A Home by the Sea Read online

  “It’s all right. Your doctor approved this.” Grace struggled to speak calmly. She didn’t want her grandfather to see how much his appearance worried her. He looked as if he had shrunk, thin and weak against the pillows. His skin was sallow and his hair in disarray.

  She forced a smile. “Go on. I dare you. Besides, this will melt if you don’t eat it.”

  “I never could resist a dare. It has long been a source of trouble in my life. Marta told me that.” He seemed to struggle to focus. “Why don’t you have it, Grace?”

  “I’ve already eaten, Granddad. You go ahead.”

  “Well, if you insist…” He managed a faint smile, then straightened up in his bed. “Now this feels like old times.” He took a bite and rolled his eyes. “Just the way I remembered.”

  At least he could remember some things. She had to believe that all the rest would return eventually.

  Her grandfather continued to eat his dessert, saying nothing until the cup was empty. He always approached his favorite treat like a little boy, stretching out the careful, measured pleasure in a way that reminded Grace how hard his childhood had been. This had been one of his few indulgences in a disciplined and controlled life. He had waited patiently for Saturdays and the fruit sherbet. Trips for ice cream had been a long-standing tradition for them.

  Grace shook off her nostalgia. “Sorry, Granddad, I didn’t hear you.”

  He stared up at the ceiling. “I said I apologize for this, honey.” A frown worked over his face. “I didn’t want you to come. Then that nice young woman said you had to know. Sorry.” He closed his eyes. “My head hurts. I can’t remember why. What…what happened to me? Why can’t I remember?” He was growing agitated.

  “It will all come back to you, Granddad. For now, you need to rest.”

  “No. I need to know what happened.”

  Grace sat next to him and placed her hand over his, explaining that he had had an accident at the clinic. He wouldn’t forgive vague explanations about his prognosis, so she gave the truth but kept the details brief. “Your ribs will take the longest to mend, but like everything else, they will heal.” She rushed on as he opened his mouth to blurt out more questions. “Yes, the animal shelter is in good hands. Your staff took over, along with Caro’s grandmother. That’s why Morgan hasn’t been over to see you yet. She’s been busy organizing your friends onto a volunteer schedule so the place will keep running as well as it always has.”

  His eyelids closed. He sighed deeply, as if all his burdens had finally been lifted. “I’m…very relieved. I knew Morgie would help. But I wish I could see her.”

  Grace kept talking in a soft voice. “I’ll be doing my share, too, but Morgan would have a fit if I tried to take over, and she’d be right. She knows exactly what you would want done for the animals…?.”

  A tear fought to escape and Grace blinked hard.

  She should know what he’d want done, but she’d never been home long enough to find out. She should know all the details of her grandfather’s daily routine so she could take care of him properly, but she’d been too wrapped up in her own life to notice how much he was aging.

  Guilt made her sick as she stared at his pale features. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help you more, Granddad. I should have been.”

  “You should not.” His voice was precise and determined, sounding just the way she remembered it.

  Startled, Grace studied his face. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you should have been doing exactly what you were—building your life, filling it with wonderful people who matter to you.” He seemed to rouse, his focus clear suddenly. “The thought of my granddaughter hovering over me day and night, as if I was helpless and needed constant care like an invalid.” He poked a finger at the air. “Appalling.”

  “You mean you don’t want me here?”

  “Of course that’s not what I meant. I love to see you. But you have your own life now. I only want you here if it doesn’t create a problem for you.” The vet closed his eyes again, sounding very tired. His eye cracked open. “I want your promise on that. You can leave now. I’ll be fine.”

  “It’s not a problem. I have plenty to do here.” Grace had considered her friends’ proposition for Harbor House thoroughly during her sleepless nights. This new venture would solve all kinds problems and give her something to do while she cared for her grandfather, since his recovery could take months. She would be home, where she wanted to be, doing what she loved.

  Except Noah was on the other side of the country.

