Fortune's Twins Page 6

While they waited, Eli sat next to her, watching her like a cat with a mouse—a sick mouse, she amended. Irene and Stella sat across from her in matching wing-back chairs, also studying her.

  “You all don’t have to wait,” she said. “In fact, Stella, it would be a big help if you could bring your car over so I don’t have to parade down Lottery Lane half-dressed when I get done here. And Irene, I’d really appreciate it if you could stay at the house. We left it empty and the front door wide open. Besides, I’m expecting a call from a potential boarder.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. She was always expecting a call from a potential boarder. “And Eli—”

  “I’m staying right here.”

  She didn’t get a chance to argue further. Valerie Simms entered the waiting room from the treatment area, baby Max in her arms. Valerie had moved to Jester shortly after hearing about the lottery win. Alone and destitute, she’d left Max in a carrier on the counter at The Brimming Cup, believing Shelly would be a good mother to him. In the end, though, she’d realized she couldn’t give up her child and had reclaimed him. The whole town had sort of adopted Val and Max. She had a job now managing The Mercantile, and she was dating Seth Hollis, whose grandfather Finn was one of the Main Street Millionaires.

  “Came through his checkup like a champion, I’ll bet,” Carlie said to Val as she prepared a bill on her new computer.

  “Healthy as a horse,” Val confirmed. “But Ms. Tanner, you don’t look so hot.”

  “Flu,” she murmured, wishing Val would call her Gwen like everyone else. She was only a few years older than Val. Being “Ms. Tanner” made her feel like her grandmother. “I’m probably contagious,” she added. “Don’t let Max anywhere near me.”

  “There’s something going around,” Val said, looking sympathetic. “Hope you’re better soon.” She tore out a check and handed it to Carlie. “Oh, Eli, those work boots you wanted came in yesterday afternoon. I was going to call you when I got back to the store.”

  “I’ll pick them up later, thanks.”

  Gwen had never seen anyone blossom like Val had. Once she’d made a commitment to motherhood, everything had fallen into place for her. She seemed to be juggling her many responsibilities with grace and competence.

  Gwen hoped it would work that way for her, too. Right now, grace and competence didn’t belong in the same room with her.

  Connor O’Rourke appeared at the waiting room door. “You can come on back, Gwen.”

  Easier said than done. Eli had to help her to her feet. “Doc Perkins shouldn’t have bought such squishy furniture,” she grumbled, though secretly she enjoyed the feel of Eli’s strong hands grasping her own.

  Eli started to follow her back to the treatment area, but she gave him a look that stopped him cold. No way was he invited to the exam room, no matter how concerned he was for his unborn children.

  The exam room featured a mural of purple elephants and blue giraffes. Connor was a pediatrician, but in a small town like Jester, he was required to do a bit of everything.

  He bantered with her while he conducted his examination. After a few nervous minutes, Gwen relaxed. He was utterly professional, completely reassuring, just as she’d heard. Besides, he was Shelly’s husband, and Shelly wouldn’t marry a jerk.

  “So?” Gwen asked as he pulled off his gloves and washed his hands. “Can you give me a shot or something? I’ve been taking my prenatal vitamins, but maybe I need something extra.”

  “Gwen, I hate to tell you this, but you need to go to the hospital.”

  “What? No, oh, Connor, no, please. Don’t make me do that. I’m not that sick…am I?”

  “You’ve got a high fever and you’re seriously dehydrated. That’s bad enough under any circumstances, but you’re also dealing with a high-risk pregnancy. I’ll call All Saints in Pine Run and let them know you’re coming. Who’s your obstetrician?”

  Resigned to her fate, she glumly gave him the information he needed. Then she forced her trembling legs to take her to the waiting room, where she delivered the bad news.

  The expression on Eli’s face could only be described as stricken. “What’s wrong?”

  She shrugged, repeating what Connor had told her. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Putting me in the hospital is just a safety precaution because of the pregnancy.” She turned to Stella. “Do you have time to take me to Pine Run?”

