“Until tonight, you haven’t needed me. Put the gun down, Simon. Lock it away so Delaney won’t get to it. You’re not back in the war. You’re not out on patrol. You don’t need to light up the driver at seventy yards to protect a convoy. You’re a changed man from the one who could so easily pull that trigger and not think twice about it.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Simon uttered quietly. “You of all people should know what I’ve done.”
“In the name of war,” Scott pointed out.
“Yeah, well, if I’d reacted quicker you’d still be alive.”
“Absolute nonsense. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking on your part. My Hummer hit an IED. No matter how many rounds you’d’ve gotten off, I’d still be dead. Land mines tend to work that way.”
“You’re awfully casual about it now.”
“I’ve had years to deal with all the regret. You’ve tried so hard to put the war behind you. Don’t let the demons take over now, now that you’ve connected with your daughter, don’t let them win.”
Simon loosened his grip on the M9. “She is mine, isn’t she? I can see it in the eyes. They’re the same blue as mine.”
“Go with your gut. It’s never failed you before. It won’t now.”
“Why are you here?”
“You saved my life once, before that day it all ended. You gave me an extra two months of living, breathing, of writing letters back home. I wish it could’ve been spent back here, but it was time I valued. I’m here to pay you back any way I can. You’re here for a reason.”
There was a second of understanding between man and ghost before the ghost simply wasn’t there. Merlin woofed at the vanishing act, clearly confused as to what had just happened.
Simon was left holding the Beretta. “I guess that was the ‘poof and I’m gone version,’” he muttered to the dog.
As he bent to put the weapon back in the drawer, he changed his mind. Instead, he reached up in the top of the closet and brought down a handgun case. After locking the pistol up, he fell into bed, exhausted.
Four
At three-thirty a.m., Gilly went through the shift change notes, updating Aubree Wright, the nurse who worked the next shift, with everything that had happened over the last twelve hours. “Ina Crawford’s sister brought her in around six. Ina was having breathing problems, so I called Dr. Blackwood. He admitted her as a precaution. She’s in Room 4. I sent Marabelle home, though, to get a good night’s rest. She’ll be back first thing to check on Ina. Around eight, Archer Gates brought his mother in complaining of stomach pains. Since this is her fifth bout, Dr. Blackwood had me call Dr. Nighthawk in to assess her situation.”
“Does that mean she’ll need surgery?” Aubree asked, knowing Gideon Nighthawk was the brand-new surgeon hired within the last month out of Chicago.
“Probably. Down the road,” Gilly replied with a yawn. “Sorry. I’m running on my last bit of caffeine and I’m ready to drop into bed.”
“Then go on home. I have it from here,” Aubree assured her, brushing back a mop of raven-black hair. “What’s this in the log about a fifteen-month-old?”
Gilly smiled, recalling Delaney and her pop. “Skittish new daddy. Don’t be surprised if he comes back before dawn. I wrote down his name.”
“Simon Bremmer,” Aubree muttered, reading the details of the visit. “Are we talking about the same cute guy, a mop of brownish-blond hair, soulful blue eyes that look like they’ve seen the world but want to keep it all a secret, stands about six-one? That guy?”
“Six-two,” Gilly confirmed.
“I’ve seen him at The Shipwreck a couple of times. He doesn’t have a baby.”
“He does now,” Gilly underscored before another wide yawn took over. “I’m outta here. You have the bridge, Miss Aubree.”
After clocking out, Gilly darted over the walkway to her ancient Subaru Outback, a 1998 dark blue station wagon with enough miles on it to have traveled around the world six times or more. But as long as Wally Pierce could keep it running, it would get her around town and that’s all she needed.
She never went anywhere, never traveled very far from her base. Where was there to go with an active toddler anyway?
On automatic, as if the Outback had a mind of its own, she headed to her little one-story Craftsman at the corner of Crescent Street and Tradewinds Drive. It was more like a caretaker’s cottage that she’d recently painted sea-moss green with white trim on the shutters. It had three tiny bedrooms and only one bath, but it had the original working fireplace in the living room and a decent-sized front porch.
