White Wedding for a Southern Belle (12 page)

“For what?”

“To climb to the top.” He opened the door to the spiral staircase.

“If you can, I can.” Ashley gave him a determined look. He admired how she approached everything with a can-do spirit.

“Okay, but don't overwork that arm just to try to outdo me.”

“Eat my dust.” Ashley took the lead and she started up the stairs.

They climbed and circled, stopping a couple of times to catch their breath before they stepped into the lamp room.

“Oh, my, you can see forever,” Ashley said in wonder.

“You've never been up here?”

“No, our family didn't journey far. With the business to run, there wasn't much time to do anything else.”

Kiefer contemplated how very different their family lives had been. “And you've not been out here since leaving home?”

She continued to stare out at the ocean. “You know how it is. We don't visit the places closest to us.” With a sigh she turned away from the view. “They sure have done a great job of preserving this place. I wish someone with money would take a real interest in Southriver.”

“Always a crusader.”

“What's wrong with wanting to make things better?”

Kiefer opened the door to the catwalk and she preceded him. “Nothing, unless it consumes your life until you don't have time for anything else.”

Ashley turned to look at him. “I'm taking time today.”

“Yeah, but when was the last time you did?”

She stood thinking.

“Exactly.”

“I'm doing something important,” Ashley threw over her shoulder as they walked around the top of the tower.

“Agreed. But what're your plans once you get Southriver into shape?”

“I don't know. There's always another area of the city that can be improved. Who knows, I might run for senator and work on the state.”

There was what he'd been expecting. It wasn't all about Southriver. She was thinking of her future as well. “So you never plan to get married or have children?”

She gave him a speculative look, brows raised. “Why? You asking?”

“That was a general question, not one in particular. I've gone down the marriage route and it didn't work out.”

“So you're done with it?”

They started down the stairs. “Apparently I'm not any good at it.”

“Maybe you didn't have the right partner,” Ashley offered.

Ahead of her, Kiefer muttered, “Learning to trust again is a tough thing to do.” Something he wasn't sure he could ever do again.

She nodded, understanding more than anyone. “Yes, it is.”

* * *

Two afternoons later Ashley was at home when her cell phone rang. She was surprised to see on the ID that it was Kiefer, who she'd seen downstairs only a half an hour earlier. Why would he be calling? He could just come up.

“Hey, what's up?” she answered.

“I thought you might like to know that your mother is here.”

“What's happened?” Panic filled her.

Kiefer said in a calm voice, “She had a small kitchen accident. She'll be fine.”

“I'll be right down.”

As Ashley came out of the stairwell she saw Margaret in the hall. She pointed to an exam room and Ashley headed that way. Giving the door a quick knock, she entered the room. Her mother was sitting on the exam table with Kiefer on a stool beside it, holding her hand.

Ashley rushed to them. “Mother, what have you done?”

Her mother's eyes held pain. “I was pouring boiling pasta water into the colander and spilled it on my hand. Stupid mistake. And painful.”

Ashley studied the angry red skin over the top of her mother's hand that Kiefer held.

“I'm going to need to clean and bandage this. If you don't take care of it you'll be vulnerable to infection,” Kiefer said as he pushed the stool back and stood. “I'll be right back.”

“Mom, where is Dad?”

“At the store.”

“You drove yourself here? You should have called me.” Ashley pulled the chair out of the corner.

“Like you called us when you were shot?” Her mother's voice was accusing yet laced with concern.

“I was fine. I didn't want you to worry. I was in good hands. Kiefer was right there to take care of me.”

“And he lied to us.”

“Please don't blame him. I asked him not to say anything. Made him promise—and he's a doctor, so it's patient confidentiality. I know I should have told you but I couldn't believe it at first.”

“Ashley, we're your parents. We're going to worry. And we deserved to know, not hear it from someone who came into the store.”

Ashley hadn't thought about that happening. She'd been so caught up in her own inability to accept that someone would do such a thing.

“You should have told us.”

