“We’ll have to take your car because of the car seat,” he said. She opened the door for them, and as they stepped into the hall he called to one of the nurses. “I have an emergency. Can you have Dr. Brooke cover my patients for me?”
“Yes, Doctor.”
He walked slowly down the hall, holding Jenna up. “Okay. One step at a time. Do you want me to carry you?”
She might wish it, but there was not a chance in hell she’d tell him that. “Hardly. You’re doing enough. Thank you.”
Outside, he helped her into the passenger side of the rented car and buckled Amy’s car seat in. “Keys?”
She took them out of her purse. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
He shrugged. “You didn’t leave me any choice. You have no one else.” He gave her a quick glance. “I’m a doctor, and you’re in pain.”
She smiled. “I am a pain.”
His lips twitched. “I don’t know about that. You’ve been an angel, putting your own life on hold to take care of your sister’s family.”
“She’d have done the same for me…” Jenna was silent for a moment, wondering if that were true. “If I had a family, which I don’t.”
He asked directions to the house, and she tried to keep up a sane conversation during the fifteen minute drive, but it was extremely difficult. Every bump in the road, every turn, felt like a hot needle scraping across her nerves. She just wanted to lie down and take some strong medication to deaden the pain.
Once they reached the house, Grant helped her inside and onto the couch, then went back for Amy. Beets stood at the door, growling, as he came back inside. The dog saw the baby and jumped up to see her, nearly knocking Grant off his feet. He stumbled and Beets snarled, showing his yellow teeth.
“I’m sorry, Grant. This dog is a nuisance, but I don’t think he’ll hurt you.”
As if unsure, Grant held Amy up in the air, away from the dog. Beets barked fretfully.
“Better put Amy down, Grant. Beets is very protective of her.”
Grant eyed the dog and tried to shoo him with his foot. The dog grabbed hold of his ankle, but didn’t bite down.
Grant managed to get to the playpen without Beets tearing his leg off. Beets let go off his pant leg, taking up guard duty next to Amy’s pen. Foamy saliva oozed out of the dog’s mouth onto the tiled floor.
“Damn!” Grant ran a hand through his thick, slightly graying hair. “I thought he was going to eat me alive. Never saw a dog who loved a child so much.”
Jenna grinned. “I know. If he weren’t so big and obnoxious, I would kinda like him.”
“I’ll reserve judgment on that,” Grant said.
He made Jenna comfortable by placing a pillow behind her head and another at her feet. He slipped her shoes off, and Beets made a whining noise.
“It’s okay, Beets. He’s helping me.” She glanced at Grant and couldn’t help but tease. “I’ll let you know if he starts any funny business,” she told the dog.
“Why are you smirking? The dog wants me for lunch.”
“Well, he can’t have you.” She giggled, and then felt a twitch in her lower back. “Ouch. I shouldn’t laugh.”
“Where do they keep the pain medication?” he asked. “You’re going to need something strong.”
“How about a martini?”
He smiled. “Not right now. I’m still working.”
“I meant for me.”
“Let’s try a pain reliever first.” He got up slowly, keeping one eye trained on Beets in case he made a sudden move.
“Spoilsport.” She tried to smile, but it came out a grimace. “I guess we’ll have to postpone our dinner date.”
“I hope not. Let’s see if we can get you fixed up.”
Taking a wide path around the dog, Grant found the pain killers in the kitchen and gave Jenna a couple. Then he tossed a bone outside the sliding glass door, and Beets followed the bone.
Using the opportunity he’d created, he fed Amy a jar of peaches, changed her diaper, and put her in her swing. Beets barked outside, scratching at the door. Grant ignored the animal and returned to sit next to Jenna.
He patted her leg and smiled at her. “Don’t worry if you’re not up to it tomorrow. We can make it another time.”
She moved ever so slightly to give him more room, and it was a mistake. Pain ripped right through her, and she closed her eyes and bit down on her lip. “Ouch. That hurt.”
Her eyes flew open as she heard someone open the front door. It was too early for the kids.
