Lena doesn’t have.”
* * *
AFTER CALLING THE ranch to give everyone a report on Lena’s condition, Garrett sat down beside Rachel in the waiting room. He leaned over and spoke in a low voice. “You look terrified.”
She stared straight ahead. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“When Justino said you could be the mother Lena lost. You went pale.”
“I was startled, that’s all. Teenagers are usually more suspicious of adults.”
“I think these two are grabbing at whatever resources they can reach. You’re going to be one of them.”
Her expression relaxed slightly. “I’m glad to be Lena’s doctor. But I can’t step in as her mother. There’s a reason doctors don’t treat their own family—it’s called objectivity.”
“Do you want kids some day?”
Now she frowned at him. “I don’t know. Do you?”
He nodded. “Definitely. Kids are fun.” Then he reconsidered. “But also scary. I guess I have to get past that somehow, to be useful to Lena.”
“That’s the point of remaining objective,” Rachel said. “When you’re taking care of somebody, you focus on the facts and what can be done, not the emotions involved. It’s called equanimity—staying calm in the midst of a high-pressure situation. As one of my teachers suggested, ‘First, take your own pulse.’”
“So that’s how you doctors manage. Must take lots of practice.”
“Internship and residency are all about equanimity. The more cases you see, the better your control.”
Garrett cocked his head. “And you like being in control.”
“Are we still talking about medicine?”
He grinned. “That’s up to you.”
“Well, then, I admit I’m pretty much a control freak, professionally and personally. Life runs smoother that way.”
“You’ve never encountered circumstances you couldn’t control?”
“Of course I have,” she said, her tone sharp. Then she drew a deep breath. “Everybody does,” she said more calmly.
“That’s good. For a minute there, I thought you were perfect.” When she laughed, he nodded. “There you go. I knew you’d have a great laugh.”
Her lips parted in surprise, and her cheeks flushed. He wondered if he might get a flirtatious comeback.
But in the next moment, she stood up abruptly. “I’m going to stretch my legs. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Before Garrett could say another word, she’d hurried out the door.
* * *
BETWEEN A TRIP to the restroom and a walk around the entire hospital, Rachel managed to waste half an hour she might have otherwise spent sitting with Garrett Marshall. Flirting with Garrett Marshall.
Not that flirting was a skill she’d had much practice with—medical school and training hadn’t left a lot of time for romance.
But Garrett wasn’t someone she wanted to think of in a romantic context anyway. She wasn’t going to fall for the cowboy type, no matter how ruggedly handsome he might be. Of course, Garrett was more than a cowboy. He was also a minister.
And that was the real issue between them, one that couldn’t be resolved with any amount of flirting or getting better acquainted. As a pastor, Garrett Marshall counted on the effectiveness of prayer and the possibility of miracles. He led a church—a congregation of people who shared his convictions.
But during her mother’s illness, Rachel had witnessed the damage such groups and their beliefs could do. In the wrong hands, religion became a tool for deception and greed. If it weren’t for her unquestioning faith in a corrupt con man, Sarah Vale might still be alive. While Rachel didn’t question the right of others to their devotion, she certainly didn’t intend to join them.
By the time she returned to the waiting room, Lena had awakened. She was calm, though Rachel saw the fear of an uncertain future in her eyes. When her dinner arrived, she ate a few bites, which was a good sign. After a night on insulin, she would probably wake in the morning ready to finish her entire breakfast and more. Rachel said as much to Garrett on their way back to Bisons Creek.
“I’m glad to hear her appetite will improve,” Garrett said. “She’s always been slender, but I didn’t realize until today that she was losing weight. I should have noticed.”
“You wouldn’t necessarily recognize the signs,” Rachel assured him. “Unless something brought it to your attention.”
“I hate leaving Lena in the hospital alone,” Justino said from the backseat. “She looked so scared.”
Garrett blew out a breath. “I know. But she’s got the television for a diversion. She’ll probably fall asleep pretty fast.”
“Can we go see her early in the morning?”
“We’ll leave after breakfast.”
Though Rachel didn’t have her bearings yet about locations in and around Bisons Creek, she was surprised when Garrett turned onto the Circle M Ranch drive before taking her to the clinic. He stopped the truck at the house to let Justino out.
“Miss Caroline will have saved you some dinner,” he told the boy. “Try to take it easy tonight and not worry too much. Lena’s being well cared for and she’s getting better.”
“I hope so.”
“He doesn’t sound convinced.” Garrett drove back toward the ranch entrance. “I guess I can’t blame him.”
“He would have stayed with her all night if you had let him,” Rachel said. “They’re very close for such a young couple.” She paused for a moment. “Did you want to talk to me about something? You could have dropped me off first.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “It occurred to me that neither of us has had lunch or dinner. I thought maybe you’d be interested in getting something to eat.”
“Oh.” The suggestion should have been simple enough, except for the combination of excitement and reluctance ambushing her brain. Garrett Marshall was way too appealing for her to spend a lot of time with. The last thing she wanted to do was get closer to him.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
Still, she was hungry. “Um, okay. Sure. Food sounds like a good idea.”
“Great. We’ve got a diner here in town—the only restaurant, actually—where the cooking is really excellent. You might as well get familiar with it on your first day here.”
“It is still my first day, isn’t it?” She sighed. “I haven’t even unpacked the car. Or gone to my
