The Rose Ring

by Lucie Ulrich

  Micah tipped his hat back. “Since when has that mattered to you?”

  “Let’s just go, okay?”

  “Too late.” He pointed toward the passenger window.

  She turned, slowly this time. Carl stood next to her door, grinning and motioning for her to open up. She lowered the window.

  “You two gonna sit out here all afternoon or come in and pay me a visit?”

  Sky worked up a smile. “We were debating on coming back a little later, after things quieted down some.”

  He yanked the door open wide. “Not a chance. Jim’s got things well in hand. I hired a part-time cook and actually have a full staff of waitresses for a change. ‘Course all that’ll change when Julie has the baby, if that little rascal will ever come, but for today all is well.”

  He took her hand and held it while she climbed from the cab. “We’ll have lunch upstairs where nobody will bother us.”

  Sky slid out and stood next to the open door. “Micah has to run an errand and won’t be back for about a half hour.”

  “Then we’ll eat when he returns.” Carl stuck his head inside the truck. “You don’t mind me stealing your wife for a while, do you, Micah?”

  Micah grinned. “So long as you return her when I come back.”

  “Deal.” They shook hands. Carl backed out of the cab and shut the door.

  Within seconds Sky found herself in the middle of the lunch crowd. Jim waved from the kitchen, and both Julie and Liz gave her a quick hug. She acknowledged all three before asking Carl about the new girl.

  “Name’s Emily. She started two days ago.” He looked at the young girl and offered one of his fatherly smiles. “Remind you of anyone?”

  Sky tried to smile too, but couldn’t. “What’s her story?”

  Carl ushered her toward the staircase. “Story?”

  “Yeah, is she homeless, parentless, in need of guidance? In need of a father? What?” The jealousy in her voice wasn’t pretty to hear. She wanted to take back the words and rephrase them, but what was done, was done.

  He stopped at the base of the stairs, all traces of his smile gone. “She’s a lovely young lady I know from church. She’s raising money to go on a mission trip this summer, so I asked her parents if it would be okay for her to work for me part-time.”

  “Oh.”

  He frowned. “Oh? Is that all you have to say?”

  She lowered her gaze to the floor, feeling small.

  “We can talk about this upstairs.” He grabbed the rail and limped up the steps.

  Sky followed, ashamed of her attitude. She closed the apartment door behind her and sat on the couch. Carl took the chair opposite her and moaned while lifting his bad leg onto the ottoman. Tears filled her eyes. “Please don’t scold me, Carl. I don’t think I could take it today.”

  “I have no intention of scolding you, honey. I know unwarranted jealousy when I hear it. I also know you, and you must have a good reason for feeling the way you do.” He reached for the box of tissues on the table next to him and tossed it her way.

  Sky blew her nose and wiped away the tears. She took in a deep breath, appreciating the one man who knew her better than she knew herself. “What would I do without you, Carl?”

  “I have no intention of you ever finding out.” He grimaced while pulling himself up straighter. “I love you, Sky, but that won’t stop me from showing compassion toward others.”

  Sky swallowed hard and nodded. Her heart hurt, knowing she’d doubted the only father she’d ever known. She moved to his chair, knelt down, and hugged him. “Forgive me?”

  He hugged her back. “There’s nothing to forgive. Do me one favor, though?”

  “Anything.”

  “Be nice to Emily. All she’s heard since coming to work is how great Sky is. She’s feeling a little intimidated.”

  She placed her hand on top of his and grinned. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll let her know your bark is way worse than your bite.”

  “Well, I’m not sure you have to go that far.” He feigned a frown, which quickly disappeared. “Now, how about a nice, strong cup of tea?”

  “I’ll make it.” She squeezed his hand and then dashed off to the kitchen.

  Carl joined her a few minutes later. Pulling out a chair, he sat at the table. “How are things going at the ranch?”

  The kettle whistled, and Sky reached to turn off the gas. “I had an interesting talk with Noah this morning.” She poured the scalding water into the teapot. “He told me about the night his parents were killed.”

