Heather stroked a hand across the side of his head. “Yes, I rode with you in the ambulance to Memorial Hospital. There was an intruder, and he shot you in the chest. The police aren’t sure, but they think it could have been The Cove Thief.” She paused for a moment. “The bullet was lodged dangerously close to your heart. And because the slightest movement could kill you, the doctors put you in a medically induced coma until they could remove the bullet. Today is your first day out of the coma. Your family is all here, and they’re very worried about you.” She folded her hands in her lap.
Michael put his hand over his eyes. “What about Evelyn? How about you?” He tried to sit up, but his body collapsed back into the bed.
“We’re fine Michael.” She stood over him, trying to calm him. “Everyone is fine. We came by ambulance the night it happened. You’re lucky I was there. If not, you would have lost more blood, and you could have died, Michael.”
Michael’s right arm remained over his face while his left hand slowly made its way toward her. She put her hand in his and took comfort in the way they fit together so well.
“I owe you my life, Heather. If not for you ...” His arm drifted away from his face as he looked over at her.
“You have a special place in my heart, Heather. I’ve been such a fool. God has been there all along as a beacon for me, and I was so closed off, I couldn’t see what wonderful things he sent me in Evelyn, and in you.” He ran his thumb over her wrist. “People take life for granted. They have no idea what it’s like to actually lose someone. I’ve been shutting it out for so long. Until you ...” He smiled at her.
“I know how hard it is to let things go, Michael. I wish my parents had lived long enough to see me become something. They were unhappy with each other, but I’d like to think they would be proud of me.” She placed her other hand over his.
“What happened to them?” he asked her.
Heather sat for a moment, thinking back on it. After a deep sigh, she revealed what had happened. “When I was young, they were driving to a home and garden show at the Anaheim Convention Center. My parents would always go every year when it came into town. But on their way home, they were hit by a large semi-truck.” Heather hesitated for a moment as her eyes stared into space.
“You don’t have to explain anymore.” Michael squeezed her hand gently.
Heather regained her focus and continued without visible emotion. “The driver was drunk ... and they were instantly killed.”
Michael watched as a tear trailed down her cheek. “After that, I was sent to live with my aunt until I moved out on my own.”
“I’m so sorry, Heather ...” he whispered. “They would definitely be proud of you; I’m sure of that.” Michael paused for a moment to let the sorrowful memories fade before changing the subject. “How long have I been in a coma?” A wave of panic set in as he noticed how heavy his legs felt as if they were made of granite. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move them.
Heather counted the days on her fingers and squinted her eyes. “It’s been about ... two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” Michael’s face flushed a bright red. “Why so long? There are so many things I need to do!” He fought to raise himself off the bed.
“Michael, please ... calm down. You need to be careful ... You need to get your rest and recover some more still.” Heather pressed a hand firmly against his chest, forcing him to collapse back into the bed.
“I can’t calm down, Heather. I have a business to run and things to get done.” She could see the stress ripple across his face.
At that moment, the door to his room burst open, and Cynthia Wilson barged in followed by a flurry of red and white feathers.
Chapter 14
“Michael ... darling!” She exaggerated each syllable. “I’ve been so worried, and I was stuck up in Hollywood, and I couldn’t get away. I’m so sorry, darling! You understand, don’t you?” She batted her thick eyelashes at him. Seconds later, she saw Heather from the corner of her eye and turned to face her.
“Why Heather dear, I didn’t know your duties included nursing Mr. Robbins.” She gave Heather a sarcastic smile before snapping her attention back to Michael.
“I can’t believe someone would hurt you, Michael; I just can’t imagine...” She took in a breath and placed a hand over her chest like a seasoned actress in a play. “How have you been? Are you feeling better yet?”
Heather interrupted. “Actually, Michael’s been in a coma until today. If you remember, I called you about it.” Heather couldn’t bite her tongue any longer. Enough was enough, and she decided she wasn’t going to tolerate any more of Cynthia’s drama.
