With These Two Hands

by Lori Ryan

  He leaned in, whispering in her ear. “Library,” he said smiling.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Daniel, please let me get those bags,” Kayleigh said, trying to get to the luggage before their driver could.

  “Nonsense, Miss Kayleigh. You know I enjoy doing things for you.”

  She smiled. Kayleigh had forgotten how lucky they were to have such an amazing staff who truly cared for her. It didn’t completely make up for a mother who was less than affectionate, but it was something.

  Aaron stood beside her as they said goodbye to her family. He’d been such a trouper.

  It was Sunday afternoon and they were on their way home. The wedding had been spectacular—of course—the food unbelievable, and the company surprisingly enjoyable. Even her mother had been kind to her during the reception.

  Kayleigh had learned one valuable lesson while home. Aaron was right. It didn’t matter what others thought of you, it only mattered how you saw yourself. Success was in the eye of the person reaching for their dreams. And today she was happy with her decision to study veterinary medicine, whether or not her clinic was profitable.

  Hunter and Brittany had returned to her family home for brunch that morning even though it was the morning after their wedding night. He said he wanted to see his baby sister off. To be honest, she was grateful to be able to see him one last time before she left. It had been too long.

  “I’m so glad you came, sweetheart,” her father said as they stood waiting for their luggage to be loaded, taking her into his arms.

  “Me, too, Dad.” And she meant it.

  “And it was so nice to meet you, Aaron.” Her father held out his hand

  Aaron clasped it in his. “Thank you for having me.”

  “Of course.” Her father dropped his hand. “And please consider my offer to come with us on our trip this summer. We’d love to have you in whatever capacity you could offer.”

  Aaron smiled and nodded but didn’t commit to anything. Part of her was sad that he was in such limbo.

  Hunter stepped forward and wrapped her in an equally impressive embrace. “It was good to see you, brat.”

  She laughed into his broad chest. “You too, honey bun.”

  Hunter rubbed his knuckles on her head.

  “Ow,” she yelped, stepping back, drawing laughter from her brother. “Some things never change,” her father said, shaking his head.

  “Seriously,” Brittany said, walking toward her and hugging Kayleigh. “Thank you so much for coming. It meant a lot…to all of us. And I’m sorry about my jerk-wad brother.”

  Kayleigh shrugged and stepped back, realizing what she was about to say was absolutely true. “I’ve moved on. I’m kind of glad he was a jerk-wad all those years ago. I may never have had the courage to go to vet school.”

  “Oh, you had the courage,” her mother snorted from her place next to Kayleigh’s father.

  Kayleigh stared at her mother in surprise.

  “You’re the most hard-headed, stubborn…” her mother paused and Kayleigh held her breath, wondering what other mean things she would say before they left. “Most determined, goal driven girl I ever knew.” She walked toward Kayleigh and pushed her hair off her shoulders. “With the most beautiful skin I’ve ever seen. Oh,” she practically shouted, raising her hands in the air.

  Kayleigh jumped.

  “I almost forgot.”

  Her mother dashed inside the house and returned with two silver gift bags, both marked with Neiman Marcus on the outside. Why wasn’t she surprised?

  Her mother dug around in one of the bags. “Yvette at the beauty bar,” she glanced up, “you remember Yvette, right?”

  How could she not? Her mother had dragged Kayleigh to Neiman Marcus on a monthly basis, trying on new clothes and shoes that never fit, and sampling beauty products she hated, all in the hopes of turning Kayleigh into the beauty queen her mother had always dreamed of.

  “Well, I was in the store last week and she told me about this wonderful new brand of skin care from Hawaii of all places.” She glanced up at Kayleigh. “Hawaii? Isn’t that funny?”

  Kayleigh nodded, knowing it was best not to question her mother.

  “Anyway, it’s called Mahalo Skin Care and it comes in these adorable faux wood containers.” Her mother pulled out a jar to show the group, as if they cared. “Did you know mahalo means thank you in Hawaiian?” She stuffed the container back in the bag, unaware that no one really cared.

