Coming Home to Love (Lakeside Porch Series Book 2) (5 page)

Gianessa shifted on the seat to get a better view of Manda’s face. “Why do you think I’m qualified to do that?”

Manda shrugged. “I just know when I came for my spa day—remember what a wreck I was? You totally got what my body needed, and you got me into healing mode in, like, ten minutes.”

“You don’t know anything about my credentials, do you?”

Manda shook her head. “I just know you’re a healer. Joel needs a healer.”

Gianessa was unsure how much to say. Joel had asked her to keep a low profile until she’d worked with the staff as one of them for a while. None of them knew about her alternative healing certifications or her physical therapy degree.

“I know you’ll like meeting him. He’s in recovery like us.”

“Yes, I know,” Gianessa said quietly.

“You do?”

“Joel hired me.”

“Duh, Manda. How did I not get that? So, you met him at a meeting?”

“Joel came to a conference and retreat for spa managers at the spa where I worked in northern California. There were about fifty people, discussing different business models and innovative practices for spas and retreat centers. I think, from what we talked about, he’s got an idea that the Spa at the Manse can be more than it is, and the conference let him explore ideas and meet people that were doing cutting-edge things with their facilities. He got some cool ideas, and he asked me to come here and help make it happen.”

“Are you sure it was the spa in the current facility he was thinking about?”

“I just assumed it was. Why?”

“Well, last summer Joel and I talked about different ways we might want to use a beautiful piece of land called Cady’s Point on Chestnut Lake. He was actually checking out the land when he had the accident.”

Manda shuddered, and Gianessa instinctively reached out to calm her.

“God, I’m so glad he’s going to be okay.”

“He is going to be better than okay, Manda. We’ll make sure of that.” She squeezed Manda’s arm. “What did you think the land should be used for?”

“Well, this may sound weird, but Cady’s Point is a place with healing energy. The Indians knew that. I felt it myself when I lived there for a year.” She glanced at Gianessa. “Do you think that’s crazy? That a place can have healing power?”

“I’ve been to places that are spiritual, holy, that have the power to heal and redeem certain people. Usually people who believe healing is possible and who are willing to suspend their normal lives for a time and enter into a new way of praying and living. A healing path, I’ll call it.”

Manda smacked her hands on the steering wheel. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Gianessa laughed. “Manda, we must have been sisters in a previous life.”

“That is so cool. Anyway I told Joel I thought Cady’s Point should be the site of a rehabilitation center slash retreat slash spa. A place for people to take time out of their lives to change in ways that would promote their recovery from serious illness—like heart disease, severe arthritis, traumatic injury, yada yada. Maybe he had that in mind when he came to California. Anyway, fast forward, you won’t believe what happened when Joel was in the hospital.”

“What happened?” Gianessa was glad Manda wasn’t driving as fast as she was talking.

“Well, Justin, Joel’s uncle—”

“Oh yes, we’ve met,” Gianessa said with a little chuckle.

“You probably know he has more money than god. Anyway, two things happened really. One was that the doctors didn’t have any recommendation for us about a rehab facility for Joel in Tompkins Falls. That was awful. But the good news is, Justin and I were talking over dinner that first night, and he asked me what I wanted to do, what my passion was—besides Joel, of course—and I started pitching this rehab slash retreat idea to him, and he knew it was exactly what
he
needed for his own healing. Long story short, he wants to put up the venture capital for it. That was, like, a week ago, and now when I’m driving back and forth to Rochester, I’m planning it in my head, and I seriously want to do it.”

“Of course you should do it. It’s stunning. I wonder if that’s why Joel brought me here.”

“We should talk more about it. I mean, if you’re interested.”

“I am. It’s fascinating.” Gianessa’s heart did a happy dance.

“Good, we’ll talk on the way home. But we’re getting close to the exit. Let’s plan how we want to organize our time. We don’t want to tire Joel.”

“Okay, I’m going to be late if I stay one more minute. I have to meet with people about your surgery tomorrow,” Manda told Joel. “I won’t be long, I promise.”

