Chapter Twenty

 

 

SHEP

 

I lay still, blinking my eyes a couple of times while I waited for my mind to clear a bit. To my left Ivy sat in a chair, her head resting on my bed while she slept. Her chestnut hair fell across both shoulders, reminding me of a goddess. She was my goddess. My head pounded, but I remembered the moment she walked in the door and my heart calmed.

I coughed once, unable to hold it in and her head snapped up. “Hi,” she whispered, instantly touching my face and kissing my forehead. “You’re okay,” she said, but her eyes were wild as if she couldn’t remember why she had to say it, but she knew she did.

I caressed her face. “Hi. You’re okay. You’re at the hospital. You stayed.”

She shoved her hair behind her shoulders and secured it with the tie on her wrist. “You told me not to leave you for a second,” she reminded me, her lips curling up. “As if I would.” She leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my lips, her thumb stroking my cheek. “You scared me to death last night.”

I nodded, a frown tugging my lips down. “I know. I heard you yelling at the nurse all the way back here. I believe you called yourself my girlfriend,” I whispered, kissing her hand.

She stroked my forehead, her eyes telling me more than her lips ever could. “I wanted to lie and tell her I was your sister or your wife so she’d let me back here,” she admitted, a smile on her face.

Her sweet smile raced through me and my eyes opened wide. “I remember hearing them talking,” I said excitedly. “I couldn’t get through to them because I couldn’t get enough air in to speak. I was afraid you’d hear about it from a customer, race out into the storm, and get hurt.”

She rubbed my forehead and adjusted the nasal cannula in my nose. “Shhhh, I’m fine. The mayor sent Jake to bring me to the hospital safely. He even rolled the lights and sirens. You should be impressed; he doesn’t do that for just anyone.”

“I hope you never have to do it again, but knowing me, it’s possible,” I joked. “Did you call my mom and Felix by chance?”

She nodded. “We did it together, don’t you remember?”

I closed my eyes hoping it would help me recall the evening, but I was lost. “I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she assured me. “They told us you might not remember much about the night for a few days, if ever. Do you remember what they told you about your head?”

I stared at her, the memory gone from my mind. “I hurt it,” I answered vaguely.

She frowned and rubbed my chest. “You have a concussion and a small skull fracture on the left side. The doctors said it will heal fine by itself as long as you’re careful.”

“Hmmm, so I should wear a helmet for a while?”

She giggled softly. “Sure, how about if we ask your mom if she still has the one you had as a kid with the fake mohawk on it? I’m sure you’d look super professional wearing it to work.”

I gave her the thumbs up. “I can’t remember the accident.”

She kept rubbing my chest lovingly. “Don’t worry, there were plenty of witnesses and they all told the same story. The part of the story I can’t wipe from my mind is how they all said you should be dead. If you hadn’t been paying attention you might be.”

I forced a smile to my face and lifted my hand up, needing to touch her. “You are real,” I said to myself. My hand slid down to the ring on her finger. “You’re mine, right?”

Her brows furrowed and she appeared concerned. “I think we should call the nurse to check your oxygen. You’re still not quite right.”

She fumbled for the button, but I held onto her hand until she glanced back. “There’s nothing wrong with my oxygen. I was laying here watching you sleep and thinking about how lucky I am to have you. I keep asking myself if you’re real and mine because I’ve wanted you for years. I’ve had to bite my tongue and pretend I was happy being just your friend. I wasn’t, not at all. Since we’ve been together, it’s like I’m on high alert at all times between my asthma and my job. I don’t want our time together cut short. I’m never doing the plowing again.”

She laughed sadly and held me around the shoulders. “I’m relatively certain Mayor Tottle feels the same way. As far as he’s concerned a big truck will take the time off the road to do it from now on. He won’t risk any of his employees, but he almost flipped thinking he lost his new director. From what I heard, he was on the site in minutes and nutso, even insisting on being in the ambulance with you.”

I closed my eyes, working to recall anything from the cold, snowy, dark night. I gasped. “I remember…” I stuttered. “He was gonzo. I thought he was going to pick the Gator up and hurl it into the snowbank himself so the ambulance could get to me.”

She stroked my forehead, keeping my hair out of my face. “It looks bad to the community when a public employee gets hurt on the job,” she said. “Especially someone the entire community is friends with.”

