by Lisa Mills
The air outside had taken on the crisp feeling of fall, not all that cold yet, but with the promise of cooler temperatures to come. As she walked to her car, Danielle admired the tall maples and oaks around the hospital grounds. In a few weeks their green leaves would turn a hundred shades of gold and orange. She couldn’t wait. Trevor’s hospital window looked out over a few mature trees, so he could see the colors of autumn. Living in Florida all his life, he hadn’t experienced an Indiana fall.
She hopped in her car and took the country roads home. The corn stalks on either side of the road stood well over six feet, creating a tunnel broken only by a lawn or pasture. The leaves on the corn were beginning to dry and turn brown. Within a month, the farmers would be in the field, harvesting the year’s crop. Danielle wished Trevor could see the huge combines clearing the fields. He’d miss out on the harvest this year, being stuck in the hospital.
She shook her head. She was going stir crazy from being cooped up, and she had the option to leave the room and leave the hospital once in a while. Trevor seemed to be coping, but she wondered how long it would last. Maybe she’d talk to Kevin about finding more ways to entertain Trev.
When she arrived at her brother’s house, Brandon met her at the door. “Hey, Sis! Welcome back. You staying long?”
“Long enough to do some laundry and take a hot shower.” She dropped her bag by the door and gave him a quick hug. “What smells so delicious?”
“Sarah’s making meatball sandwiches for lunch. You want one?”
She could still taste the sweetness of the donuts on her lips, and could think of nothing but how many calories she’d already consumed. But she didn’t get anything like meatball sandwiches at the hospital cafeteria. “Sure, I’d love one.” The hospital had long hallways that she could walk for exercise if her waistbands started getting tight.
“You know where everything is. Help yourself. I’m watching football.” He strolled to the couch and plopped down, eyes fixed on the TV set.
“Thanks, Brandon. You’re so helpful.” She grabbed her bag and lugged it with her to the kitchen on her way to the laundry room. Sarah stood at the stove monitoring several pans and a large pot. The smell of meat and spices filled the room and made Danielle’s stomach growl.
Sarah looked up as Danielle entered. “Well, hey! It’s good to see you, Danielle.” Sarah put down the mixing spoon and came to give Danielle a quick hug. “How is everything?”
“Kevin’s spending the day with Trevor, so I thought I’d get away and do some laundry.”
“And have a meatball sandwich?” Sarah pointed to the meatballs browning in the frying pans.
“Brandon already signed me up for one. Can I help with something?”
“Nah. It’s under control.”
“Is the washer empty?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Danielle was really starting to like her sister-in-law. Besides being a great cook, she was smart and kind and had a great sense of humor. Of course humor was a necessity if a person lived with Brandon for very long. Danielle smiled as she stuffed a few pairs of jeans and some dark t-shirts into the washer. The sound of rushing water and the smell of laundry soap made her eager to wash the grime off herself.
When she emerged from the mudroom, Sarah stopped her. “Hey, your mail is there by the microwave. See that stack?”
“Thanks. I was hoping to check that while I’m here. I’m gonna grab a quick shower.” Danielle retrieved the pile of envelopes as she passed, then closed herself in the bathroom for thirty minutes of pampering that only a person living without all the comforts of home could appreciate.
In the little bedroom that Brandon had put at her disposal, Danielle dressed, then sat on the edge of the bed to open her mail.
There were a few pieces of junk mail, credit card applications, and ad flyers from local businesses. She tossed them in the trash can and looked for some legitimate mail. The return address on the next envelope announced it had come from the credit company that had bought her Florida hospital debt. “Probably another statement.” Dread coiled through her gut as she opened it and unfolded the papers inside. She didn’t need reminding that she was horribly in debt, that she’d be giving them every spare dime she had for years, probably the rest of her life.
She scanned the first page. Yes, another statement of the charges she owed—three pages worth. She flipped to the last page, searching for the interest charges accumulated that month. She didn’t know why she wanted to look. She couldn’t pay them anything anyway so she was just torturing herself, but she needed to know all the same. Her eyes landed on the interest charge, and then right below it, the acknowledgement of a payment.
Payment? She hadn’t sent them any money. She didn’t have any to spare. Her heart stopped when she saw the total owed on the account.
The balance was zero. The account was paid in full. Her debt had been erased.
She sat gaping at the paper, trying to figure out what had happened. Surely, the credit company hadn’t forgiven her debt. But the statement didn’t include any details about the source of the payment.
She pressed trembling fingers to her lips, trying to make sense of the sudden turn of events. An idea occurred to her. Her purse was on the dresser, her cell phone inside. She pulled it out and dialed a number that was becoming familiar to her. “Kevin?” she asked, breathless, when he answered.
“Hey, Dani? Are you on your way back?” His voice held a hint of laughter. “Trevor and I are playing basketball with cotton balls and the puke dish. You have to try this.”
She shook her head, then remembered he couldn’t see her. “No. I, uh … I’m at Brandon’s going through my mail. Did you … I mean, the bill for the Florida hospital … it’s been paid off.”