  Carl’s brow lifted. “Did he, now?”

  “Yeah.” She brought the tea to the table, then gathered cups, saucers, sugar, honey, and some ginger snaps. “It was hard to hear.

  “I’m sure it was.” Carl reached for the cup she’d set before him.

  “Noah blamed Micah for the accident, and now he’s beating himself up over it.” She poured for both of them. “Thing is, I think there’s more to the story than that.”

  He lifted the cup to his lips. “What makes you think so?”

  “Noah mentioned something about his parents not getting along and that he seemed to be the cause. But he doesn’t know why. He also said his mother never loved him the way she loved Micah.” She wrapped her hands around her cup. “I’m starting to get a better understanding of who the man is.”

  “And just who might that be?”

  She took a sip of her tea and set the cup down. “Someone who isn’t nearly as confident as he’d like people to believe. He’s harboring as much, if not more, pain than Micah, and he wants to make things right.”

  “Looks like you and Noah have been spending a lot of time together.” Carl reached for a cookie but kept his eyes on her.

  Sky nearly protested but stopped short as the series of little, and not-so-little, talks they’d had over the last month ran through her mind. “You know what? You’re right.”

  “And that doesn’t bother Micah?”

  She took a cookie and dunked it into her tea. Micah had never said much one way or the other. She’d sort of hoped her lunch with Noah would have sparked a little jealousy. “I wish it did.” She popped the soggy cookie into her mouth.

  “You sure about that? Most men I know wouldn’t cotton to their wife spending time with another man.”

  She shrugged. “I suppose if we had a traditional marriage that might be the case, but despite the mixed messages I seem to be getting from Micah, I’ve actually learned more about his past from Noah than I have from him.”

  “Well, just be careful not to play one against the other.”

  That was the last thing Sky wanted to do. She longed to be a help, not a hindrance. Still, she felt sure her lunch with Noah had bothered Micah, and he probably wouldn’t be thrilled to hear about their talk in the attic this morning. She looked across the table. “Do you think that’s what I’m doing?”

  Carl pushed away from the table and grunted to a standing position. “Not intentionally.” He carried his cup to the sink. “Just be sure you give Micah more time than you do Noah.”

  “But Micah is gone so much, and Noah is always in the mood to talk.”

  “Listen to me, Sky.” He approached the table and leaned against it. “Whatever the circumstances, Micah is your husband. I’m not saying you can’t talk to Noah, just be careful you don’t give Micah the wrong impression. Trying to make someone jealous seldom works.”

  Sky laid her head on the table and groaned. She hadn’t gone out with Noah to make Micah jealous, but she had hoped he would be. What if in her effort to understand them she was making things worse?

  What a mess.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Micah flew up the stairs, pounded on Carl’s apartment door, but didn’t wait for anyone to answer. He rushed in. “Sky? Carl? Where are you?”

  Sky hurried into the living room. “What’s wrong?”

  “We have to go.” He grabbed her coat from the back of a chair and tossed it to her. “Annie�
��s in the hospital.”

  Her face blanched. “What happened? Is she okay?”

  He paced behind the couch, a sick feeling brewing in his stomach. “I don’t know. I got secondhand information from Noah, who got it from some lady who talked so fast he couldn’t make out half what she was saying. He’s already headed out there.”

  “Did Doc Harper check her out?” Sky shoved her arm into a sleeve.

  Micah threw his hands out and yelled. “I don’t know.” He stopped to take a breath. “I’m sorry. All I know is that an ambulance took her to the hospital in Missoula. Now, please, we need to hurry.”

  Carl eased up behind Sky and helped her with her coat. “I know you’re upset, Micah, but try to stay calm. You have a long drive ahead of you, and you won’t do yourself any good if you aren’t careful on the roads.”

  Was the guy for real? The woman who’d loved and raised him for the last eighteen years could be dying for all he knew, and he was supposed to act like he was out for a Sunday drive? He stepped forward and gripped Sky’s hand. “We’ll be fine.”

