by Nan Dixon
“What do the doctors say?”
“My brain needs to heal.” He slammed the seat belt together. “I’m not good at waiting and I can’t stand sitting around.”
Who could? But Carolina knew there was going to be a lot of sitting and waiting in her future. “I hope coming to the hospital didn’t set you back.”
“That’s more walking than I’ve done in a while,” he said. “But it’s good since I can’t work out.”
“Let me know if I can do anything for you.” She would make the time for Sage. “Where am I going?”
“River Street.” He fired off directions, since she’d never driven these one-way streets before.
As she parked in front of a warehouse condominium, he unbuckled his seat belt. “I’d like to invite you to up to my place.”
“I can’t.” But she didn’t want to leave him, either. He kept her—calm. “I really appreciate you coming to the hospital.” How many times had she said that already?
He slid closer. “I want to see you again.”
She could see the kiss coming.
He stopped inches from her face and asked, “Can I kiss you?”
“Yes.” Her single word was a whisper.
His lips were gentle. Sweet. Light pressure with a little scrape from his stubble.
“Nice,” he murmured, brushing kisses on her cheeks and eyes.
“Yes.” Her hands rested against his chest. “Really nice.”
Sage leaned in. His tongue licked the seam of her lips, seeking entrance.
She opened and stroked his tongue with hers. He tasted of coffee and mint and something dark and sexy. His chocolate-citrus scent made her want to sip at his lips, kiss his eyelids and nibble on his collarbone. She gripped his shoulders, the muscles hot under her hands.
He tipped her head and buried his fingers in her hair.
She fell hard into their kiss, wanting to explore the firm body beneath her fingers. “Sage.”
He pulled her closer.
Pain slashed her chest as her seat belt locked in place. “Ooh.”
They laughed.
He cupped her cheek. “I guess your car is trying to tell us something.”
That she should take him up on his offer to come up to his apartment?
“I can meet you at the hospital in the morning,” Sage suggested. “Maybe we could have breakfast nearby?”
Guilt had her sitting back behind the wheel. While kissing Sage, she’d forgotten about her mother. “I’ll have to see what’s happening.”
“Sure. Sure.” He brushed another kiss on her lips, this one sweet and soft. “Will you let me know when you get home? I don’t want to worry that you didn’t make it.”
Had anyone ever cared if she got home safely? Not even her mother. Mamá had always been worried about how her arrivals and departures affected her own life.
She couldn’t think that way. Her mother was dying.
She touched Sage’s cheek. “I’ll call you.”
* * *
CAROLINA HADN’T CALLED. Sage had fallen asleep when he’d hit the bed, but this morning there hadn’t been any calls or texts in his log. And she hadn’t answered his phone call this morning, either. Damn.
He’d moved too fast. Shouldn’t have kissed her. What had he been thinking?
He’d been thinking she was—incredible. He wanted to spend time with her. Find out what made her smile or cry. And he wanted to help her. Because sometimes she seemed lost.
It was after one in the afternoon. He shut his laptop. Even five minutes looking at the screen had his head pounding. The letters danced and doubled if he looked too long.
Picking up his phone, he scrolled to Carolina’s number. But her last words had been I’ll call you.
He tossed his phone on the coffee table. There had to be something he could do. Sitting around was driving him as crazy as a rattlesnake in a stampede.
Since reading intensified his headache, he pushed up from the sofa and headed to the window. For now, the sun glinting off the river didn’t shoot shards of glass into his brain. He slipped open the slider and stepped outside. The Savannah heat and humidity was a shock. His body kept expecting the dry Texas prairie winds.
Next week he had an appointment with his doctor. Maybe by then he’d be able to get back to work. Sitting around was more painful than his headaches.
Muffled laughter floated up to him from brave people sitting on restaurant patios along River Street. How could they stand the heat? A woman waved from the deck of a boat as it motored down the Savannah River.
This sucked. He went back for his phone. He would call Carolina. All she had to do was tell him she couldn’t be bothered. That the kiss they’d shared last night had been a fluke.
It hadn’t been a fluke for him. Finding Carolina was like finding a long-lost friend. ’Course when he touched her, he wasn’t thinking friendly thoughts. Not with all the gorgeous hair and those eyes that carried so much sadness. He wanted to wrap her up and tuck her away from the pain of her mother’s cancer.
He hit Dial.
“Sage?”
“I thought I would check on you.” He corrected himself. “Did you...have any trouble getting home?”
“Oh, shoot. I promised to call.” Carolina sounded upset.
He waited.
“My phone was dead when I got home. And I fell asleep before I could access your number.”
“No problem.” At least she hadn’t blown him off. “How’s your mother?”
“The hospital woke me early. She’s conscious, but she had two more seizures during the night.”
Now he felt like a heel. “Is she okay?”
“She wants to go home.” He heard her sigh over the phone. “We’re waiting on her oncologist for a family conference.”
That didn’t sound good. “Is there anything you need? Food? Clothes?”
“That’s so sweet.”
Sweet? He wanted heroic. He rolled his eyes. Pain made him regret the action.
