She had told herself she would become celibate on her return home; fat chance that had been as her very nature was flirtatious and oh God she was married again to a man who was never home. She tried to call him but found his phone was unavailable. Her message to him was help. When she finally went out of the house after a nap it was dark; she heard them first and did not think of it as she had heard horses whinnie before. Then she heard them running. Walking out to the back side of her house she found all the girls watching the horses run in what was a makeshift pasture in one of the hay fields. She saw the young mare and looked for that stallion which was not there. Julie looked happy and asked if she had seen dads new place. Christina asked how she was supposed to be able to do that if he was not talking to her at the moment and since they were married it would be their place. Handing over her phone her second oldest told her she would like to see her go without running water and have to walk to an outhouse, and well hardly any electricity at all. The first photo's were the view some in color and some in sepia giving the valley an old west feel. The picture of the cabin, and her boys along with the man she had cheated on Chris with were all in sepia and except for the hummer and the trucks she thought of the old westerns he liked. There was even a handwritten sign which Chris Jr. held up, Bar MRC ranch home of the Roughneck Country Club, boys only. Christina repeated the boys only part and asked where he had gotten that attitude from. When his lawyer and his supposed babysitter showed up, they looked tired. When she asked how their day had been Sammie asked if being tossed on a plane in more or less a vegetative state after almost thirty six house of champagne sipping pretending to be she did not know what and oh yeah apparently there were pictures that would be made public if they did not behave. Jay was only slightly better and said she was glad to see the horses made it safely. Kimberly told her as she held up the registration papers for the mare she was glad too.
Dinner which mom had cooked but was had down at Christina's was not necessarily quiet but it was more subdued as everyone seemed tired. Julie had to answer her phone and turned red before excusing herself. Jay asked Kimberly if she was okay with her dad dating again. The girl shrugged and then said her dad deserved to be happy again. It was when a second phone call came into her second oldest who told everyone to quiet down as Chris was on the phone. She put him on speaker and asked so where was dad's new secret hideout; her little brother told her to be honest he had no idea and if he did and told it would not be secret and just so mom would not worry please tell her Mr. C was resting and he was going back to the ranch with dad who wanted to take a look at the golf course which was more or less a couple of big yellow machines pushing dirt right now until dad or rather Mr. C finalized the plans. Christina asked if he new how to get a hold of this Mister C. Her son told her until he put up the cell tower and pulled in fiber optics she would have to mail him or drive out to see him if she did not get lost but he did say that he would be stopping in soon. Soon was almost a week and a half later with him coming by train once again and showing up at the office on a rather busy day. Christina noted he was on crutches. She had to go to the hospital to cover a shift as part of her agreement to be allowed to use the facilities. The administrator a gentleman she had known for years found her at dinner and tried to talk her coming on full time and she told him if he had only asked a month or two earlier she might have agreed but having just gotten married and with twin infants at home, not to mention her work with several organizations. The man smiled and grabbing her hand with the rings on it he told her he wished he had asked her out earlier then. Something told her to look behind her and found Chris standing there; pulling her hand back she went to say something but he waved for her to stay seated.
He was using one crutch and hobbled over; her colleague asked if everything was all right; Christina watched as Chris held out his hand to shake and told the man most just called him Mr. C these days and if he did not mind the intrusion he would like to borrow some of his wife's time and would make it worth his while if he could do so alone. She did not see Chris push on a nerve but saw recognition in her colleague's face. He gave a wimpy smile as he told Mr.C it was nice meeting the lucky man who finally tamed the infamous Dr. Christina. As Chris sat down he took off the brace and leaned back. He smiled and told her he supposed he would have to get used to seeing her numerous admirers grovelling for crumbs. Crossing her arms she told him as she looked toward the door of the cafeteria that first that man was not grovelling and two what admirers. He told her besides that big wig that just left he counted at least six why he was just standing there listening to her conversation. Turning to face him she asked how long he was eaves dropping. rubbing his knee he told her she had been having a conversation in a public place and he just happened to walk in as he was looking for her and did not want to interrupt her lunch date. Her mouth dropped and he smiled with his eyes and whispered if she knew how cute she looked when she was mad. He then grabbed her hand and told her as he looked at the rings he was glad she had found it. She asked if he put it on the necklace; he eyed her and asked what necklace. She told him it had been hanging on the corner of her mirror but she was still in her few last minutes of her lunch break needing to know why he had come here. He looked down and just as her name was paged to the ER he told her he had wanted to see his wife. Her name was paged with a code meaning someone was dieing so she ran with the memory of the look on his face etched into her mind.
