In the Doctor's Arms Page 23

  “That worked?”

  “Yep. I didn’t actually say I was you, I said our last name and your room number, which you texted me for some reason.”

  Had she done that? She didn’t even remember. The fog that had taken over her brain, however, was starting to clear.

  Tag interrupted, “Listen, will you please sit down and hear us out?”

  “Yes, but I should—”

  “Wait.” He motioned for her to take a seat, so she claimed the chair opposite them. “I’m simply going to ask you the same question you asked me when I couldn’t find the courage to admit what I wanted where Ally was concerned.”

  “You’re going to ask me if I want to be senator?”

  “Funny,” Tag replied flatly, although one side of his mouth pulled up in a smile.

  “I think so.”

  “Who’s deflecting now, little sister? It won’t work, so here goes—is this really what you want? A life here in Washington, DC, without Flynn and Lily? If the answer is an unequivocal all-caps yes, then I’ll shut up and leave you alone.”

  “Wow. Impressive. That quote was almost verbatim, and from like six months ago, too.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “It was a powerful thought from an extremely insightful and intelligent woman. You have a knack for seeing through the complexities of a situation and getting to the heart of the matter—at least, where other people are concerned. For some reason, the ability seems to get a bit lost when it comes to your own life—and who you love.”

  “Iris, what are you afraid of?” Hazel asked. “That’s the real question.”

  “It’s complicated. What if I turn out to be a terrible mom to Lily? It terrifies me. What if I can’t handle the bad stuff? The idea of having a child and watching her go through what I did...” Placing a hand on her aching chest, she gripped her shirt for a second before continuing. “I’ve always believed I wasn’t strong like you guys. That I was fearful and cowardly. Even though...” I’m so, so much stronger than I thought. Was it strong enough? The answer was immediate and consuming—she was strong enough to try and that’s what mattered. She might not be perfect, but nobody was, and that was no reason not to try. And no one would ever try as hard as she did.

  Tag leaned forward and placed his forearms on his knees. “First of all, Iris, being afraid does not make you a coward. Every time I get on an airplane, every time I go out an emergency call, there’s an element of fear. As far as my personal life goes, I don’t even want to talk about how pretty much everything about having a relationship with Ally terrified me.

  “My point is that life is all about risk. Almost everything worth doing involves taking a risk. And risk is scary. But I know that fear is not a reflection of who I am. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid, it’s healthy. It’s being afraid and not trying that’s the problem.”

  Hazel waved at them. “Okay, my turn. I know your childhood was different than ours. It must have been horrible, watching the rest of us do things that you wished you could, things that you weren’t physically capable of. But guess what? You can do those things. You’ve proven that. Fishing, hiking, kayaking, flying an airplane, for crying out loud! Cricket can’t stop talking about how fast you picked up on piloting. And yes, even being a mom. You’re a natural. Everyone says so.”

  That made her smile a little. “My plans never included being a parent.”

  “Plans? Ha. You know what they say about life happening while you’re busy making plans?” Hazel went on because clearly this astute cliché didn’t call for a response. “Have you ever thought that maybe you’ve been focused on this plan of yours for so long that you’ve never taken the time to reevaluate it? That’s what your work is all about, right? Watching interest rates fluctuate and wages increase, and the market goes bullish or whatever those indicators are, and you adjust your economic forecast so that people and business and government can plan accordingly.”

  Iris grinned and repeated, “The market goes bullish?”

  “Whatever.” Hazel waved a hand. “It’s hard to keep up with your ramblings.”

  Tag’s half shrug and conciliatory grin said he agreed.

  “My point is that conditions change in our lives and sometimes that means we need to adjust. That’s life. Which is exactly what you’ve been doing this whole time you’ve been home—working as Tag’s office manager, your relationship with Flynn, learning new skills to impress your boss. Even giving Ashley a chance like you did proves that you can adjust. It also proves that you’re a risk taker, too, just like the rest of us. And guess what, you also learned that some of these things weren’t nearly as bad as you thought they were.”

