he knew he needed to return the favor. He didn’t cook, but he’d acquired quite a taste for the local food and ate out more than in to satisfy his hunger for the spicy dishes.
Hershel rarely thought about the past other than with a sense of satisfaction. He had served his own brand of justice to the powers that be, and that knowledge gave him the ease he needed to get on with his life, and it had obviously given his deceased Louise spiritual rest, since she didn’t talk to him anymore.
It was only at night, when the world was quiet, that his life came back to haunt him. Most of the images were of Hurricane Katrina, of him and Louise clinging to the roof of their house as the floodwaters rose. In the dreams, Louise was in his arms crying for her insulin, begging to be rescued. And the dream always turned into a nightmare, just as life had, with him watching as she slowly slipped into a diabetic coma and died.
Every time he woke up, he was so angry he couldn’t take a breath without thinking he was going to puke. He got out of bed and prowled the house in bare feet, waiting for daybreak by drinking coffee and watching television, doing whatever it took to rebury the memories. By sunrise, copious amounts of caffeine had usually dulled his emotions.
At that point it was Paul who would begin his day with a long walk that always ended up at a local café for breakfast.
* * *
Sarah had stayed for five days and now had been gone for five more. She’d gone back to her job and the chaos of making a move to a foreign country, but it wasn’t until Laura had been moved from the ICU to a private room that she told her sister about the job promotion. To her relief, Laura seemed happy for her, which made everything easier.
In reality, Laura was proud of Sarah but at the same time a little sad she would be living so far away. But as each day passed, Laura grew stronger. Her ribs were healing, the stitches had come out of her leg and her lungs were clear.
She’d heard nurses talking about her imminent dismissal, and was anxious to be home. But the problem now was how to get there. She hadn’t mentioned it to the doctor or said anything to Cameron, but there was an issue that was going to hinder her homecoming. Denver was a long way from Washington, D.C., and she was afraid to get back on a plane, and yet it was something she knew she was going to have to face.
* * *
Cameron came into the hospital room carrying several shopping bags and smiling from ear to ear.
“What’s all this?” Laura asked, as he laid them on her lap and then gave her a quick kiss.
“Clothes. You can’t go home in a hospital gown, and the doctor said tomorrow is the day.”
“You bought me clothes? Ooh, I hope they fit.”
“Oh, they fit. I asked Sarah your sizes. She bought you underwear before she left, and I did the rest.”
“I can’t believe it!” Laura said, and began looking through the bags. “I love this sweater. It’s so soft, and it’s pink—one of my favorite colors. It will look great with these gray slacks. Oh, Cameron, you even got shoes and socks. These half boots will be perfect. Is there still snow?”
“Not here, but there is back home,” he said as he pulled the last two items out of a larger sack.
One was a winter coat made of soft gray wool, the other a small duffel bag to pack her things. The smile on her face warmed his heart.
“Cameron, I adore you! You’re the best. You thought of everything.”
He grinned. “I have us booked on a 2:00 p.m. flight tomorrow afternoon. It’s a nonstop straight into D.C. We’ll be home in time for dinner.”
When the smile froze on her face, he knew something was wrong.
“What is it, honey?”
She clutched his hand, her voice trembling.
“I’m scared to death to get back on a plane.”
He groaned inwardly. How stupid of him not to realize.
“I didn’t think. I’m sorry. I can rent a car and drive you back, but it will be a rough trip, and it will take days. Some of the roads are snow packed.”
“No, no car. I’ll get on the plane, but I need you to know I might freak out.”
He frowned. “The doctor can prescribe something for you to take. It will be okay. I’ll be right beside you all the way.”
She nodded, her eyes tearing again. “I know, and I’m sorry. But it is what it is.”
“You do not need to apologize. Anyone in their right mind would feel the same. Don’t worry, okay? I’ll take care of the meds and everything else.”
“Okay,” she said, and then made herself change the subject. “What’s in that one?” she asked, pointing to a bag at the foot of her bed.
He handed it to her. “It’s another pair of pants and a heavy sweater. I wanted you to have choices.”
All of a sudden her eyes were swimming with tears.
“What, honey? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“I was just thinking about Marcy and Dan, and the pilot. I get to go home, and they’re dead and buried.”
He dropped the sack and took her in his arms. Her hair, still damp from her morning shower, clung to his cheek as he held her. She was trembling and weepy, and he wished this could be fixed with a kiss and a hug, but it couldn’t. After a few moments he leaned back and tilted her chin up to meet his gaze.
“I’m very sorry about your friends, but I’m grateful beyond words that you survived. You have no idea how frightened Sarah and I were when we got the news.”
Laura leaned into his embrace.
“I can imagine. I am so tired of crying, and I’m very thankful that I’m still here, too, but some days it still overwhelms me.”
“How do you feel about Sarah moving to London?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Happy for her. This is what she’s been working toward.”
“You’ve still got me,” he said.
A crooked smile shifted the somber expression off her face. “I’m not about to forget that.”
“Good, because when we get home, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“What?” she asked.
He grinned. “Not until we get home.”
Her eyes widened. “Is it a secret?”
“It won’t be after we have that discussion.”
She groaned. “Seriously, Cameron, you can’t just drop such a loaded comment and then make me wait to find out what it is.”
He grinned again.
When she realized he wasn’t going to budge, she shrugged.
“At least I’ll have another reason to want to get on that plane tomorrow. The sooner we get back, the sooner I find out the big secret.”
Cameron was thinking about that engagement ring in his safe at home and the Valentine dinner that never happened. Sarah was moving out. Maybe it was time for him to move in.
An airport attendant pushed Laura and her wheelchair through the airport, with Cameron about a step and a half ahead, parting the crowd for them to pass.
They’d checked their luggage at curbside and were traveling light on their way to the boarding gate. Laura’s new coat and purse were in her lap, giving her something stable to hold on to, pushing her fear of the flight down to a level just below screaming.