Balancing Act, page 19
Noah heard a slight change in his friend’s tone. A tightening. Not understanding it, he watched Gage closely as he responded. “You didn’t make me do any fishing, old man. Get that out of your head. You didn’t make me do anything except get off my ass, and that was good for me.”
“Well, I’m glad.”
Noah noted that Gage had begun massaging his hands. That wasn’t an ordinary habit of his friend’s. A touch of arthritis? Maybe some tendonitis? He’d worked hard with his hands the past week.
While Noah considered this, Gage abruptly straightened from his study of the dollhouse and crossed the workshop to stand beside Noah. He asked, “So, is Marigold a good mother?”
“She’s been very attentive. But she’s been spending more time away from the pups as she begins to wean them.”
“That’s nature’s way.”
Was the rancher looking pale? Hard to tell in this light. Noah turned toward the doorway leading to the building’s apartment. “I’m going to get some water. You want some, Gage?”
“I still have my whiskey.”
Noah decided to make him drink a bottle of water. It was easy to get dehydrated at this altitude. Alcohol only made that worse. With long, quick strides, he hurried through the shop into the apartment, where he grabbed two bottles of water and, just for safety’s sake, stuck a packet of aspirin in his pocket before returning to Gage.
The man had picked up a puppy while Noah had been in the apartment and was scratching him behind the ear. “You feeling okay, Gage?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” He accepted the water Noah offered and drained half of it in one sip. “I probably didn’t drink enough water today. I know better.” He returned the puppy to the pen and changed the subject. “So, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. What would you think about being introduced to my niece? She’s a nice woman. College educated, just moved back home after living in Florida for a few years. Pretty, too. Unfortunately, she’s not had a lot of luck in the romance department.”
That managed to distract Noah from his concern. “Thanks, but I’m not in the market.”
“That’s what I figured. I saw the way you looked at Willow Eldridge at the wedding. And by the looks of things, those kids of hers have you wrapped around their little fingers, too.”
“Hold on there.” Noah held up his hand, palm out. “That was just a favor for a friend.”
“Uh-huh.” Gage gave him a knowing grin, looking more like himself.
Noah relaxed. “No, seriously.”
Gage gave a disbelieving snort, then bent to pluck a ball from the toy basket Noah kept nearby. He threw it into the middle of the cavorting dogs.
The two men watched as a black-snouted male battled a solid gold female for a red rubber sphere. Noah felt compelled to open up a bit. “Look, my life is too big of a mess to involve other people in it.”
Gage gave him a sidelong look. “Is it really? Looks to me like you have a nice thing going here. A little lonely, perhaps.”
“I have some investments, but I don’t have a job. I live here cheaply alone, but I can’t hole up here indefinitely. At some point, I’ll have to do something to make a living.”
“Not a lot of profit in dollhouses?”
“Not hardly,” Noah scoffed. “Especially when you don’t charge for them.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to make any money when you give stuff away. How long has it been since your injury?”
Noah didn’t like talking about the events of that godawful day, but after working with Gage on the fencing, he respected the man too much to be rude to him. “A little over a year now.”
“How many surgeries did you have on your leg?”
Noah sighed. “Three major. Six total.”
“So all that physical trauma plus the mental fallout…” He shrugged. “Seems to me you haven’t needed to expend much thought figuring it out until now. I wouldn’t sweat it too much if I were you. If you want to see the woman, see the woman. Willow’s a good one.”
Considering that he’d been hiding from her ever since that kiss, Noah didn’t think that was a likely outcome. It was time to change the subject, so he rolled out his usual question. “You’re going to take one of these pups, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I am.”
Whoa. He hadn’t expected that. “You are?”
“Yeah. We always had Labs at the Triple T. Great bird dogs. Lost our last one not long before we found out that Emily was sick, and neither of us wanted a new dog at that point. I haven’t given it any thought until you started hounding me about it the last few days.”
