Cattail Ridge (9 page)

Chapter Ten

E
mma was on tenterhooks as she waited for the next time she saw Archer. The meeting, when it happened, wasn’t what she had been expecting. Late Friday afternoon the bell over the front door at the shop rang. Emma hurried up from the back, as Amelia had stepped next door to the bakery. As soon as she saw his expression, grim and etched with worry, she knew something was wrong.

“What’s happened?”

“Logan. They’re rushing him in for emergency surgery. Apparently they missed some shrapnel the first time around and he’s got a raging infection. I’m on my way to Lexington to catch a flight out to Washington. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone but I’m afraid I’ll miss Sydney’s birthday.” He handed her a large, flat box wrapped in pink princess gift wrap, with a card tucked under the ribbon.

“Oh, Archer. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

He shook his head. “Just pray.”

“Call when you can, let us know how he is?”

“I will.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”

Emma surprised him by hugging him. “Be safe.”

“I’ll do my best.” He hesitated for an instant, then claimed a quick kiss. “I’ll call Sydney on her birthday. I promise. I wish I could be here.” With that he was gone.

She moved to the door and watched him drive away. Amelia came in a few seconds later.

“Was that Archer?”

“Yeah. Logan’s going into surgery. It doesn’t sound good.”

“Oh, no. He’s flying out to Walter Reed, I guess?”

Emma dropped her eyes to the present she held. “He is. He shouldn’t go alone. If things don’t turn out well, he shouldn’t be alone.”

Amelia touched her arm. “You could go to him. Rachel and I can keep Sydney.”

When they’d taken lunch Wednesday, Emma had confessed all about the kiss. Amelia had been so pleased one would have thought she was a parent whose child had aced a particularly hard test.

“No. I don’t want to push. But if Logan…
if things do go south, one of us should go to him.”

That evening when she picked Sydney up from her babysitter she explained the situation as simply as she could. Despite her efforts, Sydney was clearly confused by the time she finished, and her lower lip was jutting out a little bit.

“So he just left?”

“He had to, honey. It would be like if something happened to Uncle Ben or Uncle John. I would want to be there with them, to try to help them. But Archer’s brother lives a long way away and he can’t just drive over to see him. He had to take an airplane and everything.”

“And his brother is sick?”

“Very sick.”

Sydney frowned. “He’s not going to die, is he?” Her best friend’s grandfather had recently passed away, and Sydney was having a hard time understanding the concept of death, just that it was bad.

Emma tucked a soft curl behind her daughter’s ear. “I hope not.”

“Then if he’s that sick I guess Archer had to go.” She played with the embroidered patch that was sewn onto the pocket of her shorts. “But I’ll miss him.”

“So will I. Maybe you and I can make his brother a card so that when he gets better he has it to look at. And we can make one for Archer, too.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

After that Sydney’s concern shifted to focus on the card making, but Emma didn’t expect it to stay there long. The concept of time was still somewhat nebulous to the five-year-old, and by the time her birthday party came around the following Wednesday she was convinced Archer was never coming home, despite Emma’s assurances that he was. Even the fact that the rest of the family was home didn’t lift the little girl’s spirits.

He called just as he’d promised to, on Monday to let them know how Logan was doing, and on Sydney’s birthday. He talked to her for more than ten minutes and after that conversation, Sydney perked up a little. The princess tea set he’d gotten her for her birthday went a long way, as well, in pacifying her. He still wasn’t sure when he’d be back, he told Emma, but the doctors were pleased with Logan’s progress.

“He never responded to treatment quite the way they thought he should and they never could figure out why. Apparently it was the shrapnel.”

“I can’t believe it took them this long to find it. He was injured what, early July?”

Archer gave a disgusted snort. “Yeah, that’s what I said. But I guess it was lodged under his shoulder blade in such a way that the scans didn’t show it. He kept trying to tell them something was in there but they wouldn’t listen. He’s lucky to be alive, as close as it was to his heart and left lung.”

She could tell from his voice that he was exhausted. “Are you getting any rest?”

“Enough. I’ll catch up when I get home. I may sleep a week straight.” A voice called out in the background and she could hear him cover the mouthpiece. “I have to go. Em? Give her a big hug and kiss for me?”

“Of course.”

“And thanks for the cards. They made Logan smile, and that’s something he just doesn’t do that much when he’s the walking wounded. Mr. Clucky was a nice touch.”

Emma laughed. “I figured you might appreciate that little detail. Take care of yourself, Archer.”

She didn’t think she imagined the warmth in his voice as he made her promise to do the same.

