1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [84]
The facilities had exercise and physical therapy programs, musical evenings, reading and craft circles, excursions and more. At each place she must have counted at least five different activities for every day. The meals were well-planned and the menus were nutritious and appealing. Olivia wouldn’t mind eating there herself.
But convincing her mother of the benefits of making that move seemed beyond her.
The phone rang and Jack answered, glancing at caller ID. “It’s Ben or your mother,” he said to Olivia.
“Hello, Charlotte.” Almost immediately his gaze went to her. “Charlotte, of course. Now don’t worry, we’ll be right there.”
Olivia nearly leaped out of her chair. “What happened?” she asked in a panic.
“Everything’s fine,” Jack said calmly. “Apparently Ben fell. He can’t get up and Charlotte can’t help him.”
“Everything’s not fine!” She took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell her to call 9-1-1? Is Ben hurt? He might’ve broken his hip… . Oh, my goodness, Jack, this is serious.”
“Ben isn’t hurt. But your mother’s been trying to get him up, and she can’t do it. They’re both exhausted.”
“How could this have happened?” She ran for her jacket, then grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
“She said Ben slipped on the rug in the kitchen.”
Will had purchased the small rug and placed it in front of the new refrigerator, but it had a rubber backing and shouldn’t have slid.
“He didn’t remember it was there,” Jack continued as if reading her mind, “and he stumbled over it.”
“They should call 9-1-1,” Olivia cried. Jack put on his coat and followed her out of the house.
“Ben is embarrassed enough as it is,” Jack said. “And Charlotte told me he’s not hurt.”
“We don’t know that.”
“No, but we’ll find out soon enough.” They hurried to Jack’s car and were off, not even bothering to lock up.
Charlotte met them at the front door, pale and shaken.
Jack walked straight past her and into the kitchen, where Ben sat on the floor, knees bent and head down. “I feel like an old fool,” he muttered.
“It was an accident,” Jack said. “We’ll have you up in a second.”
With his hands under the older man’s arms, he hauled Ben to his feet, hardly exerting himself.
“Are you okay?” Olivia asked.
“Yes. Except for my pride, which has taken quite a beating.”
Charlotte pulled out a chair and collapsed into it. “I just didn’t know what to do,” she said, her voice trembling. “Oh, thank goodness you were able to come.”
Olivia crouched beside Charlotte and hugged her, whispering reassurances. It was just as she’d told Jack. Just as she’d known for a while. She was the parent now. She’d become her mother’s mother.
Twenty-Six
Monday afternoon, Rachel left work early. She went to the Cedar Cove library, where she sat in one of the big overstuffed chairs and awaited her stepdaughter’s arrival. She’d called Jolene’s cell to make this appointment; the girl had agreed to meet her but Rachel had no idea what to expect. Jolene had attended a counseling session, and it had been a complete waste of time, according to Bruce. She’d been sullen and silent through the entire session, refusing to participate in the conversation. The longer Rachel stayed away from her husband and stepdaughter, the more obvious it became that she wouldn’t ever be able to return. It was time to make other arrangements, permanent ones.
Rachel wondered if Jolene would stand her up and was somewhat surprised when the library door swung open and the girl stepped inside. She came alone, which was also rather unexpected, since Jolene usually traveled with a pack of friends.
She stood in the foyer and scanned the library until her gaze fell on Rachel. As soon as she saw her, Jolene’s eyes narrowed. Walking across the library, she carelessly dropped her backpack on the floor and sat in the chair next to Rachel’s.
“You wanted to talk to me?” she said without any greeting. Her voice was devoid of warmth.
“Yes, thank you for coming,” Rachel replied pleasantly, choosing to ignore