Her meeting with Hal had to be postponed. The man had been out of the country and wouldn’t be returning till after Jamie’s cast was off. In the meantime, Charity set her work for Pinnacle on hold and went after Haunch, Margaret’s so-called boyfriend.

He’d eagerly returned her call the day after she had left the message with his wife. She got straight to the point with him.

“Haunch. This is Doctor Charity Thompson-Bennet.”

“Yes?” The man sounded confused on the phone. “I thought I was contacting an art gallery.”

“No. I spoke with your wife yesterday.”

“She told me.”

“I’m Margaret Bennet’s daughter-in-law.” Her long doctor name had confused him and he had missed the Bennet part.

“Oh. Ohhh.”

The silence on the phone that followed showed Charity the man understood why she had called. “I’m going to politely ask you to cancel all contracts with Margaret, and send all contracts with closure to her lawyer here in New York. I’ve had a moving company pack your belongings up from her house in New Zealand. If you send me a fax number, I can send you the location to pick them up. If they aren’t claimed in thirty days, they are delivered to a local goodwill charity shop.” She couldn’t stop the smug smile on her face. “You will have no contact with Margaret, everything will be done through our lawyer’s firm here in New York. You fucked with the wrong family.”

“I… uh… I.” Silence again followed on the phone. He hadn’t hung up, the rat just didn’t have anything to say.

“Follow everything as requested by the lawyers and we’ll not mention anything to your wife, or the authorities in America, or New Zealand. This is your one off chance at a get out of jail free card. Don’t screw it up.”

“I… see. Yes. I’ll make sure I get everything done on my end.”

“Is your wife beside you?”

“At the moment, yes.”

“Our—Margaret’s lawyers will be in contact with you. Thirty days, Haunch. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t.”

Charity grinned as she hung up. She couldn’t wait to tell Margaret, and Elijah, she’d taken care of Raunchy the Haunch. She’d told her dad about the situation and he’d quietly insisted to contact his top notch lawyers. In fact, they’d taken care of everything yesterday afternoon and sent Charity exactly what she needed to tell him. They’d be in contact with him later today.

Charity smiled. All in a day’s work.

 

 

The remainder of the week flew by as Charity focused on helping Jamie and taking her back and forth to the hospital for X-rays and checkups. With the all clear, Dr. Bailey removed Jamie’s cast and suggested a removable brace for the next month. The brace would be custom fit and it would allow Jamie movement without the risk of re-injury while the bone finished healing. It meant she could take it off in the tub and he also suggested some pool rehab. Charity and Elijah agreed. The non-weight bearing activity would be perfect for Jamie. Plus, she loved water!

As the next week flew by, Charity spent her mornings at the pool and intense rehab for little Jamie. Who was a trooper through it all. It was hard to believe how fast time had flown since the tumble in the backyard.

When Julie called and told her she had booked a spa morning for the two of them, Elijah said she had to go. He offered to take the morning off and take care of Jamie’s rehab. Charity couldn’t argue. Her father and his mother had gone away for a few days up the coast.

They lay beside each other as two massage therapists worked on their backs.

“I totally needed this day at the spa, Juls. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. Everything has been thrown off kilter with Jamie’s accident. I’m behind on my work, which is turning out to be a nightmare. I have my dad’s seventieth, which I’ve delegated to Margaret, and I miss the hospital. That last part is between you and me,” Charity said, her words partly mumbled as she lay face down on a massage table.

“I miss you at the hospital too. A lot’s changed.” Julie sighed. “Did you notice we call this a spa day when we are only here for two hours? Are there actually people who spend an entire day at the spa?” Julie mused as the masseur shoved his elbow down hard on her scapula. “Easy! I need that thing.”

“Apologies. I rarely have a customer as tense as you,” Joel, the masseur said.

“What’s got you in knots?” Charity asked, half teasing.

“Besides the fact I’m around sick people all day?”

“No excuse, I know you love working at the hospital.”

Julie sighed again. “It’s complicated.”

“Try me. I think I’m the queen of complicated. I should have this perfect life, and I pretty much do, and yet nothing is simple. Throw your troubles upon me, girl. I’m all ears.”

“Simon and I are drifting apart. I don’t know why. We argue when we are together and then argue when we aren’t. I keep trying to get him to spend more time with me, but it’s like he’s pushing me away, or making excuses. We barely see each other at the hospital now. It’s like he purposely sets his shifts opposite to mine.”

“I don’t think he’d do that. It’s not easy with both of you being doctors.”

“I don’t hear you complaining about Elijah.”

“We have to work really hard at it, and it’s still not easy. Maybe Simon should drop the weekly stuff with Elijah and spend it with you instead.” Elijah had asked her not to mention it to Julie, but Juls was her friend and if she felt she had issues going on in her marriage, she had every right to offer to help.

