Page 31 of Waiting for Devon
Inez’s dark eyes widened in surprised recognition. “I know who you are. I am honored to have such a distinguished guest in my home.”
Blair’s face flushed with embarrassment. “No, Mrs. Rodriguez, it is I who am honored to meet you and your little girl.”
“Where is Téa?” Devon inquired. “I’d like to check on her.”
“She’s in the bedroom. Oh, Dr. Brooks! We had such a wonderful breakfast. Bacon and eggs. And toast, too.” She patted her enlarged abdomen. “We are full.”
Devon smiled. “I’m glad. Inez, when Téa is well, I want to take you to the hospital so we can check to make sure the baby is all right. Will you agree to come?”
She nodded. “Yes. I will come.”
Devon and Blair found Téa propped against a pillow, reading a Nancy Drew mystery. When the little girl glanced up and spotted Devon, she said, “Good morning, Doctor.”
“Good morning, little one.” Devon grinned. “So, you like Nancy Drew, too, eh? When I was your age, I wanted to be just like Nancy when I grew up.”
Téa giggled. “I love Nancy. She’s so pretty and smart. Mami insists I read books like this in English.”
Devon glanced at Inez. “Sit up for me now, sweetheart, and let me take your temperature and listen to your lungs.”
Téa’s temperature read 100 degrees. “Cough,” Devon instructed as she held the stethoscope against the child’s back. “Again.” Satisfied, she told the child to lie back and introduced Blair. “My friend has something she wants to give you.”
“This is my favorite teddy bear.” Blair handed the stuffed animal to Téa. “Whenever I felt lonely or scared, I would hug my bear and tell him everything. Then I didn’t feel so bad.”
“Thank you, Miss Barrington. I’ll keep him close by and take good care of him.”
Twenty-two years agoLiam Stoneman was an eighteen-year-old high school graduate content to spend his days cruising Dallas in his Chevy pickup and drinking with his buddies at night. He had no idea what the future held in store for him, and he didn’t care until he literally ran into Jasper Barrington during one of his daily cruises. Although Liam was wont to hide his intelligence behind a “bad-boy” attitude, Jasper wasn’t the least bit fooled by the young man’s defiance.
He insisted Liam pay for the damage done to the older man’s car by working for his construction company. At first Liam scoffed at the idea, but as the days stretched into weeks, he found his purpose in the back-breaking physical labor he performed. He never looked for work anywhere else and had been a part of every major building constructed by BI ever since. Jasper rewarded Liam for his loyalty and dedication by giving him one promotion after another. Today, Stoneman retained the title of president of the entire construction division.
“He’s one of my dad’s success stories,” Blair concluded her tale.
When Devon entered the trailer at the end of the street that served as the construction office, she found her hand gripped in the hardest handshake she’d ever felt. Liam’s voice boomed with his greeting. “It’s good to meet you, Dr. Brooks. I didn’t have the opportunity to speak to you at your engagement party. If you’ll step over to the table, we’ll discuss the blueprints for the clinic.”
Liam showed Devon several sets of designs and explained each in elaborate detail. “You’re the boss, Doc. You tell me what you need, and I’ll give it to you.”
Devon asked to see the third design again. After studying the plans, she announced, “This is the one, Mr. Stoneman. The layout is exactly the way I’d like it to be, but could we make a few slight adjustments?”
“Absolutely. What do you have in mind?”
Fifteen minutes later someone knocked on the trailer door. Blair opened it and stared in astonishment at the sight which met her light blue eyes. The street was already lined with people waiting to see Devon.
Devon looked at Liam. “I have patients to tend to, Mr. Stoneman. Do we have anything else to discuss?”
“Not at the moment, Doc. If I need you, I know where to find you. Go. The wrecking crew is waiting for my instructions.”
Heat shimmered on the asphalt street as the relentless summer sun shone on the crowd. Blair opened a tablet and began recording the patients’ history before they saw Devon. Within an hour Devon’s face and arms were sunburned and perspiration dripped between her breasts. When some of the people waiting to see her succumbed to the heat, she approached Blair and declared, “We need bottled water. It’s too hot out here without it.”
“I’ll go get it.”
Devon finished treating her last patient a little after seven and saw Liam Stoneman as he left the construction trailer. “Mr. Stoneman!” she called and waved at him. “I need one more thing.”
“I know.” He chuckled. “I’ve already arranged for a trailer to be delivered tomorrow.”
“Thank you. How long do you think the construction will take?”
“Two weeks at the most, Doc.”
“That’s all?”
