Page 102 of Wild Abandon

Magic roses.

The nurse places the vase on the side table, and I stare at them, wondering if I’m imagining things.

They could be from a flower shop. They could be from someone’s garden.

They could be…

Rosemary’s roses.

chapter TWENTY-TWO

Rosemary’s roses.

Big Ed.

Ellie.

I gasp. My hands fly to my mouth.

The little girl in the painting. The daughter who lives in San Francisco. The daughter he lost years ago.

My world is spinning on its axis. I can’t control gravity. My mind is floating, wondering how I missed the signs that his daughter was this sick. I pegged her as ungrateful. I pegged her as a spoiled brat. I pegged her as troubled.

I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

“You’re right. You are a lot alike,” his deep grumble comes from behind me.

I stand and offer him my seat, but he refuses it. Leaning on his cane, he looks at Ellie, shaking his head, his face falling.

“I lost my wife to cancer, but this…” He motions to his daughter in the hospital bed. “No parent should have to watch their child suffer like this. It’s unnatural. Children bury their parents. Not the other way around.”

Ed walks over to Ellie and rubs her hair. He places a kiss on her forehead. He whispers against her head, “You have to stop scaring us like this.” A tear falls into his beard. “Papa can’t take too much more.”

He looks at me and grunts, “She always did keep us on our toes. Climbing out windows, getting arrested a time or two. Minor stuff. Silly stuff. Ellie stuff. Do you know she would go skydiving once a month? Throw herself out of a damn airplane for fun. Gave me a heart attack. She drove like a maniac, too. And I suppose you heard about her nuptials. Poor Nate had no idea what he was getting into. That kid never liked the adventurous stuff.”

At the mention of Nate, I feel awkward. “You knew.”

Ed saw Nate driving away from the ranch. And he listened as I poured my heart out, professing my love for Nate and the reason we couldn’t be together.

“I knew.”

“I was at the bar when he got a call. I couldn’t let him come alone.” I don’t want Ed to think I was spending the night with him.

Ed nods in understanding and leans down to Ellie. “I see you’ve met Crystal. She’s very special to us. She plays the cello. You should see her play on the veranda. Brings back memories of your mom. And she gives this old guy someone to talk to in the vineyard. Lets me impart my fatherly wisdom.”

Ed smiles and then turns to me. “You think you’re like Ellie? You are. In some ways. But there’s one difference. You still have fire in your eyes.”

He turns back to Ellie, stroking the dark silk of her hair.

“No, Crystal, you remind me of her mom. From the moment you stepped onto my veranda. You have something special, kid. You bring men back from the dead.”

The door opens again, and Nate walks in, a surprised expression on his face. “What are you doing—”

“Take her home, Nathaniel,” Ed says, looking down at Ellie.

“Ed,” Nate stammers. His hand runs to his head, his fingers through his hair. “I spoke to the doctors. They said —”

“It’s late, Nate,” Ed interrupts. “We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll sit with Ellie tonight. Take Crystal home.” He takes a seat in the chair and settles in.