Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set

by Cari Lynn Webb, Linda Warren, Mary Anne Wilson

  Jake sat down in the desk chair, reached for the receiver and handed it to Libby. He gave her the name of the hospital in Casper, and she felt him watching her as she called the operator to get the number. They connected her and she spoke to the patient liaison, then put the receiver back in the cradle.

  “They moved him to the Wicker Pines Therapy & Rehabilitation Center in Cody. yesterday.”

  “Good,” Jake said as Libby reached for a wooden chair to sit across from him. “I probably should stay here another day or two, so I’ve got a proposition for you.”

  She sat down. “What is it?”

  “You drive me to Cody so I can see Sarge, and I won’t be on the road in that truck.”

  She’d love to meet Sarge. “That sounds like a good idea, but the Jeep is stone-cold dead. I need to get a battery for it. I can’t remember the last time I had it replaced.”

  “Okay, we can get you a battery in Cody, and I can see Sarge.”

  “I can drive your truck?”

  “Sure,” he said. “As long as you can reach the pedals.” He ran a hand roughly over his jaw before he looked her right in the eye. “First, call Wicker Pines and ask if Sarge can have visitors.”

  As she reached for the receiver, she tried to ignore the rattling of the windowpanes as the wind pressed in on them. She listened but didn’t hear a dial tone. There was nothing. She jiggled the disconnect button in the cradle, then slowly put the receiver down. “Good thing we called about Sarge when we did, because the phone’s dead.”

  * * *

  LIBERTY ALMOST CAME up short on reaching the pedals in the truck until she got her seat as far forward as it could go and put two pillows she’d retrieved from the house between the seat and her lower back. She finally made good contact with the pedals, and as they left the ranch, having decided to head to Cody anyway, Jake watched her get more comfortable in the driver’s seat. She was easy on the speed and careful on the blind curve when they neared the highway.

  She wore jeans but had put a red flannel shirt over her thermal, then her green jacket over that. The hood was down, and her hair was skimmed back in a low knot. The severity of the style only exposed a certain delicateness in her features. He found he kind of like the dusting of freckles across her nose.

  What he didn’t like was the way she seemed to wear her emotions on her sleeve. That wasn’t easy for him to be around. She kept taking him by surprise. The hug earlier had been spontaneous; he knew that. But the feeling of her pressed up against him, even only for a few moments, had set off something in him that he didn’t want to deal with. He had to take a mental step back. Maybe two or three steps back would be required until he could leave the ranch.

  They were halfway to Cody when Liberty darted a look at Jake, then back to the road. She was a good driver, and he’d started relaxing, but something was wrong. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  She was sitting straight up, looking frantically at the gauges in the dash, then slowed to pull over onto the gravel shoulder. Turning to him, he saw her say, “The seat is vibrating! I didn’t touch a thing, I swear I didn’t. Now it’s stopped.”

  He was pretty sure he knew what had happened. “It’s okay. The seat does that when you’re drifting too close to the lane next to you. It lets you know which lane by where it vibrates. I should have told you about that.”

  “Well, why don’t you go ahead and tell me what else you should have told me about the truck. I can listen and drive,” she said, then returned to the almost-empty highway.

  He quickly briefed her on all of the customizations to the pickup. It wasn’t until he ended with “It’s specially equipped for the deaf” that he’d realized how that sounded.

  She slowed again as she glanced over at him. “You got this truck customized for the deaf after you told me it’s temporary and you just need time to heal?”

  “Watch the road,” he said, and she did. But she wasn’t giving up. Without turning back to him she held out her right hand and made the “give me more” motion with her fingers. She darted him a look. “Explain,” she said.

  He wanted to ignore her, but he couldn’t because she just didn’t stop. “Call it an abundance of caution. I need it so I won’t plow over a dirty blue Jeep when I’m backing up.”

  She pulled over onto the shoulder again. “What now?” he asked as she came to a stop.

