“God’s got plans for him, I know it. We have to pray. In fact, I think when we say we’re going to pray, we should do it while we’re thinking of it. Do you mind?” Mary Ann held her hand out across the table, and Lucy took it with a squeeze.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lucy heard a happy bark and saw Rainey Thompson of Lazy Acres Kennels laughing and walking with a quick step, trying to keep up with Oliver. He had been there since right after the hurricane when Sarah had decided to stay with Jared at the hospital. Lucy went to check on him every day, but today she was picking him up.
“Hey, Lucy! I hope there’s good news about Jared.” Rainey’s wind-swept graying curls were tossed to and fro, and the smile on her face showed the love she had for her job.
“Hi, Rainey. He’s in and out of consciousness, starting to talk more when he’s at himself. They said it wouldn’t be a quick turnaround.”
“I know. Josh and I have been praying. This boy has been a perfect guest.” She rubbed Oliver’s ears and scruff as he leaned into her with enjoyment.
“He’s a good boy. I don’t know what we would have done without you.” Lucy was receiving happy kisses from the dog, as well. She was one of his people.
“I’m happy to help. Now are Linda and Robert sure they want to deal with him at Pilot Oaks? I don’t mind keeping him a while longer.”
“No, they arrived yesterday and said they would be glad to have him. He’s their grand-dog, after all.” Lucy laughed, and Rainey joined in.
“I know how that is.” She opened the big canvas bag on her shoulder. “I’ve got his stuff all here. You might want to stop and get more dog food, although he’s been a little off his feed. Perfectly natural under the circumstances. He’ll pick right up once he gets back home.”
Lucy reached out to hug the older woman. “Thank you so much, Rainey. You have no idea.” She opened the door to let Oliver in and then strapped herself in. “See you soon.”
“We’ll keep praying. Tell Sarah and Jared hello, and tell Linda any time they need to bring Oliver by, or to come visit, my door’s always open.” Rainey raised her hand in farewell and walked back to the kennel, three other dogs trotting along behind her.
Lucy walked in the back door of Pilot Oaks to the wonderful scent of a beef roast in the oven and pies cooling on the table. “Prudie! I didn’t know you were here!” She gave the elderly woman a squeeze and laughed as Oliver tried to get in on the action. “He’s glad to see you too.”
Prudie laughed as she scratched the dog’s wiry head. “I’ve got contractors in and out of my house, so Robert came by and asked if I’d like to stay here in my old room until they get things buttoned up, and I said only if I could cook for him. He wasn’t about to turn that down.”
“Well, of course not.” Lucy smiled, but she was concerned. “How bad was it at your house?”
“Not as bad as some folks, but roof damage and a window blown in. Got lots of water damage. They’re pulling carpets to make sure there’s no mold. I was in the way, so it was a God-thing the way Robert showed up at my door.”
“Lots of God-things going on these days.”
Prudie nodded in agreement. “Um-hm. How’s Jared? I still don’t dare cross those bridges. All those emergency vehicles scare me to death.”
“I know how you feel. He’s getting better. He’s talking some, sleeping a lot still. Sarah won’t leave.”
“I told him she was a keeper.” She winked at Lucy as if it had been her idea all along to get Sarah and Jared together. “His mama and daddy are here too. When they were going to look for a hotel to stay in, Sarah insisted they stay here. No sense in that when there’s plenty of room here.”
“It’s like circling the wagons, isn’t it?” Lucy grinned. “Is Linda here? I brought Oliver with me to stay here since Sarah’s tied up. I hope it won’t be too much.”
Prudie pointed to the corner of the kitchen. “I’ve already got his spot all fixed up. He’ll be fine and good company for everybody. Linda’s gone to the hospital with Liz Benton.”
“All right, I’ll catch her later. I’ve got a meeting at the police station.”
Prudie’s eyebrow went up. “Police station, you say?”
Lucy gave her a sideways look. “Yes, the police station. I’m helping with the Hurricane Relief fund.”
