Love Inspired September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Her Montana Twins\Small-Town Billionaire\Stranded with the Rancher (48 page)

“What about Amy?” Elsie said.

“I'll wake her,” Dan replied.

“I'm up.” Amy rushed into the room, barefoot, her hair askew, but dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She launched herself at her grandmother. “Are you sick, GG?”

“Only a little,” Elsie admitted.

“Then we need to pray, GG,” Amy said, her face earnest.

Dan stood behind his daughter, his hands resting on her shoulders. “Amy is so right.” He took his mother's hand and Beth's as Amy closed the circle. “Lord, we ask You to prepare the way as we drive into Paradise. Please keep us safe. And we ask You to hold my wonderful mother close to You and give us wisdom in this situation. Thank You. Amen.”

“Why are we going to Paradise?” Amy asked.

“GG needs a checkup, so we all get to go for a ride. Come on,” Dan said, holding out his hand for his daughter. “Let's grab a blanket and put some books in your backpack. You can sit in the front of the truck with me and be my navigator.”

“I need socks, too, Daddy.”

“And socks, too.”

“Can Millie come?”

“No, Millie will stay home and watch the house for us,” Dan said. “She's our watchdog, right?”

Amy nodded.

Dan returned minutes later with the defibrillator, the portable oxygen, his medical supply tackle box and a package containing a nasal cannula.

“I've got it,” Beth said, reaching for the defibrillator first. “You can go ahead and make those calls.”

He nodded gravely, hesitant to leave.

“We're good,” Beth insisted, watching him leave. She stuck the three leads on Elsie and turned on the machine.

“What do those lines mean?” Elsie asked.

“They're indicators to tell us how your heart is pumping.”

“Is it pumping okay?” she asked, her eyes on the dark screen.

“Everything looks good, but we'll keep you connected to the machine until we get to Paradise so we can keep an eye on things.”

Beth tore the plastic off the nasal cannula and attached it to the oxygen tank. “Okay, let's get the tube around your neck and in place.”

“Feels a little funny.”

“It will smell a little funny at first, too, but then it will warm up. You'll get used to it and then you'll forget it's even there.”

“You're the doctor.” Elsie smiled. “I always wanted to say that.”

Beth smiled back. “Okay, I'll need you to push up that sleeve on your arm. I'm going to start an IV.”

“I liked you until you said that,” Elsie returned. “I'm not going to watch.”

“This will go quickly,” Beth said, as she attached the tubing to the IV bag and placed it on the desk. “Any reactions to Betadine?”

Elsie shook her head.

Beth quickly applied the rubber tourniquet and found a nice plump vein in Elsie's left wrist. She pulled out a large bore IV catheter kit.

“If I do this nicely they won't have to start another one at the hospital,” she said.

“I'm all for that.”

Beth worked quickly, and soon the IV was hooked up.

“Can I look now?”

“Yes. All done. Let me see if Dan is ready.”

Beth met him in the hall, right outside the guest room.

“We're set,” he said, his voice low. “Here's Mom's coat. Oh, and Ben will meet us there. How's the ECG look?”

“Definitely some elevated ST segments,” Beth said quietly.

Dan ran a hand over his face at her words. “It was a heart attack.”

“Probably.”

“She still hooked up?”

“Yes. I'll sit with her and monitor. Let's keep your tackle box in back of the truck with me.”

“Okay. I'll get Amy in the truck and pull it around.”

Beth walked back into the room. “Here's your coat. Dan is bringing the truck to the front door.”

“What will they do at the hospital?” Elsie asked as she slipped her free arm into the sleeve of the coat Beth held for her, and draped the other side over her shoulder.

“They're going to want to do a lot of blood tests, and a full echocardiogram. Possibly a nuclear scan to check your heart, and some invasive tests.”

“Invasive?”

“That's a fancy way of saying that they might have to actually go inside your body to check things out.”

“But do they have to admit me?”

“Yes. Absolutely. For the tests and to monitor your heart.”

“I can't stay in the hospital!” Elsie's voice became shrill with anxiety. “Who will take care of Amy and Dan? The ranch...” Her head dropped to her chest.

Beth knelt down next to Elsie and took her hand. “We have to do what's best for you,” she said softly but firmly, meeting Elsie's worried gaze. “Your heart is talking to us and saying loud and clear that there is a problem. It isn't getting enough oxygen. This is serious and we have to listen to it. Time is very, very important. We have to get you to the hospital now.”

“But—”

“Do you trust me, Elsie?”

“I do.”

“Then know that I promise to help.”

“You have to get to New York. That's more important.”

