Second Chance Romance. Jill Weatherholt
are so treacherous. Of course she insisted on driving herself.”
He smiled. “Sure sounds like Phoebe. She’s quite stubborn when she gets her mind set on something. I’ll never forget that after my sweet Jane went to be with the Lord, Phoebe brought me an enormous meal every day. I told her it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. I had mashed potatoes coming out of my ears.” Dr. Roberts laughed a deep belly laugh.
Jackson thought now was the time to slip in a good word about Phoebe, and perhaps devise a plan of action. “She’s stubborn, but you have to admit she’s a terrific cook. Her meat loaf and garlic mashed potatoes are the best in the valley.” He’d always heard people say the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. “You should taste her new apple-pie recipe. She puts in just the right amount of cinnamon.”
“Stop, Jackson. You’re making me ravenous.” His tongue ran across his lips, and he rubbed his stomach. “I haven’t had time to eat lunch. I’ll probably have a slice or two of frozen pizza for dinner.”
Perhaps overstepping his bounds, Jackson took a chance. This man needed a home-cooked meal and a little female companionship. “I should talk to Phoebe about inviting you over for Sunday dinner. She always cooks enough for an army. Rebecca and I come home with a ton of leftovers.” Phoebe loved to have a house full of people. He’d definitely work on this.
Dr. Roberts nodded. “I like the way you think, young man. Just tell me when and I’ll be there.” He extended his hand to Jackson. “I’ll come out and talk to Phoebe when she arrives. Oh, and make sure she introduces you to Melanie. I’m sure she’d love to meet the man who rescued her.”
“Thanks again,” Jackson said and took a seat to wait for Phoebe’s arrival.
When she burst through the hospital entrance minutes later, he saw her quickly race down the hall straight toward him. “How is she, Jackson?” She removed her raincoat and flung it over her arm.
Sara came down the hallway holding a cup of coffee in each hand. “Hi, Phoebe. I saw you pull into the parking lot. I’m happy you made it here safe.” She smiled. “I thought you and Jackson could use this.” She handed them each a steaming Styrofoam cup. “I’ll let Dr. Roberts know you’re here.” She pointed to a private room next to the waiting area. “You can have a seat in there.”
Jackson nodded and took a quick sip. Strong and black, it was just what he needed. “Thanks for the coffee, Sara.” He took hold of Phoebe’s hand. “Let’s go sit down for a minute.”
A small circular oak table and four chairs filled the entire windowless room. The strong aroma of the cleaning agents in the hallway gave way to the smell of pink tea roses in a crystal vase decorating the middle of the table. The chair screeched when Jackson pulled it out for Phoebe.
“Melanie’s going to be fine.” He reached across the table, placing his hand on hers. “I don’t want you to worry.”
They prayed quietly until Dr. Roberts, clipboard in hand, joined them. He took a seat and smiled. “Hello, Phoebe. It’s good to see you.”
“It’s nice to see you, too. How’s Melanie?”
“She’s as strong as they come. She regained consciousness shortly after Jackson brought her in. Her memory appears fine, so that’s a blessing. The X-rays are all clear, no broken bones. But the MRI showed she does have a slight concussion, so we’ll keep her overnight, but she’ll be ready to go home with you in the morning.”
Phoebe clapped her hands together. “Thank God! The poor girl has been through enough.” She released a heavy breath. “Thank you so much, Doctor.”
Jackson considered Phoebe’s statement. Melanie must have endured some type of hardship, but now was not the time to ask questions. He squeezed the older woman’s hand. “Let’s stay focused on the positive.”
Dr. Roberts left, and they stood under the flickering fluorescent lights in silence. Phoebe stepped forward. “One day you’re going to make another woman very happy, Mr. Daughtry. Now let’s go check on my niece. I can’t wait for the two of you to meet.”
Jackson nodded. As they walked down the hall toward Melanie’s room, his breath quickened. At the doorway, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a calming breath. Why was he so nervous? He felt like a teenage boy getting ready for his first date.
* * *
Melanie opened her eyes, but quickly closed them again to escape the searing pain. The fluorescent lights burned her vision. Who in the world invented fluorescent lighting, anyway? It was the worst.
Images flashed through her mind of a whitetail deer tearing across the road, her car headed toward a tree, and then everything went black.
She opened her eyes again to see a woman’s face peering through a curtain.
Hospital. She should have known. Hospitals always had annoying fluorescent lights.
“How’s our patient feeling?” asked a petite blonde woman carrying a frosted pitcher and a plastic cup. She approached the bedside and smiled.
Stiff.
Exactly how Melanie had felt after she completed her fifth marathon, one month before her life had changed forever. She squirmed in an attempt to sit up, but a pain shot down her neck, like needles jabbing into her skin. She nestled back under the sheet.
“I’m Sara, your nurse.” She filled the cup with water and pulled a red straw from her pocket. “Try to drink a little. You need to stay hydrated.”
Melanie took the cup and placed the straw to her parched lips. “Is my aunt Phoebe here?” She sipped the cool liquid and flinched when it touched the back of her throat. “I remember a deer running in front of my car. Is that why I’m here?” She pressed her palm to her forehead. Her head throbbed as though someone bashed a rubber hammer against it.
“Here, take this. It will help with the pain, but it will make you sleepy.”
Melanie reached for the tiny clear cup that held the medicine as the nurse walked toward the window and tilted the blinds. “I’ve always preferred natural light.” She flipped a switch, and the fluorescent beacon vanished.
The pressure in Melanie’s head and around her eyes eased. “Thank you so much. I love the natural light, too.” She took another sip of the water, ran her fingers down the side of the cup and glanced out the window. “It stopped raining.” She wiped her fingers, wet from the moisture, onto her gown. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Sara placed her fist under her chin. Her fingernails were painted bloodred. “From what I understand, Jackson—”
“Jackson? Who’s Jackson?”
Sara flashed a mischievous smile. “Why, he’s the most handsome paramedic in all of Sweet Gum Valley, honey. Every woman within a hundred-mile radius would love to lasso the charming Mr. Daughtry, myself included.” She smoothed the back of her hair and placed her right hand across her narrow hip. “He’s the person who rescued you.”
Details were a blur, with the exception of the blinding rain, the deer and a tree. “Rescued me?” There were many events over the last year that she’d love to forget, but this wasn’t one of them. “Please, tell me what happened.”
“You were in a car accident on Smith Farm Road. Jackson was in the car behind you. He saw the deer dart across the road. You swerved to miss it and hit a tree.” Sara reached down and brushed a strand of hair away from Melanie’s face. “By the look of those cuts on your cheek and forehead, God was watching over you.”
Melanie put her hand to her forehead. He’s forgotten about me.
The white walls of the tiny room closed in around her. Why had she left DC? She wanted to go home and back to the job that occupied her mind for more than seventy hours a week—sometimes more. Work erased the pain of the past year.
When Aunt Phoebe