Amelia finished her tonic water. She couldn’t wait to get to her room so she could have a real drink. And think about the Christmas present Cary had given her. It had been delivered today, a gorgeous Persian rug, almost identical to the one her mother had said was in the library. The owner of the small store had delivered it himself, thrilled that it was going into such a beautiful house. She’d spent an hour with the little man, showing off her renovations. Then, something the carpet dealer had said burned in her brain till she couldn’t take it anymore. “The young lady was very pleased with the carpet. She had the specifications all written down.” Amelia had sent the workmen home early and locked up.
My God, how she’d gushed and trilled to Cary about his wonderful gift! And that damn Eileen had just sat there looking smug while she’d made a fool of herself. What angered Amelia more than anything else was Cary’s playacting, pretending that he’d trudged into the city and roamed and searched till he’d found the “perfect gift” for his beloved wife.
“I guess you’ll want privacy for your call, so I’ll toddle along upstairs,” Amelia said, shaking off her thoughts. “I expect Cary early this evening. Hopefully, in time for dinner. What’s on the menu? That’s the first thing he asks.”
“Beef stew and corn bread. Cherry pie. Martha made ice cream today. The boys seem to love it.”
“Great.” Cary would love it. “I’ll see you at dinnertime.” As as afterthought she called over her shoulder, “I wouldn’t worry too much, Maggie. Things will work out for the best, or at least the way they’re meant to. I’ll see you in a little while.”
Maggie waved absently, her mind already on the call to New York she was about to make. She dialed the operator, gave her Sawyer’s business number, and made the call person-to-person from Coleman Tanner. The moment Sawyer’s voice came on the wire, Maggie cried, “How could you go behind my back to conspire with Cranston? That wasn’t what I meant by guts. I won’t have a chance in hell of keeping Cole now. My God, how could you?”
Sawyer tried to listen, but her head was pounding so, she could barely make out Maggie’s words.
“I really don’t want to get involved with you and Cranston, Maggie,” she said. “Handle your own affairs. I thought I made that clear to you before I left.”
“Well, let me make this clear to you right now. Cole is off-limits to you. Don’t call him and don’t write to him.”
For several moments Sawyer stood there and listened to the dial tone, feeling as if she were going to be ill. If only she could get rid of this damn headache! Suddenly she gripped the edge of the desk and swayed.
Peter Andrews, on his way back from the water cooler, saw Sawyer sway. He quickened his step when he saw her loosen her grip on the desk. An instant later her knees buckled and she slid to the floor. He shouted for help. In twenty minutes Sawyer was on her way to the hospital. Peter personally undertook to notify Adam Jarvis and Sawyer’s grandmother.
Amelia was on her way down to the library and the evening paper when the phone rang. Cary, of course. She’d known it even before she picked up the phone.
“Darling, I’m not going to make dinner. Keep something warm for me, will you? There’re some things here I want to clean up tonight. Eileen’s going to help me. I know we agreed to catch some television and lounge around this evening, but ... Amelia? You aren’t angry, are you? I’ll try to get out of here as soon as I can.”
“No, of course I’m not angry. You’re missing a good dinner, but I’ll keep yours warm. Beef stew gets better the longer it sits. We have homemade ice cream and cherry pie.”
“Oh, God, I can taste it now. Keep a light in the window. Love you.”
“I love you, too,” Amelia cried passionately. “The light will always be there for you. Drive carefully; the roads are slick.” The connection was broken; Amelia looked at the receiver for a long time before she replaced it.
“The temperature must have dropped outside,” Eileen complained. “I have all four heaters on, even the one in the bathroom. Are you sure you want to stay and finish this up, Cary?”
“You were the one who offered to stay.”
“That was before the temperature dropped. I’m afraid my car is never going to start.”
“So, I’ll give you a jump. You should be wearing warmer clothes,” Cary said, eyeing the thin jersey material of Eileen’s dress. “This trailer is like a wind tunnel. Wool slacks and a heavy sweater would be more practical.”
