The Accidental Mrs. Mackenzie (22 page)
Read The Accidental Mrs. Mackenzie Online
Authors: Bonnie K. Winn
Chapter Seventeen
B
rynn hated the antiseptic smell of hospitals. The odor was tied irretrievably to her grandmother’s death—the tall, sterile bed she’d lain in. A woman of remarkable spirit, she had shown none of that when she was swamped by machines and IV drips, her will taken over by a troop of white-uniformed doctors and nurses. She’d never come home.
rynn hated the antiseptic smell of hospitals. The odor was tied irretrievably to her grandmother’s death—the tall, sterile bed she’d lain in. A woman of remarkable spirit, she had shown none of that when she was swamped by machines and IV drips, her will taken over by a troop of white-uniformed doctors and nurses. She’d never come home.
The loss was still there—not as fresh, but still painful. Feeling that, Brynn willed Frank MacKenzie to live, to return to those he loved and who needed him. And with secondary insight, she prayed for Gregory to receive the same fate.
Miranda and Ruth stood together in the hall, clinging to one another outside the intensive care unit as the doctors worked to stabilize Frank.
Buoyed by Matt’s trust in her, Heather kept a watchful eye on Andy, finding his favorite candy bar, casually settling him on the couch beside her.
Brynn drank her fourth cup of coffee and swallowed the last bitter dregs. Crushing the paper cup, she walked toward the garbage can. Still restless, she continued to pace. They’d been there for hours. Brynn no longer knew how many. Frank was alive, but his condition was critical.
She’d watched Matt closeted with the doctors, the grim expression that clouded his face. Yet Ruth insisted there still was no diagnosis.
Then Matt had disappeared. Worried, Brynn had finally searched the halls of the hospital, but hadn’t found him. She’d casually asked Ruth about him. Distracted, Ruth told Brynn that if she needed Matt, to call his cell phone. He was somewhere in the hospital, in one of the offices. Then she’d returned to her husband’s side.
Miranda had patted her hand, telling her not to worry, that Matt was dealing with things. Concerned but not wanting to upset the family, Brynn had staked out a portion of the waiting room, hoping Matt would return soon.
Glancing up, Brynn saw a nurse hovering at the doorway. Fear clutched her.
“Miss Magee?”
“Yes,” she managed to choke out, fearing the worst.
“Phone call for you at the nurses’ station.”
Unable to imagine who would be calling at the hospital, Brynn blindly followed the nurse, picking up the phone she indicated at the critical-care unit.
“Hello?”
“Brynn?” Matt’s voice flowed through the wires.
Relief made her sag. “Are you all right?”
“Brynn, did Gregory make out a new will after you got married?”
“What?”
“Did Gregory make out a new will?”
She answered truthfully. “No, but what—”
“I’ll get back to you.”
A dial tone buzzed in her ear as she stood, listening blankly. Seeing the nurse’s curious glance, Brynn replaced the receiver. “Thank you.”
Returning to the waiting room, Brynn couldn’t settle into a chair, instead continuing to pace as the time dragged. Intermittent announcements over the paging system called for everything from maintenance cleanup to code blue. Still Matt didn’t return. Checking with Ruth, Brynn knew there hadn’t been any change in Frank’s condition.
She’d expected Matt to stand vigil by his father’s side, not to disappear. It wasn’t like him. Steady, dependable, a man who could head the MacKenzie family, Matt didn’t run away from responsibility. He embraced it. So where was he?
Another hour passed. Wearily, she leaned against the wall, her gaze lingering on Heather and Andy who were curled together on the couch, both finally dropping off to sleep.
Hearing footsteps approach, she closed her eyes, hoping they would pass, wishing that would mean that Frank hadn’t taken a turn for the worse. But they came closer.
“Brynn?” Matt’s hands closed around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“Where were you?” she blurted out, terrified and concerned.
He managed a tired smile. “I didn’t bolt and run.”
