share any of the details of Sarah’s situation with you,” she reminded. “At least, not unless she wants me to.”

“Of course,” he replied, certain that Sarah, who was out of earshot getting dressed, would agree to no such thing. But Melissa didn’t have much of a poker face. “You’re sending her home?”

The doctor nodded. “It’s not my preference, but she’s adamant about not being hospitalized—at least not yet. I’ve agreed to continue working with her as an outpatient, but only if she agrees to certain conditions, one of which is that she needs to have someone watching her.”

“I see.”

“Adam?”

“Yes.”

“I hope you’re not—” She broke off, then shook her head. “Never mind. It’s not my business.”

She started to turn away, but he grabbed her arm. “Sure it is. Tell me what you were going to say.”

The doctor looked at him with a peculiar mixture of respect and sadness. He had only known Melissa for a little over a year, but he admired her tremendously. Not only because she was such a devoted church member, or even because she was a dedicated-enough physician to go back into her office on a Tuesday evening just to spare a friend a trip to the emergency room. He admired her because she was, hands down, one of the sharpest, most discerning individuals he’d ever met. “You do realize that Sarah’s condition could be serious,” she continued. “Don’t you?”

His pulse began to pound. “Yes, I do.”

She knows, he thought soberly. The doctor could tell that his feelings for Sarah were more than just neighborly. Was the depth of his distress that visible? Was there something about the way he looked at Sarah? He hadn’t touched her again. He’d been careful about that.

“All right,” Melissa responded, her smile still tempered with sadness. “I just wanted to make sure.”

He couldn’t ask her anything more. Sarah reappeared. She walked out into the waiting room with an artificial grin and patted the black box at her waist. “Frankenstein’s all set,” she announced. Then she thanked her doctor and signaled her readiness to leave. Melissa showed them out, and they returned to Adam’s car.

“Well,” he asked as he buckled. “Did she say whatever it was you expected?”

“Precisely,” Sarah answered, her tone falsely upbeat. “It’s just a waiting game, really. I need to pass out while I’m wired. It’s the only way I can get a firm diagnosis. But I will get a diagnosis, and then I can get it taken care of. There are treatments. It’s not hopeless.”

“Of course it’s not,” he declared, more forcefully than intended.

She was quiet for a moment. Then her voice turned meek. “Can I ask you something?”

He nodded.

“If you wouldn’t mind terribly, I really could use a competent chauffeur for the next few days. Raoul wasn’t as bad as Dustin, but he did ask me if my husband mowed our lawn himself. It’s no big deal, really, but—”

“Of course.

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