  Grace looked down and saw that Peter was sound asleep, looking weak but at peace. And she realized his cool fingers were wrapped tightly around hers, almost childlike.

  She didn’t expect the storm of love and protectiveness that hit her as she listened to his quiet breathing.

  When his grip finally relaxed, Grace walked out into the hallway. Closing her eyes, she sank back against the wall, trembling. Most of what she felt was relief that her grandfather was lucid again, even briefly.

  She had so much to be thankful for. But it would be a long road back. And his weakened condition meant a whole new set of responsibilities for her.

  “Honey, are you all right?” One of the intensive-care nurses crossed the hall, studying her face. She glanced at the name on the door. “That’s your grandfather, Dr. Lindstrom, right? The vet from down the coast?”

  Grace managed a nod, wiping her eyes furiously.

  “First of all, crying is nothing to be ashamed of. Having a relative in the hospital hits us all hard. But your grandfather is doing extremely well. Don’t get upset because he’s forgetful. It often happens after head trauma. He’s going to look weak and pale until he gets out of the hospital and starts exercising again. All things considered, he’s in amazing shape.”

  Grace forced a smile. “I know you’re right. I know that he’s being well cared for, too. And I’m so glad that he finally recognized me today. But he’s so changed. So thin.” She took a deep breath. “I hate seeing him this way. Now I can’t seem to stop all these emotions.”

  The nurse nodded. “It’s traumatic, but don’t bury your feelings. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to get angry and kick something, get angry and kick something. The very best thing you can do right now is to find people you love and tell them how you feel. Tell them that you love them. That kind of honesty is the best medicine in the world,” the nurse said firmly. “And I won’t even charge you for it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” But Grace didn’t want to talk to anyone about how she felt. She couldn’t stop worrying about her grandfather or the big changes ahead of both of them. The responsibility of keeping the animal shelter on firm ground made her doubly worried. And Grace’s friends had their own problems. She wasn’t about to burden them with hers.

  Find someone that you love.

  Somehow, without knowing it, her hand slid to her pocket. She reacted with raw instinct, no longer fighting the emotions flowing through her. She had to talk to someone. Denial wouldn’t help her or her grandfather. She had lost a fiancé—and then lost him again when she learned the extent of his betrayals. Her career had been her solace during that dark time of pain, but with her grandfather so ill, there would be no more research that would take her away from home for weeks. She still had her restaurant consulting work, and eventually she might find a few jobs in Portland or the upscale restaurants of the Willamette Valley to supplement income from the Harbor House when it opened. Over time she could build up local contacts, but it would be slow.

  More changes. More shifting ground beneath her feet.

  Overwhelmed by looming uncertainties, Grace closed her eyes. She had always dreamed bigger than one town and one state. Her heart had always led the way, calling her down little paved streets on Paris’s Left Bank or the back roads of Asia. She loved the obscure and the exotic. She savored the excitement of waking up every day in a new town, sometimes a new continent, wandering through market
s with spices she had no names for.

  But she loved her grandfather deeply. There was no question that she would stay and help him, even though he would frown and try to talk her out of it. As long as he needed her, she would stay. It would be hard for both of them to accept the changes to come. He would hate his loss of independence, hate his new weakness. Physical therapy would be a trial. How was she going to manage him and the animal shelter and still do her share at the café?

  She gave a little jump at a chime from her cell phone. A text message flickered on the screen.

  Hey. Haven’t heard from you in a while. Everything OK?

  Threads of warmth worked through her. It was hard to face these new emotions and harder still to share them, but Grace knew the nurse was right. She needed to reach out to someone she could trust.

  Even if he was on the opposite side of the continent. She took a deep breath and began to type. Not sure.

  Your grandfather?

  Lucid, thank heaven. We just talked. But he’s so pale, nothing like the man I remember. And right now…all I seem to want to do is cry. I feel so stupid. Helpless. I think I’m a mess.

