Island Hearts (Jenny's Turn and Stray Lady) (17 page)

He settled down in the chair, shifting to grip her hand more firmly.

“You’re not coming to the house for supper?” his aunt asked.

“No,” he said softly, knowing she would understand. “I’ll stay here. Thanks, Violet.”

He stayed, holding her hand, until the night nurse came on duty and insisted on his leaving.

Jenny drifted in and out of a fog, dreaming dizziness, hearing voices she couldn’t focus her ears on. She dreamed that she was held in Jake’s arms, curling against him until the world receded and there was only his arms and, once, his lips brushing against her temple.

Shouting. She dreamed of shouts, the roar of an engine, and finally the wail of a siren. The dentist gave her another needle, but why in her hand? Then, once, she opened her eyes and focused on her own hand, held tightly in another – large, brown, with Jake’s lean fingers. His baby finger was crooked from some ancient accident that she had never learned the story of. Were there scars on the rest of his body?

Her eyes followed up, along his arm, to his face, which was strangely smooth in sleep. Jake, holding her hand, sleeping in a chair beside her. She smiled, recognizing her own dream as wishful thinking.

When she finally woke, she realized she was in a hospital room, but alone. The sun was angling through the window, the early morning summer sun of northern latitudes.

Jake was nowhere around. Of course she had dreamed his hand-holding attention to her. Hospitals didn’t allow visitors in the middle of the night.

What had happened to George? Red Tide, Jake had shouted. That was the last clear memory she had – Jake questioning her about the clams as she lost track of her answers in the dizziness.

She slept again, waking to the shock of a thermometer being inserted under her tongue, the sight of a nurse bustling away before Jenny could ask questions. Then she dropped off to sleep again, but woke as the thermometer was withdrawn from her mouth.

“My cousin – George – is she all right?“

“You’ll have to ask the doctor when he comes in.”

But Jake came first, throwing the curtain back, bringing the smell of the outdoors with him.

“Are you all right?” he demanded.

“I’m fine, but what about George? Have you heard—”

“She’s going to make it.” He pulled a chair close to her bed and sat, his eyes searching her face intently. “It was close. She stopped breathing –
damn
it, Jennifer! Surely you had the sense to know you shouldn’t just shovel in clams without—”

“I do know about Red Tide – that’s what it was, wasn’t it? But we didn’t hear any warnings on the marine radio.”

He shifted impatiently. “Read the fisheries regulations! This is the north coast! There aren’t hundreds of fisheries offices up here to test the clams from every beach. The whole north coast is closed for taking of bivalves – every year! Always! You take clams and mussels at your own risk!”

“Stop yelling at me, Jake! Glenda and David gave us clam chowder!”

“You can be sure they had reason to know those clams weren’t contaminated. You could have killed yourselves! George damned near did kill herself!”

“She is all right? She really is all right?”

“She’s fine. I checked on her this morning. She’s weak, and they don’t want her to have visitors yet, but I have a sort of a cousin who’s a nurse here, and she checked George’s chart for me. She’s breathing on her own, and the doctor says she’s out of danger. The doctor, by the way, was up all night with George. He’s gone home for a much-needed couple of hours’ sleep. Jennifer, so help me, if you ever—”

She caught his hand with hers, said softly, “We were stupid – I admit it! Thank goodness you came when you did – I don’t know what would have happened, because we didn’t know— of course I know about Red Tide. Every so often, we hear about someone falling victim to it, not heeding the warnings when an area is found to be contaminated, but I never even thought of it.”

Jake covered her hand with both his. “I should have thought of it when we had that chowder. I should have warned you. Next time, if you’re determined to eat clams, take precautions. If you’re careful, you can be reasonably sure you’re safe— all right! I’ll drop it for now, but remind me to give you my lecture on testing clams.”

“I will, I promise. You’re sure George is all right? Can I see her?”

“I doubt it.”

She knew she should pull her hand away, but she left it in his warm grip. “And you?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?”

He shook his head. “Not until I know you’re both well.”

Jenny frowned at him, and said repressively, “Isn’t it time you got back to Monica?”

He shifted, gripped her hand tightly. “Jenny, I need to tell you—“

“Do you know what time we eat?” she asked nervously, covering his words with the first thing that came to mind. God, she couldn’t stand it of he started talking about Monica, if his eyes grew warm with wanting another woman! “I’m starving.”

“I’ll check,” he said abruptly, getting up and walking away. She watched him going, feeling a sick knowledge that she was getting herself into a mess, loving him more and more every day, setting herself up for a big dose of pain and loneliness.

It was time she stopped fooling herself. She had loved Jake for years – perhaps from that first day she walked into his studio, finding him buried in paper, trying to get a series of drawings ready, his hair wild from running his fingers through it.

She had to move, get herself busy, stop thinking about Jake. Her legs were weak and shaky, but nobody tried to stop her from walking around, getting her strength back and exploring, even visiting George to confirm that she really was all right.

When visiting hours started, Jake was there again, striding down the hallway, stopping abruptly when he saw her standing near a window, saying softly to her, “You’re looking much better.”

She managed a casual smile. “George is better, too. Sleeping, but she’s all right now. I love this little hospital. All the windows look out on the harbor.”

Jake didn’t say anything, just stared at her, his brown eyes almost black.

