Marrying Mallory Read online

  In a loud voice, Derek said, “Your neighbor’s lawn doesn’t need mowing. Is he ticked off at you for something? Maybe he’s upset you didn’t invite him tonight.”

  She shook her head, waiting to speak until Eddie wasn’t as close to her backyard. She saw again how bad he looked with his long and stringy hair. Eddie’s grass got shorter while his hair grew longer. “I did invite Eddie. He said he had other plans. His wife died a few months ago, and he’s having a hard time adjusting to life without her. Taking care of his yard seems to be a form of therapy for him. He mows it all the time. He’s probably not even aware of the noise bothering us.”

  “That’s sad he lost his wife,” Heather said.

  Derek pointed his fork at Mallory. “Hey, you two have something in common.”

  She grinned at Derek. “What do I have in common with Eddie? That I mow my lawn too much or that I irritate you?”

  “You both lost your spouses,” Derek said.

  Elizabeth used her napkin to wipe her mouth. “Toby’s alive.”

  Derek shrugged. “I know that. I meant—”

  “I know people getting divorced say it’s like a death in the family,” Mallory said, “but I don’t feel that way.”

  Heather nodded. “Toby’s very much involved in Josh’s life.”

  “Toby and Mallory didn’t have a bitter divorce because they respect each other.” Elizabeth gave her a direct glance. “Toby’s even planning on having Josh and Mallory visit him when he’s doing legal work in Las Vegas this summer.”

  Derek grasped Elizabeth’s hand. “Well, hopefully, our marriage won’t end. I can’t imagine ever being with someone else.”

  “I’ve never been married, but I do counsel couples who are not married, newly wed, or couples who have been together for years. You’d be surprised how many conflicts couples face in trying to stay together.” Jeremy smiled at Derek and Elizabeth. “I’m not trying to scare you, but I’m available for counseling if a problem keeps you from having a close marriage.”

  “Thanks, Jeremy,” Elizabeth said. “We’re attending a session now at our church for engaged couples.”

  “I’m interested because I’d rather go to someone outside our church if we should have problems in the future,” Derek said.

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Derek. “I don’t think we have to worry about our minister airing our personal life to others.”

  Derek raised his eyebrows. “Hey, ministers aren’t perfect. Isn’t that right, Jeremy? I mean you’re a sinner too.”

  “That’s true none of us are perfect.” Jeremy grinned at Derek. “Although some of us are closer to being perfect than others.”

  She knew Jeremy was kidding Derek, but thought how apt it was for her situation. “I thought I’d have the perfect marriage. I still can’t believe I’m divorced. Toby and I tried counseling but only went twice. He refused to continue. To tell the truth, I wasn’t feeling forgiving toward Toby. I hated his unfaithfulness and was so angry at him.”

  “Mallory, I’m sorry about your divorce,” Derek said, “but maybe it was for the best. You’re a wonderful woman. It sounds like Toby didn’t love you the way you should be loved.”

  Maybe she’d be too critical of Derek. What he said to her was sweet, but it hurt because what he said was true. “You’re right. Toby didn’t love me enough.”

  Seth’s blue eyes met hers. “Looks like your neighbor’s quitting mowing for the evening.”

  At a quick glance at Eddie’s yard, she saw him driving into a small shed.

  Heather smiled. “Quiet again. It’s such a lovely evening. The weather’s great and it’s early enough that there aren’t any bugs. Mallory, thanks for having us.”

  “It is a nice evening.” Jeremy said. “Seth, I don’t think you heard me before when I said I recognized your name.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t.”

  “I was a minister in a church in Toledo a few years ago, and I visited a girl from church who had her tonsils out. I remember she had a crush on a Dr. Whitman and said how it was worth having surgery because you were so nice and hot.”

  She turned to Seth, grinning. “Sounds like you. The nice part anyhow.”

  “I get the feeling you two know each other. I figured you’re here because you’re friends with Heather since she’s a surgical nurse.” Derek gave Seth and Malloy a thoughtful look. “But you two look pretty cozy.”

