A Texas Soldier's Christmas. Cathy Thacker Gillen
symptom of Alzheimer’s or dementia. But I’ve also seen it brought about simply by a change in environment in an elderly person.”
“So, if it’s just the move back to Texas causing this...?”
“Then his occasional disorientation will ease as he adjusts to life here at Laramie Gardens and everything becomes more familiar to him.”
Lynn tapped her fingers, thinking. “And if not?”
Nora sobered. “Then treatment might be required. Which is why we have a geriatric specialist, Dr. Ron Wheeler, coming in tomorrow morning to go over his medical records and examine him. But not to worry, your dad is in fine spirits this morning. So you should have a nice holiday together.”
Her expression regretful, Lynn walked with Nora to the door. “I wish I could have convinced Dad to stay with me in New York City and continue to have home care help to assist him in my absence. But he was insistent he return to the place where I grew up and he and my mother spent their entire married life.”
Together, they moved down the hall. “I can see where that would be comforting.”
Lynn shook her head sadly. “He’s never gotten over losing her two years ago.”
Nora recalled Esther, who had worked side by side with her husband at the Laramie bookstore they founded. A kinder, more devoted couple could not have been found. “How long were they married?” She paused just outside Mr. Pierce’s door.
“Sixty-three years.” Lynn smiled and waved at her dad, who was standing in front of a bookcase of leather-bound classics. Treasure Island, Moby-Dick, A Christmas Carol, Gunga Din, The Catcher in the Rye, Don Quixote... Mr. Pierce had quite the collection. And he was deeply attached to them all.
“Wow,” Nora said. “I can hardly imagine what it would be like to be married that long.”
“I know.” Lynn grinned as she headed in to see her father. “Not many couples make it that long these days.”
Certainly, Nora thought, not she and Zane.
* * *
“IS LIEUTENANT LOCKHART coming for the feast this evening?” Miss Mim asked.
“We invited him to attend,” Miss Sadie said helpfully.
Nora cradled Liam against her shoulder, all the while keeping an eye on the dining room, where places for all one hundred and fifty residents, and the hundred special guests also in attendance for the buffet dinner at 4:30 p.m., were being set up.
Nora shoved aside her own need to see the handsome soldier. “I expect he’s with his own family today.”
“Ah...think again...” chimed in Miss Mim, who’d been matchmaking for the two of them since they were kids who hung out together every summer, when Zane visited his paternal grandfather.
Every nerve end tingling, Nora turned.
And there came Zane striding toward her in an olive green shirt, tie, blazer and jeans. He had a huge sheet cake in his hands. “Did your sister, Sage, make that cake?” Buck Franklin asked.
Zane chuckled. “She did. And she even put the great big turkey on it, just like I asked.” He held it out so everyone could see the decoration adorning the vanilla frosting.
Nora couldn’t help but compliment, “That was so nice of you and Sage.” His sister was a fabulous chef, as well as café bistro owner.
Zane grinned and regarded Nora mischievously, his eyes alight with interest. “Consider it the Lockhart family’s contribution for the feast today.”
It was something, all right.
Oblivious to the sparks flying between Zane and Nora, Wilbur Barnes stepped in to relieve Zane. “Thanks, son.”
Miss Patricia led the way across the dining hall. “I’ll make room for it on the dessert table.”
Suddenly, the world narrowed once again. Zane regarded Liam, who was looking around with a slightly perturbed expression on his cherubic face. “Not to worry, little fella,” he said, patting Liam’s head. “You’ll have a chance to have cake when I bring it next year.”
As if Zane would be there with them next November, Nora thought irritably. The practical side of her laid down odds he would not. Which meant for all their sakes she had to keep her guard up.
As the seniors gathered around them eased off to give them a little privacy, she nodded at the brash fabric knotted around his neck. “Where did you get that tie?” she quipped. “Pick it out yourself?”
He held out the brown, orange, gold and green silk. Then gazed admiringly at the upside-down design. “Neckwear sporting a traditional cornucopia is hard to find.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet.”
He chuckled, knowing—as always—he was doing a great job of getting under her skin.
Figuring she had no choice but to brazen her way through this situation, Nora cleared her throat. She had a job to do here, and her first order of business was getting rid of him. “Seriously, it was nice of you to drop by, but doesn’t your family want you to spend the holiday with them?”
Stubbornly refusing to take her hint, Zane shrugged his broad shoulders. “Mom served her dinner at noon. She didn’t want any football games interrupting the family meal.”
Trying not to think how much his nearness disturbed her, Nora returned, “I thought Lucille didn’t allow any televised sports at holiday get-togethers.”
One corner of his sensual lips slanted up. Dark silver eyes glittering warmly, he leaned closer and teased huskily, “I like the way you remember every little thing about me...”
She recalled way too much all right, Nora thought, flushing self-consciously.
Like the way he kissed and touched her. The way he smelled when he first woke up, or was fresh out of the shower. The way he looked at her when he thought she wasn’t aware, like he wanted to hold that moment in his heart forever.
A riptide of sentiment swept through her. Followed swiftly by a physical longing that was just as intense.
“This particular memory was about your mother,” Nora fibbed, lifting a nonchalant brow.
He chuckled at her sassy tone. “Yes, well, Mom’s softening a bit in her old age. She allows a game or two to be on as long as we all have dinner together—uninterrupted—first.”
Nora let her gaze rove over his tall, solidly built frame. Told herself she wasn’t affected. Nope. Not one little bit. “Ah.”
“Anything we miss, she figures can be recorded and watched later.”
She didn’t want to kiss him again, either. Not today. Not tonight. Not ever. “Smart woman.”
Oblivious to the ridiculously out-of-bounds nature of her thoughts, Zane sighed and shook his head.
“Who, unfortunately, understands very little about the superstitious nature of sporting events. Luckily for me, the guys here do know how much viewer participation it takes for any team to win,” he announced, grinning when Nora groaned. “So they have told me, they are all in, and will be ready to cheer on my teams with me.”
Which meant Zane would be here for hours. As would she, since she was pulling a double today. It was all Nora could do not to stamp her foot in dismay.
“Just don’t let things get too rowdy,” she warned.
Zane grinned in all innocence and gave her a once-over that quickly had her tingling from head to toe. “Who, me?” he said.
Nora didn’t know what was worse. Having