His Bundle of Love / the Color of Courage

by Patricia Davids

  “Does this mean you won’t be riding in the Inaugural parade?”

  “I haven’t given up hope. I’ve got two months and then some to recover.”

  “Lindsey, you should let the family know you might not be there. Everyone is making plans to attend.”

  “By everyone, I assume you mean Danny, too?”

  “It’s all he talks about to the nurses and therapists who come to the house. He is so proud of you. He insists he’ll be there to watch you and Dakota in person.”

  “Now you know why I don’t have the heart to say anything yet.”

  “Yes, I guess I do,” Karen said softly.

  Lindsey hesitated. “There’s more.”

  “What?”

  “Dakota broke a bone in his front leg when we fell.”

  “Oh, no!”

  “He’s had surgery and we think he is going to be fine.”

  Karen pressed a hand to her forehead. “No wonder Abigail thought there was something you weren’t telling us the last time you called.”

  “I didn’t want to keep secrets, but I wanted to be sure of things one way or the other before I gave Danny that news.”

  “Are you sure of things now?”

  “Not really.”

  “Lindsey, you have to tell him. Danny is stronger than you think. If you could only see the way he tackles his therapy sessions. He’s able to raise his right shoulder now and he’s up to almost two hours off his ventilator each day.”

  “He’s working hard because he has a goal to reach. That is exactly why I’m not going to tell him yet. I can’t risk taking away his motivation. I have faith that Dakota and I will both be in Washington, D.C., and Danny will be strong enough to be there to see it.”

  “I don’t agree with you, but I won’t say anything for now.”

  “That’s all I’m asking. Thank you. So, are you going to open that can for me or not?”

  Smiling, her sister tossed the can in the air and caught it again. “I’ll give it my best shot.”

  Karen successfully extracted the yellow kernels from their stubborn metal prison while Lindsey put the kettle on to boil. A minute later the oven timer rang. Karen snatched up the pot holder before Lindsey could reach it and opened the oven. She pulled out a cookie sheet with a small pizza on it.

  “This is your lunch?”

  “That and the corn.”

  “Pizza and corn?”

  “It’s not as weird as it sounds.”

  “Yes, it is. You need something healthy.” Karen set the cookie sheet on top of the stove.

  “This is healthy.”

  “At least drink some milk with it.” Karen pulled open the refrigerator door.

  Lindsey winced. She knew there wasn’t any milk. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything in her fridge except a half-empty bottle of ketchup and one lonely dill pickle in a jar. “I haven’t had a chance to get to the commissary.”

  Karen shut the door and frowned at Lindsey. “Since when?”

  “Since before the accident.”

  “Obviously, it’s a good thing I stopped by. Eat while I have a cup of tea and then I’ll drive you to wherever you need to go.”

  Lindsey used a spatula to transfer her overly crisp pizza to a plate and then set the plate on the table. “You don’t have to run errands for me.”

  “I can see that no one else is. Where are the tea bags?”

  The kettle began to whistle. After finding a cup and filling it with hot water, Karen joined Lindsey at the table. Waiting until after her sister had fixed the tea, Lindsey asked, “Are you going to tell me why you’re here?”

  Karen raised her cup to her lips and blew on the steaming brew. She took a sip and set the cup down. “This is very good tea. What kind did you say it was?”

  “Earl Grey, and don’t change the subject.”

  Taking a deep breath, Karen closed her eyes and said, “It’s Dad.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Karen leaned her elbows on the table. “He won’t stop fixing me up. I’m only twenty-one but all of the sudden he acts like I’m the only chance he’ll ever have for grandchildren. There has been a steady parade of guys who just happen to stop by our apartment. He’s driving me crazy.”

  “I’m sure Dad—like the rest of us—is having a hard time adjusting to Danny’s condition. Do you want me to talk to him?” Lindsey took one bite of her pizza, then pushed the unappetizing concoction to the side.

  “Thanks for the offer,” Karen said gently. “But I’m hoping a little separation will be good for both of us. That’s why I’m at your door begging to stay and nurse you through this injury. And before you say no, I did discuss this with Abigail. She can do without me for a few weeks. Please, can I stay?”

  Lindsey patted the orthopedic brace and sling the specialist had fitted her with. “I don’t need a nurse, but a roommate who can grocery shop and run the can opener will be a welcome addition until I’m out of this contraption.”

  “Honey, that sounds great.” Karen’s relief was evident.

  “Don’t be too sure. This is a one-bedroom apartment and that means you get the sofa.”

  Karen’s tinkling laughter was music to Lindsey’s ears. During their frequent and lengthy phone conversations, the sound of happiness had been sadly lacking in her sister’s voice. Danny’s injury had affected everyone. They were all trying to find a new “normal” for the family.

  Picking up her teacup, Karen said, “Roommates pay rent. What’s space on a lumpy couch going to cost me?”

  “The use of two good arms and your skill as a chauffeur. If you really don’t mind driving me, I’m dying to get over to the university to see how Dakota is doing. But what about school? Can you afford to take the time off?”

