She was grateful for Owen’s kindness and the silent support he provided just by being beside her. He hadn’t tried to make small talk or tell her everything would be okay. Her grandfather had been through a lot. His heart was weak and the right-hand side of his body was even weaker. If he was going to have another stroke, this was the time it could happen.
As they pulled up to the house, she threw off her seatbelt.
“I’ll come with you,” Owen said quickly. “You might need a hand to move your granddad.”
“Thanks, Owen. I appreciate it.” Together, they hurried to the front door.
Mabel met them in the entryway, her expression taut with concern. “Thank goodness you’re here,” she said, her voice betraying her worry. “Zac’s on his way. We should have contacted you sooner.”
Harper placed her hand on Mabel’s arm. “It’s okay. I would’ve done the same thing.” She hurried into the living room. Her granddad was sitting in his armchair with his eyes closed. He looked frail and vulnerable, and so different from the vibrant man he used to be.
“Granddad, how are you feeling?” she asked, her voice thick with concern as she knelt beside him.
His weak smile did little to reassure her. “I’ve had better days.”
Harper’s mind raced through the checklist of symptoms of a stroke. “Granddad, can you squeeze my hand?” she asked, seeking the reassurance of his strength in his grip. Though weak, his response was enough to ease her worry. “Now give me one of your big, wide smiles.”
Benjamin forced his mouth into a smile, and she touched his hand. “You’re doing great. Can you lift both arms up for me?”
With more effort than it should have taken, he raised his arms. His right side was still weak from his last stroke, but she wasn’t worried about that. “You’re looking good, Granddad. Now tell me about your day. What did you enjoy the most?”
Benjamin knew what she was doing, but he wasn’t grumbling. Of all the people in the room, he would’ve been the most terrified of having another stroke.
“I enjoyed seeing you laughing and talking with the people who visited your booth. You spend so much time looking after me that I don’t get to see you with other people very often.”
Harper sighed. His words weren’t slurred or distorted, but what he’d said touched her heart. “I spend plenty of time with other people, but I also enjoy being here with you.” She leaned close and whispered, “Being a social butterfly is overrated.”
That earned her a genuine smile from her granddad. “I’ll remind you of that one day.”
“I’m sure you will. While everyone’s here, I’ll grab my first aid kit.” On her way out of the room, she smiled at Owen. He was standing beside the doorway, watching everything that was happening. “Thanks for staying.”
“Do you need me to do anything?” he asked.
“Can you call the medical clinic’s after-hours number? It’ll go through to Zac’s cell phone. Tell him I’ve done an initial exam of Granddad, and it doesn’t look as though he’s had a stroke. I’ll call him if I find anything else. If you could ask him how far away he is, that’d be great, too.”
Owen nodded and pulled out his cell phone.
With a quick look over her shoulder, Harper hurried to the kitchen and grabbed her first aid kit. Returning to her grandfather’s side, she opened it and pulled out a stethoscope. Gently, she placed it against Benjamin’s chest, listening intently for any irregularities in his heartbeat. The steady thump-thump was comforting, but it was only part of the picture.
After she’d checked his pulse and taken his temperature, she was cautiously relieved.
As they waited for Zac, Harper sat close to her granddad, holding his hand and offering words of comfort.
When Zac arrived, she watched, her heart in her throat, as he examined her grandfather. When everything appeared relatively normal, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With the promise of going straight to the hospital if anything changed, he left them to carry on with the rest of their evening.
When Mabel placed a hot cup of coffee beside Benjamin, he looked at everyone with a tired but grateful smile. “Well, that’s a relief,” he said, his voice stronger now. “I’m sorry you were so worried.”
Harper returned his smile with a watery one of her own. “You know how to give us a scare, Granddad. I’m just glad it’s not another stroke.”
Benjamin patted her hand, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint she’d always loved. “I’m not ready to leave you just yet. There are more ice cream sundaes we need to share, and too many of Owen’s glass pieces to admire.”
Harper laughed softly, the sound carrying a mixture of relief and fondness.
Mabel picked up her bag. “Allan and I should go home. Is there anything you need?”
“We’ll be all right,” Harper assured her. “Thanks for looking after Granddad.”
Allan gave Benjamin a hug. “We had a great day. Next time, we’ll come home sooner.”
