The Rescuer

by Dee Henderson

  Tom’s up already; I can hear him in the hotel living room. I can’t help but smile, listening to a man try to reason with a less-than-year-old puppy about the difference between shoes and toys. Tom’s patience continues to be the most fascinating part of his character. I’m blessed. We’re going to join Marcus and Shari for lunch if I have the energy, and I’m trying to be good and rest to conserve my energy. I’m oddly restless and wanting to get the day started, feeling each day now that time is getting short. May Tom’s patience extend to a strong-willed wife. He loves me, and I fear I take unfair advantage of that some days.

  I heard through the family grapevine that Stephen had a bad run last night. A two-year-old in a car seat didn’t survive a car crash. It hurts to think about it. I’d have been bawling, doctor or not. I’ve cared for too many children. Knowing Stephen, he’d be the one comforting me.

  Kate said he was at the gym shooting baskets late last night and not in the mood to talk about it. Oh, I wish I’d been there just to hug the big guy.

  I know the feelings that resonate for him when a child dies, when he has to relive the stress of Peg dying and being unable to help his own sister. Losing a child brings back that pain. Maybe the fact he has seen so much is what keeps him sane and able to keep helping. I’m going to find him before this day is done. If he’s not working a double shift, he’ll be working on some house. I’d page him, but to see my number would just worry him needlessly. I wish I could send him a reason to smile today. I worry about him because he’s kind enough to let me.

  Tom just sent the puppy in to wake me up. My toes are kind of numb and the pain in my side is growing. He’ll be forced to help me walk today. I get so tired of being ill. My mind still has me fit and mobile and reality is annoying. I need to send Stephen my puppy for a visit—Butterball is always good for a smile and a laugh.

  Stephen paused after reading the two-page entry. The straightforwardness of the entry was a relief. Jennifer had never been one to focus inward, and the entry didn’t trigger the emotional reaction he had feared. He remembered the child.

  I got through the days because I had to. He wasn’t sure what had triggered his breaking point, what had brought the fainting at the sight of blood to the forefront. All those emergency calls had built inside until he finally cracked.

  He thought about turning the page but instead closed the diary. He had a strong suspicion that as Jennifer’s days drew to the end, not all the entries would be so easy to read.

  He was rebuilding his life. Reading Jennifer’s diary would help him let go of the emotions. But it would best be done slowly. He put the book back on the bedside table and turned off the light.

  Fifteen

  Meghan set down a coffee cup next to her mom. She shifted fabric samples for her new drapes to one side so she could take a seat on the piano bench. After the finishing touches were done on the living room and bedroom, she planned to tackle remodeling the bathroom. The decisions were never ending, but it was one of the best things about having a place of her own. Everywhere would eventually be touched by her decisions.

  “So what do you think?” Mom asked.

  Meghan didn’t have to ask about the subject. It was all she had heard about over the last four days as patients flowed through the office.

  “I’m surprised,” Meghan replied, trying not to let herself get sucked too far into the speculation going on. She wasn’t sure what to think about Stephen becoming a permanent resident of Silverton. He had never settled down before. Why now? Why here? Stephen just liked to complicate her life.

  “You can do better than that, Meghan.”

  “What am I supposed to say?”

  “Take him a pie as a welcome gift.”

  “And walk my heart back into a mess?”

  “Do the safe thing—accept that he’s part of the community, welcome him, then establish the relationship on the terms you want.”

  “I’ve already told him we’ll only be friends.”

  “You might have mentioned that to him, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind yourself again.” Her mom touched her hand. “Stephen’s a nice guy, and I know this will be hard for you. You had a crush on him as a teenager for a reason.”

  “I wish he hadn’t put that kind of cash down.”

  “I’ve known Stephen since he was twelve. The man didn’t buy a place in Silverton just so he could stop by and say hi to you. That was just an extra bonus. Invite him to church and over for lunch with us on Sunday. Your dad wants to talk with him. Of anyone who could have moved in and become our new neighbor, I can’t think of a more interesting person than Stephen.”