“I totally agree. Like the time they went out together last Tuesday afternoon when they hit the links. I was off. He could have taken me golfing!”

Charity swallowed, glad Julie couldn’t see her face. She knew Simon was lying. Elijah didn’t golf, he hated it and would never choose it over time with Jamie. Last Tuesday was pizza night. Elijah and Jamie made their own pizza, which was a hoot. Charity had even taken pictures with her cell phone. She held her tongue, she wouldn’t tell Julie until she’d double-checked with Elijah. Maybe Julie had gotten the days wrong and possibly the sport. “We’re supposed to be relaxing Julie. Let’s stop talking about our boys.”

“Agreed,” Julie mumbled, sounding as if she was nearly asleep.

The rest of the massage couldn’t finish fast enough. The more Charity thought about Simon lying to Julie, the more she began to question Elijah spending time with Simon. Could he be lying as well? He wouldn’t be cheating on her, would he? She refused to consider the thought a moment longer.

 

****

 

“I’m home!” Charity called out as she stepped through the house. She could hear Elijah and her now cast-free daughter in the backyard. She walked through the kitchen and out the sliding door. “Hello, princess!” She moved close to Elijah and whispered in his ear, “Which princess is she supposed to be?”

“Belle.” Elijah smiled.

Charity was probably the only mother in America who couldn’t identify Belle’s yellow dress from Beauty and the Beast. She was slightly disappointed Jamie never touched the mini-scrubs she purchased her. “You make a lovely Belle, Jamie.” Charity bent down to give her daughter a kiss.

“Daddy’s the Beast.” Jamie glowed. She was still wobbly but her rehab was helping muscles that had started to atrophy. Right now, she sat at a small kid’s table drinking pretend tea with her daddy, who was way too big for the tiny chair he sat on.

“You’re wearing an apron so I assume you have something planned for dinner. Do tell.” Charity wanted to talk about Julie and Simon but she figured it could wait. She sat down at the remaining petite wooden chair.

“I’m making paella,” Elijah said proudly. “Jamie and I thought we would arrange an impromptu dinner party. Our folks are back so I left a message for them to join us as well.”

“Sounds perfect to me.” Charity smiled. A spa morning, lunch and now an easy evening? “Fix me a cocktail?”

He stood and bowed. “Ah, but of course.” He winked at Jamie and kissed Charity lusciously on the lips.

“Belle and I will watch Beauty and the Beast on the laptop out here and allow you to work your magic in the kitchen.”

“I’m using seafood instead of chicken, by the way. Don’t want my mother scolding me because I fried the chicken or something she won’t like for your dad.”

“Smart man.” If Charity thought her husband was sexy in scrubs, in an apron he was simply irresistible. He chose her blue apron, which matched the color of his eyes perfectly. She found it hard not to steal an occasional glance of her husband from the sliding kitchen doors. He was chopping onions with surgical precision. She never thought the daily task of preparing food could be such a turn on.

“Mommy, you’re looking at the beast in the kitchen. Look at the beast on T.V.” Jamie tried to give her a stern look.

Charity burst out laughing. “So sorry, sweetie.” She watched a few moments and then checked her watch. “Elijah?” Charity called into the kitchen. “When did you say our parents were coming?”

“They should be here. Why don’t you try calling them? It’s probably traffic.”

“I’ll try.” Charity tried both of her father’s phones and called Margaret with no success. She tried the hospital and the message redirected her to staff that could be of assistance.

Charity glanced at the laptop as she tried to distract herself from her dad’s absence. The dancing plate and the singing candelabra were holding Jamie’s attention but it wasn’t working for her.

“Don’t think the worst, Charity. Maybe they’re busy with something else.” Elijah stood in the sliding screen doorway, a wooden spoon in one hand and a glass of pinot in the other. He didn’t appear overly concerned. He was waving his eyebrows up and down as he hinted.

She sat on a cushioned lounge chair and tried to watch the show with Jamie. She thought about Julie’s conversation earlier and slipped inside to talk to Elijah.

“Relax Charity, don’t look so worried. They’re fine. I’m sure.” Elijah smiled at her as he stirred tomato sauce. “Go enjoy our dancing princess. She’s feeling good and getting better.” He glanced at her, not understanding Charity’s facial expression. “Your dad’s fine. If there was an issue, they’d have called. It’s time to stop concerning yourself with other people’s lives. You’re not a doctor anymore so it’s okay.” Elijah licked his spoon covered with tomato sauce and tossed it in the sink.

Not a doctor anymore? Is that what he thinks? I went to med school. Endured the rigors of my residency while pregnant, which was with his child. I chose to suspend practicing medicine so I would have more time to devote to my family. Me, no pressure?

Things were just about to blow up. They’d vowed to never fight in front of Jamie Lynn but there was no way she was going to let that comment slide.