Daffodils in March (11 page)

David leaned back in the chair and offered Marc the bottle. The baby grabbed it and waved it, showering milk right along with the baby cereal. “There must be an easier way.”

“There is. Put him in the highchair.” Jackson's amused voice came from the doorway.

David glanced up. “How's Eden?”

Jackson dumped his bag on the only clean spot and took the baby from David, setting him in the highchair. “She has bronchitis. You don't feed Marc very often, huh?”

“It's Eden's job.” David grabbed a cloth and wiped his hands, and then his T-shirt.

“Well, for the next few days it's your job, my friend. Eden needs a course of antibiotics and rest.” He handed David the bowl. “Now sit and give him a spoon to play with while you feed him.”

“How did you learn all this stuff?”

“That would be telling.” Jackson washed his hands. “There's a script for you to take to the pharmacist. The sooner the better.”

“I can't take time off work to babysit.”

Jackson's eyebrow vanished into his fringe. “You have no choice. Eden's sick. I really think you should drop the little man with the grandparents for the next day or so.” Coughing echoed from upstairs. “Eden needs those meds. If she's no better in a couple of days, ring her GP.”

“I have no idea who that is. I haven't seen you in that capacity for ages, either. Maybe I just register her with you for now.”

“Sure, you know where we are.” Jackson ruffled Marc's hair. “You be good for Uncle David. I'll see myself out. Call me.”

“I will.” David looked at Marc. “So, after I clean this up, we go get Auntie Eden's medicine. First we ring Nanny and Grandad and see if they can take you for a while. Then I have to try and sort out the rest of this mess. And work.”

Eden's parents were only too happy to take Marc. Once Marc was in his car seat and a bag packed for a few days for him, David went upstairs to Eden's room. As he entered the room, Eden lay curled on her side, coughing and wheezing.

“Eden?” he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. “How are you doing?”

“Feel awful,” she whispered.

“I'm going to get some meds. I won't be long.”

“Take Marc to Mum. She'll keep him. OK?”

“It's already arranged; I'm on my way there now. You sleep for a while.” David brushed the hair from her face and stood. As he left the room, his phone rang. “Yes.”

“I need you to make two deliveries.” Granger didn't bother with the niceties either. “And within the next hour.”

“I can't,” David said.

“I suggest you find a way. They're expecting you.” The phone went dead.

At least doing Granger's delivery today meant the stuff had only been in the house a few hours.

Somehow, he wasn't quite sure how, David managed to drop Marc off at Eden's parents place, stop by the pharmacy and get back home in forty minutes.

He checked on Eden and gave her the meds. Praying she'd be OK for the next hour or so, he then crossed the hallway to his old room.

The train layout filled it. He grabbed the packages from under the train station. He just hoped Eden hadn't checked out the set like she kept threatening to do. There was no way he could explain the drugs.

Then, he headed back out. He should just make it.

9

Eden existed only in a haze of heat, cold and a racking cough that left her gasping for breath, but the one constant was David. Now David's voice rose in anger in a one-sided conversation.

“I told you, she's mine…Yeah, I will, right now she can't go anywhere…I understand that…yeah, I'll deal with her.”

Deal with who? Her? Someone else?

Another coughing fit wracked her.

David's voice grew closer. “I have to go.”

Something clicked and rattled by her head.

David's hand lifted her from the pillow. “Take a deep breath on this, Eden.” He put something plastic and hard in her mouth. She breathed deeply and then coughed as the medication filled her lungs.

“And again.”

But it worked and breathing became easier.

Another voice floated through the darkness surrounding her. “Hi, Eden. It's Dr. Parker again. David asked me to come back and check on you. Next time go to the doctor before you come down with pneumonia.”

Eden struggled to open her eyes. The owner of the new voice looked more like a cowboy than a doctor. Definitely sick, her mind told her. She agreed with the cowboy. The slight movement caused another paroxysm of coughing that left her gasping and breathless. She took another puff on whatever medication the cowboy offered her.

