by Wayne Jordan
She almost cried out but stifled the sound.
Where was George? What was he doing? Had her mother been told? She hoped so. She remembered that George had been there when she’d first opened her eyes in the fogging nothingness. She was sure he would have made contact with her mother.
She glanced around the room. She was thirsty. She tried to shift herself off the bed, but the pain was too unbearable. She searched for the ringer, found it and pressed it to summon the nurse.
A few minutes later, the nurse entered her room.
“So you’re finally up, Ms. Davis. I’m sure you want something to eat and to take care of nature’s calling.”
Rachel could only nod.
Twenty-five minutes later, feeling refreshed and less burdened by nature, she rested her head against the pillow.
She’d been informed by the nurse that her mother had been there for several hours and would return in the morning and that she was not to worry, that Gregory was fine.
She sighed in relief. Her mother and son were her major concern. She didn’t worry about work; she knew things would be taken care of. She wondered about the extent of the damage, but since she was alive, she suspected that the damage had been minimal.
With each moment she remembered more of the incident and knew that George had saved her life. She remembered clearly that he had pounced on her attacker before she had succumbed to darkness.
George.
The name rang in her ears.
Things were getting a lot more complicated than she’d expected.
How could she continue with her plan to ignore him and keep their relationship professional? The man had saved her life. That, at least, indicated that she had to extend a hand of friendship, even if she needed to be cautious.
But she would still try to keep him at arm’s length for a while. She didn’t want him at her home. She shifted on the bed, which gave rise to a sharp stab of pain.
She inhaled deeply, riding out the pain. Already her body was feeling tired again.
Sleep descended slowly and she closed her eyes, the image on her mind one of a brave man who had saved her life.
Chapter 6
When Rachel woke the next time, her mother was sitting in her room, her eyes closed, her lips moving. She was praying.
Soft rays of sunlight eased their way between the dark curtains. She shifted her body, sore from lying on the bed for so long. Pain coursed up her side. She breathed deeply, waiting for it to subside.
Despite the pain, she closed her eyes, sending her own words of prayer upward. She was glad to be alive.
Outside she could hear the low hum of vehicles driving by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the sole government-owned hospital on the island, nestled on the outskirts of the city of Bridgetown.
Her mother opened her eyes, rising from the chair when she realized her daughter was awake.
“Oh, sweetheart, are you all right? Do you need a nurse?”
“I’m fine, Mother. I’m feeling better.”
“I can’t believe what happened. Things like this don’t happen in Barbados,” she sobbed.
“Mom, there is no need to cry,” Rachel reassured. “I haven’t spoken to the doctor yet, but the nurse told me I’ll be fine. The knife did not damage any vital organs.”
“I know it. God listens. He knows you have a young son to take care of.”
She nodded, acknowledging her mother’s words. Maybe God did listen. Rachel knew she had come close to being an annual statistic.
“The nurse told me to call her when you wake up. She came with your breakfast but you were still sleeping.”
“Yes, I’m a bit hungry, but before you go, I need to find out how Gregory is doing.”
“He’s worried, but I told him you’ll be all right. He’s next door at Marjorie’s. He doesn’t seem to mind spending the time there since he and Jonathan are friends.”
“Thanks, Mom, for taking care of everything.”
“It’s not me. You have your young man to thank. He was here last night,” she replied. And almost as an afterthought, she said, “A boy needs to know his father.”
“Please don’t go there, Mom.”
“Just my opinion, sweetheart.”
She paused. Her mother didn’t deserve her attitude.
“Sorry I snapped at you, Mom,” she said, “but I’d prefer not to deal with that for now.”
Her mother glanced at her watch. “I’m going to have to go. Marjorie’s husband is coming for me soon. I’ll be back this evening. I spoke to your doctor and he says you need to be here a few days. You’ll be in pain for a bit, but you’ll heal.”
Her mother bent and kissed her on the cheek.
“Give Gregory my love. I’ll call him at Marjorie’s,” she told her mother.
“Yes, he keeps asking if you’re all right. Bye, honey. I’ll let the nurse know you’re ready for breakfast,” she said as she walked out of the room.
Rachel shifted slowly and reached for the phone.
Their neighbor picked up immediately.
“Marjorie, this is Rachel. Thanks for taking care of Gregory for me.”
“It’s no problem. He’s a good boy and Jonathan has been delighted to have him over. He’s here having breakfast. How are you doing?”
“I’m not too bad. At least nothing serious was damaged.”
“That’s good. We were worried about you. Hold on, I’ll let Gregory talk to you. He’s staring at me. I suspect he knows it’s you.”
“Hi, Mom.” Her son’s voice came over the line.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Mom, you’re all right?” he asked. “They talked about you on the news last night. You’re not going to die, are you?”
