Chapter 9 #2
“They’ll be here in a few more days, sweetheart,” Linda assured her. “Uncle Michael said he’d be here as soon as he sorted out a few things at his work.”
“Breakfast is ready.” Cook popped her head around the door. “Hello, Linda dear. How are you?”
“Hello, Molly,” Linda greeted the chef who had been at Hearts for many years. “Thank you for the breakfast.”
“Would you like anything else?” Molly asked.
“No thanks, Molly, I’m full,” Linda told her. “But these two need to go eat.”
“Yes, the pancakes are ready,” Molly told Jake and Sophia, who were headed toward the office door.
The three of them left, and Linda heard them head toward the kitchen, Buddy’s claws clattering enthusiastically on the wooden floor following them.
A moment later, Rosa came back with the famous bunch of keys swinging from her hand. There must have been twenty of them on the brass ring, each with its small paper tag tied on with butcher’s twine. Rosa set the bunch on the desk beside Linda.
“There you go.” She glanced at them. “If there is a key for that drawer, it’s on there.”
“Thank you, Rosa.” Linda eyed the bunch.
“If you need anything else, just let me know,” Rosa told her as she headed out the office door.
Linda picked up the keys and started turning them, tag by tag, looking for the small handwritten word desk. She had gotten about halfway around the ring when her phone vibrated on the desk beside her. Tom’s name flashed on the screen.
“Hello, Tom,” Linda answered. “Is everything okay?”
“Morning, Linda,” Tom greeted back. He sounded much less stressed than he had the day before. “George is awake, and he’s asking for you.”
Linda was on her feet in a flash. “I’m on my way.”
“I’ll see you in a bit,” Tom said, and they hung up.
Linda put the bunch of keys in one of the unlocked drawers and walked quickly through to the kitchen. Sophia and Jake were at the long staff table with a stack of pancakes between them, and Buddy sitting at attention beside Jake’s chair, eyes locked on their plates.
“Uncle George is awake,” Linda told them. “I’m going to the hospital.”
“I’ll keep an eye on them for you,” Rosa offered.
“You are an absolute angel, Rosa,” Linda told her. She kissed each kid on the head and patted Buddy. “Be good for Rosa. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Yes, Gran,” Jake and Sophia chorused.
Linda was about to walk out the kitchen door when a small voice called from the hallway.
“Is anyone around?” Maggie’s voice drifted through to them before she stepped into the kitchen with Toby beside her, his hair still damp from the shower.
“Auntie Mags!” Sophia dropped her fork and ran to greet her. “Hi, Toby!”
Jake joined his sister. Within ten seconds, the three children were a small chaotic tangle of hugs. Buddy was barking with delight at the new arrival, and Rosa was telling Toby to sit and have some pancakes with Sophia and Jake.
“Did Tom call you?” Linda asked Maggie.
“He did. I was just going to drop Toby and then stop by the hospital before I go into the boutique,” Maggie replied. She looked at Rosa. “Are you okay with Toby here as well?”
“Of course, Miss Maggie,” Rosa said with a grin. “Looking after the kids is like a day off for me.”
“I don’t know what we’d do without you, Rosa,” Maggie said with a sigh of relief before turning to her grandson. “Toby, sweetheart, you stay with Sophia and Jake. Rosa will look after you. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. And be good.”
“Of course, Gran,” Toby answered her, then turned back to his plate of pancakes, while chattering with Jake and Sophia.
Maggie kissed the top of Toby’s head and turned to Linda.
“I have to go get my car keys from the house,” Linda told Maggie.
“I’ll walk with you. I actually parked at Heart House as I assumed you’d all be there.” Maggie stepped up beside Linda as they walked out of the kitchen and headed toward Heart House.
The hospital was twenty minutes away, on the inland side of the small bridge that connected Sweet Blossom Bay to the rest of the world. When they got there, Tom met them at the door of George’s room. His eyes were tired, but a small, soft smile touched his mouth as Linda came down the corridor.
“He’s been waiting for you,” Tom said, hugging her. “Hello Maggie.”
Linda and Maggie greeted him.
“How is he?” Linda asked.
“Stronger than yesterday. The pain medication is keeping him comfortable. He’s been awake for about twenty minutes.” Tom turned toward the door and pushed it open.
