Whitney’s father was home and doing well. He’d only visited with him once since he’d been released but Whitney gave Tanner a report each evening of his progress. When was the last time he had spoken to his father? Five years? Even his mother he only talked to a couple of times a year. The closeness, real caring, he saw in Whitney’s family was a foreign concept for him.
All the attributes he appreciated most in Whitney he could see in some form in her parents. It made him uneasy on a level he didn’t understand. Would Whitney continue to be happy with him? Would she demand more? Start treating him as his mother had his father?
Mr. Wilcox had been discharged the day after Mr. Thomason had been admitted. Mr. Wilcox’s new heart was doing well. A friend had come to pick him up and had promised to see that he made it to his appointments.
“That young lady of ours came by to see me earlier this morning.” Mr. Wilcox climbed into the wheelchair the orderly held for him.
Of course Whitney had.
Even with her father sick she wouldn’t forget about someone else.
“She’s a keeper. She has a big heart. To be loved by someone like that is a special thing. I know. I had it and miss it every day.”
“Whitney is special.” Tanner meant that. The more he was with her the more he found another facet of her personality he liked. It disturbed him that his emotional attachment was growing. He didn’t want to think about that. Emotional attachment was something that he’d never wanted or planned to have.
They had been together almost two months when Tanner said at dinner one night, “We’ve been invited to a cocktail party on Friday evening at Malcolm and Marie’s.”
“We have?” Whitney sounded unsure.
“Will you go?”
“Do you really need me to?”
Hadn’t she gotten past her fear of social situations after their weekend in Napa? “There’ll be questions if you don’t.”
“Those events are just not my thing.”
“But you were great in Napa. You don’t give yourself enough credit. What’s the problem?”
She left the table and walked to the kitchen sink, then confronted him. “The problem is that for over half my life I was made fun of or looked down on for my weight. I wasn’t invited to or included in parties. Now I just plain don’t care to be around those kinds of people. Up until a few years ago no one in that group would have given me the time of day.”
“Why, Whitney Thomason, I had no idea you were such a snob.”
“I am not! What I don’t do is put myself in situations where I know I’ll be made to feel inadequate.”
Tanner turned in his chair to face her. “Did Malcolm and Marie make you feel that way in Napa?”
“Well, no.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Do I make you feel that way?”
She backed up to the counter. “No-o-o... But not all the people are like you and the Jarvises.”
“So you’re going to let others control what you do in life?” Whitney winced. Tanner could tell that shot had hit its mark.
“No, but I don’t have to be around them.”
“I’ll be there with you. Don’t you trust me to support you?”
She came toward him. “I do, but I just think you’d be better off at those events without some insecure woman to worry about.”
He faced her. “Has it occurred to you that I might need your support at the party? That social situations might not be my ‘thing’ either?”
“Why would you need my support? You’re a successful heart surgeon, you’re gorgeous and intelligent—who wouldn’t enjoy your company?”
“Apparently you.” Tanner sounded hurt, which he was. “I’m still trying to get that promotion. Making small talk is a little nerve-racking for me as well.”
Whitney studied him for a minute. “I had no idea you felt that way. You seem to have so much confidence wherever you go.”
“Now you know another one of my secrets.”
She came back to the table and just before she sat he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. “So will you go with me?”
“I guess we’re in it together.”
Tanner kissed her. “About that gorgeous and intelligent remark, you really think so?”
She slapped his shoulder. “Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”
He chuckled. “That’s because I like hearing you say them. They sound extra good coming out of your pretty mouth.”
“Maybe for another kiss I could say more.”
“For a kiss you don’t have to say anything.” His mouth found hers.
* * *
Whitney didn’t make a habit of buying new clothes often but she had found that her wardrobe had almost completely changed since she and Tanner had started seeing each other. He liked to see her in clothes that fit her form and she’d taken to wearing less baggy clothes. Even her nightclothes, if she wore any, were flimsy gowns with lace and bows that had little substance. Tanner had slowly seen to it that all her granny gowns went out with the trash. She didn’t mind. In fact, she rather liked the person she was becoming with Tanner.
On her own initiative, she went shopping for a dress for the cocktail party. She found a simply cut black A-line that she felt confident wearing. At home that evening, Tanner only added to her self-assurance when he saw her enter the living room where he was waiting.
He stood and came toward her. Taking her hand, he turned her around and whistled. “If I didn’t need to show up for this party I’d say forget it and spend the rest of the night taking that dress off you.”
“You do have a way of making a girl feel good.” She kissed him. “You look superb yourself.”
He did, dressed in his dark suit with a light blue tie. The man was almost too handsome to look at. It gave her a boost of confidence just being seen with him. But what she liked most about him couldn’t be seen
. Tanner was such a fine person.
An hour later they arrived at the Jarvises’. They were greeted warmly and Whitney was truly glad to see them both. She and Tanner had agreed on the way over that as soon as possible they would own up to their deception in Napa.
“Malcolm, Marie, Whitney and I owe you both an apology. Really me more than Whitney. I convinced her to pretend that she was my girlfriend in Napa when she was actually working as my matchmaker.”
“But you’re both here together now so it must have worked.” Marie smiled broadly.
Tanner put his arm around Whitney’s waist and brought her close. “Yes, it did.”
“Then no harm was done.” Malcolm patted him on the back.
“Did I hear someone say something about a matchmaker?”
Whitney cringed at the sound of Charlotte’s voice. Squaring her shoulders, she turned and faced the woman. “I’m a matchmaker.”
“Who needs a matchmaker?” Charlotte’s voice held disgust.
Malcolm said, “Apparently Marie and I did. We met though a matchmaking service.”
The look on Charlotte’s face was almost comical. “If you’ll excuse me, I think Max is looking for me.”
Charlotte left to the sound of two couples’ laughter. Whitney couldn’t help feeling both vindicated and sorry for her.
Tanner remained close throughout the rest of the evening and Whitney found she was enjoying herself. She liked the new person she was becoming. The one who felt good about her life.
She had excused herself and was in the hallway on the way to the restroom when she overheard some women talking in an alcove.
“I can’t believe that woman Mark is with. She has an unbelievable body.”
“Yeah. He went out and got him a thin one,” another woman said.
“He divorced Mildred after she became so large,” the first woman said. “I heard he said he needed someone who could help his career, not someone he wanted to hide.”
Heat flooded Whitney. At one time that could have been her they were talking about.
A third voice said, “You’re just saying that because he won’t give you a second look.”