Jane smiled, “Really?” When Grace nodded, Jane hugged her, “I’d love to. And you just let me know what you need my help with.”
“What are you two girls talking about over there?” Samuel asked as he and Michael returned to their table.
“Jane’s just agreed to be a bridesmaid in our wedding,” Grace told Samuel as Michael leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
“That’s wonderful!” Both men sat down and then Samuel commented, “It’s funny how quickly life can change, isn’t it?”
All the others nodded their heads in agreement.
*****
“Aunt Tori, I can’t find my green tiara,” Dani whined as she pawed through the various costume pieces she’d just dumped onto the floor of the living room.
“I’m sure you just forgot it at home, sweetie. The purple one you’re wearing looks gorgeous.”
“It’s not for me. It’s for you. It matches your eyes. You have to wear the green one!” Dani placed her hands on her hips and nodded her head.
Tori laughed and then assured her, “I think I can live without wearing a tiara tonight. Why don’t we put in and eat some popcorn?”
Dani shook her head, “No! I want to go find the green tiara!”
Tori saw the tantrum beginning to brew in the little girl’s eyes and cringed. She was feeling better, but not quite up to a Dani tantrum. Throwing a beseeching look at her daughter, she asked, “Emily, could you walk Dani home and help her find the green tiara while I get the popcorn ready?”
“Sure, momma. Come on, Dani. Let’s go find your tiara.” Tori watched the girls as they headed out the backdoor and then shook her head. She glanced at the clock on the wall and figured it shouldn’t take them any longer than about five minutes to walk next door, find the missing tiara, and walk back.
Tori put the first bag of popcorn in the microwave and then loaded up the DVD. After cooking the second bag, she looked out the back window, expecting to see the girls by the puppies, but there weren’t any little girls in the backyard.
Growing concerned when she glanced at the clock and fifteen minutes had gone by, she slipped her sandals on and headed through the backyard to go find them. She was having a pretty good day, but knew that she would pay for over-exerting herself tomorrow.
Stopping to catch her breath at the gate, she was surprised to see a sleek orange Mustang sitting in Grace’s driveway. I wonder whose car that is. She started across the grass, stopping several times when the world started to spin crazily, praying for enough strength to find the girls and get back home.
After the third pause, she looked up to see the silhouette of a man standing on Grace’s front porch. So that’s who the car belongs to. Forcing herself to stand up straight, she slowly made her way across the remaining grass, wondering if the girls had gotten distracted, or if maybe they were hiding inside from the stranger.
As she stepped up onto the porch, he turned and speared her with his dark green eyes. His dark hair fell over his forehead and she had the strangest urge to reach up and put it back into place. There was a large cardboard box standing next to him and she wondered if he was a delivery boy, or something else.
“Hi,” she offered softly. “Can I help you?”
The man smiled, revealing perfectly straight teeth, and that’s when she saw the dimple in his left cheek. He looked kind of familiar, and she tried to figure out where she’d seen him before, but nothing came to mind. “Are you Grace Powers?”
“Afraid not,” Tori said, leaning against the railing of the porch as another wave of dizziness swamped her.
“Hey! Are you okay?” the man asked, narrowing his eyes at her in concern.
Tori waved his concern off, “Sure. Just a little dizzy is all. Grace isn’t home, but I could sign for the delivery if you like.”
“Sign?” he asked in confusion.
Tori was prevented from answering when she spied two little bodies slithering across the grass, “Excuse me for a moment.” She turned and called to the girls, “Emily! Dani! Come here!”
Both little girls popped their heads up and then gave her relieved smiles as they stood to their feet and ran to where she was attempting to stay upright. They both started chattering as soon as they reached her.
“We was sneaking back to avoid the strange man.”
“Why are you talking to the strange man, Aunt Tori? Momma says we’re not supposed to talk to strangers. I was showing Emily hows we snucked out when the bad men tried to take me.”
The chattering continued, and in the midst of it, Tori realized that at some point in the recent past, Grace and Dani had been involved in something abnormal. She made a mental note to ask Grace about that at her next opportunity.
Finally feeling the last of her strength leave her, she held her hand up, effectively silencing both girls. “Emily, the popcorn is all ready for your movie. Why don’t you take Dani and head on back? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Emily nodded her head and grabbed Dani’s hand, pulling her along. “Come on, Dani. Let’s go find the green earrings.”
Chapter 12
Tori watched both girls until they entered the backyard and then she pulled up all of the strength she could muster before turning to face the stranger once again. “Sorry about that. Uhm, maybe you could just push Grace’s package up next to the door and she’ll be sure to see it when she gets home.”
“I don’t think I should do that.”
Grace closed her eyes. He was going to be difficult! Taking a breath, she stared at him, using the look that had gotten compliance from more than one difficult patient, but on him it had absolutely no effect. “Look, I’m not feeling very well, so could you just leave the box and go. Grace will be home later tonight and I’ll make sure she knows it’s sitting here?”
“Are you ill?” the man asked as he looked her over with a critical eye.