When she’d bought it from Logan Donnelly, he’d insisted on redoing the inside before she moved in. That was fine by her. A first-time buyer didn’t argue when someone wanted to knock out a few walls and open up the floor plan. The house might be small, but it had new flooring throughout and new appliances in the kitchen.
She turned into the longish driveway that led to a one-car detached garage. This was the only thing she really minded about getting off at four a.m.---the eerie darkness right before dawn that seemed more intimidating than any other time of night. She knew that made her sound like a Nervous Nellie. But a single mom had to be careful. She always dreaded getting out of the car and making that long walk to the back door. Or rather the dash running to the back door. She never walked at this time of night, she ran.
After getting inside and flipping on the lights, she looked around the kitchen at the tidy counters and spotless sink. One thing about having Mom for a babysitter, the former pediatric nurse hated the thought of dirt or clutter. And it showed. The stove gleamed and the cabinets were always neat with everything in its place.
Her mother, Connie Grant, now worked as Dr. Blackwood’s receptionist and day nurse. She’d taken Sydney’s place so that Sydney could go back to work at the hospital on the day shift and do what she did best---emergency medicine. Sydney went on duty at seven, handled any trauma cases or serious medical issues that cropped up during the day, assessing their situations, and stabilizing the patients until Quentin or Gideon could arrive.
Three nights a week, Connie babysat Jayden at her house, which was just down the street. Gilly would normally grab a few hours of shuteye until Connie dropped Jayden off around eight-thirty on her way to the doctor’s office. That meant that three days a week Gilly survived on four hours of sleep or less. If she was lucky, she might catch an extra hour and a half when Jayden went down for a nap. Otherwise, it was hands-on the minute little Jayden walked in the door.
Some days if she just couldn’t keep her eyes open, she’d cart him over to the Community Church and let their day care program do the job. Jayden went there anyway Monday through Wednesday during that void from three-thirty to five-thirty in the afternoon when Gilly left for work and Grandma still had two hours left at the doctor’s office. Afterward, Connie would pick him up, feed him, and get him off to bed.
It was a tough schedule, a weird workaround that might drive others up the wall. But for Gilly and Connie, they made it work. That’s why she considered herself fortunate to have her mother’s help. She knew other moms who weren’t as lucky.
For now, she carried that charmed feeling with her into the bedroom where she peeled off her scrubs, crawled beneath the covers, and yielded to bone-tired fatigue.
Five
Simon heard crying when it felt like he’d closed his eyes for no more than five minutes. But it was light outside, and Merlin was tugging on the covers. “Okay. Okay. I’m up.”
He slipped on a pair of jeans but couldn’t find his shirt. Meantime the crying continued, and Merlin became more agitated.
He followed the dog, padding across the wood-planked floor into the living room before crossing over to Delaney’s room. The smell of poop hit him before he laid eyes on the crib or its occupant.
“Oh no. No. No. No. Not this. What kind of baby girl gets poop everywhere? Oh. No. It’s in your hair? We need to get you into the shower. Now.” He started
peeling off her pajamas with the disgusting poop interspersed in the fabric. He weighed whether to toss the clothes in the garbage or try to wash the mess out, but he’d deal with that later.
For now, he broke the tabs on the disgusting diaper and wadded up the offending material, tossing it in the wastebasket, the one Nick had set out and placed in its most conspicuous spot. Simon now realized the value of location next to the crib.
Once he got Delaney down to bare skin he picked her up, then darted into the tiny bathroom and turned on the shower to let the water heat up. After testing the spray, he stepped under the stream, jeans and all, holding her away from his body until most of the stuff had dissolved.
With one hand, he soaped her from head to toe, a fragrant lavender smell taking over the poopy odor. After making sure her bottom was clean, he washed her hair. And when she giggled, it warmed his heart. “Look at us, we’re all wet, but at least we smell like flowers.”
