by Lacey Baker
“Nobody’s gone yet. That’s a good sign,” he told him.
“Guess I’ll go see what they’re doing for dinner.”
Sylvester kept talking, stopping Quinn from leaving.
“Couple of them in the restaurant helping Michelle. That’s a good thing, too. She works too hard, that one. Needs to have some time to herself to find a good man.”
“She’ll find one when she’s ready,” Quinn stated, not really wanting to talk about his sister’s love life.
Sylvester’s head shot up quickly, his watery brown eyes looking up at Quinn. “Can’t find what she ain’t looking for.”
Quinn shrugged. “I don’t like to mind other people’s business, especially when it comes to relationships.” He was subtly trying to advise the man of the same courtesy, but Quinn wasn’t totally sure it was working.
“She ain’t other people. She’s your sister,” he told Quinn adamantly, as if this were a new fact.
“I know that,” Quinn spoke seriously. “But Michelle will know when she’s ready to settle down.”
“How can she when none of you come around to help her out here? You all got your lives but what about hers? She’s been worrying over how to pay those taxes all these weeks. It’s a shame to see her like that.”
This was a question Quinn had asked himself since he’d returned to Sweetland and watched how integral a part of this place she was. She had her hands in the B&B and the restaurant. It was clear she’d been a tremendous help to their grandmother. Now who was going to help her?
“Michelle should have told us sooner what was going on. As a matter of fact, I’m wondering why Gramma didn’t tell Michelle about this before she passed.”
Sylvester hadn’t responded to that, and Quinn suspected he knew more than he was telling.
“She wouldn’t be able to pay it all herself, even if Janet had told her,” he grumbled. “You could help her with the money.”
Quinn nodded. “Because I’m a doctor, I should have the money to put up for the taxes. Is that what you mean?” Quinn had thought about this last night. He also figured his siblings were thinking along the same lines.
“You know, we could sure use some new doctors here in Sweetland. That one they got is old and grumpy as all get-out. Could use some younger eyes.”
Quinn sighed. It was all a ploy. He hadn’t wanted to admit this before and he definitely didn’t want to let on to this fact to his siblings, but everything that had happened in the last couple of days felt strangely like a setup. He wondered if he could prove it, if it would even be worth mentioning to his siblings. Then decided it didn’t matter. He wasn’t staying in Sweetland to practice medicine. He wouldn’t turn his back on his heritage, but it wasn’t his heritage alone. Either they would all agree to save the B&B or they would all agree to let it go. The sooner a decision was made, the better, he figured. He did have a job to get back to.
His cell phone rang and Quinn almost sighed with relief as he reached into his pocket and excused himself from Sylvester’s company.
“Always interruptions in life, just depends on how you deal with them,” he heard Sylvester mumble as he walked down the porch steps.
“Dr. Cantrell here,” he answered the phone.
“Dr. Cantrell, hello. This is Dr. MacNamara returning your call from General Hospital.”
“Right, yes. How are you today, Doctor?”
“I’m good as I guess I’ll get,” he answered with a chuckle. “So you had a run-in with one of my patients? Is Mr. Riley all right?”
“Yes, he was wandering around in the middle of the night. Said he got up to go to the bathroom and couldn’t remember where his bedroom was. I saw him while I was out walking my dog. I’m told his house is about five or six blocks from where I am,” he told the doctor.
“Mmm,” was the doctor’s initial response. “Can’t say I’m shocked. He’s got a frontal lobe tumor that’s too damned big to remove and every time I check it there’s more growth.”
“Did he have chemo even though there was no surgery?”
MacNamara sighed. “Yeah. The wife wanted to try anything. So we tried to see if it would shrink, but it didn’t. Last time they were here I told them it didn’t look good.”
“I was thinking that the chemo had caused his cognitive dysfunction, but if he’s that far gone, then this is just the next stage.” And it was the saddest stage of all. From this point on William Riley would only get worse. “Is he doing anything for pain?”
