Feels Like Family

by Sherryl Woods

  “Not a chance,” the detective assured him.

  Erik went off to find the cafeteria or a vending machine. Hospital noises and smells were as familiar to him as the aromas in Sullivan’s kitchen, but ever since Sam had died they made him queasy. He had to fight with himself to keep from heading straight back to the parking lot, where he could suck in fresh air and maybe get a grip on his composure.

  It didn’t take him long to find a vending machine, which spewed out a pitiful-looking cup of weak coffee for him. He bought that, then found Helen’s tea in the cafeteria.

  As he was passing the triage desk, the nurse beckoned to him. “Dr. Wilson is with another patient right now, but she said to tell Ms. Decatur she’ll check on Mrs. Holliday’s status and be out to fill her in as soon as possible.”

  “Thanks,” Erik said. “I’ll let her know.”

  When he got to the waiting room, he heard Helen summarizing the scene on the day Caroline Holliday had been granted her divorce and the concern the judge and Brad’s attorney had expressed for her safety and Helen’s. Taking a seat beside Helen, Erik handed her the tea with a roll of his eyes. “Be grateful you opted for that,” he said after taking a sip of his coffee.

  “You’re drinking it,” she noted.

  “I’m desperate. Any caffeine will do.”

  Helen shook her head. “Shouldn’t you have gotten decaf?”

  “It wouldn’t matter,” the officer said. “Desperation is the only reason anyone would drink that stuff. I’m in here just about every night following up on an accident or a domestic violence incident and I’ve been pleading with ’em for two years to try to get one of those big coffee chains to open up a franchise by the E.R. It’d make a fortune.”

  Beside Erik, Helen’s eyes immediately brightened. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be a big chain franchise,” she said, her gaze on him. “What do you think, Erik? It could be a Sullivan’s café like the one we have at The Corner Spa.”

  Detective Myers regarded her with surprise. “I’ve had the coffee at that restaurant. Best around.”

  Helen grinned. “He’s one of the chefs,” she said, gesturing toward Erik.

  For a few minutes the tension dissolved as the four of them talked about Sullivan’s food and coffee, but the instant a harried-looking woman in green surgical scrubs walked into the waiting room, the mood immediately turned somber.

  “Hey, Doc,” Detective Myers said. “Any news?”

  “Good and bad,” she said with a nod in Helen’s direction. “Thanks for coming.”

  “What’s the good news?” the detective asked.

  “She made it through surgery,” Emily Wilson said, but her expression remained grim.

  “But?” Erik said.

  “She’s not coming around the way we’d hoped and her blood pressure hasn’t stabilized. In fact, it’s dropping.”

  “She’s still bleeding,” Erik guessed before the others could react.

  The doctor nodded. “That’s what we’re afraid of. The surgeon was sure he’d found all the bleeders and tied them off, but he could have missed something. Her internal organs took quite a beating.”

  “Is he going back in?” Erik asked, aware of Helen’s gaze. “There may not be a lot of time to wait it out.”

  “He’ll make a decision in the next half hour,” Dr. Wilson confirmed. “You seem to have a good grasp of all this.”

  “I was an EMT for a while,” he said.

  The detective stared at him. “And now you’re a chef. I’ll bet there’s a story in that.”

  Erik shrugged. “Not a very interesting one,” he said.

  “I’ll keep you posted,” Dr. Wilson told them. “Detective, have you been able to reach her kids?”

  “I tracked down her oldest son. He’s rounding up the others. They should be here soon.”

  “The sooner the better,” the doctor said.

  Beside Erik, Helen shivered. He draped an arm around her and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe we should go,” he suggested.

  “No,” Helen said at once. “I need to stay. If you need to get back, take my car. Maddie or somebody can pick me up later.”

  “Not a chance,” Erik said. “If you stay, I stay. I just thought you might not want to be here when her children get here.”

  Helen shook her head. “They may have questions I can answer.”

  “Or they may blame you for triggering all this,” he countered. “Remember, they love their mom and their dad.”

