ER nurse Gilly Grant looked up from her post behind the reception area in time to see a man dash through the double doors into the lobby carrying a small screaming bundle.
“I need help. I think my baby is running a fever. She won’t stop crying. She won’t even keep her pacifier in her mouth, just keeps spitting it out. And I don’t know what to do.”
Calm and cool was Gilly’s trademark. And she needed it now more than she had during the last seven hours. She liked to think she could size up a situation and get it under control in record time. Now was no different.
“Let’s take a look at her. Let’s move into Exam Room One at the corner.”
The ER area was partitioned off using blue, floor-to-ceiling curtains, the only privacy that any emergency room afforded anyone.
Gilly directed him to one of these sections. “Park yourself in there and we’ll get this show on the road.” She trailed after the man with a clipboard in her hand. “I need you to fill out some papers for insurance purposes. So I’ll trade ya. You take the clipboard, I’ll take the baby. How’s that sound?”
Simon’s hands shook as he relinquished his hold, handing Delaney off to the slender blonde with ash-colored locks tied back in a no-fuss short ponytail. “I changed her diaper. Did a bit better than the first time, but she still won’t settle down enough to go to sleep. It’s almost like she’s too wired to sleep. That’s after she napped around five o’clock.”
The nurse grimaced in disapproval. “This afternoon? That’s really too late for a toddler to be napping unless they’re sick. Next time, put her down earlier, like say around twelve-thirty or so after she’s eaten lunch.”
“I might’ve done that, but I didn’t have her at one o’clock.”
“I see.” Gilly deftly placed a digital thermometer in Delaney’s ear. “She’s ninety-nine. But good lord, no wonder she’s hot. You have her bundled up like it’s two degrees outside. Way too much clothing.”
“I put everything on her that was in her diaper bag. I thought…you know…it must be in there for a reason.”
Gilly bit back her laughter as she peeled off each layer one by one until she got down to an adorable set of PJs dotted with little purple monkeys. “No. The pajamas will suffice. Next time, try to remember sometimes less is the way to go.”
Simon was on his last nerve. So when he detected a hint of sarcasm, he lost it. “Could you, I don’t know, cut me some slack here? I’ve been a dad for less than ten minutes so I’m trying my best. Be glad I got her to eat supper.”
Gilly’s heart softened. “Less than ten minutes, huh? New daddy jitters?”
“Brand new. I just found out…” He looked at his watch. “Seven hours ago, so I suppose there’s a possibility she might be missing her mom.”
At the word, Delaney hiccupped and said, “Ma-ma.”
“It breaks my heart,” Simon revealed. “So far that’s the only word out of her mouth that I recognize. Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of babbling.”
Gilly decided she’d sized up the situation and had it all figured out. It must be Dad’s week to take care of the little munchkin. “Custody issues can be hard on a child this age.”
“I wouldn’t know about that.”
Gilly continued to bounce the toddler on her hip, hoping to coax her temperature back down to ninety-eight now that she’d unlayered the little tyke. “Oh really? So, it isn’t your week to…?”
“No. It seems this is a permanent deal.”
“I see. Where is her mom then?”
Simon sucked in a nervous breath at the prospect this was all on him. “Gone. Dead. Car accident. Ten days ago. I just found out this afternoon.”
Gilly’s hand whipped out to rub his arm. “I’m so sorry.”
Simon went into a detailed play by play of how the lawyer from Boston had all but dumped Delaney on his doorstep and taken off.
Gilly’s hazel eyes sharpened into spears of disbelief. “That’s how you found out? That seems incredibly unfair with no warning like that. Look, I’ll take her temp again. With any luck it’s dropped to within normal range and you can take her home.”
This time, Gilly used the thermometer with infrared technology. It only took a few seconds to get a reading. She smiled and grabbed the clipboard out of his hands. “You don’t need to fill this out. There’s not a thing wrong with this baby that a good night’s sleep won’t fix. Your little traveler has had a very long day and she’s tired and cranky. That’s my opinion, for what it’s worth. If she keeps fussing and won’t settle down, you might want to make an appointment during regular business hours to see Dr. Blackwood. It wouldn’t be a bad idea anyway since she’s a new patient and you want to get her established.”
“Thanks. How’d you get so smart about kids?”
Her lips curved. “I spent four years in nursing school. Plus, I have a toddler of my own.”
“You’re kidding? And you work nights? How on earth do you do all that? Nurse, mom, wife.”
