Vital Signs

by Bobby Hutchinson

  “They’re both still alive?” It was Ingrid who asked, although Hailey was wondering the same thing.

  Roy nodded. “They’re in their early eighties, in a retirement home now, but they’re both still mentally sharp. Mom’s had the flu, but she’s fine again. I talk to them almost every day. I helped them sell the farm three years ago, when it got to be too much for them. Dad was still disappointed that I didn’t want to take it over.” He lifted his cup and sipped coffee that had to be cold.

  Hailey got up and took the cup from him, dumping the cold coffee and refilling it with fresh from the pot. She took her time, giving herself a chance to regain her composure, because Roy’s story had touched her heart. Tears burned behind her eyes.

  It was very clear that he’d never felt he belonged, either with his adoptive parents or with his birth family. It was a situation she could relate to, although she’d had Ingrid, who was her rock. A rush of love for Gran brought a fresh surge of tears, and she had to wipe her eyes and blow her nose on a paper towel before she could return to the table.

  But when she did, Ingrid was pulling another of her sneaky moves.

  “Isn’t today the last day that movie’s showing, Sam? The one about the wedding that you promised you’d take me to see?”

  Sam started to shake his head, but Ingrid must have kicked him under the table, because he looked at his watch and sprang to his feet. “We just have time to catch the matinee if we leave right now.”

  “You don’t mind doing the cleaning up, Hailey? You know where everything goes, honey, and I’m sure Roy will give you a hand. Sorry for being rude, but I’ve waited forever to see this movie. Thanks for coming over, both of you. We’ll do it again really soon. Now where the heck is my hat?”

  And just like that, they were gone.

  Hailey shut her eyes and blew out an exasperated breath. When she opened them, she caught Roy laughing.

  “Your grandma’s a babe.”

  “My grandma’s sly and treacherous and sneaky as hell.”

  “I like her style. Shall we get this stuff cleared away?” He started scraping the generous remnants of the eggs Benedict into the garburator. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what the heck was this stuff, anyway?”

  Hailey started to laugh and couldn’t stop.

  “What?” Roy looked at her with a puzzled expression.

  “It’s just that Sam and I have asked that question about Ingrid’s concoctions more times than you can count. She has the best of intentions, but the truth is, Gran can’t cook worth a damn, and the funniest thing is she doesn’t know it.”

  “Well, I’ll be the last one to tell her. The company beats the food any old day.” He opened the dishwasher and started to load it. “I enjoy being around you, Hailey. I’d like to do more of it, lots more.”

  Hailey swallowed hard. She opened the fridge and carefully put the eggs and milk in. She’d been giving a lot of thought to what Gran had said about being so stubborn she ruined everything.

  “I enjoyed today, too.” Now, that wasn’t so hard. And it was ambiguous enough that he could read something into it or not, just as he chose. She took the dishcloth and wiped the counter. “We seem to spend a lot of time cleaning up kitchens together,” she said.

  His voice was soft and low, intimate. It reminded her that they were alone in the house. “I don’t suppose that means you might reconsider and step out of the kitchen with me on a real date?”

  Gran said he’d ask again. God, Gran is smart.

  “I might if you get around to asking me.” She’d meant her reply to be light and teasing, but her chest was tight and her voice didn’t sound right.

  He didn’t seem to notice. He didn’t say anything at first, which scared her, but then he took the dish towel she’d slung over her shoulder and carefully dried his hands. He reached out and touched her hair, just a single, gentle touch with the palm of his hand.

  “I wanted to see if it would burn me,” he said.

  She dared to meet his eyes. He was looking at her in that intense way that made it hard to breathe, as if he liked what he saw.

  “Will you have dinner with me, Hailey?”

  She drew a shaky breath and blew it out again.

  “Okay.” Idiot. Surely she knew more enthusiastic words than okay. She tried again. Her hands were shaking. “Yes, I would…like to have dinner with you.” She tipped her head to the side and looked straight at him. It took all her courage, because, Lordy, he was gorgeous. “When?”

