As much as Ronnie wanted to ride in the ambulance with Rose to provide her comfort, there was the Jeep to consider and the idea of leaving it in Albany overnight an unpleasant one. She hadn't gone near the Porsche since the accident, although she did notice that Hans had been over the day before to start the repairs. That left her with either the vehicle that did well in the snow or her prized 1967 Mustang to get around with and the Mustang would never see the salted winter roads of Albany if she could help it. Reluctantly she chose to let Rose ride alone in the ambulance while she followed behind in the Jeep.
The drive from Albany to Loudonville where Ronnie's home was located normally took less than fifteen minutes. However, the raven haired woman gave the ambulance driver a warning that he wasn't on a life or death call and that he had better do his best to avoid hitting any potholes on his way out of Albany, even if it meant that it took twice as long to get there. Loudonville was an area filled with old money and old homes, most dating back to the early sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was often considered a rich suburb of Albany even though it was a separate entity altogether. The only relation Loudonville had with the Capital City was that they were within the same county. People who lived in the prestigious village made it clear that they were not residents of Albany in any way, shape, or form.
The ride to her home was the most agonizing drive of Ronnie's life. The roads were typical of early December, slush and ice chunks made the ride bumpy enough but with the added factor of potholes, the ambulance found itself bouncing around far more than usual. Knowing that every bump meant pain for Rose, Veronica yelped when the ambulance hit a particularly large pothole just as they were leaving Albany and crossing over into Loudonville where her home was located. The green and white ambulance bounced and shook over the uneven road, turning Ronnie into a nervous wreck before they finally hit the smooth streets of her home town and turned onto Cartwright Drive.
Maria opened the door and stepped out just as the ambulance pulled up the driveway, followed close behind by the bright blue Jeep. Normally Ronnie would use her remote to open the appropriate garage door and put her vehicle away but she had something more important to do and therefore parked in the large parking area in front of the garages and waited for the back doors of the ambulance to open. She did her best to stay out of the way as they brought Rose out, noting that beyond a few tear streaks she seemed to be no worse for the wear. "And I thought the hospital was cold," the young woman commented, the threadbare blanket and sheet doing nothing to stop the biting wind that had picked up.
"Don't worry, you'll be inside and toasty warm soon enough," Ronnie replied, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Maria had the double doors open to give them maximum room to get through with the stretcher and its precious cargo.
Flat on her back, the first thing Rose noticed when they entered the large structure was the high ceilings, dark beams against a cream colored background. She turned her head and her eyes widened at the sights. The living room was huge, easily larger than her whole apartment had been. When she felt the change in height she realized that part of the living room was sunken, something she had seen in magazines at the library but never believed truly existed in someone's home. The wall to wall carpeting was the same cream color as the ceiling, thick and plush without a single sign of matting or wear. Large dark wood cabinets lined one wall; Rose guessed them to be either cherry or mahogany. A set of stairs took up another wall. They reminded her of the stairs from the television show The Brady Bunch except that instead of having a lower landing, these stairs curved around at the bottom. The railing was also the same deep color as the cabinets and ceiling beams. She heard Ronnie cursing somewhere in the background but couldn't locate her no matter how she turned her head. Then she saw her exit from a room at the far end and race up the stairs. Maria stepped into her line of vision and Rose got her first real glimpse of the housekeeper. "Hello."
"Well hello there, you poor thing," the salt and pepper haired woman replied. "Ronnie had to run upstairs to get some sheets. She'll be right back down."
"My name is Rose." She held her out her hand.
"I'm Maria, child," the housekeeper replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "Once you're settled in I'll make you something good to eat. I'm sure you're sick of that awful hospital food."
"That's very kind of you but I don't want you to go to any trouble."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all. Oh, here comes Ronnie. I'd better go get those sheets on the bed so you can get comfortable."
Maria took the linens from Ronnie and disappeared into the far room while the tall woman went to Rose's side. "Sorry about that," she said.
"Ronnie, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you cover my feet? They're freezing." A second later she felt large warm hands clasp around her ice cold toes, the only part of her lower extremities not encased in a plaster cast.
"Why didn't you say something?" Ronnie looked up and glared at the ambulance attendants while adjusting the sheet and blanket to cover the exposed feet. Maria stepped out of the room a few minutes later, announcing that everything was all set. "We'll get you in bed and then I'll run upstairs and get you a pair of nice warm socks," she said before backing out of the way as the attendants took hold of either end of the stretcher.
It only took a quick look around for Rose to realize that the room she was being put into was Ronnie's office. Two tall file cabinets were pressed up against the wall, apparently to make room for the queen sized bed sitting in the middle of the room. A computer desk with the largest monitor she had ever seen was against a near wall and an immense television took up the remaining wall where she could see it comfortably. "Okay Mike, you ready?" The one attendant asked, gathering the sheet beneath Rose in his hands.
"On three," Mike replied. "One…two…three." They easily lifted her up but in the process of putting her back down, one corner slipped out of his hands, causing the heavily casted right leg to flop down onto the bed. The jolt sent a rush of pain through Rose and the subsequent yelp brought Ronnie over to her side. "Sorry Miss," Mike said. "We need to roll you onto your side now so we can get the sheet out from under you."
"No." Ronnie said. "I'll get it." There clearly was anger in her tone as well as concern that Rose not be injured any worse. With infinite care she worked the sheet out from under the young woman until it finally came free. She tossed it to Mike's partner. "Is there something I need to sign?"
"No Ma'am. You'll receive a bill from us in a few days."
"Fine. Is there anything else?" Without waiting for an answer she nodded at Maria, who was standing in the doorway. "Maria will see you to the door."
"It was an accident," Rose said once the attendants were gone. Ronnie was busily reviewing the instructions on how to operate the new bed.
"It was a stupid accident. He should have been more careful. What if you weren't over the bed?" She reached down and wrapped her hand over Rose's cold toes. "Let me get some socks for you. I'll be right back. Do you want anything from the kitchen?"
"No, thank you. I can wait until dinner."
"Uh huh. Well, I know I could use a cup of coffee. Do you want something warm or cold to drink?"
"Um…" The look in the deep blue eyes told her that she'd better pick one or the other. "Warm, please."
"Here's the controller for the bed." She handed the white plastic device to Rose along with the instruction booklet. "It comes with heat and massage. Just press these buttons if you want to turn them on. These control the foot and the head of the bed." She watched as the young woman experimented, raising the head up until she was at a forty-five degree angle. "I'll let you get used to it and I'll be right back with those socks."
