Chapter 6 #2
Asher kept watching her changing expressions, and the light in her eyes, and thought maybe being with him and his brothers was good for her, too. She’d been the only guard at the family gate for too long.
The camaraderie of their conversation became easier as the time kept passing, and the stories of “remember when” were all after they were on their own with their dad.
But it was an eye-opener for Asher. He had memories of his mother that were good, until they weren’t, but his two younger brothers had either blocked them, or forgotten them.
Either they had not had her in their lives long enough, or the brutal betrayal of what Brenda Kingston did had destroyed any memories of the family they thought they were.
Nora loved listening to them bickering and teasing, and it even reminded her of times when she’d been with them, and the joy and innocence of those years, but she was conscious of not wanting to overstay her welcome.
She was still there when visitation time came again, and she was about to gather up her things and leave when Ash glanced up at the clock and saw the time.
“Nora, if you want to go see Dad with me, you can. He doesn’t look terrible, or anything like that, but if it’s too soon after spending so much time with your own father, then I understand.”
To his surprise, she didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I would like to see him. The last time I saw him was when I dropped off his to-go order from the Rose. I sat with him while he ate. We had such a good visit. I would like to think he might hear my voice and know I came.”
“Yes, you go, Nora. We’ve both been in and out countless times,” Dylan said.
“Is it time now?” she asked.
Asher stood and held out his hand.
“Is it okay if I leave my coat here?” she asked.
“You can even leave your purse if you want,” Gunner said. “I’m good at surveillance. I’ll watch them for you.”
She grinned. “Then, I will and thank you,” she said, slipped her purse beneath her coat, and took Asher’s hand as they left the room.
The brothers looked at each other and grinned. “He’s still got it bad,” Dylan said.
“She isn’t fighting him off, either,” Gunner said, then as promised, went over to where Nora left her things, and sat down in the chair beside them.
* * *
Despite Nora’s claim that this visit wouldn’t be a trigger, when they first walked up to Jacob’s bedside, the memory of sitting in a place not unlike this watching her father taking his last breath was all too real. And then Asher reached for his dad’s hand.
“Hey, Dad, it’s me, Asher. Nora is here with me.”
“Jacob, it’s me, Nora. Pearl is the one who found you and saved your life. She sends her love, as does everyone in Crossroads. We’re all praying for you, honey. We miss you. Get well soon so you can come home.”
Within seconds, Asher jumped. “He just squeezed my hand. He heard you. He knows we’re here. Dad, you’re doing great. Stay strong. We need you to wake up and tell us what happened, and who did this. We’ll find them, but we don’t know where to start.”
Jacob’s eyelashes fluttered, and then he stilled.
“He’ll wake up on his own time,” Nora said, and then moved to the foot of the bed and slipped her hands beneath the covers. “His feet are cold. I’m going to ask a nurse for another blanket,” she said, and walked away, leaving Asher speechless.
They’d never even thought to check for discomfort, but she had, because she’d just gone through several years of palliative care for her dad.
A few moments later, a nurse returned carrying a heated blanket, put it over Jacob’s legs and feet, and then slipped her hand beneath the sheets and nodded.
“You were right,” she said. “His feet are cold. We’ll get some socks on his feet shortly, but this will help. I’ll make a note of it on his chart for future reference,” then walked away.
Ash kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, darling. Thank you for thinking of his comfort in that way.”
She shrugged. “It’s weird what you take for granted, like getting more covers when you’re cold. Or getting a drink when you want one. I used to do all that and more every day for my father, when he could no longer speak up for himself.”
“You’ve just taught me to pay attention, and I thank you for that,” he said, then put his arm around her shoulder. “Visiting time is over. After you, darlin’.”
“As soon as I make a quick pit stop, I’ll be out of your hair,” Nora said as they were walking back to the waiting room.
“When you’re ready, I’m walking you to your car,” Asher said.
She was reluctant to say goodbye, and as soon as they entered the waiting room, she headed for the restroom.
“How did it go?” Gunner asked.
“Good. He recognized her voice. He squeezed my hand,” Asher said.
“Progress,” Gunner said.
