Come Rain or Shine (Shine On Series, Book Three)

by Allison J. Jewell

  Trick jumped up and looked down at his Silas. For a moment his face clouded with sadness at the sight of his older brother pale and tired, but he forced the emotion away and a smile spread across his face. “It’s about time you woke up.”

  The corner of Silas’s mouth tilted in a grin at his brother’s joke. He swallowed hard before he asked, “Who?”

  “You were right, brother. Steve Johnson was still very much alive and he was Mr. Johnson’s pawn in this game. He was the coward shooting from the car. You were right,” Trick repeated before he went on. “You got him before you went all the way down. He has met his maker. I took out Parbour and in the end Walter took Johnson.”

  Silas nodded and blinked a few times before his eyes closed again.

  Trick would retell the story five more times that day. The stress and pain medication were causing Silas to be only half coherent. The doctor came in late that evening to give an update. It seemed Silas’s life was saved by only a few inches. Had the shot been a few inches lower it would have gone through his heart. The bullet had gone all the way through, a clean hole the doctor had called it. It was a horrible way to describe the injury. Nothing about the hole looked clean to Emmie.

  By the third day Silas began to ask to go home and openly refused most of the pain medication. He grumbled as much as Walter when he wasn’t getting his way. They still didn’t know exactly when Silas would be out of the hospital. The doctor said he was keeping him until the wound’s risk of infection subsided. It had been only three days but it seemed to be healing so far. Emmie insisted on having the nurses teach her how to change his bandages, saying she would need to know how when they went home.

  “Okay, Mr. McDowell needs his rest, Miss,” the nurse said when visiting hours were over. The first day he was at the hospital Trick had talked the nurses into leaving them alone, but these last two days the nurses had moved to the top of Emmie’s most-annoying-people list.

  “Surely, it wouldn’t hurt if I stay a few more minutes.” Emmie tried to smile sweetly. The smile went nowhere.

  “I’m sorry, Miss, a rule is a rule,” she said, jotting something down in Silas’s file.

  Emmie started to argue but felt Silas squeeze her hand. She turned to him and he was smiling. It was good to see him smile. He’d spent the whole day complaining he wasn’t some bedridden old man and didn’t like being treated like one.

  “You need to get out of here for a little while,” he said.

  Emmie frowned at him. Maybe he wanted to be alone.

  “Have you even left this hospital? I’m pretty sure every time I’ve opened my eyes— morning, noon, or night—you’ve been wearing that same dress.”

  Emmie looked down at her calico long-sleeved dress. Her own clothes had been covered in blood but she refused to leave the hospital, so Walter had brought her one of Mae’s.

  “Like I’ve been saying, I’m not some bedridden old man. I’d like for you not to look like an old woman.” His face split into a wide grin.

  “I think I make high-necked calico look quite nice, Mr. McDowell.” She smiled and her face fell. “I don’t want to leave. I’ll wait outside, close by so you can rest though, and I won’t upset these nurses. They already aren’t too keen on the idea that I’m changing your bandages.”

  Silas shook his head and rubbed her hand. “Go. There’s a shop just down the street if I remember right. Go buy yourself something nice to wear. Something like you wore the night of the Irish party in Chicago. Give me something to look forward to when you come back.”

  Emmie rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her mouth. “You are unbelievable.”

  “You deserve some time out of this place. I’ll see you in a few hours. My wallet is on the table,” he said, nodding to a bag with his belongings.

  “I don’t want to go shopping while you are laid up here, Silas,” she said, rubbing his hair.

  He grabbed her left hand and took a good look at the ring. She could tell he was remembering when she had changed it over to her other hand.

  “Emmie,” he looked up at her with sad eyes, “I’m not going to hold you to a promise you made to a man you thought was dying.” He grabbed the ring and started to slide it off her finger.

  “No.” She pulled her hand back and cradled it against her body. “No. I meant what I said. Dying man or living man. Left or right, Silas. I was already yours. I don’t care about school. There’s more to happiness than the four walls of a classroom. Sometimes you don’t know what you want until you have it. That’s how I feel right now.”

