Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida

by Debby Mayne

  Still facing straight ahead, she leaned back. “I thought we’d swing around by the bridge, come back to the clock tower and walk around, then maybe check out the beach.”

  “Sounds good. Let’s go!”

  “You two gonna sit there and talk all day, or are we going on a treasure hunt?”

  “Have patience, Harold!”

  Amanda and Jerry took off and maneuvered around Rosemary and Harold, who followed right behind. As they made their way down the street, people in cars slowed down and waved—something Amanda enjoyed about riding this bicycle built for two. When she was on a single, no one paid a bit of attention to her.

  “This has always been such a friendly town!” Jerry shouted so she could hear above the traffic sounds.

  Amanda laughed. “That’s because we’re on a tandem.”

  “Yeah, I figured as much.”

  As they approached the intersection, Amanda motioned to slow down. They were barely moving when a car from the adjacent street came barreling around the corner, turning right in front of them and not slowing down a bit. Her heart thudded at the close call. Suddenly she heard the screeching sound of brakes, and before she had a chance to turn around to see what was happening, the sound of Rosemary’s scream pierced the air.

  Chapter Ten

  Jerry didn’t waste a second in getting off the back of the bicycle. Amanda was right behind him.

  “Dad?” Jerry leaned over his father, who’d fallen off the bicycle and obviously hit his head on the curb. “Can you hear me?”

  A soft moan came from the elderly man, who was bleeding at the temple. He didn’t appear to be injured anywhere else, but no one was sure, so they didn’t try to move him. Amanda knelt down beside Jerry and Rosemary, whose panic-stricken face twisted her insides.

  Jerry quickly pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and requested emergency service. Amanda went through the motions of telling Jerry where they were so he could relay it to the operator, but she was numb with worry.

  After Jerry flipped his phone shut, Amanda quickly assumed the role of comforter to Rosemary. She placed her arm around the elderly woman’s trembling shoulders and whispered what she hoped were soothing words.

  “I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Amanda said. “The paramedics will be here soon.”

  She nervously leaned over and glanced down the street, hoping to hear the wail of sirens. Jerry tried to assess the situation, but there was so much blood that, by now, it was hard to tell much. He cast a worried glance toward Amanda. She reached out and gently laid her hand on his shoulder.

  Jerry closed his eyes. Amanda assumed he was praying, so she offered her own to the Lord. Please protect this family, Lord.

  When the siren’s shrill sound came blasting toward them, Amanda opened her eyes, as a sense of warmth washed over her. She gulped and took a step back so the paramedics could get to Harold, who’d opened his eyes.

  “What’s going on here?” Harold asked. He lifted his head, but the paramedic gently pulled it back down and held it.

  “You had a nasty fall, Dad,” Jerry said softly.

  Harold tried to get up, and it took both paramedics to nudge him back down. “Let’s get you to the hospital and make sure nothing’s broken.”

  “I don’t need to go to a hospital.” Harold’s voice came out in a rasp as he struggled to get up. But the paramedics were stronger, so he gave up. He glanced over at his son and smiled. “Glad you’re here, Steven.”

  Amanda watched the color drain from Jerry’s face at the mention of his brother’s name. His very absent brother who rarely gave their parents the time of day. She considered trying to console Jerry, but she had no idea what to say.

  It took several minutes for the paramedics to get Harold on a gurney and into the ambulance. One of them hung back and got pertinent information from Jerry. Rosemary asked to go with them. The paramedics exchanged a glance before looking at Jerry for assistance.

  “Mom, I want you to go with us.” Jerry’s firm voice startled Amanda. She’d never heard him talk to either of his parents in such a stern tone, but she fully understood it.

  “What if he needs me?” Her chin quivered, and she sniffed. “I should have been more careful.”

  Jerry gritted his teeth. “It’s my fault. I should have insisted he wear his helmet.”

  Amanda felt her own share of guilt in the incident. If only she’d made him understand the necessity of the helmet, and if only she’d waited a couple of seconds longer to let them catch up. But too late for all that now.

