Rose Harbor in Bloom

  “Would you like some fresh flowers in your room?” I asked. I’d cut enough rhododendrons to easily fill two or three more vases.

  Mary looked away as if this was a momentous decision. “Yes, that would be very nice, thank you.”

  “I’ll see to it right away. Can I get you anything else?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said, and placed her hand on the railing, starting up the stairs.

  “If you’d like, I could bring a pot of tea to your room.”

  “No, but thanks.”

  She passed me on the stairwell, and kept her head lowered. For a moment it looked as if she’d been crying, but I didn’t see Mary as the type of woman who easily gave in to tears.

  After I delivered the flowers to Mary’s room, I ate a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich for lunch. Rover was antsy, I noticed. He couldn’t seem to make up his mind about what he wanted. He went into the laundry room a couple of times and then came out and looked intently at me. Then he went to his bed, circled it two or three times, but didn’t lie down. Instead he went and stood at the back door as if he needed to go out. Yet when I opened it for him, he stayed where he was and just looked up at me as if I was supposed to be able to read his mind.

  “What’s with you?” I asked my canine friend.

  After a few moments, he returned to the laundry room where I kept his leash.

  “You want to go for walk?”

  Standing up on his hind legs, he pressed his paws against my thigh with that same intense look. Not knowing what else to do, I went into the laundry room and got out his leash. As soon as he saw it, he did a small happy dance, which told me a walk was exactly what was on his mind.

  We’d fallen into a routine and generally took our walks after breakfast. His demand, and that was what it was, came as a surprise, especially since we’d already been out once that morning.

  “Okay, okay, but let me finish my lunch first.” I grabbed a cookie on my way out the door.

  As soon as I connected the leash, Rover started straining down the back porch steps and half dragging me with him. This, too, wasn’t normal behavior. “What’s going on, Rover?” I asked. Seeing how agitated he was, I decided to let him lead me wherever he wanted to go.

  It soon became apparent that Rover was headed to Mark’s house. Not once did he stop to mark his territory.

  “Rover,” I insisted. “Mark isn’t home. He’s working elsewhere today, remember?” Mark had made a point of letting me know he would be unavailable because he had another project he was working on. A project other than my rose garden!

  Rover refused to listen and had me trotting to keep pace with him. He pulled me around the back of Mark’s residence, where he’d set up his workshop.

  “Rover,” I chastised him. “Mark isn’t here.”

  “Who’s there?” Mark called from inside his shop. He sounded faint and breathy.

  “Mark?” I rushed forward to open the door, twisting the knob hard only to find it locked. I knocked as hard as I could. “Is there anyone there? Mark? Mark, are you all right?”

  “Yes.” Again it was Mark with that same low, weak voice. “Come in.”

  “I can’t. The door is locked.”

  “Key,” he said, and it sounded as if he were in a lot of pain. “Kitchen drawer by the sink.”

  “You can’t open it?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Okay. I’ll get it.” I raced into the house, using the back entrance. Rover remained outside by the workshop and let loose with a howl when I left.

  “I’m coming back,” I reassured him.

  I found it interesting that Mark had locked his shop but not the house. Apparently, everything he valued was in his place of business and not his home. I’d never been inside his house before, and while curious as to what it was like, I didn’t dare take time to look around.

  To add to my frustration, the key wasn’t where he said it was. I slammed open one drawer after another until I located a key chain with a number of odd-shaped keys. Rushing back to the shop, it took two or three tries to find the key to open the door. When I pushed it open, Rover raced into the shop ahead of me, barking erratically.

  Mark was nowhere to be seen.

  “Down here,” he said between gritted teeth.

  He sat on the floor with his legs pinned beneath a heavy collapsed table. So this was the all-important project that required his attention.

  I got down next to him on my knees and could see he was in a great deal of pain. His face was white with it.

  “I’ll call nine-one-one,” I said.

  “No.” His voice was hard and insistent.

  “Mark …”

  “I’ll be okay, just get this damned table off of me.”

  Who did he think I was, Superwoman? “I can’t lift that thing.” Nor was I willing to sit there and argue with him. He needed more help than I would be able to give him. Thankfully, I’d brought my cell with me. I took it out of my pocket and dialed for help.

  “Jo Marie,” he said, wincing as he spoke, “do you always have to do the exact opposite of what I ask?”

  I ignored him, speaking to the 911 dispatcher and explaining the situation. After answering a few simple questions, I was assured help was on the way.

  “Is anything broken?” I asked Mark.

  “How would I know?” he growled back. “Do I look like I’m a doctor?”

  “No need to snap at me,” I shot back, and then instantly regretted my outburst. He must be in horrific pain. “Does anything feel broken?”

  “I hate to think I was in all this pain for a scraped knee.” He closed his eyes and turned his face away from me.

  “Why was the door locked?”

  “I didn’t want to be interrupted.”

  I couldn’t imagine what was so important that he literally had to hide away behind a locked door, but then Mark was nothing if not odd.

  He grabbed hold of his thigh with both hands as though he wanted to ease the pain.

  “Is it your leg?” I asked.

