Chapter Two
Thirty-year-old Kate Stafford, recently divorced, and her five-year-old daughter Emma were finally moving into their own little cottage in a small town outside Austin. Kate had secured a job at the Cedar Park Medical Center, which was about twenty minutes from their new home—something Kate could afford on her salary and the modest child support she received. She and Roger Martin had dated for several years and gotten married right after Kate finished her internship at Baylor. Much to Roger’s chagrin, she kept her maiden name since all of her education records were under Stafford. She had thought it was sweet that he had a little bit of the old-fashioned stuff in him and wanted her to be Mrs. Kate Martin. It had never occurred to her that he was competitive. But occasionally a little bit of a chauvinistic streak would emerge. She was too busy with her studies and adored Roger, so even the thought of it would not have occurred to her. Sometimes a hint of jealousy would surface, especially when Kate would attract the attention of other men. Not only was she bright, but she was stunning, with her shoulder-length, rich chestnut hair and green eyes. Kate would explain about the transference syndrome—in which patients thought they were falling in love with their doctors—to quell Roger’s annoyance. But much to her dismay, rather than allaying his jealousy, it often would fuel the argument. She didn’t get it. At least not at first. But after several years, the resentment was becoming obvious. She was coming into her own, and Roger didn’t like it.
Shortly after they were married, her pregnancy came as a big surprise. They had been extra careful, knowing it would be several years before Kate would be eligible for a full-time job, but she was among the two percent for whom birth control didn’t work. Even though she was pro-choice, abortion was out of the question. She was going to keep the baby. She still had four years of residency to complete at Joseph Barnhart, and there would be a lot of juggling involved, but Kate was bright and determined to make all of it work: her marriage, her career, and her baby. She was adamant. She would be wife, mother, and doctor. After all, weren’t women encouraged to “do it all”?
Things really started to go downhill when an argument arose about Emma’s last name. Kate suggested hyphenating to Stafford-Martin, but Roger was vehemently opposed to any name but Martin. “My kid is going to have my
name!”
That was the first time Kate really put some thought into what her husband’s view of marriage was. The looming economic burdens and her husband’s on-again, off-again employment began to take its toll, both financially and emotionally. Roger couldn’t find enough work in Houston—at least that was his excuse—and being a stay-at-home dad wasn’t going to cut it financially. When Kate would make suggestions about different employment opportunities, he would respond with bitter remarks. Could he be talking his way out of a job rather than into one?
It was becoming obvious that his ego was being bruised by his wife’s success. There had been other early warning signs that she and Roger weren’t compatible, but they were eighteen when they had met, and who knew anything about love and relationships? Didn’t all teenagers think they knew everything, especially when it came to matters of the heart?
As the months dragged on, Roger’s opportunities for obtaining and keeping a steady job seemed to dwindle. Then one day he announced that he had heard there were a lot of opportunities in Vancouver, British Columbia, for people in Roger’s line of work. That would have definitely created a problem with Kate’s progress toward a career in medicine. Not all of her credits and time spent would count, and she would lose an entire year repeating some of her residency. Furthermore, Canada wasn’t eager to employ people from other countries, even if that other country was just across the border.
At that point, Kate had the horrible thought that maybe keeping her from a successful career in medicine was Roger’s plan. If they moved to Canada and he got a good job, then Kate might have to give up her aspirations and let him wear the pants in the family. No. That was not the answer. She had put too much into her studies and her career. She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to become a doctor. A pediatric orthopedist. Helping kids get their limbs working again. It was time she faced the ugly truth. The marriage was over.
Kate was thinking back to when she first told her mother the news of the divorce. “Teenage love is so naive. Why don’t kids listen to their parents?” Kate smiled a wry grin.
“But Roger is a good egg, and he deserves to be happy. At least we’re grown up enough to realize we’re young enough to have a chance at happiness—even if it isn’t with each other!”
“You both deserve to be happy, sweetie. I’m glad you didn’t take the other road and walk away from your career. You put so much time into your education, and you still have a bit left on your student loans!” Kate’s mom was very proud of her daughter’s drive and success and bragged incessantly about her “daughter the doctor.”
Fortunately, the divorce was amicable. Roger almost seemed relieved. As they parted ways, Roger agreed to send her two hundred dollars a month in child support. Not a lot to go on, but it was better than nothing. He promised to send more when things got better, but four years later, it looked as if things were never going to get better for Roger.