“No, Gregory,” she reassured him. “I’m going to be fine.”
“Scout’s honor?” he asked, using his favorite phrase.
“Yes, Scout’s honor,” she replied.
“When are you coming home? I miss you.”
“It’ll be soon. But in the meantime, don’t give your grandmother any trouble.”
“You know I won’t, Mom.”
She smiled. It was true. Her son was a bit too perfect. But in today’s world, that wasn’t a bad thing.
“Good, you go finish your breakfast. Your grandmother is on the way home, but since it’s Saturday, you can stay there with Jonathan. Let me talk to Marjorie again.”
“Bye, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too,” she replied before Marjorie came back on the line.
“I hope it’s okay if Gregory stays there today?” she asked.
“Oh, I’ve already told his grandmother he can stay here as long as he wants. In fact, he says he doesn’t mind, but he has to be at home to sleep with his grandmother at nights.”
Rachel experienced a surge of pride.
She laughed. “Thanks, Marjorie. I know it can’t be easy to have two energetic boys around.”
“They are no trouble, dear. Gregory is welcome here anytime.”
“Thanks again. The nurse just walked in with my breakfast. I’ll see you when I get back home.”
She hung up and turned to the smiling nurse.
Half an hour later, her body refreshed from a shower and breakfast, she rested her head on the pillow. She’d asked the nurse for one of the local papers, but she was already feeling a bit tired.
She wondered when George was going to come again, or if he already felt he’d done the neighborly thing and that was enough?
A part of her wanted to see him again, but she was being silly. Maybe the accident had affected her. She was feeling helpless and vulnerable. Maybe his not being around was a good thing.
She had no intention of falling in love with him again. It would be madness.
* * *
George walked along the empty corridor, the sound of his footsteps echoing loudly. Trepidation slowed his steps. While he wanted to see Rachel, he was reluctant to face her. Not that he was afraid of her or anything. It was his feelings for her. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, of what he’d missed.
Yes, he was concerned for her, but there were questions that remained unanswered. Answers he needed to know if he wanted to leave that part of his life behind.
He didn’t expect a return to that relationship. Her feelings for him may be nothing like they had been, but he could not ignore the flash of desire he’d seen in her eyes. It had been a fleeting moment of vulnerability, he suspected, but he’d seen it nevertheless.
Outside her room, he paused, uncertain of her reaction to his arrival. He had saved her life. She could not ignore that. He would even use it to dismiss any objections to his visit.
He knocked on the door and pushed it open slowly.
Damn, she was beautiful. For minutes they stared at each other, both unsure of what to say. His heart was pounding in his chest. He smiled, hoping that it would give him confidence, but inside his heart fluttered with excitement.
Rachel smiled in return, a lopsided, cautious smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. For a moment he saw a glimpse of fear and wondered what could cause her to be afraid of him, but as quickly as he saw it, it was gone, and he wondered if he’d been imagining things.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked politely.
“I’m doing fine. I slept well last night after the nurse give me a painkiller. It hasn’t been too bad since I woke up.”
“That’s good to hear. Did you see your mother?”
“Yes, she was here when I woke this morning. She told me you were here earlier…that you called her.”
“I was glad to help,” he replied. “Someone needed to let her know.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” She paused, as if trying to find the right words. “I want to thank you for saving me yesterday. I could have died.”
“It was nothing. I was glad I was out there at the time. Your attacker was acting suspicious. I’m sorry I didn’t respond quicker.”
“There is no need to worry about what else you could have done. Have the police found out who he is? Why he attacked me?” she asked.
“They haven’t told you yet?” he replied. “His name is Brown. You handled his wife’s divorce a few weeks ago. She had left the island with the kids the day he attacked you. He blames you for their leaving. He was definitely trying to kill you.”
She remained silent. He could tell she was internalizing all he had said.
“So I owe you my life,” she said eventually.
“Rachel, you owe me nothing. I would have done the same thing for anyone.” He stopped, realizing what he’d said when he saw the hurt in her face.
“I didn’t mean it that way. Whatever has happened between us, you were my friend. Based on what you’ve said, there may be no way to repair what happened between the two of us, but can’t we just be friends again? I’m willing to leave the past behind. We have to be bigger than that.”
She hesitated for the briefest of moments, then nodded slowly. “I’ll think about it. Although what you say is true, I don’t want to be reminded every day what I did to you or what you did to me. That type of thinking only leaves you constantly knocking yourself. I have no intention of doing that.”
“That’s all I can expect from you.” He glanced down at his watch. “I just dropped by to see how you were doing. I have to head into the office for a bit. I’ve taken a few days off. I’ll come by later.”
She hesitated before she responded. “Okay, and thanks for coming.”
“Shayne and Troy say they’ll visit sometime today.”
“I’d love to see them. I haven’t seen them in ages.”