  “I believe that is how you feel right now. I’m just not sure that’s how you’ll feel years from now,” he said quietly.

  “I am sure. I want you. I pick you,” she said. Silas groaned and then grimaced, holding his left side. “Now is not the time for this conversation.”

  Silas nodded giving in to her for now. His eyes were closed as he started to speak, “You know why I picked that ring?”

  “No,” she said, gathering her things.

  He opened his eyes and grabbed her hand. Silently he ran his fingers over the stones.

  “It’s you and me. Me,” he said, touching the black onyx in the center, “and you,” he touched the circle of creamy white pearls surrounding the black stone. “You, surrounding me in light. Lying in that truck on the way here, I looked up and the sun was shining behind you. Your angel face was surrounded in light, looking down at me with so much love. I thought it was the last time I’d see you.” His eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

  Emmie leaned down and kissed his lips. She left her mouth there, breathing him in. Unfortunately, the nurse chose that moment to return to the room.

  “Miss, the man needs to rest and this is highly improper,” she squawked, sounding like an old hen.

  “Yeah well, I was just kissing him goodbye,” Emmie said, never taking her eyes away from him. He laughed and then sucked in a breath of air through his teeth at the pain.

  “If you won’t go shopping, try to find a place for me to stay when I get outta here. That’s going to be happening soon. I’d like to be able to kiss my girl without being walked in on.” He grinned at the nurse. Emmie smiled at his request. Silas didn’t need a place to stay. He needed a comment to fluster the nurse. To his satisfaction, it worked.

  “Out,” the older woman said, pointing to the door.

  Emmie couldn’t help but laugh as she walked past her. She stole one last glance at Silas before she left the room. He winked. She closed her eyes and released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She knew without a doubt he was going to be okay.

  Chapter Fifty

  Emmie was no more than fifty feet from the hospital when she spotted something that made her stop in her tracks. It was a large fancy sign with big, bold, red letters: Future site of Stone’s Crippled Children’s Hospital. She walked over to the sign and ran her fingers along the letters. This must be founded by the doctor who works with Max. Hadn’t Mae said they were trying out their methods on kids like Max in an effort to expand in the future? It must be working. She took in the residential area spotted with a handful of medical buildings. So that must mean Max was close. She walked a little farther down the street keeping her eyes out for anything that might give her a clue where they were working with him.

  After a moment of searching she spotted a little girl with crutches and thick braces on both legs walking into a large white Victorian house. Emmie followed the gravel drive to a sidewalk that led to the front door. A makeshift ramp had been built on the front of the house. A few mothers and their toddlers sat in chairs at the entry. The two small parlors had been converted to an exam room for children, filled with a mix of handmade toys and medical equipment. The children, nurses, and physicians seemed to be so engrossed in their work, no one noticed her. The kitchen was fully functional and again filled with a couple families. One mother was crying while another consoled her. A few kids ran by, playing tag. Emmie thought they must b
e siblings of children being seen here, judging by their agility as they moved. She peeked to the back yard and found some dads huddled under a tree. This place was organized chaos. She understood the need for a new facility—people were crammed in every corner of this house. She still had seen neither hide nor hair of Max. She went upstairs and found the bedrooms were actually being used as bedrooms. Only they were severely overcrowded. Each tiny space held at least two beds and a couple cots. Emmie watched as a father and two children emerged from one of the rooms.

  “Are you new here, Miss?” he asked.

  “Umm, actually, I’m looking for Max Jones,” she said sheepishly.

  The man frowned and slipped into a white coat. “Alice, Leigh, head on downstairs and finish your lessons.” Then he turned his attention back to Emmie.

  “Max is working with his teacher right now, may I help you?” He looked defensive.

  Emmie took a good look at his coat. She noticed he moved with a slight limp. He pulled something out of one of the large pockets and draped it around his neck. He was the doctor.

