“This feels kind of nice,” he said. “Okay.” He let her legs drop down but, with an arm around her waist, continued to keep her close. “You said yes to Sunday night, right?”
“I didn’t yet. I haven’t had a date in a while.”
“Me, either,” he said. “Maybe we’ll get through it okay. I’m very polite. And helpful.”
“You did drag me out of a Dumpster, so I guess I owe you.”
“Dr. Culver,” Eleanor called, coming toward them, holding Leigh’s phone. “It was in one of the exam rooms.”
“That’s right!” she said. “I took it out to see who was calling me and put it on the counter rather than back in my pocket.” She smiled. “You’ll be happy to know I won yet another free vacation. That’s when I turned it off.”
“Then she fell in the Dumpster,” Rob said. “Headfirst.”
Eleanor gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Then she started to laugh.
“It’s okay,” Rob said. “I saw her go in and pulled her out.”
Then Rob and Eleanor both laughed—hard.
Leigh crossed her arms over her chest. “I could have been killed, you know. Someone could have thrown away a butcher knife and I could have landed on it. Then would you be laughing?”
Rob draped an arm across her shoulders. “Of course not, Dr. Culver. I also wouldn’t have asked you to go out to dinner with me, so I’m glad you weren’t mortally wounded.”
“Oh, that’s so romantic!” Eleanor said. “You plucked her right out of the garbage and asked her out! What a great story!”
“You’re fired!” Leigh said. “And gimme that phone!”
And with that she stomped toward the clinic. She heard them behind her.
“Very good move, Rob!” Eleanor said.
“I hope so,” he replied. “A little klutzy, isn’t she?” And they both enjoyed a good laugh.
Later that night, her cell phone rang and she saw it was Rob Shandon. She clicked on Accept, but said nothing.
“You gave me your number, remember?” he said.
“Are you done laughing at me?” she asked.
“I should have been laughing with you,” he said. “You climbed up on a broken chair and fell headfirst into a Dumpster. You’re not even bruised and you were pulled out by a handsome man. Okay, that part’s fiction—you were pulled out by me.”
“I’m not going to tell you you’re handsome.”
“Fair enough.” He chuckled. “Can I pick you up at six on Sunday night? I’d really love to take you to dinner.”
“All right. Is it dressy?”
“Nothing in Colorado is dressy. I’ll probably trade my jeans for pants but anything is acceptable. You’ll love this place. It’s unique, delicious, there’s a guy who plays classical guitar and there’s always some new creation from the kitchen. It has a cult following—foodies who know what they’re doing. So, I’ll see you at six on Sunday. I hope the rest of the week is less adventurous for you.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Yours, too.”
* * *
Since Leigh spoke to Helen daily, she was well aware that the process of selling the house had been in full swing. The moment Leigh had said, “Let’s do it,” Helen had hired a team of three women her Realtor had recommended to help her sort through a lifetime of precious junk. She had over a dozen large plastic tubs filled with pictures, Leigh’s handmade Christmas ornaments from childhood, favorite books, special school papers, linens and dishes that had been handed down, everything she couldn’t part with. She also kept several boxes of her own books, mostly to give away. She was ready to lighten her load.
“I should come and help,” Leigh said.
“As much as I’d enjoy your company, I’m writing a check for this one. If you can think of anything you left here that you can’t live without, now’s the time to speak up. All those medical books are going to the library.”
“Everything I need is online now,” Leigh said. “Those books cost a fortune and will probably never be used again. Even medical records are all stored in the cloud now. We’re paperless. What about the furniture?”
“Is there anything you’re particularly attached to?” Helen asked.
“I brought the old oak dry sink and the two paintings I loved with me,” she said. “I bought a new bedroom set, guest room furniture and some living room pieces and just essential kitchen items for my rental. What are you going to do with the furniture?”
“Sell it or give it away,” Helen said. “It’s more than I need, and if I ever settle down again before the nursing home, I’ll buy what I need. Most of our furniture is deeply loved and quite old. If I decide to settle in San Diego or La Jolla this winter, I’ll rent something furnished. Our keepsakes are all packed up in waterproof tubs and I’ll have them shipped to be stored near you. If you move, it can also move. On lonely Saturday nights you can look at your old kindergarten drawings.”
