Harper left without eating a single bite of the lasagna she’d prepared. She’d said that she had more at home and the lasagna she’d brought would last him a few days. It had been an attempt at a joke, but he’d seen the sad look in her eyes. Sadness that he’d caused.
Damn. He should have been more careful. What made him think he could be with a woman like Harper Madison? She was amazing. Every moment they spent together was precious.
But he didn’t think he’d ever be able to go through loving a woman again. Not like he’d loved Carol. It was too much.
A few days later, Nash was on his way to the hardware store when he saw the ambulance out in front of Tara's shop. Before he headed to the hardware store, he’d seen one of the EMTs run out of the bakery and climb into the ambulance. A few minutes later, the ambulance soared down the street with sirens blaring.
Most people on the street stopped and looked. Someone came out of the hardware store and asked him, “What's going on?”
“Beats me,” he said. “The ambulance headed down the street.”
“Thanks. Probably another accident from an out-of-towner.”
The man walked on down the street to his pickup truck. Curious, Nash decided to go into the novelty shop to see if Tara knew what was going on. He didn't know why, but there was a nagging feeling in his stomach. He walked through the door and heard the bell. Tara was opening up boxes on the other side of the room. Another girl was standing behind the counter on the bakery side. Nash walked over to Tara.
Tara stood up as he approached. “How did those pastries do you at the potluck?” she asked with a smile.
“I don't know. I assume they sold to someone.”
“They did,” she said with a chuckle. “The fire chief took the whole box home with him. Wouldn't even let anyone in the department have a bite.”
Tara was clearly happy that her selection had gone over well.
“What can I do for you? Are you looking for something special? Or for someone special?”
“No, just nosy. I just saw an EMT run out of your store and take off down the street. I wasn't sure, but thought I heard the name Madison on her radio as she ran to the ambulance.”
“Oh, you're talking about Mia. Yes, she was just here. There was a call for an ambulance to go down to the Madison house. Something about some kind of an accident.”
Nash wasn't sure if he even said goodbye to Tara. He bolted through the door onto the sidewalk and looked around in a disoriented haze. He abandoned his plan to go to the hardware store for more batteries. Instead, he jumped into his truck and headed down the road in the direction he’d seen the ambulance go towards Harper Madison’s house. Fear strangled him by the throat as he drove, and he felt like a wild man with fear he couldn't control. Lucky for him there were no red lights or stop signs to stop him. He’d ignore them and he wasn't stopping for a ticket anyway.
Just as he feared, he saw the ambulance in the driveway as he pulled up to Harper's house. He parked on the street and bolted from the truck, running across the lawn to the front door.
“Whoa, you can’t go in there,” Zeb said.
“What happened? Is she okay?” he asked.
Zeb frowned. “She?”
“Harper Madison. Is she okay?”
“Harper’s not here. She's the one who called the ambulance for her grandmother.”
Relief seemed to deflate most of the fear that had clutched Nash in the last few minutes and had turned him into a crazy man. “How is her grandmother? Is she going to be okay?”
“You mean Daphne? She's fine. A little worried though.”
Nash saw the gurney through the screen door and didn't see anyone inside.
“Is she hurt bad?”
Zeb shook his head. “Oh, we're not here for Daphne. We’re here for Joel.”
“I don't understand.”
“I guess they were dancing,” Zeb said with a smile. “It's kind of cute if you ask me. She can barely walk without her walker. He’s only slightly better. But they wanted to dance as if they were two young kids. The only problem is that Joel took a tumble. I just hope he didn't break a hip.”
“Joel. That was the man I'd seen Mrs. Madison with at the potluck.”
“Yes, he was the principal when I was in school. Can you step aside? They will be bringing him out soon.”
“Sure, of course.”
Nash stepped off the porch steps and then took a few steps back to give the EMTs room to bring out their patient.
“What about Mrs. Madison? Will she be going with you?”
“She can't drive. And she can't go with him in the ambulance. There's not enough room.”
“Harper is still at the station, isn't she?”
The officer nodded as he pulled the screen door open and they began to navigate the stretcher through the doorway. Mia, a small and slight woman of Hawaiian heritage, was the woman he'd seen coming out of Tara's novelty and bakery in a hurry. He'd met her when he'd brought Harper down from the mountain after the storm and then again at the potluck.
“I hate ambulances,” Joel said. “I don't know why you didn't let me take my car. I’m perfectly able to drive.”