Ronnie returned a few minutes later with a pair of thick white tube socks and a purring pile of orange and white fluff. "Look who I found hiding in the mud room," she said, setting Tabitha down on the bed and smiling when she saw Rose's arms wrap around her precious kitty.
"Hi honey…I missed you," the young woman cooed to her contented cat. "You've gained weight."
"Mrrow?"
"Did you miss me?" She hugged Tabitha again, unmindful of the tears that spilled out of her own eyes. "Thank you," she whispered to Ronnie. "Thank you so much for taking care of her for me. I can't tell you how much…" Her voice broke off and she gave up trying to speak.
"I know," the dark haired woman said softly. "And you're welcome." A week ago she wouldn't have believed that it could mean so much to anyone to have their pet taken care of but now Ronnie understood just how important the four legged feline was to Rose. "Hey, let's get these socks on you." She moved down to the end of the bed, still watching the tearful reunion between Rose and Tabitha. "These were the warmest I could find," she said, untucking the blanket. She gathered the cotton material up in her fingers and carefully slid it over the small toes of Rose's feet and up over the cast covered foot and ankle. With the heel in place, the toe portion of the socks flopped over, clearly showing the difference in the sizes of the two women's feet. "Sorry about that. I'll get you some socks that fit you tomorrow."
"You don't have to do that, Ronnie. These will be fine, that is if you don't mind me wearing your socks. Besides, they have to be big or they won't fit over the cast." The heat emanating from the bed took more than just the chill out of Rose, it eased the pain in her legs and relaxed her to the point where her eyelids felt very heavy and she was unable to stifle a yawn. "Would you mind if I rested for a little while?"
"Of course not. Rose, if you're tired, you just tell me." Ronnie looked over at the computer, groaning inside at the thought of the work that had been piling up all week waiting for her. "Will the keyboard bother you if I go and do some work?"
"Oh no, go right ahead. It won't bother me at all." Rose didn't know if it would or not but she wasn't about to tell Ronnie that she couldn't do her work in her own office in her own home. Tabitha seemed quite content to lie down on the heated bed next to the woman who had rescued her as a kitten and soon fell asleep.
Sleep didn't come as easily for Rose, however. The clackity-clack of the keyboard drew her attention to the raven haired woman working hard only a few feet away. There were computers at the public library and she knew how to use them to look up the location of books but little else. Even from this distance she could see that Ronnie was looking over some kind of spreadsheet. Though the sculptured face was away from her, Rose had no doubt that the head of Cartwright Corporation was frowning. A pencil with the end well chewed found its way into Ronnie's mouth again and again. When it wasn't being gnawed at, it was being bounced up and down on the desk, an apparent nervous habit. Every so often an expletive would spew forth from the well cultured woman's mouth and the screen on the computer would change from one spreadsheet to another. Ronnie stood up and walked over to the file cabinets, pulling out wads of computer generated reports. "What the hell are you doing, Tommy?" She asked the air before returning to her seat and comparing the information on the paper to what the screen was telling her. Through half-closed eyelids Rose continued to watch her new friend struggle to make sense of what she was looking at. Several times Ronnie leaned back in her leather chair and let out a frustrated sigh. It was those times that Rose could see her face, brow furrowed with thought, lips pursed, jaw clenched. The young woman finally fell asleep wishing that she could do something to ease Ronnie's problems the way the gentle woman had eased hers.
Ronnie shut the monitor off and turned in her seat to find that Rose had finally fallen asleep, Tabitha by her side. The orange and white feline was busily cleaning her paws and didn't even bother to look up when the dark haired woman left the room.
"How is the poor dear?" Maria asked when Ronnie entered the kitchen.
"She's sleeping right now. I'll wake her up when dinner's ready." She reached into the cupboard and retrieved a glass before taking a beer out of the fridge. "I really appreciate you staying late today to do that."
"Oh, it's no problem at all, Ronnie, you know that," the older woman said. "What happened to her?"
"She was hit by a car. She has no family and no one else to take care of her. She's going to stay here until she's completely healed and I don't need my mother and sister to know about this," Ronnie warned, wanting to avoid any family discussions.
"I take it she's Tabitha's mother?"
"Yeah." She took a sip of beer and sniffed at the oven. "Smells good."
"Uh huh and it will be good once it's done. Don't even think about sneaking in there and taking any." Maria remembered far too many times when forkfuls of dinner were missing by the time she removed it from the oven. "You didn't tell me what she liked so I made a pot roast."
"Oooh. Sounds good." Ronnie's eyes lit up. "Hope you made plenty." She took another sip of beer and looked around at the rows of cabinets. "Do you know where that tray is that we used when Mom was sick?"
"Of course I do. Unlike you, I know my way around the kitchen."
"Hey, I know where things are. I found the beer with no problem." Ronnie grinned.
"Always the smart ass, aren't you, Veronica Louise?"
"Only with you, Maria," the tall woman replied, leaning over and giving her beloved housekeeper a peck on the cheek. "I'll take dinner in the office with Rose. If you need help just give me a yell."
"Considering that I served your entire family when everyone lived here I think bringing two dinners into the office won't be a problem." She opened the oven door and poked at the roast and potatoes with a large fork. "Now you go see to your guest. Dinner will be at least another half hour."
Once alone again in the kitchen, the smile left Maria's face. She walked over to the sliding glass doors and peered out into the night. The large sodium lamp illuminated the garage…and the battered Porsche sitting inside it. "Oh Veronica…" she whispered. "What have you done?"
"That was delicious," Rose said for the umpteenth time, putting her fork down on the empty plate. "I never cared much for carrots but those were terrific."
"I think Maria puts some sugar on them while they're cooking," Ronnie replied, taking the tray off of the reddish blond's lap and setting it on the desk. "You ready for dessert?"
"Dessert?" Green eyes lit up.
"Dessert. I know there's fresh brownies out there and if I look real hard there might be some ice cream to go with them." The look of utter delight on Rose's face brought a smile to her own. "You keep that up and Maria will make you as big as a house. Nothing pleases her more than seeing people enjoying her cooking." She glanced at the young woman still in her blue and white hospital gown. "Of course you look like you could use a little meat on your bones as it is, so that might not be such a bad thing. While I'm at it, I'll get you something a little more comfortable to wear than that thing."
"Oh, well I guess it is a little drafty," Rose replied, tugging the material up over her shoulder.
"I don't think there's any pants that are big enough to go over those legs but I'm sure I have a nightshirt somewhere. I'll be right back." She picked up the empty plates and left the room.
"Meat on my bones?" Rose queried Tabitha once Ronnie left. "I feel like I've gained ten pounds from all the food I've eaten the last few days."
"Mrrow?"
