The Chesapeake Diaries Series (268 page)

“I figured you didn’t,” Logan said, “because you’re going the wrong way.”

“Why don’t you tell me which way?”

“Turn around here and then go back to Doyle Street and turn that way.” He pointed to the right.

“Then what?”

“Then you go on that street till you get to his house.”

“Sounds easy enough. I’m sure you know what his house looks like, right?”

Logan rolled his eyes at her. “Duh. I stay there every weekend.”

“Right. I forgot.” Sophie followed Logan’s directions, turning where he said to turn, stopping in front of the house he pointed to.

“There. That’s my uncle’s house.” Logan barely waited for the car to come to a stop before jumping out.

Sophie debated on whether or not to go up to the door, when Jason appeared in the driveway. He and Logan greeted each other with high-fives; then after a
few words, Logan took off for the front door and Jason walked over to Sophie’s car.

“How’s your granddad?” he asked with obvious concern.

“The same, I guess. He’s still not awake.” She tried to look away from his gaze but could not. “The doctor said you called 911 and went to the hospital with him.”

“I followed the ambulance in my car so he wouldn’t be alone if he came to. I called Jesse from the car on the way over.”

He leaned on the driver’s-side door. His hair was still damp from the shower he’d obviously just taken and his T-shirt clung to his chest. It was hard not to stare.

“He was out when you found him?”

Jason nodded. “I was supposed to meet with him at four, and I got there a little early. When he didn’t answer the door, I wasn’t concerned at first, because I knew he’d been out with Violet and thought maybe they went someplace and were a little late getting back. But when it got to be four fifteen and there was no sign of him—you know how he is about being punctual—I went back to the house and rang the doorbell. No answer out front, so I went around back. The door was open, so I knew he was there. I went in, called his name, but there was no answer. He wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room, so I figured he’d be in the library, which he was, in that big, old green leather chair he likes so much. He had a pulse but it was faint, and I couldn’t rouse him. That’s when I called 911.”

“We can’t thank you enough. If you hadn’t found
him when you did, he might be gone by now. He still might not …” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Her eyes spilled over with tears, and Jason squeezed her arm.

“If I can do anything … 
any
thing … call me.”

“We will. Thanks, Jason.”

“Look, I’m taking Logan to the movies. You’re welcome to come with us. It might take your mind off things for a while.”

“Thanks, but I should get back to the hospital with my brother and Brooke.”

He straightened up and backed away from the car. “Keep in touch, okay? I mean, about Curtis.”

“Right. I will.”

She turned around in his driveway and went back the way she came. She reached the stop sign on the corner before she realized that he was still standing in front of his house, and that she had no idea what that house looked like. All she’d seen when she pulled up in front had been Jason.

She was a block away from the hospital when her phone rang. The caller ID told her it was Jesse.

“Soph, you on your way back yet?” Jesse’s voice was tense.

“Yes. I’m almost there. Has something happened? Is he …”

“No. I wanted you to stop and pick up Violet on your way, but if you’re that close …”

“I’ll go back for her. I know it’s important for her to be there. Did you call anyone else?”

“I called Uncle Mike and left a message—he’s in Florida, but he could probably get a flight up tomorrow morning if he gets the message in time to make
arrangements. I called Nick; he’s going to call Zoey and Georgia. And I called Mom, because I thought she’d like to know.”

After a long silence, she asked, “Did you call Dad?”

“I’m thinking about it,” was all he said.

“Maybe you should run that past Uncle Mike, see how he feels about it.”

“That was the plan.”

She turned around in a convenience store parking lot and drove back to St. Dennis. She hated not being there with Jesse and Brooke, but at the same time was grateful to be moving, to have something specific to do. Sitting and waiting was too stressful. She turned on the radio and sang her way to Violet’s. She didn’t want to think about losing her grandfather and she didn’t want to think about having lost Jason. So much easier to focus on remembering the words to “Stairway to Heaven” on the classic rock station. So much easier to be making conversation with Violet on the drive back to the hospital.

Sophie dropped Violet off at the front door and went to park her car. By the time she found a spot and returned to the place she’d left Violet, the older woman had gone on ahead to the third-floor waiting room. When Sophie arrived, she could tell by the look on her brother’s face that things were not going well.

