“This sucks,” I said, shivering.
“You’re a grumpy patient.”
“I don’t like being so reliant on someone else.”
“Someone or me?” Crystal asked.
“Anyone. But especially you.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m supposed to take care of you,” I said. “Not the other way around.”
“How old-fashioned of you.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“You’re sweet but stubborn, and frankly, not a very good patient.” She cupped my face in her hands. “I’m just glad you’re here, grumpy or not. Now, let’s figure out how to get that furniture delivered to your house earlier than promised. We need to get you home.”
I could hear my phone buzzing in the bedroom. “Will you run and get that?” I asked. “It might be my dad.”
She hustled over to the bed where I’d left the phone. “It is your dad. His flight’s been delayed until late tonight. He won’t be here until midnight.”
“Great. More good news.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. Let me call the furniture company and see if I can get them to come out today.”
I was too tired to protest and simply nodded.
10
Crystal
After a little haggling that included an absurd delivery cost, I had the furniture store agree to send a truck to Garth’s with his bedroom and only guest room furniture, a sectional couch for the living room, and a dining room table and chairs.
That afternoon, I drove Garth up to his house to make sure we were there when the furniture arrived. I hadn’t been there since they’d finished and had never been in his house before the fire. They’d done a beautiful job. Tall ceilings with exposed beams made it a perfect mountain retreat. A river rock fireplace was the center of the living room, which looked out to the valley below.
“What do you think?” Garth asked, leaning on his crutches.
“It’s beautiful.” The floors were made from wide-planked walnut and gleamed even on this dark day. A bank of windows ran the entire front of the house. “Is it the same as before the fire?”
“Pretty much. I made a few tweaks.”
The sound of a truck coming down the gravel road drew me away from the windows. “That’s them. Right on time.”
“How much did you have to pay for this?”
I chuckled. “You don’t want to know.”
“I never thought I’d be so happy at this point in my life that the master bedroom is on the main floor,” he said as I went to answer the door.
For the next hour, the delivery men brought in the furniture and put it where Garth instructed. Most of it needed to be put together, so the afternoon was busy and loud. The delivery company showed up with mattresses for the master and guest room right around the time the workers were done. They’d just left when the doorbell rang again with our order from Amazon. I’d purchased sheets, blankets, towels, and a coffeepot. I figured we could get takeout for dinner until I could get his kitchen stocked with items from my shop.
I waved to the UPS driver before bending down to get the package. By the time I had the sheets in the washer, Garth had collapsed onto the long portion of his sectional couch. He’d gone for a sage-green cotton, mostly because it had been in stock. I liked it, finding the color warm and peaceful. He had his head propped on a pillow. Right now, his complexion was a similar shade of green. All this had worn him out.
I gave him another pain pill and covered him with one of the blankets. “Rest for a bit.”
He didn’t answer, other than to close his eyes.
I turned on the gas fireplace. Outside, the light had dimmed. Soon it would be dark. I turned on the overhead lights in the living room but used the dimmer to keep it from being too bright. Lights strung on the rafters of the patio came on as I stood looking out at the view. The house felt cozy and safe.
For the next hour, I read on my phone while Garth napped.
“Hey. How long was I asleep?” Garth asked.
I turned to look at him. “Not long.”
“Come sit closer to me. I want to see you better.” He patted the spot next to his good leg.
My stomach fluttered at the low tone of his voice. I hesitated. Was it a good idea? In the past, I couldn’t keep my hands off him whenever I was near him. In the end, desire overruled caution. I slipped out of my boots and sat next to him, careful not to jostle him. I could see the effects of the pain pill in the lazy droop of his eyes.
He lifted his arm. “Right here, baby.”
Fine. Just give in to it, I told myself. You know you want to. I lay down, snuggling into the crook of his shoulder.
“Does it hurt if I touch you?” I asked.
“Nope. Quite the opposite.”
Snow began to fall, dancing prettily in the lights. Every nerve in my body burned as fiercely as those lights. “What do you want for dinner? We can have something delivered.”
“Pizza?” His voice was lazy and smooth as silk.
“Thai or barbecue?” Those were his favorites. He enjoyed anything sweet, like his heart.
“I’m feeling barbecue tonight,” he said. “With extra chicken. Is that all right with you?”
“Whatever you want is what I want.”
“If only that were true,” he said, under his breath.
I let that one go. Any response would lead to the kind of discussion I didn’t want to have tonight. I called down to the pizza place in town. They took the order and said they’d deliver them in less than an hour. Less than an hour, as if that were fast. This was the kind of town that figured an hour’s delivery time was speedy. In the city, that number would be cut in half.
I went to the kitchen and filled up the water bottle I’d brought with us. Garth probably needed liquid.
I returned to him and had him take a sip from the bottle before settling down next to him. The snow continued to fall. We needed music to make the scene even more perfect. For the next few minutes, we discussed what he wanted for the kitchen. “I’ll get all this from my shop tomorrow.”
“Let me pay, at least,” he said.
