“No, thanks. I never pegged you for a tea drinker.”
“I can’t seem to get warm today. I think Grant must be fiddling with the temperature. I know he wants to cut costs, but I feel like an icicle.”
“Hi, Lana. Hey, Gavin.” Calista stepped through the front doors, her pea coat unbuttoned over a still-rounded belly, a dusting of snow on her blond hair. She was holding a plate of what smelled like fresh cookies. Her green eyes were tired, but her smile was pure light.
“Hi, Calista.” Lana reversed herself and accepted a quick hug. “And cookies. You’re my favorite boss’s wife, you know that?”
“Silly. I better be the only boss’s wife around here.”
“Let me peek at the little guy.” Lana craned her neck and Calista carefully unwrapped the bulge around her middle.
Gavin felt his eyebrows rise. “I forgot you’ve got that baby smuggler. Bet it’s great to keep both hands free.”
“Swaddler, not smuggler. But I sort of like the way you say it.” Calista flashed him a smile. She seemed so joyful, it made him happy just to see her. “True that it keeps my arms from getting tired, but mostly I like having him close to my heart. Nine months of him tucked right under it, now he feels so far away when he’s in the next room.”
Gavin thought of the little babies he’d seen in the NICU that morning. The swaddler was actually a good idea. It kept people from getting too close, from touching the baby’s face.
“He’s so tiny,” Lana said, voice soft with awe.
“Getting bigger by the day. He’s gained two pounds now. Officially bigger than a bread box.” They all stood admiring the baby for a moment.
“Speaking of the boss, is my handsome husband slaving away in the back?”
Lana frowned. “I think he might be walking around near the classrooms. But go ahead on back and I’ll send someone over to tell him you’re here.”
“Let Marisol know we’re back here. She’ll want her baby fix for the day. And tell Grant if he makes it down here right away, maybe there’ll be a cookie left for him.” She headed toward the office door and punched in a code. “Maybe.” She threw the word over her shoulder with one last smile.
“Oh, boy. The tea has to wait. I better get someone to tell Grant she’s here.” Lana started toward the long wooden desk.
“Does he mind her visiting?” Gavin knew she was the VitaWow CEO and had heard rumors of her ability to broker deals no one else could. But they always seemed so happy to just be around each other.
Lana laughed up at him, pausing with her hands on the wheels. “Oh, not at all. But I think he’s over in the preschool area and they’re finger painting today. She gets a little crazy with the kids. Lets them run right over her. Or maybe joins in the fun, I’m not sure. Anyway—” she started back around the desk “—we try to keep Calista occupied in other areas. May the Lord help them when that baby gets up and running.”
Gavin turned back toward the window, wondering how Evie would handle kids. When they’d been with Sean at the park, she’d seemed to really like him. Tonight they’d be dealing with forty grade-school kids and a whole lot of soccer balls. He frowned at the snowy street outside. Grandma Lili was afraid no one really got to know each other anymore, just jumped into marriage like it hardly mattered. But he knew Evie. She was so straightforward, clear, upfront. They both weren’t the type of person to throw away a marriage over something silly like snow.
He blinked at his own reflection. Did he really just put marriage and Evie in the same sentence? Gavin rubbed a hand over his face. Was it her, or was he getting to the age where he’d rather have a family than spend Saturdays snowboarding? He let that sink in for a second and realized it was her, Evie. Saturdays should be spent up in the bright sunlight and clear pine-scented air, freeriding down the mountain on fresh snow. The picture seemed to be expanding to include Evie, when it had been just him before. Even better if there was a family in there somewhere, too.
It was a relief he hadn’t reached middle age overnight and was just looking for any available woman. It wasn’t so reassuring to realize this one particular woman had him thinking years into the future.
Evie’s light blue VW bug pulled up at the corner and crossed the street to the Mission parking lot. Gavin felt a smile spread over his face for no particular reason. He felt goofy with anticipation. And realized he’d look pretty odd standing at the window, waiting for her to come in. He turned and headed toward the gym, shucking his coat as he went.
