by Beth Ziarnik
If only he could have left it at that, but he was curious. Just how far had Caldwell pushed his advantage? “Is there anything else I should know?”
Jill turned away. Sinking back on the couch, she folded her hands in her lap. “Please, Clay, I know it’ll be awkward having Brian around, but I had no idea he was with my father’s law firm until he showed up a couple of days ago.”
“A couple of days ago? Why didn’t you tell me then?”
Her forehead crinkled. “I was afraid you would worry for nothing, and you had enough on your mind. You’re a worrier, you know.”
“I am not.” He couldn’t keep from grinning a little. “I’m merely cautious.”
She grinned back at him. “Whatever. Now could we please stop talking about Brian? I only want to think about you and me.”
“Sure.” He brushed her cheek lightly with the backs of his fingers, watching her face soften with a tenderness that stole his entire heart. He leaned in to kiss her, savoring the softness of her lips and delighting in her quick response.
When he settled back, her eyes were already filled with merriment. We’re good now?”
“We are.”
“Would you like to open your gift?” She started to get up, but he stopped her.
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather wait until I have your gift.”
“Where is it?” Her beautiful eyes danced with joy.
He touched the tip of her pert nose. “That would give too much away.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed in resignation. “I’ll wait, but not too long. I’m dying to see if you like what I chose for you.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll love it.”
She favored him with a mischievous grin. “Clay Merrick, there’s no way you can be sure of that.”
“Yes, I can. Whatever it is, I know you’ve put your heart into it.” Of that he was sure.
She curled her arms around his neck. “True.”
Tomorrow he would check into getting the ring. There must be a way. “How soon will I meet your father?”
Jill grew somber. “He wanted to see you as soon as you arrived, but after we opened our gifts tonight, he didn’t feel well. All the excitement, I guess. Brian helped get him back to his room. When you came in, he had just said Dad may be dying.”
Clay raised a brow. So that’s what was going on. “What made him think so?”
“He’s guessing like the rest of us. But if you had seen my father, so weak and gray. He rallies a little here and there, but mostly he seems to steadily grow worse. Brian’s right. We may lose him. And worst of all, he refuses to go to a hospital or even see a doctor.” Her chin wobbled, and her eyes grew misty.
He drew her closer and stroked her hair, wishing he could make things better. But for now, all he could do was pray and do his best to comfort her.
Footsteps alerted them before a wide shadow fell across the carpet from the lighted reception hall. “Ah, there you are, Mr. Merrick. I heard you had arrived.”
A stout woman in an expensive blue dress entered the room, her silver-haired head held high despite her advancing years.
Jill jumped to her feet as he slowly stood and extended his hand. “Clay, this is Dora Gates, my sisters’ grandmother. Dora, this is—”
“Yes, yes.” The woman waved a hand in dismissal. “Hannah told me. Show this young man to his room. It’s time lights and candles were out. Hannah has retired, and I can’t stay up all night to make sure the house won’t burn down. Go on now. Third floor. The room above mine. You will find the door open and your things inside, Mr. Merrick.”
Clay reached for Jill’s hand and moved toward the door. “Thank you, Mrs. Gates, and good night. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Harrumph.”
He stared after the old woman as she brushed past them without so much as a backward glance. So far, he’d met three people in this house. None were all that welcoming. What would her father be like?
They blew out the candles and turned out the lights before Jill led him into the entrance hall where she stopped. “Um, Clay? Did you forget something?” A teasing smile on her lips, she indicated the sprig clutched in his hand.
The mistletoe.
He had forgotten, but this was one Christmas promise he could keep, and gladly so.
Morning light filtered through stained glass windows as Clay stood beside Jill outside her father’s bedroom. Flexing his fingers, he curled and uncurled them before he caught himself and stopped the nervous tic. Under the circumstances, meeting her father would not be easy, but at least he could see for himself how ill the man might be.
Jill rapped on the door. A nurse who appeared to be in her thirties answered with a worried frown.
“Alice, this is Clay,” Jill whispered.
Also keeping her voice low, Alice extended her hand to shake his while she looked him over. “I heard you came. It’s good to meet you at last.”
Interesting. Had he passed inspection?
Jill stepped forward. “Is Dad ready for visitors?”
Still barring the way, the woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, but John’s not well enough this morning. It’s best if I keep him quiet.”
Instant alarm showed on Jill’s face. “He’s worse than last night?”
“No better, no worse.”
Jill relaxed a bit. “He was so eager to meet Clay. Do you think it might help? I promise we won’t stay but a minute.”
“Come back later, and we’ll see.” The nurse shut the door to the shadowed room.
Though the woman hadn’t said or done anything unprofessional, Clay couldn’t escape a whisper of unease. “What do you know about Alice?”
Jill seemed to search for her words. “No more than I’ve already told you. Why?”
“Just wondering.” Was it his special forces training kicking in? Or was he simply on alert since Jill had mentioned possible poisoning? He’d need more information before he came to any conclusions.
“We might as well go down to breakfast while we wait,” Jill said. “Besides, I want you to meet Lillie.”