  “He’s right,” Detective Myers said. “In these circumstances, people sometimes aren’t rational. I have the background information I need from you for now. Go home.” He met Erik’s gaze, though he continued to speak to Helen. “Just make sure someone’s with you at all times until we find this guy, okay? He’s clearly lost his grip.”

  “Someone will be,” Erik assured him.

  “I’ll notify your sheriff that he needs to keep a watch on your house and your office,” he said.

  “She’s spending a lot of time at my place,” Erik said. “Most of the time she’s not alone there.” He gave him the address.

  “I’ll make sure he knows about that, too,” Detective Myers said. “You can’t take this lightly, Ms. Decatur. I know Mrs. Holliday was worried, and when I spoke to the judge and Holliday’s attorney, they expressed concern for you, too. The last thing any of us wants is for you to wind up here in the same shape Mrs. Holliday is in.”

  “I get it,” she said, her face pale. “I’ll be careful.”

  The two policemen walked them to Helen’s car. It appeared to be a casual gesture, but Erik noted that they were very much on alert, checking out the parking lot in every direction, then waiting until Erik pulled out of the space and drove off before going back inside.

  “I should have stayed,” Helen said as they turned onto the highway.

  “No,” Erik contradicted. “This is for the best. You can go back when Caroline’s in a room and needs company. Now what she needs are your prayers.”

  Helen didn’t look entirely convinced, but she fell silent. In fact, she was so quiet for so long that Erik began to worry, until a glance told him that she’d fallen asleep. Obviously the news and the frantic drive had taken a toll on her.

  At his place, she let him fix her some soup and a salad. She ate three spoonfuls of the soup and no more than a bite or two of the salad.

  “Could you call the hospital and check on her?” she asked Erik, when she’d pushed aside her food. “You seem to understand all the medical stuff better than I do. Then you can tell me what’s going on in plain English.”

  “Sure.” He placed the call and was able to get Dr. Wilson on the line. “Any news on Caroline Holliday?”

  “They went in again and found the bleeder,” she told him. “Her blood pressure is almost back to normal, so I’m guardedly optimistic. She still has a long way to go, though. Her body went through a lot of trauma. Her kids are with her, all but her daughter. Apparently she can’t believe her dad would do something like this. She’s somehow convinced herself someone else had to be responsible and that her mom’s just using this to get even with her dad.”

  “Deep denial,” Erik said. “Not that uncommon. Mind if I check back with you to keep tabs on Mrs. Holliday’s condition? Helen’s really worried about her.”

  “Sure,” she said. “By the way, Detective Myers told me Ms. Decatur suggested opening a Sullivan’s Café here at the hospital. I really hope you think about it. It might make the hours I spend here less exhausting if I could get a decent cup of coffee or a decent meal once in a while.”

  “I’ll talk to my boss about the idea first thing tomorrow,” he promised. “She might go for it.”

  He hung up and found Helen pacing impatiently in the living room.

  “It took you long enough,” she muttered. “Did you and the doctor have a good time catching up?”

  He assumed it was worry, not jealousy that had put that tone in her voice, so he said mildly, “Caro
line’s improving. They did a second surgery and that seems to have stopped the bleeding. Dr. Wilson is more optimistic.”

  “It didn’t take that long for her to tell you that. What else did you talk about?”

  He looked at her in surprise. “I know you can’t possibly be jealous since you’re the one who wanted me to call her,” he said.

  She frowned. “Of course, I’m not jealous.”

  “Good, because that’s not the kind of relationship we have, right?”

  She sighed. “No, of course not. Sorry.”

  “You’re worried. I get that,” he said quietly. “Let’s watch that movie I brought home yesterday. It’ll take your mind off all this.”

  She regarded him with obvious ambivalence, but she finally nodded. “Okay.”

  He grinned. “You always love it when Katharine Hepburn twists Spencer Tracy around her little finger.”

  Her expression brightened. “Yes, I do,” she said more cheerfully.

  For just an instant, he wondered if he would ever tire of the amazing twists and turns her mind took. He doubted it. But down that path lay a future he wouldn’t allow himself to contemplate.

