Stuck in the Middle (32 page)

At 10:40 the next morning Joan pulled her car into a parking place in front of Waterford Manor. She’d driven by the facility many times since it opened, but this was the closest she’d ever come. Peering over the steering wheel at the covered entry, the ornate front door, the well-tended flower garden lining the trim brick building, she had to admit the place didn’t look like a depressing nursing home from the outside.

Allie’s car pulled to a stop beside her. Mom must have also called her about Gram’s pending arrival at Waterford. She heaved herself out of the car with some effort, and then leaned against the door to rest. As she waddled around the car, Joan realized with a shock that her belly was noticeably lower than just two days ago.

“You’ve dropped.”

Allie rolled her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.” She winced, her hands carrying her round abdomen as she walked. “She’s pressing on something in there, and it feels awful. If I stand up too quickly, you’d better be ready to catch her when she falls out.”

“But you’ve got three more weeks.”

She glared. “Don’t remind me.”

They made for the shade of the canopy and stopped to scan the parking lot.

“I don’t see Mom’s car,” Allie said.

“We probably beat them here. Mom said they had to get some paperwork signed before they’d be able to leave.”

“Let’s go in and see what it’s like.”

Steeling herself with a deep breath, Joan opened the door for her sister. When they stepped inside, Allie gasped and Joan’s eyes went wide.

They stood in a foyer with high, vaulted ceilings and marble tiled floor. Richly upholstered wingback chairs sat on each side of a gleaming mahogany table, a marble statuette posed elegantly on its surface. The subtle scent of lemons hung in the air, reminding Joan of the furniture polish Gram used at home.

“Ohmigosh,” breathed Allie. “Mom said it was nice, but I had no idea.”

The sound of a chair scooting across the floor drew their attention to a neat reception desk. A gray-haired woman rose from behind it. “May I help you?”

Her pleasant smile made a homey contrast to the elegant surroundings. Joan returned it, hoping hers wasn’t stiff with surprise. “Our grandmother is going to be here for a couple of weeks while she recovers from surgery. She should arrive any minute.”

“Oh yes.” She ran a finger down a pad of paper on the desk. “Mrs. Hancock. We’re expecting her.”

Allie pointed toward the two chairs. “Is it okay if we wait over there?”

The woman nodded. “Of course. But if you’d like to take a look around before she arrives, I’ll be happy to give you a little tour.”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

She came out from behind the desk. “I’m Edna Carter.” “Allie Harrod, and this is my sister Joan Sanderson.”

Her hand, slender and lined with veins, felt cool in Joan’s. They fell in beside her as she led them beneath a wide archway. Allie pointed upward toward the stained glass in a dome-shaped ceiling. Eyes wide, Joan nodded as she stepped through a doorway on the other side. She’d never seen stained glass that size outside of a church.

“This is the dining room.” Mrs. Carter’s gesture swept the room. “Breakfast and lunch are available, of course, though some residents prefer to have those meals in their apartments. But no one misses dinner in the dining room. We have a grand time every evening.”

Round tables covered with white tablecloths filled the carpeted room, eight high-backed chairs surrounding each one. Large chandeliers cast a warm light over the furnishings. A statue stood sentry beside the door—a life-size maître d’ holding a burgundy menu for display.

Allie stooped to read it. “Tonight they’re having chicken cordon bleu or poached salmon with hollandaise sauce, potatoes au gratin, and green bean casserole. And peach cobbler or carrot cake for dessert.” She ran a tongue across her lips. “Can I come for supper?”

The older woman laughed. “Of course you can, dear. We love guests. I’ll put in an order for an extra meal if you like.”

They proceeded through the dining room, across a hallway, and through a set of doors beyond.

“This is the library.” Mrs. Carter’s announcement was unnecessary. A large stone fireplace dominated one side of the long room, but two walls were composed of floorto-ceiling shelves of polished dark wood, stuffed full with books. A candle burned on the mantle, filling the room with the scent of vanilla. Two women seated at a computer broke off an animated conversation at their approach. Joan caught sight of an eBay list on the monitor. They smiled and nodded a greeting before continuing their discussion about how much their maximum bid should be.

