by Lena Hart
“A wedding gift,” he had teased.
Except it had meant more to her than that. It might not have been a big deal for him, but had been for her. She had never had a man anticipate her needs and wants the way he did, and it made her feel…cherished. And a man who held that level of esteem for her would appreciate her wanting to secure long-term care of his father.
Barely fifteen minutes into her drive, Savvy received an unexpected call.
“Quinn!”
It had been nearly a month since the wedding, and the only contact she had gotten with her cousin was a series of short text messages letting her know she was safe and just needed the time away.
“Where the hell are you?”
“I know you’re upset, Savvy, and I’m sorry. I owe you and a lot of folks an apology.”
“Yes, you do.” Savvy pulled over on the side of the highway so she could properly give her cousin a piece of her mind. “You’re lucky I still love you or I would kill you right now. You know what? I still might. Where are you right now?”
“I’m back in Atlanta. I know I have a lot to explain, and I will. But first, I just wanted to call and tell you I’m sorry for the position I put you in. I know I left you and Lori with a lot to deal with and I feel terrible about that.”
Savvy sighed. She could never stay mad at her cousin.
“I forgive you. Though I’m probably the least of your worries. Have you talked to Eric?” A long silence followed. For a moment, Savvy thought she lost the connection. “Quinn?”
“I will. Soon. I have a lot to reconcile and sort through first.”
Quinn’s words were hesitant, and Savvy hated to think the two people who were meant for each other would not end up together.
“Talk to him, Quinn. He may be pissed now, but I know Eric still loves you.”
The fact that he had halted all his campaign activity and allowed his momentum in the polls to decline said as much. Savvy could only imagine how he must be feeling right now. No one had heard from him in days, not even Damian. He had been just as effective in falling off the grid as Quinn had.
What was going on with these two?
But Quinn chose to change the subject and instead asked, “Can we meet for brunch this weekend?”
“I can’t,” Savvy said with some regret. “I’m still in Cedar Bend. And will be for the rest of the summer.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m married.”
“What?”
Savvy laughed at Quinn’s reaction then filled her cousin in on the details. Every bizarre bit of it. In the end, Quinn’s shock turned into regret.
“Oh, Savvy. I can’t believe I wasn’t there for it. For you.”
“Of everything I just told you that’s the part you focus on?” Savvy laughed again. “You did hear the part where I said it was all fake, right?”
“Yes, yes. But I don’t see why it has to be. Damian’s a great catch, and you deserve to be happy.” Quinn paused briefly then asked, “You are happy, aren’t you?”
“For now…” Savvy said noncommittedly, though she thought about all the ways Damian made her body and heart melt for him every day. “Nothing’s official yet. We’re just enjoying each other this summer.”
“Well, you sound happy.”
Savvy smiled at that. Despite their argument that morning, Damian did make her very happy.
“Wait, before I forget. Did you have all four?”
“All four what?”
“You know. Something old, new, borrowed, blue.”
Savvy rolled her eyes. “Really, Quinn? Are we doing this?”
“Yes, Savvy, we are. Now I know your shoes were blue…”
She shook her head, chuckling but decided to indulge her cousin. “My dress was new. The ring is old.”
“What was borrowed?”
Savvy thought about it but came up with a blank. “I don’t think I had anything borrowed.”
She couldn’t help but feel a little dejected by that. She knew it was an archaic tradition, but she liked the idea of having an added layer of good luck in their future together. No matter how brief it turned out to be.
As if sensing her disappointment, Quinn grumbled dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. It’s a stupid tradition, anyway. You guys will be fine.”
Savvy managed to smile through her disappointment. “Yeah, I think we will be.”
It was late in the afternoon when Savvy returned to town.
She was excited about her trip to the facility and eager to tell Damian about it. The tour she had been given had sold her, but she knew it wasn’t her decision. Which was why she had brought back a stack pamphlets and programs for him to read.
She drove straight to the house to check on Pops. She had left lunch for him like she always did when she wasn’t going to be home, but she had been gone longer than she had anticipated.
When she pulled up to the driveway, she remembered she had promised Pops that they would go out today and buy okra seeds to plant.
“Damn it.”
She had forgotten all about that. She hopped out of the car and hurried to the house. Maybe if they hurry, they could still make it to the hardware store.
But when Savvy entered the home, it was strangely quiet. She dropped her purse on the couch and made her way to his bedroom.
“Pops, are you back here?”
The bedroom door was wide open, but there was no sign of him. She frowned and headed to the kitchen.
“Pops?”
Only silence followed. A cold prickle crawled up her neck, and she rushed to the back door. She turned the knob. The door fell open in her hands.
Oh, no.
She had forgotten to engage the lock that morning. She always remembered to lock it. She could have blamed it on her fight with Damian that morning, on the fact that she had been upset. But it was no excuse.
