The Lure of White Oak Lake (15 page)

“I don’t know. Mom said Aunt Maddie needed her, and she tore out of here like a bat out of hell.”

The air was hot and humid despite it being fall. “Should you be outside?”

Austin shrugged. “I wanna know what’s going on.”

Morgan climbed the steps. “Back inside. I need you well and soon. We have Thor to finish.”

“My head is really hurting again.” Austin picked up the box of cold medicine and looked at it. “I haven’t had any of this since this morning. Can I take some more?”

Morgan put a hand to his forehead. “You’re awfully hot. What time did you take the last dose, do you remember?”

“Around seven.”

Morgan glanced at the clock, it was two thirty. “Have you eaten?”

Austin sniffed as he wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. “I’m not hungry.”

“Well, I don’t want to give this to you on an empty stomach. You eat a bowl of soup, and if your mom isn’t back by then, I’ll give you another dose.”

~~~

Maddie’s car was in the parking lot behind the store, but it was locked up tight since they were closed. Jaclyn banged on the door, and when she didn’t receive an answer, she used her key. “Maddie?”

“Back here.”

Jaclyn followed her voice to the back corner of the store where she found Maddie standing on top of a pallet looking a little pale. “What’s going on? Why did—Jesus! God! Why didn’t you call 911?”

“I’m so embarrassed,” Maddie said miserably. “I finally got some time alone, and all I wanted to do was work on the manger display before Heath got a hold of it. Last year, he decapitated one of the Wise Men, and he always uses pallets for the floor and it looks crappy.” She sounded as though she was going to cry. “We just got in all the Christmas decorations, and Heath ordered way too many manger sets. I was hoping if I made the display nice enough, we could get rid of them.”

Jaclyn looked at the base. Maddie had done impressive work. “Honey, how did you nail your sneaker to the manger?”

“Well, that’s the other reason I wanted to do this while Heath was out with the kids. I’m not allowed to use the nail gun because he dismantled some of the safety features. I was going really fast and…well, you see.” Maddie looked at Jaclyn when she pressed a key on her phone. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m gonna call the fire department. I can’t get you and the pallet in the car by myself.”

“No!” Maddie clenched her fists and closed her eyes. “They’re down here all the time for Heath. It causes a huge commotion, and I’d rather everyone on the lake not know that I nailed myself to a board. I need you to get a saw and cut me loose. You know it’s what they would do.”

Jaclyn shook her head. “It’s going to hurt.”

“Let’s not have that discussion right now. I’m in enough pain already. There’s a Skil saw in the back that someone returned, go get it. It’s on the shelf to the right just as you walk into the stockroom.”

Jaclyn retrieved the saw and an extension cord, which she plugged into a nearby socket. “How am I going to support you and cut at the same time? Please let me call the fire department.”

“No, absolutely not!”

“You are so mom! You’d rather suffer further injury than be embarrassed.”

“Get to it or hand me the saw. I’m coming off this pallet one way or another.”

Jaclyn rolled her eyes. “Give me just a second.” She ran into the garden department and picked up two pavers. Carefully, she slid them beneath the wood flooring to support the area where she intended to cut. Next, she found a ladder and set it up so Maddie could support herself.

“Don’t let that pool of blood under my shoe prompt you to move any faster,” Maddie said with a grunt.

“Ungrateful, prideful doofus.” Jaclyn drowned out Maddie’s retort with the saw as she cut the slats on the floor, freeing the piece of wood that her sister was attached to.

“You were right, that did hurt,” Maddie said tearfully as she leaned against the ladder.

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey, just a little longer.” Jaclyn raced into the office and grabbed the rolling chair from behind the desk. “I should’ve thought of this sooner.” She pushed it up behind Maddie and helped her sit down. “I don’t know what to use to support your foot to keep it from moving.”

“It went through my big toe. I guess I should be thankful that it’s good and tight, but it’s gonna hurt like hell when they take it out.”

Jaclyn didn’t want to think about that as she carefully pushed Maddie through the store and out to the car. It took wrangling and a lot of cursing before she got Maddie situated. She found an old packing blanket in the storeroom and put it beneath Maddie’s leg for the ride. She pulled out her phone again when she got into the driver’s seat.

Maddie glared at her. “Who are you calling?”

“Heath, you don’t want me to?”

Maddie shook her head. “He’ll freak, and he’s got the kids with him. He can barely drive on a good day. I don’t want him flying down the road with my babies.”