“It's OK, just lie still. Nod or shake your head in reply. OK?”

Eden nodded.

“I want to listen to your chest and take your pulse.” His touch was gentle and she coughed when he asked her.

She wasn't sure when he left or when she woke again. All she could hear was David's loud, angry voice in the hallway.

“Put the gun away,” David said. “She's not a cop, and if she is, I'll deal with her. She's my problem.”

****

David sat beside Eden's bed. She seemed to be better, cooler at any rate, and had slept better than she had done in five days. She wasn't as breathless anymore either. The bed creaked and he glanced up from his paper to see her lying on her side, looking at him. He smiled. “Hello. How are you doing?”

“Thirsty.” Her tongue ran over her dry and cracked lips.

He picked up the glass of juice and offered it, holding the straw in place for her.

She took several long sips. “Thank you. How long was I asleep?”

“Better part of two days.” He put the glass down.

“And this guy hardly ever left your side,” Jackson added from the doorway. He crossed the room, holding out a hand. “Dr. Parker.”

“I remember your voice, but I thought you were a cowboy.”

David laughed. At least Jackson was finally using the key under the front door mat. But now Eden was recovering, he no longer needed to keep it there. “That's a good one. I call him a quack, but cowboy is even better.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Go make the lady some soup while I check her over.”

David nodded and headed downstairs. Marc was still staying with Eden's parents. Almost a week was a long time for Marc to be out of his sight, and even though someone was keeping tabs on the house, he'd be a lot happier when Marc was home. He emptied a tin of soup into a pan and turned on the gas underneath it. It didn't take long to heat and he tipped it into a mug, before taking it upstairs.

His phone rang as he reached the bedroom. “Painter.”

“David, it's Adam.” His solicitor sounded stressed, which was unusual.

“Hey, Adam. What's up?” David set the soup down next to Eden. She was sitting propped up against several pillows; Jackson sat on the edge of the bed next to her, writing up her notes.

“Tomorrow, two PM. Valhalla.”

The words sent shock waves running through him, almost physically knocking him backwards.

“Valhalla?” he repeated. “Are you sure?” He'd waited so long for this, he wanted to make sure he'd heard right.

“This comes from the top. Don't be late.”

“OK. Two o'clock. Thanks, Adam.”

“Don't thank me. Just be careful.” The line went dead.

Jackson looked up as he put the notes in his bag. “Sounds intriguing.”

“Not really. It's just work. Thank you for treating her.” David tried to brush off the comment, excitement setting his nerves alight.

“Well, you'll be pleased to know, that Eden is recovering nicely. Her chest sounds clear now. The strep is much better. A couple more days and she'll be raring to go. It might be an idea to see if the grandparents can handle Marc for another day.” He pointed at Eden. “And I want to see you in my office in a week.”

“I'll make the appointment. Thank you, Doctor Parker.”

“You're welcome. I'll see myself out.”

David sat on the bed and took her hand. Her skin was soft against his, the same way he remembered. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, memories surging into the forefront of his mind. “I was really worried about you.”

“Yeah, right.”

She was beautiful even with messy hair and bags under her eyes. He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I was. I honestly thought I was going to lose you, and I couldn't bear that.”

She coughed. “And this from the man who dumped me.”

“I'm sorry?” He stilled his hand.

“Sorry you dumped me? Or sorry for the way you did it?”

“I—” David broke off. Nothing he could say would be adequate, or could make up for the way he'd hurt her and broken her heart.

Eden winked at him. “Never mind.” She leaned forward, coughing.

David rubbed her back as she stopped. “If things had been different.”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

“But work got in the way…”

“Was it really work or was it me?” she asked. “Did I push you too hard, or scare you off? Was there someone else?”

