Doctor Holliday (Doctors of Eastport General)

Chapter 21

Sunday, February 11th

Lucy

The best thing about Sundays now was the NFL. While Lucy had been a lukewarm fan for years, she never paid that much attention to the games. Not like her mother did. But this season was different. Keaton and Ruby had been at her house with her and Callie for NFL Sundays since the week after Christmas. The first week, Lucy had fixed a big pot of chili for all of them. The second week, Keaton surprised her and fixed homemade vegetable soup. The following week, their girls surprised them with spaghetti. Lucy and Keaton were into the game and each other and while they noticed the girls had disappeared into the kitchen, they had been surprised later to be served with spaghetti dinners.

The playoff games were fun, but today had been a day of family and fun like Lucy hadn’t had since Christmas. Her family had gathered at her parents’ house for the Super Bowl. Keaton and Ruby included. Ruby had blended so easily into the family, it had shocked Lucy. And yet she knew it shouldn’t have.

Her parents loved the new TV, and after watching the Chiefs beat the 49ers, she got it. They had needed the new one. Her dad had even figured out the smart features and put the DVR away. Lucy had watched Kim closely in the beginning of the game, wondering if she had truly been successful with quitting smoking. But her sister didn’t sneak off to have a cigarette once. Now Lucy wanted to see if she could talk Marty into quitting, too.

Christmas with Ruby had been fun—taking Lucy back to the days when Callie was younger. Not necessarily the Santa Claus days, but the magic was different even for a young pre-teen than a girl ready to begin a whole new life away at college. Ruby had been thrilled when she opened her gift from Keaton. He and Alyssa had discussed it, and since Alyssa and Wade had gone the game console route, Keaton got Ruby a phone. Ruby might have rolled her eyes when Keaton started listing the rules for her phone usage, but she had thrown her arms around her dad and squealed with delight.

The four of them spent a lot of time together after Christmas. But Keaton and Lucy still dated. Often. By themselves. Lucy worried in the beginning that it would be hard for Ruby to make the transition, but she needn’t have. Callie helped Ruby with her homework. They ordered pizza often, and they liked movies. Callie knew without Lucy’s harping to keep an eye on what Ruby was watching.

Lucy had heard through the grapevine that Logan Klein had completed a therapy program and come back home. She talked to Alonso Love a few times about Logan. Each talk left her feeling a little sad. The girl had seen and done too much for her age, and Lucy felt like she had found the gold at the end of the rainbow.

She considered reaching out to Logan’s family, but being that she was simply the doctor on call—no matter who had called her—she felt it best to stay out of it. The baby had been adopted, and she hoped that new family was thriving.

“I think I’m a Chiefs fan now.”

“Nope.” Keaton shook his head. “You can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Ruby asked as she downed the rest of her apple juice. They were circled around Lucy’s mother’s kitchen table snacking since the game was over and regular TV programs were on now.

“That’s not how fandoms work, kid.” Keaton shrugged. “You go down with the team, man.”

“Don’t listen, Rube.” Lucy slipped her around Ruby’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Fandom rules don’t kick in when you’re only ten.”

Ruby laughed and high-fived Lucy.

“Did you get your project done?” Keaton asked her. “For Social Studies?”

“I did.”

“Because your mom will kick me if you don’t have it done when I get you home.”

“It’s done, Dad. Swear.”

Keaton met Lucy’s eyes with a skeptical frown. She laughed softly.

“Cal, how about you? How’s the term paper coming?” Lucy glanced at her daughter. Callie looked up from her phone and yawned.

“It’s not due until April, Mom.”

“Right. But Mr. Moran suggested you get started on it sooner rather than later.”

“Mr. Moran told us to have our topic for tomorrow,” Callie said calmly.

“And what’s your topic?”

“The use of fiction in propaganda.”

Ruby stared at Callie with a blank face.

“I agree, Rube.” Keaton nodded.

“Can we get ice cream?” Ruby asked.

Lucy blinked. “You just ate a bunch of hot wings. I don’t think ice cream is a good idea.”

“Next weekend.”

“Oh.” Lucy snorted.

“Can we get ice cream next weekend? After my skating party?”

