Home > The Best of Us (Sullivan's Crossing #4)(14)

The Best of Us (Sullivan's Crossing #4)(14)
Author: Robyn Carr

“I’ll take him,” Rob said. Then he put a hand on Finn’s shoulder and said, “Thank God you’re okay. And thank God Maia is all right.”

“She’s not all right yet,” Finn said. “We have to get her to the hospital. I’ll tell you about it in the car. You should call Sean.”

* * *

It was a very long night for Rob since Finn could not be coerced to leave Maia in the safety of hospital staff and her parents. It was after midnight when Maia’s mother came to the waiting room to tell them that Maia was being admitted at least for the night. Finn had begged to see her, at least to say goodbye, which he did under the supervision of her parents.

“I can stay,” Finn said.

“She’s very groggy and needs to sleep,” Mrs. MacElroy said. “I can give you a call in the morning and tell you how she’s doing. Or maybe she’ll call you herself. I take it there are going to be some tests.”

* * *

It was about six in the morning when Rob heard Finn’s phone ring, heard his soft talking in the room next door and got up to investigate. He learned that Maia was being transferred to Denver to have tests in their neurology department. “I’m staying home today,” Finn said. “I can’t use my phone at school and I want to hear what’s going on with her. If you need some help at the pub, I can do that. As soon as she knows something and I can see her, I’ll be driving to Denver. I hope you don’t have a problem with that because I’m going.”

“I understand, Finn,” Rob said. What he didn’t tell him was that this awakened some memories he’d rather not be having. Memories like when Julienne was sick, when she couldn’t breathe, when her chest hurt and her pulse raced and he and two little boys rushed her to the hospital. And she didn’t come out. “You must have been so scared.”

“You have no idea,” Finn said.

He had a very good idea.

He hadn’t slept much, of course. At one, two and three in the morning he had wanted to turn on the light, sit up and call Leigh. He had a feeling she would understand and forgive him. Being a physician, she might even have a few words he would find encouraging. But that was not all there was to his desire to call her. Being with her, even when she was her sassy self, brought him comfort. It had been a long time since he had a woman in his life who would make him feel safe and embraced.

On his way to the pub, he dropped by the clinic. He asked Leigh if she had time for a cup of coffee. They closed her office door and he told her all about Maia. When they’d talked over the whole event and she’d thrown out a few suggestions, he thanked her. “Poor kids,” he said. “And poor me. I had such a good time last night and I was looking forward to falling asleep with a beautiful doctor on my mind, ready for good dreams.”

Friendship makes prosperity more shining

and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it.

—Cicero

6

HELEN THOUGHT PERHAPS her stay in Timberlake might be a bit shorter than she’d expected. She was still up when Leigh got home the night before and one look at her niece’s face told her everything; the girl was flushed and glowing. It was a look Helen hadn’t seen in years. And she liked this Rob fellow. He was charming and fun and mighty handsome. She might think of Leigh as a girl but she knew she was an adult—accomplished, attractive, independent and strong. And in the peak of womanhood.

Helen was thinking she might need to get out of the girl’s way so she could fall in love. She asked to borrow Leigh’s car. “Just to do a little exploring,” she said. She wanted to look around the area while she could.

“Let’s do some car shopping on the weekend,” Leigh said.

“Maybe,” Helen said. “Or maybe I’ll just rent a car.”

“Think about it. In the meantime, I’ll be at the clinic all day so you’re welcome to use mine.”

Helen put on jeans, a sweatshirt, her Sketchers and took off. She drove to Leadville first to poke around, check out the bookstore, ask about how far she’d have to go for help if she needed a laptop repair. Mostly she just enjoyed driving around the countryside and through a few small towns—there was still snow on the peaks and spring flowers lined the roads everywhere she went. At just about lunchtime she called Leigh at the clinic and asked if she needed her car to get lunch. When Leigh said she’d be fine, Helen asked for directions to Sullivan’s Crossing. She’d heard a lot about Sully over the last year but had not met him or seen the campgrounds everyone talked so much about.

“Tell him I said hello,” Leigh said. “He has a cooler full of sandwiches and salads if you haven’t eaten.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Helen said.