“You're right. It won't happen again. You deserve to be treated better.” Ashley pointed her finger at her mother. “But it works both ways.”

Kiefer entered, carrying a handful of supplies and a plastic bottle under one arm. He set a metal pan and a couple of bandage boxes on the exam table beside her mother, then the bottle. Looking at Ashley, he said, “Margaret is seeing to another patient. Do you mind helping me a sec?”

Ashley had no nursing experience but she would do what she could. “Sure.”

He handed her the pan. “I'm going to pour the saline solution over your mother's hand and I just need you to hold the pan below it.”

“I can do that.”

“Mrs. Marsh, this will sting a little but I assure you it's necessary.”

“Can I believe you?”

“Uh?” Kiefer gave her mother a perplexed look.

“You've lied to me before.” Her mother glared at Kiefer.

“Mother!” Ashley barked.

He glanced at Ashley then looked back at her mother. “I promise never to mislead you again.”

Her mother nodded. “I expect to hold you to that. Now, let's get on with this.”

Kiefer appeared relieved to no longer be under her mother's scrutiny. He opened the top to the bottle and handed the pan to Ashley. Kiefer carefully took her mother's hand and held it over the pan. Slowly he poured the saline over the tender area until the container was empty. Using a gauze square, he cautiously patted the area dry.

The man was amazingly gentle. That was a rare quality in any person. He'd proved to have a number of positive attributes.

“I'm done with the pan,” he said, and Ashley placed it on a nearby stand. “Mrs. Marsh, I would like you to hold it up like this.” Bending her arm at the elbow so that it was at a ninety-degree angle, Kiefer opened and applied a tube's worth of salve to the damaged area. With that done, he wrapped gauze over it and neatly applied a purple elastic bandage.

By the time he was done, her mother was biting her lower lip. Kiefer stood and patted her on the shoulder. “Take an over-the-counter pain reliever and keep it dry. Let me see you again in a week. Call me if there is a problem.”

“Thank you. You really are as good as they say you are,” Jean said.

Kiefer smiled. “I consider that a high compliment, coming from you. Thank you.”

Ashley took her mother's uninjured arm and helped her from the table. “Come on, Mother. I'll take you home.”

As they passed Kiefer, Ashley reached out and grabbed his hand for a second and caught his gaze. He was one of the good guys. Someone who truly cared about people. A man she could trust. She mouthed, “Thank you.”

* * *

The next week went by, with Kiefer waking up to Ashley nestled against him or her arm wrapped around his waist and her body spooned against his back. There was contentment in this arrangement he didn't wish to examine. More often than not, they showered together in the morning, a ritual he was enjoying too much. They spent their time at both of their places depending on where Ashley's schedule took her. Despite doctor's orders, she insisted that she would have no problem driving. She would do what she pleased, no matter what he said.

Her strong personality, independence and genuine love of people were what he liked best about her, but they were also the traits that made him worry. She went headlong and heart open into everything she did. If she wasn't more cautious she would be in serious trouble one day, but for now he was there for her.

As far as he was concerned, life was good. There had been no more incidents around the clinic, and according to Bull, there was no evidence strong enough to arrest Marko for shooting at Ashley. Kiefer still kept a cautious eye out for anyone or anything unusual. A security man watched the clinic at night, which added some comfort.

Thursday afternoon, Kiefer was coming out of an examination room when he saw his mother sitting in the waiting room. “Mom, what're you doing here?”

“I have some supplies and I thought I'd just deliver them.”

Kiefer kissed her. “I wish you had called first. I could have got them from you.”

“I wanted to see the place.”

“This isn't a part of town you need to be in by yourself.”

She put her hand on his cheek. “Honey, I'll be fine.”

That was exactly what she'd said the day she'd lain bloody and bruised on the floor of their kitchen. She sounded so much like Ashley.

“How about telling me where to unload the supplies and then show me around.” His mother's suggestion dispelled the dark memories.