"Yeah, you look like you've been enjoying some of Maria's cooking too," she grunted when the orange and white cat climbed over her thigh to rest on her lap. "I don't understand it." She scratched absently behind Tabitha's ears while voicing her thoughts. "She finds me on the street, takes me to the hospital, and that should have been it. Instead she takes care of both of us like we were the most important things in the world to her."
"Mrrow?"
"Oh, heaven forbid I stop scratching you, your majesty." She resumed her gentle scratching. "You I can understand." She lifted Tabitha up to her chest and nuzzled the soft fur. "You're so adorable. Anyone who sees you falls in love with you." She listened to the soft purring for a minute, taking comfort in holding her precious kitty. "Nope, I don't understand it at all. I'm grateful but I don't understand it."
"Here we go," Ronnie said as she entered the room. Each hand held a dessert plate with a large brownie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream pierced by a spoon while a pale maroon nightshirt was slung over her shoulder. She set the plates down on the desk and handed the nightshirt to Rose.
"Dartmouth?" The young woman asked, holding the shirt up in front of her.
"I got my Bachelor's from there and my Master's from Stanford," Ronnie said as she handed one plate to Rose. "It's old and faded but I still love it."
"What are your degrees in?"
"Mmm, good brownie. Let's see…I have a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing and my Master's is in Business Management."
"No wonder you're the president of your company."
"Well, that and I'm the oldest," Ronnie grinned. "When it comes to Cartwright Corp., nepotism will get you everywhere."
"I'm sure it took more than that to get you where you are," Rose replied, spooning the tasty dessert into her mouth.
"It did, but if I were with any other company I'd just be middle management. My father died less than three years after I graduated and I took over the reins then."
"Oh, were you close to your father?"
"I guess." She shoved the last piece of brownie into her mouth. "I was the oldest and for a long time the apple of his eye. You know, it's funny, no matter how busy he was, he always found the time to attend every parent-teacher conference, every play, even made all of my little league games. Not many men in his position would do that."
"Sounds like he loved you very much."
"He did. I was a hell-raiser and he was always trying to keep me out of trouble." Ronnie set her plate down and leaned back in her leather chair. "I remember more than one time when one of Mother's antique vases would get broken with my roughhousing and he would take the blame." She smiled at the memory. "Only once did I get hurt and he couldn't cover for me. I was sliding down that banister out there and fell off. Broke my arm good. Mother grounded me for the whole summer."
"If you grew up here, why doesn't your mother still live here?"
"Well, after Dad died, she did live here for a while. Eventually she started spending more and more time with her canasta friends. They all live in a retirement community nearby. She figured that if she was spending all of her time there why not just live there so we bought her a condo and I took over the family home. It makes sense, though. She is pushing sixty and doesn't need such a big place anyway."
"Your sister and brother didn't want the house?"
"They didn't have a choice. I'm the oldest. That's how it works in our family. You done with that?"
"Oh, yes, thank you." Rose handed over the now empty plate.
"Besides," Ronnie continued. "Susan and Jack have a nice house a few miles from here and Tommy seems to prefer apartments. If I hadn't taken it, we probably would have put the place up for sale." She stacked the two plates and swiveled around in her chair to face the large screen television. "So it's almost ten. You tired or do you want to see what's on?"
"No, I'm awake. That nap earlier helped." Rose shifted and inhaled sharply. "I do think it's time for another Percocet, though."
"I'll get it. You find something for us to watch."
Tabitha was contentedly sleeping next to Rose, who continued to stare up at the ceiling. Ronnie had gone to bed a half hour before, leaving the young woman alone with her thoughts. It surprised Rose to realize just how disappointed she was when her friend announced that she was going to bed. She had truly enjoyed the evening and the older woman's constant attention. It also seemed that when Ronnie was around her legs and ankle didn't ache as much, didn't drive her to tears quite as often. She thought back to what had happened just after they started watching the late news. One wrong move had sent agonizing pain through her and immediately Ronnie was there. Ronnie, who held her tight, who whispered comforting words, who gently rocked her. Rose didn't want that embrace to ever end. She wanted to continue to feel the warm skin against hers, to breathe in the scent of Ronnie's perfume, to feel the rise and fall of the strong woman's chest against her cheek. When she did finally let go, it was with great reluctance and with a sense of loss. She adjusted the pillow behind her head and forced her eyes to close, but it did nothing to erase the vision of the beautiful woman.
Upstairs, Ronnie was staring at her own ceiling. She didn't want to leave Rose, but it wouldn't have looked right for her to keep the still recovering woman up too late. She listened to the sounds of the night, the occasional truck going down the main road, the owls hooting in the distance. None of that interested her. What she was listening for was the soft, melodic sound of Rose's voice calling out to her. "Damn, I should have gotten an intercom system," she muttered into the darkness. What if Rose needed help with the bedpan? What if she woke up and needed more Percocet? Was it safe to leave Tabitha with her? What if she walked across Rose's legs? What if she was in pain again and needed to be held? Those and a dozen more questions passed through her mind, all convincing her that being upstairs wasn't the right place to be. With a sigh she sat up, grabbed her pillow and blanket, and headed for the downstairs couch. With the office door open to let Tabitha in and out in case she needed the litter box, there was no way that she would miss hearing Rose. Yes, that was why she had to be closer to her…just in case she needed anything.
Ronnie was up and about by six o'clock. She returned her bedding to her room and changed into her spandex workout clothes before popping into the office to check on Rose. The young woman was still sleeping soundly so she felt safe in heading downstairs to get her workout in. However, what normally meant wall shaking decibels of 80's music was changed to absolute silence lest she miss hearing Rose call out for her. What was normally twenty repetitions with each machine turned into ten and the skiing machine was ignored altogether. She ran back upstairs and checked in on the sleeping woman one more time before going to take a much needed shower. It was Saturday, which meant there would be no sign of Maria since she had the weekends off. It was up to Ronnie to figure out what to make for herself and Rose for breakfast.
As the steaming water rinsed the shampoo from her hair and the sweat from her body, Ronnie's eyes closed and her mind drifted back to the fair haired woman sleeping downstairs. There had been an almost guilty pleasure in holding her last night, knowing that she was the one responsible for the pain yet also the one to provide comfort from that pain. Oh and how she enjoyed holding Rose, burying her nose in the spun gold hair, wrapping her arms around the soft body, feeling the warm breath against her neck…
Ronnie's eyes flew open and she looked down to discover her soapy hand fondling her own left breast. She quickly rinsed off, mentally chastising herself for fantasizing when she had much more important things to do.
Rose awoke to the sound of Ronnie entering the room, two plates full of pancakes and bacon in hand. "I'm not as a good a cook as Maria, but at least I didn't burn anything."
