A Celtic Knot (7 page)

Catherine took a deep breath. It distressed her how easily distracted she was by thoughts of Olivia. She felt challenged by her intelligence and insight, warmed by her sense of humor and charm. But their lives were so different, so contradictory. Contradictions that could never be overcome.

She flipped through the articles. She was deeply grateful this research was being done, and that women like Emma had a chance to fight their cancer because of it. She admired Olivia for immersing her life in the world of medicine. A world she needed to shield herself from to protect her sanity.

She was about to set the articles aside when she noticed a pink letter-size envelope at the bottom of the stack. Curious, she opened it, unfolding a copy of Olivia’s third-grade report card. She burst into laughter as she scanned down the straight A’s and read the teacher’s comments at the bottom of the page.

She sat for a moment, pulled in two directions, then reached for her cell phone and dialed Olivia’s cell number. A fluttering sensation tingled her skin.

“This is Dr. Carrington.”

“Did I catch you at a good time, Olivia?”

“Catherine! Your timing is perfect. I’m just heading back to my office.”

Catherine picked up the tack pin and held it gently in the palm of her hand. “Thank you for the breast-cancer pin.”

“It’s just something to remind you of the people you can’t see who are fighting hard against that evil cancer you also can’t see.”

“I have faith in the people and the process, Olivia. Some days my fear dims my faith.”

“I can understand that, with your family history. I just hope you’ll give me the opportunity to strengthen your faith and dim your fear.”

They were silent for a moment. Catherine reached for the report card. “I now have evidence that you actually attended the third grade.”

“See, and you doubted me.”

“I won’t make that mistake again. The best part is your teacher’s comments at the bottom of the page. ‘Olivia is a pleasure to have as a student. She works very hard at her studies and actively participates in class. She listens well and is eager to learn. She plays very well with the girls in the class but seems to have an intolerance for the boys.’” Catherine laughed. “Olivia, you were outed by your third-grade teacher.”

“And I adored that teacher. I can’t believe she did that to me at such a young impressionable age.”

“It’s amazing that you’re so well adjusted after a report card like that.”

They laughed together as Catherine placed the report card down on her desk. “How does the rest of your day look?”

“I just walked into my office. I have five patients here waiting to see me and then I have to do my rounds in the hospital before I can go home. I’m being reminded of my residency days when the hospital was the only home I knew.” “So much for trying to maintain your sanity with a life outside of work.”

“My life outside of work has been seriously lacking for a long time.”

“I should let you go, then.”

“Thank you so much for calling, Catherine. It was the highlight of my day.” Olivia’s voice was warm and sincere. Once again, Catherine’s heart lurched, as much as she wished it wouldn’t.

“I hope the rest of your day goes well, Olivia, and that you get home before eleven o’clock.”

“The chances of that happening are pretty slim. Goodbye, Catherine. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Goodbye, Olivia.” Catherine clicked off the phone, laid her head back against her chair, and closed her eyes. “What am I going to do with you, Dr. Olivia Carrington?”

Eleven

C
ATHERINE SET HER KETTLE
to boil and looked around her small kitchen. She loved its homey feeling. She’d bought this old 1950s house because of its charm and worked hard to restore it, preserving the original style and woodwork. She’d never been a fan of new and ostentatious homes. She remembered Olivia speaking of her “monstrosity of a house,” and couldn’t imagine her appreciating this modest one.

The kettle’s whistle startled her from her thoughts. She filled her bone-china teacup and headed for her favorite overstuffed chair, carefully sipping the hot tea as she curled her legs beneath her. She stared into the crackling fire and watched the flames lick at the maple logs as her favorite Celtic Sisters CD played low in the background.

Catherine was bothered by the excitement she’d felt when she spoke to Olivia. She would have to call upon her sense of self-preservation; there was simply no way the two of them could be involved, and she was starting to agree with Laura that Olivia hoped for involvement. Sipping her tea, she resolved to stand firm, to stop herself from being drawn in any further by Dr. Olivia Carrington.

The musical tune of her cell phone startled her from her thoughts. She looked over at the mantel clock and could think of only one person who would be calling her at ten-thirty at night. A glance at the display on her cell phone confirmed the thought.

“Hello, Dr. Carrington. Please tell me you’re home.”

Olivia laughed. “I’m about two minutes from home. I know it’s late, Catherine. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Not at all. I’m curled up in my favorite chair enjoying a fire and a cup of green tea.”

“That sounds lovely. I wanted to thank you and your mother for referring Emma to me yesterday. The office staff told me about her call today before I left. I hope we can help her.”

“I hope so too, Olivia. She’s a fighter. I can’t believe that a physician would look at a woman’s age and make a plan of care without taking the person into consideration.”

“Age is only one factor, and certainly never a deciding factor. I’ll see what we can do for Emma when she comes in next week. I promise you that I’ll give her my best.”

“I don’t doubt that for a moment, Olivia.” Catherine heard a car door slam. “How was the rest of your evening?”

“The office appointments went smoothly. Then I spent some time with a patient I did a mastectomy on yesterday, who I admitted into the ICU.”

Catherine hesitated. “How’s she doing?”

“Not as well as I’d hoped. I’m afraid she’ll develop pneumonia if we don’t control her pain better so she can deep breathe. And I’m worried about her daughter.”

“Why?”

“She’s having a real hard time dealing with her mother’s diagnosis and surgery. She’s only twenty-five. Her mother’s only forty-eight. When I first met her in my office she seemed distant, timid, and skittish. She didn’t have many questions. Now I think it’s just that she’s terrified of what’s going on.”

