“Given this nonsense about closing the department, I don’t want to give Gil any more reason to shut you down,” Myra said. “I don’t know if this is an emergency or not, but I figured better safe than sorry. It’s Alice. She fell last night, and now she’s not feeling well and she won’t let us call a doctor. Would you mind—?”
“I’ll be right there.” Irritation stirred with anger. If Gil only knew the problems his proposal to shut the department down was causing. Now people were afraid of bothering them when it could very well be an emergency. She grabbed her keys, then stopped when Ozzy grabbed her arm.
“Don’t leave me alone with her,” he whispered. “Take me with you.”
“I’d rather you stayed here in case another call comes in.” His pained expression had her taking pity on him. “Ezzie?” she called, knowing she was going to regret this. “I’ve got a call over at a group home. Would you like to get out for a bit?”
Thank you, Ozzy mouthed, then turned a bright smile on Ezzie when she popped out of the kitchen.
“You owe me,” Frankie muttered to him.
“You mean it? Never mind. I don’t want you to change your mind.” Ezzie grabbed her oversize purse off the back of one of the chairs and followed Frankie to Dwayne.
“So this group home.” Ezzie turned in her seat to face Frankie. “What kind of group is it? Orphanage? Foster kids?”
“Senior citizens.” Frankie made a sharp left on Monarch Lane and hit the gas. “The nearest elder-care facility is more than an hour away, so a group of our older residents pooled their resources and bought a big house to share. Doesn’t cost them nearly as much, but the older they get, the more care they need. None of them drive, either. Which is both a blessing and a curse.” Frankie managed a small smile. “A lot of their calls are requests for rides, to doctors’ appointments, to go to the grocery store. Most times when they call nine-one-one we know it’s nothing life-threatening.” But this time could be the exception. “Of all of them, Alice Manning needs the most help. She’s got Parkinson’s. As far as I know, the rest are in pretty good health. Just...”
“Bored.” Ezzie sighed. “I can relate. Now that my Tony is gone and Roman’s living so far away, it’s hard to fill the days. And believe me, one can get very bored of cruises after a while.”
“I’ll take your word on that,” Frankie tried to joke.
Only a few minutes later, Frankie pulled the SUV into the driveway of the beautifully lighted Victorian house, angels and Rudolph battling it out on the front lawn in an odd holiday war for dominance. She walked to the back of the vehicle to retrieve her med kit.
“Oh, Frankie, thank you so much for coming.” Penny’s face was streaked with tears, her normally perfectly arranged white hair a bit mussed. “We’re so worried.”
“Ezzie, why don’t you wait—” That was as far as Frankie got, because Ezzie was already out of the car and heading straight for Penny.
“No need to worry any longer,” Ezzie said and wrapped a calming arm around Penny’s trembling shoulders. “Frankie’s here, and she’s going to take good care of Alice. How about we fix a nice pot of tea? It’ll calm everyone’s nerves a bit and let Frankie do what she needs to.”
“I—Yes.” After a blink of understanding, Penny nodded. “Yes, tea. That’s a lovely idea.”
“Why don’t you show me where the kitchen is and I’ll help. Come on. Come along.” She motioned for Frankie to go on ahead before she took Penny’s arm and led her inside.
Grateful for Ezzie’s help, Frankie strode to Alice’s ground-floor suite that had been updated with various amenities for someone with her condition. The bathroom in particular had a variety of handles and bars and wide space for when Alice would need a walker, which, given how her disease seemed to be progressing, would be soon. Finding Alice tucked into her bed, a mound of pillows at her back, looking pale and struggling to breathe, had Frankie reaching for her cell.
“See? I told you she’d come when we called.” Myra was sitting beside Alice on the bed, patting Alice’s hand. Oscar had taken up sentry duty in the corner, standing with his walker, his normally clear eyes narrowed with worry. “Alice, you let Frankie take a look at you, okay?”
Alice’s eyes filled. “I don’t want to be a bother. I told them not to call.”
“You are never a bother, Alice.” Frankie sat on the other side of Alice and quickly requested an ambulance. “I don’t like how that breathing sounds, so I’m going to have them take you in, okay? Can you tell me what happened?”
“She fell. Last night,” Myra said. “Didn’t tell any of us until this morning, when she said it hurt to move.”
“Where did you fall, Alice?” With gentle hands, Frankie checked for broken bones, bruises and any other potential injuries.
“Just there. On my way back from the bathroom.” Alice wheezed. “My chest hurts. Right here. And here.” She pressed a hand against her sternum, then her side. “It didn’t at first. I don’t think. I can’t remember. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Frankie assured her. “I’m always just a phone call away from you.” She took Alice’s temperature, listened to her breathing through her stethoscope. When she pressed a bit harder against Alice’s side, the old woman gasped.
“I don’t think you broke a rib, but you may have cracked or bruised one. Your blood pressure’s elevated, but that’s not surprising if you’re in pain.” She heard a siren in the distance. “You ready for a trip to see your doctor?”
“No. He’ll just give me more pills. I don’t want to take any more pills.”