"I'm sure it'll be wonderful."
"Do you want coffee or tea?"
"Oh, coffee would be wonderful," Rose said happily.
"There's a fresh pot made. Cream and sugar?"
"Just cream please."
"One coffee, cream, no sugar coming right up." She set her plate on the desk and Rose's plate on the tray before placing the tray on the young woman's lap. "We'll have breakfast and then I'll help you get cleaned up. The nurse won't start until Monday but I think I can help you."
"You know I really hate feeling helpless like this," Rose said. "I mean, I can't even lean forward without it hurting my legs. If I don't think and wiggle my toes that's even worse, not to mention the whole bedpan thing." her cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment.
Ronnie didn't know what to say to that comment, knowing that if the roles were reversed she probably wouldn't be as good about the whole situation. "I'll be right back with the coffee and after breakfast I'll see if I can find that trivial pursuit game." She headed for the door only to be joined by Tabitha.
"Mrrow?"
"And I suppose you want your breakfast too?" She received her reply in the form of the feline rubbing against the leg of her sweatpants. "Come on, if you're eating that means you won't be bugging your mother for some of hers."
Although Ronnie had helped Rose last night with the bedpan, the young woman was still highly self-conscious of having the rich and powerful woman helping her. Not a word was spoken as the pan was slipped under her, she did her duty, and Ronnie took it into the adjoining bathroom. Well at least I don't have my period, Rose thought to herself, dreading the fact that it was only a week or so away. She had no idea how she was going to handle that when it came up.
"All right, I suppose we should get you cleaned up. Do you want a Percocet now or after?" Ronnie asked when she returned from the bathroom with a basin full of warm soapy water and a cloth.
"After. They put me to sleep too easily. Do you think we could cut the pills in half? I mean, I know that Doctor Barnes wants me to take them for the pain but I hate feeling so dopey all of the time."
"I don't see any reason why not," Ronnie replied, setting the container on the desk. "Let's get you cleaned up. I'll be as gentle as I can," she promised.
Indeed the dark haired woman was extremely gentle, as if afraid to cause the slightest amount of pain. "Okay, if I get your back can you get the rest of it?"
"Yeah." Rose leaned forward and pulled the Dartmouth nightshirt up and off her body, laying it in front of her breasts. Firm fingers under the soapy washcloth worked their way across her back, drawing an unexpected groan from her lips.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No, sorry. I guess my back hurts from laying on it so long."
"I used to get the worst cricks in my back after studying all night during finals. My roommate was great at backrubs." Ronnie's mind briefly thought back to some of the other things Christine was good at. "Anyway," she said, pushing the image from her mind. "She showed me what to do. Can you lean forward a little bit more?" The young woman complied and Ronnie put the washcloth aside. She shifted slightly to get a better position and began kneading the tight muscles with her long fingers.
"Oh, that feels good," Rose murmured sleepily, leaning back into the gentle massage. It seemed that every ache, every stiffness in her back melted away under Ronnie's touch. The soapy water made the strong fingers slide even easier across her skin. "You're in the wrong line of work, Ronnie. You should have been a masseuse."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Oh yes. You're gonna put me back to sleep if you keep that up."
"Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" She picked up the washcloth, wrung it out, and cleaned off the rest of Rose's back. "Okay, I'll leave you to finish up while I look for Trivial Pursuit."
Once Ronnie was out of the room, Rose let the shirt fall to her lap and washed the rest of her upper body and personal areas. She had just finished and pulled the shirt over her head when the blue eyed woman returned. "I found…oh, sorry." Ronnie shut the door quickly. "Let me know when you're ready," she called through the closed door, the sight of Rose's firm breasts teasing her mind. That was one thing she did miss since putting in her own private gym. When she had been going to the local health club, there were lots of good looking women running around the locker room in various stages of undress. It was easy for her to covertly eye their bodies and enjoy the sights without being noticed. Ronnie let out a sigh of disappointment at what she could not have, could never have again. Her experience at Stanford had seen to that.
"Okay," Rose's voice called out. She entered to find the bedridden woman's upper body covered up by the Dartmouth nightshirt, her lower body hidden beneath the blankets. "You found it?"
"Yeah, sorry about barging in without knocking. I wasn't thinking."
"It's okay. I'm sure you've seen half-naked women before."
"Well, I still should have knocked." Ronnie looked at the small tray. "Hmm…that's not going to be big enough to play on."
"You know, if you put the legs up on that wheelchair, I'm sure I could play at a table with you."
"You think you're ready for that?"
"Well, they put me in one to change the sheets on my bed at the hospital. I'm sure if we're careful we could do it."
"I don't know, Rose. I don't want to hurt you," Ronnie said hesitantly.
"I'm in pain most of the time anyway. I don't think it'll make much difference." She looked up at piercing blue eyes and smiled. "I really do want to play with you."
"Are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure. Besides, that way you can give me a tour."
Ronnie hesitated for a moment, weighing the dangers of moving Rose and trusting that the young woman knew what her limits were. "All right, but if you feel tired or want to lay back down you tell me immediately, okay?"
"Okay."
It required bringing the chair up against the bed and pulling Rose into it but they were able to do with a minimum amount of discomfort. Fortunately, the renovations Ronnie had done when she took over the house included nice wide doorways. With the exception of the sunken part of the living room, there wasn't anyplace that Rose wouldn't be able to go to on the first floor. "Are you ready for your tour?" Ronnie asked after double checking to make certain that the afghan tucked under the fragile legs wouldn't interfere with the wheels.
"Absolutely," Rose replied, reaching for the wheels only to find that she was already being guided out of the room thanks to Ronnie's hands on the handles. The office was off the living room and now upright, Rose saw even more of the magnificent area. Classic oil paintings hung on the walls. An antique coat rack stood near the door along with an umbrella stand that looked far too elegant to hold an umbrella, and every piece of furniture matched, from the trim on the leather sofa to the end tables to the cabinets that lined the wall. "It's beautiful," Rose whispered in awe.
"It's pompous," Ronnie replied. "I only leave it this way because I don't want to listen to my family if I changed it. Sometimes we have to have functions here and I'm sure that the Monet goes over far better than a Witherspoon would." She noted the lack of response from the fair haired woman. "Witherspoon is an abstract artist. I have some of her works hanging in the game room."
"You have a room just for games?"
"It's a throwback to my father's time. He used to entertain some of his more bawdy friends there. It's got a pool table and a bar, dart board, that kind of stuff. It's over here. I'll show you."