“You will be fine, Mr. Stephens,” Mia said. “It's only short ride to the hospital.”
With a scowl on his face, Joel said, “I know that. I’ve been living here in this town all my life. I know how long it takes to get to the hospital.” Then he turned to look at Zeb who was still holding the door. “I'd gone there to visit enough of my students over the years when they were hurt at a sports event. I think I even visited you once.”
“I remember that,” Zeb said. “We just want to make sure you’re comfortable and get the best care you can. This is only to reassure you that nothing is broken.”
“I didn’t break anything. It was a little fall. When I can go home tonight, I'll be reassured. I still don't know why Daphne insists I need to get this leg checked out. I'm fine.”
Zeb chuckled. “I wouldn't put up too much of a fuss, Mr. Stephens. It's not a bad thing to have a woman fuss over you. Especially one as nice as Mrs. Madison.”
Joel smiled and glanced back at the door he’d just come through. Then he looked up at Zeb and said, “You're right. Thanks for reminding me of that.”
“You're welcome. Just returning the favor.”
They loaded Joel into the ambulance and a few minutes later, they were on their way to the hospital.
Zeb turned to Nash. “Will you be staying here with Mrs. Madison?”
Nash hadn't even thought that far ahead.
“What did you mean by returning the favor? I'm just curious.”
“I had a rough time in high school.” Zeb shrugged. “Mr. Stephens was sort of a mentor to me and set me straight. I pushed back, and he used to tell me that it’s not such a bad thing to have someone care about you.”
The exchange of words between the two of them made sense now. Nash nodded his understanding. “I'll stay with Mrs. Madison and make sure she's okay.”
“Harper will appreciate that.”
Nash looked up and saw Mrs. Madison standing by the screen door with a worried look on her face.
The officer glanced back at her as he walked to his cruiser. Then he called out to her, “Make sure you use your walker, Mrs. Madison.”
Mrs. Madison shook her head. “Has my granddaughter trained all of you boys to check up on me this way?”
Zeb laughed. “You gotta love Harper.”
The old woman smiled. “Yes, I do.”
As soon as Zeb left, Mrs. Madison glanced at Nash. Then she opened the screen door wide. “You're going to want to come in here, young man.”
And Nash didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing.
* * *
Harper ran through the hospital door with the note clutched in her hand.
I'm taking your grandmother to the hospital.
Nash.
Why hadn't anyone told her before she got home? When her grandmother called earlier to say that Mr. Stephens had fallen during their visit this afternoon, Harper had assumed that it was just Mr. Stephens who had been hurt. Why hadn't anyone given her an update on her grandmother? Didn't they know that finding a note like this on the kitchen table would worry her? A simple phone call was easy! Everyone knew where she was. She was right at the police station for God’s sake.
Harper walked through the double doors of the ER and ran right up to the nurse’s station.
“Excuse me, can you tell me where Daphne Madison is? I’m her granddaughter.”
The nurse looked up from her paperwork. “Daphne Madison? I don't believe we have a Daphne Madison in the emergency room. Are you sure she came to this hospital?”
Harper's heart pumped wildly in her chest. She felt the weight of tears pressing against her and hysteria bubbling up her throat. “Please. Can you check your records? I just got this note.”
She handed the note to the nurse who read it quickly and handed it back to Harper.
“Sorry, miss. There is no Daphne Madison in the emergency room. She must've gone to a different hospital.”
Another nurse came out of one of the rooms and stopped at the nurse’s nation.
“Is Daphne Madison here? She uses a walker. Although, maybe they didn’t bring that with them. She might have come on a stretcher for all I know,” Harper said, forcing down a sob that was building in her throat. “She came in earlier with a gentleman.”
Harper glanced at the nurse’s nametag. Donna.
“I know my grandmother was brought to the hospital with a man earlier. I got this note.”
She handed the note to Donna, who quickly glanced at it and gave it back.
Donna frowned as she thought for a second. “I did see a woman with a walker and a really nice looking man with her. I didn’t get either of their names.”
Harper ignored the appreciation the nurse had for who was obviously Nash. “Do you know where the woman with the walker and the nice-looking guy went?”
“Upstairs, I think.” She reached over the counter and pulled a chart from the stack, and then glanced at it. “Yes, they moved him up to the third-floor.”
“Him? What about her?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t have any information about your grandmother. Perhaps the gentleman they came to see knows where they are.”
“Thank you,” Harper said as she turned and started towards the elevator.
“It's a little late,” the nurse said. “It's almost eight o'clock. Visiting hours are almost over.”
