Through His Grace (17 page)

“What’s going on?” Eric shut the door behind them.

“Miss Willard is disappointed that she’ll be staying with us for a time more,” Dr. Rutgers said shaking his head.

“How much longer?” As he cut straight to the heart of the matter, Grace realized how nice it was to have someone back her up.

“That depends upon how she fares over the next few days. As I explained to her, her living situation is not conducive to recuperation, and that must be taken into account.”

“You mean, because she lives alone with Jake and Lizzie?” Eric asked.

Grace saw his hands clench.
So he has the same reaction I did. I’m being penalized for raising children on my own. It bothers him, too
.

“Yes.” The doctor seemed to realize he was treading on shaky ground because he added, “She needs rest.”

“I’m right here, Doctor.” Grace wouldn’t let him continue speaking about her as though she were incapable of making an informed decision.

He turned to her. “I’m sure you agree that your health comes first. The fact that there is no one capable of giving aid should you need it must be taken into account.”

“He’s right.” Eric came to stand by the side of her bed. “I resented every minute it took for me to get to you after Lizzie called. That can’t happen again.”

The warm flutter in her stomach had nothing to do with her recent appendectomy.
His eyes show how much he cares
.

“I don’t want to put Lizzie and Jake through anymore,” she confessed.

“What if she had help, though?” Eric asked the doctor.

“That would mean a more timely release,” he admitted, looking from her to Eric with raised brows.

Ooh
. Grace felt her face flame.
For a man so schooled in reading clinical data he jumps to his own conclusions far too quickly. How dare he think Eric is anything but the incredible gentleman he is!
She was squaring her shoulders to say so when Eric stopped her with a warning glance.

“I’m going to take Lizzie and Jake back to the ranch. I’ll call you later.” Eric squeezed her hand and headed for the door. “Thanks, Doc.”

“Anytime.” Dr. Rutgers watched his abrupt departure in apparent confusion.

Grace wondered at it, too, and what he might be up to.

“Sondra, I need a woman’s perspective.” Nickels walked over to where she was petting the dogs.

“I’ll do my best,” Sondra promised.

“The doctor won’t let Grace go home while she’s the only adult watching two children.” He scratched Skylar’s ears. “Carl could stay a little, but he doesn’t want to leave Queenie alone for more than a night. And he doesn’t know anyone in Lawton he trusts enough to care for his cat.”

“I see.”

“Well, I’m an adult. I can help with the kids and make sure Grace doesn’t have another emergency while she’s alone at the house. But she’ll worry about small-town talk and propriety. How do I convince her to go ahead and accept my help?”

“You can’t offer to stay at her place, Nickels.” Sondra grinned at him. “I know you’re an honorable man with good intentions, but we both know better than to pretend it’s a workable option.”

“What do I do?” He crossed his arms.

“I already thought this might be an issue. Dylan and I talked it over. We’d be fine with having Grace convalesce here. We can keep an eye on her, and she’d be with Lizzie and Jake and”—she shuddered—“out of the hospital.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” If his boss’s wife weren’t pregnant, he would have picked her up and twirled her around. Instead he chucked her under the chin.

“I don’t know about that.” Sondra blushed. “Tell you what, I’ll drop off the kids tomorrow and swing by the hospital to make arrangements.”

“Thanks.” He’d thought he would miss being alone with Grace and the kids, but now he realized he would see her even more if she stayed at the Curly Q. They’d come a long way, but he was waiting for her to be at full steam before declaring his intentions.

He had wasted enough time already. She needed to know he planned to be there for her, Lizzie, and Jake—forever. He had known her only a few months, but he knew what he needed to. God had used His Grace to heal him of the past. Since he was starting fresh, he didn’t want to make any more mistakes. Soon she would know he intended to court her in earnest.

“Well, don’t just stand there.” Sondra braced her back as she walked inside. “We’ve got work to do.”

“Comin’.” He hurried after her. “What do you need?”

“We need to move the crib and changing station into Dylan’s and my room first.” She walked into the nursery. “Then set up trundle beds for Lizzie and Jake in here.”

“So Grace will be in the guest room?”

“Exactly.” Sondra clapped her hands. “Let’s get this done while the kids are watching cartoons.” Under her direction Nickels hefted the furniture to temporary new homes.

“Now we’ll need to change the sheets in the guest bedroom and make up the beds.” She handed him two sets. “You get the ones in the nursery; I’ll take care of the guest room.”

“Sondra,” he called.

“Yes?” She stopped, her hand on the doorjamb.

“Thanks again. It’ll really help us out.”

“Us?” She quirked her brow.

“I meant what I said.” Nickels shifted the linen to his other hand.

“And you said what you meant? I believe you.” She winked. “One hundred percent.”

“What?” Grace sat up at the doctor’s words. “But yesterday you said I’d be here for…” Her voice trailed off as Sondra stepped into the room.

“This young woman has apprised me of the situation.” The doctor’s stiff manner unbent only a little as he spoke. “So I’m releasing you on the understanding that you remain at the Curly Q until fit to return to the work force.”

“The Curly Q—” Her brow knit. “But—”

“It’ll be great.” Sondra stood by her bed. “Carl already let me into your house, and I grabbed some clothes and such. The kids are moved to the nursery for now.” She kept talking as the doctor conferred with a nurse in the corner. “We’ll just get you packed up and out of here in no time.” She finally stopped when Dr. Rutgers left the room.

“Take a deep breath,” Grace instructed. Her good-hearted friend couldn’t have inhaled enough air during that speech. “Now am I to understand you’ve conspired to have me released from the hospital early?”

