Free to Love (9 page)

She sighed, knowing he was right. Judging from the intensity of her chills, her fever was getting higher.
But why?
Why on the eve of the cleanup?

She lay there, propped against the pillow, half reclining, feet drawn up. As she stared absently at a dark speck on the ceiling, she heard Austin’s footsteps retreating into the kitchen. Then
came
a thud as he opened a cupboard door, and the swish of running water at the kitchen sink.

She closed her eyes and lifted her fingertips to her temples in an attempt to still the pounding in her head. She had to admit it was nice having someone to pamper her right now. I seemed an eternity since
she’d
first found herself frightened and alone, then learned how to cope as a young widow—though barely. But Austin’s stay was only temporary—and so was this virus, or whatever
she’d
picked up. Meanwhile, why not let him bring her aspirin and juice and a cozy blanket? Why not take refuge in his comforting presence when outside the wind was howling even louder, the rain pelting harder, like the flood for which Noah had built the ark.

“Whoa!” Austin’s exclamation sounded from the laundry room, cutting through her muse. His deep laughter soon followed.

Her eyes flew open. “What happened?” she called. A blur of calico-colored fur whizzed in front of her,
then
vanished. Whatever it was, it
must’ve
startled the cat too.

Austin was still chuckling as he strode back into the room. “Does your cat always hide in the closet where you keep your extra blankets? I don’t know who was more surprised, the cat or me?”

Joanna giggled sleepily,
then
yawned. “After seeing Silky streak by a second ago, I’d venture to say
she
was. And no, the only time she hides out like that is when good-looking strange men are lurking close by.”

“Ah. So I see.” He grinned crookedly as he shook out the blanket and tucked it around her then helped her sit up while she swallowed the medication. What a relief. At least
she’s
still up to a little teasing, he struggled to reassure himself—but to no avail. Truth was
,
her skin felt even hotter than it had a few minutes ago and her eyes were now glazed with the fever.

“I’m so tired...” Her voice drifted off.

“Then sleep, Jo. I’ll be right here if you need anything else.”

Nodding, she closed her eyes.

He sat down on the empty spot at the end of the couch and hunched forward, his head in his hands.
He’d
heard a tough strain of flu would be prevalent this season, a flu that was often hard to lick and could lead to serious complications. If
that’s
what was ailing Joanna, he might need to stick around even longer than he’d first planned.

He looked up, stared ahead unseeingly, and dragged a hand through his hair. How in good conscience could he leave her alone if she was still sick? And if this storm
didn’t
let up and he couldn’t get started on the roof this weekend, then that spelled double trouble. Damn! He was getting more locked in with each passing day.

“And now for the update about the Oregon Coast beach cleanup,” the TV news announcer said, interrupting Austin’s anxious thoughts. He straightened. Joanna opened her eyes and
raised
up on one elbow, leaning forward. “Officials from the Oregon State Parks Department and the U.S. Coast Guard have determined—”

The room went silent. The lights flicked off.

“Oh, no...” Joanna moaned. “What else can go wrong?”

“Do you have an old transistor radio?” Austin asked. Except for the faint glow of the candle on the dining room table, everything was black. “Most likely we can get the announcement on the radio, too,” he added.

“I’m completely out of batteries. I meant to pick them up at the store, but I forgot.” She sat up. “Maybe I should go out and get some.”

“No, that’s ridiculous. Not in your condition. Besides, I
don’t
think it’s wise for either of us right now. There could be power lines down too. And you know what they said about the roads flooding.”

She yawned again, lying back down. There was no use arguing. His reminder made good sense. What was more,
she’d
almost fallen asleep.

She felt the sofa sag as he shifted his weight. “What about Trudy?” he asked. “She’s probably listening right now too. I bet the
electricity’s
still okay in her end of town. Maybe I should give her a call.”

“Good idea. Her
number’s
posted next to the kitchen phone. Probably
wouldn’t
hurt to call Aunt Marcella also and make sure everything’s all right. There are some tall evergreens growing close to her house. A wind like this could easily take one down.”

Sometime later—she was too drowsy to know exactly when—
he’d
returned from the kitchen where he’d tried to place the calls.
“More bad news.”
His voice barely penetrated her fog. “Your phone’s out also.”

“Hmmm...” She felt his hand on her forehead again.

He tucked the blanket more snugly around her.
“No matter.
No matter now,” he said in an infinitely tender voice. “Your fever’s coming down. That’s what’s most important now.”

He was near. Very near. Perhaps
he’d
drawn up a chair, or was sitting on the floor alongside her.

“’Night, Austin.”

“Rest well, Jo...”

She felt him stroke back her hair, his touch feather-light. Then he pressed her knuckles against his lips as she slipped into a warm, fuzzy sleep.

***

Joanna stretched stiffly and coughed. A ribbon of daylight fell beneath her bedroom curtains, showing the first traces of a soft gray dawn. It sounded as if the rain had stopped. Against her
feet
she felt a familiar cat size weight, and heard Silky’s purring.

She rolled over to one side. The digital clock flashed
on and off
. She blinked twice and looked down. She was still wearing her T-shirt and sweats. How did she get here?
Hadn’t
Austin left her last night bedded down on the couch? Wherever
she’d
slept, all she remembered was that she’d tossed restlessly all night long.

She felt exhausted.
Drained.
And though her headache had improved some, her muscles still ached. She coughed again, this time harder.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Austin poked his head in through the opened door. He put on a broad smile that belied his gnawing concern. “I thought I heard you stirring.”