Grace felt like a bug under a microscope. She knew what she looked like at the moment. She was rail thin, her face had a grey pallor to it, she was wearing an oversize sweatshirt that completely hid the shape of her body, or the lack thereof. She had made a concession and was wearing one of the wigs Grace and Jane had convinced her to buy, but other than a perfectly fake head of hair, she looked like something the cat had not only dragged home, but through the wringer first.
“You know what, do whatever you want with that box. If you leave your name and number on the door, I’m sure Grace will contact you and arrange for you to bring it back.” With that said, Tori carefully navigated her way down the two steps and started across the grass.
When she reached the large maple tree in the middle of the two yards, she stopped and leaned against it as she surveyed the remaining distance she still needed to cross. I’m never going to make it! Tears of frustration filled her eyes, and she bowed her head in defeat as she realized she only had two choices. Try to make it to the backyard before she collapsed and hope that Emily wouldn’t be too scared when she found her. Or, stay by the tree until Grace came home. They would most likely be gone a few more hours, and maybe she’d find enough strength to make it back inside the house before then.
She was so deep in her thoughts, she didn’t realize the strange man had followed her progress across the yard, first with his eyes, and then with his long legs.
“Ma’am?” he asked startling her and causing her to shriek in alarm. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, but you look like you need some help.”
“I’m…,” Tori tried to tell him she was fine, but she wasn’t! The tears flowed faster now and she just shook her head, unable to verbalize the frustration she was feeling at the moment. The respiratory infection had compromised her ability to breathe deeply, causing her oxygen levels to hover at barely acceptable levels when she was sitting up in bed. They certainly weren’t able to support any type of activity and she’d known that when she’d gone searching for the girls.
“Hey, I know you don’t know me from Adam, but I’m a doctor. I t
ake it you live next door?”
Tori nodded and tried to stem the flow of tears.
“Good. Well, I have a very important package for Grace from her sister, Sara, up in Montana. Their mom’s wedding dress is in that box and I really don’t think I should leave it sitting on the front porch.
“And frankly, you don’t look like you’ve got enough energy to make it back inside the house. How about I help you inside, and then I can leave the dress with you until Grace gets home?”
Tori watched him and tried to determine why he seemed so familiar. I know I’ve seen him before, but where? “You’re a doctor?”
He nodded, “Jackson Myers, at your service.”
Tori looked at him and cocked her head to the side. Jackson? Wasn’t that the name of Michelle’s boyfriend in high school? She looked him over once again and then shrugged her shoulders, “Tori. Sure you’re not a murderer?”
Jackson smiled and then asked, “Would I tell you if I were?”
Tori shook her head, “No, probably not.” Deciding he had just presented her with the only viable alternative, given her situation, she gave him a small smile, “If you could help me back to the house I would really appreciate it.”
Jackson nodded and then offered her his arm to lean against, “So, you’ve been sick?”
“You might say that. I just finished the last of my chemo and lucky me, I got a respiratory infection as a going away present.”
Jackson digested the fact that the fragile woman hanging onto his arm had just survived cancer. “Shall I tell you what my specialty is?” he asked as he helped her navigate the narrow gate.
“Sure. Why not? We have to talk about something, don’t we?”
Jackson admired the snarky attitude and figured it had probably served her well during her treatment. “I treat people with cancer. In fact, I’m going to be heading up a new facility in Montana with Grace’s sister that will provide out-of-the-box alternatives to traditional medicine.”
“What kind of treatments?” Tori asked, struggling for breath as she tried not to step on the first puppy to come barreling up against her legs. “Sorry about the pups.”
“Goodness, there’s a bunch of them,” Jackson said, trying not to step on the wiggling bodies that were jumping and vying for attention from the newcomers.
Tori smiled and then told him, “Nine. They’re almost nine weeks old and ready to find new homes. Want one? Or nine?”
Jackson laughed, “Uh, no. I’m not in the market for a dog right now. I’m moving to an entirely new place in a few weeks, and two days ago there was about three feet of snow in the backyard of the house I’m going to be living in.” Jackson still couldn’t get his head wrapped around the fact that the house was being thrown in as part of his compensation package.
“Three feet of snow?” Tori got a smile upon her face, “We used to have snow where I lived when I was growing up. Sometimes I miss it.”
“I grew up with snow, but not as much as they have in Montana. It’s going to take some getting used to.” They had reached the back patio and Tori sank down in one of the chairs.
“Thanks for the help.”
“No problem. Let me run get the box and I’ll bring it back over and then get out of your hair.” Jackson really wished he had his medical bag with him. Tori, as she’d introduced herself, didn’t look good at all.
Retrieving the box, he hurried back across the yards, alarmed when he saw Tori struggling to breathe. There was a blue tinge around her mouth, and it was obvious she was in respiratory distress.
Squatting down next to her chair, he grabbed her wrist and began measuring her heart rate, nodding when it registered slow but steady. “Tori, you need some medical help. Where’s your phone?”
“No…oxygen…I…” she struggled to tell him and he finally figured out what she was saying.
Opening the backdoor, he spied the two girls lounging in front of the TV and called for their assistance. “Hey ladies, could one of you come here and help me for a minute?”
