More Than You Know (21 page)

30

T
ommy was leaning forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face when Beryl peered into the room. “Hey,” she said softly. He looked up and the distraught look on his tearstained face eased as he tried to muster a smile.

“Hey, Aunt Ber,” he said, getting up and wrapping her in a bear hug.

“Oh, my goodness, Tommy Taylor . . .” she said. “When did you get so big?!”

He laughed and she laid her hand on his scruffy cheek. “You look just like your dad, you know that?” she said, searching his glistening eyes. “How’re you doin’?”

“I’m okay—a little sore.” He motioned to the bed. “Meggie’s pretty banged up.” Beryl nodded, moving closer to the bed. “She’s still pretty out of it; they said the painkillers will do that. Her wrist is shattered—so I guess no tennis this summer.” He brushed away a tear. “I should’ve been up front—then she’d be okay. She’s lucky, though—the car was absolutely totaled—you can’t even tell what it was.” He looked over. “Have you talked to my mom?”

Beryl nodded, lightly touching Meghan’s bruised cheek, and then noticed Micah standing in the hall and motioned for him to come in. “Tommy, this is Micah.” The two shook hands. “Micah’s an old friend. He used to work in Grammie’s shop when he was in high school and he offered to come down with me.”

“Thanks for coming, man,” Tommy said with a nod.

Micah smiled.

“Anyway, I just talked to your mom to let her know we were here. Have you talked to her at all?”

“No, there’s no service in here,” he said, looking at his phone to confirm that the bars hadn’t magically appeared. “I was gonna go outside and call.”

“Well, your dad is out of surgery,” Beryl reported, “but he’s still in pretty rough shape. Your mom said the doctor sounded more optimistic, so that’s a bit of bright news.” She hesitated, knowing she was walking a fine line between hope and devastation. “Tommy,” she said softly, “he’s definitely not out of the woods, though . . . and the next twenty-four hours are critical.”

Tommy nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I want to see him,” he said.

Just then a young doctor came into the room. “Hello,” she said. “Are you Mrs. Taylor?”

“No,” Beryl said, quickly introducing herself and explaining why her sister wasn’t there. “How’s Meghan doing?”

“She’s going to be fine, but I’d like to speak to her mom before I leave tonight. Do you have her cell number—or maybe you could ask her to give me a call.”

“Of course,” Beryl said, as Tommy jotted down his mom’s cell phone number on a napkin.

“Thank you, I’ll check back in a bit.”

Beryl sat on the bed and stroked Meghan’s hand. Almost immediately, her eyelashes fluttered open. “Hey, Meggie,” she whispered softly.

Meghan opened her eyes and tried to focus. “Hi, Aunt Ber . . .” she said weakly.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Beryl said softly. “It’s so good to see you.”

Meghan nodded and promptly drifted off again.

 

“So, two coffees and a tea?” Micah said, feeling his pocket to make sure he had his wallet.

Beryl nodded and looked at Tommy. “Are you sure you take it black?”

Micah chuckled. “I think Tommy knows how he takes his coffee.”

Beryl shook her head, still unconvinced. “Well, I think he bumped his head and is confused—or else his mother is a bad influence!”

Tommy laughed. “She
is
a bad influence.” Then he looked at Micah. “Mind if I go with you?”

“Not at all.”

“I could use a change of scenery—and maybe a sandwich,” he added, rubbing his stomach.

“Do you want anything besides tea?” Micah asked, looking at Beryl. “Maybe a cookie?”

Beryl smiled halfheartedly. “I’m sure the hospital’s cookies aren’t as good as Charlotte’s, but I’ll split a sandwich with you if you see something.”

“Okay, we’ll be right back.”

Ten minutes later, they returned with two coffees, one tea, and two Caesar salad wraps—one of which Tommy had completely devoured before Beryl even took her second bite.

“Ber,” Micah said, taking a sip of coffee. “If Tommy wants to see his dad, why don’t I run him up there? It’s only an hour, and there’s no reason for him to stay here. Meghan’s stable, and she’s clearly not going anywhere tonight.”

