Coast Road (47 page)

"You owe me lunch, " he said.

She grinned back. How not to? His pleasure was infectious. She felt its warmth at the same time that she felt a contradictory chill, deep inside, in a spot she couldn't place. "I know." He gave her a once-over that raised both the warmth and the chill. "You look great.

" He glanced at his watch, then said in a coaxing way, "I can buy a couple of free hours this afternoon. Can you? " Katherine made a show of looking at her own watch. That chilly spot inside was growing worse. She grimaced. "I don't know. Thursdays are packed."

"Forget hours, plural. Try one hour. Any chance? " She winced. "I'm already starting off late, being here now. How about Monday? " His face went through changes�disappointment to doubt to caution�which was another thing about him that worked for her. She could see what he felt. He was definitely suspicious when he said, "Isn't that restaurant closed on Mondays? " "Only off-season. It's open now."

"Then it's a date?

" "Uh-huh, " she said, grateful for the reprieve. "The shop's closed Mondays. I'm free."

"I'll make reservations, say at one o'clock? " She nodded vigorously.

He smiled again. His lids lowered a hair, gaze dropped to her lips.

He mouthed the kind of tiny kiss that no one could see but her, and set offback down the hall leaving her hotter than ever�but only from her knees up. As she headed for the elevator, she located the chill. It was lower.

She had cold feet.

BY THURSDAY afternoon, word had spread that Rachel was awake. By evening, friends were coming by to see for themselves.

Jack had felt awkward enough when just the girls and Katherine were talking with Rachel. It was worse now. He had come to respect her friends and they him, but hearing them sing his praises felt like .

.

.

charity. Rachel didn't do more than glance at him every once in a while, and then, without giving a clue as to what she felt.

So he idled in the hall on the phone, calling his lawyer at home, calling Tina Cianni at home. He intercepted a man delivering a huge bouquet of balloons from Victoria�incredible! appropriate! �and with Hope's gleeful help, tied them to Rachel's IV pole. Superfluous once agsun, he ambled to the door, then leaned against the wall just beyond it. When Steve returned for a last evening look, he caught him before he entered the room.

"What happens now? Is she out of the coma free and clear? " He shared the same fear the girls did every time Rachel closed her eyes. "I read a newspaper story once about a guy who came out of a coma and was talking with his family, as lucid as Rachel. He lapsed back into a coma the next day and later died." Steve said, "As I recall, that fellow had been comatose for several years. Rachel's case is more logical. Her head was injured. It took sixteen days for it to heal enough for her to regain consciousness.

We'll do scans in the morning, but I don't expect to see anything wrong.

She'll be on meds for a while to minimize chance of the swelling returning, maybe a lightweight anticoagulant for six months to make sure there isn't another clotting problem, but that's it."

"When can she go home? " It would be a moment of truth. He had been sleeping in Rachel's bed.

"The IV will come out later, " Steve explained. "We'll start her on a liquid diet and move on to soft solids when she's up to it. We'll monitor her oxygenation level for another day, get her out of bed in the morning. We want her eating and walking. Once that's done and she's regained full bladder tone, she's yours." Jack wished it was as easy as that. "Best guess, how many days till she's out? " "Three.

She should be home by Sunday." THE GIRLS slept soundly that night.

Jack knew, because he looked in on them every few hours. Their ordeal was ending. They were excited enough about Rachel's awakening not to be worried about Jack's future role in their lives, but he sure was.

He was worried sick. Sleep came only in short stretches, broken by restlessness and fear. He called the hospital several times during the night. Rachel remained out of her coma. Between hours of healthy sleep, she was drinking juice and eating pudding.

Friday morning, he went to the hospital alone. Her IV pole was gone.

Her hair was damp and waving gently, her face was shiny dean. The tray table held a plate with dried egg streaks and toast crumbs, and an empty cup of coffee. She was reading the newspaper, looking as thin and small as Hope in a huge magenta T-shirt. The wedding band was still on her finger, but she looked startled to see him.

"How are you feeling? " he asked, standing just inside the door.

Despite all that had been, coming closer seemed an intrusion on her turf. If she wanted him there, she had to let him know.

"Better, " she said. "Where are the girls? " "School. They've missed too much of it. They'll be here this afternoon. > She nodded.

"So, " he said, "they got you up for a shower? " She smiled and nodded. "Uh-huh. They wrapped the cast in plastic. It was a little bulky, plaster and crutches. They're giving me a waterproof one later.

" "That's good." He slipped his hands in the pockets of his jeans and looked around. "Do you need anything? Candy? Alagazines? " "No, thanks. I'm fine. When are you going back to the city? " "I don't know. Not for a while. You'll need some help."

"The girls can help.

School will be out in a few weeks."

"Well, between now and then.

Unless you'd rather have someone else. If you'd rather have a nurse, I'll hire one."

"That might be best if you have to get back to the city." A deep dark hole was eating his insides. He had just said that he didn't have to go, hadn't he? Hadn't anything the girls said registered With her?

"Perfect timing, " said Steve Bauer as he slipped past Jack and went to the bed. "I want you taking another walk down the hall. Jack can take you."

"I'm still tired from the last one."

"You ate. Good. We'll get more in here in a little while. Fatten you up a little. The more you walk, the stronger you'll be and the faster the plumbing will start up again. As soon as that happens, you can go home." He held out a hand.

She sighed, took it, and pushed herself to a seated position. When she was steady there, he handed her a furry red slipper. She fitted it to her foot�bending stiffly, Jack thought. Steve gave her a single crutch, helped her up, then gave her the other. When both crutches were in place, she stood for a minute with her head down.

"Okay? " Steve asked quietly. Jack envied him the intimacy.

She nodded and took several uneven steps.

"Hand hurt? " Steve asked.

