by Sharon Sala
“I’m sorry, but this is the older brother in me not wanting to leave someone in need. Do me one favor and don’t lock the door. I’m going to the pharmacy to pick up a couple of cold packs. The swelling on your ankle will go down a lot faster if you use them. It won’t take me long, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone.”
He was gone before she could argue, and Cathy was hurting too much to care. She raised the footrest, then leaned back in the recliner and closed her eyes.
* * *
Duke was on a mission. It bothered him that Cathy was alone in this place. No friends, no vehicle, no job, just here with no plan or purpose. He drove straight to the pharmacy.
LilyAnn looked up when she saw him walking in and smiled.
“Forget something?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “I need a couple of those gel packs that you freeze for ice packs, and a tube of that icy-hot stuff for sore muscles, and a bottle of painkillers. I also need to rent one of those rolling walkers…you know, the kind with a seat and a basket beneath it.”
“That’s all back in the pharmacy area. Let’s go see what we have available.”
Duke followed her. Mr. Phillips, the pharmacist, was behind the counter, and when he saw them looking at crutches and walkers, he came out to help.
“Exactly what are you needing, Duke? And do you want to buy or rent?”
“Rent,” Duke said. “It’s an injury that will heal. I want one of the walkers that has hand controls and wheels, with a seat and a basket beneath it.”
“Yep, I have three of those for rent. They call them Rollators, and they’re in the back. Follow me and take your pick.”
“I’ll get the rest of your stuff and have it at the register,” LilyAnn said, and left the two men alone.
Duke followed Phillips into the back room, and after trying out all three walkers to make sure they rolled easily and that the hand brakes would set, he picked out the royal-blue one.
“How much do these rent for?” he asked.
“I don’t have much call for these. I’ll rent it for fifty dollars a month. Can you swing that?”
“Yes, and I’ll be responsible for getting it back to you, too.”
“You must have someone real stove-up at home.”
“No, it’s for a woman who took a fall this morning. She didn’t break anything, but she has a badly swollen ankle, and I know her hip and shoulder have to be hurting, too.”
“Well, that’s real nice of you, Duke. Who got hurt?”
“Her name is Cathy Terry. She’s new in town and renting one of Dan Amos’s houses. I actually saw her fall.”
“The lady with the curly red hair?” Phillips asked.
Duke nodded.
“I see her jogging past the store almost every morning. I’m sure sorry she’s hurt. Here, let me send her a box of chocolates as a get-well from all of us here at Phillips Pharmacy.”
“That’s really kind of you,” Duke said.
Phillips smiled. “Chocolate fixes a multitude of ills. Sometimes it’s even better than the pills I peddle,” he said, and picked a box of assorted chocolates and carried it up front to add with the other things. “LilyAnn, the chocolates are on the house. Don’t bother ringing them up.”
“Yes, sir,” LilyAnn said. “That’s a sweet thing for you to do.”
The old man blushed a little and headed back to work while LilyAnn signed the walker out in their rental file, then checked Duke out.
“Need help carrying anything?” she asked.
“No thanks. I’ve got it,” he said.
“I’ll get the door,” she said.
Duke loaded everything up and then backed away from the curb and headed back up Main Street to Granny’s Country Kitchen.
Lovey Cooper, the owner, greeted him as he entered.
“Morning, Duke! Good to see you.”
“Hi, Lovey. I want to get some food to go. By any chance do you still have some biscuits and sausage gravy from breakfast?”
“Oh sure. That sells all day long. How much do you want? Enough for your family, or just you?”
“I want some for Cathy Terry. She had a fall this morning when she was jogging, and I was thinking she might not have eaten before her run.”
“Oh no! She’s been in here a few times since her arrival in Blessings. Is she hurt bad?”
“A bad sprain and some bumps and bruises. I don’t think she’ll be cooking for herself for a while.”
“I’ll get you fixed right up, and it won’t take long. Just have a seat.”
Duke sat down on the padded bench in the lobby and then took a deep breath. Yes, he was overdoing it, but that’s how he did everything. When there was a need, he wanted to fill it. When something was wrong, he wanted to fix it. He’d spent his entire life taking care of people, and he didn’t know any other way to be.
And…if he made Cathy feel like he was butting into her business without an invitation, maybe some of Mercy’s biscuits would smooth the way.
He kept glancing at the clock, worrying about being gone so long, when in fact he’d left her house less than twenty minutes ago. Lovey came back within minutes carrying a large to-go sack.
“Here you go,” she said. “Four biscuits and a pint of sausage gravy. And Elvis was just taking the first batch of fried chicken out of the fryer, so I wrapped up a couple of pieces of chicken and added a pint of mashed potatoes and gravy for her, too.”
“That’s awesome. What do I owe you?” Duke asked.
“Nothing. You’re being such a Good Samaritan and I want to help. You tell her everyone at Granny’s sends their love, and to get well soon.”
Duke smiled. “Thank you, Lovey. You’re the best.”
He settled the sack of food on the front floorboard, then drove away. By the time he got back to Cathy’s house, thirty minutes had come and gone.