  She pressed the send button, then leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

  She missed his voice, missed his laugh. Suddenly she ached to feel his arms around her. She needed to feel safe, but her world was changing too fast.

  Not stupid. NOT helpless.

  There was a pause.

  At hospital?

  Yes.

  Grace’s phone rang. She recognized the Washington, D.C., area code of the caller. “Hello?”

  “You’re not helpless and you’re not a mess. You could never be a mess. You’re the most sane, stable and well-balanced person I know. Let’s get that straight right now.”

  His voice calmed her on almost a physical level. Grace felt his strength and absolute confidence in her. They flowed out to her, real and true despite the distance. That knowledge made some of the tension leave her shoulders. “You wouldn’t say that if you could see me now. My hair is a wreck. I’m wearing a black sweatshirt that’s two sizes too big because that’s all that my friend Jilly had to loan me. Yeah, I’m a mess.” Her voice fell. “It’s really good to talk to you. I miss you, Noah.”

  “Me, too, honey.” He cleared his throat and Grace heard a chair creak nearby.

  “If you’re busy, I can call back later.”

  “Now is fine. Tell me what’s happened and what I can do to help.”

  Grace felt her heart lurch at the tenderness in his voice. She wanted to see him, to touch his face and hear his laugh. She hated being so far away from him. “Noah—I can’t leave, not for several weeks. Maybe longer. It all depends on my grandfather. But do you think…would you consider coming here? One day, two days or even a week. Whatever you want.” She took a ragged breath. “I miss you. Did I already say that?”

  “You did. I’ll come. Just as soon as I can, I promise. But I’ve got things to tie up here. I’m not sure how long that will take.”

  “Whenever you can get here is fine, no pressure. I’ll be ready. I’ll even cook for you.” She smiled into the phone, restored to balance. Then she took a deep breath and told him all about her grandfather and the new café and the Harbor House project. If her voice wavered a little during the telling, Noah made no comment. When she was done, she heard the sound of the creaking chair as he leaned back. That’s some island you’ve got. Friends like that will stick by you. And from what I know about your grandfather, he’s a stubborn old moose. He’ll recover. In fact, he’ll probably outlive all of us. Now tell me more about this house you plan to restore.”

  GRACE WAS CHUCKLING ten minutes later when she hung up. She didn’t put her phone away immediately. Holding its weight made her feel as if she was still connected to Noah.

  She gripped the cool metal, trying to hold tight to this precious new thing they had found. Even if their relationship went no further, Grace wanted him in her life, whether as a friend, a confidante or as a lover.

  But the truth was that she wanted him to be all three.

  FOG WAS BURNING away above the ocean when Grace turned into the parking area at the Summer Island Animal Shelter. She sat without moving, remembering all the other times she had come here. Usually there were three or four cars parked in the rough gravel area, but now she saw at least three dozen. As she turned off the motor, a young couple and their teenage son walked by. The father was lecturing the boy about the responsibilities that came with being a volunteer and how much the animals inside needed their help, now that Dr. Peter was sick.

  Two more cars pulled up. A young girl got out of one, and Grace recognized the daughter of an old friend. The girl saw her and waved, then climbed the steps to the front door, followed by a teenage boy carrying a big bag of dog food.

  Grace took a deep breath. She had such deep and fixed memories of this place and all the time she had spent working here with her grandfather. She knew that he had hoped she would follow in his footsteps one day and go to veterinary school, but Grace’s dreams had carried her on a different path. Her grandfather had never argued with her about that choice, but she had always felt guilty that she couldn’t be what he had hoped. At the least she would see that his beloved animals were well tended until his return, whenever that might be.

  For a moment she felt a lump at her throat. It had been a struggle for him to finish a sentence and impossible for him to stand up unassisted. He had so far to go.

  But she pushed the dark thoughts out of her mind. He had improved steadily the past few days, and there was no reason that he wouldn’t keep right on improving with good care.

