Critical Diagnosis (Love Inspired Suspense) Read online

  Lily answered it and her features grew pinched. After a moment she said, “Are you sure, Mrs. York? Here, I’m going to put you on speakerphone. James O’Reilly is with me.”

  Lily pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the speaker button. “...don’t care much for those fancy things. Hello, can you hear me?” Mrs. York’s harsh voice filled the interior of the car.

  “Yes, Mrs. York. Tell James what you just told me.” All the color had drained from Lily’s face.

  “Well, Dr. O’Reilly, that guy that’s been all over the news... I think that’s the guy my Talia brought home.” She hacked violently. After she regained her composure she said, “My Talia’s book smart, but she’s never been much for common sense. Never been much a good judge of character.”

  “Mrs. York,” Lily said, “that composite was on the news the night we came to see you. How come you’re only calling us now?”

  Mrs. York harrumphed, as if she had been offended. “My eyes aren’t so good. I didn’t see the resemblance till I got up close to the TV.”

  Lily could imagine the older woman shaking her head.

  “I think it’s him. I got a good look at him in person when he visited my Talia. We both had to go around a stack of newspapers. He nearly kicked my walker out from under me, he was in such a hurry.”

  “What’s his name, Mrs. York?” James spoke up.

  “Frank. That’s all I know.”

  “Mrs. York, have you seen Talia lately?” James leaned closer to the phone, his shoulder brushing against Lily’s. Across the courtyard, he noticed Bethany locking the main door to her apartment. Emily skipped around a light pole, a beach towel dangling from her hand.

  “No, Talia hasn’t come back from her business trip.” Mrs. York sounded a little miffed. “Don’t you people keep track of these things?”

  James and Lily locked eyes. Into the phone he said, “Thanks for letting us know.” He cleared his throat. “Do you need anything while Talia’s away?”

  Silence stretched over the line for a moment. “My Talia always takes care of everything. She’ll take care of me when she gets home.”

  If she gets home.

  TWELVE

  “This is wonderful.” Bethany lounged at the pool steps, swooshing her foot in circles, sloshing the water around. “It’s great to get out of the apartment. I’ve been imagining the worst about Emily’s health for days. A huge weight has been lifted.”

  “I’m so thankful Emily’s okay.”

  “I don’t think I stopped praying since Emily had her blood drawn.” Bethany gathered her hair and twisted it into a messy bun. “I guess I should have trusted God more. I would have saved myself the worry.”

  “I think worrying runs in the family.” Lily smiled, tilting her face toward the warm evening sun. Rolling her shoulders, she couldn’t get Mrs. York’s phone call out of her mind. She had to be mistaken. What would Talia be doing with the man who’d been stalking her? Maybe Mrs. York hadn’t seen the composite clearly. Her vision was failing. Perhaps a lonely old woman had let her imagination get the best of her.

  A loud squeal came from the other end of the pool. James was doing laps with Emily—the short width of the pool—his powerful arms cutting through the water. He’d stop at each side and wait for Emily to catch up, then he’d give her a head start to the other side, pretending to fall behind and at the last minute beating her to the edge of the pool. Emily’s giggle made all seem right with the world. At least for now.

  Lily rolled up the hems of her pants and stepped down onto the first step. Enjoy the moment. Clear your mind for right now. This moment. The water enveloped her feet and ankles. Ah. She playfully kicked, splashing her sister. Bethany threw up her arms, but defending herself against the large drops of water was useless.

  “Knock it off before I pull you in.” The spark in Bethany’s eyes belied her menacing grimace. She reached up and yanked on Lily’s wrist.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Lily grabbed on to the silver railing to anchor herself. Her sister released her wrist as quickly as she had grabbed on.

  “Ah, you’re too gullible. You really think I’d toss my smarty-pants sister into the water?”

  “Good to know my brain power holds some sway.” Clutching the railing, Lily lowered herself onto the edge of the pool, watching her sister’s hands for any sudden movements.