  “I had Yvette put together the entire line of skin care for you,” she said, “beauty balm, hydrating mask and an antioxidant because—” her mother glanced up and cupped Kayleigh’s face “—you’re getting older now sweetheart, in the sun working with those animals and out in wilderness. It’s never too soon to tend to those wrinkles.”

  Kayleigh realized in that moment her mother was showing love the only way she knew how. For years her mother had been judged solely on her ability to look and act perfect as she entertained Boston’s elite. Yes, her mother would always find the flaws and concentrate on the superficial things, but this was her mother’s way of showing she cared, in a worried, backhanded sort of way.

  Her mother handed Kayleigh the bag. “It’s all in there. Yvette included instructions and what to use when. Her card’s there too if you have any questions. Oh, and it’s all organic and pet-friendly or pet something. She said they didn’t hurt any rats or anything. I thought you would like that.” Her mother glanced up and smiled. She truly was a beautiful woman.

  Kayleigh took the bag from her and watched as her mother knitted her hands together, seeming nervous.

  “Oh, and this.” Her mother reached down for the other bag and handed it to Kayleigh. “This is the nail care kit from London Care. Everyone at the garden club raves about it. There’s a nourishing cuticle cream and a moisturizing mask for your hands. Don’t use it on your face.” She smiled as if that was the funniest thing. “I know you’re working with your hands a lot, so I thought it might be useful.”

  Kayleigh nodded, surprised by her mother’s outpouring of gifts. She couldn’t help wondering how much it had all cost.

  “And be sure to apply plenty of sunblock too, Kayleigh Marie. I know you’re out with those horses and cattle and pigs and things.” Her mother shuddered. “Especially apply it to your hands. Hands always show their age, that’s what I’ve always said.”

  Kayleigh set both bags on the ground and stepped up to her mother, wrapping her arms around her neck and kissing her cheek. “Thanks, Mother,” she whispered in her ear.

  Her mother gave her one tight squeeze before pushing her back and staring at her face. “Mahalo, right?”

  Kayleigh laughed. “Mahalo, Mom.”

  Her mother’s face lit up like a Christmas tree and Kayleigh realized that maybe her mother also needed the affection of her daughter.

  “We better get going if we don’t want to miss our plane,” Aaron said behind her.

  She turned, surprised to see him smiling like a Cheshire Cat. She nodded once, then faced her family.

  “Come back again soon, Lee Lee,” her father said, wrapping her in another warm embrace that felt so good she thought she might actually want to stay.

  “Oh, Kayleigh, sweetheart,” Mrs. Nelson, their cook, called to her as she stepped out onto the porch, carrying a white bag. “I packed you some brownies for your trip home.”

  Kayleigh smiled, reaching for the bag, surprised when her mother said nothing about empty calories.

  “I hope you didn’t pack all of them, Mrs. Nelson,” her brother said. “We’ve got a long flight to Paris and I sure could use some.”

  “I think I can find more for you somewhere.” Mrs. Nelson winked.

  “Goodbye, sweetheart,” Kayleigh’s mother said, stepping up next to her. “It really was good to have you home. Thank you for coming.” She slid her arms around Kayleigh’s shoulders and squeezed then quickly stepped away as if unsure of herself.

  “You too, Mom. It
was good to see you, too.”

  Aaron reached for her hand and she took it, not feeling at all uncomfortable by his show of affection. They’d grown closer during this trip, which was probably a bad thing for her heart. But she didn’t care. For now, she had the affection of her family and a man who cared about her well-being. There really wasn’t much more she could ask for.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  As Aaron pulled up to the small ranch house where Izzie lived, he saw her father, Manny, and Mr. Rutherford walk out the door. At the sight of Mr. Rutherford at Manny’s house, Aaron’s stomach sank. Hopefully Izzie hadn’t gotten worse overnight.

  She was scheduled to go to the Children’s Hospital in two days for pre-op work, then spend the night and have a tonsil- and adenoidectomy the following day. Manny and his mother had been very nervous despite Aaron and Doc’s assurances that this was a routine procedure.

