A Family for Tory

by Margaret Daley

  * * *

  “Where’s Slade?” Judy asked, handing Tory another cup of coffee.

  Tory watched Slade and Brad walk across the parking lot and climb into her brother-in-law’s white SUV. “He went to your house with Brad. I thought it best he stay there tonight with Mindy. I don’t want her any more upset than she already is, and hospitals remind her too much of what she went through.” The lights of Dallas shone in the dark hours of night. She turned from the large window in the waiting room, suddenly needing to sit down.

  “You’re a good mother, Tory. I hope you can have children before it’s too late.”

  Tory rolled her aching shoulders. It might already be too late. Coming back here brought forth all those feelings she had run from four years ago. She wouldn’t be able to give her husband what she had dreamed of all her life. While her girlfriends in high school and college had had sex, she’d saved herself. And for what? For Brandon to take it by force—all those years obliterated in a single moment.

  “I saw Mrs. Clayton today at the house.”

  Judy came to sit next to her. She took her hand. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. I should have gone to get Mom’s things. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Ashley and Jamie needed you. Besides, I should be able to go home and not worry about it.”

  “Did she say anything to you?”

  “No, but Mrs. Johnston came over to see how Mom was doing. I think she really wanted to see how I was doing and to put in her barbs—again.”

  “Does Slade know?”

  Tory hunched her shoulders, staring down at their clasped hands. “Yes. I told him when you took Mindy camping.”

  “Good. He had a right to know.”

  Tory jerked her head up and stabbed her sister with a look. “Why? It happened to me four years ago. Before I knew him.”

  “Frankly, Tory, because it has such power over you.”

  As close as she was to her sister, Judy didn’t know the half of it. Tory withdrew her hand and bolted to her feet, restless, wanting just to forget everything. Why couldn’t it be that simple? She didn’t like what was happening to her all over again. The doubts. The fears.

  “Tory, you’ve married a good man. Let him help you.”

  She wanted to shout, “He deserves better than me,” but she kept the words deep inside, where they festered. “I don’t want to talk about me. It’s Mom I’m worried about.”

  “We’ll know more in the morning. Hopefully the doctor will be able to operate on her and she can begin recovering.”

  “Let’s pray.” Tory bowed her head and folded her hands.

  * * *

  Tory stopped pacing and scanned the waiting room. She never wanted to see this place again. She’d lived here for the past few days, sleeping when she could on the hard blue sofa in the corner. She had never thought of herself as an impatient person until now. She felt like screaming in frustration.

  Plowing her hand through her hair, she resumed her pacing. “When do you think we’ll hear anything?”

  Judy glanced at her watch. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.” She turned to her father. “Dad, do you want some coffee?”

  He nodded, his face pale and deeply lined with exhaustion.

  “Come on, Tory. You can help me bring some drinks back.” Judy tugged on her arm to get her moving toward the door.

  “But what if the doctor comes back soon?” Tory asked as she stepped out into the hospital corridor.

  “A few minutes won’t make any difference, and I think you need to get out of that room. You’re driving everyone crazy with your pacing.”

  “Sorry, I’m restless.”

  “Personally, I don’t know how you have any energy to put one foot in front of the other. We’ve all been up most of the past forty-eight hours.”

  “Can’t sleep until I know Mom will make it through the surgery.”

  “Hence the reason I’m making you go with me. Did you see the looks that other family sent us?”

  “I usually ride to get rid of this nervous energy, but I’m fresh out of any horses at the moment.” Tory attempted a grin that immediately faded.

  “Is Gus taking care of the ranch?”

  “Yes, thank goodness for him. He’s staying at the house and, from talking with him earlier today, loving every minute of it. He feels like he’s on vacation from his daughter.”

  Judy entered the coffee shop and ordered hot coffee for herself, their father and Tory. Taking the tray, she started for the door.

  “At least let me carry my own coffee,” Tory said, plucking her cup from the tray, “since you wanted my help in getting the drinks.”