Jaclyn nodded. “Good point. I’m going to call Austin and check on him.” Jaclyn was surprised when Morgan answered the phone.

“I stopped at the house when I saw Austin on the porch after you flew by with the flashers on. Is everything okay?”

“Um…Maddie had a little accident, nothing serious. I’m going to run her by the hospital and have her looked at to be on the safe side.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll stay with Austin until you get back. I talked him into eating a bowl of soup, then I gave him another dose of the cold medicine. He’s pretty sleepy right now but worried.”

Jaclyn smiled, relieved that Morgan was taking care of Austin. “Tell him everything is fine. I don’t know how long we’ll be, but please make yourself at home. I can’t express how much I appreciate you stopping in to take care of him.”

“I hope Maddie’s okay. Don’t worry about Austin. I’ll take good care of him.”

“Thank you. See you soon.”

Maddie groaned when Jaclyn hit a bump. “I’d have all sorts of questions if my foot didn’t feel like it was on fire.”

“Nothing has changed, we’re only friends,” Jaclyn said, hating to admit it.

J
aclyn stood beside Maddie, who was feeling pretty woozy as she awaited her tetanus shot. The nail had been removed from her toe, and the gap had been stitched. “It looks like a half moon. Take the bandage off, I want to see it again.”

Jaclyn didn’t want to see it again, her stomach roiled at the thought. “Germs, Maddie, think of germs. They’re all around in here. It’s best to keep it covered.”

“Always taking care of me,” Maddie said with a dopey grin. “If you weren’t my sister and I was a lesbian, I think I’d have it for you big-time.”

“That’s…um…gross, but thanks.”

Jaclyn walked over to the curtain and peeked out. The emergency room was hopping, and she doubted that anyone would be along quickly with Maddie’s tetanus shot.

“We have a nice ass.” Jaclyn looked over her shoulder, and Maddie was staring at her butt glassy-eyed. “Mine looks just like yours. Shake it a little, let me see what I’m working with.”

Jaclyn arched her back and bounced it like a stripper, then had to cover Maddie’s mouth when she laughed too loud. “You’re my best friend,” Maddie slurred when Jaclyn took her hand from her mouth.

“Oh, here it comes. You’re gonna get emotional, aren’t you?”

“I just love you so much.” Maddie began to cry. “What would I do without you?”

Jaclyn grabbed a tissue and held it up to Maddie’s nose. Any sort of pain reliever aside from something over the counter sent Maddie on an emotional roller coaster where the other riders were pink elephants. “Get it together. You’re starting to act like Clarice Minden.”

“I’m gonna have to walk around on crutches,” Maddie sobbed. “Thank God, Heath has two pair in the garage.” She blew her nose and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m thinking of doing a turducken for Christmas. Do you think that’s something you’d like?”

Jaclyn blinked at the subject change. “I don’t care for duck, and neither do you, so why would you ruin a perfectly good turkey?”

“Ham then, I’ll make a ham. Sweet potato casserole with the pecans, yum, that sounds so good.” Maddie’s brow furrowed. “I’m wearing Heath’s underwear.”

“I know,” Jaclyn said with a laugh. She and one of the nurses had helped Maddie undress, and they’d exchanged glances at the smiley face boxers. “Why?”

“We ordered a new washing machine, and it hasn’t arrived yet. I ran out of clean undies. Do you think anyone noticed?”

Jaclyn scrunched up her face to keep from laughing. “I’m sure they’ve seen worse.”

Maddie started to cry again. “I’m never gonna be able to wear sandals or cute shoes again. Heath’s gonna be so pissed.” Maddie sniffed, and her expression turned dark. “He’d better not be,” she said, her voice rising with each word. “He’s a walking disaster area! I keep fourteen tubes of wound glue around the house and store so I can put his ass back together.” Maddie’s demeanor changed again, and she started to sob. “I really liked that pair of sneakers, too.”

“Okay, one tetanus shot as ordered,” a nurse said as she moved back the curtain and smiled at Maddie.

Maddie’s face went blank as she squeezed the feeling out of Jaclyn’s hand. “Are you gonna put that in my butt?”

“Your arm,” the nurse assured with a smile.

“Oh, thank God,” Maddie said with a sigh. “I’m wearing my husband’s underwear. We have a washer on order. I wouldn’t normally wear men’s underpants, but sometimes I want to. My little toe is gay. Jaclyn got the rest of those genes. Sometimes, I want to wear a skirt, but my toe says, ‘no, wear Heath’s clothes instead.’ The other day at the gym, I saw Dana Galloway’s breasts, and that little toe shot straight up.”

“Maddie, don’t talk,” Jaclyn said, smiling at the nurse. “She’s a little stoned. No one in our family has a strong tolerance to medication.”

“Obviously,” the nurse said as she prepared the injection.