By that following Sunday, Sydney had grown so quiet that Emma was starting to worry. Her daughter had also started to ask how one went about getting an airplane to go to the hospital. With visions of the pirate incident fresh in her mind, Emma was worried Sydney might get a wild hair and try to strike out for the airport. She discussed it with Sarah and her sisters as they got food ready for Sunday dinner.

“I mean I don’t think there’s any way she can get away to do anything, but this
is
my daughter we’re talking about. Look what the boys did with the raft. Anything is possible.”

“You might just have to close up shop for a few days and fly her out to him,” Zanny suggested, half joking. “It would probably do all of you some good.”

Emma’s concern was such that she didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand. “I hate to take her out of preschool when the year has just started.”

“Her teacher’s pretty understanding. Eli had her a few years ago. And it isn’t like it’s college–she already knows half the stuff they’re teaching.” Zanny pursed her lips. “I think you miss him, too.”

Sarah and Rachel stopped what they were doing to watch her reaction. Emma felt her cheeks heat but she just shrugged. “He’s a nice guy.”

Rachel bumped her shoulder. “He’s a very nice guy. And he’s gaga over you. If you showed up like that? You might get a lot more than a kiss. A lot more.” They all laughed as Emma flushed harder.

John walked into the kitchen just then but stopped a couple of steps inside the door. “Do I even want to know?”

A chorus of “no’s” answered him. He walked over to Zanny and gave her a kiss, then stole a slice of cucumber from the tray in front of her.

“Well, ladies, the natives are getting restless. They sent me in as a scout to see when the food was going to be ready.”

“The ‘natives’ better watch it, or they’ll find themselves cooking dinner next week,” Sarah warned, pointing at him with a spoon.

“The ‘natives’ are ten and seven respectively. If they cook dinner, we’ll be having peanut butter and jelly with spaghetti,” he countered back with a wide smile.

“Oh,
those
natives. I thought you meant your father. In that case we’d better feed them.” She handed him a platter and smiled. “Little rug rats.”

They finished eating, and the men were working at clearing away the dishes while the women relaxed in the living room.

“Any man who thinks he’s too good to do dishes, just pass him up,” Sarah told them as she put her feet up on the ottoman. “He’ll likely think he’s too good for a lot of things and be more trouble than he’s worth.”

Rachel shot her a troubled look but Emma didn’t get a chance to ask her sister about it. The kids were playing outside, and when Sydney let out a screech fit to wake the dead, Emma’s heart jumped into her throat. She was on her feet and heading for the door before she could think.

Owen got there before she did and held his hand up to slow her down. “She’s okay.”

Hand over her heart, she looked out the door. When she saw Archer standing on the walk, Sydney’s arms and legs wrapped so tightly around him it was a wonder she wasn’t strangling him, Emma understood the excited screech. Sydney’s smile was as wide as Archer’s when she pulled back.

“Mommy! He’s home.” Her head went right back to rest on his broad shoulder, and Archer gave her a smacking kiss on the forehead.

Emma knew she was grinning like an idiot but she couldn’t help it. “I see that.”

“Why don’t we stand back and let him in,” Owen chided as he came onto the porch. Everyone had rushed out of the living room to see what the commotion was, and the foyer was crowded. “How’s your brother?”

“Doing much better. He’s back at his apartment and chewing nails.” Archer stopped just inside, settling Sydney more comfortably on his hip. “He practically ran me out the door. I think he’s well on his way to being mended this time.”

“When they were young and had something, I could always tell the kids were getting better by how grumpy they were, especially the boys,” Sarah said. “Welcome home. Have you eaten?”

He glanced into the dining room. “No, but I can grab something later.”

Amelia turned and headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll put you a plate together. Go sit down. Everyone want coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Rachel asked. “And maybe some of that cake, now that dinner has had a few minutes to process. I’ll help.”

From the stubble on his face and the circles under his eyes, Emma figured Archer was close to dropping. The drive to Lexington was two hours and between the flight time and how long it would have taken him to board, she knew he’d probably been up since four or five a.m. “When’s the last time you slept?”

“I got a few hours last night,” he said around a yawn. He pulled out a chair and sat down, Sydney still on his hip. She settled in more comfortably and patted his chest.

“I missed you, Archer.”

“I missed you. Thank you for the card. My brother said to give you a big hug and a kiss for him.” He made a production of doing just that. Sydney ate the attention up.