“I can do that.” Ashley's voice came from behind him.

Kiefer gave her a huge smile, always glad to see her even if they'd only been apart a few minutes. “Hi.”

“Hey.”

He wanted to give Ashley a kiss but they had agreed not to make their relationship public because of her position on the city council. They didn't want to give the media a news story. Plus they just wanted their personal lives to remain private.

Kiefer turned back to his mother, who was grinning and watching them closely. They weren't covering very well. He cleared his throat. “Mom, I think you know Ashley Marsh.”

“Yes. We have met a number of times. Hi, Ashley.”

“Hello, Mrs. Bradford. It's nice to see you again.”

“Please make it Maggie,” his mother said.

“Maggie it is. Why don't you show me those supplies and we'll get them in?”

Both women ignored him as they walked down the hall toward the waiting room. Kiefer smiled. Two peas in a pod.

Sometime later he heard talking in his office, which doubled as a storeroom. Ashley and his mother, both wearing business dress and not letting it matter, worked side by side as they unloaded boxes. They were deep in a conversation that he wasn't going to interrupt and hoped wasn't about him. He wasn't sure how he felt about the two most important women in his life spending so much time together. Coming to an abrupt halt, he focused on his realization. That was what Ashley had become to him—important. He'd stepped over the line and wasn't sure if he could step back or even wanted to.

* * *

Some hours later Kiefer had seen his last patient and was locking up the clinic behind Margaret when he realized his mother hadn't said goodbye before leaving. That was unlike her. He must have been so busy that she hadn't wanted to bother him. Flipping off the hall lights, he climbed the back stairs to Ashley's place. He tensed at the sound of voices. Ashley should be by herself. Was Marko making a move again?

He slowly stepped back down the stairs and picked up the baseball bat he'd bought and placed inside the stairwell for just such an occasion. Picking it up, he crept up the stairs again. With the bat raised in his hand, he slowly pushed the door open.

His mother and Ashley looked up from what they were doing at the table, saw the bat and stared at him as if he had gone crazy.

He looked at his mother. “I thought you had left.”

His mother looked puzzled. “No, not yet. Why're you carrying a bat?”

“I didn't know someone was with Ashley.”

“You visit her with a bat in hand all the time?” His mother turned in her chair to face him, concerned.

“Only when I'm worried she might be attacked.”

“Why would you be concerned about that?” his mother asked.

Ashley took the bat from him. She placed it on the first step of the stairs. “Because someone I know came in unexpectedly the other week.”

“And she was shot at!” Kiefer couldn't help but say.

“What?” Maggie's alarmed gaze met his.

“I'm fine. Nothing to worry about.” As usual, Ashley played down the problem.

That might be the way she saw it, but he didn't.

His mother stood. “It's time for me to go anyway. Ashley, thank you for an interesting afternoon. It was nice to get to know you better. I look forward to working with you on our fund-raiser.”

So his mother and Ashley had been up here, hatching some plan.

“I am too. Thanks for all the supplies. I promise they'll be put to good use.”

“I'm confident they will be. Kiefer, why don't you walk me out to my car?”

Ashley led the way to her front door. Kiefer followed his mother out. He checked the area as they walked toward her car. He nodded at the security guard standing near the front corner of the building.

“She's a smart girl, Kiefer.” His mother patted his arm. “Try not to worry so.”

“Ashley's like you. She takes chances that she shouldn't.”

“You can only do what you can do. I know you feel guilty that you didn't do anything when I was beaten. But you aren't the one who should feel that way. I'm the one who should carry that burden. I had no business bringing home that man. I overstepped. I put you in danger.”

“Mom—”

“No, you hear me out. No child should witness that. It created a vein of distrust in you. I watched you become wary of people. When you finally did let someone in, of all things, she made you distrust more. I'm sorry for that. But not all people are bad. You must remember that. Have a little faith in Ashley and ease up on yourself.” His mother settled behind the wheel of her car. “You deserve to be happy. Give yourself a chance.”