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A knock on my front door came promptly at eight o’clock.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep. Just let me grab my purse.”
As we walked to her car, Caitlyn gave me a sheepish look.
“What is it?” I asked.
She hung her head. “I just feel so stupid. I shouldn’t have gotten involved with Tyler—”
You’ll get no argument here.
“And if I hadn’t trusted him, Gerald might not have gotten hurt.”
I grimaced. “But on the bright side, I imagine you’ve learned some things and won’t ever make those mistakes again, right? That’s how I seem to learn all my lessons—the hard way.”
Caitlyn looked more chipper as we fastened our seat belts and headed to Roseland Medical Center. When we walked in, Caitlyn asked whether I thought we should get some flowers from the gift shop.
“Not a bad idea.” I glanced inside the small shop, and a cart was filled with gloxinias. I picked up a white one. “How about this? Nothing too girly. Hopefully, it won’t die before he gets it home.”
Caitlyn winced. “Please don’t say die.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Sorry.”
After paying for the plant, we stopped by the information desk, confirmed Gerald’s room number, and asked if it was okay to visit him. A gray-haired man in a pink volunteer jacket pulled up something on a computer. “He’s approved for visitors, so you’re welcome to go on in.”
We got on the elevator, and Caitlyn looked nervous.
“He’s going to be fine,” I assured her. “Gus spoke to him last night and said he may even get discharged in another day or two.”
“Thank goodness.”
We got to the room, and I tapped lightly on the door. “Gerald? Are you up?”
“Come in.”
We stepped inside, and the scene wasn’t what I’d expected. Gus sat in the visitors’ chair, and posters, brochures, and folders were spread out all over the bed and on the wheeled tray table hovering over it.
“What on earth is all this?”
A nurse on the other side of Gerald’s bed arched an eyebrow. “It’s a hot mess, if you ask me. I told Gerald he needs to stay still and rest, but he insisted that if he couldn’t work, he was going home. At least we can monitor him here.”
Gerald smiled. “Welcome to the satellite office of the Humane Society, ladies.”
“Are you being a bad patient?”
The nurse’s head bobbed up and down, but Gerald assured me, “Absolutely not.”
I turned to Gus. “Care to explain?”
She shrugged out of her velvet-collared denim jacket and stood. “You know how I’ve been planning to have some of my artwork as a fundraiser to support the new shelter? When I told Gerald that I had the sketches ready, he asked to see them. He figures if all he can do is lie in bed for a day or two, at least he can do something productive for the society.”
I shook my head. “Just can’t give it a rest, can you?”
Caitlyn stepped up and offered Gerald the plant. “We brought you something from the Happy Hometown office. To wish you a quick recovery.”
Gerald pointed at the windowsill, which was already brimming with flowers. “Can you squeeze it in there?”
Caitlyn moved swiftly to the window, regrouped a few of the flowers, and made a spot for the glox. “There.”
“I’ll leave you folks to it. And Gerald, please behave if you want out of here anytime soon.” The nurse waggled a finger in warning as she exited the room.
Gerald slowly sat up straighter and peered at Caitlyn. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Things could’ve really ended up bad, you know.”
“I do.” Caitlyn sighed. “And again, I’m so sorry you got hurt.”
“Stop. You had nothing to do with that maniac, and I don’t want you to give it another thought. Our justice system will take care of him, and whether he deliberately killed Miranda or not, we know he deliberately hurt me.”
“I appreciate that, but seriously, if there’s anything I can do...”
Gerald grinned. “Actually, there is something.”
“Yeah?” Caitlyn looked happy for the first time that day.
“Turns out that one of the fringe benefits of my getting attacked is that some folks in town have made gifts to the Humane Society, and we’ve hit our fundraising goal for the year. We’ll break ground on the new shelter sometime next year, and I’d like for the Happy Hometown program to spearhead the drive to help furnish it.”
He held up his hands as if imagining a billboard. “Your motto can be Roseland: Home of the Happiest Pets in Georgia.”
“Just Georgia?” I observed wryly. “Why not the Southeast? Or the whole country?”
Gerald sniffed. “You really ought to lighten up a little, Emma. But I have a favor to ask you too.”
“Oh?”
“We got a new batch of kittens in, and almost all of them got adopted pretty quickly. I was fostering the last one, a sweet little calico named Hattie, and I need someone to take care of her while I recuperate.”
Hattie? I lifted an eyebrow. “Can’t your mom take care of her?”
He shook his head. “My mom’s severely allergic to cats.”
I sighed. “Do you have an extra house key?”
Gerald was beaming. “I thought you’d never ask.” He reached under the array of papers and pulled out an envelope. He handed it over, and it had my name written on it.
“How did you know I’d say yes?”
He laughed. “Just a guess.”