  Meanwhile, the animal shelter looked to be in excellent hands. Two more cars had pulled up. She saw a pair of high school students dumping trash in the back. A trio of teenage girls and their parents were cleaning out animal cages nearby, scrubbing them down with the long gloves and heavy brushes that Grace remembered from her own childhood chores. There were always chores here, always another cage to clean. It was time for her to get started.

  INSIDE, EVERY ROOM was full of volunteers tackling the hard jobs that came with caring for almost seventy animals. She recognized some of the faces, longtime residents of Summer Island. Others were not so familiar, probably children and relatives. Working together, they flew through the jobs that had usually taken her grandfather and his small staff many hours.

  Grace watched in amazement, aware that everyone here had come because of her grandfather. It was a gift of thanks to a man who had never asked for any.

  As she walked down the hall to her grandfather’s office, Grace waved to the tall college student who helped supervise the shelter. Andy Wilson was in his senior year of college, and after that he was bound for vet school. But right now, all his spare time went into helping Dr. Peter. When he saw Grace, he jumped up from behind his desk.

  “Grace, it’s great to see you! I just heard from a friend who works at the hospital that your grandfather is doing a whole lot better today. I can’t tell you how worried I was.” He waved her to a seat and then crossed to pour her a cup of coffee, adding a healthy dose of cream, just the way she liked it. “Man, have you seen anything like this? When I got here around seven the parking lot already had ten cars and it’s been growing every hour. Do you believe it? The word is out about your grandfather and people just began showing up to help.” He ran a hand through his long hair, then pointed to the local men unloading heavy feed bags from a storage area in the back of the shelter. “I didn’t have to ask anyone, Grace. It’s—well, amazing. Everyone here on Summer Island owes him. He’s helped more people than I can count, but he never mentions it. That’s just his way.”

  Grace nodded, fighting tears. “I know. He never asks for help.”

  “Sometimes he got mad if I offered to take over for him.” The boy turned, blinking a little as he looked out the window. “He helped me so much.” He cleared his throat. “At the beginning of my sophomore year, my sch
olarship was cut. I was working two jobs, but it wasn’t enough. Your grandfather insisted on loaning me enough to get me through the year. I argued, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Yeah, I owe him. Everyone here owes him. And by the time he’s out of the hospital, this whole facility is going to shine from the baseboards to the ceiling,” he said fiercely. “I hate that he had to be hurt for this to happen, but he refused anything except the most necessary help before.”

  “I understand only too well. And this will make him so happy. Anything for the animals. I’ll be sure and tell him when I go back to the hospital.” Grace finished her coffee and stood up. “Isn’t there anything I can do to help? The last time we talked on the phone, he told me there were all kinds of small repair jobs that needed to be done.”

  “We’re finally taking care of them now.” Andy followed Grace to the door. “But that water heater took us by surprise. I mean, we both knew it was ancient. It’s been here as long as this building has been here, but it never looked unstable.”

  He looked at Grace, frowning. “I should have kept a better eye on things. All I can figure is that the power went out in the storm. We had a small quake here the same night, pretty rare for Oregon. He must have gone down in the basement, looking for the backup generator. Maybe he tripped or maybe one of the metal legs of the water heater collapsed and knocked the shelf unit over on him.” Andy made a flat sound of anger. “I still feel sick when I think of him down there in the cold all night, alone and bleeding.” His face looked strained. “He insisted on doing too much. If I had fought harder, none of this would have happened.”

  He was clearly upset, Grace realized. She moved quickly, blocking his way. “It’s not your fault, Andy. I know just how stubborn my grandfather can be. Thank heavens you found him the next morning and had Caro and Gage help get him to the hospital. Maybe we should all be thankful for this wake-up call. Now things are going to change and he’ll have to accept more help, like it or not. Since I’m going to be here, I’ll make sure that he doesn’t overwork.”