“There's never been anyone else, Eden. Only you.” He looked down for a long moment. How did he answer that without saying too much? “Scared of the commitment I guess. Eric had proposed to Han, and I knew you two wanted a double wedding and that. I guess I just wasn't ready.”

“So you broke my heart, rather than asking me to wait, because I would have.” She turned away.

“I'm sorry,” he said, meaning every syllable. He hated this, hated every second of the lie he was living. “I'm going to see if your Mum can keep Marc a little longer, though I know they have plans this weekend. I've missed work the past few days, and I really need to go to this meeting tomorrow at two. I could always leave him in the florist with Grace if you're not up to looking after him.”

“I can do it. I can lie on the couch and watch him if need be.”

“Thank you. Now eat your soup before it gets cold.”

****

Eden reached over and picked up the mug, as David headed from the room. She had to admit, the soup did smell good. She didn't remember the last time she ate, in which case she probably should eat something. The first couple of mouthfuls could have been nectar, it tasted so wonderful.

OK, so it was only tomato, and David had probably just opened the first tin he'd found, but that didn't matter.

Bits of muddled conversation floated through her mind. The phrase ‘deal with her' forefront, and in several voices, not David's.

Someone wanted to get rid of her, and she had no idea why, but that someone wasn't David. David had helped her whilst she was sick and helpless. He could have easily put a pillow over her face, or not given her the meds when she couldn't breathe if he wanted her dead.

She coughed again and leaned back against the pillows. She closed her eyes for a moment, handing the whole mess over to God, really trusting that He had a plan here, because she was weak and floundering.

“Are you sleeping?”

Eden opened her eyes and smiled faintly at David. “Think I've slept enough the past few days.”

“Then how about we go downstairs and watch a movie? The new version of
Anna Karenina
is on in an hour.”

“I'd like that. Give me a few, and I'll be there. I want a shower or something first.”

He nodded. “I'll run you a bath. Probably safer than standing under the shower.”

****

Sitting on the couch, with Eden next to him, David felt like time had rewound. It felt so right. Eden's head inched closer to his shoulder until it rested against him. Her damp hair smelled so good. He moved his arm and wrapped it around her.

Eden stiffened, then relaxed into him.

He leaned his face against the top of her head. “I missed this,” he whispered.

“Me too. I missed you. We used to be able to talk about anything. Even stuff I couldn't tell Hanna.”

Curiosity got the better of him. “Like what?”

“Stuff about Eric. The trouble I got into. Remember the time I lost that money when I was working at the nursery? You sorted it.”

He thought for a moment. “I'd forgotten all about that. Did it ever turn up?”

“Yes, I'd put it in a story book, but we'd broken up by then. I gave Han the money to give you. I never told her why. She assumed it was for something you'd bought me that I sold.”

David brushed the hair from Eden's face. “Han gave me the envelope. Said it was in payment of a debt, but I knew it was from you.”

Eden nodded. “I added interest to it.”

A faint smile crossed his face. “That's why the numbers didn't add up.”

Eden coughed and closed her eyes. “Why did we ever let things get in the way of us?”

“I don't know.” His fingers traced up and down her arm. He was a fool to have let her go. Her words “
So you broke my heart, rather than asking me to wait, because I would have”
echoed in his mind.

“I guess it's like stuff getting between us and God, but on a smaller scale.” She looked up at him. “Work for example.”

He frowned. His conscience thumped him hard and his gut twisted. “Whatever I do for work is—” He broke off, trying to figure it out. “I guess sometimes work can get in the way, impact decisions I make, but one thing I do know for sure, Eden. My faith and salvation are secure.”

“Really? So if you were to die, right here and now, there is nothing you've done and haven't repented of?”

He sat upright, pushing her away. “I can't believe you just asked me that. My sister just died.”

Eden didn't stop. “You know as well as I do, that repentance isn't just saying sorry, David. It's meaning it and stopping whatever it was you were doing that was wrong.”

He scowled. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone, Eden.”