  Setting the white cup down, Karen picked up her spoon and began to stir. “I had already decided to take a semester off. I couldn’t concentrate in class. There was no use flunking out on top of everything else.”

  Seeing Karen’s grief made Lindsey acutely aware that her baby sister was dealing with a lot more than their father’s matchmaking. “I wish I was closer so that I could help, too.”

  Rising, she carried her plate to the counter. After dumping the remains of her uneaten lunch in the trash, she laid the dish in the sink and turned on the water. It was then that she felt Karen’s hands on her shoulders turning her around.

  Tears blurred Lindsey’s vision and she loathed the fact. She had tried so hard not to cry. “I hate that this has happened to him.”

  “I know.” Karen’s voice was low and brimming with emotion. “But Danny believed that protecting his country was more than a job. It was something that he knew in his heart he had to do.”

  Lindsey squeezed her eyes shut against the pain that swallowed her heart and made it hard to breathe. “But the price...was too high. He is the best...and the brightest...and this seems so cruel.” The words, when she finally managed them, were ragged and broken between her sobs.

  “I know you love him. He knows it, too.”

  “I haven’t told him that often enough.”

  “You don’t have to. He sees it. I wish I could hug you, but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

  “My left side is fine,” she hiccupped. To prove it, she embraced Karen with one arm and the two of them clung together as they wept.

  * * *

  From the corner of his eye, Brian caught the fugitive movement. Without looking up from the grant application on his desk, he said, “Isabella, don’t chew on that pencil.”

  The culprit ignored him.

  He tried injecting more menace into his tone. “Isabella, I said, no!”

  The oversize brown lop-eared rabbit perched on the corner of his large desk chose to disregard his warning.
She pulled her prize from the purple Wildcat mug he used to hold his writing utensils. Settling the yellow number two under one paw, she began to nibble it to bits.

  “You little minx.” He rose from his chair and scooped her up, tucking her firmly under one arm. He stuck the pencil back in the mug with numerous other scarred victims.

  He drew a hand down her soft, furry body, then scratched her favorite spot behind her left ear. “Why do you always zero in on the new ones?”

  Lifting his cane from the back of his chair, he crossed the office and pulled open the door. Seated at the reception desk was one of the young students who doubled as a part-time secretary for him.

  “Jennifer, will you put Isabella in her outside cage, please?”

  “Of course. What did you do to get banished from Dr. Cutter’s desk this time?” she asked the rabbit as she took her from Brian.

  “The usual,” he answered.

  “Ah, pencil nibbling, were we?” She, too, scratched the bunny behind the ears.

  “I can’t break her of the habit.”

  “You could try switching to pens.”

  “I like pencils. They let me change my mind as often as I need to.”

  “So does the delete key on your computer.”

  “It isn’t the same.”

  Rolling her eyes, Jennifer headed for the outside door and said, “Therein lies your problem, Doctor. You have to learn to say what you mean the first time.”

  Brian turned back to his office. He knew how to say what he meant, but he was often accused of being too gruff. Whenever he needed to draft a letter or a grant application, he worked and reworked the words until they seemed soft and polite enough. Pencils worked best for the task. After he had the tone he wanted, he typed his work into his computer. Some might say he was making twice the work for himself, but he still preferred his tried-and-true method.

  Certainly, his upcoming lecture on pastern arthrodesis for the Equine Surgical Conference in January was no exception. It was an honor to be asked to speak and he wanted his address to be perfect. He intended to rework it until he was completely satisfied. Fortunately, the college bookstore had an excellent supply of the large yellow legal pads he liked best.

  Back at his desk, he put aside his work on his presentation for the moment and opened the file on Dakota. The gelding wasn’t doing as well as he had hoped. The surgery itself had gone well, but the big horse seemed to be having more pain instead of less. That wasn’t encouraging. A knock at his door caused him to look up. Jennifer stood in the doorway minus the rabbit.

  She motioned toward the folder he held. “Is that the file on the army horse? I was wondering how he was getting along.”

  “I’m not happy with his progress. Even with the medication he’s getting, his respiratory rate and pulse rate are higher than they should be. The staff has been reporting that he’s restless and he isn’t eating well.”

  “None of those are good signs.”

  A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, but he held it back. “So you have been paying attention in class. Will wonders never cease?”

  She blushed and looked chagrined. “Is there anything else you need, Doctor? If not, I’m going to take off.”

  He hadn’t meant to offend her, but before he could form the right words to apologize, she was out the door.

  Of all the females he had known in his life, only Isabella never seemed to care what tone he chose or how gruff his words sounded. If only more women had her tolerance, his life would be a lot easier.

  Before he had a chance to dwell on the current poor state of his interpersonal skills, Jennifer opened the door again. “Doctor, Sergeant Mandel is here to see you.”

  The sudden rush of pleasure he felt at hearing her name unnerved him. He tried unsuccessfully to stifle his excitement.

  “Show her in.”

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  She nodded but before she could close the door, he said, “Jennifer, I was teasing earlier when I made that remark about you paying attention in class.”