“Don’t forget the key to the athletic equipment room,” Lana called after him, waving a key in one hand.
Gavin reversed his trajectory and snagged the key. “Thanks. Just going to get the balls and jerseys out.”
The gym still smelled like lunch, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was chili cooking for dinner. Marisol could cook anything, but her specialty was the comfort foods of winter. His stomach gave a rumble and he thought of the breakfast burrito he’d had hours ago. It was going to be hard to concentrate with all those delicious smells coming from the kitchen.
The day had been packed with hospital visits and lab visits, and the rest of the evening would be more of the same. But he’d made a commitment to these kids and he would try to keep his promises as long as he could. At the rate this epidemic was going, he was going to have to start sleeping at the office to save time on the commute.
As Evie opened the cafeteria door and walked inside, his heart reminded him that missing lunch and needing dinner were going to be the very least of his distractions this afternoon.
* * *
Hair up in a ponytail and exercise gear, check. Lip gloss and running shoes, check. Ready to face Gavin, not even a little.
Evie blew out a breath and pasted a bright smile to her face. She hoped she looked cheery, kid-friendly and physically fit. She could probably pull them all off except the first one.
He was dressed in the usual T-shirt that fit snuggly around his biceps, shorts, running shoes. She tried not to give him the once-over but could hardly help herself. He’d been at the front of the line when God handed out good looks.
“How’s your day been?” He asked the question over his shoulder, putting the key into a small door near the kitchen entrance.
“Oh, you know.” Her smile was in place even though her heart was disagreeing.
He turned, key in hand, door hanging open. His brows came down. “That doesn’t sound good.”
She waved a hand. “It’s not a big deal. I’m ready to help.” She tried to look enthusiastic.
Now his eyebrows had gone up several inches. He leaned a shoulder against the wall, perfectly at ease. “That bad, huh?”
Evie held her bright smile for a few seconds more and then let it fall away. “Well, yes, actually. Our story on the slave labor ring keeps getting shut down because our sources can’t be verified beyond what the attorneys need to keep the paper out of trouble. Meanwhile we know there are people trapped in this city, working for nothing and probably much worse. Then a major advertiser threatened to pull out and head for The Daily because we don’t print enough reality TV stories and the style section is only four pages. Everybody is reading the news on the internet. Nobody wants to pay for a paper anymore.”
Her shoulders slumped. And the worst moment, just hours before, appeared when she’d grabbed her courage with both hands and searched online for Senator McHale so she could peer at those old grainy photos of a blonde club singer leaving the presidential candidate’s hotel room. Photos she had taken, of a girl who looked a lot like Allison. She’d been a totally different person then, someone she would hate now, if she met her old self. And maybe he would, too, when he knew. Especially now that she was sure she was at fault for what happened to his sister, it would be impossible for her to just leave the past in the past.
He said nothing but held out his ar
ms and their eyes met. Evie wanted to walk into them but didn’t know if she dared. Another second passed and she moved without thinking, drawn by an unrelenting need to be held. Maybe it was wrong to let him comfort her when she might have shattered his family. Evie couldn’t think, couldn’t process all the different emotions that threatened to pull her down into chaos.
All she knew was how it felt wrapped in his arms. Bliss. She laid her head against his chest and took a deep breath. She could hear his heart beating steadily, his breathing slow and even. He smelled wonderful, freshly showered and shaved. She felt the pressure of his cheek against her head and could have stayed there forever. She wanted to catalogue and file away everything about him; his smell, his laugh, his warmth. Her heart was all wrapped up in that smile. Those warm brown eyes seemed to see her better than anyone else.
The sound of a throat clearing brought her back to reality. Jose was standing there, fighting a huge smile.
Evie backed out of Gavin’s arms, feeling her face flame hot. It was silly. Just a hug. Maybe it was the cafeteria and the smell of chili wafting from the kitchen, but she felt like a high-school kid caught by the principal.