  “Now?”

  She frowned and shook her head, bewildered. “But we only just finished lunch. It’s two in the afternoon.”

  “I know. But I’m starving. Those eggs didn’t do it for me.” He grinned and managed to look abashed. “And I guess I’m also scared that if I give you time to think about it, you’ll change your mind.”

  She swallowed over the lump in her throat. He was making it clear he really wanted to spend time with her. And Lord knew, today she didn’t want to be alone. In the back of her mind was that letter, hanging over her like a thundercloud.

  “Okay, then. I guess that’s what we’ll do.” What was wrong with her vocabulary today? “To tell you the truth, I’m sort of hungry myself.”

  This time his grin was huge. “Are we done here?”

  She glanced around. “Yup. Clean and shining.” She brushed off her sundress. “I’m not dressed very fancy.” As if he couldn’t see that.

  His eyes raked her body and sent heat shooting to private places.

  “You look pretty fancy to me. How about Chinatown? We can take my car. I’ll bring you back here for yours.”

  “I love Chinatown.”

  “Settled, then.” He reached out and took her hand. His was broad, the palm surprisingly rough. What did he do to get calluses on his palms? she wondered.

  And going to Chinatown at two in the afternoon couldn’t be classed as a date, could it?

  But she was dead wrong.

  It turned out to be a real date, with white tablecloths and hovering waiters and wine, and even a spray of lilies in a vase. She might have been nervous if she’d had a chance to anticipate, but the way it had happened made her relaxed, instead.

  Over a leisurely meal in the comfortably elegant and almost empty restaurant, she watched his mouth as he ordered, and she felt giddy and delighted when he reached across and took her hand in his. She should have been nervous and ill at ease, because she hadn’t done this dating thing a whole lot. But instead, being here with Roy felt as natural as breathing.

  She even got around to asking him about the calluses.

  “Oh, I’ve been refinishing a table. My dad taught me woodworking when I was a little kid. It was his hobby. Like most farmers, he was pretty good at a lot of different things.”

  She felt suddenly defensive. “You must have been pretty horrified by the stuff I’ve refinished.”

  “Are you kidding? I was blown away by what you’ve done. I like working with wood, but I haven’t been doing it. You have, and it’s pushed me into getting back into it.”

  “I’m glad.” She was surprised and pleased by the compliment. “That house boggles me sometimes, though,” she admitted with a sigh. “There’s so much to do and so many things I don’t know how to fix.” And today she felt as if she’d never have the energy to tackle anything again.

  “You could let me help.” Before she could refuse, he quickly added, “Please. It would be relaxing and fun and different. Granted, I don’t have a lot of free time, so if you’re concerned about me being underfoot all the time, don’t be. But I do have a few hours here and there that I’d like to spend helping you. Those doors you were working on the other day, for instance. I’m a pro at sanding. And the bathroom—I could help you redo the bathroom, put in a new subflooring, new drywall. Then you could have the tub refinished.”

  The bathroom. It was petty to be seduced by a bathroom, but the automatic refusal that had been on her lips died. Hailey could hear Gran whisperi
ng in her ear about cutting off noses again. What the heck, if he wanted to help her, why not let him? Her back and bottom were raw from that darned tub.

  “Okay.” Had okay become her new favorite word? “Yes, please.”

  “When can I start?”

  “Whenever you want.” She offered him a fortune cookie before taking one for herself.

  “How about now?”

  This guy didn’t waste time. And the universe was on her side, because the paper inside her cookie said, Much good change is heading your way.

  He read his fortune, grinned, and handed it to her.

  New endeavors will bring great pleasure.

  “Okay.” She was doing it again, the okay thing. Being around Roy turned her brain to pabulum. She’d turn into a mindless blob with a one-word vocabulary that could get her into real trouble.

  But this was free labor. She just had to keep thinking about the bathroom and stop wondering what he’d be like in bed.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  BY SEVEN THAT EVENING the ceiling and walls in the downstairs bathroom were stripped to the rafters. That was the good news.

