Heather

by Chris Keniston

  “How do you like your steak?” the General asked from a huge barrel smoker.

  Jake eyed the grill carefully. He was pretty sure it was the same one the family had used when he was a kid. A huge halved metal barrel painted silver with a grilling screen across the top burned mesquite and charcoal. The thing had made the best burgers in New England. Just looking at the sizzling meat made his mouth water. “Thought we were doing burgers and hot dogs?”

  The General waved his arm in the direction of the opposite side of the Point where Floyd manned a carbon copy of the massive grill. “Adults get the good stuff.”

  He didn’t know about that. The burgers he remembered were pretty darn good. “Medium works for me.”

  “Attaboy.” The General smiled. “No sense in ruining a good cut of meat by turning it into boot leather.”

  “No, sir.” Jake resisted the urge to stand at parade rest. Although in his Grill King apron the General looked like any other guy at any other family barbecue, but there was still an heir of authority that Jake felt whenever he was with the man. Somehow today running the show with military precision, Jake felt it all the more so. “Anything I can do?”

  “Nope. Go enjoy yourself.”

  That wouldn’t be hard. He’d already played horseshoes and tetherball with Heather and concluded that the woman was an ace at whatever she put her mind to. Like yesterday, when it had taken only a few tries to master pulling up on skis, today she’d gone from novice horseshoe tosser to beating him at his own game. He’d made it halfway across the Point when the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. In Lawford the worst that could possibly happen would be if the General overcooked the steaks or Lily forgot to bring dessert. Shaking it off, he changed direction towards the house. Heather and her cousins were inside. Everything was probably fine but still, he didn’t like the sensation still pricking at him.

  A crowd of hungry teens had formed near Floyd. The call of hotdogs and burgers was an especially powerful siren to growing boys. Shifting direction, he stopped beside Floyd. “I’m heading to the house. Need anything?”

  “Everything.” Floyd waved his spatula at the grill. “Doesn’t anyone ever feed these kids?”

  “As a former teenager, it’s been my experience that growing boys have a lot in common with dogs.”

  “Huh?” Floyd grunted.

  “As long as you keep offering them food, they’ll keep eating.”

  “Sounds about right.” Floyd flipped the last of the burgers and handed Jake the empty dish. “Here you go.”

  Truth was, he was delighted to have a legitimate excuse to go inside and see Heather. Earlier fun and games hadn’t lasted long enough. Tomorrow she would be returning to Boston and then what?

  ***

  “I’d forgotten how much teenagers eat.” Lucy pulled bags of hot dog buns from the pantry. “Good thing we have Katie’s home phone number.”

  “I hate to make her open up on a Sunday.” Grams had her head in the fridge. “Are we out of mayonnaise?”

  Heather held up an empty jar. “Emptied it in this batch of potato salad.” She’d hoped to find a few moments to slip away and talk to Jake unfettered by prying eyes, but every time she’d set foot outdoors, something would happen to send her back into the bustling kitchen.

  “Floyd needs more of everything.”

  “Everything?” Lucy snapped around from her position at the sink.

  From the shock in her eyes, Floyd clearly wasn’t the only one caught off guard by the football team’s appetite.

  “I’ll call Katie.” Fiona Hart crossed the kitchen and grabbing the wall phone, stretched the cord around the doorway.

  “I should have known Hart House would still have a land line on the kitchen wall.”

  Heather wiped her hands on her apron. “How are you holding up?”

  “Me?” His voice lowered so only she could hear. “Fine, but I was hoping to get a few minutes with you. Can we take a—”

  “Bless that woman.” Grams hung the receiver in place and spun about. “She’ll have the order packed and ready by the time someone gets to the One Stop.”

  “I’ll go,” Heather volunteered. A change of pace would be good. Besides. She faced Jake again. “Want to come for a ride?”

  The expansive grin that took over his face and lit his eyes was all the answer she needed.