Looking past Grant, she saw a woman standing in the entryway. “Mother?”
“Jenna? Is something wrong?”
Grant stood up. “Hello. I’m Dr. Marshall. I met you in the hospital.” He put a hand on Jenna’s shoulder. “Jenna put her back out in my office.”
Sharon smiled. “She’s smarter than she looks.”
“Mom!” Jenna flinched, and the sudden movement wrenched her back. “This is no joking matter.”
“You mean you really are in pain?”
“You think I’d make this up? I’m not into trickery.”
Sharon batted her eyes at Grant. “Well, why the hell not? You’re not getting any younger.”
Jenna’s humiliation made her want to curl into a ball and die. “That’s enough, Mom. Make yourself useful and go take care of Amy.”
Sharon sank to her knees in front of the swinging baby, making cooing noises. “Hi, little sweetie. It’s Nana. Give me a smile.”
Jenna looked at her mother as if seeing a stranger. Where had this loving woman been when she’d needed her? She turned to Grant. “Thanks for bringing me home. My mother can take over now.”
“Yes. I’ll call for a cab and get back to work.” He pulled out his cell and punched in a number.
Her mother stood up. “I can drive you.”
Jenna glared at her. Surely she wouldn’t come on to Grant? She was married. She wouldn’t. Would she?
“What are you doing here, Mom? I thought you needed to be with your new husband. No point in having both of us here.”
“Well, there is now. I told Tom my family needed me more than he did. So I left.”
“You walked out on Tom?”
“Well, we had a fight. It’s Biker’s Week and his dealership sponsors a lot of the events. He wanted me there, but I told him that he’d have to do without me. He said we were married now and my place was with him. I said, ‘look buddy, my girl is in a coma and her kids need me.’ So, here I am.”
She and her mother in the same house, taking care of three children? No way. “This is a mistake. You should go back to your husband.”
Grant began to back out of the room. “I think I’ll leave you two ladies to sort this out. Thanks for the offer of a ride, but a cab’s on its way.”
His eyes locked with Jenna’s. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Take it easy today. Rest that back.”
Her mother piped in. “Oh, I’ll take good care of her. She won’t have to do a thing.”
Jenna gave Grant a hopeless look. He had no idea what her mother was like. She could be more trouble than a pack of kids. And something told her that her mother hadn’t changed all that much.
She tried to smile, but right then another pain ripped through her. “Thanks, Grant. Aren’t I lucky Mom dropped in?”
He winked. “Couldn’t have asked for better timing.”
She wondered if he would have kissed her if her mother hadn’t shown up when she did. Now, Jenna would never know. She gave him a cheery wave as he left.
Sharon sighed. “Ah, such a handsome man. And so charming. You really should be nice to him.”
“I am nice.” Jenna gritted her teeth. “You should have stayed with your husband. That’s what you should have done. I have the kids covered.”
“I’m too upset to be so far away. I want to see Cindy every day, and it only made sense for me to stay here.”
“Yes, of course it does.”
She relen
ted a little. Her mother meant well, and she obviously loved the kids. It might work out after all. At least, she should give her mother the benefit of a doubt. right?
As long as the mother stayed out of the kitchen. On her good days, their mother would fry hot dogs for her and Cindy, and that would be their dinner. She’d have a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Jenna had always wondered how much ash their mother dropped into the pan. She could swear the fried wieners tasted like stale cigarettes.
“Why is the dog outside?” Sharon opened the sliding door, and Beets barreled in. He threw himself on Jenna, who cried out in agony.
“Come, boy,” Sharon said calmly, dragging the mutt off Jenna. “He’s much too big to be on the couch.”
“He wasn’t on the couch. He was crushing my chest.”
“Sorry about that.” Sharon threw the dog a toy, and Beets caught it in his mouth. He shook his head, snarling and chewing at the ratty-looking stuffed mouse.
“Back in a sec,” her mother said. “I’m just going to grab my bag out of the car.”
Heaving and huffing, she dragged in her over-sized bag, leaving it at the foot of the stairs. “I don’t suppose you could help me with this?”
