Blood Loss_A Magnolia Novel

by Ashley Fontainne

  Wiley beamed. “I ain’t worried one bit with you in charge. Did ya say an exercise class?”

  “I did.” Karina smiled at the teasing gleam behind the old man’s eyes.

  “Oh, count me in if ya wear somethin’ tight and only you—or your ma—teach it and not one of these dried-up prunes around here. Ya know, wear that stretchy stuff I can’t rightly remember what it’s called—”

  “Spandex, you old fool,” Seth interrupted. “You best watch that cesspool you call a mouth. If Bo or Andrew overheard you talkin’ about their womenfolk like that, one of them would slap you so hard your dentures would fly across the room.”

  It was an inappropriate thing to do but Karina burst out laughing at the visual then cleared her throat, intervening before the conversation disintegrated into a shouting match. “You two are nipping at each other before lunchtime which isn’t the norm. Must be this annoying weather, huh? I know I’ve been eating Benadryl like they’re Tic-Tacs. I don’t see how it’s possible for one person to produce so much mucus! Even Ranger seems to be bothered by it. This morning while Bo was out walking him, he said Ranger sneezed so many times in a row he lost count.”

  “I noticed Bo was here again. When ya two gettin’ hitched? And where is he and who was that man talkin’ to him earlier that followed him upstairs?” Wiley asked.

  Karina felt heat rush to her cheeks. “Oh, uh, that was his dad. He stopped by and said there’s a family meeting about the upcoming planting season. They went to my room to gather Bo’s stuff together.”

  Seth snorted and changed the topic. “It ain’t the weather or whatever’s floatin’ around in the air. I’ve lived here my whole life, so I’m immune to early springtime allergies. What I’m not immune to is rude and disrespectful comments said in the presence of a lady.”

  Wiley’s grin widened after he shoved in another mouthful of biscuits and gravy. “You’ve been sittin’ with me for years so what comes out of my mouth shouldn’t surprises ya! Get your boxers out of a bunch, Seth. Ms. Karina knows I’m just joshin’ her! Besides, it ain’t rude or disrespectful to compliment a beautiful woman! It’s expected! When any day might be your last, ya toss out what’s on your mind. It shore is better than bottlin’ thoughts up inside your head like you do. One day, all that fizz is gonna burst outta your noggin’ like a shook-up coke and make a huge mess. That’s a guarantee. Well, the burstin’ out part is. A mess might not happen since I doubt there’s much brain matter left to spew out. You’ve used it all up by flauntin’ all your knowledge around while tryin’ to make everyone feel inferior.”

  Seth’s cheeks turned vibrant red, followed by his ears. Karina noticed his gnarled fingers tighten around the fork. “Whoa there, you two. Let’s change the subject before Gram’s breakfast ends up all over the floor or on each other. Have either of you seen Betty this morning? Did she come down early to eat while I was in the kitchen and I missed it?”

  The mention of Betty’s name instantly changed the irritation level on Seth’s face. Karina suspected he wanted their friendship to blossom into something else from the way he gazed at her when he thought no one else was looking. Confirmation of her suspicion blared across Seth’s wrinkled face. The man practically beamed. It was precious.

  “She’s been feelin’ sorta poorly the last few days. The moisture in the cold air aggravates her arthritis. I plan on bringin’ her a tray after I’m finished. Since Junior ain’t here gobblin’ up the leftovers, there’ll be some remainin’.” Seth glanced around the empty dining room. “Where is he anyway?”

  “My mom took him to the hospital for some tests, you know, the kind you can’t eat before they’re administered? She’s been on him about getting a full workup and perhaps cutting back on some of his medication and worried he’d sneak some food or coffee if he stayed here. He finally caved, so he spent the night with Mom and Andrew.”

  Ignoring the comment about Junior Tuck, Wiley interjected, “Pft! You’re wastin’ your time, Seth. Miss Betty ain’t interested in the likes of you, even if ya bring her vittles! She’s too much of a free spirit. And she ain’t just feelin’ poorly. She ain’t been sleepin’ for a hill of beans this week. Last night, her caterwaulin’ woke me up twice! Maybe we should swap rooms? You could talk through the walls and bore her to sleep.”

  Holding up her hands to keep Seth from responding as anger spread across his wrinkled face, Karina furrowed her brows in confusion. “Caterwauling? What does that mean?”

