The Perfect Gift

Rory hadn’t pegged her for being traditional nor for feeling sorry for herself, but under the circumstances, he could certainly understand why she looked so down. And he could sympathize with her need to find the piece of jewelry. “I’ll look over the house and in the yard, too. I’ll get the boys to help.”

“I’d appreciate that.” She stared at the ceiling. “I’ve made such a mess of things. Wrecking my car, losing my necklace. I need to get my life together somehow.”

Rory could tell she was fighting back tears. “Listen, your car might be fixable and…well, we’ll probably find your locket. Just be glad you’re okay. That wreck could have been much worse.”

She looked over at him, her smile bittersweet. “I guess I am acting a little over-the-top. And you’re right. I’m still here and Grammy needs me. It’s just that was one of the few things my daddy ever gave me. My parents were divorced so I didn’t get to see him much.”

“That’s a shame,” Rory replied. “I’m blessed that my parents had a great marriage. My mom’s a widow now, but I had a pretty good childhood. Nothing major—just lots of good memories.”

She smiled again. “Yes, you are blessed. I’ve never had that. We transferred all over while my dad was alive and in the army, then my mother moved us around a lot after the divorce. Grammy was the one who kept me grounded and safe, even if she and my mother don’t always see eye to eye.”

“And where’s your mother now? Should I call her?”

She shook her head. “No. That’s okay. I’ll give her an update when she checks on us. She’s traveling overseas, one of those long tours with a bunch of her friends—a big Christmas extravaganza. Angela likes to travel and she rarely calls home.”

Rory thought her daughter did not like that arrangement. In spite of her pretty curls and her soft smile, he sensed loneliness in Goldie. And he wondered how long she’d been searching for a safe place to lay her head. “Hey, let’s get you home to your grandmother. She’s told me she’s got a big pot of homemade chicken soup simmering on the stove just for you. And fresh-baked corn bread to go with it.”

“Grammy’s answer to anything is chicken soup,” Goldie said. “And she makes the best. She puts homemade dumplings in there.”

“I take it you like her cooking,” Rory replied, grinning.

“I like food, period.” She laughed then grimaced. “And if I stay with her much longer, I won’t be able to fit into any of my clothes.”

Rory thought Goldie looked just perfect, but he refrained from making such a flirtatious comment since they didn’t really know each other. Yet.

Then he told himself not to even think along those lines. He had enough to keep him busy, what with the boys, his mother and his work and, well, a man got lonely just like a woman did, he reasoned.

But he didn’t need to think about that right now.

“Has the doctor been by?” he asked, suddenly ready to get out of here.

Goldie waved toward the hallway. “Yes. I’m sorry, I guess you’re ready. I was waiting on the nurse. She’s checking around for my locket.”

“Oh, okay.” He tapped his knuckles on the food tray. “Got everything else together?”

“Yes. One of Grammy’s friends brought me this change of clothes. I sent your poinsettia home with her.”

He noticed she was wearing a sweater and some wide-legged sweatpants. “I could have brought that. I didn’t even think about clothes.”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Goldie said. “Besides, I think Grammy sent Phyllis to check on me and bring back a thorough report. And if I know my grandmother and Phyllis, they probably tag-teamed my doctor to get the whole story on my injuries.”

“Are you sure you’re up to going home?”

“Oh, yes, I’m ready to get into my own bed.” She lifted up. “Let’s go to the desk and see where that nurse is.”

Rory helped her. “Are you still dizzy?”

“No. I think I just got up too quickly before. And we’re not telling the nurse about that little episode. It wasn’t the awful dizziness I had after the wreck. I have work to do and I need to get back to it.”

“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about work. It’s the weekend.”

“I have a deadline,” she explained. “I write a syndicated advice column. It’s mostly about organizing your house and keeping your life straight—something I haven’t been doing lately. And I’m already pushing things with my boss by working long distance.”

Rory gained a new insight. “A column? That’s interesting.”

“Not as interesting as being a nuisance hunter,” she retorted, standing on wobbly legs.

Rory laughed at that. “We’ll have to compare notes on that some time. I could use tips on organization and keeping things straight and orderly in my life, that’s for sure.”

“And I’ve always wanted to track down an alligator and wrestle it until I can tie its mouth shut,” she teased.

Rory got a picture of this petite woman holding down a ten-foot reptile. It made him smile.

“Don’t think I can do it?” she asked as they made it out of her room.

“I have no doubt,” he replied, not willing to argue the point with an injured woman.

“And I think you’d be pretty good at doling out advice,” she replied. “At least, I think women would listen to you no matter what you say. They’d follow your advice based on your smile alone.”

That made him take notice. Giving her the best smile he could muster, he prompted, “So, you like my smile, huh?”

She laughed, a soft pink flush coloring her cheeks. “I do when I’m not seeing two of you.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just wish I hadn’t lost my locket. Let’s get out of here, though, so you don’t have to wait.”

“Not so fast, young lady.”

They turned to find her doctor and the nurse who’d been in her room trailing them down the hallway. “You need to be in this. Standard hospital policy.”

Goldie glared at the wheelchair. “Oh, all right.” Settling herself into the chair, she turned to the nurse. “Did you find my locket?”

“I’m afraid not, honey,” the nurse replied. “I’m sorry. Everything that came in with you should be in that bag the paramedics put your personal things in.”

Goldie clutched her purse and the plastic bag labeled with her name. “Maybe somebody dropped it in here and we just didn’t see it. It could be in the pocket of the jeans I was wearing yesterday.”

“We’ll look when we get you home,” Rory suggested, hoping to distract her from tossing out the contents of her purse and the bag right here. Or refusing to get home to some rest. She looked so upset, he wondered if she shouldn’t stay in the hospital another night.

She didn’t answer. She was too busy digging around in the deep recesses of her big leather purse, pulling out various labeled little sacks of all sorts. She had a bag for everything inside that larger bag. “I sure hope I can find it.”

“We’ll keep looking,” the nurse said, waving to them.

When they got outside, Goldie had that lost expression on her face again.

“They won’t find it,” she said. “Somebody probably stole it. It’s pretty valuable, considering how old it is. But I don’t care about how much money it can bring. I just want it back.”

Rory could understand her frustrations. And her disappointment. He hoped he could find that locket for Goldie, but he had his doubts, too. Even though it hadn’t snowed more than a couple of inches last night, a piece of jewelry could easily become lost in all the mush. He’d have to go over the yard and house with an eagle eye.