  “Sorry, forgive my manners. My name is Emma Talbot and I’m a family friend. I’m here visiting Max’s family.” Emmie gave the man her best carefree smile.

  The man’s shoulders seemed to relax a little. “Nice to meet you, I’m Dr. Jonah Stone. Do you go by Emmie? Max has told us about a Miss Emmie who taught him to read.”

  She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as she nodded.

  “If you’ll follow me downstairs I’ll take you out to him,” the doctor said.

  “That would be great.” Emmie watched as another family slipped into one of the bedrooms.

  “Dr. Stone, do people live in your office?” she asked.

  The man grinned, holding tightly to the loose handrail as he descended the curved staircase. He nodded and laughed. “Although, saying I have an office where people live might be a more accurate statement.”

  Emmie looked around at the crowded space and couldn’t help but agree with him.

  “Max’s family is one of the lucky ones that can afford to rent a house. In the beginning I thought I was just turning my home into an office. I don’t like to turn kids away based on money. So it seems I’ve also turned my home into a hotel,” he explained, leading her to the backyard.

  Emmie’s mouth nearly dropped open at his words. She noticed his limp again as they made their way through the grass to a small building behind the house. It was only a little bigger than a shed. “I suppose you and your family will find some relief when the new hospital opens.”

  “That we will,” he agreed. “We will be able to convert the two parlors into living quarters and take in a few more families.”

  Emmie knew at that moment why Max had found so much success in this place. It wasn’t that this doctor possessed some kind of magic formula to help kids improve. He just had the heart and soul for his work. As he led her into the shed he walked past children and helped them reposition their bodies. And adjusting one child’s brace, he moved to the front row. He patted and asked them each questions, letting her know he had a relationship with each one. When Max saw Emmie his face split into a wide grin.

  “Miss Emmie,” he shouted, abandoning the book he was reading.

  He shuffled up to her, weaving through a row of children. He tripped when he was nearly there and Dr. Stone reached out his arm and caught him.

  “Pick up that right foot, Max,” he said, sounding more like a father than a doctor.

  “Yes, Dr. Jonah,” Max said, already moving past him.

  “Miss Emmie, they said you were fine but I’ve been so scared because I didn’t see you again after—” he cut himself off and looked around, “after those bad guys came.”

  “We are all fine, Max. No reason to worry,” she said and hoped he believed her.

  The three of them spoke just a moment longer before his teacher moved Max back to his seat. She was young, probably Emmie’s age, with honey brown hair. Emmie watched her move from child to child before she left the makeshift classroom. Did she wish she were that teacher? Was that the life she wanted? Emmie shook her head and looked at the ring on her left hand. Sometimes to get what you wanted you had to give up other things. As much as she would like to be in that classroom, she wanted to be with Silas more. Although some small part of her still believed there was a way to work with children and marry Silas. She just hadn’t put the pieces together yet.

  When she left Dr. Stone’s house she realized she still had a half hour before visiting hours would start. So she did what Silas wanted her to do. She went shopping, popping in the first store she came to. It was a fancy store where the clerks looked down their noses at her until she pulled out the cash from Silas’s wallet. Apparently they decided her money spent as well as anyone else’s. She changed and freshened herself in the dressing room. She chose something blue, as it seemed to be Silas’s favorite color. She patted her hair and painted her lips. God help her if she didn’t enjoy it. Keep this up for another few weeks and she was going to have to change her name to Ava. Her heart panged at the thought of her friend. She’d left without even saying goodbye and now she had no idea where Ava was. Hadn’t she mentioned something about staying at a hotel in the city? She would need to talk to Al. Maybe he would help her call Chicago.

  She walked quickly back to the hospital and up the two flights of stairs that led her to Silas’s room. As she drew nearer to his room she realized that visiting hours must have already started. She heard a voice from inside. Emmie paused on the other side of the wall, not wanting to interrupt him if he was with Trick.

  “You’re dumber than you look to be showing your face here, boy,” Silas said quietly.

  “Either dumb or brave, I ain’t worked out which one I am yet,” he said.