“Well, bring your chair around by me, then. We can at least huddle. An hour, Cary, that’s it. I’ve got the bids all sorted. I have three proposals on hand. Sherman looked at them today and made comments in the margins. Let’s get to it so we can get out of here.”
“You sound like you have a heavy date.”
“I do, but not with the man I’d like to have a date with. I’ve been wanting to ask you since Christmas if Rand is still here. Is he involved with anyone?”
“I really don’t know. For sure, I mean,” Cary said truthfully.
“Maybe I’ll give him a call tomorrow and see what his reaction is.” .
“By the way, that really was nice of you to get the carpet for me. I made six trips to Austin and made a dozen or so calls to Houston and Dallas looking for that damn thing. You really saved my hide and I appreciate it. How in the hell did you find it, anyway?”
“I started off with the yellow pages and went on from there. It was such an expensive item that all the shops I called were more than willing to help. Of course, when I told them who it was for, they were even more helpful. The Coleman name is very powerful in Texas.”
“So I’ve found out. I wouldn’t be where I am now, nor would you, if it wasn’t for Amelia’s help.”
“You’d have found a way. You’re a very talented man, Cary.”
Cary’s eyes were only inches from Eileen’s. “No, I wouldn’t. I couldn’t have done any of this without Amelia. She believed in me and made me believe in myself. The most you can say for me is that I know what a hammer is.” He paused, then said pointedly, “We’re a team, Amelia and me.” Imperceptibly Eileen moved her swivel chair. Her eyes were the first to lower. She understood.
They worked for over an hour without a break. Cary smiled when he closed the folders. “Done! Tomorrow you can zero in on the other stuff, and from there it’s smooth sailing. At least now I can see some daylight. Thanks for staying, Eileen. Get your things and I’ll turn off all the heaters and get the lights and lock up. I’ll wait to see if your car starts.”
Thirty minutes later Eileen’s old Ford was still dead. “You probably need a new battery. Where the hell did you get this clunker anyway?”
“From a used car lot. I can’t afford anything else.”
“Jesus Christ, with what we pay you, how can you stand there and tell me you can’t afford anything better?”
“Would you like to see my rent receipts? You know, it isn’t easy being single and living alone. I barely make ends meet. I like to take a vacation at least once a year, so I have to save for that. I’m not a Coleman,” she said coldly. “I’m just a working girl.”
“Okay, okay. Maybe we can find a way to get you a company car. I suppose we could lease it, or I could cosign a loan. Get in the car. I’ll drive you home.”
“I can’t afford the payments. I’ll have to take a taxi tomorrow morning and that’s going to cost me at least twenty dollars. I can’t seem to win these days. Thanks for wanting to help, though.”
“It’s going to take at least ten minutes for the heater to warm up the truck. Damn, I should have called Amelia to tell her I was going to be late.”
“I’ll call her tomorrow and apologize. I’ll tell her it’s my fault and explain the situation.”
Cary’s heart raced. “For Christ’s sake, don’t do that! I’ll handle it.” He calculated the time it would take him to drop Eileen off and return to Sunbridge. He’d be lucky if he got in by ten-thirty. For the first time it occurred to him to wonder if Amelia
was jealous of Eileen. He knew she had no cause, but even so....
“How bad are the roads?” Eileen shivered inside her cashmere coat.
“Icy. They’ll be worse by morning. I’ll pick you up. Have someone come to look at your car tomorrow. Tell them to bring a battery just in case. I’ll talk to Sherman and Clara about you using one of their cars, at least until most of this bad weather is over. Then we’ll see about getting you a loan. Maybe we can work something out with the company. But if it can’t be written off, we can’t do it. That’s Sherman’s rule of thumb.”
“It’s a good rule. Companies like yours need tax breaks. If getting me a car helps, I’m all for it.”
It was half an hour’s ride into the city of Austin. Eileen and Cary kept up a cheerful banter of office gossip and business all the way.
“Thanks, Cary.”
“No problem. Spiffy building,” Cary said, eyeing the doorman.