  Carl took hold of her other hand. “Maybe Sky should stay with me.”

  Heat burned Micah’s neck and ears. He liked Carl, but the man was interfering. He pulled Sky toward him. “I have no intentions of driving like a lunatic or getting into an accident.”

  “Nobody plans on having an accident, son.” Carl looked Micah dead on, the sternness in his voice outweighed by the sadness in his eyes. “Sky is all I have left.”

  Micah sucked in a deep breath and allowed Carl’s sober words to penetrate. He and Carl had both lost loved ones in a similar manner, and neither wanted to go through that again. “I get your point, and I promise I’ll be careful, but I need Sky with me.”

  Sky’s gaze traveled from Micah to Carl. “He needs me, Carl. I have to go. I want to go.” He released his hold, and she placed a light kiss on his cheek. “I’ll call you as soon as we know anything.”

  Hand in hand, they hurried out the door and dashed to his truck. Micah pulled into the street, a million negative thoughts flashing through his head. What if this…? What if that…? His chest tightened, and tingles ran down his arms.

  When the intersection light turned amber, Micah’s gut instinct was to step on the gas. Instead, he eased to a stop. He drummed his fingers impatiently and took off the second the light turned green, only to be stopped by an approaching train. He slammed on the brakes, threw the truck into park, and pounded both palms against the steering wheel. “I can’t believe this!” He crossed his arms over the wheel and pressed his forehead against his arms.

  Unclasping her seatbelt, Sky slid closer to him. “Try to relax, Micah. I’m sure everything is going to be fine.” With a tentative hand, she reached out and stroked his back.

  Micah wanted to believe her, needed to believe her. But the fear of losing Annie consumed his every thought. His heart beat faster than he’d ever felt it before. He willed himself to relax. With his eyes closed, he thought of nothing but the sensation of Sky’s hand gently massaging his back.

  He didn’t look up again until the signal bell stopped. The train had passed, and the gates rose as if in slow motion. “I’m okay now.”

  She smiled. “You sure?”

  “Yeah. Better buckle up.”

  “Right.” She slid toward the other side of the truck.

  Micah pulled at the center belt. “This one doesn’t get much use. Maybe you should give it a try.”

  She smiled and buckled in next to him. “You know, I’d be happy to drive if you don’t feel up to it.”

  Micah reached for the gearshift. Surely she didn’t expect him to give her a driving lesson now? He whipped his head her way and froze, but not for long. That upturned mouth and teasing glimmer in those coal black eyes of hers nearly melted him into his seat. She was beautiful. And that was the last thing he needed to be thinking of at the moment. He shook the thought from his head.

  She bit her bottom lip. “Bad joke?”

  “No ma’am. It was the perfect joke at the perfect time.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you.”

  A car horn blasted behind them. Sky twisted to look out the back window. “Looks like we’re holding up traffic.”

  He released her hand and stepped on the gas. The roads were clear of snow and ice and it took great restraint for him to keep his speed to just five miles over the posted limit. They pulled into the emergency room parking lot and hurried to the desk only to be told to leave their names and wait.

  “Can’t you give me any information?” Micah asked.

  The girl behind the counter glanced at the name he’d written. “I’m sorry, sir, but our computer system is down, and I’m only getting sporadic information.” She tapped a handful of keys then hit the side of the monitor. “I don’t know why I keep thinking that’s going to help.” She picked up a ringing phone and held it to her chest. “As soon as you’re allowed to go back, I’ll let you know.”

  “Come on.” Sky took his hand and pulled him into the waiting room where they sat on a couple of black vinyl chairs. “I wonder where Noah is. You said he was already on his way, right? Shouldn’t he be here by now?”

  “Yeah, he should.” He looked from one end of the green-walled room to the other. The young man across from him had a huge bandage around his hand, while his wife or girlfriend encouraged him to keep it elevated. An elderly man shuffled in wearing one shoe, his other foot swollen to twice the size it should be. Families clustered in small groups, some laughing, some somber. A woman in a wheelchair moaned in the corner. Noah was nowhere in sight.

