Devil's Food Cake (43 page)

She was so wrapped up in the psychology behind her reaction that she forgot what it was she was reacting to until a man poked his head around the curtain. He had a neatly trimmed goatee and slicked-back dark hair. The smell of his cologne nearly canceled out all the medicinal scents of the hospital.

Sadie didn’t recognize him for a few seconds, then her eyebrows tried to go up, but the swelling from the beatings to the head she’d withstood the last few days, coupled with the cuts from the glass, made it a painful endeavor.

“Eric?” she asked.

He just smiled wider.

More like Eric’s younger, better-looking brother,
she thought to herself as he took a few steps closer, revealing that the slicked-back hair was really just his regular hair, but clean and pulled into a ponytail—although she could swear he’d had a trim.

Gayle had come to the hospital earlier and fixed Sadie’s hair while Sadie relayed the whole shocking story, but there was nothing to be done about her face and the stupid shoulder sling. Seeing Eric all cleaned up made her feel vulnerable and self-conscious. He held out a handful of daisies. Sadie loved daisies.

“You should wear a name tag,” Sadie suggested as she accepted the bouquet. Even his nails were clean. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Eric smiled and did a single shoulder shrug. He was dressed in jeans and a black polo shirt. He looked good in black. Maybe too good.

“So, I went to the station at ten only to hear how you just can’t get enough adventure in your life,” he said.

“Or adventure can’t get enough of me,” Sadie said. Once her injuries had been attended to, she’d had two hours of discussion with Pete and the captain, but it had all been focused on what happened this morning rather than the charges from last night. Then the captain had insisted she stay at the hospital overnight for observation and for her home to be properly photographed and cleaned up.

“How did it go with the police?” she asked.

“I’m not in jail,” Eric said. “That’s a plus. They said it could be weeks before the district attorney decides what to do. I don’t think we’re supposed to leave the country until they decide.”

“Oh,” Sadie said, surprised, but in a good way. “I think I can handle that.”

They both were quiet for a moment. When Eric spoke, his voice was soft. “Are you okay?”

Sadie nodded. “I will be. I heal incredibly well.”

“Glad to hear it,” Eric said. He nodded toward the bouquet. “You didn’t read my card.”

Sadie hadn’t even noticed a card. But she turned the bouquet in her hands until she saw the corner of a little pink envelope poking out between the stems. Unfortunately, it was impossible for her to grab the envelope, since she was holding the bouquet with her one good arm. She tried turning the flowers on their side and shaking the card out. When that didn’t work, she tried to hold the bouquet low enough that her immobilized hand could help her, but the angle was all wrong.

Eric stepped up and plucked the card out of the flowers with a smile on his face. “Trade,” he said, taking the flowers and giving her the little card. He looked around the room. “Is there a bedpan or something I can put these in?”

Sadie managed to laugh even though she’d have gotten after Shawn if he’d said something like that. The card was easier to hold at her side, allowing her to use both hands to open the envelope. It wasn’t sealed, which she found rather thoughtful. On the front was a watercolor rendering of a Saint Bernard. The words “Get Well Soon!” were written on the rum barrel around his neck.

“Hello?”

They both turned as Breanna stepped around the curtain, holding a large, flat, multicolored box in her hands. A plastic grocery bag hung from her arm. She’d arrived in Garrison a couple of hours earlier and had been hovering ever since. She’d taken over the position of “woman in charge” seamlessly, something that used to be difficult for her to do. Sadie wasn’t sure she liked the bossy Breanna, but had finally convinced her and Shawn to get her some real food. The meatloaf the hospital had served for lunch had been . . . below Sadie’s standards.

Breanna put the box on the bedside table as Shawn appeared behind her. He acknowledged Eric with a quick nod, which Eric returned as he moved around the bed to make room for Sadie’s children.

“Okay,” Breanna said, too intent on her task to be bothered with taking inventory of the room. “We ended up at the ice cream shop down the street. Someone thought you’d like that better than a burger.” She eyed Shawn accusingly.

