by Kathi Daley
“Thanks, guys.”
I felt as bad as Roy as he walked away. He was really taking the situation hard.
“Thank you for dinner, but Dennis and I will get going as well.” Jenna yawned after Roy left. “I need to get up early to open the restaurant. I think we’re going to be slammed.”
I smiled at my best friend. She really did look exhausted. “Thanks again for taking the girls the last few days. It really helped.”
Jenna hugged me. “Any time. I hope your visit with your dad goes well tomorrow.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Jenna stood up and then paused. “You might want to prepare the girls for what they’re going to see. Your dad looks pretty bad. I’d hate to have the fact that his face is a total mess scare them.”
“Thanks. That’s good advice. I’ll talk to them in the morning.”
After Dennis and Jenna left, Kyle and I took a walk on the beach. The area near where the bands were playing was packed, so we headed in the opposite direction. It was a beautiful night, the moon bright in the sky. I missed the warmth of the nights on Gull Island, but I was more than glad to be home.
“How did Blackbeard and Garrett’s sister get along?” I asked about the colorful parrot who had provided so much entertainment when we were staying at the Turtle Cove Resort.
Kyle grinned, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Blackbeard loved her. When she walked into the house for the first time he flew right over to her, landed on her shoulder, and said ‘pretty lady, pretty lady.’ I think the bird is in love.”
“Is she? Pretty, I mean?”
“She is. She’s also very nice and extremely intelligent. I think the fact that she’s willing to take over the resort is going to work out best for everyone.”
I smiled. I’d grown fond of the people on Gull Island. I was really going to miss them. “What sort of work does she do? She must have had to quit her job rather abruptly to take over at the resort with so little notice.”
“She’s a writer. From what I understand she used to be a newspaper reporter, but apparently she decided to give it up and work on a novel. To be honest, I was in a hurry to get home to you, so we barely spoke. I don’t have all the details, but my sense is that she is going to fit right in with the gang on Gull Island.”
My hand tightened in Kyle’s. “Seeing to the renovations at Turtle Cove is going to be a big job. Did you get the sense she’d be up for it?”
Kyle nodded. “Garrett’s sister is at least twenty years younger than he is. She seemed both willing and able to take on whatever tasks needed attending to.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I felt bad about deserting Garrett.”
“He totally understood.”
I walked closer to the water and slipped off my shoes, then wandered into the chilly water to the point where it covered my feet. Now that everyone had gone home and the conversation had paused, I found the fluttering in my stomach had returned. What was it with all the nerves? I decided to fill the silence with a subject that didn’t make me want to jump out of my skin. “What do you think we should do in terms of the investigation into Judge Harper’s death?”
Kyle joined me where I stood and turned me in his arms so we were facing each other. He looked deeply into my eyes, then he used one of his index fingers to smooth a stray lock of hair from my cheek. I felt my legs shake as he spoke. “What I think, pretty lady, is that we should take a break from death and mayhem and wait to talk about the investigation tomorrow.”
I leaned forward, my lips less than an inch from his. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he whispered before he closed the distance and once again made the world fade away.
Chapter 11
Sunday, July 2
The following morning, I sat Ashley and Gracie down to talk to them about what they would face at the hospital. Although Dad was doing better, he still had a long road ahead of him and the girls needed to understand that not only did he look different, he was weak and fragile and they’d need to be careful when interacting with him.
“I need to discuss a few things with you before we go see Papa,” I said at breakfast.
“What kind of things?” Ashley asked as she buttered a piece of toast.
“You know he was injured in an accident. I’m afraid he has a lot of cuts, bruises, and broken bones that need to heal.”
“We need to be careful not to bump him or do anything to hurt him,” Ashley supplied.
“Exactly. I know you’ll want to hug him, but it might be best if you wait for that until he has a chance to heal.”
Neither sister replied.
I passed the raspberry jelly to Ashley before I continued. “I also want you to be prepared for the way he looks.”
“How does he look?” Gracie asked. “Does he look like a monster?”
I hesitated, searching for the words that would prepare them but not scare them. “I wouldn’t exactly say that, but he does look different. Remember when that kid in your class fell off his bike and had a puffy purple eye?”
“Yeah.” Gracie glanced at me with a look of disgust. “It was gross.”
“Well, Papa has a puffy purple eye that looks a little gross too, but we may not want to mention it to him.”
Gracie scrunched up her nose.
“Can we bring him a present?” Ashley asked after finishing off her glass of milk.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. What do you have in mind?”
“We could make him a card,” Gracie suggested. “Maybe something with bears on it. Papa really likes bears. He told me once that they were his favorite animal.”
I smiled at Gracie. “I’m sure he would love that.”
“I was thinking more like a video game,” Ashley countered. “The handheld kind that he won’t have to hook up to a television. I’m not sure the hospital would let him do that.”
“I don’t think Papa is quite up to holding a video game just yet, but maybe we can bring him some flowers for his room.”
“And pants,” Gracie added. “They never give you pants when you’re in the hospital.”
