by Aurora Rey
Will chuckled. Sleep was the absolute last thing on her mind. Even without the adrenaline of the last few hours, seeing Nora had both her body and mind going full speed. She’d need to sleep at some point, but it wouldn’t be for a while. “I’m so awake right now, it’s not even funny. I promise I’ll pull over if I start to fade. And I’ll text you every couple of hours either way.”
Graham looked resigned, but also relieved. “It’s a very romantic gesture, you know.”
Will glanced at the empty bed. “That’s not why I’m doing it.”
“I know. That’s what makes it so romantic.”
Would Nora think so? And if she did, would it be welcome? “At the moment, it feels like the right thing. And that’s what matters.”
“You better watch it, or I’m going to develop a crush on you all over again.”
Will looked at Graham with alarm.
“Relax. I’m kidding. Go. Please be careful and please stay in touch.”
“I promise.” Making a decision, having a plan, gave Will a greater sense of calm than she’d had in the last few days. She looked around the room before realizing she didn’t have anything with her. Then she realized she didn’t have her car, either. “Shit.”
“Your car is still at the restaurant.”
Will nodded. “I’ll get a Lyft.”
Graham stood and walked over to her purse. “Take my car.”
“I couldn’t—”
“Of course you can. Leave me your keys and I’ll drive yours back. My parents have to get their car from the restaurant, too. As long as that doesn’t freak you out. I imagine I’ll be just a day or two behind you.”
It was exactly the kind of thing she and Emerson would do. The trust and the closeness Graham’s offer implied made Will’s heart full. A few weeks ago, she’d thought she’d lost the two people she was closest to besides her sister. And now there was a chance she’d get both of them back.
“You’re freaked out. I can tell by the look on your face. As soon as my parents come back, I can take you to get your car.”
“No, I’m not freaked out. I was just…I was thinking how glad I am you and I made up. You’re a really good friend.”
Graham’s smile was lopsided and a little shy. “Me, too.”
“Could you call Tisha? We should let her know what’s going on and I’m not sure she knows who I am.”
“On it.”
It relieved Will to know she’d be expected. “Thanks. And you’ll call or text with any updates?”
“Promise. Please be careful. I’ll see you soon.”
“You too.” Will pulled Graham into a hug to hide the fact that, again, she was on the verge of tears.
Graham told Will where to find her car and Will didn’t waste any time leaving. Partly because she was anxious to get on the road and partly because she didn’t want to be around to explain things to Graham’s parents. It might be cowardly of her, but she didn’t think it was her place to tell them what she and Nora did or didn’t mean to each other.
Graham’s car carried so much of her personality—from the upbeat beach tunes on the radio to the miniature humpback whale hanging from her rearview mirror. Will found it oddly comforting as she punched in directions to her GPS at least as far as the highway. As she pulled out of the hospital garage, she wondered again if she was doing the right thing.
She knew that she was. Regardless of whether it won Nora back or not, it would help Nora focus more on her recovery than on getting back to work. She’d probably still be plenty focused on that, but having Will at Failte might prevent her from doing anything rash. Because whether Nora liked it or not, Will had learned quite a bit about how things at Failte ran. Even if Tisha didn’t know her from Adam, she’d surely not refuse a competent pair of hands.
When she crossed into Connecticut, Will stopped for food and caffeine. She wished fleetingly for Emerson’s haphazard approach to sleep and schedules as she stretched her legs. She checked her GPS and decided she had a couple hours of wiggle room if she needed to stop for a power nap. That thought helped her press on, windows down and radio cranked loud.
Chapter Twenty-six
Nora’s lids felt heavy and her head throbbed. Quick on the heels of this realization came the smell. She sniffed the air. The combination of antiseptic and plastic and food that had been cooked too long was at once familiar and foreign. The smell told her something was wrong.
