“You’re right,” he told Tony. “It wouldn’t take much to blow out this wall. I could put in French doors and add a pergola and a patio here.”
Out of nowhere, Dylan’s mind filled with the idea of sitting out here having coffee with Emma while their kids played in the yard. The thought washed warmth and joy through his body in one giant wave. And on a dime, his mind twisted from selling the house to buying it. The loan would still pay off her medical school loans, but then they’d have a house. A house that had always been meant for them from the beginning.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
Dylan was floating on a cloud as he returned to the house and opened Emma’s iPad. He entered the password and pulled up the Pinterest app. All the images they’d pinned to the board filled the screen. He stepped up beside Tony and enlarged a few of the kitchen photos with big islands.
“I think we can do that,” Tony said. “Let me measure again.”
While Tony pulled out his tape measure and reworked the drawings, Dylan flicked through the images. Now that he was thinking about buying the house instead of selling it, there were so many cool things he could do to make it the perfect home for him and Emma and the family they would have someday.
His doubts from the night before returned, battling with the rightness of the idea that had already sunk deep into his heart.
He desperately wanted this second chance with her and was ready to change his life to prove he was all in, prove that he’d never leave her again. But he also knew he’d have to be careful not to push her too far, too fast. He’d put her through hell, and earning back her trust would take time and patience.
For a moment, he let himself daydream. If he added a taping studio over the garage, he may be able to cut down on his travel. With Emma’s hours as an ER physician, Dylan’s ability to stay flexible would go a long way toward easing the burden when they had kids to juggle.
He was smiling when an email came through, flashing a truncated message in the upper right corner of the tablet. It was from someone named Darla with an email address of Cumberland General Hospital and marked as urgent. Just before the message disappeared, Dylan read the subject line: Somalia/Ethiopia Trip.
Discomfort burned in the pit of his stomach. She’d talked about Honduras, not Somalia or Ethiopia.
“I’m about done.” Tony pulled Dylan’s attention from the iPad. The contractor offered his hand and they shook. “I’ll have drawings and pricing out to you in the next few days.”
“Great. Thank you.” Dylan walked Tony to his car, briefly discussing the budget and materials.
When the contractor was gone, Dylan stood in the driveway, staring down the quiet street, chewing on the inside of his lip. The email was private. He shouldn’t read it. But his intuition was tripping, and he suddenly felt like he was walking a tightrope suspended over the Grand Canyon with no net.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Emma. It rang four times before going to voicemail. He hung up and got a text message. With a patient. Will call you back. It was one of those premade auto texts.
Dylan blew out a breath and wandered inside, but now all he could think about was that email. Then the fact that Emma hadn’t told him she loved him crept into his mind. The way she’d tried to sneak out this morning without saying goodbye.
Each thought added weight to his heart.
Inside, he sat on the cushions pushed up against the wall and looked at his phone. No message. No call. He scrolled through Pinterest for a while. Checked his email. Still no message. Still no call.
He knew the email wasn’t his business, but his heart was on the line here. His future was at stake. At least that was how he justified tapping into her email and opening the Somalia/Ethiopia message.
Dr. Reeves, the team is thrilled with your interest in our mission. They’ve unanimously agreed that you are the perfect fit. Our administration team has agreed to extend your residency to encompass this mission, which should allow you to defer your school loan payments.
All the information you should need for the trip is attached. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. As you know, we’re on a very short timeline. Your attending physician has both recommended you for the position and agreed to let you leave before you are officially finished with your residency in the ED. The road has been fully cleared for you.
Now you just need to get your inoculations and trip insurance and fill out the attached forms. Please remember that your immune system won’t be fully guarded against certain diseases for four to six weeks. Take required precautions.
Welcome aboard.
He stared at the last two words.
Welcome aboard.
Dylan’s chest felt like a steel band stole all his air. He tried to think himself out of the panic. But when he clicked on the trip information file, his heart fell to his feet.
It was a year-long project, and she would be leaving in just three days.
20
Emma placed the last stitch into the wrist of a twenty-year-old who’d taken a fall while skateboarding.
“All done,” she told the young man who’d remained stoic during the procedure. She tied off, trimmed the end of the thread and inspected the finished product. “The edges will join over the next week, and the wound will heal flat. You need to make an appointment with your regular physician to get the stitches out in about two weeks.”