by Carol Ross
Jonah stared down at his shoes. A few weeks ago just hearing about this underhanded stunt would have sent him flying back to Chicago with barely a second thought. But now, in a strange way, he understood what Gramps had been trying to accomplish. He was actually having a difficult time mustering up the requisite amount of anger the situation probably merited. He was acting outraged because he felt like Gramps deserved it, but in fact he was too filled with relief for much of any other emotion to squeeze its way in. He was appreciative of the time he’d been spending with Gramps in spite of the circumstances.
And, he had to admit, he was kind of grateful to Gramps for the healing he and Shay had begun to achieve in their relationship. That fishing trip never would have happened if Gramps hadn’t cooked up this scheme.
However, it was also the trip they had taken at his request because they thought he might be dying. Jonah felt his irritation spike again, and he was glad.
“No,” Shay answered, a little too forcefully for Jonah’s taste. “We’re not getting back together.”
Maybe he and Shay weren’t getting back together, but the state of things had definitely improved between them. And he was looking forward to their “hot date.” Especially, now that it occurred to him, they wouldn’t have this worry about Gramps casting a pall over the time they were able to spend together.
Shay pointed at Doc who was seated in a chair in the far corner and who, it seemed to Jonah, was trying his best to remain as inconspicuous as possible by keeping uncharacteristically quiet.
“And you,” she said sternly. “You should be ashamed of yourself, too. Isn’t this against your Hippocratic Oath or whatever? Didn’t you take a pledge to do no harm?”
Doc, on the other hand, at least looked contrite.
“It doesn’t violate it directly, but... But Shay, honey, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I promise I didn’t even want to go along with this goofy plan in the first place. You know Caleb—he coerced me.”
Caleb made a loud snorting noise. “Coward,” he said.
She scowled at Gramps. “Caleb, do you have any idea how worried we’ve been about you? No, you couldn’t possibly have, because you never would have done this if you’d had even the tiniest inkling.” She held up her fingers so there was barely any space between them. “I was this close to going to the doctor and asking for some sleeping pills or anti-anxiety medication or something. And I...”
Shay was doing a pretty good job of scolding them both, but Jonah thought Gramps was also doing an excellent job of looking feeble and pathetic as he twisted the crisp white hospital sheet in his hands. Jonah saw right through his act and was far from ready to cut him any slack.
“I am so sorry about all of that, Shay,” Caleb responded solemnly.
Shay wanted to be mad, Jonah could tell. But, like him, he suspected the relief was taking precedence. He could see her visibly relaxing as she came to the same realization that he had; Caleb wasn’t dying—at least not in the immediate future like they’d feared. And he wasn’t suffering from dementia or senility or diabetes or...or gout or any of the myriad of ailments they’d speculated about. Deceitfulness—yes, but that was probably incurable.
“Shay, my sweet girl, can you ever forgive me?”
“Eventually... Maybe.” She was trying to sound stern, Jonah could tell, but she was losing it. He needed to get her out of here before she collapsed in a puddle of tears and forgiveness and assured Gramps that everything was fine and all was forgiven. Jonah thought he deserved to suffer at least a little.
“Ha!” Gramps said and grinned. “Good enough for me.”
Jonah walked back toward the bed and Gramps grumpily asked him, “I suppose you’ll be heading to Chicago now?”
“No, Gramps, I won’t. I can’t, thanks to you. I can’t go back until that cast comes off.”
Gramps didn’t even try to stifle a grin. “Doc said that’ll be at least a month—maybe six weeks.”
Jonah nodded and said in a matter-of-fact tone, “I heard him. Someone has to take care of you. So I guess you got your way there, didn’t you, you devious and sneaky old codger? I’ll be around for a while yet.”
“Are you going to be mad and surly the whole six weeks? ’Cause if that’s the case I’ll find someone else to—”
“Maybe,” Jonah replied. “It wouldn’t be out of line if I was, and you know it. You’ll be lucky if I forgive you in six weeks. Right now, Shay and I are going to go get a cup of coffee and maybe some breakfast. Enjoy your hospital food.”