Nora struggled to open her eyes. In the dim light, she could make out a television mounted to the wall, her legs under unfamiliar blankets. In the corner of the room, someone slept in a chair. Nora squinted at the figure. It was Graham.
The pieces came together—Graham’s graduation, seeing Will, dinner at the restaurant overlooking the water. After hugging goodbyes, she got in her car to begin the trek home. Someone hit her car. The image of the SUV turning, pulling out even though she was already in the lane. With nowhere to go.
And now she was in the hospital.
Nora wiggled her toes, then her fingers. She looked at each extremity to ensure it remained intact. It was then she noticed the bulky cast on her right arm. Well, hell.
She lifted her arm and winced, both from pain and the weight of the cast. “Damn it.”
“Huh?” Graham bolted up in the chair. “What?”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Graham hurried over to the bed. “Don’t apologize. I’m so glad you’re awake.”
Graham looked ragged. She still wore her dress from dinner, but it was wrinkled. Mascara was smudged under her eyes. How long had she been there? “What day is it?”
Graham smiled, easing some of the alarm that had taken hold. “Sunday still.”
Oh. That was a relief. “I was in a car accident, right? How bad?”
Graham took her hand. “Bad enough to total your car. But other than some bruised ribs, a concussion, and a broken arm, you’re okay.”
Another relief. And she’d been in the car alone, so that was good. The image of Will came into her mind. Will holding her hand, telling her everything was going to be okay. Had that been in an ambulance? Did it really happen or was her mind playing tricks on her? Nora looked past Graham. No one else was in the room with them.
As if sensing the questions in her mind, Graham said, “Mom and Dad went to get some coffee. They’ll be back soon. Will was here, too.”
More thoughts than Nora could hold onto swirled around her mind. The loudest and most pressing was where Will had gone. Whether she was coming back. But even in her compromised state, she knew she didn’t want to broadcast that to the world. She forced her brain and her gaze to focus on Graham, who looked like she’d been through hell. “I’ve gone and stolen all of the attention from your day.”
Graham gave her an exasperated look. “Stop it. You came. That made the day perfect.”
Graham’s comment brought the details of the rest of the day crashing back. The ceremony, seeing Will. The dinner that was at once wonderful and easy and awkward and hard. The uncomfortable hug that still managed to fill her with longing. She’d been both sad and relieved to climb in her car to head home.
Home. She had guests. God, how could she have forgotten? “Tisha. I need to call her. She’s expecting me. I told her I’d be back in time for breakfast and checkout.”
Graham smiled. “Already taken care of. I left her a message telling her you’re okay and that you’re in good hands. That’s actually where Will is. She headed back so she could lend a hand.”
Nora comprehended the words, but she struggled to wrap her head around their meaning. Much less the implications. For the first time since waking, her heart began to race and panic danced around the edges of her brain. “Wait. What?”
“Will was here. She actually rode with you to the hospital in the ambulance.”
So she hadn’t imagined it.
“Once we got word that you were going to be okay, she decided to go back to P-town. She said she could do more good
there than here. She took off in my car a couple of hours ago. I called Tisha to fill her in and let her know help was on the way.”
Nora couldn’t decide what made her more nervous—the significance of Will’s actions or the thought of Tisha’s reaction when Will showed up and jumped into morning chores without so much as a by your leave. She took a deep breath. She could handle Tisha. She’d grouse about someone swooping in and messing with her system, but she’d ultimately appreciate the help.
Will was another story. Seeing her had stirred up all sorts of feelings, but she had no way of knowing if Will shared any of them. Even knowing Will stepped in to play hero raised more questions than it answered.
“She’s still in love with you.”
Nora started. She’d forgotten Graham was standing right there. Her brain was even fuzzier than she thought. Is this what having a concussion felt like? “I know you want that to be true.”
“I know it’s true. You didn’t see her face when we realized you’d been in an accident, or when the paramedics said she could ride with you. And when she decided to go, it was obvious that leaving you was killing her. But she knew that’s what you’d be most worried about and she wanted to put your mind at ease.”