There had been a major pileup on the interstate which had her and most of the hospital staff hopping, she was surprised to find her husband had just kind of showed up to hold hands or sit with those who had no one. When she was done it was morning already. When she went to find Chris the duty nurse asked who and she explained she was looking for Mr.C the really tall man with a brace on his knee and a crutch. She nodded and said she called him a cab earlier as he looked like hell and really needed to go home and rest. The duty nurse asked why was she looking for him; Christina showed the old gal her rings which she had just put back on. The nurse asked when did that happen, as the last time she was in here she was the focus of every single doctor and a few married ones and she should have really invited them all to her wedding. Christina told her since they had already been married once before she had kind of chose to skip that part and go straight for the desert for dessert. When one of the staff ER doctors came in he asked if she was okay and the nurse told him of course she was married and to a really nice cowboy actually that fella who had been helping last night. The ER doctor told her told her to tell Dr. and waited for her to give the name. She shook her head and told him he was no doctor as he was an engineer and her name was still the one she had as it was the one she had when they were married last. The doctor nodded and told her he would not tell anyone but tell him thanks anyway from him and the family of that little boy who would not be still with them if it had not been for her engineer knowing how to do an emergency trach so he must have been in the military as a medic. Christina told him she would tell him but needed to get to her office to see a couple of patients for follow ups. He shook his head and told her after last night she really needed to go home and go to bed but since he was not going home either.
Christina found herself swamped with calls and and besides her follow up she had to go back to the hospital and was grateful to have Jay driving her again as she was dead tired. She would nap in the car and by the time she got home she started disrobing at the door as she headed to her room., before she hit her shower she realized it was too quiet and when she went to look in on the twins they were not anywhere in the house. She started out of the house when her phone rang; Christopher told her before she ran out she might want to put some of those clothes back on. She ran back upstairs and went into the bathroom and asked where he was. He told her he was feeding the twins and getting ready to go home and was sorry for upsetting her by showing up to have lunch with her and they could talk later after she got some sleep and hopefully before she left for her mission trip thing. She told him to please stay for the night anyway. He asked if she was sure and she told him the twins would probably like to spend time with him and she doubted she could get to sleep as she was now awake as she got spooked those two got off to somewhere. He chuckled and told her would be down in a few unless he could talk Ms. Miriam into getting the ready for bed; she told him he owed her at least one massage to which mom asked if that was how he was getting everyone to do his chores and if so she was going on strike until she got hers. He asked Christina if she saw what she started, She told him he could start on her if he was up to it as her shoulders and back were sore today. She wrapped herself in a towel and waited as she watched him come down the path from moms. Even with the crutch and his right leg in a brace he moved better than when he was using the cane. She was still listed as his primary care physician but she knew only the details of a few incidents as in the last time he had been shot coming out of the courthouse not far from here and when he had collapsed in the street she thought he was not going to make it. At that moment the words he had said more than once since he had come home took over her thoughts; I don't care.
For a man who did not care the thought flashed through her mind that adopting twins and then saving a little boys life by performing an emergency trach. She stopped her thoughts there as she also remembered him saying there was nothing left for him here. She had to tell herself that he came back to see her. He had always come back to see her and the children no matter how much she had argued and screamed at him over the years. She watched as he bypassed the front door and headed toward the pasture. When he did finally come in she had already showered and was in bed reading. She listened as he put the twins to bed, when he did not come into her room she went to find him and found him sleeping in the guest room. Waking him she asked if he forgot where their room was. He sat up and rubbed sleep out of his eyes before grabbing his crutch and pushing himself up made his way to their room. She had seen that same look in his eyes when he had come home and found she had been pregnant with Christopher and then too he had gone and slept in the guest room. She told him she got it he was mad and being a jealous man he did not like seeing her having lunch with other men. He told her that was none of his business. Instead of yelling this time she helped him get his boots off and told him he really needed to remember to take his boots off before climbing into bed. She saw his face register pain and told him to relax as she was not going to bite as she began to pull off his pants. He came fully awake and told her he could do it. Grabbing his hands she told him no she wanted to look at his knee. With a little more finesse this time she pulled his jeans off; she asked to take his mind off the pain how his day was. He leaned back and told her he had gone to the office to finalize plans on the golf course and to hire Beth and Steve and then came back to moms to hang out with the twins and start putting in fencing. Looking up she asked if he had any help, and when he shrugged she began palpating his knee and feeling something she asked what the doctor had told him and just so he knew she was going to find out. He told her he was not supposed to take it easy for the next six weeks.