“You don’t want to go back to Labs? You can’t count on these dogs growing up to be hunters.”
“No, I like the idea of a mutt. So, are you going to let me have the pick of the litter?”
That question stopped Noah. “Actually, can I get back to you on that? I sort of promised first pick to… someone else… but I’m not sure if they’re still interested.”
“‘Someone else.’ Let me guess. Willow Eldridge?”
“Her kids.”
“Is the—” Gage broke off abruptly as a strange look came across his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his blue bandanna. “You must have put a lot of pepper in that stew of yours. I’m sweating like a big dog.”
It had been a long time, but Noah instinctively switched to professional mode. “C’mere.” He took Gage’s arm and led him back to the bench. “You having chest pain?”
“No. Not really.” After Noah’s challenging look, he added, “Maybe a little discomfort.”
“How long has it been hurting?”
“Look, Tannehill, there’s no need—”
“Answer the questions, or I’m calling 911 right now.”
Gage huffed a sigh. “It started while we were working today.”
“It’s getting worse?”
“A little, yeah.” His voice was tight.
“Do you have any history of heart problems?”
Gage shook his head. “No.”
Noah snapped out the rest of his questions at a rapid pace. “High blood pressure? High cholesterol?”
“No.”
“What meds do you take?”
“I don’t take any meds. I don’t trust doctors.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Noah muttered. “So, tell me about your pain. What does it feel like?”
“Just some pressure on my chest.”
“Do you feel it anywhere else?”
“Maybe… kinda… here.” He lifted his hand and rubbed his jaw.
Noah reached for his phone. “One last question. Scale of one to ten. How bad is the pain?” He was already punching in 911 when Gage responded.
“Ah, hell. I don’t know. Maybe a seven?”
Waiting for the operator to answer, Noah handed over the aspirin. “Take these now.”
In quick, succinct language, Noah requested an ambulance be sent to his address for a suspected cardiac event. Assured that help was on the way, he turned all his attention to his friend.
“I’m having a heart attack, aren’t I?” Gage asked, his tone grim.
“Maybe. Can’t know for sure without an EKG.”
“Unless I keel over dead. Then it’d be a pretty good guess.”
“Personally, I’d rather wait for the EKG.” Understanding that what Gage needed now was distraction, Noah asked, “So, which of the pups strikes your fancy?”
Gage scowled at him. “You trying to distract me from the fact I’m at death’s door?”
“Yes,” Noah replied matter-of-factly. “This doesn’t have to be a heart attack, Gage. It could be angina. It could be something else. Maybe it is just too much pepper in the stew.”
“Damned good stew, though,” Gage said, attempting a smile.
Noah kept it light. “Glad you think so.”
“Hope it doesn’t kill me,” Gage quipped.
Noah chided him with a look, then tried to change the subject back to the dogs. He didn’t want Gage focused on death. “So, what about the puppy? You looking for a boy dog or a girl?”
Gage wasn’t buying the distraction. “What’s with the hard sell on the mutts when I’m sitting here with an elephant on my chest?”
“I’m attempting to help you remain calm. It’s in the handbook.” Noah made a show of pursing his lips in thought, then added, “I think. It’s been a while since I checked.”
Gage snorted. “Just my luck to get a firefighter instead of a doctor.”
“I thought you didn’t trust doctors.”
One corner of Gage’s mouth lifted in a half smile, acknowledging the hit. “What the hell is calming about puppies? They’re the biggest bundle of nerves in the world.”
“True, but look at them. They’re cute bundles of nerves. It makes me happy to watch them play. The thing is, they can’t be left to puppy-on all the time at this point. It’s time to start training them. Gotta get those good habits going before the bad ones set in. I know you know that. I’ve seen you with horses. I’ll bet your dogs were always well trained.”
Sitting hunched over with his hands on his knees, Gage stared toward the pups but gazed into the past. “They were. Emily wouldn’t have it otherwise. Dogs were a helluva lot easier to train than our kids. That’s for damned sure.” Gage paused a moment. Shut his eyes. “My kids. I think Zach’s the only one in town this week. Will you call him for me?”
