by Terri Reid
Henry looked up the road beyond the truck; they were still about a half mile away from the main building. “Why don’t you give us a ride back,” Henry said. “Then I can call for more crews and give you some specific information about the damage. And Stacy can call her grandmother just to make sure she’s okay.”
“You got it,” Reuben said.
Stacy and Henry hopped into the back seat of the pickup truck, and Rueben maneuvered around the debris and turned around. “Fasten your seatbelts,” Reuben said. “The road back is going to be a little bumpy.”
Chapter Thirty-eight
“Well, hello, dear,” Melba said when she answered the phone. “How has your day been?”
Sitting down as her knees shook in relief, Stacy inhaled quickly before replying. “It’s been great,” she said. “We had a little weather here, and I wanted to be sure everything was fine.”
“Oh, yes, we’re as right as rain,” Melba replied. “We heard the tornado warnings, so we went down to the shelter for a few minutes. But all we got was enough rain to water the garden. Now it’s bright and sunny outside.”
“Wonderful,” Stacy said. “How’s the quilt coming along?”
“Well, your grandmother is quite an old pro at quilting,” she said. “We’re going to have it finished before the end of the day. But don’t worry. I’ve got another project for tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Melba,” Stacy said. “I’m sure Grandma is having a great time. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll see you then, dear,” she replied.
After hanging up the phone, Stacy cradled her head in her hands and closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn’t realized how worried she had been until she heard Melba’s voice on the other end and finally allowed herself to relax. And now, with the worry about her grandmother behind her, she allowed her mind to finally dwell on what happened with Henry in the storm shelter.
She didn’t really believe that it wasn’t a reaction to the situation. It was too fast, too powerful. They were just two lost souls comforting each other. Had she been too forward? Did he regret kissing her?
“Is everything okay?” Henry asked, walking into the small office Dora had allowed Stacy to use.
Looking up, her heart pounding, Stacy smiled weakly at Henry and nodded. “Fine,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “Melba said they got enough rain to water the garden, but that was it. How’s the rest of the park?”
Henry came over and perched on the edge of the desk next to her. “Lots of overturned garbage cans and a couple of ripped awnings,” he said. “But for the most part, everything but the wildlife reserve is fine, so all the crews are being focused up there.”
“Do you think the damage will slow down the remodeling?” she asked. “Do we need to postpone the fundraising gala?”
Chuckling and shaking his head, Henry slipped off the desk and pulled over a chair so he was seated directly in front of her. He took her hands in his and held them gently. “You are amazing,” he said.
“What?” she asked, her body flushing with heat.
“You’ve just been frightened to death, had to hike over a couple of miles of fallen trees and branches. You were worried sick about your grandmother, and then once you discover that she’s safe, your next thought is the remodeling,” he said. “Did you ever even consider taking the rest of the day off and giving yourself some down time?”
She shook her head. “I…I’m fine,” she stammered.
He lifted her left hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the top, then turning it over and kissing the palm, and finally brushing his lips against the rapid pulse on her wrist. “Yes, you are,” he whispered, leaning towards her.
“Henry?” she questioned softly.
“Shhh,” he replied, covering her lips with his own in a tender, but thorough kiss.
Slowly moving back in his chair, he looked into her eyes, glazed over with passion, and felt the jolt of answering desire. But, he had to tell her the truth before they went any further.
“Do you want to go home?” he asked.
Still a little muddled from his kiss, it took her a moment to respond. “I’m sorry?” she asked.
“I’m going to drive you home,” he said, standing up and gently pulling her along with him. “You have the rest of the day off.”
“How are you going to drive me home?” she asked, her mind clearing. “As I recall, your truck was not in drivable condition.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” he replied with a grin. “The dealership brought over a rental, so, once again, I have transportation.”
He led her out of the building, and she saw the shiny, red truck parked outside the building. “Wow, it’s beautiful,” she replied. “But don’t you need to help with clean-up?”
“No, I get to take the rest of the day off, too,” he replied. “That’s one of the rules of Adventureland. If you get caught in a tornado, you get the rest of the day off.”
She stopped and stared at him, and then realized it was a joke. “Funny, Henry,” she said.
Chuckling, he opened the door for her, helped her in and then climbed in on his side. “Do you want me to drive you back to your car or straight home?” he asked.
“I’d better get my car,” she said. “Do you have to go in early tomorrow morning?”
“No, I think we can go in at the regular time,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure the boss will be okay about it.”
“I’ll just trust you,” she replied.
The smile left his face, and he met her eyes for a moment. Then he turned forward and started the truck. “I just hope you don’t regret it,” he murmured to himself.
Chapter Thirty-nine
“How was your day with Melba?” Stacy asked Addie as she started to prepare their dinner. All she really wanted to do was soak in a hot bath, sip on a cup of chamomile tea and take a couple of aspirins to stop the throbbing in her head. But she didn’t want to upset Addie, so she acted as if everything was normal.
“We had a lovely time,” Addie said, seating herself at the kitchen table. “Melba had a quilt she needed help with, so we spent hours working on the quilt and chatting about the old days. It was wonderful.”