Mrs. Carter gave a sniff as she pointed toward a closed door in the wall opposite the fireplace. “The study is through there. This entire building is nonsmoking, but a few gentlemen
insist
on stepping out on the patio to smoke their cigars. We keep the door closed because of the smell.”

Joan smiled at Mrs. Carter’s obvious disapproval of such behavior. They returned to the hallway. Paintings decorated the walls, along with the occasional plant stand or upholstered chair placed in cozy nooks beside an end table with an assortment of magazines. The doors on the rooms they passed each had a plaque with the name and a picture of the resident. Through open doors, several people called a greeting as they passed.

Joan turned to Mrs. Carter. “This is a beautiful place. But I don’t see any sick people. I thought this was a nursing facility.”

“It is that too. We offer several levels of care here, whatever the resident needs. Your grandmother will be on Respite Care, I noticed, which means she’ll receive full care but only temporarily, while she’s here.” Her face brightened. “Would you like to see one of the apartments?”

“We’d love to.” Allie smiled her gratitude.

“Come this way.”

Joan followed Allie and Mrs. Carter, peering at the various wreaths and hangings on many of the doors. They crossed the dining room again and into another hallway, passing a laundry room, a chapel, and even an exercise room.

“You have a gym?” Allie’s eyebrows arched high.

Mrs. Carter waved a hand dismissively. “That’s nothing but a few machines. All residents have full membership at the wellness center next door. They have exercise classes and a swimming pool there.”

Allie turned an open-mouthed look Joan’s way. “I want to live here!”

Joan agreed. The place was like a country club. She felt more than a little foolish for making such a big deal out of Mom bringing Gram here to visit her friend.

Mrs. Carter stopped in front of a door, her hand on the doorknob. She turned a worried face toward them. “Now I wasn’t expecting guests, so don’t look too closely at the dishes in the sink.”

Joan’s jaw went slack. “This is your apartment?” The older woman nodded. “I thought you worked here.”

“Oh no, dear. Janet had to step away to take care of a resident. I was just covering the desk for a minute.”

Joan took a second look at their guide. Mrs. Carter wasn’t anywhere near as old as Gram. Come to think of it, many of the residents she’d seen looked younger than Gram. She shook her head. She couldn’t have been more wrong about this place.

Mrs. Carter’s apartment was homey, comfortable, and stuffed full of furniture. A sliding glass door off the main room opened on to a private patio with a pretty little flower garden. The kitchen area boasted a half-sized refrigerator, a microwave, and a sink with a small cabinet. They stepped through a doorway into a separate bedroom with a full-sized bath.

Allie walked through, Joan right behind her, then turned a smile on Mrs. Carter. “It’s lovely.”

The older woman’s gaze swept the room. “It’s small, but plenty big for me. And now we’d better get back up front and see if your grandmother has arrived.”

She had. Mom’s empty car sat beneath the canopy out front. Mrs. Carter led them down another hallway to a room whose door stood open. Inside, Joan found Mom and a young, pleasant-faced nurse’s aide on either side of Gram’s bed.

This apartment was smaller than Mrs. Carter’s, an efficiency, probably intended for temporary use only. It was more comfortable than a hospital room, with a vinyl recliner beside a nice little table and lamp, but the bed was standard hospital issue. It had the same kitchenette as Mrs. Carter’s, and a private bathroom.

“There you girls are.” Mom set Gram’s suitcase on the floor and shrugged her purse off her shoulder. “I saw your cars out front.”

Allie eased into the recliner. “We were getting the grand tour. Wow, Gram, this is quite a place you’ve landed in.”

Joan went to the bedside to take Gram’s hand. The IV had been removed, and a piece of gauze beneath plastic tape covered the place where the needle had punctured her skin. Her eyelids looked heavy as she tried to focus on Joan. “Do you think Myrtle will come visit with me?”

