Shady Bay (21 page)

Two hours later, something finally worked. An experimental pain medicine that I couldn’t spell, let alone pronounce had finally eased the pain and gave me the rest I needed and that my body craved. I was exhausted.

To the petite, middle-aged male nurse, Doc Golden said, “Keep her comfortable. This works. Let’s go with it for now. We can ease her off of it in a day or so.”

Jaxon pulled his chair up next to mine. He’d gone to use the bathroom. I think he just needed a breather, really. He’d been wound tight watching me pant and thrash around. Celeste just kept shuffling her tarot cards and reading them over and over. I wasn’t sure what she found in those things or how they worked for her. I thought they only worked to read someone else’s fortune. Maybe she was shuffling for me, who knew. But it kept her relaxed now that things had calmed down. Brody and June had left to seek out the cafeteria and find some sustenance. Celeste had refused to leave, so they promised to bring her and Jaxon back something edible.

“Something’s wrong! Please
help her!” That was Jaxon.

The intercom chirped. “Code Blue in room 16.”

What was a code blue? Why couldn’t they just say, hey someone’s puking, or someone’s not breathing or someone just died. It would be simpler and the other patients might be more understanding. Everyone thinks they are in the worst shape, never considering that others a room down from them might be even worse off.

Celeste’s bracelets tinkled as she squeezed my hand. “Stay with us, Mercy. You’re gonna pull through. It’s all I’ve seen in the cards for days.”

“Where the fuck are they?” Jaxon roared. I couldn’t open my eyes. I was so tired.

“Fuck!” A door slammed. Footsteps. Beeps. Darkness.

“Mercy, can you
hear me?”

Of course I could hear him. My ears were fine. But everything was dark and something was jammed down my throat. Damn, that hurt! I started to struggle.

“Calm down. You’re okay. We had to help you breathe a little bit, sweetie. You have a tube in your throat.”

Duh.

“You had a reaction to the pain medicine. It made your blood pressure bottom out. We’ve taken you off of the medicine, but I think you’ll be fine without it anyway. We just need to monitor you for a few more hours and then the tube can come out.”

Doc Golden squeezed my hand. “If you understand, squeeze back.”

With everything in me, I did. “Good girl.”

I was so
damn glad to be pushing Mercy out the front door of that place. She’d almost died in that place. Well, technically she did. I didn’t even want to think about that. I almost lost her. The automatic doors opened and we were greeted with the fall sunshine. Mercy shielded her eyes with her hands. The nurse handed me her discharge paperwork and I helped Mercy into the passenger side of the car. She was so weak and so tiny now. I hoped and prayed this had gotten rid of the cancer. Fucking Cha-Cha.

I buckled her belt and rushed around to my side of the car. Before long, we were parked in front of the townhouses. Celeste rushed out to meet us. I helped Mercy climb the staircase and into my place. She’d been staying with me for
a while again, but every time she stepped foot in those doors, I wanted to lock her in and never let her leave.

Celeste had made manicotti and a broccoli casserole, two of Mercy’s favorites. She sat the dishes on the counter and helped Mercy into the bathroom to freshen up. It wasn’t long before Mercy came down the steps with Celeste, dressed in her own clothes, smelling like her lavender lotion again. She wore a bandana on her head. Celeste saw that I’d notice and mouthed the word ‘cold.’

I turned the thermostat up and grabbed some dishes and glasses. “I’m not staying. I’ve got an appointment and I’ve already eaten. You two enjoy and I’ll come over when Jaxon leaves for work in the morning.”

I nodded and walked Celeste to the door. “Is she going to be okay?”

She smiled and patted my cheek. “She’s going to be fine.”

“You sure.”

“Yes. As sure as I am that you love that girl in there.”

I exhaled. “I do love her.”

“I know you do. Now, go feed her.”

With that, she stepped outside and crossed the road, bare-footed as usual. I waited until I saw she’d unlocked the door and stepped inside before I returned to Mercy. She hadn’t wasted any time. Her plate was full and mine was, too. I poured water into each of our glasses and we devoured that home-cooked meal. Cafeteria food was okay, but nothing like Celeste’s cooking.

The phone vibrating
on the nightstand beside my head woke me up. I hit the answer key and rasped, “Hello.”

“Mercy?”

“Daddy. Hey.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Just tired, but okay.”

Tired was an understatement. I hadn’t been further than the bathroom in three days. “Did I wake you up?”

“I was napping, but I needed to get up. I’m glad you called.”

“Have you seen the doctor?”