  Iris smiled. “Except backpacking. That was actually worse.”

  “Wait a sec.” Hazel’s gaze narrowed in on her. “You said, What if I’m not a good mom, what if I can’t handle... Like present tense. You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

  “I pretty much had, but this conversation reinforced it. Thank you, guys, for coming all this way, for caring about me this much. I have the best family in the world, and, if Flynn will still have me, I’m about to add two more members.”

  Hazel’s smile was pure joy. “I can guarantee he’ll still have you, Iris. My list does not lie.”

  Iris returned the smile. “I need to get home.” Home? Yep, she realized, Rankins was home. And, with a little maneuvering, maybe Washington, DC, could be, too.

  Removing her phone from her bag, she fired off a text to Flynn asking him to call her ASAP.

  “Good.” Tag sighed with relief. “Because I already bought you a ticket to Anchorage. We weren’t above kidnapping you, but I’m glad we don’t have to. We leave tonight.”

  * * *

  WHEN IRIS BOARDED the plane, Flynn still hadn’t answered her text. He was probably busy at the hospital, she told herself. He might not have seen it. She couldn’t allow herself to consider the possibility that he might not want to talk to her.

  With a stomach awash with butterflies, she turned on her phone when they landed in Anchorage. Nothing. The nervous combination of anticipation and excitement that had been fueling her settled into anxiety and disappointment. Even though it might be what she deserved after the way she’d left.

  But she wasn’t about to give up. She’d spend the rest of her life making this up to Flynn and Lily.

  From the airport in Anchorage it was only a few miles to the private airfield that Tag used, and then a short flight to Rankins. She and Hazel were waiting while Tag prepared the plane when Hazel’s phone rang.

  Frowning, she answered the call. “Hello?...Yeah, in Anchorage. She’s right here beside me...Oh...Okay. Yep, we’ll be there as soon as we can.” Ending the call, she looked at Iris, and said, “That was Flynn.”

  “Okay.” Why was Flynn calling Hazel?

  “He’s here in Anchorage.”

  Iris felt her hopes rise, but why hadn’t he called her?

  Hazel answered the question before she could ask it. “He’s at the hospital with Lily.”

  “Hospital? What’s wrong with her?” Iris felt light-headed. Just when she was ready to step back into Lily’s life her worst nightmare was coming true.

  “He called me because he didn’t want you to panic. He didn’t say what’s wrong, but he said she’s going to be fine.”

  Fine? There were so many angles to that word. What did it mean? But Iris wasn’t panicking. Resolve and determination fueled her now. She needed to be with them.

  “We have to go there.”

  “I know.” Hazel nodded, already backing away. “I’ll go get Tag.”

  * * *

  FLYNN MET THEM outside the pediatric unit.

  Iris ran toward him. “Flynn, what’s wrong with her?”

  “It’s just a heart murmur.”

  “Just a heart murmur? That meant surgery for me!”


  “I know, but at this point we don’t know that it will come to that. But that’s why we’re here. I ordered some tests and we’ll know more when we get the results.”

  “Where is she? Is she alone right now?”

  “Doc is with her. But we can see her, too.”

  Iris nodded impatiently. “Good, let’s go.”

  Flynn explained that they’d just finished the echocardiogram. When they arrived at the room, Lily was crying, and Iris couldn’t get to her fast enough. The nurse finished wrapping a blanket around her and passed her over to Iris, who had no intention of ever letting her go again.

  * * *

  “VENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT,” Iris said, repeating the diagnosis. “Same thing I had.”

  “Yes, but Lily’s is small. Dr. Conway and I both feel hopeful that the hole will close on its own within a year. Approximately eighty percent of the time these go away.”

  “What if it doesn’t?”

  “There are some options now that are way less invasive than the surgery you went through.”

