Never Too Late (7 page)

“You sound like a textbook, Don. I’ll make sure I stay healthy.”

Sara stepped into the hallway and then turned back toward Jamie. “Sometimes we can’t solve our own problems. Isn’t that what we do for our patients?”

“It’s not the same thing.” It was her job to take care of her staff, not the other way around.

“Remember when I strained my rotator cuff but I kept working out, and it just got worse until it hurt to adjust patients? And you worked on my shoulder but also chewed me out for ignoring the pain? Please let us help.”

“I’ll think about it,” Jamie said. Returning to her desk she took a sip of coffee. It was terrible, but she hadn’t had time to go by Peet’s for more Kona. One of the songs from the concert was playing, and her eyes fell on Penni’s picture. She’d brought it in one day and plunked it down next to the one of her father “He’s gone, but I’ll always be here for you.” Jamie stared at the blue eyes full of mischief. Penni’s arm was draped over her shoulder, their hair blown back, the ocean in the background. They’d escaped for a day of goofing around at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. “Yeah, I know. You agree with them,” she murmured.

“Don’t schedule anyone during your lunch,” Betty said when Jamie popped her head in her office to say good morning. “You have an interview.” Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up on Friday when I got her resume. I talked to her Saturday on the phone, and I like her. She ran a dentist’s office and has a great phone voice.”

“Sounds promising.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold Frank off. He threatened to pick me up after work on Friday and hold me hostage until we get to Oregon.”

“Tell Frank one way or the other he’ll have you back in two weeks,” Jamie said. She needed to be realistic and lower her standards. If this woman was even moderately qualified she was going to get the job.

“Renee Rapp referred her,” Betty whispered, as if afraid to jinx it.

Jamie perked up. “Then I’ll risk being optimistic.”

By the time Jamie settled down to the sandwich and iced tea Betty left for her, she was almost giddy that one of her problems might be solved before her lunch hour was up. She read the resume. It looked impressive, and Renee’s judgment was impeccable.

Hearing a knock at her door, Jamie set the sandwich aside and rolled down the cuffs on her blue Oxford shirt, then moved to greet the woman she hoped would be her new office manager. Betty ushered in a well-dressed woman in an ivory linen suit with shoulder-length golden-blond hair. Jamie’s mouth went dry, and her skin felt as hot as if she were back in the heat of Atlanta. She stared into amber eyes she still recognized after all these years. She hesitated, then extended her hand as questions swarmed.

“Dr. Hammond, this is Carla Grant. Can I get you anything to drink, Carla?”

“I’m fine. Thank you, Betty,” Carla said.

“Please, sit down.” Jamie motioned toward the chair across from her desk. Carly’s—no, Carla’s—voice still had the barest hint of Southern accent, and Jamie’s cheeks burned as random memories circled her. She searched for recognition in the eyes that had once looked at her with desire. Nothing. Just a polite smile. Carla didn’t recognize her. Why would she? It was one night—a straight girl’s experiment. But what was Carla doing here? Did Renee have any idea they’d once known each other? Of course not.

Jamie picked up the resume and studied it, buying herself some time. There was no tactful way to end the interview. She could get through fifteen minutes. But explaining to Betty and Renee that she hadn’t hired Carla would be a problem. Realizing she’d left her iPod on, she reached behind her to turn it off. The song was one Melissa had played that night in Atlanta. When she looked back at Carla, there was no sign the song meant anything to her.

“You ran a dentist’s office.” Jamie’s eyes drifted to Carla’s hands folded in her lap. The ring was right where it should be. She clenched her jaw. Yep, a straight girl’s experiment.

“Yes, for thirteen years.” Carla uncrossed her legs and then crossed them again, settling her hands back in her lap.

“Why did you leave?” Jamie’s voice came out sharper than she meant.

“Dr. Rose died last spring of cancer.”

“And since then?” Just ask a few questions and get this over with.

“I got my daughter settled at college and decided the best antidote to empty-nest syndrome was to go back to work. I like being useful and I’m good at what I do.”

This woman radiated poise and confidence. Was she really that innocent, shy woman in Atlanta? “Why aren’t you looking for a dentist’s office to run?” Did she already have a family when they met?