“He didn’t want it. Wife insisted I write the prescription anyway and she’d have it filled. But I doubt if he’ll take them. Says if it’s his time, its his time.”
Quinn nodded, looking off down the small slope in the backyard. He’d been walking around the house looking for Dixi as he was talking. His steps had slowed as the doctor confirmed Mr. Riley’s dismal chances of surviving.
“He’s a proud man, doesn’t want a whole lot of fussing, especially by his wife. I’ve known them for a couple of years now.”
“So did the tumor just turn up one day?” Part of Quinn’s work at the clinic was researching the precursors to all types of cancers, knowing that any attempt to head this disease off before it even started was their best shot at a cure. He’d been working these last five years with massive grants from private companies and philanthropists willing to help. But money was dwindling in this recession, even though more and more patients were dying from cancer.
“We’re personal friends, met them through my third wife. I’m a bit hardheaded when it comes to love.” Dr. MacNamara chuckled. “He was healthy as far as I could see those first two years. Then one day last winter my wife was talking to Margaret and she told her how Bill had some kind of virus and had been throwing up all weekend. By the end of the week he was still sick. He saw the local doc, who still said it was a virus. But when my wife heard about it she didn’t like the sound of it, you know she’s a surgical nurse and all. So I told them to come up so I could take a look. Found the tumor two days later.”
Doesn’t life just suck sometimes? was what Quinn was thinking. One day you’re rolling along just fine, going to high school during the week, on dates on the weekends. You could be sitting on the bank of the river at Fitzgerald Park, kissing as though your lives depended on every touch, then making plans to go to college and get married and buy a house and have kids and …
They weren’t talking about Sharane, were they?
“So the question now is, how we can keep him safe?” Until the end, Quinn finished in his mind. “It’s dangerous for him to be walking out of the house and Mrs. Riley not having any idea he’s gone.”
“You’re right. I’ll have my wife give Margaret a call. Talk to her a bit about hiring a live-in nurse who’ll keep a better eye on him.”
“I guess he wouldn’t consider hospice.”
“Not in a million years,” MacNamara said with another chuckle. “He’s a stubborn old goat, I tell you. Besides, there’s no hospice in Sweetland, and Bill’s definitely not leaving the town where his grandparents were born.”
“I understand,” Quinn said even though he didn’t. It was just a town. There was life outside of this small town and he couldn’t figure out why none of the people who lived here could understand that. “Well, I’m thinking about paying him another visit before I leave.”
“Yeah, I was gonna ask you when you were going back to your big fancy clinic in Seattle. I looked you up,” he told Quinn, laughing again.
Quinn had never met the man in person but he was willing to bet his face was never without a smile.
“Yes, I work at Mark Vincent in Seattle. We’ve made some terrific strides in early detection but we’ve still got a way to go,” he told him. “I’m scheduled to leave at the end of the week.”
“I see. Well I’ll let you know if I come up with any solutions while you’re here. And I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a call on Bill’s condition when you see him again.”
“I certainly
will. Thanks for calling, Dr. MacNamara.”
“Howard,” he said, “and you’re welcome. Thank you for looking out for my patient.”
“No problem, Howard. Call me Quinn.”
“All right, Quinn. I’ll be talking to you soon.”
“Have a good evening.”
When Quinn hung up Dixi appeared, running and barking as if she hadn’t seen him in ages. His first inclination was to scoop her up and take her inside for some dinner and winding down. But a light breeze blew—not a cool one, but not as stifling as the air had been earlier. It was quiet out here, and if he inhaled really deeply, let the scent of the Bay unleash the true memories inside him, he would close his eyes and see Sharane. He’d hear her voice, her laughter, see her smile, then see her as she lay in that pearl-white casket.
So he didn’t do any of that. Instead he called out to Dixi and ran with her when she met up with him. When they were around the front of the house again he fell to his knees, ruffling his hands in her deep brown coat. Lifting her, Quinn let her lick his face and he laughed, laughed as hard as he had in years.
