"Mushrooms! I hate those damn things."
"Pick 'em out."
"What's for dessert?"
He grinned. "A fig bar."
"Isn't it enough that they take out the salt and fat without trying to make me regular, as well?"
Christian's phone rang, saving him from having to answer that one. "Excuse me a minute."
"Give the food here," she grumbled, taking it from him. "I'll put it in the kitchen and fix a drink. Cup of tea?"
"Sounds great." He waited till she left. "Okay, Jordan, I know I have to put up with some ribbing while you cover my job and Luke's, but give me a break."
"It's me," said Luke. "Jordan's still laughing. And I'm back at work-at least until you get the girl. Then, well, I need to talk to you about that. We thought we'd drive down tomorrow."
"Sure." Christian's interest was piqued. "But make it evening. In the morning I'm dropping Kez off at a town council meeting, then delivering Meals-On-Wheels. In the afternoon there's preschool with John Jason, site supervision and building a tree house. After dinner I've got bell-ringing practice at church." He sighed. "I've booked extra training. I refuse to be lousy at pulling a goddamn bell rope."
Luke started laughing. Christian cursed him and he laughed harder. Jordan came back on the line. "Is she worth it?"
"I'm starting to wonder." His voice was grim. "In the four days here she's kept me so busy doing good I've hardly seen her. Listen, Jord, I need a favor … yeah, I know-another one. Our friend in hospital, there has to be more news on her prognosis by now but we're getting stonewalled by her sister. Looks like we'll get nothing until we visit this weekend, and we're both climbing the walls."
"You want us to call in on our way down, visit the patient?"
Christian gave him the details. "Thanks, man, I owe you."
"Line me up a hot date. I love country girls."
Bernice May came on to the porch with two mugs. The steaming tea slopping over the sides didn't seem to bother her.
"You want a hot date?" Christian asked her.
"Is there any other kind?"
"I'm onto it," he told Jordan. "How's Luke doing? I've been watching the news … the media's giving him a hard time."
Jordan lowered his voice. "Bitter. I'm hoping this new project will help. Gotta go."
"What new project?" But Jordan had already hung up.
THE SMELL OF THE HOSPITAL-impersonal and sanitary-reminded Joe of the rehab center. Walking toward Marion's room, he wondered whether he should have run this by Dr. Samuel first. Except if he'd advised against it, Joe would have ignored him. For once in his life he had no doubt about the right thing to do.
Which was just as well, he thought as he spied Sally Morgan coming toward him, because there were still a few obstacles to overcome. He crashed into the cleaner who was bending over her trolley and caught her as she lost her balance. "I'm so sorry, ma'am." He waited until she was steady, then released her. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"No harm done, I guess," she grumbled.
Sally spotted him. "Uh-oh." Joe sidestepped the trolley and went to meet her.
As soon as he was within earshot, she started. "I thought I told you to get lost. You are not seeing Marion."
Joe stood his ground. "I know. I'm here to see you."
"Me?"
He took advantage of her momentary confusion. "I've been thinking about what you said, that the accident makes it even more important I put Marion and John Jason first. So-" he cleared his throat "-I'm moving to the South Island."
"Good riddance."
They'd once been good friends, which was probably why she was being so hard on him now, Joe reflected. He had hurt so many people. "I'll get a job and send back every dollar I can."
Sally didn't soften. "Make sure you do."
"In the meantime, I have something I want you to give Marion."
She waved a dismissive hand. "I'm not telling her you're here, Joe, I've already told you that." She pushed past him.
"It's your mother's wedding ring," he called, "the one she left to Marion." He saw the moment Sally was caught, conflicted, and breathed an inward sigh of relief.
Reluctantly she came back. "How did you get that?"
Joe shrugged awkwardly. "I took it when I left, thought I might have to hock it for booze."
Her fists curled. "You bastard!"
"The thing is, I didn't. Will you return it to her for me?" She hesitated and he added quickly, "You don't have to say where you got it. Make something up."
"Let you off the hook, you mean." Her expression tight with contempt, Sally held out her hand.
Joe reached into one jeans'pocket, then the other. "That's strange … ." He fumbled in the back pocket. "Oh, I remember. I put it in the glove compartment of my car for safe-keeping."
"In this neighborhood … ? Where's it parked?"
Joe hung his head. "Out back."
"Well, let's go get it."
She marched ahead of him toward the entrance. "Sal-" his tone was humble "-there's a shortcut." He held open a side door. With an exclamation of impatience she came back. Joe led the way through the labyrinth of corridors he'd explored earlier. They walked past the hospital laundry, where workers talked loudly to each other over the rumble and hum of a dozen commercial washers and dryers. Turned a corner, then another.
"This can't be a shortcut," Sally complained.
Joe stopped, scratched his head. "I think I took the wrong turn."
"Damn it, Joe!"
"No wait, it's through here." He opened a door to his left, gestured for her to go first.
Sally walked into a utility room full of buckets, mops and cleaning products. "How could you turn into such a loser? I don't know-"
"When you've been had." Joe slammed the door behind her and locked it, then pocketed the key he'd lifted from the cleaner. He just hoped the skeleton set was hard to find. "Sorry, Sal, I know you're only trying to protect her," he called through the door. "But for the record, Marion keeps the ring in her jewelry box. Some things are sacrosanct, even to me."
The door vibrated as Sally started hammering on it. "Let me out! Now, Joe!" Her tone grew imperative. "Right now!" Smiling faintly, Joe strolled down the hallway.
The hammering resumed, louder and angrier. "Somebody! I've been locked in here! Help!"
Joe turned the corner and the din Sally was making lessened. Satisfied, he picked up his pace. He didn't know how long his reprieve would last.
Only when he hit the main hallway did his footsteps slow and start to falter. He came to a stop in front of Marion's door and squeezed a hand to his throat. It felt as though his heart was about to jump right out of it. Sending a silent prayer heavenward, Joe turned the handle and went in.
"Hello, Marion," he said gently to the slight form lying in the bed, and because he was so damn scared, added unnecessarily, "It's me."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"CAN I TALK to Sally, hon?"
"Here'sAuntie Kez." John Jason swept his Batman cape aside and handed Kezia the phone. "Only until I get Roland-Auntie Sally wants to say hello to him."
Kezia curbed her irritation. It was obvious where she stood in Sally's pecking order-after the rat. Calm, she had to be calm and get information. Shots reverberated through the building as the carpet layer started using his nail gun.
"Sally? Hang on … Rusty!" The nail gun stopped. "Take a break for a minute, will you?" Kezia waited until he was out of earshot. "Sal, what news?"
"I'm afraid I can't talk now, Kezia." Sally's voice sounded stilted and formal. "Can I ring you back?"
"No you can't, because you won't." Four days of playing diplomat had got her nowhere. "What's been happening?"
There was silence on the other end and Kezia's heart plummeted. "Sally? What's Marion's condition?"
"The same." There was a peculiar note in Sally's voice that Kezia couldn't decipher. "Look, I really have to go. Tell John Jason I'll call him tomorrow. 'Bye."
Chilled, Kezia dropped the receiver back in its cradle, leaned her forehead against the wall and closed her eyes. "The same was not good. If Marion were to make a full recovery she would be feeling more sensation by now. The specialists had been very clear about that. Please God, don't do this.