Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
WILLA
I hesitated outside the door of the island clinic. Making the appointment had been an impulse. Part hope, part practicality. I knew this marriage with Sawyer was supposed to be public-facing only, but in the event that he changed his mind, I figured it was better to be ready. And maybe a more optimistic part of me was hoping I’d manifest that mind change by coming here today.
Committed, I tugged open the door and stepped inside. Since it was a medical clinic, I was sans Roy. Sawyer had taken him for a jog down on the beach, and I really hoped that didn’t backfire before I met them at the cottage for some more packing.
Nina Lambert looked up from the front desk and grinned. “Willa! You’re looking fabulous. That newlywed life treating you well?”
Heat flooded my cheeks at her implication. But—well—that was exactly what I wanted, wasn’t it? The notion of sex with Sawyer had been occupying a significant portion of my waking and sleeping thoughts since the moment he’d first kissed me. It was a nice departure from the nightmares that still plagued me more often than not.
“It’s good.”
Nina’s dark brown eyes danced, but I didn’t feel like it was at my expense. “You got one of the good ones there. You know your man changed my flat tire when he was back in high school?”
“Oh?”
Her firm nod made the beads on her headful of braids jangle a little. “Sure did. I was stuck out on the ocean road with my Nico in the backseat—he was only two then. Didn’t even have a jack in that old car. Sawyer came along and took care of the whole thing.”
“He’s always been good about stuff like that.”
“Glad to see him back on-island and to know the two of you are happy.” She thrust a clipboard at me. “Here. Fill out this paperwork and sign here, here, and initial here. We’ll call you back in just a few. And I was so sorry about your granddaddy. He’ll be missed.”
“Thank you.”
It only took a few minutes to dispense with the paperwork. Fifteen minutes later, I’d been weighed and had my blood pressure checked.
“Little on the high side,” Kristie Turner announced as she peeled off the cuff.
I surreptitiously wiped my hands on my shorts. “I have some medical anxiety.” That was putting it mildly. After my experience off-island, I barely took more than a Tylenol these days, and I avoided medical settings like the plague. On the rare occasions I needed something, I favored online providers. Professionals who couldn’t physically touch me. But this was Gabi. I could endure all this with her.
“We’ll check you again before you leave.”
She led me to a patient room. “Dr. Carrera will be with you shortly.”
I took one look at the paper-covered exam table and veered to take the visitor’s chair. The less I felt like an actual patient today, the better.
Gabi didn’t keep me waiting long. She came through the door with a burst of energy. “Girl, I know we’ve both had a lot going on, but this was not where I thought we’d be seeing each other next.”
I laughed, some of the tension draining. “It seemed the most efficient place for a catch up.”
“We don’t need to talk about the epic crash and burn of the situationship I was in most of the way through residency. I’m single now. There, you’re caught up on me.”
So that was what had put that sadness in her eyes when she’d first come back to the island. I was willing to bet that had been why she’d been able to come back early. Before I could ask her more questions, she barreled on ahead.
“ I want to know exactly how it is you just married the guy you’ve been crushing on since basically sixth grade?”
For about five seconds, I considered telling her the truth. But no doubt these walls had ears, and Florence had warned me it was imperative for everyone to believe this marriage was real. That meant the fewer people in the circle of truth, the better. But Gabi knew me really well. She’d been one of the few friends to have a front-row seat to all those years of pining when we were younger. I’d have a higher bar to keep her from asking questions.
“So… I haven’t been completely honest.”
Gabi grabbed the rolling stool and plopped down. “Spill.”
“Sawyer and I have always been friends. You know that. But things were different after I drowned. I mean, it’s easy to love your hero, you know? He risked his life to save mine. Literally breathed me back to life. I don’t know if that’s when things changed for him. He still thought of me as too young, and there was Jace, who would have had Opinions.”
She snorted. “Oh, I’m sure. Your brother’s never been short on those.”
“We stayed in touch when he left for the Navy. Even though he wasn’t here, we got closer in a lot of ways, talking about fears and dreams.”
“When did things change?”
“Oh, not for years. I didn’t even realize things had changed for him for a long time.” This was getting into the story we’d decided on together. There was enough plausibility and distance that no one would be able to disprove it. “About three years ago, we met in Raleigh while he was on leave. It was a quick couple of days before he had to get back. We were just going to hang out because we wanted to see each other. But then…” I trailed off, knowing Gabi’s romantic heart would fill in the gaps.
“Then he realized you were a sexy AF, grown-ass woman, and he couldn’t keep his hands off you?”
If only.
“Something like that.”
Gabi clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling. “I love that for you. But why keep it a secret?”
“Because of Jace. Not that we need his permission, but we weren’t sure how he’d react.” I paused as it occurred to me we were going to have to tell my brother we’d gotten married. I really didn’t know how he’d take that news. But that was a problem that could wait a while. One thing at a time.
“So you two have had a secret relationship for the past three years? God, it must have been so hard having him deployed and in harm’s way.”
This, at least, wasn’t a lie. “It wasn’t great. I’d still like to slap him upside the back of the head for not telling me about his shoulder injury. But he didn’t want to worry me, and he thought to surprise me when he came home for good.”
“Mission accomplished there. So, how did he propose? Was it super romantic, like making passionate love to you and then declaring he couldn’t wait another day to call you his own?”
Oh, the fantasies that scenario incited in my brain.
The story we’d settled on wasn’t nearly so sexy.
“It was a lot quieter and more practical than that. We were up on the north end of the island, watching the horses and catching up. This was right after he got back, before the funeral.” Before the reading of the will. That had seemed an imperative detail to throw in there. “Between his injuries and the fact that Granddaddy had just died, we were both keenly feeling the fact that life is short. With him actually home and out of the Navy, we didn’t want to wait anymore. You know me. I have zero interest in a big splashy wedding with all those people and eyes and whatever, so we decided to elope. Since that takes a lot less planning, here we are.” I took a breath. “Which brings me to why I’m here today… for some of that planning we didn’t do in advance.”
“Ah. Birth control. That I can help you with. Though I also love the idea of little Sawyers and Willas running around filling that big ol’ house with joy.”
I could see it. Filling Sutter House with family as it was meant to be. But that was a fantasy predicated on a lot of lies. Sawyer wouldn’t be making a real life with me. As soon as the threat to me was definitively over, we’d divorce and get on with our real lives. If the mere thought of that made me queasy, I blamed it on the fact that I hadn’t had anything but coffee this morning.
Forcing a smile I didn’t feel, I lifted a brow. “I’ve been married for all of two days. Maybe let us get used to things before you give us the two-point-five kids to go with the dog.”
“Spoilsport. But fine. I suppose you two deserve plenty of time to make up for all those years of long distance.” She waggled her eyebrows and grinned.
Please, God, yes.
“Now, I’m gonna need you to pee in a cup.”