Chasing the Wind

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Thank you, Anabelle,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

  Anabelle lowered Lucy to the floor and sobered when she realized she’d been talking with and even helping George Talbot. This is not happening. Anabelle struggled to regain her composure. “You’re welcome.”

  Taking Lucy’s hand, Anabelle stopped at her office for her bag, said good-bye to the nurses she spotted on the way out and made a beeline for the ER.

  “Are we looking for my daddy again?” Lucy asked.

  While searching for Bill Preston was not on her immediate agenda, Anabelle nodded. “I need to stop and see someone else too.”

  Anabelle spotted Kirstie sitting behind the desk, handing someone a clipboard with papers to fill out. “Hi,” she said when the person left.

  “Hi, yourself.” Anabelle introduced Lucy to her daughter. “You must be exhausted. I hate to ask, but Lucy will be staying overnight in your room, and I was wondering if you could come by later and introduce her to your dolls and such.”

  “Sure. I’ll be going home at around four. I’ll get cleaned up and come over. You’ll have to feed me though.”

  “You’re on.”

  Anabelle had one more stop to make before going home. She and Lucy stopped at the cafeteria to see how the Parade of Patients was going. She was surprised to see Pricilla Nordberg, her quilting friend, with her husband and six children. Her husband Gary sat next to Drew, both involved in an animated conversation.

  “Anabelle.” Pricilla came toward her, with baby Olivia perched on her arm. “We heard about what you all are doing for Dr. Hamilton and had to come.”

  “That’s so nice of you. Were you one of his patients?”

  “Not me, but Gary was. Fifteen years ago, he was in an accident at work. He credits Dr. Hamilton with saving his life. I do too.” She blinked back tears. “Gary’s reminding him about the months of recuperation he had to go through. And what Dr. Hamilton told him.”

  “And what was that?” Anabelle smiled at the thought of Drew getting a taste of his own advice.

  “Just that there are some things you can’t rush. If you try to come back from an injury too fast, it may set you back even further. Gary used to be a very impatient man. He realized that in his rush to impress and get things done, he almost lost his life.” Her gaze lingered on her husband.

  Gary stood and shook Drew’s hand. “I learned a lot while I was recuperating, doc. One of the most important lessons was that life isn’t a race where you run as fast as you can to the finish line. It’s meant to be savored, moment by moment.”

  “You make a good point, my friend.”

  “Anyway, I didn’t come by to lecture you. We just wanted to thank you for giving me back my life. Without you we’d have six less kids to be thankful for.”

  Drew chuckled. “Glad I could help.”

  Gary gathered his children together and greeted Anabelle with a hug. “Thanks for giving us the opportunity to thank him.”

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for coming.”

  Anabelle sat in the chair Gary had vacated. “We have more people signed up for tomorrow, you know.”

  He smiled. “Ever hear the line ‘too much of a good thing’?”

  Anabelle frowned. “Is this really too much for you?” The last thing she wanted was to cause him stress or tire him out.

  “I’m so overcome. I’m just one man who was doing his job. I can’t even begin to process everything I’ve been hearing.”

  “I hope you realize how much you—and your health—mean to this community.” Anabelle looked around. “Where’s Genna?”

  “Went to get some coffee. She should be back in a few minutes.”

  Anabelle checked Genna’s schedule. Twenty-five patients had come in this afternoon, with no one else scheduled for the day. She scribbled out a note to Genna and grasped the handles of the wheelchair. “Let’s get you upstairs so you can take a nap.”

  “Do grown-ups have to take naps too?” Lucy laid her hand on the armrest.

  Drew grinned at her. “If they’re smart, they do.”

  When they reached the car, Anabelle buckled Lucy in, all the while trying to sort through her conflicting thoughts. She was happy that Lucy had found her grandfather but irritated that said grandfather was George Talbot. She’d been more than willing to help Lucy find her father, but to help George find his son-in-law? She had to smile at the irony.

  Anabelle had no doubt that God had somehow orchestrated this bizarre turn of events. She should not be carrying around anger toward the man regardless of what he had done. Was this God’s way of saying it was time to give up her resentment?