“Thank you.” Harper ignored the rest as she continued to the elevator and then waited for the doors to open. She got inside, and punched the button for the third-floor. When the door closed, she leaned back against the wall and felt the humming of the metal as the elevator began to move. She hated this feeling. She knew her grandmother was getting on in years. Grandmother’s health was fragile now, but the doctor said she was still strong in so many ways that she could easily live to be a hundred if she took care of herself.
The elevator door whisked open and Harper flew through it and made her way down the corridor to the nurse’s station.
“Can you tell me what room Daphne Madison is in?” she asked the nurse.
“Excuse me, who are you?”
“I'm her granddaughter.”
The woman glanced at a board on the wall behind her. Harper did the same but she couldn't see her grandmother's name listed amongst the other patients.
“Are you sure she's here?”
Frustration bubbled over, making her snap. “What is wrong with you all? My grandmother was brought to the hospital. Why is it that no one can find her?”
“Harper?”
Relief flooded her when she heard her grandmother's voice. She swung around and found her grandmother standing in the doorway of one of the hospital rooms halfway down the hall.
“That's my grandmother.”
Harper started to walk away but the nurse stood up and called out, “Visiting hours are over in ten minutes.”
Harper waved her off and said thank you. Then she ran to her grandmother, giving her a quick hug when she got to the room.
“Why didn't you tell me you were coming here? Are you okay?” Harper asked.
“Of course I am. If I were hurt, they would've told you. Besides, I called you earlier. You knew I was calling for Joel.”
“But I got this note. You mean Nash didn't bring you here because you were hurt?”
“Of course not. What a nice man. He drove me here because they wouldn’t let me drive with Joel in the ambulance. They wanted to make sure he hadn’t fractured his hip. That’s why they’re keeping him overnight. He’s not happy about it. So I thought I'd keep him company here tonight. I just fluffed his pillows and this nice nurse here said she’d bring me a cot to sleep on. Isn’t that sweet?”
“Um, yeah, sure.”
“Hospitals can feel so cold even when you have such nice nurses helping you. I spent a few nights here with your grandfather. It's not a fun place to be when you're alone.”
She saw the warmth in her grandmother's eyes and wanted to be happy for her.
“You like him, don't you?”
The little twinkle in her grandmother's eye said it all. “You don't have to stay, sweetie. I’m fine. I told Nash the same thing when he dropped me off. He insisted on going downstairs to the cafeteria and getting us some food before he left.”
“You mean Nash is still here?”
She turned her hand and looked around. “He's somewhere. If I know that man—and I don't yet, but I have a feeling I'd like to—he probably went to the restaurant across the street to get some decent food so we won't have to eat what they're serving in the cafeteria.” Her grandmother made a face and mouthed. “It’s not good.”
Harper chuckled and then folded her hands across her chest. “What did you say to him, Grandma?”
Her grandmother shrugged. “I'm old. I get to say what I want and get a pass.”
Harper chuckled. “Oh, really. When did you figure that out?”
“When I opened the door and he didn't even hesitate to come inside. You should have seen the stricken look on his face. And it wasn’t for me. Don't give up on him yet. He may have some things to work out, but I have a feeling he's a keeper. No sense giving up on a keeper.”
“Grandma. It's complicated.”
“It's always is. Working through the complications makes it all the sweeter.” Then she nodded her head as she glanced down the hallway.
Harper turned and found Nash walking down the hallway holding a take-out bag from the restaurant across the street.
“How did you know?” she asked her grandmother.
“I'm old. But I can spot a man in love.”
She watched Nash walking down the hallway and tried to think of a time she was more relieved and scared at the same time. She didn’t have the energy to go through another round of disappointment with him. And yet, it was so good to have him here.
She turned away and focused on her grandmother. “How is Mr. Stephens?”
“He’s having an X-ray. They don’t think anything is broken but because he’s old, they’re keeping him overnight. They actually said that perhaps we shouldn’t dance anymore. Can you believe that? We’re old but we’re not dead yet.”
Harper smiled.
Her grandmother’s smile widened, indicating that Nash was almost to the room.
“You’re such a nice man,” her grandmother said.
“The café downstairs was ready to close, Daphne. So I went across the street. Sorry it took so long.”
“That’s okay. It was very thoughtful of you.”
The amount of sugar her grandmother was pouring on Nash made Harper’s teeth hurt.