Gramps eagerly rubbed his palms together. “I will. I’m starving. I hope they have that salmon-cheese soufflé thing.” Rankins Hospital was known for its delicious hospital fare.
“Oh, I wouldn’t count on that. As I didn’t want to take any chances with that potential heart problem of yours, I told the nurse to bring you something from the heart-healthy menu. I think you’ll be getting unsweetened oatmeal and a fruit platter.”
“Now, that’s a low blow, Jonah. You didn’t have to—”
“I’ll be back later.”
Jonah reached down and enfolded Shay’s hand in his. She didn’t pull away and he felt his growing affection for her and his intense relief mingling in a very nice way as they walked hand in hand through the hospital. They exited through the sliding-glass door and by silent consensus headed toward the Cozy Caribou.
They settled into a booth across from each other. They both ordered the fisherman’s special—two eggs, sausage, hash browns and a biscuit with a dollop of gravy, and black coffee. Their beverages were promptly delivered and they sat in silence as they tried to absorb exactly what had just unfolded.
* * *
“YOU’VE STEPPED IN it now, haven’t you—you numbskull? No, you’ve tripped and fallen in it and the worst part is—you’ve dragged me down right into this big pile of stink with you.”
“For the love of Pete, Doc—can’t you see this for the breakthrough that it is?”
Doc narrowed his eyes and repeated skeptically, “Breakthrough?”
“I swear, sometimes I wonder how you managed to fumble your way through medical school. They have a date—did you miss that?”
“Boy, you are touchy, aren’t you? You might need some more pain meds.”
Caleb tried to hold back a grin. “Yeah, well, a broken ankle hurts more than you might think. But my doctor probably wouldn’t even know that I’d broken my ankle if I hadn’t told him.”
Doc chuckled and hit the call button to alert the nurse’s station.
“All right, I’ll give you this one. I can see where the date might be progress. But what can possibly become of it, Caleb? Shay still has the inn and Jonah still has his fancy law firm in Chicago.”
Caleb nodded thoughtfully. “I have an idea about that, too.”
“Oh, no. No more schemes. Leave me out of it. I won’t lie to Shay again. Did you see the look on her face? My already cracked heart nearly broke right in two.”
“That’s a little dramatic even for you, but I know what you mean—she gets to me, too. That’s why I’m going to resort to something I should have done for my Jonah a long time ago.”
“What’s that?” Doc frowned. “Why am I even asking? Somehow I feel like I’m going to be dragged into this, anyway.”
“Don’t worry, Doc. You’re out of it at this point—unless Jonah comes to you for confirmation on some facts. What I’m talking about is some good old-fashioned tough love.”
“You’re going to tell him the truth about his father, aren’t you?”
“What do you think of that? It might be the nudge he needs.”
“It might be—but it might also send him back to Chicago faster than you can say lateral malleolus fracture.”
“I can’t say that anyway. Is that what I’ve got?”
“Yep, you’re lucky you don’t need surgery.”
“According to who? You’ve been secretly dreaming of taking a scalpel to me for years.�
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Doc chuckled as the nurse came in with a syringe. She handed it to Doc. “Maybe a shot of this will shut that devious brain of yours down for a while, huh?”
“As long as it drowns out your yapping too, that’s fine with me.”
“You’re going to need some stronger drugs than this to turn off my angelic voice in your head. Everyone needs a conscience, and fortunately for you, I’m yours.”
Caleb snorted with amusement. “Seriously though, Doc, what do you think of my telling Jonah about his dad? I always hoped he could hold on to the image he has of Burke as this perfect man—perfect father, perfect role model.”