He was silent for a moment before he spoke, his voice quiet. “I took care of it for you. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
Was it okay? She still hadn’t gotten past the initial shock to process her feelings on the matter.
He continued. “I tried to give you a check, remember? You tore it up, but I figured that was because I mentioned visitation, not because the money offended you.” He paused. “Did I do something wrong again?”
“No.” She pressed her hand to her chest to contain the feeling of elation that swept through her. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just surprised. How did you—?”
“Brandon gave me the bill.”
“Brandon.” She would scold them both for interfering if she wasn’t so happy. Laughter bubbled up from her chest as the financial burdens she’d been carrying fell away. Sure, she wasn’t rich by any means, but with her debt drastically reduced, the years ahead looked a lot brighter and easier to bear. “Kevin, are you sure you can afford to do this?”
“A man takes care of his family.”
His family. She liked the sound of that. “How can I ever thank you?”
He chuckled. “Come back to the hospital and let me beat you at puff ball.”
“Puff ball?”
“That’s what we’re calling it, right, Trev?” She heard Trevor’s wholehearted agreement in the background. “It’ll be all the rage in a few years, you’ll see. The NBA stars will be switching over to play in our league. He shoots. He scores! The crowd goes wild.” Trevor’s laughter carried through the phone lines and warmed her soul.
She smiled at their silliness, wishing she was there with them. Being cooped up at the hospital with Kevin suddenly seemed an enticing prospect. “You guys keep the dream alive. I’ll be there to give you some competition soon.”
She said goodbye then hurried to the laundry room to start another load. Sarah was no longer in the kitchen, but a crock-pot full of meatballs and sauce sat simmering on the counter. Danielle took care of her laundry then wandered into the living room.
“Where’d Sarah go?” she asked as she collapsed into the recliner chair.
“To the store to buy bread for the sandwiches.”
“Who’s playin
g?”
“Nobody I really want to watch. Notre Dame doesn’t play until three o’clock.” He turned down the volume of the television and turned to face her. “So what’s up?”
“Mom came to see me at the hospital.”
“I heard. She stopped by to drop off your mail and told me she finally stood up to Dad. What do you think of it?”
Danielle traced the fabric pattern on the arm of the chair. “She seemed serious about it. I’ve never known her to defy him about anything, so this is definitely a first. And with the pastor involved, maybe there’ll be some follow-through.”
“I think it’s for real. I called Dad yesterday, and he sounded broken. He said he’s stepping down from his position in the church and committing himself to a counseling program. And he’s attending an anger management support group. Those are huge steps for him.”
A hard knot swelled in Danielle’s chest. “Too bad he didn’t take those steps years ago and save us the hurt and pain of enduring his wrath.”
Brandon nodded. “It is a shame, but I’m glad he’s getting help now. He’ll be happier.”
A gnawing guilt carved a hole in Danielle’s breast. Brandon was so magnanimous. He could forgive and want the best for their parents and didn’t seem affected by the abuse they’d endured. As if he’d let it all go. “I wish I could be supportive, but really, I just want to avoid the whole situation.”
He leaned forward and patted her on the knee. “I don’t think you need to do anything. Just sit back and see how it plays out. Besides you have a lot going on in your life right now. You should focus on Trevor. Speaking of which, how is the little guy?”
“Had his last radiation treatment today. They’ll transplant the cord blood cells tomorrow, and then we wait.”
“What’s he doing today?”
“Kevin’s there keeping him company.”
Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “So what’s the deal between you and him?”
She grabbed a pillow from the stack next to the chair and hugged it to her chest, running her fingers over the fringed edging. “What do you mean?”
He scratched the stubble on his cheek. “I thought maybe something was going on between you. He’s around a lot.”
“Well, sure. He’s Trevor’s father.”
“Exactly. You two have history, and you have a present. So do you have a future?”
Danielle looked out the front window, wondering if Sarah would be home soon to interrupt this line of interrogation. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m your big brother. I’m looking out for your best interest.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re three years younger than me, dufus.”
His lopsided grin appeared on his face. “But I’m bigger than you now, so that makes me your big brother. And don’t change the subject. Do you like him? Does he like you? No, scratch that last question. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“How does he look at me?”
“When you’re not looking at him, he can’t take his eyes off you.” Brandon smirked. “So what’s happening?”
She bit her lip, considering how to answer the question. “Kevin asked me for a second chance.”
When she didn’t continue, he raised his eyebrows. “And?”
“And I agreed to give it a try, but we’re taking it slow.” She let the words hang in the air a moment. “What do you think of him?”
Brandon shrugged. “Seems like a decent guy. He’s definitely devoted to you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“When I lived at home—after you left, of course—he used to come around every month or so, asking if we’d heard from you. Month after month of being told no, he still came. Even though the subject was uncomfortable and he knew we didn’t like talking about it, he still asked. Mom told me he kept coming after I went to college. I don’t think he ever quit. He just came less often the last few years.”
“He came every month? No one told me that.”
“And I know some of the guys he works with. They said he’s dependable and honest, a real upright guy.”