“You could’ve fooled me.”
He tucked back a wayward curl of her hair, then glanced at the sleeping children. “Come with me.”
“Is—”
“Dad’s the same. No change.”
She followed him into the hall, to the long bank of tall windows. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. After all, it’s your father who’s...who’s not well, and—”
He placed two gentle fingers to her lips. “I appreciate the concern, but I need your signature.”
For the first time, she noticed the file folder in his hand. She raised confused eyes. “What’s this about?”
“Trust papers.” When she continued to look confused, he explained. “The medical trust. The one you suggested. I thought it was a good idea, I just didn’t know I’d need it so quickly. I placed the order for the new lifts the day we spoke, but I didn’t take care of the trust.”
“And now?”
“I called our lawyer. He drew up the papers and we ironed everything out in the nursing director’s office. She’s an old friend of the family—insisted we use her office.”
Confused, Brynn stared at him. “What’s that got to do with me?”
“There’s one hitch in a trust like this.”
“And?”
“The trustee can’t be anyone with a financial interest in Eagle Point. And everyone in our family has one. Since Gregory didn’t change his will yet, that leaves you. Because officially he’s alive—” only a tick in his jaw betrayed what he left unsaid “—and hasn’t changed his will, you’re the only one in the family who doesn’t have a financial interest in Eagle Point.” Matt stared away for a moment. “And if Gregory doesn’t come home, it will take a while to make that legal, probate his estate. Until then, you’re an independent agent. That’s why you’re set up as the trustee.”
“What?” Shock filled her face and voice.
“The trustee,” he explained. “Of Dad’s medical trust. They’re talking possible transplant. These funds have to stay liquid—no matter what happens at the lodge.”
“You want to make
me
trustee?”
me
trustee?”
“I explained why.”
“But surely you have trusted friends who are more qualified than I am.”
“It has to be family.”
“But... I’m not... I can’t....”
“Matt, Brynn!” Ruth rushed up to them, her face both anxious and relieved. “I’m so glad I found you.” She leaned against her son for support. “Your father wants to see you. The doctor says it’s a good sign.” Then she reached out to clasp Brynn’s hand. “And you. He wants to see you. He misses Gregory, but by seeing you, Frank knows he’s all right. We all do.”
Guilt and pain battled for prominence.
Ruth studied Brynn’s anxious face. “I hope it won’t bother you to see him this way.”
“Of course not. I’m...I’m pleased he asked to see me.”
Together the three of them headed toward the intensive-care unit. And Brynn tried not to bow under the pressure. How had it gone this far? And how in the world was she going to fix it?
BRYNN IGNORED THE QUIET, along with the concerned faces of her animals as she continued to pack. The three pets were unusually subdued as they watched their mistress. It was a cowardly time to flee, with the family camped out most of the time at the hospital, but Brynn knew she had to seize her moment. It wasn’t as though leaving with three animals could be done with stealth. She had to choose a time when the family was away. A time like now.
Pleading a headache, she’d escaped the hospital before signing the trust papers. That she simply couldn’t do. Her conscience rang for relief. While she couldn’t rid herself of the remorse for having ever started the charade, she couldn’t take this final step.
Brynn folded the oversize broomstick skirt she hadn’t worn in weeks. Matt would find someone else to be trustee—someone more appropriate, someone they wouldn’t despise once they learned of her deception.
She reached for a scarf, and a piece of construction paper floated to the floor. Picking it up, she stared at the drawing. It was a rendering of Lancelot, drawn by Andy, entitled
My New Friend.
She smoothed the paper, placing it carefully in a folder with her important work files. It was a treasure she wanted to keep.
My New Friend.
She smoothed the paper, placing it carefully in a folder with her important work files. It was a treasure she wanted to keep.
As she reached for a blouse to fold and pack, she heard a knock at the door. Knowing the family was at the hospital she assumed it was one of the employees. “Come in.”