“Sorry to interrupt. Marisol wants to know if you two can help her set the tables out when practice is over. She’s short in the kitchen today.”
“Sure, I can help.”
“Me, too.” Gavin turned to the equipment room and started to haul netted bags of soccer balls out to the floor. She wondered if he was as embarrassed as she was.
Jose gave her a smile and wandered toward the kitchen. “I’ll let Marisol know.”
“I didn’t ask how your day was.” Evie grabbed some colored cones and brought them to the side line, trying to act businesslike.
“Do I get a hug if it was really bad?” Gavin’s voice came muffled from the closet.
She inhaled deeply at the thought. “Sure. Maybe two.” She wanted to roll her eyes at herself. It was so easy to flirt with him, it was hard to resist.
He emerged with another bag of soccer balls and whistles on cords. “There were three more confirmed cases of pertussis. The politicians have decided we’re not working hard enough on the public opinion front.”
“A two-page spread in the Sunday edition isn’t enough?” For a moment she was thankful she was her own boss. She never had to deal with impossible expectations from a supervisor.
“Apparently not. And even worse, I didn’t get any lunch.”
“No lunch?” A voice behind them held tones of disbelief. Marisol was coming from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her dark eyes were narrowed in alarm. “You can’t play with no lunch. You go get some chili before the kids come. Hurry!” She placed her hands on her hips and waited.
Evie wanted to laugh but thought it was better to get out of the way. Gavin nodded, heading for the kitchen. “Thanks, Marisol.”
“Tell Mandie to serve you both,” Marisol called out on her way to the office area.
Gavin slowed down until they were walking side by side. He leaned over and whispered, “Whew. I thought you were going to resist for a moment.”
“Not on your life. I’m hungry and she’s scary, in a good way. Never mess with the cook.”
Mandie met them at the serving line and handed them both trays with a bowl of steaming chili. Cornbread and carrot sticks were on a plate to the side.
“Do we really have time for this?” Evie checked her watch. Fifteen minutes before the kids showed up.
“Plenty of time. Just watch me.” Gavin waved her to a small table behind the serving area and they sat, awkwardly placing trays at an angle.
Evie took a bite of the chili and almost rolled her eyes in delight. “Oh, man,” she murmured. “This is delicious.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Gavin agreed.
After a few minutes of silence, he shot her a glance. “Remember when I said dinner dates were always terrible because you spend all your energy trying not to spill anything on yourself and make a bad impression? I think this breaks that rule.”
“Is this a dinner date?”
“Well, we’re eating dinner. And we’re...”
Dating. That was the word he was going to use, Evie was sure of it. She felt her face grow warm. Their gazes held.
“Coach Sawyer?” Someone small was calling in the gym. “Coach? Are you back here?” A dark-haired boy came around the corner. His T-shirt hung on his shoulders like a tent, and his shoes were more than a few months past their replacement date.
“Hey, Harrison. Let me take my tray back to the kitchen and you can help me get everything set up.” Gavin shot Evie a wink and stood up. She was surprised to see his bowl was clean.
Evie hurried to finish her cornbread and took a gulp of milk. She really needed to focus. As soon as he was out of view, or out of range, whatever it was, she felt like she could think more clearly. Was she pretending to be something she wasn’t? You can’t go back and change the past; sometimes you can’t fix what’s been broken. Before anything else happened, she needed to talk about the way she’d made enough money to buy her paper.
How could he possibly get past the fact that her whole life was funded by the fact she’d sold pictures of his sister? That her dreams had come true when she’d destroyed his family? There were other people at fault, but she couldn’t ignore that she was one of them. Her stomach twisted and she tried to breathe deeply. Gavin loved Allison and Sean more than anyone in the world. Evie couldn’t imagine how he would react if he knew what she’d done to them.