Lucy glanced at Keaton, who only shrugged.

“Well, I like ice cream.” Lucy looked back at Ruby. “What if we make a deal?”

“Like what?” Ruby folded her arms on the table and tipped her head to look up at Lucy.

“If you have your project turned in, and you study hard for that reading vocabulary test Wednesday, I will do my best to talk your dad into getting you ice cream.”

“Deal.” Ruby held her hand out for Lucy to shake. From the corner of her eye, she could see Keaton smiling.

“Kade wants you, Cal.” Deanna appeared in the kitchen.

“Ugh.” Callie groaned. “He wants my friend’s phone number.”

“So give it to him and let her tell him she’s not interested,” Deanna suggested.

Callie laughed as she stood and left the room. Ruby pushed her chair back and scampered after her. Deanna grabbed a handful of popcorn and left the room. Lucy stared at Keaton over the table.

“Dr. Holliday?”

“Hmm?”

“C’mere.” He stood and beckoned for her to do the same. Lucy stood and leaned over the table. “I wanna tell you a secret.”

“Okay.” She laughed and carefully put her hand down between the popcorn bowl and the plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies on the table.

Keaton brushed his lips over her ear and then whispered, “I am so in love with you.”

They hadn’t defined it. Never said the words. Though Lucy knew how she felt about him, and she had been pretty sure he felt the same way. Both of them had just glided along in love but happy to enjoy the journey instead of rushing to the realization.

Lucy turned her head to kiss his mouth.

“I love you, too.”

“This isn’t how I planned this.”

“Ohmygod. What?” She laughed and drew back to look at him. “Keaton, I’m in an old sweatshirt, leaning over my mom’s kitchen table, and I’m pretty sure someone spilled apple juice on my jeans?—”

“But somehow.” Keaton shrugged and pulled a ring box from his pocket. “This feels like the absolutely perfect time to ask you.”

“Are you sure you want to do this here? Now?”

“Never been so sure of anything in my life,” he answered simply. “Ruby and I are sure.”

“Ruby knows?”

He took a diamond solitaire from the box and offered it to her with a small grin. “I’d kneel down, but you wouldn’t be able to see me over the table.”

“We could do this at home later.”

“I can’t wait a second longer,” he argued. “Marry me, Luce. I would love to be Dr. Holliday’s husband.”

She knew him well enough to know that was a loaded statement. He wanted to marry her, yes. But he also knew how important her professional life was to her, and he had no plans to take that from her or worse, to ask her to give it up for him.

She could be Mrs. Thatcher and still be Dr. Holliday.

“We should toast to miracle babies,” she whispered. They had shared that thought before—teasing about the miracle baby that wasn’t theirs but brought them together.

“You should probably give the guy an answer!”

Lucy laughed and looked toward the kitchen door. Her entire family was piled there watching them. As if they had known it was coming. She dabbed at her eyes.

“Did you?—?”

“I did!” Ruby cheered.

“Dr. Holliday?” Keaton quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Yes.” She nodded. “Yes. I want to marry you.”

“When?” Ruby hollered from the doorway.

“Ohmygosh, kiddo!” Lucy laughed. “Don’t rush it! He hasn’t put the ring on my finger yet.”

Keaton reached for her hand and slipped the white gold band of diamonds on her ring finger.

“Can I have a brother for next Christmas?” Ruby asked as she bounded into the room and threw herself at Keaton.

“No.” Both Keaton and Lucy spoke at the same time.

“How about a dog?”

The two of them laughed at the hopeful expression on her face.

“Rube.” Callie called.

“Hmm?”

“Let’s play a game.”

Lucy and Keaton watched Callie herd Ruby out of the room. The rest of Lucy’s family disappeared, once more leaving them alone. Keaton moved around the table to take her in his arms.

“I won’t rush you about a date,” he promised. “I just couldn’t wait to ask anymore. The ring’s been burning a hole in my pocket for the last week.”

“You do have hot pants,” she said with a smirk.

“What’re the odds we could get a quickie in while they?—”

Lucy snorted and shook her head. “Not a chance, Keaton Thatcher.”

***

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