“Yesterday. He said everything seems okay so far. I have my final tests in a few weeks. He said my strength should start coming back soon.”

“Good. I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t worry. Everyone’s taking good care of me.”

Daddy paused. “Mercy, have you talked to Jaxon?”

“About what?”

“About what’s going to happen after you get your
results? If they’re good, are you going to stay married or move on with a divorce?”

I stiffened. I’d been avoiding that conversation like the plague. “No. I haven’t talked to him. I
...I know he has feelings for me, but I also know Jax. I don’t think he’s the settle down and get married type. I mean, I know we’re technically already married, but he just did that so I could get treatment.”

“Mmm.”

“Daddy?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think he’ll do?”

“I don’t know. You know him better than I do, but I can’t imagine him letting you go. He’d be a fool to, I know that much.”

I giggled. “You’re biased.”

“Just a little. Listen, I’ve gotta go. Talk to you soon?”

“Definitely. Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you, Mercy.”

Three days later
, I was feeling better. I had more energy and was about to climb the walls I’d been staring at for too long. Jax was working, so Celeste and I had made plans. Pancake plans. We sat across from one another at Pam’s Pancake Palace. I was glad I’d worn a maxi dress. My legs would have stuck to the navy blue vinyl for sure. This place was busy. Servers buzzed around delivering billowy eggs, savory-smelling bacon and sausage, and mountains of pancakes, topped with anything a person could dream up.

I ordered mine plain, but Celeste ordered the
S’more Stack, which would be riddled with chunks of Hershey chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers.

“I’m so hungry I could eat two stacks.”

“No way.” She was too small. Celeste was a big talker.

She narrowed her eyes at me. Today, her eyelids were coated in bright pink and lined thickly with black liquid liner. I’d tried to wear that stuff once, but washed it off when I looked like an insane clown.

“You’re gonna have to talk to him, you know.”

I blew out a breath. The waitress came over and delivered our stacks of fluffy goodness, along with fresh maple syrup and topped off our coffees. She was an efficient little thing. I’d been okay as a server, but nothing like her. She was a whirlwind of awesome.

“Jax?”

Celeste rolled her eyes. “Yes. Who else?”

“I know. But what do I say, ‘Jax, time for our divorce,’ it’s awkward.”

She laughed. “He isn’t going to divorce you, sweetheart.”

“Did he tell you that?”

“No.”

Damn.

“But he didn’t have to. He loves you. He’s loved you for a long time, even before you two married.”

My brows scrunched up. I could feel them almost touching. “I know he likes me, but love? I don’t know.”

Slamming her fork down, she looked directly at me. “It’s a damn shame, Mercy, that you don’t know what love looks like. I know you love your Daddy and I know that no matter how hard you fight it, you love your Mama, too, but damn if I don’t want to ring both of their necks. Jaxon loves you. He’s in love with you. You are not divorcing. You’re parts of the same whole. But,” she waved her butter knife in my direction, “you need to talk it out. Make sure you’re both on the same page. He probably wonders what your take on the whole thing is, too.”

“I’ll wait until I get my results. If I need more treatment, then it doesn’t matter. We’d stay married anyway.”

Celeste shook her head and pursed her mouth, wrinkles radiating out from it. “Can we stop by the shop for a minute on the way home? I need you to sign a few things for me.”

“Sure.”

We ate until our stomachs couldn’t take another bite of pancake or another drop of syrup. We walked back to the shop and after she unlocked the door, stepped inside. The rounder in the corner was almost empty. I had some work to do. Celeste motioned to the rounder. “I owe you some money, sweetheart.”

I grinned. “The sandals are popular.”

“And the cover-ups, bathing suits
, and dresses.” She laughed.

Shuffling through papers on the counter beside the register, Celeste apparently hit pay dirt. “Finally. Here it is.”

She held up a thick manila envelope. “What’s that?”

“Some legal papers. Can you come here, Mercy?”

“Sure.”

“Look. I’m not getting any younger. I have no children, but if I had been blessed with a daughter, I think she would have been very much like you. I want to add you to my will, my bank accounts and all of my finances in case something should happen to me. I want my estate, the store, everything to go to you.”

My mouth was gaping open. “You’ll catch flies, Mercy.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t you dare overthink this! It’s mine to do with what I will and I want it to be yours, so don’t even think about sassing me, young lady.”

Her bangle bracelets jangled, punctuating every point of her finger.

“Thank you, Celeste.” I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her.

“You’re welcome, Mercy-girl.”

I gulped down the tears that clogged up my throat.