  “I’ll take you,” Eli said decisively. “You need someone strong to help you from the car.”

  “He’s right,” Stella said, handing Eli her keys. “Here, take my car, it’s right out front. And Gwen, don’t worry about a thing. We’ll all pitch in at the boardinghouse to keep things running smoothly.”

  “You’re…you’re not coming with us?”

  “Since you’re under the weather, I have to think about dinner,” Stella said briskly. “I’m sure Eli will take care of you.” She winked as she made a quick exit from the clinic.

  Even through her fever haze, Gwen saw what was going on. Stella was such a happy person, and though she’d lost her Prince Charming, she wanted everyone else to pair up and live happily ever after.

  Gwen mentally balked at the idea of Eli checking her into the hospital. This was all much too personal. Eli was her fantasy lover. Memories of their perfect, passionate encounter kept her going when her back hurt and she had three loads of laundry ahead of her. Whatever idealized memories Eli might have of their night in his hotel room would surely be obliterated if he spent too much time with her in this condition.

  But she couldn’t shake him off, no matter how much she protested. He drove her to Pine Run. He half carried her into the hospital, dealt with the inevitable red tape of forms to fill out, waited while she saw her obstetrician, who’d come to admit her, and waited some more while her room was readied. He bought her some ginger ale, which she forced herself to drink.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked, probably too abruptly, but she was too sick to make the effort to be tactful.

  “Doing what?”

  “Taking all this trouble.”

  “Someone has to. I know you like being self-sufficient, but everybody needs help at one time or another. This is your time.”

  “Yes, but Stella could have handled this. She and Irene have been mothering me since my grandmother died. Sometimes I think that’s why they both moved into Tanner’s.”

  “Where’s your real mother?”

  “She died when I was a baby, and quit changing the subject. You’re being too nice, especially since I haven’t been particularly nice to you.” She’d been cordial, but not gracious. Friendly, but cool. She simply couldn’t quell her suspicions about Eli Garrett. If only he’d showed up in her life before she’d become a millionaire.

  Sometimes she wished she’d never won the damn money.

  “I’m concerned about you and the babies,” Eli said evenly. “That’s all.”

  “Shouldn’t you be worried about your business? Lots of people are anxious for you to reopen Mac’s.”

  He gave her a blank look. “Where did they get the idea I’m reopening Mac’s?”

  “Well, you’re a mechanic, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, but I’m very…specialized.”

  He didn’t elaborate, which only fueled Gwen’s suspicions. Why didn’t he just tell her exactly how he made his living?

  She was able to escape Eli’s overwhelming presence a few minutes later when an orderly took her to her private room. She’d told Eli to go on home, and she assumed he did.

  As intravenous fluids poured into Gwen’s body, and her fever came down, she started feeling better. She was positively euphoric when her obstetrician reported that her babies were fine, no sign that her illness was affecting them.

  That euphoria lasted only until the door opened and Eli reappeared. She was instantly aware of the fact that she wore only a thin hospital gown, and that she was buck naked beneath it. She pulled the covers up in an instinctual gesture.

  “What are you doing here?”
she asked, wishing she didn’t sound so peevish. “I thought you’d gone home.”

  “I went back long enough to return Stella’s car. And I brought some things for you.” He set an overnight case at the foot of her bed.

  “You packed a bag?” The thought of Eli going through her dresser drawers was unsettling, to say the least.

  “Stella did it. I brought you this.” He had a plastic grocery sack in his other hand, which he set on her tray table. Something smelled good. He reached into the bag and carefully extracted a container full of chicken soup.

  He smiled. “It’s still warm.”

  “Stella didn’t make it, did she?” Gwen asked warily.

  “No. I picked it up at The Brimming Cup. Dan is quite a good cook, I understand.”

  “Yeah, if you can stand his attitude.” Dan Bertram was Shelly’s cook, had been since forever. His grumpy temper was legendary. But Eli was right, the man could cook, and Shelly insisted he had a compassionate, intelligent side. “He even bakes a pretty good pie. But mine are better.”