  Once she’d buckled herself in, Anabelle reached back and patted Lucy’s leg. “Thank you for coming home with me. I know it’s hard to have Daddy gone, but it was good to find Grandpa, right?”

  She shrugged and looked out the window. “I just want my daddy.”

  “We’ll find him. I promise.” Anabelle nearly choked on the words. She just hoped it was a promise she could keep.

  On the way home, Anabelle headed over to Walmart just outside of town to pick up some clothes for Lucy. She had extra personal items at home—like toothbrushes, a clean hairbrush and that sort of thing—but Lucy would need at least one change of clothes.

  Once home, the hope Anabelle had for a nap fizzled when she saw what the storm had done to her home. Cameron had boarded up the broken windows and picked up the glass, but her quilting haven was a mess. Broken glass had left shards all over her fabrics. Some of the fabric was damp. Puddles of water indicated where the hailstones had come in and melted.

  Fortunately Kirstie showed up about that time to care for Lucy and introduce her to her dolls and the rest of her menagerie. Lucy immediately went into play mode.

  Anabelle sorted through all the soggy and damp fabrics and started a load in the washer. She vacuumed up the glass and, by 6:30 PM, was more than ready for the pizza Kirstie had ordered in.

  Dinner proved entertaining as Lucy shared bits and pieces of her life. Kirstie had Lucy giggling and acting silly. Normal.

  Thus far, Kirstie hadn’t told them what she wanted to talk about, so Anabelle initiated the topic. “At the hospital, you said you wanted to talk.”

  “Right.” Kirstie set the pizza slice she’d been holding on her plate. “I need some advice.”

  Anabelle raised her eyebrows in surprise.

  Cameron chuckled. “Wonders never cease.”

  “C’mon, I’m not too prideful to ask for help when I need it.”

  Anabelle wanted her to get to the point. “So what kind of advice are you looking for?”

  Kirstie sighed. “I’d like to know what you think of Mark.”

  Anabelle glanced at Cameron. “We really don’t know him. He seems very nice, though.”

  Kirstie chewed on her lower lip. “I’m just not sure I’m ready for marriage.”

  Anabelle tossed Cameron another look. He just smiled. “Has Mark asked you?”

  “No.” Kirstie laughed. “But I think he’d like to.”

  Anabelle relaxed. “Talk to him, Kirstie. Tell him honestly how you feel. That you want to keep seeing him, but say you want to take things more slowly.”

  Kirstie seemed to consider this as she picked up her slice of pizza again and curled a string of cheese around the end.

  Cameron looked at her for a long time. “You know there’s not a man in the world good enough for my little girl. But Mark might be worth hanging on to. Seems like a good man.”

  Kirstie smiled. “I’m thinking if it’s meant to be, he’ll be willing to hang in there with me.”

  Anabelle nodded. “Wise decision.”

  Kirstie decided to stay overnight, thinking that Lucy could use a slumber party. Anabelle felt a certain joy in watching her daughter that evening. She had grown up, yes, but in a perfectly wonderful way. Maybe Kirstie’s independence was a good thing.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

&nb
sp; SUNDAY MORNING, CAMERON, ANABELLE, KIRSTIE and Lucy enjoyed a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs and bacon before going to church. The nursing supervisor had managed to bring in enough staff to cover the shifts so Anabelle didn’t have to go in.

  Even so, the afternoon before, she had made follow-up calls to every agency she could think of, trying to locate Lucy’s dad. She’d make more calls Monday. For the time being, Lucy seemed content being a temporary member of the Scott family.

  From her closet, Anabelle chose a pair of ecru slacks and a V-neck blouse in a floral print.

  “You’re looking good this morning.” Cameron came up behind her and nuzzled her neck.

  She sighed and turned in his arms, resting her forehead on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “Tired?”

  “Exhausted.” Anabelle smiled as she reached up to adjust his tie. Call them old-fashioned, but the two of them had always dressed nicely for church. It seemed the right thing to do. “But I imagine you are as well.”

