Melodic Dreams

by Walters, Janet Lane;

  Jay freed his hand. “You’ll like the lake. When summer comes we can go swimming there.” He fastened Jamie into the child’s seat. “Mrs. Greene packed a great lunch.”

  “Good. I’ll be hungry. Aunt Ria brought a ball. We can play catch.”

  Jay slid into the driver’s seat. “All set?” He felt buoyant. Little bits of a melody played thorough his thoughts. Shame he couldn’t stop and write them down. He would remember.

  As they neared the lake, they passed a hot dog truck. “Next time we come we’ll eat there. Best dogs in town.” They passed the first entrance and continued around the circle to the other side of the lake. Jay parked near the canoe rental shed.

  After finding a pleasant spot with a table and benches set beneath the spreading branches of a maple tree, Jay lifted Jamie to the ground. “I can rent a canoe and take you for a ride.”

  “Yes, yes,” Jamie cried.

  Maria shook her head. “I’ll pass. I’ve used my allocation of accidents for the month. Do they have life jackets small enough for Jamie? If not, no ride.”

  “I’ll make sure.” Jay arched an eyebrow. “Guess you don’t swim.”

  “Never had a chance to learn.”

  “And Jamie,”

  “Splashed in a plastic pool in the yard.”

  “They’ll teach him in school. Come summer and I’ll give you lessons.” As he thought about having his hands on her body, a grin curved his mouth. Her answering blush warmed him. “Be back in a few.” He walked to the rental shed where the attendant found a child’s vest.

  Jay waved. Jamie ran to him. Once the vest was fastened and Jamie seated in the canoe, Jay stepped in. The motion caused his son to gasp. “It’s all right. The thing to do is stay in your seat.” He raised the paddle and they moved across the lake.

  Jamie turned. He waved to Maria. “We’re just like Indians.” He started to stand.

  “Stay in your seat or we’ll go back.”

  “Okay.”

  By the time they circled the lake, Jay felt exhausted. He realized how long it had been since he’d used these muscles. His hands cramped. He stopped paddling until the muscles relaxed. Then he moved the canoe to shore.

  “That was fun,” Jamie said. “Can we go around again?”

  “Another time. Wouldn’t want your aunt to eat all the food.”

  Jamie laughed. “Her wouldn’t. Aunt Ria always feeds me first.”

  Jay tilted his head. Did Maria always put the boy’s interest over hers? He thought of ways he could help her. Would she let him? Until he knew her reasons for being here, he couldn’t make a commitment. When would the investigator call? Jay needed to learn what the man had learned. His desire for Maria clouded his judgment. He needed facts.

  He lifted Jamie from the canoe. “Be with you soon.” He paid the clerk and returned the vest.

  Jamie ran toward the picnic table. “Aunt Ria, you should have come.”

  “Another time. Ready for lunch?”

  “Yes.”

  Jay sat across the table from them. Maria split a roll and filled it with chicken salad. She scooped some of the potatoes on a plate and filled Jamie’s cup with lemonade. She made a plate for Jay.

  He laughed. “I could do my own.”

  “Habit.” She took a bite of her sandwich. “Delicious.”

  Jay smiled. “Mrs. Greene is part of the family. She started as a maid and graduated to housekeeper. I paid her to keep an eye on the house and my father when he lived here. I remember how she always had snacks for Manon and me.”

  When they finished eating, Jay stretched. “A nap or a walk?”

  “Walk,” Jamie said. “Then we play catch.”

  By mid-afternoon, Jamie folded. He curled on the blanket Jay had spread beneath the tree. Maria poured a cup of tea and sat at the table.

  “Are you sure you won’t spend the night?” he asked.

  Maria stared at the table. “I’d rather not. You can have some time alone with Jamie. Are sure you can get him ready for school? Maybe we should do this another time.”

  He covered her hand with his. “I want to take him to school on his first day. I’ve missed so many firsts.”

  Her dark honey eyes appeared sad. “I know you have.” She turned the cup in circles. “I want to be there, too.”