  Aaron reached in the back of his brother’s SUV for his medical bag and stepped out of the car. It was strange to have a bag, like an old-timey doctor. He felt strangely comfortable with the bag in hand though. It reminded him of his ROTC days when he was ready for anything.

  “How’s the patient?” Aaron called.

  Their faces were strained and instantly Aaron knew his fears were real.

  He stepped onto the porch. “What’s going on?”

  “Her fever spiked again,” Manny said.

  “That’s to be expected,” Aaron said, trying to reassure the worried father. “From what Doc told me, Izzie runs high fevers. What is her temp? Is it coming down with medicine?”

  “One-oh-two-point-four. It’s come down some with acetaminophen and ibuprofen,” Manny said, “but not much.”

  “Have you tried cool baths like we talked about?”

  “Yes,” Manny nodded, fear still evident in his expression.

  “Let’s go check in on her, just in case.” The knot in Aaron’s stomach grew tighter. He wasn’t a pediatrician, but the body was the body, and he wanted to set eyes on the girl and assess her himself.

  “Just in case what?” Manny asked.

  “We’ll just do another examine to see if we missed anything.”

  Manny stepped closer, his normally bronzed skin turning pale. “What could you have missed?”

  Shit. This was the part of medicine he hated. It wasn’t exact. There could be a lot of things a small-town clinic couldn’t find. That’s why he missed his big city hospital. There, the diagnostic equipment was much more impressive and there was a team of doctors and nurses, each checking and re-checking one another.

  Rather than run more tests they didn’t have and wait for the results, he and Doc had decided yesterday to let the hospital run a thorough diagnostic of her. They’d done a complete blood count and checked for the normal things. They’d attributed her high white blood cell count to her tonsillitis. The poor girl had been running a fever off and on for three days now and Aaron wasn’t happy. The honest truth was, it could be a host of things.

  “She’ll be fine, Manny,” Aaron tried to assure. “Let me go in and check her out.”

  “Hello, Dr. Aaron.” Mrs. Rodriguez called to him from in the house.

  “Hello, Mrs. Rodriguez,” he said, stepping into the small but comfortable home.

  “Please, call me Estelle.”

  Aaron smiled and nodded. “Of course. Where is Izzie?”

  “She’s in her room,” she said. “She’s asleep.”

  “When did you last check her temperature?”

  “Less than an hour ago.”

  Aaron followed Estelle down the hall. “When was the last time you gave her a dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen?”

  ”We’re using both, alternating them. She had a dose of acetaminophen two hours ago.”

  That was long enough that her temp should have come down somewhat. Aaron walked into Izzie’s room and saw her completely passed out. The sinking feeling was back.

  He set his bag down next to her bed and pulled out his stethoscope. He rolled her slightly to listen to her lungs. It would have been easier if she were awake and could take deep breaths. He didn’t hear any cracking or bubbling. That was a good sign, although he couldn’t completely rule out pneumonia without tests. The girl was burning up.

  He rolled her back and listened to her heart. She had an elevated heart rate but that was to be expected. He closed his eyes, listening again. He forgot how much he missed the steady rhythm of the heart. His eyes opened when he heard it, an arrhythmia. Her heart was skipping a beat. This wasn’t good.

  He turned to Manny. “Has Izzie ever been diagnosed with a heart condition?”

  “No.” He shook his head.

  Everything inside him said they needed to get Izzie to the hospital now.

  “What’s wrong?” Estelle asked, moving closer.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure,” Aaron said. “But I would feel much better if we get Izzie to the hospital today rather than wait.”

  Estelle sucked in a breath. “Why, what’s wrong?”

  Manny held on to his mother’s shoulder.

  “It could be several things.” Aaron wasn’t going to rattle off possibilities and send them into a panic.

  “Not just tonsillitis?” Manny asked.

  “It’s possible that’s all this is,” he said, trying not to have them freak out. “But she’s had a high fever and an elevated blood count. Her body isn’t able to maintain her core temperature. Her breathing looks labored and I’m concerned about her heartbeat.”

