CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Ben was worn out by the time he made it back to the estate with his parents. It had been a long five days in Coeur d’Alene.
They might have made it back sooner, but his mom had refused to consider leaving until the medical staff had done every test possible to determine what had happened with his dad. And he’d stayed with her because his dad had asked him to.
He’d been only too happy to do that for her since he could see the toll it took on her to watch her husband of thirty years face a potentially life-threatening medical situation.
She’d leaned heavily on Ben over the past five days.
Other members of the family had been there as well, but their focus, rightfully so, had been more on his dad. Their dad.
They’d discharged his dad from the hospital the previous afternoon, but his mom had insisted that they stay one more night. Just to be safe.
The tests had ruled out another heart attack, but they’d also not turned up anything definitive. They had changed a couple of his medications, thinking perhaps there had been a drug interaction with a new one he’d recently been prescribed.
It had been a scary time for Ben too, as he didn’t like the idea of losing one of his parents. He’d long accepted that he wouldn’t have his dad well into his adulthood. His dad’s age when Ben was born had been closer to a grandfather’s than a father's.
Ben was just glad that, for the time being, his dad was still with them.
When the helicopter settled gently on the helipad at the estate, Ben climbed out, then turned to hold his hand out for his mom. Once she was safely on the helipad, he offered his hand to his dad.
After a brief hesitation and a scowl, his dad took it with a few mumbles under his breath that Ben paid no attention to. Ben was well aware that his dad didn’t like to have to accept help. And he couldn’t really blame him.
He went with his parents to the main house to make sure they made it okay, then he headed on to Annie’s place.
As he walked the curving single-lane road that led to Annie’s, Ben considered calling Amelia. However, he knew that she was still at work.
It was the last day of the basketball clinic for the week, and for the clinics as a whole. He was disappointed to have missed the last week, but there had been no other option.
He’d had contact with Amelia over the past few days, but it had been mainly by text.
When he’d called her on Monday night, he’d woken her up, even though it had only been eight in the evening. After that, he’d been reluctant to call her in case he interrupted her much needed sleep.
So he was eager to see her again, and he hoped they could spend some time together that evening. Maybe go out on the boat again.
He just wanted to be with her. Not being able to see or talk to her had been hard. Communicating by text just hadn’t been the same as talking to her.
It was just after four when he reached Annie’s former house. Luca was there waiting for him, having come by with his luggage.
“Are we going into Serenity?” Luca asked.
“Yes. I want to go to the church and see Amelia.”
“I thought as much,” Luca said with a nod. “When are we going?”
“I want to be there by five, when she gets off work.”
“And after that?”
“I’d like to grab food and head out on the boat, but it will depend on what Amelia wants to do.” He hoped fervently that she’d agree, but he had no idea how her week had really been. “Actually, I might go out on the boat, regardless. It would be a nice break.”
“Sounds good.”
After Ben took his bag to his room, they took the SUV and headed into Serenity. It didn’t take too long to get to the church, and he was glad to see Amelia’s car was still in the parking lot.
Luca stayed with the vehicle as Ben made his way across the parking lot to the side entrance.
It was a beautiful, warm afternoon, but they were on the back end of summer now.
School would start up in a couple of weeks, and not long after that, the colors of autumn would take over Serenity and the surrounding area.
Ben hoped he was still around when that happened.
He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, turning left to head toward the church offices. He spotted Amelia sitting at her desk, once again folding papers.
Ben let out an exasperated sigh. With everything going on with his dad, he’d forgotten to order her the folding machine. He’d have to do that later that day.
Stepping into the office, he said, “Hello, beautiful. Reporting for folding duty.”
Amelia looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw him. “You’re back.”
“I am,” he said as he sat down in the chair on the other side of her desk. “How have you been?”
“Good.” She put the bulletin on the stack of already folded ones. “How is your dad?”
Though he wished she’d used numbers in her reply, Ben didn’t push. Instead, he reached out and took half the stack of papers. “He’s doing fine now.”