  The bad news was, Roy had taken off his shirt at some point, and his chest wasn’t what you’d expect from a guy whose work was mainly head stuff. Roy’s chest was broad and matted with enticing dark curls, and he had muscles that Hailey hadn’t had a chance to fully appreciate when he was wearing clothes.

  “We could do the drywall and the subflooring next weekend if you want,” he suggested, wolfing down the vegetable omelet and hot biscuits she’d put together for their supper. He’d washed his face and hands, but there was still plaster dust in his thick dark hair. He was going to have females attacking him on the streets when he started turning naturally gray. She had to control the urge to reach across the table and brush the dust away. She could smell honest male sweat, and she’d worked closely enough with him for the past three hours to know that he used lemon-scented shampoo.

  “Only problem is, I may have to drop everything and go to work if an emergency comes up. It’s one of the hazards of my job.”

  “Well, count yourself lucky. I may not have a job to go to after this week,” she blurted. She’d actually forgotten about Margaret and the association until right now.

  He looked at her and frowned. “Cross carried through on her threat?”

  Hailey explained about the letter, cursing herself for bringing it up. Guys didn’t want to know about your problems.

  But Roy listened closely. “What’s this woman’s name again, the nurse consultant they’re sending?”

  “Louise Cornell.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “It’s a stupid thing to say, I know, but try not to worry too much about it. I guarantee it’s not going to affect your job.”

  He couldn’t possibly know that, but just having him say it made her feel better. And to her immense relief, he didn’t dwell on the issue.

  Instead, he reached for another biscuit, bit into it and sighed with pleasure. “These are the best I’ve tasted since I left home. I didn’t think anyone could make biscuits the way my mom did.”

  She felt ridiculously pleased. “I’m glad you like them.” She couldn’t help but wonder if all his appetites were as large, but she put the thought hastily out of her head. Don’t go there, Bergstrom. Here there be dragons.

  The one thing she knew for sure was that her dratted bathroom was way too small for the two of them to be in there at the same time. She’d been clearing away debris from the floor when he’d turned quickly and nearly knocked her over. His arms had come around her and she’d stopped breathing.

  Their eyes had locked and for a prayerful instant she’d thought he was going to kiss her. His body tensed, her pulse raced, her breath came back short and shallow.

  And then she’d come to her senses, taken one defensive step back, and he’d dropped his arms. She felt as if she’d been teetering on the edge of a ravine.

  And now she could kick herself for taking that one fatal step.

  Was she going to grow old regretting the things she didn’t do?

  AS HE DROVE HOME later that evening, Roy was wondering exactly the same thing. Why the hell hadn’t he kissed her when the opportunity presented itself? She was right there in his arms, and there were hot sparks in those golden eyes of hers that made him think she wanted to be kissed. But he’d hesitated that one split second and she stepped away, and the moment was lost.

  He was an idiot. Well, he amended, he was an intelligent idiot, because he had managed to convince her that having him around once in a while wasn’t such a bad idea.

  That bathroom was going to be an absolute bitch, but it had its advantages. It was a really small space, and she was going to have to be in there giving him a hand. And he might be an idiot, but he was also a quick learner. There’d be another shot at kissing, and the next time he’d be faster than a speeding bullet.

  In the meantime he intended to write that letter he’d been planning, saying just how fantastic a nurse Hailey was, and he’d fax a copy of it to the nurses association, to the attention of this Cornell woman. He’d do it tonight, before time got away from him again.

  HAILEY WASN’T DUE BACK at work until Wednesday, but Tuesday at nine in the morning the phone rang.

  “Hailey Bergstrom? This is Louise Cornell, the nurse consultant for the association.”

  Hailey’s stomach cramped. She tried to get some idea of what Cornell was like from her voice, but all she could sense was professional friendliness and detachment.