“I think I’m good. Ever since they called, I’ve been on the run and haven’t looked at my phone.”
“If you’re there through dinner, I could bring you food.” What restaurants were near the hospital? Or there must be a cafeteria.
“I... I guess I’m hoping I can bring Mamá home today.”
“Of course you are.” Idiot.
“Could I call you after we meet with the doctor?” Was her voice trembling? “Would that be okay? Unless something else comes up for you.”
“That’s perfect.” The words flew out of his mouth. He didn’t want her changing her mind.
“I’ll do that. The doctor’s supposed to be here in the next half hour.”
He sure hoped she wasn’t putting him off. “I’ll wait for your call.”
* * *
CAROLINA COULDN’T KEEP the smile off her face. Sage was the one good thing that had happened since she’d arrived home. She was about to the tuck the phone back in her purse, but noticed the voice-mail icon. Shoot, it had come in last night.
She poured hot water over her tea bag. As long as she was in the waiting room, she’d listen to the call.
“Hi. This is Abby Fitzgerald. I’d like to offer you the job. Give me a call when you get a chance. I was hoping you could work a short shift on Thursday for training.”
Carolina stared at her phone. She’d gotten the job.
No! She didn’t want to work for Abby.
With Mamá ill, it was too long a drive between Savannah and Tybee. Her mother needed her.
She started to hit the call button but Dr. Laster entered the lounge.
“Hi,” Carolina said.
“Hey.” The doctor poured a cup of coffee. “Looks like we had the same idea. Shall we head to your mother’s room?”
&nbs
p; “Sure.” She tucked her phone away. She would call Abby and turn down the job after she took Mamá home.
“How are you, Rosa?” Dr. Laster asked as they walked into the hospital room.
“I’m so tired.” Mamá pushed the button on the bed and sat up. “What happened?”
“You had seizures last night and this morning.”
“Seizures?” Her mother frowned.
Carolina’s chest tightened. She and Mamá had already talked about this.
“It’s okay if you don’t remember.” Dr. Laster patted her mother’s leg. “The neurologist has prescribed medication, but we’ll need to monitor you. I’d like to keep you in the hospital while we do that. We can begin your first treatments here.”
“In the hospital?” Rosa grabbed Carolina’s hand. “Can’t I go home?”
“You’re safer here. I’d rather you didn’t have to come back via ambulance.”
Carolina wanted her mother to be safe. “What if you fall or have a seizure and I’m not around?”
“But...” Rosa closed her eyes and inhaled. “I hate hospitals.”
“Who doesn’t?” Dr. Laster smiled.
“I’ll bring your pretty robe and whatever you need from home.” Carolina forced a cheerful tone into her voice. “We can make the room nice.”
“Nice?” Her mother snorted.
Yikes. Her mother didn’t snort.
“We can. Flowers will brighten up the room.” Carolina should have brought her mother flowers.
“I want my bird.” Her mother pointed her finger at Carolina. “Don’t forget my bird.”
Carolina would like to purge the bird from Mamá’s memory. She didn’t want stolen property sitting in her mother’s hospital room for all to see. Why was the bird the one thing Mamá wouldn’t forget? “Sure.”
“Staying here is best for you, Rosa,” Dr. Laster insisted.
“It won’t be for long, will it?” Rosa asked.
“A couple of weeks. Maybe more. I’d want to make sure the medication stops the seizures before you start the radiation treatments. Then...we’ll see how it goes.” The doctor glanced at Carolina.
A chill ran through Carolina’s body. We’ll see how it goes? She tucked her trembling hands under her thighs. With her mother listening, she couldn’t ask Dr. Laster whether Mamá would ever go home.
Dr. Laster talked about lab work, medication and getting her mother’s weight up before treatment started. Carolina should be taking notes.
Her mother nodded off.
“Can I ask you some questions?” Carolina asked as she and the doctor headed out of the room.
Dr. Laster nodded. “I know this is a lot to take in.”
“You didn’t sound certain that my mother would leave in a week or two.” Carolina stared into Dr. Laster’s kind blue eyes.
“Honey, I don’t know that she will get out very soon. We have to stop the seizures. Then we can start treatments.”
“And she has to gain weight.”
Dr. Laster nodded. “She’ll need reserves.”
“So this might be three or four weeks?”
The doctor nodded.
Her plan to turn down Abby’s job offer faded like the final note in a sad song. If she took the bartending job, she could spend the day with her mother and then head to work.
She didn’t have to like it. She just had to make money. Because a long hospital stay was going to hurt—financially.
CHAPTER FIVE
“I’M BORED,” CAROLINA’S mother complained. “I hate it here.”
“I know, but staying in the hospital is for your safety.” Carolina tucked a black tank top into her black skirt. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mamá closed her eyes. “I want to go home.”
She brushed a kiss on her mother’s fragile cheek. “Don’t you remember, you had another seizure this morning?”
And two last night. The neurologist was still trying to stabilize the dosage on her mother’s meds. It was already Thursday. Why couldn’t the doctors fix this?
“I don’t remember those...episodes.” Mamá refused to say “seizure.”
