CHARM AND MISS PEARL came back the following day, both exhausted, and with the older lady limping.
“It’s just a sprain,” she said, when Kiah asked her what had happened.
“We were going down to the river this morning, and Granny slipped,” Charm said. “She scratched her hand, too,” she added.
“Let me take a look, Miss Pearl.” Mina tried to guide the older woman to a chair, gently insistent when it looked like her patient was going to balk. “It won’t take a moment.”
While she grumbled, Miss Pearl allowed Mina to remove the bandage she’d wrapped around her ankle, so Mina could see the affected joint. Kiah went and retrieved the first aid kit, and, on his return, took a look at his grandmother’s hand.
After a thorough examination of the ankle, Mina looked up at the older woman.
“There’s a fair amount of bruising and swelling, so you know I’m going to prescribe the RICE treatment, don’t you?”
Miss Pearl looked as though she wanted to argue, but Kiah looked up from dressing the cut on her hand to say, “Listen to Mina, Granny, and don’t be difficult.”
“RICE? What’s the RICE treatment?” Charm asked. She’d been leaning over Mina’s shoulder, watching what was going on.
“It stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Granny needs to stay off her foot for a couple of days, put ice on her ankle and keep it wrapped up. And she should keep her foot elevated, too.”
Charm straightened and gave her great-grandmother a long look. “Okay, Granny, you’re under chair arrest for the next couple of days, and Sheriff Charm is going to keep an eye on you, so make sure you behave.”
Miss Pearl scowled, but no one paid her ill temper any mind, as they all pitched in to make her comfortable.
Once she was settled, with her leg up on a low table and ice pack in place, Kiah said, “Charm, go have a shower, while I get dinner heated up.”
“Okay,” she replied around a huge yawn. “But somebody’s going to have to help me comb out and plait my hair when I’m finished.”
“I can help with the combing,” Mina said. “But not the plaiting.”
“It’s my ankle that’s hurt,” Miss Pearl interjected, sounding put out. “I’ll plait it for you when you’re ready.”
When Charm had gone to shower and Kiah was in the kitchen, Mina fiddled with the remote, trying to find the older woman something to watch on TV.
“Leave that, Mina,” Miss Pearl said, the timber of her voice commanding. “I want to ask you something.”
“Okay,” she said, giving the other woman her undivided attention.
“One of the mothers on the trip is a nurse at the hospital, and she says there’s talk that Dr. Hamilton has offered to bring you on staff.”
“I heard the same thing.”
Kiah’s voice was unruffled, and unexpected, since she hadn’t heard him enter the room. When she glanced at him, his expression was neutral, but his gaze was watchful.
She felt put on the spot, especially when looking from one to the other she encountered equally questioning gazes.
“It’s true,” she said, trying not to sound defensive. Then she held up her hand. “But before you start cross-questioning me as to why I didn’t mention it, I wanted to think the offer through, before either giving him an answer or telling you both about it. And I also got an email, just yesterday, offering me a position at Toronto South. So I have to take that into consideration, too.”
There was a clatter, as Kiah dropped something and it fell to the floor. When Mina finally looked his way, it was no use, since he was bending down to pick the utensil up off the floor, and she couldn’t see his face.
“So have you made a decision?” That came from Miss Pearl, while Kiah went back to laying out the cutlery on the dining table.
Mina took a deep breath and kept her gaze fixed on the older woman. She didn’t know how Kiah would react to what she was going to say next, and wasn’t at all sure she wanted to see.
“I haven’t. I spoke to Dr. Hamilton today, asking for more time to decide.”
“Well, I hope you make the right choice,” the old lady said, more than a touch of asperity in her tone. “I’m not surprised at either of those offers, but I know which one I think is the best fit for you.”
“Well, they both came as a surprise to me,” Mina confessed. “I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to continue practicing medicine, despite all the encouragement I was given after the accident. And I have to say, it’s nice to have options again.”
Even if both those options left her in an untenable situation.
“We’ll have to prepare Charmaine, in any event,” Miss Pearl said. “If you decide to go back to Canada right away, she’ll be sorely disappointed.”
That caused a hard pang of guilt and pain, but Mina acknowledged the truth of the statement. Charm had stolen a big piece of her heart.
“But—”
“Leave it now, Granny.”
Kiah’s tone brooked no argument, and even though the older woman pressed her lips together, she didn’t say anything more. Mina turned in time to see his back disappearing down the corridor to the kitchen, and even just the way he was walking told her he was angry. Miss Pearl looked toward him, too, and then back at Mina.
“You better go talk to him, child. He’s upset.”
Mina had to squelch the urge to put her fingers in her ears like a child, and insist she didn’t want to, but, with a sigh, she stood.
“I guess I should,” she said.
Miss Pearl held out her hand for the remote and Mina handed it over, before heading for the kitchen, trying not to drag her feet as she went.
Kiah was at the stove, stirring a pot of what smelled like beef stew, the microwave humming in the corner. He didn’t look up when she came in, although she knew, without a doubt, he was aware of her entrance.
“Hey,” she said, pausing at the end of the counter, where she could see his profile. “Are you angry?”
