* *
“Damn,” Janelle said as she snapped back to the present. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. Her memory was too good. Why did he still have to be so—amazing? She sat all the way up in bed and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. Her stomach tumbled the way it used to do long ago when she’d dreamed about Tyson. She tensed and stopped right there. Thinking too much about Tyson had a way of clouding her judgment. He had always affected her that way.
The moment she’d seen him for the first time, he’d taken her breath away. With one smile, he’d taken over her world. Years ago, when they were together, all she’d thought about was being with him. Nothing else mattered—not school, not family, not even being a doctor, something she’d always wanted to be. She’d actually considered dropping out of med school for him. It was a mistake she’d never made. All her life, she had only ever wanted to be a doctor.... She sighed and shook her head.
“This is crazy,” she muttered, then glanced over at the small clock on the bedside table. She grimaced. The time seemed wrong. It was much earlier than she’d thought. Still, she felt rested and not as tired as she’d expected. She grabbed her cell phone and checked her messages. There were welcome-home messages from Mia and Stephen, Tatiana and Natalia. She texted them all back and sent a message to her friend and mentor at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Meg Richardson.
She got up and took a quick shower and then put on a T-shirt and pair of jeans from her suitcase. Then she grabbed an old heavy college sweatshirt she’d found in the back of her closet.
Her cell phone beeped. It was Meg. “Janelle, I just got your message. Are you back in town?”
“Yes, I got in yesterday. I’m gonna hang around for a while. I was hoping we could grab a quick meal and catch up.”
“That sounds great. We definitely need to talk. Do you think you can stop by the hospital for a quick coffee later on this afternoon, say about three o’clock?”
“Sure, sounds perfect. What’s up?”
“There’s a pediatrics position that opened up here at the hospital a few days ago. I haven’t had time to put out feelers yet. And now I’m thinking with your talent, background and medical experience with Medics International, you’re perfect for the position. That’s if you’re interested.”
Janelle was stunned. She knew she’d have to look for a new job sooner or later, but to have one just fall into her lap was incredible. “Yes, yes. I’m definitely interested.”
“Good. I have to go now. Meet me in my office at three.”
“Sure, okay, see you then. And, Meg, thank you so much.”
“I should be thanking you. See you soon.”
Janelle ended the call with a grin on her face. Practicing medicine at Johns Hopkins was something she’d always dreamed of doing. She stood and opened her bedroom door to the mouthwatering aromas of bacon and rich, roasted coffee brewing. As soon as she came to the second floor’s open foyer, she saw the stunning holiday decorations. She peered over the banister. Christmas had exploded everywhere. A thick strand of evergreen garland, accented with small holiday balls and holly berries, coiled down the railing. A huge wreath, wrapped with red ribbon and red holiday balls, hung in the large window above the front door, and she could see the image of a second matching wreath positioned outside.
The entire first floor had been transformed into a vibrant holiday display. There were colorful garlands, perfect poinsettias, vibrant evergreens, candles, bells, stars and miniature Christmas trees. In the living room, a fifteen-foot Christmas tree stood elegantly poised between one of the front windows and the fireplace. There was another strand of lights twinkling on the mantel, while two giant, red poinsettia topiaries stood on either side. There were ribbons and bows, massive Christmas balls and beautifully wrapped boxes beneath the tree. It was easy to see that her father still loved this season.
On the mantel hung four holiday stockings. She read the names: Ben, Janelle, Aneka and Tyson. She shook her head in wonder. How and when had Tyson become such a big part of her family? She wondered exactly how much had changed while she was away. She continued on to the kitchen, where she saw her father pulling a mug down from the cabinet above the sink.
She smiled to see him wearing the World’s Greatest Dad apron she had bought for him when she was twelve years old. He wore it whenever he cooked breakfast, his favorite meal of the day. She remembered that every morning, her father would be in the kitchen cooking her breakfast before she went off to school. “Good morning. I smell bacon and coffee,” she said.
As Ben turned around, it was obvious that the joy of having his daughter back safely filled his heart.
“Good morning. Oh, yes. That’s still the best way to start the day,” he said as Janelle walked over and gave him a big hug. “I didn’t expect to see you up for another few hours. Any residual fatigue left over from the jet lag?” he asked, pouring coffee into two mugs.
“No, not at all. I feel fine—better than fine actually,” she said, looking at the perfectly crisped bacon on the counter in front of her. “It’s good to be home again.”
Ben smiled proudly. “It’s good to have you home again.”
Janelle sat at the counter and grabbed a slice of bacon and took a bite. “Turkey bacon? It’s pretty good. Not that I’m not happy to see you this morning, but what are you still doing here so late? It’s after nine o’clock. You’re usually at the office by six.”
“Things have changed. I’ve changed,” Ben said as he placed two plates of food on the island counter and sat across from Janelle. “No more smoking cigars, no drinks at lunch meetings and no more fatty meals. Now I get at least seven hours of sleep every night, I hit the home gym for an hour every morning and I eat right—turkey bacon, only one cup of decaffeinated coffee and one egg-white omelet with scallions. I’ve also lost a little bit of extra weight.”
Janelle smiled. “Yes, I noticed. That’s great, Dad,” she said. “I’m proud of you. And this looks delicious.”
“I guess everything you told me for years finally sank in. I’m feeling better than ever. I’m taking care of myself, and I have Tyson to thank, as well.”
“Tyson?” she questioned after sipping her coffee.
Ben nodded. “Seeing him with his daughter got me thinking. I need to take care of myself for my grandchildren. I’d like to be around and be able to play with them in a few years. That is, if my daughter ever decides to settle down.”
“Thanks for the pressure, Dad,” she joked, eating a forkful of omelet.
He chuckled. “No pressure, I promise,” he said, smiling. “I’m just very hopeful.”
“Speaking of Tyson...tell me what’s going on with the business. How is he really involved?”
“Janelle, I’m handling this,” he assured her.
“With Tyson.”
Ben sighed heavily. “When the economy tanked a few years back, we got hit hard, very hard. Real estate and new development projects just weren’t moving. A lot of other companies were going bankrupt or imploding. I was determined to hold on, and I did for a while. I was neck-deep in three major housing development projects. One went belly-up almost immediately. I sank everything into the last two projects, but by then the business was hemorrhaging money. I tried everything to save the projects. Nothing was working. Money just wasn’t there.
“I initially borrowed against a balloon payment I anticipated making, but when the time came, the cash wasn’t there. I borrowed again. The interest rate was astronomical. I put the house and the company up as collateral. I eventually filed Chapter 13 for protection. There was nothing more I could do. The business is circling the drain.” He shook his head in despair.
“Dad, why didn’t you tell me? You know I have my trust fund. I’ve never touched