“Oh. I thought maybe a certain detective was the draw.” She smiled at the blush Lucy could feel rising on her face and shooed her toward the door. “Never you mind what I say. I’m old and tend to speak out of turn at times. Leave that boy here with me. I’ve missed him.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Lucy got out before she had a chance to see herself in the mirror. She knew saying she was going to the police station had made her blush. She really didn’t want to know how deeply.
Between insurance adjusters and the regular police work that wouldn’t wait, Tom’s desk had piled up in the few hours he had taken off to take care of his property. It seemed that contractor scams were already being reported, and he had several pieces of security-system films to watch to identify looters. Natural disasters brought out the best in some people–it brought out the worst in others.
He had his head down when he heard a familiar voice in the hallway. Lucy. What was she doing here? He looked up to see her through the glass, talking to Sam. Great. He put his head down. Maybe she didn’t notice him. He glanced up again, only to see her walking toward him.
“Lucy.” He stood up as she neared.
“Hi Tom. I was wondering if you knew when you wanted to start on your roof. I’m trying to plan relief fund stuff around that.” She was very business-like. Organized and to the point.
“If you can’t . . .” Tom began.
She arched an eyebrow as she interrupted him. “No way. You’ve got to see my pink tool belt. It was a deal, remember?”
“All right then, according to the weather, Friday and Saturday should be clear, and we can only hope nothing major happens so I can take off work.”
She nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll be there with tools on.” Her grin belied the serious tone of her voice.
“Looking forward to it.” Was that awkward, or what? Looking forward to what? Fixing a hurricane-damaged roof? Nope. Spending time with Lucy.
Lucy’s meeting with Sam was awkward. Was he hitting on her? He hadn’t come right out and asked her for a date, but she could tell he was feeling her out. He was good looking, in his own way, but he wasn’t her type.
Okay Luce, what is your type?
Hmm, local police officer with a roof that needs to be repaired and is so stubborn it makes you crazy? Bingo.
As for Sam, there was something she couldn’t put her finger on. Oh, well. She hoped he would take the hint and not ask her out and that she could let him down easy if he did. He didn’t deserve to be hurt.
She wheeled in to the parking lot of the hardware store. The lumberyard was busy, but the tool belt aisle was empty. She perused the offerings, almost in despair of finding a pink tool belt, and lo and behold, there it was. She giggled when she pulled it off the rack. Not only was it a full-blown leather tool belt, it was pink, and it had shiny silver rivets both decorative and functional. Perfect.
She picked up a hammer and a pry bar to add to her collection.
If only she had her own tools here. All her stuff was in storage, including her personal cloth tool belt. But this one was better. It was pink. She smelled the brand-new leather and smiled. She couldn’t wait to see his face when she showed up.
She paid for her items, laughing along with the check-out clerk at the pink tool belt. He told her she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone stealing it from her.
Her phone vibrated as she made her way to the car. She didn’t recognize the number on the screen. It was local, though, so she picked up. “Hello?”
“Lucy, it’s Sam. Sam Watson?”
“Hi Sam. Was there something you forgot to tell me earlier?” She remembered now. She had given him her number, and she
had written his down but neglected to put it in her phone.
“No, we’re still on to meet with the Emergency Management director at nine in the morning, aren’t we?”
She frowned, glad he couldn’t see her face. “Yes, I’ve got it in my calendar. Do you need me to get there before that?”
“Maybe a few minutes. I thought we could get our stories straight by then.” There was a pause. “Um, I need to talk to Tom about some things I’ve been hearing about. Well, it’s about misuse of funds.”
“What? Why is this the first time I’ve heard about this? What misuse of funds?” She could feel her blood pressure going up.
“I’m sure it’s nothing serious. I’ll try to get to the bottom of it so we won’t be caught short at the meeting. Don’t worry. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Unless . . .”
