The Weight of Gravity (24 page)

“That’s not possible, my love.  I’ve thought of little else from the moment I heard you came back to Cottonwood.  But we can’t turn back time, no matter how much my marriage is damaged or how tenuous my relationship with Jay.  My home, my history is here.”  She laughed.

“What.”

“Hell, Max, I even have a plot in the local cemetery, for god’s sake.”  She laughed again.  “I have to go.”

“Please call me.”

“I’ll try.  When are you leaving?”

“Not sure, but Doris will know how to reach me when I do.”

She put the SUV in reverse.  “Bye, Max Rosen.  Take care of yourself.”

He followed her car as it backed out and then got into his Jaguar as the garage door closed behind him.  She waited
for his car lights to pull up behind her before she drove out the long drive and onto the main road. 

The Mescalero Mountains were trimmed in marigold colors of red and orange.  Max gave second glance to a dark BMW parked up the street beneath overhanging branches of a desert willow. 
Expensive car to be left parked on the street overnight.

Chapter 28 - Max

The morning sky was a canopy of tightly packed cotton balls tinged with pink when he turned off the highway.  From the frontage road leading to the ranch, Max could see the flashing emergency lights.  He sped up, pushing the Jaguar carelessly over the washboard ruts.  He fishtailed when he turned into the drive, then skidded to a stop between the ambulance and sheriff’s cruiser. 

Max bolted toward the front steps.  Half a dozen strangers stood in the entry, some hugging each other and crying.

“WHAT!” he shouted, “What happened?”  He saw the gurney coming down the hall followed by paramedics shouldering emergency gear.  “DORIS!”  He saw Mel then, coming out of Doris’ bedroom.  “What’s going on?”

She waited until they wheeled Doris out the front door and down the steps.  “She had a stroke, Max.”

“When?”

“Sometime last night.”  She turned to face him.  “Where in hell were you?”

“I went out with Clay and Cindy, and then ... stayed out later than I planned.”  She wasn’t going to understand that he’d been with Erika, not right now, anyway.  “How did you know this happened?”

“Doris has been calling me nearly every morning for a week.  You’re her favorite subject for conversation.  When she didn’t call this morning, I decided to drive over and check on her.  She didn’t answer the door.  That’s when I found her ... still in bed.”

A gentleman in a sports jacket approached them.  “Mel, are you coming to the hospital?”

“Max, this is Dr. Gerald Ross.  He’s Doris’ personal physician.”

“Will she be all right?” Max asked.

“And you are ....”

“Max Rosen, her son ... step son.”

“Ah, the famous Max Rosen.  A shame we meet this way.”  He turned and spoke to Mel.  “We’ll know more when we run some tests.  We’ll keep her comfortable at the hospital for a few days while we assess the extent of her episode.”

Episode!  This isn’t prime time television.  This is a wonderful, beautiful, gracious woman who doesn’t deserve to have something like this happen to her.

              At the hospital Doris was tethered to a maze of tubes that were either taking fluids from her or feeding fluids into her body.  An hour later, while holding her hand and resting his head on the bed, he felt her move.

             
“Doris!”  He stood up.  “I’m right here.  You’re going to be okay.”

Her eyes were glazed, staring at him, pleading for him to read her mind.  He gently wiped the corners of her mouth and the perspiration on her eyelids. 

              “Don’t try to talk.  You’ve had a stroke.  I am so sorry I wasn’t with you last night. But I’m here now.  And I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

             
“Once the sedatives wear off she’ll be able to communicate.”  Doctor Ross was standing in the doorway behind Max.  “She's had a minor stroke in the right hemisphere of her brain.  She'll suffer some mild paralysis of the left side for a few weeks, but her speech shouldn't be affected.  It was serious, make no mistake, but I think she’ll make a full recovery.  Just needs to rest now.  Good thing you’re here for her, Max.”

             
Donny showed up an hour later.  It was all Max could do to calm him.  His big frame hovered over her bed, his eyes damp and swollen.  “Not Doris, Max.  Why?”

             
Max left the hospital in the afternoon.  He knew that nothing and no one was going to force Donny to leave her side.  He stopped at the bookstore for coffee.  On his way out to the Jaguar a truck pulled along side his car.  Clay and Cindy were in the cab.

             
“We’re so sorry to hear about Doris, Max.”

             
“Thanks, Cindy.”

             
“Is she going to be okay?”

             
“Eventually, yes.”

             
“This going to delay your travel plans?” Clay asked.

             
“It looks that way.  I just want what’s best for her.  Can’t think much beyond that?”

             
“You gotta think what will make her happy too.” Cindy said.  “Doris is the kind of woman who’ll agonize over doing something that makes other people change their plans.”

             
“Maybe, but I can delay leaving ... at least until she’s able to get around at home.”

“Call if you need anything at all, Max.”

“Thanks, Cindy.”

He watched them drive to the end of the street and turn at the corner, then went to the ranch, changed clothes and took a nap.  He pulled into the hospital parking lot just before the sun made its mad dash below the horizon.  Donny was still there, his bulk devouring the recliner in the corner of her room.

              “She woke up again, Max.  I think she was trying to talk.  She smiled at me.”

             
“Donny, it’s time for you to go home and get some rest.  She’s going to sleep through the night, anyway.  You can come back in the morning.”