  “If you spend the night, you could,”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “I’ll meet you at the school. One thing though. He might not want to spend the night. He’s never been away from me. We’ll need to ask him.”

  “We will and thanks for the chance. I sure gave you no hope this would work when you appeared at my door.”

  Maria’s light laughter made his heart accelerate. The notes he’d heard earlier formed a theme.

  When Jamie woke, they walked to the car. Maria fastened him into his car seat. “Your dad wants to know if you would like to spend the night at his house.”

  “Who would take me to school?”

  “I would and Maria will meet us there.”

  Jamie grabbed her hand. “You’re not coming?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be at the apartment.”

  “Don’t want to stay downstairs all alone.”

  Jay turned. “You’ll be in the room across the hall from mine. It was my room when I was a boy. There’s a bunk bed.”

  “Can I sleep on top?”

  “We’ll see.” Jay started the van. “We’ll go to the apartment for your clothes.”

  “Aunt Ria, will you miss me?”

  “Yes.”

  “You could come. I bet my dad has a bed for you.”

  Jay hid a smile. He had one where she’d been once and he hoped she would visit again.

  Maria opened the passenger door. “Tonight is a time for you and your dad to learn about each other.”

  “What if I get scared?”

  “Call me and we’ll talk.”

  “Okay.”

  They drove to the apartment complex and went inside. Jay brought the picnic basket inside. “I’ll leave you the remains."

  “What about you and Jamie?”

  “There’s lasagna.”

  Jamie ran to the bedroom. “I’ll find the new clothes we bought for my first day at school.”

  Jay grasped Maria’s hand and pulled her into an embrace. He caught her mouth in a hungry and demanding kiss. “Come home with us.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Couldn’t she see how much he needed her? The notes in his head morphed to minor tones.

  “You have trust issues. Until you realize I’m not part of a con and I’m not my sister, there’s nothing for us.” She pulled away and hurried down the hall.

  He knew she wasn’t Delores but she came from the same family. How could she not have learned their values? His shoulders slumped.

  Maria and Jamie returned with the boy’s bag. She hugged her nephew. “Be good for your dad.”

  “I will. You won’t forget to come to school tomorrow.” He threw his arms around her neck.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I’ll miss you.”

  “Miss you, too.” She followed them to the door.

  Jay wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her to the car. He drew a deep breath of her vanilla scent. “I’ll take good care of hum.” He wanted to erase the sadness in her dark amber eyes but had no idea of what to say or do.

  “He’ll be fine,” Maria said. “Call me if there’s a problem.”

  “I will.” Jay followed Jamie to the elevator.

  At the car, he buckled Jamie into the child seat. “You all right?”

  “Think so. You really are my dad.”

  “Sure am.”

  “Aunt Ria’s better than a mom.”

  Jay nodded. “She really loves you.”

  “So did Nana. Uncle Carlo not so much. He hit Aunt Ria.” He covered his mouth. “Wasn’t supposed to say that.”

  Jay’s hands coiled into fists. “I won’t te
ll.” He put the van in gear.

  Jamie sighed. “I wish Aunt Ria was my mom.”

  As they drove toward the house Jay wondered if he could give his son his wish. Only if he believed he could trust Maria.

  At the house Jay heated the lasagna. The rich aroma of the sauce brought memories of his birthday and the hope he’d felt. Of the mind-shattering sex.

  Jamie scraped his plate. “Can I…Oh, we forgot to bring my piano.”

  Jay carried the plates to the dishwasher. “How about we go to the studio and play on one of the pianos there?”

  Jamie clapped his hands. ”Yes.”

  For nearly an hour they remained in the music room. Jay showed Jamie how to play the C major scale and a little about using both hands. While Jamie played the birthday song, Jay noted it on paper and explained the scale.

  They returned to the house. Jamie bathed with Jay’s assistance. In the bedroom that had been his as a child, Jay read a story. He kissed Jamie’s forehead. “I’ll be across the hall if you need me.”

  Worry crept into Jamie’s eyes. “You won’t play music and forget me.”