Beryl and Tommy both looked up. “You don’t mind driving?” Beryl asked.

“Nope—and he should be there.”

“If you want to, it’s fine with me. Are you coming back?”

“Maybe,” he teased.

“Micah,” Tommy began haltingly. “Do you think we can stop at the wrecker shop so I can get our stuff? Would you have room for all of it? I have the trooper’s cell number,” he said, pulling a card from his pocket.

“Definitely,” Micah said with a nod. “When the backseat is down, there’s plenty of room. We’ll do it on our way.”

“Call your mom, too, and let her know you’re coming,” Beryl reminded.

“I will,” Tommy said, giving her a hug. “Thanks, Aunt Ber.”

“You’re welcome, hon.”

“I’ll be back later,” Micah said, as she hugged him too.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Beryl murmured into his chest and then stepped back and looked into his eyes. “Please be careful.”

A moment later, she was looking out the window, wondering if she could see Micah’s car from where she stood, but since he’d dropped her off before he’d parked, she wasn’t even sure where it was. She watched people walking below, and after five minutes with no sign of them, she gave up and sat in the chair next to Meghan’s bed and sipped her tea. She turned on the TV using the remote on the bedside table, keeping the volume low so Meghan wouldn’t stir. She flipped through the channels and settled on an old classic starring Cary Grant and Debra Kerr—it had been one of her mom’s favorites, and now she knew why.

31

I
t was almost dark as Micah approached exit 9, but Tommy asked him to slow down. “This is where it happened,” he said, pointing to the fluid stains and debris on the side of the road, as well as the trenches in the grass. “Did you know the other driver failed a sobriety test?”

“No, I didn’t. In fact, I don’t think your mom knows that either.”

“That reminds me,” Tommy said, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “I’d better let her know we’re coming.”

Micah tried not to eavesdrop, but there wasn’t much he could do when the conversation was occurring right beside him. He took a sip of his coffee and tried to focus on the road, but it quickly became evident that he’d been right—Isak hadn’t heard the other driver was drunk—and she wasn’t happy.

“How’s dad?” Tommy asked, changing the subject while fiddling with a thread on his jeans. There was a long pause as he listened and Micah thought he saw him wipe his eyes. “When will they know?” He nodded. “Yeah, Meggie’s going to be okay. I told Aunt Ber she probably won’t be able to play any tennis this summer.” Another pause, then he laughed. “Oh, did her doctor get ahold of you?” Pause. “Good. Yeah, I think she needs permission to talk to Aunt Ber. I dunno . . . can you give it over the phone?” Pause. “She’s eighteen—it shouldn’t be a problem. Will they let her go home with Aunt Ber?” Pause. “Do you think we’re still going to have Grammie’s service on Saturday?” Pause. “Yeah, I know—it’s pretty impossible to postpone a funeral.” Pause. “Let’s see . . . uhm . . . we’re almost to Waterbury . . . so, you think a half hour?” Pause. “Okay. Love you, too—see you in a bit. Love you too.” He ended the call and gazed out into the darkness. “Thanks for the ride, Micah.”

“No problem, Tommy. I’m happy to do it.”

Tommy grew quiet and Micah glanced over to see if he’d fallen asleep. He clicked on the radio and the classic “Seven Bridges Road” drifted through the car.

“This is one of my dad’s favorite Eagles songs,” Tommy said wistfully. “My mom likes that really sad one . . .”

Micah frowned, trying to remember lyrics to Eagles songs. “ ‘Lying Eyes’?”

“No, it’s about letting someone love you . . .”

“ ‘Desperado’?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Tommy said, sitting up. “I always thought it was sort of fitting, you know, for their personalities. My dad is much more easygoing than my mom, and “Seven Bridges” is such a great song, but “Desperado”—holy cow! It’s so depressing. Sometimes I wonder how my parents ever got together—they’re so different from one another.”

Micah smiled. “Have you ever heard the old adage ‘opposites attract’?”

“Yeah,” Tommy said with a laugh. “My parents are definitely proof of that.”

