Her Sister's Shoes

by Ashley Farley

  “That’s smart thinking. None of you can be too careful right now. Have you seen or heard from him?” Eli asked.

  Sam crossed her fingers. “Hopefully, he learned his lesson.” She checked her watch again. “I’m not sure we have time to go now. Jamie has to be back by four for physical therapy.”

  “We’ll make it back in time, if I drive.”

  Sam cocked an eyebrow. “Are you saying you want to come with us?”

  “If that’s okay with you. There’s someone I’d really like for Jamie to meet.”

  “I don’t think we’ll have time for socializing, Eli.”

  He chucked her chin. “You’ve gotta eat lunch, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Trust me on this.”

  Sam saw compassion in his soulful gray eyes, and she realized she did trust him. Not only had he taken a special interest in her son but also was doing his best to protect her family from her deranged brother-in-law. And the interview he’d orchestrated with Janie Jasper could end up saving Sweeney’s from bankruptcy. Having a confidant was a new experience for Sam, and she valued Eli’s friendship, even if their relationship never developed into anything romantic. She didn’t have time for romance, anyway, not with all the chaos controlling her life.

  “My trust does not come cheap, but you’ve earned it, Eli. And I thank you for that.”

  He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “You are welcome,” he whispered. “You said you were dying to try sushi, right?”

  Eli, Sam, and Jamie talked about Janie’s article all the way to Charleston. They speculated on when the next issue of Lowcountry Living would hit the stands and how soon before they might see an increase in business. Sam warned Jamie not to be overly optimistic, even though she couldn’t suppress her own feelings of hope.

  Su-shay was located on East Bay Street just down from Magnolias. While small, the restaurant was appropriately uptown for big town. The walls were painted a high-gloss orange and the tables were dark modern wood. A nature-inspired water fountain dripped streams of water down the banquette wall on one side of the restaurant while workers prepared food in an open area, the sushi bar, on the other.

  “I’m not sure we have time to wait,” Sam said when she saw the mob of hungry-looking customers gathered around the hostess stand.

  “We have a reservation.” Sam looked surprised, and Eli said, “I know the owner. I texted him we were coming.”

  A shorter version of Eli made his way through the crowd toward them. “Hey, bro.” He engulfed Eli in a bear hug. “Next time give me a little notice.”

  “You know me. I operate by the seat of my pants. Sam, Jamie, this is my brother Kyle.”

  Kyle’s dazzling smile and bright blue eyes mesmerized Sam. She offered her hand to him, but pulled it back in shock when she felt metal fingers grip hers. She stared down at his forearms, which were fitted with state-of-the-art prosthetic devices. “Oh, sorry.” Sam blushed. “I didn’t realize.”

  “No worries.” He balled his metal fingers up tight, offering Jamie a fist bump. “Nice to meet you, dude.”

  “Can you believe Sam and Jamie have never eaten sushi?” Eli said.

  Kyle slapped his metal palm to his forehead. “Never eaten sushi? That’s a crime. We’ll have to remedy that right away.” He started toward the back, motioning for them to follow.

  Eli helped Jamie maneuver his chair through the crowded restaurant to the last table along the banquette. Eli and Sam slid onto the upholstered bench against the wall and Jamie wheeled up opposite them.

  When Kyle pulled up a chair next to Jamie, Eli said, “Glad you can join us, man.”

  “It’s not every day my brother blesses me with his presence.”

  An Asian woman with flawless skin and shiny black hair approached the table. “Since when do we take lunch breaks?” the woman said to Kyle, her arms crossed.

  “Blame it on me for showing up unannounced during the middle of your lunch crowd.” Eli stood, and leaned across the table to kiss her cheek. “Shay, I’d like you to meet my friends, Sam and Jamie Sweeney. Shay is a candidate for sainthood for marrying my brother.”

  Sam snapped her fingers. “I get it now. Shay, as in Su-shay.”

  Eli patted Sam on the head. “She’s a fast learner.”

  Kyle winked at his wife. “Sweetheart, can you believe Sam and Jamie have never eaten sushi?”

