Jennifer's Garden (22 page)

Aurelio’s head tilted to one side.  “Sweetheart.  I understand this is a difficult time for you right now.  We can put off our honeymoon until you’re ready.  You know that’s never been an issue with me.”

“But what about after, Aurelio?  I have a career—patients who rely on me.  I simply can’t go cavorting around Africa and ignore them.”

“Well...there are other doctors you know.”

“What?”  The candle flame flickered.  “Other doctors?”

“Sweetheart,” he purred, calming his tone as though he were concerned with her emotional state.  “Don’t get upset—“

“I won’t break, Aurelio.  You can be direct.  Get to the point.  What did you mean?”

“I simply meant to state that there are other doctors.  Your patients will not go untreated while you’re in Africa with me.  And besides,” his glance grazed hers, “you’ll have to make this decision sooner or later.”

She ground her jaw closed.  Pulling her hands from the table, she pressed them into her lap.  Don’t. 
Don’t do it, Aurelio
.

“Once we have children, you’ll have to cut back your hours anyway.”

She locked her brows together.  “And you?  What exactly will you be doing, sweetheart?”

He gave her a taut smile.  “Well, I won’t be bearing children, I can assure you.”

The restaurant was near-empty.  The staff hovered out of sight.  While she and Aurelio rarely fought, she’d had enough.  “Don’t expect me to give up my career for Africa.  It won’t happen.”

“And children?  Does the same hold true?”

“It’s completely different.  Women manage careers and family everyday and do so quite well, I might add.  I don’t anticipate a problem.”

“I see.”

“Especially when husbands pitch in and do their fair share.”

Brown eyes became black as they seared into her.  “Like your father?”

She pulled her frame up and nudged her shoulders back.  “Yes.  Like my father.”

Aurelio pulled the napkin from his lap and carefully set it on the table.  With a nimble wave of his fingers, their formally-clad waiter appeared tableside.

“What can I get for you, Mr. Villarreal?”

“Check, please.”

“Very well.”  He hurried off to his station, tucked behind an embellished wall partition.

Jennifer glared at Aurelio.  “That’s it?”

“I think we should discuss this at another time.”

“Now is fine with me.”

“It’s late.  You’re under stress.  I don’t want us to say anything we don’t mean.”

Jennifer detected no concern in the hard line of his mouth, the icy frame of his gaze.  There was no heart in the sudden dismissal.  She cleared her throat.  Maybe it was better this way.  He was right.  She might say something she
did
mean.

Chapter Eighteen

Jax heard her car pull in and with it, felt a rise of anticipation.  Without looking up, he wondered whether she would stop and chat as she had yesterday or bypass him altogether.  Though he would never admit it, he positioned his schedule so he was here when she arrived home.  Just in case.  He may not harbor fantasies of them getting together, but he was a man.

And Dr. Jennifer Hamilton was a beautiful woman, as fine as they come, and he liked looking.  Especially those ocean blue eyes.  He jammed his shovel into the dirt around the post.

“Good afternoon!”

He turned at the opening.  Lifting to a stand, he held the shovel aside and allowed himself full sight of her.  Dressed in scrubs today, a lavender print, she looked natural, appealing.  More college girl than career woman.  Him, he’d take either one of her looks so long as she donned that beautiful smile of hers, the one she wore now.  “Good afternoon, to you!” he called back.

Jennifer walked toward him, but as she drew near, he noticed the worn look to her eyes.  Shades of exhaustion turned the normally vibrant cobalt he enjoyed, to a lackluster blue.  Coming to a halt a few feet from him, she crossed her arms over her chest.  “The arbor looks great,” she said, her voice on the weary side.

Freshly stained, the wood was light brown in color.  “Thanks.”  While he wanted to know what bothered her, what could so completely rob the light from her eyes, it was none of his business.

“I like the color.”

“Natural usually works well outdoors.”

Could just be the weather.  The sky held only a spattering of clouds.  He swiped a gloved hand against his damp brow.  April in Miami could be brutal, though her makeup appeared intact, not smudgy from the humidity. Her ponytail remained glossy brown, not the first sign of frizz.

She smiled softly.  “That will be nice.”

“I think so.  Hey, I wanted to ask you, how’s your patient?”

When Jennifer looked at him, he swore he saw gratitude in her eyes.  “She’s doing well.  Went home today, in fact.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yes,” she said with a pause, as though debating what to say or how much.  Ever the patient one, he waited, allowing her a smooth exit or an open door to conversation.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Not the direction he thought they were going, but replied easily, “Don’t be.”

“I didn’t mean to insult your choices—"

“You can’t.”

She peered at him in question.

He didn’t want to sound harsh, but he didn’t want her to mistake his position, either.  “I’m good with where I am in my life.  The choices I’ve made, the decisions...”  He smiled, crossing a leg at his ankle, boot tip resting on the ground.  “No one has the power to take that away from me.”  Not even you, he mused soberly.

Unfolding her arms, she sighed.  “It’s just...”  Jennifer glanced around the yard, her gaze drifting more than taking in.

He waited, impatient for where she was going with this.

She returned her focus to him.  “I don’t want you to think I’m making any sort of judgment.”

Ah, but you are, he mused.

“Your life is yours and you have the right to live it as you see fit.  I shouldn’t have acted as though I...”  She glanced at the ground.

Disapprove?

“It sounds exciting, really,” she pulled her face up level with his.  “To travel around, no cares, no one depending on you, no one to answer to.”

Exciting?

“I’m envious.”

