by Jacie Floyd
“I wish Mom were here,” Adam said, standing in the doorway, holding onto Shelby. “She’s good with medical emergencies.”
“And I’m not?” Liam asked as he fished for a tricky sliver of glass. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he muttered with each tweeze.
“You’re not as good as Mom. You’re hurting Jillian. Tears are leaking out of her eyes.”
“The cuts on my hands hurt, Adam, but it’s not Liam’s fault. He’d doing great,” she said, but Adam was right. Tears were leaking from her eyes.
Liam couldn’t bear it. “That does it. We’re going to the emergency room. Get your Gameboy, Adam, you’ll have to go with us. The sitter won’t get here for another couple of hours.”
“You all right?” Liam asked as he grabbed a napkin to wipe away the tears.
“With ‘all right’ being a relative term, yes, I’ll live. If you’re asking if my hands feel like they’re on fire and useless to me for the foreseeable future, then yes to that, too.” Her voice wobbled as she made the statement, but at least she was trying to hold it together.
He hugged her close and kissed her forehead, providing the only comfort he could think of. If she didn’t need him to take care of her, he’d go and throw up. “Hang in there for just a second, okay? I need to shut Shelby in my room, so she doesn’t get into this broken glass while we’re gone.”
While he was out of the room, he texted Josh Novak. It was Saturday night, but he asked for an immediate callback. If the guy didn’t want to work weekends, he shouldn’t have gone to medical school. “Where are you?” he asked.
“The hospital. It’s been a long-ass day, and Zach won’t be back until tomorrow. What do you need?”
Liam quickly filled him in. “Should we come to you at the hospital, or can you come to us?”
“Come here if you can move her without too much pain. I couldn’t get out to you for a couple of hours, and there are complications that could occur between now and then.”
“Complications?” Liam cursed. “Sweet Jesus, what can I do to avoid complications?”
“Just get her here as soon as you can.”
“Should I cover her hands or something?”
“Is there a lot of blood?”
“There’s some blood. I wouldn’t say a lot.”
“If you have those large zip-lock bags, slip her hands inside them. Don’t let her touch anything or come in contact with anything like gloves or car door handles that could drive the slivers in further.”
“Got it.” Liam paled at the thought. “Anything else?”
“Nope, just get her here. I’ll fix her right up.”
Four hours later, Liam pulled up outside Jillian’s house with Adam still in tow. Josh had fixed her up, all right. Pulled out all the glass, cleaned the cuts and disinfected the area, wrapped her hands in gauze, and given her some painkillers. Jillian wouldn’t be able to use her hands, and somebody had to stay with her. He’d called The Kitty Kat’s assistant manager to explain that he wouldn’t be in to work. He’d called the baby sitter to explain why she was getting the night off. Jillian preferred to sleep in her own house, she couldn’t be left alone, and Liam decided to bring Adam to sleep at Jillian’s where he could keep an eye on both of them. The sitter was going to bring Shelby to them along with clothes for Adam.
They were all frigging exhausted, but a drugged-up Jillian was easier to handle than a grumpy Adam. But when Adam saw the house, his mood improved dramatically. Liam left him in the family room with a Harry Potter movie on and a bowl of popcorn before he went upstairs to Jillian.
It broke his heart to see she’d fallen asleep sitting on the side of her bed with her coat still on. She barely helped when he undressed her and put her to bed, much like he’d done on Thanksgiving. Was that just nine days ago? An eventful nine days.
He pulled the covers up around her and kissed her cheek. “Do you need anything else?”
Her eyes opened for a moment and she squinted “No, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He moved toward the door, but she spoke again.
“Don’t go yet.”
He returned to her side and brushed her hair off her forehead. “I’m not leaving. I just want to check on Adam and Shelby.”
She nodded, but he wasn’t sure she understood. “Liam?”
“What, Princess?”
“I hate Christmas. Or else Christmas hates me,” she said, as she slid right back into sleep.
