In the evenings, after they’d stopped for the night and had their supper, she’d gone to the room with Margaret and he didn’t see her again until morning. And she never went out of her way to talk to him more than she had to.
“I’m going to go back home for a few days to catch up on some work, but I’ll head back up to visit her as soon as I can.”
The tension in the car was building the closer they got to Vicki’s apartment. He wanted to turn the car around and keep her inside with him, heading off on another trip where they would be stuck together again.
“She’ll like that. I know she’s going to miss you now that she’s been able to spend this time with you.”
He could see the clinic in the distance where her apartment was. Without thinking, he let up on the gas. He wasn’t ready for their time together to be over. He didn’t want things to end up like this.
If he’d just stopped himself before kissing her, at least they could have held onto the friendship they’d built along the way.
Now, his heart had gotten too involved and he’d dragged hers into it too.
“Vicki…”
She shook her head before he could continue. “Don’t, Mitch. Let’s just go back to our lives and remember the great memory we worked together to give Margaret. It’s not like we won’t be seeing each other again. I mean, the chances are good I’ll be working at least a few times when you come to visit her. So what happened was just a mistake and we can move past that.”
His heart ached when she said it was a mistake. He knew it had been, but he hated how it had destroyed their friendship.
And deep down, he still really wished it hadn’t been a mistake. That he could take her in his arms again and never let her go.
As he pulled into the parking space in the back, he let his gaze move to her and his breath caught at how beautiful she looked. For the past week, he’d been able to look over and see her whenever he wanted, watching her smile and laugh over silly things they were talking about.
He knew without a doubt he was going to miss being with her.
When he stopped the vehicle, she quickly opened the door to get out. He had to hurry to get to the back so he could grab her suitcase out for her.
“I’ll carry it up to your apartment for you.”
She shook her head and pulled it from his hands. “I can manage. It’s not too heavy.”
They stood there for a moment, both unsure what to say. He could tell she was feeling just as awkward as he was. This was never how he’d thought they’d be saying goodbye.
He reached into his inside jacket pocket where he’d put the envelope earlier. “Here, this is for you. I hope it’s enough, but I just don’t know how I can thank you enough for doing this for us.”
Her eyebrows pulled together as she looked at it, then lifted her eyes to his. “What’s that?”
“Well, I said I’d pay you for your time coming with us. It’s what I owe you.”
Immediately, he realized how cold the words sounded. And she felt it too, because her face lost color and her lips tightened together. “I don’t want your money.”
He took a deep breath and pushed it into her hands. “Please, just take it. I know you don’t want it, but you deserve to be paid for your time. You had to do a lot of extra things for my grandma, I know that. And, if you hadn’t agreed to come, I know I’d never have been able to do it.”
She looked down at the envelope in her hands, then looked up at him, giving him a sad smile.
“Well, thank you. I better let you go since you still have a couple hours of driving ahead of you to get home.” She lifted her suitcase and started to walk away. He wanted to reach out to stop her, but he knew if he did, things would be worse.
“Thanks, Vicki. For everything. Maybe when I’m visiting Grandma sometime, we can go out for dinner or something.”
She stopped and looked back at him, shrugging slightly. “Sure. Take care.”
He could tell right away she had no intention of going out for a meal or anything else with him. She was saying goodbye, other than any chance meetings they might have when he was visiting his grandma.
It tore him apart to watch her walk away like this, but he had no choice.
He knew she might not like him much right now, but if he’d allowed things to go further between them, she would have ended up hating him. She would have been hurt, and if they had even gone so far as to get married someday and have kids, those kids would have been torn apart.
And that’s something he could never do to people he cared about.
* * *
“Oh, Bentley. Sometimes I wish I could be a cat. Seriously, what worries do you have?”
The big calico pushed his nose into hers before spinning in circles a few times to find just the right place to plop down on her lap. Travis’s new wife Caroline had come with a loving cat, and he had made himself right at home in the family.
“That cat has it made. He doesn’t have to worry about a thing, except when his next meal is coming.”
Travis came over and sat in the recliner across from her, shaking his head when Bentley lifted his head and glared at the intrusion. He had been enjoying the undivided attention, so he pushed his head into her hand to remind her she’d been petting him until they’d been interrupted.
Caroline had invited her for supper tonight because hockey season had started, which meant her husband would be completely enthralled in the game, and she wanted someone to be able to spend the evening with. Even though she was a huge fan of hockey as well, she’d told Vicki she wasn’t about to support the Winnipeg Jets. That was just pushing love and devotion a little too far when her team wasn’t playing.
She’d laughed but she was sure there was more to it. In fact, since she’d gotten home from the road trip a week ago, all her siblings had been taking turns keeping her “busy.” She hadn’t told anyone what had happened between her and Mitch, but somehow, her family just seemed to know something was wrong.
She didn’t think she was moping around, but maybe she had been and hadn’t even noticed.