  “You’ve come to the right place. One sampler coming up.” She executed a dainty bow.

  When Shay left the table, Jamie turned to Kyle. “What happened to your arms?”

  “Jamie!” Sam said. “Don’t be rude.”

  “I’ll make a deal with you,” Kyle said. “I’ll tell my story if you tell me yours.”

  “Deal,” Jamie said, and they shook on it. “But you go first.”

  “Okay, fine.” Kyle settled back in his chair. “I was on my last week of duty in Afghanistan when a defective explosive device detonated in my hands.”

  “You mean one of our own weapons?” Jamie asked, his eyes wide.

  “Yep. My recovery was brutal. For a long time, all I wanted to do was die.”

  “I know how that feels,” Jamie said.

  Shay approached the table with two large bottles of sparkling water. “Shay was my nurse. She saved my life, didn’t you, honey?”

  She set the water on the table. “He was a real bastard in the beginning.”

  Kyle grabbed his wife’s hand and kissed it. “She makes me pay for it now. Every single day.”

  “How did the two of you get into the restaurant business?” Sam asked.

  “I grew up working the food industry,” Shay said. “My parents own a sushi shack back in Seattle, where I’m from.”

  “Don’t let the name fool you. This Sushi Shack”—Kyle used air quotes—“is a three-story palace packed with people all year long.”

  When a server delivered two platters of sushi to the table, Shay pointed to each piece while Kyle listed the ingredients and then described the accompanying sauces. Next, he gave a quick tutorial on how to hold the chopsticks, using his metal fingers and amazing everyone with his adept demonstration.

  “Your turn, Jamie,” Kyle said once Shay had returned to the kitchen and their plates were full of sushi. “How’d you end up in the chair?”

  “An ATV accident. I was driving, and my best friend was killed,” Jamie said, maintaining composure despite his quivering lip.

  “Sorry, dude. I know how that feels. I lost a lot of buddies in Afghanistan. After awhile, I stopped making friends, because I couldn’t deal with the pain of losing them.”

  Everyone dug into the sushi to avoid the awkward silence. They tasted and sampled, each one talking about which rolls they like the best.

  Kyle dipped a California roll in the soy sauce. “What’s your prognosis, Jamie, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Jamie cast a nervous glance at his mother. “According to my doctors, I should be walking by now.”

  Chopsticks poised in midair, Kyle asked, “What are you waiting for?”

  Jamie shrugged. “It’s not that easy.”

  “Ha. Nothing ever is.” Kyle placed a metal hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “Seriously, bro. I lay in that hospital bed for months wishing I had died in the accident, wondering how in the hell I would make it through life without my hands. But Shay and Eli helped me see how selfish I was being.”

  Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Selfish?”

  “Yes. Selfish. God had spared my life, and I owed it to all my friends who died in Afghanistan to make the best of it. I may not have any hands, but I’m alive. I have a beautiful bride, and one day I hope God will bless us with children. And I can cook, the one thing I love to do above all else.”

  “I like to cook, too,” Jamie admitted. He popped a tuna roll in his mouth. “Now that I think about it, I’ve eaten sushi before. Not with all this fancy stuff, but raw tuna straight out of the ocean.”

  Kyle pointed his
chopsticks at Jamie. “Now you’re talking.”

  Jamie took a slice of sushi between his fingers and studied the contents up close. “How do you get all these little pieces to stay in there like that?”

  Kyle set his chopsticks down, pushed his chair back from the table, and reached for the handles on Jamie’s wheelchair. “Come with me, and I’ll show you how it’s done.”

  As soon as they left, Sam turned to Eli. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” he asked.

  “For bringing us here. For giving Jamie the opportunity to see that people can live full lives with physical challenges. For introducing me to your adorable brother and his beautiful wife. For teaching me how to eat sushi.”

  Eli shook his head. “I can’t take credit for teaching you about sushi.”

  Sam considered his response. “Okay, so I’ll give Kyle credit for teaching us to eat sushi. But thank you, Eli, for taking Jamie fishing the other day and for keeping an eye on Curtis and for arranging the interview with Janie.”