She dashed out into the backyard even though she knew in her heart he was gone. For a moment, she stood there frozen, not sure what to do next. She needed to go and look for him. She also needed to call for help.
No, you need to call Damian first.
Running back into the house, she grabbed her cell phone. She didn’t even know for how long.
“Damian?”
“Savvy, what’s wrong?”
She closed her eyes at the low panic she heard creeping in his voice. “You need to get home.”
Damian didn’t come home.
He didn’t have to.
Shortly after Savvy hung up with him, she called the police, and they had located Pops within minutes. He had been found three miles away from their home, but her happiness and relief were fleeting when she learned he had been brought to the hospital after suffering a heat stroke and dehydration.
And it was all her fault.
She rushed to the hospital, and when she finally arrived, she wasn’t surprised to find Damian already there. Pops lay in the bed, asleep and looking more fragile than she had ever seen him. Damian stood at the foot of his bed, staring down at his father with an expression on his face that nearly broke her heart. She immediately went to his side.
“Damian, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
She slipped her hand in his. He started and glanced down at her as if he just realized she was there. The fury in his eyes was so palpable, and she drew in a sharp breath. She slowly released his hand, but before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the hospital room. His hold was firm and painful, but she didn’t pull away.
“What the hell happened today, Savvy?”
Savvy jumped at the harshness in his tone. They stood just outside the room, yet the pale walls of the hospital corridor and the faint beeping of the heart monitor made everything all too real. Pops could have died today, and it would have been her fault.
She stared at him numbly, her mind still reeling from that thought.
“Where were you Savvy? How did this happen?”
“I-I’m sorry, Damian. I forgot to lock the back door.” Savvy grabbed his arm, hating the anger and disappointment she saw when he looked at her. “It was a mistake. My mistake. But don’t you see how bad it’s getting? His wandering is getting worse, and he’s going to need constant supervision soon.”
Damian jerked his hand out of her, his mouth set in hard lines. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had just paid more attention, had been more careful. I get that this is not your problem, but—”
“How can you say that?” she snapped, more than hurt that he would think none of this affected her either. “I care about Pops, too, Damian. And I want the same things you want for him too.”
“I strongly doubt that. If he were your father, you wouldn’t be suggesting I send him away. You damn sure wouldn’t have put his safety at risk like you did today.”
“That’s not fair. You know it was an honest mistake.”
“Yeah, one that almost cost my father his life!”
A stark silence fell between them. Savvy bit her lip to keep them from trembling. His jaw was like granite, but he turned away from her as if he couldn’t stand the sight of her.
“Again, I’m sorry for that, Damian. I am. But can’t you see Pops feels trapped? Instead of adding more locks to the door, have you tried asking him why he wants to leave the house?”
He whipped back around to face her, his face twisted in a mask of anger and disbelief. “There you go again thinking you know what’s best for him. That’s my father in there, Savvy. I’m responsible for him. Not you. So stop overstepping and leave his care to me.”
She swallowed the tightness that was building in her throat. “Don’t make it sound like I weaseled my way into your life, Damian. Last I checked, you asked me to stay here with you.”
“Well, no one’s forcing you to stay,” he barked. “If you want to leave then leave. No one’s going to stop you.”
With those last words, he turned and marched back into the hospital room. Savvy stood there for a moment, numb. She wanted to go in there and at the very least check up on Pops, but she didn’t trust herself to do so without completely falling apart.
Blinking away the tears that suddenly welled into her eyes, Savvy turned and blindly made her way out of the hospital. It wasn’t until she got into her car that she gave in to her tears. Of all the ways she had imagined things would end between them, she had never thought it would end like this. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that she hadn’t wanted it to end at all.
But it had. And in the worst way.
Savvy started her car and sped down the road toward his home. The sooner she was out of there, the better for all of them. Night had come sooner than she’d expected, making the long rural road harder to navigate.
She reached to turn on the high beams, and her gaze instantly landed on the ring around her finger. His mother’s wedding ring. Not hers. She needed to give it back to him. She had indulged in the fantasy long enough.
Savvy tore her gaze away from the beautiful ring, but it was too late.
The momentary distraction had taken her eyes off the road, and she narrowly missed hitting the animal on the side of the road. In a panic, she veered to the left and slammed on the brakes. There was a loud, heavy thud before the wheel jerked in her hands and the car went spinning off the road. Her heart lurched in her throat when she saw the tree ahead.
The last memory she had before she lost consciousness was the airbags exploding as she crashed into it.
Fifteen
Damian fell into the seat beside his father’s bed and dropped his head on his hands. He forced away the image of Savvy’s wounded expression. He also had to force himself from going after her. As much as he didn’t want her to go, but he couldn’t force her to stay.
Hell, he couldn’t even find the words to convince her or himself why she should. Because of her negligence, his father could have died today. The thought of that left him cold all over.
He wasn’t ignoring the reality of his father’s condition. Since Pops’ diagnosis, Damian understood that their time together was numbered.
