Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set

by Cari Lynn Webb, Linda Warren, Mary Anne Wilson

  Libby felt a tremor run through Jake before he let go of her to reach over the safety rail for the older man’s hand. He held on to Sarge. She went around to stand where she’d promised.

  “Heard you were sick,” Jake finally said.

  The older man started to say something, but a coughing fit cut off any words. When the doctor entered, Libby waved slightly to get Jake’s attention. He looked up, then over at Dr. Miller. Libby moved back to let the man get closer to the side of the bed where she stood. “Glad you made it,” the doctor said to Jake.

  “What’s going on?” he asked bluntly.

  The doctor patted Sarge on the shoulder and said to the man, “We’ll be right back, Sarge.” He glanced at Jake. “Maybe Ms. Connor can stay with him while we talk outside.”

  Jake looked over at her. “I’d like her to hear what you have to say, too.”

  “Okay.” The doctor nodded and headed back to the door.

  Libby followed them out and angled herself so Jake could see her, and so she could see the doctor.

  “I never like to go over things with the patient there. They can get confused and take things the wrong way.”

  “What’s going on?” Jake asked.

  “There’s an infection that we didn’t expect, and he was put on an antibiotic regimen, but the fever’s tough. We’re adjusting the meds to hopefully boost their effectiveness, but we have to do it slowly.”

  “He’ll be okay, won’t he?” Jake asked.

  The doctor exhaled. “Right now, it’s pretty much about getting the right dosages. Once that happens, our hope is he’ll start to improve.”

  “How long is this going to take?”

  “I honestly have no idea, but I’m hopeful we’ll see something in the next four to five hours.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  The doctor nodded as if he’d expected what Jake said. “Of course. We can accommodate that.”

  Jake turned and reentered Sarge’s room without waiting for any more discussion. Libby lingered to speak to the doctor. “Please, just keep us in the loop so we know what’s going on. If something goes sideways, please tell Jake when I’m with him. He’s very close to Sarge.”

  The doctor didn’t hesitate. “I understand. I’ll be back after I check on lab results.”

  “Can I use a cell phone in here?”

  “Yes,” he said, then left.

  She quickly left a message for Seth, telling him what was going on, then she went back in the room to be with Jake.

  He was sitting in a straight-backed chair he’d positioned near the safety rail on the right side of the bed. Sarge was motionless, his eyes shut, and he looked more flushed. Libby crossed to Jake and laid her hand on his shoulder. When he glanced up at her, the pain she saw in his eyes hurt her. “You know how strong he is, and they’ll get the right medication.”

  Jake spoke as he looked back at Sarge. “He’s burning up.” She reached down to touch the man’s hand. His skin was paper dry and abnormally hot. She went around the bed and pulled a chair up so she could see Sarge and Jake at all times. She knew that Jake’s world had to be tipping precariously close to the storm.

  As the time ticked past, Libby slipped out to make calls to Seth and keep him up to date. Max had checked on Pax, and the dog was okay. Libby tried to call Roger twice but hadn’t been able to connect. Her parents weren’t answering, either. By late afternoon, the fever gave no signs of breaking. A look out the window showed clouds darkening and dropping lower. Still, nothing changed for Sarge.

  Finally, she got up and went around to Jake, crouching by his chair to lay her hand on his arm. He didn’t take his eyes off Sarge as he said, “If nothing changes in the next hour, I’m going to insist that they get him to a hospital, or they get someone here who knows what’s going on.”

  She waited until he finally looked at her. “It’s your call,” she said. “I’ll go and talk to Julia. She seems to be on top of what’s happening. I’m worried about Pax, too. I know we’re going to be gone a lot longer than we thought. I don’t want to leave here to go all the way back to the ranch, but maybe I should later on, if I have to.”

  “No,” he said quickly. “Call Seth and tell him to contact Max and see if he wants a place to sleep over for the night. He can stay at the ranch with Pax and be closer to town.”