  “Never. Sleep. Tomorrow is school.”

  Jay crossed the wall and picked up a book. The door opened. Jamie crept inside. “What’s wrong?” Jay asked.

  “Want Aunt Ria.”

  He lifted his son onto his lap. He wanted her, too. “You’ll see her tomorrow.”

  “Maybe she’ll forget.”

  “Want to call her?”

  “She’ll think I’m a baby. I’d better sleep.”

  “Good idea. Look for her in your dreams.” He lifted a CD player. “Why not listen to this. Before you were born, I wrote the music for you.”

  Chapter 9

  The evening dragged. After eating some of the salads from the picnic basket, Maria tried to focus on Jamie’s school and her new job. The silence made her miss the usual after dinner noise. The xylophone banging or sounds from the keyboard. Had she been foolish not to stay at Jay’s house? Remembering the kiss and the sex, she knew her decision had been right. Resisting the man had become almost impossible.

  She walked to the bedroom and laid out a new set of scrubs, dark blue pants and a white top with dark blue flowers. A glance at Jamie’s bed brought a rush of sadness. Was he in bed? Had his father read him a story? What would she do if Jay decided to make Jamie’s stay permanent? The right was his and she couldn’t fight him.

  Tears burned her eyes. What happened next depended on trust. If Jay continued believing she’d come to Fern Lake wanting money the way Delores had, there was no chance. She dashed the tears with her fingers. She teetered on the brink of love for Jamie’s father. The urge to explore the passion again remained like a grain of sand rubbing her heart. Why couldn’t he see past the surface and realize she was nothing like her sister?

  She returned to the living room and stared at the phone. The itch to make a call dangled like a ripe apple on a tree. She couldn’t. She had to trust Jay. She’d seen the way his love for his son had bloomed. In her head the sweet lullaby she’d heard once sounded.

  At eleven, she switched off the television and went to bed. Her chest felt tight. If Jay decided to keep Jamie, could he put aside his obsession with composing aside to spend time with his child? If that happened, she might be alone and have to leave Fern Lake. She couldn’t abandon Jamie. With a long sigh she crawled into bed to toss and turn until sleep captured her. Dreams of chasing Jay and Jamie without catching them brought her awake.

  The alarm shattered one of those episodes. She yawned, stretched and staggered to the bathroom. After showering and dressing, she left the apartment and arrived at the school forty-five minutes before Jay and Jamie were due. Her stomach growled. Should have eaten breakfast or at least had coffee? She closed her eyes but couldn’t rest. Before long students arrived. Some walking and some stepped from cars or buses.

  Moments crept like slugs across the lawn. Where were they? She noticed some mothers walking with children close to Jamie’s are.

  A van pulled up behind her car. Jay got out. So did she. She reached the sidewalk in time to be grabbed by a running boy. Jamie talked so fast she couldn’t understand more than one words in ten.

  “Slow down.”

  Jamie hugged her. “I missed you. I learned to play the piano with two hands. Dad wrote my song. I slept all night. Dad made a song for me.”

  “I know. It’s beautiful.”

  “He made eggs and toast. One broke all over the floor.”

  “Messy.”

  “Very much so,” Jay said.

  “Do you think the teacher will like me?” Jamie tugged on her hand.

  Maria smiled. “I’m sure she will.” She held one hand and Jay the other. They joined other children and parents entering the school. One woman who looked familiar walked ahead of them. Maria paused at the door marked pre-school.

  “Have a good day,” Jay said.

  “I will. Oh, I see my friends from the park. They’re waving.”

  Maria kissed his forehead. “Go. I’ll see you by five thirty.”

  A woman pushed past her. Maria stared. That was the one who’d accosted Jay at the park. She turned. Where had he gone? With a last look to see Jamie chattering to two boys and a girl, she walked to the entrance.

  As she emerged from the school, Jay stepped from behind a tree. “Hiding?” she asked.

  He nodded. “May be silly but I desire that woman’s hands nowhere near my body.”

  Maria laughed. “Wonder if she’ll be waiting for you when school’s over.”