“Exactly.” Sondra beamed. “And I couldn’t have you acting confused in front of the doctor. Between you and me, Nickels doesn’t seem to like him too much.”

“You could’ve spoken with me first.” Grace swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“I meant to.” Sondra held up Grace’s slippers and slid them on her feet. “I ran into him in the hallway and seized the opportunity. How could I have known he was on his way here at the time?”

“Good point.” Grace looked at her slippers. “So you’re taking me to the ranch? I hate to burden you any more than I already have.” Nor did she want to take advantage of the Wards’ good natures.

“Fiddle-dee-dee.” Sondra didn’t look up from emptying the nightstand drawers—not that much was in them. “I’ll be glad of the company. And you’ll be able to help keep an eye on the kids—we just won’t let you overdo it, that’s all.”

“What did Dylan tell me about your working like a ranch hand while six months’ pregnant with Matthew?” Grace wondered aloud.

“That’s different. Besides”—she straightened before finishing—“Nickels wants you close by.”

Grace refused to comment on Sondra’s last revelation.

“He said something about the hospital not technically being permitted, but the Curly Q was safe ground?” Sondra couldn’t hide her curiosity.

From now on I think it’s best if we just see each other at church or the Curly Q
. The memory, which should have made her cringe at her own foolishness, now made her smile. She’d set up boundaries, and he was playing to the letter of the law.

“Now that’s a matter of opinion,” she said, giving Sondra a mysterious smile.

“Are you in pain, Grace?” Sondra rushed to her side.

So much for my Mona Lisa wiles
.

“I was just wondering…did you happen to bring anything from my house with you today?”

“What, like”—Sondra rummaged around in her tote bag then held up her hands—“jeans? And a red top?”

“Have I told you how wonderful you are?” Grace changed out of her hospital gown.

“Or, possibly, your travel makeup case?” Sondra produced the purple-zippered bag with a flourish.

After dabbing on some mascara and lip gloss, Grace almost felt ready to face Eric—or the mound of paperwork the nurse brought in. She clicked her pen with resolution.

“Take your time.” Sondra cozied up in the chair by the bed. “Dylan is keeping an eye on Matt back home, and the kids don’t need to be picked up for hours.”

“You might not be in a hurry to get out of here”—Grace flipped to the next page as she spoke—“but I sure am.”

“Nibbles wants to see Auntie Grace.” Lizzie tugged on Nickels’s arm.

“I’ll bet he does,” Nickels answered.
So do I
. “But she’s taking a nap right now, so we’ll wait until she wakes up.” Grace had arrived at the Curly Q earlier in the morning— while he was riding fences. By the time he’d come back to grab a late lunch, she’d settled in and dozed off.

“Do you want to help me?” Lizzie looked up at him expectantly, and Nickels belatedly realized she’d still been talking.

“I’ll always help you when I can.”

“You run water in the sink—make sure it’s warm.” With those cryptic instructions Lizzie rushed off.

“Wha—” He gave up and went to run warm water in the bathroom sink.

Lizzie joined him, her tiny hands dwarfed by Sondra’s yellow housework gloves. “Here!” She thrust a bottle of bubble bath at him.

“Lizzie—,” he started but stopped. It was so sweet that she wanted to help clean up so Grace was comfortable. The sink was already spotless, but if it made her happy he’d go along with her on this.

“Just half a capful,” she directed, rooting around in the other pocket of her sweatshirt. She had him drain the water a bit before taking out a round brown scrubby. Lizzie plunked it in the water and began swishing it around in the shallow water. “He’s going to be so soft!”

“He?” Nickels looked at the sink in horror. Surely that wasn’t—

“Nibbles. He was kinda dirty,” Lizzie explained. She carefully lathered the little hamster as Nickels watched in morbid fascination. “He wants to look good for Auntie Grace.”

“I understand that.” Nickels held Nibbles while Lizzie drained the soapy water and ran fresh into the basin. “But I didn’t know you could give a hamster a bath.”

“Why not?” Lizzie deposited the poor creature back in Nickels’s hands, picked up a washcloth, and began to towel it dry. Nibbles didn’t budge an inch.

“Have you ever given him a bath?” Nickels wondered if a hamster could go into shock.

“Tons of times.” Lizzie squeezed out the cloth. “This is his favorite part.” She gently set the damp hamster on the closed toilet lid and plugged in a hair dryer.

“You’re not going to use that on the poor fella?” Nickels burst out when she switched the setting to low.

“Well, we can’t very well leave him wet.” Lizzie rolled her eyes. “He could catch cold.” With that she expertly blow-dried Nibbles to sartorial splendor then handed him back to Nickels.

“All done?” Nickels couldn’t believe how tolerant the pet was. How many hamsters in the world would sit calmly through a bubble bath?

“Just about.” Lizzie produced a small pink comb and carefully brushed her hamster’s hair with it.

“Do they sell those at the pet store?” Nickels marveled at the things people would buy these days.

“No. This belongs to my doll,” Lizzie explained. She squinted at the hamster, stepped back, smoothed a little section of fur and proclaimed, “Finished!” She clasped her hands and looked at Nickels. “Doesn’t he look wonderful?”

“Incredible.” He handed the hamster back to Lizzie, who fed it a pellet before taking it back to its cage. He dried the sink and went to check on Grace. After slowly cracking open the door, he poked his head through.

“Hi.” Grace smiled at him even though he probably looked like the world’s least successful cat burglar.