“1846?” Jason asked.
Curtis laughed and slapped him on the back good-naturedly.
“Funny guy here, right, Sophie?”
“He’s a riot, Pop.”
Curtis was beginning to pick up a tension between the two of them. Something in the way they pointedly were not looking at each other, smiling with no trace of humor or warmth. Something, Curtis decided, was not right.
He chatted with them for a few more minutes, and failing at his attempts to include both of them in the same conversation, excused himself to chat with Grace, all the while watching his granddaughter and Jason work around each other.
This simply would not do.
Disturbed, Curtis said his goodbyes, kissing Sophie and reminding Jason that he was to stop over later that afternoon to pick up a check for the work he’d been doing. Then, feigning fatigue, he asked Violet, whom he’d accompanied, if they could leave.
“Of course, Curtis.” Violet waved to Sophie, then said goodbye to the group of volunteers she’d been regaling with tales of the previous occupants of Ellie’s house and the fun they’d had when they were younger.
“It always makes me so nostalgic, coming here,” she told Curtis as they walked to her car. “It reminds me of when I was young, and Lilly and Rose were still alive. Such times we had …”
“You were always fun to be around, Violet. I know how close you and Rose, in particular, were all through your school days.”
“That we were, Curtis.”
Violet’s car was parked at the end of Ellie’s driveway, a privilege Violet assumed because of her age. The pair got into the car and began the drive back to Old St. Mary’s Church Road in silence, Curtis distracted by the apparent coolness between Sophie and Jason, and Violet accustomed to a quiet car.
When they made the turn onto Charles Street, Curtis asked, “Do you suppose it’s true what they say about Grace Sinclair?”
“What on earth are you talking about? What do they say about Grace?” Violet’s eyes narrowed, but she never took them from the road.
“Oh, that she knows … spells, or something like that,” he mumbled.
“They still say that, do they?”
“It used to be the talk of the town, how Grace and Alice Ridgeway and a few others dabbled in … whatever it was they dabbled in …” He sighed. “You know what I mean, Violet.”
“Yes, I certainly do.” Was that a half smile of amusement on her face?
“So, does she?”
“Does she what, dear?”
“Does Grace Sinclair still do that stuff?” He wondered if he sounded as silly as he felt, but it was for a good cause, wasn’t it? “Spells.”
“What kind of spell did you have in mind, Curtis?”
“Something like a … like a …” He lowered his voice. “A love spell.”
At first, Violet appeared not to have heard, but finally, she said, “I’m trying to figure out why a man whose next big birthday will be ninety would be interested in a love spell.”
“It’s certainly not for me.”
“Why, I do believe you’re blushing, Curtis Enright.” Violet seemed to be having a little too much fun with the conversation.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t blush,” he grumbled.
“I’m assuming that if it’s not for you, the spell you have in mind has something to do with Sophie.”
Curtis nodded.
“Don’t you think Sophie is old enough and smart enough to take care of things in her own time?”
“Maybe in her time, but perhaps not in mine. And I want to see the girl settled before my time is up.”
“I see.” Violet slowed as she approached his house and stopped at the curb. “The young man you have in mind would be …?”
“Jason.”
“Of course. I should have guessed.”
“He’s the right one for her, Violet. Rose and I both agreed.”
“And Sophie? How does she feel about Jason?”
“I haven’t asked her.”
“And he …?”
“Haven’t asked him either.”
“Then why on earth would you want to interfere?”
“Because I know what I know, that’s why,” he snapped, then softened. “Sorry, Violet. It’s just that, it’s one of those things you just know.”
She nodded. Apparently there were things she just knew, too.
“So?” he asked pointedly.
“Sometimes it’s best not to meddle,” she said. “Sometimes it’s best to just let nature take its course.”
“This isn’t one of them.”
“All right.” She seemed resigned. “I’ll see what I can do. But don’t blame me if things don’t go well.”
“Thank you, Violet. I thank you, and Rose thanks you.” He touched her arm briefly, then opened the car door. “And someday, Sophie will thank you, too …”
“I certainly hope you’re right,” she said as she drove away.
He stood on the sidewalk while she turned around in his driveway, then raised a hand to wave as she passed by on her way home. He was grateful that not only had she agreed to help him—whatever form that help might take, he hadn’t asked—but that she hadn’t made him feel any more foolish than he already did. He was so grateful that he decided right then and there that he’d never bring up the fact that he knew she’d loaned Sophie the money to open her restaurant.
“Well, I guess we’ll see if there’s any truth to all those stories people used to tell about Grace and Alice and the others,” he said aloud as he unlocked the front door.
He leaned his walking stick next to the hall table and paused as it occurred to him that Violet seemed to know an awful lot about that whole spell thing. Had she said she’d see what she could do, or that she’d see what could be done? He couldn’t remember which it had been.
“Rose, you don’t suppose that Violet …” He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Violet was much too sensible a woman to ever be involved in such nonsense.
Of course, he thought it was nonsense. But the way things were going, he figured it couldn’t hurt.
Feeling that the situation was under control, Curtis went into his study and plopped in his favorite chair, picked up the new thriller that had arrived in the morning mail, and began to read.
