resemblance to the girl he’d fallen in love with back in high school. It was only their early struggles and Maddie’s determination to play the role of supportive wife that had changed her—and the way he’d looked at her—over the years. Her weight had played no part in it, despite what she’d said on her way out the door. He’d always thought she looked damn good, even with the few extra pounds she’d been unable to shed after her pregnancies.
His office door opened and Noreen came in, her expression uncertain.
“She was here because she wants you back, wasn’t she?” she asked.
“No, she doesn’t want me back,” he told Noreen, knowing it was true and in some ways regretting it. “She needed to talk to me about Tyler. Will you look at my schedule this afternoon and make sure I can get out of here no later than four o’clock? If you have to reschedule a couple of patients, do it, or ask J.C. to cover for me.”
Thank goodness Maddie had advised him last year to take on a new medical partner. His pediatrics practice had grown too much for him to handle and still have any sort of family life. J. C. Fullerton, who’d just completed his residency, had picked up the slack. J.C. was still single, young and energetic enough to relish the challenges of a demanding small-town practice. There were times when he wondered why Noreen hadn’t focused her attention on J.C. rather than him. And truthfully, the fact that she hadn’t had flattered him.
“Where are you going?” Noreen asked.
“I need to spend some time with Tyler.”
“Want me to come along?”
He knew how sensitive she was about his kids, but he shook his head. “Not this time. I’m just going to stop by baseball practice and see how it’s going. You’d be bored.”
She rested a hand on her stomach. “I could learn to like it,” she said. “After all, one of these days our baby might want to play baseball.”
“I think that’s a few years down the road, whether we have a boy or a girl,” he said. “Now let’s get started. Who’s waiting for me?”
She looked as if she wanted to say more, but then her innate professionalism kicked in. “Mrs. Nelson is in room one with Jennifer. She says Jennifer’s rash still hasn’t cleared up. I’m putting Mrs. Davis and Martin in room two. He cut himself on a nail and she wants to be sure his tetanus shot is up to date.”
Bill nodded. “See about fixing that schedule while I’m with them, okay?”
“Sure,” she said, but she still didn’t look happy about it.
He stopped on his way out the door and kissed her. “We’re going to be okay, Noreen. It’s just going to take some time.”
Her blue eyes welled with tears as she looked at him. “I love you. You know that, don’t you?”
“That’s why I know it will all work out,” he said and slipped past her, hopefully before she could tell just how many second thoughts and regrets were whirling around in his head.
Maddie stopped at Wharton’s for a hot-fudge sundae on her way home. Learning that her son was in trouble not only on the ball field but in his classes, then giving her soon-to-be ex-husband a wake-up call had drained her. She needed chocolate. Over the years, she’d discovered that there was very little that couldn’t be made better by thick, warm, gooey chocolate poured over vanilla ice cream, and no place in town offered a better sundae than Wharton’s.
Slipping into a booth by the window, she toed off her high heels and sighed with relief.
“Another job interview?” Grace asked sympathetically.
“Not today,” Maddie said. “Just a couple of meetings.”
“Looks to me as if they didn’t go well,” the older woman said. “A hot-fudge sundae kind of day?”
Maddie gave her a weary smile. “Exactly.”
“Coming right up.”
Maddie closed her eyes as she waited, only to snap them back open when someone slipped into the booth opposite her. She scowled when she saw it was Helen. Normally that would have been a good thing, but right this second she was in no mood for a pep talk.
“You ever think of warning a person instead of sneaking up on them?” she snapped.
“Most smart people are more alert to their surroundings when they’re out in public,” Helen retorted mildly.
“It’s Serenity, for goodness’ sakes,” Maddie said. “There haven’t been a lot of assaults in Wharton’s.”
“Definitely moody,” Helen assessed. “That fits. I was on my way home when I spotted your car. I thought you might want some company.”
Maddie regarded her curiously. “Why would you think that just from seeing my car parked on Main Street?”
“It’s outside of Wharton’s in the middle of the day. That can only mean one thing—a sundae emergency.”
Maddie laughed despite herself. “I’m making a vow right this second and you’re my witness. I am changing my predictable ways.”
“Really? How?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll keep you posted.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I’ll just surprise you.”
Grace returned with two hot-fudge sundaes. “Figured you’d be wanting one, too,” she said as she set one in front of Helen.
“I was just going to taste some of hers,” Helen complained. But she took a huge spoonful, then sighed blissfully.
Grace grinned. “From the looks of her, Maddie’s not eating much these days. She needs every one of those calories.”
“Hardly,” Maddie said. “Since all this mess with Bill started, I’ve been stuffing my face with everything in sight. I weigh more now than I did right after Katie was born. Maybe opening a new gym is a good idea.” She savored her first bite of the decadent hot fudge.
“Not a gym, a spa,” Helen corrected.
“What’s the difference?” Grace inquired, pulling a chair up to the end of the table without waiting for an invitation.
“For one thing, ours won’t smell to high heaven like Dexter’s,” Maddie said.
Helen gave her a sour look. “It’s more than that. We’ll pamper women. We’re going to offer facials and massages and a steam room and sauna.”
“Really?” Maddie and Grace said at the same time. Grace sounded intrigued, Maddie skeptical. Saunas and steam rooms were bound to be expensive.
“Was that in the business plan?” Maddie asked.
Helen grinned. “We don’t have a business plan,” she reminded Maddie. “Unless you’ve written it. Have you?”
“I’ve made a few notes,” Maddie admitted.
Helen tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. “Interesting. Then you’re on board?”
“Even though you were out of town on a case, I’m sure Dana Sue told you I was crunching numbers, so don’t act so shocked,” Maddie told her. “And I’m not on board. I’m exploring the situation.”
“She’s in,” Helen said to Grace.
Grace chuckled. “I’d put money on that, too.”
“Watch it, Helen,” Maddie warned. “I’m not sure I want to go into business with a smug know-it-all. I can still look for another job. The Charleston want ads were fairly extensive in yesterday’s paper.”
“You’d spend every penny you earned on gas for the commute,” Helen countered. “And you’d never have any time for the kids.”
“The