Chapter Five
The Sheltering Arms Nursing Home was located just two blocks down from the Brighton Valley Medical Center and next door to a senior apartment complex that also offered assisted living for the residents who needed additional care.
On the outside, the two-story brick building didn’t look much different from any of the other medical offices that had sprung up around the hospital. But on the inside, the staff and volunteers did their best to provide a warm, cozy environment so the patients would feel more at home.
That was one of the things Chloe liked about the place. Most of the staff cared about the elderly residents and went above and beyond when it came to their comfort and care. The other thing was the seniors themselves, two of whom she’d grown especially close to.
After stopping by the market and running a few errands, she pulled into the parking lot.
She hadn’t been back to the Sheltering Arms since the day she’d been fired, and while everything inside her urged her to stay away, she couldn’t just abandon Sam Darnell, the elderly man who reminded her of her great-grandfather, a one-time rodeo cowboy who’d passed away just weeks after losing his wife of fifty-eight years.
Sam had been a cowboy, too, although he’d been a rancher and had never competed in rodeos.
He and his wife, Nellie, had moved into the senior apartment complex just down the block, intending to live out their remaining years together.
They hadn’t wanted to be a burden on their nephew, an attorney who lived and worked in Los Angeles.
But Nellie had died in her sleep last winter, and Sam had taken her loss hard. By spring he’d moved into the assisted-living facility because he’d grown weak and unsteady on his feet. And he’d continued to decline physically to the point that he had to move into the nursing home.
Chloe had been assigned to his room, and the two of them had connected in a special way. Sam had actually begun to eat again, and she’d seen an improvement in both his attitude and his physical condition.
She’d written to him regularly since her termination, but that wasn’t the same as a real visit. So she’d set aside her own uneasiness and had made the effort today.
While she’d been at the market, she’d seen a display of small potted Christmas trees. So she’d picked one up for him to keep near his bed. She’d also made a stop at Caroline’s Diner, where she’d purchased blueberry muffins.
Sam and his wife had been big fans of Megan Adams, who not only had a popular booth at the Brighton Valley farmer’s market, but who also supplied homemade jams and baked items for Caroline.
Megan had recently married Clay Jenkins, but she was still baking up a storm and canning her award-winning jams. From what Chloe had heard, she’d even struck a big deal to sell her products regionally through a supermarket chain.
Sam had always claimed that Megan’s muffins were the best he’d ever eaten, so Chloe knew the unexpected treat would please him. She’d also picked up a muffin for Ethel Furman, another of her elderly friends.
Upon entering the lobby, which boasted a fully decorated, seven-foot noble fir with a variety of brightly wrapped presents underneath, Chloe carried the small potted tree and made her way to the elevator and rode it up to the third floor.
When the doors opened, Merrilee Turner, one of several aides who took turns manning the nurses’ desk, looked up from her work. When she spotted Chloe, she offered a warm smile. “Hey, girl. It’s good to see you. How’s it going?”
“Fine. Thanks.” Chloe wondered if Merrilee would realize she’d chosen to visit on the hospital administrator’s day off. Not that the man would object to her being here. It’s not as if she’d been banned from the nursing home. But she’d hoped to avoid running into him.
“I thought I’d stop in to see Mr. Darnell,” Chloe said. “How’s he been?”
“About the same as when you were working here. He sure brightens up when one of your cards arrives in the mail.”
Then it was well worth the effort of sending them to him every few days.
Chloe scanned the corridors, hoping that Sarah Poston still worked the same split shift.
No need to run into her if she didn’t have to.
Ever since Chloe had reported Sarah’s unprofessional behavior to the administrator, a charge that hadn’t been followed up on and which had resulted in Chloe being discharged, there’d been bad blood between them.
Relieved not to see the dark-haired nurse, Chloe lifted the bag that held the muffins she’d brought for her elderly friends. “I brought Sam a treat as well as something to brighten up his room.”
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.”
Chloe returned Merrilee’s smile, then made her way to Sam’s room. When she approached his door, she could hear his television cranked up a bit too loud, something Sarah had always chided him for.
“Anyone home?” Chloe asked, as she entered the room.
The silver-haired cowboy, who’d been watching a John Wayne movie, tore his gaze from the television screen. When he saw Chloe, he broke into a full-on grin. “Well, look who’s here. If it ain’t my favorite gal. Where have you been keeping yourself?”