  “Good. Let’s go before we get waylay—”

  “Ice, please.” Practically dragging Floyd with her, Callie came hurrying through the doorway. “Cold water too.”

  “How bad is it?” Heather took a long step in their direction.

  “If I can get it under cold water and ice, it probably won’t even blister.”

  “Ice coming up,” Poppy called from near the fridge.

  “Let me—”

  Lucy waved her off. “You hit the One Stop. If there’s anything this old gal can handle it’s a little burn. Go.”

  Heather managed a quick peek and agreed, this was definitely something her family could handle without her.

  “There’s a crowd of hungry boys out there,” Floyd grumbled, yanking his arm away from Lucy. “Just give me some butter and let me get back to my post.”

  “Butter,” Lucy grumbled, the censure clear in her tone.

  “I’ll man the grill,” Jake said to Floyd, then turned to Heather. “Sorry,” he mouthed.

  Yeah. So was she.

  ***

  Diligently manning his new post, Jake had run out of hamburgers and was doling out the last few hot dogs.

  “Any more news on Ralph?” Susie was next in line.

  “All good.” He was happy to report. “Dr. Preston spoke with him this morning and he’s doing better than fine.”

  “Oh that’s good.” She held out an empty dish. “This one is for my brother.”

  If Jake remembered correctly, Susie’s older brother was a star on the football team. One of the ones who no doubt was a contributing factor to why only hot dogs were left until Heather returned from the grocery run. “Only one?”

  “Yes, sir. The General said only one at a time until Dr. Preston returns.”

  Smart man, that general, but Jake already knew that. Stabbing at the slender slab of meat, his long laid to rest inner warnings went off again. Taking an extra second to scan the surroundings, he looked for something out of place. Perhaps someone in trouble in the water, or a couple of testosterone-loaded boys in a pissing contest. Nothing. Of course not. He wasn’t in the sandbox anymore. What was wrong with him?

  The answer to that one was easy. Heather Preston had him totally off balance.

  He dropped the hot dog into a bun and set it on the teen’s plate. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks!”

  The line of kids eager for a hot dog had dwindled once the announcement had been made that there’d be more burgers shortly. Taking advantage of the lull, he pulled out his phone. There was more than one way to get a few minutes with Heather. Choosing the newly saved number, he waited for her to pick up.

  “Thanks again,” sounded far away mixed with crumpling sounds and the slamming of a door. “Hello.”

  “Catching you at a bad time?”

  “Oh, hi. Had my hands full and didn’t see who was calling.” He heard another door slam and an engine come to life. “This is a perfect time. Give me a minute while I put you on speaker.”

  “Sure.” Perfectly content to hear her voice, he’d gladly give her anything she asked for.

  ***

  Heather pulled out of the parking lot and considered what it might be like to hear this voice every day. “I’m back.”

  “I gather you got everything?”

  “Yep. I should be back in ten, fifteen minutes tops. Katie had it all packed and ready for me. She really is a blessing to this town.”

  “I don’t think that woman has an unpleasant bone in her body. I won’t be at all surprised to find out one day she’s actually an angel.”

  “Sure bakes like one.”
/>   “Yes, she does. So does your cousin.”

  “Some days, I’m not sure which of them is the better baker, and if you tell Lily I said that I’ll swear you’re lying!” She held back a giggle. This man brought out a side of her she didn’t remember she even had.

  “Are there any more hot dogs?” said a female voice Heather was pretty sure belonged to the pretty blonde from last night.

  “Hang on,” he told Heather. “Absolutely. If you want to wait, Dr. Preston will be back with fixings in about ten minutes or so.”

  “That’s okay. I take it plain.”

  “All right. Here you go.”

  “Thanks.”

  A few more seconds passed before Jake spoke again. “Whoever heard of anyone eating a plain hot dog?”

  Heather laughed. “I’m a dash of mustard and smidge of relish girl myself.”