My eyes widened again and my breathing picked up its pace. “It wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t driving the car. Oh, God, I watched it happen,” I whispered. “She had to hit the brakes to miss another car spinning down the street and it put her into a tailspin.” I closed my eyes again and moaned. She rubbed my arm rhythmically and another flash hit me. “The Gator, it was stuck. It was hung up on a piece of ice under the front passenger side. I was unbuckling my harness to get out and dislodge it when I made eye contact with the driver.” I sucked in pure oxygen through the nasal cannula and my chest heaved.

“Shep,” she said sharply, holding my chin. “You have to slow your breathing or I’m calling the nurses in.” She always ordered me around, but I had to admit, I loved it. She rubbed my chest until my breathing settled out again and I could speak.

“I noticed her because she was waving her arms from the car, motioning for me to get out, get out,” I whispered. “She was yelling through her window. Get out! Get out! I think they told me she was a nurse?”

She gripped my hand tightly and nodded. “She’s an LPN who works at the nursing home. She was distraught and they brought her here to make sure she wasn’t hurt. They released her a few hours ago and Jake took her home.”

I put my hand on my head, the throbbing by my temple driving me to distraction. “I feel terrible for her. It wasn’t her fault. She, she tried to save me. I saw her, Ivy. She was doing everything she could.”

“Shhhhh,” she soothed. “No one is upset at anyone, except maybe the driver who hit her, but it’s over and done with now. Please, try to relax,” she whispered.

“I have to talk to her. I have to tell her she wasn’t at fault,” I begged.

Her touch soothed me as she ran her thumb across my face. “Mayor Tottle spoke with her at length and assured her no one held her accountable. It was just an accident. Once you’re feeling up to it, we’ll ask her to the diner and share a cup of coffee with her. You can tell her yourself what you remember. You can assure her you don’t blame her for the accident, okay? I’m sure she would appreciate hearing your recollection of the event. From what Orlando told me she was the first one to render aid to you after the accident.”

I turned to my side to take the pressure off my head. “I remember her calling 911, and holding me down so I didn’t move. She told one of my coworkers I was bleeding from my head.”

She stood and leaned over me, checking my skull. “You’re hurting, aren’t you?”

I nodded, regretting it immediately. “I am. I could use some ice or Advil or something.”

“They can’t give you anything stronger than Advil because of your breathing right now. Morphine or oxycodone will depress your respirations too much, unfortunately. I’ll call the nurse.”

She pressed the red nurse button and then sat on the bed, rubbing my shoulder. “The good news is, your asthma is under control again. I’m happy for that small favor,” she said, smiling.

“Honestly, I don’t know what they gave me, but it worked better than anything I’ve ever had.”

She smiled and shook her head. “They used the same thing they always use, Shep. Except they did add some Xanax to the mix because your head injury was making you combative.”

I forced the fog from my mind so I could keep talking to her. “Then it was you,” I answered, my eyes tired of the dim light. I closed them and searched for her hand. When we connected I grasped it in mine.

“What was me?” she asked, stroking my chest.

“Why my breathing cleared up. I was worried about you and it paralyzed me. As soon as I heard your voice I was able to suck in air,” I whispered.

“I’m okay, Shep,” I promised him. “I’m going to be here to take care of you.”

I heard rustling in the room and opened my eyes. A nurse stood in front of the bed checking my monitors. “I brought you some Advil and an icepack. Are you up for it?” she asked.

I shifted on the bed, my head pounding as I sat up enough to swallow the medicine. “Thanks,” I whispered, lying back down. She held up the icepack. “Get comfortable and I’ll lay this on the knot on your head. It’s going to be cold, but if you leave it on it will numb the pain.”

I wiggled down into the pillow, resting on my right side and she laid the gel pack on my head. “Oh, that feels good,” I moaned, relief flowing through me. “Thanks, Nadia,” I said, giving the nurse a thumbs up.

She patted Ivy’s shoulder. “You’re welcome. Don’t be afraid to call us if you need anything. I’ll let you sleep.”

She left the room and Ivy rubbed my shoulder, her butt still on my bed. “You should sleep now. They’ll wake you up in two hours anyway,” she reminded me.

My hand shook as it caressed her face, my fingers tangled in her hair. “I love you, Ivy. More than you’ll ever understand. When I saw the car coming at me, the only thought in my mind was you. All I could see was your beautiful face. The way you move, the way you kiss me, the way you feel under me when we make love. All I could see was you.”