Between the office and kitchen was a door, hidden under the stairs. "This is it. I haven't been in here in quite some time except today when I went looking for the Trivial Pursuit game. Maria doesn't even bother cleaning in here because it's never used so don't mind any dust you might see." Ronnie stopped pushing the chair, stepped in front, and opened the door.
There was hardly a speck of dust in the room, despite the warnings. Rose heard a click behind her and the room lit up with a series of hanging lights, all proclaiming one brand or another of beer as being the best. On the far left wall stood a fully stocked bar. The center of the room sported a claw footed pool table with crushed green felt and the right end of the room had a few small tables complete with ashtrays. "It's just like a bar."
"Pretty much. Dad used to retreat in here with his friends when he needed a break from the stuffy business world. I learned to play pool right on this table." She ran her fingers across the felt in memory. "During prohibition, my great-grandfather would run a makeshift speakeasy out of here, just for important clients, of course." She walked to the far wall and pointed at a small buzzer. "This was the warning bell. Grandpa used to use it to warn when my grandmother was coming and years later my father did the same thing."
"Wow," Rose said, truly amazed at the history of the room. She reached over and ran her fingertips along the smooth wooden side of the pool table. "I'm surprised you don't spend time in here. It seems like a wonderful room."
"It is, but I'm really too busy most of the time to have friends over." Ronnie gripped the handles again. "Ready to see the rest?"
"Sure."
They left the game room and ventured around some more, Ronnie pointing out the mud room that led to the back driveway, the foyer, and the second bathroom on the first floor. They passed into an elegant dining room with a table longer than any Rose had seen before. "You could sit twenty people here," the young woman said.
"Actually, it seats eighteen with the leaf in, but it does look rather large, doesn't it?"
"It's beautiful." The table matched the china closets custom built into each corner as well as the serving tray, a wooden table with wheels and fold down side flaps.
"I suppose it is. I never use it except for family get-togethers. I usually eat in the kitchen or in front of the computer. Come on, you haven't seen anything yet."
Their next stop was the kitchen. Ronnie wheeled Rose into the center of the room so she could see everything in one glance. "When I took the house over, this was nothing more than two counters and a few cabinets. Maria and I worked with one of the best kitchen designers in the area to make this."
"It's beautiful. It's just like those kitchens you see in magazines," Rose said. The colossal refrigerator sported light oak panels on the front, matching the rest of the kitchen's decor. A state of the art cook's island sat just off the middle of the room and was complete with a stovetop and sink as well as a garbage hole and built in cutting board. Above their heads was a wrought iron rack holding the brilliantly finished copper pots and pans. The opposite end of the room had large sliding glass doors that looked out at the driveway and the garages beyond. The entire kitchen was finished with oak, copper and steel with lots of light, giving an airy feeling to the area. "What's that door?"
"That leads to the laundry room. It's nothing exciting, I never go there."
"A room just for laundry? Can I see it? I mean, if it's not too much trouble."
"It's no trouble at all, Rose," Ronnie said, smiling at the obvious approval in the young woman's gaze and voice. She guided them to the medium sized room. Calling it a laundry room was a bit of an understatement. Beyond the requisite washer and dryer, it also held the ironing board, several shelves to store off-season clothing, a cabinet with everything from fabric softener and detergent to spot removers and dryer sheets, and a counter to sort clothes on.
"This house is amazing. If I lived here, I'd never want to leave." Her eyes widened at the possible ways her statement could be taken. "I-I mean, it's a really nice place, not that I'd-"
"Relax, Rose, I knew what you meant," the tall executive said. "I don't like to leave here much myself, that's why everything is designed for my comfort, and Maria's of course." she reached over and shut the light off. "Well, that's it," she said as she wheeled Rose back into the kitchen. "The rest of the place is either upstairs or downstairs and we're not going to venture there today."
"It's really a beautiful home, Ronnie."
"Thank you. I'm glad you like it," she replied, taking Rose's approval of her home far more seriously than she had taken anyone else's before. "So you up for that game of Trivial Pursuit or what?"
"Oh, that table's too high for this chair in the dining room," Rose said apologetically.
"No problem. You think one of the ones in the game room would be a better fit?"
The rest of the morning was spent in the game room where they completed four games of Trivial Pursuit, ending with a tie of two wins apiece. Then it was back to the office where they watched a marathon of Judge Judy tapes that Ronnie had stored up but had been too busy to watch. Tabitha kept them company, alternating between lying on the bed with Rose and jumping up on Ronnie's lap in the leather chair.
Shortly after lunch Rose took half a Percocet and laid down to take a nap, the morning activities taking their toll on her still healing legs. Ronnie pretended to work on the computer but really was just waiting for the young woman to fall asleep. When she heard the soft, gentle snores, she stepped away from the computer desk and knelt down next to the bed. She watched the steady rise and fall of Rose's chest for a few minutes before tucking the blanket in around her and leaving the room, making certain the door was left ajar.
Rose shook her head groggily and opened her eyes. It was dark out but with the short days of winter, she couldn't tell if it was five o'clock or eight o'clock. A glance at the red numbers on the alarm told her that it was quarter to six. Her bladder told her that it was time for something else altogether. She sighed at the thought of having to ask Ronnie yet again to help her with the task. Her eyes fell on the bedpan, sitting on the small table next to the bed. It was within arm's reach…perhaps…
Ronnie had been chopping up mushrooms when she heard the blood curdling scream. The knife hit the floor as she raced from the kitchen to the office as the screams continued.
"Oh god…ahhh…" Rose was still crying out in agonizing pain when Ronnie stormed in. The young woman had managed to roll onto her side in an attempt to get the bedpan underneath herself but in the process her left leg over the right one and twisted, sending intense waves of pain through her ankle. "Oh god it hurts!"
Ronnie wasted no time, grabbing the left foot and lifting the leg away from the right one trapped underneath it. She quickly got Rose positioned onto her back again. "What happened?"
"I…I just wanted…" Her words broke off into sobs as she cried helplessly.
"Okay now, okay." Ronnie scrambled up onto the bed and pulled Rose against her with one arm while reaching for the bottle of Percocet with the other. "I've got you, Rose…it's okay now." The cap to the bottle went flying under the force of her thumb. "Here now, take this."
Rose took the full pill into her mouth, followed by a few sips of water to get it down. Her sobs eased up slightly, but her arms remained wrapped firmly around Ronnie's neck. "What happened?"
"I…I had to go…and…and…"
"Why didn't you ask me? I left the door open so I could hear you." Whatever Rose tried to give for an answer was lost in her sobs, the only words Ronnie could make out were 'sorry' and 'bother'. "Okay…I've got you," she cooed. "I've got you, it's all right."