Could it be true? Nothing in Will’s behavior over the last month gave Nora any inkling that she was in love. Even the graduation and dinner seemed more like a chore to her than a pleasure. Will’s clear discomfort at having to see and talk to her only reinforced that. Nora tried to focus her eyes on Graham’s face. She seemed older suddenly and it felt like, perhaps in this moment at least, their roles were reversed. Realizing Graham was an adult, her equal, didn’t bother Nora. If anything, it made it easier to talk to her. “I don’t understand. She was so aloof with me.”
“She was terrified of you.”
That made no sense. “She’s the one who left.”
“After you told her to.”
Okay, that much was true. But if Will truly cared for her, she would have come back. Or called. Something. The fact that Will had returned to town and not made any attempt to contact her still stung. Even as she knew she was guilty of the exact same thing. “But she vanished completely.”
“Because she took what you said at face value and was convinced she’d ruined our relationship.”
“You and I worked it out. You made up with her, too. Still, nothing.”
Graham sighed. She crossed the room and took Nora’s hand. “She decided you were better off without her.”
Despite Will’s maturity on just about every other front, that notion struck Nora as juvenile. She said as much to Graham.
“How much do you know about Will’s past?” Graham asked.
Nora shrugged, then winced. “Quite a bit, actually.”
“Then I’m surprised you would say that. For as strong as she is, her heart is pretty fragile.”
“I—” Her reply was cut off by the arrival of an orderly with her dinner tray. He set it down on the wheeled table and moved it close. The smell turned her stomach, but she wasn’t enough of a snob to say so. “Thank you.”
“You are most welcome. Take care.”
He disappeared and almost immediately a nurse came in. “I see your dinner is here. Good. The doctor wants to start you on oral pain meds tonight to make sure they agree with you before you are discharged tomorrow.”
“I have to stay the night?” Nora realized how petulant she sounded and bit her tongue.
“Just for observation. Assuming all goes well, the doctor who does morning rounds should clear you to leave.”
She supposed it could be worse. “Okay. Thank you.”
The nurse set a tiny paper cup on the tray and poured her a glass of water. “I have to watch you take it.”
“Right.” She took the pill and a long sip of water.
The nurse gestured to the tray. “I’m sure that’s not the most appealing thing you’ve ever seen, but trust me when I say you’ll want to chase that with some food.”
“I will. Thanks.” The nurse left and Nora lifted the cover from the plate. A pile of sad-looking broccoli stood out against a monochromatic palette of chicken and mashed potatoes. Nora sighed.
“Do you want me to go in search of a vending machine? I think if any occasion warrants a candy bar for dinner, this qualifies.”
Nora laughed, appreciating Graham’s attempt at lightening the mood. Until the movement sent a stab of pain through her ribs. “Christ, that hurts.”
Graham cringed. “Sorry.”
“No, no. I’m fine. Just more sore than I care to admit.” And apparently whinier, too. “This is fine. I’ve certainly had worse.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Nora reached for the fork, only to be reminded that her right hand was in a cast. She picked it up with her left and awkwardly maneuvered a bite of potatoes into her mouth. They tasted as bad as they looked. But that didn’t give her an excuse to be sullen. She stabbed a piece of lifeless broccoli and ate it. “It’s fine.”
“Do you want me to cut your chicken?”
Since that would be less mortifying than picking up the whole thing at once like a caveman, she acquiesced. While Graham worked, Nora studied her face. So pretty. And full of life and optimism. She’d been so intent on looking out for Graham, she’d been blind to how well Graham looked out for her. “About Will—”
Before she could continue, the door opened again and Colleen and Peter breezed in. “You’re awake. And eating. That’s excellent.”
The level of enthusiasm told her just how worried her sister had been. On principle, she forked another bite of potatoes. “And medicated with a promise of going home tomorrow.”