  “Slade and Brad should be back in a little while with the kids.”

  “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for Mindy to be at the hospital. She has been upset ever since she heard about Mom.”

  “The kids will need to see for themselves Mom’s okay.”

  “I know. But she has bad memories about the hospital.”

  “Honey, I know you want to protect her, but I think Slade’s doing the right thing.”

  In the waiting room the surgeon who had operated on their mother stood with their father, speaking in low murmurs. The tension in her father’s face had relaxed, sparking hope in Tory.

  She hurried to the pair. “Dad? Is everything okay?”

  Her father smiled, his blue eyes lighting. “She’s going to be all right. The operation went well. Thank you, Dr. Richards.” He shook the man’s hand.

  After the doctor left, her father collapsed into a chair, his shoulders sagging. “Thank you, Lord, for bringing my Eleanor through safely.”

  “Amen,” both Tory and Judy said.

  Tory sat on one side of her father while Judy took the other chair next to him and gave him his cup of coffee. His hand shook as he brought it to his lips.

  “She made it. She made it,” he murmured between sips.

  “Dad, when can we see her?” Tory set her coffee on the table in front of her, too edgy to drink any more caffeine.

  “Not too long. The nurse will let us know.”

  “Tor-ee?”

  Tory glanced toward the door and smiled. Mindy hurried into the room and threw herself into Tory’s arms. She kissed the top of the child’s head and hugged her.

  “Miss—you.”

  “And I missed you, young lady. How are you doing?” Tory pulled back to look into the child’s face, smoothing her hair back.

  “How’s—Grand-ma?”

  “She’s gonna be fine. The operation was a success.”

  “Not—gonna—uh—die?”

  Mindy’s large eyes appealed to her, causing her chest to tighten. “No, baby. Grandma’s going to be one hundred percent better.” She hoped.

  “Can—I see—her?”

  “Soon.” Tory caught sight of Slade standing back watching their exchange. She offered him a smile, her exhaustion beginning to take over. Her eyelids felt heavy, her movements slow, all the nervous energy drained from her.

  “I’m glad to hear your mother is okay.” Slade took the chair next to her, stretching his long legs out and crossing them at the ankle.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, then hugged Mindy to her, taking solace in the feel of the child in her arms.

  There was a part of her that wanted to throw herself into his comforting embrace as Mindy had her, but her trip home had raised all her doubts and fears she’d begun to put to rest. Over the last month she’d thought she had moved past her memories to forge a new future. She’d been fooling herself.

  When the nurse came into the room, she directed Tory’s father to where her mother was. Time moved slowly as Tory waited her turn to see her mother. Weariness had a strong grip on her now.

  Mindy scooted over to sit where Tory’s father had been. Swinging her legs, she asked, “Do you—think— Belle—misses me?”

  “Gus is taking good care of her. It won’t be long before you see her again. What have you, Ashley and Jamie been do
ing?”

  “Watch-ing—movies.” The child shrugged. “Playing—games. Not much.” She looked up at Tory. “Been—uh—uh—worried.”

  “You don’t need to worry anymore. Things will be back to normal in no time,” Tory said with more conviction than she felt. She’d finally thought her life was on track, but this derailment made her wonder if she was heading in the right direction. Slade deserved more than she was afraid she could give him.

  When Mindy wandered over to Ashley and Jamie and they began to play a card game, Tory shifted around to Slade. With his head back on the cushion, his eyes closed, she studied his strong features, relaxed for the moment. A lock of his hair curled on his forehead. Her fingers itched to brush it back into place. She balled her hands and refrained from touching him. She twisted around, trying to find a comfortable position in the hard chair.

  When she peered at Slade again, his eyes were open and watching her. She swallowed several times, but her throat remained parched. For a few seconds she glimpsed a yearning in his gaze that nearly undid her. He cloaked his expression and straightened.

  “Did you call your office this morning?”

  He nodded, his gaze fixed on her.