And the memory stayed gone. For the time being.
* * *
“Guess who I just saw?” Cordy came into the house grinning madly, hair stiff with holding spray and eyes still a little red from where her eyebrows were arched.
“Who?” Nikki asked. It was around nine thirty and all three kids had been bathed and fed and now lay in their bedrooms faking like they were already asleep when Nikki knew perfectly well they weren’t.
“Quinn Cantrell and let me tell you he is one fine-ass doctor! I’d go see him for a headache if I had one.” Cordy had put her purse on the sofa table and now plopped onto the couch next to Nikki, who had been watching some crazy reality show.
“Mary Cordelia Brockington, are you looking at another man while still married to my brother-in-law? And a very good brother-in-law I might add,” she asked jokingly.
“Girl, please. There’s nothing wrong with my eyes. Besides, Barry’s probably staring at so many nudie magazines his eyes are about to go crossed,” she told Nikki with a wave of her hand. “But really, Quinn is too fine to ignore. He was at Sweet Nothings. I saw him through the window and had to backtrack to see who the handsome stranger was. Once inside I saw him and knew instantly who he was. Tall, broad shoulders, hypnotic brown eyes, skin the color of freshly churned butter, and that five o’clock shadow that on some men just looks dirty. Well, on Quinn it looks downright sinful. Whew, girl, I had to fan myself right there in the store.”
Nikki couldn’t help it, Cordy was being so dramatic she had no choice but to laugh. “He was all that, huh?”
“Yes he was. You should have seen him,” she said then paused. “Oh, wait, you did see him. And you didn’t tell me how good he looked.”
Nikki shrugged trying not to let all this talk about Quinn move her into that place she used to be with him. That was the past and she was an adult now. Hopeless crushes were for kids.
“He looks like he always looked.”
“You lie and you know it. That man looks like he walked off a Hollywood movie screen. Did you see his muscles—and that deep slow drawl of his … my, my, my.”
“Okay, so would you like your cold shower now or after you’ve had some dinner? Dad ordered some of Michelle’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Your kids eat like they’re starving but I managed to save you some.”
“Oh thanks. You’re right, they eat like I never feed them.” Cordy laughed. “But back to Quinn. So he’s working in Seattle? I think I heard Marabelle, the gossip queen, say that at the funeral.”
“Yes. He’s chief medical oncologist at Mark Vincent Cancer Center in Seattle.” And didn’t she sound like an employment recruiter trying to sell him for a position? Okay, Nikki, calm down. She’s just asking about him in general.
“Well, look at you. What other specifics do you know about him?”
See, she could always count on Cordy to see beyond her words.
“I know he’s going back to Seattle at the end of the week just like the rest of the Cantrells. So what did he buy in Sweet Nothings? Some T-shirts to take back home with him? Maybe he needs one for his girlfriend?” Yes, just like that Nikki had done it again. She wanted to bite off her own tongue, especially when she saw Cordy’s eyes widen.
“Well,” Cordy said, still smiling and nodding just like she did when she’d found their hidden Christmas toys. “Let’s see, he had one of the puppies with him so he was getting doggy stuff. Then Diana McCann walked right up to him and I swear that woman is so brazen, she probably should have gone ahead and pinched his butt for as long as she stood there gawking at it.”
At her side, the side that Cordy could not see, Nikki’s fist clenched. She’d always hated Diana McCann and her snotty attitude.
“Then they were chatting like Diana had been surprised to see him. She’d cornered him like he was a prize deer and she was aiming to shoot and stuff him to go on her wall. Come to think of it, he’s not bad to wake up staring at and go to sleep admiring. What do you think?”
“I think Diana McCann’s an annoying witch, the same thing I’ve thought about her for years now,” Nikki said, knowing full well that wasn’t what her sister was referring to.
“Oh no you don’t. You know what I mean.”