It was a good ten minutes before she got the young woman calmed down. She worked the bedpan under Rose's hips. "I think we'd better take you back to the hospital so they can make sure that the bones are still lined up."
"I didn't hit it that hard-"
"You don't know that, Rose. Even the slightest bit off and you'll have problems walking again, you know that."
"I don't want to go back," she said fearfully. "I'm sorry, please don't make me go back."
"Shh…I'm not making you go back. I just want to make sure you didn't do any damage, that's all." She pulled Rose close again. "I promise we'll only go to get your legs x-rayed and then we'll come back home."
It was almost two in the morning by the time they returned from the emergency room. Ronnie was annoyed enough at the length of time it took for the ambulance to arrive to take Rose there but was even more pissed off at the hour and a half wait to get a return trip. The thought of purchasing a van just so she wouldn't have to depend on others to help her get the young woman around passed through her mind more than once. Fortunately nothing was moved out of place, much to both women's relief. Dinner ended up not being the elegant feast that she had planned but leftovers warmed up in the microwave due to the late hour.
Ronnie got Rose settled back into bed and gave her a stern warning about trying a stunt like that again before tucking her in. "I'll be right here on the couch if you need me," she said before shutting off the light and heading for the door.
"Ronnie?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
Those words brought the dark haired woman back to the bedside. "I know you are, hon, and I know it's gotta be hard for you but please, just ask for help next time, okay?"
"Okay." there was a pause. "Ronnie?"
"Yeah?"
"It's time."
Ronnie drained the last of her cup of coffee and looked out the window at the morning sun bouncing off the freshly fallen snow. Behind her, Rose continued to sleep soundly, not at all disturbed by the executive's early morning activities on the computer. Ronnie set the empty cup down on the desk and sighed. Three hours pouring over statements and spreadsheets still failed to turn up anything amiss with Cartwright Real Estate. Contractors were paid, receipts were posted, everything looked like business as usual. So why did she feel so strongly that something was terribly wrong? She slumped back into her chair and picked up the report again. The answer had to be there. But instead of returning to the world of ledgers and entries, Ronnie's eyes drifted over to the bed, where the bright sun cast a glow around the sleeping form. "Just like sunshine," she whispered to herself. Time began to tick by as she continued to silently study Rose. Blue eyes started at the top. They noted the soft honey colored hair that framed the cherubic face. Reddish brown eyebrows framed closed lids with naturally curly lashes. A petite, upturned nose rested just above the softest looking lips. Ronnie's gaze continued downward, past the oversized nightshirt and down to where the curves stopped. Her eyes remained riveted on the broken bones hidden by casts, reminding her just why the beautiful young woman was there. With a mix of guilt and regret, Ronnie turned her chair back to face the desk and buried herself in her work.
The rustling of the bedcovers accompanied by a painful groan announced that Rose was waking up. "Morning," she mumbled, trying to bring green eyes into focus.
"Almost afternoon, actually," Ronnie replied, putting down her work for a moment and turning to face the young woman. "I don't have much to offer in the way of brunch but if you want, I'll run out and see if I can get some Chinese food."
"Ooh, that sounds wonderful." Rose's eyes lit up as if she were receiving the biggest Christmas present in the world. "I meant to thank you again for bringing that to the hospital."
"It doesn't take much to make you happy, does it?"
The young woman cocked her head from side to side in thought before answering. "No, not really. I never had much so extras like take-out food was out of the question."
"How long have you been on your own, Rose?"
"Oh," she blushed. "You don't want to hear about me."
"Sure I do." Ronnie moved her chair closer and propped her stockinged feet on the edge of the bed. "Come on, it'll be like a slumber party."
"I don't know…"
"Come on, Sunshine," she cajoled, realizing that she used a pet name only after she had said it. She shifted and glanced at the window. "It's cold outside. I'll call for delivery and you can tell me all about Rose Grayson."
"There isn't really that much to tell. Certainly nothing that interesting."
"Let me decide that," Ronnie urged, her eyes pleading the young woman to open up.
Rose looked down at the blanket for a moment, weighing her options and fears. She felt so safe, so cared for here. What if something she said made her new friend think differently of her? But…there was nothing in Ronnie's eyes to suggest that she would judge anything that was said. Maybe if she skimmed over the details….
"Well, like I said, there really isn't that much to tell. I was almost two years old when my parents died in a car accident. After that I lived with my grandmother until she got too sick to take care of me anymore." She shrugged her shoulders. "Then I lived in different places until I was old enough to be on my own. That's about it."
"How old were you when your grandmother got sick?"
"Ten."
"She was your only relative?"
"Yeah."
"You know this feels more like an interview than a conversation," Ronnie said, drawing a shy smile from the young woman. "Tell me a story about you. Tell me about something nice that happened to you when you were a child."
"Something nice that happened to me, eh?" Rose pondered the thought for a moment before coming up with a suitable tale. "All right, but first you call for that food you promised."
"Deal," she replied.
A few minutes later the food had been ordered and it was now time for Rose to tell her story. "Okay, it was when I was six or seven. My grandmother came to me early one morning and told me that we were going someplace special. She packed us lunches and we took the bus for what seemed like hours. We had to switch buses a couple of times before we got there." Rose's eyes gleamed at the memory and her gaze was many years away from the office in Ronnie's house. "She took me to the zoo. Not the little petting zoos that would come to the bazaars from time to time but a real zoo. There were so many animals…tigers, bears, seals…it was incredible. We spent the whole day there and ate lunch near the cages with the bear cubs." She placed her hand on the older woman's ankle and leaned in. "My grandmother told me not to feed them but when she wasn't looking I threw the rest of my sandwich into their pit."
"Sounds like a really nice day," Ronnie said.
"Oh, it was. It was one of those perfect days when it wasn't too hot or too windy or anything. Grandma even had a roll of dimes to put in the machines to get those pellets to feed the goats." Rose leaned back against her pillow and smiled at the ceiling. "I fell asleep on the way back so I don't remember much of that but I do remember how happy I was to be walking home with her from the bus stop."
"Sounds like she loved you very much."
"She did," the young woman replied. "Grandma always found ways to make our time together nice. After the chores were done, we'd always play Monopoly or cards or something like that." Rose's eyes misted and she blinked back the pain that came with the memory.
"My grandmothers were always scrapping with each other," Ronnie said, hoping that a tale of her own would help keep her friend from thinking of the sad times growing up. "They were both the typical mother-in-law. Grandma Cartwright never thought my mother was good enough and Grandmother Mitchell thought the same of my dad. You should have seen them at holidays."
"Did you always have a lot of people around on the holidays?"