  “How’s everything in Cimarron City? Okay?”

  “Fine. I’ve been informed by my secretary that I have done such a good job of hiring a great team that they can manage without me for a while.” He angled so his knees touched her leg, and he took her hands within his. “I will be here for you for as long as you need me. Everything back home will take care of itself. You only have to worry about your mother.”

  The concern in his expression struck at her composure. She wanted to fall apart in his arms, to cry for her mother, for her lost innocence. But the sounds of the others held her rigid, especially the voices of the children. She pulled her hands from his and stood on shaky legs. If she stayed near him, she would fall apart, and Mindy didn’t need to see that.

  Tory paced from one end of the room to the other. With his fingers steepled in front of his face and his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, Slade observed her flexing her hands then curling them into fists. He wanted to help, but every time he’d tried, she’d shut the door in his face. He wasn’t sure what to do anymore.

  He shoved himself to his feet and said to Mindy, “I’ll be back in a minute, sweetheart.”

  “Sure Dad-dy.” She glanced up from her cards, giving him a smile that showed her missing tooth.

  When he left the waiting room, he headed straight for the chapel, not wanting to be gone long. But he needed a quiet place to talk with God, a place free of distractions.

  In the small chapel Slade sat on the front pew, bowed his head and clasped his hands together. This was still so new to him. He had been out of practice for so long. Where to begin?

  Suddenly the words filled his mind. Lord, please help me to be there for Tory. I don’t know what she needs anymore. I know what happened to her, but I still feel she is holding something back from me, keeping something buried deep inside her that is a barrier to any lasting relationship between us. Please show me what to do. Should I try to force the issue? Should I back off? What do I do?

  * * *

  Tory’s mother lay in the hospital bed, pale, the wrinkles on her face more prominent, but she was alive. Tory walked to her mother with Mindy and Slade on either side of her. Her mother’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled, a faint upturn of her mouth.

  Tory cupped her mother’s hand between hers. “Mom—” The words choked in her throat.

  “Grand-ma! You—kay?” Mindy leaned near Eleanor.

  She licked her lips. “Now, I am.” Her eyes closed for a few seconds, then she looked again at Mindy. “You’ve grown.”

  Mindy straightened to her full height. “Gus—says—at least—an inch.”

  “Mom, can I get you anything? Bring you anything from home?”

  “No, just tired.” Her eyes blinked closed. “Rest.”

  “I’ll be back later, Mom.”

  Tory, Slade and Mindy started for the door when Eleanor whispered, “Slade.”

  He turned and went back to the bed. “Yes?”

  “Thank you.”

  His brow wrinkled. “For what?”

  She swallowed hard and glanced at Tory. “For bringing my baby home.” Then her eyes shut and her head sagged to the side.

  He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re welcome.”

  Tory’s swirling emotions collided with her exhaustion. She made it outside the room before collapsing back against the wall and hanging her head so Mindy wouldn’t see the tears gathering in her eyes.

  “Mindy, why don’t you go find Ashley and Jamie?”

  Tory heard Mindy walk away, her foot dragging slightly on the linoleum floor. Then Slade laid his hand on her shoulders and lifted her chin so she looked him straight in the eye.

  “I’m taking you to your sister’s. No more sleeping at the hospital. You need to sleep in a bed and get some rest or you won’t be any good for your mother.”

  She didn’t even have the energy to argue with him. He was right. She knew it even though she hated leaving her mother.

  Slade walked with his arm around her to the waiting room where he called to Mindy. Together they left the hospital. The trip to Judy’s house was a blur. When she arrived at her sister’s, Slade immediately escorted her to a bedroom where she saw their suitcase and sat her on the bed.

  “Take a nap. When you wake up, you can eat something then go back to sleep. You have two days’ worth to make up.”

  “Aye, aye, captain.” She wanted to salute but couldn’t lift her hand. Instead, she fell back and let Slade remove her shoes and place her legs on the mattress. Then he covered her, kissed her on the forehead and pulled the drapes before leaving the bedroom.