  “True enough.” He chuckled. “Good thing we can at least take a bit of the morning to rest.”

  Anabelle agreed and hoped she wouldn’t fall asleep during the sermon. She needn’t have worried. Anabelle couldn’t remember seeing so many people at the service since Easter.

  The Church of the Good Shepherd had sustained its share of damage from the storm, but the work teams had quickly covered broken windows and patched the roof. Fortunately, the stained-glass windows, probably because they were recessed and faced away from the wind, hadn’t sustained any damage.

  Anabelle wasn’t surprised that the church had escaped serious damage. It was one of the older churches in town, built in the late 1800s. A large stone building, it had a sharply slanted roof with a cross above the front entrance, that shone as a sign of hope at night.

  Anabelle took a seat with Kirstie and Lucy while Cameron saw to his duties as an usher. A few minutes later, Ainslee and Doug arrived. As usual, the family took up most of a side pew. Their pew—or the one they’d sat in faithfully for as long as Anabelle could remember. Having been raised in the church, they were as much an institution as the church itself. Anabelle grinned. Come April there would be one more Scott—well Giffen—occupying a space there.

  Anabelle greeted friends and listened as they shared horror stories about the storm. She suspected their Community Services Committee had already initiated plans to provide help to victims of the storm. Anabelle loved being part of a church that played an active part in the community.

  At 9:55 AM their seventy-eight-year-old organist sidled up to the organ and brought it to life with a series of hymns. Evan and Cameron soon joined her and the congregation rose to sing “How Great Thou Art.”

  Words blurred on the page as Anabelle considered God’s saving grace. She thought about how much worse the storm could have been and how God had brought them through. Cameron slipped his hand into hers and gave it a squeeze.

  When the service ended, Anabelle walked out with her children.

  “Mother,” Ainslee slipped her slender arm through the crook in Anabelle’s arm. “Can I come over and sew today? I found the sweetest crib set in one of your quilting magazines and thought you might help me get started.”

  Mind? She was delighted. “Absolutely! You can look through my stash, but if you want something else, we can make a trip into Princeton to the big fabric store there.”

  Ainslee laughed. “Mother, you never cease to amaze me.”

  “Why’s that?” Anabelle asked.

  “All I have to do is mention sewing and you’re like a kid in a candy factory.”

  “Lucy, would you like to join us?” She glanced down, remembering the little girl in their care.

  “Are we going to get candy?” Lucy asked.

  “We might,” Kirstie chuckled and hunkered down to Lucy’s level. “Would you like to go shopping with us?”

  Her smile turned into a pout. “But I want to look for my dad too.”

  “Good idea.” Anabelle smoothed her soft blonde hair. “We can all go. I’ll check with the police in Princeton.” She glanced at her watch. “First though, we should stop by the hospital to see how our doctor is surviving today’s Parade of Patients.”

  “And see my gramdpa,” Lucy added.

  Anabelle nodded. “You bet.”

  At the hospital, their first stop was George Talbot’s room. “We can’t stay long, Lucy,” Anabelle said. “He needs to rest so his heart can get better.”

  Lucy seemed to understand and after kissing his cheek, pulled on Anabelle’s hand. “We need to let him sleep now.”

  Drew sat in the lobby area of the CCU. She had called Genna the day before saying she’d like him to be closer to the unit. Anabelle wanted to make certain the patients coming in to thank him didn’t wear him out as they had the day before. She’d asked her CCU nurses to check on him frequently, and she’d left instructions with Genna to take him back to the unit if he exhibited any telling symptoms.

  Genna took Anabelle aside. “I know it’s a lot, but I really think seeing all these former patients is giving him a new outlook.”

  Kirstie, with Lucy in tow, reminded him again of how much he was needed.

  “How many people are coming in today?” Anabelle asked.

  “Thirty; a number of people canceled for yesterday because of the storm.” Genna looked in Drew’s direction. “He looks better, don’t you think?”

  Seeing the smile on his face and the color in his cheeks assured Anabelle that he was indeed looking better. He seemed to have adapted to the attention and looked to be enjoying it now.