“Oh no. Not me. I’m not married. I had a boyfriend once who knocked me up and took off as soon as I mentioned the P word. I was in Texas at the time. Why? Because like the idiot I was I’d followed that lousy asshole right out of state just two months out of nursing school. But as soon as I learned I was pregnant and he didn’t want to be part of it, I got myself back to Pelican Pointe faster than he could push me out the door. But hey, I’m lucky. My mom takes care of my three-year-old during the time I’m working.”
“Working graveyard is tough.”
She grinned again. “Three days a week I work my tail off, four p.m. to four a.m., thirty-six hours total and then I’m off four. The hours aren’t for everyone, but it works for me.”
“Your three-year-old, boy or girl?”
“Boy. Jayden. I’m Gillian Grant, but people call me Gilly.”
“Simon Bremmer.” Feeling better, he stood up and took Delaney out of her arms with slightly more confidence than he’d had walking in there. “I still have to call my mom and let her know she has a granddaughter.”
“Will it be a good surprise or…?”
“No, she’ll love it. I think. I hope.”
“Then maybe she could come out and help you.”
“She would if she could. But she takes care of her sister. They live together. My Aunt Lorraine suffers from Alzheimer’s.”
“I’m sorry. That’s a horrible disease to have.” Gilly caught a glimpse of the toddler’s now sleeping face. “Looks like your little angel’s finally given it up.”
“I better get on the road then. Where do I check out? There’s no one in here but you.”
Gilly laughed. “This is a small hospital. I’ll note it in the log that you brought Delaney in, but really, there’s no charge. I just took her temperature and got all those layers off.”
One-handed, Simon began to bundle up what he’d brought in, but Gilly did it for him, stuffing it all back down into the diaper bag.
“My to-do list is really long tomorrow. But maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Maybe. It’s a small town. I’m here Sunday nights, Mondays, and Tuesdays into Wednesday morning.”
“And off the other days.”
“And off the others. Good luck, Simon Bremmer.” She slipped the diaper bag onto his shoulder and walked him to the double doors. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ll learn that kids are fairly resilient. Get the basics you need for her comfort and the rest will take care of itself. And try to relax. Get to know your daughter. Don’t be so uptight. Delaney will sense that and react. Go with the flow.”
Simon nodded. “Thanks. I’ll try to remember all that.”
He breathed in the fresh air on the way to Jordan’s Explorer, feeling calmer than before. Merlin greeted him with a lick to the face.
He put his finger to his lips to make sure Merlin didn’t wake up the baby and whispered, “Scoot over. Make room so I can fasten her in.”
Merlin obliged by leaping into the front seat.
After getting Delaney secured and managing not to rouse her, he started the engine. His mind drifted to a new set of wheels, one more thing he needed to take care of tomorrow. Maybe not brand new but new enough that he could get around with the doodle-bug in tow. There were only two people in town who sold used cars. Wally Pierce at the gas station tended to buy and sell the classic cars he fixed up. But in this case, Simon didn’t think a classic was the answer. He needed something a dad would drive, something that came with all the bells and whistles and safety features for kids.
For that, he headed to Tradewinds Drive and Pacific where Bradford Radcliff had taken an empty lot full of weeds and started buying up used cars from the surrounding towns until finally he’d put together enough vehicles to start selling off his inventory.
Simon slowed down at the corner to inspect what Brad had on hand. He spotted a few minivans, the kind he knew soccer moms drove. Those things had enough room for a slew of kids, but it wasn’t his style at all. Nothing he saw on the lot caught his fancy so he headed for home. As he gunned the engine, he hoped to Christ he didn’t have to waste money on an ugly box like that. He’d rather drive a station wagon. Did they even make them anymore? he wondered.
At home, he put Delaney in her crib and started unpacking the diaper bag, setting things out on the shelves and dresser so each item would be within easy reach, like baby wipes. He counted out the diapers and found that he had only five on hand. He’d need to pick up a supply tomorrow. He opened the suitcase, started organizing her clothes into neat stacks in each drawer. It didn’t take him that long because there weren’t that many outfits to put away.
He went out to the kitchen and found Nick’s list tacked to the refrigerator and added the diapers and a nightlight to the bottom. He wiped down the high chair in preparation for breakfast. It wasn’t until he started cleaning up the dishes that he realized he hadn’t eaten anything since he’d been out on the water. Almost twelve hours had gone by since he’d had lunch and yet so much had changed.
