Page 83 of Already Home

She studied him, taking in the good looks, the easy smile, thewarm, friendly nature. He was practically perfect—no, better than perfect. Hewas a man who had learned from his mistakes.

“What were you like, predivorce?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Before the introspection—before you learned from yourmistakes.” She had a feeling he’d never been all that terrible.

He finished chewing, then swallowed. “It’s not a story designedto make you like me more.”

“I’m willing to risk it.”

“I’m not sure I am.” He put down his sandwich. “Let’s just sayI came into my own pretty early and I used it to my advantage.”

“The hot guy in high school?”

“I could get dates the football captain couldn’t. I wanted tobe a doctor, some for the money, mostly because I knew it would make my lifevery easy when it came to women.”

She thought of Dr. Mark and knew that was very possible.

“College was more of the same.” He looked at her. “School waseasy for me, so I had plenty of free time to play. You’d think that having beengiven so much, I would be gracious, but I wasn’t. I took what I wanted and whenI was done, I walked away without looking back. I left a trail of broken heartseverywhere I went.”

Jenna tried not to look surprised or disappointed, even thoughshe felt both.

“The summer before my junior year of college, my grandmothertook me to India. It had been her lifelong dream. My parents didn’t want her togo alone and they sure didn’t want to go, so I volunteered. I figured it wouldbe an adventure, plus there was a whole new continent of women to conquer.” Hismouth twisted. “Back at college, I’d already worked my way through most of thecoeds.”

He pushed his sandwich aside. “What I didn’t know was that mygrandmother had plans for me. She was determined to teach me some compassion. Wedidn’t stay in a luxury beach resort. Instead I spent my days working in aclinic for the poorest of the poor. They were starving, without any kind ofsanitation. Bugs everywhere, the noise was incredible. When I wanted to leaveearly, my grandmother told me this was the other side of medicine. The side thatmattered. And that I’d better be careful because leprosy, which still existedthere, was sexually transmitted.”

“Is it?”

“You get it from fluids, mostly from the nose and mouth. It’snot that contagious, but at the time I was young and had no way to check whatshe said, so I was careful.” He shrugged. “That trip changed me. A kid I’d madefriends with had an accident and his leg was crushed. I was there while it wascut off, using a saw and minimal anesthesia. The food and water made me sick,the crowds were everywhere. It was the longest month of my life. In some ways itwas also the best. When we flew home, I was different. I couldn’t care about thethings I had before. I finally wanted to be a doctor to actually helppeople.”

He grinned. “Only to walk away from it all and go to China tostudy alternative medicine.”

“You still heal people.”

“Yes, but not in a traditional way. I’ve learned there are manyanswers to the same question. Traveling allowed me to learn more and treat thembetter. Too bad I didn’t apply the lessons to my personal life.”

“Didn’t your wife travel with you?”

“She didn’t want to go where I went. Had I been attending aseminar in Paris, I think she would have been very happy. From my perspective,she was making me choose between her and the work I loved. From her point ofview, I was a husband who was never home and when I did manage to stop by for afew days, I made it a point to make sure she knew my work was far more importantthan her.”

Jenna winced. “That’s not fun.”

“Your husband did the same?”

“Sometimes. He wanted me to know that everyone was moreintriguing than me and that he was only home because he had to be.” Aaron hadrarely said it in words, but he’d made the meaning clear.

“When she left,” Ellington said, “I continued on as if nothinghad changed. It took her dying to make me realize I’d lost her and my son. It’snot easy to convince a six-year-old whom you practically abandoned and whosemother died that you’re not going to disappear.” He sipped his soda. “It’s beena hard lesson for me. Now I’m focusing on what’s around me. My family, then mywork. I’m trying to find some balance, so I’ve been cautious about dating. Idon’t want to screw up again.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

“True, but mine have been very hard on everyone but me. I don’t want to be that guy anymore.” Heleaned toward her. “Which is why I want to wait before introducing you toIsaiah.”

“Of course.” She hadn’t thought they were anywhere close tothat point.

He grinned. “You could meet my mother, if you want.”

“I have enough mothers in my life right now, but thanks forasking.”

---