once again and walked off, then returned pushing Jeff out in a wheelchair. He didn’t look happy.
“Can we get out of here?” he grumbled.
“Should I take you home with me, or to your parents?” Chance asked.
“Neither, to the cabin,” he said.
His uncle shook his head. “That’s not an option.”
“I’m not going to Mom and Dad’s place. I only have to stay off my leg for a few days. I can handle that on my own.”
Lacey watched the two Randell men glare at each other and she found herself speaking up. “You can stay with me.”
Twenty-four hours later, Lacey knew one thing for sure. Jeff Gentry was the worst patient ever. He had rejected any and all help from her.
Of course, the drugs had him sleeping a lot. That was definitely a good thing. Chance had gone to get some clothes from the cabin and brought them by. Jeff had moved into the small sewing room at the end of the hall upstairs. There was only a pull-out sofa, but he said it was fine. She’d also stayed home from work the previous night thinking he’d need her. He hadn’t.
After supper, her kids went to watch some television while she fixed a supper plate for the patient. Jeff needed to eat. Taking pills on an empty stomach wasn’t a good thing. She set a slice of meat loaf and a baked potato on the tray, added a roll and some iced tea, then carried it up the wide staircase to Jeff’s room.
The fourth and seventh steps creaked. That was just one of the many repairs that needed to be made in the century-old house. But in spite of it being overdue for a fresh coat of paint and the plumbing rattling, she loved the place.
Lacey made her way down the long hall and heard voices. At first she thought it was the TV but soon realized it was her daughter. She stopped outside Jeff’s bedroom.
“See, my dolly has an owie on her knee, too. Does yours hurt really, really bad?”
Jeff had never had anything against kids, but he wanted to be alone to wallow in his own misery. “Not much,” he answered.
“Did they put a big Band-Aid on it?” she asked. “Mommy has kitty cat Band-Aids if you want one.”
He nearly smiled. Okay, so she was cute. “That’s all right, thanks. I’m good.”
“’Kay.” She nodded. “I’m sorry Rebel kicked you.” She shook her head, sending her ponytail swinging back and forth. “He didn’t mean to. I think he got scared ’cause he had to go away. I get scared sometimes when I have to leave my mommy. Do you get scared?”
Those big blue eyes studied him. “Sometimes.”
“My daddy got scared.” She swallowed. “When he was sick, he cried ’cause he was going to miss me, Mommy and Colin. He went away to heaven.” She blinked back tears. “I miss him.”
He felt his chest tighten painfully. “We all do, sweetie.” He reached out and touched her arm. That must have been an invitation because the next thing he knew the tiny girl was curled up against him, clutching her doll. He found all he could do was wrap his arms around her small frame.
“Shh, Emily. It’s okay.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I know your daddy wouldn’t want you to be sad. He would want you to be happy.”
She looked up and wiped her eyes. “That’s what Mommy says. But sometimes I get sad.”
“Well, you come to me and I’ll tell you some funny stories about your daddy and you’ll laugh.”
He needed to remember those good times, too. “Really?”
“Really.”
Jeff glanced at the doorway and saw Lacey watching them. Great. How long had she been there? By the look on her face, she’d heard it all.
“I thought you might be hungry,” she said, and carried the tray inside. “Emily, weren’t you watching your favorite show?”
“I want to talk to Jeff. He’s going to tell me stories about Daddy. He says I’ll laugh so much that I won’t think about being sad.”
“Well, if anyone knows stories, it’s Jeff. But I think it’s time to say goodnight.”
In a flash those tiny arms wrapped
“Can we get out of here?” he grumbled.
“Should I take you home with me, or to your parents?” Chance asked.
“Neither, to the cabin,” he said.
His uncle shook his head. “That’s not an option.”
“I’m not going to Mom and Dad’s place. I only have to stay off my leg for a few days. I can handle that on my own.”
Lacey watched the two Randell men glare at each other and she found herself speaking up. “You can stay with me.”
Twenty-four hours later, Lacey knew one thing for sure. Jeff Gentry was the worst patient ever. He had rejected any and all help from her.
Of course, the drugs had him sleeping a lot. That was definitely a good thing. Chance had gone to get some clothes from the cabin and brought them by. Jeff had moved into the small sewing room at the end of the hall upstairs. There was only a pull-out sofa, but he said it was fine. She’d also stayed home from work the previous night thinking he’d need her. He hadn’t.
After supper, her kids went to watch some television while she fixed a supper plate for the patient. Jeff needed to eat. Taking pills on an empty stomach wasn’t a good thing. She set a slice of meat loaf and a baked potato on the tray, added a roll and some iced tea, then carried it up the wide staircase to Jeff’s room.
The fourth and seventh steps creaked. That was just one of the many repairs that needed to be made in the century-old house. But in spite of it being overdue for a fresh coat of paint and the plumbing rattling, she loved the place.
Lacey made her way down the long hall and heard voices. At first she thought it was the TV but soon realized it was her daughter. She stopped outside Jeff’s bedroom.
“See, my dolly has an owie on her knee, too. Does yours hurt really, really bad?”
Jeff had never had anything against kids, but he wanted to be alone to wallow in his own misery. “Not much,” he answered.
“Did they put a big Band-Aid on it?” she asked. “Mommy has kitty cat Band-Aids if you want one.”
He nearly smiled. Okay, so she was cute. “That’s all right, thanks. I’m good.”
“’Kay.” She nodded. “I’m sorry Rebel kicked you.” She shook her head, sending her ponytail swinging back and forth. “He didn’t mean to. I think he got scared ’cause he had to go away. I get scared sometimes when I have to leave my mommy. Do you get scared?”
Those big blue eyes studied him. “Sometimes.”
“My daddy got scared.” She swallowed. “When he was sick, he cried ’cause he was going to miss me, Mommy and Colin. He went away to heaven.” She blinked back tears. “I miss him.”
He felt his chest tighten painfully. “We all do, sweetie.” He reached out and touched her arm. That must have been an invitation because the next thing he knew the tiny girl was curled up against him, clutching her doll. He found all he could do was wrap his arms around her small frame.
“Shh, Emily. It’s okay.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I know your daddy wouldn’t want you to be sad. He would want you to be happy.”
She looked up and wiped her eyes. “That’s what Mommy says. But sometimes I get sad.”
“Well, you come to me and I’ll tell you some funny stories about your daddy and you’ll laugh.”
He needed to remember those good times, too. “Really?”
“Really.”
Jeff glanced at the doorway and saw Lacey watching them. Great. How long had she been there? By the look on her face, she’d heard it all.
“I thought you might be hungry,” she said, and carried the tray inside. “Emily, weren’t you watching your favorite show?”
“I want to talk to Jeff. He’s going to tell me stories about Daddy. He says I’ll laugh so much that I won’t think about being sad.”
“Well, if anyone knows stories, it’s Jeff. But I think it’s time to say goodnight.”
In a flash those tiny arms wrapped
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