  “What hospital are you taking him to?” Amanda asked the paramedic.

  “Palms of Pasadena.”

  She nodded. “I know where that is. We have to go back to get a car, but it won’t take long.”

  Harold moaned. Rosemary’s hand flew to her mouth. “M–my husband…”

  “He’s stabilized.” The paramedic jotted something down then glanced up at them. “We have everything we need. You might want to give it about twenty minutes. It’ll take that long to get him checked in.”

  Amanda took charge, now that Jerry agreed. “Let’s get these bicycles back to the shop. We can go to my house and get my car; then I can drive to the hospital. I’m sure Tiffany won’t mind sticking around for the rest of the day.”

  Jerry opened his mouth to speak, but Amanda gave him her no-nonsense stare that always worked with Lacy. She was relieved that he didn’t argue.

  Amanda used her cell phone to call Tiffany to explain what they needed to do. “We’ll drop off the bicycles and leave right away. I hope you can stay until closing.”

  “No problem,” Tiffany replied.

  They were in and out of the shop in the time it took them to drop off the bicycles and for Amanda to grab her purse. “Let’s go.” She headed out the door, with Jerry and Rosemary right behind her.

  Five minutes later they were in her car, on their way to the Palms of Pasadena Hospital. Once the hospital was in view, Amanda glanced over at Jerry to see how he was holding up. His jaw was set, and he stared straight ahead. He appeared to be in shock. Then she looked at Rosemary in the rearview mirror and saw that she wasn’t any better than Jerry. Amanda knew that nothing she said would change anything, so she pulled up to the emergency entrance in silence. Once she stopped the car, she gestured toward the door. “You two go on in. I’ll park the car and be there in a few minutes.”

  Jerry got out and held the back door for his mother. Then he leaned over and forced a half smile. “Thanks for doing this. If it weren’t for you, well…”

  If it weren’t for her, Harold wouldn’t have been on that bike, and he wouldn’t have fallen. She gulped, nodded, and offered what she hoped was a comforting smile. “Go help your parents. I’ll be there soon.”

  After she got the car parked and locked, she whipped out her cell phone to call Pastor Zach and request prayers for Jerry and his parents. He promised to not only pray for them but said he’d call the prayer group leaders and get the word out. Amanda knew it wouldn’t stop there. The Treasure Island Community Church had the most generous members on the island and in St. Petersburg. She wasn’t sure exactly what they’d do, but they’d come up with something, and it wouldn’t take long. She’d been on the receiving end of it enough to know how loving they were.

  Jerry had his arm around his mother and cradled her elbow to keep her from falling. Although currently shaky, she didn’t normally have a serious balance issue—at least not yet—but her nerves were frazzled from the accident. Somehow she’d managed to stay upright when his dad had tumbled to the street. But immediately after she looked at his dad, her knees buckled and she had to be helped up.

  As soon as they walked into the emergency entrance, they were greeted by someone in uniform, who asked if they needed assistance. Jerry gave their information, and then they were asked to wait. He guided his mother to the chairs and helped her into one of them. Nervous energy prevented him from sitting down beside her, so he was glad when Amanda wa
lked through the automatic doors and joined them.

  One of the things he appreciated about Amanda was her ability to quickly size up situations and immediately react in the most appropriate way. He suspected it had something to do with all the practice of looking after her sister.

  “Any news?” she asked as she sat down next to his mother and took her hand. Jerry’s heart warmed at how well his mother responded to Amanda’s nurturing.

  Jerry shook his head. “Not yet.”

  Amanda turned to his mother and squeezed her hand. “I called the pastor, and he’s going to get the prayer chain going.”

  His mother managed a weak smile as tears glistened in her eyes. In spite of all the bickering, there was never any doubt that his parents deeply loved each other.

  They waited another ten minutes before they were called to the desk. The nurse ushered them past the doors and into a room where his dad lay in bed, hooked up to monitors, with machines buzzing and beeping all around him. His eyes were closed, but the instant Amanda cleared her throat, he opened them.