She rubbed her thumb across my forehead to calm me. “I love you, too. You have to relax or they’re going to kick me out of here,” she said.

“I don’t want you to leave,” I begged, and she rested her hand on my chest.

“I’m not going to, ever, honey. I love you more than you love me. I hate seeing you hurt,” she whimpered.

“I don’t know, I love you hard,” I teased, my eyes fluttering closed. “Tell me about your day. I’ll relax if you keep talking to me.”

She ran her hand down my arm and sighed. “I suppose I should tell you we have new plans for part of Christmas Day. It seems Lucille left money to the city to host a Christmas meal. Orlando talked to me about it this morning and I’ve been working on it all day. The Jewish Men’s Club is going to host the event, but I’ll have to be there since it’s my diner. I think it will be fun to be part of, even if we have to give up part of our day. Lucille always cared about the lonely people who came to the diner, and those who couldn’t afford a holiday meal. She’s managed, even from the grave, to keep her love for the community alive. It’s going to be a great time. We have activities planned for the kids…”

I focused on her voice as she told me her plans for the day. My eyelids were too heavy to open, so I couldn’t tell her how proud of her I was. I drifted in and out of sleep, listening to her voice, as it calmed me more and more by the minute. She was the best thing to ever happen to me, and after tonight I had no doubt in my mind she was my Christmas miracle. The accident was a minor setback, but I knew one thing. I had to follow through on my plan to make her mine. Good thing I’d already set things in motion. I drifted off to sleep, a smile on my face, my determination to call her my everything greater than any head injury could slow. If I had anything to say about it, Susanna Ivy Lancombe would be Susanna Ivy Lund, by this time next year.

 

 

IVY

 

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming today,” I said, addressing a group of men who stood in a semicircle around the counter. “Lucille loved brightening people’s lives with food, and she clearly didn’t want her passion to end with her death. For all of you to step up and serve the meal, well, it means everything to me.”

Amos Griffith, the president of the club, held his arms out. “Merry Christmas to you, Ivy. It is our pleasure to offer a meal on the holy day of our Christian friends. It’s the least we can do for you and for Yahweh. He asks of His servants to serve, to love, and to care for others. You, young lady, are a beautiful example of His love. We have prayed for you and for Shepard. How is he?”

I smiled at the mention of his name. “He’s taking it easy until after the New Year, but he’s recovering, thank you for asking. I do believe Yahweh was looking out for him that night, it could have been much worse. He will be by later to share in the day with us.”

Amos smiled one of those smiles that told me he knew more about Shep and I than he wanted to say. “Excellent, we look forward to wishing him well. I suppose we should all man our stations?”

I clapped my hands. “Yes! The doors will open in a few minutes. The food is ready. All the cooks need to do is keep it hot and plate it as people order. We’re offering a full turkey dinner or spinach lasagna for anyone who is vegetarian. We also have coffee, milk, tea, and pop for drinks. I’ll be in charge of the pies.”

A man near the side chuckled. “We’d have it no other way. You’re known as quite the pie lady in Bells Pass.”

I laughed. “I accept the title, thank you. It was one of the many things Lucille taught me. She always said pie is pie unless you put your heart and soul into it, then pie is love. I want to spread a years’ worth of love here today. I have apple, pumpkin, and cherry pie, which will be plated and ready for you to grab as it’s requested. Hopefully, we pull this off without a hitch. I’m a bit nervous about it, being we didn’t have much time to plan. If we roll with the punches we should be fine.”

All the men nodded and joined hands. The man on each side of me reached for mine and I slipped my hands in theirs, unsure of what they were doing. Amos spoke next. “We have a Jewish tradition to pray over the food we are about to eat with a special prayer. In this case, we will pray over it for those who will eat it, to thank Yahweh for his blessings. Psalm 136 reads, He gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. Let us pray,” he said.

In a chorus of voices, the men prayed while I stood mutely, my head bowed, taking it all in. “Blessed art though, Lord our god, King of the universe, who by his word brings about all things. Amen,” they said in unison and I glanced up, but Amos wasn’t done. “Thank you, oh Lord, king of all, for the opportunity to serve you today beside your servant, Ivy. Please bless her threefold for her perseverance, charity, and loving heart. Amen.”

I whispered amen with him and squeezed the hands of the men next to me. Life was good and I had never been happier than I was in this moment. The men’s faces showed me more than anything how far I’ve come, and with Shep’s love, I can reach any dream I set my mind to.