“Unless what, Sam?” She was starting to get irritated. His words were measured, and she sensed nervousness in his speech patterns. She worked with high school students. Of course she could sense when someone wasn’t telling the whole truth.
“Unless you’d like to discuss it over dinner tonight?”
There it was. He knew she wouldn’t be able to stand not knowing what was happening. Am I so easy to read?
She paused, much like he did, earlier, but for different reasons. If something was wrong, she needed to know about it. If Tom was involved, she wanted to know about it. If the only way to find out the details was to go to dinner with Sam, was she willing to take that chance?
She sighed. “Fine. I can meet you. Gilligan’s Seafood?”
“I can pick you up. Say around 6:30?”
“No, I’ll meet you. I’m going to the hospital to check on Jared and Sarah, so I won’t be home. 6:30 is fine. It shouldn’t be crowded on a Wednesday.”
He seemed a little irritated. “Fine. I’ll see you at the restaurant. Maybe I’ll have it all worked out by the time I see you.”
“I hope so. See you at dinner.”
“Looking forward to our date.”
She frowned into the phone as she changed his contact information to show his name when he called. It would make it easier to not take his calls.
When she got to the hospital, she was feeling more and more cranky. By the time she got to Jared’s room, she was kicking herself for agreeing to meet Sam.
“Why am I such a dingbat?”
Sarah laughed. “Who said you were?”
“I did. I agreed to go out with Sam Watson.”
“Really?” Sarah looked surprised. “Why?”
“Because he tempted me with information. You know I can’t wait a day to get info if I can get it today.” She shook her head. “And right before he called, I was thinking how glad I was he hadn’t asked me out.”
“You jinxed it, Lucy.”
“I know.” She looked over at the sleeping patient, and back to Sarah. “I’m sorry. I’m all het up about my issues and almost forgot why I came. How’s the patient?”
Sarah looked at Jared and shook her head, a small crease forming between her brows. “This morning the doctor said his vitals seemed better. He’s been sleeping more today.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing.” Her heart hurt to see Sarah so concerned.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I get these feelings.”
“What feelings?”
“Like it’s not over. So, I pray.”
“That’s the best you can do, friend.” Lucy squeezed Sarah’s hand in support. “How are the folks doing?”
“His parents come every day, and his mom has stayed with me quite a bit. You just missed Mom and Liz. When the doctor gave us a good report this morning, they decided to go to Pilot Oaks for a while, and they’ll bring me supper later. Mom and Dad are dealing with cleanup on the grounds and some trim that was damaged.”
“I’m glad they’re nearby. All of them.”
Sarah shook her head as if to clear it. “Change the subject. Please. Tell me about this date you have tonight.”
“I am not calling it a date.” Lucy huffed. “I’m working with Sam on the relief fund at the police department. Apparently there are rumors of mismanagement of funds, and we have a meeting with Emergency Management tomorrow. He actually said we needed to ‘get our story straight.’ Now what can he mean by that?”
Sarah looked startled. “Has someone been dipping into the till?”
“That’s why I agreed to meet him. If something wonky is going on, I want to know about it. He said he needed to talk to Tom. Is he insinuating Tom is involved?” She put her hands to her face and pushed her fingers through her blonde locks in frustration.
“I can’t imagine Tom having anything to do with this. Listen to what he has to say and work it out from there.”
A beep from one of the machines monitoring Jared’s vitals began to beep.
Sarah jerked up, her eyes going first to Jared’s face and then to the equipment. “That’s a different one.” She pushed the button to call the nurse, but they were already at the door.
“Ladies, you need to wait outside.” The nurse ushered them outside as three other nurses began to check Jared out. “We’ve called the doctor, and he’s in the building. We’ll let you know as soon as we find anything out from him.”
Silent tears streamed down Sarah’s face. “But they said he was better?”
Lucy pulled her friend to her and held her as she sobbed. “Shh. Pray. Just pray.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Sam, I’m sorry, I can’t leave the hospital now. I need to be here with Sarah while Jared’s in surgery.” She paused to listen to his objections.