Opening the refrigerator and pulling out some hamburger, Stacy peeked over the door at her grandmother. She looked so happy, calm, and even more important, positive, sitting at the table eagerly describing her day. However, a nagging thought played in the corner of Stacy’s mind. What would have happened if she had been killed by the tornado? Who would have taken care of Addie? She realized she was out of her league when it came to finances and planning. She really needed to speak with Sam.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, Sam knocked on the back screen door. Addie turned and smiled brightly. “Why Sam, come on in,” she said.
He pushed the door open and Stacy saw that he was carrying a large bag from a local, fast-food restaurant. “What’s this?” she asked.
He met her eyes, and his lips thinned a little in anger. Stacy was puzzled. Why would Sam be upset?
“I understand you had a…busy day at work,” he modified his comment when Stacy sent him a warning look and then glanced at Addie. “I figured you might like a day off from cooking, so I brought fried chicken.”
Sliding the hamburger back into the refrigerator, Stacy smiled at him. “Sam, you didn’t have to do that.”
He walked past them, put the bags on the counter and then turned back, his arms folded over his chest. “After what happened today, this is the very least I can do,” he said, his voice irritated. “What the hell, Stacy? When are you going to finally start standing up for yourself?”
“I stood up for myself today,” she said.
“No, you survived today,” he replied. “Because that’s who you are, a survivor. You take circumstances that would overwhelm most of us, and you keep plodding on because that’s what you do. But you don’t ever stand up for yourself; you stand up for everyone else.”
&
nbsp; She shook her head. “Sam, I’m confused,” she said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Sue them,” he said, pulling out the containers and paper plates from the bags and setting them on the counter.
“What?” Stacy exclaimed. “Are you kidding? I can’t do that.”
“What happened today?” Addie asked, her voice tense with worry. “Why would Stacy have to sue Adventureland?”
“Nothing happened, Grandma,” Stacy soothed. “Nothing happened, and I’m fine.”
Pulling out the silverware drawer angrily, Sam scooped up a handful of spoons and forks and slammed them on the counter. “You are damn lucky,” he said. “That’s what you are. And when I think of what could have happened to you, it makes my blood boil.”
“What happened?” Addie demanded, her voice shaking.
Stacy hurried across the room and sat down next to her grandmother, clasping her hands. “There was some bad weather at Adventureland today,” she said. “I ended up taking cover in a storm shelter for a while. Henry drove out to the concessionary and showed me where the shelter was and stayed with me.”
“Was there a tornado?” Addie asked, her eyes filled with concern.
Taking a deep breath, Stacy nodded slowly. “Yes, a tornado came over us,” she said. “But the shelter was built to withstand weather like that, so we were just fine.”
“Fine?” Sam demanded as he began to fill the plates with food. “Fine? You call barely making it into the shelter with an EF4 tornado barreling down on you fine?”
“Sam,” Stacy snapped. “I don’t think Grandma needs to hear this.”
“I think your grandmother is a lot stronger than you give her credit for,” Sam replied. “And she’s your family. And I’m your family. And if you’re not going to stick up for yourself, then someone else needs to do it.”
Addie looked up at Sam and nodded. “He’s right,” she said. “I know I get confused from time to time, but I’m still your grandmother. I don’t want you hiding things from me.”
Sighing, Stacy shook her head. “I wasn’t trying to hide things,” she said. “I just didn’t think it needed to be discussed. It was pretty rough, and I was afraid for a while, but I’m fine.”
“You could have died,” Sam said, “because of negligence on the part of the park.”
“I wouldn’t have died,” Stacy said half-heartedly, knowing those very thoughts had been on her mind just before Sam had come in.
“You’re not a very good liar,” Sam replied. He brought over two plates of food and placed them down in front of them. “And if you won’t think about yourself, think about Addie.”
“What about me?” Addie demanded. “Why does she have to think about me?”
Sam picked up his plate from the counter and came back to the table, sitting down on the other side of Addie. “She has to think about you,” he began, “because the confusion you are experiencing from time to time is called Alzheimer’s, and it’s a condition that makes you forget things. Sometimes important things. And as it progresses, you’re going to need people to help you.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Addie said, breathing an audible sigh of relief.
Stacy shook her head. “What?” she asked, confused.
“I thought I was losing my mind,” Addie said. “But I’m not. It’s just a disease.”
Sam nodded. “Yes, it’s just a disease,” he said. “And you have people who love you and will be there for you while you deal with it. But, that’s why we have to be sure we think about you.”
“But why should Stacy sue Adventureland?” Addie asked. “Won’t they be angry with her and fire her?”
“Not if they know what’s good for them,” Sam growled.
“I don’t know, Sam,” Stacy said. “They’ve been really good to me. I don’t like the idea of repaying their generosity with a trial.”
“It won’t get that far,” Sam said. “You get a good lawyer, and they’ll settle before it goes that far.”
“So, Stacy is going to need a lawyer?” Addie asked.