  She turned in her seat to look right at him. “We need to talk, and you have to be looking at me. So I stopped to get something straight.”

  He couldn’t think when she looked at him so intently, and if this was another stare-down, he didn’t see himself winning. “Okay.”

  She was blunt. “How bad is your hearing?”

  He didn’t want any part of this. “Why?”

  “I’m going in with you when you see Sarge, so I really do need to understand how it’s all going to go down.”

  She was right. When they got to the facility, he knew he might need some backup with the doctors to make sure he got things straight. “I don’t know,” he said truthfully.

  She made no move to get back on the highway. “How bad is it?” she persisted.

  He almost admired her determination, but not when he was the one in her line of fire. “This is just between you and me. Right? Not even Seth.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely.”

  “Okay, it feels like the worst case of your ears being plugged at high altitudes, but with continuous noises under it all. If I might be able to hear anything, it’s voided out by the noises right now.” He added with weak sarcasm. “Before you ask, I can’t pop it away by holding my nose, closing my mouth and blowing.” That was true. “Not much pain at all, but it’s annoying.” That was really minimizing something that dominated his life.

  “How did it really happen? Was it an accident or…?” She waited, nudging him to fill in the blanks.

  He found himself being truthful to a point but knowing it would take her in a totally different direction than the truth he couldn’t tell her. “I woke up one day about three months ago with the noises and a lot of pain. The pain’s over, but the pressure and the noises stayed.”

  “What did they say caused it?”

  “Decibels, a super-high level. Now, can we get going?”

  That actually worked. She put the truck in gear and drove back onto the highway. He thought he’d been able to read her pretty well before. But right then, he didn’t know if she’d simply given up—which he wouldn’t bet on—or if his explanation had been enough. Either way, she’d gotten a lot more out of him than he’d ever intended to give anyone. In some way he felt real relief that she knew as much as she did, and that he wasn’t going to see Sarge alone. He wasn’t certain he could carry that off without Liberty there.

  He looked ahead at the increasingly dark gray of the cloud-heavy sky. “Snow’s coming,” he said as he reached in his jacket pocket for his cell phone and checked it. He saw three bars. “I’ve got a strong signal,” he said right as a text from Seth popped up. He opened it and read it to Liberty as she drove. “‘Sarge is at rehab at Wicker Pines in Cody. In New York for a week. Where are you?’”

  Jake quickly responded. Nearing Cody. Be there soon.

  He felt the phone vibrate almost immediately. Let me know what’s going on.

  You got it, he texted, then sat back and glanced at Liberty. “So, Seth won’t be here soon, after all.”

  She pulled over again, and it was getting annoying. “I told you that to make you think I wasn’t alone, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Now, can you let him know I got to the ranch safely? I was talking to him when I lost cell signal.”

  He did as she asked, and his phone vibrated a minute later. He read the text out loud. “‘Glad Libby got there okay and you’re with her. Was worried about her. Take care of her. Call me after
you’ve seen Sarge.’”

  “You don’t have to take care of me,” Liberty assured him. He put his phone away.

  “Thanks for telling me,” he said.

  “Now, what are you going to tell Sarge?”

  “Whatever I have to, so he won’t be worried about me or anything else. He needs to concentrate on his own healing.” That was the absolute truth.

  “Okay,” she agreed, but hesitated this time before cutting to the chase. “So, you don’t want people around here to know you’re having trouble with your hearing?”

  Liberty Connor had been a stranger before yesterday, but he’d spoken more about his situation to her than anyone but Cal. And now she’d got him. He never wanted to be an object of sympathy for anyone. He could take care of himself. But Liberty was different and that worried him. “Yes, I’d appreciate you not telling anyone.”

  “It’s totally up to you who you tell or don’t tell,” she said, and drove back onto the highway.

