Page 3 of Paging Dr. VanRyan

“Because I didn’t give it to you.”

I held out my hand. “But you will. You know mine.”

She looked at my hand, then placed hers in mine. I closed my fingers around her much smaller one and shook. Her skin was warm and smooth, her fingers small and delicate. I liked how her hand felt against mine.

“Madison,” she murmured. “Madison Tate.”

“Great to meet you, Madison.”

“Maddy,” she said, then stopped.

“What?”

“My friends call me Maddy.”

I smiled at her. A full-on VanRyan smile I had inherited from my dad. “We’re friends already. How great…Maddy. You just made my day.”

She took the cake and rushed to the kitchen. She wore a pair of leggings that showed off her backside and shapely legs.

I had to admit, I enjoyed watching her go.

CHAPTER 2

MATTHEW

Iarrived at my parents’ place, parked, and took the cake box from the floor of the passenger side. On the seat were two other boxes, one containing some donuts and the other the lonely looking apple pie. I had a sweet tooth, something I inherited from my mother. I couldn’t leave the last few baked goods, and since Maddy had been so helpful, I had to buy them.

I planned on eating them later.

From the trunk, I grabbed the gift bag containing Mom’s gift. I got her a spa day at a place she loved to go to. My father often treated her, but I knew he’d bought her earrings this year, so I did the spa package. My siblings had all pitched in and bought her a set of pots and pans she’d been drooling over for months but refused to buy. She loved to cook, and I knew she was going to love them. She rarely asked for anything, and if she did, Dad immediately bought it. He loved to spoil her, but luckily, he’d never thought about the cooking set. He preferred personal gifts for her, hence the sapphire earrings he’d had made for her.

“They remind me of her eyes,” he informed me with a droll wink. “I couldn’t find any that match mine, even though they’re her favorite.”

One thing that had never changed over the years was my father’s ego. He was a confident man, yet somehow, even with his ego, he was never too much. He was a loving, caring dad. A devoted husband. And a doting grandfather to Gracie’s daughter. She was my eldest sister, and we were close. My brother Gavin and his wife married recently, and I knew he wanted to start a family soon. His twin, my sister Penny, was pregnant. My parents were ecstatic about welcoming more grandkids to their world. My other sister Heather was getting married to Reed, the wedding happening soon.

That left me. The youngest. The surprise baby. All my siblings were established. I was still beginning. It had taken me many years of schooling, residency, and training to get where I was today. When I was younger, the long hours at the hospital meant nothing. It was part of the newness. The never-ending circle of “What’s next?” that happened daily in the ER. I dedicated everything to my job. Extra hours. More research. Attending lectures, soaking up everything I could about the practice of medicine. I had no life outside of the hospital.

But as time went by, I learned to take better care of myself. Limit my hours to the schedule I was assigned and give my body and mind a break. When I accepted the job at the smaller hospital in Victoria, my mother rejoiced. It was still chaotic and busy, but I kept to my schedule and, aside from the odd lecture here and there, developed a life outside the hospital. I worked out with friends I knew from high school whom I reconnected with when I’d moved back to Victoria. We were always the quiet nerds in school who hung out together. Jason was an engineer who overthought everything. Mike wrote code and often used words I didn’t understand. But we got along well and tried to see each other on a regular basis.

I had a small social circle from the hospital. Fellow medical professionals who understood when one or more of us got called away from our monthly poker nights. Men and women, laughing, talking smack, and playing for quarters. Sharing patient stories and seeking advice on occasion. I enjoyed the games and the camaraderie. We also regularly met up at a local bar for football games. Wings, beer, and lots of shouting at the big screens. In all the groups, I was known as the quiet one, but that I needed to be watched because of my elaborate pranks. Like the time I filled all the donuts for poker night with mayonnaise instead of whipped cream. Sprinkled Pop Rocks on the nachos before the waitress served them, then watched the shocked looks and freaked-out reactions of the group as they shoveled in their first mouthfuls.

I also spent time with my parents and Graham and Laura, my adopted grandparents, whom we referred to as Gramps and Grams. On occasion, I flew to Port Albany to see other family members. Located in Ontario, it was where our “found family”—as Dad called them—lived. Years ago, they’d purchased some land, intending on building a resort, only to fall in love with the area and ended up creating an entire family compound. It had its own beach and central hub, and we went there on many family vacations and most holidays. It was home away from home for most of us.

And I dated sometimes.

A very rare sometimes.

I’d had my heart shattered once. I didn’t plan on allowing it to happen again.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and closed the trunk. It was Mom’s birthday, and I was here to celebrate her—not dwell in the past.

I headed up to the house with a smile on my face.

Graham and Laura joined us for dinner. Dad worked for Graham, but their relationship went beyond the office. Laura and Graham were, for all intents and purposes, my grandparents and had been around since I was born, sharing holidays, birthdays, and life in general.

My dad set up the computer, and some of my siblings popped on to be part of the festivities. Mom’s favorite food was Chinese and that was what she wanted for dinner, so Dad ordered enough for three times the number of people at the table, but that was hardly new. I, for one, enjoyed it, knowing there would be leftovers sent home for me. He got all Mom’s favorites, plus all of his, and made sure to get the shrimp lo mein Grams was so fond of and the egg rolls Gramps enjoyed. I loved all of it.

As usual, there was a lot of laughter and teasing. Mom got a little emotional talking to Gracie with her daughter tucked into her arms. Kylie squirmed and wiggled the way infants liked to do, making little noises and waving her hands. Dad stroked Mom’s face, his love for her evident.