“There’s no such thing as a perfect man, Caleb, and you know it. I understand why you’ve never told him the truth. It’s a tough thing to lose your parents at such a tender age. But as far as role models go—I think you’re the best thing a grandson, or a son, like Jonah could hope for. I don’t know what went wrong with Burke. But I’ve always thought that maybe you should let Jonah decide for himself which one of you deserves his adulation. There’s no contest—and there shouldn’t be. You’re the truth—the real deal. But this image that Jonah has of Burke is not. Not to mention the fact that you’re alive and Burke is dead.”
Caleb felt his eyes growing a little misty. “You’re the best friend a man could ever ask for, Doc—do you know that?”
“Gee whiz—are those meds making your head soft already?” But Doc smiled as he reached over and squeezed Caleb’s hand.
* * *
JONAH WINCED. “CAN you believe those two?”
Shay wrapped the fingers of one hand around her steaming mug of coffee. She was staring down at the table, playing with a sugar packet, which she would never use in her coffee. Slowly she looked up at Jonah and then slapped her free hand over her now-grinning mouth. A snort of laughter spilled forth despite her effort to contain it.
Then they both burst out laughing. And the more she thought about it, the funnier it became.
After a few minutes Shay dabbed at her wet eyes with a napkin. “We have to give your gramps points for creativity. Do you think there was even anything wrong with the washing machine?”
“Nothing that he didn’t cause. Remember how he stuck his head back there after you took it all apart and put it together again? Probably reconnected whatever he’d disconnected earlier.”
“And my camera...”
They spent the next few minutes rehashing the intricate details of Caleb’s scheme and speculating about the lengths he’d gone to and what was real and which parts had been contrived. Then they tried to formulate a plan for not revealing their own already-granted forgiveness too quickly.
After breakfast Jonah walked Shay to her car, still parked in the hospital’s lot.
Instead of opening the door, he leaned a hip against it and looked at her. “Do you still want to go out tonight?”
Shay felt her pulse speed to a gallop. They’d just had breakfast together so why would his reference to a date make her all tingly with anticipation?
“What about your gramps? Shouldn’t you stay home and take care of him? You told him you would, in spite of everything. Do you want me to come over there instead?”
Jonah grinned. “Nope. No way. He’ll still be in the hospital. They want him to stay overnight to keep an eye on the swelling, and Doc can sit with him while we go out. It’s the least he can do for his part in this whole scheme. I think we deserve our own celebration here, don’t you?”
Shay returned the grin. “Okay, what are we going to do?”
Jonah reached out a hand and took a hold of her fingertips. He tugged until she had to step closer to him. And closer still, until they were practically chest to chest. Then he slipped a hand around the back of her neck, bent his head and kissed her.
They’d kissed a million times when they’d been together, but she couldn’t remember it ever feeling quite like this. This lovely, heart-wrenching sensation that her world may finally be righting and that she was finding her balance.
“Some of that, I hope,” he answered with a whisper. He leaned his forehead against hers as they both took a moment to catch their breath.
* * *
SHAY KIND OF floated through the rest of the day, taking care of every detail that needed her attention, and even some that didn’t. She tackled a good portion of her backlist of non-urgent concerns as well. She told herself her good mood had as much to do with Caleb’s confession as it did with her impending date with his grandson.
Hannah poked her head into her office late in the afternoon. “Hey, how are you holding up?”
“Pretty good. How are the koi?”
Hannah had supervised their transport from bathtubs to pond. She came in and plopped down in the chair across from Shay’s desk. “Good. Everyone seems to be settling in very well. Those are some lucky fish, but I’m going to miss them.”
“Seriously?” Shay asked.
“Yes, I’m serious. They already recognize me. They learn to recognize individuals, you know?”
“No, I didn’t know. That’s actually really cool.”
“Speaking of what’s not cool—any word on Weird Sheets’ lawsuit?”
“Not yet, but probably soon. I know he’s back in the lower forty-eight because an attorney called here asking some questions. But, I haven’t had a chance to tell you about Caleb.”
“Oh, no, Shay—what about him? Isn’t his appointment with the heart specialist coming up in a couple days?”