The miles ticked by and the only sound was from the radio. Finally, Tommy said, “I haven’t been out here in such a long time. Meghan and I used to come every summer and stay with Grammie for a couple of weeks. We had the best times. She’d take us mini-golfing, out for ice cream, catch frogs with us in the pond or fireflies at night. And she made the most amazing cinnamon toast.

“Aunt Ber was always around, too—she loved to go hiking. We climbed Monadnock every summer. The last time, Meghan didn’t come, though. I think she must’ve had tennis camp or something, and Aunt Ber and I hiked Mount Washington instead. I’ll never forget it because there was still snow in Tuckerman Ravine—in July! When we got to the top, it was unbelievably windy and I thought we were going to blow right off the mountain. Then we went inside and had pizza—and it was
the
best pizza I’ve ever had.”

“Probably because you were so hungry,” Micah said.

“Probably,” Tommy said with a smile. “I always wanted to hike it again, but we never had the chance. Grammie developed Alzheimer’s and Aunt Ber had to take care of her. I think Aunt Ber ended up missing out on a lot because of it. All of Grammie’s care fell on her shoulders and she never got the chance to meet anyone or have kids of her own. She’s such a great person—and she would’ve been a great mom. My mom’s a great mom, but she’s not at all like Aunt Ber. It’s funny how sisters can be so different too.”

Micah listened quietly, taking in every word as Tommy voiced out loud the very thoughts he’d been thinking.

“I wish I’d come out to see my grandmother one last time,” he said regretfully, “even if she didn’t remember me—I should’ve come anyway. Now she’s gone.”

Micah looked over. “You didn’t know what was going to happen. No one knew. But through the years, you got to spend a lot of time with her—and she definitely knew you loved her. You shouldn’t let all of your great memories be tarnished with regret.”

Tommy nodded and rested his knee on the dashboard. “This is a pretty old Honda, Micah. How many miles are on it?”

“Almost two hundred fifty thousand.”

“Wow! That’s pretty impressive. Would you ever trade it in?”

“Probably not—I wouldn’t get much for it—and I’ve begun to think it might run forever, which would make it worth keeping.”

“Have you owned it since it was new?”

“Yup, it was my wife’s car.”

Tommy hesitated. “Was?”

“She passed away about three years ago.”

“Oh . . . I’m sorry, man,” Tommy said quietly.

Micah nodded. “Thanks. She left me with a beautiful little girl, too, though. Her name is Charlotte.”

“How old is she?”

“Four.”

“I bet she’s a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, she’s great.”

“So this car has sentimental value too.”

Micah nodded. “It does—but I’ve begun to think it might be time to start letting go.”

32

A
s the minutes ticked slowly by, the Graham family did what every family does in the face of tragedy—they stood watch, held each other close, and prayed. When Tommy and Micah arrived, Tommy ruffled Rand’s new haircut, teased his Aunt Ru because her son was taller than she was, shook Uncle Will’s hand, hugged his mom for a long time, and wept at his father’s bedside. Isak had finally been able to reach Matt’s mother, who lived in Newport, and gently told her the news. She’d been very upset and called Isak back within minutes to tell her she’d arranged for a friend to bring her to Hartford the following day.

Rumer had taken a break earlier to get some sandwiches and coffee, knowing everyone would have been in such a hurry, they wouldn’t have stopped to eat.

Micah wasn’t hungry, but Isak handed him a cup of coffee as he stood by the door, ready to leave. “I can’t thank you enough, Micah,” she said, giving him a hug.

He nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.”

When Micah finally got back to Danbury, Beryl was dozing in a chair and Jay Leno’s tinny voice was barely audible coming from the tiny speakers on the remote control. Micah pulled a chair up next to her and she opened her eyes. “I think visiting hours are over, miss,” he whispered.

“I know,” she murmured. “What are we gonna do?”

“I don’t know, but if we don’t get some real sleep, we’re gonna be pretty useless tomorrow.”