Chloe hadn’t shared any of her work-related issues with him before and wasn’t about to do it now. So she told him about Joe’s accident, the resulting amnesia and how she’d taken him in to live with her at the Rocking C.
Sam furrowed his craggy brow and wagged an arthritic finger. “You let a stranger move in with you? That’s plain foolish. You don’t know anything about him.”
“I know he’s a friend of Dave’s—and that when he served in the Marine Corps he had an impressive service record.”
“Humph.” Sam shook his head. “He’s still a man. And you’re a beautiful woman. Besides, consider your reputation.”
The only reputation she was really concerned about was the one here at the Sheltering Arms, which her firing had tarnished, but she merely smiled. “I’m sure Joe will be heading back to wherever he calls home as soon as his memory returns. So there’s not much chance of people talking.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“So what does Dr. Crenshaw have to say these days? Has he been in to see you?”
“The dermatologist?” Sam clucked his tongue. “Not sure if he even graduated from medical school.”
“He’s definitely a real doctor—but for the record, his specialty is internal medicine, not dermatology.”
“What difference does it make?” Sam’s eyes twinkled. “If you ask me, they all try and skin you.”
Chloe laughed. That’s what she loved about Sam. He might be gruff and crotchety on the outside, but he had a dry wit that contributed to his awesome sense of humor.
They continued to chat for a while. Then, after she left him the blueberry muffin, which he set aside and promised to eat later, she gave him a hug. “I’ll stop by to see you again next week.”
“I hope so.”
“You can count on it.” She gave him one last smile, then headed down the hall to Ethel Furman’s room.
Ethel was another special patient—and one Chloe missed.
Unlike Sam, Ethel didn’t have any family to look after her.
And even though she’d been a schoolteacher in Brighton Valley for more than forty years, her students rarely visited.
Chloe gave a little knock on the doorjamb, then slowly entered Ethel’s room, where the frail, silver-haired lady dozed in her bed.
“Good afternoon,” Chloe said.
Ethel’s eyes flickered open, and she turned her head toward the doorway. A slow smile stretched across her face. “What a nice surprise. How are you, dear?”
“I’m doing well. How about you?”
“I can’t complain, although I need new glasses. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and I miss being able to read.”
“Did you tell anyone?” Chloe asked, as she made her way to her friend’s bedside.
“Yes, but it doesn’t seem to help. Apparently, they’re much too busy around here to worry about an old woman.”
Chloe reached for Ethel’s hand, noting the frailty of her wrist—and that it was bare. “What happened to your allergy alert bracelet?”
“The clasp is broken, so I took it off.”
“But you’re allergic to penicillin. It’s important that you wear it.”
“I mentioned something to Sarah. She said she would either get it fixed or order a new one for me.”
Sarah, the incompetent nurse? Good luck with that.
“How long has it been broken?” Chloe asked.
“A week or two. I’m not sure. My memory isn’t what it used to be, either.”
And apparently, Sarah’s wasn’t any better.
“I’ll talk to Merrilee,” Chloe said. Sometimes it seemed that the third-floor aides were more responsive and reliant than the nurse in charge.
After giving Ethel the last muffin, Chloe promised to return for another visit. Then she gave her friend a hug and left the room. But before she could reach the safety of the elevator, she spotted the one woman she’d hoped to avoid.
Apparently, Sarah wasn’t working her usual split shift today. Great. Chloe hated confrontations, and this was sure to be one.
“Well, I’ll be,” the dark-haired nurse said. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Chloe flinched—at least, on the inside. Then she scolded herself for letting the snide comment get to her.
Sarah crossed her arms. “I didn’t expect you to come around again.”
“Why not?” It wasn’t as though she’d done anything wrong. “I have quite a few friends here.”
Sarah made a noise that sounded like a muffled snicker.
“By the way,” Chloe said, “Ethel isn’t wearing her allergy alert bracelet. The clasp needs to be repaired—or she’ll need a new one.”
“It’s been ordered.”
“Maybe you should provide her with some kind of temporary—”
“That won’t be necessary. Her allergy is noted in her medical record.”
“Maybe so, but the bracelet serves as a reminder that would eliminate the risk of someone making a mistake.”
“And that’s why I ordered her a new one.”