  When she pointed ahead after a long stretch of silence in the truck, he looked up to see the sign for Cody on the right. The traffic was heavier as they drove nearer to the city, then swung off the highway and into town.

  Jake saw a few streetlights coming on as more and more daylight was lost because of the heavy clouds from the coming storm. He could barely make out the mountains in the distance that were shrouded by more dark clouds.

  He’d been in the position he was in right then a lot of times in his life—jumping into the unknown to see what he’d find. But with Sarge, he was very uneasy about the unknown factor. Sarge no longer had Maggie by his side, and those five years since she passed had changed so much in every way.

  He hadn’t even seen Sarge in a couple years. Everything had changed, including the Alzheimer’s diagnosis that Sarge hadn’t shared with anyone. That hurt. Sarge had kept it from them, but he understood. Jake was doing the same thing with his condition, not selfishly, but to keep those around him from sharing that burden. Now, Jake didn’t even know if the man would recognize him. He braced himself as Liberty turned off the street and onto one less traveled. Then Wicker Court came into sight. Before he could say anything, Liberty turned onto the narrow street lined with an assortment of small brick and wood houses. She slowed and took the curve at the end, and the entrance was right there.

  Jake looked up at an arched sign suspended between two substantial brick pillars. Wicker Pines was in fancy script, giving no indication to just what the place was.

  As big as the pines that seemed to encircle the property’s perimeter were, the wind was bending them with its force. Following a wide drive, they pulled into a cobbled clearing protected by a ring of even more trees. The space was dominated by a large two-story colonial-style brick building. It was fronted by a circular parking area marked FOR OUR GUESTS. Liberty parked nose-in near the entrance.

  When she shut off the truck, she turned to Jake. “You said that you want as little stress as possible for Sarge. So if you find yourself with any problems, such as missing a statement, or not understanding what’s being said, or if you just need to leave, you can give me a high sign. I promise I’ll do anything I can to protect Sarge and make things easier.”

  She surprised him by her generous offer, and he must have taken too long answering, because she spoke quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say you couldn’t handle it, but I just—”

  “What kind of sign?”

  He couldn’t hear it, but he saw a relieved sigh when her shoulders dipped. “Just say something that isn’t going to make someone wonder why you said it. Especially nothing Sarge would be uncomfortable with. But it has to be something you wouldn’t accidentally say in a normal conversation, either.”

  Something came to him that he hadn’t thought about for years. “Moon Dance. That’s the first horse I had at the ranch.”

  “Okay, say anything about Moon Dance, and I’ll be all over it,” she said with such earnestness that Jake smiled.

  “I bet you will be,” he said as he turned to get out. He walked across the cobbles with Liberty beside him, the huge pines buffering the wind. Taking a step up to the wide entry door that held a large Christmas wreath wound with gold ribbon and red berries, he spotted a call box to the right. Liberty pushed the button.

  She looked at Jake as she spoke. “Jake Bishop to see James Caine.” He saw her nod at him as she moved back. “They’ll buzz us in.”

  After a few seconds, Liberty pointed to the door and he reached for the latch. The barrier swung back, and they stepped out of the cold into the balmy warmth of a reception area that looked like an English library. It was all dark wood and leather. The touch of Christmas in the space was elegant—a perfect tree with twinkling lights and red and gold ornaments. The scent of fresh pine lingered in the air.

  There was a large desk near the back with easy chairs and low tables grouped by it. A blonde woman wearing a Santa hat came out of a side door. She appeared to be in her early thirties, tall and slender. She wore a pastel blue shirt, jeans and neon-blue sneakers, and she had a fantastic smile when she held out her hand to Jake.

  “Welcome, Mr. Bishop. I’m Julia Weston, nurse and case coordinator for Mr. Caine.” She glanced at Liberty, and Jake saw her say, “Welcome, Mrs. Bishop.”