  Iris nodded confidently. They’d fix this, one way or the other. She thought of her mom and dad and how strong they’d been for all of them. She and Flynn would do the same for Lily. Their love would help heal her. Hers and Flynn’s, and Doc’s and the rest of her family’s.

  “Iris, are you sure you’re up for this?”

  “I’m up for this and for whatever else she needs. And for whatever you need, Flynn, if you’ll take me back.”

  Flynn reached for her hand, kissed it and then placed it over his heart. “In here, I never let you go.”

  Tears burned her eyes. “I’m so sorry I left. I just... I let the fear get to me, but I’m not afraid anymore. Not like that, I mean. I’ve learned so much about myself and I want to do this. I want to be Lily’s mom. Can you forgive me?”

  “Of course I forgive you. I knew you’d come back.”

  “Really?”

  “I hoped.” He chuckled. “It was the only way I could get through it. After everything you’ve gone through in the last few months, I just held on to the belief that you’d figure out there isn’t anything you can’t handle, no fear you can’t conquer. I couldn’t handle imagining a future without you. I would have broken down and our daughter needed me.”

  “I tried not to think about it, too. I was so lonely. I missed you guys so much. It made me see that living my life trying to avoid bad things that might happen meant missing all the good stuff, too. I’ve spent my life doing that and I’ve missed out on too much. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

  She took a moment to look around and absorb Flynn’s words, her emotions. “Let’s get married, Flynn, and make it official.”

  “Okay. Three-day waiting period in Alaska.”

  “After the last three days of horrible,” she said, smiling, “I think the next three will be a breeze.”

  EPILOGUE

  One year later

  “HOW DID YOU find out?” Flynn asked Iris as he steered their SUV onto the road leading to Copper Crossing Air Transport.

  “Flynn, you should know by now that there are too many people in this family to keep a surprise truly under wraps.”

  “Who was it?”

  As if they were talking to her, one-year-old Lily belted out a “Doc” from the back seat. Lily loved everyone, but it was possible her great-grandfather was her favorite person.

  She and Flynn shared a quick laugh before Iris turned and told Lily, “Yes, buttercup, we’ll see your Doc soon.”

  Iris took a moment to enjoy Lily’s reaction as the baby let out a squeal and a giggle. Only her mom’s cats generated a similar reaction. Lily had Sonya’s electric blue eyes, a smile that lit her entire face and a sweet, affectionate disposition. She was so grateful. Facing forward again, she exchanged a grin with Flynn and her heart seemed to expand inside her chest, crowding her lungs and stealing her breath. These were the moments, the seemingly ordinary ones, that got to her the most. Sometimes the love Iris felt for her husband and daughter nearly overwhelmed her.

  After a quick stop at Copper Crossing, they were heading to the Faraway Inn, where her family was throwing her and Flynn a surprise one-year anniversary party. At least it was supposed to be a surprise for Iris. Much to her family’s disappointment, Iris and Flynn had opted out of a wedding reception the year before. They’d been so focused on Lily, Iris’s new job and starting a life together that after marrying at the courthouse, they’d declined an official celebration. Iris kept putting it off, so it really was no surprise that her family had finally taken matters into their own hands and arranged a party without her input.

  Iris thought it was an incredibly sweet gesture. But first, they needed to pick up Lily’s bag, which Flynn had accidentally left behind the day before when their friend Ashley, who was also Tag’s office manager, had babysat Lily for a couple of hours.

  Life had finally started to settle down. Lily’s heart defect had healed on its own just as they’d hoped. She was healthy and thriving. Their schedule was working out better than they’d anticipated. Iris spent two weeks in DC and two weeks in Rankins, where she worked from home. Flynn flew to DC as much as he could when Iris and Lily were there. Drew and Sebastien babysat Lily in DC, and she and Flynn helped out with Madison in return. In Rankins, Lily had more babysitters than she could use.