She told him after his shower he was getting into bed and staying there. Shrugging again he told her he had planned after getting home doing nothing for awhile. She told him as far as she was concerned he was home. He looked up and told her mom had asked if they were not going to get along for him to leave. Christina told him if he had not noticed she had a nice little practice going here and that gentleman who happened to be admiring her rings had asked her to join the staff at the hospital. As he got back up and yanked off his shirt he told her he had caught that as well, but he also had work and it was not here so for now he was heading back and as he could he and the twins would come visit. She asked what he was talking about. He paused to look at her before heading into the bathroom. When he came out again still having not gotten into the shower; he had his head lowered and told her he guessed he needed help. Walking in behind him she could not help herself as she noticed his back muscles had come back nicely. She traced the scar as he stepped into the shower. He tried to smile and she finally had to pause as she soaped up the sponge to ask if he was having second thoughts. He told her no, she asked if he was okay with her eating lunch with a colleague then what was the problem; when he did not answer she told him that by the way her colleague who ran the ER wanted her to tell him good job and the little boy lived which brought up a question in her mind and that was where did he learn to do an emergency trach. He looked around and told her he knew when he stepped in he was breaking who knows how many laws but that boy was not going to make it. She for the first time realized that look in his eyes was not anger but fear. She began scrubbing him down and could tell his right knee was swollen. She told him as she finished up she would like to help him. When he eyed her, she shivered and told him that she had actually not been thinking that but if he was afraid of being arrested for helping a boy out not to be. As he turned off the water he told her he was not afraid of being arrested.
Stepping back and taking off her now wet shirt, he looked at it and she said it had been in a one of those crates of his. He nodded and said it looked good not on her, she had to think about what he just said and shaking her head pointed to the bedroom. As she tucked him he told her thank you. As she looked at him she could tell as his face closed off again that he was lost in his own thoughts. When she got up to go check the twins who were thankfully sleeping through the night she smiled as she went back into the room; he followed her with his eyes as she headed to the closet. Grabbing another one of his shirts she slipped it over her head and walked back out to find him sitting on the edge of the bed. Walking over she pushed him back down and told him he needed to stay in bed and for at least tonight he would do just that even if she had to sit on him. He did not say anything as he let her push him back down when he tried to sit back up the third time she did exactly what she told him she would do and straddling him she asked what he was going to do now; she had not seen his hands but felt them soon enough and gave a startled scream telling him that was not fair. He let her pull his hands up where she pinned above his head and told him there needed to be some ground rules this time. He kept his passive look when he nodded. She told him first off neither of them could not start something unless they intended to finish it, secondly they needed to work on this communication thing, because he sucked at it. He went to say something and she kissed him to keep him from speaking.
When he tried to say something; she let him up for air; he told her thanks for letting him breath. Smiling she kissed him again and when she pulled back he still had an unreadable look but she pressed on and said they needed to work on their living arrangements but right now they both needed sleep and she needed to say thanks for bringing those horses. He was about to say something so she kissed him again, on his part it was not the most passionate but she made up for it and then out of her own exhaustion she lay where she was. She was not all that surprised to find him not in bed when she woke up as he had had a restless night and at some point he had told her he would finish the night in the spare room. She found a letter for her on the counter with a sticky note asking her not to be mad but he really did need to go to his cabin and since she would be leaving for her trip while mom had put her foot down the twins would be with him. Christina did not have time to speak to her mother before Jay came to pick her up. She asked where Beth was and Jay told her Beth had gone out to Arizona to oversee a development project. Her day seemed to start slow until she got a call from the hospital to take a look at several of the accident victims. The administrator lead her around to talk to half a dozen families, at least two families had children who would need some serious surgery that would take many years, one was a little boy who had a tube coming out of his airway to help him breath. She had smiled at the families and held their hands and promised she would be talking to them soon. The administrator asked if they could talk later, when she said yes he told her he would meet her at her office.
She changed her schedule for the next week as she wanted to talk to Christopher; then the Administrator at the hospital showed up and they walked to one of the restaurants along the waterfront. After a few drinks he grabbed her hand and told her he still wanted her. She told him she would have to think about it and at that moment she saw her second oldest sitting two tables away. Her eyes told her she had been listening and when she ran out, Christina pulled her hand back and told the administrator next time she asked a female colleague to join the hospital staff do not hold her hand. He smiled and told her he wanted her. She told him no thanks and as she got up to leave he threatened to expose that man as a fraud. Jay was right behind him and said the way she saw it he had just sexually harassed a married woman and a pillar in the medical community and after checking his records it seemed he had had to move to several different companies on the account he could not keep it in his pants. Holding up her phone she told him his current wife she knew would want to know as would the medical board who had already began to take a look as several reports into the impropriety of an administrator which would make his current company very concerned about possible lawsuits. When Sammie walked in there was a Dr. Morrison; when he lifted his hand she told him apparently he parked in a tow away zone. When he ran out Christina asked if her husband had anything to do with this. Jay told her no but her daughter just came running out like the gates of hell had just opened up and was even now trying to call her dad. Christina said she may as well go home to her lonely house. Sammie told her the plane should be back sometime tonight. Christina asked what plane.