  Jerry leaned over the bed. “Dad?”

  The elderly man blinked as though confused. “Steven?”

  “No, Dad, I’m Jerry.”

  As his dad closed his eyes, a tear trickled down his cheek. The only signs of the accident were a bandage on his head where he had hit the curb and a large bruise on his forearm.

  A lump formed in Jerry’s throat as he tried to think of something to say. He was grateful when Amanda stepped up to his side and took over.

  “You had a nasty spill, Harold.”

  His dad opened one eye and stared at Amanda for a moment. “Who are you?”

  She sucked in a breath and carefully took his hand without disrupting any of the attached tubes. “I own the shop where your son Jerry rents the bicycle built for two that you and Rosemary like to ride.”

  He frowned then chuckled. “Oh yeah. I remember.” His gaze moved from Jerry to Amanda; then he seemed to search for something or someone else. “Where’s my wife?”

  Amanda let go of his hand, took a step back, and gently guided Jerry’s mother into his dad’s line of vision. “Here she is.”

  Jerry put his arm around his mother and pulled her toward his dad. “Mom and I have been very worried about you.” He didn’t know what else to say. It was obvious that his dad still didn’t recognize him, and he hated to admit, even to himself, that it broke his heart.

  “Where does it hurt, Harold?” his mother asked.

  His dad squirmed then grimaced in pain. A medical assistant rushed into the room to see what was going on.

  “Stop fussing over me,” his dad barked. “Just do what you gotta do so I can get outta here.”

  The young woman who looked barely old enough to be out of high school shook her head. “Sorry, Mr. Simpson, but we have to keep you overnight for observation.”

  “I’m not spending the night here.”

  “If you choose to check yourself out, we’ll have to let the insurance company know, and they might not pay your bill.”

  Jerry whipped around to see his dad’s reaction. He was surprised when all he got was a snort and a snide remark about how insurance companies ran people’s lives.

  After the woman left, Jerry glared down at his dad. “She can’t help it.”

  “I know, but this is ridiculous. I fell down, and now they act like I might not live if I go home.”

  When the doctor arrived and asked to speak to Jerry and his mother, Amanda suddenly reappeared and took over with his dad. He was glad to have her there. She always knew what to do, what to say, and when to disappear.

  The doctor led them to a small room nearby and offered them a seat. Jerry held his mother’s hand, just in case the news was bad.

  “How serious is it?” Jerry asked.

  “We’re not sure yet, but we think he suffered a concussion. I think he’ll be fine in a day or two, but we need to keep him here to be sure.” The doctor flipped the page on the chart in front of him. “He has a few bruises, but the brunt of the fall was mostly on his head.” He glanced up and looked at Jerry’s mother. “Can you give me a list of his prescriptions?”

  She scrunched her forehead as she thought. “I can’t remember the names of all of them.”

  “We have them at the condo we’re renting,” Jerry said. “Want us to go home and write down all the names of his medicine?”

  The doctor nodded. “Better yet, if you can bring them in, we’ll administer them while he’s here.” He looked up with a stern expression and added, “Perhaps we can make a few adjustments that might help.”

  Jerry nodded. “We can do that.”

  “Anything else I need to know about his health?” The doctor poised his pen above the chart and glanced up at his mother, who seemed too distraught to talk, so Jerry took over.

  “He’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”

  “That explains a few things,” the doctor said as he jotted a few things in the chart. “I wondered about that.”

  “Early stages. His memory is good at times, and others…” Jerry’s voice trailed off.

  The doctor chewed his bottom lip as he studied the chart then put it down. “This says they were riding a bicycle built for two.”

  Jerry nodded. “I always rent one so they can stay active.”

  “I understand that exercise is important for his health, but he needs to take all the safety precautions. Does he have access to a helmet?”

  Jerry felt sick to his stomach. If he’d been stronger and made his dad wear the helmet, this wouldn’t have been as serious. “He has one, but he hates wearing it.”

