Way to Her Heart

chapter 12

Alexis and Jared were entertaining Lucas when the doorbell rang insistently. Jared answered the door to find Sherri on the doorstep, pale as paper.

“What in the world happened?” Alexis asked worriedly. “What did they do to you?”

She hurried across the living room to her friend, but Lucas got there first and put his arm around Sherri. It was obvious that she was upset; she didn’t look like herself at all. Lucas could feel her trembling slightly and her breathing was rapid. He led her over to the sofa and sat her down, keeping his arm around her protectively.

“What is it, sweetheart? Can you tell us about it?” His voice was deep with concern.

Jared handed her a glass of ice water, which she took gratefully and drank in big swallows. “Listen, I’m okay, really. I’m just so damned mad I could spit.”

She handed the glass back to Jared with a nice thank-you before leaning back into the comfort of Lucas’s arms.

“Jared, you might want to restrain your wife,” Sherri warned with a shadow of her usual smile. “I went over to my parents’ house for this so-called party and it turned out to be an ambush. Trevor Barnes was there waiting for me.”

Jared really did have to put his hands on his lovely wife because she let out a shriek like a steam kettle and jumped up like she was about to take out a gang of zombies single-handed.

“Are you kidding me? Seriously? Where in the hell did they dig him up from, and why was he there?” Alexis sputtered like an angry cat.

Sherri snuggled closer to Lucas just because he felt so good and so warm. “Girl, I can’t even give you any details. Everybody’s mouth was moving but it all sounded like ‘blah, blah, blah’ to me. Father said something about me not bringing my daughter with me and I told him she was on Hilton Head with friends. So he said, ‘That’s too bad, because there’s someone here who wants to meet her,’ and then Trevor walks out of the dining room.”

She shuddered while Alexis continued to fume, letting out a steady stream of vitriol under her breath. Jared managed to sit down with her in his lap and he asked mildly, “I kind of have an idea, but who is Trevor Barnes?”

“I’ll tell you who he is,” Alexis began but Jared covered her mouth with his, which calmed her down for the moment.

Sherri’s sense of humor came back and she said, “I forget that you’re new to the family, Jared, because it seems like you’ve been around forever. Trevor Barnes is my baby-daddy,” she said with a slight snarl. “He was my boyfriend when I was in med school. When I started my internship I found out I was pregnant, I told him and he vanished into thin air.”

Jared gave her a long, serious look. “You mean he didn’t acknowledge his own child? Does he pay child support, come to visit Sydney, anything?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen his face or heard his voice since the day I showed him the positive test strip. I was too proud to go chasing after him to make him do right. My parents loved Trevor and wanted me to marry him.” She stopped talking when her stomach gave a deep and meaningful growl. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I guess I’m hungry,” she said.

“We can’t have that. We were just about to eat,” Lucas said. “C’mon, tigress, let’s get some food into you,” he said as he picked Sherri up and carried her toward the kitchen. “Mind if I get the ball rolling?” he asked Alexis and Jared with a smile.

“By all means,” Jared responded. “We’ll wait here.”

Finally she was alone with Lucas. She moved closer to him, getting into his lap so she could really enjoy the sheer relief of being with him. He held her for a long moment and then kissed her, which made everything okay again.

“I’m sorry for all the drama, honey. I’m usually the levelheaded one. Alexis is the drama queen and Emily is the brilliant one,” she said. “But honestly, this is just too much. Can you imagine how I felt walking into my parents’ home and finding that louse standing there with a big shit-eating grin on his face?” She giggled and covered her mouth. “I said shit. Sorry, I usually don’t have to resort to profanity to get a point across.”

“Don’t you dare apologize for anything, sweetheart. It’s a good thing I wasn’t there or you would’ve heard some real cussing—some first-class, prison yard, motorcycle hoodlum cussin’. What was the point of him being there?”

Sherri gave Lucas one more sweet kiss before answering. “Oh, you’re going to love this. It seems he’s come to town to make amends. He wanted me to know how terribly sorry he is for the horrible, shoddy way he treated me in the past and he especially wants to meet his daughter and become an integral part of her life. Can you believe it?”