Jillian eyed the inert spoon on her tray. Liam had just delivered her lunch, prepared to spoon-feed her like a baby, but the doorbell rang, and he’d gone to answer it. With her hands wrapped up the size of basketballs, the spoon was useless. Josh could have at least left her thumbs exposed, so she’d have some mobility. But that was the point, he’d said. He didn’t want her using her hands.
Her tea had a straw in it and she leaned in for a refreshing pull on that. Her mouth felt as a fuzzy as the lint trap on her dryer. And so did her brain. Damn pain pills. They had gotten her through the night, but Liam was annoyed that she’d refused to take anymore.
She heard multiple sets of footsteps in the hall, but Liam entered first. “Ready for some company?”
“No,” she said, knowing she looked a mess.
He’d washed her hair and combed it, but that was it. Hair styling wasn’t one of his strengths, apparently. He’d brushed her teeth, but that was an odd thing to have happen when a person couldn’t control the movements of the brush in her mouth. He’d spread moisturizer on her face like he’d been slathering butter on toast. And that was it. No mascara, no lip gloss. She appreciated the help but knew she wasn’t looking her best.
“Then I’ll tell Zach and Harper to go away.”
“We’re coming in anyway,” Zach said, marching through the door with Harper following. “Consider this a house call.” He held up his black bag for her to see.
“What are you doing here? When did you get back? It’s so good to see you. How was the honeymoon?”
“The honeymoon couldn’t have been better unless it was longer. We got in about an hour ago. Josh said you were hurt. I thought I should check your hands out for myself. He’s not that good of a doctor, you know.”
Harper swatted him on the arm. “He is, too. You shouldn’t even joke about that.”
“He’s pretty good,” Liam said. “But I’m glad you’re back, just in case.”
While Zach scrubbed his hands and snapped on sterile gloves, Liam moved her lunch try out of the way. She held her hands out for Zach to examine, and he gave them an exaggerated stare.
“Looks like he used plenty of gauze,” he said, and they all laughed at the understatement.
Zach eyed Liam suspiciously as he climbed in the other side of the bed to sit beside Jillian. He slid his arm around her shoulders and soothed her with every flinch as Zach examined her. Harper kept up a steady stream of chatter, making this exam go much smoother than the first one.
“Looks good,” Zach said after he’d cleaned and redressed it to a more manageable size. “The salve will numb your hands a little and help in dulling the pain. Try not to use them, don’t get them wet. I’ll try to get by tomorrow to do this all again. I’d send Josh, but I don’t think I have enough gauze for him to get the job done.”
She swallowed and asked the question that had worried her all morning. “Will there be any permanent damage?” The hands were one of a chef’s most valuable tools. Any amount of nerve damage would limit her skills.
“We’ll see how the healing goes. I might make you an appointment with a good neurologist I know, just to check you out. There are some exercises that might help, but Josh didn’t think anything major was severed.”
Relief gushed through her as Liam hugged her tightly. No guarantees, but she could relax while she waited. “Thanks, Zach! You really are a good doctor.”
“A really good doctor would have let you eat your let before subjecting you to that examination,” Liam joked.
Zach ob
served the tray lunch getting cold. “You’re probably weak with hunger. Liam and I will reheat that for you while Harper keeps you company.”
Liam picked up the tray. “Here, Harper, take her drink in case she wants that. We’ll bring her a fresh one when we come back.”
Chapter Twenty
Harper laughed as the men left. “You must bring that over-protectiveness out in them. I can’t believe how good Liam is at being a nursemaid.” She held the straw to Jillian’s lips.
“He’s great, isn’t he? Did you meet Adam downstairs? I’m afraid he’ll be scarred for life after this incident.”
“Kids are pretty resilient,” the librarian said. “Liam introduced him as his nephew and I’m dying to know that story, but I’m sure Zach will fill me in later.”