  He stood and made his way back to the desk, hoping the computers were up again

  The girl behind the desk shrugged. “I’m sorry, sir, it’s still down.” She reached for the ringing phone but didn’t pick it up. “I’ll see what I can find out as soon as I get a free minute.”

  Tension tightened the muscles at the base of his neck, but he kept his frustration in check. “Thank you.”

  A hand came to rest on his shoulder. “She’s okay, Micah.”

  Inadvertently knocking Noah’s hand away, Micah spun at the sound of his brother’s voice. “Thank God. At least you can take me to see her.” He headed for the double doors.

  Noah grabbed his arm. “Hold up. They’ve just taken her to X-ray. I only came out to see if you were here yet and fill you in on what little I know.”

  Micah’s stomach tightened. “What are they X-raying? How serious is it? You said she was okay, right?”

  “Relax, little brother. Annie is giving out more orders than the doctors.” He laughed. “Let’s sit for a minute.”

  Micah’s stomach unclenched. He wasn’t sure if it had more to do with his brother’s words or the gentle tone he’d used to convey them. But for the first time since Noah’s return, his use of the word brother didn’t come across as condescending.

  He nodded toward the waiting room. “Sky’s over there.” Micah led the way past a low wall that divided the reception desk and emergency entrance from the waiting room. He eased into a chair and gently tugged Sky to his side.

  Noah took a seat across from them. “All I know for sure is that she broke her leg in a fall. She and her lady friends were leaving the church after their meeting and Annie somehow stumbled and fell.”

  Sky gasped. “Are you sure it’s just a broken leg? The church has at least a dozen steps.”

  “According to the woman who called me, it was only a couple.”

  “They must have left through the back door, then,” Micah said. He shuddered at the implication of what might have happened had they chosen the other. “How bad is the break?”

  “That, I don’t know. We’ll have to wait for the X-ray results.”

  Silence followed. Micah had no more questions. Sky picked up a magazine from the empty seat next to her. She leafed through the pages but clearly wasn’t reading.

  Nearly an hour passed before the girl behind the desk called his n
ame. Micah hurried over, followed by the other two. She handed him a couple of stick-on visitor tags. “Only two at a time.” She pointed to her left. “Through that door. Someone will direct you.”

  Micah held out one of the tags, unsure who he should give it to.

  “You two go,” Noah said.

  Sky cocked her head. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I’ve already seen her. I’ll go in when one of you comes back. Besides, she’s going to need to ride back in the SUV, so we’ll have plenty of time to talk. If she’s not all doped up, that is.”

  Micah peeled the back from one of the tags and handed it to Sky. “Trust me, that won’t stop her.” He slapped the other tag to his shirt. “Let’s go.”

  They found Annie in a small room without a door, lying on her back with her left leg propped up on a pillow. Her eyes were closed, her hair somewhat disheveled, and there was little color to her cheeks. Micah took a tentative step toward the side of her bed. “Annie,” he whispered, not wanting to startle her.

  Sky tugged on his arm. “Maybe we shouldn’t wake her.”

  “I’m not sleeping.” Annie’s eyes popped open. “And as soon as they cast this thing, I’ll be ready to get out of here.” She struggled to sit. “How about giving an old lady a hand?”

  Micah chuckled, relieved to hear her sound like herself again “First off, you’re not an old lady, and second, I think we should wait to see what the doctor has to say.”

  Annie waved a hand. “He’s going to say that I’ll be in a cast for six to eight weeks, that I should get plenty of rest, and to prop my leg up as much as possible. This isn’t the first bone I’ve ever broken.”

  With a gentle but firm hand, he lowered her back onto the bed. “I don’t ever remember seeing you in a cast.”

  She pinched her eyes shut and grimaced. “It was a long time ago. Before you were born.”

  Sky sidled up to him. “Can we get you anything, Annie?”

  Annie opened her eyes a second time. “A ride home would be good. A couple more pain pills wouldn’t hurt either.”