“Of course I do, Miss Parks, I was simply asking how Michael feels. Perhaps you could give us a little privacy?” There was firmness in her voice as she turned her back on Heather and refocused her attention back her fiancé.
Michael shot Heather an apologetic look and gave her a quick smile.
Without another word, Heather marched out of the room and headed back into the hospital lobby where she found Michael’s mother tapping her foot on the floor with a red face.
“That woman, there is no way ... no way at all,” Eleanor said to herself as Heather approached from behind.
“Miss Eleanor, what’s wrong?” Heather could tell by the fire in the woman’s eyes that trouble was brewing on the horizon.
“That woman ... that Cynthia Wilson. That’s what happened. When I told Michael he needed to find a good woman to love and someone to help him raise Evelyn, I in no way meant some sassy, self-righteous, snotty woman like that.” Her voice pitched louder.
“At least she’s an interesting character ...” Heather couldn’t think of any other response. She glanced over at James who was hiding behind his newspaper.
“I’d say far more than just interesting. I won’t accept that woman into our family.” Eleanor barred her arms tightly across her chest before sitting down next to James.
Heather kept silent until minutes later she saw Cynthia make her way back into the lobby.
“How ridiculous to have to get some sleep when it’s so early in the day! You would think they just wanted to get rid of me. I mean, never have I been treated so rudely!” She wrapped her arms tightly across her chest and looked for someone to sympathize with her, but the room remained awkwardly silent.
Cynthia forced a sigh from her lips and pivoted on her heels to leave, but Eleanor stopped her. “Where are you going, Miss Wilson? I’m sure Michael will want to see you later when he wakes up.”
Cynthia wrinkled her face. “I’m going to my hotel room. I still have a tremendous amount of work to do, and I pushed things back because I wanted to come here. It’s not that I don’t love my dearest Michael. It’s just that I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come back.”
As she moved past Heather, she stopped for a brief moment. “Do tell Michael I’ll be back, dear. No doubt you’ll soon be back working your agenda on him.” Cynthia forced her lips into a sarcastic smile before lifting her chin in the air and exiting the room. The remaining women stood with their mouths open.
“Can you believe the nerve of that woman?” Eleanor said as she marched straight for the nurses’ station.
Heather slowly shook her head and sighed before returning to Michael’s room where she sat down in Eleanor’s spot.
“She certainly can be opinionated,” Michael mumbled quietly with his eyes closed.
Heather shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not my place to say anything, but for what it’s worth, I think you should give the relationship more time. You can’t rush love.”
Michael lazily opened his eyes. “Love? What do you know about love?” The words slurred past his lips. “Have you ever found true love?” Seconds later, his eyes pulled shut, and his head sunk deeper into the pillow.
Heather opened her mouth to respond but only a breath escaped her lips. Michael was right. What did she know about true love? As far as she knew, she had never experi
enced it with another man. Or had she? What about her pent up feelings for Michael? Was that true love? Or was she infatuated with his mysterious charm and spontaneous attention? All Heather knew was she experienced a whirlwind of emotions every time she was around him.
Heather gazed fondly at Michael’s still body as he slept. She knew he was lost somewhere in the deep stages of sleep, probably dreaming about his business transactions. She couldn’t help wondering if he had ever dreamt of her. But Heather knew that was one question she would probably never discover the answer to.
She glanced at her watch and saw that it was time to head back to the Cove so that she could give Evelyn her afternoon medication. She left Michael sleeping and made her way back to the estate. As she drove home, her mind struggled to understand why Miss Wilson treated her future fiancé the way she did. How could she claim to “love” Michael, yet simply leave so quickly? Heather could never see herself doing that to Michael or anyone else she loved.
There was that four letter word again. Love.
Heather shook her head to clear her thoughts. Was she out of her mind? Why couldn’t she shake her obsession with Michael. Did he really have that much power over her?
