“Oh, Deputy,” he said, smiling at Mark. “I thought I heard the door.”
“Moira’s gone and done it again,” Henrietta explained as they waited for Charles to shuffle into the other armchair across from the couch.
“Huh.”
Mark couldn’t decipher what kind of a “huh” it was, but since Cassie seemed pretty neutral as she tidied up some medical supplies nearby, it was probably fine. It looked as if she’d maybe taken someone’s blood pressure and there was a blood glucose monitor on the table, too.
“So yes, Moira did contact us and we’re trying to figure out how to do this without annoying you two too much,” Mark started when Charles sat down.
Henrietta harrumphed.
“She worries a lot, that girl,” Charles stated calmly. “We’re fine with Cassie visiting every few days.”
“Right, this arrangement has worked just fine for months. Why is she worried now?” Henrietta seemed to be getting a bit riled up.
“It’s because she knows that you two aren’t getting any younger, and that the ailments you have aren’t getting better,” Cassie piped up. She had finished whatever she was doing and came to sit next to Henrietta. “They worry for a reason. You live in a big old house in a remote corner of the town. If you get snowed in, it might take a while before anyone can even get here.”
Mark felt ashamed that he hadn’t thought that. With how much snowfall they’d had already, it seemed like a possibility.
“Oh pshaw, we have a good pantry and easy-to-make foods. There’s a backup generator and we have firewood stacked in the utility room just in case. We’ll be fine.”
“Except if there’s a medical emergency. What you should really have is a live-in nurse,” Mark blurted out. It wasn’t his place to suggest such a thing, but it just came out that way.
Cassie nodded. “That’s not a bad idea, especially during the harsher weather. Just in case, or if either of you have more health issues.”
Henrietta shook her head. “I will not have a stranger under my roof. Who knows what could happen with some strange girl living here!”
“We’ll think about it,” Charles said quietly. “I do have issues with my blood sugar and if my breathing gets any worse….”
Now that Charles had mentioned it, Mark could hear the faint wheeze in almost every breath Charles took. COPD, maybe? He was pretty sure Charles had done manual labor in his youth, maybe at the long-gone sawmill?
“But we can take care of each other. We’ll have the phones and we have the food, and we can—”
“Sweetheart, they’re right. We need to consider this. Let’s just see how this will go without anyone living here. God knows we’d have the room.”
Henrietta stared at her husband and frowned, but then clearly gave in. She sighed. “All right. So what are you two proposing for now?” She looked from Cassie to Mark, and back.
“Your daughter said as often as we can, but once a week at least,” Mark told them. “How often does Cassie come over?”
“I’m here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. But for a couple of hours at the most. I have many other clients and my schedule can get hectic.” She looked frustrated, and Mark could only imagine how her workload could be.
“What day would you prefer I visit?” Mark asked Henrietta and Charles.
“Would the weekend be all right? It’s two days in a row and….” It was the first time Henrietta had shown some vulnerability. She wasn’t sure about them being as safe as they claimed, either.
“Yes. I’ll also drop by on Tuesdays or Thursdays, depending on my shifts and how busy we get. But let’s say I’ll come by on Sundays, whenever I have the shift. Would you mind if it’s someone else? You know most of us by now.”
Henrietta and Charles exchanged a look, and then Charles nodded slowly. “That sounds good. As you said, we know most of you and we know the sheriff. He only employs good people like you.”
Mark didn’t have time to react to the statement when Henrietta smiled at him. “Yes, if someone would come by on Sundays, then I think we’d be set. And during the week too if you feel like driving all the way here.”
“Of course, it’s no trouble.” Well, it could be, because they didn’t have a large staff, but they wouldn’t let it become a problem. Hell, one of them could do the check with their own car and in their spare time if needed.
“Then it’s set. I’ll bundle up and head out, too.” Cassie gathered her things and went to put her outerwear on.
Mark pushed himself off the chair and smiled at the bird-boned Henrietta, and her slightly plump husband. They were such a nice couple, and he hoped they’d be okay for a long time before having to move out of their house which they clearly loved. “I’ll see you on Sunday.”
“Yes, thank you,” Charles said, reaching out a hand for him. Mark went and shook it, then took his leave.