  “I’ll ask him.” Meghan thought it was likely he’d say yes. And if he came to her parents’ place for lunch, her mom could ask Stephen some of the questions Meghan would love to have answered but wasn’t sure she’d have the nerve to ask.

  He hadn’t even called her to mention that he was buying Neil’s place. Was he that upset about the no she had given him? Or was he changing tactics? He was moving in next door to her parents, and it wasn’t the kind of place to be bought and sold quickly. This was a long-term decision. He already had her off balance enough that she wasn’t sure what to think. This was so confusing.

  She set aside the fabric samples. She wasn’t going to rush over to deliver that welcome gift. Let him wonder a bit how she was reacting to the news. Maybe in a few days she’d have figured out the answer.

  “Coming over.” Stephen tossed another bale of hay to Jack. It landed at the end of the flatbed trailer, tossing up a cloud of dust and hay bits. Jack got his hands around the baling wire and hoisted the bale onto the stack he was building. They’d figured out from trial and error that the tractor pulling the flatbed could handle the weight of about a hundred bales per load. Stephen lifted an arm and wiped sweat away from his eyes. Three hours of hauling hay, and he still couldn’t see the floor and walls of the first storage building. His neighbor Nelson would buy all the hay they could haul and store it in his barn. It was a good offer; Stephen hoped they could get the job done today.

  “This will help.”

  Stephen looked back over his shoulder. Cassie carried a huge pitcher of ice water. Walking beside her were Meghan and Blackie.

  “Break time,” Jack said, vaulting from the trailer bed to the ground and striding over to join his fiancée. “Hello, Meghan. You’re looking good.”

  “Hi, Jack. I heard you answered the call to help Stephen out.”

  “It’s the novelty factor. Although a few hours of pitching hay already seems like a lifetime, we’re making good progress.”

  Stephen steadied himself on the stacked hay bales he stood on and carefully climbed down. He tugged off his work gloves, shoved them in his back pocket, and accepted a glass of water from Cassie. “Thanks. Welcome to my new place, Meg. You’re out visiting your parents?”

  “Yes.”

  He’d wondered when he would hear from her or see her. The news had passed around town the same evening he bought the place, and the visits of neighbors and town folks stopping by to welcome him and offer a hand had been steady. The fact that she’d waited until midweek to get in touch was interesting.

  “We’ll leave you two big guys to get back to work. We just wanted to bring down the pitcher and see how you were doing,” Cassie said.

  Stephen wasn’t letting Meghan get away that quickly. “I’ll walk back to the house with you. Jack can drive this load up to the road then we’ll take it over to unload.”

  Jack nodded, and Stephen fell into step beside the ladies. “How’s the kitchen coming, Cassie?”

  “I’m starting on the dishes and pans. It’s going fast since you said to just pack it.”

  “Once the remodeling is done, I’ll figure out what I want back in the house. For now we’ll box everything in the house and store it in the second storage building. I’m hoping Jack and I can take out the kitchen cabinets tomorrow morning.”

  “Speaking of packing, I’ll need more tape so
on,” Cassie said.

  Stephen dug keys to his truck out of his pocket. “Sorry, I forgot to carry in the supplies I picked up this morning. Check the passenger seat. There’s tape there and in the bed of the truck are more boxes.”

  Cassie accepted the keys and headed toward the truck.

  “I wasn’t sure you were going to come by,” Stephen said to Meghan.

  “It wasn’t that simple to arrange. And I was planning to bring you a pie as a welcome gift, but my two attempts flopped. I should have just picked one up at the diner. Why this place, Stephen? You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard the news.”

  “I had the cash and Neil wanted to sell. The timing was right. I fell in love with the idea of having a big workshop, a place my niece or nephew can come spend summer vacations, and a home with no traffic outside the window.”

  “You move fast when you make a decision.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Meghan laughed and Stephen let himself relax. She stopped walking to turn and listen to the sound of the tractor coming to life. “This will be a good place for you, big and spacious and full of projects that will never be done.”