“Hi. When did you come back?”

As he took a couple of steps closer, Silky opened one cautious amber eye and held her gaze steadily on him.

“Actually, I never left,” he replied.

“Oh?”

“After you fell asleep on the couch, I sat there with you for a while, waiting to see what was going to happen with the weather. But you didn’t appear comfortable, so I carried you in here.”

“And you stayed here all night?”

He hesitated. “I... I
didn’t
want to leave you alone. I slept on the sofa.”

She slid to the edge of the bed, planted her feet on the ground, but her knees felt wobbly. She started to sway. “W—what time is it? Are the phones working now? Have you tried to call Trudy?”

“It’s six-fifteen and time you got right back in bed. And yes, I phoned Trudy.
Ted Ashelman too.”

“And?”

His hand was firm on her shoulder. “I’ll tell you after you get back into bed.”

“Oh, all right!” she huffed weakly. Why did he insist on bribing her like this?
Couldn’t
he see she was perfectly capable of resuming her normal activities?

Reluctantly, she crawled back beneath the covers. Austin sat on the side of the bed. An apparently annoyed Silky leapt down,
then
disappeared.

“The rain stopped shortly after midnight,” he explained, “so there was no flooding as previously expected. The winds died down around that time also.”

“So the beach cleanup’s still on?”

“Yes. According to Trudy, the announcement we missed last night said the decision would be postponed till the early morning hours. I’ve been listening to the radio since five, and the event is definitely going to happen.”

“Terrific!” Her spirits soared. “Didn’t you say it’s a little after six? That gives me less than two hours to get ready...

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jo.”

“But why not?
I’m
fine now. Perfectly fi—” She stopped short, coughing. This time the cough wracked her entire body.

He handed her a glass of water and she accepted it gratefully.

The coughing stopped.

“Listen, Jo,” Austin said, taking her hand in his, working his thumb gently across her palm. “There’s nothing to worry about.
I’ve
got everything under control. I told Trudy
I’d
man your coordination site and do all the other things you were supposed to do. Ted is going to help and
he’ll
fill me in on the details. He’s worked at other cleanups and was planning on pitching in anyway.”

She smiled at him, overcome with mixed emotions.
Relief that the storm had stopped.
Gratitude for his willingness to take over.
And bitter disappointment that she would have to miss out.”

“All right,” she murmured, resigned at last. “I... I guess it would be foolish of me to try to go.”

“That’s more like it.” He squeezed her hand and returned her smile.

“Austin?”

“Yes, Jo?”

“One more thing.
I...I want to say thanks.” She chewed on her lower lip, remembering how eager
he’d
been to work on the roof. “You really didn’t have to. I mean, I’m sure we could find someone else who’d be willing to step in.”

“How could I not want to help when I know how much it means to you?”

Chapter Six

“Look, pal. Last night’s storm only proved my point. Weather here on the coast can be fickle.” Ted Ashelman shot Austin a direct look as he ripped open a large cardboard box. “You’re gonna need extra help to get the roof on as fast as possible. I’ll come tomorrow at six.”

After arriving at Two Capes State Park and
proceeding
to the group picnic shelter, the men now busied themselves setting out registration forms, data collection cards, plastic bags, and disposable gloves. Only minutes earlier, Austin had explained about Grant Conner’s offer to help with the roof.

“Thanks, Ted,” Austin said, “but I can’t let you.”

“Why not?”

“You need your time off—probably even more than a vet at an average clinic does.” Austin lifted a beach safety poster and tacked it to the information board behind the registration table.

“Way I see it, one good turn deserves another,” Ted said with a shrug. “You helped me at Anchorhold.
I’ll
help you and Conner with the roof. The three of us, we should get the work done in no time.” A seagull swooped down onto the picnic shelter railing and cocked its head as it regarded the men curiously.

“You know Conner?”

“Yeah.
Small town, don’t forget.” The older man chuckled.
“Makes a guy keep his nose clean.
Anyway, Conner helped my wife and
me
sell our home over on Twenty-Third Street. He’s top-notch in everything he does—but no matter how you slice it, three can get that roof on faster than two.”

“I guess I can’t argue about that, Austin said, his voice tentative.

“You like shellfish, Sullivan? Maybe afterwards we can all get together at my place for a clambake. I went out at the crack of dawn this morning and got my limit.”

“Well, all right. But we may have to take a rain check.” Austin inhaled deeply as his gaze swept the parking lot that fronted the day use area. The rain-washed air held a faint odor of damp humus mingled with the tangy smell of salt water. An assortment of tree branches, remnants from last night’s storm, lay scattered about. Already the sun was getting hot, causing a light mist to rise from the pavement.

“Why put the roof off?” Ted scratched the bald spot on the back of his head. “I thought you said the shingles finally came in.”

“They did. But now there’s another problem.” Austin aligned a row of pencils with deliberate precision as if trying to get his ducks in order.

“What kind of problem?”

“It’s Jo.”

“Joanna?”

“Yes. In fact, I kind of hated leaving her for so long today, but it was the only way I could keep her from insisting on being here
herself
.”

“She’s pretty sick, huh?”

“Yeah, that new strain of flu, I think. She’s spiking a high fever, has a dry cough, and has been battling some killer headaches.” He squared his jaw,
then
frowned. “The last thing she needs is us pounding overhead.”

“Good point. Hey, look. I can manage alone if you think you should go.” Ted nodded to his cell phone. “I can always ring up someone else to give me a hand.”