Delaney mumbled something that sounded like “all wet” but he wasn’t up on his baby jargon. Simon dried her off first and set her down on the floor. He was toweling his hair dry when she took off running down the hallway, naked.
Realizing the chase was on, Merlin took off after her. Simon was able to catch them both, and scooped her up, blowing raspberries on her belly as he toted her back into her room to get dressed. Five little outfits were all she had to choose from, something he’d remedy later. “What to wear on a Wednesday, Delaney? How about the pale blue overalls with a nice white top? Yes?”
The toddler clapped her hands. “Jes.”
“Did you just say yes? That’s affirmative.”
“Ma-ma.”
“Not here, baby. Diaper first.”
She obliged by sitting down on the rug and falling backward, grabbing her toes.
Surprised that she knew the drill, he grinned. “Now we’re cookin’.” He got her diaper on and then pulled the Tee over her head. The overalls were next and then socks. Her pink tennis shoes slid over her feet.
“All done,” Simon announced.
“Done,” Delaney repeated.
“You’re like a parrot,” he gauged, stripping the bedding from the crib and gathering it all up in a ball, doing his best not to get any of the disgusting matter on him. He carried the soiled bundle out to the laundry room where he stuffed everything into the washer. Using the sanitize setting, he hoped it was enough to sterilize the smell out.
While Delaney ate her cereal, Simon dialed his mother’s number. “Hey, Mom, hi.”
On the other end of the line Gretchen Bremmer grinned into the phone. “Simon. What a wonderful surprise and it isn’t even Sunday. To what do I owe this middle of the week call?” Like a mother’s radar she went on alert. “Is everything okay?”
“I can call my mother on a Wednesday.”
“Certainly, but your usual routine is check in on Sunday afternoons. So, what’s wrong?”
“Depends on your definition of wrong. Remember that woman I told you about a couple of years ago. We met on Nauset Beach the summer I decided to leave the Army. We spent almost three months together.”
“Amelia something, wasn’t it? What about her?”
He walked her through the entire story or at least the last twenty-four hours. “Delaney’s her name. And she’s a spitfire. I have to say, she has my eyes.”
“Goodness, I have a granddaughter. Oh, Simon, when can I see her? Are you bringing her out?”
“We could Skype, like we did when I was overseas. And I’ll send you plenty of photos, starting this afternoon, maybe make a couple of videos of her running around. How’s that for starters?”
“But I want to hold her. Can’t you bring her here?”
“Mom, the truth is I’m barely beyond learning how to change a diaper. I’m not up for getting on a plane and flying across the country with a toddler who might cry the entire way. She just got here off a plane ride. Give me a few months to get it all down. Give me time to adjust. Maybe by Christmas I’ll be better at this, enough to travel anyway. You could come out for a visit, though. That’s what I’m hoping for. Get a home health nurse to take care of Lorraine for a week. That’s all I’m asking.”
“I could certainly use a break. I’ll make the arrangements as soon as we hang up.”
“That’s flying into Santa Cruz. I’m pretty sure Delta and United offer a nonstop direct flight from Newport. I realize it’ll be a long flight for you. But I’ll pick you up. Well, we’ll pick you up. No need to take a cab.”
“Okay. I’m making notes. I haven’t been out of Rhode Island in years, let alone on a plane. Simon, did you ever think this would happen?”
“Not in a million years. It wasn’t even on my radar. Just come for a visit. Take the leap and leave the 401 behind for a week. You’ll love it here. Look, I gotta go. There are a dozen things I have to get done today. The least of which is buying a vehicle that can haul around a kid.”
His mother tittered with laughter. “Give up your motorcycle? Now I know you’re serious. I also know you’re dangling that child right in front of me as enticement.”
“Is it working?”
“What do you think?”
“Good. Because I’m getting a kick out of your reaction. Are you worried about me taking care of a baby?”
Gretchen snickered again. “Oh, Simon. The one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that with you around that baby, she couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Thanks for that. But you’re supposed to say stuff like that.”