“Tell me you wouldn’t choose ice cream cake over McDonalds?” Shawn challenged, raising his eyebrows. He looked at his sister and grinned. “Tell her what it’s called.”

Breanna shook her head as she opened the lid of the box. Then she glanced over at Sadie. “Died and Gone to Heaven cake,” she said as though disappointed in herself for going along with any of this. “Totally inappropriate.” She pulled down the sides of the box, revealing the cake inside.

Sadie blinked and stared. The cake was at least four inches tall, and from where Sadie sat, it had several layers that included Oreos, ice cream, hot fudge, and whipping cream.

“It’s awesome,” Shawn said. He helped Bre lower the table so that Sadie could see the top of the cake. Hot fudge letters spelled out “Congratulations.”

“Congratulations?” Sadie said. Her children were so strange sometimes.

“Yeah, for not being dead,” Shawn said. “That’s why it’s so funny. A Died and Gone to Heaven cake to celebrate that you’re still alive. Get it?”

“I get it,” she finally said, shaking her head at her son’s warped sense of humor, but smiling all the same. “But it’s huge. How are we going to eat it all before it melts?”

“You’re about to become the nurses’ favorite patient,” Breanna said. She dug through the plastic bag and pulled out a package of paper plates and some plastic utensils. She finally looked up at Eric. “Oh, hi,” she said. Her hair, as usual, was pulled into a ponytail, not too different from Eric’s hairstyle. She had no makeup on and was wearing worn-out jeans and a plain red hooded sweatshirt—her typical uniform of everyday life. And yet, she was nothing less than stunning. “You must be Eric.”

Sadie looked at her daughter in surprise. How did she know that was Eric? Sadie had talked about him when she relayed the last twenty-four hours, of course, but not in enough detail for Breanna to identify him so quickly. Had Shawn been talking about him? If so, what had he said?

“I’m Breanna,” she said with a welcoming smile. “Sadie’s daughter.”

Eric smiled back. “Pleased to meet you,” he said politely.

Sadie couldn’t tell if he was ill at ease with her children or not.

“Me too,” she said. As she turned back to the cake, she looked at Sadie and raised her eyebrows quickly two times.

What did that mean?

“Want some?” Shawn asked, holding out a plate of cake to Eric.

“Oh yeah,” Eric said, quickly abandoning the flowers on a chair in the corner in order to take the proffered cake.

“Here Mom,” Bre said a minute later, putting a plate on Sadie’s lap. “What’s that?” She nodded toward the card Sadie was still holding.

“Oh,” Sadie said, “Eric brought me flowers.” She fumbled trying to open the card and nearly dropped it in her cake.

“Let me help,” Shawn said, taking the card before Sadie could stop him.

Sadie glanced at Eric, whose cheeks suddenly went red as he hurried to swallow the cake. “Uh,” he said once he could speak, but it was too late. Shawn had already opened the card and read what was written inside, his mouth turning up in a slow smile.

Sadie looked between Shawn and Eric, suddenly very nervous. She put out her hand. “I believe it was given to me,” she said.

“Sure was,” Shawn said as yet another voice joined the crowd.

“Hello?”

They all turned to see Pete come around the curtain. He nodded a greeting to everyone, but came to Sadie and kissed her on the top of her head. “How are you doing?” he asked as he stepped back, a sympathetic smile on his handsome face.

“I’m good,” she said, smiling. The room fell suddenly silent, and she looked at the three people standing behind Pete, none of whom were smiling. As soon as she looked at them, however, all three of them went back to what they were doing: Eric took another bite, Shawn went about cutting himself a huge piece of cake, and Breanna pulled another plate out of the plastic bag.

“Want some cake?” Sadie offered to Pete.

“We’re celebrating Mom not being dead,” Shawn said.

“Oh, well that’s certainly something worth celebrating,” Pete said, though he looked a little taken aback.

Sadie just smiled. What else could she do? The room went silent again, and Sadie decided to fill her mouth and her thoughts with cake.

“This is really good,” Pete said as he cut off a second bite.