Emily glanced out the back door and then ran towards her mother. Jackson stopped her and calmly asked, “Sweetie, she’s having a little trouble breathing. Does she have an oxygen bottle around here somewhere?”
Emily looked at her mom and then nodded, “In the bedroom. It’s on wheels.”
“Great! You stay here with her and I’ll be right back.” Jackson headed in the direction the little girl had looked and moments later returned with the green oxygen bottle and mask.
Fitting it over Tori’s mouth and nose, he turned it on and then instructed her to breathe nice and slow, “That’s it. Again.” He watched as the blue tinge disappeared around her mouth and she was taking nice, deep breaths once again.
After about fifteen minutes, he removed the mask and took her pulse again. The capillary refill response on her fingernails was back to normal and he was pleased to see the crisis had passed.
Tori thanked him with her eyes and then turned her attention to the two little girls who were clinging to her knees, “Hey, why don’t you two go finish your movie. I’m okay, I just walked a little too far.”
“Aunt Tori, I’s sorry…”
“Dani, you’ve nothing to be sorry about. Go watch your movie while I say ‘Goodnight’ to Mr. Jackson.”
The girls hugged her and then scooted back inside the house. She watched them for a moment and then lifted one of the puppies into her lap. She needed something to hold onto and the warm body was comforting.
Looking up, she met Jackson’s green eyes and once again felt like she’d met him before. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure I don’t need to call your doctor?”
Tori smiled at him, “I’m a registered nurse, and yes, I’m sure. Before I got sick, I worked on the oncology floor. I knew I didn’t have the strength to walk next door, but the girls had been gone too long.”
“That’s my fault. I think I scared them when I rang the doorbell. I could hear them inside and waited around hoping they would open the door so the dress could sit inside.”
“Well, the dress is safe with me. Grace will be back shortly and I’ll see that she gets it.”
“Shall I set it inside the house?” Jackson asked.
“Yes. Could you sit it by the front door?”
Jackson picked up the box and nodded, “Sure.” He carried the box inside, noticing the many pictures on the walls and stopped to look at them on his way back. What he saw made his heart stop. He glanced back out the door and then back at the pictures on the wall.
When he felt something next to his leg, he noticed the older of the two girls was standing next to him. She pointed at a picture of an older woman and said, “That’s my grandma. She’s in heaven.”
Jackson nodded his head and then walked back to the patio, “I noticed the pictures on the wall in your living room.”
Tori smiled, “Yeah. Most of them are of my mom and sister. They were both killed in a car crash right around the time Emily was born.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. It must have been hard caring for a newborn and grieving at the same time.”
Tori nodded, “It was the most difficult time in my life. But Emily gave me a reason to go on, so I did.”
Jackson looked at the little girl and then back to her mother. “How old is she?”
“Nine. And I’m twenty-five, even though I know I must look forty at the moment.”
“No, I…”
“It’s okay. I look in the mirror. But I’m on the road to recovery now. No more chemo. No more radiation. Each day I get stronger, and soon this will all be nothing but a bad memory.”
“You sound really positive. That’s good. That’s real good.” Jackson wanted to ask her about the picture on the wall. The one taken of her sister right before she had disappeared from his life; but he couldn’t see an easy way to broach the subject.
According to his calculations, Tori would have been not quite sixteen when Emily was born. Michelle’s mother had
been all about appearances. Had she taken the girls and moved when Tori became pregnant at such a young age?
He tried to remember Michelle’s younger sister, but the only image that came to mind was that of a scrawny little girl, who was way too quiet and always had a book in her hands. He’d only ever spoken to her once, and that was barely memorable.
They’d all gone to the same school, but she hadn’t hung out with the cheerleaders or the popular crowd, and their paths had never crossed. Michelle! After all these years, I finally find you, but you’re dead! No wonder I could not find you all those years ago!
“Well, I’m going to let you rest. I’ll take this back where I found it, shall I?” Jackson asked, picking up the oxygen bottle and heading back to the bedroom before she could answer.
When he came back out, Tori was standing on her own and looked much stronger, “I know you are probably sick of hearing doctors tell you what to do, but you really do need to take it easy and get some rest.”
“Yes, sir. I plan on it.”
“Sir? Really?” Jackson asked, amused that she was trying to come off all professional on him. “Jackson is fine. Tell Grace I’ll stop by and introduce myself at a later time.”
Jackson gave her one more appraising look and then headed out the way they first entered the backyard. Through the side gate. Moments later the growl of the Mustang’s engine moved away from the house and Tori sighed in relief.
Chapter 13
Grace was beside herself with worry when she arrived home and heard the girls recount the evening’s adventure. Tori tried to downplay the entire incident, but Emily and Dani were in drama mode and loving it.
“He helped momma breathe too,” Emily offered.
Michael and Grace exchanged a look of concern, “How did he do that?”
“He got that green tank thing from the bedroom and put the mask over her mouth. Momma, why was your mouth that blue color? Did you have some candy?”
Romance: New Beginnings (Young Adult and Adult Romance, Christian Christmas Fiction book as a Love Story) (Second Chances Trilogy 3) Page 8