“He’s Liam’s brother’s son, if that helps. I’d tell you about it, but it’s a Sunnyside scandal I play an active role in, and I’m too exhausted to do the story justice.”
“Intriguing.” Harper reached for Jillian’s comb to work on the tangles. “I’m assuming you’d like me to do something with your hair, but if you prefer, I’ll sit here quietly until the boys get back.”
“Hair, yes, please.”
“I can’t believe we’ve been gone for a week, and now we’re back and the wedding’s over. Wedding planning consumed me for the last six months, and I’m not sure what I thought about before that.”
“There’ll be Christmas festivities through December. I’m working on the Santa Walk and we’re trying to amp it up to a more lucrative level. There’s plenty you can do to help if you’d like. We’re kind of on a short schedule and a limited budget.”
“That’s how they do things in Sunnyside.”
“Which is one reason your wedding stood out. Months of planning with unlimited resources.”
“My parents tended to go overboard but they all insisted on participating and funding the event, so I figured if they really wanted to spend their money, it should benefit Sunnyside. How well that went over with hardcore Sunnysiders is still an open question.”
“I’ve heard nothing but praise,” Jillian assured her, shading the truth only a little.
But Harper saw right through that. “That’s probably overstating it, but if you’ve heard more good than bad, I’m satisfied.” She’d moved on from doing Jillian’s hair to applying light makeup. She held up a hand mirror for Jillian to see herself. “The French braid gets it out of your way. What do you think?”
“Amazing.” Jillian couldn’t believe the woman reflected in the mirror was the pale, washed out roadkill with limp hair she’d been earlier. “You’re a genius with hair and makeup. Who knew?”
“With my background, I had to learn or be kicked to the curb. India put me in charge of Fiona’s hair when I six.”
“Thank you. I feel a little bit gorgeous now.”
“You’re always more than a ‘little bit’ gorgeous.” Harper pulled a chair up next to bed. “But I want to talk to you about the wedding.”
“It was perfect.”
“Except for the goofy chef who pulled out at the last minute. You really saved the day.”
“I would have been offended if Zach hadn’t asked me to help. Please don’t thank me for that again.”
“You’re right. I’ve thanked you enough. Now it’s time to pay you for your services.” She reached for her purse.
“No, no.” Jillian’s instinct was to hold up her hands in protest, but she kept them crossed over her chest. “It was my wedding gift to you.”
“That’s too much. You already gave us a truck.”
“I did?”
Harper fidgeted with her collar. “Your dad did. I guess you didn’t know.”
“I should have guessed.”
“When Zach was under contract to the town, your dad always provided him with a truck since Sunnyside couldn’t afford much in the way of a salary. Last summer, when the lease was about to expire, he said he would give us another three-year lease on a new truck as our wedding gift, or we could have the title to the one Zach had been driving for the last few years. Either one would be our wedding present from him and you.”
“That sounds just like him.” The more she looked at his financials, the more she found evidence of this kind of generosity from him. Who else did that kind of thing for people?
“So that’s settled. You’ll take the check from my parents.” She pulled the envelope from her purse and laid it on the bedside table. “They’ll be really pleased. In fact, if you want cooking gigs, Fiona and Wex will be happy to give you references all over the place. Wex can’t stop singing your praises.”
Jillian was tickled by the compliment and touched by the offer but wondered why it was being made. Did people think she was hurting for money? Depending on the news about her restaurant, she may end up looking for work. She’d never in her life had to consider finances when she made a decision, but that might be the new normal for her now.
“Thank you! For the check and the other offer. I’m good for now, but I suppose I should look into who else in town my father has given a new truck.”
“Me, for one,” Liam said, returning with Zach and her lunch.
“You’re kidding. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It never came up.” He put the tray in front of her, then took the seat Harper had vacated. “When I came back, I got the motorcycle up and running, but he wanted me to have more reliable transportation in bad weather. Do you want it back?”
“What would I do with it now?”