  “It has potential. The barn is great. I want a huge workbench that I can walk around with all the tools out and easy to access, and cubbyholes for everything I need to store. The floor is in good shape and the lighting is good. I’m hoping in a month to have it set up.”

  “Can I come and watch some days when you’re making Kate’s furniture?”

  “You’re welcome anytime. I’ll even put you to work helping me if you like.”

  “I’d enjoy that.” She scuffed her shoe in the dirt, then looked toward him. “Mom would like you to come to lunch this Sunday, if you’re available.”

  “Sure. I’d love to stop by.”

  “Say around quarter till noon for lunch? Unless you’d like to come to church with us. You can meet the rest of your neighbors.”

  “Another Sunday, Meghan. Let’s start with lunch.” The tractor came up to the road. “There’s Jack; I need to go help him unload the hay at Nelson’s.”

  “I’ll stay and help Cassie a bit if you don’t mind.”

  He touched her hand. “Stay and help as long as you like. I’m glad you came.”

  “So am I.” Meghan motioned Blackie toward the house.

  Stephen watched her walk away.

  He went to join his brother. A hay bale had fallen off the stack and Jack sat on it, chewing on a piece of hay. “If I wasn’t happily engaged…”

  Stephen pushed him off the hay bale.

  His brother laughed, picked himself up, dusted off his jeans, and pulled out his gloves. He tossed the bale back up with the others. “I’ll drive the tractor; you can ride the stack.”

  Stephen climbed up to make sure everything stayed steady during the short drive. He’d bought the right place—close enough that family would be over often from Chicago, near enough that Meghan would once again be part of his world. Family, friends, a permanent place… He wouldn’t be bored, and at least the loneliness was at bay.

  Stephen grabbed a hay bale. “Jack! Watch where you’re driving! I’d rather not end up in the ditch.”

  The sun shone through the big bay windows into the Delhart dining room, sending rainbows dancing on the table as the light passed through the crystal water glasses. Stephen turned his glass a fraction and directed one of the rainbows toward Meghan. Still dressed in her church finery, she looked gorgeous. His first formal meal in Silverton, and it was at the table of Meghan’s parents. It didn’t get better than this. “Thank you, Mrs. Delhart. It was a wonderful meal.”

  “You’re welcome to join us any Sunday.”

  Meghan’s mom began gathering the dessert plates. Meghan rose and helped her mom clear the table, her touch steady and smooth across the tabletop as she searched and found pieces to pick up. He would have offered a hand, but Dr. Delhart nodded toward his office and Stephen didn’t feel he had much option but to accept the silent invitation. “It’s good to have you here, Stephen.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Dr. Delhart moved around to have a seat at his desk. “Are you thinking about settling down here long term? Or are you just fixing up the place to sell later?”

  Stephen took a seat across from him. He didn’t mind the direct question. The subject had been raised during lunch but only briefly. Meghan’s mom kept the conversation focused on his travels and the places he had seen. “I plan to stay, Dr. Delhart. I’ve got another generation of family to think about, and the land is a good investment.”

  “I’m not faulting your judgment. It’s good land and you made a fair deal for it. And please, make it Bill. We’ve known each other a long time.”

  “It’s a friendship I’ve appreciated.” Stephen set down his glass and stood, feeling more at ease on his feet. He walked over to study the bookshelves. Dr. Delhart had a good medical library.

  “We could use your skills, Stephen. EMS for this town is provided by the county, and right now the ambulance and crew comes from the next town over. With another paramedic in the mix, we could fix that and have an ambulance stationed here at the clinic, effectively cutting down response times by fifteen to twenty minutes.”

  Stephen hadn’t seen that coming. He rubbed the back of his neck before turning to look at Meghan’s father. “I’m going to be occupied with the house for the summer at least. And to be honest, I haven’t thought about picking up that EMS jacket again.”

