charge of their health. They had the usual examinations—and then some—on a regular basis.
Don’t borrow trouble. Kate’s mother had often said those very words. Oh, God, she didn’t want to think about her mother now. She had enough to deal with.
What was taking so long? Kate was looking at her watch for about the fiftieth time just as her cell phone rang.
Kiera was calling. “How is she?”
Jordan had given Kate permission to talk to Kiera about the surgery but no one else. “Still in surgery,” she answered. “They were running late, so she didn’t go in until almost ten. It’s been over an hour now. Isn’t that long enough for a biopsy?”
“No.”
“But . . .”
“I’m a medical student, not a doctor, and I’m not going to speculate.”
“You’re a fourth-year medical student, which means you’re almost finished.”
“But still not a doctor.”
“Come on, Kiera,” Kate said in exasperation. “Make a calculated guess. I’m not going to sue you if you’re wrong.”
“No, I don’t think an hour is too long. Remember, the surgeon’s waiting for the pathologist’s report. And since you didn’t go into the OR with her, you can’t know exactly when they started.”
Kate relaxed. “Good point. They could just be starting now, for all I know. I’ll call you as soon as I hear something. How are things at home?”
“Fine. Reece Crowell has called here several times.”
“Oh?” Kate asked cautiously.
“He’s been very polite. Almost too polite. When I tell him Isabel isn’t here, he says ‘thank you’ and hangs up, but then a couple of hours later he calls again. I can hear this edge to him, like he’s ready to explode. He’s asked for you a couple of times. Once Isabel is well away at school, I suppose he’ll get the message.”
Kate wasn’t so sure about that.
“Oh yes,” Kiera continued. “A man named Wallace has called and left a couple of messages. He said he works for a bank. Have you ever heard of him?”
The ever-present knot in Kate’s stomach began to swell. “No, I haven’t heard of him,” she lied. “Did he say what he wanted?”
“No,” she answered. “But he asked that you call him right away. Do you have a pen? I’ll give you his phone number.”
Kate closed her eyes. “No. I’ll call him Monday when I get home. Just leave the messages on the machine.”
“He said it was urgent.”
“Urgent can wait until Monday.”
“Aren’t you at all curious to know what he wants?”
Kate knew exactly what he wanted. Everything they owned. And then some.
“Listen, Kiera. Monday we need to sit down and have a long talk.”
“It sounds serious.”
“We just need to make some decisions about the future. I’m going to hang up now. I’ll let you know how Jordan’s doing later.”
She flipped the cell phone shut and dropped it into her purse just as a white-haired volunteer called her name. Kate saw the surgeon turning toward her when she stood. Then she saw his face. The surgeon was smiling.
Chapter Ten
Jordan was going to be fine. The wonderful news from the surgeon made Kate weak with relief. She felt like hugging the man.
She had thought that she would be able to take her friend home a couple of hours after the anesthesia wore off, but the surgeon wanted to keep her overnight. He explained almost as an afterthought that Jordan had had a very mild reaction to the anesthetic, but there was nothing to worry about, the drug would be out of her system by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, and she could leave the hospital then.
Nothing to worry about. Kate remembered those words when she saw her friend. Poor Jordan was as red as a boiled lobster, had welts all over her face and arms, and was itching like crazy.
Kate did what any best friend would do. She pulled out her cell phone, which happened to have a built-in camera, and took her photo so she could torment her later—maybe even make a screen saver for her computer.
She stayed with
Don’t borrow trouble. Kate’s mother had often said those very words. Oh, God, she didn’t want to think about her mother now. She had enough to deal with.
What was taking so long? Kate was looking at her watch for about the fiftieth time just as her cell phone rang.
Kiera was calling. “How is she?”
Jordan had given Kate permission to talk to Kiera about the surgery but no one else. “Still in surgery,” she answered. “They were running late, so she didn’t go in until almost ten. It’s been over an hour now. Isn’t that long enough for a biopsy?”
“No.”
“But . . .”
“I’m a medical student, not a doctor, and I’m not going to speculate.”
“You’re a fourth-year medical student, which means you’re almost finished.”
“But still not a doctor.”
“Come on, Kiera,” Kate said in exasperation. “Make a calculated guess. I’m not going to sue you if you’re wrong.”
“No, I don’t think an hour is too long. Remember, the surgeon’s waiting for the pathologist’s report. And since you didn’t go into the OR with her, you can’t know exactly when they started.”
Kate relaxed. “Good point. They could just be starting now, for all I know. I’ll call you as soon as I hear something. How are things at home?”
“Fine. Reece Crowell has called here several times.”
“Oh?” Kate asked cautiously.
“He’s been very polite. Almost too polite. When I tell him Isabel isn’t here, he says ‘thank you’ and hangs up, but then a couple of hours later he calls again. I can hear this edge to him, like he’s ready to explode. He’s asked for you a couple of times. Once Isabel is well away at school, I suppose he’ll get the message.”
Kate wasn’t so sure about that.
“Oh yes,” Kiera continued. “A man named Wallace has called and left a couple of messages. He said he works for a bank. Have you ever heard of him?”
The ever-present knot in Kate’s stomach began to swell. “No, I haven’t heard of him,” she lied. “Did he say what he wanted?”
“No,” she answered. “But he asked that you call him right away. Do you have a pen? I’ll give you his phone number.”
Kate closed her eyes. “No. I’ll call him Monday when I get home. Just leave the messages on the machine.”
“He said it was urgent.”
“Urgent can wait until Monday.”
“Aren’t you at all curious to know what he wants?”
Kate knew exactly what he wanted. Everything they owned. And then some.
“Listen, Kiera. Monday we need to sit down and have a long talk.”
“It sounds serious.”
“We just need to make some decisions about the future. I’m going to hang up now. I’ll let you know how Jordan’s doing later.”
She flipped the cell phone shut and dropped it into her purse just as a white-haired volunteer called her name. Kate saw the surgeon turning toward her when she stood. Then she saw his face. The surgeon was smiling.
Chapter Ten
Jordan was going to be fine. The wonderful news from the surgeon made Kate weak with relief. She felt like hugging the man.
She had thought that she would be able to take her friend home a couple of hours after the anesthesia wore off, but the surgeon wanted to keep her overnight. He explained almost as an afterthought that Jordan had had a very mild reaction to the anesthetic, but there was nothing to worry about, the drug would be out of her system by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, and she could leave the hospital then.
Nothing to worry about. Kate remembered those words when she saw her friend. Poor Jordan was as red as a boiled lobster, had welts all over her face and arms, and was itching like crazy.
Kate did what any best friend would do. She pulled out her cell phone, which happened to have a built-in camera, and took her photo so she could torment her later—maybe even make a screen saver for her computer.
She stayed with
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