And that was where, several hours later, Jason found him, slumped over the arm of the chair.
Chapter 23
JESSE, Brooke, and Sophie sat quietly in the waiting room at Bay Memorial Hospital, where Curtis had been taken following Jason’s call to 911. When a tall, thin doctor stepped into the room and asked, “Enright family?” they all stood at the same time.
“How is he?” three voices asked at once.
“You’re Mr. Enright’s …?”
“Grandchildren.”
“Which one of you is Jason?”
“Ah, none of us. He’s the one who called me,” Jesse said. “Is he here?”
“He was. He followed the ambulance when Mr. Enright was brought in and helped with the admission process. I assumed he was family.”
“He’s a friend of the family,” Jesse told him. “What can you tell us about our grandfather? Is he all right?”
“Can we see him?” Sophie asked.
“Right now, we’re running some tests, and until we have the results, we won’t be able to tell you much of anything. It appears he’s had some sort of spell, but we’re not sure what caused it. He’s still unresponsive.” The doctor looked up from his notes. “Does anyone know if he has a DNR?”
“What’s a DNR?” Brooke asked.
“Do not resuscitate,” Sophie replied. “Is it that serious?”
“I’m just covering the bases. Do you know if he had a living will?”
“He does,” Jesse said softly. “I saw a copy at the office.”
The doctor nodded. “Why don’t you all go on home. We’ll call you if he comes around, or when we know something definitive.”
“I
want to stay,” Jesse said. “I think someone should be here when he wakes up.”
“I’d stay with you, but I need to drop Logan off at Jason’s,” Brooke said as she stood. “It’s Saturday.”
Guys’ night out, Sophie recalled.
“I’ll do it,” Sophie told them. “You guys stay here with Pop, and I’ll go pick up Logan and take him to Jason’s. Besides, we need to thank him for getting Pop to the hospital and for calling Jesse.” She stood and grabbed her bag from the back of the hard plastic chair she’d been seated on. “Call me if there’s a change.”
“Will do. Thanks, Sophie.” Brooke gave her a quick hug. “I’ll call Logan and tell him you’re on your way so he can meet you outside.”
Sophie’s running shoes made an odd muffled squeak on the vinyl tiled floor as she hurried to the elevator, her thoughts jumbled, her prayers disjointed. It was difficult to think rationally, she discovered, in panic mode. The thought of losing her grandfather overrode everything else. He’d become so dear to her, so important in her life over the past year, that she couldn’t imagine what it would be like without him.
“Please hang on, Pop,” she whispered as she got into her SUV. “Don’t give up.”
She wondered if sometimes one had a choice: stay or go? Given the chance to choose, she was pretty sure which her grandfather would take. How many times had he spoken wistfully of Rose, how much he missed her, how he was only marking time until they could be together again? Was it wrong for her to pray that he not get his wish just yet so they might keep him with them a little longer?
Of course, she knew the outcome wasn’t in her hands. Whatever was to happen was in accordance with a plan of someone else’s design, and they would all have to accept that, whatever it was.
Still, she would miss him. It hurt her heart to think how much.
She stopped at the end of the driveway leading to the Madison farm to compose herself. When she felt she had it together, she parked the car, and she’d just gotten out when she saw Logan headed down the path from the house where he lived with his mother and Jesse on Brooke’s family farm.
“Hi, Sophie!” Logan waved and broke into a trot. “Mom said for me to watch for you, so I did.”
“Good thinking on your mom’s part.” Sophie got back into the car. Had Brooke told Logan about Pop? The boy had gotten pretty close to Curtis and would surely be upset if he thought his great-grandfather by marriage was in peril. Sophie decided not to mention it unless Logan did.
“So what’s on the agenda for tonight?” she asked.
“Pizza!” He chortled. “Uncle Jace said I could pick what kind tonight since it was just him and me. Cody had to go somewhere with his mom and dad, so he can’t come with us. We’re going to go out to a movie.”
“What are you going to see?”
“Uncle Jace said it’s going to be a surprise.” Logan sat with his overnight bag on his lap. “Do you know where my uncle lives?”
“Ahhh … no. Actually, I don’t. What a silly thing for me not to ask.” Sophie felt more than silly, she felt incredibly foolish. Her mind was so focused on her grandfather’s condition that she forgot she hadn’t been to Jason’s home before.
“I figured you didn’t,” Logan said, “because you’re going the wrong way.”
“Why don’t you tell me which way?”
“Turn around here and then go back to Doyle Street and turn that way.” He pointed to the right.
“Then what?”
“Then you go on that street till you get to his house.”
“Sounds easy enough. I’m sure you know what his house looks like, right?”
Logan rolled his eyes at her. “Duh. I stay there every weekend.”
“Right. I forgot.” Sophie followed Logan’s directions, turning where he said to turn, stopping in front of the house he pointed to.
“There. That’s my uncle’s house.” Logan barely waited for the car to come to a stop before jumping out.
Sophie debated on whether or not to go up to the door, when Jason appeared in the driveway. He and Logan greeted each other with high-fives; then after a few words, Logan took off for the front door and Jason walked over to Sophie’s car.