  Bethany leaned over and playfully bumped Lily’s shoulder with her own. “I’m so glad we’ve become friends.” She dipped her head and smiled shyly. “I’m sorry it took Emily getting sick a couple years ago for me and you to reconnect.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I wasn’t the best big sister when we were growing up, was I?”

  Lily mimicked the gesture and nudged her sister’s shoulder right back. “I imagine I was a pest, too. I succeeded in my job as your little sister.” They’d had their share of battles growing up in a small duplex with a single mother. They must have driven her crazy.

  Bethany leaned back, bracing herself on straightened arms. “This is nice. I wish the summers weren’t so short.”

  Lily twirled her foot in the water. “This feels like bathwater.”

  Bethany tipped her head toward the mansion behind them. “I guess they can afford to heat the pool. The town pool is absolutely freezing. Like ice cubes. Emily’s lips are always purple when she gets out.”

  “Oh, I remember that. As a kid, I always thought I hated swimming. Turns out I only hated cold water.” Lily laughed. “Remember riding our bikes to the pool when Mom was at work?”

  “You’d bug me until I took you.” Bethany swished her fingers in the water and flicked them at Lily. Dark spots marred the thighs of her khaki pants. “Come to think of it, I did think you were a little pest.”

  “I suppose it’s hard having a sister six years younger who follows you around.”

  Bethany leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Now who needs who? I am so blessed to have you as a sister.” She turned to face Lily. “Sorry I treated you like a bother. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She lowered her voice. “I don’t know what Emily would do...or what I’d do without my daughter. She’s my heart.”

  Lily reached down, scooped a handful of water and let it flow through her fingers. The news today that Emily was in remission was a reminder of how truly blessed they were. Her gaze drifted to the bubbling fountain at the edge of the pool. A person could get used to living like this. “This is nice.”

  “I’m sure you don’t do this enough.” Bethany watched James and Emily at the other side of the pool. “You really should take time for yourself.”

  A high-pitched squeal sounded from the deep end. James had lifted Emily and tossed her toward the shallow end. Her niece made a big splash, spun around and swam back to James, a huge smile on her narrow face. Emily wrapped her small hands around his neck and hung on. “Throw me again, Dr. James.”

  Bethany whispered, “He’s really good with kids.”

  Lily swooshed her fingers in the warm water. An emptiness stretched inside her. He’d make a great dad someday. “He’s great with the patients at the clinic, too.”

  “So he’s giving up practicing medicine to run Medlink?”

  “His grandfather wants to retire.” Lily purposely gave an evasive answer. James really planned to reenlist, but she supposed that was his news to share.

  Bethany nodded, her attention focused on her daughter. Grabbing the railing, she pulled herself up, gesturing with her free hand to Emily. “Give Dr. James a break. His arms are going to fall off if he has to throw you one more time.”

  “It’s okay,” Emily hollered. “He likes it.”

  Slowly shaking her head, Bethany sat back down.

  “It’s fine. I think I still have one good arm,” James called across the pool. “One. Good. Arm.”
He hooked his arm and dragged Emily farther into the deep end.

  Lily winced, unable to believe such a little kid could emit such an ear-piercing squeal.

  Bethany shifted toward Lily, an expectant look on her face. “So...what’s going on between you two? You seem to be spending a lot of time together. Is it serious?” The barrage of questions made Lily uncomfortable. Or maybe her line of questioning had struck too close to home.

  “Nothing’s going on.” Nothing in the relationship department, anyway. Or was she lying to herself? “We have a lot of business-related things going on right now.” Lily hoped her sister couldn’t detect the evasiveness in her voice. She hadn’t told her sister about her stalker, either. Bethany didn’t watch much TV, and she refused to watch the news since, in her sister’s words, it was only bad news. Bethany had enough on her mind, between her daughter’s health and her employment status.

