Wisteria Island

by Rachel Hanna

  “Well, there was Kimber who stayed four hours total.”

  “Four hours?” She almost choked on her casserole. How bad was this place that someone only stayed four hours?

  “And then there was Penelope, the lady from the UK. The residents couldn’t understand her accent, and they got very offended when she wouldn’t eat some of the southern food we serve here. She lasted six days…”

  As Bennett rattled off facts about the previous nurses, Danielle became more and more uneasy. There was obviously something going on here that wasn’t normal. Nurses were steadfast. Nurses were hard working. Nurses weren’t quitters.

  “You’re scaring me.”

  He smiled. “I think you should know the truth, but I feel like you’re tougher than some of the others we’ve hired before.”

  “Oh, really? And how do you know that?”

  “Because you had no problem coming straight into my office and standing up for yourself. No other nurse has done that.”

  “And they’ve all lived in the shack?”

  He laughed. “Yes, they’ve all lived in the cottage.”

  “I’m not sure this place is for me either, to be honest.”

  “Give it time. These people will grow on you if you give it a chance.”

  “They didn’t grow on the other nurses,” she said, taking a bite of her cornbread.

  “Look, these people are my family, and I know some of them can be difficult. Did Hazel shake your hand?”

  She chuckled under her breath. “No.”

  “Did Morty behave?”

  She wasn’t totally sure what that meant. “He told me I was going to get wrinkles because of the look on my face.”

  Danielle could tell Bennett was trying not to look at her. “Morty is our resident life-of-the-party. You should see his closet.”

  “Yeah, he reminded me a bit of Liberace. My grandmother loved him with all of his fancy costumes and jewelry.” She smiled to herself as she thought about her beloved Nana. There was no one in this world who’d loved her as much as her Nana, including her own mother. With Nana, there hadn’t been requirements for her love. It was unconditional and without limits. She missed her every single day, even though she’d been gone for many years now. Nana would know what Danielle should do with her life, but there was no way to ask her now.

  As she looked around the room, a part of her wondered if Nana would’ve liked a place like this rather than the assisted living home she’d lived in before she passed away. Even though Danielle visited her often, she still found it sad every time she went. So many residents would sit alone day after day, their own families too busy or uncaring to visit. The only family they knew were the workers in the facility.

  “Where’d you go?” Bennett asked, waving his hand in front of her face.

  “What?”

  “You seemed lost in thought for a minute.”

  She smiled. “I was just wondering if my Nana would’ve liked a place like this.”

  “Ah. I see. As I told you, I created this place because of my grandmother.”

  “I have to say that I can see why. It’s a good idea.”

  “You really think so?”

  “In theory. I need to see it in action before I can issue any genuine compliments,” she said, laughing.

  “How’s your food, by the way?”

  “Not bad, actually. And yours?”

  He looked down at his casserole. “The pot roast and meatloaf are my favorites, but this casserole is pretty good.”

  “Well, I hope it gives you plenty of strength and stamina.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re coming home with me.”

  He stared at her. “Excuse me?”

  Realizing what she’d said, she coughed. “The cottage. Remember? You’re coming to see the damage? And maybe fix some of it?”

  “Oh, right. Of course.”

  Well, that dinner turned awkward really quickly.

  Chapter 3

  Bennett drove the golf cart toward the cottage, awkwardness still lingering between him and Danielle. How he’d misunderstood her at dinner was beyond him, but it certainly was embarrassing.

  He pulled up in front of the cottage and immediately saw some of the damage she was talking about. The porch was in more disrepair than he’d realized, and he wondered why Eddie didn’t tell him. That was a conversation for another day.

  “Home sweet home,” Danielle said dryly.

  “Yeah, I see what you mean. I’m sorry I haven’t checked on this more recently.”

  They stepped out of the golf cart and walked up to the front door. Danielle keyed the lock and opened it. As Bennett walked inside, he was shocked by the state of affairs. Dust and sand were everywhere. There were intermittent holes in the hardwood floors and some of the electrical outlets didn’t seem to work.

  “You can’t stay here,” he suddenly blurted out without thinking.

  “What?”

  “We have to find you another place. This place isn’t habitable, and I’m sorry you had to sleep here last night.”

  Her face softened a bit. “That’s unnecessary. It just needs some repairs.”

  “Well, until those repairs are done, let’s find you another place to stay.”

  “Look, Bennett, I appreciate that, but I’ve already unpacked, so I’d rather stay here and get the repairs done.”

  She was one of the most adorably argumentative people he’d ever met. “Then stay with me for a couple of nights.”

  “What?” Her mouth dropped open and her already large eyes widened to a point where he thought they might just pop right out of her head.

  “I didn’t mean it that way…”

  “Then what did you mean because it seems like my new boss just asked me to…”

  “No!” he said, probably too loudly, before she could finish her sentence. “Your new boss wasn’t asking you to do… that. I was offering my spare bedroom for a couple of nights until we can get our resident handyman to make some repairs.”

  She cleared her throat and averted his gaze. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine here until the repairs are done. Besides, I love my view.”