She gave Joel another kiss and waved to Gianessa. “I know you and Gianessa have a lot to talk about.”

“I’ll take good care of him.” Gianessa gave her a quick hug and closed the door behind Manda.

Joel reached out with his left hand.

Gianessa sandwiched his hand between hers. She smiled warmly and stood peacefully beside him. When his shoulders had relaxed and his breathing steadied, she pressed and released his hand.

“You’re the calm after the whirlwind,” he told her with a tired smile.

“You love her so much.”

“She is the love of my life. I’m grateful to be alive and to have a future with her.”

“What’s tomorrow’s surgery?” Gianessa asked brightly. She repositioned the chair and sat where he could see her face without straining his neck.

“The lower leg. They weren’t able to set the tibia and fibula the way they wanted during the emergency surgery, so they’re going back in. I hope they finish the job this time. Plan B is to go in again a week later.”

“I believe they’ll succeed this time. Is your skull up to the surgery?”

Joel nodded. “Still hurts, but my brain is functioning the way it should. My eye was out of whack, but it’s improving, they tell me.”

“The right one. I can see there’s still some wavering when you track movement in the room. If it’s improving, it will continue to, and they won’t need to correct it surgically.”

“I need that encouragement. The fewer surgeries, the less I’m anesthetized. And I’m trying not to use narcotics for the pain.”

“I understand, but are you sleeping okay?”

“Well enough. If the surgery goes the way we hope, I may be out of here in two weeks.”

Gianessa chose not to disillusion him about that. “The suite at the Manse is going to be excellent. They’ve dug the pool, and I hear they’ve gutted the garage already.”

“I need you to review the plans and make sure the place will accommodate my recovery start to finish, and it also needs to be a comfortable place for Manda and me to live for a few months. Tony Pinelli will be showing the place to my uncle around six today, and I’d like you to be there.”

“I’ll have Manda drop me at the Manse after we shop, and then Sara can drive me home.”

“Good. I hear you’ve met my uncle?”

“Uncle Badger, yes, I have.” Gianessa had forgotten Joel’s trick of engaging someone in light chatter and then nailing them with hard question.
I walked right into that
.

“Who was he badgering?”

“Grace. He was desperate for a massage. I took him to that tiny room no one else uses. Did he complain about it?”

“Not at all.”

“He’s seriously ill, you realize.”

Joel nodded.

“He may have celiac disease or gluten intolerance or some other food allergy. I have celiac disease, did you know?”

Joel’s eyes narrowed to slits.

She explained the disease process. “When a person with the disease ingests wheat or another food with gluten, the villi that line the small intestine are damaged. We’re unable to absorb nutrients for the rest of the body. Justin told me his symptoms, and they’re almost identical to mine before I was diagnosed and treated.” She stood and did a muscle-man pose that made him chuckle. “Now that I’m gluten-free, I have no symptoms. I’m normal weight, and my muscle mass and strength have come back. He should have a gastroenterologist do a needle biopsy to—”

“Is it cancer?” Joel grabbed for her arm, and she sat down, leaning close to him.

“No. Biopsies can help diagnose a variety of conditions, not just cancer.”

He let out his breath. “I’ll work on him about that.”

“If it proves to be gluten intolerance or celiac disease, he would need to observe a strictly gluten-free diet. Does he cook?”

Joel cracked a smile. “I understand you’ve offered to teach him. He’s taken over my place, which has an awesome kitchen. He’s a beast for appropriating it.”

“If he’s living in your place, where will you live after rehab?”

“Justin is renovating the first floor flat at 14 Lakeside Terrace for Manda and me. I intend to keep an eye on that construction. If he doesn’t give me an equal, or better, kitchen, I’ll shove him off the porch onto the rocks below the bluff.”

“You boys play rough,” she chided. “That’s not good for your stress level.”

Joel shut his eyes and nodded. “You’re right. Old behavior. The Cushman men have always been aggressive with each other, and it was never healthy. First things first: can you send me some information about gluten-free diets, and I’ll study up? Manda, too.”