No more church dates, no more impromptu dinners and certainly no more kisses in the woods until she told him the truth. Lord, give me courage to be honest.
Chapter Twelve
Gavin rushed down the long hospital hallway, yanking on the quarantine gown as he went. It was nearly deserted at this time of night. Or morning, technically.
It seemed like the day would never end. The call had come in to the office when he was just heading home, too exhausted to keep working, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep before starting all over again. He’d been up for almost twenty-four hours straight. That bowl of Marisol’s chili seemed forever ago. But what he felt was nothing to what he knew was happening to the people in the room ahead.
His heart was pounding out of his chest and he could feel sweat beading his forehead. I commend this patient to the Great Physician, guide our hands. He grabbed the patient file from the holder by the door and flipped through it. He snapped on the mask, then the shoe covers and finally the gloves. He pushed open the door to the tiny examining room with his shoulder, calling out a low greeting as he entered.
Calista sat in the far corner, Gabriel cradled against her chest. Her eyes were huge and pleading. There were monitors hooked to Gabriel’s chest, and a small clip was taped to his foot, measuring his oxygen levels. The number of machines running in the room made a constant cacophony of beeps.
“Hey, there.” He moved closer, slowing his breathing, struggling to seem calm. She was panicked enough without seeing his fear.
“His pediatrician just left. Did he call you?” Her voice was low and unsteady. She looked like a woman doing her best to stay on the far side of total panic. And failing.
Gavin nodded.
“He was fine yesterday at his three-week checkup, and then he felt hot during the night. At about nine this morning, he was running a fever. I thought it was because I was keeping him close to me, so I unwrapped him. He wasn’t coughing, but he seemed like he was breathing too fast. That’s when he started shaking.” Calista’s eyes filled with tears and she sucked in a breath. “Grant said we had to come in right away. He’s downstairs filling out paperwork.”
A fever and fussiness were the first signs in infants. The cough came later. If they caught it early enough, the worst could be averted.
“I’m tough
. I’ve given a lot of bad news in my life and taken some, too. I need to know what’s happening. But—” she paused, swallowing hard “—tell me gently. Please.”
“I’ll tell you everything I know. And we’ll talk it through.” He knew her fear. Not as a parent, but as a man who had watched this disease ravage infants in this very hospital.
Gabriel gave a whimper and Calista readjusted him against her chest. He was sleeping but restless.
“Pertussis destroys the lung tissue, as you probably know. If we can catch it quickly enough, we can lessen the damage with antibiotic prophylaxis. If Gabriel hasn’t begun coughing, then there’s a very good chance that he’ll make a full and complete recovery. They’ve got his sample in the lab right now. We’re going to go ahead and start on the antibiotics for Gabriel and for you and Grant because there’s a real chance that it’s pertussis.”
Her face seemed to crumple under the weight of her fear and grief.
He reached out and touched her arm. “Calista, you did the right thing to bring him in immediately. If he was a year old, and there wasn’t this epidemic, it would probably be just a cold. But we’ve had hundreds more cases in just a few months, more than we had all last year. We can’t take a chance that it’s not, as young as he is.”
Calista nodded, pressing her lips together. “Will you pray with me? I’m so scared.” Her voice broke on the last word.
“Of course. And I’ll stay with you until Grant gets here.” Gavin held out his hand and she gripped it, hard. They bowed their heads and asked God’s mercy on the brand-new life, now struggling against an invisible enemy.
* * *
“Thanks for inviting us out. We’ve been going stir-crazy in that little apartment.” Allison gave Evie a brief hug. Sean and Jaden took off for the slide at a run, or as fast as they could manage in six inches of snow. The park was relatively quiet for a Wednesday morning. A few moms huddled on benches, chatting.
“Jaden was sad to miss the playdate last time. I think the excitement of a new baby has worn off.” Evie stuffed her hands in her pockets and tried to look at ease. Her heart was pounding already and she hadn’t even started.
Season of Hope Page 12