He held a spoon to her mouth. “Don’t be crabby. Eat your homemade soup.”
“You made soup?”
“I didn’t say it was homemade by me.”
She smiled that he played her own line back at her. “By Tyrell?”
“He hopes you’re feeling better soon.”
She accepted the bite and rolled the flavors around on her tongue. “That’s like a party in my mouth. He has such good instincts. We really should try to help him out some way.”
“You’re not trying to steal The Kitty Kat’s cook, are you?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Harper and Zach were almost slack-jawed from listening to them banter more like an old married couple, when they’d been wary adversaries the week before.
“You must be exhausted, Jillian.” Harper cleared her throat. “We’ll let you eat and get some rest.”
“Take care, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Zach leaned down for a hug and slapped Liam on the back.
“Welcome back, buddy. Let me know if you can get together later in the week.”
“Can’t wait. It looks like I’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
After they left, Zach laughed. “I guess we’re confusing them.”
“We’re confusing me,” Jillian admitted.
“Don’t worry about it right now. You need to finish your lunch, rest up, and feel better.”
She accepted the next spoon of soup with a scowl. “I feel fine. I’m not sick. I cut my hands. Don’t expect me to stay in bed all day.”
“Good. Adam was hoping we could have a movie marathon.”
“Are you guys staying a while?” She’d hoped they would. “I thought you might have stuff to do.”
“Are you kidding? He’s digging the big screen and other amenities here. He said it’s more like a hotel than a house. We’re thinking of staying again tonight if that’s all right with you.”
“If you’re going to your house to get some overnight stuff, bring back the brownie’s Maddie’s mom.” She was already starting to feel better.
“I’ll do it. Now finish up here so we can start on those movies.”
On Monday, Jillian gazed out her bedroom window while making a mental list of handless tasks she could accomplish. She’d assured Liam she’d be fine here alone, but she hadn’t taken into account the unrelenting boredom. Since her attempts at mind control over inanimate objects had been unsuccessful, the number of hands-free ta
sks in her repertoire were zero.
In theory, she could control the television clicker with her nose, but in actuality, she failed miserably. Plus, she was burnt out on television. Adam’s movie marathon had maxed out her weekly TV quota. If she had more determination, she could teach herself to perform tasks with her feet or elbows or with a pencil between her teeth like those incredibly strong and brave individuals featured in personal profiles in courage on social media. But alas, she wouldn’t have enough time to succeed in those efforts during the number of days her hands would be bandaged.
Liam said he’d be back to bring her lunch and feed her. Zach or Josh were supposed to stop in and examine her hands. Checking her bedside clock, she saw that it was only eleven o’clock. Was it too late in life to take up soccer? Or Irish clogging?
She was hungry. She was bored. But wait, there was a heading car up the drive. A car. Which ruled out Zach or Liam. The door swung open and a woman stepped out. Barb Gentry. What was she doing here? No matter. She was a living, breathing, speaking body. A distraction. And Jillian needed a distraction.
She wouldn’t wait for Barb to knock or ring the bell. She’d go right on down to the front door which had a lever handle she could open with her elbow. Liam had said he’d leave it unlocked for Zach, but Barb wouldn’t know to come on in.
Cradling her hands to her chest, she descended the front stairs and elbowed the door open, but there was no one on the front porch. The back door closed behind her though, and she turned to find Barb tucking a key in her coat pocket.
“Hi, Barb. I didn’t know you had a key to the house.”
The woman turned with a jerk in Jillian’s direction, hand to chest. “Oh. Jillian. You’re here.” She fidgeted with the buttons on the long coat she wore—over a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants. Flannel pajama bottoms were not usually an item the pristine and stylish Barb wore out of the house—as far as Jillian knew. “Hello. Yes, of course. I attended to many details for your father. Watering his plants when he was out of town, waiting for the cable guy, that sort of thing. Neighborly things. Things I would do for anyone, not just dear Bert.” The usually self-contained woman was babbling.