"Yup, and always here too, well, until I took over. Now they're held at Susan's house or at one of the cousin's places. But back then, we usually had thirty or forty people here for family get-togethers."
"Wow, it must have been chaos." Rose pressed the remote button for the heating unit built into the bed, hoping it would help ease the steadily growing ache in her legs.
"Chaos is a nice way of putting it. Tradition is a big thing in both families and of course what was a Cartwright tradition wasn't a Mitchell one. On some holidays there'd be fights ten minutes after everyone arrived."
"Fights?"
"Oh, not physical ones…usually," Ronnie grinned. "At Christmas time usually it would start with what we were having for dinner then work its way up to how the tree was decorated."
"You're kidding."
"Nope, swear to God." She held her hand up in solemn oath. "Mother's family always waited until Christmas Eve to put the star on the top but Dad's side would put it up long before that."
"That seems like a silly thing for people to get upset about, especially at a time when they should just be happy to see each other," Rose said, realizing that perhaps Ronnie's family wasn't as perfect as she thought they were.
"Well, maybe because my family saw way too much of each other. They all worked for Cartwright Corp. in one form or another."
"You'd think that would make them closer."
"Sometimes there's too close," Ronnie replied. "It's like a soap opera sometimes. We all know what's going on in each other's lives all the time. There's no real privacy."
"I never thought it could be so difficult. I guess not having a family, I didn't see the down side to having so many people around," Rose admitted.
"I never thought about how lonely it could be being an only child." The two women looked at each other thoughtfully as old ideas blended with newfound truths.
"When I was in Dartmouth," Ronnie began, "I loved the freedom that being away from home gave me. No curfew, no disapproving looks…it felt so good to not have to answer to anyone or worry about my image."
"I bet you were one of those who ended up spending all your time studying and getting the good grades," the young woman ventured.
"Actually I graduated summa cu laude and was a member of the Honor Society but I was also a regular at all the good parties," she acknowledged. "More for appearances and contacts than anything else but still, if there was something fun going on, I was there. That's not to say that I didn't get into my fair share of trouble. For my sorority's senior prank, we bought a car that had been stripped by car thieves from a junkyard and snuck over to the Dean's house in the middle of the night and switched his car for it. We parked his down the block a little ways but the look on his face when he came out that morning to get his paper and saw that hunk of junk sitting in his driveway was priceless."
"Oh god, I bet he was ready to kill you when he found out," Rose said, trying hard not to laugh at the image of the dean looking at what he thought to be his car stripped down to bare metal.
"I have a video of it somewhere, wanna see?"
"Oh, I bet that would be funny."
"I'll get it." Ronnie stood up and headed to the door. "You know, I've got quite a video collection. Do you like comedies?"
"Love them," she replied enthusiastically.
"I've got a bunch of those 'Revenge of the Nerds' and 'Porky's' kind of movies."
"Sounds great." She looked around. "Um, but where would we watch them?"
Ronnie looked around, only now noticing that in her haste to get the room ready for Rose, she didn't think to have a VCR moved in. "Um…well…I guess we'll watch it in the living room. There's a TV just as large as this one and at least one VCR. That is if you're up to it?"
Ignoring the increasing aches in her legs, she smiled and nodded. "Sure, but I don't remember seeing a television out there."
"Oh, you'll see it." Ronnie grinned with the thought of showing off her prized entertainment system. When it had been installed, her mother and sister came over to see it. Susan thought it was 'a bit much' and her mother thought it was 'nice' but Ronnie knew it was something to be proud of. After all, she had picked out each and every component, matching just the right equalizer with the best series of Bose 'surround-sound' speakers. She even went to the best appliance store in the area to personally choose her television. Her entertainment system was a tribute to high-end electronics and Ronnie just itched for the chance to show it off.
"You'll be all right here for a minute?" Ronnie queried. Rose was sitting in her wheelchair, just at the edge of the steps that led to the sunken living room.
"Sure."
"I need to move the couch so you can see better." The first thing she had to do was move the solid mahogany coffee table out of the way. It had a drawer full of remotes, each clearly labeled with the name of the item that it went with. It also contained all the instruction manuals, the corners of which were dog-eared from use.
Next came the couch. With an ease that spoke clearly of strength, Ronnie lifted the right end up slightly from the carpet and use her legs to move it until it was facing the center cabinet on the wall. "Okay, all set." Before Rose could yelp a protest, the raven haired woman stepped behind her, grabbed the wheels of the chair, and lifted both it and her off the carpet. Ronnie gently set the wheelchair down on the lower level. "Let me get the pillows for your head and then I'll help get you on the couch. That way you can still lay down and enjoy the show."
"But where will you sit?"
Ronnie just grinned. "Go take a good look at that couch, Rose."
The honey haired woman guided the wheelchair around to face the front of the couch. "Looks like a very nice couch, but…" Ronnie had come around the other side and sat down, reaching between the cushion and side to grab the hidden lever. "It's one of those reclining ones!"
"Yup…look at this." She snaked her hand between a fold of soft leather and pulled, revealing a hidden snack tray nestled within the center cushions.
"Oh, that is cool!"
"What can I say? I like creature comforts." Ronnie said with a grin. "Here, let's get you settled. You'll love how soft this is."
"Oooh, this is niiiice," the young woman drawled after sinking into the wonderful couch.
"I couldn't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep on it," the proud owner said as she walked over to the cabinets and faced the center one. The double doors opened to reveal the large screen television and racks above it filled with Bose stereo equipment and a top of the line six-head VCR. She slid the doors into their recessed spaces before turning to face the sight of Rose comfortably relaxing on her couch. "I'll go get the movie and something for us to drink." She left and returned a few minutes later with sodas for both of them and a black video cassette case. "I hope 'Revenge of the Nerds' is a good one because that's the one I grabbed."
"Sounds good to me. I've only seen it once on television."
"Oh, you have to see it. They cut some of the best scenes when they edited it for TV." Ronnie reached into the drawer of the coffee table and picked up several remotes before settling for three of them. "Let's see now, I have a list here somewhere…" She shuffled the manuals around until she found the one with all her writing on it. "Here we go."
A few seconds later the television was on, the tape was rolling, and crisp sound came from every corner of the room. Ronnie spent months adjusting the angles of the speakers to best blend in with the natural acoustics of the vaulted ceiling. A satellite feed gave perfect digital pictures on the fifty inch screen of her massive television. She had originally purchased a projection television but that now resided in the gym. It was replaced with the sharper picture and higher quality of a tube. The credits were just beginning when they heard a car coming up the driveway. "Food's here," they said at the same time, drawing mutual chuckles and smiles that would continue long into their lazy Sunday afternoon.
