by Mia Ross
Rewarding him with her most beautiful smile, she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad.”
They were still sitting that way a few minutes later when a woman leading a golden retriever approached them. The dog wore a blue vest labeled Service and stopped when the woman did.
“Hello,” she said in a quiet voice that made him think of a librarian. “I’m Sandra, and this is Franny.” She nodded at the dog, who sat politely in front of Emma with an expectant look on her face. It was as if she knew which of them was the patient, and Rick was amazed by the animal’s perceptiveness.
“Hi, Sandra,” Emma replied, adding a friendly smile. “I’m Emma, and this is Rick. It’s nice to meet you.” Franny offered her paw, and Emma laughed as she shook it. “And you, too, pretty girl.”
“Franny’s a comfort dog, and we volunteer here a couple times a week,” the woman explained as she sat in the empty chair beside Emma. “Sometimes when people are nervous about their treatment, petting Franny helps distract them from what’s coming.”
“I’d think talking to you would help, too,” Rick commented, surprised that she’d left that out.
“If they’re up to it, sure. But some folks don’t like to make conversation when they’re upset. A dog doesn’t expect anything other than to be petted, so often that’s easier.” Looking around the hushed waiting room, she smiled sadly before reconnecting with Emma. “My daughter lost her battle with cancer four years ago, and we spent a lot of time together here, talking or just sitting. Dreading the treatments, terrified of what the doctor would say.”
“I know that feeling,” Emma murmured, ruffling the dog’s ear with a frown.
“It was awful, and that’s when I got the idea of bringing Franny to help keep my daughter’s mind off everything.” Pausing, she chuckled. “At first, the staff thought I was nuts, but they decided that as long as our golden girl didn’t cause any problems, it was okay. Other patients liked having her here, too. She’s so sweet, it didn’t take long to get her officially certified, and we joined a group of other animal owners who do the same thing. We go all over, trying to help where we can.”
“Where else do you go?” Rick asked, fascinated by the concept of her giving up so much time to help strangers.
“Nursing homes occasionally, preschool reading groups, and yesterday we went to a school for special needs children. Once they got over their shyness, they just loved her. Franny was the runt of her litter, so she’s on the small side for her breed. It actually works well, because kids aren’t as afraid of her as they might be.”
While the two women chatted, Rick noticed that she didn’t ask any questions about Emma’s illness, or why she was here today. He suspected that it was because her mission was to offer patients a distraction from their problems, not drag them through their difficult personal history. Normally, he was the kind of guy who faced trouble head-on and figured out a way to get through it.
But listening to them, watching Emma relax and even laugh in spite of what was coming, he began to see the value in a little escapism. Most of the time she seemed to be accepting of her situation, but Rick knew that for all her optimism, she still worried. He could see it in her eyes sometimes, especially today. If Franny could ease that relentless concern even briefly, that was good enough for him.
During a pause in their conversation, he fished a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Sandra. “I’m the manager of Patriots Bank in Liberty Creek, and I’m always on the lookout for local charities to support. I think what you’re doing is fantastic, and I’d like to help you spread the word about what you do. The more people who know about it, the more donations you’ll get.”
“We’re not a real charity,” she protested, not reaching for his card. “We’re just people.”
“People doing God’s work,” Emma reminded her with a smile. “Think how much more you could accomplish if you didn’t have to fund everything yourselves. The training you did can’t be cheap, and maybe if you could reimburse people for it, you’d attract more therapy teams.”
Rick was stunned by the very pragmatic suggestion coming from the dreamy artist he’d been getting to know. Discovering that she had a practical side was a pleasant—and unexpected—surprise for him. It didn’t escape him that her argument seemed to resonate with Sandra more than his had, and she finally took his card. “Thank you. Do you mind if I share your contact info with the group?”
“Please do. I’m happy to talk to anyone who does what you do. In my experience, people like that are few and far between.”
“That’s the truth,” she agreed, shaking her head. “It’s a shame, really. When you put aside your own problems and focus on helping someone else, it gives you a wonderful feeling inside. I’ve always thought that it’s God rewarding you for following His wishes.”
A nurse came out from the back and called Emma’s name, so they said goodbye to Sandra and Franny and left the waiting room. As they followed the nurse down a hallway that led to the treatment area, Rick felt Emma tense up beside him and did his best to push down a sudden fit of uneasiness.
Maybe he wasn’t ready for this, after all, he mused soberly. It had seemed a lot easier out in the lobby, when the impending test was a vague medical procedure that he didn’t need to understand. Now that it was closing in on her, he got that old helpless sensation he knew all too well. Brave as she was, he knew that Emma was scared to learn the results of this latest biopsy.
And there was nothing he could do to take that fear away from her.
His derailing train of thought was interrupted by a small hand sliding into his as they walked. Soft and trusting, like a little girl seeking comfort for the ordeal that was rapidly approaching. His uncertainty evaporated, and he smiled down at her before resting an arm across her shoulders in what he hoped came across to her as a reassuring gesture.
