A Marriage In Wyoming (The Marshall Brothers 3) (7 page)

“I can’t say that wouldn’t happen.” Deirdre took an audible breath. “Still, you shouldn’t have to live like a nun just because you’re a doctor.”

“But his faith and his church are part of who he is. How can I be so drawn to him when I can’t share that aspect of his life?”

Her friend laughed. “You don’t want to hear my answer to that question.”

“Give it to me.”

“You won’t believe it.”

“I’ll listen.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll put up defenses against whatever’s happening here. I’m not going to help you do that.”

“Deirdre!”

“Call me back when you figure it out. I’ll be waiting.” She ended the call.

Rachel barely stopped herself from throwing her phone across the room. Dee could be a soft shoulder to cry on, but she could also be the most frustrating person on the planet when she decided to help you for your own good.

Of course she needed defenses against Garrett Marshall. What had happened when she left herself vulnerable? Those kisses in the kitchen, that’s what, which would be hard for her to forget. The strength of his shoulder under her hand, the scent of lime from his skin, the shape of his mouth and the way it fit so perfectly over hers...

...were not things she should dwell on. And, for Rachel, the antidote to ruminating was always action.

Two hours later, having vacuumed the whole apartment, cleaned the bathroom and swept the front porch, she’d finally worked off enough frustration to get ready for bed.

But with the light off and the quiet Wyoming night outside her open window, her mind homed in on Garrett and the predicament he presented.

The problem was, she did want more than casual with Garrett Marshall. She’d been struck that first day by his care for Lena, his willingness to take on the girl’s situation and deal with it rather than handing it off to someone else. Responsible and committed, he cared for others before himself, a quality that appealed to her as a woman and as a doctor. He did it with a sense of humor, too, which worked well when it came to handling prickly teenagers. Not to mention defensive physicians.

But what her heart wanted and what her head insisted was smart—safe—were entirely different. Garrett threatened her equanimity in a way she’d never experienced before. He tempted her to give in to her feelings, which were all in his favor.

In her experience, though, letting emotions guide you led to a life like her mother’s—volatile and uncontrolled. Rachel had never been sure, growing up, what would happen next in her world. One day, her mother’s health would be good, the next she’d require a trip to the emergency room. Sometimes bills would be paid, others the electricity would be disconnected. The new boyfriend might be the man of her mother’s dreams. Or another jerk. And all of it depending on her mother’s
feelings
.

In the end, attempting a relationship with Garrett was simply too big a risk. She was starting a new medical practice, a new
life
, and she couldn’t afford to let sentiment get in the way. The best plan would be to keep things simple between them. Just friendship. Just
casual
. That way, neither of them would get hurt and her life would continue to be what she wanted. Practical. Logical. Self-sufficient.

If solitary.

* * *

T
RUE
TO
HER
WORD
, Rachel returned the evening of Lena’s homecoming to supervise the girl’s dinnertime injection. But she dashed off again with just a few words to Caroline, so Garrett didn’t have a chance to talk with her. He was pretty disgruntled about that.

Supervising dinner preparations took most of his attention, however. Thomas and Marcos were on the same team and, after this afternoon’s fight, were not inclined to cooperate with each other or anyone else. Their attitudes made getting hamburgers grilled an exercise in patience. Luckily Becky and Justino were there to manage the details and ensure a complete meal was served.

All the kids loved having burgers, but Garrett noticed that Lena was especially enthusiastic.

“This looks
so
good,” she said, adding baked beans to her plate. “I’m starved.” She skipped over the big bowl of green salad and went for the potato chips. “Yum.” She took one off her plate and popped it into her mouth.

Garrett stepped up beside her. “Salad would be a better choice for crunchy.”

She pouted. “I’ll get some later. My plate is full.”

“You’ll be full if you eat all of that. Maybe throw some of the chips away?”

“I don’t want to.” Her voice approached a whine. “I’ve been waiting all day for these. I ate salad at lunch. And fruit.”

“Those were excellent choices, the kind you should make most of the time.”