  He caught Anabelle’s eye and winked. “You ladies are going to kill me with kindness.”

  “We’ll stop when you’re ready to cry uncle.”

  “I get the message, Anabelle. But I have to admit, I like seeing all my past and present patients.”

  “I’m glad.” Anabelle patted his shoulder. “We should be going. We’re driving into Princeton to do some serious shopping this afternoon.”

  Kirstie kissed his cheek. “Looking good, Dr. Hamilton.”

  The rest of their afternoon was anything but restful. Anabelle put a large roast in her slow cooker, seasoned it and set the temperature on low. They would all meet back at the house for Sunday dinner at four.

  The girls piled into Anabelle’s car, while the men headed out into disasterdom to hunt for folks in distress. When they reached Princeton, Kirstie offered to take Lucy for ice cream and to the police station, while Anabelle and Ainslee spent over an hour picking out fabric for various baby patterns they wanted to make up. Ainslee found the perfect selection of soft and cuddly fabrics in blue, pink, green, chocolate and cream that would work for a boy or a girl. Anabelle couldn’t resist the softer-than-soft fleece and bought several yards for a layette.

  Kirstie and Lucy came back to the store with good and bad news. They had eaten a hot-fudge sundae, but the police still had no leads on Bill Preston.

  Once home, Kirstie took Lucy out to see the kittens and play on the old tire swing. Anabelle helped Ainslee clean off a space to do her cutting, then finished cleaning her studio. The crib-set pattern was adorable, and the fabric perfect for the baby. Their baby. Anabelle couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

  On Sunday evening, as Anabelle climbed into bed, she was still smiling, and not just about the baby. It had been a perfect day—like old times. Her family had all been together, plus Lucy. Anabelle prayed again that they would find Lucy’s dad. It had been forty-eight hours since the storm. “You’d think someone would know what happened to him,” Anabelle said aloud.

  “I assume you’re talking about Bill Preston.” Cameron had just come out of the shower and must have overheard her mumbling to herself.

  “Hmm. I am.” She adjusted her covers and yawned.

  “It’s still quite a mess out there. The police are having a rough time sorting things out. I spoke with Cesar this afternoon—told him about the girl’s dad. He�
�ll keep an eye out as well.”

  “Thank you.” Anabelle smiled at him as he bent down to kiss her. “I’m praying we’ll find him soon. Her grandfather is in no shape to take care of her. Apparently there is no other family.”

  “Except us.” Cameron winked at her. “I see no reason we can’t keep her with us until her grandfather can work something out—or we find her father.”

  “Somehow I knew you’d say that.” Anabelle closed her eyes as Cameron climbed into bed beside her and turned off the light. After releasing a deep breath and reminding herself that the Lord would work all things out in the best way possible, Anabelle slept.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ON MONDAY, GENNA, ANABELLE, JAMES, CANDACE AND Elena managed to eat lunch together. The sun had come out and dried up much of the moisture. Many of the flowers and shrubs that had made the courtyard a nice retreat had been crushed, but spring would no doubt bring them back. Several amber, gold and red leaves adorned the paperbark maple, letting them know beyond a doubt that summer was fading fast.

  Candace glanced at Anabelle. “I see you don’t have Lucy with you. Did you find her father?”

  “Unfortunately, no. She’s with Kirstie today. My daughter plans to do some serious detective work in hopes of finding Lucy’s dad.”

  “You took her home with you?” James seemed surprised. Legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles, he took a drink of his coffee.

  Anabelle nodded and smiled. “With permission from Children’s Services, of course. Believe it or not we have a number of lost children and adults, and they welcomed my help.”

  James nodded. “I suspect it will take a few days to work through the chaos.”

  “At least.” Candace examined her tuna fish sandwich before taking a bite.

  “We’ll keep praying for Lucy and her dad,” James added. “And for everyone who’s missing.”

  Elena nodded. “We have a John Doe in ICU. Very badly injured. The police took prints, but he’s apparently not in the system. We’ll have to wait until someone is able to identify him or he wakes up.”