  “I know the profession nearly chewed you up and spit you out. I’ve watched you with some concern the last few years. But I know you pretty well, Stephen. You’re going to miss it.” Bill leaned back in his chair and held his gaze. “I won’t pretend it’s easier work out here. We may get fewer emergencies per day, but Silverton is a long way from any hospital. What happens if you put that EMS jacket back on and have a really nasty loss like five-year-old twins in a car accident, or a heart attack in the grocery store, and you can’t keep them alive during the long drive to the hospital? Here, you’re it. But you’re a good paramedic, and someday you have to find peace with the profession you poured your heart and soul into for a decade. Being a paramedic is more than a job; it’s part of who you are. Walking away may not be the right answer.”

  Stephen listened to the advice and nodded. Bill was offering him a way back to the work if he wanted it. “I’ll think about it.”

  “If I get shorthanded in a crisis, will you help me out? Strictly volunteer; the pay is expenses. I’ll get you a pager and put you on insurance coverage with the county so you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll only call if it’s life and death.”

  Stephen smiled. “No pressure.” The idea of someone dying because EMS support was too far away—he’d been in the profession too long not to feel the responsibility. And bottom line, in a situation like that it would be Meghan trying to help her father out if it wasn’t him. “If you need me in a crisis, I’ll be there.”

  Bill got to his feet and shook Stephen’s hand to seal the deal, his grip firm. “Thank you.” Bill smiled. “Now you’ve got an excuse to drop by and see Meghan at the clinic if you need one.”

  “I’m pretty good at creating reasons to stop by on my own.”

  “I hope you do.”

  They moved to rejoin the ladies.

  They found Meghan and Elizabeth had moved into the living room. Meghan was sitting on the floor by the fireplace, sorting through a basket of supplies. She snapped her fingers for her dog to join her. “I’ve got the brush. Come on, Blackie.” Stephen watched her dog move somewhat warily to her side. Meghan laughed and ruffled his ears. “You love having this done, you fraud.” She started working out the tangles in his fur.

  “I found the photo album I told you about,” Elizabeth mentioned, reaching for it on the corner table. Stephen crossed over to the couch and took a seat beside her. “I knew I had a picture of you. Here it is.” She turned the album toward him. “You must have been about thi
rteen.”

  He looked at the photo. “I was so skinny—I was a stick.”

  “You and Jack started hanging out together that year. I remember that’s the bike the two of you shared.”

  “Meghan, there’s one here with you in braids.”

  Her mouth twisted wryly. “Don’t remind me.”

  She looked so incredibly young. He wanted to laugh at the era, but there were too many pictures of him in this album to risk it. He hadn’t realized how much he and Jack hung out with Meghan in those days. She had certainly loved books. In many pictures there was one set down near her. He’d seen stacks of books on tape at her home—so the love was still there. If he could figure out how to make the offer without sounding stupid, he’d offer to read for her.

  “I’m glad you kept these, Elizabeth.”

  “So am I.”

  Stephen turned pages. There were several photos of JoAnne and Meghan together through high school, most of them with Ken making up the threesome. He paused when he found a picture of Meghan in a rocking chair with a baby nestled on her shoulder. She looked about sixteen, and if he wasn’t mistaken, the photo had been taken in the home she now owned. “May I borrow this?” Stephen asked her mom, turning the picture to show her.

  “If you like.”

  He’d add a rocking chair for Meghan to the list of furniture he was making for Kate. He’d get the photo blown up and figure out what he could of the chair from the picture. It would make a perfect housewarming gift.

  He eventually came to the end of the pages. “Thanks for digging this album out. It brings back memories. You were cute, Meghan.”

  “Please, don’t remind me of the braces and bell-bottom jeans.”

  Stephen glanced at the clock. “Ken was going to bring over a load of lumber this afternoon. I need to be going in case he’s early.”

  “I hope you’ll consider joining us again,” Elizabeth offered.

  “I hope I can return the favor soon.”

  “Meghan, why don’t you walk Stephen home,” Elizabeth suggested.