Lena pounced on his mistake. “Most of the time I will. Tonight, I want chips.” She marched away from him to sit at the table. Justino, who had been behind her in line, avoided Garrett’s gaze as he followed.

“How is it possible,” Garrett asked Caroline later, “to have an argument about potato chips?”

“You can argue with a teenager about anything,” she said. “And a teenager with diabetes might be even more sensitive. You’ve got a real challenge on your hands. Are you okay with that?”

They were sitting on the edge of the front porch, watching the kids play badminton after dinner. “What choice do I have? Somebody has to be responsible for helping Lena adjust.” He shrugged. “And whether I’m ready or not, her dad handed the job to me. I wish Rachel had been here tonight, though. She might have been more persuasive.”

“I did invite her to stay, but she said she was expecting a phone call.”

Avoiding me is more likely
. Garrett’s ego still smarted from the idea that a relationship between them would harm her professionally. “I have to say, I’m surprised that someone so bright would choose to practice in little old Bisons Creek at the start of their career. Why wouldn’t she choose a bigger city, with more opportunities?”

“Rachel really missed Wyoming, especially when she was in Seattle.” Caroline leaned her folded arms on her knees. “And she always felt strongly about ‘underserved communities,’ as she puts it. The chance to work in a one-doctor town was just what she wanted when she finished her residency in Seattle. I hope the folks around here appreciate how lucky we are to have her.”

“So do I.” Caroline’s comment struck a spark in his mind. “Maybe there ought to be some kind of party to welcome her to the area, introduce our new doctor to her patients. What do you think?”

Her smile wide, Caroline nodded. “It’s a terrific idea. Where would we have it?”

“Somewhere in town—maybe Haley Brewster’s place. She’s got a big yard and all those porches.”

“You’re just going to inform Mrs. Brewster she has to throw a party and invite the whole town?”

Garrett grinned. “I’ll talk to her at church on Sunday. When I’m finished, she’ll believe it was all her own idea.”

Meanwhile, though, he was supposed to supervise Lena’s final injection of the day. He searched for her at curfew and found her at the barn with Justino, standing as close together as they could manage without actually being in an embrace. They separated slightly as he walked up.

“Time for bed,” he announced. “Say good-night.”

By the longing gazes they exchanged, they might be parting for six months rather than a few hours.

Sighing, Lena followed Garrett to the girls’ cabin. Caroline waited for them inside, and he could hear Lizzie and Becky in the bedroom at the rear of the house. He was definitely out of his usual element, but the point was to support Lena, as he had promised.

“So what’s the first step?” he asked her.

“Test kit.”

He frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she snapped, rustling through her papers on the kitchen counter. “I’m sure. It says right here—” She stopped and rolled her eyes. “Wash your hands.”

“Right.”

“I keep forgetting that.”

“You’ll get used to remembering. This is only your first day solo.”

With Caroline observing, they went through the procedure, starting with the blood test. Lena read the meter when it beeped. “Huh. It’s high.”

“Remember what you had for dinner,” Caroline prompted her. “You ate a brownie for dessert.”

Garrett nodded. “Those kinds of foods will send your blood-sugar reading up.”

“Okay, okay.” She prepared her nightly dosage. “I was bad. So sue me.”

He remembered some of the reading he’d done on handling kids with diabetes. “Not bad, Lena. Just not making the safest choices.”

Frowning, she dialed the dose on her insulin pen and he checked it against the prescription. “Looks right to me. Show Caroline so she understands what you’re doing.”

“I love being a show-and-tell project.” But she took the pen to Caroline to demonstrate how it worked.

The injection itself obviously hurt, but Lena completed it and breathed a sigh of relief. “There. Can I go to bed now?”

Garrett shared the sense of relief. “Sure. See you tomorrow morning.”

She gave him a tired smile. “When I have to do the same thing all over again.”

“It will get easier.” He set a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Guaranteed.”

Caroline followed him out onto the porch, where they found Ford sitting on the swing, waiting.