Monday came as it always does, forcing attentions to be turned to things of importance besides each other. This particular day also brought with it temperatures in the teens and blowing snow. Maria arrived at 7:30, half an hour late. Monday was the day that she stopped at the supermarket first to pick up fresh milk and bread to replenish whatever Ronnie had depleted over the weekend. It normally was no problem to do that but an accident near Routes 378 and 9 backed traffic up for almost an hour. Ronnie was already in the shower after her morning workout. As Maria made her way from the foyer, the housekeeper tossed a curious look at the hastily moved furniture in the living room, noting the rumpled blanket and pillow. "Are you supposed to be up there?" She queried the orange and white cat laying on them.
"Mrrow?" Tabitha picked her head up at the voice and quickly followed Maria out to the kitchen. This was the dark haired one that dropped the little pieces of meat all the time, the feline remembered.
"I see you've taken over while I was gone, eh?" She set the bags down on the counter before tossing her purse into the drawer reserved for that purpose. Her wet coat went into the laundry room along with her scarf. "Well, let's see if we can't try and get something quick whipped up before Ronnie gets down here."
"Looks pretty nasty out there," the raven haired woman said as she entered the kitchen. "Think maybe I'll take the day off and stay home."
"Did you have a good weekend? I see you certainly left enough dishes for me."
"Actually I did have a good weekend," Ronnie replied as she crossed the room looking for a fresh cup of coffee. "The roads are pretty nasty, right?"
"Well, they're not the best but they're driveable."
"But it could get worse." It was more a question than a statement.
"I suppose it could, Ronnie. I didn't really get to see what the weather report said this morning."
"So it could get worse out there." The executive seemed pleased with her reasoning. "I'd better work from home today. Wouldn't want to take the chance."
"Of course not, after all you're what…eight miles from work or so?" Maria opened the refrigerator to survey the damage from the weekend. "Omelets?"
"Sounds good. I'll go check on Rose while you're doing that."
"What does she like in hers?"
"I think mushrooms and green peppers…oh, and cheese, of course." Ronnie picked up her coffee cup and headed toward the office, leaving Maria to her tasks and Tabitha to follow around after the housekeeper in hopes of a treat.
Rose was still sleeping when Ronnie entered the office and sent email to her secretary and to Susan announcing that she was going to work from home that day. Rose slept through the sound of the television being turned on and the constant flicking from one station to another. The only thing that brought her out of her dreamworld was the smell of fresh omelets and muffins when Maria brought breakfast in to them. "Knew something had to wake you."
"Mmm? Oh, morning Ronnie," she said, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Morning Maria, how was your weekend?"
"It was fine, Rose. How was yours?"
"Good." She sniffed the air. "Oh, that smells wonderful."
"Maria's cooking is always wonderful. That's why I keep her around," Ronnie teased.
"I knew there had to be some reason," the housekeeper joked back. She turned her attention back to the injured woman. "How are your legs feeling?"
"They ache a lot but the heat seems to help."
"Good. You just do what the doctor says and I'm sure you'll be up and about in no time."
"Yeah, as long as she doesn't try to do everything for herself," Ronnie chimed in. "We had to make a trip to the ER this weekend."
"You did? Oh my!" Maria looked from one to the other. "What happened?"
Ronnie filled the housekeeper in on the incident while Rose savored her meal and added details between forkfuls. The head of the house was just finishing up her breakfast when the doorbell rang. "That must be your nurse," she said to the young woman.
"I'll see to her coat and then bring her in here," Maria said.
A few minutes later the brown haired nurse entered the room. "Good morning. My name is Karen Brown and I'll be your nurse," she said to Rose.
"Hi, I'm Rose Grayson and this is Ronnie Cartwright. Pleased to meet you." She held her hand out to the nurse but the executive merely nodded from her chair.
"Well, I suppose the first thing I should do is wash up and take a look at those stitches on your cheek. Are you still on bedpan or are you ambulatory yet?"
"I'm afraid that I'm still on bedpan."
"Well, that's fine. You'll still need a great deal of physical therapy before being able to use those legs again." Karen looked up at the executive. "How long has she been home?"
Ronnie chose not to correct the nurse about Rose's residence status. "They released her Friday afternoon."
"Have you done any passive therapy?"
"No, but she's been up in the wheelchair a little bit."
"That's not passive therapy," Nurse Brown corrected. "Well then, I suppose we'll clean the wounds and then we can get started." She glanced at Rose's cheek and the stitches that ran across it. "There's no sign of infection there. When are you supposed to go back and have your stitches removed?"
"Friday. With any luck I'll be up and walking again soon."
Karen pushed her glasses up on her nose. "I wouldn't get my hopes up, Rose. Your legs have been through a tremendous trauma. It's going to take a great deal of time and effort before you'll be able to get around on your own. Let's not worry about walking yet and just concentrate on getting you healed."
Ronnie stood up and grabbed her empty cup. "I'm getting some more coffee. Do you want some, Rose?"
"Yes please, thank you." She held out her cup.
"What about you, Miss Brown?"
"Oh no thanks. I don't drink caffeine."
"Fine, I'll be back in a minute." She headed for the door but was stopped by the melodic voice.
"Ronnie?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you give me a few minutes?" Rose gave an embarrassed smile. "I have a couple of things that I need to take care of." She looked pointedly at the bedpan sitting on the small stand.
"Oh, oh okay. I'll be in the living room if you need me."
But Ronnie didn't go in the living room. Instead, she haunted Maria while the older woman tried to get her daily chores done. "So, you saw her, what do you think of her?"
"She's not my nurse. You should be asking Rose about her."
"But do you think that she's all right? I mean, the agency said she was a registered nurse. Should I have gotten more information about her? I can call Susan and have her run a check with the State Board."
"If you think you should, Ronnie," Maria replied, the duster in her hand flying over the antiques. "Has she said or done anything that you don't approve of?"
"Well…no, not really."
"Then what's the problem?"
"No problem. I just wondered if I should or not, that's all," the executive replied, her tone slightly miffed. She stood there silently for a minute, the tension building within her. "I have a lot of work to do and my computer is in there."
"You have another one upstairs in your room that you could use if you had to."
"But the data I need is on this one," she lied, knowing full well that both computers connected to the network housed at the corporate offices.
"Ronnie, if you need to get in there I'm sure Rose would understand."
The tone in Maria's voice made the tall woman realize just how she sounded. "No, I'll use the one upstairs. Let me know when lunch is ready." She turned and raced up the stairs.
Accidental Love Ó 1998 B L Miller. Do not distribute or copy without permission of the author except for personal use.