LF47 - Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina

by Loree Lough

  “Didn’t.” He shrugged. “Just figured Hank needs the companionship more than I do.”

  But Hank had Maude, and Parker had…

  Holly stared straight ahead too, at the big wooden cross hanging from the ceiling. Help me understand him, Lord, she prayed.

  “Did they give you any idea when Maude might come to?”

  “Two, maybe three hours.” He gave another shrug. “Even then,

  she won’t be able to communicate with that lousy ventilator tube down her throat.”

  She remembered the woman in the ICU cubicle beside her dad. The poor thing had panicked when she woke, groggy yet alert enough to realize that something had blocked her airway. Thrashing and trying to cry out for help, she’d repeatedly frustrated the nurses’ attempts to take her off the machines, and they’d been forced to threaten to put her back under. Holly had prayed that the whole “people hear things while unconscious” theory was true and that her dad’s brain would pick up enough of the confusion taking place on the other side of the curtain to spare himself the same ordeal.

  He had not.

  Thankfully, her mom had stepped out to use the ladies’ room when he started to come around, sparing her the feelings of helplessness that surrounded Holly as she watched her formerly strong and capable father whimpering like a frightened child. She stepped out too, to spare him the humiliation of having his daughter see him that way. To this day, Holly had never shared the upsetting memory with anyone.

  And she wouldn’t share it now, either.

  “Getting hungry?”

  “Not really.” But his stomach chose that moment to betray him, and the hollow growl echoed in the nearly empty chapel.

  What started as a grin built gradually, from a quiet snicker to a merry giggle, and the more effort she put into stopping, the harder and more loudly she laughed. It must have been contagious, because soon Parker joined in.

  “Nervous laughter?” he managed, knuckling tears of mirth from his eyes.

  “Something like that. I’m just thankful there’s no preacher in here to scold us,” she admitted once she’d caught her breath.

  “Really. Why’s that?”

  “Because when I was a girl something like this happened, and I was the laughingstock—pun intended—of the church for weeks.”

  She told him how, at the ripe old age of eleven, she and her friends had convinced their parents that they were mature enough to sit in the front pew—unsupervised. Halfway through the service, a little voice rang out. “Mommy,” it said, “I just belched.” And as if to prove it, the child burped again, the sound of it reverberating from every hard surface and inspiring whispers that floated around the building like a soft wind. “I didn’t start the giggle fit,” Holly admitted, “but I was every bit as guilty as the other girls for what happened once it got rolling.” The stern looks and clucking tongues of adults seated around them did little to squelch their merriment.

  “So what did it take to finally quiet y’all down?”

  Holly feigned a shiver. “If I close my eyes, I can still see Pastor Cummings’s angry glare.”

  Parker chuckled. “I’ll bet you were something as a kid.”

  “That might be something you’ll want to take up with my parents.”

  He turned toward her slightly. “You planning any visits home during the months you’re working here?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Not really.”

  “Not really? What sort of answer is that?”

  “Because like E.T., I don’t get very good reception when I phone home.”

  He sat blinking for a second or two. Then, grinning, he slid an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know anyone else who could make me laugh at a time like this.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

  Oh, how she wished they weren’t in the chapel…and that his lips had aimed a little south and a little right.

  “I wasn’t kidding about what I said earlier,” Parker continued. “I don’t know how I’d get through this without you.”

  “Please,” she said lightly, waving the compliment away. “You fought a couple of wars and survived. I’m sure you’d muddle through on your own.”

  “Maybe.” He was staring at the cross when he said, “And maybe not.” Then he looked at Holly. “But it sure is nice not having to muddle through all on my own.”

  His stomach growled again, even louder than before.

  “We’d better get some decent food into you before someone calls Animal Control.”

  “Animal Contr—” He chuckled. “Ha. I get it, funny girl.”

  “Before we go back to the cafeteria, will you pray with me?”

  His eyes narrowed slightly, and so did his lips. “I’ll listen,” he said, giving her hand another squeeze. “You pray.”

  She supposed it was only natural that a man who’d been through as much as Parker had wouldn’t wholly believe in the power of prayer. Well, no matter, Holly thought. Eventually, everything that was upside down in his world would right itself, and then he’d see that the Lord loved him simply because he lived and breathed.

  At least she hoped that was the case, for his sake as well as her own.

  Holly bowed her head and closed her eyes. “O Father in heaven,” she began, “we ask that You guide the decisions of Maude’s doctors as they see her through this uncertain portion of her recovery. Watch over Your servant Maude, and heal her quickly and completely so that she can return to her happy, active life. Watch over Hank too, and give him the strength and patience to wait for Maude to admit her feelings for him.”

  Pausing, she took a breath, and when she did, Parker squeezed her hand yet again.

  “Bless Parker, Lord, who has dedicated so much of his life and time to his mom. Provide him with the answers to the questions that plague him and give him much-deserved ease from the pain of his injuries.

  “We thank You, Lord God, for showing us Your steady presence in our lives…and for reminding us daily that You are with us, loving us, always. Amen.”

  For a long time, Parker didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Holly leaned forward and looked into his troubled face. Smiling, she said, “I thought maybe I’d gotten a bit long-winded for your taste and you’d fallen asleep on me.”

