Page 48 of Hearts of Wealth

I didn’t blame him. “I understand,” I said. “I’ll talk to her, but I’m not sure I even have that kind of power.”

Catherine walked into the room. I handed her the empty dish. “All gone.”

She smiled. “Good job.”

“I’m going to take a nap,” John said.

Catherine walked over to him, tucking the blanket around him. “Get some sleep.”

We walked out of the room and back to the kitchen. “Did you guys talk?” she asked.

“We did. How about I take you out for a little while? A change of scenery might do you good.”

She hesitated for a moment. “I can’t leave him alone.”

“Catherine, he’s the one that suggested it. He needs a little alone time. He’s an independent man and this situation is hard enough on him. We’ll be close. He’ll have his phone to call for help.”

Finally, she nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “All right,” she murmured, her voice soft. “But where are we going?”

I grinned at her, feeling a surge of determination. “It’s a surprise,” I replied cryptically, leading her toward the door. “But I promise you’ll have a good time.”

“Did he give you an earful?” she asked.

I chuckled. “You guys need a break from each other. You’ve been at his side since the minute he dropped. You can’t take care of him if you’re dead on your feet or fried.”

“I know, I know. Maybe we should do it tomorrow. Then I’ll have time to bring a nurse in.”

“The idea is to give him a little independence,” I said as gently as I could. “We’ll stay close.”

Catherine’s brow furrowed for a moment, but ultimately, she agreed. “Okay,” she acquiesced.

“I’ll be back to pick you up around six if that works?”

“I’ll feed Dad early.” She nodded.

“Maybe slip him some chicken,” I said with a wink.

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “He complained about the salad.”

“He did.”

“It’s on the menu,” she sighed.

“I know.” I smiled and gave her a kiss. “He knows it as well. He’s going to complain, but he does appreciate it. He knows you’re doing a good job. I think he’s just frustrated.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I feel terrible that he’s weak and not able to do what he normally does, but yelling at me isn’t going to help.”

“You two love each other. I know you’ll get through this. He’s already looking a lot better and since he’s so feisty, I think it’s a good sign. It means he’s feeling better.”

“True.” She smiled.

“I’ll be back soon,” I said and gave her another kiss.