  Eli patted his trim stomach. “I know. I’m going to get fat if you keep feeding me those éclairs.”

  Gwen tried not to think about his trim stomach or anything else in that general area. She instead focused on the soup, which was pretty tasty. “I read about this man whose wife fed him soup while he was in the hospital. The soup was laced with arsenic. He died right there in the hospital, and no one figured it out for months.”

  “Well that’s a helluva thing to say.”

  She laughed. “I’m eating the soup, aren’t I?”

  Eli scowled at her, but he showed no signs of leaving. “You must be feeling better.”

  “A little. I’ll probably get to go home tomorrow or the next day.”

  “Don’t think you’re going to resume your previous schedule. You need to rest.”

  “Why thank you, Dr. Garrett, but I think I can determine the appropriate level of rest myself.”

  “I’m serious, Gwen. You try to do too much. If you won’t hire someone to help you, then at least let the rest of us help you out. We can take turns cooking and doing laundry.”

  “And sweeping the floor and watering the flowers, don’t forget that.”

  “We can handle all of that. Stella, Irene and I already talked about it. You get to sit on the porch with your feet up.”

  “You?” She had a hard time picturing Eli in an apron, taking a pot roast out of the oven or wielding a broom. It was easier to picture him chopping down huge trees or digging a foundation for a skyscraper.

  “I know how to cook and clean. Certainly no one else has ever done those things for me, except you. Really, you’re being a complete sexist.”

  Her ears perked up. That was the first hint about his past that he’d dropped. “What about your mother?”

  He sighed. “That’s something we have in common. No mother. And the less said about that, the better.”

  Well, so much for the crack in his armor. Still, it was one tiny piece of information. If she worked at it, maybe he would give her more, and she could piece together a history.

  Her children would want to know about their father, even if he was long gone by the time they became curious.

  TWO DAYS LATER, Eli arrived at All Saints to take Gwen home. She was waiting on a bench near the front entrance. Even from a distance, Eli could tell she was much better. Her hair was back in its customary bun. She was neatly dressed in a denim jumper and olive-green turtleneck shirt, holding a large potted plant in what was left of her lap. As he drew closer, he could see roses in her cheeks and a sparkle in her eye.

  She must have a robust nature if a couple of days rest and lots of fluids could cause her to bounce back so quickly from her illness. But he intended to make sure she didn’t neglect her health again, even if he had to tie her to her easy chair and force herbal tea down her.

  She didn’t realize he was there until he pulled his car up right next to her and rolled down the window. “Hiya, lady. Goin’ my way?”

  For a few moments she just stared at the car he was driving. He’d actually managed to get the old Nash’s engine running. The car had needed a spin on a long stretch of highway to blow all the crud out of its pipes, so when Stella had complained of a headache and had asked Eli to take Gwen home from the hospital for her, he’d readily agreed. The car’s interior was a disaster and the heater didn’t work, but the weather was mild, and he’d brought a huge fluffy quilt Gwen could keep cozy in, just in case she felt chilly.

  Gwen put the plant on the ground, then stood and gave the car a good once-over. “What are you doing here in this…this contraption?”

  “This, Gwendolyn, is a classic. It might not look like much yet, but give me a little more time and you’ll be begging me to take you for a spin.”

  “I doubt that. Where’s Stella?”

  “She has a headache and asked me to come in her place.” He climbed out of the car, which he left idling so it wouldn’t stall on him, and grabbed Gwen’s overnight case and the plant. Since the Nash had a rumble seat where the trunk ought to be, he wedged Gwen’s things behind the seats.

  “Stella has never had a headache in her life,” Gwen said. “What’s the deal?”

  Eli shrugged. “All I know is, she asked me to bring you home.”

  Home. He liked the sound of that word. He’d lived in The Tanner Boardinghouse scarcely a week, but already it felt like more of a home than any place he’d ever lived. Even the house he was restoring for himself lacked a certain warmth.

