Page 6 of Promise You Forever
“Colt stayed back with him, and his nurse gave him a sedative. He should be out until the morning.”
“Thank you.” Her voice is so soft I almost miss it. “I’m sorry you had to step up. If I had known, I would have been here to help.”
“It isn’t a problem. Paul and Jo are family to me.”
She doesn’t respond. The last half hour of the drive is spent in silence. When we arrive at the ranch, I take their suitcases and carry them up to her room while they let Charlie run around and go to the bathroom.
I almost claimed this room for myself when Jo moved me in. The thought of sleeping in the bed she and I shared was so tempting. But the phantom memories would have driven me crazy, so I took the room across the hall.
A bittersweet smile lifts my lips as Charlie flies up the staircase and runs into Eli’s bedroom. She didn’t need anyone to remind her where to go. Eli walks past me as I stand in the threshold of my room, and her red-rimmed gray eyes kill me. She gives me a slight nod before closing her door.
“Good morning, Jasmine,” I greet Paul’s nurse as I fill the coffee pot. “How was he last night?”
Her lips form a straight line as she leans against the counter. “About what you’d expect for someone with moderate dementia who just lost the love of their life suddenly. He raged a bit, cried a lot, and then fell asleep as soon as I got medication into him.”
“His granddaughter, Eli Hart, is here. She had no idea about the dementia, and I didn’t want to overwhelm her with more than she could handle last night. I might need to lean on you to help explain just how serious it is.”
“I can do that. Jo spoke so highly of her.”
“She’s a wonderful person. One of the best.”
“Who’s one of the best?” Eli asks as she walks into the kitchen.
Seeing her last night was a gut punch, but in the light of the morning, she simply takes my breath away. She’s barefoot in leggings and an oversize hoodie, her hair is piled up on top of her head, and there’s not a single trace of makeup on her skin. I wish I could run my thumb over the bags under her eyes and erase them. If I could carry the weight of this for her, I would.
Not that she’d let me. I see the wariness in her eyes when she casts quick glances my way. Me being here, in the house she’s staying at, makes her exceptionally uncomfortable. If I was a better man, I’d go back to my cabin and front the money for round-the-clock care for Paul while she’s here. But I’m not.
I’m thirsty for every drop of her presence. Just to breathe the same air as her again brings me immense satisfaction. If only I could make that diamond on her finger disappear.
“You are,” I tell her without hesitation even as she glares at me. “This is Jasmine, Paul’s nurse.”
“Hello,” Jasmine reaches out and shakes her hand.
“I’m Eli, nice to meet you.”
“I’ll let you two talk,” I say as I fit a lid over my coffee. “I’ll be around if you need anything.” I look at both of them, but it’s really meant for Eli.
The crisp autumn air carries the scent of the changing leaves and damp pine. All the Aspen trees have turned to their vivid yellow color, a complete contrast to the overcast gray sky. It’smy favorite time of year here. The weather is perfect, and the scenery is just hands down gorgeous.
Sam is already in the tack room getting ready for the day when I walk in. It’s still weird to think about him as a brother-in-law instead of my friend, but I’m slowly getting used to it. It helps that he had a part in giving me a nephew. Cooper is just about the best thing in my life, and Janey has never seemed happier.
“How’s Coop?” I ask as I sit down at my desk.
“Still running a fever this morning, but he’s eating. The doctor says he’s probably just caught a bug from daycare. Apparently, that’s something we’ll just have to get used to.”
“Let me know if you need to leave early.”
Over the past few years, we’ve had to significantly cut back on staff at the ranch. It’s basically just Sam, Colt, and myself doing a majority of the work now. We’ll hire a few part-time hands in the summer, but money’s been tight. By the time Jo and I realized Paul’s memory was going, he’d already gotten in a lot more debt than we were aware of.
I’ve floated the ranch with the interest I make from my savings and investments. So far it hasn’t even really had an effect on my bottom line, so I don’t mind doing it. I never told Jo what I was doing when she essentially handed complete ranch operations off to me while she focused on Paul.
Their attorney has already contacted me about meeting the day after Jo’s funeral. He mentioned Eli and her parents would need to be there as well. I have no idea how much Jo had taken care of since her death was so sudden. Either way the next few days are going to be hard.
Three
ELI
After my conversation with Jasmine, the severity of my grandpa’s situation is fully apparent. She gave me a rough breakdown of what I can expect moving forward, but it’s a lot to take in. Especially piled on top of losing Grams. Which is why I’m currently taking a walk around the property with Charlie in tow.