  “I’m not buying it. You guys would make a great couple.”

  Lily laughed. “Why? Because we’re both physicians?” She did her best to sound flippant and figured she had failed miserably.

  Bethany tucked her chin and raised her eyebrows. “Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

  Lily waved her hands. “No, please don’t.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “We’re just friends.”

  Bethany narrowed her gaze. “Why are you staying at the carriage house? You love your cottage.”

  “How did you know I was staying here?”

  “So it’s true.” Bethany’s eyes widened. “I thought I heard Edna mention something to you when we came in.”

  She swooshed her foot in the water, debating how much to tell her sister. “Someone left a dead rat on my porch at the cottage. I’ll feel safer here until the police track this guy down.”

  Bethany jerked back and her nose turned up in disgust. “Oh, no! That’s creepy. Why do you suppose someone did that?”

  Lily flicked a gaze toward James, who was in a how-long-can-you-hold-your-breath contest with her niece. “Chief Farley’s investigating.”

  Bethany cut her a sideways glance, obviously not buying her answer. “We’re going to chat. Later.” She crossed her arms. “So you’re telling me you and James aren’t an item? You should seriously reconsider.” Bethany fluttered her feet in the water. “I can’t remember the last time you had a serious boyfriend.”

  Before Emily got sick, Lily had dated casually. After Emily got sick, she didn’t have time to spare. But a treatment was now at her fingertips.

  “I don’t ever plan on getting married or having children. I...” Bowing her head, Lily ran a hand across her mouth, realizing she didn’t want to have this conversation. Not with her sister.

  Bethany’s features grew slack in disbelief. “Wait. Don’t tell me you’re never going to have children because you’re afraid they’ll get sick.”

  Lily pressed her fist to her mouth, as if she were holding her words back.

  Bethany sat up ramrod straight. “I’d do anything to make my daughter completely healthy, but I never regret having her.”

  Lily reached out and grabbed her sister’s hand. “Oh, that’s not what I meant at all. You didn’t know you carried the gene before you got pregnant. I know I carry the gene. I can’t have children knowing they could be sick. Even with a treatment. I’m afraid to take the chance.”

  Bethany blinked a few times, as if processing the information. “I didn’t know....” She shook her head. Cold anger sparked in her eyes. “I’m sorry you carry the gene. But you can’t live your life afraid of everything.”

  “We’ve both experienced so much loss. I never thought I’d get over losing Mom.” Lily studied her sister’s face, aware of James and Emily playing on the other side of the pool. “If I’m truly honest, I am afraid.” Lily shrugged. “I can’t help it.”

  “I pray every day God will guide you in your research. But I’ve also made peace with the fact that God may have other plans. I learned a long time ago that I have to live in the moment. Thank God for the blessings I have. The ones I have right now.” Bethany tapped the stamped concrete adamantly with her index finger for emphasis.

  Bethany stood and walked to the deep end. She crouched by the side of the pool and stretched out her hand. “Come here, little mermaid.”

  Emily sucked in a huge breath and disappeared under the surface. She popped up and grabbed the side of the pool near her mother. Bethany leaned over and planted a kiss on her daughter’s wet hair. “Aren’t you getting tired?”

  Emily shook her head, her wet ponytail flinging from side to side.

  “A few more minutes, then come out for a little break.” A trace of concern lined her sister’s face. Emily had been sick only a few days earlier.

  “Pizza’s here.” Edna strode toward them, carrying two boxes of pizza.

  Lily stood. “Thanks, Edna. Where are the paper plates? I’ll go get them.”

  Edna shook her head. “Charlie’s bringing everything you need. Sit. Relax.” She leaned in close and whispered, “It’s nice to see you enjoying time with your family and James.” The older woman hitched a knowing eyebrow. Apparently, they were all conspiring against her.

  Instead of arguing, Lily simply said, “Thank you.”