“Renee Rapp said this job would be a perfect fit for me.”

“How do you know Renee?” If they were just casual friends it would be easier to explain to Renee why she didn’t hire Carla.

“We’ve been good friends since our daughters played soccer together. I’ve even been rooked into helping with a fundraiser or two. I’m sure you know how pointless it is to argue with her.”

Jamie laughed in spite of her self-consciousness. “She’s about as subtle as a steam roller.” An argument was exactly what she’d get if she tried to explain to Renee why Carla wasn’t perfect for the job. Hadn’t she said she’d hire the next even moderately qualified applicant? No, this was crazy. Looking at the picture of her father she knew what he’d say—do what was in the best interest of the clinic. And Penni? She didn’t even want to think about that.

“Our billing system is different from what you’re used to.” Maybe she wouldn’t want the job.

Carla looked surprised before she said, “I had no trouble learning Dr. Rose’s. I’m sure I could learn yours.”

Jamie tapped her pen on the desk. She didn’t really have a choice. This wasn’t personal. It was business. And what difference did it make if they had a past? Just one night and they’d both moved on. She was being ridiculous. With a competent office manager she’d get this mess cleaned up that much quicker.

She cleared her throat. “Before you consider whether this is the right job for you, I need to tell you something. I fired my office manager last month. She’d been embezzling and committing insurance fraud. I’m under investigation. It’s not a pretty picture, and you may not want to get involved.”

Carla’s eyes held hers and Jamie thought she saw anger. Then she looked over Jamie’s shoulder, as if lost in thought. When their eyes met again, there was only kindness. “I’d like to help.”

“When can you start?” There, it was done. Jamie looked at her father’s picture, pretending his smile signaled his approval.

Carla hesitated. “Tomorrow morning?”

“All right. Betty will show you the ropes.” She held the door open as Carla walked out, leaving a trail of perfume—a rich, sweet, flowery scent. Jamie closed the door. Her legs felt like jelly. Had she really just hired the woman who had—

Betty burst through the door, her face one big smile. She squeezed Jamie’s shoulders as she kissed her cheek. “She’ll be perfect for you.” Betty wiped at the corners of her eyes as they filled with tears. “I’ll feel better leaving if I know you’re in capable hands.”

“Tell Frank to plan for your departure.” Another reason she’d done the right thing.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she sat and dialed Sheryl. “How’s your day, babe?”

“Terrible. I can’t believe it. Those…those girls? The ones that paraded their relationship around campus last year? They apparently set a precedent because we have two gay couples this year that are demanding the same privilege.”

“The district doesn’t think it’s a problem,” Jamie said carefully.

“It’s not that simple. I’m going to get complaints from parents again, including the head of the PTA. He’s conservative and powerful and expects to get his way. Oh, why am I trying to explain this to you? You don’t understand the politics of having to make hard choices to get what you want.”

“Sheryl—”

“I’m going to get screwed again.”

“I’m sorry.” Why were all of their conversations about work problems? “Look, I was calling to tell you I’m not working late tonight. How about if I pick up Chinese and we cuddle up and watch a movie?”

“I’m meeting another principal for dinner to strategize how I should handle this. I can’t lose out on another promotion.”

“You can strategize with me. We need to support each other. I hired a new office manager today. She ran a dentist’s office for thirteen years. Betty likes her and she’s a friend of Renee and I—”

“I don’t need to hear her resume. Is she going to help you get your business problem sorted out?”

“No. She’ll manage my office while I resolve my business problem.” What was the point of explaining to Sheryl that she’d met her before? All that mattered was having a competent office manager. Jamie rubbed her temple. The headache was spreading.

“We’re so close to getting it all, Jamie.”

“We have each other. Isn’t that all we need?”

“You’re such a romantic.” Sheryl made her sound childish.

“You won’t be late, will you?”

“I don’t know. Better not wait up for me.”

“But…” Jamie heard a woman’s voice in the background. Was it her secretary? She didn’t know any of Sheryl’s staff.

“Gotta go. Another crisis.”