He followed her to the head of the stairs. “What about your other sister?”
Jill continued down the stairs. “By now, Kathryn’s checking out her fitness centers. She keeps a pretty close watch on her business.”
“I take it I’ll meet her later.” One at a time suited him. Less confusion and less distraction while he did some assessing of his own.
“Kat will see to that. She moved back in when she found out I was here.”
“To keep an eye on you?”
She nodded. “I’m afraid she’s even more unhappy with me after last night.”
“Why is that?”
Jill stopped on the second landing and looked up at him. “The minute she saw the necklace Dad gave me, she scolded him and stormed from the room.”
He had wondered last night who gave her the expensive piece of jewelry. No doubt, worth more than the ring he hoped to give her. “A nice gift.”
She lowered her voice as if reluctant to speak. “The trouble is, Kat already accused me of showing up to get my fair share of our father’s inheritance.”
“So, she thinks he’s dying too.” It seemed the house consensus.
Jill’s face betrayed a mask of miserable. “They all do, though no one in the family actually says so.”
He joined her on the landing. “Come here.” Holding her in his arms, he breathed in the fragrance of her hair.
“You know,” she whispered against his chest, “if it weren’t for Alice’s suspicions, I would believe my father was merely nearing his time. It’s torture watching him get a little better and then fall ill again. A little worse each time. If only Alice could figure out why this is happening, or we could convince him to go to the hospital for proper testing.”
“When I came in the house last night, I felt something wasn’t right here.” At the time he had attributed it to the situation with Brian. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“You too? I had the same reaction when I arrived.” She shot him a curious look. “I didn’t know men had intuition.”
“More like a gut reaction. In the military, lives depend on staying alert and assessing details, on duty or off.” The habit had stayed with him.
“And you really feel something is amiss here?”
He grimaced, his jaw tight. “Enough to want to get you out of here.”
“But if you’re right, we can’t leave.”
“I guess not. If your father is in danger, we can’t leave him open to harm without trying to stop whoever is behind this.”
“Are you afraid?” Her eyes pooled with concern.
“Only for you.”
“Not my father?”
“Of course. Him too.”
“Then I’m glad we’re staying. I don’t want anything to happen to him, and the thought of him dying—even if it’s his time—frightens me. I want him to be ready when he leaves this life, and I don’t think he is.” Jill searched his eyes.
“We’ll do what we can,” he assured her. “I guess the first thing is to find out whether Alice is right.”
“Do you have any ideas?” Her voice cracked.
“First, I’ll need to meet everyone who lives in this house or visits regularly.” The aroma of fresh brewed coffee tickled his nostrils. “Let’s get to work.”
As Clay followed Jill through the arched doorway into the dining room, Mrs. Gates turned in her chair at the head of the table. Apparently, she dined alone this morning.
“I see you two are up at last,” she said. “Please be seated.” She rang a small bell resting at the side of her plate.
The elderly woman who admitted him last night entered, this time in a pearl gray uniform and white ruffled apron. She stared at them from her slightly bent position.
“Where is Lillie?” Jill asked Mrs. Gates. “Is she well?”
“She is perfectly fine and has already eaten.” She turned to the housekeeper. “Hannah, our guests are ready for breakfast.”
After Clay ordered scrambled eggs and ham, Jill asked for a small bowl of yogurt and fruit. She poured herself a cup of black coffee and then passed the carafe to him.
“Mr. Merrick.”
Clay swung his attention back to Mrs. Gates, who laid her spoon on the plate that cradled her bowl of oatmeal.
“Have you seen John this morning?” Her keen eyes appraised him. She would be one to watch.
Without flinching, he met the challenge emanating from her eyes. “We hope to later. According to Alice, he’s not ready for visitors this morning.”
“How disappointing.” She barely concealed a smile that indicated otherwise. “But then, what would you two talk about? I’m told you’re in the construction business. Is that correct?”
“I own a business that restores historic buildings.” One hanging by a precarious rafter but still his.
She stabbed him with a piercing look. “How interesting. And is it doing well?”
A pointed question. Did she already know? “I get by.”
“Get by?” She lifted her chin. “Does that mean you could use financial backing?”
Jill choked on her coffee. She quickly put the cup down, then coughed again. Snatching up her napkin, she covered her mouth.
Clay reached out to pat Jill on the back. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, blotting her mouth with the cloth napkin and waving him away.
Turning back to Mrs. Gates, he stared straight into her intense eyes. “I take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you do.” With a smug expression, the elderly woman sipped her tea.
The barb could mean no less than she suspected he might attempt to weasel financial help from Jill’s father. He swallowed the insult as Hannah entered. She served both his and Jill’s breakfasts as if it were a duty she did not relish. Jill was right. They were not welcome in this house.
Clay ate in silence, noting that his breakfast arrived lukewarm. He all but inhaled it—it was food, after all—then pushed his empty plate away and stood. “Jill, I have some errands to run. Would you like to come along?” After placing her napkin on the table, she took another swallow of coffee and joined him.
“Do have a good day,” Mrs. Gates said as they left the room.