“Really? That’s great. So they’re back at the estate?”
“Yes. Mom is a bit of a mess though,” Ben said as he folded the top sheet of paper. “She’s very worried about something happening again.”
“I don’t blame her,” Amelia said. “It must have been scary for her to see her husband collapse.”
“After his heart attack, she insisted that they hire EMTs to work at the estate, so Jude hired three new security people who also had EMT training. Dad was, of course, happy with the additional security personnel, and Mom was happy to have medical personnel on the estate.”
“That’s good they were there.”
“It proved Mom’s point, so Dad won’t ever be able to let them go,” Ben said with a laugh. “So, are you up for an evening on the boat?”
She looked up at him, hesitation in her gaze that didn’t sit well with Ben.
“I’d like to finish the conversation we didn’t get to have because of what happened with my dad.”
“Okay.”
Relief flooded Ben. Whatever was going on, he was convinced that a conversation was all they needed to sort it out.
“How did the last week of the clinics go?” he asked, leaving the more serious conversation for when they were on the boat.
For the remainder of the time spent folding the bulletins, they talked about the clinics and other things that had happened over the past five days.
When they finally finished, Ben waited as she gathered up her things, and then they left the church together. As they’d done previously, he drove her car back to her building while Luca drove the SUV.
During the brief trip, they decided on the food they wanted, then Ben called in their order to the diner. He wanted to have another meal from The Steakhouse, but it wouldn’t be that evening.
He waited with Luca while Amelia went up to her apartment to change. On impulse, Ben pulled out his phone and sent a text to Julian and Cole.
Would appreciate some prayer. I’m taking Amelia out on my boat for dinner, and I’m just getting a vibe that she’s upset about something.
I love her and want a relationship with her, but she’s been wary of committing because of her health issues.
Please, just pray that God will guide me as I speak with her and that whatever happens, I will feel at peace about it.
Being there in Serenity with both men had strengthened his relationships with them, and he felt comfortable asking for their prayers. He was confident that they would pray for him, and he needed that right then.
When Amelia returned, she’d changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top under a gauzy white top. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and large sunglasses shielded her eyes.
“Ready?” he said as she reached them.
At her nod, Ben opened the rear passenger door for her, deciding to let Luca drive to the marina. Truth be told, he was feeling a little worn out by the events of the week, and he just wanted to relax.
Of course, the upcoming conversation probably wouldn’t be relaxing, but it needed to take place. He needed to know where they stood.
This conversation could also determine where he went now that the basketball clinics were over.
If Amelia was really not interested in a relationship with him, he’d respect her wishes and leave Serenity, returning to his life in New York and traveling around.
And he’d once again relegate trips to Serenity to just holidays and special occasions.
He might be convinced that they could have a good life together, even with her health limitations, but she’d hadn’t shown him that she agreed.
Please, God, if pursuing a relationship is Your will, give me the words to say and prepare Amelia’s heart to hear them.
Once they’d picked up the food, Luca drove them to the private marina where Ben’s boat was docked.
It wasn’t long before they were out in the middle of the lake. He and Amelia were at the table in the stern of the boat, sheltered from the setting sun, their food in front of them.
“How are you today?” Ben asked as he picked up his burger, hoping that she’d give him their agreed upon response to that question.
“Four. Four.”
“Really?” He smiled at her. “I think that’s the lowest you’ve been since we started doing the numbers. Are you really feeling better?”
Amelia nodded, stirring her drink with her straw. "The new medications seem to be helping a bit. I've been following the doctor's recommendations about pacing myself, too. I also met with a physiotherapist who taught me exercises that will help me keep my strength up without increasing my pain."
"That's great news," Ben said, feeling a surge of hope. It seemed that things were moving in a positive direction.
"It's still early days," Amelia cautioned, as if reading his thoughts. "I don't want to get too excited about it. There have been other times when I felt better for a little bit, only to crash again later."
Ben reached across the table and touched her hand. “The crashes don’t negate the good moments. Let’s celebrate those and take the not-so-great moments as they come.”