  “No way,” he said, shaking his head. “That was really, ah, really thoughtful. And sweet. Just like you.” He stood in the aisle and held out his hand, and when she took it, Parker said, “Thanks, Holly, for…for everything.”

  “No thanks necess—”

  One corner of his mouth lifted with the hint of a smile. “You’re just lucky we’re in a church.”

  “Chapel.”

  “Whatever,” he said, grabbing her hand and leading her toward the exit. Outside the big double doors, he stopped just long enough to ask, “Well?”

  “Well, what?”

  “Aren’t you curious to know why I said you were lucky you were in a church?”

  “Chapel,” she teased.

  Parker rolled his eyes. “Chapel,” he echoed, drawing her into a loose hug.

  “Why was I lucky that we were in a church?”

  “Because,” he said, “I might have been tempted to do this.”

  And then he pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t the romantic kiss she’d wished for earlier, or even a chaste new-love type of kiss. No, this was more of a peck, like the ones her dad and cousins might deliver while wishing her happy birthday or to say hello or good-bye. Then Parker stepped back and punched the elevator’s Down button, while Holly did everything in her power not to let him see her disappointment.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Once Holly saw Maude, her worries for the woman’s recovery ended. Pink-cheeked and bright-eyed, Maude didn’t even seem to mind the expected after-surgery discomforts.

  The first question Parker’s mom asked when he left the room was, “You didn’t tell him yet, did you?”

  “No.” Thank the good Lord I didn’t have to, she thought, remembering that she’d promised to deli
ver the bad news—but only if the unthinkable happened to Maude. “And you aren’t going to tell him anytime soon, I hope.”

  “Ah, you’ll make a wonderful mother someday.”

  That was a strange way to reply to her comment, but Holly didn’t say so.

  As it turned out, she didn’t have to.

  “Because you’re pretty good at making a question sound like an instruction. You know, like ‘Have you made your bed’ or ‘You haven’t done your homework, have you… .’ ”

  Holly leaned on the bed’s side rail and smiled. “At my age, I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll get the chance!”

  “Oh, don’t you worry, sweetie. Your day is coming. And if I know that boy of mine, it’s right around the corner.”

  Holly recalled the brotherly kiss he’d pressed to her lips, thinking, Not at that rate, it isn’t!

  “And just so you won’t worry, I won’t tell him until I’m home and get the all-clear from the doctor.”

  “Good.” For more reasons than one, Holly thought. Maybe between then and now she could find a way to get Parker back into the habit of praying, because he’d never need it more than he would when his mom told him the truth about his background.

  “Have you seen Hank lately?”

  “Just this morning, as a matter of fact. He spent a lot of time in here watching you sleep. It took Parker, two nurses, your surgeon, and me to convince him that he needed to go home, have a meal, and get a good night’s sleep.”

  “What sort of story did y’all have to tell? To get him in here, that is.”

  “Parker sort of gave them the impression that you and Hank are engaged.”

  “Sort of?” Maude groaned. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to hear the details.”

  “That isn’t really so far from the truth…is it?”

  “Oh, I don’t know… .” Then, “How’d you get in here?” Maude had no sooner asked the question than she added, “Don’t tell me… same insinuation?”

  Holly felt herself blush. “Basically.”

  “Well, nothing wrong with that. The way I see it, it’s only a matter of time before that story, at least, is true. Besides, Parker needs you here every bit as much as Hank thinks he needs to be with me.”

  He doesn’t think it, Holly wanted to say. Hank really does need to be here.

  Suddenly Maude didn’t look so pink-cheeked anymore. Her eyes glazed over and the monitor started beeping up a storm. Holly didn’t ask questions. Instead, she hurried into the hall to make sure the nurse had heard the same thing she had. Sure enough, the blue-garbed woman was jogging down the hall, her stethoscope bouncing as she spoke into a walkie-talkie.

  “Don’t worry,” the woman said, “this happens fairly often following open-heart surgery. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “But I assume it’s a good idea to tell her son and her fiancé what’s going on?”

  She rolled a blood-pressure machine into the cubicle. “Yeah. No reason to alarm them, but they might want to be here just in case.”

  The instant she hit the hospital lobby, Holly dialed Parker’s cell phone number. He’d left an hour or so ago to shower and grab a nap. He picked up on the first ring.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The nurse says it’s probably nothing, but you might want to come back as soon as you can.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  Holly admitted that she didn’t know and explained what had happened while she and Maude were chatting.

  “I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said before hanging up.

  “Let him drive safely, Lord,” she prayed while she dialed Hank’s number. “Pick up,” she whispered. “Please, please, please pick up… .”

  His voice was sleep-groggy when he answered with, “Donovan.”

  “Hi, Hank. It’s Holly. No need to be in a terrible rush or anything, but you should probably get here soon.” She repeated what she’d told Parker.

  “Thanks, kiddo. Be right there.”