“I checked in on the boys and they’re all set.” He stretched out an arm along the back of the bench as Caroline sat beside him. “Are you heading for bed, Garrett?”

He shook his head. “I’ve got to work on this week’s sermon. It’s written, but there’s a lot of editing to be done.”

“Poor Garrett.” Caroline put up her hand to smother a yawn. “You’ve had a hard week, spending so many hours at the hospital. Maybe it will be easier now that Lena’s where we can all help take care of her.”

“I’m sure it will be. We still need to have a meeting with Rachel so you, at least, understand the details of the process.” No matter how Rachel might feel about him, Garrett was certain she would do the best for her patient. Talented, concerned and committed, Rachel Vale was a woman to be depended upon. He would stake his life on that.

“She mentioned she could come out tomorrow,” Caroline said. “Maybe that’s when we should sit down together. I’ll call her early in the morning.”

He nodded. “I’ll be there. Ford and Dylan can ride with the kids in the meantime.”

“If we’re not baling hay, moving cattle or keeping Thomas and Marcos from tearing each other apart,” Ford said. “We’ve got plenty of extra time.”

“We’ll get it all done,” Garrett said, too tired to keep the irritation out of his voice. “A little positivity goes a long way.”

“You’re the one who’s short on sleep.”

“I’m not complaining.”

“No, you just keep taking on more and more responsibility until something has to give. You can’t do it all, Garrett.”

He managed to quell his irritation. “Thanks for the concern, brother.” He gave Ford a salute off his hat brim. “I’ll be okay.”

Of course, after getting to bed at 2:00 a.m. on Friday morning, he wasn’t quite so optimistic when his alarm rang at five. A cold shower and two cups of strong coffee got him moving, though, and the prospect of seeing Rachel in a couple of hours put a smile on his face when he went to wake up the boys.

With breakfast eaten and cleaned up, he helped the kids saddle up for their ride. As he left the barn, he noticed Rachel’s SUV approaching on the drive. Caroline and Rachel were already sitting at the dining room table when he came in.

“Thanks for coming,” he said, pulling out the chair across from Rachel. “We checked on Lena last night and this morning—everything went according to orders.”

She met his gaze directly, but he thought she might be blushing. “From what I observed yesterday,” she said, “Lena understands the procedure and can follow it, though she’s not organized about the process.”

“How long should we plan to supervise her?” Caroline asked.

Rachel shrugged. “As far as the injections are concerned, you can probably trust her to manage on her own now.”

Garrett sat forward. “After less than a week? That seems way too soon to me.”

“Lena’s a smart girl,” Rachel said, “and she understands what’s at stake. Like most teenagers, she wants to take control of her own body, her own life.”

“I agree.” Caroline braced her folded arms on the table. “Granted that you’re standing in for her parents, Garrett, but Lena should have privacy for her injections. She’s an adolescent girl. More important, we want to teach all the teens independence and responsibility while they’re here. What better example than allowing Lena to take charge of her treatment?”

“I’m not sure we can risk her physical well-being for the sake of a principle.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “What if she makes a mistake?”

“She’ll experience the consequences,” Rachel said. “And learn not to make mistakes. Caroline’s right—Lena can handle this.”

He shook his head. “I think it’s asking too much of her at this point.”

“In that case, there’s another option.” She slid some papers toward him. “I did a little research on the internet last night. There’s a camp for kids with diabetes in the mountains near Laramie. They offer trained staff, the right kind of support and peers who face the same issues. I called this morning—they have spaces open and scholarships are available.”

Folding her hands on the table, she sent him an encouraging smile. “Why not send Lena there?”

Chapter Six

Garrett flushed as if he’d been slapped in the face. “Send her away?”

“Oh, no,” Caroline said. “We can’t do that.”

Rachel hadn’t expected the suggestion to meet with immediate approval, so she had prepared her arguments. “On top of everything else you’re trying to do, supporting Lena is a huge burden. This other camp is designed for exactly that purpose. Why not give her the benefit of expert care?”

