Crush the Crescent Lake Winery Series Book 2

by Lucinda Race

  She brightened. “You can do that?”

  “You can relax. I’ll be here all day and you still have my number, right?”

  Anna nodded, oblivious that her family was listening intently to this conversation. “I do.”

  “If you can’t find me, just call. If I don’t answer, leave a message and I’ll find you. I’m assuming you’re going to be here for the day?”

  “Until Dad is back and resting comfortably, you won’t be able to pry me out of here.” She gave a half smile.

  “You’re welcome to stay. The surgery will last around five hours, and then he’ll be in recovery while he comes out of anesthesia. Then he’ll be in ICU for a least twenty-four hours so we can monitor him. After that, he should be able to be moved to a regular room for another five to six days before discharge.”

  “Will you be handling his case even after he’s moved to a regular room?” She chewed the corner of her lip and glanced in Dad’s direction. She only wanted the best for him, and having Colin around bolstered her confidence that Dad was getting the best care possible.

  He gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes. I’m not restricted to the ICU, so I’m part of his care team while he’s in the hospital, which means you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  “Anna, it’s your turn to see Dad.”

  “Oh.” She tossed a look to Tessa as she rushed from the room. Over her shoulder, she said, “I’ll be right out.”

  Liza and Leo stepped from the elevator as she hurried by.

  “Hey, Anna, where’s Mom?”

  She jerked a thumb at the waiting room. “In there.”

  Colin walked next to her as she made her way to her dad. Her heart was heavy in her chest and her footsteps became lead weights as she approached him. Despite what was ahead of him, Dad greeted her with a tired smile.

  “Anna.”

  “Hey, Dad.”

  He gave Colin a quizzical look. “Do I have to go down already?”

  “No, Sam. I just came in with your daughter.”

  She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Dad, and I’ll see you in a little while.” She blinked away the tears that formed before she walked out of the unit. She was overwhelmed. Despite what she had said to her mom earlier, this was very serious.

  4

  The digital numbers on Anna’s watch clicked in triple slow motion. Dad had been taken into surgery six hours ago. Colin walked into the waiting room and Anna got to her feet so quickly, the chair crashed against the wall.

  “What’s going on? It’s been hours since you’ve given us an update.” She could hear the accusatory tone in her voice. Like Colin was the reason things had taken so long.

  “I’m sorry. I got called away for an emergency.” Colin sat next to Mom. “Mrs. Price, I’ve just come up from the recovery room, where your husband is resting comfortably. Dr. Thomas was called into an emergency and asked for me to let you know the surgery was more complicated than he had anticipated but feels confident your husband will have a complete recovery. He’ll be up to see you as soon as he can, but he didn’t want you to have to wait unnecessarily for an update.”

  Mom clutched the front of her sweater. “When can I see him?”

  “He’ll be brought up in about an hour. Once his nurses get him settled, you can see him for a few minutes.”

  Anna watched as he looked around at the rest of the family, who were uncharacteristically silent.

  “Does anyone have any specific questions?”

  She asked, “Can we see him tonight or would it be better to wait until tomorrow?”

  “I’ll defer to your mother. He will be sleeping, so if you want to see him, you can, but he more than likely won’t know you’re there.”

  Anna knelt next to Mom. “I’ll wait to take you home.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not leaving. You can all go home and I’ll call if there are any changes.”

  Anna swiveled toward Colin. “Do you think we should stay?”

  “Honestly, there won’t be much you can do tonight, so getting a good night’s rest is the best thing you can do for your parents.”

  “What about Mom?”

  “I’ll find a sleep chair to put next to your dad’s bed.” Colin looked at Mom. “You’d rest better in your own bed. ICU is pretty noisy.”

  She shook her head and rose to her feet, her lips in a thin, determined line. “I’m not going anywhere until I know Sam is out of danger.”

  Anna gave Colin an apologetic smile. “She’s hardheaded.”

  He seemed to have to tear his eyes away from Anna—or was that her wishful thinking?—and said, “I understand. Mrs. Price, let me check with the recovery room and see if they’re still on schedule.”

  Anna slipped her arm around Mom’s shoulders and got a smile of thanks in return. Relief washed over Anna. Watching Colin walk toward the desk, her heartbeat quickened. He wore scrubs well.

  “Mom, you haven’t had much to eat today. Let’s go to the cafeteria and we’ll grab a bite while we wait for news.”

  Mom allowed herself to be steered toward the elevator with the family around her until she saw Colin. “I want to hear the update first.”

  “Sherry, it looks like you were on your way out. But everything went well and Sam will be brought up in just under an hour.”

  “We were going to get something to eat.”

  “You have plenty of time.” He gestured to the elevator.

  “Thank you. I just need a break.” Mom looked at Anna and said, “Are you coming with us?”

  “You all go ahead and I’ll join you in a bit.”

  Colin watched as the Price family got on the elevator, except for Anna. She slowly turned and walked toward him. The smile slipped from her lips to her eyes. Damn, she was beautiful. He had to remind himself her father was his patient. That had to be his main focus. Maybe after Sam was discharged, he’d find a way to run into her and ask her out, or maybe he could ask her if he could call.

