String Beans (The Girls of Beachmont #2) (27 page)

“What was she like before the stroke?”

He smiled and looked over at me briefly. “She was
the best. Always quick-witted, and really supportive. There was never a dull
moment in our house. Mom and Dad were always harassing each other about
something.”

“Sounds like my parents…except the supportive
thing.”

“They didn’t encourage you?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Not like that. They
pushed me to go to school, and even encouraged my music.”

“That sounds a lot like support to me,” he mused.

“Yeah, but when I told them I was getting married,
they weren’t exactly thrilled. And when we went to the justice of the peace,
they really hated it. But I’m their only kid, so they didn’t stay mad for long.
And I guess in the end, they were right about Will and me.”

Wyatt didn’t have much time to respond because we
arrived to the hospital and hurried inside. It took a few minutes of searching
before a nurse directed us to Jennie’s room. It was then that we spotted Joe
through the window looking distraught and limping as he paced just inside of a closed
door.

“Dad?”

VIOLA

Wyatt walked over to the hospital room and I stood
back a bit to give the family space. Joe looked concerned—or maybe it was
fear—and I wanted to hug the man. They’d been through so much with
Jennie’s stroke that I thought maybe he was expecting the worst. As they walked
in, Wyatt call to his mom before kissing her cheek. She looked up and smiled at
her son while a nurse was making notes on a piece of paper.

The nurse informed them that a doctor would be in
soon as she left the room. When she was gone, Wyatt looked at Joe and the worry
in his tone was unmistakable. “Have
you
seen a doc yet?”

Joe ignored his son and looked over at me with a defeated
smile as he waved me into the small room. “Hi, Viola.”

“Hi, Mr. Jensen.”

I didn’t know what else to do, so I walked over
and hugged him, holding on for an awkwardly long time.

“It’s good to see you,” he said when I released
him. “Wish it were under better circumstances.”

“You should let a doctor take a look at your leg,”
I said.

“I will, but I want to make sure she’s okay
first.”

A doctor pushed the door open and began talking
about Jennie’s accident. Joe explained how they fell when she seemed to lose
her footing. His biggest concern was that she might have had another stroke.

“We got the results from the MRI we did when you
brought her in, and everything looks fine.”

“Thank God.” Joe sighed heavily, and walked to her
bedside and kissed her cheek. “You’re okay, baby.”

Jennie looked at the doctor and spoke slow and
quiet. “Can you please check him out? His leg.”

“Mr. Jensen, let’s have a look at that leg,” the
doctor said.

“I don’t want to leave my wife.”

“Dad, I’ll come with you. Vi will stay with Mom,”
he said, and looked over to see me nodding in agreement.

“I won’t leave her,” I said. I walked to her bed
and pulled a chair over to make myself comfortable. “I promise.”

“But…”

“Joe,” Jennie interrupted. “I’ll be fine. Go.”

Wyatt stood next to his dad and put his arm around
him to guide him out of the room and mouthed a
thank you
to me. I watched him leave the room and smiled when he
glanced back and winked at me.

“Did you two make up?” Jennie asked me with a
smile.

“Make up?” I questioned until I was unable to hide
my grin. “We’re good.”

“You’re not fooling anyone.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw the way you two looked at each other.”

“How’s that?” I asked coyly.

“I might speak slow, but my brain still works,”
she said with a grin. “Admit it.”

I liked how easy Jennie made things and how
comfortable I felt around her. It was only my second time seeing her, but it
was as if I’d known her a while.

“We went on a date tonight.”

She reached for my hand and squeezed, her smile
still in place. “He told me he was taking you out.”

“Did he?”

Jennie nodded. “I think he was nervous.”

“Wyatt? Nervous? Are we talking about the same
man?”

“Don’t let his attitude fool you. He’s not as cool
as he’d like you to believe.”

“Is that so?”

“Can you promise me something?”

“I’ll try,” I answered.

“He’s been through a lot. Wyatt gave up his entire
life—his dreams—to come back here and help us. I didn’t want him to…”

“I don’t think you could’ve stopped him,” I said
as I placed my hand over hers and smiled.

“You’re right about that,” she said sadly.

Jennie positioned herself so that she was facing
the side of the bed a little more and leaned toward me. Whatever it was she
wanted to say was important enough that she needed me to feel the words, not
just hear them.

“Be careful with Wyatt...don’t hurt him. When he
gives his heart to someone, he’s all in, one hundred percent, and I can see
that he’s falling for you, Vi. I like you…but if you can’t do the same, please
let him go.”

It felt as if my heart had paused its beat and
then rushed quickly to regain speed. My neck felt flushed and my hands clammy—all
from her one sentence. I understood what she was asking, and I respected that
she was only looking out for Wyatt. As much as I wanted to defend myself, to
tell her that I cared very much for her son, the words failed me.

My mouth opened and shut as I tried to speak, but
all I was able to do was a small nod.

The door opened and a smiling Wyatt waltzed in and
pulled a chair next to mine. He kissed my cheek and then reached out to hold
his mom’s hand.

“They’re doing an X-ray on Dad right now. I told
him I’d come check on you. Doing okay?”

“I’m good. Vi was keeping me company.”

“She’s great at that,” he said with a wink.

I was still quiet, trying to smile when
appropriate and appear as though I was listening, but all I could hear were
Jennie’s words echoing in my ears. She wanted me to commit to him or let Wyatt
go—something I’d already tried to do. I wasn’t sure what she knew of me,
or us, but it was something we needed to figure out together.

“Do you want some coffee?” I asked Wyatt as I
stood up.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s just so cold in here,” I said,
shivering slightly. “I need caffeine.”