“A girl has to be safe. We have an elevator operator, too. It’s a good security building. That’s why I moved here. Most of my salary goes to pay for rent.”
“How much?”
“Thirteen hundred a month. It’s going co-op in six months. I’ll have to move, since I can’t afford to buy. Drive carefully.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty,” he called before driving off.
Eileen let herself into the luxury apartment. It was like a layout in Bloomingdale’s catalogue. Right down to the porcelain figurines. Soft gray and peach, easy on the eye and elegant. Amelia Assante would be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with this apartment.
Borrowing that old clunker of a car from a friend was going to pay off. Everything would pay off, sooner than she’d hoped. The company car would lead to a BMW, and soon the apartment would be picked up, too, as a corporation property. But she’d hold the title, of course. They needed her. That was the bottom line. Just like she needed their money. A trade-off. She’d certainly learned a lot since she’d started to work for the company.
Eileen’s slender fingers plucked at the row of cassettes. She selected a Lionel Richie tape and popped it into the stereo. She stripped down and headed for the shower. She’d order dinner to be catered. One way or another she would find a way to put it on one of the men’s expense accounts. She might have to put out a little tonight, but she’d get it back when it came time to buy the BMW. The man she was seeing tonight was a BMW dealer. Cost? Perhaps below cost.
You scratch my hand and I’ll tickle yours. She giggled.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was almost midnight before the duty station nurse would allow Adam into Sawyer’s room. She seemed to be sleeping, but the squeak of the door alerted her to a presence in the dimly lit room. “Adam, is that you?” she asked wanly.
“Who else? I’ve been sitting outside for hours. Look at me; I’m a wreck—and you’re the one who’s in bed. How do you feel?” he asked anxiously.
“That holding pattern I’m in seems to have shifted a little, dropping me closer over the hellhole. Exhaustion, I guess. Don’t worry, Adam. I’ll be fine in a day or so. I can’t believe they brought me to the hospital. All I need is a couple of days of rest and some of your greasy cooking.”
Adam tried for a smile but failed. “The nurse said something about tests.”
“I don’t know. Standard hospital procedure, I’m sure. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m planning on leaving here tomorrow. They already did some tests.”
“What kind of tests? For what?”
“Blood tests. They X-rayed my shoulder, my neck, and my head. Seems I hit it when I fell. My mouth is so dry. Could you get me a drink?”
“Sure.” Adam poured from a carafe and handed the glass to Sawyer, then watched as she reached out for the glass and missed, spilling the water over the sheet. “It was my fault. I’m sorry,” he said soothingly.
“I guess I’m still groggy. They gave me a shot of something. It seems to be wearing off now a little. What time is it?”
“After midnight. I didn’t want to leave until I was sure you were all right.”
“What time did they bring me here?”
“This afternoon. Late, I think. I’m glad they did. Now they can check you out and put you on some good vitamins. I’ll be back in the morning.”
“You don’t have to do that, Adam,” Sawyer said sleepily. “I’ll be leaving and can take a taxi back to the apartment.”
“I’ll call you, then. How’s that?”
“That’s fine ...” Sawyer’s voice trailed off. Adam stayed for a long time watching her. Her breathing was easy and she seemed to be in a deep sleep. A drugged sleep. He knew she’d sleep through the night, but still he didn’t leave. It wasn’t until the night nurse poked her head in the door and suggested he go home that he moved. She was right, of course. He couldn’t do anything here.
At the nurse’s station he stopped to talk. “Miss Coleman told me that she was scheduled for more tests tomorrow. What kind of tests?”
“Are you a member of the family?”
“She lives with me.” At the nurse’s blank look, Adam explained, “We cohabit. As in live together. I am the closest thing to a relative she has here in New York.”
“We don’t give out information to anyone but family. You aren’t family,” the charge nurse said in a no-nonsense voice.