“How’s your granddad?” he asked with obvious concern.
“The same, I guess. He’s still not awake.” She tried to look away from his gaze but could not. “The doctor said you called 911 and went to the hospital with him.”
“I followed the ambulance in my car so he wouldn’t be alone if he came to. I called Jesse from the car on the way over.”
He leaned on the driver’s-side door. His hair was still damp from the shower he’d obviously just taken and his T-shirt clung to his chest. It was hard not to stare.
“He was out when you found him?”
Jason nodded. “I was supposed to meet with him at four, and I got there a little early. When he didn’t answer the door, I wasn’t concerned at first, because I knew he’d been out with Violet and thought maybe they went someplace and were a little late getting back. But when it got to be four fifteen and there was no sign of him—you know how he is about being punctual—I went back to the house and rang the doorbell. No answer out front, so I went around back. The door was open, so I knew he was there. I went in, called his name, but there was no answer. He wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room, so I figured he’d be in the library, which he was, in that big, old green leather chair he likes so much. He had a pulse but it was faint, and I couldn’t rouse him. That’s when I called 911.”
“We can’t thank you enough. If you hadn’t found him when you did, he might be gone by now. He still might not …” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Her eyes spilled over with tears, and Jason squeezed her arm.
“If I can do anything … anything … call me.”
“We will. Thanks, Jason.”
“Look, I’m taking Logan to the movies. You’re welcome to come with us. It might take your mind off things for a while.”
“Thanks, but I should get back to the hospital with my brother and Brooke.”
He straightened up and backed away from the car. “Keep in touch, okay? I mean, about Curtis.”
“Right. I will.”
She turned around in his driveway and went back the way she came. She reached the stop sign on the corner before she realized that he was still standing in front of his house, and that she had no idea what that house looked like. All she’d seen when she pulled up in front had been Jason.
She was a block away from the hospital when her phone rang. The caller ID told her it was Jesse.
“Soph, you on your way back yet?” Jesse’s voice was tense.
“Yes. I’m almost there. Has something happened? Is he …”
“No. I wanted you to stop and pick up Violet on your way, but if you’re that close …”
“I’ll go back for her. I know it’s important for her to be there. Did you call anyone else?”
“I called Uncle Mike and left a message—he’s in Florida, but he could probably get a flight up tomorrow morning if he gets the message in time to make arrangements. I called Nick; he’s going to call Zoey and Georgia. And I called Mom, because I thought she’d like to know.”
After a long silence, she asked, “Did you call Dad?”
“I’m thinking about it,” was all he said.
“Maybe you should run that past Uncle Mike, see how he feels about it.”
“That was the plan.”
She turned around in a convenience store parking lot and drove back to St. Dennis. She hated not being there with Jesse and Brooke, but at the same time was grateful to be moving, to have something specific to do. Sitting and waiting was too stressful. She turned on the radio and sang her way to Violet’s. She didn’t want to think about losing her grandfather and she didn’t want to think about having lost Jason. So much easier to focus on remembering the words to “Stairway to Heaven” on the classic rock station. So much easier to be making convers
ation with Violet on the drive back to the hospital.
Sophie dropped Violet off at the front door and went to park her car. By the time she found a spot and returned to the place she’d left Violet, the older woman had gone on ahead to the third-floor waiting room. When Sophie arrived, she could tell by the look on her brother’s face that things were not going well.
“There’s been no change, but the doctor said we could go in two at a time.” Jesse turned to Violet. “Why don’t you go in now with Sophie for a few minutes.”
“Oh, but don’t you think you’d rather …,” Violet began to protest.
“You and Pop have been friends for what, a hundred years?” Jesse made a lame attempt to tease.
“One hundred and seventeen, I believe.” She tried to force a smile.
“I think you should be there with him now, for a while, anyway.” Jesse turned to Sophie. “He’s in room 357. First bed.”
“Have you seen him?” Sophie asked.
Jesse nodded. “I sat with him while you were gone. I don’t know if he knew I was there, but I talked to him as if he could hear me. Maybe he could …”
Sophie hugged her brother for a long moment, then took Violet by the arm, and together they found room 357. She was shocked at her grandfather’s appearance. Where earlier in the day he’d been completely himself, now he looked as if he’d aged ten years in a matter of hours. His skin was gray, his eyes remained closed, and his breathing was shallow.
She stood next to the hospital bed and pulled a chair close for Violet, who sat immediately and took one of Curtis’s hands.
“Well, it’s been a long journey, hasn’t it, old friend?” Violet whispered. “If this is where it’s supposed to end, go peacefully. Rose has been waiting a long time.” She patted his hand for a minute or two. “On the other hand, should you decide to stay, perhaps you’ll agree that you should probably not remain in that big house all by yourself. You can move in with me or you can go into a home, but your days of living in that mansion are over, my friend.”
Curtis’s lips moved, slowly at first, but Sophie couldn’t make out any words. Violet stood and leaned over him and appeared to be listening. Sophie thought she heard him utter the word “spell”—but wouldn’t swear to it—to which Violet assured him, “It’s been taken care of.” He then sighed deeply and seemed to slip back away to wherever he’d been.
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