“Stay here,” he said and stood up. “I can get it
for you.”

“No,” I replied a little too abruptly. “Thanks. I
got it. I’ll be right back.”

WYATT

“That was weird,” I muttered and then looked at my
mom. “Is she okay?”

She looked at me and wrinkled her nose as she squeezed
my hand.

“You said something, didn’t you?” I asked, but I
already knew the answer. My mom, as good as her intentions were, always tried
too hard to protect me. As much as it annoyed me that she had said something to
Vi, it also made me feel better to know that despite the slow speech and
seemingly aloof personality, my mom was still in there.

“I didn’t mean to upset her,” she said.

“What exactly did you say?”

“Wyatt, I know how you feel about her, and I’m not
sure she feels the same.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes
in an effort to control my temper. She didn’t know when to back off, and the
idea that she had overstepped with Vi frustrated me.

“Whatever I do or don’t feel for her is between
the two of us. It’s none of your business, Mom.”

“I didn’t mean to butt in,” she said quietly and
then squeezed my hand. “But you love her.”

“What if I do?”

“She has a lot of baggage—some that I don’t
know that she’s dealt with yet. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“That’s for me to decide. Not you.”

“I’m just worried about you. I need to know that
you’re okay…you always go all in when it comes to these women and I don’t see
them putting as much into the relationship as you do.”

“I’m no angel,” I scoffed. “And I don’t know what
Viola and I are, but when we figure it out, I’ll let you know.”

I looked toward the door and saw Vi standing in
the hallway with her coffee in hand. She seemed hesitant to come into the
room—not that I could blame her. My mom had good intentions, but even
when she was in peak health, she had never known when to mind her own business.

“I’m going to check on Dad. I’ll be right back.” I
walked to the door and before opening it, looked at Mom. “Be nice.”

She nodded and smiled at me in that way that I
knew she would honor my request. I don’t think she ever realized how
intimidating she could be to people who didn’t know her.

Viola jumped slightly when I pulled the door open,
but when her eyes landed on me, she softened. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s fine. I was actually going to check on my
dad… Would you mind staying with her a little longer?”

“Of course,” she answered. “I’ll be right here.”

She stepped up on her toes and kissed me briefly
before disappearing through the doorway and sitting in the chair she’d vacated.
I was hesitant about leaving them alone, hoping my mom didn’t say anything else,
but if there was anyone who could handle themselves with my mom, it was Viola.

VIOLA

When I sat down, I tried to pretend the previous
encounter hadn’t happened, but from the look on Jennie’s face, that wasn’t
going to happen. I took a sip of my coffee that might as well have been sand
with a splash of tar… It was awful.

“I shouldn’t have said anything before. It’s not
my business.”

“I understand where you’re coming from, Mrs.
Jensen. I really do. I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road, but I
can tell you this: I have no intention of hurting Wyatt. He’s amazing and I
care about him a lot.”

Jennie smiled and closed her eyes, as if my words
gave her some peace. She relaxed in her hospital bed while we waited for news
about Joe’s leg. Wyatt was gone longer than I expected, but I occupied my time
checking my email and looking things up online until I got a text.

Kirk: Where are you?

Me: With Wyatt.

Kirk: I’m here with Jo and her
boyfriend. Thought you’d be back by now.

Me: Sorry. Unexpected stop at
the hospital. Wyatt’s parents.

Kirk: Everything okay?

Me: Fine. What are you doing at
my place?

Thoughts of Kirk trying to woo Callie crossed my
mind and I felt a protective jolt shoot through me. Probably like Jennie felt
about Wyatt and me. Callie could certainly take care of herself…and Kirk was a
good guy.

Kirk: The song.

Me: What’s wrong with it?

Kirk: Nothing. It’s perfect. We
need your permission to record it and we’re putting you down as the writer.

When I had let him record “Shadows,” it was
exciting and terrifying, though I liked the fact that no one knew my part in
it. The words I’d written this time were infinitely more personal, and everyone
would know it was mine.

Me: What??? You can’t be
serious.

Kirk: As a heart attack.

Me: Can we talk about this
later?

Kirk: I’m heading out. Talk
tomorrow?

Me: Yeah.

I stared at the screen and all of my anxiety and
fears began to creep into my mind. But then something else happened…I felt
pride and confidence overpowering those. My words, my heart, and my feelings—everything
I had been through wasn’t for nothing. Writing music, singing, it was my dream
that I put on the backburner while Will had tried to make his come true. It was
my turn to make mine happen.

And maybe this song wouldn’t be as successful as “Shadows,”
but until I tried, I’d never know. As much as I respected Mr. Bateman, I
couldn’t hide behind a desk doing something I didn’t love for fear of taking
chances on myself. But at least it was steady income, and until something
happened with my music, I’d continue the work.

I felt flutters and tingles throughout my body and
wished I were outside so I could jump up and down and scream. I couldn’t stop
smiling, and I didn’t even try. I looked up from my phone and found Jennie
looking at me with a smile of her own.

We didn’t say anything, and luckily we didn’t have
to because Wyatt walked in with Joe on crutches.

“It looks worse than it is,” Joe grumbled when he
saw the worried eyes of his wife. “Just twisted it a little. I’m ready to get
out of here.”

“When can we go?” Jennie asked.

“They’re getting the discharge papers now,” Wyatt
said. “They said since it’s his left leg, he’s okay to drive the two of you
home.”

“Son, you need to get this girl home,” Joe said.
“Thanks for staying with my lady.”

“Anytime.” I smiled as I stood up. I reached for
Jennie’s hand and squeezed gently. “Truly.”