  The doctor smiled with a hint of sympathy. “My parents hate them, too, but I always insist.” He stood up and gestured for them to go ahead of him. “If I had to wager a guess, I think he’ll be well enough to go home on Saturday—unless something shows up in the x-ray.”

  “Just do whatever it takes to make him better,” Jerry said. “I’ll bring his prescriptions as soon as I can.”

  As they headed back to the small room, his mother babbled about how it wasn’t Jerry’s fault; it was hers. She was the one steering the bike.

  His dad had a scowl on his face when they got to his room. “I wanna go home.”

  “Sorry, Dad, but you have to stay here for a couple of days.”

  “That’s silly.” He turned his head toward the window, away from Jerry and his mother.

  “The next time you go out on the bicycle, you need to wear your helmet,” Jerry said. “I shouldn’t have let you go off without it.”

  His mother reached out and squeezed his arm. “It’s not your fault, honey. I’m the one who wasn’t careful enough.”

  Jerry argued for a moment and then figured there was no point. Everyone felt responsible, and nothing would change that. When his mom offered to stay in the hospital while he and Amanda went back for his dad’s medicine, he nodded his agreement. At least if something happened to her there, someone would be able to help her.

  Amanda didn’t talk much on the way to the condo, and Jerry was glad. Not only was there not much to say, any conversation would seem trite and disrespectful under the circumstances.

  She sensed that he needed his space, so Amanda remained quiet as she drove him to the condo. He said he’d go back to the hospital in his own car, so after dropping Jerry off, she headed straight home.

  Her heart sank when she saw Brad’s car parked at the curb. After all she’d been through, she didn’t feel like socializing.

  The instant she walked inside, Timmy accosted her. “Daddy said Gramps is in the hospital, and I wanna go see him.”

  Amanda glanced over at Lacy, who sat on the sofa beside Brad, both of them staring at her. “How did you know?”

  Lacy stood up and walked toward her. “We went to see you at the shop, and Tiffany told us. Why didn’t you call me?”

  Amanda shut her eyes and said a short prayer for guidance and the ability to keep her temper in check.
Then she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I haven’t had a chance.”

  “Well, is he going to live?”

  Lacy didn’t have any tact, and she needed to be more careful around Timmy or she’d scare the poor child half to death. “I’m pretty sure it’s not that serious.”

  “Tiffany said he hit his head and was gushing blood.” Lacy scrunched her nose and shivered.

  Brad stood up and took Lacy by the hand. “Sometimes it looks worse than it is.” He glanced over at Amanda as if looking for affirmation.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s the case with Harold. He hit his head on the curb and suffered what the doctor thinks is a mild concussion. Hopefully, there won’t be any long-term problems.”

  “Is Gramps gonna die?” Timmy’s quivering voice let Amanda know they’d frightened him.

  Amanda looked down at the little boy who stared up at her, wide-eyed and obviously worried sick about Gramps. She shook her head. “No, honey, he’s not going to die—at least not anytime soon, from what we can tell. He fell and got a bad bump on his head.”

  “He’s sick, Timmy,” Brad added.

  Timmy jumped up and down. “I don’t want Gramps to be sick. Can I go see him?”

  Amanda glanced over at Brad, who waited for her answer. “I can call Jerry and ask what he thinks.”

  Timmy grinned. “Gramps will wanna see me. He’s my bestest friend in the whole wide world.”

  Brad looked helpless, so Amanda nodded. “I’m sure he’ll want to see you, Timmy, but I’m not sure—”

  “Hey, champ, why don’t we head on home and let the ladies have a little time alone?” Brad reached for Timmy’s hand.

  Timmy’s smile turned to a frown as he yanked away from his father. “No. I wanna go see Gramps.”

  Amanda didn’t feel like dealing with this. “Let me try giving Jerry a call and see what he thinks.”

  Jerry answered his cell phone immediately. After Amanda explained that Timmy was adamant about wanting to see Gramps, he said he thought that might be an excellent idea. “I just hope Dad remembers Timmy.”