  Liberty had obviously corrected her when Julia quickly responded, “Oh, I do apologize, Ms. Connor, but you aren’t on the approved visitors list. I’ll have to check before you can see Mr. Caine. Give me a minute,” she said, and exited back through the side door.

  Jake looked at Liberty. “I didn’t think he’d have a restricted visitors list.”

  “It’s probably just part of their services. I’m sure it’s really expensive here, and heavy security for the patients tends to come with big money being paid.” She smiled. “You know, like a rock star who comes here and wants total privacy. No one will ever know he’s here.”

  Julia came back smiling again. “As long as you vouch for Ms. Connor, Mr. Bishop, she’s cleared.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now, we ask that you please make your visit as brief and calm as possible. He’s a bit confused because of the move, which is normal, and he needs rest to get reoriented.”

  They signed a leather-bound guest book Julia had laid open for them, then she guided them through double doors at the back of the room and into a wide corridor. They went to the right, passing pictures that had been wrapped to look like presents, hanging on pale green walls. Julia led them into a short hallway with only two doors that faced each other across a waiting area that offered upholstered bench seating. Julia went to the door on their right and pushed it open.

  “There’s a call button by the bed,” she said. “Enjoy your visit.”

  “Thank you,” Jake said, and stepped into a spacious room, comfortable and homey in some ways, but still obviously a medical service space. He looked across at the only bed and saw Sarge for the first time in what seemed like forever. He was in a modified reclining position with a blue blanket up to his waist. Jake had to make himself keep walking toward the bed.

  The giant of a man Jake had known looked older and less imposing. His hair was thinner, almost white, his weathered face tinged with paleness. When he got to the right side of the bed, Jake looked into the man’s faded blue eyes, and there wasn’t a spark of recognition there.

  He glanced at Liberty, who had gone to stand on the other side of the bed to face him. She seemed to understand right away what was wrong, and she mouthed, Call him by his name.

  “Hey, there, Sarge,” Jake said, and wondered if his voice sounded as tight as it felt.

  Sarge frowned. “Hey,” he said.

  “I told you I’d be back, and here I am.”

  The man looked confused. “You told me? You sure?” Sarge asked.

  Jake walked that back quickly. “Oh, no, I didn’t tell you. Not really, but I h
ope it’s okay that I came?”

  Sarge’s pale eyes seemed to clear when he took a sharp breath. “You… Jake, boy, it’s you!” He reached to grab Jake’s hand where he was holding on to the safety rail attached to the bed.

  Jake felt the roughness of calluses and some strength in the contact as he bent closer to Sarge. “I’m sorry for taking so long to get here, sir. I’m really sorry.”

  Jake straightened and was shaken when he saw tears brightening the man’s eyes. “But you came. That’s good. You came. You hear me, boy, it’s good.”

  Jake wished he could hear him. “Yes, sir,” he said. “But I don’t salute marines, you know.”

  Jake knew without hearing that Sarge responded with that low rumbling chuckle he remembered from so long ago. “That army ruined you, boy.” His eyes narrowed. “You look thin.”

  “I’m lean,” Jake countered, then pulled a chair closer to the bed. He glanced at Liberty as he sat down and motioned toward her. “You’re ignoring the lady,” he said. “Liberty Connor. She’s a good friend of Seth’s.”

  As the older man glanced at Liberty, Jake angled his chair so he could see what was being said by both people. “So, you and Seth, huh?” Sarge asked her with a smile.

  “We’re just good friends.” She held up her hand with the ring on it. “But I am engaged.”

  Sarge glanced back at Jake, and his smile grew bigger, bringing a bit of color to his face. “Jake, finally? I never thought you’d settle down. Me and Maggie sure wanted you to.”

  Jake stopped that right away. “Hey, hold on. Liberty’s engaged to a really rich guy who’s off saving the world.”

  He glanced at her and smiled as she mouthed, Not funny.

  He rephrased that. “He’s a good man.”

  Sarge nodded. “I’d say good enough to give her that ring.”