“That’s a good idea,” Kate commented. She could tell he was stressed from dealing with his son. “I’m calling to discuss my mom’s birthday celebration. With my dad still recuperating for the next several weeks, Greg and I talked about either postponing the celebration or having a quiet affair at their home. Do you have a catering service by any chance? We’d need to have everything done so that there’d be no work for my mother. Is this at all possible?”
“Let me talk to my head chef tomorrow and get back to you. We sometimes do parties at other places than our restaurants but I need to check to see if this is possible on short notice. The thought did cross my mind a few times during the last few days but with so much going on I didn’t think your family was ready to talk about it.”
Well, at least Dan hadn’t said no, Kate thought. “Whatever you could do would be greatly appreciated. Once you tell me what’s possible I’ll touch base with Greg and then we’ll make a decision. I don’t want to get Stacy involved until we’re sure of things.”
“Good idea,” Dan agreed. “I’ll phone you tomorrow evening. I’m going out of town on Wednesday and won’t be back until Friday night. Let’s plan on something for Saturday evening. How does that sound?”
“Saturday night sounds great.” It would give her time for her class and a visit to the hospital. Life was getting more complicated by the minute, but somehow she’d find time for what was really important.
Spinach Avocado Soup
2 cups spinach leaves
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup filtered water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 cup peeled and sliced cucumber
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place spinach, mint, water, lemon juice, salt, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Then add cucumber, avocado, and olive oil and blend. Garnish with mint leaves or toasted pumpkin seeds.
Chapter 26
Faced with a faculty meeting after school on Tuesday to discuss the Homeless Fund project and a trip to the hospital to visit her dad, Kate knew there’d be no time for her usual exercise routine.
“Let’s hear the progress reports,” Dave Thorpe said as he presided over the meeting. “I’ll call the committee name and the chairman can give us a brief summary.”
For the next hour all the details of the upcoming fundraising project were shared. Fortunately there was little discussion afterwards. Kate was grateful. “I have to hurry to the hospital to see my father,” she said to Laura as they exited the school. “At least things are coming along well for the fundraiser.”
“Except for all the work ahead,” Laura grumbled. “I could use an assistant, but who would want to give up more time? Can’t wait till the end of this school year.” Then she said, “Did you see Reid chatting up that young kindergarten teacher before the meeting?”
“No, I missed it,” Kate replied, a smile lighting her face. “Guess he’s moved on, which is great.”
“It certainly seemed like he was interested. She’s pretty and looks athletic, too. Maybe you were right to break ties with him if you weren’t into a serious relationship.”
“I hope so,” Kate murmured, heading to her van. That was a piece of good news. “You’re not the only one looking forward to the end of the term,” she declared before climbing inside. “Have a good week.” Driving to the hospital she thought about the trip Dan had planned for them when school ended. But two months could bring changes in the best laid plans.
Once at the hospital she persuaded her mother to take a break while she visited with her father again. He was sitting up in a chair and, though pale, looked better than the day before.
“You’re coming along nicely,” she said bringing a chair over to sit next to him. “Have you walked much today?”
He nodded. “They have me walking up and down the hallways.”
Kate had brought along the tomato basil soup and some crackers. “Remember I promised some decent food. Are you hungry enough to try my homemade soup and crackers?”
Her father smiled. “That was thoughtful of you. Yes, I wouldn’t mind homemade soup. Lunch wasn’t exactly appetizing –some kind of cream soup and a tuna fish sandwich. They did give me a canned peach for dessert.”
“At least they could’ve made it a fresh peach.” Taking out a thermos from an insulated bag she added, “This soup has real tomatoes and lots of fresh basil in it. I also made the crackers.” She poured soup into the thermos cup and handed it to him along with a spoon. “Try it and let me know if you like it.” She pulled out a Ziploc bag of crackers and handed them to him. “You can eat these with the soup.”
He took a spoonful and nodded appreciatively. “This is good soup. Lots of flavor. Thanks, Kate.”
Leaving the hospital later, Kate promised to bring something else for him the next day. Her father was looking much better, for which she was thankful. She hadn’t broached the idea of having her mother’s birthday party at their house though. First she’d check with Dan and then phone Greg. Once plans were set, she’d check with her brother before confiding in her father. He needed to concentrate solely on getting healthy. Why disturb him with plans of anything at this point? There was still time to get his input when he left the hospital.
It was close to six when Kate arrived at her house. She’d prepare a simple dinner of zucchini noodles with a creamy sauce and steamed veggies first and then make a corn chowder for her father. After that she’d put on one of her yoga videos and get in some exercise. Dan would be phoning later to let her know if a catering plan for the birthday at her parents’ home would work.