“I’ll make a note of that for him,” Frankie assured her and tried to keep her calm until the ambulance arrived. “Now I’m going to call Abby and let her know what’s going on. No argument,” Frankie said when the EMTs wheeled in the gurney.
“Can I go with her?” Myra asked. “I don’t want her to be alone.”
“Yes, please,” Alice whispered, looking far more uneasy than Frankie was comfortable with.
Frankie had planned to go herself, but it was clear both Myra and Alice needed this. “Of course.” She pulled one of the EMTs aside and filled them in on Alice’s medical situation, including her list of medications, and Myra’s going with her.
As they loaded Alice into the ambulance, all of her fellow Cocoon Club members stood on the front porch, the strained silence hurting Frankie’s heart. “She’s going to be okay,” Frankie told them as the ambulance took off down the street, siren blaring once more.
“We should have paid better attention,” Marty muttered. “Dang night pills knock me out. I didn’t hear a thing, and I was right next door.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Frankie told them and, with Ezzie’s help, ushered them back into the house. “None of you can. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened—”
“We should all be with her,” Delilah said as Ezzie retrieved the tea tray from the kitchen to bring into the living room. “We made a promise to each other. That none of us would be alone.”
“She’s not alone, she has Myra,” Ezzie told them.
“Who are you?” Oscar demanded in a tone that belied his frustration at Alice’s situation.
“Esmeralda Salazar. But call me Ezzie. I believe you know my son.” She draped a blanket over Eloise’s lap and pressed a warm cup of tea into her hand. “There you go. Drink up. You’ll feel better when you do.”
“You’re Roman’s mother?” Oscar asked for confirmation.
“Guilty as charged.”
Having Ezzie occupy Alice’s roommates, Frankie promptly called Abby to let her know what was going on with her grandmother. The gratitude and fear she heard in Abby’s voice had Frankie wishing she’d gone with Alice after all. But she’d only be in the way. The doctors needed to evaluate Alice without Frankie sticking her nose in.
; Once she ended the call with Abby, she checked in with Ozzy before returning to the living room.
“Ezzie? I need to get back to the station.”
Ezzie looked around the sullen group, who seemed to be holding vigil for their friend. Ezzie patted Delilah’s leg before she got up and followed Frankie onto the porch. “If it’s all right, I’d like to stay for a bit. See if I can keep their spirits up. Make sure they eat something and are okay.”
“Oh.” Frankie nodded. “That’s great. Thank you. I’m sure they’d appreciate that. I’ll let you know what I hear from the hospital.”
“Excellent. They just seem a bit lost right now, don’t they? It doesn’t matter how old someone gets, it seems life is always too short. Things like this are a reminder of that.”
“Alice is family,” Frankie told her as something shifted inside her. “They’re all family. Call me when you need a ride back.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. You go on back to work. I’m sure it’ll be a bit easier on all of you without me prattling around over there.”
Frankie’s lips twitched.
“You think I don’t know I’m driving you all to distraction?” Ezzie squeezed her arm. “Go on now. We’ll be fine. I’ll call if there are any problems.”
* * *
“ANY WORD ON ALICE?” Roman asked Frankie as soon as she returned to the station house. The normal, optimistic shine on her face had been replaced with one of serious concern. She looked tired.
“Nothing yet. But she’s only just now gone to the hospital.” Frankie took a long drink of water from a bottle she pulled out of the fridge and then leaned on the counter to work out the kinks in her back. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a bruised rib. I hope that’s all it is. Your mom stayed back at the house. Hope that’s okay?”
“It’s fine.” And a load off his mind, considering he had run out of ways to entertain her. “How about you?” He hobbled closer, mentally counting down the days until he could get off these crutches.
“How about me what?”
“Alice is a friend. You care about her. You must be worried.”
“I am.” She looked up at him but didn’t say a word for the longest time. “Ozzy or Jasper around?”
“They’re finishing sorting through all those boxes I had them stash at the other house. Why? Oh. Okay.”
He released one crutch as Frankie stood and walked over to him. She slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel her face tighten as she squeezed her eyes shut and a shudder went through her. “Frankie,” he murmured, and pressed his lips against the top of her head. “What is it?”
“Something your mother said. About life being so short. Alice has had a good life. And I know people die. It’s just the circle of things, isn’t it?”
Thinking of his father, he nodded. “Sometimes the circle is smaller than we’d like.”
“Yeah.” She inhaled and looked up at him. “How about dinner tonight? Thanks to my new schedule, I’ve got a few hours off. Ozzy can cover the station.”
“Are you asking me out, Captain Bettencourt?”
“I am.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. But it was enough. “You up for it?”
Because he couldn’t resist her, he brushed his lips against hers. “Only if we can take a walk and look at the Christmas lights after dinner.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “You and your Christmas. Fine. I’ll make a reservation at the Flutterby. Six thirty, okay?”
“I love a woman who takes charge.” He gave her a quick squeeze before she stepped away and headed back to her desk. He didn’t have time to miss her before his phone rang. The unfamiliar number on the screen had him frowning. Why did he know that area code? “Chief Salazar.”
“Chief, this is Constance Schumer with the federal fire investigators office. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
Roman’s heartbeat doubled against his ribs. “No, ma’am. What can I do for you?”
