Chapter 20
ANITA GRASPED CARLY’S HAND AS they approached Phyllis’s hospital room. She could hear the murmur of voices coming from inside. Tapping on the partially closed door, she pushed it open to find a blond man with glasses talking to a nurse. They both turned as Anita and Carly hovered in the doorway.
“Cameron?” she said. “I’m Anita.”
His expression brightened, and he crossed the room to shake her hand. “Thank you for coming. It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“You too. This is my daughter, Carly.”
Cameron nodded to Carly. “Come on in. She’s been asking for you.”
He stepped aside, and there was Phyllis, propped up by a few pillows in bed. Her normally immaculate hair was flat, and her eyes were like hollows on her face. But she lifted her right hand.
“Carly...” she said slowly. Her expression brightened as Carly moved tentatively toward the bed.
“Hello,” Carly said. “I’m sorry you’re in the hospital.”
“I’m . . . sorry . . . too.” Phyllis’s mouth lifted on one side. “The . . . food . . . isn’t . . . great.”
Carly smiled and simultaneously wiped at a tear on her cheek.
Anita moved close and wrapped her arm about her daughter’s waist. “It’s good to see you, Phyllis. Thanks for letting us visit.”
Phyllis reached her hand toward Anita, and she grasped it, holding on tight.
“You . . . found . . . me,” she managed to say.
“I did.” Anita released a breath. “You had all the lights on in the house, so I decided to check up on you.”
Phyllis squeezed her hand. “I . . . don’t . . . remember . . . much . . .”
“It’s all right,” she said. “The important thing is that you’re okay, and you’ll only get better.”
“Cameron . . . came . . .”
“Anita called me, Mother,” he said, moving into view on the other side of the bed. “Remember? And of course I came to the hospital.”
Tears filled Phyllis’s eyes. “He’s . . . a . . . good . . . son.”
Cameron smiled at her, tears in his own eyes.
Anita’s heart expanded. She knew that Phyllis was in good hands with her son. They kept the visit short, and when they left the hospital, her step felt much lighter. She’d watch over the house for her neighbor and stay in touch with Cameron. She and Carly would visit as much as possible and hope for a full recovery.
As they drove back home, Anita finally broke the news to her daughter. “Your father called early this morning. It was actually why I was awake and saw the lights on at Phyllis’s house.”
Carly looked over at her, knowledge written all over her face. “He’s not coming tonight, is he?”
“No.” There was no other way to say it. “He said maybe next week.”
Carly’s shoulders slumped. “Probably not then, either.”
Anita didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to confirm that was her belief, too. She didn’t want to douse the smallest of hopes.
“Well, I guess his calling to cancel led to one good thing,” Carly said quietly.
“Yes, it did.” Anita reached over and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Now, what should we do for the rest of your day off?”
“Bake cookies?”
Anita smiled. Who knew such a simple thing with her daughter sounded like the best thing in the world? “It’s a deal.”
But when they turned onto their street, a red Cadillac sat parked in front of their house.
“Wyatt’s here!” Carly said.
Anita’s heart beat double time. It looked like the man had just arrived, or was waiting for them. As she pulled into the driveway, he climbed out of his car.
“This is a surprise,” she said, wondering if this was a good visit or something to be worried about. It was the middle of the day—had Wyatt come over on a lunch break?
“Sorry I didn’t call first,” he said. “Well, I did and there wasn’t an answer, so I figured you were at the hospital.”
“We were,” Anita said.
“Phyllis had a stroke,” Carly said. “She’s talking, though—but it’s really slow.”
“I’m glad to hear she’s speaking. What have the doctors said?”
“We don’t have a lot of information yet,” Anita said. “They’re still doing tests, but her left side is basically immobile. She’ll be in the hospital for a few days, then moved to a rehab center for a while.”
Wyatt puffed out a breath. “That’s rough.”
“Her son Cameron is with her, though,” Anita continued. “So things are getting taken care of.”
“We’re going to watch the house,” Carly added.
Wyatt smiled. “Of course you are. You’re good neighbors to her.”
Anita didn’t miss the trepidation in his eyes even though his tone was light. “What brings you to our neighborhood in the middle of the day?” she finally asked.
“Oh...well, I got a phone call from Lila,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
“What?” Carly said. “I thought she said she didn’t want to hear from us again.”
“That’s what I thought too.” Wyatt offered a brief smile. “She said that Susan wants to talk to my grandpa. She was very insistent about it, so Lila was finally forced to call me.”
“Wow,” Anita said. “That’s great, right? They can discuss the past and maybe find some healing.”
Wyatt gave a short nod. “Yes, right. But here’s the thing. Lila told me that Susan wants to talk to Grandpa in person. She won’t have it any other way.”
“In person?” Carly said. “Is Susan coming to visit, then?”
“Not exactly.” Wyatt rotated his shoulders. “Lila said that Susan doesn’t travel. So I’m going to have to take Gramps to her.”
Anita stared at him. “Will your grandpa be up for the road trip?”
“I honestly don’t know,” he said. “I need to talk to the medical director at the center. Find out if he’s under any traveling restrictions. I don’t think he is, though. I’d just have to be updated on his medication schedule and his general routine.”
Anita watched the worry flit across his face. “That’s a lot of responsibility to take him by yourself.”
“Yeah, I thought so too,” Wyatt continued. “I talked to my sister about an hour ago, and there’s no way she can get any days off work right now. She just took a vacation last month.”
Anita didn’t know if he was asking, directly or indirectly, but he had driven to her house in the middle of the day to talk about this. “When are you thinking of going?”
“This weekend, if possible.” Wyatt folded his arms. “I mean, waiting only drags everything out.”
“How long of a trip?”