Jenna looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I didn’t think so. Oh, well, I can get Nick to carry it up later. He’s big and strong.” She looked at Jenna. “Which room are you staying in? I always take the guest room across the hall from Amy.”
“That’s where I’ve been sleeping.”
“I’ll just change the sheets. You don’t mind sleeping in Amy’s room, do you? They have a very comfortable fold-out sleeper.”
She couldn’t imagine sleeping on a thin mattress for the next few weeks, especially now, with this back. That was it. She had to get rid of her mother.
“I do mind, Mom. My back…”
The door flew open, and Kelly and Nick burst in. “Grandma!” Kelly ran to Sharon and gave her a big hug. “I saw your car out front. Yea! You’ve come back. Will you take us tonight to see Mom?”
“Of course I will.” Sharon looked at her grandson. “Nick? Will you be a sweetie and take my bag upstairs. I’ll be sleeping in my normal room. Jenna has graciously offered to sleep on the sofa-bed in Amy’s.”
Jenna opened her mouth, then shut it again. No point in arguing.
Nick picked up the enormous suitcase. “What have you got in here? Looks like you’re planning on staying awhile.”
“As a matter of fact, I am. I left Tom.”
“No way.” Nick turned at the top of the stairs. “He’s the best. A biker dude. Way cool.”
Sharon sniffed. “If he wants me back, he knows where to find me.”
Oh, no. Jenna didn’t like the sound of that. “Why don’t you call him, Mom, and let him know you’ve arrived safely?”
“Later. First, I’d like to have a cool lemonade and sit awhile. I’m exhausted from the drive.”
She looked at Jenna, still lying on the couch. “What time were you planning dinner? Should the kids and I visit before or after?”
At Jenna’s dumbfounded look, she carried on. “What about Rob? Will he be eating with us?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care. Why don’t you take the kids and have a nice long visit with their mother, and pick something up on your way home? That way, I won’t have to cook.”
“Don’t be lazy, Jenna. It’s not like you. Now, get up and get your mother a drink. I need to sit and relax for a few minutes before I unpack. Then I’ll take the kids off your hands and you’ll have several hours by yourself. I’m sure that will make you feel a hundred percent better.”
The only thing that would make her feel that much better would be wringing her mother’s neck.
Ignoring the shot of pain that every movement cost her, she dragged her butt off the couch and headed for the kitchen. She found a large glass, filled it with ice, and poured her mother the lemonade that she so desperately wanted, but couldn’t pour for herself.
Jenna knew the routine. Her mother would not lift a finger if she could get someone else to do it for her.
An hour later, Sharon took the children to see their mom, and Jenna was alone. Some of her pain melted with her mother’s departure. She might survive the night, but she’d never survive a week in this house with her mother. One of them had to go.
She found Cindy’s cell and saw their mother’s number listed. She decided to give Tom a call.
“Hello, is this Tom Burns? This is Jenna Cassali, Sharon’s daughter. I just wanted you to know that she arrived safe and sound, although she seems very upset. I know you two had a fight, and she’s terribly distraught over it. Maybe you could come by tomorrow or the next day, after she’s had a chance to calm down. Tell her you’re taking her home. She just needs to feel wanted and loved.”
“She knows how I feel about her,” Tom replied. “Darn woman.” He coughed loudly. “I’ll try to get away tomorrow and surprise her,” he said. “She’ll be tickled pink to think I drove all that way to romance her. I’ll buy some flowers, take her for dinner, and woo her back.”
“That’s an excellent idea. She’ll love it.” Jenna would have done a happy dance if her back was up to it. Instead she had to let her toes do an abbreviated tap dance. “Good-bye, Tom. I look forward to meeting you.”
“Likewise.”
Jenna continued the celebration with a glass of wine. Then she looked in the fridge and wondered what she could possibly cook. Staying on her feet for any length of time was too painful.
As payback to her mom, she could fry up some hot dogs, or make Mac and cheese from a box. But she could never do that to the kids.