“Elsie, you are my first priority. You take care of everyone else. Now it's time to take care of you.”

“But your flight...”

“There will be other flights.”

“But—”

“When I first got here,” Beth interrupted, her voice calm and even, “do you remember what you told me? You said, ‘He has a plan.'”

Elsie took a deep breath and slowly a smile curved her lips. “Yes, I remember. Funny how our words come back to haunt us.”

Beth smiled at the admission. “So can we agree to put all of this in God's hands?” she asked.

“Yes. You're right. We'll do that.” Elsie covered Beth's hands with her own. “Thank you, dear, for helping me to put it all in perspective.”

Beth looked up and saw Dan standing in the doorway. His lips were thin and his jaw clamped tight. Something was wrong.
Very wrong.

When his gaze connected with hers the expression was gone and the Dan she knew was back.

“Ready to go?” she asked him.

He nodded, giving away nothing.

“You want to carry the defibrillator and I'll carry the oxygen and the IV bag?” she asked.

Again, Dan nodded wordlessly.

Together, they eased Elsie into the backseat of the big truck, and Beth checked the tubing and wires.

“All set, Mom?” Dan asked as he closed his door and began to fasten his seat belt.

“Yes. Do you think we could stop at Patti Jo's Café for a pastry on the way?”

“No, Mom. Not today.” Dan shook his head, his lips twitching.

“Fine.” Elsie sighed. “You and Beth are a lot alike, you know. You're both no fun.”

Chapter Nine

W
hen Dan pulled up to the Paradise E.R., he saw Dr. Ben Rogers waiting inside the double-glass revolving doors. The hospital's circular drive had been plowed and the ground was wet and sprinkled with snow melt. Towering snowbanks hovered along the perimeter, a testament to the recent blizzard.

Sheriff Sam Lawson strode toward them from his patrol car in time to join Ben, who approached the truck with a wheelchair. Sam was a good guy and he made it his business to know everyone in Paradise, no matter how young or old. The sheriff stuck out a hand for a hearty handshake. “I'm relieved you made it in, Dan. How were the roads?”

“Not nearly as bad as they were on Saturday, that's for sure,” he said.

“Glad to hear that. The Colorado Department of Transportation has promised to get them plowed all the way through Paradise by this afternoon.”

“What's going on with your mother?” Ben asked in a low voice, after nodding to the sheriff.

“Her ECG indicates a possible heart attack,” Dan murmured. “Apparently she had symptoms last night, but didn't tell us until this morning. Though her sinus rhythm has been stable, the ST segment is definitely elevated. Beth has her on two liters of oxygen and gave her a baby aspirin. IV is started.” He shook his head. “The hard part was getting her here. She's already come up with a dozen reasons why she should be home.”

“That's our Elsie,” Sam said.

Dan pulled open the back passenger door and assisted Beth out first. She held the portable oxygen tank and the defibrillator in her hands.

“Mom, Dr. Rogers and Sheriff Lawson both came out to see you. You're a regular celebrity.”

“Oh, I hate to keep Sam from his work, and, Ben, you need to get home to your babies. I'm only sixty-eight, not nearly old enough for this special treatment.”

“Mrs. Gallagher, I wanted to be here. Besides, I heard all about those snickerdoodles you made. I thought there might be some in my future if I was real nice to you,” Ben said.

Elsie's laughter rang out, the first laugh from her in hours.

Then she spotted the wheelchair.

“Really? Come on, boys. I imagine I could outrun all three of you. Do I really need this?”

“Protocol,” Ben said with a chuckle.

“Oh, pooh.”

Elsie held Dan's arm and slid from the truck's high seat until her feet touched the ground. She turned and settled into the wheelchair and shot Dan her best “I am the mother and I am very unhappy” look.

“Hey, Ben, thanks for being here,” Beth said as she hooked the oxygen tank to the back of the wheelchair.

“No problem. Glad to help. Beth, have you met Sheriff Sam Lawson?” Ben asked.

She glanced up and smiled. “I haven't.”

The sheriff of Paradise grinned broadly at Beth. “I'd shake your hand, ma'am, but yours are full.”

Her smile only widened.

Didn't it figure?
Dan shook his head. Oh, yeah, Sam was a charmer, all right. Most of the women in Paradise under the age of eighty were in love with the widowed sheriff. Those who weren't were trying to fix him up with someone.

“Sam, this is my cousin, Dr. Elizabeth Lawson,” Ben continued.

When Sam tipped his Stetson, Beth blushed.

Dan was stunned at the zing of jealously that slammed head-on into his gut.