Colleen looked to Graham for verification. Graham nodded. “So says the nurse.”
“Oh, I’m so glad.”
“I feel badly that you’ve been stuck at a hospital all day because of me. You should really go home and get some rest.”
Without missing a beat, Graham nodded. “It doesn’t make sense for all of us to hover the rest of the night. You two go home and I’ll stay. I can sleep anywhere.”
They spent a few minutes arguing about it, but Graham eventually won out. Nora started to thank her, but her eyes felt inexplicably heavy. Those pain pills were something potent. She fell asleep and dreamed about Graham and Will and being home.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Will succumbed to a nap just shy of the Bourne Bridge, but kept it to an hour. She arrived at the inn a little before four in the morning, which gave her plenty of time to make breakfast. She slipped Nora’s key into the lock and let herself in the back door. Other than the small light over the sink, the kitchen remained dark and quiet.
She’d beat Tisha here or Tisha had decided she could handle it. Either way, Will was relieved to have the space to herself. In addition to feeling intimidated by Nora’s manager, something about being in Nora’s space alone felt intimate. Like she’d woken up first and Nora might simply be in bed, naked and asleep. Will wanted to wallow in that feeling.
She checked her phone for the millionth time. She’d gotten a confirmation that Nora was okay, in her room, and likely to be discharged in the morning. That was around eleven and she hadn’t heard anything since. She shook her head. She was being impatient. It was four o’clock in the morning and Graham had probably fallen asleep. And Nora was likely resting, too. That’s what they were supposed to be doing.
Telling herself that did little to ease the tightness in her chest. Nor did reminding herself that Nora’s injuries weren’t life threatening. No amount of reassuring could undo the image of Nora, jostled around in the back of the ambulance or unconscious and pale under the harsh fluorescent lights of the ER admission area. Will shook her head again, as if doing so might chase away the mixture of worry and fear. She had work to do and needed to focus.
Will had no idea what Nora planned to serve her guests. And since going out for groceries wasn’t an option, she should start by figuring out what she ha
d on hand. Bread and eggs seemed safe, so she prepped a French toast casserole that wouldn’t need constant attention. Sausages would be a nice complement, along with sliced fruit. Between that and the usual spread of breads and bagels for toast, she figured everyone would make do.
It was just after five, though, and she was out of things to do. She rifled in the freezer and found a couple of pie crusts. Perfect. It only took about twenty minutes to prep a pair of quiches. That should give everyone more than enough options. Maybe too many. But no one would complain about that.
At six, Will flipped on the coffee. She was probably running ahead of schedule, but she needed a cup for herself as much as anything. She pulled out all the things for the coffee bar—half and half, almond milk, and the little bowl of sugar. Grateful she’d watched Nora do it so many times, she arranged cups and refilled the basket of tea bags. Back in the kitchen, Will poured herself a cup of coffee. She was in such a hurry to caffeinate, she scalded her tongue. She swore under her breath, but heeded the warning to be more careful. She filled the carafe slowly, carrying it out to the dining room before setting the second pot to brew.
The first of the guests wandered downstairs a little after seven. Will greeted them, introducing herself as a friend filling in for the morning. They were first timers and hadn’t met Nora when they checked in the day before, so they took her explanation at face value. The second couple proved trickier. They’d stayed before and Nora had told them she’d see them.
Will didn’t feel like it was her place to air Nora’s business, but she didn’t want them to get the wrong impression. She settled on, “She went to Maryland for her niece’s graduation and was held up unexpectedly.” It seemed to work.
Will excused herself to the kitchen, where she pulled out the quiches and slid her French toast bake into the oven. When it had ten minutes left, she put the sausages in a skillet to brown. She carried the basket of bread out to the buffet and set it next to the toaster, then the platter of fruit she’d sliced. Butter, jam, warm maple syrup. By the time she was done, eight people hovered in the dining room. It might not be exactly how Nora would do it, but it wasn’t half bad.