Truths Unveiled - By Kimberly Alan Page 0,5

friend Megan had warned. “He’s the cutest, baddest bad boy and heartbreaker in town. And proud of it to boot!”

But the advice came too late. Pam was already hooked. She’d been hooked on him since moving to Middleton with her family two years earlier. And like most young girls in that frame of mind, she had fallen hard and fast.

Though maybe not male-model handsome, Tom’s quick smile and that bright glimmer in his sky blue eyes branded her heart. And his merciless teasing and flirting only served to fan the fire.

During those first two years, every time she’d convinced herself that she was just one of his many female fans, he’d do something to make her feel singled out. Special. But he’d never asked her to go on a date. Or even hinted at one.

Then the evening after her eighteenth birthday, the tall, lean farmer, his skin sun-kissed from working outdoors, appeared on her doorstep. After giving her a wink, he asked to see her father.

Too stunned to speak, Pam ushered Tom inside the house and pointed to the couch. A minute later, she led him to her father’s home office. There, thrilled, excited, and slightly sick to her stomach, she listened to Tom introducing himself and asking her father for permission to take her out for a pizza and a movie. Their romance lasted twelve wonderful weeks.

Then recalling the terrible events that followed, Pam felt the happy memory fade. Brushing them aside, she fought the urge to look at Tom. During this trip, she had really hoped to avoid seeing him or anyone else she knew back then. The medical center sat on the outskirts of town, at least fifteen miles or so from his farm. She’d planned to spend her time there and at the hotel exclusively. The factory explosion changed that. But why were they thrown together like this? Nothing good could ever come of it.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Startled from her thoughts, Pam turned to Tom. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

He laughed. But to her it sounded forced. Anxious almost. This was interesting. It was also interesting that he was no longer married. But she refused to ask any questions. It was none of her business and, truthfully, she really didn’t want to know. Nor did he offer an explanation.

“I said I’m glad you’re here. It’s good to see you.”

Quickly, she nodded. “Oh, yeah. It’s good to see you.” Listening to her own voice, she realized she felt uneasy too. Suddenly, this did not seem like such a good idea. The only reason she’d accepted Tom’s offer was because he threw her off kilter with his statement about his marriage. Now she fretted over who else knew she was back in town. And whether anyone at the hospital would recognize her.

None of it really mattered, she told herself. It wasn’t like she’d intended to take the job and move back here. Still, she hated the sense of unease looming over her. Maybe it was because she left so many loose ends back here. Yeah, but that was only part of it. In truth, she was a coward. People with good memories would recognize her name. After all, it took up most of the front page of the newspaper for more than a week. Even worse, the events that led to those articles affected some people’s lives permanently. Hers included. Did she fear what they might say? You betcha. Could they be right? Double betcha. And that had fueled her determination to avoid them, along with her own feelings on the matter, for more than a decade.

Please Lord, make this a fast trip, she prayed. Just in and out. I’ll tour the medical center, convince myself that I’m not missing anything by taking the job in Chicago, thank Dr. Everett for her offer, and go. Over and done.

“There it is,” Tom announced, pointing to a cluster of brightly lit buildings.

Truths Unveiled

Truths Unveiled

Chapter Five

Tom kept both eyes glued on the road leading to the medical center.

“It’s larger than I thought,” Pam said, interrupting his troubled thoughts.

“Excuse me?”

“The medical center. It’s huge.”

Keep on track, Tom told himself. That’s why she’s here. Remember? The job at the hospital?

“Yeah, it is.” He turned onto the road leading to the ten-story, u-shaped complex. Six smaller structures strategically surrounded the main building on the well manicured, fifty-acre campus. Taking a risk, he added, “I bet you expected a rusty old trailer with someone resembling Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies meeting us at the