  “Old southern expression for whinin’ and cryin’,” Wiley chuckled. “The last few nights she’s had her some bad dreams or somethin’. I think she’s been sleepwalkin’ too. If she ain’t been the one traipsin’ the floors, then there’s a ghost hauntin’ her room that likes to stomp around. Most of what I heard was mutterin’, except for last night.”

  “What did you hear?” Karina asked, a sense of worry blooming inside her chest.

  “Nothin’ that made sense. A ‘no’ and ‘Jefferson’ and ‘Camden.’ Oh, and ‘Miss Maud.’”

  “Camden? Ain’t nothin’ good ever come outta that rat-hole. Ever!” Seth added.

  “For someone so smart, you’re wrong again, Seth! Camden’s produced three governors and Senator McClellan who went after the mob in the 1950s. Don’t ya remember? Oh, that’s right up your alley, Ms. Karina! The mob! Ya shore did a number on what they was doin’ around this town! Too bad ya werent’t alive durin’ the years Capone and other goons like him were runnin’ the place! You’da dispatched them real quick. Boy howdy, I don’t think this town’s ever gonna be the same. We lost an ambulance company, a funeral parlor, the home health care service that wretched Carmella owned.”

  It was a struggle for Karina to keep from rolling her eyes at the comment. The last thing she wanted to talk about was Caesar Calvanio, his horrid sister Carmella, or any of the other nasty members of the Calvanio and DeNucci clans. She knew they were dead, yet just thinking their names made a shiver of disgust race up her back.

  The images of Caesar holding a gun mere inches from her face, Gram and Grampa’s house exploding, and Ranger bleeding from the butcher knife in his neck in the ensuing pile of charred rubble made her bite her lip. The memories were still so fresh she could almost smell the acrid scent of gunpowder after unloading the clip of her Glock into the bastard who blew up the house. Those memories, along with others, were why she had yet to return to the farm.

  She hoped the mention of the goons wouldn’t induce another terrifying bout of nightmares since Bo wouldn’t be around to snuggle up against to help keep them at bay.

  “Oh, and the Grapette plant was in Camden, remember?” Wiley continued. “That purple concoction was a godsend after workin’ under the hot sun all day! I heard on the news that WalMart is bringin’ it back. Ain’t that great? A true blast from the past. I’m plannin’ on buyin’ a whole case!”

  Seth responded in a low mumble Karina didn’t catch. Glancing at the stairs, gaze barely registering the new decorations and complete removal of all traces of the mafia bastards who’d previously owned the place, she set the coffee pot on the table. “Seth, I think I’ll go take Betty a tray and check on her, okay?”

  Seth looked crushed yet nodded in agreement.

  Excusing herself while Wiley and Seth continued their verbal sparring match, Karina headed to the kitchen. Gram was busy flipping, stirring, salting, and tasting from each of the pots on the stove while preparing lunch. Streaks of flour were smeared across her cheeks and apron, yet she looked happier than she had in a long time. Posing as the new chef helped pass the days, giving her a project to keep from thinking about the destruction of her home and all the memories burnt to a crisp. Karina decided not to let on something might be wrong with Betty until she knew for sure.

  “As usual, your food is a major hit. Wiley will be heartbroken when you aren’t cooking any longer. The man acts like he hasn’t eaten in weeks. He’s slurping it up like Ranger with a plate of leftovers. It’s sort of gross.”

  “
Wiley’s mamma musta forgot to teach him any table manners. He makes up for the rough, unrefined edges by havin’ a good heart,” Ruth replied, smiling. She noticed Karina was busy fixing a tray. “If that’s for your grampa, I’ve already set him a plate aside. He’s gonna be hungry when he gets back, which means he’ll also be grouchy. A grumblin’ stomach I can handle, but not a grumblin’ mate.”

  “No, it’s for Betty. Seth mentioned she didn’t come down for breakfast because her arthritis is bothering her, so I thought I’d bring her some of your delicious comfort food. Yet another perk of the place—room service. Maybe I should add that to our website?”

  “You should, and that’s mighty sweet of you to dote on Betty. Her joints have been so stiff and sore she ain’t come to quiltin’ class in over a week. I sure do wish there was somethin’ I could do for her to help ease the pain.”