She tossed and turned half the night, unable to sleep she went downstairs to get a glass of wine and to go sit outside by the fire pit. She was startled to find her mom and Christopher sitting in the kitchen in the dark, with only the moonlight to see by. She turned on the light and could tell Christopher had been crying. As she sat down he smiled weekly and told mom he guessed he would be going now. Christina asked him where he was going; he told her he was going back to his cabin. She told him he should really get off his leg. He nodded and after kissing her on the forehead he left. Christina went to get up and her mom held her arm. Christina looked at her before she pulled away and then went out only to find he was already gone. Christina walked and told her mom thanks for sending away the only good thing that had ever happened in her life. Mom told her in the morning they could talk but right now they both needed rest. Christina asked her to tell her one thing; when her mom nodded she asked if it was true she sent told her husband he was not welcome here. Her mom told her they would talk later. Christina told her not to count on it. Her mom told her to stay calm; Christina asked why since now she supposed her husband thought she was cheating on him again. Her mom looked at her with surprise and asked what she was talking about. Christina asked if she really had not heard, she had gone to dinner with a colleague who had asked her earlier to join the staff at the hospital and then after seeing those children and that little boy her husband saved from that crash he asked if they could talk over dinner and guess who happened to be eating in the same restaurant when the man grabbed her hand and told her he wanted her, none other than her second oldest daughter. Mom asked if this fellow was a doctor. Christina reached up and pulled her hair and told her the man was married and apparently under investigation by the medical review board along with who knows for being a womanizing prick although she did not know that until tonight or she would have told the man earlier when Chris caught them with her hand with her wedding ring being held by the same man.
Her mom said she was sorry but she did not want to see her hurt anymore; Christina laughed and told her that it was not she that had been hurt by Chris but rather her hurting him every time she had an affair starting with his eldest son's father who happened to be a neighbor willing to make use of her while her husband was out working so that when he came home he could find her knocked up by another man. Her mom's eyes grew large and Christina told her it had not stopped there as every he left again she would have another affair, and even after divorcing him and marrying a man that tried to kill him he still forgave her and took her back. Mom asked what about his affairs; Christina asked what affairs would that be, and she asked if she had not noticed those twins looked a lot like him. Christina said she noticed but also knew the boy who got her newest daughter pregnant was a little thug living somewhere in California. Mom told her she had seen pictures of him with Jay and Sammie his long time lawyer and Miriam had told her about their trip aboard her daddies yacht. Christina asked mom if in any of those pictures she had seen her husband actually having sex with another woman or did Miriam tell her she had actually had sex with Chris. Mom told her after she got a hold of herself that no; Christina pointed to the couch and told her after Chris had taken his tour of the inland waterways with a representative of the management company that was managing the resorts at the four communities he designed and built she and that same woman sat in her living room and made love in front of her friends that were here and despite what people think when a man finds out the woman he loves is cheating on him it hurts no matter who it is and now thanks to her that man was gone heading back to his cabin she supposed somewhere in the mountains of Colorado which happened to be a very large state. Mom told her she was sorry and she could always call him; She told her that no she could not as at his cabin there was no television, no electricity and he was still using an out house and from the pictures he had a hand pump in the kitchen for water and since he never owned anything in his name trying to find his little place in the mountains would be next near to impossible and she had commitments for the next couple months.
Mom pointed to her mail and told her more of his letters had come today. Christina told her they could talk later but now she needed rest and needed to be alone which she supposed was what she deserved after what she deserved to that boy. Her mom told her she could not blame herself. Christina told her mom Chris had been twelve years old and still scared and did not have a chance to make a decision when two years later she got herself pregnant by making use of him but instead of letting her take the blame he stepped up and accepted all responsibility and he had because of her lost any possibility of experiencing his youth and childhood, while she still got to go to school, still got to see her friends, still got to go to parties while he watched the girls, still got to let her hair down while he did everything dad asked and more so he could pay for her school and all that time he had sent his whole paycheck home to her even after she divorced him and stole his companies while he was laying in some hospital where no one visited him and she let those two lawyers of hers continue to harass him even after he kept her out of jail and managed to keep his children alive and during her interrogations he was the one who stood by her side and gave her a whole new lease on life so thanks for telling him to leave. Mom surprised her when she pulled out her phone and called the Colonel who told her he was sorry but he had no clue where that cabin was and those who did were loyal to Chris to the point of death but he did hear something about it belonging to his family which he had no idea what that meant since he had always figured he belonged to her family. Christina called Ben waking up his wife and asked if she knew if they had flown Chris to and back from Colorado . Christina was told Chris had not used him since someone had tried to declare him dead and had only talked to Ben when absolutely necessary which was not very often anymore. Christina sent out a mass email to her friends asking if anyone saw or heard from Christopher to call her.
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