Page 71 of Rescuing Dr. Marian
The idea that his fiancée might have abused his trust and generosity, letting him think he was the only one to blame for ending their relationship?—
“Easy, Tiger.” Tilly reached out a hand to pat my arm. I hadn’t even realized I’d taken a seat on the barstool next to her again and begun growling under my breath. “I overheard two bridesmaids talking about it at the hotel bar after the breakup. I guess the brother’s friend thought he was the reason the wedding was called off.”
“Asshole,” I muttered, then knocked back some beer to keep from saying more.
Tilly nodded as she sipped her whiskey. “I didn’t tell Tommy because I’m not a hundred percent sure if it’s true or just a nasty rumor. Besides, Tommy felt bad enough as it was. Never seen him so upset.”
I reached for my fresh beer and took another long pull. “He cared about her a lot.”
The truth of that burned a hole in my gut. Hell, I was jealous of Robyn and her too-friendly smiles, but Tommy had beenengagedto Kari. Would have married her if he hadn’t met me that day.
“Maybe he did. Probably. Tommy’s a caring sort of person.”Tilly shrugged. “But I think he was mostly upset because he had to face some harsh truths about himself.”
I swiped a thumb through the condensation on my beer bottle. “Look, I don’t care if you’re related. I’m not talking about Tommy’s truths with you?—”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about his sexuality, Glutes McGraw. I meant the truth that he’s not perfect. That he’s a human being with emotions, and he can’t always follow the script he’s written himself.”
Her words sounded… well,fond. But I felt raw and protective on Tommy’s behalf anyway.
“Tommy’s a high achiever,” I said hotly. “He doesn’t like to make mistakes. And who could blame him? In his line of work, mistakes are deadly.”
“Mmm.” Tilly tapped the rim of her glass with a fingernail. “Did he ever tell you why he got into medicine in the first place?”
I thought back to the night in Hawaii. We’d talked for a few hours before being interrupted by Matthew. “Yeah. He said one of his cousins got hurt on his watch.”
Her face softened in memory, and I suddenly realized she’d completely changed while we’d been sitting here. From a provoking, insulting instigator to a provoking, concerned…well, no, she was still an instigator.
“His cousin fell on a hill behind the family’s lodge here in Legacy one summer when Tommy was fourteen. All the adults and Tommy’s big sisters were in Billings for some… oh, I don’t remember now. Tommy was the oldest one at home that day, which meant he was in charge of the motliest crew of Marian kids you’ve ever seen… outside of their parents, perhaps.” She rolled her eyes before continuing thoughtfully. “Every child who was there tells the same story—when poor Cami fell, Tommy flew into action. Assessed the situation, called for help, delegated tasks to the others, and then carried her carefully down the trail to the house. When help arrived, he kept everyone calm while cleaning and treating her scrapes and bruises. His cousins thought Tommy hung the moon. They still do.”
If fourteen-year-old Tommy had been even a little bit like the determined, capable man who’d saved Hazel yesterday, I could see why.
Tilly smiled wistfully into her whiskey tumbler. “I find Eagle Scouts to be insufferable, present company included. You’re god’s gift to emergency preparedness and moral superiority, not to mention perfectionists who think you know everything because you can start a fire with two sticks and a merit badge.” She sighed. “But I guess Tommy’d picked up a thing or two at Scouts that came in handy.”
I grinned. “You’re wrong about me being an Eagle Scout… but I happen to agree with you about the rest.”
Tilly eyed me up and down. “Huh. Aged out before completing the badges? Figures. Not everyone has what it takes.”
My snort-laugh took me by surprise. It also shocked the hell out of Alex, who gaped at us from the other end of the bar before quickly returning to whatever task he was using as an excuse to stay well away from our conversation.
“If only the rest of us could be as perfect as Dr. Thomas Marian,” I said with a reluctant smile.
“Your lips to god’s ears.” She leaned her elbow on the bar and rested her chin in her hand. “So why don’t you want him?”
I blinked at her. “I… I thought we were studiously avoiding this part of the conversation,” I admitted.
“I lulled you into a false sense of safety.” Tilly winked. “Trap sprung. Also, I stole your truck keys.”
I patted my pocket.Empty. “The fuck?”
She patted her chest. “In my bra. Where they’re safe. And you won’t go digging.”
That was for sure. Still…
“I’m not talking to you about my love life,” I insisted. “And I’m sure as hell not talking to you about Tommy’s.”
Tilly flicked a hand in the air. “I already know you kissed in Hawaii.” When I shot her a look, she continued smugly, “Tommy told Ella, and Ella told her father, and Blue Marian tells me everything. What I want to know is why it can’t work.”
For a moment, I floundered. Then I countered with, “Who says either of us wants it to?”
