A cold chill shot down my back. “Just a neighborly thing to do,” I told Mark, and he cocked his head as though he wasn’t fully in agreement, but he nodded and left to join the others.
I stood for a while and looked out the window to the west, wondering why this man seemed so interested in what went on at Carlos Acres. I thought of my brother, Linc, who had now been dead some fifteen years. He’d left a debt to the mob in Chicago. Were they coming to deliver their bill?
The next day, I put in a call to my old friend, Bill Daughtery. He was retired now but had done some detective work for me in the past. I gave him Sansabri’s name and asked him to look into it. He agreed and said he’d get back with me if he found something.
A week later, I hadn’t heard anything from Bill. I tried calling him, but his phone went unanswered. I left a voicemail. A few days later, I received a call from Bill’s wife and learned the stunning news. Bill had died of a sudden heart attack while on the golf course. Shaking, I expressed my condolences and hung up. There was no one I could trust who I could turn to now. No one alive who knew the whole story. I had no choice. I would just have to sit and wait.
Auggie
I worried about Worth. He was taking his mother’s death in a very strange way. I’d seen many people grieve. My time helping at Sunset Village had exposed me to plenty of that. No, what Worth was displaying almost appeared to be fear. I asked him about it several times, but he only shook his head, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and said to give him time. I had no choice but to do as he asked.
Dad took all my attention now. With Margaret gone, he had no one to be with him and to occupy his time. Many of their friends here in Kentucky had passed on. He seemed so forlorn. I approached Worth about it.
“Worth, I’m not sure how to ask this, but Dad isn’t doing well at all. The weather will be getting colder soon, and I don’t think he’ll do well here through the winter. As much as I don’t want to leave you at a time like this, you have the kids, and he needs me. Would you be okay for a while if I took him to the Florida condo and stayed a few weeks?”
Worth immediately nodded. “Of course. I’m fine. I’m no stranger to this, and I’m far younger than he is. I agree. In Florida, he will have more friends his age and, who knows, maybe he’ll latch on to someone and still enjoy a bit of life. Go any time. Let me know and I’ll charter a jet to take you down.”
I nodded. When we’d had the entire chain of clinics, we’d owned a private jet, but Worth seldom travelled now so it wasn’t practical. “I think we’ll leave on Sunday.”
“Good girl,” he agreed, “I’ll take care of things.”
“Well, there’s the farm and the business to look after,” I pointed out tentatively. “But I’ll only be gone three weeks.”
“We’ll be fine. I have Mark and Marga. They run things almost as well as you do and I’ll pitch in if they need me. Go and take care of your dad.”
Dad and I boarded the jet that weekend, and he settled into his seat with a sigh.
“You okay?” I asked him.
“Yes, honey, I’m fine. It’s just been a long haul, and I’m not as young as I used to be,” he confessed, although I knew what lay behind it.
“Dad, when we get down there, I want you to check into Mayo and have a complete physical,” I asked, knowing he would resist.
“That’s not necessary,” he answered as I’d expected.
“Dad, I’d feel better. I’ll be only staying for three weeks, you know. Then I have to get back. I want to know you’re in good shape before I leave. Please do this for me.”
“Very well,” he said, appeasing my anxiety. He knew by now it was easier to give in to me than to argue.
We landed in Florida and Worth had a limo waiting for us to go to the condo. It was a huge place, way too big for one person. I made a promise to myself that I’d bring the entire family down to stay for a couple of weeks during the winter. I needed to find someone to manage the farm for me in my absence. It would take a while to break them in, and the twins would be leaving for college in less than two years.
Dad and I settled into our rooms, and I talked to the housekeeper who was always in residence. I ordered some good old comfort food for the next few days and then called the doctor to schedule Dad’s physical.
We walked down to the Gulf together and sat in lawn chairs by the water, watching the sun settle for the night. We talked about many things; beginnings and endings. I was surprised when my Dad talked about my mother at length, recalling the good days when they’d been young and first married. There was more to her than I’d ever realized and I was glad he could remember those days, for it helped to fill the loneliness. It gave me pause to consider what my own life would be like if something ever happened to Worth. I couldn’t stand the thought of it.
Dad’s physical took two days overall, but he got a clean bill of health. The news made me feel much more comfortable about leaving him behind on his own. We went to dinner with friends he and Margaret had made, and he received their condolences with fortitude. I felt better knowing he wouldn’t be entirely alone after I went back to Kentucky.
I took some time to myself while I was there. I laid on the beach and got a tan. Shopping took up a few days, and I was rather excited to get home and show off my new wardrobe. With all that was going on at the farm, I seldom took the time to be a woman. Worth would appreciate my new clothes probably even more than I would.
Most of all, Dad and I spent our evenings relaxing. It felt really good to be lazy for a change.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Hawk
My business exploded, and I barely had time to think. I still took daily rides on Diablo, just to maintain my sanity. I kept watch on Carlos Acres, and I knew when my grandmother died. Sending flowers was dangerous, but I couldn’t let one more family occasion pass without some acknowledgment of it. I had to belong to someone.
I was headed for the YMCA, as I did most days of the week. Especially on the days Liane worked. We spoke with each visit and every time I saw her I was drawn to her sweet spirit more and more. I was desperate to get to know her better but had hesitated to do more than chat with her for a few minutes. Well that, and sit on the back pew at her church every Sunday.
It was Saturday, and I knew Liane would be at the desk. She greeted me as always with a sunny smile and said, “Well, stranger, how have you been?”
For just one moment I wanted to grab her up, take her somewhere private and tell her everything. I knew I couldn’t do that. I knew she didn’t think of me the way I thought of her, but it felt wonderful to reflect on for even those few moments. It must have shown on my face.
“Is something wrong, Hawk?” she asked in that sweet voice.