  * * *

  The warmth and softness of the bed cocooned Tory in a safe haven. Someone touched her shoulder and shook her. She burrowed deeper, not wanting to open her eyes to the real world.

  “Tor-ee—Mom—are you—all—right?”

  The frightened tone penetrated Tory’s sleep-groggy mind. Her eyes bolted open to find Mindy standing next to her, her face crunched into a frown. “I’m fine, honey. Just tired.”

  “Mindy, you know you weren’t supposed to bother Tory.” Slade strode into the room.

  Mindy hung her head. “I know. I was—wor-ried.”

  Tory reached up and cradled Mindy’s face in her palm. “Don’t be. I needed to catch up on some sleep.” She looked toward the bedside clock and noticed it was nine o’clock. “Morning or night?”

  Slade grinned. “Night. You haven’t slept that long. Are you hungry?”

  “Yes.” She started to rise.

  Slade motioned her back down. “I’ll bring you a sandwich. You stay put and rest.”

  “But, Slade, I—”

  He shook his head. “No arguments. You’re still pale and you have dark circles under your eyes. A four-hour nap isn’t nearly long enough to make up for two days without much sleep.”

  Her eyes drifted closed as the two left the room. Now that she was awake, her stomach was rumbling, and she realized she hadn’t eaten much in the past two days, either. She’d mostly lived on caffeine to keep herself going. No food and lots of caffeine were not a good combination.

  Ten minutes later she heard the door opening. She sat up as Slade came into the room with a tray. “You’re spoiling me. I’ve never had dinner in bed. Actually, I’ve never had any meal in bed.”

  “Maybe the way I delivered it will help you to overlook the way I made the sandwich. I got carried away.”

  Tory laughed when she saw the layers of food between two pieces of bread. “You expect me to get that in my mouth?”

  He lifted his shoulders, looking sheepishly at the plate with a three-inch-high sandwich on it. “You might want to remove some of the meat—or cheese—or lettuce—or—”

  “I get the picture. You put everything on this ex
cept the kitchen sink.”

  “I wasn’t sure what you wanted.” He sat on the bed, facing her, the tray between them. “I probably should have cut it in half, too.”

  “Probably.” Tory peeled back the top piece of bread and took off some sweet pickles, a slice of tomato, a slab of cheddar cheese and one layer of meat. Then she cut the smaller sandwich into two sections. Her stomach rumbled in the silence.

  Slade glanced at her and grinned. “You’re not hurrying fast enough for your stomach.”

  Tory opened her mouth wide and bit into the smaller version of her dinner. After washing it down with some ice water, she ate some more. She gestured toward the remains on the plate. “Please help yourself.”

  Slade popped two slices of sweet pickle into his mouth, then rose. “I’m gonna put Mindy down to bed. I’ll be back for the tray in a little bit.”

  By the time Tory finished eating her dinner, Slade reentered the bedroom. “Where is everyone?”

  “In bed.”

  “Already?”

  “You have to admit it has been a long day. Even Ashley and Jamie have gone to bed.”

  “Good. Judy needs her sleep as much as I do.” Tory covered her mouth and yawned.

  Slade retrieved the tray, saying as he made his way to the door, “I’ll be back.”

  Tory slipped out of the bed when he closed the door and rummaged around in her suitcase for her pajamas. She used the bathroom off the bedroom to scrub her face and brush her teeth. When she inspected herself in the mirror, she could understand Slade’s concern. She combed her fingers through her messy hair and flipped it behind her shoulders before leaving.

  Slade came back, dug his pajama bottoms out of the suitcase and went into the bathroom after her. Tory got into bed and pulled the sheet up, reminded of the Fourth of July weekend when Slade and she had shared a bedroom.

  “I know this has been a difficult few days for you, Tory. If you want to talk, I’m here.” Slade sat on his side of the bed.