  “You were?”

  “Of course. I think you have an excellent future in the surgical field.”

  She looked doubtful. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  She flipped her long blond hair back over one shoulder. “Wow! Okay, but next time you’re kidding someone, Doc, you should smile.”

  “I’ll certainly try to do so.”

  Chapter Four

  Jennifer held open the door so that Lindsey and another young woman could enter Brian’s office. Lindsey appeared much more rested today, he noticed when she walked in. To his surprise, she looked even prettier than he remembered. She radiated an energy that seemed to warm a place inside him that he had almost forgotten existed. Like the dancing flames of a campfire on a cold night in the mountains, she left him longing to draw closer to the warmth.

  Wearing a camouflage shirt and matching pants with black boots, she looked every inch the soldier—except for the blue sling on her arm. She certainly wasn’t the type of woman that normally would have interested him. Since his wife’s death he couldn’t think of a single woman he had been this attracted to, but there was something about this woman that intrigued him. He didn’t care for the sensation. When he realized he was staring, he shook off the fanciful notion and rose to his feet. “Please come in, Sergeant Mandel. Have a seat.”

  Her smile flashed briefly and was gone. She appeared hesitant as she sat on the sofa. “Thank you for seeing us. This is my sister, Karen Mandel.”

  He nodded to the woman dressed in jeans and a tailored navy shirt. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

  Addressing the two of them, he said, “As you may know, Dakota’s surgery went very well. He’s tolerating his cast, which is always a good thing. In two to three weeks he’ll go back to surgery to have the pins removed and a new cast applied.”

  “Yes, Captain Watson has been keeping us informed,” Karen said softly.

  “Captain Watson is the reason we’re here,” Lindsey began. “Because of this arm, I’ve been reassigned to light duty. My orders are to oversee Dakota’s care.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I’ll be doing what I can to help here. Karen has asked to be involved, as well, and Captain Watson has agreed. Providing we’re not in the way, of course.”

  “Are you sure you’re fit to work?”

  “I can do whatever is needed, within reason.”

  “Working around sick and injured horses can be dangerous.”

  She leaned toward him, her smile changing from hesitant to forced. “I know that, Doctor.”

  Of course she did. She was the one with the broken arm. Retreating into his most professional demeanor, he said tersely, “That is something you can’t forget when you are here. Given your injury, I’m not sure what you will be able to do.”

  Her smile disappeared. Did he only imagine the room grew a few degrees cooler?

  “I’ve been taking care of the unit’s animals for over a year, Doctor. All sixteen horses plus the two mules. I’m sure I can manage to be of some help to you and your staff, even if all I do is muck out the stall. I know how to follow orders.”

  He sat back in his chair, registering her annoyed tone. She was upset, but he didn’t know why. “Very well. I’ll let the staff know that you’ll be...assisting here until the horse is fit to return to the army’s stables.”

  “Thank you,” she snapped back.

  “May I see Dakota now?” Karen asked, glancing between Lindsey and himself with an odd gleam in her eyes.

  “Certainly. He is through the double doors at the end of the hallway. His stall is the first one on the left down the first aisle. I need to speak with my secretary and then I’ll join you at his stall in case you have any questions.�
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  Brian tucked the file under his arm and escaped from his office. Fortunately, Jennifer had already left for the evening. He laid the file down and raked his fingers through his hair as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts.

  The idea of having Lindsey in the clinic every day was a disturbing one. Without understanding exactly why, he knew she would interfere with his work. She would be a distraction he didn’t need, but he couldn’t see how to prevent her from coming.

  Her request wasn’t all that unusual. Animal owners occasionally spent long hours with their pets and he’d rarely had to forbid access. Besides, she had her orders. There wasn’t much he could do about it except try to avoid her.

  Even as the thought occurred to him, he knew that avoiding Lindsey wasn’t what he really wanted.

  * * *

  “Take a deep breath, Lindsey,” Karen said after Dr. Cutter had left the room.

  Lindsey tried to swallow her irritation with the man. “I’m a soldier in the United States Army. I’ve been trained to do my duty no matter what the circumstances. A broken arm is no treat, but I’ve been assigned to Dakota’s care and I’ll follow my orders. It doesn’t matter if he thinks I can or not.”

  “He’s only trying to be kind.”

  “I didn’t hear a lick of kindness in his tone.”

  “Maybe not in his tone, but I certainly saw it in the way he was looking at you.”

  Lindsey turned to Karen in stunned surprise. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “I don’t blame you for being interested in him. He’s attractive and he loves animals—what’s not to like?”

  “I certainly don’t see the same thing you do. Come on, I’ll show you where they’re keeping Dakota.”

  Leaving his office, Lindsey glanced toward the reception area. Dr. Cutter was standing at the desk, but his cute young secretary was nowhere to be seen. Not that it mattered what his hired help looked like. It certainly didn’t matter. Not to her, Lindsey decided.

  Leading Karen toward the recovery stalls, Lindsey waited until they were through the door before she spoke her mind.