Woodrose Mountain. RaeAnne Thayne

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СКАЧАТЬ when her friendship with Katherine complicated the situation.

       She was still trying to convince herself of that when a silver minivan pulled into the circular driveway.

       “Oh. She’s here,” Mrs. Olafson breathed. Evie smiled and squeezed the woman’s hand, then rose to greet them.

       Brodie seemed to hesitate a moment in the driver’s seat before hitting the button for the power ramp and Evie was aware of another unwanted pang of sympathy. She remembered well that panicky what now the first night she’d taken Cassie home after Meredith’s funeral, when she had to shift instantly from friend and therapist to parent.

       That compassion urged her forward with a broad smile of welcome, down the gleaming new graded concrete walkway that had been artfully designed to accommodate a wheelchair. “Hi. Welcome home! How was your drive?”

       He blinked a little as if he hadn’t expected such an effusive greeting. “Good. She’s been a real trouper but I’m sure she’s tired.”

       Mrs. Olafson had followed her toward the van. “Mr. Thorne, the home-nursing company called and said their nurse was running late. She should be here in another hour.”

       “Thank you, Mrs. O.”

       He stood helplessly for just a moment as if not quite sure what to do next. Evie wanted to hug him and whisper that everything would be okay. As the mental image formed in her mind she almost laughed. She could just imagine how he would react to that.

       Instead, she took charge, leaning in and placing a hand on the armrest of the wheelchair. “Hi, Taryn. Remember me? Evie Blanchard from the bead store?”

       The girl nodded and her mouth stretched into a half smile. “Hi.”

      What are you doing here? Though Taryn didn’t say the words, Evie could see them clearly in her eyes. One lesson she’d learned well with her patients was how to read all kinds of nonverbal cues and right now Taryn was completely confused by her presence.

       “You want to know why I’m here, right?”

       Taryn dipped her chin down and then back up again, which Evie took as agreement.

       “Great question. I’m not sure if you knew this but back before I came to Hope’s Crossing and started working for Claire at the bead store, I was a physical therapist in California. Your dad and grandmother have asked me to help set up your home therapy program with the aides and nurses that will be working with you. Is that okay?”

       She lifted one shoulder, though she didn’t look thrilled at the idea of therapy.

       “I would guess you’re ready to head inside, aren’t you? I know my butt is always tired after I’ve been sitting in the car for a while. Let’s go stretch out, shall we?”

       “O—kay.”

       “I’ll bring your shave ice,” Katherine said.

       “Shave ice. Yum. And blue. My favorite.”

       “We saw that little shack near the end of Main Street on our way here and Taryn made it clear she had to have one.”

       That must have been the reason for the delay, Evie thought. At this evidence that Brodie wasn’t so impatient and inflexible he couldn’t fulfill one of his daughter’s wishes, she felt a little scrape against that scab over her heart, like a fingernail prying up the edge.

       Evie stepped back while Brodie wheeled the chair down the ramp and pushed Taryn toward the front door. When he turned her through the doorway leading to her suite of rooms, Taryn jerked her head back toward the stairway. “My room. Up.”

       “T, we talked about this. For now you’ve got new digs down here.”

       “No. My room.”

       Brodie shot Evie a frustrated plea for help and she stepped forward. “You want your old bedroom up there?”

       Taryn nodded firmly.

       “Then you’re the one who will have to work your tail off to get there. Are you ready for that?”

       “Yeah,” Taryn said, a rather militant light in her eyes that heartened Evie.

       “Excellent. I am, too.”

       “Come on, sweetheart,” Katherine said. “Let me show you your new room.”

       Her grandmother pushed the wheelchair down the hall and, though Evie wanted to start working with the girl right away, she was aware of that twinge of unwanted compassion for Brodie as he watched his mother and daughter together—a stark, hopeless expression on his features.

       She again wanted to comfort him, to promise him everything would be okay, but she wouldn’t lie to him.

       “Did Taryn enjoy the shave ice?” She gestured to the cup Katherine had handed him when she’d taken over pushing the wheelchair.

       “She only had a few tastes but I think so. I, on the other hand, could have done without the company.”

       When she gave him a blank look, he shrugged. “I saw that little prick Charlie Beaumont at the shave-ice stand. And before you ask, no, I didn’t punch him—though I’ll be honest, I almost dumped my peach coconut on his head.”

       “Admirable restraint,” she said with a smile. She decided not to tell him she felt a little sorry for the kid, who had been vilified by everyone in town.

       “On a lighter note, I also talked to one of Taryn’s friends. She’d like to come visit sometime. Since you have requested absolute power, I guess that’s your call.”

       “I don’t need absolute power,” she muttered.

       “Visitors weren’t really a problem in Denver where we were nearly two hours away. She didn’t have that many visitors after the first few weeks out of the coma. Now that she’s home, I anticipate more of her friends may want to drop in. What do you think?”

       “Why do you consider it an issue?”

       He inclined his head toward the suite of rooms. “You saw her. She can’t carry on much of a conversation with anyone. I thought maybe it might be hard on Taryn, the constant reminders of everything she’s lost.”

       “Regular social interaction is important to teenage girls, no matter what physical challenges they’re dealing with.”

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