  “Would he do that?”

  “If he can, he will. It can’t hurt to ask.”

  “I will,” she said, then left the room. She almost walked into Julia, who was coming toward her with a tray and two covered dishes along with a pot of coffee.

  “I know you two haven’t eaten, so I brought you dinner,” she said.

  “Thank you so much.” Libby took the tray from her. “I’ll take it in.”

  “Okay, is there anything else I can do?”

  “Jake’s pretty stressed. While I make some phone calls, could you be with him? He doesn’t want to talk, but I’d feel better if he isn’t in there alone.”

  “Of course. I’d be glad to do that. I can take care of a few things for Sarge while I’m at it.”

  Libby went back into the room with Julia and set the tray on the small cabinet by Sarge’s bed. She turned to Jake and laid her hand on his shoulder. “Julia brought dinner for us. She needs to do a few things in here, so I’ll go and make a call, then be right back.”

  Unexpectedly, Jake laid his hand over hers and said, “Thank you.” The contact was gone as he turned back to Sarge.

  Libby found the reception area empty, so she sat down and dialed Seth. She told him Sarge’s condition still hadn’t changed and talked to him for a while, then asked if he could call the sheriff to see if he’d stay at the ranch for the night. After that, she put in a video call to Roger with little hope of connecting after all the failed attempts. She was surprised when he picked up.

  “Roger, hey, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for hours.”

  He looked tired, his khaki shirt rumpled, and for a man who was very precise about his appearance, he looked rumpled, too. His dark hair was askew, and he seemed stressed. “Sorry, I’ve been busy. Everything’s happening at once around here.”

  She needed this connection so much right then—to see him and hear his voice. “I miss you. Do you know yet when you’ll be here?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t. I can’t cut this job short, but if I can try to hurry it along, I will. You never called Mother, did you?”

  She bit her lip, and told him the truth. “I’d rather wait until we go back to Seattle together to talk things over with your mother and father. I think you need to be there with me.”

  He frowned. “Come on, Libby, she’s not going to wait that long. She’s excited about everything. Just call her. She’s found a veil for you that’s, according to her, beyond perfection.”

  “I have a veil,” she said, and knew her voice sounded a bit tight. Right then she didn’t care. “There’s a lot going on here, too. We’re at the hospital with Jake’s foster father. He’s pretty sick.”

  “Oh, sorry. I hope he improves,” he said, quickly, then kept talking. “I need to get going, but call Mother, please.”

  “Roger, I don’t think—”

  “I don’t have time to worry about veils and the music and the food. Right now, she’s looking at a string quartet. I’m too busy here to do that kind of thing.”

  Libby hated what he was saying. Even more, she hated herself for how badly she needed to hear that Roger understood what she was going through. “We’re at the hospital, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “Sorry, sure,” he said, brushing that aside. “I have to get off of here.”

  “You will be able to be back for Christmas, right?”

  She heard him sigh heavily. “I’ll try, and if I don’t, it’s just a day on the calendar. We can pick any day we w
ant when I get back.” He glanced away from the screen, then at her. “Gotta go. Love you,” he said, and the screen went blank.

  Libby would’ve cried if she hadn’t felt so shocked at his throwaway words about Sarge’s condition and Christmas just being any day they chose. She almost didn’t recognize the man she’d just spoken to, the man who cared so much about the people he was helping. Instead, he’d seemed self-absorbed and disinterested. She knew that much of their relationship had been long distance, with him traveling, but she truly believed she knew him. Now she wasn’t sure what to believe.

  She did know one thing. She didn’t think she’d worry about calling Roger again for a while. That thought took her aback, but it didn’t change the way she felt. They needed a break; at least, she needed a break that had little to do with the physical distance between them. She had to refocus on what was truly important right then—Sarge and Jake.

  When she got back to the room, Julia left. Libby crouched down beside Jake again.

  “Did you talk to Seth?” he asked right away.