  “What did you find out?”

  “Find out?” He was confused, and then the fog cleared. “Sorry, my mind was elsewhere.” There was no way he was going to ask for her number right now, no matter how hard his heart was hammering in his chest.

  “It’s okay.”

  “I expect your father back in about forty-five minutes, and he’s doing well.”

  She nodded. “That’s good.” She pointed to the elevator but seemed to be reluctant to follow her family. “I’ll be in the cafeteria. So if anything should change, you know where to find me,” she stammered. “Us.”

  “Right.” He picked up a chart. “I have rounds to make. Patients to see.”

  “I’ll see you later then?”

  Did he detect a note of hopefulness in her voice? “I will definitely be around.”

  “See you later.” She made her way down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button. He stood there, unwilling to move. Just in case she had another question. Or at least that was what he told himself.

  She glanced over her shoulder, her face flushed the prettiest shade of pink. He moved quickly down the hall in the opposite direction. Nothing like getting caught staring. Well, maybe she’d give him a second thought. Then he groaned. He wanted her to not only give him a second thought but take a good long look and then agree to go on a date.

  For the next hour, he focused on his patients, checking on a woman who was scheduled to be discharged the next day, and following up in the cardiac rehab center on several others. One of the many things he loved about working in the hospital was his hands-on contact with patients. It wasn’t like an office, where people drifted in and out every fifteen minutes. This setting was more conducive to his way of being a staff healthcare provider.

  He glanced at his watch as he finished up the chart note on his last rehab patient. It was time to get back to the unit and check to see if Sam Price was up from recovery yet, and thinking of Sam led his thoughts to Anna.

  What did she like to
do to have fun? How could he find out? He pushed through the door and sauntered into the cardiac unit. Several nurses were surrounding Sam’s bed. They had just finished adjusting the monitors when he approached.

  Sam was alert and looking around for, Colin assumed, Sherry.

  He picked up the chart and glanced at the recorded vital signs. Everything looked good, especially for someone just fresh from open heart surgery.

  “Sam, how are you feeling?”

  He croaked, “Not bad.” He smacked his lips. “Dry.”

  “I see you had some nausea in recovery. How about you have some ice chips to start with?”

  Sam gave a slight nod.

  “Are you ready for Sherry to come in?”

  Again, he gave a single nod. His eyes were heavy.

  “Your family is waiting and if you’re up to it, they can check on you very briefly. But if you’re not, they’ll certainly understand.”

  His eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake.

  “Sam, you rest and I’ll get your wife.”

  He didn’t answer, which was completely normal, given the circumstances. One of the nurses came back with a cup of ice chips and a spoon. She placed it on the tray next to Sam’s bed.

  Colin thanked her.

  As soon as he walked into the waiting room, everyone stood up. Anna held on to her mother’s arm. Sherry looked worn out from worry.

  “I have good news. Sam’s vitals look good and he’s resting comfortably. He suffered from nausea and a bit of vomiting in recovery, but that is pretty normal. Mrs. Price, he’s asking for you.”

  She brightened and took a step forward. “Can I see him now?”

  Anna said, “What about the rest of us?”

  “I’d like Sam to rest and you could see him tomorrow. But I’m sure you’ll all sleep better if you see him for a moment or two for each of you to say good night.” Why did he phrase it that way? There were rules for patients after surgery in the cardiac unit. Here he was trying to be some kind of softie.

  Don said, “We’ll wait until tomorrow. He knows we’re here and that if he needs something, all Mom has to do is ask.” Everyone was slow to agree but after a sharp look from Anna, they nodded in agreement.

  Relieved, Colin said, “Mrs. Price, are you ready?”

  She slung her handbag across her shoulder and, without a backward glance, followed Colin down the short hallway. Her sure and steady steps propelled her through the busy unit, where machines were beeping and nurses were checking on other patients. She stopped next to the open curtain, where her husband lay with his eyes closed.

  “Are you sure he’s okay? He looks so pale and frail.”

  Colin could hear the tremor in her voice. “He’s sleeping off the anesthesia and once that gets out of his system, he’ll do much better.” He guided her to the chair and said, “When he wakes up, you can give him some ice chips. Go slowly, as we don’t want him to become nauseous again.”

  She nodded. “Will you tell everyone to go home and let them know I’ll call later. I don’t want them to see their dad like this. They’ll worry too much.”

  He had to wonder how they would take that directive from him. But he had faced tougher moments in his career. Sadly, when they left, that meant Anna would leave too.

  He left Sherry sitting by the bed, holding Sam’s hand. She wasn’t talking but waiting for him to open his eyes. Colin gave her an encouraging smile. “Be patient. He’ll wake up again soon.”

  Thank you, she mouthed.

  Colin went directly to the waiting room. Members of the Price family were milling about the room. Anna’s head was in her hands. “Hey, are you okay?” He knelt down next to her.

  “Just a little overwhelmed.”

  Kate rubbed her shoulders. “I don’t think she had enough water to drink today.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He hurried from the waiting room and went to the efficiency kitchen in the unit and grabbed a bottle of water.