She frowned, remembering the ridiculous scene at the house when Trevor came into the living room trying to be all suave. All Sherri could think about was a very old movie called Blacula; it was all overemoting and corny dialogue, and Trevor could have played the lead the way he was going on and on. “Right in front of my parents Trevor started this pompous monologue about his feelings, the error of his ways and the cavernous hole in his heart left by her absence, blah, blah blah.”

“What did you say when he started all this baring of his soul?”

“Nothing.”

“You didn’t say anything at all?”

“Nope. Not a word. I just walked out. I wasn’t about to stand there and try to start some kind of meaningful dialogue with the louse, and I was so angry with my parents that I was about to go ziggety-boom, so I left.”

Lucas hugged her again, and she sighed with pleasure as she felt his warm loving arms around her.

“Will you come home with me tonight? I have a feeling my phone will be ringing off the hook, and I certainly wouldn’t put it past my parents to give him my address. It would be just like him to show up in the middle of the night, and if he does I want you to beat him up.”

“I’ll be more than happy to beat him until he ropes like okra if he bothers you, but I doubt that he’d be that stupid.”

Her stomach growled again, this time so long and loud it was like a sound effect in a horror movie. They both burst out laughing.

“Damn, baby, you got some skillz,” he teased.

“Apparently I do. Maybe I can start a new career as a Foley artist or something. I’ve always been curious about the movie business. I’m going to wash my hands because something smells really good and I’m obviously weak from hunger.”

Lucas helped her rise from his lap and stole one more kiss before she went off to the bathroom. “By the way, you look beautiful in that dress, sweetheart. I love that color against your gorgeous skin.”

Her eyes filled up with tears, which alarmed him greatly. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t. It was just perfect,” she said softly.

While she was washing up, Alexis and Jared came to help in the kitchen. Lucas saw that Alexis had calmed down somewhat, but she was still obviously angry about the dreadful surprise attack on her friend. Jared was putting the finishing touches on the food while she fumed and set places on the work island. She slammed a plate down so hard that it risked being broken into bits.

Lucas straddled a stool and remarked, “I guess you’re not a fan of this Trevor person.”

“That’s way too mild for what I feel about that jackass. I’m also not a big fan of her parents. If you knew what my girl went through, you’d understand why my fondest wish is to douse him in lighter fluid and throw a match at him.”

Sherri came into the room just in time to hear this, and she laughed as she stood behind Lucas and wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t waste your time thinking about things like that, Lexie. He’s not worth it.” Her eyes lit up with pure joy when she saw what Jared had prepared. It was one of her favorite things—pancakes. They were so thick and fluffy that they defied description, and she let out a happy sound of anticipation.

“Jared, thank you. I love pancakes so much and mine never turn out right. These look so good!”

“They taste even better, so hop up there and dig in before they get cold.”

She did so at once. They held hands and Lucas said grace, after which she took her first bite of the best pancakes she’d ever eaten. Jared served them with melted butter and some of Alexis’s homemade fig preserves with crisply browned sausages on the side. Sherri was in heaven.

“I’m so happy.” She sighed. “I go to my parent’s house and get waylaid and I come to my best friend’s house and get all this love. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble for me, Jared, but I thank you from the bottom of my greedy little heart.”

Jared leaned over the work island and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “It’s never trouble when it’s for family, and that’s what you are. You’re part of our family, Sherri—never forget that.”

She could feel tears forming but she forced them back and smiled widely. “Yes, I am,” she said as she reached for Lucas’s hand and held on for all she was worth.

* * *

After an upsetting evening, Sherri’s night was much better. She had a delicious, filling meal, the comfort of her friends and Lucas’s love all night long. She was feeling much better the next day, although she knew that there was mischief afoot. To hope that Trevor would slink back to wherever he’d come from was like hoping there was really a Santa Claus.

“I doubt that this Trevor is done with you. He came here to accomplish something, and I don’t think he’ll leave here until he gets what he wants,” Lucas said.

They were in her sunny kitchen, drinking coffee and eating a fluffy omelet, crisp bacon and toast. Sherri agreed with him, but she was much more confident about the situation.

“Like I told you last night—he claims that he wants to make amends and meet his daughter. I have no idea what put the idea in his head. It really doesn’t matter because he has nothing coming from me. I’m not too keen on the idea of him meeting Sydney, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, I have to get to work. I’m only in the office this morning and I’m booked solid. I’ll be at the hospital all afternoon, and then I have to think of something wonderful to do for you because you were so wonderful to me last night,” she said playfully.