  Seth laughed. “Elizabeth, you sure you want to marry Derek? First, to answer Jeremy’s question. I was on staff at Children’s Hospital in Toledo. And second, Mallory invited me this evening. We haven’t known each other very long, but we hit it off right away. Since today’s my birthday, I’m glad she asked me to come.”

  While the others wished him a happy birthday, she thought how Seth had never mentioned before that it was his birthday. Why would he want to spend his birthday here with her and her friends? Granted, Seth was right how they’d connected quickly but to spend a birthday with strangers instead of family seemed weird. “I wish you’d told me because I would’ve baked you a birthday cake.”

  “But you made your delicious caramel cheesecake,” Heather said. “Stick some candles in it.”

  Elizabeth chimed in, “Oh, Heather’s right. Mallory makes her own version of the Cheesecake Factory’s Dulce De Leche Caramel Cheesecake, and hers is even better.”

  Seth wiped his lips with a napkin. “Cheesecake sounds delicious but candles aren’t necessary. It would take too many.”

  Mallory leaned closer to Seth. “You aren’t getting out of telling us your age. Let me guess.” She touched her chin and stared at him. “You don’t look a day over thirty-three, but you went to medical school and you’ve been practicing for some time. I mean Jeremy heard of you a few years ago. I’ll guess you’re thirty-eight years old today.”

  Seth frowned. “You’re kidding. That old.”

  “Come on. I can’t be that far off. And I did say you look younger than that.”

  “Okay, I’ll admit it. You’re close. I’m thirty-seven years old.” Seth gave her a broad smile. “You’re a good guesser.”

  A cell phone rang, and Jeremy said, “It’s mine. I better answer it. Excuse me.”

  After Jeremy walked off the patio, Mallory said, “Is everyone ready for some birthday cheesecake?”

  “Bring it on, Mallory. I can always eat your desserts,” Derek said.

  Elizabeth and Heather followed her into the house. She took the cheesecake out of the refrigerator and set it on the countertop. She moaned. “I don’t even want to know how many calories are in this dessert. Or I’ll be doing crunches all night.”

  While Heather got small plates out of the cupboard, Elizabeth opened the silverware drawer. “You two look so cute. I’m sure Jeremy and Seth noticed too.”

  Heather smiled. “I’ve enjoyed talking to Jeremy. I’m not sure he has Mallory out of his system though.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Are you kidding? He’s hardly talked to me. He’s all yours, girl.”

  Heather winked at her. “It might be because you’ve been very engrossed in whatever Seth has to say to you. It’s amazing how you two find so much to talk about.”

  “I can’t believe how you and Seth just met a week ago.” Elizabeth waved her hand at Heather and Mallory. “I’m excited for both of you. I can see Heather bringing Jeremy as a guest to my wedding. And I’m sure Seth will be attending if you ask him, Mallory. Seth’s even better looking in person.”

  Mallory poured water into the coffeemaker.

  “I’m sorry Derek’s been a jerk,” Elizabeth said.

  Should she agree with Elizabeth or just keep her mouth shut? She decided to be honest with her friend. Mallory nodded. “Derek did make me uncomfortable when he said how I had something in common with Eddie because I lost Toby. But that was sweet what he said later.” She grinned at Elizabeth. “But you’re in trouble, lady. I could tell you’ve been telling him how I deserve to get married again.”

  Before
Elizabeth could say a word, Heather said, “Well, I think it’s nice you invited Seth so I could have more of Jeremy’s attention. Seth must be crazy about you since he came here on his birthday.”

  She sighed. “I should’ve put candles on the cheesecake before I cut it.”

  Elizabeth gave her a nudge. “Forget about the candles. We better get back out there before Derek tries to sell them something.”

  “Just put one candle on Seth’s piece,” Heather said.

  “That’s a great idea.” She stuck a candle in one piece, then opened a drawer to get a candle lighter. The women carried the dessert and coffee mugs to the patio. Once in front of Seth, she lit the candle. “I don’t think Jeremy will care if we don’t wait for him.”