Uncle George was propped up in the bed against three pillows; the cast on his hip and leg looked uncomfortable, his thick white hair was rumpled, and he looked gray from pain, which made Linda’s chest ache.
His eyes lifted to the door as she came in, and the tired warmth in them was one of the most welcome things Linda had ever seen.
“Hello, you two,” Uncle George said, his voice rough from the medication as a smile spread across his lips.
Linda crossed the room in three strides, bent over the bed, and kissed his forehead.
“Uncle George, it’s so good to see you awake,” Linda breathed, fighting back the tears of relief. “You scared the life out of me.”
“I’m sorry, my dear,” Uncle George said. “It was such a stupid accident.”
“It really was,” Linda agreed with him. “You are always the one to say safety first, and if you have to do anything dangerous, make sure someone is around.” She threw his own words at him.
“I knew my words would come back to haunt me one day,” Uncle George gave a soft sigh. “Your mother always scolded me and told me to….
“Practice what you preach,” Linda, Maggie, and Tom finished the sentence with him.
“It was just a lightbulb. I’ve been changing lightbulbs in that hotel for sixty years.” George ran a hand over his face and shook his head.
“You’re eighty-five.” Maggie pointed out, her eyes narrowingly angrily.
“And until yesterday, I’ve been fully capable of changing my own lightbulbs.” George crossed his arms in defiance as he defended his actions.
“Uncle George.” Linda took his hand in hers, making him unfold his arms. “Please, you have to be more careful. Even at my age, I know there are certain things I shouldn’t be doing.”
“You said, shouldn’t,” George noted. “But you still do them because you have to, as there is no one else there to take care of it.”
“George,” Tom’s tone of voice brooked no argument. “All we are saying is that you can’t be doing that sort of thing on your own anymore.”
“All right, all right. I will not be changing any more lightbulbs alone. I concede the point.” George gave in.
The three of them pulled up chairs on the same side of the bed as they knew the doctor would be in shortly.
“Listen to me, sweetheart,” Uncle George said, his voice softer now. “Before the doctor comes back, there is something I have been meaning to say to you for a long time.”
“What is it?” Linda leaned a little bit forward in her chair.
“I think you should come home for good. Instead of buying a new house all the way in Miami, you can stay in Heart House,” Uncle George told her. “You can even decorate it as you wish.”
Linda blinked as she looked at him, bewildered. Did he read minds now? She was going to tell him that’s what she intended to do.
“Uncle George.” Linda patted his hand. “I was going to tell you that I wanted to move back here.” She smiled, knowing just how she could spin helping him out at the hotel. “As I was going to look for a job anyway, I thought I could work at the hotel again. Like I did before I got married.”
“I would love that,” Uncle George said, surprising her as she was expecting a bit of a fight.
Instead, he seemed relieved and excited about her idea.
“I’ve always told you and Michael that you belong here.
” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “The hotel, Heart House, and the reserve will go to both of you one day. I’m so pleased that you have finally shown an interest in it. ”
That surprised Linda even more. “Uncle George, of course, we are interested in the hotel.”
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled then,” George said. “I didn’t want you renting or buying some little place in Miami when there is a five-bedroom house with your name on it just sitting empty for most of the year.”
Before they could say more, there was a soft knock at the door, and the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Stanford, stepped into the room with a tablet tucked under one arm and a kind, professional smile on his face. He greeted everyone in the room before turning his attention to George.
“Mr. Heart. You are looking a lot better this morning,” Dr. Stanford noted.
“I’ll look even better when I can get out of here,” George told him.
“That’s not going to be as soon as you hoped, I’m afraid,” Dr. Stanford warned him. “While I have briefed your family on your condition and what that entails, I need to run through it with you.”
“Fine,” George said, watching the doctor with narrowed eyes.
Linda shot her uncle a warning look, knowing that stare meant he was going to listen, then argue every bit of advice or instruction the doctor was about to give him.
Dr. Stanford set his tablet on the table at the foot of the bed and folded his hands in front of him.
“The good news first, Mr. Heart. The surgery yesterday was successful. Your hip has been pinned cleanly. We’ll need to keep you off it entirely for six to eight weeks.
After that, you’ll begin physical therapy, which will continue for several months.
The full recovery timeline at your age is around six to nine months, depending on how diligent you are with your therapy. ”
“Diligent,” Uncle George said. “You will find, Dr. Stanford, that I’m a very diligent man.”