“There’s been no change, but the doctor said we could go in two at a time.” Jesse turned to Violet. “Why don’t you go in now with Sophie for a few minutes.”

“Oh, but don’t you think you’d rather …,” Violet began to protest.

“You and Pop have been friends for what, a hundred years?” Jesse made a lame attempt to tease.

“One hundred and seventeen, I believe.” She tried to force a smile.

“I think you should be there with him now, for a while, anyway.” Jesse turned to Sophie. “He’s in room 357. First bed.”

“Have you seen him?” Sophie asked.

Jesse nodded. “I sat with him while you were gone. I don’t know if he knew I was there, but I talked to him as if he could hear me. Maybe he could …”

Sophie hugged her brother for a long moment, then took Violet by the arm, and together they found room 357. She was shocked at her grandfather’s appearance. Where earlier in the day he’d been completely himself, now he looked as if he’d aged ten years in a matter of hours. His skin was gray, his eyes remained closed, and his breathing was shallow.

She stood next to the hospital bed and pulled a chair close for Violet, who sat immediately and took one of Curtis’s hands.

“Well, it’s been a long journey, hasn’t it, old friend?” Violet whispered. “If this is where it’s supposed to end, go peacefully. Rose has been waiting a long time.” She patted his hand for a minute or two. “On the other hand, should you decide to stay, perhaps you’ll agree that you should probably not remain in that big house all by yourself. You can move in with me or you can go into a home, but your days of living in that mansion are over, my friend.”

Curtis’s lips moved, slowly at first, but Sophie couldn’t make out any words. Violet stood and leaned over him and appeared to be listening. Sophie thought
she heard him utter the word “spell”—but wouldn’t swear to it—to which Violet assured him, “It’s been taken care of.” He then sighed deeply and seemed to slip back away to wherever he’d been.

“What was that he said, about spelling …?” Sophie whispered.

“Just something he’d asked me to look up for him, dear,” Violet said without taking her eyes from her old friend’s face. “There are so few of us left, you know, from that time. My husband’s long gone—Rose, too—so many of our friends.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to see another leave this place.”

“Do you think he’s really going to …?” Sophie couldn’t bring herself to say the word.

“It’s not for me to say.”

Sophie sat on the side of the bed and watched her grandfather’s labored breathing. “Do you believe all that stuff about my grandmother? You know, about her being in the house, just waiting for him …?”

Violet nodded. “I do.”

“Even though you couldn’t see her?”

“I’m not so sure that sometimes I didn’t.” Violet smiled. “Though that’s neither here nor there. We can’t see love or friendship, but we know those things are real.”

“That’s not the same as seeing ghosts.”

“
Ghost
is just a word, and a misunderstood concept at best. Who’s to say what form we’ll take, or what we’ll find when we pass from this world to the next?”

“So you believe …”

“Oh, in so many things, dear. Perhaps someday, you will, too, if you live long enough.” Violet glanced
at the figure on the bed, then looked up at Sophie. “Perhaps you should get your brother now.”

Sophie sent a text to Jesse, telling him to come to Curtis’s room. She waited for him in the hall outside the room, wanting to give Violet a few moments alone with her old friend. Jesse and Brooke were there in a flash, but when they entered the room, they were shocked to find Curtis’s eyes wide open.

“Tell me the truth, Vi,” he was saying, “were you one of the ones who dabbled?”

Before she could respond, Sophie and Jesse descended upon him.

“Pop! You’re awake!”

“Oh, my God,” Sophie exclaimed, “you’re awake!” She tried to grab the buzzer to summon the nurse, but her grandfather took it from her hand.

“Don’t be calling people to come in here, now. They’ll start poking and prodding again,” he grumbled. He glanced up at Sophie and saw the tears on her face. “What’s all that about?”

“Pop, we were afraid we were going to lose you,” she told him.

“I thought I was going,” he told them, “but apparently I’ve more to do here before I go for good. Damn it. Thought I was going to make it this time, but something sent me back.”

“We’re all glad you’re here, Pop,” Jesse said.

“I’ll bet you called Mike, didn’t you?” Curtis tried to sit up.