“Yes,” Sam replied.
“No,” Stacy said. “I’m not going to sue anyone.”
Addie looked from Sam to Stacy and shook her head. “Well, you should sleep on it,” she advised, “before you make any decisions. But we’ll need to hire a good lawyer for you.”
“Grandma, I don’t need a lawyer,” she said. “Besides, lawyers are expensive.”
Silently studying Stacy for a minute, Addie nodded slowly as if she was deciding something. She pushed her chair back and stood up. “Excuse me for just a moment,” she said, and then she turned and walked out of the room.
“What are you doing, Sam?” Stacy asked once Addie was out of hearing distance. “I can’t sue Adventureland. I need my job. I need to take care of Grandma.”
“You could have died,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Damn it, you could have died.”
She placed her hand over his. “But I didn’t,” she said. “I’m fine.”
“If you can’t do it because they were negligent, do it because you need the money,” he said.
“What do you mean, I need the money?” she asked.
“Listen, Stacy, I talked with my friends at the bank,” he said. “I’d hoped that Addie had just transferred her funds from one account to another or put them in an estate or stocks. But, the bottom line is the money is all gone. There is no money for her care or for your future. Companies like Adventureland have liability insurance for things like this. They’ll settle, and you’ll have the nest egg you need.”
She shook her head. “I can’t,” she said. “I can’t blame them for a series of unintentional accidents. It wouldn’t be right.”
“Well, it’s not right that Addie has no savings either,” he said. “I have a feeling someone took advantage of her.”
“Well, what’s the difference between that person and me, if I choose to sue?” she asked. “I wasn’t hurt. It was scary, but I’m fine.”
“It’s different,” Sam argued. “It just is.”
They halted their discussion when Addie walked back in the room, a dilapidated shoe box in her hands. “What’s that?” Stacy asked.
Addie sat down at the table and put the box in front of her. “I just remembered about that television show I watched,” she said.
“What show?” Sam asked.
“The one about the Depression,” she replied. “And how all the banks failed and people lost their money. Did you see that show, Sam?”
He shook his head. “No, but I’ve read about the Depression,” he said. “It was a hard time for many people.”
“Yes it was,” she agreed. “And the narrator said that you shouldn’t trust banks, and I agree with him.”
She lifted the top off the box and revealed stacks of hundred dollar bills. Reaching in, she pulled out the first stack and handed it to Stacy. “Here you go,” she said. “You get yourself a good lawyer.”
Dumbfounded, Stacy stared at the money in her hand for a moment and then started counting it.
“Oh, you don’t have to count it, dear,” Addie said. “There are one hundred bills in each stack. I made sure.”
“But, Grandma, that means each stack is worth ten thousand dollars,” she replied in disbelief.
Addie smiled and nodded. “Yes, dear,” she said. “And there are fifty stacks in each box.”
“How many boxes do you have, Addie?” Sam asked.
“Oh, I have two boxes in my closet and two more in the attic,” she replied. “And then I put some envelopes in Paul’s underwear drawer for safety.”
Shaking her head, Stacy didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry. No wonder her grandmother had always gone back to Grandpa’s clothing when she was looking for money. She was just looking in the wrong place.
Chapter Forty
The morning was bright and sunny. Although, Stacy admitted to herself as she opened the garage door, even if it had been raining outside she woul
d have felt great. In the space of a few minutes, the worries of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. Her grandmother was not destitute, not even close. Properly invested, the money would be able to provide long-term care for her for as long as she lived. She had even spoken with Melba that morning about considering a position as a live-in caregiver. They had an extra bedroom, and it would be the perfect solution if Stacy ever had to work late.
She pulled out of the garage and saw Sam in his front yard walking to the house. She waved happily, and Sam smiled back. She was so glad he had dropped the whole idea of the lawsuit. And, once Addie showed them where the rest of the money had been hidden, Sam talked Addie into putting it back into the bank where it would be safe in case of a break-in or a fire. He was going to take Addie over to the bank that morning and make sure it was put back in interest-bearing accounts.
She turned onto the street and headed towards Henry’s house. She thought it was funny that even though all of their financial problems were solved, she still hadn’t slept well last night. But instead of worrying about the bills, she kept thinking about Henry. What could he possibly have to tell her that would make her reconsider a relationship with him? She had loved him since they were children. Nothing would make her love him less. Well, whatever it was, she decided, she would listen and then tell him it didn’t matter.
“And then we can live happily ever after,” she said.
Slowing her car, she pulled into his driveway and pulled to the side of the house as she had the day before. She turned off the car, reached over to the passenger seat for her backpack, and then got out of the car. But her heart dropped when she saw who was walking out of the side door. Lorraine Mills, with only Henry’s work shirt wrapped around her, tiptoed towards her car. Her hair was messed, as if she’d just woken up, and she was definitely not wearing anything underneath the shirt she held clutched around her.
“Good morning, Stacy,” Lorraine whispered, a wide smile on her face. “Henry’s running a little late this morning, but he asked me to tell you he’ll be right out.”