Chapter NINE
Ross was on his phone when Melissa walked into his hospital room. She stopped and waved at him, then turned away to give him some privacy.
“Melissa, come here. My father wants to talk to you,”
said Ross.
She walked over to him and accepted the phone he handed her. “Hello?”
“You’re the woman who lives next door to Ross?”
he said. “I want to thank you for your help. But I need to know if he needs family around, you’ll call me.”
“Yes, sir. I’m Melissa Hendrickson. I’ve promised to help him all I can. I’m the person who ran into him.”
“So, you’re a ball player?”
he asked, teasing gently before chuckling.
“I caught the ball. That’s all I’m saying,”
she said, enjoying his joke.
“It sounds as if you’ll be good medicine for him. I can’t come to Boston to see him. But I’ll keep in touch with you to make sure he’s all right. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine,”
Melissa said. “It was nice talking to you.”
She gave him her number and then handed the phone back to Ross.
“See? I told you I’ll be fine,”
Ross said into the phone. “I’ve got helpful neighbors. I’ll be in touch. I promise.”
Ross ended the call and turned to Melissa. “Thanks for reassuring my father. His concern is appreciated, but he’s not able to come. He wouldn’t be much of a nurse anyway. That was always left up to my mom. And with four boys, she had a lot to handle.”
“Have you eaten since I’ve been gone?”
she asked him.
“No, but now I am hungry.”
“Let me see if I can rustle up a snack for you,”
said Melissa. She left him and went to the nurse’s station. A nurse handed her menus from the hospital’s cafés and cafeterias.
She borrowed them and took them back to Ross’s room. “I haven’t had lunch. I thought I’d get some for both of us. What sounds tasty to you?”
“It may sound crazy, but I want a hamburger with ketchup and nothing else,”
he said. “And a chocolate milkshake.”
“That’s easy,”
said Melissa. “I’ll go get it for you now. Anything else?”
He smiled at her. “Thanks. That’ll be great.”
They both turned as Mike arrived. He waved at her and said to Ross, “Hey, buddy. How’re you doing?”
“I’m not ready to go jogging yet, but the doctor told me that once this heals, I’ll be better than ever. No more constant pain. I wonder where I’d be if I’d never ridden that motorcycle.”
“Happy news. The people of Lilac Lake have spoken clearly with their donations. We’ll end up co-owning the center with the town and using some of the land we bought for an outdoor park, just as we envisioned.”
“Great to hear,”
said Ross.
“I’m going to pick up some things from the cafeteria,”
said Melissa. “Can I get you anything to eat, Mike?”
“No, thanks. I grabbed a bite before coming here.”
She left the men talking. She liked the idea of a sports center aligned with an outdoor park. It would work well for everyone.
###
Melissa returned to the room to find Mike and Ross deep in conversation. When they saw her, they stopped.
“Sorry to interrupt. Are you ready for lunch, Ross?”
“And how. I’m feeling better than I was this morning. I’ve dealt with pain before, and overall, this isn’t too bad with the drugs they give you. I hope to get off this motion machine and be on my feet tonight.”
Melissa handed him the hamburger and milkshake he’d wanted, made sure he had napkins, and sat in the chair Mike offered her so she could eat the chicken salad she’d ordered for herself.
“I’m going to hang around until tomorrow,”
said Mike. “And then I can drive Ross back to his house if he gets out of the hospital as he’s hoping. That will give you a break, Melissa.”
“Oh, but …”
Ross held up his hand to stop her. “Let Mike do that for me. I’ll need you in the weeks ahead to come to help me at the house. I won’t be able to get back and forth from my house to the sports rehab center in Concord, and I’ll need you or someone else to drive me.”
Deflated, Melissa sighed. “Okay. That makes sense. I'll drive you if you make morning appointments at the rehab center. And what days I can’t do it, I’ll find a substitute.”
“Wow, thanks. That’s a huge relief. It should be a matter of six weeks or so before I’m able to drive. We’ll take it day by day because I don’t want to be a burden to you or anyone else.”