“Lena is not a burden.” Garrett’s voice, usually so easygoing, had a hard edge. “I won’t abandon her the way her dad did.”

“You wouldn’t be—”

“She’d believe we were. Anyway, how do you imagine we’re going to separate her from Justino?”

“That’s a point.” This discussion was proving to be every bit as difficult as she’d expected. “But you could talk to her and get her reaction to the idea. You might be surprised.”

“She’ll believe we want to be rid of her,” Caroline said. “Because she’s too much trouble.”

“If you explained—”

Garrett got to his feet. “I know you’re trying to find the optimal solution for everybody, Rachel. I just don’t agree this is the right one.” He scooted the chair in and then stood, gripping the back. “We’ve developed a relationship with Lena. She trusts us and has faith in us as caregivers. I don’t want to jeopardize that by even hinting she should go somewhere else.”

She conceded with a nod. “It was a suggestion, that’s all. You might browse those pages I printed out. Maybe the diabetes camp would be a possibility for next summer.”

“Sure.” He smiled, but it wasn’t his usual warm expression. “I appreciate your understanding. Can we still call if we have a problem?”

“Of course. I’ll assist you however I can. I want Lena to succeed with her diabetes and in the rest of her life.”

“Great.” He faced Caroline. “Then I guess we can tell Lena she’s on her own with her injections, unless she wants to ask for help. Is that the plan?” His tone was grave, his face as somber as Rachel had ever seen it.

She wanted to reassure him. “She’ll be okay, Garrett. Being on her own will make her more careful, not less.”

“I hope you’re right about that.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Teenagers don’t always measure up to their responsibilities. And the consequences, in this situation, are dire.”

“Equanimity,” she said, with a smile. “Remember? You’re suffering over this more than Lena is. She knows what you expect. Give her a chance to earn your trust.”

Shaking his head, he walked toward the doorway. “I can’t say I won’t worry. But I’ll try to keep it to myself. Thanks for your help, Rachel. See you later, Caroline.” His boot heels thudded on the wooden floor as he crossed the living room and the front porch.

“That,” Caroline said, “was Garrett being mad. He doesn’t lose his temper. He gets very quiet and finds a way to leave.”

Rachel relaxed against her chair. “I’m sorry he’s upset. It’s tough being responsible for a teenager with diabetes. Because of the things you can’t do for them as much as anything. Will he get over it?”

Her friend nodded. “He’ll work through it on his own. But he takes his responsibilities very seriously, whether it’s the ranch, the camp or the church.”

“So I gathered.” Which only reinforced her intention to ignore the impact of yesterday’s kisses. Garrett’s intense commitment to others meant that if she was involved with him, she’d inevitably have to be involved with his church and the lives of his parishioners, creating pressures that would surely destroy any relationship they might have.

Setting aside that dreary prospect, she glanced over at her friend. “Shall we go over the basics on diabetes? And then I can explain what Lena should be doing to manage her condition.”

Caroline straightened up. “Sure. Will there be a test?”

Rachel laughed. “Just a hundred multiple-choice questions.”

“Whew. I was worried for a second there.”

After an intense forty minutes, Rachel nodded in satisfaction. “I think you’re up to speed with this, at least enough to supervise Lena. And you can always call me if you have a question.” She gathered the papers they’d been using and stacked them neatly. “Meanwhile, in your spare time, you’re going to marry a cowboy and live happily ever after, is that right?”

Caroline’s smile lit up her face. “I am. A cowboy lawyer. And you’re going to be the small-town doctor who takes care of all our aches and pains. How are you getting along?”

They chatted about the house they shared, though Caroline hadn’t been there all week, about Rachel’s office and her plans for her practice, about the town itself and the people in it.

“Just be patient,” Caroline said as they walked to Rachel’s car. “Some of them are pretty set in their ways. It may take a while for them to get used to a new doctor. Especially a woman doctor. These gnarly old ranchers will have to hear from their neighbors that they can trust you.”