A painful ache began to swell in Danielle’s throat. “He said you gave him the medical bills from Florida.”
Brandon picked up the remote and toyed with the buttons. “That was okay, right? He said he wanted to make some of the payments for you. I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“He didn’t make a payment, Brandon. He paid them off.”
Brandon’s mouth fell open. “Didn’t they total—?”
“About a hundred thousand dollars.”
Brandon whistled. “My friends told me some of those salesmen make three hundred grand a year. Guess your boy’s rich, and generous too. Not a bad combination, Sis. You could do worse.”
“Is that an endorsement?”
“I think he’d make a good brother-in-law.”
She hugged the pillow tighter, pondering Brandon’s words. He would make a good brother-in-law. She already knew Kevin was a wonderful father. He’d been a devoted grandson until his grandmother passed. He was the most considerate and caring man she’d ever known. And the fact that he was incredibly handsome hadn’t escaped her notice either.
A feeling of impatience swept through her. She no longer wanted to be sitting in Brandon’s living room waiting for her laundry to finish drying. She wanted to be in a cramped hospital room with her darling son and the man she was falling in love with all over again.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kevin’s Mercedes cruised up the hospital drive, sending a flutter of anticipation through Danielle’s middle. She pushed through the hospital’s front entrance, heels clicking against the pavement with each quick, eager step. Tonight was their weekly date night. Kevin had made dinner reservations and bought tickets to a musical at the theater. She wasn’t sure what production they’d be seeing, but she didn’t really care. These evenings with Kevin had become the highlight of her week.
The car slid to a stop at the curb beside her. “Wow, you look beautiful!” His breath frosted on the cool wind as he stepped out of his car and came around to open the passenger door for her.
She laughed and pulled her coat tighter around her. “How can you tell? I’m all covered up.”
The look he gave her sent a wave of heat through her veins. “I wasn’t talking about your clothes, Dani. You’re beautiful no matter what you wear.” He bent and brushed a soft kiss on her cheek before he opened the car door.
She paused to take him in, to savor the moment and the feelings he stirred. He looked dapper in the long dark coat he wore over his suit.
“Get in. It’s warm in there.”
She did as he asked. Nestled into the soft leather, she breathed a prayer of thanks for the seat warmers. She loved riding in Kevin’s car these days. While fairly reliable to carry her back and forth from the hospital, her little bargain car was feeling more like an icebox as the weather turned. Her Floridian blood hadn’t adapted to the Indiana cold. It seemed she was always shivering, and full winter was still months away.
The car shifted as he folded his long frame into the driver’s seat. He smelled good. Looked better. She smiled.
“So what’s on the agenda? You said dinner and a musical?”
“Dinner at the finest steak house in town, then to the Morris Performing Arts Center for a production of Bye Bye Birdie.”
“Sounds fun.”
“But first we eat.”
A short drive through downtown, lights twinkling in the already dark streets, led them to the steak house. Kevin retrieved a large gift bag from the trunk before he handed the keys to a valet. The bottom of the bag sagged, as if the contents were heavy.
“What’s that?” she asked, her interest piqued.
“A little something I picked up for you.” He waited until the hostess had seated them at a table before he offered her the gift.
“What is it?” She reached out and took the bag from him, noting the weight.
“Open it and se
e.”
As she parted the layers of tissue paper surrounding the box, he continued. “I know most guys buy jewelry or flowers for their dates, but this seemed more practical.”
She reached inside and pulled out a box. The picture and logo on the front made her heart stop. The box contained a brand new, top-of-the-line Mac laptop. “Kevin! You didn’t.”
His eyes glowed with excitement. “I did. I hope you like it.”
Happy tears rushed to her eyes, and she blinked to keep from crying and smudging her makeup. “Like it? I love it!” She gently lifted off the lid and looked at her new baby.
“I told the guy at the store what you do for a living, and he helped me pick a model that had the features you’ll need. It has a built-in wireless card so you can check your e-mail away from home, and a CD burner so you can burn files for clients, and extra memory for storing the large design files. You just have to load your design software. Brandon couldn’t find it, or I would have done it for you.”
“It’s probably in my storage unit.” She caressed the titanium casing and traced her finger around the Apple logo. “This is the most expensive model.”
“With the wider screen so you can have a couple files opened side by side while you’re working. He said you’d like that.”
“It’s perfect,” she breathed, meeting his eyes. His thoughtfulness touched her. He was always doing things to make her life easier. Taking care of her. Making her feel cherished and special.
He hooked his arm across the back of her chair and caressed her shoulder. “There’s more. The computer has a built-in camera that links to the iChat program. If we set it up for Trevor, he should be able to chat with his friends in Florida, and family, me at the office, anyone with a web cam in their computer. It’ll help him stay in touch with the outside world.”
She thought of Janna and Cory, and knew that Trevor would love seeing them on screen. It would be like having his best friend right there in the room with him. “I can’t wait to try it.”
“You’ve given up so much to make sure Trevor gets the care he needs. I know how much you love designing and how much you’ve missed working. Maybe you can get a little of that back if you can take your computer with you to the hospital.”