The year that followed the divorce, Kate had Emma’s last name changed to Stafford. It was hard enough being a kid with only one parent; at the very least they should have the same name. Roger raised a bit of a fuss but backed down after the second argument over the phone. “I don’t want Emma, or anyone else for that matter, to be confused as to who her mother is, particularly with an absent father. End of story—unless you want to pay a lawyer to try to stop me.” He acquiesced, and Kate sent him the paperwork—with a prepaid return FedEx envelope.
Four years had passed since she had broken the news of the divorce, and the latest change—the big move to Cedar Park—was not about to sit well with her mother. When she met with her mother to break the news, her mom was very excited about the upcoming holidays. “Santa will be coming in a few weeks, and this year Emma should really get a kick out of it. She is such a joy.”
Kate became quiet as she began to find the words to explain to her mother that she and Emma were moving to Cedar Park. Not too far, but not last-minute babysitting or dinner several times a week proximity. It would be at least a two-and-a-half-hour drive.
“Mom. I’ve been looking into permanent positions at hospitals that have orthopedic specialty clinics.”
“Of course, dear. That’s something you’ve always wanted.”
“Well, there is a wonderful opportunity for me at Cedar Park, and—”
“Cedar Park? Near Austin?” Kate’s mother sounded horrified. “You’ll be so far away! And what about our Emma? We won’t be able to watch her grow up!” She began to cry.
“Oh, Mom. Don’t cry. It’s only about two hours away. We’ll visit on weekends. You can visit us. We’ll spend all the holidays together. I promise! It won’t be all that bad!”
“Kate, honey, your daddy and I live for the two of you. I don’t know what we’re going to do if you leave!” Mrs. Stafford was beside herself.
“Mom, it’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when.’” Kate was determined. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for me. They have day care, and after Emma starts school, they will work around my schedule. Besides, Houston is getting so expensive. My other option was Boston, and I’m sure you would agree that was totally out of the question.”
“You’re damn right!” Mrs. Stafford was regaining her self-control. “I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to your father. He wasn’t thrilled about the divorce, but losing you and Emma might be just too much for him.”
It wasn’t a pleasant exchange. Mrs. Stafford had always been easygoing, but this time she “showed her teeth,” an expression Kate picked up from her internship when the chief of staff would be having a bad day. A few weeks later, her mom begrudgingly threw her a good-bye party, helped Kate and Emma pack, and sobbed as they pulled out of the driveway.
As Kate checked out her new surroundings, she thought her mom would approve—if she could only get her to drive the 160 or so miles to visit. Kate settled into the big wicker chair on the front porch of her new home, convinced this was the right choice for her and for Emma. It had to be. She would make plans for the holidays with her folks as soon as she knew what days she would be working at the Cedar Park Medical Center Department of Orthopedics.
Kate had graduated near the top of her class at the Baylor College of Medicine, had stellar reviews during her internship, and was very much sought after once she completed her residency at the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery, so negotiating a reasonable schedule was rather easy.
Yep. She was finally free and ready for a new start. Making new friends might be a little challenging, but she had heard good things about the area, which was one reason why she had chosen it. She and Emma were on a new adventure, and Kate was pleased that Emma felt the same way about the move.
Emma rarely asked about her daddy. He had left when she was just over a year old. Occasionally, she would ask if she would ever have one, like everybody else. Kate was always patient and optimistic: “Yes, someday you will have a daddy. We just need to shop for one!” Emma would giggle at the thought of going to a store and picking out a daddy! But Kate knew that the start of a new job and caring for Emma would be more than she could handle. She didn’t have the time or emotional wherewithal to seek out a partner. And you could forget about online dating. That was a full-time job in itself and seemed to attract a lot of losers. She was resolute, with a tinge of faith. Meeting someone would have to happen on its own.
Kate enrolled Emma in Sunday school classes at the local church. It would give Emma an opportunity to meet kids her age and give Kate a chance to be involved in her new community. Another upside was that there would be plenty of holiday activities that would allow a lot of social interaction. Yes, they were excited. The coming weekend would be their coming-out party, so to speak.
When Sunday arrived they headed toward the church. “Mommy, I have googly-bumps!” Emma whispered.
“And I have goose bumps!” Kate tried to subtly correct her daughter.
As they approached the side door for the Sunday school class, Kate noticed a banner inside the hallway: KEVIN MATTHEWS
, OUR HERO
!
I wonder who Kevin Matthews is,
she thought to herself. Must be a local big shot to have a banner in the hallway among what appeared to be a tsunami of decorating happening. There were people scattered about hanging stars and ornaments and stringing garland.