Seeing her daughter so happy, Emma realized she was in trouble. Because as she watched Sydney interact with Archer so naturally, the joy on both their faces at simply being with each other told her that the kiss in the kitchen was so much more than just a casual exchange of affection. They’d started down a road that she knew was going to be impossible to backtrack on. And if she admitted the truth to herself she was as excited to see him as Sydney. Which scared her even more.

So far, Emma hadn’t been great at maintaining relationships. This time, if things didn’t work out, it wasn’t just her own heart that would be broken. Sydney’s would be, as well. She truly believed Archer was in the same class of man as her father and brothers. She didn’t think he would turn out to be the kind of jerk both her exes were. But relationships were complicated and things happened. She still had no real proof that Archer even wanted a relationship with her, other than the kisses and the rather attentive looks he’d been giving her while he ate.

You’re putting the cart before the horse, Em, she told herself as conversation flowed around the table. Give the man a chance to settle back in and see where it goes. Then worry about it.

Sarah laid a hand on her shoulder as she walked past, and Emma reached up to clasp her it briefly. Her mother leaned down and whispered, “Relax.”

Emma nodded and squeezed her hand. Right now relaxing was the best thing she could do. She was borrowing trouble that might not exist. There’d be plenty time later to worry, if the kiss led to more.

Chapter Eleven

A
rcher was tired. He was so tired, in fact, that if Sydney hadn’t been chattering on, catching him up on what he’d missed while he was away, he would probably have fallen asleep at the table. When he finished eating everyone headed in different directions. John and Zanny got their sons and headed home. Rachel left to make the trek to the house she’d built half a mile along the ridge, on a distant corner of Owen and Sarah’s property. Only Amelia, Emma, and Sydney stayed behind.

“Why don’t we head in to the living room, let you stretch your legs out?” Owen suggested.

“That sounds good.” With a groan, Archer stood and let Sydney lead him along, her tiny hand wrapped securely around his. He took a seat on the comfortable couch, and she climbed up beside him with a book. Emma took the corner opposite his and curled her feet up underneath her.

“So is Logan looking forward to getting back to the Army?” she asked.

Archer frowned. “No. Thanks to them missing that shrapnel, there was a lot of damage done to the tissue. So much that he’s not going to be up to spec physically to return. He’s not disabled, but he’s not good enough that they’ll take him back. From what his advocate said they’re going to go ahead and give him a full retirement. He’s been in for fourteen years and would have stayed the full twenty if not for this injury.”

“That’s good news, I guess,” Sarah commented. “What’s he going to do?”

“That’s a question no one knows the answer to, I’m afraid. Not even Logan. He trained as an engineer, made it pretty high in the ranks, so he’s probably going to have options. I’m trying to convince him to move here.” He had to stop for a jaw-cracking yawn. “I’m sorry.”

“Why don’t you go upstairs and take one of the beds, get a little sleep?” Sarah offered. “No offense, but I don’t think you’re safe to drive home in the condition you’re in. You look like you were run ragged.”

Ordinarily Archer never would have considered imposing, but when she’d said the word “bed,” he almost broke down. “It wasn’t so much the running as it was the waiting and the stress. Plus, I think I lived on coffee and vending-machine food the whole time Logan was in the hospital.”

“When did he go home?” Emma asked as he stood and stretched. When his back popped loudly, she winced with sympathy.

“Three days ago? Four? If he hadn’t been um, special? There’s no way he would have gone home so quickly. But you know how it is. We have faster healing than regular people. That’s honestly the only reason we think he survived the infection.” He had just remembered to not say “shifter” in front of Sydney, who was still too young to understand the importance of keeping secrets. He addressed Sarah. “Are you sure it would be okay if I took a little nap?”

“Archer Gibson, don’t make me take a switch to you. Of course it’s okay. The bed in John’s old room is bigger than the others. Do you want me to go turn the covers down for you?”

He smiled. “No. Just having a soft place to rest for a few minutes is all I need, thank you.”

Sydney looked up at him, using one hand to push her glasses up on her nose. “I could read you a bedtime story.”

“I might go to sleep before you finish it,” he warned her gently, but she just grinned.

“Of course you might, silly. That’s what bedtime stories are for. Mommy, I’ll be upstairs. Come on, Archer.” She got up and went to the door, then looked back over her shoulder at him, hands on hips. “I’ll tuck you in.”

Everyone laughed softly and Sarah sighed. “She is Emma all over again. I think you’re in good hands there, Archer.”

He winked at her. “I know I am.”

Upstairs Sydney made a production of setting up the bed just so before she would let him get in it. Once he was comfortable she settled in the curve of his hips, her back resting against his legs. He tried to keep his eyes open long enough that she’d know he was paying attention but almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out. The last thing he remembered was hearing her sigh and feeling her snuggle up to him. Knowing he was home, and that Logan was safe, he let himself rest.