  Eli held his hands up to silence her. “I get the picture. And you’re welcome. You can take me out to dinner on Saturday night to pay me back.”

  Sam smiled. “As long as you’re okay with McDonald’s, which is about all I can afford at the moment.”

  “Throw in a chocolate sundae and you’ve got a deal.” When his eyes met hers and she thought he might kiss her right there in the middle of the crowded restaurant, Kyle and Jamie reappeared.

  Eli reached for his wallet, but Kyle refused. “It’s on the house, bro. I enjoyed the company. Just don’t be such a stranger.”

  They said their goodbyes, then hustled out to the car and across town to pick up the wine. They were headed back toward the Ashley River Bridge when Sam spotted her sister hurrying from the main building of Finley Hall to her SUV parked out front.

  Sam slapped the dashboard. “Pull over.”

  Eli whipped his truck across two lanes to the curb.

  Sam rolled down the window. “What on earth are you doing at Finley Hall?”

  “I can’t talk now,” Jackie said, flustered. “Cooper’s been in an accident.”

  Sam hopped out of the truck. “What kind of accident?”

  “He slipped while hiking this morning. They medevacked him to Charlotte Memorial. He has a fractured skull, and a broken arm, but I don’t know the details.” She pointed her key at her car door, but couldn’t get it to unlock. “I’ve got to get to him, Sam.”

  Sam took hold of her sister’s shoulders. “Look at me, Jacqueline. You can’t go anywhere until you calm down. Take some deep breaths. Do you know how to get to Charlotte from here?”

  “Yes. You take I-26 to I-77. My GPS will get me there.”

  Sam’s brain kicked into crisis mode. “Okay, but since you don’t know how long you’ll be there, why don’t I pick up some of your things and bring them to you at the hospital.”

  Visibly relieved, Jackie removed her house key from her key ring and handed it to Sam. “Here’s my key. I’m so glad I saw you. I’ll text you my alarm code when I stop at the first stop light.”

  “Don’t worry, Aunt Jackie,” Jamie called from the car. “Cooper’s gonna be fine. He has a really hard head.”

  Jackie managed a smile for her nephew. “He does have a hard head, doesn’t he?” Then, turning to Sam, she said, “I need to get on the road now.”

  “Has anyone called Bill?” Sam asked.

  “Not unless someone from camp called him.”

  Sam hugged her sister tight. “Cooper will make it through this, Jackie. But he will need the strength of both his parents to do so.”

  Twenty-Eight

  Jacqueline

  As soon as Jackie hit I-26 heading toward Columbia, she called the hospital in Charlotte to tell them she was on her way. The nurse assured her they were doing everything possible for Cooper and cautioned her to drive safely.

  She placed a second call to Bill, who answered his cell right away.

  “Cooper has been in an accident,” she said, her tone curt. “He’s at Charlotte Memorial. According to the camp director, he fell during a rock climb earlier today. He has a fractured skull and several broken bones in his left arm. That’s all I know. I’m on my way there now.”

  There was silence on the other end, and Jackie imagined Bill massaging his eyebrow in worry. “Where’s Sean?” he asked.

  “He’s in the emergency room with Cooper. But I haven’t spoken to him yet. I don’t even know if he has his cell phone, but I will try to call him when I hang up with you.”

  “I can be on the road in thirty minutes,” he said. “I just need to run to the house and throw a few things in a bag.”

  Irritation crawled across her skin. “By house, I assume you mean the place where you now live with your lover.”

  “Now is not the time, Jack.”

  “There’s no need for you to come, Bill. I can handle this alone. In my book, when you walk out on your wife, you walk out on your family.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’m coming. When you speak to the doctor, please have him call me on my cell.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she said, and hung up.

  Jackie knew she was acting like a teenage drama queen who’d recently been dumped by her boyfriend. Bill’s expertise as a doctor would be invaluable in this situation, but she hated being in the position of needing anything from him.

