Page 17 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

Marti shookherhead.

“During the senior year of med school, students interview with various residency programs trying to get a hospital to offer them a post-graduation slot. We fill out a form, ranking what specialty we want, the residency programs we want and so forth. The various hospitals and residency programs do the same. Then a computer program eats all that data and spits out who is going where for their residency. Match Day is always the third Friday of March. The wait is nerve-wracking. Not everyone gets matched and a resident offer. Some doctors get more than one offer. But everyone finds out that day. I was fortunate that I matched at Johns Hopkins. It was my number onechoice.”

He paused, staring straight ahead at the shiny black road. Heavier rain fell, plopping loudly on the SUV’s metal roof and hood. The wipers were at medium speed and just barely able to keep up with the volume of water. His tires splashed through puddles, throwing water up alongside thedoors.

Marti kept quiet. He knew she was waiting for him to go on, but this next part was hard to tell. He felt so much of theblame.

He sighed. “So, Gina planned a party, a celebration for my match. She invited both families and all our friends. We were on top of the world. At the last minute, she decided that she wanted a few more bottles of champagne. I told her we had had plenty but she was determined that this party would be a major success. She stopped on the way home from work to grab the bottles and…” He bit his lip before continuing. “It’s so crazy. It was a small store we’d been in a million times. Really nice older couple. She got her champagne and was walking to check out when some kids decided tonight was the perfect night to rob theplace.”

“Oh dearLord,Eli.”

“One of the kids was in her class. He saw her, called her by name and the other kid said something about no witnesses and shot Gina. Just shot her. A bullet through the heart. And shewasgone.”

Marti grabbed his hand and held on. “I don’t need to know more. That’senough.”

He glanced over and then back to the road. “Let mefinish,okay?”

“Okay, but only if youwantto.”

“The kid from her class freaks and runs out. The other kids get nervous and then they run too. The owners weren’t hurt. The kid from her class told his parents, who turned in the whole group. So many lives ruined thatnight.”

The car was silent except for the swish of the wipers and the splash of tires rolling over wetpavement.

“Holy hell, Eli. I don’t know whattosay.”

He shrugged. “There’s really nothing to say. It’s been seven years and life does continue even when you don’t think you’ll live throughthepain.”

“I don’t know how yousurvived.”

“One day at a time. Literally, I took it one day at a time. I got up, did what I had to do, and went to sleep. The next day, I did the same. I had my work. I did Doctors Without Borders and ended up in Afghanistan. That’ll make you appreciateliving.”

“I’m just stunned. I’m soimpressed.”

“Don’t be. I think the first time I went over at the end of my residency, I went hoping I would die. I’d be remembered as a brave doctor doing noble work.” His chuckle lack any humor. “Instead, I found hundreds, no thousands, of people who were so much worse off than I was. Losing my wife was tragic, but these people had also lost spouses, along with children and parents and homes. It helped me keep my perspective about life. I came home ready to do as much good as I could for mypatients.”

He pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the steps that led up to her porch. “Talking about my wife is a great date killer, isn’t it?” Hesmiled.

“Hey, I’m the one who pushed. Come on in. We’ll have coffee and I’ll tell you all about the time in high school where I took a dare to run my panties up theflagpole.”

This time, when he chuckled, the sound was light and full of amusement. “That’s a story I want to hear. I have an umbrella in the rear seat if you want to wait for me to come aroundforyou.”

“Heck no. I’m not going to melt. I say it’s a mad dash for the porch and every man, or woman, for himself. Ready? One, two, three, go.” On go, she flung open her door, jumped out and ran. He did the same fromhisside.

She splashed through the puddles, her laughter making his heart swell. Her feet made slapping sounds at as bounded up her steps to the porch. He followed, loving the sound of voice as it echoed off the porchceiling.

“I love the rain,” she said. “Love it, love it, love it. Nothing like huddling under blankets and listening to the pounding of rain on the roof.” She swung around to face him. “Don’tyou?”

Her smile pulled him like a magnet. Catching her around her waist, he pressed her against her door and swept his mouth down on her hers. Her lips were cold and wet from the rain, but when she parted them, his tongue was welcomed into her warm mouth. She moaned and pulled him tight, wrapping one leg around his calf. He pulled his mouth away long enough to change his angle, take a breath and recapture hers in a deep kiss that sent his insides spinning like atornado.

“Let’s go inside,” she said, leaving a chain of kisses across his cheek and up his neck. “Get out of these wet clothes. Maybe find sometowels.”

Before he could reply the sound of an ATV broke through the rain and a voice from the yard called, “Marti.”

Her leg dropped to the floor. She straightened and slid from under him. “Yeah. Pedro? Isthatyou?”

Marti walked to edge of the porch. “What’swrong?”

“Princess Diana is in labor. Grisham says her foaling started about six or so but said you’d wanttoknow.”

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