He smiled at her. “You’re the best.”
“I’ll be your substitute driver,”
said Mike.
“Crystal texted me that she’d take care of meals for the first week or so,”
said Ross.
“It seems as if, between all of us, you won’t need to worry about a thing. That’s what neighbors are for.”
She smiled at him though her emotions were in a whirl. She was disappointed that he didn’t seem to need her, yet she knew it was better this way. She was finding herself drawn to him, which was a bad idea.
After she finished her salad, she rose. “Guess I’ll go back to Nettie’s condo and get ready to go home. My parents will be pleased I’m coming back to work. But, Ross, I want you to know I’m sincere about helping you in any way I can.”
“Thanks,”
said Ross. “I know that, and I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”
He beckoned her to come closer, and then he squeezed her hand and gazed up at her with a look of tenderness that weakened her knees.
Fighting for composure, she looked away. When she faced him again, his expression was neutral.
Mike stood and walked her to the door. “We’ll be home tomorrow or the next day. I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks. I’ll have the house ready.”
She held up the keys to Ross’s house. “I’ll keep these for a while.”
“Yes. You should just keep them.”
“Okay,”
she said. It made sense. She was his next-door neighbor.
###
On the way home, Melissa mulled over her time with Ross.
There was a definite connection between them for a few brief moments.
But, in reality, their relationship was more like brother and sister than anything else.
She reminded herself that she and Dirk had more in common, which was important to any future relationship with him.
She knew she made it seem like it was all about being logical.
But the one time she’d thought she had a future with another student at culinary school, her heart had been wounded as deeply as if it had been burned by one of the kitchen stove’s open flames.
While she’d been dating him, he’d been sleeping with someone else.
Pushing the past away, Melissa called her mother to tell her she’d be in to cook tomorrow and was pleased by her reaction. “Thanks. It makes such a difference to have you in the kitchen. How’s Ross doing?”
Melissa gave her an update and said, “I’ve agreed to take him to rehabilitation when it’s time. He’ll set up morning appointments, so it won’t disturb my work schedule.”
“I know you feel guilty about the accident, but you have responsibilities here too.”
“Of course. But I’m happy to drive him. As I said, I won’t come to the restaurant tonight. I have to take care of some things. Then I’ll be on my regular schedule tomorrow.”
“That’s fine, dear. See you tomorrow.”
###
After she got settled back at her home, she decided to go over to Ross’s house to see what needed to be done to make it comfortable for him.
Melissa felt awkward unlocking his door and stepping inside, but she wanted to make sure he’d have everything he needed when Mike brought him home, hopefully the next day.
She stood in the front hallway and gazed around. Even with Whitney’s help decorating his home, it felt like a bachelor’s pad. She walked into the open living area and noted the lack of photographs and other finishing touches that turned a house into a home.
Feeling as if she was snooping, she checked the other rooms on the main floor. A guest suite sat at one end of the house, away from the master suite. A third bedroom sat next to it and held unpacked cardboard boxes.
She went into the kitchen, automatically rinsed the dishes in the sink, and put them in the dishwasher. She opened the refrigerator and sighed at the lack of nourishing food. She’d go to the grocery store and shop at Collister’s Farm Stand to take care of that problem. Making a note of what groceries to buy, she shook her head. No wonder Ross had told her that Dirk would appreciate a homecooked meal. So would he.
After completing her grocery list, Melissa walked into the master suite on the first floor in a wing of its own. This is where Ross would recover.
She stood a moment, inhaling his spicy aftershave, the one she thought was so sexy. The bed was unmade. She hesitated and then went ahead and made it up, imagining Ross sleeping there. Unsettled, she checked the master bath, picked up the terry robe he’d left on the floor, and straightened up.
Not wanting to linger, she left and went to the grocery store. She was selecting orange juice when Dani walked up to her. “Hi, Melissa! What are you doing here? Is Ross home?”
Melissa turned to her. “No, but he’s hoping to come home tomorrow. If not, then the following day. Mike is staying with Ross and will bring him back to Lilac Lake.”