“The nurse said Meghan will be fine if we want to find a place to stay tonight, but I feel bad knowing Isak and Ru will be keeping watch all night in uncomfortable chairs.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Micah said. “When I was leaving, Ru and Will were talking about taking Tommy and Rand to a hotel, and Isak was going to sleep on a cot in the room. So, if you want to get a room for the night, you shouldn’t feel bad; we can definitely do that so you can get some rest.”

Beryl glanced at Meghan, who seemed to be sleeping comfortably. She pushed the Power button on the remote and put it on the bedside table, gently kissed Meghan’s forehead, and whispered, “See you in the morning, hon.” Meghan didn’t stir and they slipped out of the room, stopped at the nurses’ station to let them know they were leaving, and asked if they could recommend an inexpensive hotel for the night. The nurse looked online and jotted down a couple of suggestions. They thanked her and walked down the quiet hall and out into the starry night. “I guess the storm’s over,” Beryl said. Micah nodded, putting his arm around her.

 

A half hour later, Beryl was brushing her teeth in the hotel bathroom, feeling awkward and nervous. She washed her face, looked at her reflection, and sighed. Then she opened the door and peered out. The room was dimly lit by a lamp near the TV, and Micah, who had laid back on one of the beds without pulling down the covers, was softly snoring. Beryl wondered if she should just leave him, but then decided
she
wouldn’t want to fall asleep like that, and gently shook him. “Gonna get washed up?” she asked.

He woke with a start. “Huh? Yup.” He got right up and shuffled to the bathroom.

Beryl turned the air conditioner down—it was plenty cool in the room—pulled down the comforter, slipped between the sheets, and laid her head back onto the plump hotel pillow. It felt good—What was it about hotel pillows that always made them feel so fluffy? A moment later, Micah reappeared and started to pull down the covers of the other bed.

“There’s no point in messing up two beds,” she said softly.

Micah looked over in surprise. “Is that an invitation?”

She smiled and he turned off the light and went around to the other side of her bed. She heard the clink of his belt as he pulled off his jeans and threw them over a chair, and then felt him slip between the sheets. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d kept on his boxers. She felt his hand close around hers, and she slid her fingers between his, locking them together. He moved closer and she felt the comforting warmth of his body through the soft cotton of his T-shirt . . . and boxers. It had been a long time since she’d felt a male body lying beside her—not since Ryan Lane, or as her sisters referred to him, the biggest loser on the planet.

Micah stared into the darkness. “It’s funny how things come full circle.”

“What do you mean?” Beryl asked.

“Well, way back when—a hundred years ago now—when I worked in your mom’s store, I had a big crush on you, but I don’t think you had any idea. And just when I was trying to work up the courage to ask you to the prom, I found out you were already going.” He looked over. “I was crushed!”

Beryl laughed. “I’m sure you weren’t crushed.”

“I was—absolutely crushed! And now, all these years later . . .”

“Yes, a hundred, according to you,” she teased.

“Yup, a hundred—probably to the day because proms are usually in May—here I am, lying beside you . . . in a bed of all places.”

“Well, I think you must’ve gotten over your crush somewhere in the middle of all those years.”

“You’re right—but I never forgot about you.”

Beryl laughed. “It is funny,” she agreed. “And I definitely didn’t know you had a crush. It just shows how clueless I was—and still am!”

“You’re not clueless,” he said softly.

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that.”

He turned to face her, lightly kissed her forehead and her cheek, and slowly made his way to her lips. Her heart was pounding; there was no doubt she was falling in love, but at the same time, she had so many other things weighing on her heart.

Micah pulled back and leaned against his pillow. “Ber, I want this to happen—you have no idea how much—but I think we should take it slow. You have a lot going on right now, and I . . . well, I just hope you can be patient with me.” He touched her cheek and she could see the tears glistening in his eyes. “I never dreamed I’d fall in love again . . .” he whispered with a smile. “And, now, I just need some time to figure out how to let go of the past.”

“Micah,” she said softly, “you can take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. And please don’t think you have to push your memories of Beth from your mind. I know she’s a part of you, and I would never expect you to forget her.”

Micah swallowed and pulled her close; as they lay side by side, they were both overwhelmed by the wonderful possibility of actually having someone to hold and trust . . . and love.