Terri Reed - Love Comes Home and A Sheltering Love - Love Comes Home / A Sheltering Love

“Have you eaten?” He didn’t appreciate the sudden need to take care of her.

“No.” She sipped from the coffee cup.

He watched her press the cup to her mouth. He remembered kissing those lips so many years ago. Remembered her soft, pliant mouth beneath his, the way she’d felt in his arms.

Angry at the unwanted course of his thoughts, he averted his gaze. “You shouldn’t drink that on an empty stomach. Why don’t we go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast?”

She shook her head. “She wanted me to wake her when you got here.”

Even though Mrs. G. lay a few feet away, being this close to—this intimate with—Rachel troubled him. It was too easy to remember the past, to remember how he’d once loved her, how she’d looked at him with love in her blue eyes. Too easy to remember that she’d wanted to be a doctor more than she’d wanted to be with him. And being a doctor had changed her. The woman standing before him set his nerves on edge.

“I’ll let you do the honors.” He took her cup and set it, along with his own, on the side table.

Rachel lay a hand on Mrs. G.’s shoulder. “Mom G., Josh is here.”

Mrs. G. stirred. Her eyelids fluttered.

Josh’s chest tightened. Mrs. G. had been such a godsend to him and his family. They’d kept in touch after Rachel left town, and when Andrea died, Mrs. G. had insisted on keeping Griff while Josh had dealt with the funeral arrangements. Then she’d insisted on continuing to care for his son while he worked. She’d become the grandmother that Griff needed.

And now they were losing her. Josh didn’t know if his heart could take much more loss, and he worried what the loss would do to his son.

Mrs. G.’s eyes opened fully and she smiled weakly. “Thank you, Josh, for coming.”

Josh moved closer. “Of course I’m here. I’ll always be here,” he said softly. From the corner of his eye he saw Rachel glance at him.

“We’re both here, Mom G.,” she said softly.

Mrs. G. lifted her hand from the bed and held it out. Rachel immediately wrapped her own hand around Mrs. G.’s.

“Josh.” Mrs. G.’s intent was clear. He hesitated before he slowly lifted his own hand and placed it over Rachel’s. He kept his gaze trained on Mrs. G. and ignored the cool hand beneath his palm.

“I need a promise from…you both.”

He glanced at Rachel. Her gaze met his. The wariness in her eyes reflected his own. Whatever Mrs.G. wanted, they would do everything in their power to make it happen.

As if she’d heard his thoughts, Rachel nodded imperceptibly and turned to Mrs. G. “Yes, of course, we’ll promise you anything.”

“Of course.” Josh murmured his agreement.

His brows drew slightly together as he met the older woman’s gaze. A mischievous glint twinkled in Mrs.G.’s eyes. Josh dismissed it as a trick of the light. Then she said, “Promise me that you two will take care of each other when I’m gone.”

Josh stilled. Mischief nothing, the woman was bent on matchmaking! And he’d just given his word he’d do anything for her.

He hoped that wasn’t a mistake he’d come to regret.

Dismay sat heavy on Josh’s chest, but he saw the fledgling hope in Mrs. G.’s expression and determination set in. He would do anything it took to fulfill her dying wish.

Hers would be one grave he wouldn’t stand over with regret.

His gaze slid to Rachel. A slow red stain spread over her cheeks. She shook herself, glanced at him with wide, panicked eyes and then began to sputter, “Mom G. I…can’t—You can’t possibly expect…”

Josh tightened his fingers around Rachel’s.

She ignored him. “We can’t make a promise like that.”

Josh applied more pressure. “Rachel, we can do this,” he said with deliberate slowness.

Her head snapped toward him, her expression thunderous. “What?”

He was not going to argue with her in front of Mrs. G. It was bad enough that she was balking. He refused to subject Mrs. G. to the tempest that was about to explode. Because, like it or not, he was going to make sure she agreed. He couldn’t let her live with the kind of regret that plagued him. He lifted Rachel’s hand away from Mrs. G.’s. “We need to discuss this outside.”

Rachel stared at him mutinously. “There’s nothing to discuss. It can’t be done. I live thousands of miles away, Josh.”

He smiled tightly at Mrs. G. “We’ll be right back.” He tugged on Rachel’s hand. She pulled against him but finally stood and jerked her hand from his grasp.

“Fine,” she snapped, her expression softening as she looked at Mrs. G. “You’ll be okay?”

Mrs. G. blinked. “Of course.”

Rachel strode out of the room. Josh watched her go. She’d become quite a formidable woman. He normally chose to defuse confrontational situations long before they came to a head. That skill made him a good manager of the forestry team he was responsible for. But he found a part of himself looking forward to seeing the sparks fly, to being a part of the controlled energy that was Rachel.

Filled with anticipation, he winked at Mrs. G. before following in Rachel’s wake, confident he could manage her.

Rachel’s head was going to explode. Anger raged, pounding at her temples. She couldn’t make such a promise. She wouldn’t lie to Mom G. How dare Josh even consider promising something he had no intention of fulfilling?

She rubbed at her temples, trying for a calm that was proving elusive. She could control her emotions. She was a doctor, a professional, standing in a hospital corridor, after all. She wouldn’t cause a scene.

But the second Josh stepped into the hall radiating confidence, she whirled on him, her vow to remain calm pushed aside. “What was that all about? What are you trying to do?”

Rachel paced away from Josh in an effort to cool her temper.

Unruffled, he stated, “Trying to make Mrs. G. happy.”

She screeched to a halt. “By lying to her? You think that’s going to make her happy? Is your conscience out to lunch?”

Josh held up a hand. “Whoa, you need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” She didn’t appreciate him pointing out the obvious. Unfortunately her reserve of cool and collected was suddenly lacking. And it was Josh’s fault. Something about the man he’d become caused her to lose her self-restraint. She didn’t like being this out of sorts. It was too much; she felt too vulnerable.

She needed calm. She needed to breathe. In slow, out slow, find the calm. “We can’t make that promise.”

The dark green of his button-down shirt magnified the intent look in his eyes. “We said we’d do anything for her.”

“But…not this. Are you out of your mind?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to live regretting that I didn’t do everything I could to make Mrs. G. happy.”

His words struck her with sharp bites of guilt. “I want to make her happy, too, but I can’t do this.”

His expression hardened. “How difficult would it be for you to set your feelings aside for a moment and do something for her?”

She drew back, stung. “I’m not being selfish, Josh. I’m being realistic.”

His look said he didn’t believe her.

“Think for a second, Josh.” Her hand gesturing wildly. “Your life’s here. My life’s in Chicago. And I’m leaving as soon as Mom—”

She froze. She widened her eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand as she realized what she’d almost said. A tremor assaulted her body. The reality of the situation hit her full force. No matter how good the medical care, Mom G. was going to die. Sooner rather than later.

Just like her mother had.

No! This was different. Her mother hadn’t received the best care possible. Mistakes had been made, inadequate procedures followed. None of that was happening with Mom G. It was God’s decision. He was in control.