“Love you.” Jamie turned on the iPod and “That Voice” filled the room. She ignored the sandwich, her appetite gone. For twenty years she’d done the right things, according to her father’s standards. Why wasn’t she reaping the rewards of all her hard work the way he had? She grabbed the file from the top of the stack and opened it. She’d solved one of her problems by hiring an office manager. Now she had to figure out what Marjorie had done.

She tried to focus, but her mind kept drifting to Carly. She shook her head, irritated with herself. No, Carla. What were the odds of their paths crossing again? She mouthed the lyrics to one of her favorite songs as the present conceded to the past. So long ago, but she’d never forgotten that weekend—the music festival, the unexpected Melissa concert… Maybe those memories were a good thing, reminding her how far she’d come from that scared new doctor. Ten minutes later a knock on her door brought her back to reality. Time to face an afternoon of patients. She shoved out of her chair.
I’m doing my best, Dad.

*

Carla clutched the steering wheel tight to stop the trembling in her hands. Had she just agreed to work for the woman who’d been on her mind lately? Sadness replaced the shock. Jamie hadn’t recognized her. She fingered her hair. It wasn’t much different. That night just hadn’t mattered to Jamie the way it had to her. Her heart sank as twenty years worth of fantasies crumbled and left her feeling exposed, and silly. Could she say she’d made a mistake and turn down the job?

Curiosity wiggled its way into her thoughts. What was Jamie like now? Certainly any lingering feelings would fade in the light of current reality. She’d get this crush out of her system or…if Jamie was single, maybe something would spark between them.

Two blocks from the office she realized she was going in the wrong direction. She pulled into a parking lot and sat, engine running, air conditioner blowing cold air on her, as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. How was it possible the woman who’d changed her life was now back in her life? Was it fate? Stranger things than this happened in the romantic comedies she loved. She smiled as she pulled back onto the street. Jamie might not recognize her, but anything was possible.

Carla pulled into her driveway. She gripped the steering wheel and let the car idle, her thoughts a muddled mess, her body hot in spite of the air conditioning. She wasn’t tired from her first full day of work in months but…angry. She hadn’t been this angry since her battle last year with the principal who accused Lissa and Steph of flaunting their relationship.

Why had she thought she could be in close proximity to Jamie for eight hours and survive it? She felt like a hormonal teenager—elated by being close to the woman of her fantasies, then close to tears when she searched Jamie’s face for any inkling of recognition and found only polite professionalism. It had to be fate to have that night and its importance brought up so clearly at this moment in her life, but what kind of fate? Was Jamie single? She still didn’t know. She didn’t wear a ring and she’d heard nothing about a partner. Carla shivered. Jamie single scared her more than Jamie with a partner. Then she’d have to act instead of staying safely tucked in fantasies.

On the surface it had been an uneventful day. She’d worked the front desk, setting appointments, taking phone calls, and talking with patients; then with Betty on the insurance billing. After she got up to speed on the billing codes specific to chiropractic, this would be a replica of what she’d done for Dr. Rose. Except for the volume, which was mind-boggling. Jamie saw more patients in a day than Dr. Rose had in a week.

By lunch she’d been ready to jump in her car and not return, sure she couldn’t contain the volcano threatening to erupt and incinerate her manners. Feelings fenced inside the boundaries of memory for twenty years were now free to roam. She’d never reacted this way to any of her female friends, not one of Lissa’s teachers, not a grocery clerk, not the cute woman who walked dogs in her neighborhood. But a day around Jamie and her body had taken off at a full gallop. Being a lesbian in her mind was one thing. The full force of desire ruling her body was another. It took her a minute to realize Mike was tapping his knuckles on the window. She turned off the ignition and stepped out.

“Are you all right, honey?”

He seemed surprised when she wrapped her arms around his waist. “What are you doing home? I thought you and Rob were going to a Giants game.”

“I cancelled. I want to celebrate your new job. Champagne on the patio, and then I’m taking you out to that new Italian restaurant. Hey, why are you crying?”

“Just…everything,” Carla said wiping away tears. “Don’t mind me. I’m just being silly.” Mike took her hand, and they walked up the flagstone path to the front door like two teenagers on a date.

“You’re never emotional without a reason. Bad day at work? Boss yell at you? Spilled coffee all over her desk?”