“I did.” Jesse nodded. “Nick and the others, too.”

“Well, call ’em all back and tell them not to bother. I just saw everyone a month or so ago. Especially Mike. He’ll be fussing, trying to bully someone into
letting him get on a plane tonight. Tell him to save his energy.” Curtis fumbled with the controls for the bed, trying to sit upright.

“Maybe you shouldn’t sit up until the nurse comes in,” Brooke said.

Curtis responded with a dirty look while he continued to adjust the bed.

“He’s back to normal,” Violet announced.

“Apparently,” Jesse agreed.

“Now, if you’ll all go away, I want to talk to Jesse alone.”

“Not until I have my say.” Violet drew herself up in the chair. “You gave us a damned hard scare, Curtis. Took a few years off me, and I don’t know that I have that many to spare. I think it’s high time you moved out of that big house. You can’t continue to live on your own anymore.”

When Curtis started to protest, she shut him down.

“It’s not an option. Had it not been for Jason’s quick thinking, you might have gotten your wish and we’d be making funeral arrangements right now. It’s time to give it up, Curtis.”

“I am not moving to a home,” he said indignantly. “Never.”

“You can move to
my
home,” Violet told him. “You can stay with me.”

“Are you suggesting we
cohabitate
, Vi?”

“Call it what you will.” She sniffed.

“We’ll be the talk of the town. Why, I can hear the gossip mill starting to grind already.”

“I’d think that at your age, you’d be flattered.”

Violet stood, then turned to Jesse. “You make him understand that he cannot continue to live alone.”

“I’m not deaf, and I’m not stupid,” Curtis grumbled.

“Then act like it.”

“What’s wrong with my house? Why don’t you move in with me, you’re so set on us living together.”

“Your house is too big. Mine is just right.”

“What about Rose?” His voice softened. “I can’t leave Rose behind.”

“She’ll know where to find you.”

Violet walked out the door and waited for Sophie in the hallway.

Sophie caught up with her a few moments later. “Guess you told him.” She grinned.

“What do you suppose he’ll do?” Violet’s concern was evident.

“He’ll go to your place when he leaves here,” Sophie assured her. “Jesse just told him he wasn’t going to go back to the house, and he could choose to go along with your suggestion, or he could go to Florida to live with Mike, or he could go to an assisted living facility. I think we all know which of the three he’ll choose. But are you sure you want to take him on? He can be a handful, not to mention that he’s a grumpy old man at times.”

Violet laughed. “I’ve known that grumpy old man for seventysome years, worked for him for sixty. I can handle Curtis Enright. His bluster never bothered me.” She sobered for a moment. “It’s the least I can do for him and for Rose.”

“I think that your plan is the best,” Sophie assured her.

“Well, then, I think I’d like to go home now, if you wouldn’t mind taking me. I think this old lady has
had enough excitement for one night.” Violet reached for Sophie’s arm and leaned on it.

It occurred to Sophie that she’d never known Violet to need assistance before, but she wasn’t sure if it was physical or emotional fatigue that caused the older woman to want to lean on someone else.

“Oh, wait one second.” Sophie ducked back into the room. “Jess, I’ll make the phone calls to Nick and Mike, but I’ll need their numbers.”

Jesse, already deep in conversation with their grandfather, handed her his phone. “You can get the numbers from there, then leave it with Brooke.”

“I was just on my way back to the waiting room,” Brooke told her. “Let’s do this outside.”

Once in the hall, Brooke whispered, “Your grandfather isn’t taking this as lightly as he tried to make us all think.”

“Good. He shouldn’t take it lightly.” Sophie opened Jesse’s phone directory and began adding the numbers she needed to her phone. When she finished, she handed the phone back to Brooke.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to make some of the calls?” Brooke offered.

“No, I’m good. Thanks.”

“Someone should call Jason. He should know.”

Sophie held up her phone. “I’ve got his number. I’ll call.”

“Okay.” Brooke hugged Sophie, then walked toward the elevator where Violet was waiting, and hugged her, too.

Sophie pushed the down button, and a moment later, the elevator pinged and the doors slid open. She waved goodbye to Brooke, then helped Violet into
the car, where two men and a woman with a small child waited patiently for the doors to close.