  “Smidge, huh?” Jake laughed and the sound ricocheted through her like a high alcohol tonic. “Susie!” he suddenly shouted without moving the phone away from him.

  Heather didn’t like the sound of it.

  “Are you…crap.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Damn it.”

  Walking along the edge of the foot-wide retaining wall keeping the Point high above the creek and lake, Susie suddenly dropped the hot dog and her hands flew to her neck. It was the wide-eyed look of terror so stark he could see it clear from across the Point that spiked his blood pressure seconds before she wilted like a flower and plummeted over the side.

  For a short moment Jake would have sworn his heart stopped. Apparently the only one who’d seen her distress, he tossed the phone and lunged in her direction. There was no way in hell he could reach her in time to stop the splash of icy water jetting high into the air.

  The desperate pitch in Jake’s voice and the splash seconds later had heads turning. Poppy standing with a handful of parents near the edge of the Point tore off toward the house and shouted. “I’ll get a towel.”

  Jake prayed a towel was the only thing the sweet kid would need. Except coming to a screeching halt at the same ledge the young girl had been balancing on only seconds before, his heart took another dive. Susie was floating face down in the icy water.

  ***

  “Jake!” Heather shouted into the phone.

  “Hello?” a ragged breath followed the single word.

  “What’s going on?” Heather demanded in the military tone she’d inherited from her grandfather.

  “Susie fell in the lake.” The breathless voice belonged to Lily. “Jake’s gone in after her.”

  “After her? The water is freezing. Why doesn’t she just climb…wait…what do you mean fell?”

  “I mean she was eating a hotdog, walking along the edge toe to toe. You know the way a drunk walks toe to toe in a sobriety line.”

  Heather nodded even though no one could see.

  “One minute she was munching along and the next she was gone and Jake was sprinting in her direction.”

  Oh no. Lord no. For the second time in so many days a multitude of worse case scenarios flew through Heather’s mind. “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know. They haven’t come back up yet,” she panted. “I’m almost there.”

  Blast. Helping the young girl out of the water and up the wall is one thing. Carrying out an injured one is another. For all she knew both of them were hurt. Now her heart rate was galloping like a thoroughbred at the finish line. “Tell me exactly what’s going on.”

  “I can’t see,” Lily’s voice came out low and sketchy, “Wait. Here he comes. Oh God, Heather she’s out cold. And bleeding.”

  “Bleeding where?”

  “Anyone here with medical background?” Jake shouted loud enough for Heather to hear him.

  “Get me next to him and put me on speakerphone.” Heather could feel the nervous energy through the phone line.

  “Hang on, he’s got his arms around her doing the Heimlich.” Lily huffed out of breath from running.

  “The Heimlich? What is going on?” Lily didn’t respond. Damn it. “Can anyone hear me?”

  “I can,” he answered. “I think she was choking and passed out before she fell, but I can’t get anything to pop out and she’s not coming to.”

  “Is she breathing at all?”

  “She has a small gash on her forehead.” Jake answered quickly. “But her color is washed away and her lips are starting to turn blue. Hang on.”

  “He’s putting his hand on her chest and his cheek to her face,” Lily spoke up.

  “I don’t think she’s breathing,” Jake said in a rush. “But I can feel her heart beat. Barely.”

  “If she passed out from lack of oxygen she must have an obstruction.”

  “I don’t know,” Jake said. “I’m sticking my finger in as far as I can, I don’t feel anything.”

  Blast. Heather sucked in a deep breath, gripping the phone more tightly. “There’s no other choice. She needs air. You only have a couple of minutes. You’ll have to do a tracheotomy.”

  “Cut her?” This time true panic laced Jake’s words.

  Heather nodded. “Yes! She needs air. I’ll talk you through it.” She’d never phoned in surgery before. Panic was licking at her own nerves.

  “Nine one one has been called. Ambulance is on the way,” Jake said in a hurry

  “Doesn’t matter. There’s no time. You have to do this or we’ll lose her.”

