Irene Brand - A Husband for All Seasons

“Since you barged in here uninvited, sit down. If you remember there’s a clause in our contract stipulating that either of us can sever our association with a week’s notice. Forget capitalizing on my injury. It’s something I want to forget. I will not make any decisions until I can sort out what I think is best for me. If you don’t leave Columbus immediately, your one week’s notice starts today.”

Howard’s face took on a sickly pallor, and he dropped into the chair, deflated as a punctured balloon. “You can’t do that! Not after all I’ve done for you,” he said cautiously.

“What you’ve done for me! Do you have any other client who’s made as much money for you as I have?”

“Well…no.”

“I’m not emotionally competent to make any major decisions right now. I may get in touch with you in a few weeks, but it might be a year. I don’t know.”

“Yeah, man,” Howard said. “I got carried away with all the possibilities opening up for you, rather than thinking of all the doors that are closing. Sorry. I’ll take a plane out of here tonight.”

Although Chad had complained about spending a week in bed, the morning’s emotional trauma had drained him and bed looked good to him. He kicked off his slippers and stretched out on top of the sheets. He rested physically, but his mind was still active. What should he do now? Since he was being released from the hospital soon, he needed a place to live. He would have to stay in a hotel for a few days until he had time to find an apartment. Perhaps Vicky Lanham could give him some information about available apartments.

He had been airlifted to Columbus from eastern Ohio in a hospital gown and wrapped in a blanket. Fortunately his mother had bought him two sets of clothes before she left town. Once he was released in a few days, he could buy some more things. Then, after he was settled, he could call his housekeeper and ask her to ship his fall and winter clothes to him, if he decided to stay in Columbus.

The day before he was to be released from the hospital, Chad called the number Vicky had given him. Feeling fortunate to reach her on the first try, he said, “I’m going to be discharged tomorrow, but I intend to stay in Columbus for the time being. Do you have any suggestions about an apartment for rent?”

Vicky’s heart beat a little faster at his call and a warm glow flowed through her. Maybe God was giving her another opportunity to do His will.

“Give me time to ask some questions, and I’m sure I can suggest something. Is anyone picking you up tomorrow?”

“No, my parents are gone now. I’ll take a cab to a hotel and stay there until I find a place to live.”

“Actually, I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’ve got a car, so why don’t I pick you up and take you to a hotel? By that time, I may have located some vacant apartments for you to check out.”

“I shouldn’t impose on you. I can take a cab.”

“When will you be released?”

“Tomorrow morning, but I don’t know the time.”

“Your surgeon usually makes his rounds early, so I’ll guess midmorning. Stay put until I get there. Okay?”

“Okay,” Chad agreed, laughing. At this point, he could accept help from Vicky easier than from his own family.

When Vicky arrived at the hospital the next day, Chad was waiting in the lobby in a wheelchair. He wore navy-blue sweats, with an OSU ball cap perched jauntily on his head, a gift from the nurses who’d served him. No one would guess by looking at him that he had recently had a serious injury and a delicate operation. His firm and generous lips widened into a smile when he saw Vicky.

An orderly wheeled Chad to her car. He had to flex his long legs to fit into the front seat of her compact car. Vicky tossed the plastic bag holding his possessions into the backseat.

As she drove away from the hospital, Chad looked with interest at the majestic university buildings. Strangely enough, although he had been wishing he had died, it was good to breathe the fresh air and to feel the warmth of the sun on his face as it shone through the car window.

“It’s hard to believe that a month ago, my life was all figured out,” he said. “I thought I would be playing pro football for years. Now I’m at loose ends, hardly knowing what to do. I have an engineering degree, although I may have to take some refresher courses to catch up with changes in the field. My dad supported my dream of playing football, but he insisted that I train for a profession when my career was over. I couldn’t see much reason for it, but I guess he knew best.”

“You don’t know that you can’t play football, do you?” she queried in her soft, sweet voice.

“I haven’t talked to any league officials yet, but the surgeon advised against it. If I don’t hear anything within a few days, I’ll call, but I want to put off hearing the official’s decision as long as possible.”

While she drove, she found herself wishing that she could have known Chad before this injury messed up his life.

“I have a reservation at the University Plaza Hotel,” he said.

“That’s a good choice and close by. And I may have found an apartment for you. Do you want to check it out before you go to the hotel? It’s expensive, but I’m guessing that probably isn’t an issue with you.”

“I’m used to a simple lifestyle, so I’m not interested in anything too fancy.”

“Why don’t I drive by and let you look at the house and the neighborhood? It’s located in a Victorian home on Neil Avenue, not too far from the university. It’s a handy location for appointments at the hospital.”

“If you have the time, I’d like to see it.”

“When I was looking for an apartment for myself, I looked at this particular space, but it was too pricey for me. I met the landlady then, and was thrilled when I called and found out it was vacant again.”

“If we come to a bank before then, will you pull into an ATM so I can withdraw some cash? Fortunately, my wallet and other items I had in my pockets were sent to the OSU medical center with me.”

Vicky pulled into a branch bank and Chad withdrew five hundred dollars. She drove along High Street, where many of the businesses catered to college students. The street was congested, not only with vehicles, but with pedestrians, all with backpacks, heading for their classes.

Intent on her driving, Vicky kept her eyes straight ahead, which gave Chad an opportunity to watch her. He hadn’t really looked at Vicky at the hospital. Too intent on my own problems, he thought.

Tall and graceful, Vicky was worth a second look, although all he had noticed about her in the hospital were her compassionate, heavily lashed blue eyes. Now, he admired her brown hair tumbling to her shoulders in soft curly waves. Her smooth ivory skin glowed with rose undertones. She had a gentle but overwhelming beauty, and he was surprised he hadn’t noticed it before.

He didn’t want Vicky to catch him watching her, so when she took a right off High Street and drove to Neil Avenue, Chad turned his attention to the century-old houses.

The street was lined with large trees, and their foliage was a mixture of yellows, reds and greens. Chad was amazed at the change in the foliage since he’d entered the hospital. The football season had just been starting then, but the hint of fall was evident in the fading flowers and the occasional fallen leaves drifting downward to the street.

Constructed of brick and stone, most of the houses had three floors. He especially liked the rounded turrets on many of the residences.

He listened to Vicky’s comments as he squirmed uncomfortably in the limited space of her car.

“Several blocks of these houses were renovated a few years ago. The area is called Victorian Village. Some of the houses are one-family dwellings, but several have been turned into apartment buildings. I live in an apartment two blocks to the west.”