Part 6 (1/2)
Kent wasn't elaborating, Denise thought. Panic frayed nerves that had already been undone by Will. ”What's the matter?” She hurried past Kent into the house even as she asked. ”Is it Audra?”
”No, it's your father.” Kent shut the door behind him.
She looked at Kent incredulously. She felt her heart being squeezed. ”Dad?”
Denise immediately thought the worst. It had become her nature to gravitate to that rather than hold onto hopeful possibilities. She looked around, struggling with guilt, half expecting to see her father lying slumped on the floor. She shouldn't have listened to him. She shouldn't have brought him here. All that rich food-what had she been thinking?
Guilt grew larger. What she'd been thinking was that she wanted a respite and had used her father's urging as an excuse, that's what.
And now her father was paying for it.
Audra ran in from the other room. Her face was bewildered as she wrapped her arms around her mother and pulled her into the living room. ”Mama, Mama, Grampa's sick.”
Tate Cavanaugh was lying on the sofa, his long, lanky frame filling it from one end to the other. His head was down while his feet were elevated, propped up by a number of pillows. By the expression on his face, he felt foolish, as if he'd involuntarily made a spectacle of himself.
”I'm all right.” It p.r.i.c.ked his conscience that Denise turned completely pale when she walked into the room and saw him lying like this. ”I got a little dizzy. It's just indigestion, nothing else.” He tried to turn his head to look at his hostess and found that he didn't have enough strength to complete the maneuver. ”No reflection on your cooking, Zoe.”
”My cooking be hanged,” she retorted. ”It's not anything as simple as indigestion and you know it, Tate Cavanaugh.” She fixed him with the same intent look she'd used on her children when they were growing up to extract the truth from them. ”When's the last time you had a complete physical?”
Tate shrugged, staring at the ceiling. ”Can't say as I remember.”
She knew it, Denise thought. She knew she should have bullied him into going to see a doctor six months ago, when he'd first started looking so drained. Denise bit back self-disgust and mounting panic.
”That's because the last time he had a complete physical, the doctor held him upside down by his ankles and slapped him on the rump.” She looked at her father accusingly. ”He hasn't had one since the day he was born.”
Tate knew it was useless to argue with the truth. He didn't even try.
”Men,” Zoe muttered, tucking another pillow under Tate's legs. ”Stubborn jacka.s.ses, every one of them and I'm in a position to know.” She shot a look toward her husband for good measure, in case he'd forgotten how much grief he'd given her when the same set of circ.u.mstances had embraced him.
Denise noted that there was no hesitation on Zoe's part Having taken charge of the situation, she was behaving as if she'd encountered all this before. Keeping her own hands on Audra's shoulders in silent comfort, Denise longed to have someone rea.s.sure her. Maybe it was selfish of her, but she wanted someone to still the mounting fear she felt.
She was ashamed of herself for even fleetingly indulging in self-pity when her father needed her.
”What do you think is wrong?” Denise asked.
Zoe stepped back, her words stern, her smile silently encouraging both father and daughter. ”Besides an overdose of stubbornness, I'd say your father might be on the verge of having a heart attack.” Her smile faded into concern. ”If he hasn't already had one.”
”Nonsense, I'm fine.” To prove it, Tate tried to sit up. It wasn't nearly as easy as it should have been. ”I'd know if I were having a heart attack or not.”
”Not necessarily.” Jake placed a wide hand on the man's thin chest and gently restrained him. ”You don't have to drop in your tracks to have a heart attack, Tate. Those little ones can really do a number on you without you knowing it. Sometimes, they just scamper right over you, taking away a piece at a time.” Empathy rose in his eyes. ”You look just the way I did just before I had mine.” Even though five years had since pa.s.sed, right now it felt like yesterday. ”When I got to the hospital, the doctor surprised me by saying that I'd already had a swarm of little attacks.” He knew how important it felt to cling to the lie. Knew, too, what that could ultimately do to a man. ”I thought it was indigestion, too.”
That was all she had to hear. ”You're going to see a doctor,” Denise declared.
Jake nodded. ”That'd be your best bet,” he agreed, looking at Tate.
A cold and clammy feeling slid over Denise's heart, taking it hostage. She had an awful feeling that they were fighting against the clock. Denise turned toward Jake. He'd come through this, and he looked just fine now. No longer an optimist, she still held onto that comforting thought. ”Where's the nearest hospital?”
”Oh, we don't have to go tonight,” her father protested.
She knew he hated being fussed over. Too bad. ”Tonight.” The word sounded very nearly like an order. For good measure, she added, ”Now.” Denise was afraid she'd already allowed too much time to lapse.
”There's one in Serendipity,” Will told her. When she looked at him, his heart twisted in his chest He doubted very much that she knew she looked like a frightened little girl. He wanted to take her into his arms, to comfort her, but there was no time for that. ”I'll take you there,” he added softly.
Denise would have rather just taken her father herself. This was a family matter. But with no transportation of her own, she was in no position to turn Will down.
Biting her lower lip, she looked at Audra, hesitating. Audra shouldn't have to be put through this.
Zoe was one step ahead of her.
”We'll take care of Audra,” she promised.
But Audra suddenly looked uncertain about the state of affairs. ”Mama?” Her eyes darted nervously toward her grandfather.
One look at the wide blue eyes and Will could feel the questions piling up in the child's head. Kneeling down to her level, he picked her up in his arms. ”Your grandfather's going to be just fine, honey,” Will solemnly told Audra.
She placed her small hands on either side of his face, as if she could feel if he was lying to her. ”You promise?”
”I promise.” There was nothing but conviction in his voice. Will knew this wasn't a time to hedge his bets and remain on the safe side the way he was wont to do. Audra needed a promise to hold on to, to comfort her. He glanced toward his brother. ”Kent?”
”Way ahead of you, as usual, brother.” Grinning at Audra, he took the little girl from Will.
Will turned his attention to Tate. ”Can you walk?” he asked kindly.
The question rattled Tate's frail hold on his dignity. ”Of course I can walk.” He sat up in one movement. After a split-second delay, the room began to swim before him. He swayed, and grabbed the arm of the sofa.
Denise bit back a cry. Her father had turned completely white. She was at his side, determined to give him whatever support he needed to manage his exit despite her diminutive size.
”Lean on me,” she urged.
”Been doing that for too long as it is,” Tate murmured, but he offered no resistance when she took his arm and slung it over her shoulders.
The woman didn't have the sense she was supposed to have been born with, Will thought. Annoyed at her heroics, he was at Tate's other side immediately, helping the man to his feet and bearing up to most of the weight.
”You're going to strain something,” Will told her sharply.
Denise bristled at the chastising. Was he going to tell her what to do even now?
”It's my something' to strain and my father,” she snapped back.
Even in his present weakened state, Tate could feel the heat traveling between them. Refereeing, he tried to muster a smile.
”Why don't the two of you just get me to that doctor before I regain my strength and change my mind?”
Denise glared at Will. What was it about this man that brought out the worst in her? The look she flashed her father was contrite.
”Sorry, Dad,” she murmured. Nothing was more important than getting her father to the doctor. She couldn't let anything else distract her. Not even Will.
Tate sighed. Even that hurt. ”Not nearly as sorry as I am.”
She looked pale and wan, Will thought, glancing toward Denise as he drove them home from the hospital. It had been a long night It was late now, and the countryside had retreated into the inside of an inkwell.