As she turned into the Cove, she waved to the guard at the gate and gazed wistfully at the small church she had grown to love. Something seemed different, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She cruised down the long, gravel driveway and saw Henry walking along the hydrangeas. The gardener stopped and waved at her with a blank expression. A chill shot down Heather’s back as she waved back out of courtesy. It seemed that no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling there was something sinister about the man.
She pulled into the driveway and quickly gathered her things before Henry had the opportunity to corner her by the car. Once inside, she made a beeline for her room, almost running into Andrew and Evelyn in the main hall. She found them with plastic bowls on their heads and walkie talkies in their hands. Andrew was hiding behind the couch to the far left of the room while Evelyn hid behind the wall on the right side. Heather couldn’t help smiling at the two of them. It seemed Evelyn’s health was gradually improving with chemotherapy. Perhaps God had answered her prayers for the girl after all.
A frown formed on her face as she took note of Evelyn’s bare feet. While she wanted the girl to have fun, she still needed to take precautions to prevent a relapse of the flu. Heather cleared her throat loudly. Andrew popped up from behind the couch and was immediately pelted by foam bullets. Seconds later, Evelyn came out from behind the wall, laughing.
“I win this round, Uncle Andrew!” she announced as she tried to catch her breath.
Andrew turned his palms at Heather. “Now don’t get mad. I know we’re supposed to be careful, but we had a discussion about being spies, and things just ... well, got out of hand.” He flashed a boyish smile at her, reminding her of a younger Michael.
“I see.” Heather smiled at the two of them. “But it’s time for Evelyn’s medication.” She turned to face the girl. “And you need to get some rest and socks on those feet.”
Evelyn planted one foot on top of the other and smiled sheepishly. She reached over and grabbed Heather’s hand before leading her up the stairs. As they almost reached the top of the stairs, Andrew chimed in, “Wait for me.” He ran up behind them and scooped his niece into his arms before carrying her to her room.
Heather followed the peals of laughter drifting toward her. It saddened her heart to know the two brothers didn’t get along as well as they once had. Andrew possessed admirable qualities, including qualities that were good therapy for Evelyn. She hoped the two would someday look past their pains and differences. She determined it was a priority she would talk to Michael about as soon as he got better. For now, she would stay out of it. She walked into Evelyn’s room just as Andrew tucked Evelyn into bed. The girl giggled at something he had said.
“Uncle Andrew, you’re so funny.”
Heather handed Evelyn her medication. After swallowing her medicine, she snuggled down into the pillows with a deep sigh. After a few moments, Andrew walked over beside Heather.
“She’s really tired. I worry I may have put too much on her today. I suppose we got carried away ...” He glanced over at Heather.
“She’s fine. She needed some exercise. At least you made it fun for her. She needed that. After all, she’s still a kid.”
Heather smiled as she looked over at Evelyn, who was sound asleep. She retrieved some clothes on the floor.
Andrew stood there, observing Evelyn as she slept.
“So how’s Michael doing, Heather?”
“He’s doing much better. He was able to talk to me for a few minutes when I visited. He had no idea how long he had been in there. When I told him, he was pretty upset.”
“Obviously,” Andrew repeated with sarcasm.
“Miss Wilson also showed up.” She looked over at Andrew momentarily.
“You mean she finally showed up?” Andrew shook his head.
“Yes, but she left just as quickly as she came. I hope she comes back soon, at least for Michael’s sake.”
“Honestly, Heather, I really don’t understand what my brother is thinking. If she isn’t there for something this serious, how is she ever going to be a decent wife? It makes no sense.”
“Perhaps she’s just busy. I’m not sure, and it’s really not my place to say. What I do know is that you’re really good for Evelyn’s health and happiness. I hope you’re allowed to come around more often.” Heather smiled at him.
“I’d like that, but Michael ...” His voice trailed off.
“We’ll see. I intend to talk to him about it.”