When they reached the reception hall, Jill faced him. “That didn’t go well. I can’t stand the way she insulted you.”
“And I can’t stomach the way she and her housekeeper treat you. Let’s get out of here.” She backed away, her eyes wide, and he softened his tone. “We won’t be gone long.”
When her shoulders relaxed, he tucked a stray tendril of her bright golden hair behind her ear and brushed his fingers over her soft cheek. They’d be back all right. He still hoped for the right moment to ask Jill’s father permission to marry her. In the meantime, they would stay long enough to find out what was going on with him … if anything.
“I’ll get my coat,” Jill said.
As he watched her hurry up the stairs, he wondered if Jill’s mother had the right slant on matters here. Maybe this was a huge mistake.
With her coat over her arm, Jill grabbed her purse and closed her bedroom door. At that same moment, her father’s bedroom door opened.
“Jill.” Alice beckoned her. “Will you stay with John while I make a call in private? I don’t want to alarm your father.”
“Yes, of course.” She looked toward the stairs. “But Clay is waiting. Please tell him what’s keeping me.”
Alice nodded impatiently and pressed the button on her cell phone. She began talking with someone even as Jill slipped into her father’s room. Unease enveloped her in its dark and close atmosphere. She hurried to his side.
With a damp forehead and breaths coming in shallow gasps, he lay on the bed with his eyes closed. Her heart lurched. She sank into the chair, her eyes riveted on his thin face. So still. Hardly a flicker of movement. She lifted his limp hand and held it between hers. Oh, Lord, please don’t let him leave this world without you.
Footsteps on the carpet behind her drew her attention. “Oh, Clay.” Her lips quivered both out of fear for her father and in appreciation for Clay’s presence.
He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. “I wondered what was keeping you. Alice motioned for me to come in.”
Her heart beating rapidly, she looked upon her father’s ashen face. Tears slid down her cheeks.
Was her father taking his last breaths?
Chapter Thirteen
Clay peered through the shadows at the tall man lying in the huge bed, the soft ticking of a clock the only sound disturbing the quiet. “How is he?”
Jill looked up at him, her face scrunched with worry. “Not good. I hope Alice is talking with the family doctor.”
He pulled a chair over to sit beside her and tugged her close. She nestled in the crook of his arm and leaned her head back against his shoulder, her warmth melding with his. Her eyes never left her father. “Clay, please pray.” She slipped to her knees beside the bed. “Oh, God, please help us.”
Clay crouched on one knee beside her, placed his right arm around her shoulder and pleaded for God’s mercy. Whatever troubled the man’s health, the Lord had the answer. He could rescue this man from the mysterious effects stealing him away, and He alone could comfort Jill in the deepest places of her heart.
When she moved to stand, Clay helped her up. Again, she leaned into his shoulder. He held her, his heart hurting along with hers. How miserable feeling so helpless, like the times in combat when he held a battle buddy whose life was slipping away.
Clay had pictured a much different first time with Jill’s father. He imagined some nervousness on his part, John Taylor looking him over and asking questions to assess his worthiness. But this man did not even know he was present. And Jill was anything but radiating with joy.
His heart pinched as he recalled encouraging her to meet her father. This was not the happy reunion the
y had envisioned. As he held Jill, she trembled and teetered on the edge, her dream shattering. If only he could do more to ease her pain. Lord, please show me.
Brisk footfalls on the carpet brought Alice into view. Clay backed out of her way.
“Any change?” she asked.
Grieving visible in the depths of her eyes, Jill turned toward the nurse. “None.”
Alice lay two fingers over the man’s wrist, checking his pulse. “Weak, but steady. I’ll take over now.”
Clay glanced at Jill who hovered near her father, her face pale and her fingers trembling.
The nurse shrugged as if needing space. She looked pointedly at Jill and then refocused on John. “There’s no reason you two can’t go ahead with your plans. John will rest in the meantime.”
Jill’s tense whisper raked Clay’s heart. “I can’t leave now.”
He nodded. “We’ll both wait.”
She encircled his chest with her arms and buried her face in his shoulder as he held her. He wasn’t sure what kind of father John Ashley Taylor was, or what danger—if any—lurked in this house, but he would remain at Jill’s side as long as she and her father needed him.
Jill squeezed Clay’s hand as Alice finished examining her father. She didn’t like the looks of the nurse’s wrinkled brow and the deep V above the bridge of her nose.
Alice slipped her stethoscope around her neck and stared hard at her patient, shaking her head. “I’m baffled. There’s no reason John should have these setbacks. If he doesn’t improve by tomorrow, we will have to move him to the hospital, no matter what he says.” She turned her eyes toward Jill. “You seem puzzled too.”
“Did you tell anyone at the hospital that you suspect poisoning?”
Alice shook her head.
“But why not?”
“We have no proof. With no idea about the kind of poison, what would the lab test for? We need more to go on.”
“Or catch someone in the act,” Clay said.
“Yes.” Alice trained her focus on him for a long moment and then turned back to Jill. “John is stable now. He will sleep for quite a while after the injection I gave him. You two might as well go on with your plans. I’ll keep watch.”
