Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
C laire finally left after making Jane promise that if she needed anything, she would call. It was thoughtful of her to stop by and it felt good to know she had friends she could count on.
Jane sat at the kitchen table and stared blankly into nothing.
The quietness of the room overwhelmed her as she thought about everything that had happened. What a night it had been. Fun until it wasn’t. But she was grateful Ethan, Tanner and Leah were with her.
Today she would deal with calling the insurance company, pick Bucky up and … make time to cry. She needed the release, but everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t had time to process it.
Later Ethan would be over, and she hoped Scotty would stop by as well. It would be another stressful day, but at least she was able to sleep last night. Just knowing that Ethan held her until she fell asleep was comforting. She wondered what it would be like to have him in her bed every night, but he probably wasn’t ready for that. Yet.
She wasn’t sure she was either. They were just getting to know each other. While she admired and liked everything about Ethan, in the back of her mind, she wondered if he was ready for another relationship. He mourned Corrine for a year—an incredibly long time to grieve.
She thought about Mike a lot. Not every hour of every day as she had when he first passed away, but fond memories would pop up out of nowhere, and she relished them. Mike would always be in her heart, a part of him that she would carry forever.
But she knew he’d be upset if she wasted her life never loving another person. He would want her to find happiness again, to love again. She was ready. Ready to move forward with someone. Someone like Ethan who made her feel safe and cherished.
Ah. The affairs of the heart. What was that famous quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson? Oh yes, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” She believed that with her whole heart, and while that love also caused her pain in the past, she would always be grateful for the love she and Mike shared.
This new feeling for Ethan brought a mixture of fear and hope to Jane’s heart. Loving again meant risking everything, but it was a chance to build something special—a future together. And that was a risk she was willing to take.
Jane looked at her watch. Dang. Eleven o’clock. It was time to check on Bucky. The doctor said he would be ready before noon. He would need some clothes, and they could stop at his apartment on the way back. His car was still at the barn, so he would have transportation home whenever he wanted to leave.
She grabbed her purse, put on her coat and got in the car for the twenty-minute drive to the hospital. She’d check out the greenhouse later. Looking at it now would only cause her more pain. Tanner was outside working. She waved and continued. Luckily, traffic was light, and she found a parking space close to the hospital entrance.
Walking into the hospital reception, she found out which room Bucky was in, pinned on her visitor pass, and took the elevator up to the third floor. The corridor was quiet, with the hum of conversations, the occasional beeping of machines and the scent of antiseptic. She stopped at the nurse’s station to tell them she was here to bring Bucky home, and the young nurse behind the desk told her she’d come right in with the discharge papers.
Bucky was sitting up in bed, flipping through the television mounted on the wall. He still looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes and a smaller bandage around his head.
“Hey, Bucky,” Jane said as she came closer to the bed. “How are you feeling?”
He looked over at her. “Been better,” he replied and gave her a small smile.
“Ready to blow this joint?”
“More than.”
The nurse walked in and gave the papers to Bucky, explained to Jane what to watch out for since he was still in danger of a concussion, and promised to come right back with a wheelchair.
“Okay then, I’ll step out while you dress, then we can head to your place and pick up some clothes.” Jane frowned. “Do you need my help?”
Bucky chuckled. “No. I can manage.”
Jane walked into the hallway, gave him a few minutes, saw the nurse and wheelchair, and walked back into the room.
“Okay, Mr. Marsh, let’s get you in the wheelchair and home,” said the nurse. Bucky let out a little groan as she helped him into the chair and wheeled him to the elevator, with Jane following. Arriving on the main floor, the nurse then waited by the front door while Jane got her car and pulled up to the door.
It didn’t take long to get him situated in the front seat. “Bucky, I’m so sorry this happened to you,” she said.
Bucky shook his head. “This has nothing to do with you but with whoever hit me.”
She pulled out of the parking lot and glanced over at him. His eyes were closed, but Jane had no idea where Bucky lived.
“Um, Bucky?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know where you live. What’s the address?”
He gave it to her. The drive over was quiet. Bucky had closed his eyes again and started to snore.
They arrived in a part of town Jane wasn’t familiar with. The area had clearly seen better days. The narrow, four-story building was old, a little run-down, with a faded sign that read “Maple Arms Apartments” above the entrance.
She gave him a little nudge, and he woke, disoriented.
“We’re here,” Jane said. “Can you walk? If not, give me the keys and I’ll run in.”
He unbuckled his seat belt. “No. I’m fine. I’ll come with you.”
They walked into a dimly lit hallway and climbed two flights of stairs. Jane watched as Bucky slowly walked up, praying that he wouldn’t keel over since there was no way she could pick up a six-foot-tall man. There was no one else in the hall. The odor of cabbage or something equally stinky wafted from one of the apartments.
When they arrived at his apartment, Bucky fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Jane followed him in. The apartment was sparsely finished and small, but it was fairly neat except for a few dishes in the sink and a couple of beer bottles on the coffee table.
“Sorry about the mess,” Bucky said. “I wasn’t expecting company.”
Jane shook her head. “No worries. Collect what you need for a few days, and we’ll head out.”
He nodded and walked toward the bedroom. Jane could see a double bed and an old dresser. Bucky gathered what he needed while Jane glanced around the living room. There wasn’t much, but she picked up a framed picture of Mike, Bucky, and a pretty young woman. This must be Lisa.
He came out with a duffel bag and looked like he was going to collapse. She took it from him after setting the picture down.
“Is that Lisa?” she asked.
Bucky smiled. “Yes.” He sighed. “She was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside.”
“She’s pretty.”
Bucky nodded. Jane picked the picture up and placed it in his duffel. “Let’s go. You look like you’re going to pass out.”
“I’m fine,” Bucky replied. “I’ve certainly had worse.”
Jane wondered what worse was. She couldn’t imagine a life where people got physically hurt all the time. Had Mike experienced that? Although if he had, she’d never ask Bucky. It would hurt too much to know.
They made their way slowly down the stairs and into her car. Bucky fell asleep halfway over, and Jane was left with her own thoughts.
She drove into the driveway, noticing Ethan’s truck and the fire chief’s SUV. She gently shook Bucky awake. He opened his eyes in surprise.
“We’re home. I’ll get you settled, then go down to the barn.”
“Works for me,” said Bucky. “I could use a nap. Having the nurses check on you all night means you don’t get any sleep.”
Jane laughed. “Well, don’t expect to get more than a couple of hours here. The instructions were to check on you every two hours.”
He groaned. “Whatever.”
She got his duffel from the back seat and opened the front door. “I’m putting you on the first floor where you don’t have to climb stairs. It has its own bathroom.”
Walking to the back bedroom that Savannah had recently used, she placed the duffel on a bench and turned to Bucky.
“Everything you need is here—towels, soap, toothbrush and paste. I’m going to leave you to rest and check out what’s going on at the barn.”
Bucky nodded. “Sounds good. I’m going to shower, change and lay down for a while.”
Jane walked away but then abruptly turned around. “There’s plenty of food in the kitchen. Help yourself.”
He hesitated for a moment, his ears turned red, and he cleared his throat. “Jane … I can’t thank you enough.”
She walked back to him and hugged him. “No need for thanks. You were Mike’s friend; how could I not help?” She patted his arm. “Now shower and get into bed.”
“Yes, mom,” he chuckled.
Jane’s heart was racing as she left Bucky and walked down to the barn, wondering what the fire chief would say. Was it a faulty heater, or had someone fiddled around with it? She prayed it was the former and not the latter.