Chapter Seven #3
“Thanks.” Did Darby Jane need to go to the doctor?
The last time she had a fever, she’d come down with strep throat.
Maybe they could wait and go tomorrow if she still felt bad.
Except tomorrow was Sunday, which meant another emergency room visit, since he hadn’t taken her to a local pediatrician yet.
Ugh. He had that delivery coming today too.
“Excuse me, Connie?” Burke called after her. “May I ask a favor, please?”
“Daddy, no,” Darby Jane groaned. “I want to go.”
“Darby Jane.” He kept his voice low, but pinned her with a serious look. “This is important. Please don’t fuss.”
Her lips formed a pout.
Connie returned, wearing a concerned expression. “How can I help?”
“Do you have any advice on who I might speak with about moving furniture and boxes? I just found out this morning our household goods will be delivered this afternoon.” He held up his casted arm. “I’m not in a position to be particularly useful.”
She bit the corner of her lip. “Let me text a few friends.”
He twisted his mouth into what he hoped was a grateful smile. “Appreciate it.”
Connie moved away, stopping at an adjoining booth to refill coffee mugs and speak to several customers.
He hated asking for help, he really did, but the barge traveling from Seattle with their belongings had been delayed indefinitely.
But then the moving company had called and informed him that they’d made a mistake.
Instead, delivery of his pod containing everything he’d shipped from Charleston was happening today.
Once he took delivery, he didn’t want their precious cargo just sitting there in the cabin’s driveway.
What if three more feet of snow fell overnight?
Then he’d have to find people to shovel, unload and unpack.
Highly unlikely. Charlie had gone out of town for the long weekend, and he hadn’t met his neighbors yet.
Except for Jovi. And he’d rather not rely on her again.
She’d done plenty to help already.
Besides, he still felt guilty for having such a lousy attitude at Frosty Frolic.
Blowing out a long breath, he reached for his coffee.
Maybe more caffeine would soothe the headache forming behind his eyes.
Because this all felt impossible to manage.
If only he hadn’t lost Mary Catherine. She’d always stayed on top of the details and knew exactly what to do when Darby Jane didn’t feel well.
He swallowed against the tightness in his throat.
“Daddy, I need to go.” Darby Jane yawned. “I’m so tired.”
“Hang on, sweet pea. I haven’t paid yet. As soon as Miss Connie comes back with the boxes and our check, then I promise we’ll get going, okay?”
“Oooh-kaaay.” She rubbed her eyes with her fists.
Poor thing. It had been ages since she had gotten sick. They’d had plenty of other obstacles to overcome, but remarkably, they’d been healthy for months. Maybe starting at a new school had exposed her to different germs. At least she’d have three days to recover.
A few minutes later, Connie returned with his bill and a small card. “I jotted down a couple of names and numbers, and I texted them already. Both are good guys. If they’re in town, I’m sure they’d be glad to come by and help.”
“Perfect. Thank you so much.” He tucked the card inside his coat pocket, then awkwardly boxed up their leftover food. After he paid the cashier near the front door, he guided Darby Jane outside.
“I’m cold,” she whined, her teeth chattering as they moved slowly toward the truck.
“We’ll be back at the cabin in just a few minutes.” Burke held the truck’s door open while she climbed inside. Then he buckled her seat belt for her. She wrapped her arms around her trembling body.
Burke paused before closing the door. Uncertainty swept through him. How sick was she? He touched his palm to her forehead. Connie wasn’t wrong. Darby Jane’s forehead did feel quite warm. Maybe he needed Jovi’s help after all.
Nope. He’d handle this. It wasn’t the first time Darby Jane had had a fever. Surely wouldn’t be the last. Besides, their brief discussion about their families not getting along had stayed with him. Sure, she’d been exceptionally kind. But could he trust her?
As he drove away from the diner, he mentally analyzed his meager resources. Hopefully he still had children’s fever-reducing medication tucked away in his shaving kit. And he’d bought crackers and ginger ale on his last grocery store run.
When he rounded the corner on the road leading to the cabin, he tapped the brakes because a semitruck blocked his access.
“Oh, my.” He slowed to a stop behind the massive trailer carrying a forklift and a large rectangular box. Two men in dirty brown coveralls and orange beanies stood on the snow-packed ground, chatting and gesturing with their hands.