“That sounds like wonderful fun,” Leigh said with a laugh.
“There’s something you can do, darling. Rent a storage unit—not a large one. Give me the address and I’ll have this stuff shipped. It’s all nicely labeled.”
Three weeks after the work of sorting and tossing had begun, the For Sale sign went up and in forty-eight hours there had been an offer. An excellent offer. Leigh had naturally assumed it would take at least a month to close and finish the moving process but she should have known better. With Helen in charge, delegating, the process moved like greased lightning.
It was only the day after Rob had asked her out when her cell phone rang and it was Helen.
“I’m just leaving work,” Leigh said. “Let me call you from home.”
“Yes, do,” Helen said. “I’ve finished everything and I’m coming.”
Leigh froze. “What?” She sat back down at her desk.
“I’ve disposed of the furniture, hired the house cleaners and painters, sold my car to one of the packers, signed my end of the paperwork, left the routing numbers for my account with the closing agent and packed my bags. I can be there in three days.”
“Helen! How in God’s name did you manage all that so fast?”
“I had very efficient help and have moved into a hotel. The buyers are in a hurry, had a walkthrough today and want to close as soon as the title office is ready. If anything is upset in the next couple of weeks I guess I’ll fly back here to straighten it out, but I have no business here. I’m going to have to buy a new car when I get there...”
Leigh laughed. “You are amazing. How do you do it?”
“There is no one to do it for me or to argue with me about my process. Therefore, I get it done. I’ll be there Saturday afternoon. Is that all right?”
Leigh just laughed. “Of course.” And she thought she would either explain to Rob that something came up or she would ask if Helen could be included on their date. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Shall I arrange for a rental car?”
“I’m off this weekend. I’ll come to get you. Will you be flying to Denver?”
“Yes, please. I have quite a load this time. I might have to make your house my base, taking over your guest room. How do you feel about that?”
She felt all warm and lovely inside. “Nothing could make me happier, Auntie.”
“Wonderful! I promise not to get underfoot.”
Whatever words we utter should be chosen
with care for people will hear them and be
influenced by them for good or ill.
—Gautama Buddha
4
LEIGH HAD SEEN her aunt Helen several times since moving to Timberlake but only twice had Helen come to Timberlake. Last fall Helen visited and she was very preoccupied with the colorful leaves, plus she was finishing a book. Book deadlines always left Helen a bit antisocial and holed up with the final manuscript. Leigh was excited to introduce Helen to her new friends and colleagues.
This visit would be extended, at least until Helen grew restless. It was obvious when Leigh picked her up and filled the car with boxes and suitcases that she was planning on staying awhile.
“Wait till you watch the news,” Helen said, beaming. “They’re expecting another crippling snowstorm in the Midwest! And I’ll be here!” Then she giggled.
“When will you be traveling next?” Leigh asked Helen when they were on the road back to Timberlake.
“There’s a conference in New York at the end of May, just for a few days. Then I’m going to San Francisco in July. Maureen has a lovely little guesthouse and I can stay as long as I like. I wish you could get away for a little while. We could do the town.”
“We’ll see,” Leigh said. “Maybe I can take a couple of days. I do love Maureen and I haven’t seen her in a long time. But I’m needed here. These people depend on me and it feels...” She smiled. “It feels so good.”
“You’ve gotten so mellow since you’ve come here,” Helen said.
“The quiet and slower pace suits me,” Leigh said. “I was afraid I’d be bored. I’m not.”
“Have you made many friends?” Helen asked.
“There are some. The fire department is across the street and those guys hang around the clinic sometimes. They bring their families to me and sometimes include me in their get-togethers. There are a couple of other medical practices nearby—a pediatrician and an orthopedist—we’re friendly. There’s a neurosurgeon I’ve gotten to know—Maggie. She goes to Denver three days a week for her practice. We’re friends and her sister-in-law, wife of one of the paramedics, has become a friend. Maggie’s dad, Sully, has a great camping outpost on a lake nearby—he’s everyone’s friend.”