~~~

Jaclyn set two glasses of milk next to two small plates of fruit and cheese for her niece and nephew, hoping the bait would occupy the kids until she could talk to Heath. Caleb and Dawn came bounding through the door and were surprised to see their aunt instead of mother. Jaclyn hugged them both and led them to the table. “I made snacks. Sit down and enjoy them while I talk to your daddy.”

“Where’s Maddie?” Heath asked as he walked in.

“I need to talk to you for a second before you see her.” Jaclyn felt sorry for Heath when the color drained out of his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Jaclyn put up both hands. “She had a minor accident and is sleeping off the pain meds right now,” she said lowly. “She shot her toe with a nail gun.”

“My nail gun?”

Jaclyn nodded. “It took a chunk out of her big toe. I got your crutches out of the garage and put them beside the bed because she’s going to need them for a while.”

Heath’s fear was replaced by anger. “I told her never to use that!”

“She told you not to cut the tree in the backyard without help. Do you really want to go down that road? Your list of ‘do not’s’ and ‘oops’ is a mile longer than hers.”

This took a little wind out of Heath’s sails. “I know it must’ve hurt like hell.”

Jaclyn smiled. “I think her pride is suffering more. I put a pan of frozen lasagna in the oven for y’all, but now I have to get home because Austin is sick. Take good care of my sister, okay?”

“I will.” Heath gave her a hug, and Jaclyn kissed Caleb and Dawn as she left.

~~~

It had already turned dark when Jaclyn began the short ride home. She was thankful that Morgan had stopped to check on Austin and stayed. There were others who would’ve sat with him if she’d called, but Morgan had simply stepped in. It was nice to have someone fill in the gaps and take worry off her shoulders. Morgan was a perfect fit in her and Austin’s lives. Jaclyn wished that things could be different, but she’d grown accustomed to her wishes not coming true.

The house smelled of soup when Jaclyn walked in. Her stomach growled loudly in response, and she realized that she’d gone nearly the entire day without eating anything. Morgan’s footfalls were heavy on the stairs. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen.

“Austin’s asleep in his bed.” Morgan studied Jaclyn’s face as she spoke. “You look beat, and I can hear your stomach growling. So pizza, soup, or both?”

Jaclyn leaned against the counter. “Did Austin talk you into ordering him pizza?”

“No, I had a craving for gooey cheese.
He
ate like six bowls of soup throughout the day, saying he wasn’t that hungry. I’d hate to see what it’s like when he’s really got an appetite. Maybe you should change The Lure to a grocery store so you can buy in bulk.”

“Don’t think I haven’t considered it,” Jaclyn said with a laugh. “Gooey cheese sounds appetizing, with a cold beer.”

“Excellent. Now go find a comfortable place to sit and I’ll get it for you.”

“Morgan, you don’t have to wait on me. You’ve given up your whole day.” Jaclyn opened the fridge and pulled out two beers. “I should be serving you.”

Morgan blocked her as she went to the cabinet. “I know where your plates are. I’m pretty familiar with your kitchen after today. Go sit on the porch or on the couch and I’ll make your plate. Your shoulders are slumped and you have bags under your eyes. Sometimes the caregiver needs a leg up, so let me keep you company while you eat, then you can go to bed.”

“All right, but I’m taking your beer to the porch.” Jaclyn slipped out the back door and sank down on the swing. Minutes later, Morgan handed her a plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza and a napkin. She picked up her beer and settled in a chair close by.

“What happened to Maddie?”

“My brilliant sister shot herself in the big toe with a nail gun while building a display for the store. I found her nailed to a manger.” Jaclyn picked off a piece of pepperoni and popped it into her mouth. “I know it hurt like hell, and I’m not making fun of her, but she was a riot in the hospital. They doped her up, and she started babbling like a fool. Maddie told the nurse who helped me get her dressed that she bore a striking resemblance to George Clooney, and she was turning her on.”