Apparently, he hit the mark, because she rested her cheek against his chest, wrapping her arms around him in a sideways embrace that told him without words exactly how much his presence today meant to her.
Kissing the top of her head, he murmured, “You’ll never have to do this alone, Emma.”
Leaning her head back, she gave him a sweet, trusting look that sank deeply into his heart. “Promise?”
“I do. If they’d let me come in there with you, I would.”
“That’s a lovely thought,” she said, the hint of a smile showing around her eyes. “But I’ll pretty much be asleep. And I snore.”
His laughter rang off the sterile white walls, and he hugged her close. The impulsive gesture was very unlike him, just one more way that Emma’s approach to life had lightened his own outlook.
As he took his seat in yet another hospital waiting area, he watched her continue down the hall, chatting with the nurse while they went. Outside a doorway, Emma glanced back at him, and he forced himself to smile, adding a thumbs-up for good measure. The look she gave him was filled with gratitude, and she blew him a kiss before disappearing through the doors.
Suddenly alone, Rick swallowed down a knot of fear that was threatening to choke him. Rubbing his hands over his face to calm his nerves, he rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. The helplessness he’d experienced earlier returned in full force, but this time he knew what to do about it.
“Please, God,” he whispered, “take care of her.”
Chapter Nine
Tonight was the big night, and Emma couldn’t believe how nervous she was.
She came to this school every day, she mused as she dragged her reluctant feet up the walkway that led to the front door. It was early June, and she’d started cleaning off the bulletin boards she’d designed for several of the hallways, returning the artwork to the students who’d been proudly displaying their work for everyone to appreciate. If things went well tonight, she’d be back for more of the same next year.
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br /> If not...
Rick had warned her that their grassroots campaign was a long shot, but during her long months of demanding chemo treatments, her faith had kept her going. She’d entrusted this problem to God, too, confident that He knew best. But she didn’t mind admitting that if she lost her job, she was going to be incredibly sad.
When she walked into the meeting room, she noticed Rick standing at the front, talking earnestly with the school board members. Their somber expressions gave nothing away, although one of them was nodding as if she agreed with his argument. A last-minute pitch for saving their jobs, Emma assumed as she took an open seat near the back. She hoped that whatever he was saying was striking a chord with anyone who was still open to suggestions.
“Is this seat taken?”
Startled by the familiar sound of her father’s baritone, she stood and embraced her parents. When she saw her brothers and their wives, and then Gran, a wave of gratitude flooded her heart. “What are you all doing here?”
“Where else would we be?” Mom demanded, stepping aside to let Chase into the row behind Emma.
“It’s gonna be fine, honey,” Gran assured her, patting Emma’s cheek on her way past. “Things like this have a way of working out for the best. You’ll see.”
Emma noted that her very wise grandmother hadn’t gone so far as to promise that at the end of the night, she and the others would still be employed. Only that the situation would resolve itself the way it was meant to. She could only hope that when she was older, she’d be able to view this kind of uncertainty with Gran’s calm perspective.
As her family filled the row behind her, offering encouragement and hugs, she was reminded of how they’d always stood with her, through the good and the bad that had come into her life. Stalwart and determined, to her they personified the New England character that had built Liberty Creek and kept it going from one generation to the next. In all her life, she’d never been prouder to be a Calhoun.
Finally, Rick stopped speaking and went around the circle of administrators, shaking each of their hands before stepping away. His handsome features gave her no indication of how he thought the impromptu powwow had gone. But when he dropped into the chair beside her, she read his opinion in the tightness of his jaw. She had no idea what to say, so she waited for him to compose himself before turning to her.
“I don’t know, Emma. I got the feeling they’ve already decided what they’re going to do, but I ran every one of our points by them again, just in case some of them can still be swayed.”
“I’ve known those people my entire life,” she reminded him quietly. “Once they make up their minds, there’s no changing them. They’re conservative, thoughtful people who’ve always made sound decisions for the school, even when it’s not easy to do. I’m sure they didn’t take this one lightly.”
“We gave them some solid options,” he said in an optimistic tone that was clearly for her benefit.
“Yes, we did.” Reaching over, she took his hand and smiled. “You did everything you could, Rick, and we’re all very grateful to you for that. Without you, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Out in the aisle, Dina and Christine paused to add their thanks before moving toward the front of the room to sit with their husbands and learn the fate of their jobs. Unaware of Rick’s assessment, they looked a lot more positive than Emma felt.
Staring at them morosely, he let out a weary sigh. “They think I’m some kind of miracle worker. The problem is, I’m just a numbers guy.”
“You’re a lot more than that,” she protested, rubbing his shoulder in sympathy. “You use your brains and your business knowledge to help people solve problems, not just take care of their money. Being a banker is your job, not your whole existence. Anyone who’s met your girls can see what a great father you are to them. That’s a lot more important than anything you do when you’re in your office.”
“Yeah, it is.” Slanting her a look, he mustered up a half-hearted grin. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Anytime.”