  Mallory led the others in the birthday song. After Seth blew the candle out, Heather went back inside to get the coffee.

  Jeremy returned to the table and put his phone down. While Heather poured coffee for each person, Jeremy’s troubled eyes glanced at them. “I just received a phone call from a mother. Her daughter died yesterday. I’ve been praying with her. I asked her if she wanted me to go to their house this evening, but she wants me to wait until tomorrow.”

  “Oh no, how old was she?” Mallory asked.

  “Only eighteen.” Jeremy sighed as he sat on the chair. “She just finished her first year of college. Her last final was Thursday. She had surgery yesterday in Columbus.”

  Heather put a cup of coffee next to Jeremy. “What went wrong?”

  “That’s what is so hard. She was having plastic surgery in the morning and it was believed to be a routine procedure. There wasn’t any indication that she wasn’t going to walk out of the surgery, but twenty-four hours later, she died.”

  A chill went through her when she heard the reason for the girl’s death. How could this happen to someone so young? Elizabeth’s shocked face looked at Jeremy, and she knew why his explanation had alarmed her friend. Dying during plastic surgery had never occurred to either of them. Maybe it hadn’t been just a change in appearance that had concerned Heather about her own surgery. As a nurse, Heather knew about the risks involved in any type of surgery even if you were young and healthy. “What procedure was she having done?” Please don’t say nose surgery. That would be too much of a coincidence.

  “Breast surgery. Not just implants but some defect.”

  Even though the girl hadn’t had nose surgery, was this a sign from God? Was He telling her not to have the surgery? Of course, He hadn’t caused the girl to die just to warn her, but now that it happened, maybe He wanted her to know so she’d cancel the surgery. “I can’t believe this happened to the poor girl and her family.”

  “I’m guessing she died from a hidden problem,” Seth said. “Was it because of the anesthetics or something else?”

  Jeremy nodded. “She died from malignant hyperthermia.”

  “What’s that?” Derek asked.

  “It’s a condition often triggered by certain anesthetics that can increase the individual’s body temperature to dangerous levels,” Seth said. “It’s usually an inherited disorder and is a metabolic disorder of muscle that often goes unnoticed in everyday life. It can become deadly if an individual suffering from this disorder is given a triggering anesthetic. It’s very rare for this to happen.”

  “The parents have requested an autopsy,” Jeremy said.

  “It’s hard to comprehend that she went in for breast surgery and died.” Could she wait until everyone left to pump Seth with questions? Did it matter if Derek and Jeremy learned what she was planning to do? She had thought the less who knew the better. If Elizabeth had already told Derek, he wasn’t giving any indication he was aware of her scheduled surgery.

  Seth squeezed her hand. “Breast surgery is a little bit more invasive because it’s in an area of the body that has a lot of blood vessels. It’s more challenging.”

  “Can I find out ahead if I have this disorder so that this won’t happen to me during surgery?” She had to ask and couldn’t wait.

  Heather said quickly, “Most cases of malignant hyperthermia occur in children and less often in adults.”

  “And the adults are younger than thirty.” Seth glanced at Jeremy. “I’m guessing the teenager wasn’t given dantrolene sodium. It’s an intravenous muscle relaxant and is administered if malignant hyperthermia occurs. It’s the only effective treatment for this reaction.”

  Jeremy finished swallowing a bite of dessert. “The surgeon didn’t give it but the mother mentioned they gave it at the hospital.” He shifted his gaze from Seth to Mallory, taking another bite of cake. “Not to change the subject but this cheesecake is the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Thanks, Jeremy. I’m glad you like it.” Leaning forward in her chair, Mallory asked Seth, “Have you ever had a patient die during surgery?”

  Seth shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Mallory, have you been holding out on us?” Derek raised his eyebrows. “Are you going to have breast surgery? If you are, you don’t need it.”

  Elizabeth looked like she wanted to wring Derek’s neck. “I think you do need counseling, so you learn when to keep your mouth shut.”

  “It’s okay.” Mallory shrugged. “I might as well tell Jeremy and Derek what’s going on. I’m having cosmetic plastic surgery and Seth’s doing the procedure next month.”

