Josie stood at the foot of Nooko’s bed, unsure if she should interrupt. Her worry over Nooko being alone was for nothing. She loved the thought of the other elders on the island remembering her grandmother. “I brought you a change of clothes.”
“Thank you, honey. Can I go home now?” She directed her question to the doctor.
“Yes. I’ll have my nurse go over your instructions. You take it easy for a while, and I’m going to come over to check on you in a week.” He left the room and the nurse entered.
While she was talking to Nooko and removing the IVs, Josie turned to Kelly. “Why do you know who Loretta Robins is?”
“She lives at the new nursing home on the island where I worked this summer. It didn’t even occur to me she might know Ruth, but I suppose it makes sense.”
The conversation halted as they got Nooko into a wheelchair, which she protested until she was told it was hospital protocol, and into the car.
Once they were on the road, Josie glanced at Nooko in the back seat through the rearview mirror. She looked so peaceful as she dozed. “I can’t believe they found each other after so many years. When Nooko and my grandfather left the island, she kept in touch with a few friends but lost contact with most of them. It’s special they found each other.”
“Connections are amazing. Ruth is special, too. It’s not surprising people still remember her.”
The rest of the ride was quiet, and Josie looked carefully at the lodge as she headed up the drive. She didn’t see anyone or anything out of place and was reassured by the police cruiser parked next to the building. She waved at the driver as she turned off the car. She couldn’t wait for this feeling of dread to go away. They helped Nooko out of the back seat and led her to the couch in the lodge. “Can I get you anything?” Kelly asked.
“No. I’m just glad to be home.” She leaned her head back on the couch. “That was awful what we went through, wasn’t it?”
“It sure was.” Kelly settled next to her.
Josie sat in one of the chairs, listening to Nooko and Kelly talk. “Abe’s gone. The police will find him and lock him away forever.” She realized she was speaking to herself when she saw Nooko and Kelly sound asleep. She went to her office and called Barb.
“Hey, Josie. Everything okay?”
“Yes. We brought Nooko home from the clinic today. The doc says to keep an eye on her, but she doesn’t have any broken bones or substantial injuries. Mostly bruises and dehydration. She and Kelly are resting now. Any luck finding Abe? Brent said someone might have seen him?”
“Sorry, nothing new yet. But we’re not giving up. I believe the police will want to talk to Ruth. I expect they’ll be calling you soon. If she’s not up to it, don’t worry. We can talk when she is.”
“Thanks, Barb. I’ll let Nooko know.” Josie hung up the phone and checked on Nooko and Kelly before going to her studio. She filled her sketch pad with a rendering of a dream catcher design demanding her attention. She cleared off her large worktable and laid out the last three of her mother’s eagle feathers. She searched her drawers for two equally sized small willow hoops, set them side by side above the feathers, and reverently pulled out the last of her mother’s large hoops. She placed it above the two smaller rings, picturing the final creation in her mind. She checked her supply of beads and small feathers before slowly sliding the drawer closed. This would be her special gift to Kelly and herself. A symbol of their shared dreams and life together. She hoped Kelly wanted that as much as she did.
She locked her studio door and joined Kelly and Nooko in the lodge. It would be a while before she could feel easy leaving them for any length of time.
“I missed you.” Kelly’s eyelids fluttered open when Josie caressed her cheek. Nooko slept soundly nestled next to her.
Josie smiled back, thinking how much she wanted to be in Nooko’s place. “Have any preferences for lunch?”
“You?”
“Hmm. How’s the arm feel?”
“I’d love a repeat of the hot tub except I’m afraid I’d drown myself trying to keep it dry.”
“Maybe we better wait until it isn’t so dangerous.”
Kelly’s beautiful blue eyes darkened like storm clouds moving across the sky, and she longed to be drenched in their wake.
She shifted in her seat as desire flooded her senses. “I talked to Barb this morning. They haven’t found Abe yet, and I expect Brent to be here any time to get more information. I won’t wake Nooko until he gets here, and if she’s not feeling well, we’ll make him wait until she is.”