He cleared his throat. “Mom, you go ahead with Ben and Beth. I'll park the truck, and then Amy and I can find you.”

“Okay. And don't worry, Dan, I'm in good hands, remember.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I remember, Mom, but I'm not the one who was worried.”

He climbed back into the truck and then smiled at his daughter across the cab. Amy's black hair was sticking straight up in places, tangled in others. What would his little girl do without her GG?

Dan took a comb from his pocket and handed it to her. “You start getting the knots out and then I'll braid it for you.”

“Daddy, you can't braid.”

He shrugged. “I guess you're right. Maybe Dr. Beth will help us out.”

Most days, Dan dropped Amy off at his mother's before school, so she could catch the bus at the house. Elsie was the one who fixed her hair each and every morning, and made sure her granddaughter's clothes were “appropriate.”

So much of their life was wrapped up in his mother's care. They didn't merely depend on her; they needed her. His mother was their rock. She had been ever since Dan had returned to Paradise with Amy six years ago. Elsie had put aside her own grief at the loss of her husband, and somehow had managed to make everything all right again for Dan and Amy. Life had been all right ever since.

Yeah, he owed his mother a lot.

“Is GG really sick?” Amy asked as she struggled to pull the comb through her dark hair.

“She might be. Remember when you cut your knee? The doctor gave you stitches and medicine and then you came home. Grandma's heart is sick, so they're going to give her medicine and let her rest, and then they'll send her home to get better. Okay?”

With a slow nod, Amy knitted her brows together in fierce concentration.

“What's wrong?” Dan asked.

“What about my program?” she asked in a small voice. “Will GG be able to see me sing?”

“I don't know yet, Pumpkin.”

Her lower lip quivered and she closed her eyes. Slow tears began to roll down her little face. “I want GG to come to my program.”

Dan put his face close to his daughter's and wiped the tears with his fingers. Then he hugged her. “Amy, I know this is hard. It's hard for me, too, but if we get upset, then GG will get upset. She won't let the doctors help her get better if she's worried about us. I need you to be a brave girl and smile for your grandmother. Tell her she needs to rest and get well again. We can talk about your program when we get home.”

Amy sniffed. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Thank you, Amy.” He glanced at the floor of the truck. “You'd best grab your backpack. We might be here for a while.”

Dan parked the truck and lifted Amy out. They walked hand in hand to the E.R. door. Beth was waiting in the visiting room, pacing back and forth.

The moment she saw Dan and Amy, she smiled, and immediately his heart was warmed. “They've already drawn her blood and taken her straight up for an echocardiogram,” she said. “They haven't given her a room number yet, but Ben will text me when they do.”

“That was fast,” Dan said.

Beth glanced around the E.R. department. “You've got a great facility here. They're really on the ball.”

“You're a doctor. I think your presence nudged things along,” Dan said.

“It wasn't me, Dan. You have no idea how much respect these people have for you. You should be proud.”

“Now I'm embarrassed.” He put an arm around his daughter. “Amy, pick a seat and take out your book. I need to talk to Dr. Beth.”

Amy sat down and began to dig through her pink backpack.

Dan looked from her to Beth. “Listen, do you mind sitting with Amy for a few minutes? I need to call Joe and let him know what's going on. He'll call the sisters.”

“The sisters?” Beth raised her brows.

“Yeah, that's what Joe and I call them.” He laughed. “Remind me to tell you about that sometime.”

“Okay.” Beth smiled. “I think I'll take Amy down to the cafeteria. She hasn't had any breakfast.”

“Thanks.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Oh, and I sort of promised that you'd braid her hair.” He grimaced, waiting for her response.

“That's not a problem, Dan.”

“Thanks.” He looked at her, opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“Was there something else?” Beth asked.

“I, uh, heard what you said to my mom, and well, it's probably not a good idea to let her think you're staying.”

“But I—”

“Look, Beth, I know your heart is in the right place, but it will be harder in the long run, for everyone, if you let us believe your plans can be changed, when I know they can't.”

Beth's eyes flashed with irritation. “
Everyone?
What exactly does that even mean?” she asked.

Dan glanced around the small waiting room, grateful the area was empty. “It means that I care about you, my whole family cares about you, but we're just a stop on the way to New York. We both know that, so it's best not to pretend it's anything else. Right?”

She jerked back. “Pretend? Is that what you think I'm doing?” she fairly hissed. “Pretending?”

“You know what I'm saying, Beth.” He'd never seen her really irritated before. But, boy, she was now. Her eyes sparked with fire.

“Oh, yes, I hear you, loud and clear, Mr. Gallagher.”