  She hurried back to the cubicle, thinking that someone familiar ought to be there until Parker and Hank showed up. When the nurse saw Holly, she slid the glass doors closed and led her down the hall, out of Maude’s line of sight. “They’re rushing her back into surgery,” she explained. “Dr. Williams thinks maybe one of the sutures didn’t hold and she’s bleeding into her chest cavity. She’s asking to see her son. No, let me rephrase that. She’s insisting on it. Says she won’t go into the OR until she talks to him.”

  “Good grief,” Holly growled. She knew exactly why Maude was stalling: she aimed to tell Parker the whole sordid story…in case something awful happened during surgery. “Well, fortunately, he’s on his way.” She’d no sooner said it than Parker stepped off the elevator.

  “Your mother is asking for you,” the nurse said. “Make it snappy, will you? We’ve got the OR booked.”

  “But…I—I don’t…what’s—”

  “I’ll just let your pretty little girlfriend here explain the preliminaries. Dr. Williams will give you the details just as soon as he can.” A monitor beeped from somewhere down the hall, signaling another patient in distress. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to run. Good luck to your mom,” she called, running backward.

  Parker frowned and entered Maude’s cubicle. “What,” he teased, kissing her forehead, “you didn’t get enough attention after that last emergency go-round?”

  She laughed weakly and waved Holly closer. “Pull up a chair, son. I have something to tell you. Don’t interrupt now, you hear, because I don’t have much time.”

  Holly hesitated. “I should probably see if Hank’s on his—”

  “He’ll get here when he gets here,” Maude interrupted.

  The no-nonsense expression served as a reminder of how Maude had stressed that, once the truth was out, Parker would need Holly as he’d never needed anyone. As if orchestrated by a Broadway choreographer, Hank showed up as Holly nodded her consent, and they gathered close as Maude began the sad tale.

  The color drained from Parker’s face as he stood stiff and straight, gripping the side rail so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Holly couldn’t decide if it was anger that made him clench and unclench his jaw, or raw, unbridled pain. His dark eyes darkened still more behind the sheen of unshed tears.

  Hank, for his part, hung his head, and Holly got the feeling that he would have given anything to trade places with Parker. So would she, for that matter.

  All of five minutes had passed before Maude rasped, “That’s it. Now you know.” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, and then she looked at Hank and Holly. “Will you two give us just a minute alone, please?”

  Hank stepped up close and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Anything you say, Maudie. Love you.” Then he straightened, led Holly into the hall, and closed the sliding door.

  “Sometimes I think I’ll never understand that woman.”

  Clearly, Hank was angry, but Holly couldn’t find the words to comfort him. Much as she liked the man, it was Parker that her heart ached for. In all her life, she’d never seen a man look more lost and alone. Why, after letting him live his entire life in the shadow of her lie, had Maude found it necessary to tell him the truth now? It seemed beyond unmaternal and unloving, unburdening herself at her only son’s expense.

  Hank looked up and fixed his gaze on mother and son, there on the other side of the glass partition. “I’ve always known she’s got a selfish streak, but until now…”

  It seemed he didn’t have the heart to complete the sentence.

  “Just look at him,” Hank said, using his thumb as a pointer. “Looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. What was she thinking, waiting until a time like this to dump all that on the boy? And what could she possibly add to it all now?”

  He drove a hand through his thick white hair and, holding it there, met Holly’s eyes. “Thank God he’s got you in his corner, kiddo, that’s all I can say.”

  She opened her m
outh to tell Hank what she’d told Parker earlier… that he’d survived war and battle injuries all on his own. But this was different, very different, and she knew it would take the strength of Hercules to endure it. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, meaning it. “I only hope he isn’t too proud—or too hurt—to let me be there for him.”

  Hank laid his hands on her shoulders and gave Holly a gentle shake. “You’ve gotta be strong, kiddo, stronger than you’ve ever been. No matter what he says or does, you have to make sure he knows you’re there to lean on.”

  Nodding, she glanced at Parker, who had his head down and his shoulders slumped, looking like a man who’d just lost everything. And in a way, he had. “I will.”

  “Won’t be easy, you know. Men are odd ducks. Think they’re better off alone at times like this, which is the last thing he needs. He’ll probably say some hurtful, angry things, hoping to drive you away.” He gave her another little shake. “But you be tough. Be stubborn, you hear? No matter what, you hang in there, because he won’t mean a word of it.”

  She was about to tell Hank that she understood when he said, “He’s a good and decent man, that Parker Brant. None better, in my opinion. If I had a son…” Eyes shining with unshed tears, he added, “He’s hurting, but it’s gonna come out looking as if he’s mad.”

  “He has every right to be both,” she nearly snarled. “I can’t imagine what must be going on in his head, in his heart.”

  “See there?” Hank drew her into a fatherly hug. “I knew you were a godsend.” Holding her at arm’s length, he looked deep into her eyes. “This isn’t gonna be easy, what you’re about to face, but I promise, Parker is worth it.”

  Two beefy orderlies half ran past them and into Maude’s room. As they wheeled her into the hall, she reached for Holly’s hand. “Don’t let him be alone,” she said, gripping it with a strength that belied her condition. To Hank, she added, “Same goes for you, okay?”

  “Couldn’t love him more if he were my own,” Hank said, kissing her knuckles, “but you already know that, don’t you?”