“I can understand how she feels.”

“I know you can. I’d like to talk with your mom about her. I’m hoping she can help me with this family.”

Catherine hugged a pillow tight to her chest. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to help. Are you home now, Olivia?”

“I just got here. I’m grabbing a glass of orange juice, and then I plan to sit on our back deck to enjoy the full moon and you. What time did you finally leave the bookstore?”

“I didn’t get out of there till seven o’clock. We have an all-male reading group that meets at the bookstore every Thursday. The average age of these guys is seventy, and you wouldn’t know it by their behavior. They were supposed to be discussing
Wuthering Heights
when they got into a heated discussion about the war in Afghanistan. My mom went over and told them they were behaving worse than the group of third graders we had in yesterday. She was the perfect distraction for them. They totally lost their train of thought and started flirting with her. I believe she came away with two marriage proposals and a promise to be more civil.”

“I’m not surprised. Your mother’s an incredible woman. I’m sure anyone of those men would jump at the opportunity to win her affection.”

Catherine was aware of how much she enjoyed talking to Olivia, as long as the subject wasn’t a difficult one. “She’s too young for them, and she isn’t interested in dating. She was so devoted to my father that I don’t think she even sees the way those men look at her.”

“That’s a shame, because I sense your mother has so much to offer in a relationship.”

“I agree with you, but it would take an incredible person to break through her walls.”

“Did your parents meet in Ireland or were they already in the U.S.?”

“Both sets of my grandparents immigrated to the U.S. shortly after they were married. So my parents are second-generation immigrants. They met when my mother hired my father to do the accounts for her real-estate agency. As the story goes, it was love at first sight.” Catherine leaned her head back against her chair. “I’d like to see her share a relationship with someone special again, but it would be really strange to see her with anyone other than my father.”

“I understand that.”

“I guess you do. You would never have imagined your father falling in love with another man.”

“No, that wasn’t exactly what I’d envisioned for him. Hey, who knows, your mom might be holding out for the right woman.”

Catherine laughed. “Now, that I’d love to see.”

“I love to hear you laugh, Catherine. I really enjoy you.” The silence stretched for a few long seconds. “Did I lose you?”

“No.”

“What just happened?”

“Just before you called I was wondering how I’m going to keep you at a safe distance.”

“Obviously you have reasons for wanting to keep me at a safe distance.”

“Several.”

“Care to share them with me?”

“Nope.”

“How fair is that?”

Catherine stared into the crackling fire. “Life isn’t always fair, Olivia. I see our lives as being very different. There are things about you that make me feel uncomfortable. But I can’t seem to get you off my mind or stop myself from wondering when we’ll talk again. I know that sounds crazy.”

“It
is
crazy. You’re just getting to know me, Catherine. Don’t pass judgment till you’ve seen the whole picture. You’ve barely scratched the surface. I know my career makes you feel very uncomfortable. Let me help you overcome your fear.”

“That’s not possible, Olivia.”

“I’m a pretty good judge of people, Catherine, and you never struck me as being so rigid. I won’t apologize for my career. I love what I do. As for whatever else there is about my life that makes you uncomfortable, I can’t help you with that if I don’t know what’s troubling you.”

“It’s just more of my fears and insecurities, Olivia. Just leave it at that.” Catherine heard Olivia’s exasperated sigh. “I’ve made you angry.”

“What did you expect? Wouldn’t you be pissed off if I told you our friendship was done at this point because of the little I knew about you? Well, I’ve got news for you. I care about you. I enjoy you. I had no idea this conversation would be our last.”

“I don’t want to lose your friendship, Olivia. I just need to keep you at a safe distance. I’m having a hard time understanding what you do to me and how I feel about you.”

“I’m a little overwhelmed by my feelings for you as well, Catherine. But I’ll give you all the distance you need. One thing I have very little of is time. I won’t let you waste it. You know how to reach me. But I think you’re making a mistake if you don’t even try to figure out what we feel and what we could share.”

Olivia clicked off her cell phone before Catherine could respond, and leaned forward in her patio chair. She stared into the circular gas fire pit, her tears blurring the blue-red flames dancing along the logs. She heard the sliding glass door open and turned to see Echo walk toward her.

Olivia wiped at her tears. “Echo, it’s almost eleven. What’re you doing up?”

“My very pregnant wife has a craving for a bowl of peas, which are cooking away in the microwave as we speak. She also claims to have a psychic connection to our daughter, who is requesting another slice of lemon meringue pie.” Echo eased into the chair beside Olivia. “What’s wrong?”

“I may have just talked to Catherine for the last time.”

“What do you mean?”

“There seem to be things about me and my life that make her uncomfortable.”

“Such as?”

“My career, for one. She wouldn’t tell me what else. She chalks it up to fears and insecurities. How am I supposed to help her if she won’t talk to me?”

Echo watched her friend carefully. “You care about her.”

“Very much.”

“What’re you going to do about it?”

Olivia stared into the fire pit and watched the flames slither erratically around the logs. “Absolutely nothing. As of that phone conversation, we’re done.”

“I know you better than that, Olivia. When you care about someone, you don’t give up so easily. How do you feel about her?”

Olivia looked into Echo’s chocolate brown eyes. “She’s beautiful, charming, fascinating, witty, and very bright. She stimulates my mind and sets me on fire. In essence, she scares me to death, and she dumped me before we could even get started. How’s that for a kick in the pants?” Olivia shook her head. “I never thought I could go through another Jessica derailment. I feel like I’ve lost something special with Catherine, and I don’t even know what we could have had.”