  When he got back, Colin handed her the water. She gave him a grateful smile. “I guess in all the hustle of the day, I may have neglected a few things—like good hydration.” She drank about half the bottle.

  “Are you feeling better?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Well, at least this incident would support Sherry’s request.

  He clasped his hands together. “Your mother asked me to tell you to go home. If she needs something, she’ll call.”

  Anna shook her head. “I’m staying. The rest of you go home.” She looked at one of her brothers. “Don take Kate home and have dinner with Ben.” She then pointed at her other brothers and the sister who had kids. “Jack and Leo, you guys can help Liza with the boys, as I’m sure they’ll be more than a handful.”

  Tessa stepped forward. “Max and I will stay with you.”

  Anna shook her head. “You’re supposed to be on your honeymoon, so the least you can do is get out of here and have a romantic dinner.” She grinned at the couple. “You’re welcome.”

  Colin marveled at the way she dispatched every member of her family with expediency. There was a quiet strength emerging, and she was quite the enforcer of Sherry’s wishes. With promises to call if there were any issues or concerns, Anna and Colin waited until the elevator doors closed on the family.

  She then turned to him. “Now. Was there something you didn’t want to say in front of my family?”

  5

  Anna’s heart pounded in her chest. She steeled herself for bad news. Why had Colin encouraged everyone to leave? Surely if Dad were in bad shape, he would never have done that, right?

  “It’s nothing, really. Your mother wanted to be alone with your dad and she was concerned that the rest of the family wouldn’t leave if I didn’t suggest it.”

  “You’re being straight with me? There’s nothing wrong with Dad?”

  He looked her in the eye, his voice steady, and she could hear the sincerity in his words. “He’s resting comfortably.”

  She sucked in a deep, ragged breath and her hand rested at the base of her throat. She turned away. All she wanted to do was sink into a chair and cry. Her emotions had been on a roller coaster since yesterday when Dad left the house in an ambulance.

  Colin steered her to a chair by the window. It was then the tears began to flow unchecked. He put his arm around her and comforted her until she had no more tears left to shed.

  She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. Embarrassed, she kept her eyes on the floor. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what set me off.” He withdrew his arm. Suddenly, she felt chilled to the bone, as if he were a cozy blanket.

  “You’ve been under a lot of stress and needed to release it.”

  He was handsome with hazel eyes that were flecked with gold; high, chiseled cheekbones; and a small scar just above his right eyebrow. She couldn’t help but notice his scruff of a beard; it suited him and she liked it. The red in his closely cropped strawberry-blond hair was echoed in his beard. “You’re a nice man.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “Do you think I could peek in on my parents and just double-check to make sure Mom really wants to stay here for the night?”

  “Come on. I’ll walk you down.” He seemed to hesitate before asking, “I was wondering if you’d like to have a cup of coffee sometime?”

  She stopped midstep. She wasn’t sure if he was asking because he felt bad for her after watching her sob her brains out. She stammered, “Sure. Anytime.”

  He grinned. “You have my number, so let me know when you’re free.”

  Her heart skipped and she fumbled with her bag. He wanted to have coffee. She withdrew her cell and looked at him from the corner of her eye.

  His cell pinged and he withdrew it to glance at the screen. His smile grew.

  She placed a hand on his arm; her fingertips tingled at the connection. “Your schedule is much busier than mine, being in the medical field, so now you can give me a call when you’re free.”

  “I will. You
can count on it.” He opened the door to the ICU and they walked in the direction of Dad’s bed. All the while, thoughts raced in her head. She couldn’t even turn to look at Colin since it was uncharacteristic for her to be so forward, especially since she really liked him and the first time they had met, she had been tongue-tied. She inwardly groaned and reminded herself it was just coffee. Not a big deal.

  Her footsteps slowed as she grew closer to her father’s bed. Her mom’s eyes were closed. It was then her heart melted—Mom’s arm rested on the bed and her fingers were entwined with Dad’s. She could feel Colin watching her. Anna stepped away and pointed toward the door, and he followed her again.

  “Since they’re both asleep, I’ll go home and come back later. I can pick up some food for her.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” He pushed the automatic door button.

  Unsure what to do, she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  “Are you here all the time?”

  “It seems like it, but my shifts can be from eight to twelve hours depending on staffing, and I work one weekend a month.”

  “That’s a busy schedule. I thought the wine business was demanding. I work a lot of hours too, but mine are more seasonal. Not that I’m comparing what you do. Caring for people and me blending wines isn’t the same category at all.”

  “Some people would say what you do is more important than my job. Red wine keeps the heart doctor away and all.”

  Anna stepped in front of him and lightly touched his arm. The warmth of his body flowed into the tips of her fingers. “Thanks for everything. It was comforting to know we could turn to you for answers.”

  “It was my pleasure.” He gave her a gentle smile.

  “I know it was your job and all, but you went above and beyond.”

  “Anna. I wanted to help you. This is tough stuff and I’m glad to be a part of your father’s recovery.”

  He seemed to add emphasis to the you. “Alright then.” She took a halting step toward the elevator. “See you later.”