  “Me too,” Karina said then snatched up a crisp piece of bacon from a mound on the closest tray. She hoped it would make Gram smile as she gobbled it down. “Your culinary skills even lured me over to the carnivore side. If they could see me now, all my vegan Cali friends would faint.”

  With a coy wink, Ruth responded, “Though I appreciate the fact you enjoy my cookin’, I believe the need for additional protein is from strenuous activities with Bo. My my. I just can’t decide which of my girls is gettin’ hitched first.”

  “Gram!” Karina replied as heat filled her cheeks. “I guarantee you Mom will marry years before I do. Bo and I are dating, plain and simple. Nothing serious, I assure you. There’s been no talk about anything else.”

  “From the looks I’ve seen on his face, Bo disagrees. That boy is nuts about you, and I think you are about him too. You just ain’t ready to let go of the past.”

  While balancing the tray full of breakfast, Karina tried her best to sound nonchalant. “I love you, Gram, but you are way off base. Cal Benson means nothing to me and hasn’t for a long time. I promise he has nothing to do with the pace I’m taking with Bo. Wait, that’s not true. Cal’s betrayal made me a tad wary. I mean, I was with him for years and yet didn’t really know him. The few months I’ve known Bo is just a drop in the bucket, right? There’s nothing wrong with being conscientious and cautious.”

  Returning her attention back to the stove, Ruth answered, “Hmmm. Guess I misread the emotions on your face when Mr. Benson was here last week. Wariness or conscientiousness weren’t what I sensed. Say hello to Betty for me and tell her I’ll stop by to visit once I get the pots stewing nice and slow for lunch.”

  Grateful for the chance to escape the probing eyes and mind of Gram, Karina headed upstairs with tray in hand. In less than two minutes, her grandmother dissected the internal musings Karina thought she’d hidden quite well in front of others. Gram was right—Karina slowed the relationship pace down with Bo right after Cal moved across the country and settled in Hot Springs. Less than one month ago, he showed up and announced he was moving the operations of their former investigative firm she used to own with him, We’ve Got Ya! to Arkansas.

  When the first round of shock at the news disappeared, Karina grilled him, determined to find out Cal’s true motivations. He swore it wasn’t because she’d almost died and he felt the need to swoop in and offer future protection. Cal said he needed Karina to help with the paperwork that drove him crazy before the company went belly-up. She couldn’t really argue that part wasn’t true because Cal detested office work. When he mentioned he feared the business would crumble because he couldn’t keep up with the legal and secretarial crap, she almost believed him.

  Almost.

  Karina countered with a snippy remark about Misty’s contribution to the office. The comment was a flippant jab at her former best friend’s inability to handle simple tasks other than making Cal’s dick hard. Cal smiled the wicked grin he used when trying to sway someone to his side, casually responding Misty was no longer an employee or anything else.

  Karina knew then the real reason Cal schlepped across the country wasn’t just for help navigating the mounds of paperwork. Though he tried to hide it, the want and need behind Cal’s beautiful eyes was there. Though his words said one thing, the eyes spoke quite another. And Cal’s little song and dance about needing assistance was a load of crap. He’d yet to ask her for a thing in terms of We’ve Got Ya!

  He wanted her back after she nearly died. Karina had felt giddy and furious at the same time.

  All her mental jousting about what to do with the unwanted duo of current and former lovers—in the same freaking state!—ceased when she reached Betty’s door. To her surprise, it was slightly ajar, which was extremely odd. Betty Dravis cherished her privacy. Cocking her head, Karina took a quick peek and spotted the elderly woman sitting in a loveseat. She could tell Betty was crying. A large stack of what looked like old newspaper clippings filled every available space on the coffee table, and a few littered the floor. Betty was a stickler for cleanliness, and Karina knew something was wrong.

  Knocking once, she asked, “Miss Betty? It’s Karina. I brought you some breakfast. May I come in?”

  “Oh, uh, give me a minute to put my robe on, okay?”

  Forcing her voice to sound cheerful, Karina answered, “Sure thing.”

  Bo and his father, Brandon Barton, emerged from Karina’s room. She immediately sensed something was wrong after glancing at Bo’s face. It was flushed, and his beautiful, full lips crushed together in irritation. From behind the door, she heard Ranger’s low growl. Mr. Barton looked furious yet tried to hide it as they walked past.