“Simon, you’re the most capable man I know to protect anyone from anything. You always have been.”
He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I needed that. Thanks, Mom. Send me an email with your flight itinerary. Let me know if you have difficulty finding a nurse for Lorraine.”
“And what will you do about it from three thousand miles away?”
“I’ll pull some strings with the home health care place. I went to school with the guy who runs it. Remember?”
“I won’t have a problem. Stop worrying. I’ll make my flight arrangements and send you a copy.”
They hung up and Simon began to tidy up the kitchen while Delaney slugged it out with one of the stuffed bears Jordan had sent over with Nick.
“How am I supposed to shower while you’re awake?” Simon wondered aloud as he headed into the bedroom to get dressed.
The active toddler roamed each room with Merlin, inspecting her new surroundings before finally following Simon into the bedroom. She held up her hands to be picked up.
“Let’s go, doodle-bug. We have to buy a car.”
Their first stop of the day was Radcliff Motors.
“I need new wheels, something I can get a car seat into, something safe, something…you know, dads drive.”
“I have a minivan that has only thirty-five thousand miles on it,” Brad said, beginning his sales pitch. “New tires and a good used…”
“Anything but that. What about that SUV over there?”
Brad shook his head. “That SUV is on its way to the junk heap. Bad mistake on my part. Either Wally is going to take it for parts or out it goes. What about that sleek, black GMC Sierra pickup I have in the corner? It’s a four-door model. Back seat has room enough for a car seat. Has less than thirty-five thousand miles on it. I can make you a good deal.”
“I don’t know. A pickup?”
“It is what dads drive,” Brad pointed out. “And, if you get rear-ended the bed’s gonna suffer the most damage buffering the back seat.”
“Hmm. I’ll take it for a test drive and see how it handles. But first I have to make sure the car seat fits in the back. If it doesn’t that’s a deal breaker.”
“No problem. I’ll put it in there myself.”
Once Brad finished installing the car seat, Simon settled Delaney into the back and slid behind the wheel. The engine started right up. They were blasted by the sound of Abba and “Dancing Queen” coming from the speaker
s. Simon reached over and lowered the volume. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Delaney bouncing to the music and clapping her hands to the song.
“Like that, do you?” He wasn’t sure how or why anyone would’ve left behind an Abba CD loaded in the player of a pickup truck, but it might just be the key to calming her down when she was in fussy mode.
The two of them took the truck for a spin through town. “So what do you think, doodle-bug? Is this the vehicle for us? Yes? No? Should we keep looking?”
Delaney clapped her hands again.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
After signing the papers, he put a call in to Nick. “Your beautiful wife can have her SUV back. I just bought a set of wheels.”
“You didn’t mess around.”
“What would be the point of that? I left her SUV at Brad’s. He promised to take good care of it.”
“No problem. I’ll drop Jordan off there at lunch. How’d it go last night with the baby?”
“Last night was okay. It was the morning after that started out a mess.” Simon recapped the story of what happened before breakfast.
Nick burst out laughing. “I wish I could tell you it gets better, but the truth is, you could wake up tomorrow and have the same situation on your hands.”
“Go through that every morning? You’re just messing with me, right?”
“Some mornings are better than others,” Nick assured him. “What’s next on your agenda?”
“I’ve got a list of things she needs. She didn’t come with a lot of clothes. I thought maybe Jordan could help me pick out some stuff online and get it delivered…fast.”
“I’ll mention that to her. Don’t forget to childproof your cabinets. Now that I think about it, childproof your entire house.”
“I wanted to talk to you about that. The house. I know you own Taggert Farms and everything on it, but is there any way you’d ever think about selling the house to me?”
“Aren’t you making an awful lot of decisions since yesterday? It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet. Give yourself a little time to adjust to daddyhood. Consider what you want for the long term before making that kind of leap. And if you’re in the market for a house, why not buy one in town? Delaney would be closer to school. That’s been an issue for us living so far out of town.”
Keeping Cape Summer (A Pelican Pointe novel Book 11) Page 5