Gracie had a point. Dad had a cast on one leg, but perhaps I could find an old pair of pajama bottoms and cut off one leg. It wouldn’t hurt to bring them along with his robe, some magazines, and the pillow from his bed.
I glanced at Gracie, who was frowning. She appeared to be deep in thought, as if she was working through a problem. “Something on your mind?”
“I was thinking about Papa and his accident. I’m glad Papa didn’t die when he crashed like Mom did. I would miss him so much.”
“Me too, sweetie.” I hugged Gracie as a tear slid down her cheek. The girls really hadn’t had much of an opportunity to process everything. From the moment I heard about the accident, everything had happened so fast that I hadn’t considered how close this might hit home, considering it had only been three years since a car accident had taken the life of our mother.
“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?”
“I’m sure,” I assured Gracie. “But if it would make you feel better you can ask Uncle Hunter yourself if we see him at the hospital.”
“Does Uncle Hunter know you’ve been kissing Uncle Kyle?” Ashley asked with a mischievous grin on her face.
“No. Not yet. But I’ll tell him.” Leave it to Ashley to bring up a delicate subject.
“Do you think he’s going to be mad?” Ashley prodded.
I really hoped not. “No, I don’t think so. You know Dr. Hunter and I talked things over and decided to just be friends.”
“Like you and Uncle Kyle were just friends?” Ashley asked with a gleam in her eye.
I should have known this would come up again; I was just sorry it was now. “Uncle Kyle and I are still very good friends, but now we’re also dating.”
“I haven’t seen you go on a date,” Ashley pointed out. “All I’ve seen you do is kiss.”
Out of the mouths of babes…
“Look, I want to discuss this with you. I really do. But not now. I need to go upstairs and get ready to go to the hospital. I’ll try to answer your questions later. But Ash, if we do see Dr. Hunter, please don’t mention Uncle Kyle until I have a chance to talk to him about things.”
“So you do think he’ll be mad,” Ashley pushed, I was certain in an attempt to make me squirm.
“I don’t know. Now finish your breakfast and then run up and brush your teeth.”
Ashley’s comments about Hunter’s response to finding out I was dating—or at least kissing—Kyle made me a lot more nervous than I wanted to be. The fact that Dad was doing well enough to be moved out of the ICU should have been cause for celebration, yet I felt a churning in my stomach as we pulled into the hospital parking lot. Maybe I should have made a point to discuss things with Hunter prior to bringing chatty Ashley to a place where we were almost certain to run into him. Of course, it was the Sunday of a holiday weekend. Maybe he had the day off.
I took Ashley and Gracie’s hands in mine and headed toward the information desk as soon as we entered the building. I didn’t know which room Dad had been moved to.
“Hi,” I greeted the middle-aged woman with red hair who sat behind the counter. “I’m here to visit my dad, Mike Jensen. He’s been moved to a new room since I was here last.”
The receptionist accessed her computer. “Your father is in room 212. Just go up the elevator to the second floor and take a right. There’s a note here to page Dr. Hanson when Tj Jensen arrives. I’ll have him meet you in the room.”
I glanced at Ashley and gave her a meaningful look. She responded with what could only be described as an evil grin. I momentarily considered taking the girls and leaving, but I knew how excited Gracie was to see my dad, so I took a deep breath and headed to the elevator.
Hunter was waiting at the nurse’s station when we arrived.
“Uncle Hunter,” both girls screeched as they ran up and hugged him.
“It looks like you’ve each grown a foot since I’ve seen you,” Hunter said.
“Ashley got taller, but I stayed the same,” Gracie said mournfully.
“Can we see Papa now?” Ashley asked.
Hunter glanced at Ashley and nodded. “You can, but we need to talk about a few things before you go in.”
“Tj told us,” Gracie said. “We can’t hug him or jump on the bed.”
“That’s good. Your papa is doing much better, but he’s still hooked up to an IV as well as a heart monitor. Don’t let that scare you, though. It’s just to make sure he gets better extra fast so he can go home as soon as possible.”
“We’ll be careful,” Gracie promised.
Hunter took each girl by the hand and led them to the room with me following behind. Hunter and I might not have been able to make a go of things in a romantic way, but he still felt like a part of the family, and I really hoped that wouldn’t change. I remembered how jealous I was when Hunter started dating other women, and they hadn’t even been anyone I knew. Ashley might be right that Hunter wouldn’t be thrilled to find out I was now kissing a man I’d assured him time and time again was like a brother to me and nothing more.
I hadn’t lied to Hunter when I insisted Kyle and I were just friends, although I might have been lying to myself. Kyle had been like a brother to me almost from the minute I met him, and any other thoughts I might have had were quickly suppressed. But when I finally allowed myself to look at Kyle in a different way, I’d realized the feelings I’d had for him weren’t really new; instead, they were emotions I’d been holding at bay for a long time. I suspected Hunter was going to realize that as well, and the last thing I wanted was to hurt a man who still meant so much to me.