“It was, but it seems that he won’t be going to that appointment at all.” Shay sat back and filled her in on the details.
“Whoa,” Hannah said when Shay finished telling her. “All of that to get you and Jonah back together?”
“That’s what he claims, but I think it was as much to get Jonah back to town as it was to get us back together.”
“Huh.” Hannah drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair for a few seconds. “Clever.”
“Very.”
“And it seems to be working?”
Shay shook her head. “No, we’re not getting back together.”
Hannah’s face revealed her skepticism.
“We’re not, Hannah. There’s too much...”
“So, how are things between you guys now?”
“Better. Good. We’re going out tonight.”
“Like a date?”
“Sure, I guess.” She grinned as she thought about Caleb’s “hot date” terminology. And if that kiss this morning was any indication, he may not be too far off the mark. Of course, Shay would never let it go further than that. “It’s just to have some fun and hang out without all this worrying about Caleb we’ve been doing.”
“But you’re not getting back together?”
“It’s just a date, Hannah.”
Hannah’s lips tugged up into a grin. She slapped the top of Shay’s desk with an open palm and stood. “Okay, I’ve gotta go. I need to make a phone call.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“WHERE ARE WE GOING?” Shay asked that evening as Jonah opened the door so she could climb into Caleb’s Land Rover.
“I thought we’d have dinner at this really interesting place I heard about. It’s supposed to be very private, with a gorgeous atmosphere, an innovative menu and excellent service.”
“Oh, no, Jonah—we’re not going to the inn, are we?”
“My goodness, Shay—we do feel good about ourselves, don’t we?”
She laughed and fastened her seat belt. “No, it’s not that. It’s just that it’s really difficult for me to be at the inn and not work.”
“Do you really think I’d take you on a date to your own restaurant?”
“So, if we’re not going to the inn, that leaves the Caribou, right? And if we show up there together everyone will think we’re dating.”
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Unfortunately, I do,” he said. “But please relax—we’re
not going to either of those places—or the café or the Donut Den.”
“Oh, okay.” Shay didn’t want to mention that the long drive to Glacier City and back wouldn’t get them home until the middle of the night, so she decided to stay quiet. She could do middle of the night for dinner with Jonah at this point.
But then Jonah turned onto the winding drive that led to Mrs. Milner’s house. Edith Milner lived in a custom-made log home that she and her late husband had built nearly thirty years ago. Mrs. Milner had recently added on the atrium with the koi pond Hannah kept raving about.
Jonah stopped the car and flashed her an enigmatic smile. He got out and opened her door, tucking her hand in his as they walked toward the house and then up the wide stone steps of the front porch. Large pots overflowing with colorful flowers stood on either side of the massive and ornate double-hung doors.
One of the doors swung open, revealing a smiling Hannah. “Good evening,” she said brightly.
“Hannah? What is going on?”
“Right this way.” Hannah swept her arm through the doorway like a butler from bygone days.
“Hannah, what are you up to? Where is Mrs. Milner?”
“She’s in Italy. I’m taking care of her house and the koi while she’s gone—starting tonight, as it happens.”
“Italy? You’re a little old to be having parties while the grownups are away, don’t you think?”
Hannah laughed. “Don’t worry. She knows all about this and she approves. But we’ll talk about that later. You’re supposed to be on a date, so come on.”
Shay had been here before many times. Mrs. Milner loved to host parties and fundraising affairs at this five-thousand-square-foot marvel of craftsmanship that she called home. They strolled through a short breezeway and then Shay let out a gasp. The large rectangular-shaped room appeared to be made entirely of thick glass with wrought-iron trim. Potted plants and flowers abounded, basking in the muted light.
Tiles covered the floor with an intricate Art Nouveau design in shades of countless pastel colors. A sculpture rose up out of the center of a gurgling fountain. They walked over to find the koi swimming gracefully around lily pads, plants and rocks that decorated the pool.