Looking in the phone book, she found a Greek restaurant that delivered. She ordered salads and chicken, lamb, and shrimp kebobs. Then she opened a can of dog food, and dumped the entire thing in Beets bowl. With dinner out of the way, she returned to the couch with her glass of wine.
Jenna was feeling a smidgen better by the time the family returned, and they were in such high spirits, hers rose as well. They told her that Cindy had responded a little when they’d been talking to her. Her eyes had flickered open before they shut again. It was the most encouraging news they’d had in a long time. Everyone was in a jubilant mood, making plans for Cindy’s return.
After dinner, Rob left again to be with his wife, and Nick announced he was going out. Jenna hated to let him go, but when she started to say as much, her mother told her, ‘let the boy go. Don’t be so hard on him.’
It was beginning all over again, Jenna thought. Her mother had fought her over Cindy’s partying when they had both been young. Now she was sticking up for Nick.
Tom couldn’t get there soon enough.
CHAPTER TEN
Nick and Kelly had just left for school, when Jenna heard the sound of a powerful engine roaring up the drive. She looked outside just as a huge black Harley, with enough chrome to blind someone pulled up in front of the house. A big man with a gray ponytail hanging halfway down his back got off the bike and removed his helmet and gloves. He ran a hand through his hair, as if primping.
Jenna rubbed her aching back. She’d had a terrible night on the sofa-bed, but with any luck she’d be back in her old room that night. Tom, the dear man, had arrived to claim his bride.
She opened the door, eager to greet him. “Hi, Tom. I’m Jenna. Come on in.”
“Nice to meet you, Jenna. You’re even prettier than your mother said.” He ruffled Beethoven’s head. “Hey, Beets, how are you, old boy?” Tom’s grizzled face spread in a wide grin.
“So, is it still a surprise, or does she know I’m coming?”
“Not unless you told her. She’s out back having a cup of coffee. She wanted her breakfast served on the lanai.”
“She did, did she?” He chuckled. “She’s a bit of a handful, isn’t she?”
“You could say that. How about you, Tom? Can I bring you out a coffee?”
“Sure you can. Cream and sugar?”
“Coming right up.”
Jenna watched him sneak out to the pool area and drop a kiss on his wife’s bare shoulder. Sharon jumped and turned. “Tom! What are you doing here?”
He laughed, and Jenna could see why Cindy liked him. This big bear of a man seemed to have a lot of kindness in his heart. He obviously loved their mother very much.
Sharon was wearing a bikini, and Jenna could see a rose tattoo on her left breast. It looked like their mother had had some cosmetic surgery done. Breast enhancement, tummy tuck, liposuction, Jenna guessed. This was clearly not a sixty-year-old body, and an abused one, at that.
She poured Tom’s coffee and cut a generous slice of homemade apple cake. It was only nine-thirty in the morning. He must have been on the road by six or seven.
He’d stripped off his black T-shirt, revealing two massive, heavily tattooed arms. A ponytail on a man his age would normally be a turn-off, Jenna thought, but it gave him a rakish look, like a pirate. His flashing blue eyes, the big grin with one gold tooth, dark weathered complexion, and a dangling silver earring completed the image.
Sharon was trying to act snooty, but as Jenna carried out Tom’s coffee and cake, she could tell her mother was thrilled he’d come chasing after her.
“You shouldn’t have come, Tom. I know this is the busiest week of the year for you. You could have waited. And I’m needed here.”
He put his arms around her slim waist and snuggled up to her. “I would have missed you too much.”
“You say the sweetest things. It makes it hard for me to stay mad at you.” She kissed him on the lips, and Jenna left them to make up. Things were going better than she hoped. With any luck, they’d be gone by noon.
They weren’t. Actually, they went to the bedroom to get better acquainted and then came downstairs an hour later, hand in hand and grinning like young lovers.
Jenna was in the kitchen feeding Amy her lunch. She offered to make them sandwiches, which they and Beets devoured. She hoped once they were fed, they would want to hit the road.
ESCAPE INTO ROMANCE- 4 Book Bundle Page 31