Kelly redistributed her weight to rest Nooko’s head gently on a pillow and lift her feet to the couch. She stood and stretched her back. “I need to move. You want to go sit on the porch with me?”
“Sounds good.” Josie put her cell phone in her pocket.
Kelly took her hand, and the feeling of rightness settled her. The thought of having Kelly to share the challenges and joys of life with her soothed her unrest and replaced fear with peace.
A niggling thought crept into her serenity. Kelly had a house, a horse, a job, and a life hundreds of miles away. She lived in a place Josie had never even been to. How were they going to work this out? She couldn’t ask Kelly to give up her life to move to an island that got four feet of snow in the winter. Maybe she’d go for a long-distance relationship. But she knew it wasn’t what either one of them wanted. Her stomach roiled with apprehension.
“I feel you thinking.” Kelly shifted to face her. “What is it?”
“I’m scared.” Josie blurted the words, surprising herself.
“Of what, lover?”
“I love you, and I want us to be together, but I can’t ask you to give up your house and your life.” Josie grabbed Kelly’s free hand.
“I want the same thing.” Kelly pulled their joined hands to her chest. “I’ll need to go back and make some arrangements, but we’ll work things out. I’ve grown fond of Drummond Island, and it’s where you are, so it’s where I want to be.” Kelly kissed her hard.
Josie returned the kiss with all the passion and tenderness in her heart. She didn’t know how they’d work it out, but for now, it was enough to know it was what Kelly wanted.
* * *
“I’m glad that’s over.” Kelly plopped onto the couch after dinner. “Trooper Brent had a lot of questions.”
“Yeah. Nooko’s sound asleep again. Poor thing had to relive the whole ordeal, but she’s tough. She wants Abe caught even more than we do.”
Kelly chuckled. “That’s hard to imagine, but I suppose we’ll never know what it was like to be restrained and held against your will in a flimsy lean-to in the woods.” She thought about all the elderly patients she’d known through the years, and few at eighty-six compared to Ruth in strength. This would take a lot out of her, and she hoped it didn’t break her spirit. She vowed to do all she could to help her stay mobile and healthy.
“She comes from a long line of strong women. My mother was a tough lady, too.”
Kelly smiled at Josie’s expression of pride instead of sadness when she spoke of her mother. “I’d say her daughter is pretty tough, too.” She kissed her and took her hand. She loved Josie, she was sure of that, and she wanted to make a life with her. For the first time, she let herself imagine what that would be like. She’d come to Drummond Island for a getaway from work, but she had a life besides work. Questions popped into her head like popcorn. Where would she work? How often could she get south to ride Pogo and see her friends and her sister? Would Josie tire of her? The last question took her by surprise. Josie had professed her love and she believed her, but Josie’s fear of commitment lingered in the back of her mind.
Josie kissed her lightly drawing her from her thoughts. “You okay?”
“It was hard reexperiencing it all. I didn’t realize how traumatizing it was.” Kelly trembled. “I think I’m going to have a bit of PTSD.” She shook her head to dislodge the insecurities.
“You’re ent
itled, love. It’s a big deal, what we went through. Don’t try to minimize the effect on you because you’re a nurse. I know you’ve probably seen awful things, but this happened to you. And to someone you care about.” Josie stood and pulled her into her arms.
Kelly leaned on her, absorbing her strength and calming her doubts. “You ready for bed? My arm aches.”
“It looks pretty swollen. You go ahead. I’ll bring us some water, and you take a pain pill tonight.” Josie kissed her and left for the kitchen.
Kelly lay on the bed on her back cradling her sore arm until Josie returned with water and her pill and snuggled next to her.
“You feel good,” Kelly mumbled against her neck before sleep overtook her.
Chapter Thirty-nine
“We got him!” Barb nearly knocked Josie over when she grabbed her and spun her around.
“Fantastic. Come in and tell us about it.” Josie led the way into the lodge.
“Hi, Barb,” Kelly said from one of the tables where she was sitting with Nooko. “Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?”