Miranda entered, a tired smile spreading across her face until she spotted the open, half-filled suitcase. “What’s going on?”
Brynn wished Miranda hadn’t been the one to discover her. “I’m packing.”
“Why?”
As she reached for another blouse, Brynn’s hand faltered. “I have my reasons.”
“Which are?”
Brynn considered the truth, then chickened out. “It’s almost Thanksgiving and I’m going home to spend the holiday with my mother.”
Miranda reached over to pet Snookems. “I know that your mother plans to spend Thanksgiving with her young boyfriend.” She met Brynn’s shocked gaze. “Don’t think we’ve been spying. Ruth accidentally overheard and she’s been worried about you ever since. She thinks of you like one of her own. But then Ruth’s always been ready to mother the world.”
Brynn cringed, hating to think they knew about her pitiful relationship with her mother. “You’ve found me out. I’m not going to spend Thanksgiving with my mother. But I still have to go home. I have all kinds of work to do.”
“Haven’t you been getting it done here? I thought that’s why you’ve been holed up so much lately.”
“Well, I have. But the truth is, I’ve got a yen to get home.”
“Not to pick at a scab, but isn’t this the time of year to be with family? And that’s how all of us regard you. You’re one of our own.”
Brynn’s lips trembled. She had no defense against kindness. “I’m...not who you think I am.” Her eyelids flickered shut briefly. “I’ve deceived you all and once you learn the truth...you’ll all despise me.”
“You mean because you’re not Gregory’s wife?”
Brynn’s eyes flew open in shock. “You know?”
“I guessed. I wasn’t positive until you confirmed it.”
“How long have you known?” Brynn turned, pushing her hand through unruly curls. “How did you—”
“Guess?” Miranda tilted her head. “It wasn’t anything, and it was everything. I know the love of a good woman can change a man, but from what you told us, Gregory’s transformation made Jekyll and Hyde sound dull. And much as I love my nephew, he couldn’t be as sensitive and bighearted as you made him out to be if he’d had a personal visitation from a saint. It’s just not in him. Of course, his mother believed it because she’s his mother. And she’s always seen him through a filtered lens, but then I guess it’s a good thing somebody does.”
Brynn bent her head. “I want to say that I can explain, but I don’t think I can.”
“Why don’t you try?”
The story spilled from Brynn’s lips. At times she stumbled through the words, at others she nearly cried. When she finished, she was exhausted but oddly relieved. It had been a terrible strain, keeping the story to herself.
Still her eyes filled with sadness as she looked at Miranda. “So I’m leaving, before I have to tell Matt the truth. I certainly can’t sign as a trustee for Frank’s medical trust.”
“Why not?”
Brynn stared at her, wondering if stress had caused Miranda to lose her hearing or her sense. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Like I said, you’re part of the family now.”
“After what I just told you?”
“You’re in love with a MacKenzie—you just picked the wrong brother to begin with.”
This was unsteady ground. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t kid a kidder. I know how you feel about Matt.”
“But...”
“Just like you knew how I felt about Edward.”
The stinging reminder echoed between them.
“Even if that were true—” Brynn battled to steady her voice “—Matt would never be able to forgive me. I’ve deceived him...all of you. How could he live with that?”
“Maybe you’re underestimating him.”
“I won’t be around to find out. I’ve already made too big a mess of things.”
Miranda’s lips firmed. “You’d be a fool to throw away his love. I know. I’m an expert.”
Brynn worked nervous fingers, finally shoving them into her pockets. “I said too much about Edward—built up your hopes—interfered in something I didn’t know about—”
“That’s neither here nor there. The point is I fled from love once and I’ve been paying for it ever since. Don’t walk away thinking you won’t spend your entire life looking back. Because you will.”
“I just don’t know, Miranda”
“Even though things haven’t worked out as I might have liked with Edward, this time it was real. Before, I dreamed about Neil’s love—built it into something impossible to match. And now I know that the real thing’s better than a dream.”
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