Yet, as much as he wanted to believe he had prepared himself for the inevitable, Damian realized today that he would never truly be prepared.
A soft rustle came from the bed. Damian looked up to find his father coming awake, his thick brows pulling together in confusion as he looked around the room.
Damian covered his hand with his and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Pop, everything’s all right. You’re in the hospital right now.”
“Why?” His question came out in a rasp, and he tried to clear his throat.
“Do you want some water?”
Pops nodded, and Damian grabbed him a cup. He helped his father take ginger sips until he was satisfied. His head fell back against the pillow as if the small action has sapped all of his strength. It very well might have.
Damian placed the cup down on the tray and stared down at his father. “Pop, do you remember leaving the house today?”
His father looked at him for a moment then shook his head.
“Well, you did. And you got far. You were found passed out on the side of the road. The doctors said you suffered a heat stroke.”
Damian clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the emotion rising in him. He didn’t mention the layer of clothes his father had been wearing in the summer heat, which had only heighten his core body temperature. Any longer out there and his father could have died.
“What were you doing out there? Where were you trying to go?”
“I…I don’t remember.” Pops said quietly. “I might have been going to buy Junior some ice cream. Yeah, that’s what it was. It’s been hot in the house, and I have had a chance to fix the air conditioner, and my boy loves some ice cream.”
Damian frowned. “Pop, do you know who I am?”
His father smiled. “Of course I know who you are, Eddie. How could I forget my favorite cousin?”
Damian patted his father’s arm, choosing not to correct him. They had dealt with a lot during his dementia, but this was the first time his father didn’t recognize him. His feelings of despair at the realization his father will one day not recognize him could not be measured or put into words.
He was losing his father a little more every day, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Now, when can I get out of here? I’m feeling a lot better now.”
“The doctors want to make sure you’re fully recovered before they release you, Pop.”
“But I got to attend to my plants. Did I tell you that Junior’s married now?” Pops chuckled. “She’s a pretty little thing, and she’s got us growing all kinds of things. You need to come see it.”
“Sure.” Damian saw the heaviness in his father’s eyes, but he stubbornly tried to fight off his fatigue. “Why don’t you get some rest, Pop. We can talk more later.”
“But I never get to see you.” His father’s eyes suddenly widened as if he just remembered something and he beamed up at him. “Did I tell you Junior finally got himself married?” Before Damian could respond, his father continued excitedly, “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for that day. I know he’s been lonely up in that house, always watching over me. All he does is watch over me, and all I do is think about who’s gonna watch over him when I’m gone.”
Damian stared down at his father, at a loss for words. His father had never told him any of this before, this deep concern he had for him.
“I’m glad he’s finally found someone,” Pops said after a while. “And she’s a sweet little thing. Reminds me of my Janet. Now he can go live his life and raise his own family.”
Pops eyes drifted close, and for a moment Damian thought he had fallen asleep, until he spoke again.
“I’m losing myself, Eddie. I don’t know if you notice, but sometimes I get confused. In case I forget, I need you to tell Junior it’s okay to go live his life. I’ll be all right on my o
wn.”
Pops fell silent again, and Damian realized his father had finally dozed off.
Damian went back to the seat and fell into it, staggered by his father’s words. He thought about the sticky note he’d found in his father’s dresser the other day and the realization of what that note meant floored him.
Lonely. Need to live life.
He had believed the note had been about the things he wanted, but Pops had been referring to him. His father felt he was a burden to him and was willing to leave so he could live his own life?
Damian didn’t know what to make of that. He never imagined not caring for his father, or being there for him. He thought about what Savvy and his Aunt Joyce tried to convince him to do. He felt strange about leaving his father in the care of others and guilty for just considering it.
Yet, it was his determination to keep Pops at home with him that was creating his father’s own sense of guilt.
Damian shut his eyes against the sudden burning in them. He knew he had to face the fact that their guilt was tearing them apart. As hard as it had been to cope with this disease, Damian didn’t think he could handle it if his father’s last memory of them together was filled with nothing but regret and resentment.
In the quiet stillness of his father’s hospital room, Damian accepted what he had to do. But first, he needed to call Savvy. He rose to his feet and stepped outside the room. Before the call could connect, another came through. He frowned at the interruption and clicked over.
“Damian, it’s Mike. There was a wreck on route eighty-four. How soon can you come with your tow?”
He frowned and glanced toward his father’s room. He didn’t want to leave him right now, but he also didn’t want to pass up on the business.
“I don’t know. Maybe a few hours. I’m still at the hospital.”
“All right, I’ll let them know.” Mike paused then added, “You might want some help when you come to pick it up. It’s one of those hybrid cars and all that electricity and gas makes me nervous.”
Damian froze. “A hybrid?”
“Yeah, the driver said she lost control and slammed into a tree, but—”