“You don’t have to do anything but be you,” Lucas declared. “Do you want to go out or stay in tonight?”

“Stay in definitely. We’re leaving early for Hilton Head, remember?”

“Of course. So why don’t you come over to the loft after work and bring your things? I have something in mind for you,” he told her with a seductive gleam in his eyes.

“Sounds just perfect to me. Lucas, you are way too good to me. You know that, right?”

“I know no such thing. I can never be too good to you. You’re my heart, Sherri. I’ll do anything to make you happy.”

The ringing of the phone interrupted the tender moment. Sherri didn’t answer it when she saw the call was from her mother. “Okay that’s it. That’s, what, the fifth time she’s called? I’m going to work. I don’t have time for drama today.”

“Well, you’re dressed to handle anything, Dr. Sherri. That color looks great on you.”

She smoothed the front of her deep teal sleeveless dress with the mandarin collar. “Thanks, but it’ll probably have upchuck or pee on it by the time I get home,” she said, laughing. “Sick children have no respect for a power dress. Trust me.”

They shared a blazing-hot goodbye kiss at the door and went off to work, Sherri to her office and Lucas to the restaurant. It was a busy, productive morning during which she didn’t have to think about Trevor or her parents because she never took personal calls while she was at work. There were several messages waiting for her when she finished with her last patient, though. She sat at the desk and quickly scanned the handful of pink while-you-were-out slips. Her mother had called four times and Trevor had called five times. She rolled her eyes and tossed them all into the trash. She was going to have to talk to him at some point, but it was going to be on her time and her terms. He just couldn’t come to town and expect her to fall all over him, the big jerk.

A knock at the door made her look up. “Come in,” she said.

It was Kayla, lugging a huge, gaudy arrangement of blue flowers. Sherri frowned because she knew immediately that these weren’t from Lucas.

“Somebody must really be thinking about you, Dr. Sherri,” Kayla said with a smile.

Sherri plucked the card from the middle of the arrangement and read it; as she suspected, it was from Trevor. I can hardly wait to see you. We need to talk, read the card. Sherri had to bite her tongue to avoid saying something that would shock Kayla. Instead she offered the flowers to her.

“Kayla, didn’t you say your mom has a sprained ankle? Maybe these would cheer her up. Why don’t you take them to her?”

“She would love them, but are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Give her my best and tell her I hope she feels better soon. Have a good weekend, Kayla.”

“You, too, Dr. Sherri. Thanks again for the flowers.”

“Don’t mention it,” Sherri said as she waved goodbye and headed out for her shift at the hospital.

* * *

Later that day, Sherri was walking across the hospital parking lot to her car, thinking about a few of her patients as she approached her Lincoln Navigator. A shadow fell across her as she reached for the door. She gasped and looked up into the face of the man she’d learned to hate.

“Trevor, what are you doing here? How did you even know where I’d be?” she asked with a frown.

Trevor put his hand on his chest in a gesture of contrition. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Sherri. Mother Stratton suggested that you might be at the hospital this afternoon and I took a chance. I’ve called several times and you haven’t returned any of them. I went by your office and saw a young woman leaving with a large flower arrangement,” he said with a slight edge to his silky tone.

Lovely. So “Mother Stratton” ratted her out to her worst enemy. It was nice to know just how deeply the battle lines were drawn. Sherri was tired from a long day of work and ready for her evening with Lucas. She was short on patience right about then, and her clipped response showed it.

“Trevor, I’m very busy and I don’t have time for this. What exactly do you want?”

“I just want to talk to you, Sherri. That’s all. I thought I’d expressed myself adequately last night, but because you stormed out I don’t think you understand how important this is to me.”

“What this, Trevor? What could you possibly want from me?”

“I want you back, Sherri. I want you and my daughter back.”

Pure rage engulfed her from head to toe. “Seriously, Trevor? Well, that’s going to happen when hell freezes over. Now get out of my way before I call security on you.”

“Sherri, I think it’s in your best interests to listen to what I have to say. After that, I’m sure we can work out an amicable agreement that will be mutually beneficial. Can I have just fifteen minutes of your time?”

“Okay, Trevor, fifteen minutes. No more.”