  “My house has a great view too, Danielle.”

  She smiled slightly. “I’m sure it does.”

  “Well, if you’re sure about staying here, I’ll head home now. I’ll text Darryl, our handyman, and have him here first thing tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.”

  As he walked toward the door, he turned back. “Look, I know we’ve had a rough start here, but I hope you’ll give this job a chance. I think you’ll love it here if you just give it time.”

  “That’s certainly my plan.” He couldn’t tell if she was being honest, but right now he just wanted to get out of there before he said something else stupid. Even though he hadn’t meant to ask her to “sleep over” in the way she envisioned, he couldn’t help but be attracted to her. There was just something about her that gave him shivers up his spine, and he wished that wasn’t true.

  Danielle woke up early the next morning after another fitful night of sleep. Trying to get comfortable in a totally new place on top of the horrible mattress they gave her was a challenge. She would make sure to have the handyman find a new mattress for her. As he hammered away on the front porch, she made a strong pot of coffee. If there was one thing working in a hospital had taught her, it was how to make coffee that would keep her awake until the next decade.

  She padded across the kitchen, looking for anything to eat. There were some eggs in the fridge that were still in date from the last nurse, but she knew she’d have to visit the local grocery store on the island if she was going to have any chance of surviving this place. She found a small pad of paper and a pen and started making a list.

  Once the coffee finished, she dug around in the cabinets until she found a mug that looked reasonably clean. Then she scrubbed it until she was satisfied it was sterile. Again, hospital training to the rescue. She poured
a cup of the coffee - which looked more like liquified tar - and put it to her lips. Normally, she drank it with milk and a bit of stevia, but she had neither so straight it was.

  Coughing after the first swallow, she continued drinking it. Something had to get her through this day. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and she was missing home. It really wasn’t home anymore, anyway.

  Still, she longed for her comfortable bed. It was king-sized with a top of the line mattress that even had a little remote control. She missed her jetted tub, her heated tile floors, her large walk-in closet full of clothes she never wore because her daily wardrobe had included scrubs at work and yoga pants and a t-shirt at home. She missed her cat, Scruffles, who she had to leave behind with her ex-fiance, Richard.

  Richard.

  Just hearing his name in her own head made her want to chuck the coffee mug across the room. Would it really matter, anyway? Darryl was here, and he could just add it to his list of holes to patch up.

  Richard.

  Again, his name pinged around her head like an unwelcome guest. She wanted to hate him, and she did. Sometimes. Other times, memories of their time together swept over her like a blanket, smothering her. She thought she’d loved him. Maybe she did. Her heart and mind were constantly at odds with the idea.

  What he’d done to her was unforgivable, yet she had those good memories that were constantly antagonizing her, trying to convince her he was a good person. Flawed, but good. After all, he was a top-notch ICU doctor, and he’d saved countless lives in the years she’d known him. Didn’t that make him inherently good?

  As she pondered the imponderable, Darryl waddled into the kitchen. She shouldn’t have thought of it as waddling, but Darryl was as wide as he was tall and his feet stuck out to the sides like a duck.

  “Got the porch all patched up. Wanna take a look?”

  “I trust you,” she said. Truth was, she just wanted to drink her tar coffee and stare out the window at nothing while she internally stuck pins in a voodoo doll of her ex.

  “Alrighty…” he said, sensing her disinterest. “I’ll work on the holes in the living room floor then.”

  She nodded and poured herself another cup before walking toward her bedroom. “Oh, Darryl?”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  Danielle scrunched her nose. “Ma’am? Ew, no. That makes me feel old. Just call me Danielle.”

  “Sorry, but we don’t do that around here. Men are sir and women are ma’am.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Right. Well, anyway, I need a mattress that couldn’t moonlight as a torture device. Where do I get one?”

  He thought for a moment. “At the mattress store?”

  Unsure if he was being sarcastic, Danielle pressed further. “I can’t sleep on that thing. It’s awful. A metal spring was poking me in the back all night, and I’m pretty sure a family of squirrels has taken up residence inside. So, unless you want me to burglarize someone’s house tonight and steal their mattress right out from under them, please find me a mattress. Okay?”

  He stared at her like he’d never heard a woman be so assertive. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll find you something.”

  “Wonderful. Going to take a shower, so please stay at this end of the house.”

  Darryl nodded again, fear on his face. Good. She liked it when men were a little scared of her, especially now. No man was ever going to take advantage of her again. If it meant she had to be strong and domineering, she’d do it.

  “No hummus?” Danielle asked the woman for a second time.

  “Honey, we don’t carry anything called hummus. What on earth is that?”

  “It’s used to dip vegetables or go on sandwiches. It’s made of chickpeas, tahini…”

  “Ta-what?”

  “Tahini. Ground sesame seeds?”

  The woman, who had to be in her seventies, cocked her head to the side like one of those little dogs who’d heard a loud noise. “We have mayonnaise.”