  “Yes, and he said he’s got the corporate jet ready, but the airport’s still not letting anything take off or land. He said not to worry about the sheriff. He’ll get in touch and work it out. I also told him about you thinking you needed to get Sarge moved, and he said since you’re here, you do what you think is best. He trusts you.”

  Jake surprised her by asking, “If he were your father, what would you do?”

  For that moment, she could see the fear Jake had of doing the wrong thing. She stood and looked down at him, then motioned him away from the bed and over to the door. She slipped out in the hallway and turned to him as the door shut behind them. “The doctor’s right. Sarge shouldn’t hear us talking.”

  “I agree. Now, what would you do?”

  She let herself reach for his hands and held on to them. He stared at her, but his hold on her hands tightened slightly. “If he were my father, I don’t think I’d have him moved just yet. It exhausted him coming here and now that he’s sick, it seems too chancy. Especially with the bad weather. But whatever you think is best. You know him. I barely do. Whatever you decide, I’ll help you any way I can.”

  He closed his eyes, then said on a heavy sigh, “Thank you.” She could tell he was exhausted, probably more emotionally than physically.

  “You need to eat and take a break.”

  He let go of her hands and sort of agreed. “I guess so.”

  Neither one ate much once they were back inside, and then Jake went back to sitting beside the bed watching Sarge. Libby wanted to try to distract him, and said, “Sarge and Maggie were really good together, weren’t they?”

  “Very good together,” he murmured.

  “What did Maggie call Sarge?”

  “Jimmy, always Jimmy,” he said, and stood, grabbing his jacket off the chair’s back. “I’m going to stretch my legs. I won’t be long. Come and get me if anything happens.”

  * * *

  JAKE LINGERED IN the failing light and cold, leaning against the truck as he breathed in and out. He stayed still, letting the light wind brush across his face. He’d barely kept himself together watching Sarge today. Then he’d seen some of his own concern in Liberty’s eyes when she looked at the sick man. She had no dog in this fight, but she was here, worried and doing anything she could to help. She’d held his hands when he needed an anchor, and he’d held on to her. She had a good heart.

  When he finally stepped back into the room, Liberty was in the chair he’d been using, but she’d moved it closer to the bed. She was leaning forward, her hands holding on to the top of the safety rail and her forehead pressed to them. She slowly turned as he approached her, and he could see it in her face—nothing had changed.

  “He’s sleeping,” she said.

  He slipped off his jacket and tossed it onto a nearby chair then went closer to look at Sarge. He seemed less flushed, but that only made him appear weaker somehow. Closing his eyes to block what he was facing, Jake was startled when he felt Liberty’s touch on his cheek. She didn’t pull away when he looked at her. For a moment she was that anchor again—the only thing keeping him from slipping into a nightmare.

  He saw her say, “You need to sit down.” She drew back and he felt a sense of aloneness that started to smother him. He took his seat again but didn’t look back up at Liberty. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see the soft smile that shadowed her lips. A sad smile.

  He didn’t know how much time had passed when he glanced over at Liberty again. She was sitting in a chair she’d pulled up to the safety rail facing him. He watched her reach under the lower metal rung to lay her hand over Sarge’s. She held it for a moment, then stood and brushed the tip of her finger across the sleeping man’s forehead. Before Jake knew what she was doing, she had the call button in her hand and was pressing it.

  “I think that he’s—”

  Jake was on his feet now, his heart hammering. “You think he’s what?” he demanded.

  He saw her clearly say, “It’s changing, Jake.” Julia hurried toward them, and he couldn’t see what Liberty was saying to the nurse. Julia checked the monitor, then did a digital reading with a forehead thermometer scan. She studied the screen that kept track of his vitals.

  Liberty’s full attention was on Sarge, and Jake was about to scream when Julia looked over at him and smiled. “His temperature’s coming down. It’s one hundred even, and his vitals are stronger.”