  Charlie appeared a second later holding plates, cups and a bottle of soda. Placing them on the table, he scanned the pool. “Nice to see someone using the pool. Do you know how much time I put into keeping it clean? I think you guys are the first ones to use it this summer.” His smile revealed white teeth against a suntanned face.

  Lily patted his arm. “It’s refreshing.”

  James climbed out of the pool and wrapped a towel around his shoulders. He walked by Emily and tweaked her nose. “I want an underwater rematch. I know I can hold my breath longer.”

  Emily giggled. “Nope. I can hold my breath longer.”

  James jutted out his chin. “We’ll see.” He reached across Lily and grabbed a piece of pepperoni pizza. “Yum. All that swimming made me hungry.” He handed the plate to Emily, then got one for himself. The four of them sat around the glass table, Emily happily chatting away. James looked up from his pizza and caught Lily’s eye.

  Warmth blossomed in her chest. Could she let down her guard for this man? She pulled a cup from the top of the stack and poured Emily a little soda. Why did it matter? He was planning to reenlist.

  Gone from her life.

  * * *

  James was surprised to see Emily polish off two pieces of pizza. The adults chatted and Emily’s head started to bob as she fought the good fight to keep her eyes open.

  James tipped his head toward his swimming buddy. “Looks like Emily wore herself out.”

  Her mother laughed. “Oh, she’s going to be grumpy. I better get going.”

  “I’ll drive you home whenever you’re ready,” James said, truly sorry to see the evening come to an end.

  “Dr. James, I’m heading into town to pick up a few things at the hardware store. I can drive Miss Bethany and Emily home.” Charles had returned to the pool area to replace the liner in the garbage can.

  James glanced at Bethany. Her eyes brightened. “That would be great, as long as you don’t mind,” she said. “This way James and Lily can sit and enjoy the evening.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Lily give her sister the stink eye. He refrained from laughing out loud.

  Taking Emily’s hand, Bethany nudged her out of the chair. Emily groaned a little as they headed to the pool house to put on dry clothes.

  James stood, gathered the plates and napkins and tossed them in the garbage bag Charlie was holding. “I appreciate your driving them home.”

  “My pleasure, Dr. James.” Charlie tied up the bag. “I have to get a few things out of my car, but I’ll be ready whenever they are.” />
  James sat back down at the table. “You’re awfully quiet.” He tried to read the expression in Lily’s beautiful brown eyes.

  “Tired, I guess.” She seemed to mentally shake herself. “I had a great time tonight. It’s what I needed.” She dragged her hand over her long ponytail. “It’s what my sister and Emily needed, too.”

  “Well, then we’ll have to do it more often.”

  Lily looked down at her thumbnail, then slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. “Maybe it’s not such a great idea if we spend so much time together.”

  “So you didn’t enjoy this evening?” He forced a light and teasing tone despite the wet blanket she had tossed over his good mood.

  “I had a great time. I love to hear Emily laugh.”

  He studied her closely. “I love to hear you laugh.”

  Lily’s cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “You’re relentless.”

  “Can you blame me?” He pressed his tongue into his cheek.

  He followed her gaze to the pool house. No sign of her sister and niece. “I really enjoy hanging out with you, too. But it doesn’t make sense. We’ve been over this. You plan on reenlisting. I’m busy in the lab.”

  Resting his elbows on his thighs, he reached out and captured her hand. “Let’s take one day at a time.” He tipped his head, hoping she’d look up at him. “I just know we could have something great.” He playfully tugged on one of her fingers. “Why can’t we enjoy the time we have?”

  Lily closed her eyes briefly, her long lashes brushing against her smooth skin. A myriad of emotions flitted across her face. “Because it will only hurt that much more when you do have to leave.”

  He exhaled sharply and leaned back in the chair. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  A tired smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Honesty, right?”

  His mind whirled. A part of him felt like a teenager, trying to figure out what to say next.

  “Excuse me, Dr. James.” It was Edna.