“Look who I brought to see you,” Hunter said as he entered the room with my sisters.
Dad grinned, his face lighting up in spite of his injuries. “Ashley, Gracie. I’m so happy to see you.”
Dad’s voice sounded strong and steady, which brought a lightness to my heart.
“We missed you, Papa,” Gracie said as she took tiny careful steps toward the bed.
“Come on over here where I can get a good look at you.”
Gracie glanced at Hunter. When he nodded, both girls went closer to the bed. They stopped when they were inches from the mattress, but, as we’d discussed, they didn’t touch anything.
“Does your eye hurt?” Ashley asked.
“A little, but not as much as some of my other parts.” Dad smiled at the girls. “I really got myself into a mess this time.”
“Me and Ashley can take care of you if you want to come home,” Gracie offered.
“I’d love nothing more than to come home and have you be my nurses, but Dr. Hunter wants me to hang out with him here for a few more days. How’s everything at home?”
“It’s fine,” Gracie answered.
“Anything new?”
I gave Ashley a look when she opened her mouth. She grinned and then told my dad she’d moved around the furniture in her room.
Gracie launched into a story about her cat, Crissy, and the mischief she’d gotten into, so I gestured to Hunter to join me in the hall.
“What’s up?” he asked as soon as we were clear of the room. Luckily, the hallway was deserted.
“I need to tell you something, and I’m not sure how you’re going to take it. I could just wait and tell you later, but Ashley knows, and I’m afraid she might tell you before I have a chance to.”
“Okay.” Hunter looked hesitant. “What is it?”
“It’s about Kyle.”
“Kyle?”
“You know he went with me to Gull Island, and although I never intended it to happen, our relationship sort of evolved.”
“Evolved?”
“We’re dating. Well, not really dating,” I clarified, remembering Ashley’s comment. “But, well…” I hedged. “We’re together.”
I watched Hunter’s face. I could see the news had affected him, but he recovered quickly and smiled.
“I’m happy to hear that. Kyle’s a good guy. You deserve that.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“Why would I be mad? We broke up, remember?”
“I know. And I still think it was the right thing to do, but I got upset and sort of hurt when you started dating right away, even though you had every right to, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you. I’ll always love you. I know we agreed to just be friends, but I want to be sure you understand how very important your friendship is to me.”
Hunter’s forced smile softened. “Our friendship is important to me too. I guess knowing you and Kyle now have the relationship you and I once did stings a little, but I want you to be happy, and I really do think he can make you happy.”
I hugged Hunter. “Thank you.”
He hugged me back. I sensed a certain intensity in his arms that I totally understood.
“I haven’t really had a chance to ask you how you’re doing with everything since I’ve been back.”
Hunter shrugged. “I’m okay. I still miss Grandpa and his presence in my life, but I’m starting to get used to him not being around. It just takes time.”
“Yeah. It does. Are you still dating the pediatrician?”
“No. Things didn’t work out. I decided I needed to take some time for myself before jumping into another relationship.”
“Yeah, I get that.” I looked at the door behind me. “I should get back.”
“I have another patient to check on, so I’ll see you later.”
I smiled. “Okay, thanks.”
Hunter walked down the hall and I returned to the room alone.
“Papa’s going to h
elp me paint my room when he gets home,” Gracie announced as I walked in.
“He is? What color do you want to paint it?”
“Maybe purple or blue. I’m getting bigger and the Noah’s Ark stuff on the walls is sort of babyish.”
My poor heart was breaking. My baby was growing up.
“If Gracie’s going to paint her room, I want to paint mine too,” Ashley said. “Maybe black.”
“All black?” I asked.
“No. Maybe some of the walls can be black and some can be white.”
“I saw a room like that in one of the magazines a nurse gave me to look at,” Dad commented.
I settled onto a chair as the conversation continued. It was an odd one, given the situation, but it did seem to bring a sense of normalcy to what could have been a very tense moment.
Ashley and Gracie wanted to hang out with Kristi and Kari when we left the hospital, so I dropped them off at Jenna’s house. Dennis was off for the entire weekend and agreed to keep an eye on them. Frannie had called and left a message while I was visiting my dad, asking what time I wanted to meet her at the library. I called Kyle and he said he was available to join me, so we agreed he’d pick me up at the resort in half an hour.
“How was Mike this morning?” Rosalie asked.
“Much, much better. He’s even making plans to help the girls remodel their rooms when he gets home. I’m heading out to the library to meet Frannie, but I’ll be back to help with the guest events this afternoon. Ashley and Gracie are over at Jenna’s, but I think she plans to bring all four girls by when she gets off.” I paused. “Should I check with you before having guests?”
Rosalie looked surprised by my question. “Absolutely not. This is your home. You can invite anyone you’d like anytime you’d like.”
“Good. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about having kids underfoot all the time.”
“I love having kids underfoot. I never met the right man in time to have children of my own, but I always wished for them. I’m enjoying living in a house with so much energy.”