Rachel nodded. “I worked in similar communities during my residency. I’m not expecting instant acceptance.” And she didn’t intend to jeopardize her reputation by indulging in a foolish romance...no matter how tempted she might be. “Fortunately, the cost of living out here is much lower than Seattle. My savings will go farther.”

“I’m glad you’ve come.” Caroline gave her a sudden hug. “You will be such a blessing for Bisons Creek. And Bisons Creek will be so good for you.”

Drawing away, Rachel raised an eyebrow. “What do you think I need?”

“Family,” she said promptly. “Give us a chance, and we’ll adopt you the way we’ve adopted these kids.”

Laughing, Rachel climbed into the car. “Is that a Marshall brothers’ specialty? Taking in strays?” She started the engine before Caroline could answer. “Have a good day!”

As she drove toward town, she considered Caroline’s idea that she
needed
family. She was used to being the caretaker, not the one taken care of. Growing up with just her mom, she’d taken on responsibility at an early age. She recalled microwaving dinner for the two of them when she was in the first grade.

So while she appreciated the Marshalls’ generosity and acceptance, she wasn’t a candidate for adoption. Her independence and self-reliance had propelled her through college, med school and training. Managing on her own didn’t bother her.

Being vulnerable did.

* * *

S
TRIDING
AWAY
FROM
the house, Garrett decided that moving hay would be the best way to work off his anger. A couple of hours spent lifting bales would wear the temper right out of him.

Rachel’s suggestion about sending Lena to a different camp really bothered him. He’d believed she understood what they were trying to do this summer and would be supportive. Instead she’d found them lacking. Of course, he wanted to do what was best for all the kids, especially Lena. Ripping her away from the people and place she’d come to depend on did not, in his opinion, qualify.

After he’d moved a hundred bales from the trailer to the barn, he was prepared to accept that Rachel was simply trying to help in a way that seemed best to her. She’d only spent a couple of hours on the ranch with the kids, not long enough to appreciate the connections they’d developed with Garrett and his brothers—especially when Thomas and Marcos had chosen her visit as the occasion for a fight.

More contact was the answer, more opportunities for her to observe them all as they shared their days and nights. The first-aid lessons next week would bring her out to the ranch daily, which would be a start. Maybe he could invite her to come one evening for ice cream or a campfire. She’d encounter the Circle M summer camp at its best. Then, he was sure, she’d understand.

With noon approaching, he caught up with Lena in the tack room as she put away her saddle. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“I didn’t forget to inject,” she protested. “I just got finished with my horse.”

He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I get that. I wasn’t planning to yell at you.”

She pretended to wipe sweat off her forehead. “So what’s the problem?”

“There’s no problem. I have some good news, in fact.”

“The tests were wrong and I don’t really have diabetes?”

“Not that good.” They came out of the barn and headed down the hill toward the girls’ cabin. “I talked with Dr. Vale this morning. She says you can manage your injections on your own. Without supervision.”

Lena stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “She does?”

“She believes you understand the risks and you’re comfortable enough with the process to take care of yourself.”

“Do you agree with her?” She started walking again.

“I know you’re smart enough to handle the injections, as long as you don’t get distracted or hurry through it. What do you think?”

They reached the steps to the cabin porch and stood for a minute in silence. “I can do it,” Lena said finally, nodding. “It’s written down, so all I really have to do is follow directions.”

“I’ll still be checking on you,” Garrett warned. “Just because I’m not in the room doesn’t mean I won’t remember what you’re supposed to be doing.”

“As if I would be that lucky.” To his surprise, she smiled at him. “I might have a question sometimes. Is that okay?”

“Sure.” He didn’t want to make a big deal of her reliance. “You’d better get going—your team is making lunch.”

She shrieked and ran up the steps. “Lizzie will kill me if I’m late!”

Her confidence was encouraging, but Garrett spent the rest of Friday and all of Saturday keeping a close eye on Lena’s behavior. At the least sign she wasn’t well, he was prepared to step in. He consulted the books Rachel had given him and memorized what to do for both low and high blood-sugar emergencies.