  “Yeah, it’s not the same. But thanks anyway,” Danielle said, pushing her cart in the other direction. This grocery store was as bare bones as it got. Only basic produce, things like apples, grapes and lettuce. Not an avocado in sight. Canned goods were more plentiful than anything else, probably because the manager focused on shelf-stable items. The only problem was that shelf-stable usually meant unhealthy, and that affected her and the people she would be treating. They needed more fresh produce, so she would add that to her list of things to discuss with Bennett.

  “Danielle?”

  Speak of the devil. “Hey, Bennett.”

  He pulled his cart closer to hers. “Stocking up on some groceries?”

  She laughed. “I wouldn’t call it stocking up. There’s not a whole lot here.”

  “Seems to work okay for most of us,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

  She peered into his cart. “You have ravioli, grapes and fruit roll-ups. Do you have kids?”

  He chuckled. “Nope, just me.”

  “Bennett, this is not a healthy diet. I can’t even get hummus here. We also need more fresh produce.”

  “It’s just easier to get canned and boxed foods.”

  “Do you want these people to live longer? Have more vibrant lives?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, then we need to find fresh produce sources. How about a community garden? And maybe some classes about juicing and making green smoothies?”

  “I’m not sure this demographic will be interested in that kind of thing.”

  “Don’t stereotype,” she said, wagging her finger at him. “People might be a lot more receptive than you think.”

  “I’ll do some investigating and see what I can come up with. Meanwhile, how’s it going with Darryl?”

  “He fixed the porch and is working in the house now. I told him I desperately need a new mattress.”

  “I have an extra one in my guest room if you’d like to try it out?”

  “Try it out?” She never could tell if her new boss was hitting on her. He was extremely good-looking, a fact that she tried to ignore. Richard had been handsome too, and look where that got her.

  “To see if it’s comfortable? I never have guests, so it hasn’t been used. If you don’t like it, we can order something else for you.”

  “Oh, okay. So I can just come by and check it out?”

  “Absolutely. I’m busy today, but Naomi can meet you there.”

  “Naomi?”

  “My assistant.”

  “Oh. Right. That sounds good.”

  He pulled a card from his pocket. “Here’s my card. Naomi’s cell is on here too. Just shoot her a text when you’re ready and she can tell you how to get there.”

  She took the card and slipped it into her pocket. “Thanks.”

  “Well, I’d better finish my shopping.”

  “Yeah, be sure to get some cereal with the marshmallows in it,” she said, smiling.

  “Maybe you can teach me how to eat healthy too,” he said, winking. Gosh, men who winked were often the cutest of all. She spun her cart around and started walking away.

  “Goodbye, Bennett,” she said, waving her hand behind her head.

  As Danielle walked up to Bennett’s house, she was amazed. Not because it was big and grandiose, because it wasn’t. Not because it was fancy and expensive-looking, because it wasn’t that either. Bennett’s house was just as basic as hers, only it didn’t need repairs. It was a small cottage on the opposite end of the beach.

  “Danielle?” Naomi called, her head poking out of the front door.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” Danielle said as she walked up the three front steps.

  “Come on in.”

  They walked inside, and it shocked Danielle to see just how simple Bennett lived. He was ultra wealthy, yet you would never know if magazines didn’t harp about it all the time. He had a simple set of white canvas sofas, beach decor and basic artwork on the walls. No fancy rugs or expensive paintings. Just a nice, norma
l house.

  “Wow. I guess I thought Bennett would have some giant mansion on the island.”

  Naomi laughed. “Bennett? No. He’s the most down-to-earth guy I know. Comes from very basic means. Grew up poor, actually. He’s not at all what the media portrays him to be.”

  “I see that.”

  “The guest room is this way,” she said, pointing down a short hallway. The cottage was set up much like hers, with the kitchen on the right, the living room in the middle, and two small bedrooms down a hallway on the left. He also had a small glass enclosed sunroom on the back that overlooked the water.

  As they walked down the hallway, she noticed the absence of personal pictures in the house. No framed photos of family or friends. In fact, his decorating taste was more minimalist than anything else, with lots of black and white and the occasional pop of blue to let you know he lived on the ocean. The sparseness of it made her feel a little sad, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.

  “Here we go,” Naomi said as she opened the door to the guest room. It was painted a light gray and had white cottage-style furniture with a queen sized bed against the right wall. The floor, which was hardwoods, had a large jute rug that took up most of the space.

  “Mind if I try it out?” Danielle asked, although at this point she’d take a bed of nails over what she currently had.

  “Of course. Bennett insisted upon that.”

  She walked over and sat on the edge, bouncing up and down a bit. How did one try out a bed? Jump on it? Slide underneath the covers and wiggle around a bit? She didn’t want to look like a weirdo, so she figured sitting on the edge and running her hand across it was sufficient.

  “This should do quite nicely,” she said as she stood back up. Naomi nodded.

  “Excellent. I’ll make arrangements for Eddie and Darryl to bring it over this evening. Will that work?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  They walked out of the room and back to the front door. “By the way, welcome to Wisteria Island.”

  “Thank you. It’s an interesting place so far.”

  Naomi giggled. “Interesting is one way to put it.”