  “Yes.” The word came on a growl, as if my question irritated him more than the pain.

  I felt so helpless, at a complete loss as to what more I could do to help him.

  “Can I do anything?”

  “Leave,” he muttered.

  “I’m not going to do that.”

  He snorted. “I figured as much.”

  We were both silent for a couple of moments before he asked, “Why are you here?”

  “Rover. He wouldn’t leave me alone until I got the leash, and the minute we got outside, he all but dragged me here.”

  Mark frowned. “How could he have known?”

  I couldn’t help but wonder that myself. He really was the most amazing dog. I bet Mark didn’t find him so worthless now.

  “Do you have an answer?” Mark asked, gruffly.

  “No.”

  “Just leave, would you? The aid car will be here soon enough. You’ve done your duty.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” I insisted.

  “Go,” he shouted.

  Mark Taylor was the most unfriendly, unappreciative man I’d ever known. Because he seemed so intent on having me out of his hair, I got up from my knees. Seeing he was in no mood to have me around, I figured I’d walk to the front of the house to check if I could see the aid car.

  Mark looked up at me as if shocked that I was actually doing as he asked.

  “I told the aid car to come in the back, but I thought I’d show them the way.”

  Leaning back on his hands, he closed his eyes and nodded.

  I gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It won’t be long now.”

  A car door slammed in the distance, and I raced out of the shop and called, “This way.”

  Mark wasn’t happy I’d phoned for help, but at the same time I knew he was relieved. He was angry and short-tempered, but I accepted that was the pain and didn’t take it personally.

  The men from the local fire stat
ion did quick work lifting the heavy table off Mark’s legs. Right away I could see that his leg and ankle were twisted at an odd angle. Clearly it was broken. The pain must be severe; nevertheless, Mark attempted to stand up on his own.

  The firemen put a stop to that, and with Mark protesting loudly, a gurney was rolled into the shop.

  “I’m fine now that this blasted table is off me.”

  “Your leg is broken,” I pointed out. Anyone looking at it could see that.

  Mark fussed some more, but he was basically ignored.

  “Are you his wife?” one of the men asked me. His name badge identified him as Mack McAfee.

  Mark must have heard the question, because he snickered loudly as if the very idea was cause for humor.

  “Just a friend,” I supplied. Frankly, after this morning I wondered if Mark would even consider me that.

  “We’ll transport him to the Bremerton hospital. Can you meet us there?”

  “I don’t want Jo Marie anywhere close to that hospital,” Mark insisted, as two men rolled him out the door.

  I pretended not to hear. “I’m on foot, and my dog is with me. I’ll go back to the house, get my car, and head over to the hospital.”

  “It’s a good thing you happened along when you did,” Chief Holiday mentioned.

  I wanted to tell him Rover was responsible for me finding Mark, but I wasn’t sure he would believe me. Really, who would? This was the stuff movies were made of, stories with Lassie or Rin Tin Tin. Rover was a pound dog who appeared to possess magical powers.

  Together Rover and I hurriedly walked back to the inn. As far as I could tell, Mary remained in her room, and the others hadn’t returned from lunch yet. I had guests due to arrive in a couple of hours and would need to be back.

  Now that his work was done, Rover curled up in his bed and promptly went to sleep as if the short walk had completely worn him out. I left a note for Annie and her grandparents, and then headed out the door.

  My heart pounded fast and erratically as I inserted my key in the car ignition, and I realized how badly shaken I was by all this.

  When I arrived at the hospital, I learned that Mark had been sent down for X-rays. With nothing else to do, I went to the emergency room waiting area and took a seat.

  I’d read through one entire magazine and had just started a second when I heard Mark’s voice, protesting something. I didn’t need a crystal ball to tell me he was not going to be a compliant patient. A broken leg was going to severely hamper his ability to work. Oh, dear, I might as well give up the hope of having the rose garden in before autumn. Right away, I felt guilty for being so thoughtless.

  A nurse’s aide rolled Mark out in a wheelchair. His left leg was in a cast up to his knee. “Your friend is here,” the nurse told him.

  He looked up at me and then looked away.

  So that was the way it was to be. Fine. One would think the least he could do was show a little gratitude. The ingrate.

  “I’ll bring the car around,” I told the woman, ignoring Mark. Two could play that game.

  It took me a few minutes to drive around to the emergency room entrance. By the time I was under the portico, Mark and the nurse’s aide were waiting outside for me.

  I put the car in park and then hurried around to the passenger side and held open the door. The aide helped him into my vehicle.

  “Thank you,” I told the young woman. If Mark wouldn’t thank her, then I would.

  He held himself stiff in the seat beside me.

  “It wouldn’t hurt you to show a bit of appreciation,” I muttered. In his current mood, I didn’t expect him to respond.

  “The nurse ruined a perfectly good pair of jeans,” he complained.

  “Would you rather have had her unzip your pants and pull them off over your broken leg?” I could only imagine how painful that would be.

  He didn’t answer right away, and when he did speak I wasn’t able to make out what he said.

  “Do you need me to stop by the pharmacy?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “They will deliver.”