Smiling, Gianessa produced the information from the depths of her tote bag. “Done.”

“I should have known you’d come prepared.”

Following the direction his finger pointed, she set the papers on his rolling tray.

“But, before we get to my agenda, what else did you want to cover with me?”

She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “I understand Manda and Justin are brainstorming a rehab and retreat facility on the lake. Katie’s Point?”

“Cady’s Point. C-a-d-y. Tell me what you know.” Joel plucked the bed covers while she talked.

“Manda’s apparently been thinking about it for a while, and your injuries made it gel for her. Justin has offered to back it.”

“I wasn’t aware it had gone this far, or I’d have brought you into it right away. You should be the brains of this.” He raised a hand and flipped it over and back. “Unless you think it’s insane?”

“I think it’s inspired. And I want to be involved. Thank you for your trust in me.”

“You know I have absolute faith in your ability and your credentials.”

“Even though the state of California has revoked my PT license?”

“That was for drug charges that you’re addressing through your recovery program. We need your talent here. I asked you to come here because I had some vague idea that the Spa at the Manse could be more than it is, and I wanted your ideas to shape it. And down the road there’s a connection between the spa and the new facility. You’ll know what that should be, when the time is right. For now you’re the brains behind both. Did I just blow you away?”

Gianessa’s hands covered her warm cheeks, and her mouth was open. She recovered her breath with a laugh and beamed at him. “Yes, and you made me very happy.”

“Good.” He reached for her hand. “You looked stressed when you came in. How’s it going for you in Tompkins Falls?”

“It’ll be much better now that I’m back at AA meetings. And I’ll get a warm coat at L.L. Bean’s this afternoon. I have Manda to thank for both. She’s an angel.”

His grin was soft with affection. “May I ask a favor for my angel?”

“Anything, Joel.”

“Manda does not have any confidence with fashion. She needs help finding a wedding gown. I know you’re a fashionista at heart. Will you help her find the dress of her dreams? Money is no obstacle.”

Gianessa let out a squeak of delight. She tried to put the words “thank you” together but just babbled.

“Good.” Joel laughed. “And now the rest of my agenda.”

Gianessa closed her eyes and got herself back to center. “Ready, boss.”

“I need significant physical therapy, and there is no facility convenient to Tompkins Falls. Are you willing to take on that job and make it your highest priority for at least six months? Even though it means delaying the redesign of the current spa or the facility on Cady’s Point?”

“Of course, Joel. Your health and wellness are paramount.”

He let out his breath in relief and raised his eyes to the heavens.

“I’ll leave it to you to propose your fee. Do you have a computer so you can prepare your budget, get online, check comparable rates for your expertise in New York State,
et cetera
?”

Gianessa shook her head.

“Manda will lend you her old laptop until you have your own. Regarding benefits, we can cover you on the Manse’s health plan, if you continue to work part-time at the spa.”

Gianessa nodded enthusiastically.

“Good. Done. Any questions?”

“Yes. Is anything stressing you that might affect your recovery?”

Joel’s gaze clouded. “Justin has agreed to take over my responsibility at Tompkins College, which is a huge relief for me. He’s trading that responsibility for management of the charitable foundation he helped me establish twelve years ago. He’s been managing it for me, mostly through benign neglect, and in confidence it’s probably a mess. I’ll need to dig into the books and the staffing and procedures, and I’ll also need to rethink the whole thing. It never had a good focus, because I didn’t have a good focus when I started it.”

“Joel.” Gianessa spoke quietly and remained still until Joel gave her his full attention. “That’s the kind of work you should be doing. Even though it’s a challenge right now, I’m confident you’ll find your way with it, and I can’t believe there’s any rush.”

Something passed, unspoken, from Gianessa’s eyes to his.

His body relaxed. “I believe that. Yes, I know all of that is true.”

He was thoughtful for a moment.

Gianessa remained still.

“How do you do that?” he asked.

She cocked her head.

“How do you see what I’m struggling to believe in?”

“It’s a gift,” she said simply. “My grandmother had it, too. It used to scare me.”