The truth was, she’d tried hard to just put everything behind her. She kept reminding herself that she’d only been with Mitch for just over a week. She couldn’t be in love with him.
But she knew the feelings she had for him had likely started even before that, back to the day he’d helped her in the parking lot. Then, he’d showed up and convinced her to go on the road trip. Every time they’d interacted, she was sure she’d already started to fall.
It was so ridiculous to her, knowing how much she’d bugged her siblings and cousins who’d seemed to fall in love so easily. She’d sworn it would never happen to her, because she had far more common sense than that.
Yet, what happens? She spends a week with a guy she didn’t even know over a month ago and ended up falling in love with him.
The one man in the world who had sworn he would never marry.
She could understand his feelings. When he’d shared what happened to his own parents, she knew it had to have been hard. And truthfully, she thought about telling him they didn’t need to worry about marriage yet.
They could just see what happened between them, and if they never got married, then they never got married. It didn’t have to be a big deal.
Except, she knew it was a big deal. It was a huge deal to her.
She could never be with someone knowing it would never go any further. She wanted kids, and she would never have kids without being married.
Caroline came and sat at the other end of the couch, smiling at Vicki as she handed her a cup of tea. “I’m so glad you could come over, Vicki. Honestly, since the hockey started again, when the Jets are playing, I know I’m pretty much on my own here. I don’t mind watching hockey if it’s the Panthers, but listening to Travis while his games are on, I’m sure the neighbors can even hear him yelling at the TV.”
“You’re exaggerating, Caroline.” The smile her brother sent to his new w
ife was filled with love. It pulled at her heart, reminding her of the night of the kiss with Mitch. The way he’d looked at her, she’d almost believed for a brief moment he was feeling the same way about her.
“Really, Travis? The last game you yelled so loud, poor Bentley ran into the bedroom and hid under the bed until the next day. I think he thought something terrible had happened.”
“Well, it should have been a penalty!”
Caroline rolled her eyes and smiled at Vicki. “See? This is why I like having someone else here. He has to act a little more civilized.”
Vicki laughed and shook her head, her hands still moving over the soft fur of the purring tomcat. “I doubt it. I grew up in the same house as him, remember? He doesn’t know how to be civilized when watching hockey, so having me here won’t make any difference.”
Travis reclined his chair and pretended to ignore them as he lifted the remote to find the channel.
“So, while he sits and screams at the TV, why don’t you tell me more about your trip to South Dakota? Did Margaret get to see everything she was hoping to see?”
Vicki shared the stories about Promise and the homestead, and how happy Margaret had been to see her old home. As she recounted the stories, it brought a smile to her face remembering everything they’d done over the week on the road.
“It’s funny, but how come you’ve talked about Margaret and so many things you did, yet I haven’t heard you mention anything about the grandson. What was his name again?”
Vicki was pretty sure Caroline likely remembered his name but was making her say it out loud. “Mitch.”
“Right. Mitch. How did you guys end up getting along? I know you weren’t too sure about him before you left. Did he end up being trustworthy? I assume since you came home in one piece, he didn’t end up being a mass murderer.”
She laughed and shook her head. “No, he wasn’t a murderer.”
She didn’t answer the part about being trustworthy, or anything else that would reveal any kind of personal feelings. Right now, she didn’t want to talk about him at all.
Just then, Travis cheered loudly, jumping from his chair as he pumped his fist in the air. “Yes, that’s the way it’s done!”
The sudden noise startled poor Bentley who dug his claws into Vicki’s leg to get traction as he jumped to the ground and ran into the bedroom.
“Ouch!” She grabbed her wound and yelled at her brother. “Travis! Would you learn how to behave like a reasonably normal human being?”
Before he could reply, her phone rang. She looked at the number and groaned. It was work. She’d had a couple of days off after working every day since they gotten back but was scheduled to go back in tomorrow.
If they were calling now, they were likely hoping she could come in to cover a night shift. When she answered, she recognized the voice of one of the new nurses they’d hired.
“Hi, Vicki. It’s Jen. I’m sorry to bother you, and I know you’re supposed to be coming in tomorrow morning, but I thought you’d want to know about Margaret.”
The bottom fell out of her stomach and she stood up, walking out of the room to make sure she could hear over the television. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“We think she’s had a stroke. They’re taking her to the hospital right now. We’ve been trying to get a hold of her grandson, but he isn’t answering, and someone mentioned you might have a way to get a hold of him.”
She was already pulling on her shoes. “I’m on my way to the hospital now, so I’ll try along the way.”
Travis was right there behind her, pulling on his jacket.
She looked at him with concern. “What are you doing?”
He grabbed his keys off the counter and opened the door. “I’m giving you a ride to the hospital in Riston.”
“You don’t have to do that. You don’t even know what’s going on.”
He ignored her and was already on his way out the door, so all she could do was follow him. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure you can fill me in on the way.”