“It’s about the investigative agent position you applied for earlier this year. Our first choice for the position had some irregularities in his résumé we’ve only now become aware of. We’ve since rescinded our offer of employment to him. As you were next on the list, we’d like to offer you the position in our Seattle field office.”
“Oh. Really? Okay.” Was there something else he was supposed to say? There must have been something he was supposed to say. There must have been something he was supposed to feel other than panic. “Thank you so much. I’d love to say yes, but I’ve just started a six-month contract with the Butterfly Harbor department. I can’t break it.”
“You won’t have to. The next round of training doesn’t begin until mid-May. That gives you plenty of time to fulfill your current contract. Can I take that to mean you are interested in the position?”
“I, uh, yes, of course I’m interested. I just need to...” He leaned on his crutches and tried to catch his breath. “How long do I have before I need to give you a final answer?”
“Given this is last minute, I can give you until the twenty-sixth. The paperwork and background checks take a while. If you can’t accept by then, we’ll need to move down the list.”
“Fair enough. Can I reach you at this number?”
“Yes, you can. If you’d like, I can send you the details on the position and training requirements. Is this the correct email address?” She rattled off his personal one, and he confirmed before disconnecting.
“Everything okay, Roman?” Frankie wheeled her chair over to the doorway and turned bright eyes on him. Every cell in his body zinged at that smile of hers, at the way her lips quirked when she looked at him. As if she was keeping a secret he couldn’t wait to uncover.
“Fine,” he lied as a torrent of uncertainty rushed through him. She nodded and wheeled back out of sight. “Everything’s fine.”
Except it wasn’t, was it? Finally, finally he’d done it. The job was his. Excitement bubbled inside him like a champagne bottle ready to pop, only to then see the liquid fizzle as Frankie’s laughter drifted toward him.
Frankie.
The career, the future, everything he’d ever wanted, everything he’d worked for, was within reach.
All he had to do to claim it was walk away from her.
* * *
“IT WAS NICE to have a reason to celebrate.” Frankie surprised herself—and Roman, it seemed—when she slipped her hand over his as they exited the Flutterby and walked down the twinkling wonderland that was Monarch Lane. It wasn’t the most romantic stroll she’d ever taken; crutches really did put a damper on things. But she’d faced tougher challenges before. “I’ve never seen Abby look so relieved.”
“Who knew bruised ribs could be a good thing.” He glanced down at their linked hands. “Telling Alice about the baby probably helped, too.”
“Abby did say that put the color back in her grandmother’s face. Did you call your mom to let her know?”
“I did.” Roman nodded. “They have a spare room that isn’t being used, so she’s going to stay there for the night. She’s fixing dinner for them.”
Frankie sighed, shook her head. “Took us a while, but we found a distraction for her.” She grinned at him, but not for the first time that evening, he seemed to be the distracted one. “Roman?” She tugged him to a stop in front of the old town saloon that had been, until recently, the mayor’s temporary office. She saw lights in the second story and resisted the urge to go in and give Gil a piece of her mind about his plans to close the station house.
But she wouldn’t. Not tonight. Not when she’d finally given herself permission to take a chance on Roman. On them. “Hey.” She squeezed his hand. “What’s going on with you? You’ve been kind of out of it all night. And you didn’t say anything about the fact this is the first time you’ve s
een me in a dress.” Their date had given her the opportunity she’d been waiting for to wear the snug turquoise wraparound that had been burning a hole in her closet since she’d bought it. That, along with the strappy sandals and her loose hair should have knocked him off his feet. Instead, he’d simply smiled and nodded.
“Probably because you’ve robbed me of words tonight.”
Frankie rolled her eyes. “Try again. What’s going on?” she prodded. “This isn’t the Roman I expected to be with tonight so close to Christmas. Speaking of which, you do know your mother’s planning to host that whole Feast of the Seven Fishes at the station house tomorrow night, right?”
“She told me. Can we sit?” He motioned across the street. “Maybe just look at the lights for a bit?”
“Sure.” The anticipation that had been building throughout their dinner at the Flutterby faded, replaced by an unease she couldn’t quite explain. They took a seat on the stone wall separating the beach from the road. The cold stone made her shiver, and she drew her sweater tighter around her, scooted closer to him for warmth as he set his crutches aside. “How bad is it?” She tried to focus her attention on the myriad of lights outlining the shop windows, twinkling and sparkling against the shimmering red-and-white candy canes hoisted onto the lampposts that were wrapped with greenery.
“How bad is what?” he asked.
“Whatever’s on your mind.” She brushed the hair back from his eyes. “What’s got you so down? Is it Alice? Your mom? I know you’re missing your dad—”
“I got the job.” He cringed as he said it, as if he’d just swallowed a vial of poison. “The federal investigator’s job. Their first choice fell through, so they offered it to me.”
Frankie’s stomach dropped. “Oh.” Her throat tightened. “Well, that’s great, isn’t it?” She pulled her hands into her lap, twisting them together so hard her fingers went numb. “That’s what you want. And even sooner than the six months.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to take it.”
The Firefighter's Thanksgiving Wish Page 21