  Estelle let out a sob before covering her mouth.

  “Please, Estelle, it’s all right,” Aaron tried to assure her. “I just would rather err on the side of caution, get her to the hospital so they can do a complete work-up of her.”

  “So, you want to go to Denver now?” Manny asked.

  “Yes, I think that would be best. The sooner the—”

  “We can take my chopper,” Mr. Rutherford said.

  “You have a helicopter?” Aaron asked.

  “Sure do.”

  “And you fly?”

  Mr. Rutherford nodded. “Yes.”

  “I can take her,” someone else said behind them.

  Aaron turned and saw Mr. Rutherford’s son, Grayson, standing, hands in pocket.

  “You fly too?”

  “Yep,” Grayson nodded.

  Aaron was floored. This could make a big difference in medical emergencies for their small town. Even with the ski lodge here, they still didn’t have some of the resources the larger ski areas did. How had Aaron not known there was access to a helicopter in town? Probably because he hadn’t been home in years.

  He turned back to Mr. Rutherford. “That would be wonderful. I’d like to get her there as quickly as possible.”

  “You’re that concerned?” Manny asked.

  “I’m cautious, Manny, that’s all.”

  “I’ll go get it fired up,” Grayson said.

  Aaron turned to Estelle. “Pack her some clothes, bring her favorite things.”

  “Doc Aaron?” a small voice came from the bed.

  Aaron knelt down beside Izzie. “Hey, sweet girl.” He smiled.

  “Where am I going?”

  “You get to take a ride high in the sky. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  She slipped her hand in his. “Will you come with me?”

  Aaron knew from experience that space in a chopper was limited. “I don’t think there’s room for this ride, but I’ll drive over and see you as soon as I can.”

  She nodded. “It hurts to swallow.”

  “I know.” He set a hand to her forehead. She was still burning up. “Just try to rest. You need to get better soon. Sunshine is going to have her baby any day now.” He hoped the mention of the horse she considered her own would help ease Izzie’s anxiety.

  She nodded once. “Okay,” she said quietly as her eyes floated shut again.

  He found Beezus on the floor and picked the toy up, tucking it under Izzie’s arm.
<
br />   “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice horse.

  He leaned down and kissed her forehead, staring down at the little girl. He couldn’t ever remember caring for one of his cardiac patients like he did Izzie. Finally, he stood.

  Mrs. Rodriguez already had a bag packed for Izzie.

  “You’ll probably want to bring one for yourself,” he said.

  She nodded and left the room but not before he saw the tears rolling down her face.

  He grabbed her in the hallway. “Estelle,” he said.

  She stared down at the ground.

  “The children’s hospital is the best place for her right now.” He tried to reassure her grandmother without offering false hope. “I just want to make sure she has the best care possible.”

  She nodded. “I know Dr. Aaron, I know. It’s just…”

  He understood. “She’s your Izzie.”

  She glanced up, tears in her eyes. “She’s my everything.”

  Aaron swallowed down a lump. “We’ll make sure she’s okay. I’ll come to the hospital myself as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you,” she said, wiping at her face.

  Aaron grabbed his bag and headed for the door. He needed to get a head start so he could get to the hospital as soon as possible.

  Manny stood, eyes bleak.

  “Manny, she’ll be fine. I told your mother—”

  “I know,” he said. “I heard.” Finally he glanced up. “She’s right. Izzie is my everything.”

  Kayleigh’s face flashed in Aaron’s mind and he knew what Manny meant. All he could do was nod. “I’m going to head back to the medical center and call ahead to the Children’s Hospital so they’ll know what to expect. Then I’ll get on the road and join you there.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Sumner.” Manny reached out and grabbed Aaron’s arm.

  “Please, call me, Aaron.”

  Manny shook his head. “You’ve earned the respect. You’re Dr. Sumner.”

  Aaron heard the shwoosh of the helicopter blades in the background. “It sounds like they’re almost ready for you guys.”

  “I’ll go get Izzie,” Manny said, walking back into the house.