  “Okay. Lord help me, but okay.”

  “We need a sharp knife.”

  “I’ve got knives in the kitchen,” Lucy’s voice carried in the distance.

  “I’ll get the first aid kit,” her grandmother shouted.

  “No need, Fiona. Here you go,” the General said, his voice even, sturdy. Bless him, the voice of calm, he must have already gone for the first aid kit to give Jake.

  “Wait,” Jake’s voice sounded stronger. “I have a Leatherman tool. It has a pocket knife.”

  “You need something for a small tube.”

  Another second of silence hung before Jake muttered “straw” followed by a loud, “Give me that cup.”

  She didn’t know who he was pointing to but she hoped whoever it was didn’t have an ordinary straw that wouldn’t hold up to the pressure.

  “I’ve got one of those sturdy hard plastic straws from a large water bottle.”

  “Good. You have to work fast. There should be some alcohol in the first aid kit to sterilize her neck.”

  “Got it,” he said.

  “Look for a notch at the base of her throat, about where her chest starts. In the middle.”

  “Found it.”

  “Good. Now make a two inch vertical incision through the skin.

  “I need a ruler!” he shouted.

  “We don’t have time,” she hollered back. “Eyeball it!”

  She could almost swear she could hear him and every other person on the Point swallow hard. “There’s going to be a bit of blood but that’s okay. You have to open the skin with your fingers and keep cutting until you see a couple of horizontal rings of tissue.”

  “I think I found it.”

  “Make an incision between the rings of tissue and stick the straw in the hole you make. The tissue is fibrous. It won’t be easy to cut. Ignore the blood and just get the straw in there.”

  “Oh heaven,” Lily mumbled, “he’s doing it.”

  “The skin seemed to seal itself around the tube,” Jake almost whispered. She could hear the awe in his voice.

  A hint of pride pulled at one side of her lips. “That’s what’s supposed to happen. Is she breathing?”

  “Yes,” relief sounded in his voice.

  “Good. Pack cotton from the kit around the wound.” Now she smiled in earnest. “You did it.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance.

  “Sounds like the ambulance is almost there. I’ll drop the supplies off and then go check on her.”

  “If you don’t mind,” he blew out a heavy breath, “I th
ink from now on I’ll leave the surgery to you.”

  “We’ll take it from here,” a voice she didn’t recognize, most likely the EMTs, instructed.

  She could hear the commotion of instructions and movement as the EMTs checked the girl’s vitals and boogied to get her to the hospital.

  Not till the sirens again sounded and began to fade into the distance did Jake speak. The muffled sounds of people in the background disappeared, he was no longer on speakerphone. “I’m saying it again. You’re amazing.”

  “Not this time. You did all the work.”

  “And you do it every day.” His sudden chuckle surprised her.

  “What?

  “I was just thinking. Sometimes you just have to eyeball it.”

  She laughed with him. “Guess you were right.” About a whole lot of things.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “You did good, son.” General Harold Hart swirled the glass of bourbon in his hand. “I’ve had to do a lot of difficult things under miserable conditions. I’ve lost a lot of good men. Boys actually. Thought that was behind me. I’m glad you were here.”

  “Someone would have stepped up. I just happened to be closest.” Jake took a slow sip of the smooth caramel colored drink. Once the party had come to an end after Susie fell into the lake and things had been cleaned up and put away, just about the time the adrenaline rush came crashing down, the General handed him a drink and insisted Jake join him on the porch. Swaying in the big old green rockers, Jake and his nerves agreed the General’s idea had merit.

  The General swirled his glass again and shook his head. “The majority of guests were under the legal voting age. The only person with that kind of medical training was gone. You were it, son. You came through. Own it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  A plate of pie and ice cream in each hand, Mrs. Hart joined them on the porch. “Nothing like Lily’s homemade pie and ice cream from the Creamery to get the endorphins going after a harried day.”