  Images of the past flashed before her as she drove. The tournament-winning blue marlin the twins caught with their grandfather. The excitement on Cooper’s face when he shot his first deer, and the pride on Sean’s face when he killed his first buck with a bow and arrow. The touchdowns Cooper had scored and the tackles Sean had made. Each of them had suffered a concussion along the way, but somehow they’d managed to avoid major head trauma. Until now.

  It dawned on Jackie that these images were merely snapshots in her mind. She’d held the camera but had no memories associated with her photographs. She had never taken an interest in activities her sons enjoyed. She’d never gone fishing with them. Or hunting or crabbing or mud-hole punching. She’d never gone to their out-of-town football games. Hell, more often than not, she’d missed the first quarter, if not the first half, of their home games. Hunting and fishing and football were pastimes men enjoyed, dirty activities unsuitable for a lady. Yet Sam had done all those things with Jamie, had never missed a single one of his baseball games. Cooper and Sean still had two more years of high school. She’d make it up to them. If she got the chance.

  The headmistress at Finley Hall had basically offered her the dance instructor position. Interim, of course, until they could find someone permanent. Accepting the offer would mean moving to Charleston, which would enable her to rent Mrs. Graves’s guest cottage and start building her client base for the interior design firm she hoped to launch. But the cottage wasn’t big enough for the three of them. And she certainly couldn’t uproot the twins in their junior year of high school. Moving to Charleston meant leaving Bill alone to raise the boys. No way would she allow that to happen with Daisy Calhoun in his life. She’d all but accepted a job offer and rented a cottage without giving one ounce of consideration to her sons. What kind of mother was she?

  A selfish one.

  The nurses were wheeling an unconscious Cooper into surgery when she arrived at the hospital. She walked alongside his gurney and kissed his forehead before they whisked him into the operating room.

  The doctor, an orthopedic surgeon with a salt–and-pepper beard and an aquiline nose, spoke briefly with Jackie. “Your son suffered a compound fracture to the humerus and extensive damage to the elbow on his left arm. We are going in now to repair the damage to both.”

  “What about his brain injury?” Jackie asked.

  “The CT scan showed a simple linear fracture, the good kind of brain injury if there is such a thing. Dr. Blackwell, one of our top neurologists, is monitoring your son closely. He will be in to speak with you shortly.”
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  Dr. Grossman directed her to a waiting room, where she found Sean crumpled in a heap in the corner. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. His clothes were torn and bloody, whether from the scratches on his arms and legs or from his brother’s injuries.

  “Sean?” In a state of shock, it took a minute for her son to assimilate her presence. But when he broke down in sobs, she took him in her arms and held him tight.

  When his sobs finally subsided, she pulled away from him. “It’s okay now, son. Everything’s gonna be all right.”

  “I couldn’t hold on to him,” Sean said, his voice hoarse. “He tripped on a rock and fell over the ledge. He was hanging on to a tree limb, but I couldn’t reach him. His hands slipped and he fell, right in front of my eyes.”

  Chills traveled Jackie’s spine. “How far did he fall?”

  Sean wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Not that far. But he landed on a huge boulder. He hit his head and tore up his arm. The bone was sticking out of the skin.”

  Jackie rubbed her son’s back. “We’re at a trauma hospital, in the best possible hands. All we can do now is pray.”

  She grasped Sean’s hand and they sat side by side on the sofa in the waiting room, staring out the bank of windows in front of them. Jackie had a hard time letting go of his hand when the nurse called his name.

  “You’re welcome to come with us,” the nurse said. “I’m just taking him down to the ER to get him cleaned up.”

  Jackie glanced at the double doors that led to the operating room, then back at Sean. She’d never been torn between her boys before. They’d always been a package deal. They’d never needed her, had always been there to support one another. But now, one without the other, both of them alone. She had no idea how to choose.

  “You need to stay here, Mom, to wait for an update,” Sean said.

  She nodded. “That’s probably best.”

  Bill arrived a few minutes later. Sinking to the sofa beside her, he wrapped his arm around her and told her everything would be okay, as though nothing had changed between them. The warmth of his body reminded Jackie of nights they used to lie in bed, talking until the late hours. Now he spent his nights with Daisy, making plans for his future with her.