“We’ll see.” I changed the subject. Talking about money made me uncomfortable. “Do you want to know what I was thinking about?”
“I always want to know what you’re thinking about.”
“Do you remember how we had to buy a new car for me after the fire?”
“Sure do. We’re going to have to buy one for me now. My insurance called earlier. They called it a total so I can get a replacement once I can drive again. Who knows how long that’ll be.”
“Six weeks if you let your leg heal properly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you know what you want?” I asked.
“Did we already decide on pizza?”
“No, I meant what kind of car do you want.”
“Oh, right. Something practical?”
“Maybe something better in the snow,” I said, teasing.
“Do you know I love you, City Mouse?”
I stiffened. He’d said the words I’d dreaded coming from his mouth. Was it the pain medicine loosening his tongue?
He continued. “I know you don’t love me back, which breaks my heart. However, I’m an optimist. I keep thinking if I stick around, you’ll eventually see how I could make you happy.”
Happy? What was that exactly? Was I capable of it? I’d been a joyful person before I lost Patrick and the baby.
“Talk to me,” he said.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m sorry. These drugs are making me loopy. Did I just tell you I loved you?” He chuckled, then drew in a deep breath. “It hurts to laugh.”
I know, I thought. It hurts me to laugh, too. That was the problem with being a widow. I wasn’t supposed to be merry. I’d promised to love Patrick forever. Until death do us part. Death had come. Why, then, did I feel disloyal for being here with Garth?
“Yes, I do.”
“For me?”
“For you.” Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. This sweet man just kept getting better and better.
Garth let out a small snore. I shifted to look at him. Asleep again. I’d let him sleep until the food came. I snuggled closer, wishing I could rest my head on his chest, but I didn’t dare for fear of hurting him.
I stared at the falling snow, wishing I could sleep. Instead, I replayed his words over and over in my mind. What was I going to do about Garth Welte? Love him back? Could I? Would I?
The pizza came an hour and five minutes later. Garth woke when the doorbell rang. I leaped up to fetch it from the delivery boy. He was a high school kid I recognized as a frequent visitor to Brandi’s bakery.
“Hi, Ms. Whalen. We threw in a salad since it was you.”
“That’s nice of you. Are the roads all right?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. Snowplow came through a bit ago.”
I’d already tipped him from the phone so I thanked him and told him to be careful driving back to town. Shivering, I closed the door and went into the kitchen. I’d thought to grab some paper plates and napkins from Brandi’s before we headed up here, and pulled them out now. They’d done a fine job on the kitchen. I loved the way the room flowed from kitchen to dining room to living room. As a cook, I enjoyed kitchens that were connected to the rest of the space. When I prepared meals, I didn’t have to miss out on any action.
When I prepared meals? What was I thinking? When I prepared them here? For Garth and me?
Garth stirred from the couch, sitting up to look over at me. “Is that pizza I smell?”
“Barbecue. Extra chicken. And a salad.”
With the aid of his crutches, he struggled to his feet. “Should we eat at the new dining table?”
“Sure thing.” The table he’d picked out was rectangular and could seat eight. He’d chosen two white wingback chairs for either end and a soft teal for the side chairs that paired nicely with the rock of the fireplace and gray granite countertops.
I brought two plates and the pizza box to the table as he eased himself into one of the wingback chairs. He was adapting well to his crutches. It wasn’t hard to imagine the kind of athlete he’d been. The kind to win a gold and a bronze medal. His medals. Where were they? Had he lost them in the fire?
“Were your medals in the house when the fire came through?” I asked.
He reached into the pizza box for a slice. “No, they were at my dad’s house.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I figured he’d earned them as much as or more than I had. He sacrificed a lot for me to train. Plus, he likes to show them to his various women.” He took a bite of his slice.
“I think that’s sweet. Don’t you want to display them, though?”
“I’m proud of them, yes. But all that was a long time ago now. I don’t think of myself in terms of my skiing career.”
“How do you think of yourself?” From what I could tell, he didn’t have huge ambition. He’d told me he only worked the minimum of what he needed to, saving himself for the slopes, hiking, and fishing.
“I think of what kind of son I am. What kind of friend. I’d have liked to be a big brother for longer than I was.”
“You’re still a big brother, whether he’s still here on earth or not.”
“True enough.” He winced and drew in a deep breath.
“Do you need more pain meds?”
“Just some Tylenol this time. Those other ones are too strong. I barely remember this afternoon.”
I wondered if he remembered confessing his love to me. There was no way I was asking him. Instead, I got up to grab the pain tablets from my purse.
“I’m sorry about what I said earlier.” He took the pills from where I’d set them by his plate and tossed them into his mouth, followed by a sip of water. “I don’t know what got into me. Other than strong drugs. They loosen tongues as well as take away pain.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s true, just the same.”
“Garth.”
“I know. I have a big mouth.”
“Incapable of keeping things to yourself.” I placed my hand over his wrist and looked into his eyes. At first glance they seemed the color of strong black tea. Sitting only inches away and with the glow from the pendulum lights that hung over the table, I could see specks of dark green.