"A little, but it's okay, " she said. Her voice was as shaky as the rest of her looked.

"Is she up for this? "Jack asked. He imagined her falling and hurting herself more.

But Steve kept an arm around her back, preventing that. "She can't go home until she is." When they reached Jack, he said, "Your THEY walked slowly and haltingly down the corridor.

"Okay? " Jack asked, then after several more steps, "Hanging in there?

" When they reached the end, he said, "You're doing great, " and when they were halfway back, "Nearly there." She gave him single-word answers, clearly concentrating on keeping her balance. By the time they were back in the room, she had broken into a sweat. He helped her into bed and asked if she needed anything. She shook her head and closed her eyes.

Jack was devastated.

"HOW"S MOM? " Hope asked as soon as she climbed into the car. She was still wearing her cowboy boots, which told Jack she wasn't yet completely relaxed.

"She's great, " he said and pushed open the door for Samantha, who promptly repeated the question. "She's been up and hobbling around.

Had a sandwich for lunch."

"Did you get it for her? " Hope asked.

"Eliza dropped it offbefore I could." With a glance in the rearview mirror, he pulled away from the curb.

"But you've been with her all day, " Samantha said.

"Yup."

"So did you guys talk? " He shot her a curious glance.

"About? " "Stuff, Daddy, " Hope said, leaning in between the seats.

"You know.

Your living with us and all." He had figured they were getting at that. It followed, after all of the good things they had told Rachel the day before. "Is your seat belt fastened, Hope? " "Well, did you?

" Samantha asked.

Jack darted glances in the rearview mirror until he heard the click that said Hope was belted in.

"Dad."

"No, Samantha. We didn't talk about that. Your mother's just been through an ordeal." He had been telling himself that all day.

"She's concentrating on getting up and eating. Her first priority is getting home."

"What happens then? " "What do you mean? " "Are you staying? " "That depends."

"On what? " He drove silently, until she repeated the question. He caught Hope's eyes in the rearview mirror.

She was waiting for his answer, too.

"On things that your mother and I decide to do, " he finally said.

"But there's a whole lot of other stgwe need to think about before we think about that, so I'd appreciate it if the two of you backed off.

Okay? " "SO DAD"S been here all day? " Samantha asked.

They hadn't been there five minutes. Jack was at the window looking out, listening to the girls tell Rachel about school. He hung his head when he heard the question, pursed his lips, waited.

"He has, " Rachel said. "It's tricky getting used to crutches. He walked me up and down a few times. He brought me a hot fudge sundae.

" "With mocha almond ice cream? " Hope asked in obvious delight.

"Uh-huh. It was good. I'm still sleeping a lot. Funny, you'd think after sixteen days I wouldn't be tired."

"I think Dad should stay with us, " Samantha said. "You know, like, after you get home? " Jack put a hand to the back of his neck.

"We'll talk about that later, " Rachel said.

"When later? You may be home in two days. He's really a good guy, Mom."

"I never said he wasn't."

"Maybe you need to hear his side of the story."

"Samantha, " Jack warned, turning to face them.

Hope said, "He did everything while you were sick. I mean, he came right down from the city that first day and shopped and cooked and drove us around. He even drove Faith to see you. Did you know he did that? " "No, " Rachel said without looking at Jack. "I'm grateful to him."

"He left the, firm for you! " Samantha cried.

Jack said, "No, I didn't, Sam." Blond hair flying, she looked at him fast. "You did! " "I left it for me. For me, Sam. It wasn't working for me anymore, so I gave it up. Don't lay that on your mother, too.

It's not like I'm out of work. My phone's been ringing. I can get clients now that I couldn't get before. New doors are open now." He stopped. He didn't know why he had said all that. It wasn't what he wanted to tell Rachel.

"Fine, " Samantha said, staring at him with his very own defiant eyes.

"But if you go back to San Francisco, I'm going, too."

"Samantha! " Rachel cried, sounding totally displeased, even hurt.

"I can live both places, can't I? And, anyway, it's summer. I can get a job there." Jack said, "You're not doing that."

"I will! " "No, you won't, because your mother's going to need your help, and besides, I won't be in San Francisco. I'm moving here. I like it here.

I'll buy my own place if I have to." The timing was all wrong to say that. The idea was half-baked. It would never work if Rachel was against it. He resented his daughter forcing the issue. This wasn't Samantha's business. It wasn't Hope's business. It was between Rachel and him. That was all. Rachel and him.

The fact that Katherine was suddenly standing in the door didn't help.

Annoyed, he stalked past her, right out of the room, then realized it was another wrong thing to do. He should have told Katherine to take his daughters away. They had given Rachel a rundown on what the last few weeks had been like for them. He needed to tell her what it had been like for him.

But he couldn't turn around and go back. Forget talking. Rachel was barely looking at him. He might have started seeing things differently in the last few weeks, but she sure hadn't.

Disgusted, he went down the hall to the bank of telephones. It was Friday. He had told Myron Elliott that he would call. There was no point in delaying. Regardless of where he lived, Jack didn't want the job.

, "WHY DIDN"T you say something? Samantha asked.

"He loves you, Mommy, " Hope said.

Katherine had approached the bed. "Can I talk to your mom, guys? " "Someone better, " Samantha remarked and, with a look of disgust at Rachel, grabbed Hope's arm and hauled her out of the room.

Rachel watched them go. "That was a quick honeymoon."

"Why didn't you? " Katherine asked.

Rachel's eyes flew to her face. She didn't understand the edge in Katherine's voice. "Why didn't I what? " "Say something to Jack. " "About what? " "His leaving the firm. His moving here." Rachel tried to replay the conversation without opening herself to hurt. "Did he ask my opinion? " "Do you need a formal invitation? Come on, Rachel.