“Mrs. Mattingly?” The young aide patted her other arm. “I’m sure she will later. But right now you need to get some rest.” She placed a call button on the bed next to Gram’s right hand. “I’ll be in to check on you every so often, but ring this when you wake up.”

Gram nodded and, with a soft sigh, closed her eyes.

Mom spoke in a low voice. “The trip over took a lot out of her. We’ve given her something for pain, so she’ll sleep for hours.”

“Are you saying I have to go back to work now?” Allie blew her bangs off her forehead. “I told them I’d be gone most of the afternoon.”

“Go home and take a nap,” Mom advised. “You look tired, honey.”

Joan held a hand out to help her sister out of the chair. “Well, I’m going back to work, but I’ll come again later. Will I see you this evening?”

“Oh yeah.” Allie smiled. “I’m coming for dinner. Mrs. Carter ordered me some of that chicken cordon bleu.”

They filed quietly out of the room. Joan paused in the doorway to look back at the bed. Gram’s breath came slow and steady, her face peaceful in sleep. A matching peace descended over Joan. Gram might have a painful and slow recovery ahead of her, but she was going to be fine.

~ 23 ~

Cracker Barrel’s dining room bustled with activity. Joan had to raise her voice to be heard by Eve, who sat at the far end of the long table. Their number had grown tonight, since Gordy and Crystal both brought friends. Joan was ecstatic at the popularity their little group was enjoying. Of course, it might just be the food that drew people. Who didn’t love Cracker Barrel?

She tried not to bump Ken’s arm with her elbow every time she took a bite. It wasn’t easy since the ten of them were crowded around a table meant for eight. The way his eyes kept fixing on hers, though, she didn’t think he minded.

When the server cleared their plates, she set her notebook on the table in front of her. “So, we’ve got two gallons of kid-safe paint, four vinyl-coated swing chains, and four sling seats, compliments of Ryan’s boss.” She smiled across the table at him. “Anything else in the way of equipment?”

Gordy spoke up. “Nick and I ran by there on the way over here tonight. The slide’s in pretty good shape, but there are some rusted bolts we’ll need to replace, and some rough spots that I think we can smooth out. We’ll bring what we need for that.”

Crystal waved her hand above her head, bouncing in her seat. “Guess what I got?” She didn’t wait for anyone’s guess. “I got a new backboard and basketball hoop donated from Gart Sports in Lexington.”

“Hey, that’s fantastic,” Ken said, and several people clapped. “I’ve been looking at that court. Unfortunately I don’t think we can do much with the cracked asphalt, but I’ll bring some weed killer so we can clean it up enough to dribble a basketball.”

Joan recorded the basketball equipment in her notebook. “We have a truckload of mulch coming at one o’clock.” She glanced at Brittany for confirmation. “And Eve’s got flowers to plant.”

“A bunch,” Eve said. “So everybody bring a shovel.”

Joan made a note to herself. “What else do we need?”

“Garbage bags,” Nick said. “And thick gloves for picking up broken glass. We saw a lot of that.”

“I’ll get the bags,” Joan said, making another note. “What about the notice we said we were going to post?”

On the other side of Ken, Marissa leaned forward to look at Joan. “I made one and put up copies over there yesterday.” She reddened. “I hope that was okay. I thought we needed to get it up a few days in advance.”

Joan smiled. “That’s perfect. I’m so glad you thought of it.” She glanced around the table. “I think we’ve got everything covered.”

Brittany clapped her hands, a wide smile on her face. “This is going to be fun, y’all!”

Scanning her list, Joan noted a satisfying check mark beside every item. The only thing left to do was the work. Grinning at Brittany, she couldn’t agree more.

Joan hefted a bulging garbage bag. Where was the trash dumpster?

Behind her, Ryan called, “Hey, Joan, just toss that in the back of my pickup. It’ll be easier than carrying them all over one at a time.”

Just toss it, huh? She half-carried, half-dragged the bag toward Ryan’s truck. Loaded down with not only trash from the apartment complex grounds but also weeds from the overgrown flower bed Eve had laboriously uncovered, she’d filled the bag heavier than she anticipated. A parade of little girls followed, giggling.