The notion chilled her to the marrow, and she knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink tonight—especially without a strong lock on her door.
Chapter 18
When Cal got back home from dropping off Jules, he spent some time puttering around in the kitchen, cleaning up dishes and savoring the happy memories made that day. When he heard the front door close, he carried a towel with him, drying his hands as he met his father in the foyer.
“You missed a good party,” he told his dad, scowling his disappointment.
“Yeah. I hate that. But my patients needed me.” His father brushed past him, headed to the kitchen. “I’m starving. Any food left from the party?”
Cal rolled his eyes. “There is. Mom made sure we fixed a plate for you and set it aside.”
Jonathon raised a startled glance. “She did?”
“Of course she did. She spent decades of her life taking care of you when you worked all hours at the hospital. Old habits die hard.” Callum opened the refrigerator and took out the aluminum-wrap-covered plate. “Here. Everything on this plate is microwavable. The cold stuff is on the bottom shelf.” He pointed to another dish with foil wrap on top as he handed off the plate to his father. “She still cares about you, despite the divorce.”
His father shot him a withering glance. “Dear boy, I think you spent too long in the sun today. You’re not making sense.”
Cal moved aside so his father could get to the microwave. “I’m making perfect sense. What doesn’t make sense is you disappearing from a family event for hours. You already missedmost of your kids’ childhoods. When are you going to prioritize your family over the hospital?”
“I swore an oath to give my patients the best care I could, Callum. I know you, of all people, understand the importance of upholding oaths. You’re doing the same thing as sheriff.”
“But I know when to delegate so I don’t exhaust myself. You have nurses and interns at the hospital who are equipped to deal with most everything that could arise—”
His father snorted and shook his head. “You sound like Emily. Your mother used to nag me, too.”
“And when you ignored her pleas, she left you. What does that tell you?” Cal asked, feeling his temper rise.
“I’m not in the mood for lectures, Callum. I’ve had a long day.” With that, his father turned his back to get a beer out of the refrigerator.
Cal sighed. Why did he think his father would change? And why was he still living with his dad, taking care of him and trying to keep Jonathon from working himself into an early grave?
To his dog, who was lying on a dog blanket at the foot of the stairs, he said, “Come on, Pilot. Let’s go to bed.”
With a scrabble of claws on hardwood, Pilot rose and trotted up the steps toward Cal’s bedroom.
Hearing his father’s low voice, Cal paused on the stairs to listen.
“Did I wake you?” Jonathon said to someone. “I’m sorry. I’ll let you get back to sleep. I just…well, I wanted to thank you for saving me a plate of food today. You’ve always been good about that, and… I wanted you to know…” His dad cleared his throat. “I appreciate it. Have always appreciated it.”
There was a silence, and Cal gripped the stair railing harder. He hadn’t known his father still called his mom. Maybe the lingering feelings went both ways.
“Yeah,” Jonathon said, “You, too. Good night, Em.”
Cal gave his head a shake as he continued up the steps, not knowing what to make of the call he’d overheard. Maybe his father wasn’t a lost cause after all.
Jules didn’t see Cal again until Monday, when he strolled into the gift shop, looking as cool and tempting as ice cream on a July afternoon. She hadn’t talked with him since he’d dropped her off on Saturday. She’d decided not to text him about the man who’d been in her motel room. While she had moments when she regretted not reporting the break-in to the police, the night manager had lived up to his end of the deal. She had a secure door lock now and free rent until the end of the month. Perhaps by then she’d have the evidence against Hamilton that would get him off the streets, and she and Abby could get out of this desolate town.
As far as the incident Friday with Chase at the hospital, she’d checked on Abby on Sunday and reiterated to the staff the importance of calling the police if Chase showed up again. She’d then spent most of the day with her sister, determined to make up for her prolonged absence. Abby seemed well, unaware of Chase’s attempt to gain access to her. Jules told her sister about the Colton family celebration, and Abby’s eyes had become animated.
“Were there more sparks at that picnic than the fireworks, Juju?” Abby asked, her tone lilting.
Jules had blown a raspberry and waved off the notion, then added, “But Calishot. I’ll give him that.”
Now, she watched Cal scan the quiet gift shop as he strode up to the sales counter, and she squashed the sizzle that fired in her veins.
“Is it always this slow on Monday?” he asked.
“People tend to come in waves. Busy early, as tourists start out on the highway, and often a second rush in the evening, if they drove the route in reverse, or they want to end the day with a treat or a souvenir.”