“He looks exhausted,” Emma remarked. “Am I the only one who thinks his brother was probably on death’s door?”

“No, you aren’t. And I think he’s downplaying how stressful it was, for the most part. He’s used to carrying the load alone. He’ll be out in two minutes, I guarantee it,” Amelia predicted as footsteps sounded overhead. “I don’t know how in the world he made it home.”

“Probably running on fumes,” Owen said. “I’ll be surprised if he wakes up before tomorrow morning.”

“Well, he’s more than welcome to stay here and he knows that. We’ll get some good, home-cooked food into him and he’ll be back to normal in no time.” Sarah was studying Emma. “What’s wrong?”

“I feel guilty. We should have gone to him.”

Her mother reached over and touched her arm. “Sweetie, you didn’t know. Next time, God forbid there is a next time, you will.”

The conversation moved on to more mundane subjects and after a few minutes, Emma realized it had gotten very, very quiet upstairs. Too quiet.

“I think I’ll go check on them.”

She went upstairs as quietly as she could and when she got to the door, she just stood there and looked in. Archer was sound asleep, which was no surprise. But Sydney was curled up in front of him, also sleeping. One of his arms was around her protectively and as Emma watched her daughter gave a soft snore. The picture they made devastated her.

After the poignancy of the moment eased a bit, her fingers started itching to get a camera and capture the moment. She padded back down the hall and then hurried downstairs to get the camera she kept at the farmhouse for just such occasions.

“Everything okay?” Amelia asked as she started back up the stairs.

“Yes. They’re both asleep. I have to get it on film.”

She wasn’t unaware of the speculation she left behind her but she didn’t much care. She figured if she couldn’t be vulnerable in front of her parents and sister, then there wasn’t much hope for her.

In the living room, Amelia was smiling widely, feeling a little misty as she thought about the burgeoning relationship between two of her favorite people.

“I told you. They’re matched. They just had to get to the same place at the same time,” she told her parents. Owen looked pleased but Sarah seemed concerned. “Don’t you approve, Mom?”

“Oh, I absolutely approve. I just know Emma. And I’m afraid she’ll end up getting scared and running. Not physically running, but mentally.”

Amelia could understand that concern. “That’s one of the reasons I think he’s so perfect for her. He’s patient. She may run but he’ll wait for her to figure it out. I think he knows instinctively where to push and where to not with her. Of course he is a man, and I’m sure he’ll need some guidance along the way,” she drawled, casting a look at Owen, who made a face at her.

“Now, now. I resemble that remark.”

“But you love me anyhow,” she teased. “In all seriousness, I think Mom’s right. Emma’s going to have a hard time with this. And I think Archer’s ready to make his move on her. He’ll shake her up, but she needs shaking up.”

Now Owen frowned, and Amelia figured hearing that a man was getting ready to move in on his daughter, even if he liked the man, wasn’t something he was crazy about knowing. “Have you talked to him about it?”

“Not much since everything’s been so crazy the last few weeks. But I’ve lightly touched on the subject several times in the past so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re all supporting him.”

Almost as soon as she’d met Archer she’d known he was for Emma. One of Amelia’s gifts, her abilities, was knowing when a couple was a good match for each other. There was a certain hum in the air, a vibration around them when they talked to each other that Amelia could pick up on. The hum was stronger with some people than with others. For example, her parents had a very strong harmony.

Even when she was a teenager she’d been able to pair people up. Her family and friends teased her, saying she was a Cupid, but Amelia didn’t mind. Watching people fall in love was something she enjoyed.

The trouble came when the harmony wasn’t there and the vibrations didn’t blend. Amelia’s best friend, Lori, was married to a man who was so wrong for her, it worried Amelia. She tried to put it to the back of her mind, knowing that Lori had made her choices, but letting go was hard.

With Emma and Archer, though, there was an electrical spark to the hum that had been present for years now. Amelia almost got a charge of energy from being in the same room as the two of them. When it recently started settling down into a more regular pattern Amelia had known it was time. So she’d started pushing them both just a little bit, as she believed it wouldn’t take much to spur the romance.

Although she was close to Rachel, Emma was the sister Amelia had always looked to for advice. Emma and Archer had gotten Amelia through some of the darkest days of her life, after a devastating loss when she was nineteen. If she could repay them somehow for that, she’d do whatever she had to do to make sure they found the happiness they deserved. Even if it meant forcing Emma to confront some of her own darkest fears, so be it.