Loving Lizzy (The Serenity Mountain Series Book 6)

Chapter Twenty Six

Michael raced down the mountain hoping to return home before Saint brought Lizzy. She insisted he keep his appointment and he worried nonstop. He wanted to hold her hand and lend her his strength. One good thing about knowing Kassie, she knew people. She flew in a renowned massage therapy instructor. Michael insisted on paying for the course and flying the man across the country. Kassie gave him a number and he wrote her a check. When the instructor showed up, he made the mistake of letting it slip how much Kassie paid him to do the one-on-one instruction. The amount sent him staggering and he knew she’d refuse his money if he insisted. He vowed to figure out a way to repay her. Now, she supplied the patients for his clinical hours portion of the certification. Today, however, his mind raced to Lizzy and the instructor ordered him to go home to his wife.

Michael frowned at the title. He wished to make Lizzy his wife again. The gulf between them seemed wider by the day and he didn’t know what else to do. They lived like roommates instead of lovers.

A text appeared on the screen in his car.

We arrived at the house. She did great.

Saint texted.

On my way.

Michael responded.

He pulled onto the street and let out the breath he held when he parked in their driveway. He exited the car and hurried inside. Lizzy lay on the couch and Edie placed a blanket over her.

His eyes scanned the love of his life and Edie shook her head at him.

“She’s doing just fine, baby.” She patted his cheek. “Her body’s worn out and she barely kept her eyes open on the way home. I don’t think she slept good last night. The first day’s done and behind her.”

Michael swiped his hand through his hair. “Thanks, Edie, I appreciate the help.”

“We’ll be here if you need us.” Edie tugged on Saint’s arm, indicating they needed to take their leave.

Michael brushed the bangs from Lizzy’s eyes as he gazed at her sleeping. He went down the hall, cleaned the master bathroom, and added a box of gloves to each of the rooms. Victoria and Ivan dropped off food with a fruit tray. He took out his computer and set it up across from Lizzy. He practiced the strokes he learned and the importance of each one. Glancing up every now and again to check on the woman he loved.

An hour later, Lizzy finally stirred. She turned to find Michael coming toward her. He knelt beside her and stroked her hair.

“Hey. How do you feel?”

“I’m fi—” Lizzy stopped herself. “I’m tired and kind of hungry. Can I get something to eat?”

“Victoria dropped off grilled chicken, asparagus and a fruit tray,” he told her as he rose from his position.

“I’d love some,” she called as she rose from the wedged cushion she slept on.

“When did you take your meds last?” he asked as he pulled the food from the refrigerator.

“They gave some in my IV and I took the rest when I returned home. I’m not due for anything until around sixteen hundred,” she told him as she walked into the kitchen. “Edie wrote it down.”

“I’ll warm your food and bring it out to you,” he admonished as she sat down at the kitchen table.

“I want to visit with you. How did your appointment go today?”

“Very long, I’m afraid my mind kept wandering to you,” he admitted.

“Michael, I’m sorry about this morning. I didn’t discuss my pregnancy difficulties to keep you from worrying about me while you were overseas doing your job. Giving medical care to those kids seemed very important to you and we agreed you should do it before we started our own family.”

Michael put down the plate he held to give her his full attention. “The trip meant a lot to me, Lizzy. However, it didn’t mean as much as you did.”

“Edie said something to me today and it hit home. When we got married, our schedules clashed all the time. We barely saw each other for weeks unless we caught each other leaving. I know we loved each other; I don’t doubt it. Did it occur to you we lived as roommates for most of our marriage?”

Michael frowned and began to slice the chicken. “I guess I viewed it as us starting out. We married young, carried student loans, and finding our places in the world. I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“I don’t think it seemed like it while we lived it. Looking back, I remember making dinner and leaving yours in the fridge and you doing our laundry and separating it into two baskets. You bought the groceries, and I prepared the meals. We opened separate bank accounts and paid our own bills. I left before you woke up in the mornings and you returned home after I went to bed Nothing connected us as a couple until Conner and we lost him.”

Michael stiffened as he walked toward her and placed their dinner on the table. He poured each of them a glass of water with lime. “Do you believe we don’t belong together now?”

Lizzy shook her head. “No. I love you,” she told him. “Maybe I believed we lived in a protective bubble and nothing from the outside world touched us. When Conner died, I didn’t know how to handle telling you, or going back to living the way we did. His birth and death changed me, and I feared what it meant for the two of us.”

Michael sat down and took her hand. “When I returned from Germany, it took me months to heal. I spent every day searching for you. Then you blindsided me with the divorce papers. I thought we seemed happy.”

“We were newlyweds, young and in love,” Lizzy asserted. “I want to apologize because I always relied on myself to handle everything, and I didn’t allow you to act as my partner.”

“I forgive you. Both of us lost Conner and it hurt to lose you too. Maybe Edie brought up a good point. Neither of us knows how we would’ve dealt with Conner’s death or discovering your breast cancer if I’d returned home. Finding you gives us another chance to make this right. I know you’re the only woman for me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to remind you,” he told her as he leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

“Why don’t we play a board game after dinner?” she asked as she pierced the asparagus with her fork.

“A game sounds like fun. What date is your bloodwork and next chemo appointment? I want to add them to my calendar.”

“I’ll give you the schedule after dinner,” she told him. “Do you have another meeting tomorrow?”

“Not until the day after. Edie said she’ll stay until I return.” He chewed the chicken and swallowed.

Lizzy smiled. She accepted losing Michael and loved her job at Seattle Health. When Chase offered her the job to come to Serenity, she never imagined gaining friendships much less a group who built each other up. Edie spoke the truth. Maybe she did belong to a family.