“I’m good. Thanks. I’ve got to get back to the police post and fill out paperwork soon. Brent will be in touch with you, but we caught the idiot trying to sneak onto the ferry with a fake ID. The police received numerous calls from people on the ferry who recognized him from the picture we posted everywhere. Even if they hadn’t gotten there to arrest him, the folks would’ve never let him off the boat.”
Josie sat at the table with Nooko and Kelly, happy to see Barb settle down in a chair looking completely relaxed. “Great news. I hope he goes away for life!”
“I don’t know what the sentence will be, but Abe’s behind bars.”
“Thanks again for your help, Barb. Do you know if Abe said anything about why he did what he did?” Josie asked.
“The police are interrogating him now, but remember I told you I found an Abe Bernstein who was a member of the Purple Gang, out of Detroit? I suspect our Abe is his namesake. The gang was notorious for burying the spoils of their illegal activities all over the state, and Abe had a map leading to an area on your property. I’d guess it was his relative’s, showing where the strongbox was buried. When you refused to sell to him, he probably became desperate. Turns out, he didn’t know your father at all. He found his hunting blind in the woods and used it, but he never even met him. I’m not sure why your dad started calling himself Jack, but that sign he carved must have made Abe think that was his name. Yeah. That Abe is a master manipulator but a real idiot. I’m glad we caught him.”
Josie glanced at Nooko and sprung from her seat when she saw tears flowing down her face, and Kelly held her hand, looking concerned.
“I’m so thankful you caught him.” She spoke through sniffles. “I can sleep right again, knowing he’s not still blundering about in the woods.”
Josie relaxed and laughed. “So those are tears of joy.” Nooko hadn’t said anything about being worried, but she’d guessed by the dark circles under her eyes that not everything was okay. At least she could put that worry to bed now.
“Tears of joy are a welcome sight. I’ll leave you guys alone to enjoy the good news.” Barb stood and hugged each of them before leaving.
“I figured they’d catch him. He wasn’t exactly a genius, and all he could focus on was finding what he considered buried treasure. Greed can cause people to do bad things.” Kelly stood. “Can I get you two a cup of tea?”
“Yes, please, dear.” Nooko dabbed her eyes with tissue.
“Sounds good. We’ll toast to Abe’s capture.”
“What do you think will happen to the box?” Nooko asked. “I’d love to know the history of some of the things in it.”
“Don’t know. I don’t care if I ever see the thing again.” Josie considered it would be a nice boost to her bank account but had already decided to donate it if it happened to come back to her.
“Anyone up for ice cream?” Kelly asked after they’d finished their tea.
“Could we pick up my friend Loretta?” Nooko asked quietly, looking like a child asking for a favor.
Josie looked at Kelly, who shrugged. “Sure. We’ll have to clear it with the doctor first, but let’s go.”
Loretta sat on the bench at the entrance of the facility when they arrived. “Thank you for calling ahead, Kelly.” Nooko squirmed in her seat, obviously excited to see her friend.
“No problem, Ruth.”
Josie stopped in front of the bench and watched Kelly help Loretta into the Jeep. Would there come a time when Nooko would need more help? It comforted her to know the facility was close, as long as it was affordable. She pushed aside her concerns to concentrate on Nooko and her friend.
She stole a glance at Kelly and winked as they heard Nooko and Loretta speaking nonstop as they rode to the restaurant. When they arrived and parked, Josie moved one of the picnic tables at the Teepee into the shade and helped Kelly carry the ice cream. “Two chocolates and two vanillas.”
“Thank you,” Loretta said. She grinned and held Nooko’s hand. “This was such a wonderful surprise.”
Josie listened to Nooko and Loretta chat about old times and Loretta’s living conditions. She loved living at the home and went on and on about the great care.
“I’m glad Loretta’s doing so well,” Kelly said to Josie as she ate her ice cream with a seductive look in her eyes.
“Me, too. That nursing home sounds pretty nice.” Josie focused on her ice cream, fully aware it would be inappropriate to take Kelly back to the Jeep and ravish her right there in the parking lot.