“I will. Want me to call him now?”
Gage used his bandanna to wipe his brow again. “No. Wait. Maybe I should. If I croak…”
“I think you should be thinking positive about now, Gage. I’m not a doctor, but I will tell you that the fatal heart attacks I responded to went like…” Noah snapped his fingers.
Gage nodded solemnly. “Widow-makers.”
Noah was relieved to hear the wail of an approaching siren. “Slang term and only anecdotal evidence, but I’m not too worried that I’ll have to find a spot for one of these pups that isn’t the Triple T Ranch.”
Gage gave him a weak smile, then reached into his pocket and handed over his phone. “Maybe call him once I’m in the meat wagon?”
“Will do. They won’t allow me to ride with you, but I’ll follow along behind, so I’m there to bust heads if I think they’re taking too long.”
“Appreciate ya.”
Noah gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’m going to wave the driver down so he’ll know where to come. Keep an eye on those pups for me, would you?”
“I’ll do that. And Tannehill? If Willow’s kids don’t want the girl dog with the white fiddle on her face, she’s the one I’ll take. She’s a feisty little thing.”
“Noted. I’ll check with Willow and keep you posted.”
The EMTs didn’t take long to get Gage loaded into the ambulance and headed to the hospital. Noah scrolled through the contacts list on Gage’s phone, looking for Zach’s number. When the call went to voice mail, he hesitated.
Noah knew that the Throckmorton father and son had a rocky roller coaster of a relationship. Gage had spoken about it more than once while they’d worked on the fence. Apparently, Zach and his dad had all but come to blows this past weekend over a misunderstanding about something to do with a bid Zach’s construction company had made for a local project in which Gage had an interest. It stood to reason that Zach might not want to talk to his dad today, but leaving a “there’s been a medical emergency” voice mail wasn’t cool.
Noah disconnected the call and dialed the number from his own phone. Zach answered on the second ring. “Independence Construction. Zach Throckmorton speaking.”
“Zach, this is Noah Tannehill. I’m calling about your dad.” By the time he finished his conversation with Zach, he had his workshop locked, and his keys in his hand.
He arrived at the hospital no more than ten minutes behind the ambulance that had brought Gage in and sat down to wait.
Chapter Ten
WILLOW HAD PROMISED HERSELF she wouldn’t cry. She’d done all right in that regard during her mother’s time in New Mexico, but now that the moment of truth was here, she could no longer hold back the tears. She was a wreck.
Which was why she had to come clean with her mother tonight. About Andy. About everything. Because she needed her mother like she’d never needed her before. Heaven help me.
Since Andy was at the center of everything, Willow had brought a trifle for dessert. It was a subtle bit of personal symbolism. He was a trifle, a trivial thing at this point. He was of no consequence.
Yeah, right. Willow swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. Dead and buried and still throwing hand grenades into her life.
“Honey, talk to me.” Genevieve grabbed another tissue and handed it to Willow.
“I’m trying. It’s hard.” Willow needed to ease into this tale, so she removed the dessert from her mother’s refrigerator and set the trifle in the center of the table. As she spooned crisis-worthy-sized portions onto dessert plates for her mother and herself, she tried to explain. “I need to say this first, or it will get lost, and it’s too important to get lost. I need to start with an apology, Mom. I’m sorry I got into such a snit over your initial dislike of Andy and then used it as a wedge to come between us. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Genevieve shut her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they glowed with approval, gratitude, and happiness. I should have said this years ago. Willow handed a dessert plate to her mother.
“Oh, honey. I made my share of mistakes, too. Of course I forgive you, and I hope you forgive me, too. Honestly, I think we went through some normal family growing pains. It’s especially challenging when the first child in a family gets married, because you’ve never done it before. It’s hard not to make mistakes the first time around. I wish I’d done many things differently when you and Andy got together.”