“I’ll see you later.” He stepped forward and, on instinct, lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
Heat flared between them and the kiss intensified, until he pulled away, flustered and excited by what had happened.
“You have a good day,” he finally said, sounding a lot more confident than he was feeling.
He turned and walked out of the room, aware of her eyes on him. What on Earth had he done? He hoped he wouldn’t live to regret his impulsiveness.
But as he walked along the corridor, he was aware of something most powerful.
The passion between them was still there and the temptation to revive what they’d had was powerful.
That much he was sure of.
* * *
Rachel sighed when the door closed behind him. The craving flowing through her body had startled her with its intensity. She’d had to control her response to him, but she had to admit that the attraction she felt for him, had always felt for him, still remained.
She raised her hands to her lips. His touch still lingered. Inside she yearned for more. The unexpected kiss had left her languishing.
What was she going to do?
She closed her eyes, resting her head against the pillow.
She’d go back to sleep. Sleep was the best cure for recovery and buried memories that threatened one’s equilibrium.
There was a knock on the door and a nurse she’d not seen before walked in.
“I just came in to let you know there are two friends outside to see you.”
“Who are they?” she asked.
“One is Dr. Whitehall. I’m not sure who the other person is.”
“You can let them come in.”
“Your doctor will be here in an hour or so.” She turned and walked out.
After a knock on the door, Shayne and Troy walked in.
Rachel wasn’t sure what to say, but the smiles on their faces were enough to let her know that everything was all right between them.
“So how is our girl doing?” Troy asked, bending to kiss her on the cheek. Shayne followed suit.
Before she could respond, the most embarrassing thing happened. She started to cry.
Standing on opposite sides of the bed, they each held one of her hands.
Shayne’s expression was one of concern, while Troy treated her like one of his patients, his voice calm and soothing.
After the tears finally abated, Rachel raised her head, embarrassed at what had happened.
“You’re going to be all right,” Troy said. “I spoke to Dr. Thomas, who happens to be a good friend of mine. He says you’ll be here for a few days and then you’ll be back at home.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said with a quick laugh.
“Heard you’ve been wupping George in the courtroom,” Shayne said, patting her on the shoulder.
“Just beginner’s luck,” she replied modestly.
“Beginner’s luck?” Shayne responded. “I heard you’re dynamic in court. Maybe our dear friend will sit up and take notice. He didn’t know what hit him.”
“George is good in court too,” she emphasized. “It was exhilarating watching him. I still can’t believe I won.”
“Well, he did spend a few days sulking after that first trial. This time, your misfortune has kept his mind off of being trounced again.”
“I’m glad my demise was of some benefit,” she said good-naturedly.
For a moment there was silence.
“So how have you been?” Troy asked, pausing immediately. “Stupid question, right? You just got hurt. I meant since we last saw you almost thirteen years ago.”
“It has been a long time,” Shayne emphasized. “I missed you.”
“Yeah, I missed you too,” Troy repeated.
Her face turned red. She hadn’t expected such sentiments. A lump of guilt stuck in her throat, delaying her reply.
“I’m sure my going to Anguilla is no secret. A pretty uneventful few years. I started practicing about four years ago after Edward passed away. The first years there I stayed at home…” She coughed, covering the statement she had almost made.
“Are you all right?” Troy asked, holding her gently until the bout of coughing subsided. “We really shouldn’t keep you any longer. You can tell us all about your life in Anguilla another time.”
“I am feeling a bit tired,” she replied.
“I’m at work for the rest of the day, so I’ll drop by soon and we’ll talk. We have a lot of catching up to do,” Shayne said.
“Definitely. It was really nice of you to come visit me.”
“You’re our friend, Rachel. We don’t know exactly what happened between you and George, but that is something the two of you will have to work out. The only thing you didn’t do was trust us enough to tell us what was going on.”
“I’m sorry,” she said sadly. “One day I’ll have to tell you both.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Shayne replied.
“Me too,” Troy said, reaching to hold her hands in his. “I would be lying if I said we didn’t want to know.”
“Speak for yourself, Troy. As I said, that’s between Rachel and George.”
“And you have to promise me something. When you’re better, I’m going to invite everyone over for dinner. You have to get to know the wives and kids.”
“Kids? I knew Shayne was married and I saw Troy’s photos in the paper, but I didn’t realize both of you had kids.”
“Well, I have the wife and kids, and Troy’s wife is expecting. You remember my sister, Tamara, and brother, Russell. They are both married too. Tamara is a vet and lives on the island with her husband, Kyle. Russell is married to Tori Matthews and lives in the U.S.”
“You mean Tori Matthews the singer?” she asked, unable to contain her excitement.
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“I can’t believe it. I love her music.” In her excitement, she moved awkwardly and winced in pain.