“One of the first things Nora did after talking to Dad, was move to the end of the bed and slip her hands under the covers. She said his feet were cold and went to get a nurse to bring another blanket. We never thought of any of that. And it was the first thing she did,” Asher said, and then slipped his hands in his pockets.
“I’m going to walk her down to her car.”
The brothers were still absorbing the enormity of what she’d done for him, and they’d never thought. He would have had to wake up and ask for covers before they would have known he was cold, and she’d had the foresight to check it for him.
“It’s what she did for her dad,” Asher added as he put on his coat.
When she came back, Gunner hugged her.
She smiled and patted his cheek. “What’s that for?”
“For cold feet,” Gunner said. “We missed you. You’re the best. Don’t lose us again.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Asher said, and helped her put on her coat.
When he held out his hand, she slung her purse over her shoulder and clasped it without thought. They rode the elevator down in silence, both of them struggling with what to say because Jacob’s life still hung in the balance. But as they exited the lobby, they were hit with a blast of cold air.
“Good lord,” Asher muttered, and used his body to block the wind from her as they crossed the parking lot to her car.
Nora unlocked it with the remote, then turned around to tell him goodbye. Instead, he cupped her face and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.
Nora’s heart was pounding, but before she could think, she was in his arms. His breath was warm on her face and then the chill of his lips melted into a kiss that took her breath, and the last ounce of her hesitation.
When he finally let her go, it was with a groan and a sigh. “When you get home, promise you’ll text me to let me know you arrived safely.”
Nora nodded. “I promise. And you will keep me updated on your dad’s progress, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Asher said, then opened the door. “You need to get in out of this cold. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”
She nodded. “See you when I see you,” she said, then got in and began to buckle up.
He leaned in for one last kiss, and then stepped back as she started the engine, then flashed him a smile before driving away.
He didn’t move until she drove out of sight, then on his way in, he met his brothers coming out.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“We’re not having canteen food all day. We’re going somewhere to get a steak,” Dylan said.
“Works for me,” Asher said, then jammed his hands in his coat pockets as they headed for the SUV.
* * *
Nora was shivering as she drove, still reeling from that kiss as she drove away from Amarillo.
She thought of her apartment in Fort Worth, and the work from her office that she had waiting for her on her laptop.
Thankfully, she could catch up with what was left of this day and start anew on the house business tomorrow.
Elated over her and Asher’s reconciliation, she was soon on Highway I-27 southbound, dodging the occasional tumbleweed blowing across the highway, while keeping an eye on the weather. After she came to the Highway 86/I-27 junction and turned east on 86 toward Crossroads, she began to relax.
Less than fifteen minutes later, she was back in town. She drove straight to Belker’s Grocery and parked, sent Asher a text, and then got out and hurried inside.
* * *
The Kingston brothers were just finishing up their meal when Asher’s phone signaled a text. It was from Nora.
I’m in Crossroads. About to go into Belker’s and then home.
First love. Only love. Forever love.
Nora
He swallowed past the lump in his throat and sent a message.
Thank you for not quitting on me.
Love you more.
Ash.
Then he dropped the phone back in his pocket.
“Everything okay?” Gunner asked.
“Yeah, just Nora letting me know she got home okay.”
“What are you going to do about her?” Dylan asked.
“Live the rest of my life with her,” he said.
Gunner frowned. “What does she say about that?”
Asher reached for the check, glanced at it, then laid down his credit card.
“She gave me a second chance to do it right, and the steaks are on me. Let’s get back to the hospital. I have a feeling Dad’s going be waking up and talking within the next twenty-four hours, and I want to be there when it happens.”
* * *
Nora spent the rest of the afternoon working through the backlog of her job, finishing up details, and one long-distance fix of a computer glitch at a high school in Peoria, Illinois. She was good at her job, and her tech skills made her indispensable to the company she worked for.
But working in her childhood home made her realize how isolated her life really was in Fort Worth.
It had happened because of a stalker, and now she lived and worked in her high-rise apartment, and referred to it the ivory tower.
She rarely went out. Ordered food and groceries in.
Her only times away for the last two years had been to spend time with her father at the nearby memory care facility.
He had not known who she was, and wouldn’t have missed her, but she knew, and she cared, and then he died.