  “I’m leaning toward dumb,” Silas said angrily.

  “Yeah, well, since when did I ever care what a Yankee thought of me?” At those words Emmie froze. Bo Johnson was in Silas’s hospital room.

  “Emmie girl, how’s he doing?” A deep voice with an Irish lilt called out to her.

  She spun around to find Al, Trick, Marco, and Silas’s father, Michael, walking toward her. Her heart pounded in her temples. This was not good.

  Chapter Fifty-one

  Emmie had to work to keep her feet planted outside Silas’s door. She knew the polite thing was to wait for the men but everything inside her wanted to get into that room with Silas and Bo. She forced a smile on her face and nodded hello to the group of men nearing her.

  “He is doing well. Eager to leave this hospital, I think. The doctor said in the next few days he should be good to go as long as he doesn’t have any sign of infection,” she said, as they neared her. She didn’t tell them Bo was on the other side of the wall. It was probably better for everyone involved for the men to be surprised.

  “Good to hear, girl. Trick tells me you’ve been a good nurse to my boy. Thank you, child. I knew you were one of the good ones.” Michael winked and wrapped her in a hug.

  Marco kissed her cheeks, the same as Al always did, to say hello. She squeezed his arm in return, thankful neither of them were asking her to talk about anything. One good thing about this family was they usually knew when to talk and when to be quiet.

  “Looks like you cleaned up fine, Emmie. Did you decide to let the grandma dress go? If anyone could pull off that Victorian look, it would be you,” Trick said with a grin that showed his dimples.

  Well, almost everyone in the family knew when to keep their mouth shut. Emmie rolled her eyes but could not help the laugh that escaped her. Trick was right; she had looked bad. Emmie stood in the hall and let the men enter first. She wanted to be able to see everyone’s reaction in case someone became jumpy. She wasn’t sure who she would need to calm down.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Trick shouted as soon as his feet crossed over the threshold.

  Bo put his hands up to show he was unarmed. Emmie couldn’t real
ly see him, just his hands. The room was filled past capacity. They probably only had a few minutes before one of the gatekeeper nurses kicked some folks out. She closed the door, knowing this would need to be a private conversation.

  “Those were my thoughts exactly, Trick,” Silas said, moving around in the bed. Emmie couldn’t see him, but she could only imagine he was trying to sit or stand. She pushed her way between Marco and Trick so she could see Silas.

  She was right; Silas had sat up in the bed. His blankets had fallen, revealing his bare bandaged chest. Emmie could tell by the way his teeth ground together, as he adjusted in the bed again, he was in pain but didn’t make a sound.

  “Silas, stop trying to sit up. If you get too high-handed about moving around, you’ll open that hole right back up. Do you want to be in here longer or do you want to go home?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood. She adjusted the pillow behind him, attempting to get him to move back. He didn’t. She wasn’t surprised.

  “Emmie, why don’t you let us men talk? This might be an ugly conversation you shouldn’t have to hear,” Silas said without looking at her.

  “Only if everyone in this room is willing to give me everything they have that can be used as a weapon,” she answered with a sweet smile.

  He looked at her then his eyes changed as they raked over her body. The look Silas gave her made her blush. She’d been with him long enough to know what he was thinking. And he should not be thinking that in a room full of people. He reached across his body and grabbed her with his good arm. He pulled her into him and whispered loud enough for the room to hear, “My beautiful angel. Mo Chuisle.” Then he kissed her softly on the cheek, then the lips.

  “Silas,” she chastised with a sigh. As much as she wanted to melt into the kiss it wasn’t the right time.

  “Way to treat her like a lady, Yankee,” Emmie heard Bo mumble.

  He was standing no more than a few feet from her. She saw him from his boots up, surprised to find he wasn’t wearing overalls. He was in a nice pair of pants and a red flannel shirt. His hair had grown out a little and he’d slicked it back. The men in the room wouldn’t know it but he was dressed up. The thing that surprised her most about his appearance was the swollen blue-black lump that went from his eye to his temple.