He got the walker out of the truck bed and carried it to the porch, then went back for the two sacks. He knocked once, and then opened the door.
She had the recliner in full reclining position and her eyes were closed, but he could tell by the pained expression on her face that she wasn’t asleep.
“Come in,” she said, and raised the back of the chair into a sitting position.
Duke set the sacks down on the floor, then brought the Rollator inside.
“This is just a rental. You have it for a month.” He rolled it over to her chair and began explaining how it worked. “If you push these handles down, it locks the wheels like brakes so it won’t roll out from under you. And the seat lifts up so you can put things in the basket and move them from room to room.”
Cathy was touched by his thoughtfulness and the endearing way in which he was instructing her in the walker’s use.
“Thank you. I’ve never been so immobile before and wouldn’t have thought of doing this.”
Duke sighed with relief. She wasn’t angry.
He went back for the two sacks. “I brought some icy-hot stuff for sore muscles. A bottle of painkillers just in case you didn’t have any, and a couple of gel packs that need to freeze first. But once they’re cold, you can alternate using one on your swollen ankle and then…well, you get the picture. Is it okay if I put these in the freezer for you?”
“Yes,” Cathy said.
“Mr. Phillips, who owns the pharmacy, sent you a box of chocolates with his sympathies and said to get well soon.”
Cathy was in shock. “Wow, there are some really nice people here in Blessings.”
“There’s more,” Duke said. “Since you were out jogging so early in the morning, I was worried you might have missed your breakfast, so I went by Granny’s and picked up some sausage gravy and some of Mercy’s heavenly biscuits. That’s what I call them, because they’re so dang good, and when Lovey found out why I was getting them, she
sent along a couple of pieces of fried chicken and some mashed potatoes and gravy for you to have on hand, and then wouldn’t let me pay for it.”
Cathy’s eyes welled. It had been so long since anyone had been kind to her that the tears came without warning.
“No tears,” Duke said, and laid a hand gently on her arm. “Are you hungry?”
“I thought of Granny’s biscuits and gravy while I was running. I would love some.”
“Will you let me make a plate for you?”
“Make a plate?”
Duke grinned. “That’s Southern for putting food on a plate and serving you.”
Cathy blushed. “Yes, you can make my plate, but just put it on the kitchen table and I’ll roll myself in there to eat.”
“Deal,” Duke said. “Don’t forget to set the hand brakes to brace yourself getting up.”
“Okay,” Cathy said.
Duke hesitated, then decided he’d done enough interfering.
“I’ll just stand here to make sure you don’t fall until you figure out the best way.”
Cathy put the footrest down, then pulled the Rollator around in front of her, set the brakes, and then gingerly stood. Her hip hurt, her ankle was throbbing, but she was upright, and thanks to Duke Talbot, she would be mobile.
“Okay, now release the handbrakes before you go. Brace most of your weight on your arms. I know your hand is likely sore. I hope you can manage this, but it’s the lesser of two evils.”
“It’s not that bad. Just missing a little hide, as my daddy used to say. I’ll figure it out.”
Duke didn’t argue, and headed for the kitchen with the sacks. He put the gel packs in the freezer, then set the analgesic ointment and the bottle of painkillers on the kitchen table.
By that time, Cathy had made her way into the kitchen. She rolled herself up to the table, then turned the walker around and sat down on it like a chair.
“Plates are to the right of the sink. Flatware is in the top drawer to the left,” she said.
Duke got out a plate and a fork, split two biscuits, poured some sausage gravy over them, then carried the plate and the fork to the table and set it in front of her.
“Thank you so much. Did you get enough for yourself, too?” Cathy asked.
“No, I ate before I left home, but thank you. Maybe another time, okay?”
Cathy nodded, then took a bite and rolled her eyes as she chewed and swallowed.
“So good,” she said, and went in for another bite.
“Want me to put the other stuff in your refrigerator?” he asked.
“Yes, thanks,” she said.
Duke slid the containers onto an empty shelf, got a drinking glass from the cabinet, filled it with water, and then opened the bottle of painkillers.
“Hold out your hand,” he said, and then shook a couple out into her palm.
Cathy took them gladly.
“I see you still have coffee on warm. Do you want some with your food?” Duke asked.
Cathy swallowed her bite of food and then looked up. He didn’t look like Jeffrey Dean Morgan so much anymore. He just looked like the nicest man ever.
“Yes, and then you can stop waiting on me. You have done more than enough, and I owe you big time. Next time I see you, I can give you cash for the rental. How much do I owe?”
“It wasn’t much, and it’s on me. Do you have a phone?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m going to write down my cell number. I want you to promise that if you need anything…anything at all…that you’ll call me. Since I’m my own boss, I come and go as I please, and it would please me to help.”
He picked up the notepad and pen at the end of the kitchen counter and wrote down his number, then poured her a cup of coffee anyway and set it beside her plate.
“I guess I’ll be going now,” Duke said.