“Oh, that makes sense with your job and all,”
said Dani. “How’s he doing?”
“He was pretty out of it this morning but seemed to be doing well this afternoon. I’ve already made plans to drive him to the sports rehab center in Concord when it’s time, and he told me Crystal will take care of his meals for a while.”
Dani smiled. “That’s what I love about this town. Everyone is willing to help. Please let me know if you need me to take Ross to rehab.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Melissa quickly gathered the things on her list, added ice cream for a treat, and checked out.
She returned to Ross’s house, stored the food she’d bought, and left to go to the Collister’s farm stand for fresh fruit and vegetables. The owners, Mary Lou and Joe Collister, were well-liked in the community. A stop at their farm market was as much about catching up with them and others in the area as it was about buying fresh fruit, vegetables, and other things foodies like her loved.
###
As soon as Melissa had parked her car and entered the red barn used for the farm stand, Mary Lou hurried over to her. A heavy-set woman with pretty hazel eyes and brown hair, Mary Lou was the type of woman you wanted to hug. She was always pleasant and was an eager listener. Her pet pig, Pansy, was never too far away.
“How’s Ross?”
Mary Lou asked. “Joe and I were in the stands when it happened, and I swear I heard a bone crack. It was terrible.”
As she thought of that moment, a shiver traveled through Melissa. She thought she’d heard that sound too. “Ross is recovering from knee replacement surgery. He’s hoping to be home in a day or two.”
“It was such a shame that his motorcycle accident some years ago ended his baseball career. Now this.”
Mary Lou sighed. “He’s such a personable man too. I’m happy he’s staying in Lilac Lake, and he and Mike are building a sports center.”
“Me, too,”
said Melissa. “Mike is with Ross now and will bring him home. I’ll be taking care of trips to the rehab center, and Crystal is taking care of his meals for a while.”
“You young women have it all worked out. Let me give you some early Honeycrisp apples to take to him.”
“That would be lovely. I was going to buy some for him, but I know he’ll love your gift. However, I need to stock up on produce for him, and I thought I’d pick up some of your frozen dinners for him and me.”
“Splendid. Let me pick some out for you.”
By the time Melissa was ready to leave, she had plenty of everything the farm stand had to offer.
“You come back now,”
said Mary Lou, hugging her. “More apples will be arriving along with fresh apple cider.”
“Thanks. I’ll let my parents know about the apples, and they’ll place an order for the restaurant, along with the usual.”
###
She was finishing putting away food in Ross’s kitchen when her cell rang. Dirk.
“Hello, Dirk,”
she said, chiding herself for her sudden shyness.
“Hi, Melissa. I’m calling to see how you are. I know the accident on the baseball field has upset you. Are you still in Boston?”
“No, I came home this afternoon. Mike is staying with Ross and will bring him home in the next day or two. He’s had his left knee replaced.”
“I thought that might be the case after I heard about his motorcycle accident years ago. I guess he’s been suffering with both knees since then. I hope he heals quickly.”
“Me, too. What’s going on with you?”
Melissa asked and then waited breathlessly to find out why he’d called.
“I’m busy as usual,”
he said. “In addition to the usual maintenance and upkeep with patients’ teeth, I’m now setting up an orthodontics clinic as part of the practice my uncle and I are sharing. I studied orthodontics, and I’m anxious to get started. So many kids here need braces.”
“It’s wonderful that you’ll have that practice right in town. You’ll be super busy.”
“Not too busy to ask you out. I know it’s last minute, but are you up for dinner tonight? I hear that Chica’s has fabulous Mexican food.”
Melissa heard the hopefulness in his voice and felt a shiver of excitement travel up her spine. “Their food is delicious. What time are you talking about?”
“I was thinking seven-thirty. Does that work for you?”
“Yes. This is a day off for me, so I can do it. It will be fun.”
“Okay. I’ll pick you up then.”
Melissa ended the call and danced around Ross’s kitchen. Having Dirk call her was perfect. She’d been waiting for a sign from him, and this was as positive as it could get.