The silence was making Jenny nervous. “I’ve got to thank you for getting us in here so quickly. If George hadn’t gotten to a hospital…”

“Forget it,” he said gruffly.

Jenny said nervously, “About
Lady Harriet
– George is worried—”

“The boat’s all right. One of the fishermen is checking on her. He’s going to tie up alongside her tonight, so no one will disturb anything. Then, tomorrow I’ll fly out and bring her back through the narrows.”

“Oh, good!” She’d been trying to work out a way to get George’s boat back to safety, but she should have known Jake would look after it.

 
Jake smiled a slow smile. “You did say you didn’t want me trying to run your life, didn’t you?”

She couldn’t help smiling back. “
Touché!
Just this once, if you would be so kind as to be your usual domineering self – I’d appreciate it!”

“At your service!”

She decided impulsively, “I’ll come with you tomorrow. The doctor said I could check out in the morning. I’ve nowhere to go, except to the boat, so…”

Her voice dropped off slowly. Together on the boat, they’d be alone. She opened her lips to change her mind, but he said quickly, “It’s probably a good idea. I’ll need help. You’ll know all the details, like where George keeps the ignition key.”

“And I’ll pay for the seaplane charter,” she added, hoping to strike an impersonal note.

He shook his head. “You’re rolling in money, of course.”

“I’ve got a little saved.”

“Keep it,” he said firmly, adding, “Although I should let you pay for the charter – then you’d be short of money sooner. I might get you back to work that way.“

Chapter 8

The Beaver’s pilot smiled at Jenny as he stepped onto the pontoon. He opened the rear door with large, capable hands.

“You’re looking better than when I saw you last!” Luke called over the engine.

She found herself smiling back at him. “I’m feeling better. Thanks for getting us to help so quickly the other day!”

“It was a fast trip.” He glanced at Jake. Something passed silently between the two men and Luke added, “This trip will be slow and easy. I hear your cousin’s going to be all right.”

“Yes, she’s fine,” Jenny agreed, startled.

Jake gave her a hand up into the seat behind the pilot, then swung himself into position beside her.

“You’ll get used to it,” he murmured. “It’s a very small community out here. News travels like wildfire, and Luke has an inside track. He’s married to Laurie – she works at the radio station.”

“The radio station?” she asked, surprised. “Were we on the radio?”

Startled, Jake said, “I hadn’t thought of that.” He leaned forward to Luke and asked a swift question, leaning back with a smile.

“Not yet,” he told her. “But Laurie was going to go over to the hospital with her microphone this morning.”

“Good,” said Jenny. “George is better at interviews. She can speak for both of us.”

“How are you liking my islands?” Jake asked her as he twisted to find the missing end of his seat belt.

“I think I’m falling in love,” she said softly, without thinking how he might take her words.

“What?” Jake’s voice was loud as his seat belt snapped closed.

“Falling in love with the islands, I mean,” she added quickly, flushing and looking away from dark eyes that seemed suddenly filled with fire. “There’s a feeling out here; no one’s in a hurry, but they all seem to care about each other.”

“They were in a hurry the other day, getting you two into the hospital. Do up your seat belt, Jenn— Jenny.”

She fumbled with the mechanism. He took it from her. “I’ll do it – it’s simple, really – like this. Watch as we go. I asked Luke to fly along the narrows so you can see it.”

“Wouldn’t you have preferred to be in the front with the pilot?”

“I didn’t think you’d care to be left back here by yourself.”

“Oh.” She stared at him for a second, then away.

“I am trying, Jenny,” he said softly.

“Trying to— to do what?“

Her eyes were drawn back to his as he said slowly, “To mend my ways, I guess. Show you more consideration. I suppose I’m mostly trying to make you see it would be different if you came back.”

“Jake, I don’t—”

“Don’t say no, Jennif— Jenny. Just don’t say anything. Not right now. Later, we can— there, look down on your side! See the way the water narrows? See the rocks? No, don’t be nervous. Think about it. Luke’s got pontoons on this plane. He can set it down anywhere on this water.”

He shifted to point, leaning across her. She felt his breath warm against her cheek. His other arm slipped behind her shoulder for balance. She felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to lean back into the curve of his shoulder.

“What are all the colors?” she asked, breathless. “And what did you tell the pilot? Did you say I was afraid of flying?”

His arm was still at her back. She should move away, just enough so that his shoulder stopped touching hers. She looked up, seeing the lines that spread out from the corners of his eyes. For a long silent moment their eyes were locked together. Unconsciously, her lips parted.

The corner of his lip moved in a slight smile as he shook his head. “I said you weren’t used to small planes, that’s all.”

“I thought— the way he looked at you when he said it would be a slow and easy trip.”

“I didn’t give away your big secret. Luke’s probably pretty sensitive to people who are afraid. His wife was in a bad crash when she was—” He stopped abruptly, said swiftly, “Sorry, Jenny. That’s pretty stupid of me, bringing up that sort of thing when we’re in the air. Those colors you asked about – look down here—” His hand cupped her shoulder, turning her to look out the window again. “That’s the channel we’ll be going through!”

“There’s no room for errors, is there?” She was carefully still, feeling his hand on her shoulder, his arm along her back. She tried to keep herself from trembling. “I’m glad George and I didn’t try to go through alone.” She stared down through the window, unable to turn back without being far too close to Jake.