Willow took a fortifying bite of chocolate. If not for the AJ part of this, she could have stopped right here. Her mother always had been one to accept an honest apology and generously extend her forgiving heart. But Willow’s guiding word this year was listen, and she was listening to her own heart tonight.
She couldn’t skip straight to the Mom, I need you stuff. Her mother deserved to hear the words.
Besides, Willow hadn’t had enough chocolate to say the most brutal stuff yet. “The apology is only part of it, Mom. Before you left on your New Mexico trip, I told you that I wanted to clear the air, so I need to tell you everything.”
“Okay.” Genevieve nodded encouragingly.
“It’s a bit of a list,” Willow warned.
Genevieve gestured toward their dessert plates. “Which is why you brought Death by Chocolate. I understand. Get on with it, child.”
“Yep. Okay, here goes. Number one on the hit parade—I was divorcing Andy. The day he died, I told him I wanted him to leave.”
Her mother dropped her dessert spoon. “You what?”
“I told Andy I wanted a divorce.”
“Oh, Willow.” Genevieve covered her mouth with her hands. “Why?”
“Where do I start? Remember that Leonardo DiCaprio movie where he plays a con man who forges checks and pretends to be a pilot?”
“I do. He was so handsome in a pilot’s uniform.”
“Well, Andy Eldridge could have been a script consultant.”
Genevieve looked bewildered. “Andy. Your Andy?”
“He was a terrible husband, Mom.”
“What happened? What did he do?” Then Genevieve’s eyes flashed with sudden, fierce anger. “Did he hurt you? The kids?”
Willow should have realized her mother’s thoughts would go to abuse first. Last May, the family discovered that her sister, Brooke, had been in a physically abusive marriage. “He never hit me. Never hit the kids. No, Andy took his meanness in an entirely different direction.”
“Mean,” Genevieve murmured. “That’s the last word I would have used to describe Andy Eldridge.”
“If I start at the beginning, this might make better sense, though I’m not exactly sure where the beginning was. Maybe by our third date. That’s when I decided that Andy was the perfect guy for me.”
“I remember.”
Willow shrugged. “He was charming and handsome and funny and smart. He always knew exactly what to say to make me feel special. I fell head over heels in love with him.”
Genevieve closed her eyes, wincing as if pained. She cleared her throat. “That was such a hard time for us. I didn’t handle it well at all. You fell for him so fast and so hard. It scared me. You threw away your dreams and found new ones so fast.”
“I know. You were right to be scared.” Willow sighed heavily and admitted, “Your instincts were right all along, Mom.”
“Explain.”
Willow stabbed at her dessert with her spoon. “Oh, in the beginning, everything was perfect. He was perfect because perfect was all that he let me see. In hindsight, he was working on me even back then. Changing me. And yes, changing my dreams. He was subtle about it, planting little thoughts and ideas that acted like little wedges between me and you and me and my siblings. I didn’t see, did you?”
“You and I created our own great big wedge, Willow,” Genevieve pointed out. “I told you I didn’t like Andy.”
“Yes, but that was right at the beginning and then you changed your mind and tried to make things better. The thing is, Mom, he never said anything bad about you.”
Genevieve lifted her gaze from her dessert to meet Willow’s. Willow saw that her words had shocked her mother. “Seriously?” Genevieve asked.
Willow nodded. “He never said anything, but he had this way of asking questions that slithered around in my mind, creating doubt. For example, he’d say, ‘Is it healthy for you to be so close to your mother?’ When I look back on our wedding, oh, Mom, I feel so terrible. So ashamed.”
Now a wary note entered her mother’s eyes. “Why?”
“I cut you out. Here you were, gifting Andy and me with the wedding of my dreams, and there toward the end, I turned into Bridezilla. I’m so sorry. I was selfish. Unfortunately, I was listening to Andy, who was whispering in my ear, ‘It’s your special day. You are the only one who matters.’”