While exercising on her yoga mat the phone rang. Could it be Dan calling earlier than usual? Rising, she hurried to answer. Greg was on the other end.
“Hi Greg. I was going to call you later after I heard from Dan. I won’t know about the catering possibility until I talk to him.”
“This isn’t about the birthday party,” he began in a serious tone. “Stacy phoned me a few minutes ago. Evidently she went to visit dad a short while after you left. He mentioned the tasty soup you made for him. Stacy insisted on telling the head nurse that you’d brought food into the hospital for her father and wanted to know if he was on a special diet. When the nurse said that he was, she told them not to allow him to eat anything that you brought in. Then she phoned me to complain about the situation. I’m sure she plans to phone you later tonight. I just wanted to warn you.”
Stunned, Kate stared at the phone in disbelief. “I certainly will not listen to her advice,” she said angrily. “I wouldn’t presume to tell Stacy what to do in a legal situation. That’s her field. I have a master’s degree in nutrition and the soup I gave Dad consisted of organic tomatoes and basil, much better than any of the soups they create in their kitchen. He loved it. I’ll make a point of phoning the dietician at the hospital to check this out. Believe me, Stacy is just trying to make trouble, but I won’t put up with her meddling in my area of expertise.” Kate let out a long breath after she finished. How dare her sister try to put her in the wrong this way? What did she hope to gain?
“Well, I just wanted to let you know what’s going on,” he said grimly. “I don’t want to make waves at the hospital or upset dad. Maybe you could check things out before bringing anything in to him. He seems to be getting good care there.”
Still furious at Stacy’s meddling, Kate was silent for a few minutes. “I’ll have to handle this my way, Greg. She’s not going to get away with belittling me like this. I won’t say anything to dad, but if she calls, I’ll definitely tell her to butt out. This is one issue I will not capitulate on.”
He sighed. “All right then. Let me know what happens.”
Dan phoned a few minutes after nine. Kate was already in bed trying to stay awake. The news about catering her mother’s birthday celebration was good. He’d met with Scott, his head chef, and they would be able to put a buffet luncheon party together at her parents’ home.
“It may not be a surprise party,” he cautioned Kate. “We’ll need to set up tables and chairs a few hours before the luncheon. Is that okay?”
“Of course. I’d expect the setup to be beforehand. Thanks for handling this for us.” At least that dilemma was solved.
“No problem.” He paused a moment and then said cautiously, “You don’t sound like your usual happy self. Is anything wrong?” Something in her voice bothered him. “Maybe it’s me – I’ve had a tiring evening with Ethan and my patience is wearing thin.”
She sighed. “No, it’s not you. I just had a situation with my sister that is really annoying. But I don’t want to bother you with it. I will handle it myself.” He didn’t need any more stress this evening.
He was silent a moment. “Okay, you sound confident. Whatever it is, I’m sure you’re capable.”
“I am. After I put things right, I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Good. You know I’ll be out of town until Friday evening. I’ll call you after Ethan’s asleep. We can plan our weekend.” He paused and then added, “I miss our nights together. Guess that skiing holiday spoiled me.”
“Me too,” she agreed. “We’ll have Saturday night though.” She planned to bring along the new nightgown and peignoir set he’d bought her in Aspen and model it for him.
“You’re right. One night is better than nothing. Sleep well, Kate.”
~ ~ ~
Kate phoned the hospital the next morning and asked for the dietician’s phone number and hours. During her lunch break she called and spent several minutes talking to Jean Lisle, the hospital’s dietician. Explaining her background and the situation with her father, Mrs. Lisle said she’d inform the head nurse in the cardiology department to allow Kate to bring items like soup and crackers for her father. After that call, she left a message for her brother detailing the exchange with the dietician. She also told him that Dan could cater their mother’s birthday party and asked him to communicate with the invited guests. Feeling satisfied, Kate visited her dad that afternoon with the corn chowder she’d prepared and more crackers.
“This is really good,” he exclaimed. “I enjoyed the tomato soup but this is more substantial. You’ll have to give your mother the recipe.”
Pleased at his response, Kate promised to do just that. She hadn’t heard a word from Stacy and didn’t care one way or the other about her sister’s response. Greg would have to be the go-between from now on. No way would she even try to placate or capitulate to Stacy’s ridiculous demands.
Between busy days teaching and visiting her father every afternoon, Kate was exhausted by the end of the week. She managed a swim at the Y on Friday evening and Saturday morning she made time for a beach run before her afternoon class. When Dan picked her up at six they made a quick visit to her father before heading to his place.
“Now it’s our time,” he said as they drove away from the hospital.
“Thank God for that. It’s been a long week.” She let out a tired sigh.