He made himself a ham and cheese sandwich and got himself a beer. He took it over to the couch and plopped down. Merlin ambled up and put his head on the sofa.
“Yeah, buddy, things are changing in a big way. I’m not sure what to do about it. Are we really daddy material?” He ruffled the dog’s fur. “I guess we’ll find out.”
He finished his food, drained his beer, and headed off to bed.
Merlin growled before Simon ever flipped on the light. Transfixed for several moments, Simon locked eyes with the man who sat in the corner in the Pottery Barn chair his mother had picked out a year earlier.
He thought of the M9 Beretta he kept in the nightstand drawer, but realized he’d never be able to get to it before the intruder made his move.
Scott Phillips held up both hands in surrender. “No need to freak out. It’s only me.”
“Who the hell is me?” Simon asked as he watched man’s best friend trot over to sniff out the prowler. Instead of latching onto the man’s arm with his teeth like he’d expected, Merlin simply wagged his tail.
“You don’t recognize me? It has been a long time. Scott Phillips. You knew me as Captain.”
Simon narrowed his eyes at the way the man was dressed---khaki shorts, a short-sleeved blue button-down shirt left open and worn over a pale-yellow T-shirt. He began inching his way toward the nightstand. “Scott Phillips is dead.”
“You might want to lock up that Beretta now that there’s a child in the house,” Scott pointed out.
“How’d you get in here? I put in an alarm system when I moved in.”
“Which in your haste to get to the hospital tonight you forgot to activate.”
By this time Simon had opened the drawer and removed the weapon, aiming it across the room.
“That’s not gonna do you much good as you’ve already pointed out that I’m no longer of this world.” Scott got to his feet, stood spine straight. “But if you ask nicely, I’ll think about leaving. I have several fancy exits that I’ve perfected over the years. There’s the poof and I’m gone. I prefer that one. Then there’s the exit through the wall. A little too over the top at times, but it gets them every time. Then there’s the fade out, which usually freaks people out the most because I leave part of my body in the now.”
Jokes aside, Simon found no humor in any of it. “You aren’t real. I’m so exhausted I’m seeing things. Hallucinating. That’s it. I’m just tired.”
“You have had a rough day. It isn’t every man who finds out he’s a father from a snot-nosed, rude Boston lawyer.”
“Word travels fast in a small town.”
“It does. But I have an inside track. I’m usually found roaming the grounds somewhere around Promise Cove. Ask Jordan about me. Ask Nick. Hell, you can even ask Cord. They’ll all tell you the same thing. I’m a permanent fixture around here.”
“Then how come I’ve never seen you until tonight?”
“Until tonight, you haven’t needed me. Put the gun down, Simon. Lock it away so Delaney won’t get to it. You’re not back in the war. You’re not out on patrol. You don’t need to light up the driver at seventy yards to protect a convoy. You’re a changed man from the one who could so easily pull that trigger and not think twice about it.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Simon uttered quietly. “You of all people should know what I’ve done.”
“In the name of war,” Scott pointed out.
“Yeah, well, if I’d reacted quicker you’d still be alive.”
“Absolute nonsense. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking on your part. My Hummer hit an IED. No matter how many rounds you’d’ve gotten off, I’d still be dead. Land mines tend to work that way.”
“You’re awfully casual about it now.”
“I’ve had years to deal with all the regret. You’ve tried so hard to put the war behind you. Don’t let the demons take over now, now that you’ve connected with your daughter, don’t let them win.”
Simon loosened his grip on the M9. “She is mine, isn’t she? I can see it in the eyes. They’re the same blue as mine.”
“Go with your gut. It’s never failed you before. It won’t now.”
“Why are you here?”
“You saved my life once, before that day it all ended. You gave me an extra two months of living, breathing, of writing letters back home. I wish it could’ve been spent back here, but it was time I valued. I’m here to pay you back any way I can. You’re here for a reason.”
There was a second of understanding between man and ghost before the ghost simply wasn’t there. Merlin woofed at the vanishing act, clearly confused as to what had just happened.
Simon was left holding the Beretta. “I guess that was the ‘poof and I’m gone version,’” he muttered to the dog.
As he bent to put the weapon back in the drawer, he changed his mind. Instead, he reached up in the top of the closet and brought down a handgun case. After locking the pistol up, he fell into bed, exhausted.