  The timing was fun, too, because Iris and Flynn had finally found the time to take a delayed honeymoon. They had tentative plans for a trip to Iceland after Flynn finished his residency. But for now, the two of them were heading to Washington, the one on the west coast, for five days to explore Seattle and then do some fishing and kayaking in Puget Sound. With any luck they’d spot some killer whales.

  Early the next morning, Iris was flying them to Anchorage where they were catching a commercial flight to Seattle. Her stomach coiled nervously at the thought, but not because of the whales or the flying or any of the other myriad fears that used to plague her. This, she recognized, was normal parental concern. It would be the longest time that Lily had been without either her or Flynn. In her heart, she knew their daughter would be fine. Spoiled even, but in all the best ways while in the care of her family.

  “Was it Doc?” Flynn asked. “Did he let it slip?”

  “No, actually it was Hazel.”

  “Hazel?” Flynn repeated in a surprised tone. “Really?”

  “I know. Very unlike her to slip up secret-wise. She’s been off her game lately and I think something is up with her. We were Skyping and she said, ‘I’m so excited to see you.’ And I was like, ‘See me when? You’re not supposed to be home until October.’ She probably could have covered it up, but you know how we are with the melding of the minds, I was instantly suspicious. Shay had mentioned our anniversary that morning and I don’t know, I just guessed about the party.”

  “Hmm.” Flynn pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine. “That means she didn’t tell you everything then?”

  “Everything? What do you mean?”

  His enigmatic smile told her something was up. “We’re not here to pick up Lily’s things. I didn’t leave her bag with Ashley. Your brother Tag wanted me to bring you here. He has something for you.”

  “Oh, no, he didn’t?”

  Before Flynn could answer, Tag was beside the vehicle, a pregnant Ally with him. They’d just learned that Ally was having twins and her brother was beside himself with happiness.

  Tag opened her door. “Hey.”

  “Hi,” Iris answered a bit tentatively.

  He waved her out. Ally was already greeting a chattering Lily, unbuckling her car seat. She gathered Lily in her arms and placed a loud smooch on her cheek.

  “I have something for you,” Tag said, propping one hand on his hip. “Now, I don’t want you to think that you’re going to get a gift like this on every
anniversary. In fact, this really isn’t for your anniversary.”

  Iris shook her head because she could see the airplane sparkling on the runway behind him. He’d obviously washed and polished it for the occasion. “Tag, we talked about this.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her a tight hug. “You talked. I disagreed.” Stepping back, he said, “Now come and take a look at your new plane.”

  A ball of emotion settled in her throat as they walked toward the plane.

  Iris had been flying for over a year now and loving it even more than she’d thought she would. She had to admit it would be nice to have her own plane to fly her and Flynn and Lily back and forth to Anchorage and beyond at their convenience. They’d talked about exploring more of the state together as a family. After years of avoiding all things Alaska, Iris was enjoying what she’d missed out on as a kid and then overlooked as an adult.

  Cricket came out of the office and joined them.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “I couldn’t miss this. It’s not every day my prized student gets her own airplane.”

  “What in the...?” Tag’s question trailed off when they reached their destination. Bewildered, Tag shook his head and pointed at the side of the plane, his former plane, sitting on the tarmac. Thick black stripes covered the spot where it used to read Copper Crossing Air Transport. Underneath it, in block letters, some words had been added—Property of Iris James.

  “That is shameful.” Tag glared at Cricket. “What did you use, a giant Sharpie?”

  Iris snuffled out a laugh while Flynn stepped closer to inspect the handiwork. “I think it’s duct tape.”

  Cricket slid a hand over his mouth to cover his laughter. “It wasn’t me. Unfortunately. I wish I was that clever.” Pulling out his phone, he quickly snapped a couple of photos of the prank.

  Laughter erupted from inside the airplane. “Got ya!” Kayleen opened the door, a roll of black duct tape in hand. Anne, Chloe and Summer were right behind her.