“Make way for the trees!” an older gentleman shouted. “Sorry we’re late. C’mon, folks . . . scoot!”
It was a mild form of chaos, but Emma and Kate could feel it was a good kind of commotion.
“My son had a bit of a struggle getting used to the time change and the jet lag,” the gentleman apologized breathlessly.
Kate and Emma moved to one side of the hall trying to decide if they should stop and ask where they should go or wait until the tree hubbub was settled. Behind the older gentleman was a younger man—about Kate’s age—also carrying a tree. They opted for staying put for the moment and being spectators in this parade of Christmas trees, as another young man dragged the third into the hallway.
“Kevin, get the big one and bring it into the chapel. Get your cousin Jake to give you a hand.” The older man barked orders.
“Yes, sir!” was the response. “As soon as I get this one in place.”
Suddenly, people started clamoring, “Yo, Kevin! Welcome home!” “You’re back!” “You made it!” “How does it feel to be home?”
“Thanks!” was his humble response. “Glad to be home!” Once again, Kevin was feeling overwhelmed and a little embarrassed by the attention he was getting.
“That must be the Kevin Matthews on the banner,” Kate whispered to Emma, as she pointed to the letters on the sign, spelling it out for her: K-E-V-I-N.
“Kevin!” Emma shouted. “That’s your
name up there?” She thought he might be someone famous, and her excitement was palpable.
Kevin propped the tree against the wall and knelt to address the little girl. “I think it is.” He smiled a big, generous grin. “I don’t know why everyone is making such a big fuss about me.” Looking up at Kate, he gave her a friendly wink, and a shiver of excitement went up her spine. She could have sworn those deep blue pools twinkled. He held on to the tree with one hand and extended the other to Emma: “I am very happy to meet you. Now you know my name, what is yours?” He looked at Kate to assure her he was just being polite and not being a creep.
Emma looked up at her mother as if to ask if it was okay to answer him. Kate extended her hand instead. “Hi. I’m Kate Stafford. This is Emma. Emma, it’s okay. He’s the famous Kevin Matthews.” Kate leaned closer to Kevin. “You are
famous, right?”
Kevin laughed out loud. “No. Not really. Just got back from a tour of duty, and the town thinks it’s cause for celebration.”
“Well, if you served in the military, it is
cause for celebration. Thank you for your service.” Kate was beginning to blush.
“My pleasure to serve. And a pleasure to meet you both. Have you been members of the church for long? I’ve been away for six years, so I’m a little out of the loop.”
“Actually, we just moved here. This is Emma’s first day of Sunday school.”
“Well, welcome to Cedar Park. If you and your husband are in the market for a Christmas tree, stop by our farm. We still have lots of them!” Kevin was showing his big, warm smile.
“Oh, no! I mean, no husband, but yes, to the tree.” Kate thought she sounded like an idiot and started to grow anxious.
“That’s fine. I mean, not the no-husband part, but the tree part.” Kevin also thought he was being too forward. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
“That’s okay. I mean . . . I will definitely stop by to get a tree. Where are you located?”
Her embarrassment was starting to unnerve her.
“Just a couple miles down the road. I guess everything in Texas is just a couple miles down the road, but we really are only a couple miles.” He smiled that big grin again. “Let me unload these trees, and I’ll write it down for you. That is, if you have the time.”
“Yes. That’s fine. I have to get Emma to her Sunday school class—if I can find it.”
“This should take about ten more minutes. Meet you back here?”
“Shhh . . . sure.” Kate wanted to disappear into the woodwork. Feeling like a fool, she hadn’t been this excited around a man in a very long time, and she certainly didn’t know his situation. I guess I’ll find out
, though
, she thought to herself.
Kate and Emma finally found their way to the Sunday school class, and Kate was very happy to see a dozen children Emma’s age. The teacher welcomed them warmly and introduced everyone to Emma. “Kids, this is Emma Stafford. She and her mom, Mrs. Stafford, just moved into town. Can we all say, ‘Welcome, Emma’?” A wave of enthusiasm filled the room, and Kate knew that she had made the right decision—to move to Cedar Park. And thinking she was on a roll, she decided to go buy that Christmas tree.
Glancing at her watch, Kate realized it had been almost a half hour since her encounter with the “famous” Kevin Matthews and started to panic. She gave Emma a big hug, and said, “Mommy will be back in a little while. You have yourself some fun, okay?”