“It’s okay.” Carolina remembered for both of them. “I need to get to work. First night, remember?”
Her hands clenched into fists. She hated the idea of working for Abby, but she was counting on making great tips. Even after getting rid of her mother’s car lease, the credit card balances were staggering.
Mamá’s eyes went sly. “Bring me back something.”
“It’s a restaurant.” Carolina chose to misunderstand her. “Do you want a dessert or something else?”
The nursing staff had encouraged her to bring in treats, anything to get Mamá to eat.
“I want all the birds.” Rosa stroked the cardinal Carolina had brought to the hospital.
“Mamá.” She glanced around, but no one would understand what they were talking about. “I can’t.”
Her mother pouted. “I’m in the hospital.”
“I won’t be in the house,” Carolina whispered.
“But the restaurant’s on the property.” Her blue eyes drilled into Carolina’s. “I thought you loved me.”
“I do love you.” She glanced at the clock. “I have to go.”
At the nursing station, one of the nurses stamped her parking pass. At least she didn’t have that added expense.
As she headed to Southern Comforts, her body was as tight as a piano string. Every bump on the street made her vibrate. She hadn’t worked behind a bar in almost a year. Hopefully the customers wouldn’t ask for a cocktail she couldn’t make.
In the parking lot, Carolina wedged her small car between two SUVs. When she entered the restaurant’s kitchen door, it wasn’t quite three o’clock. A few people were in the kitchen, but it was a blonde woman who looked up and asked, “Can I help you?”
“I’m Carolina Castillo. The new bartender.”
“Cheryl Forester. Abby asked me to get you set up.” She held up dough-covered hands. “I’d shake your hand...”
Carolina waved. “No problem.”
“There are lockers in there for your stuff.” Cheryl nodded her head at a door. “I’ll be right with you.”
Each locker had a key that pulled out. Nice.
Cheryl came through the door and handed Carolina a black polo with a gold SC intertwined on the left-hand pocket. Carolina pulled it over her tank top.
“That fits.” Cheryl handed her another shirt. “And an extra.”
“Thanks.” Most places only gave employees one shirt. Abby Fitzgerald must have money to burn. Familiar resentment over the evil Fitzgeralds boiled inside her. And now she was helping them rake in more cash.
Carolina pushed back her bitterness. She needed this job.
Cheryl showed her where to clock in and they headed into the restaurant.
“Come meet Naomi,” Cheryl said. “She’ll train you.”
In the main room, a few diners occupied the tables. The large patio doors were open and soft music played in the background.
“Naomi.” Cheryl stopped at the bar. “Meet Carolina Castillo.”
“Thank goodness.” Naomi smiled, her teeth flashing against her beautiful deep brown skin. “Good to meet you.”
“You, too.” They shook hands.
“I’ve got to get back to the kitchen chain gang.” Cheryl waved. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Carolina frowned. Did Cheryl mean the “chain gang” remark? Was working for Abby going to be horrible?
Naomi stared. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”
Carolina swallowed. Did she look like a Fitzgerald? “I grew up on Tybee, but I’ve been living in Nashville.”
“I guess not.” Naomi shook her head. “Let’s start with the cash register.�
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Naomi walked her through entry and pricing. It wasn’t so different from her last bartending job.
“At least we don’t carry fifty different beers.” Naomi checked with two couples sitting at the bar. They requested a refill on their wine. “You can practice by updating their tab.”
“No problem.”
Naomi crossed her arms and stared. “You really do look familiar.”
Carolina tried not to let her hand shake as she poured their drinks. What if other people saw a resemblance between her and Abby? If Abby guessed, she’d probably lose her job.
“Good.” Naomi nodded. “I’ll show you where we store the kegs.”
Carolina followed her. “How often do we clean the lines?”
“Never.” Naomi pretended to wipe her brow. “Abby has someone come in every week.”
“Every week? In Nashville it was every other week.”
“Abby—” Carolina waited for Naomi to dis her boss “—does everything right. When I grow up, I want to be Abby Fitzgerald.”
“Oh.” Not what Carolina had expected her to say. But who wouldn’t want to be a rich Fitzgerald?
Naomi swiped a keycard over the door lock. “Dolley is making your access card. Abby will bring it over.”
Dolley Fitzgerald. Another half sister. Shivers ran down Carolina’s spine. She’d always imagined herself as Cinderella and the Fitzgeralds as the wicked half sisters.
Naomi showed her the CO2 tanks and watched as Carolina changed out a keg. Then she showed her where the bottled beer was stored.
“You know what you’re doing.” Naomi led the way to another storage area and used her access card to show her bar supplies. Then the wine. “The servers handle the bottles for the table, but if they’re under siege, we help out.”
“I can handle that.” When they headed back to the bar, Carolina ducked under the pass-through. A man at the end of the counter had an empty beer mug. “Need a refill?”
“Absolutely.”
Carolina picked up the mug and brought up his tab.
“Do you still want the Southbound Hop’Lin?” Carolina asked.
“That’d be good.” The man smiled at her. “First day?”
“You can tell?”