Nikki sighed. There was no winning with her. “I think Quinn Cantrell is very handsome. And so are Preston and Parker. All the Cantrell men are drop-dead gorgeous. But we already knew that. Every female with eyes and an ounce of sense in Sweetland knows that.”
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t have to rush you over to Doc Stallings to get you checked out.”
“Please, Doc Stallings doesn’t half know the time of day anymore. It’s a good thing Dr. Lorens comes in twice a week to take women’s appointments or we’d all be driving over to Easton for checkups.”
“You’re right about that.” Cordy laughed.
“So he’s really not staying, huh?”
Nikki shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. They all have lives somewhere else. I don’t know that it was fair to think they’d come back here just because Mrs. Cantrell died.”
“I guess you’re right. But we sure can enjoy looking at him now, right?”
Nikki couldn’t resist. In fact she was sure she would burst if she didn’t agree just this one time. “You’ve got that right. And Quinn sure is good looking. If I had one wish…” She trailed off, knowing she’d gone too far. But before she could backtrack and come up with an ulterior meaning or excuse for her words Cordy had her by the arm, dragging her to the front door. She pulled up, then swung Nikki so she was all but falling outside.
“There’s the evening star,” she told her.
Nikki folded her arms over her chest. “So what, there goes Mr. Hulligan trying to water his grass with the old hose from his garage because he can’t see where the garden hose is. What’s your point?” She knew full well what Cordy’s point was.
“Make a wish,” Cordy told her with a sugary-sweet smile.
“We’re not kids anymore, Cordy. I’m not wishing on a star and believing it’ll come true.”
“Come on, it’ll come true. Just do it. Two years ago Mimi wished on the evening star for a baby sister.”
“And four hours ago she was about to sling said baby sister out the window over a dolly. No, thank you.”
“You’re just afraid,” Cordy taunted.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” was Nikki’s reply, to which she had to stomp her foot and growl a fake noise of despair. Only Cordy could have her standing outside arguing like they were still kids. “I’m not doing it, Cordy. It’s foolish. It’ll never happen. Ever.”
“The star’s so bright tonight. Don’t think I’ve ever seen an evening star so bright.” Cordy stared up to the sky. “That has to be a good sign, right?”
“He’s probably got a girlfriend. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be his girlfriend?” Nikki as
ked instead.
Cordy ignored her. “And just think, all you have to do is say the magic words and your dreams could come true.”
“Or a gigantic hole could open up right here on your lawn and swallow me up.”
Cordy took a step toward Nikki, planted her hands on her hips, and said, “I dare you to make that wish.”
Oh dammit, did she have to dare her? Nikki let her head fall back, her eyes closed, and sighed a heavy sigh. Some things would never change, not in Sweetland anyway.
Taking a deep breath she looked upon the evening star, felt a warm breeze tickle her skin, then said the words under her breath: “I wish Quinn Cantrell would kiss me.”
She’d thought about wishing he would become her man, or at the very least act like he was interested in a serious relationship with her. But she decided that was going too far, putting way more pressure on that tiny old star than was necessary. One kiss would be enough. It would last her another twenty years and she would be content. Really, she would.
Chapter 10
“Hmmm, I can’t make up my mind,” Quinn said the moment he saw Nikki standing at the front desk, slightly hunched over and reading something in that big book that sat right beside the phone.
It was just after eleven and he’d finished the conference call he’d had with his PA. It was customary on Monday mornings for Quinn and Elena to go through his schedule and the status of all the patients on it. But because his Monday had started out hectic with finding Mr. Riley, then his afternoon had been punctuated by Savannah’s meltdown and running behind Dixi to make sure she didn’t destroy any other antiques in the house, Quinn hadn’t found a moment to call her. Luckily, there was another doctor covering his workload for the week and Elena sounded like everything was under control. “Running smoothly without you,” was actually what she’d said. Quinn’s reaction to that statement wasn’t his normal calm, either; a part of him had wanted to reply, Maybe you’d like to run smoothly without me for much longer … like possibly forever?
But he’d remained quiet, just as he had for the past few months.