“Once you hit my pool you’ll feel like a new person,” he promised. “And just wait until you see the living room. Fred painted the whole place and the flooring is in. Now we can look at those photos I took of that modern furniture we saw a few weeks ago. I’ll need your input to choose the pieces that will look well.”
“That’s great,” she exclaimed. “Decorating will definitely take my mind off anything to do with hospitals. I’ve had enough of that place to last me a while. My mother thinks my father will be released sometime next week. My brother insists that my mother have help during the day so she can get out of the house a few hours. I totally agree with him.”
“That makes good sense. She looked pretty worn out tonight. It’s not easy taking care of someone, especially close family. I remember when my father had an appendicitis attack shortly before Ethan was born. My mother had someone staying at the house so she could get into the office a few hours every day. You definitely need help at those crucial times.”
Entering the house Dan led Kate to the living room first. “Well, what do you think?”
Looking at the spacious room with its cream-colored walls and light oak flooring, Kate looked around in amazement. “I can’t believe it’s the same place. What a difference it makes when you have the right colors.”
He nodded in agreement. “The only thing that might need work is the fireplace. The dark gray stone looks out of place. I love the idea of having a fire in cold weather but it needs something – I’m not sure what.”
Studying the enormous fireplace Kate tried to visualize it in a lighter shade. “Why don’t you check with someone who does stone work to see if they can get more of a sand-color look to the stone? Or maybe it could be covered with wood painted the same color as the walls.”
Taking in her words Dan stared at the fireplace. “That might work. Let me see if Fred can get someone knowledgeable with stone work. I’m sure it would make a big change.”
They headed to the kitchen. Dan announced, “The salad is ready and I have those veggie-stuffed cabbage rolls with the sauces you liked. They just need to be heated.”
“I brought a few appetizers along,” Kate told him taking a container out of her tote bag. “I wouldn’t mind having them now as I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”
“Sounds fine with me. We can have the appetizers and then take a swim while our dinner is in the oven. Or eat first and swim afterwards. Whatever you like.” He pulled her close for a long embrace. “This feels so good. I’ve missed holding you in bed all night.” He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “Funny how you can get used to things.”
Leaning her head on his broad chest she replied, “I know what you mean. I’ve missed sleeping with you too. And it’s been a whole week since we’ve . . .” Pausing, she looked up at him as her cheeks turned pink. She hadn’t meant to blurt out those last few words.
Looking at her flushed face he started laughing. Kate’s frank admission was music to his ears. “I’ve missed it too,” he admitted bringing her close for a long soulful kiss. His body tightened automatically as he held her against him. Maybe dinner and the swim could wait. “Why don’t we have the appetizers – I know you’re hungry – and then decide what we want to do first. I know what I’d like but want to see if we’re on the same page.”
His husky tone spoke volumes. “Appetizers first,” she agreed. “After that I’ll go along with whatever you want.”
“No favorites?” he teased, eyeing her still-flushed cheeks.
She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. “Whatever you choose is fine with me.” She remembered the sheer nightgown and peignoir set she’d brought along. “Why don’t you get the appetizers ready and I’ll change into something comfortable?” This was the right moment to model that outfit. She was sure of it.
Giving her an inquisitive glance, he said, “Sounds good to me.”
Carrying her overnight bag, she walked quickly to the master bedroo
m. Slipping out of her clothes she put on the nightgown and peignoir and headed to the bathroom. The large mirror on one wall gave her a full length view. Pretty sexy, she thought with satisfaction. Then she washed her face and brushed out her hair. The last thing was spraying her favorite rose water cologne all over.
When she entered the kitchen Dan had the breakfast nook set with small plates. The appetizers – veggie rolls with dipping sauces - were in the middle. He’d poured cranberry juice over ice in two tall glasses. Turning as she came in he stared at her. “Well, well,” he said in a husky tone coming closer, a smile lighting his face, “This is an unexpected surprise.”
He opened his arms and she walked right into them.
Much later they had a relaxing swim in his heated pool. After showering and donning thick terry robes, they dined at the patio table.
“This feels like we’re still on vacation,” Kate murmured. She tasted the sweet potato and lentil casserole. “It’s really tasty. Don’t tell me you had time to make this?”
“It is pretty good. No, I picked it up at one of my restaurants, after placing an order for it yesterday. If you and I both like it, we might try it on the menu.”
She nodded her approval. “The seasonings are perfect. I can taste sage. The addition of leeks and carrots to the lentils is marvelous.” She helped herself to another portion. “Don’t know why I’m so hungry tonight.”
He raised expressive eyebrows. “Well it could be a combination of things . . .” His voice trailed off. The sensual gleam in his eyes gave her pause.
“Ah, so that’s it,” she surmised, as that heated-up feeling coursed through her. “It could be the swim, though.”
The Sweet Touch Page 26