Jax dropped his head back and laughed.

Jennifer drew back in offense.  “What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, “but you sound about as excited as a woman headed for a walk on the plank!”

Finely shaped brows pulled together as she pursed her lips.

“Okay, okay.”  Uncrossing his legs, he stood erect.  “Forgive me?” he asked, suppressing a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes, but lapsed into a smile.  “This time.  But next time when a woman tries to make amends, you should humor her and act as though it mattered.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

She grinned.  “Now get back to work.”

“At your service.”

Jennifer shook her head and retreated into the house.  As she did, Jax felt her absence.  He definitely enjoyed her company and though short in duration today, at least he had removed the gloom from her eyes.

# # #

Sitting in silence by her mother’s bedside, Jennifer waited for her to awaken.  As the soft light of sunset faded, evening seeped in through sheer curtains, casting the room in sedate buttery tones.  Tonight her mom wore blue.  She loved the color on her.  Brought out the life in her eyes.

Stroking the hand she held in her own, content with the connection of touch, Jennifer thought about Jax.  Yesterday had been different.  In defense of himself, he’d made a joke at her expense.  She’d been caught off guard, but should she have been?

It occurred to her how little she knew about the man, the important things, like the fuel behind his desire, the emotional connection to his mother.

His father
.  How could a man be so close to his mother while at the same time, be estranged from his father?  If he was estranged.  She was making assumptions at this point, going on intuition.  But the ties intrigued her.  She wanted to empathize with him, his situation.  She wanted to help him move past the anger and close the distance.

Struck by the admission, she questioned her motives. 
Why
?  Why did she feel the need to find common ground, to help him with his personal issues?  What did it matter?

The epiphany was sharp.  Because he had done so for her.  His instinct was to reach out and help; console her, ease her heartache after the near loss of a patient.  Whatever she needed, he seemed prepared to offer.

And when it was her turn?

She had robbed him.  Jennifer’s mind filled with his image; the sorrow in his eyes when he recalled his mother’s death, the disappointment when it was clear she didn’t understand his dreams.  And then the distance.

Yet, he forgave her.  She recalled his smile.  With humor.

“Jennifer...  Darling.”

The whisper of voice pulled her back to the present.

“How long...have you been here?”

The fragile quality to her mother’s voice scared her.  She firmed her clasp of the elderly hand and tried to warm her skin.  “Not too long.  A couple of minutes.”

Beatrice seemed pleased.

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” she replied faintly.

“I brought you some flowers.”  Jennifer pointed to the bedside table where a bouquet of yellow lilies gently bowed from the hourglass vase.  Lackluster in the dim lighting, they promised a glorious wakeup call in the morning.

Beatrice’s eyes sought them out and brightened.  Her gaze returned to her daughter.  “They’re beautiful.”

Jennifer smiled, happy for any speck of joy she could bring to those dear blue eyes, a shade too gray at the moment.  She leaned closer, the faint scent of Gardenia drifting up between them.  “The yard is beginning to take shape.”

Beatrice’s eyes shone with pleasure.  “Tell me.”

She nodded.  “Jax is doing a really fine job.”  Her mother looked confused.  “Remember, he’s the man I hired to do the landscape.  The one Michael recommended.”

“Oh yes,” she laughed softly.  “The...bartender.”

The description curdled in Jennifer’s mind. 
The bartender
.  That was how she had first described him to her mother.  “Jax is first and foremost a landscaper, of immeasurable talent,” she corrected with more vigor than necessary.  “His bartending was a skill learned during his youth that served him through the years.  His appearance at Michael’s was nothing more than a favor to a friend.”

Beatrice’s brow rose, her quiet eyes appraising.  “I see...  Tell me more.”

“He calls it a garden to live by,” Jennifer said, a grin sweeping her face.

“What?”

“Yes.  He’s designed it around my lifestyle, my needs.  That way, rather than looking out back and seeing one big chore, he says I’ll look out and see a place I can’t wait to spend time.”  She brushed a wisp of bangs from her eyes.  “It’s going to be incredible Mom.  Jax is literally transforming the yard before my eyes.”

“Hmmm...” she murmured, a suggestive tone in her reply.  “What does...Aurelio think?”

She stilled.  “He agrees.”

“Well...that’s good to hear, isn’t it,” she said, but her gaze assumed a faraway haze as it settled on the vase of flowers.

“You’d like Jax,” Jennifer continued.

She returned her attention and patted Jennifer’s hand.  “Would I, now?”

“He learned everything he knows from his mother.  She had a passion for gardening.”  She smiled and squeezed her mother’s hand gently.  “Like you.”

Beatrice suppressed a chuckle.  “Did she?”

“Yes.”  Jennifer’s enthusiasm dipped.  “But she died a few years back.  Heart attack.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” came the automatic response.

Jennifer nodded.  “Jax took it pretty hard.  Like I said, the two of them were quite close.”

“I imagine he did,” she replied, but seemed to drop with whatever thought she intended to follow.  Beatrice took a deep breath and exhaled, holding a knowing smile in her eyes.  “It won’t be long now...before you and Aurelio begin your life together...  As husband and wife.”

Jennifer dropped her gaze fully, landing on their clasped hands.  “Yes,” she said, flat and noncommittal.  “It won’t be long now.”

Chapter Nineteen

Jennifer strode down the wide corridor, floors cleaned to a glossy finish, walls covered with cheerful murals depicting animals and children at play beneath rainbows and blue skies.  Beverly Singleton’s doctor had called.  She was asking for her.