  19

  Helen was almost out the door the next morning when her cell phone rang.

  “I want you to stop by the spa,” Maddie ordered. “I want to hear exactly what went on yesterday. Why didn’t you call me? I could have driven you to the hospital.”

  “It made more sense to call Erik,” Helen said. “I know you’re tough, Maddie, but you have five kids now. I couldn’t take a chance on anything happening to you because you were with me.”

  “I suppose that makes sense,” Maddie agreed, though she still sounded miffed at being sidelined in a crisis. The Sweet Magnolias had always stuck together. “But I still want to know what happened. How soon can you get here?”

  “Erik’s going to drop me at the office,” Helen explained. “I really need to catch up.”

  “That can wait. Have him drop you here instead,” Maddie instructed. “Elliott can take you to the office. I think Erik would agree that Elliott’s an adequate bodyguard.”

  “Fine. I’ll see you in five minutes,” Helen agreed, knowing that Maddie wouldn’t be happy until she’d seen for herself that Helen was okay. Though Helen hadn’t seen the morning paper, she imagined that between the news reports and the Serenity grapevine, Brad’s attack on Caroline—bad enough in reality—had been exaggerated a thousandfold.

  In the car, she explained the change of plans to Erik. “You won’t have to wait around. I know you need to get to Sullivan’s. Maddie promised that Elliott would give me a lift to the office.”

  Erik frowned. “You won’t suddenly decide that it’s too much trouble and take off on your own, will you?”

  “No,” she promised. “Believe me, hearing the details about what Brad did to Caroline, I’m no more anxious to take chances than you are to have me take them.”

  “Okay, then,” he said, pulling to the curb in front of The Corner Spa. “Call me when you get to your office. I want to know if there’s any sign of a sheriff’s deputy outside, okay? If adequate protection’s not being provided as promised, then we’re going straight to the judge. No arguments, okay?”

  “Yes, worrywort,” she said lightly and kissed his cheek. “I’ll call.”

  Inside, she found Maddie in her office with a dozen towels spread out on her desk.

  “Feel these,” she commanded. “Tell me what you think.”

  Helen shrugged and picked each one up. Some were rough, some too thin. Two were thick and luxurious, but probably outrageously expensive. “I assume we’re changing towels,” she said.

  “We compromised quality for cost in the initial buy,” Maddie said. “Those are wearing out.” She pointed to the thin ones. “Jeanette thinks we should spend a little extra and get something that’ll last longer. Besides, we want our clients to feel truly pampered when they come here. I’m constantly surprised by how many women in this region are willing to pay big bucks for a day of luxurious indulgence. Workouts are just that—work. But the spa treatments are a pleasure, something they think they deserve or something they want to give their friends. Did you see how far ahead of projections the sales of the gift certificates were? And just imagine what’ll happen when the holidays roll around. We need to do our part to make the whole thing a fantasy come true.”

  “I trust you and Jeanette on all that,” Helen assured her. “Do you have a price comparison on these two?” She fingered the more luxurious ones, relieved to be chatting about something so mundane, rather than Brad Holliday.

  Maddie shoved a piece of paper across the table. “You’re holding the two Jeanette preferred, but that cost makes me cringe.”

  “You need to weigh how much would be saved by not having to replace them as soon. She was right about the robes, wasn’t she? Those have held up, while the lower-cost towels haven’t.”

  “True,” Maddie admitted. “Okay, which of those two?”

  Helen shrugged. “I can’t tell that much difference and the price is comparable. Is one vendor more reliable than the other?”

  “We used one for the robes and he’s been excellent to work with.”

  “Then go with him. He might even give you a price break since you’ll be dealing with him exclusively on more items,” Helen said, placing the towels back on the desk. “You didn’t drag me over here to involve me in the day-to-day decisions around here, though. That’s your territory. Are you just trying to lull me into a false sense of complacency before you start asking the tough questions?”

  Maddie grinned. “You know me too well.”

