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“Yes,” he said, cupping water over my back.
“Do you remember what you said?”
“No, not really. I just remember we were in your parents’ back yard.”
“You said you wanted to be useful to people in a way where you could sleep at night.”
“I said that? Wow, pretty deep for eighteen.”
“My mother pointed that out at dinner that night. She told my father I was safe with you.”
Dean held me tighter to him. “That’s flattering.”
“She’d overheard our conversation when I told you I planned on the same profession. I’d wanted to be a doctor since I was a little girl. Did I ever tell you the story why?”
“I think I just assumed it was your crush on me.” I could feel his grin behind me.
“No.” I turned on him, kneeling in his large sunken tub between his legs. His hair was damp and curled slightly, framing his face. I had to take a few deep breaths in order to get my story out. The sight of him naked and wet in front of me was debilitating. He remained silent, urging me to go on.
“When Rose was six, we were climbing an old fence in the neighborhood. We knew better but we were told these particular neighbors had a rabid dog that was about to be put down. I was curious and wanted to see what it looked like. Anyway, once we made it up to peer over we saw the yard was empty. Rose’s board came loose and she fell at an awkward angle onto some loose boards that had already given out behind us, snapping her arm and not only that, she impaled her forearm on an old rusty nail.
“She didn’t cry. She didn’t make a damn sound. She just looked at her arm as if it was alien to her. I rushed her home and my parents flipped. Rose stayed calm the whole time. I sat with her while the doctor set and stitched her arm. She only winced once. The rest of the time she simply looked at the doctor in awe, as if she knew she would be fine. I think she knew then she wanted to be a doctor. I saw the way Rose looked at her as she was stitched up and I suddenly wanted to be her. I wanted to be Rose’s hero. I guess a part of it was jealousy and a part was curiosity, but she fixed my sister so easily. I wanted that ability to do the same thing. Just to be able to make things right when it seemed impossible.
“That day on the way home, my sister and I both proclaimed to our parents we would one day be doctors. My parents encouraged us and took us to every single human science fair in the state of Texas, fueling our growing interest at every turn. I never had another thought about what I would be after that day. It always seemed predetermined, for both of us. It was a common bond we shared since we were young. It kept us close in years when we should have been at odds. We would spend night after night talking about the different ways we would help people. Of course, we did not have a clue what the hell we were talking about. We were just two little girls rambling on about a future we were so certain of.” I looked up at Dean, who was listening intently. “Saying and doing this is the thing I’m most proud of. And I almost didn’t make it.”
“What are you talking about?” Dean asked, his eyes roving my face for answers.
“I’ll promise to try with you, if you promise this won’t get in the way of my career. I’ve finally found my home and I don’t want to screw it up.”
“Work first, is that what you are telling me?” He was amused and I straightened my shoulders. It was hard to project just how serious I was sitting naked in front of him, but he seemed to catch on quickly.
“Dean, I’ve worked really hard to be where I am.”
“And you think I want to take that away?”
“I think you don’t know how hard it was for me.”
“And Josh did?” I heard the bite in his voice.
“No, we fought a lot about my career and the time I spent working and away from him. I could never talk about it with him because of his resentment and that’s one of the reasons we are no longer together. I love this thing…this thing I do, more than anything.”
“Dallas,” he said carefully, pulling me to him by my underarms and onto his lap. “You’re not the only doctor in the tub.”
“I realize that. I just want to put that out there.”
“Okay, Dr. Whitaker, I won’t whine about the long hours you spend at work.”
“Thank you,” I said quickly, pulling my legs from around him and pulling the plug to drain and let more hot water in. Once the tub was reheated, I took my place back against him as we settled back in.
“Dally,” he asked quietly, “what are you not telling me?”
“I’ve told you everything important.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know that story through all the years I’ve known you.” He moved my hair to the side and placed a gentle kiss on my neck.
“You missed a lot of years.”
He pulled me tighter to him. “And I’ll start making it up to you right now.”