His eyebrows raised fractionally, then fell back into place. “Why would I be angry?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “Because I didn’t tell you about Dr. Hamilton’s offer, or the one from Toronto South? Something like that?”
He grunted but didn’t say anything, and Mina felt her annoyance level rising. This was Kiah at his uncommunicative best, and it never failed to rile her up. But this time she was determined not to get sucked in.
“I didn’t tell you when the offers came in, because I really needed to think it through. To my mind, it didn’t make sense getting everyone, especially Charm, wrought up over something I hadn’t figured out yet. I’ve been drifting along, letting things happen to me, rather than taking the initiative. That needs to stop.”
Kiah’s lips firmed, but he still didn’t reply, and Mina sighed.
“Okay, listen,” she said, letting some of her irritation bleed into her tone. “Whatever it is you’re thinking, let me know when you’re ready to share. Because I’m not standing here and letting you make me feel as though I’ve done something wrong, when I haven’t. I’m trying to do the best I can, and if you can’t figure that out, tough cookies.”
Then she turned and left, hugging her exasperation close, so as not to let any other emotion take over.
Damn Mina.
Kiah tossed the spoon into the pot and just barely missed getting splashed with hot stew.
Of course, he was angry.
Even more so now, after her pseudo explanation.
Was sleeping with him one of those things she’d drifted into? From Kiah’s perspective, it seemed as though that was something she’d wanted, nearly as much as he had.
And drifting into the job here had done her a world of good, helping to put to rest her worries regarding her abilities since losing her hand.
To make it sound as though all of that was just happenstance riled him up.
Yeah, he could admit the offers she’d received deserved the deepest thought before being accepted or rejected, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t talk to him about them, warn him. It had been bad enough hearing about Dr. Hamilton’s offer through the rumor mill at work, but to also find out she had another offer from Toronto had made his stomach roil.
He pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and lowered himself into it, scrubbing his hands over his face.
Neither her leaving nor staying permanently were things he wanted to contemplate. Both eventualities came with consequences he couldn’t even begin to calculate.
It would be better if she left. He’d gotten way too used to having her around as it was, and now that they’d slept together, being near her all the time was doing crazy things to his body.
And his head.
If she went back to Canada, things could go back to normal.
Right?
But he knew he was lying to himself, thinking that they would. She’d made an indelible mark on his entire family. Plus, back home, Mina would have the freedom to date, and sleep with, whomever she wanted, which could lead her to the life she dreamt of.
As her friend, he should be happy with that thought, but it just made him angrier.
Kiah would have probably marched back into the living room and caused a scene if it weren’t for the scent of scorching meat.
Jumping up with a curse, he moved the pot off the burner and turned off the fire. Grabbing the spoon made him swear again, and drop the red-hot implement.
He had to get a grip on his anger, if only for Charm’s sake. He couldn’t let his niece see how upset he was and start asking questions.
Sighing, he went to get a pot holder, and then used it to hold the spoon and gently stir the stew, being careful not to pull any of the burned stuff off the bottom.
The reality was that Mina had already become an integral part of their lives. The sense of rightness of having her here, the joy he got seeing her each morning, riding back home with her in the evening, just seeing her around the place, was unmistakable. Since they’d slept together, that sense of belonging had just grown.
It really was better that she go sooner rather than later.
But he didn’t want her to.
He wanted to keep her right where she was.
It was the most selfish impulse ever, and he knew it. Having no intention of initiating any further changes in their relationship and, in fact, being determined to back away from making love with her again, he had no right to make any demands.
If ever it was time to put his money where his mouth was, this was it, and he did his best to stuff all his anger and confusion down, as he dished out the food.
“Charm, come help me carry these in, please,” he called.
The youngster came into the kitchen, scuffing her feet, looking so dejected Kiah’s heart ached for her. Yet, he knew neither Miss Pearl nor Mina would have said anything to her about what was happening.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” he asked, knowing full well what the problem was.
“Nothing.”
It was barely more than a mumble, but her eyes glistened with tears.
Putting down the dish in his hand, Kiah pulled out a chair and pointed to it. “Sit.”
With obvious reluctance, his niece did as bid.
“Were you listening to the conversation between Granny, Auntie and me?”
“Yes, but it was an accident.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think it was, Charm. That’s a bad habit to have, and you need to stop eavesdropping. If you want to know something, ask, but don’t sneak around trying to hear things that don’t concern you.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it anymore, but is Auntie really going back to Canada soon?”
“She might be. But even if she goes back, I’m sure you can go visit her, if you wanted to.” Just the thought of Charm going to Canada made his stomach churn, and added another layer of pain to the whole situation.
“She always said I could, but suppose she changes her mind?”
Kiah chuckled, although the last thing he felt was amusement. “Listen, I’ve known Auntie Mina since I was the same age you are now, and she never, ever says anything she doesn’t mean, okay?” Tugging her out of the chair, he hugged her and gave her a kiss on the top of her damp head, adding, “Everything will work out, Charm. Just wait and see.”
“Okay,” she said.
But although Charm seemed to take heart, Kiah couldn’t help wondering if he believed his own optimistic words.