When she pulled into the clearing, she was immediately enchanted. Campsites were scattered among trees and flowers, at the edge of a glittering sapphire lake. There was a large building—it said General Store on the front window. Not far across the lawn was a house. A large log cabin, really. Flowers were springing up around the buildings and paths. And there was a handsome and fit older man sitting on the store porch with his feet up on a chair.

She parked beside the store and went up the porch steps. “Hi,” she said. “I’m looking for Sully.”

“You got lucky, then. He’s on his lunch break.”

“Oh, good,” she said. “Where can I find him?”

“You’re lookin’ at him. How can I help?”

She laughed and put out her hand. “Helen Culver, so happy to meet you. I’m Leigh Culver’s aunt and she’s talked about you a lot.”

He perked right up and half rose out of his chair. At the same time his yellow Lab stood up to look her over and wag his tail. “I’ll be damned, so the aunt is real. I half thought she’d made you up! Sit down. Let me get you a drink or something. You hungry?”

“Starving,” she said. “Leigh said I could buy a sandwich here.”

“Aw, bull. You’re my guest. Wanna look over the lot of ’em and pick out what you like? It’s not real exciting but it works if you’re hungry.”

“Sure, thanks. That’s very nice of you.”

“Because no matter what you’ve heard, I’m very nice. Right this way.” He had a merry smile and his eyes twinkled playfully. He led her into the store. He told his dog to stay and the dog stayed on the porch. He went straight to the cooler but she was stunned by the sheer amount of goods packed in there and was looking around in fascination.

“Do you have everything here?” she asked.

“If you’re a camper or hiker, prolly,” he said. “People always forget something and this is a popular stop-off for long-distance hikers and they plan it that way. They pick up mail, recharge their phones, stock up on supplies, leave off stuff they can’t use, and it’s always something the next guy needs—one man’s trash, you know. They write in the store diary, post pictures, leave notes for their friends out on the trail or maybe wait here for someone to catch up. I got washers and dryers in the shower house but most the time serious hikers need something new. They usually mail themselves stuff or have someone mail them replacements. Now and then I end up with a few packages that are never picked up and I wonder about those people.”

“What do you do with them?”

“Send ’em back to the return address—if there is one.”

“And when you say long-distance hikers...?”

“Hundreds of miles,” he said. “The Continental Divide Trail is 3,200 miles from Mexico to Canada. People hike the whole thing, can you believe that?”

“Whew,” she said, reaching in the cooler for a sandwich. “Thank God I feel no pressure to do that.”

“Tell me about it,” he said. “Something to drink? Chips? Cookies?”

“Since you’re buying, all of the above,” she said, grinning at him.

“I like your style,” he said.

She gathered everything up and headed back to the porch while Sully fixed himself a cup of coffee. She chose the same table he’d been seated at before. “I hope you have time for more of a break.”

“Girl, sometimes I’m on break all day,” he said, then he laughed at himself.

“This is quite the place you have here, Sully,” she said.

“It brings fun and happiness to a lot of families, I’m proud to say.”

“How long have you been doing this?” she asked.

“I didn’t have much choice, when you get down to it. I was born to it. My grandfather built the store, my father built the house. It’s a small house but bigger than the one my father grew up in. I came back from Vietnam and my father needed me here to help, so I came. I always thought I’d do something a lot more important than this and now I find it’s the only skill I have. Plus, I like it.”

“It’s very peaceful,” she said.

“In daytime, it is. It’s still quiet, but come Memorial Day weekend, it’ll be full all summer. Campers are out playing in the woods or on the lake till dinnertime, then the place is teeming with kids, dogs, grills fired up, lots of action.”

“They play in the woods?” she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“There’s a lot to do around here besides hiking,” he said. “They rock climb, ride their all-terrain vehicles all over the countryside, water-ski in summer, snow-ski in winter—mostly cross-country around here. They fish some, though the best fishing is in the rivers. Sometimes they just sit around and relax, happy to have the sound of the city far away. See that hammock down by the lake? It stays full. I should prolly get another one.”

“It must keep you busy twenty-four hours a day!”

“I’ve had help since I had a heart attack a couple of years ago,” he said.

“You had a heart attack?” she replied, shock in her voice.

“Relax, it was just my first one,” he said. “I had bypass surgery and I eat nothing but grass. My daughter lives nearby and she’s a doctor. There’s a curse—having a kid who’s a doctor. They make it a mission to keep you going long enough to get senile.”

   
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