Heather finished tidying up Evelyn’s room before heading downstairs with Andrew. They searched the fridge for something to eat and snacked on some mini sandwiches that Miss Jamie had made. When they had finished eating, Andrew bid her good-bye and headed out to the hospital.
Heather settled into her room for a short nap. The long days left her with little sleep, and her body yearned to get some rest. As her head sank into the pillow, her mind drifted off with thoughts of Michael and how he had become such a big part of her life. So big that a part of her didn’t know if she could live without him. But now that Miss Wilson was in the picture, her days at the Robbins household were numbered, and it seemed there was little she could do to change it.
Did God have a different plan for her life? Was she brought into Michael’s life only to help him reconsider his walk with God and not to bring him to harvest? The questions swirled around in her head. Or was she distracting Michael from focusing on God and it was her time to move on? A plan began to form in her head. Maybe she needed to go away for a while. Heather felt an ache burn deep inside her chest. The thought of leaving the only place she had grown to love as her own home made her sick to her stomach. But she cared about Michael’s happiness. He needed time and space to heal, and she could only pray that his relationship with his family would improve during this calamity. A yawn escaped as thoughts of a tiny glass wedding chapel overlooking a pristine blue ocean brought a smile to her lips and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 15
Silence greeted Heather when she opened her eyes. She glanced outside the window and took in the beautiful sunset with hues of orange and pink splattered across the sky.
She stretched out her arms above her head and looked at the clock on her nightstand. Without hesitation, she sat up in bed and realized it was past the time she was supposed to check up on Evelyn.
She rushed over to Evelyn’s room, and as she entered, she saw the girl happily watching television with Linda. Heather knew Linda was a stickler for schedules, so it was no surprise to see her helping Evelyn with her homework.
“Heather, Linda said no school today. Isn’t that great?” A grin spread across Evelyn’s face while Linda kept her eyes glued to the television, saying nothing. Heather sensed something was wrong.
“Y
es, that’s great. Miss Linda is very sweet, isn’t she?” Heather made her way across the room just as Linda looked up at her. She couldn’t help noticing a bruise the size of a tennis ball on her right cheek.
Heather gasped slightly. “Evelyn, Linda and I are going to step out in the hall for a bit, but we’ll be right back.” Heather waited for Linda to stand up before they headed out of the room together.
Once down the hall from Evelyn’s room, Heather stopped and turned toward Linda.
“Linda, what happened?” Heather pulled Linda’s hair back from her face and inspected her cheek closely.
“It’s nothing Heather. Just a misunderstanding, that’s all ...” Linda brushed back her hair and looked away, but not before Heather noticed the redness in Linda’s eyes.
“Linda, it’s not okay for someone to hit you. Who did it and why?” Heather demanded as she sat down in the plush chair and gently pulled Linda into the one next to her.
“I can’t tell you, Heather. You’ll be upset, and I just don’t want that.” Linda’s eyes began to well with tears, and Heather patted her arm reassuringly.
“Linda, that’s not true. I just want you to be okay.” Heather clasped a hand between hers.
Linda eyed Heather for a moment, trying to decide if she could trust her without getting anyone into trouble. Moments later, she finally relented.
“I told you I was seeing someone. He’s sweet and kind to me, most of the time. But this time ... I ... I just didn’t listen to him. And I did it wrong, at least that’s what he said, and he was so upset ...” Linda sniffled and grabbed a tissue next to the chair to dab her eyes.
“What was he mad about, and what did he do?”
“I was supposed to make lunch, and he wanted me to be there by one. But I was late. I ran into Miss Padmore from the neighborhood, and she wanted me to tell her about my program with Evelyn. Before I knew it, I had lost track of time and ended up being fifteen minutes late. He was so mad at me because he had to get to work as soon as I got there.” Linda forced a sigh from her lips. “Then he hit me.” She paused for a second and continued, “But at least he apologized right away.”
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