Truths Unveiled - By Kimberly Alan Page 0,40
And don’t be surprised if other details come to you during the next few days.”
He opened the office door and led them back to the foyer. Shaking Pam’s hand, he said, “Call me next week and let me know how you are. We can schedule another session if you think it could be helpful.”
****
The following evening, Pam broke away from the hospital at six to join Tom at Cherrystones, one of her favorite restaurants on Boston Harbor. She found him seated at a table on the patio when she arrived.
“Welcome to the life of a physician,” she told him apologetically, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
“You’ll find no complaints here,” Tom assured her.
Dreamily, Pam gazed at the man across from her. He’d charmed his way into her life when she was sixteen. He was her first love and her first heartache. And now, he was still all she could ever want.
Yes, the accident continued to bother her. Specifically that one piece of the puzzle she couldn’t find. But for the first time in so long, she felt a little less guilty. Of course now they needed to find the lunatic who was trying to drive her mad. But if God could forgive her, and she prayed every day that He did, and Tom still wanted to stand by her, then maybe everything could work out for them.
Pam directed her attention to Tom.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
He closed the large, leather-bound menu and smiled. “Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking what a beautiful night it is.” And it was. The sun had recently set, changing the air to one of those crisp October nights in New England that everyone looks forward to.
After being indoors all day, Pam relished putting on a bulky sweater and sitting outside, overlooking the harbor. Lights inside the nearby waterfront condos clicked on one by one. Early stars popped out high in a sapphire sky. She smiled at Tom and reached for his hand.
“We’ve been through a lot,” he said, after the waiter left with their orders. They bowed their heads and whispered a prayer of thanks before he spread salmon mousse on a water cracker and fed it to her across the table.
“That’s for sure.”
“I think I could get used to living in Boston.”
Pam stopped chewing. Even though he’d made the suggestion before, she’d never considered it a real option. At the same time, the topic reminded them both that their time together was limited. He’d been here five days now. During that time, they’d crammed in a ton of sightseeing and that session with Dr. DeOreo. He’d also gone out exploring on his own while she was working. But there was only so much of that someone could do as a visitor. Tom was accustomed to being kept busy. He shouldered an enormous amount of responsibility, running the farm and the medical center’s emergency operations. With dread, the question of his departure, even if temporary, weighed heavily on her mind.
“I’m not kidding about moving here. What are your thoughts on the idea?”
“Your father and your children need you,” she said quietly.
Tom shrugged. “We’ve already talked about that. They’ll manage.”
Pam pretended not to hear him. She just couldn’t see it happening. And yet he seemed completely serious. Should she probe further and risk ruining what promised to be a wonderful evening or just dismiss the idea? To her surprise, Tom made the decision for her.
“I worked on my résumé this afternoon. Do you think you can give me a reference?”
“Of course,” she answered automatically. “But Tom, hold on a minute. Even if the farm and the hospital are taken care of, there are your sons to consider. They’ll be young for such a short time. You need to be there.”
As she spoke, Pam wondered why he didn’t talk about them more. Did he think she’d resent them for some reason? Why would she? They were part of him. She wanted him to feel free to talk about them, be with them and be their dad.
Pam caught a flash of anguish cross his face. He quickly replaced it with a look of defiant indifference. He reached for a breadstick and bit down. After a second, he said, “I doubt that. I haven’t seen or spoken to them in over two years.”
Pam’s fork slipped through her fingers onto the china plate. She grimaced. “Sorry...about the fork and your kids.” Picking it up, she noticed Tom’s clenched jaw.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve tried everything. Nothing seems to work.” Uttering a