We were saved from further discussion by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. “Is that your dad here already?”
“Maybe he managed to get an earlier flight.” He rubbed under one eye. “Do you mind answering the door?”
I got up from the table to look out to the driveway. Two headlights blinded me momentarily. When they shut off, a man stepped out of a SUV. Sensing motion, the light over the front door switched on, illuminating his face. He was a man in his sixties with thick silver hair and a face that reminded me of Garth. “It’s your dad.” He squinted into the night as snow fell steadily from the sky. “I think it’s your dad.”
Garth clumped across the floor to stand beside me. “That’s him all right.”
Touched by the excitement in his voice, I opened the door and we both stepped onto the porch.
“Hello there. Don’t come out here. I got my suitcase and that’s it,” Mr. Welte called out as he tugged a bag from the back of the SUV. His Texas accent was thicker than I’d imagined. Garth had never mentioned his dad had a drawl. Now I knew where the hint of one in Garth had come from.
“Welcome,” Garth said.
“Wouldn’t you know—I got picked on one of them waiting list things and got an earlier flight.” Mr. Welte stepped onto the porch. Snowflakes had landed in his hair and eyelashes. “Son, good to see you.” He put both his hands on the sides of Garth’s face. “How you doing, kid?”
“I’m fine,” Garth said. “But I’m glad you’re here.”
“Glad to be of service.” He turned toward me. “And who’s this pretty little darlin’?”
“This is Crystal,” Garth said.
“Crystal, nice to meet you.” Mr. Welte held out his hand for me to shake but surprised me by pulling me into a hug at the last second. I could feel the power of his muscles as he almost picked me up off the ground.
After we parted, he gave me a flirtatious grin. “Good Lord, boy, you didn’t tell me she looked like a movie star.”
“Dad, don’t embarrass her,” Garth said.
“Embarrass her? Are you embarrassed?” Mr. Welte asked me.
“A little. But I appreciate the compliment just the same.”
“See there, son? She appreciates the compliment.”
“Come inside,” I said. “It’s freezing. We have pizza.”
“Excellent.” Mr. Welte stomped his cowboy boots before entering the house. I made a note to add a mat to our list.
Mr. Welte was about the same size as his son, but his outgoing personality made him seem bigger. Garth’s gentle voice and mannerisms were in stark contrast to his father’s boisterous laugh and voice. He filled up a space, even one as large as the nearly empty room.
“Boy howdy, this place is fancy.” He gestured toward the bank of windows. “You did good.”
“You’re in luck, Dad. Your bed got delivered today, but things aren’t exactly put together.”
“Well, don’t you worry about a thing,” Mr. Welte said. “I’m here to help now. We’ll get you all fixed up. I can do the heavy lifting while you recuperate.”
I had to admit, an able-bodied man would be helpful. “Are you hungry?”
“Shoot, I could always eat.” He shrugged out of his wool peacoat. “Where should I hang this up?”
I took it from him. “We don’t have any hangers yet, so I’ll have to hang it over the couch.”
“Done deal.” Mr. Welte gri
nned at me. “I’m not a fussy man, so you just tell me what’s what and I’ll do your bidding, you hear?”
“Yes sir,” I said.
“None of that now,” Mr. Welte said. “I’m Brian to my friends. And anyone who feeds me within the first ten minutes is a friend.”
“I like a man who knows how to eat,” I said.
“Shoot, girl, it’s my superpower,” Brian said.
We walked back over to the table to eat. Between bites of pizza, Brian told us about the flight from Vegas—bumpy—and the drive from the Denver airport—snowy. “So thick I darn sure couldn’t see farther than the car ahead of me. I was white-knuckling that steering wheel like my grandmother. She was scared of a lot of things, including driving.” He pretended to drive, shaking his entire upper torso in a way that made me laugh.
“Dad, where’s your wedding ring?” Garth asked.
“Well now, there’s a little story around that. My new bride took it upon herself to sleep with her trainer. She done Jolened me.”
“Jolene?” I asked.
“Dolly Parton song,” Garth said to me. “You’ll get used to it after a while.”
“It doesn’t fit exactly right,” Brian said. “Because Jolene is a woman and the one who’s cheating with Dolly’s man. This was the other way around.”
I didn’t follow completely, but I nodded politely anyway.
“Marilyn cheated on you?” Garth asked. “I’m surprised.”
“Why’s that?” Brian asked.
“I didn’t think she’d do anything to jeopardize her meal ticket.” Garth’s gaze flickered to me. “Marilyn wasn’t exactly the type who liked to work.”
“Now, son, don’t be petty.” Brian grinned. “Anyhow, it’s a good thing I had that prenup, huh?”
“I guess so.” Garth sighed. “Seriously, Dad, you’ve got to stop marrying them.”
“Couldn’t agree more. From now on, this ol’ boy is closed for the wedding business.” He tugged on the collar of his flannel shirt. “I’ve learned my lesson for good.”
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