  Bo sidled up next to Karina and kissed her cheek. “Room service too? Goodness girl, y’all offer everythin’ here! I’ll call ya later.”

  “We aim to please!” Karina chirped back. “Still on for tonight?”

  “I’m afraid my son will have to cancel, Ms. Summers. Family duties come first,” Mr. Barton replied.

  Bo stiffened yet remained calm. “I’ll call ya later, sugar.”

  In a flash, the two men turned and thundered down the stairs and disappeared out the front entrance. Karina focused her attention back to Betty’s door. She heard shuffling sounds and sniffles as Betty scuttled around. When Betty finally opened the door, Karina held in a gasp. Betty was old-school southern—hair always perfectly coiffed, back rigid, and minimal makeup—always an air of sophistication and grace. The picture of serenity and gentility was completely gone. The poor woman looked distraught and exhausted, which was to be expected if she wasn’t sleeping like Wiley mentioned. What Karina didn’t expect was the fear exuding from the woman, the gray pallor of her skin, and the puffiness around her eyes.

  “Thank you for thinkin’ about an old woman. Come on in and set the tray down over there.” Betty motioned to the small dining area. “My, um, arthritis is botherin’ me, and I just couldn’t seem to get my fingers to cooperate enough to get dressed.”

  Stepping inside, Karina did her best not to stare at the mess while strolling over to the small dinette area. The table was full of more piles of clippings, so she balanced the tray with one hand while clearing a space with the other. “Gram said she’d be up to visit after she finishes getting things simmering for lunch.”

  Betty didn’t move from her spot by the door, which was still wide open. The sound of Cecil’s voice as he left his room made her turn her gaze toward the hall. Betty made a weird clucking noise from her pursed lips. Karina noticed her hands shook as she clung to the wood as though she needed it to hold herself up.

  “Please tell her I’m not up…to…receivin’ guests…”

  Betty’s eyes glazed over then rolled backward. The remaining color drained from her face. Karina dropped the tray and bolted across the room, catching the woman’s frail torso when it was but mere inches from crashing onto the floor. “Betty? Betty? Can you hear me?”

  No response.

  Karina realized Betty wasn’t breathing. She checked for a pulse. No heartbeat either. “Shit! Hang on Betty. Hang on!”

  “What�
��s goin’ on Miss Karina?” Cecil asked from the doorway.

  Ignoring the question, she yanked the necklace from under Betty’s robe, grateful she’d insisted all the residents wear one. After mashing the panic button, Karina started CPR. A concerned male voice filled the room from the newly-installed speakers. “Ms. Dravis, what’s your emergency?”

  “Karina Summers, manager of The Magnolia. Need an ambulance right now to our location! Ms. Dravis isn’t breathing. I’m starting CPR.”

  “Yes ma’am, on its way. ETA three minutes.”

  Karina pumped a few more times and then leaned down, listening for any signs Betty was breathing. The elderly woman’s skin was paper-thin and damp, lips already tinged blue. In the distance, she heard the wail of a siren and said a silent prayer of thanks they were only blocks away from the hospital.

  Murmurs of elderly voices in the hallway as residents gathered around the doorway made Karina shudder. The thought of Gram watching her friend cling to life…

  Ignoring the distractions, she blew four quick puffs. “Not on my watch! Not on my watch! Come on! Fight, Betty. Fight!” Karina yelled in time with each pump, praying silently she didn’t break Betty’s ribs.

  “Dear Jesus, Lord in Heaven!” Ruth exclaimed from the doorway.

  “Cecil, take Gram downstairs. Wait for the ambulance,” Karina huffed between compressions. “Right now!”

  “Come on, Miss Ruth,” Cecil urged.

  “I will not leave my friend!”

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Tuck. Your friend is in good hands. Karina knows what she’s doing.”

  Though she was shocked to hear Cal’s familiar voice sounding calm and soothing, Karina continued trying to revive Betty yet wasn’t seeing any signs of life. Her arms were burning and her own heartrate sky-high. Sweat beaded her brow, a few drops licked at the edges of her eyelashes.

  “Ambulance is here,” someone shouted from downstairs.

  In seconds, a team of paramedics bolted inside the room, surrounding Betty’s unmoving body. Karina scooted away and watched them work, wincing when they cut open her nightgown and hit her with the defibrillation paddles. Betty’s entire body jerked as the bolt of electricity shot through her torso.