  “Okay, shoot. Let’s get this over with.”

  “Are you pregnant with Erik’s baby?” Maddie asked, stunning Helen.

  “Where did that come from? I thought you wanted to talk about Brad and what he did to Caroline Holliday,” she said irritably.

  “I know that’s what I told you on the phone, but I thought I might get an honest answer out of you about Erik if I took you by surprise.”

  “Why would you think I’m pregnant?”

  “As you pointed out on the phone, I have five kids. I know the signs. You’ve turned green a couple of mornings in here and you’re more irritable than usual. Are you saying I’m right?”

  “I haven’t said anything,” Helen muttered. “And I’m not going to.”

  “Why not? Because you know this is all going to blow sky-high the second you do own up to what you’ve done, don’t you?”

  “Maddie, stay out of it,” Helen pleaded. “Let me handle it.”

  Maddie held up her hands. “Believe me, I would be more than happy to let you handle this if I thought you had the slightest clue how to go about it.”

  “I have a plan,” Helen told her.

  “And that’s been the problem all along,” Maddie accused. “You had a plan that didn’t take into account how anyone else might feel, especially Erik. Dana Sue, too.”

  “I did take Erik’s feelings into account,” she said defensively. “He and I have a clear understanding about the limits of our relationship.”

  Maddie regarded her with blatant skepticism. “Somehow I doubt that conversation included a discussion about you getting pregnant with his child. Am I wrong about that?”

  Helen sighed. “No, you’re not wrong.”

  Maddie’s gaze turned worried. “Oh, sweetie, what on earth are you going to do now?”

  “It’ll work out,” Helen said confidently.

  “Will it really? Do you think Dana Sue is going to be overjoyed about it?”

  “It’s not her business. It’s between Erik and me.”

  “Right now, it’s all about you and what you want,” Maddie contradicted. “Erik’s had no say in any of this. When do you plan to tell him?”

  “I’m not even a hundred percent certain there’s anything to tell yet,” Helen said. “I’m seeing the doctor on Monday. Then I’ll decide what to do. It’s gotten a littl
e complicated because of the whole thing with Brad Holliday. Erik will have a conniption if I try to move out of his place and distance myself from him while Brad might still be a threat.”

  Maddie stared at her in shock. “That’s your plan? You’re just going to move out and say nothing about being pregnant?”

  “Erik doesn’t want a wife. He doesn’t want kids, so yes, that is the plan. He doesn’t need to know about any of this. I can handle the pregnancy, the baby, all of it on my own.”

  “You’re delusional,” Maddie snapped. “The man can count, for heaven’s sake. Don’t you think he might take one look at you in, say, five months’ time and conclude that the child you’re carrying could be his? What a terrific thing to do to a man you claim is a friend, if nothing else. And from what I’ve seen, Erik cares about you. Really cares about you. Did you consider the possibility that he might be happy about this news?”

  “He won’t be,” Helen said, though her confidence was shaken by Maddie’s words.

  Maddie looked worried. “Oh, Helen, what were you thinking?” She waved off the question. “Never mind. It’s plain you weren’t thinking, at least not very clearly.”

  “Thanks for being so supportive,” Helen said coldly.

  “I will always be supportive of you,” Maddie answered. “But I won’t stand by and watch you make an idiotic mistake. Tell Erik and then tell Dana Sue, before you lose two of the best friends you’ve ever had. You owe them the truth, Helen. And they need to hear it from you before someone else figures out what I have and spills the beans.”

  Maddie’s harsh words shook her in a way that even Brad’s threats had not. “I can’t lose them,” she whispered. “They mean the world to me.”

  “Just not enough for you to be honest with them,” Maddie chided. “I mean it, Helen. Talk to them or I will.”

  She stared at Maddie with shock. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I would,” Maddie said, her tone unyielding. “I know it’s not my place, but I can’t sit by and watch you ruin your life without doing everything in my power to stop it. Give Erik a chance to step up and do the right thing. He might surprise you.” She leveled a look at Helen. “You have until Tuesday.”