“Yes, Mommy!” Emma was very excited at the attention she was getting and the newness of everything. “You gonna meet ‘the famous tree man’? K-E-V-I-N?” Emma proudly spelled out his name. Kate was mortified. How on earth did her little girl remember that? “I am going to speak to him about shopping for a Christmas tree!” Kate recovered, kissed Emma on the cheek, and hurried back to the area where she had first met “the famous tree man.”
The bustle had subsided, and “the famous tree man” was nowhere in sight. Heaving a big sigh of disappointment, she turned to see the pastor’s wife standing nearby. “Oh, hello dear. You must be Kate Stafford. I’m Betty Palmer, Pastor Palmer’s wife. But everyone calls him Pastor Teddy.”
Kate regained her composure and extended her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. I just dropped Emma at Sunday school. Lots going on here today!”
“Oh, yes! We are so excited to be getting into the Christmas swing of things. It does get a little busy.” Betty Palmer shook Kate’s hand, and continued, “We have a lot of activities for the children and the parents. After all, Christmas is for everyone!”
“I’m looking forward to this holiday season. It’s difficult when you don’t have family locally, but everyone I’ve met so far has been lovely.”
“Well, we’re going to have our tree-lighting ceremony this Friday night if those boys ever finish bringing them in. Speaking of trees, Kevin Matthews asked me to give this to you. He said he had to get back to the farm to get another load.” Betty handed Kate a piece of paper as Kate tried to keep her hand from trembling.
“Oh. Thank you. Yes, he said he would give me the address.” Kate was both relieved and concerned that her embarrassment was showing again.
“The tree farm is just a couple miles down the road,” the women spontaneously said in unison, and began to laugh.
“Seems like everything is!” Kate smiled, thinking about seeing “the famous tree man” again.
Still a little shaken by her encounter with Kevin Matthews and the note he left, Kate went outside to get some air before she had to fetch Emma from her class.
As she was walking around the grounds of the church, she spotted a truck pulling in with the sign CEDAR PARK CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
. He was back! Not wanting to seem like she had been waiting for his return, Kate twisted to run back into the church, stumbled, and fell facedown into the dirt! Now she was certain she was making a spectacle of herself. Trying to recover from her clumsiness, she teetered a bit as she brushed the soil off her face, slacks, and gloves. She was adjusting her headband and glasses when she felt a hand at her elbow.
“Ma’am, you’re gonna have to get yourself some Texas two-step lessons. That was abominable.” She had already recognized the voice of “the famous tree man,” who was clearly teasing her.
“Oh, I am such a clumsy thing!” Kate responded in her best damsel-in-distress tone as their eyes met. “Good thing I’m an orthopedic doctor! I may need some of my own medicine!”
“Good thing, indeed. I may be in need of one, too!” Kevin released her arm when he felt she was steady enough to stand. “You all right? I’m also a paramedic, so if you need some first aid . . . I mean, I’m not trained like you are, but in a pinch, I’m your man.” Kevin realized he might have just insulted this pretty young woman—a pretty young doctor, no less!
I’m your man,
sent a tingle up Kate’s spine, followed by her next thought: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You need to buy a tree first. Or maybe get to know him. And his situation.
“Kate? You did say your name was Kate, right?” Kevin looked deeper into her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Oh . . . yes. I’m fine. Thank you so much. Talk about a first impression. Dr. Klutz. A fine name for a clumsy orthopedist!” She began to tremble and fidget with her Clark Kent–style glasses.
“Well, okay then, Dr. Klutz. I do hope to see you at the tree farm.” Kevin’s Lone Star accent had returned full force after only a few days.
Kate thought she would faint. “Yes. Yes, you will. When is a good time?” Darn it! Was she being too forward? It wasn’t as if she were going on a date.
As she was starting to feel like she had put both feet in her mouth, Kevin replied, “I’m usually there from ten in the morning until nine at night, with a few breaks for some of my mama’s good home cooking. But there’s always someone who can help you.”
Kate thought, There is no one I want to help me but you, Mr. Famous Tree Man.
What she said was, “I’ll come by after supper one night this week. Emma has to be in bed by seven, so it will probably be around six.”
“Tonight? Tomorrow?” Kevin queried, trying not to seem too anxious.
“What works best for you? I mean, I don’t want to disrupt your dinner or anything.”
“Well, sure. Tomorrow would probably be better. We’ll be in and out of here all day today. Mama usually has dinner on the table around five this time of year since most folks come by in the evening. See you tomorrow then. Gotta get the rest of these trees inside, or Betty will have my hide!”
Kate took a deep breath before she took another step. Falling in front of him was bad enough; she didn’t want to reprise her little tumble. Feeling steady, she held her head up high and went back to get Emma.