  “What about crutches?”

  “I have a pair at the house.”

  So this wasn’t the first time around for him. “Did you break your leg before?”

  “No.” He didn’t elaborate, and I wasn’t going to pry when he so clearly wasn’t in the mood to chat.

  It seemed to take forever to drive around the waterfront to Cedar Cove. The silence between us was as heavy as that table must have been. When I pulled up to the front of the house, he didn’t even wait for me to stop the car before he had his hand on the doorknob.

  “You’ll need those crutches,” I said. Even Mark had to recognize he wouldn’t be able to get from my car to the house without them.

  He exhaled and nodded. “Back bedroom closet.”

  I turned off the engine and started toward the house, doing my best to hide a smile. So I was going to be able to see the inside of his house after all.

  Chapter 12

  Annie didn’t know how she’d make it through lunch with Oliver and her grandparents. It was awkward enough being with Oliver, but her grandparents couldn’t seem to agree on anything. Annie found it amazing that they had managed to stay married all these years. She couldn’t remember them ever being anything but loving toward each other and wondered what had changed. It used to be that she saw them at least three or four times a year, but college had changed that, and then she’d taken a job. The last two Christmases her grandparents had spent with friends in Hawaii.

  “I don’t understand why you insist on eating Mexican food,” Julie said once they were seated and handed menus. Right away a bowl of salsa and chips were delivered to their table.

  “I happen to like enchiladas.”

  Annie’s grandmother muttered under her breath. Annie didn’t catch what she said, which was probably for the best.

  Kent reached for a chip and dipped it in the salsa. “You complain that cheese isn’t good for me. Well, I happen to enjoy it, and if I choose to eat cheese, you shouldn’t stop me.”

  “Someone should,” her grandmother insisted, grumbling louder this time.

  Annie hid behind the menu, embarrassed by the attention her bickering grandparents generated. Her grandfather spoke loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear. Their squabble had attracted the notice of everyone in the room.

  “If the enchiladas kill me,” her grandfather insisted, “then I’ll die a happy man.”

  “Then go right ahead. You’re absolutely right, if you want to clog up your heart valves and die, then that’s your prerogative. I’ll have the time of my life spending the insurance money.”

  “Have fun. And like I said, I’ll die happy.” And with that, Kent ordered three-cheese enchiladas with rice and beans.

  Her grandmother had a chicken salad with no sour cream but with extra avocado. Oliver asked for chicken fajitas, and Annie went with an appetizer sampler plate, although she barely touched her lunch.

  How could she?

  If she wasn’t refereeing her grandparents, she was forced to deal with Oliver’s stares. With restraint she managed not to kick him under the table and tell him to stop eyeing her like she was a piece of tenderloin. Naturally, he did it on purpose, trying to unnerve her. That had been his game plan from the time they were kids. He found it highly amusing to tease and irritate her. It was easy to see that nothing had changed.

  Once they’d paid their tab and were outside the restaurant, Annie whispered, “Would you stop?”

  “What?” he asked, playing innocent.

  “You know exactly what I mean. I’m telling you right now I’m not putting up with it.”

  Oliver looked genuinely confused. “Putting up with what?” he asked.

  Annie narrowed her gaze and bellowed, “Stop staring at me.” Then, to her absolute horror, she turned to find both her grandparents looking at her with their mouths hanging open in shock. Annie had no choice but to explain. “Ol
iver was watching me,” she told them in a low voice. She felt like a schoolgirl tattling on him, hoping to get him in trouble.

  “Well, of course he was,” her grandmother said, looping her arm around Annie’s elbow. “You’re lovely, Annie, and Oliver is a young man who appreciates a beautiful woman.”

  Annie wanted to contradict her grandmother but quickly realized it would do no good.

  They headed toward their car, Annie walking with her grandmother and Oliver with her grandfather. The ride back to the inn was tense and silent. It seemed they were all at odds with one another. For her part, Annie couldn’t wait to get away from Oliver, and it appeared that her grandparents were no longer speaking to each other.

  As soon as they reached the inn, Kent and Julie returned to their room. Annie followed them to make sure they didn’t need anything.

  “Your grandfather takes an afternoon snooze every day now,” Julie whispered to Annie. “Otherwise, he gets cranky.”

  “I heard that,” her grandfather complained. “You make me sound like a two-year-old.”

  “Well, dear, it’s the truth. You’re a bear to live with if you don’t take your nap.”

  “Not a word of that is true,” Kent said and, shaking his head, closed the door.

  That left Annie and Oliver standing in the hallway outside the room. Without a word to Oliver, Annie headed upstairs to her own room. The less said to him, the better.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reached for her cell phone and noticed there were six text messages from Lenny. Annie didn’t bother to open and read them, determined to cut him out of her life completely. With a few presses of the phone, she deleted each one in turn.

  Just as she finished, her phone rang in her hand and startled her to the point she nearly dropped it. Thankfully, it was her mother.

  “Mom, I’m so glad you called.” Annie couldn’t get the words out fast enough. She needed help if she was going to survive this celebration.

  “Mom and Dad arrived okay?” her mother asked.