             
Donny held Doris’ hand for a moment longer, then left the room without another word – his chin resting on his chest, his long arms hanging loose to his sides.  Max made himself comfortable in the leather recliner, still warm from Donny’s body.  The only light now was the glow from a headliner behind her bed. 

             
He dozed, waking whenever the nurse came in to check on Doris. At some point during the night someone draped a blanket over him.  When the relief nurse came in at five, Max rose, stretched his stiff muscles and walked into the hall.

             
“Coffee at the nurses station if you want some, Mr. Rosen,” the nurse told him.

             
He was standing at the window in Doris’ room watching the pale sunlight struggle to warm the world outside when he heard a noise.

             
“Hey, beautiful.  How’re you doing this morning?” He walked to her bed.

             
“You … look … like … shit,” she mumbled through cracked lips.

             
“That’s because you’re not there to take care of me and make me breakfast.”  He smiled and she gave him a weak grin, like the edge of a wilted leaf, he thought.  “So hurry up and get better, will you?”

             
“You … have … to … leave,” she said.

             
“No, I don’t.  Not right away.  Not until you’re on your feet.  Let’s not talk about me leaving.  Let’s talk about you getting better.  I’m hungry.”

She gave him the wilted leaf smile again. 

“Let me know, please, if there’s anything I can do ... anything at all.”  Erika hung up the phone.  She turned to see Garner standing in the doorway.

“Who ya talking to, Lover?”

“Max Rosen.  He was at the hospital with Doris.”

“You two planning on getting together soon?”

“Garn, he’s busy right now.  Doris had a stroke ... two days ago.  I know you’ve heard.”

“You shouldn’t let a little thing like that stop you ... nothing else has.”  He turned to leave.

“What does that mean?  Are we going to play twenty questions again?” 
Shit, now what?

“No twenty questions, baby.”

She turned her attention again to a pile of clothes lying on their bed.  “Good.”

Garner started to leave again, but turned back.  “Say, are Miriam and George still in the Bahamas?”

“I don’t know.  You’re the one who knew they were taking a cruise.”

“Yeah, I was just wondering.  Don’t you usually care for their plants and stuff when they’re gone?”

Oh, shit.  Oh, shit.
  “I used to, but they had their new maid do it last time.  So, this is going to be another round of games.”  She busied herself, haphazardly folding laundry and carrying the items into their closet.

“Hey, I’m just asking about Miriam and George.  She’s your best friend, right?”

“And you’re his lawyer.  Where we going with this, Garner?”

“What’s the harm in asking about Miriam and George?  They have a beautiful home, too, don’t they?  Way out by the golf course.”

“I have to go.  I’m meeting Chad and Susie for lunch.  Want to come?”  She gathered her purse and keys and walked out of the bedroom.  Garner followed.

“No, thanks.  I have business on the golf course with Matthews and ... Darrell.  You remember Darrell, don’t you?”

“Stop this shit right now, Garner, please!” She stopped at a small table in the formal dining room to transfer some items from another purse.

“Did you know that Darrell is an avid photographer, E?”  He stepped to within arms length of her.  “Yeah, see, he knows how to take action photographs and portraits, and even night pictures.”  He leaned in close to her face, his teeth clinched.  “Like when two people are standing in a garage at five thir
ty in the morning playing kissy face. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, ERIKA?”  He stepped away, circling the dining room table, and then leaned across it.  “So, here’s my last question,
dearest
.  I know you drive a big honking SUV, because I bought it.  Who do you know that drives a limited edition Jaguar?  Wanna answer that one for me?”

Darrell!  I’ll kill him!
  “You obviously know it all, Garner.  Why are you asking me if you have the answers?”  Erika turned away.  “So, do you pay Darrell to spy for you, too, while you’re in Chicago?”

“What were you doing with Max Rosen at Miriam’s at five thirty in the morning?”

She turned back and leaned across the table to face him.  “Everything your dirty little mind can imagine,
Garner
!  We did it all, everything.  We ran around the house naked, fucking in every room we came to.  It was FUN!  DO YOU HEAR ME?”  She stood up, but kept her eyes on his.  “You want to hear the real clincher, Garner dear?  Here’s the one that’ll set you on your ear.  Max is a great lover ... ten times better than your partner, Darrell!”

She’d never seen rage in Garner’s eyes until this moment.  It was a look of both shock and anger.  He seemed unable to breathe, his lips tightened to a thin line, his eyes wide and wild.  He walked slowly around the table toward her.  His foot caught on a chair leg and he stumbled, but regained his balance and continued on toward her.

He was face-to-face with her now, his eyes probing hers.  “
You ... lousy ... bitch!  You ... miserable ... ugly ... bitch.
”  She was sure he’d hit her, but instead he turned and walked out of the room.

Her marriage was over.  She’d worried years before that if she left Garner, he’d take custody of Jay, the only thing she cared about in their relationship, but she was certain now that it wouldn’t happen.  Darrell would be sacked for sure.  Nothing left to do to him. She’d exacted the ultimate damage on his professional career. 
Wish I were there to see that one.

              Max lived between the hospital room and the ranch for four days, never staying away from Doris’ side for very long.  Clay and Cindy came to visit once and Mel came by often, at least once each day.  She visited with Doris, sharing local news and magazines.