“Look,” he said, deciding to try another tack, “I’m the one who is going to be paying the bill. That makes me responsible. So, if I’m responsible, you can tell me what I want to know.” He leaned over the desk and lowered his voice. “My mother doesn’t approve of us living together, either, but it’s the only thing I could think of to get her to marry me. I’m monogamous. But she’s afraid because her parents didn’t have a happy marriage.” The nurse seemed to be relenting, so Adam drove home his advantage. “You look like you have a good head on your shoulders. Wouldn’t you do the same thing if you were me? I’m in love with her. I can’t lose her.”
The nurse’s stiffly starched uniform crackled as she moved back a step, closer to the rack that held the patients’ charts. Adam watched in relief as she flipped through the charts arranged according to room number.
“Neurological testing,” she said through tight lips. “Another urinalysis and additional blood tests.”
“She already had a blood test. What are they looking for?”
“This is not a question-and-answer period, young man. I shouldn’t have told you what I did. Now, if you want more information, you’ll have to speak to doctor. I’m simply not at liberty to say anything else. It’s late and your voice carries. We can’t have you waking our patients, Call doctor tomorrow.”
Adam looked at the plump starched nurse. Her iron-gray hair was like tiny corkscrews sticking out every which way from her white cap. Her eyes were round and serious, but oh, so wary. She was on the defensive now that she’d done something she knew was wrong. Probably she had never broken a rule in her life, until now. “You take good care of her, for me. I’ll be back in the morning.”
“I won’t be here,” the woman blurted.
“I’ll be back in the evening, too. Thank you.”
“Young man . . .”
“Yes?”
“It’s routine when a patient has a blow to the head. Get a good night’s sleep.”
Marble hissed nastily when Adam sat down on the sofa and pulled the phone to his lap. She continued to hiss and spit, her claws digging at the sofa cushions. Adam swatted her on the rump and pushed her off the couch. “The other lady in my life is first right now. Eat that popcorn if you’re so hungry,” Adam muttered as he tossed fat fluffies on the carpet. Marble hissed again and walked away, her plumed tail straight in the air.
“Nick, it’s Adam. Sorry about the late hour, but I have to talk to you.”
“Late, early, what difference does it make when you’re, here to serve the masses? My time is yours as long as you pay for it. What’s wrong?”
“Sawyer’s in the hospital. She
fainted and they’re scheduling neurological tests for tomorrow. They took a blood test today and more are scheduled for tomorrow. I...That’s all I know.”
Nick’s voice was suddenly professional, clipped and cool. “Was she hurt when she passed out? Did they take any X-rays?”
“Shoulder, neck, skull. She gets these blinding headaches. I thought it was because of the stress and strain. Remember how I used to tell you she had the eye of an eagle? Well, she just got glasses. She really has to wear them. She complained one day that her vision blurs every so often. Put the migraine headaches, the glasses, and the fainting spell together, and there’s room for worry.”
“It’s possible they found some abnormality and are doing more testing to be sure. On the other hand, it could be nothing. Both of us could speculate all night, but I’m not the attending physician. Be glad she’s in the hospital where they can take care of her. If you like, I can stop in and see her tomorrow.”
“Do that. Call me and let me know what you think, okay?”
“Will do. Take two aspirins and go to bed.”
Sawyer didn’t leave the hospital that day or the next. She made threatening noises to the doctor but in the end realized she was too weak and drained to do more than make a token effort. The results of her tests would take another day.
“I hate airports, Thad. They have such bad connotations for me. I have this feeling that something is terribly wrong. Adam didn’t know anything really. I guess that’s what’s worrying me more than anything. Young girls don’t land in the hospital for four days for a fainting spell. Sawyer is going to be angry with Adam for calling me, and she’s going to be angry with me for calling Maggie.”
“What I can’t understand,” Thad said as he packed down the tobacco in his pipe, “is why Maggie won’t go to New York and meet you. She is Sawyer’s mother, after all. I’m sorry, Billie, but that’s something I will never understand if I live to be a hundred. Maggie has come so far, made so many changes in her life. Why can’t she and Sawyer come to some kind of terms?”
Texas Heat Page 30