  Liberty was beaming at him. “I thought he felt cooler, and he is. The fever, it broke, didn’t it?” she asked Julia.

  “It looks like it has,” she said. “I’m going to get Dr. Miller.”

  Liberty went over to Jake. Her hand covered his where he gripped the side rail, and he saw her say, “The medication’s working, Jake.”

  He felt unsteady and turned his hand to hold on to hers. Then he looked past her at the door as Dr. Miller came in. The man nodded to them, then repeated what Julia had done moments ago. Sarge began to stir.

  Finally, the doctor looked over at them. “He’s coming out of it,” he said, then took Sarge’s temperature again and smiled at them. “It’s good. I’ll be back soon.”

  Jake looked at Liberty. “It’s over.” He eased his hand away from hers, making himself finally remember his second promise. It was too easy to accept her support, to hold on to her, and he couldn’t keep doing that.

  “Do you want to call Seth?” she asked him.

  “After the doctor comes back,” he said, and turned to Sarge. He saw the man’s eyes flutter, then they were open and gradually focused on him.

  “Jake,” he saw the man say, then he looked at Liberty. “Who…are you?”

  Liberty took her position across the bed from Jake. Sarge turned to his right. “I’m Liberty Connor,” she said to him.

  Sarge glanced back at Jake. “What’s going on?”

  “You’ve been sick,” Jake said gently.

  “Oh,” he said, as if that explained everything, then he turned toward Liberty. “You…you’re Liberty?”

  Jake watched her smile at the man. “Yes, and I’m from Seattle. Lots of rain there, but no snow like you get here.”

  Jake maneuvered to get a better look at Sarge speaking. “My Maggie was supposed to move to Florida.” He coughed, then said, “But she stayed here for me. She said she never missed going to Florida, but I know she did.”

  Liberty shrugged. “When you’re really in love, you’re more concerned about being with that person than about rain or snow or heat or cold or anything else going on around you.”

  Sarge worried the hem of the blue blanket with his hands. “I loved Maggie, but she had to go. She couldn’t stay.” He raised his hand and laid it over Libby’s. “You didn’t want to go, did you, Maggie?” he asked as he looked up at her pleadingly.

  Jake knew it could happen, but se
eing Sarge confused like this still hurt horribly. Liberty covered his hand with her other palm and said, “No, I didn’t want to go. I never wanted to leave you, Jimmy, not ever.”

  Tears welled in her eyes.

  “I know, I know,” Sarge rasped. “You and me… I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.” Her voice wavered, but she managed to finish, “I always will, Jimmy.”

  Sarge’s eyes fluttered closed again. A moment later, Liberty was easing his hand back onto the blanket as he drifted back into sleep.

  She took what looked like an unsteady breath, then reached for the chair and dropped down on it.

  Jake couldn’t take his eyes off Liberty. She swiped at her cheeks, then took another breath, and he knew she’d gone above and beyond anything he could have expected from her. When she finally looked at him, he said, “I’m staying, so why don’t you drive back to the ranch and rest up and make Pax happy.”

  “We’ll talk about this after Dr. Miller comes back,” she said without hesitation.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  IT TOOK TEN long minutes that seemed like forever to Jake before Dr. Miller came back. But the wait was worth it. The doctor quickly checked Sarge before he announced, “Ninety-nine even. The meds are working, and his vitals look very good. There are some tests still pending, but he’s doing well.”

  Jake bowed his head and covered his face with his hand while he tried to breathe in and out, then a touch on his shoulder made him look to his left. Dr. Miller was there. “Why don’t you two go home and rest?”

  “I can’t,” he said.

  “Mr. Bishop, you two need it. You go back to the ranch I’ve heard about. He’ll be asleep for quite a while, probably well into tomorrow. We’ll call you if we need to, and you can call us anytime.”

  “We have no cell service out there, and our landline’s down from the storm.” Jake sat back. “I can get a hotel or something close by.”