“Mom could make a better one,” Shawn said, causing Sadie to look up at him.

“I’ve never made an ice cream cake,” she said, looking at the cake with new eyes. It was just layers of yummy stuff. Let’s see, if she started with an Oreo crust, and adapted her hot fudge sauce recipe . . .

“So,” Pete said after a minute, “when I left the station Dresden was still talking to the district attorney.” He glanced at Shawn. “I think they’re going to let you go home tomorrow so you don’t miss any classes, but you’ll have to come back during your school’s spring break.” He turned to Sadie. “The longer we can postpone anyone pressing charges the better it will be for all of you.” He included Eric in the look he cast around the room.

Shawn scrunched up his face. “I was kinda hoping they’d make me stay here for a few more days. I’ve got a killer test in my Ortho-physiology class on Monday.”

“What happened with Josh?” Sadie asked.

“And that Jane woman,” Shawn added, his mouth full of cake.

Sadie shot him a look and he shrugged.

“Josh has been asked to stay in town. In light of these newest discoveries, his version of events is even more important. He’s cooperating fully.” Pete paused to take another bite, leaving the rest of them to wait until he swallowed to finish the update. “Jane was released; we had nothing to hold her on once the camera was returned. I suspect she’ll have the feature story in tomorrow’s paper.”

Sadie shook her head. It seemed so unfair that Jane should benefit from all her shenanigans.

“So until the district attorneys make a decision,” Eric said, “we just go about our normal lives?”

Pete nodded. “And stay out of trouble.” He looked at Sadie and winked. “The fact is that we jumped the gun with your first arrest,” he said. “And we wouldn’t have found Thom without your help. It’s hard to ignore that. And then with all this . . .” He waved one hand through the air. “Well, we’ll just have to see how they balance it all out.”

“Yet it seems hard to imagine they’d ignore it completely,” Sadie said, thinking specifically of Josh. Kidnapping and lashing someone to a kitchen chair didn’t seem like a swept-under-the-rug type of charge.

“I’ll let you know what I hear,” Pete said with a shrug. “But so far I think we can count it as good news.”

“Well,” Eric said a moment later, drawing Sadie’s attention back to him, “I guess I better go.” His plate was empty and he walked toward the bed so he could drop it in the trash.

Sadie watched him closely. The cake was wonderful, but she hated that it had interrupted their conversation. She had all kinds of things she wanted to say to him, like “Thank you,” and “I’m sorry,” and even “When will I see you again?” But they all seemed difficult to say in front of her current audience. Still, she had to say something.

“I plan to make good on my promise to clean your house,” she said. “I just need a few weeks to recover, okay?” It wasn’t until she finished talking that she realized everyone was listening. She felt her cheeks heat up, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself than she already had.

Eric smiled. He really did have a nice smile. “It’s a date,” he said.

Sadie felt her face fall. A date? That wasn’t what she meant.

Eric’s eyes flickered to Pete, who was suddenly watching the other man with a bit more caution. Eric said his good-byes, and Sadie took another bite of cake thoughtfully.
A date?

After taking her last bite, she looked up to see Shawn watching her, his arms folded in that imposing stance that came so easily to him. “Oh, look,” he suddenly said, exaggerating the act of opening his eyes wide as he unfolded his arms. “Here’s that card.”

Now?
Sadie thought, casting a glance at a curious Pete.

Shawn leaned forward and handed her the card, taking her now empty plate.

“Card?” Pete asked.

Sadie wanted to ignore the question, but not answering seemed like a poor choice. “Oh, Eric brought me some flowers.” She waved toward the abandoned bouquet on the chair.

“Oh,” Pete said, turning to look. He still had that thoughtful look on his face when he turned around again.

“I should put those in water,” Breanna said, picking up the flowers.

“And we should probably take the rest of this cake out to the nurses’ station before it melts,” Shawn said, putting his plate on the end of Sadie’s bed to free his hands. He looked at Pete. “Could you help me get it out there? I don’t want to spill it or anything.”