Truths Unveiled - By Kimberly Alan Page 0,4

get a quick bite to eat. I know a really great place that will still be open. And I’ll give you a five-cent tour of the area on the way. There’ve been a lot of changes around here since you left. You’ll hardly recognize the place.”

Pam stifled another yawn. It was late. She felt grimy, exhausted and hungry. Her stomach grumbled. Maybe she should wait until tomorrow to see the hospital. A bath and hamburger sounded fine for now.

“Ready?”

She started to decline again when he added, “If we hurry, you should get to meet Dr. Everett. She took the day off but came in to help out in the ER when she heard about the explosion. I know she was pleased to hear you were at the scene.”

What? Pam groaned. That’s great. It was Marlene Everett’s invite that had convinced her to make this short trip. Her admiration and respect for the woman knew no boundaries. Though women now commonly entered the medical profession, Marlene was one of the first to forge her way into emergency medicine. Thanks to her never-ending achievements and efforts, the road was now much easier for them.

Pam considered her physical appearance and sighed. “Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate the offer. But look at me. I’m a wreck. And first impressions count. I don’t want her seeing me like this.”

Before she could step back, he placed his knuckles under her chin, tilting her gaze to him. “You look fine. Besides it will give her a preview of what you’ll look like if you take the job and spend all day and night up to your elbows in blood and guts.”

Ignoring his closeness and the way it made her tingle, Pam arched him an eyebrow. “I hope you know you’re painting a horrific picture.”

Not to be deterred, he quickly added, “And you could wash up in the doctors’ lounge. I’ll even bring in your suitcase so you can change into something a little less…sooty.”

Again, Pam could only stare at him. Once more he surprised her. She was the one accustomed to figuring everything out. Making suggestions. Finding solutions. Why would he even care?

“Sound okay?”

Pam felt a smile form before she could bite it back. He looked so…eager. And fun to be around. It had been a long time since she had felt that way about someone. Usually, she was too busy spending every waking moment making life-or-death decisions in one of Boston’s busiest emergency departments.

“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”

Tom beamed.

Laughing now, and admittedly charmed by his efforts, she still shook her head. It just wouldn’t be right. And why was he being so insistent? What would his wife think?

She felt his hands on her shoulders. She stopped laughing and then realized he did too. Suddenly nervous, she looked down at the tips of her shoes.

“Pam?”

His voice was low, and contrary to his previous tone, he sounded uncertain. Even tense.

She raised her chin and found him studying her.

His expression had changed. Now he looked serious. And determined to say something. But what? She realized that she was holding her breath, curious but also worried about his next words.

For a moment, they stared at each other. Then he spoke. “In case you’re wondering, Susan and I divorced almost five years ago.”

Truths Unveiled

Truths Unveiled

Chapter Four

Without warning, Pam felt herself being thrust back into a time warp. The first time they’d sat side by side like this in his truck, making idle chit-chat and driving along these dark roads, was on their first date. She recalled the evening: March 18, 1994. Funny how she still remembered. She felt herself smile. He didn’t reach for her hand until their fourth date.

“I kept seeing your father chasing me around your yard carrying his shotgun,” Tom told her later. They laughed about it at the time, knowing he was probably right.

Pam felt so head-over-heels about him back then. The sun rose and set over their time together. And why not? Didn’t she finally deserve some fun? At least for a little while?

Staying in the top five percent of her high school class took a lot of work on her part. Even this little town had some very smart kids. In September, she would enter Harvard’s pre-med program. That promised to be at least a thousand times more grueling. Which meant that these last few months in Middleton would be her first and only time to ease up on her self-imposed pressure to make it into medical school.

“Stay away from Thomas Jarrod,” her