A Family Affair(80)

“What doctor?” he asked, his interest piqued.

“Nikit Singh. A vascular surgeon.”

“Only the best!” Patrick said. “I’ve known him a few years now! He’s amazing. His wife is your sister?”

“I haven’t met her yet, but I’m planning to. My mother and brother have met the Singhs and have nothing but good things to say. It’s a very confusing situation—we didn’t know until after my father’s death that there was a secret sibling. My mother knew there was a relationship, but—” She shrugged. “It’s certainly not Amy’s fault.”

“Nor any of yours,” he added. He pushed the plate of nachos closer to Jessie. “Every family has issues and dark family secrets. Some more than others.”

“I’m learning that.”

“You really do have a lot going on, don’t you?”

“And then there’s the clinic,” she said. “That was a complete accident. I saw the clinic, stopped in out of curiosity and helped deliver a baby. Now I volunteer there. Not that often—I do have to work. But it’s the most amazing little place with a dedicated staff that works miracles on a daily basis.”

It turned out Patrick had volunteered in one of the city’s free clinics earlier in his career before he became so busy. But he seemed mesmerized by Jessie’s experience and asked lots of questions.

Then he tried to order her a second glass of wine.

“No, thanks. It was really great seeing you, especially when I didn’t have a family member’s health on the line! I have to get going.”

“Let me drive you over the bridge,” he said, speaking of the Golden Gate to Sausalito.

“That’s very nice of you, but I drove in today since I have parking at the clinic. And I have to stop and pick up Wriggly at day care.”

“Day care?” he asked with a bold laugh.

“Yes,” she said. “I don’t want him to be alone all the time and he now has friends at day care. He’s a very social little guy.”

“You’re doing a lot of giving these days.”

“I’m very happy,” she said. Then she was startled. Could that be it? Could that be the change and was the result happiness? “It’s good to be needed,” she said. Indeed, everyone needed her. Like never before.

Patrick covered her hand with his. “I’d like to see you again, Jess. I’ve missed you.”

She was a little startled by that. “Really? You said I was a red flag!”

“We had a situation. Not a good one. I was not in a position to invest—how can I say this?—a great deal of time in someone who was unhappy and angry.”

She tidily packed up that last taco. It was for Wriggly, after all. “I believe you said that just fine. Thanks so much for the glass of wine. It was lovely seeing you and I’m glad you’re looking so well.”

He stood. “Jessie. Will you have dinner with me sometime?”

She put her purse strap over her shoulder. “No. Take care.” She turned and walked away. Her first thought was, How does he dare? But her second thought was, I bet my darling little Wriggly will love this taco.

Michael and Jenn both taught in Richmond, right across the bay from Mill Valley. They were in different schools, of course. He taught and coached high school and Jenn was an elementary school teacher. But he’d been exhaustively searching the area for houses. Jenn wanted a house. He thought it might be the only advantage he had.

It was a Sunday afternoon when he went to her parents’ house. For once it was sunny, a condition they didn’t see that much of in the Bay Area. It was a beautiful, though cold, pre-Christmas day.

Just to be safe, he had talked to Jenn that morning and asked her how she was spending her day and she said she was going to do a little baking while watching her annual viewing of An Affair to Remember followed by Holiday Inn. So, he didn’t feel too badly about interrupting her day. Those movies could be viewed later. She might even invite him to join her.

He rang the bell and she answered. She was so beautiful. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was way under his skin. “Hi. Are you too busy for a treat?”

“What kind of treat?” she asked.

“I’d like to show you something,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you what it is. I just want to show you. It’ll take about an hour.”

“I was just getting all my baking stuff out. I was about to start measuring. Can it wait till later?”

“Actually, no. There’s a time limit on it. How about you get a jacket and let’s do it.”

“I hate surprises,” she said, standing firm.

“You just hate them when they don’t work out. Sometimes you love them. I think you’re going to like this one.”

“I think you’re up to something,” she said.

He grinned at her. “Of course I am. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Come on, be a sport.”

“All right,” she said. “But this better not be a trick!”

“It’s not a trick, Jenn. It’s a surprise. Those are two entirely different things.”

She grabbed a jean jacket and hollered into the house that she was going with Michael to see something and would be home in about an hour. She hauled herself up into his SUV and buckled up. “How’s everyone at your house?” she asked.