“What’s happening?” Darby Jane sat up straighter, craning her neck. “Are they stuck?”
“I don’t think so.” Burke gingerly shifted into Park and then unbuckled his seat belt. “This might be our delivery. Please stay here while I speak to them.”
Darby Jane gasped. “I hope my favorite striped jammies are in that big box.”
Burke chuckled. “I’m sure everything we packed is in there.”
If only he could get some help hauling everything inside the cabin. His broken arm was becoming a problem. He climbed out of the truck.
Another vehicle pulled up behind his. Super. Burke gritted his teeth. Now he’d blocked traffic for everyone who lived on this road. Not a great way to make friends.
The woman behind the wheel waved, then got out of the car.
Jovi. Her cheery smile made his heart kick against his ribs.
“Hey, Burke.” Snow crunched under her gray boots as she strode toward him. “What’s going on?”
“Hey.” He tried not to stare at the way her silver-blue jacket made her eyes sparkle. Or get distracted by the silky blond hair framing her face.
“Are you all right?” Concern flashed across her features. “Where’s Darby Jane?”
He cleared his throat, then palmed the back of his neck. “She’s in the truck. And yes, we’re fine. Mostly. She doesn’t feel well, and evidently we’re about to get a delivery.”
Her gaze slid past him. “Is that all your stuff from South Carolina?”
“Yes, except I’m not quite sure how I’m going to get it all unloaded and inside the cabin.” Warmth heated his skin. “I didn’t want to pay extra for movers to come and unload. In hindsight, I wish I’d made a different choice.”
She pulled her phone from the pocket of her jacket. “If I ask around, I can probably find some people to help.”
“I asked Connie, our server at the diner, if she had any contacts. She gave me a few names and numbers, but I haven’t had time to call.” He fumbled in his coat until he found the note.
“Here. Let me take a look.” Jovi took it, her fingers brushing against his. A pleasant warmth zipped up his arm.
Pull yourself together, Solomon.
“I can’t ask you to do anything else,” he said. “You’ve gone above and beyond already.”
Jovi glanced up from her phone. “I haven’t done anything except be a decent human.”
Right. Of course. Clearly, her generosity wasn’t because they’d bonded on their unexpected road trip or because she had any interest in a relationship.
And why was he even thinking like this? Admiring her appearance, responding to their fingers touching like he was eleven years old, second-guessing her kindness—ridiculous. All of it.
Because he certainly didn’t plan on dating. Guilt over his obsession with his writing career and its result in Mary Catherine’s and Henry’s deaths still dogged him. He and Darby Jane had plenty to deal with already, and he’d been scandalized for having a meeting with his literary agent.
If he ever did decide to get involved with a woman, he sure wouldn’t start with someone who belonged to a family that Lois and Mac had fought with for years.
There had to be a reason why the Wright and the Phillips families had parted ways.
As soon as he had his stuff unpacked and Darby Jane felt well again, he’d start investigating.
Someone in this close-knit community knew the juicy details.
And that might spur the fresh idea he needed to finish his novel.
* * *
How long did it take to unload a pod from a semitruck?
Jovi tried not to express her impatience, but the forklift operator had been blocking the road for over thirty minutes.
And fatigue was getting the best of her.
She really wanted to get back to her house and take a long nap.
But Darby Jane’s pathetic expression and the news that she didn’t feel well niggled at her.
A nasty virus had inflicted several patients at the hospital.
What if Darby Jane had come down with it?
“I’m sorry about this. I hate that we’re blocking access to your grandparents’ place.
Seems as though there’s an issue with the forklift.
” Burke gestured for her to follow him. “Come on inside the cabin. Darby Jane fell asleep. I need to wake her up and get her settled inside. Besides, I have an article I want to give you.”
Jovi stifled a yawn. “If they don’t move soon, I’m going to leave my car here and walk down the road to the house. I’m worn-out.”
“Tough week?”
“I just finished working a night shift at the hospital.”
He paused beside the truck’s passenger door and gave her a confused look. “I thought you were working part-time at your family’s candy company.”
“I’m trying to juggle both.” Jovi followed him. “I signed another contract as a traveler. Keeps me here for thirteen weeks, gets me a nice paycheck, benefits, you know, the whole nine yards.”
“What’s a traveler?”