Her grandmother's eyes grew wider. Harper could see the twinkle in her eye as soon as Mr. Stephens came toward the room in a wheelchair being pushed by an aide.
“I told you I wouldn't be long, Dolly,” he said.
She turned and looked at her grandmother with her back turned to Mr. Stephens and mouthed the word Dolly. Her grandmother just smiled and shrugged. Then she walked out into the hall fully to greet Mr. Stephens.
“I told them to get you an extra pillow,” she said. “The one on the bed feels a little spongy and the bed is a little firm. I hope that won't be a problem for you. I know you have a bad back.”
“I like the way you take care of me, Dolly.”
The nurse wheeled Mr. Stephens into the hospital room and her grandmother followed.
“You don't have to stay, dear,” her grandmother called over her shoulder. “If you don't mind coming by in the morning, you can bring us both home before you go to work.”
“Sure. Just give me a call. I hope you feel better, Mr. Stephens,” she called out.
And then she was alone in the hall with Nash. Why was he still here? It was hard enough to see him again knowing how he felt.
She turned to leave, but he held her back.
“Hold on a second,” he said. “Can we talk for a bit?”
“I don't feel up to it, Nash. I can't keep rehashing this, whatever this is between us. I think we pretty much said everything we wanted to say to each other the other night.”
“I don't think we have. In fact, I know we haven't. There's a lot more that I have to say to you. It's important.”
She sighed. “Didn't we already do this? Twice?”
“I'll keep doing it until we get it right. Until I get it right. It means that much to me.”
Harper’s head was swirling with confusion. “Here? You want to talk here?”
He shook his head. “We can go anywhere you want to go.”
“I have to get out of here, Nash. This is too much.”
He followed her down the hall where she stood by the elevator.
“You scared me half to death. You know that don't you?” she whispered.
“I left you a note.”
“You said you were taking my grandmother to the hospital. What did you expect me to think? I'm surprised I didn't get a ticket driving the way I did getting here tonight.”
“Are you telling me that someone from the station would actually give you a ticket?”
She shook her head. “This hospital is in the next county. I may have some clout in Sweet. But that's as far as it goes.”
“I'm sorry I made you worry. I didn’t mean to. I just…your grandmother can be a bit persistent.”
“How did my grandmother even call you? There isn’t any service up on the mountain and you don’t have a cell phone.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a shiny new phone. “It got delivered to the post office last week. I figured I might need it if I come down far enough from the mountain.”
“How would she have known…”
“I saw the ambulance heading to your house. Tara told me that Mia was in the store when the call came through. I was worried.” He shrugged. “More like terrified.”
“You worried about my grandmother? I hadn't even realized you’d met each other.”
“I met her and Joel at the potluck. But I confess, the thought that your grandmother was hurt wasn't what came to mind.”
She frowned.
“I told you I'm no good at this, Harper. I don’t love halfway. It’s all or nothing. That’s what scares me. I can’t control it. I don’t want to anymore.”
“You don’t?”
“When I was driving over to the house, the only thing I could think of was getting to you. I love you. I want to be with you. A million things about you flashed before my eyes and I knew I couldn’t lose you.”
Hope filled her heart but she still couldn’t believe her ears.
“I don't know what to say to this after everything that has happened. I want to believe you this time. But I don't know. How do I know that what you're saying now is how you really feel? You're telling me you were scared for me. Okay, we've been down that road before. What else? Because I can't keep playing the game as if it doesn't matter.”
“It does. Believe me. I think I was trying to push you away because if I admitted the truth to myself, that I loved you, then it meant I was opening myself up again to getting hurt. But I realized something when I got to your house and learned that you were safe. The only thing I wanted was to see you. And that made me happy.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Well, I’m fine. You’ve seen me.”
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“You? I think you’ve been in tougher situations before. You don’t need me to make this easy.”
“I don’t know where this is going. All I know is I want to be with you. I love you.”
The elevator door opened. The arrow was pointing up. She glanced at the couple inside the elevator who were waiting for her and Nash to get inside. Harper shook her head and the elevator door closed.
Nash took her in his arms and peered into her eyes with love she couldn’t deny was there. Everything he’d said was sincere. She could see it.
“Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll walk away. But I won’t believe you. I’ll fight for you. You’re that important to me. For my very survival. Can we give it another try?”
Harper could hardly believe it. She looked up at this man and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a kiss filled with meaning and promise.
He wanted to fight for her. She wanted to fight for him.
“I love you, Nash Webber. I’ll more than try. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”