Those emergencies never materialized. By Saturday night, he was beginning to accept that Rachel had been right and Lena could manage her own injections. After two days of constant worry, he was fairly exhausted, and fell into bed at ten o’clock without reading through his sermon for the next morning even once.

He woke up before his alarm and arrived at the church before seven, as usual, to make sure everything was ready for the Sunday service.

As he got out of his truck, he noticed a runner coming down the street from the center of town. She didn’t have to get too close before he recognized the red hair and curvy figure, so by the time she reached the church, he was standing at the edge of the yard to greet her.

“That’s a great way to enjoy a summer morning.”

Rachel slowed and then stopped beside him, breathing only a little fast. “I’ve been jogging around town since I got here. This was the only direction I hadn’t taken.” She stared beyond him at the church. “White siding and a gray-shingled steeple. Very traditional.”

“Thanks. We try to stick to the basics—love your neighbor as yourself, do unto others...that kind of thing. You could show up again about eleven and check it out.”

One eyebrow lifted. “I’d probably get struck by lightning.”

He shook his head. “God’s more forgiving than that. You can always have a second chance. All you have to do is ask.”

“I’ll remember.” But she didn’t sound convinced. “You look quite respectable in your collar and shirt, by the way.”

“Only on Sundays. The rest of the week I’m just a cowboy preacher.”

“Among other jobs. How’s Lena doing?”

“Great. She’s taking care of her injections by herself and hasn’t seemed to have any problems.”

“Are you starting to relax yet?”

Garrett laughed. “I slept pretty well last night. But it’s been an adjustment.”

Her smile was a welcome sight on a Sunday morning. “It will get easier.”

“Equanimity. I remember.”

“Right.” Rachel glanced at the church again, and then focused on the road. “I’d better finish my run before the sun rises too high.”

“Maybe I’ll see you later,” he suggested. “You’d be welcome to come to the ranch for lunch. We usually eat at one.”

She gave him a warning glance. “Probably not.”

He grinned as he shrugged. “You can’t blame me for trying.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” she said, and then took off running before he had a chance to reply.

* * *

M
ONDAY
MORNING
, R
ACHEL
officially opened her office for business.

“Not that I expect a rush of patients at first,” she said to her nurse, Allie Freedman. “But I put a flyer on the bulletin board at Kate’s Diner, the feed store and the grocery store, so I hope word will get around.”

“It was all the talk at church yesterday,” Allie said. “Caroline Donnelly and the Marshall brothers were telling folks that you’d come out to an emergency with one of the kids they’re taking care of this summer. They said you’d been checking on her all week long.”

“Oh.” She swallowed hard. “Well, good word of mouth is always useful.”

“Even Pastor Garrett was saying what a blessing it was that you arrived when you did.”

Rachel remembered Caroline using that word, as well. “One of the girls at the camp, Lena Smith, has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I urged them to call if they have questions or problems. And I want to order supplies in case of an emergency with Lena—insulin for hyperglycemia and glucagon for hypoglycemia. I’ll make a list.”

She was at her desk midmorning, going through medical catalogs, when Allie knocked on the office door. “You have a patient,” she said, with a wide smile. “Room one.”

“Terrific.” Heart beating hard, Rachel smoothed her hair, checked to be sure she had her stethoscope in the pocket of her lab coat and then made her way down the hall. Hayley Brewster was the name on the file.

Rachel knocked and entered the room. “Ms. Brewster, it’s nice to meet you.” She offered her hand. “I’m Dr. Vale. What can I do for you today?” As she shut the door, she noticed a tang of cigarette smoke tinting the air.

The woman took Rachel’s hand, although she was also shaking her head. “That’s Mrs. Brewster, thank you very much.” Tall and thin, she wore jeans and boots and a plaid shirt, with a bandanna tied around her throat. Her silver hair hung in a long braid over her shoulder. “I was married for fifty-three years and I want people to respect that.”