  “I know you’re off, but I wondered if you’d mind coming in this afternoon to talk with me? These matters cause a lot of anxiety, and for that reason I’d like to get this settled as quickly as possible. I’ve spoken to the others who were involved in the incident, and now I’d very much like to speak to you.”

  Hailey swallowed hard and agreed to come in at two.

  The only bright spot she could see in the day was that she’d get to spend time with David. Whatever happened, holding him, telling him stories would be solace.

  LOUISE CORNELL was comfortably plump, dressed in a gray business suit with a pink silk blouse. Her hair was nut-brown, cut short in a style more practical than fashionable. She had kindly brown eyes and a crooked smile that helped quiet the butterflies in Hailey’s belly, and she asked to be called Louise.

  She invited Hailey to describe exactly what had occurred, and she didn’t take notes or seem to do anything other than listen attentively.

  Hailey did her best not to sound defensive or to underplay what had happened. She’d gone over the events so many times in her mind that retelling them was easy. When she was done, Louise nodded.

  “Our policy is to try as often as possible to see that matters are worked out in a nonconfrontational fashion between the people involved. Now, I’m wondering why this matter couldn’t have been discussed and settled between you and your supervisor.”

  Hailey swallowed. She had to be very cautious here. “I did attempt that, but Margaret was very, um, upset.”

  “I see.” The brown eyes didn’t miss much. “Do you have any objections to having her join us now? And also the hospital administrator?”

  “Not at all.” Hailey braced herself as Louise paged them both. Rational discussions weren’t possible with Margaret, everyone knew that. Melissa Clayton-Burke, the hospital administrator, was noted for being sensible, honest and supportive, but this still could turn into a fiasco. Watch your temper, she cautioned herself.

  Within five minutes Margaret marched in, back like a ramrod, in what Hailey considered full battle dress. She was wearing her cap, a dress uniform so white it was blinding, and her perfectly polished white nursing shoes. She was from the Old School, and she was Right. Everything about her trumpeted that conviction. And when she looked at Hailey, her eyes glittered and her small, pinched mouth wore a self-satisfied little smirk.

  She sat as far away from Hailey as she could get, which was a re
lief.

  Melissa came in on a wave of energy and a swirl of navy silk shirtdress. Hailey had always liked Melissa, who was noted for being a no-nonsense administrator. She’d been a nurse herself, working at St. Joe’s before she went into administration, which endeared her to all the nurses because they knew she understood their job. And on a totally irrational level, Hailey liked her because her hair was almost the same violent shade of red as her own.

  “As I’ve explained to each of you,” Louise began, “I’m wondering why this whole matter couldn’t have been discussed and settled without involving the association. Our entire aim is to take away the hierarchy traditionally associated with nursing and replace it with openness and honesty. Now, Margaret, could you maybe explain why it wasn’t possible to reconcile this entire thing with Hailey, and if that didn’t achieve positive results, why you didn’t go to Melissa?”

  Margaret looked stunned, and it was a long moment before she found her voice. “Well, as I told you before, there’s no point in even trying to talk to Hailey.” She sneered. “Goodness knows I’ve tried in the past, but she has a degree and of course she knows everything.”

  Hailey could feel her face burning at the personal nature of the insult, and she wanted to hit Margaret across the mouth, but she managed not to say anything in her own defense. It was a wise move, because Margaret wasn’t finished. There was outright malice in her tone when she burst out, “She refuses to dress in a professional manner, and she’s insubordinate. When she’s on shift, the children are out of control, and she encourages them to be cheeky and defiant. They won’t obey the rules, and neither will she.”

  Obey the rules? Insubordinate? Hailey had a hysterical urge to giggle, but she quelled it. Margaret sounded like a drill sergeant in the military, instead of a supervising nurse on a pediatric ward.

  Melissa and Louise studiously avoided looking at one another, and with a surge of hope, Hailey wondered if, like her, they were feeling that Margaret was voicing complaints that sounded both antiquated and ridiculous. Nursing had changed, and the woman had refused to change with it.