Wyatt’s gaze focused on her—he knew where this was leading. “Three days. Driving one day, the second day for the visit, then returning the third.”
“Carly and I can come with you if you want extra help.”
Carly squealed. “Really, Mom?”
“Really,” she said, but kept her gaze on Wyatt.
His expression was one of gratitude and relief. “Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important, because I know you have your own lives.”
She touched his arm. “I’m sure. It will be a fun adventure, and as you can see, Carly is ready to pack.”
Carly laughed and hugged Anita, then she hugged Wyatt.
He gave a surprised laugh and patted her back. “I still have to get clearance from the center, but it’s a go if we do.”
“Well, call them right now,” Carly said. “We have a phone, you know.”
“Carly . . .” Anita said in a warning tone.
But she just grinned and ran toward the house. “I’m going to look for the suitcase.”
Anita set her hands on her hips as she watched her daughter go. “This trip might be more than you’re bargaining for.”
“I’ll take that chance,” Wyatt said, his eyes smiling. “I think I will call right now if you don’t mind me borrowing your phone.”
“I don’t mind.”
Twenty minutes later, they had the beginnings of a road trip plan in place. Wyatt had received permission from the center to pack up his grandfather, and of course Mr. Davis was on board. Now, Anita just had to make lists of the to-dos to get ready for the trip. Carly had her bedroom in disarray as she tried to decide what to pack.
“It’s only two nights,” Anita told her when she came out of her bedroom for the tenth time to ask a question, Sassy trailing behind her.
Anita and Wyatt were sitting at the kitchen table, writing down details.
“Will there be a pool at the hotel?” Carly asked, looking between the two of them.
“I don’t know because Wyatt hasn’t called to book one yet.”
“I’ll get on that as soon as possible,” he said with a chuckle.
Carly scrunched her face, then disappeared back into her bedroom.
“Sorry.” Anita winced. “She’s excited, to say the least. It’s a good distraction for her, though, after the disappointment from her dad.”
Wyatt’s brows furrowed. “What disappointment?”
“Oh, uh...” Anita exhaled. “This morning Bobby called early and canceled. Said he was leaving town for work, but...I think that’s just an excuse.”
Wyatt’s jaw clenched. “He couldn’t wait one more day?”
“That’s what I asked.” Anita lifted a shoulder. “I can’t control his actions, and I’ll go crazy if I try. Carly is actually doing pretty okay with it. Better than me.”
Wyatt covered her hand with his own. “I’m sorry he did that to you, to the both of you. He’s missing out on a great kid.”
Tears pricked, and Anita blinked them away. “Thanks, Wyatt,” she said in a quiet voice. “You showing up here today of all days was kind of fortuitous.”
He tightened his hold on her hand, and she appreciated the touch, the connection. “I’m glad everything is coming together, then.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“She’ll be all right, Anita,” Wyatt continued. “Carly’s a great girl who has an amazing mom. You’ve been there for her through everything, and you need to be kinder to yourself.”
“To myself?”
“Yeah, you’re too hard on yourself,” Wyatt said, his thumb tracing over her hand. “From where I’m sitting, you’ve provided your daughter a safe and loving home. She’s talented, intelligent, and has a good heart. Just like her mom.”
She stared at him for a moment.
“It’s okay to accept a compliment,” he said, the edge of his mouth lifting. “Just say thank you.”
Anita smiled. “Thank you.” Then she leaned forward and hugged him. It was just a hug—a friendship hug—but something deep inside of her wished it were more.
“Meow,” Sassy interrupted.
Anita drew away from Wyatt, grateful but also disappointed in the interruption. She could focus on the cat without him seeing how much she was probably blushing. “Are you hungry, Sassy?”
She answered with another meow, and Anita rose from the table and crossed to the pantry to get the cat food.
“I should probably get going,” Wyatt said, standing too. “I need to go to the office for a couple of hours and reschedule some things. Book a hotel. See if I need to pick anything up for my grandpa for the trip. Do you need anything else?”
Anita looked over at him. His steady green gaze made things inside of her melt. The atmosphere in the room had changed. His holding her hand, then his kind words, and then their shared hug...Was she doing the right thing by agreeing to this road trip? It went beyond casual friendship. It was involving her daughter, and it was involving both of their hearts.
“I don’t think so,” she said. “If I need something, I can run to the store. I’m just going to talk with one of the neighbors about feeding Sassy. Usually Phyllis does it when we go out of town.”
Wyatt nodded, his gaze still on her. “Okay. Call me if you need my help. I’ll be doing errands tonight and can get whatever you need.” He moved a couple of steps closer. “Thanks again for coming. It means a lot to me.”
Anita’s throat felt dry, and her cheeks warmed again. “You’re welcome,” she managed to say.
Then Wyatt moved another step closer and kissed her cheek. “See you tomorrow morning.”
He stepped away, and before she could figure out what her reaction should be, he headed out of the kitchen.
She remained in her spot by the pantry as she listened to the front door open, then close. Moments later, she heard the sound of his car engine start.
Anita touched her cheek where Wyatt had kissed her. Was this happening? It was happening. What did she think about it? What was she feeling? Her heart was racing, her pulse was pounding, and she was...smiling. She wanted to run outside and demand a real kiss. She also wanted to run to her bedroom and burrow under the covers until the sun came up again.
“You’re blushing,” Carly said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Anita flinched. “Oh, I didn’t hear you.”
Carly smirked. “You like him, Mom. You might as well admit it.”
“Like who?”
Carly tugged open the refrigerator door and pulled out the pitcher of orange juice. “It’s okay,” she said nonchalantly. “I like him too, and it’s all right with me if you want to date him.”
Anita opened her mouth, then shut it as she watched her daughter walk down the hallway, carrying her cup of juice with her. Apparently, Carly was getting the last word.