Two weeks later …

Harper watched the various blips on the hospital monitors nervously, the noises they made echoing throughout the room. Logan squeezed her hand, making her relax a bit. She was happy he was there with her, although she was still a little miffed about him wanting to kick her off the investigation. But she knew he'd done that to protect her, and after what had happened, he'd made a good point about not wanting her to get hurt.

“Stop worrying about me,” Tanner said to her. “I feel great!”

Harper smiled as Uncle Tanner held his arms up as if in victory, the IV hooked into the back of his right hand swaying as he did so.

“There’s my hero!” Gertie’s voice sang as she wheeled herself into the hospital room grinning from ear to ear. It had turned out that due to some health issues she couldn’t donate her kidney, but Tanner was indeed a match. Despite everyone telling him he didn’t need to do it, Tanner had insisted Gertie’s daughter, Lily, be given his kidney. The operation had gone smoothly, and so far, everyone was doing great.

“How’s Noah?” Logan asked Gertie, who had now wheeled herself over to Tanner’s bedside and was patting his hand. Harper noticed Tanner had the same lovestruck look in his eyes as Veronica and TJ usually did.

“He’s good, dear. I’m getting him some help, you know, he needs some therapy, mentally. The poor kid just made assumptions his whole life about me. Same with his mom. All he ever wanted was for me to acknowledge I had a grandson, and hell, I didn’t even know I had one! He never knew I had tried to find them. It’s all good now though, thanks to Tanner, my beautiful daughter, Lily, has a new lease on life and Noah will get some help!”

Harper’s heart swelled to see Gertie so happy, and Uncle Tanner, too. In fact, she hadn’t seen him so happy since before Aunt Emily had died.

“I’ve seen enough flower arrangements to last me a lifetime!” a voice said from the doorway, their face hidden by a huge arrangement.

It was TJ, flanked by Sarah and Veronica. Everyone laughed, knowing he was referring to Gertie’s office that had been filled with so many arrangements. Harper was surprised to see them but assumed with the end result of things they must have forgiven Tanner. His grand gesture to give up a kidney for someone he didn’t even know had redeemed him for sure.

Harper watched as everyone chatted, TJ and Veronica holding hands, and Veronica practically gushing when she looked at him. Sarah, on the other hand, didn’t seem very happy. Not that she seemed upset to be there, there was just a general sadness about her, as if her mind was preoccupied.

“Gertie, we received a big delivery today of cat food. Do you know anything about that?” Veronica asked Gertie.

“Oh yes, dear. That stray cat that’s been hanging out by the loading dock, have any of you seen it?”

Harper exchanged looks with Logan and Veronica.

“Right, that’s what I thought. Anyway, I’m officially adopting the cat as O’Rourke Signature Events mascot. I’m naming him Kidney.”

Everyone burst into laughter as Gertie said the cat’s name.

“Well, I wanted to come give you the good news in person but it sounds like you’re already in a great mood!” Marly said as she walked into the room.

“What good news?” Gertie and Harper asked in unison.

“The fashion show was a huge success. The buyers at the show have all placed orders. Big ones! The disabled clothing line is going to make Draconia even more profitable thanks to you, Gertie. Now, I just hope this news lifts Edwards spirits, he’s been a bit grumpy since Tanner’s been getting so much attention from you!”

“Pfft. Edward needs someone to take him down a peg. He fought me every day about the damn designs for these clothes, if I had just let him go with his ideas it would have been a huge flop,” Gertie said.

“Oh, Eddie will be fine. Besides, it isn’t like he can one-up Tanner with what he did, giving his kidney and all,” Myrtle said as she stood in the doorway. “Besides, I plan on keeping him plenty busy, now I’ve been promoted to Gertie’s right-hand assistant.”

Wearing a canary-yellow blouse and matching colored beads for her glasses, Myrtle certainly stood out against the drab off-white-colored walls in the hospital room. While her choice in clothing, and beads, were always rather eccentric, Myrtle always pulled it off, looking fashionable and never gaudy. Harper loved her sense of style and plucky attitude, as did everyone else.

TJ and Veronica excused themselves, needing to get back to the office. Harper knew she should get back, too, but she didn’t want to leave Tanner. That, and she really didn’t want to let go of Logan’s hand.

She caught Sarah looking down at the two of them holding hands and felt a pang of guilt. She knew Sarah and Raffe hadn’t spoken in a while, even though Sarah’s food at the fashion show had been written up in several papers as a standout. Harper wasn’t sure if Raffe was mad that Sarah had left working for him, or mad she was doing so well, or maybe he was mad at both.

“Ah, well, I see I was right,” Myrtle said to Harper.

“Huh? Right about what?” Harper asked her, oblivious to what she was talking about.

Myrtle looked down at Logan and Harper’s hands clasped together, then back at Harper.

She winked at her, a broad smile on her face.

“Like I said to you before, be careful what you wish for.”

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