Lending a hand to someone else is the best way to forget your own troubles, Gran always said, and Emma sat back in her chair, feeling good about lifting Rick’s mood. When the large clock on the wall read seven, the school board took their seats and the president briskly called this year’s most important meeting to order.
When everyone had settled, he got right to it. “I’m not going to waste anyone’s time tonight. We all know why we’re here.” He quickly summarized the main topic of business for anyone who’d been living under a rock somewhere, and then he folded his hands in front of him in a humble gesture. “We had quite a bit of input from the town on this matter, and I want to assure you that we’ve taken every suggestion and criticism into consideration. One proposal from Rick Marshall—” he paused to nod in Rick’s direction “—got us rethinking our approach to this issue, and I’m pleased to announce that as of about an hour ago, we’ve come to a tentative agreement with the Fairfield school district.”
The crowd erupted like an excited beehive, and Emma’s pulse sped up in response to the news. Nearby Fairfield was so small, it made Liberty Creek look like a boomtown. Years ago they’d been forced to end their arts and music programs to maximize their traditional academic offerings for their remaining students. She couldn’t imagine what sort of compromise the two districts might have arranged, but she couldn’t wait to hear the details.
She wasn’t aware that she’d balled her hands into fists in her lap until Rick reached over and pried the fingers on her left hand open and took it in his own. Warm and strong, it closed over hers in a protective motion that made her feel that whatever was coming, it would be okay.
Once the initial excitement had died down a bit, the president held up his hands for quiet and went on, “There are some details we need to work out yet, but the gist of it is this. Fairfield and Liberty Creek will create three positions, one for an art teacher, one for music and another for a floating teacher’s assistant. The people in these jobs will split their time equally between the two schools, with half of their salaries paid by Fairfield and the other half by Liberty Creek. We’re still in the proposal stage at this point, but we—” he swept a hand toward the other members “—and our counterparts up the road are hopeful that this very practical idea will be approved and completely funded within the next few days. For now it will cover only the coming school year, until we can assess how well it will serve students in both schools. While we recognize that a more long-term solution is preferable, we feel that this is a good step forward for everyone involved.”
Without any hesitation, Rick got to his feet and started clapping. Others immediately joined him, and before long, the entire assembly was applauding the school board, who totally deserved the adulation. Confronting a difficult issue head-on, they’d bravely stepped up and turned a fiscal defeat into a victory for not only the teachers whose jobs had been saved, but also the children in both schools.
Emma had seen and heard it for herself, but even as she cheered the decision, she couldn’t quite believe it had actually happened. The two towns were about thirty minutes apart, so splitting her time between them would be a challenge, especially in the winter. But she didn’t care.
She was going to stay in Liberty Creek and keep doing what she loved. In her opinion, life didn’t get much better than that.
“What’d you tell them, Rick?” Brian demanded, a huge grin threatening to split his tanned face in two.
His question reminded Emma that the final solution hadn’t been among the ideas their committee had come up with during their spirited debate in her living room. Realizing that Rick must have done something at the last minute, she waited for him to share his unexpected brainstorm.
“Well, I went back to my football days and called an audible.” Giving Emma a rare hesitant look, he said, “It was a little off the beaten path, a
nd I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, so I kept it to myself. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Laughing, she hugged him, then went up on tiptoe to kiss him soundly. They were in full view of about a hundred people, but she didn’t care. Framing his handsome face in her hands, she shook her head. “You saved my job and two others, without taking anything away from anyone else. That’s exactly what I told you I wanted, and somehow you made it happen. You’re not only brilliant. You’re a hero.”
“Like Superman,” Chase agreed brightly.
“I don’t know about that,” Rick hedged, giving Emma a sheepish grin. “Maybe Clark Kent.”
“Whichever one you are, this calls for a big family party,” Gran announced, extending her arms to include the rest of the clan. “Rick, go get your girls and bring them over to my house. Everyone else, come with me. We’ve got some celebrating to do!”
“We should have a cookout,” Chase suggested to Sam, who chuckled.
“Sure, bud. We’ll stop home and grab some hamburgers and hot dogs outta the freezer.”
Chase whooped his approval, high-fiving Sam while Holly rolled her eyes at their boyish behavior. In the span of about a minute, a typical Calhoun picnic had been planned, and assignments were quickly taken up by whoever was best suited to handle them.
Once they’d all left, Rick turned to Emma with a baffled look. “Does your family do this kind of thing often?”
“Yes,” she said, laughing. “Is it too much for a by-the-book financial genius like you?”
“Maybe,” he replied, settling an arm over her shoulders to walk her out of the school. “But I’d imagine I could get used to it.”
“That’s good, because I really don’t think you have much choice.”
* * *
Rick was working his way through the bank’s latest monthly reports when he heard a familiar chuckle in the doorway of his office.
“There’s my favorite protégé,” Charles Grumman commented in the booming Chicago-accented voice that was his trademark. “Hard at work making our customers happy and prosperous.”
