Practice Makes Perfect (Single Father) by Janice Macdonald Read Free Book Online Page B

shaking things up.” He took a sip of his coffee. “How do you feel about it?”
    “I’m all for it.” Elizabeth leaned against the edge of the booth. “My ex is a doctor at the hospital and he’s working himself to death the way things are now. I hear if Compassionate Medical Systems comes in, they’ll bring in more doctors. There’s even talk about building a new hospital, which we could use. I was born in that place and I don’t think it’s been remodeled since.”
    “Your husband is a doctor there?”
    “Ex.”
    “What does he think about it?”
    “Oh…” She shrugged. “He’s one of those idealistic types. He’d rather work himself to death than bend. But if enough people want it, I don’t think he’ll have much choice.”
    She set the check on the table in front of him, and after he left, she went back to the kitchen for a rag and wiped down the already clean tables. Then the door opened on a gust of cold air and a woman came in. Navy sweat suit and baseball cap. No jacket, which meant she was a tourist not used to the local weather. The woman looked at her and then they both did a double take.
    “Sarah?”
    “Elizabeth! I didn’t know you worked here.”
    And then there was an awkward moment when she could see Sarah didn’t know whether to hug her or not, or maybe it was her feeling that way about Sarah who she’d never exactly been on hugging terms with, mostly because Sarah wasn’t the hugging type. But then they both moved forward at the same time and wrapped their arms around each other like long-lost friends.
    “I feel bad we haven’t got together since you’ve been back,” Elizabeth said, which wasn’t exactly true, but whatever. “Every day, I think, okay, I’ve got to call Sarah, but you know how it is.” She plucked at the arm of Sarah’s sweats. “You look frozen to death. How come you’re not wearing a jacket? This is Washington, not…wherever you were. Where was it? Matt told me once, but I forget. Wait, wait, don’t tell me. Panama.”
    Sarah smiled. “Nicaragua.”
    “But weren’t you in Panama? I remember Matt saying something about the canal.”
    “I flew into Panama City.” Sarah pulled off the baseball cap, blew into her hands. “And then I went to Nicaragua.” She glanced around. “I had no idea you worked here,” she repeated. “This was my favorite place as a kid. It was a big treat to come here for breakfast before we caught the ferry.”
    Elizabeth smiled. Sarah hadn’t changed a whole lot. Same reddish hair that always looked like someone had taken an electric mixer to it, fuzzy and flyaway. Maybe a few wrinkles, but who didn’t have those? And she didn’t look like she weighed any more than she had in high school, which was more than she could say about herself.
    “So, you going to have breakfast?”
    Sarah seemed to be thinking it over, then she smiled and sat down in one of the booths by the window. “Sure. Why not?”
    The phone by the cash register rang.
    “The Landing,” Elizabeth answered.
    “I’m sorry for being mean,” Lucy said.
    “Aw, honey.” Elizabeth set down the menu she’d picked up for Sarah. “Are you crying?”
    “Yeah. I feel sad.”
    “Oh, Lulu.” Elizabeth wiped her own eyes. “How come?”
    “I don’t know, I just do.” A pause. “Dad called. He was supposed to take me to the mall to get fabric for my costume and now he can’t go.”
    “Well, I can take you. As soon as I get off work. We’ll go to the mall and go to the Olive Garden afterward. Mmm, that artichoke dip you like. And lots of bread sticks? How does that sound?”
    “Okay,” Lucy said in a small voice. “But I kind of wanted Dad to take me.”
    Elizabeth took a deep breath. “How come he can’t?”
    “I don’t know. Something at the hospital.”
    “I’ll talk to him, sweetie—okay?” Elizabeth signaled to Sarah that she’d be right there. “Cheer up.”
    She hung up the phone, grabbed a menu and set it down in front of