  “Jamie’s staying late and you’re picking him up.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the knuckles. “Good luck on your first day at the hospital.”

  “Thanks.” She turned away before she acted on the urge to kiss him.

  She drove to the hospital and parked in the employee lot. Her first stop was at the Human Resources Department for her badge and to hand in the papers she’d completed last evening. Her stomach gurgled.

  A sign pointing to the cafeteria where the aromas of food tantalized. She wished she felt calm enough to eat a hearty breakfast. Instead, she purchased a toasted and buttered bagel and a huge coffee.

  Maria entered the OT suite and carried her food into the office with two desks and two computers. A name plate told her which was hers. She sank on the chair, glad she was early enough to eat.

  After demolishing the food and feeling energized, she set out to explore the suite. A large room contained a mock studio apartment with kitchen, living room, bath and bedroom. The second area was a treatment room. The third held a mock car, stairs, ramp and a washer and dryer. Great set-up, she thought.

  Just as she returned to the office, a woman about her age pushed the door open. “Hi, I’m Connie Wright. You must be Maria Russo. I’m glad to see you.”

  Maria smiled. “Good to be here.”

  The red-head dropped her purse on the top of her desk. “You have no idea how much you’re needed. Diana left two weeks ago. Doctor ordered her on bed rest.”

  “So I heard. What’s on the schedule for today?”

  Connie rolled her eyes. “Too much. There are ten follow-ups that I’ll do. Five inpatient and five outpatients. There are three evaluations. Though a part-timer from the nursing home came by several times during the last two weeks, she left the weekend requests for you.”

  Maria drew a deep breath. “Give me the names of the patients and I’ll get started.” Though she sounded confident, she felt snowed and the day had just begun. “Is there a copy of the form used here?”

  Connie opened a drawer and pulled out a clipboard. “Keep this with you. Later you can type your notes into the chart. Once you learn the system there’ll be no problem. I’ll give you all the codes you’ll need for billing.” She made a face. “The computer system is fairly simple. Took me about a week to feel comfortable. I’ll show you later.”

  Maria took the list of patients and a floor map of the hospital. She ro
de the elevator to the third floor and stopped at the nurse’s station. After presenting her badge, the unit clerk showed her how to open the chart. For a time she skimmed the notes from the other departments. After jotting a few notes, she went to see the seventy year old woman who’d had a knee replacement.

  “Mrs. Levy, I’m Maria Russo from Occupational Therapy.” For a time they talked about the woman’s level of functioning. Maria asked questions about the Levy home.

  “One floor. Carpet in all rooms but the kitchen, bathroom and powder room.”

  “Shower or tub?” Maria asked.

  “Both.” The older woman leaned forward. “Figure I’ll be using the walk-in shower for a bit.”

  “That’s a good plan. Any throw rugs?”

  Mrs. Levy shook her head “Wait a minute. The bathroom has rugs with the rubber backs that keep them from slipping.”

  “Have someone check to make sure they are secure.” Maria went to the door. “Be right back.” She found a wheelchair and returned. “We need to go to my place.” Outside the room she stopped at the desk and informed the unit clerk of their destination.

  After assessing Mrs. Levy’s upper body strength and manual dexterity, they went to the mock apartment. Between rest periods the elderly woman demonstrated her ability to function at home. They ended in the third room. After using the stairs, Mrs. Levy entered and left the mock car.

  As Maria wheeled the woman to her room, she asked some final questions. “Will you have help at home?”

  “My husband and daughter.”

  “Why didn’t you go to the rehab facility?”

  “Don’t like the place. Heard it’s up for sale. I’ll be coming here for physical therapy. Could any follow-ups be scheduled for the same days?”

  “If they’re needed, that would work. Right now, I only think you need to work on upper body strength. You can do that at home.” She handed her a pamphlet.

  After leaving Mrs. Levy, Maria went to the second of the evaluations. Once she finished she returned to the suite to see if Connie had time to show her how to key the information into the computer.

  Connie looked up. “You worked through lunch.”