  There was a sense of community in Gwen’s rambling Victorian. Even Jester was starting to feel like home. Though he sensed it would be a long time before he earned the close-knit town’s trust, most people were gracious to him and willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  Except the mayor. Eli wasn’t sure what the full story was there, but Bobby Larson seemed to go out of his way to make life unpleasant for Eli.

  “I guess I’m stuck with you, huh,” Gwen said as Eli offered his arm for support. But she gave him a crooked smile, and Eli’s heart soared. Earning smiles from Gwen had become of tantamount importance to him. He realized she didn’t trust him, and he didn’t blame her. When a man slept with a woman, then failed to call when he promised he would, well, that was pretty bad. He had a long, uphill climb to convince her he was sincere, and that he truly wanted to take responsibility for the children he’d sired simply because it was the right thing to do.

  He was still wildly attracted to her, but she wouldn’t believe that, either. He would have to show her—when the time was right.

  With Gwen tucked snugly into the passenger seat and buckled in, Eli took off for Jester. The engine sputtered a couple of times, earning suspicious glares from Gwen, but soon it was purring smoothly down Route 2. The eerily barren landscape that rolled past their windows was oddly beautiful. Nothing like an early fall day in the Northwest.

  “So this is what you mean by specialized?” Gwen asked. “You restore old cars?”

  “Yup.”

  “How did you learn to do it?”

  “Trial and error, mostly.” He could see that his clipped answers didn’t satisfy her, but he wasn’t used to talking about himself. When Fortune magazine had sent a reporter to do a story about him, he’d been so reticent that the feature the magazine had planned had been downgraded to a single-column story. Even that small mention had gotten him more business than he could handle.

  Though the public loved a “Poor Boy Makes Good” story, he preferred not to churn up his sad past. Besides the fact that he didn’t care to relive those memories, he had a few skeletons in the closet that he preferred to keep under wraps.

  But that was all long behind him. He wasn’t the same man he’d been at twenty-one, and he didn’t want to be forced to continually defend the poor choices he’d made as an overconfident kid.

  “So what did your doctor say?” Eli asked, wanting to turn the conversation away from his past. “Any instruct
ions for when you get home?”

  “I have some pills to take, and more vitamins. A little exercise, lots of rest, nutritious meals. The usual stuff.”

  “Did they figure out what was wrong with you?”

  “Ear infection. Which was strange, since my ear didn’t hurt. Or maybe I just didn’t notice it, since everything hurts these days.”

  Poor Gwen. There were times he was really grateful to be male. He would get to enjoy the pleasures of parenthood without paying the price. Then again, he might not get to see his kids at all if Gwen’s attitude toward him didn’t improve.

  The possibility froze him up inside. He’d meant what he told her a few days ago. He would never sue her for custody or even visitation rights. He was determined to win her over, to work this thing from the inside. He would never in a million years wrangle with Gwen over the children. Such disagreeable conditions could leave terrible marks on impressionable minds. He’d seen enough of that in foster homes to know what he was talking about.

  He was confident he could win her over, with patience. One way or another, the twins were going to have two concerned and involved parents.

  Chapter Five

  After two days of being pampered, Gwen was beginning to feel as spoiled as Mary Kay Thompson’s cat. No one at the boardinghouse would let her lift a finger. Oggie, Irene, Stella and Eli presented a united front. Irene did all the dusting, sweeping and laundry; Stella had commandeered the kitchen. And though Stella’s cooking was worse than what they served at the school cafeteria, none of the others had complained about it—a sure sign they were determined not to worry Gwen.

  Oggie took care of the grass, shrubs and flower beds, and watered the many potted plants Gwen nurtured inside the house. He also seemed to think it was his sworn duty to scowl at Eli every time the two men passed each other. Oggie had made it no secret that he believed it was Eli’s fault Gwen was still single. Gwen had tried to convince him this just wasn’t true, but he obviously didn’t believe her.

  As for Eli, he did whatever tasks the others allowed him to do, which included taking out the garbage and various small fix-it projects that cropped up. Though all four of Gwen’s boarders were in agreement about her need for rest, it was also clear that Eli was still an outsider, and he would be treated as such until he proved himself.