She turned on her heel and walked away from him.

* * *

Dan pressed the button on the waiting room beverage machine and watched the paper cup fill with hot, bitter coffee as he mulled over his disastrous conversation with Beth. He'd blown it and he sure didn't know how to make things right.

“Dan.”

He turned. “Joe!” Dan moved swiftly across the room to greet his big brother with a man hug.

Joe wore a thick down parka and his right arm hung limply at his side. His green army duffel bag was on the floor next to him.

“How did you get here so fast? It's only been an hour.”

Joe laughed. “I was going stir-crazy in that hotel in Denver, so I was already on the road when I got your message. I piggybacked a ride with an old army friend who happens to be a local trucker. He was headed down 285 anyhow, so he dropped me at a roadside diner. Then a CDOT pal who was plowing in the area took me straight into town.”

“Nice for you.”

“How's Mom?” Joe asked.

“Doc's saying she had a mild heart attack. No official word on how much muscle damage due to the ischemia. They're doing an ultrasound right now. Then they'll do a balloon angioplasty when the cardiac specialist gets here.”

“You want to translate that medicalspeak to English?”

“What part?” Dan asked. He pulled his coffee from the vending machine.

“Ischemia. Angio-something.”

“She's not getting enough oxygen to her heart. The procedure they're doing is an angioplasty. They send a tube into the blocked vessel and then blow it up a bit like a balloon, and it works like a snowplow to clear the artery.”

Joe nodded. “This is a good thing?”

“Yeah. Heart attacks are caused by blockage. Blood is having a hard time moving through to feed the heart oxygen.”

“Think that procedure will do the trick?”

“Hope so. When all the tests are done we'll know more.”

“When can she come home?”

“Are you kidding? We aren't that far in the discussions yet,” Dan said. “We only got here a little while ago. It's surprising everything is happening as fast as it is.”

“Wow. Okay. I guess I'll stop with the twenty questions then.”

“Thank you,” Dan said.

“I called the sisters.”

The sisters. Twins Rachel and Leah. Older than Dan and younger than Joe. They worried as much as their mother, and talked twice as much. Only Joe could rein them in.

“Bet that was fun,” Dan commented with a chuckle.

“Yeah. Like herding cats by way of a conference call.”

Dan laughed.

“They're driving together. Rented a car and are leaving today. They'll be here Saturday afternoon at the earliest.”

“Are they bringing the grands?”

“No, I managed to talk them out of that. Told them Mom is recuperating. Six grandkids in one house might be a little much.”

“You think?” Dan shook his head. “We can at least hold off the three-ring circus until Saturday, because once they arrive Mom won't rest. You know she'll be trying to take care of everyone.”

“True that.”

“How are the roads from Gunbarrel?” Dan asked.

“Improving. Why? Are you going someplace?”

“Could be taking a friend to the airport Thursday morning. Not sure yet.”

“A friend, huh? Maybe you'll get lucky and the sun will decide to come out today and clear up those roads for you. Oh, and hey, funny thing. I saw a truck in the parking lot that looked exactly like mine. But that's nuts, right?” Joe asked.

Dan shot him a sheepish grin. “Mine is in a ditch.”

“You're driving mine because you couldn't keep yours out of a ditch?”

“No, I'm driving your truck because we needed to fit four of us in one vehicle along with all the medical equipment for Mom.”

“Four? You brought Millie?”

“We've got company at Mom's place. I was taking Ben Rogers's cousin to Gunbarrel when that blizzard hit on Saturday. She's staying at the ranch until her flight out on Thursday.”

“She? So you're even more outnumbered than usual, huh? I'll bet you're real glad the cavalry is back.”

Dan laughed. “See, I knew you'd get it.”

“How are the cows?”

“Sorry you missed the bulk of the calving.”

“Yeah. Too bad, huh?” A wicked gleam appeared in Joe's dark eyes. He slapped Dan on the back. “You lose any?”

“You think I'm a rookie? No. But we do have a twin birth and bonding issues.”

“Not your fault. Though I'd blame you if I could figure out a way.” Joe grinned.

“Thanks,” Dan said.

“Seriously, thank you, Dan.”

“I had help. Beth did a lot of work.”

“Beth?”

“Yeah. Our houseguest. Her name is Beth.” Dan paused, then continued on. “Did the last check on everything around 1:00 a.m. I've got Deke Andrews stopping by to look in on things before he drives to work today.”

“Great. Sounds like you've got everything under control.” Joe glanced around. “Where's Amy?”

“Having breakfast in the cafeteria with Beth last I checked.”