Most people had left, including Claire, who had toweled off the seat of her Vespa, shrugged on her raincoat, and zoomed off. Addie was sitting contentedly on the couch, talking to Rob Bradford. As she watched, Addie let out a carefree laugh in response to something Rob had said.
Maxi had been surprised to discover the good-looking stranger was the man Claire had built up to be some sort of dough-rolling villain. Claire hadn’t mention that he was cute or that he had a kind way about him.
With a sigh, Maxi shook her head. How long was Claire going to hold onto this nonexistent animosity? To the outside eye, it was obvious that Rob held no ill will toward Claire. In fact, from the way he looked at her, he might even be smitten.
They would make a good couple. Both passionate about baking, they had a common interest. Claire had gotten a bit flustered when she’d tried to dismiss Rob’s attractiveness. Maxi knew her friend too well. Clairedidthink Rob Bradford was cute. She was simply too scared, and too busy protecting her territory, to acknowledge that he might be worth pursuing.
Neither Claire nor Jane had dated in years, although Jane’s reason was different. She’d been widowed quite suddenly. Maxi repressed a shudder, thinking how horrible it would be if she lost James. Maxi wanted her friends to be happy, but that didn’t necessarily mean they needed a man in their lives.
But if Claire decided not to date again, it shouldn’t be because of the hateful way her ex-husband had treated her. Maxi was certain she saw a spark between Claire and Rob.
Was there something she could do to help them over that initial hump? Probably not. Claire was as stubborn as a lobster sometimes. But even if nothing came of it, Maxi wished she could figure out a way to show Claire that Rob wasn’t her enemy. In fact, he seemed like an all-around nice guy, and those types of people were hard to find.
The phone chimed again in her hand, and Maxi glanced down at the screen. She smiled at the words greeting her. Warmth spread through her, chasing out the lingering cold of the storm.
I’m glad you’re safe. I love you.
She tapped out the reply on reflex.I love you too.
Jane was putting up a brave front, but Rob knew from personal experience how upsetting it was to have a loved one wander off.
“Honestly, I don’t think I can thank you enough for what you’ve done.”
“It wasn’t me. I carried your mother here, but the person who found her is Claire.”
“It took both of you. And thanks for being so nice to her. I appreciate you distracting her while I bandaged the cut. She might have been hard to handle otherwise.” Jane hugged herself and glanced at Addie, now seated calmly on the couch.
“Is the bandage enough? I could help you take her to the emergency clinic,” Rob offered. The gash in Addie’s foot hadn’t looked half as bad once it was cleaned out, but it was best to be on the safe side.
“Norma Barnes looked at it. She’s a nurse. She said it didn’t need stitches, so I think we’ll be okay.” Jane hugged herself tighter and shivered. “I’m sorry I’m such a wreck about this.”
Rob clasped her shoulder. “This was a big deal. Taking care of someone is a lot of pressure. It’s okay to be a wreck sometimes.”
When Jane looked at him, her eyes shone with unshed tears. “This isn’t the first time we’ve lost track of her. She gets so confused and I—I thought I had all my bases covered, that she was safe.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
Jane looked away. “I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention to her.”
Softly, he confessed, “I know how you feel. Believe me, I don’t envy your position or the decisions you’ll have to make, but you’re strong enough to handle this. Today was a bad day. There are still good days.”
Rob sympathized with her, and he was surprised he wasn’t spiraling into all the complicated feelings about Caroline’s illness. Maybe time really was starting to heal those wounds. It helped that Addie was older. Rob could separate her failing mind from that of his late wife, who had had her entire life ahead of her. Caroline had been his best friend, and he’d lost that long before he’d lost the empty shell her body had become. He managed on his own, but he missed having that connection with someone.
His thoughts turned to Claire and how determined she’d been to find Addie. He knew she still didn’t trust him, but she’d set that aside because she wanted to help Jane. Claire was a good friend. If nothing more, he could use good friends like that. But how to win her over?
“Do you think there are still good days? Because sometimes, I’m not so sure.” Jane’s question tugged him out of his thoughts.
“Of course there are.”
Jane sighed. “Sometimes, I really don’t know what to do. When she’s having a good day, she’s almost like her old self. A little forgetful maybe but not scaring me like this.”
“I know,” Rob said softly. He infused those two words with all the sympathy he could muster. He understood all too well how she felt in her position.
Quietly, she confessed, “She’s afraid I’m going to put her in a home. She’s mentioned it before and broken down because of it. I don’t know what to do.” Her eyes bleak, she raised them to meet Rob’s. “What did you do for your wife?”
Rob hesitated. He rarely talked about the details of his wife’s illness if he could help it. Jane had asked him earlier how he knew so much about dementia, and he’d simply told her he’d gone through the whole thing with his wife. But he knew the exact turmoil Jane was experiencing, and he wanted to help her.
At his hesitation, Jane apologized. “I don’t mean to pry. It’s just so hard to know what’s the right thing to do, but I don’t want to dredge up unhappy memories for you. You’ve gone through more than you should have had to.”