  Jeremy frowned. “But you don’t need anything done.”

  “I agree. If it’s your scar, it’s not that noticeable anymore. Ouch,” Derek said to Elizabeth as he rubbed his arm. “You didn’t have to pinch me that hard. I’m just trying to save Mallory some money.”

  She touched her left cheek. What…her scar…were they being polite? They had to realize the surgery was for her big nose. Or was her scar that bad? Maybe she’d been staring so much at her nose, her brain had skipped over her scar. She turned to Seth. “Did you wonder why I never mentioned my scar during my office visit?”

  He shook his head. “I noticed you scar but didn’t think it was important enough to mention it. Anyhow when you smile, it looks like a dimple instead of a scar.”

  She looked at the others. “My scar’s from a freak accident. I needed thirty stitches when I cut my cheek. I’m having rhinoplasty. I’ve never liked my nose.”

  “I’m guessing both Heather and Elizabeth knew about your surgery,” Derek said.

  “I told them but asked them to keep it quiet.”

  “Can I watch the surgery?” Derek asked.

  She grinned at Derek. “Sure, if you pay me a thousand dollars. Maybe I can get a few others to watch, so I can pay for the surgery without getting a loan.”

  Seth chuckled. “Sorry to disappoint you, Derek, but I no longer operate in a teaching hospital. I have my own medical facility with no viewing windows to observe.”

  How can I get them off the topic of my surgery? She noticed there were empty cups so talking about coffee refills should work. Mallory stood. “Would anyone like more coffee?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jeremy said, “I’d like another cup but I can get it.”

  “I’ll just bring the pot out here. When it gets too chilly for everyone, we can go inside and play a board game.” Mallory grinned at Seth. “And Seth gets to pick the game since it’s his birthday.”

  “Ladies against guys,” Derek said.

  “That sounds so unfair for you guys.” Elizabeth tapped Derek’s shoulder. “You know we’ll beat you.”

  “I’ll get the coffee while you decide if you want to play Taboo, Outburst, or Catch Phrase.”

  Jeremy stood, picking up the plates closest to him. “I’ll follow you. I have a favor to ask of you.”

  What favor could Jeremy want from her? He’d told Elizabeth and Derek about counseling couples. Maybe he planned on asking her to tell them what to avoid in a marriage, so they didn’t end up divorced.

  As she took the plates from him, Jeremy said, “I learned today that we’re short of volunteers for vacation
Bible school. I’m not sure when your surgery is, but I’m hoping you’ll be available to teach a class. It’s a five day program and of course, Josh can attend.”

  “My surgery’s scheduled for June third. When’s your Bible school?”

  “The last week of June.”

  She rinsed off the plates Jeremy had brought in for her. “I’d like to help you out, but I might be flying to Las Vegas that week with Josh to visit Toby.”

  “Will you know soon? We’re having a hard time because so many of the mothers have their jobs during the day. I think next year we should switch to an evening Bible school.”

  She gave a quick nod. “Ours is in the evening for that very reason. You might check with Heather to see if she knows anyone who’s free during the day.” Geez, was she being too obvious at trying to throw Heather and Jeremy together? She picked up the coffeepot. “Could you serve the coffee while I get the games?”

  “Sure.”

  Mallory sighed after Jeremy left. Did he ask her to help with Bible school, so he could spend time with her? After seeing how he had enjoyed talking to Heather, she thought he was definitely interested in her friend. But now, she didn’t know what to think. If only his church held the vacation school at night, Heather could’ve taught a class or helped with crafts even. She was a crafty person anyhow and made all kinds of cool gifts for birthdays and other holidays.

  She walked to the study to get the board games out of the closet. Hey, that’s it. She could suggest Heather help with the crafts at Bible school by assembling what the kids needed for each day’s art. Or Heather could collect the supplies and deliver them to the church.

  With the games in her arms, she returned to the kitchen.

  Jeremy put the pot back on the burner pad, and said, “I poured you a cup too.”