Cathy looked up. “I went running to get rid of a nightmare and was rescued by a knight in shining armor. Thank you for everything.”
Duke grinned. “And I came into town to get a haircut. I always wanted to be a knight in shining armor for someone. I hope to see you again soon. Those gel packs should be ready to use in a couple of hours. I’ll turn the lock on the door and let myself out. Rest well. Keep your feet up.”
And then he was gone.
Cathy heard his truck start up and drive away, and stayed at the table long enough to finish eating. As soon as she got back into the recliner, she leaned back with a groan and closed her eyes.
Her tummy was full of biscuits and sausage gravy, and her heart was full to bursting from the kindness of strangers. The thought of seeing Duke Talbot again did not bother her, and it should have. She wasn’t here for a relationship. Her plans had nothing to do with that.
She was almost asleep when it dawned on her that she didn’t have any plans, so that claim held no water…no water at all.
Chapter 3
Moses and J.B. Gatlin hadn’t been to Blessings since right after the hurricane, when they went there to tell their sister-in-law, Alice Conroy, about their mother, Beulah, being dead.
Their reception at that fancy house Alice was sheltering in had been nothing short of brutal, and they both admitted it was nothing more than they’d deserved. They’d had every intention of leaving Georgia, but it didn’t happen.
After their mama blew up the house, they didn’t have a change of clothes between them. With no job skills beyond being the hill people that they were, they’d pooled what money they had left, along with what Beulah had put by in the bank, and bought themselves a used trailer house and put it up where their house once stood, while Alice went on to marry Dan Amos, the man who’d given them shelter during the storm.
They did odd jobs for people in the area—and made enough money to keep their utilities on and food in their bellies—but they were barely getting by.
Then one morning when they went outside to feed their laying hens, there was a cow grazing near the barn.
“Looky there!” Moses said. “Someone’s cow got out. Who do you reckon it belongs to?”
J.B. stood and looked at it for a minute, and then shrugged.
“Well, it’s down at our barn, eating our grass. I reckon it belongs to us,” he said.
Moses frowned. “No sir. We aren’t thieves. Go put it in the pen. Someone will surely come looking for it.”
J.B. went down to the barn and did as his brother told him, but the thought was still in his mind that they could sell the cow at an auction somewhere and pocket a little extra cash.
And after three days without a single soul coming to look for the cow, J.B. loaded it up and took it to a cattle auction in another county and came home with over eight hundred dollars.
Moses was at the house when J.B. came back, and the look on his face made J.B. a little nervous. He drove the pickup to the back of the barn, unhooked the stock trailer, and then drove back to the house, took the money out of his wallet, and got out.
“What the hell did you do with that cow?” Moses yelled.
J.B. just handed his brother the money and went into the house.
Moses stared at the wad of money, then counted it in disbelief. Eight hundred and twenty-three dollars.
“Lord, lord,” Moses muttered.
He looked down at his old work shoes, then up at where they lived. It was falling down around them. He looked back down at the money again, and then followed J.B. into the trailer.
“Well?” J.B. asked.
Moses opened a cabinet and pulled out the round oatmeal box that they used for a bank, and put the money inside, then put it back in the cabinet without saying a word.
“I already fed the chickens, and I got a call from a man up near Savannah who wants some windows hung tomorrow. We need to be there by 8:00 a.m.”
“All right,” J.B
. said. “What’s he paying?”
“I told him we’d do it for three hundred,” Moses said.
“How many are we hanging?” J.B. asked.
“I reckon he said five of them. They’re regular-size windows and all on the ground floor.”
J.B. nodded.
“All right, then.”
They stood for a minute looking at each other, and knew they’d both crossed a line that would have shamed their mama. But then they weren’t too happy with her, either. If it wasn’t for her, they wouldn’t be in this shape, so they let the guilt slide.
They went to bed after the sun went down, Moses in his room, J.B. in his across the hall. But neither one of them could sleep. J.B. had sold something that didn’t belong to him, and Moses had abetted the crime by taking the money from the sale.
It was a fitful night for both of them, and when the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m., they were up without complaint.
They came home that evening with two hundred and fifty-one dollars to add to their stash. They’d had to buy their own lunches and put gas in the truck coming and going, but it was money honestly earned.
It was another month before the brothers crossed the line again, but this time it was easier. They saw three steers out grazing in a bar ditch, and when they drove up on them, the steers turned and ran ahead of the pickup.
“You need to stop, or they’ll run all the way to our place,” Moses said.
“Yeah, they probably will,” J.B. said, and kept driving, and the steers kept running up that gravel road all the way to their homeplace. But when J.B. parked at the trailer, the steers finally stopped running.
Neither brother commented, but they both walked down to the barn. One opened the gate to the corral, and the other herded the steers inside. They began grazing on the overgrowth in the corral.
“You feed the chickens. I’ll start supper,” Moses said, and that’s how the evening went.
They ate sausage patties and fried potatoes until they were gone, then cleaned up the kitchen together.
“How long do you reckon we oughta keep them steers?” J.B. asked.