“How long will the surgery last?” Sam sounded a little put out.
“They don’t know. He came very close to coding. They found another small brain bleed, and more swelling came up today.” Lucy was trying to talk, listen, and watch the comings and goings all at the same time. Sarah’s and Jared’s parents had all arrived, so she had taken the opportunity to call Sam and cancel. He had arrived at the restaurant to find her a no-show.
“I’m sorry about your friend, and I’ll keep you posted about the other issue. It’s not looking good, but I don’t want to get into it on the phone.”
“I understand. I’ll be here at the hospital if you need any information on my end, although I can’t imagine what that would be.” At this point, she wanted to get off the phone.
“Thanks, Lucy. And tell Sarah I hope things go well.”
“I will. Thanks, Sam.”
Lucy turned the ringer off on her phone. She didn’t want any other interruptions. A pang of unwanted jealousy swamped her as she observed the family group huddled around Sarah. Not because she wanted to be in Sarah’s situation but because her support system had dwindled down to nothing. When things happened in her life, who could she count on to be there? Grandmommy? Yes, if she could, but she’s not getting any younger. Sarah. Always. But no parents. No future in-laws at this point. She wasn’t sure she had ever been quite this alone.
Tom stepped out of the elevator of the surgical floor and strode out and down the hall. He looked for Lucy first. There was a tear rolling down her face. Had something happened? Had Jared . . . No, he wouldn’t even think that. He glanced at Sarah, surrounded by her parents and Jared’s, and they didn’t seem distraught, only worried. He started walking toward Lucy. She looked so alone.
“Are you okay?” He wanted to pull her into a bear hug and hold her until she didn’t have breath or worry, but he didn’t. He didn’t have the right. He had heard through the grapevine that she was going on a date with Sam. What grapevine? It was Sam who told him.
Lucy sniffed loudly. “I’m fine. A little overwhelmed but fine. Sarah and I were talking and all the sudden things started beeping and nurses came in and started talking about coding and made us go out in the hall and the doctor came and they rushed him to surgery and he’s got another bleed and swelling on his brain and it’s so scary!” After the stream of accelerating words, she caught her breat
h in a sob.
Tom didn’t hesitate this time but pulled her to him and let her cry. “It’ll be okay. Doc knows what he’s doing, and do you think God’s going to let us miss the chance to be maid of honor and best man at their wedding?” He handed her a freshly-pressed handkerchief.
She mopped up with the white cloth and shook her head. “No, I don’t think He would do that to us.” She looked up at him, tears still swimming in her eyes, but a smile on her face. “You carry a hankie?”
He let her go, reluctantly. “What can I say? My mama taught me right, and she even taught me how to press them.” He could feel his face flush. There were times when his neatness was plain embarrassing.
“A true southern gentleman.” She laughed the sound like a balm on his worried soul. “Thanks, Tom. I needed a hug.”
“You’re welcome.” He looked down at her and gestured toward the family group. “Let’s see what’s going on.”
“All those years riding a bike without a helmet. I should have been more careful.” Liz Benton kept shaking her head in worry as she sat in the waiting room of the hospital. “My poor baby boy.”
“Now, Lizzie, I don’t think a bicycle helmet would have been much protection against a falling twenty-foot palm tree.” Conrad put his arm around his wife. “And you sitting here worrying about it isn’t going to help matters any.”
Tom and Lucy walked over to the group and found seats. “Conrad’s right, Liz. Jared’s been in more dangerous situations than this.”
Jared’s mother shivered. “Don’t remind me. I remember when he was in the accident with Annabelle. It was a nightmare. I guess I’ve gotten soft in my old age.” She smiled, tears dotting her lashes, up at her husband, patting him on the knee as she wiped her face with the tissues available in the waiting room.
Carolina Mercy (A Southern Breeze Series Book 2) Page 13