“It is. It’s state of the art, with the latest technology and a great staff.” Kelly grinned. “I know because I trained most of them.”
“Loretta must have some major health issue, though, for her to be there, right?”
“She does. That’s about all I can tell you.” Kelly looked sad as she gazed at Loretta and Nooko. “But she’s here now with her friend, enjoying a beautiful late summer day.”
“Yes, and so are we.” Josie knew their time together was ending soon. She reminded herself it was only temporary, and she pushed aside the fear it might become permanent once Kelly got home and realized what she was leaving behind.
“Can we take the long way back to Loretta’s?” Nooko asked.
“Of course.” Josie turned to take a route along the water.
“This is beautiful,” Loretta said. “I haven’t seen the bay in two years.”
“Where were you living before you moved to the nursing home?” Josie smiled at the joy on Loretta’s face reflected in the rearview mirror.
“I lived with my daughter south of Traverse City. We never made it back to the island. In fact, we rarely left the house. She’s on her second round of chemo treatments, and her husband’s a disabled war veteran.” Her joy faded as she spoke.
“Then I’m doubly glad you were able to join us today.” Josie drove as slowly as she could, hoping to bring a smile back to Loretta. They dropped her off, and she and Nooko hugged for a long moment, with a renewed promise to keep in touch.
Josie pulled into the lodge parking lot and turned to Nooko. “We can visit Loretta whenever you want to. Maybe she’d come over for lunch once in a while.” She held her breath, waiting to see if Nooko said anything about how difficult that would be once she moved back to her home, but she simply nodded and smiled, looking lost in thought.
“I’d like that, dear.”
Kelly helped Nooko out of the car and Josie followed them inside. She watched Kelly with Nooko, love tightening her throat. She blew out a breath and crossed her fingers Kelly would come back to her.
* * *
“I’m ready. Thanks for taking me.” Kelly stepped into the Jeep easily before Josie had a chance to help her.
“Of course I’d take you. Having stitches removed is a big deal.” Josie chuckled. “I’m glad it’s healed as well as it has. I think the doc will be pleased.”
Kelly grabbed her hand as s
he drove. “I’d like to talk after I’m done.”
Josie’s stomach clenched. We need to talk. Just the phrase every woman wants to hear. “Of course. We can stop at the beach. There’s a shaded bench by the water. We can talk there.”
The nurse didn’t bother to ask about family this trip, but Josie waited outside the exam room anyway, wanting to give Kelly some privacy. She’d barely gotten through the first five pages of a magazine when Kelly came out without her sling. “That didn’t take long.”
“She’s healing nicely.” The doctor had followed Kelly out. “Make sure she doesn’t do any heavy lifting, and I suggest she keep the sling on.” He looked at Kelly and shook his head. “Keep that sling on for another week.” He was still shaking his head as he walked toward another exam room.
“Not following doctor’s orders?” Josie took the sling from Kelly and held it until she relented and put it back on. “You sure can be a difficult patient, Nurse Kelly.” Josie smiled and shook her head.
“Yeah, yeah.” Kelly grinned and kissed her. “Thanks for caring.”
“Wait by the front door. I’ll bring the car around and pick you up.”
Josie parked in the sand-covered lot and took Kelly’s hand when she climbed out. The beach was empty, which didn’t surprise her. The summer crowds had thinned as the days shortened and the nights grew colder. A cool breeze wafted off the water, bringing the scent of fish and end-of-summer decayed vegetation. They walked to the bench and Josie kissed Kelly’s hand before releasing it. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Us.”
Josie clenched her fists, fear racing through her veins.
“It’s a good thing, lover. Don’t look so scared.” Kelly smiled and kissed her lightly.
Relief almost made her dizzy. “Sorry. Go ahead.”
“I wanted to talk about my horse, Pogo. I can’t leave him behind. Can we build a little paddock and small barn somewhere not too far from the lodge?”
Josie blinked, trying not to laugh. “Your horse? You wanted to talk about your horse.”
Love Came Calling Page 25