She wanted to hug him, knowing that she truthfully would have likely fallen apart having to drive herself. There was no hospital in Quinn Valley, so they had to drive to the next town over. As she hopped in her brother’s car and looked out the window, trying to keep herself from thinking the worst, she knew she had to call Mitch.
She picked up her phone to dial, and he answered within the first ring. “Vicki? What’s wrong?”
All she’d said was hello, and he’d known from her voice. Her voice shook as she told him, and when he’d sworn loudly into the phone, her heart ached at the pain she could hear in his voice.
“I’m on my way.”
She just hoped he made it on time or he would never forgive himself again.
Chapter Thirteen
Mitch walked into the dimly lit room, and his gaze moved to the bed where his grandma was sleeping. He quietly stepped in and moved toward her, careful not to make any noise that might wake her.
His eyes took in the other woman he’d been told was still in the room. Vicki was curled up in an uncomfortable-looking chair, her legs pulled up under her chin, and was fast asleep.
When he’d arrived at the hospital in Riston, the nurse on duty had explained everything to him and said that they’d given his grandma something to help her rest. They wouldn’t know the full extent of the stroke until the morning when the doctor would come back in to do an assessment.
For now, though, they thought it had been a mild one, but they also said there was always a risk of another one happening, so they were keeping a close eye on her.
Then they’d said that Vicki had insisted on staying with her in case she woke up and was disoriented. He wasn’t surprised that she’d stayed, and in truth, was relieved to hear she was still here.
He leaned down and took his grandma’s hand. It seemed so frail and cold, so he tucked it underneath the blanket. He just stood there and stared down at the face sleeping so peacefully, wishing he could give her some of his strength to fight everything.
“She’s going to be all right. Margaret is too stubborn to let this slow her down.”
Vicki’s whispered voice in the quiet of the room startled him. He lifted his eyes and met hers. Even in the faint light, he could see the worry in her face.
He nodded and looked back at the women in the bed. “I hope so.”
She stood up and came over beside him. Before he could stop himself, he pulled her into his arms. He just needed the reassurance only she could give by being near him.
Her head rested on his shoulder, and thankfully, she didn’t resist, putting her arms around his back. They stood there in the quiet room without saying a word, just holding each other.
“Did you get to talk to her at all?”
Vicki pulled back to look up at him but she let him continue to hold her.
“She was awake when I got here.” Vicki laughed and shook her head. “And, was telling everyone she was just fine and not to be fussing over her. But I think she knew something had happened and was just doing that for my benefit.”
He held his jaw tight and looked past Vicki’s shoulder toward the window. “So, what do you think? I mean, honestly? You’re a nurse. Tell me the truth.”
When he looked back at her, she held his gaze with hers. “Truthfully, she was having some problems with her left side, her speech was slightly slurred, and with her other disease progression, she’s likely going to have a long road ahead of her. But I’ve also seen cases where the people surprise everyone. And if anyone can do that, it’s your grandma.”
He stepped back and pulled his hands down his face. “I should have been here. Maybe I should have moved her down to Boise to be near me. She shouldn’t have to go through this too.” Suddenly, he was filled with anger.
Anger at her disease. Anger at the fact she now had even more obstacles to get through.
And anger at himself for the years he should have been here with her.
/> “Do you honestly think she’d have let you move her? Didn’t you just spend an entire week with her? I’m sure you’ve realized that telling Margaret to do anything is pretty much impossible.” Vicki stepped back and hugged her arms over her chest.
He had to find out the one thing that had been bothering him for the entire drive here.
“Do you think the trip was too much for her? Is that what caused the stroke?”
Vicki started to step back toward him, then stopped herself. Even though she’d hugged him before, she obviously remembered to hold herself at a distance now.
She shook her head strongly. “No, and I’m not going to let you believe that. It had nothing to do with her trip. It would have happened regardless.”
He wanted to believe her.
But years of guilt slammed into him, and as he looked back at his grandma lying on the bed, he knew that if she didn’t get through this and ended up suffering, he would never forgive himself.
* * *
“Mitch, you look like you’ve been bucked off a bull, then trampled by him.”
His head whipped up at the sound of his grandma’s voice.
“Grandma, how are you feeling?”
“Like I was riding the bull with you.”
He rolled his eyes and laughed at the familiar voice, even if it was weaker than usual. She reached out and placed her hand on his.
“Well, that’s understandable. You gave me a pretty good scare, you know?”
“You didn’t need to come running up here for this. I’m going to be fine.”
He knew he should be ringing the call bell to let the staff know his grandma was awake so they could do whatever assessments and vitals they needed to do. But being with her alone like this was something he’d missed for so long.
“Where did Vicki go? Was she still here when you got here?” His grandma tried to move slightly to see if the other woman was still in the room.
“I made her go home. Her sister Robyn came and picked her up about half an hour ago.”
Healing Hearts: Quinn Valley Ranch Book 27 Page 8