A Case for Forgiveness. Carol Ross
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THREE
THE SUN SHONE bright amongst a smattering of high, fluffy clouds and from the Faraway Inn’s ridge-top location Shay could see the entire town of Rankins below. The Cozy Caribou’s distinctive red roof stood out like a beacon in the heart of its quaint downtown. Normally, on a day like this, she’d soak in the sight, be grateful for the sheer beauty of this place she was lucky enough to call home—but not this morning. Because now, instead of the lovely view and the drive down the hill calming her anger, the time only managed to rile her further.
Breakfast? With his buddies? Shay felt her blood pressure spike anew. Jonah had said he would call her as soon as he learned anything, but he had opted for breakfast instead? Unbelievable...
Shay marched into the Caribou, her eyes sweeping the place until they latched on to the table where Jonah sat, sure enough, shooting the breeze with a bunch of his old compadres—Bering, Cricket Blackburn, Gary Watte, Steve Howard and—Tag? That was a surprise. Could her big brother finally have let go of his animosity toward Jonah? It seemed unlikely. Like her, he’d probably been blindsided. Unlike her, he was too polite to make a scene.
As she headed toward the table, she heard a few greetings and comments in her periphery. She offered only quick replies.
Jonah jumped up from the table as she approached. “Shay, I was going to—”
The table went silent as she interrupted smoothly, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“I—”
“In private.”
All eyes were on her, every mouth shut. Tag asked a question with his eyes and Shay conveyed with a look that yes, she was fine.
Jonah nodded.
She pivoted and headed toward the back of the restaurant and into the area that served as a bar in the afternoons and evenings. The section was closed now and darker than usual in the normally bright space, but she could feel that Jonah was close behind her. Maddening how she still felt so much where he was concerned.
When she was sure they were out of earshot she turned and faced him. “Well?”
“Shay, calm down. I—”
“Calm down? Why wouldn’t I be calm, Jonah? Oh, right, because you’re here eating breakfast with your old posse while I’m up at the inn, concerned and waiting for you to call me with news about your grandfather?”
He opened his mouth but she began firing off more words before he could respond. “Look at me.” She pointed at her face. “See these bags under my eyes? That’s because I barely slept last night. The inn is crazy busy, I’m short-staffed, and I have a guest bringing in valuable live koi that we have promised to take care of—but none of that really matters to me right now, Jonah, because I am worried about Caleb. You remember him? Your grandfather? The man who, outside of my own father and possibly my brothers, is the single most important man to me in the entire world.”
“Did you say koi?” Amusement danced across his face and that spiked a fresh surge of annoyance.
“Yes,” she snapped. He didn’t deserve an explanation.
“Okay... Shay, listen—I was going to call you, but I left my phone—”
She tipped her head down and tapped on her forehead, trying to rein in her temper. “Just tell me what Doc said. That’s all I really want to know anyway.”
“He didn’t say anything definitive. He is sending Gramps to a specialist. His appointment is in three weeks.”
Her eyes shifted upward, connecting with his. “A specialist? What kind of specialist?”
“A cardiologist in Anchorage.”
“A cardiologist? What...? He doesn’t have a heart condition, or any family history of heart disease.” She didn’t care that she was informing him of this like he didn’t already know his own grandfather.
“He had some abnormal test results and Doc wants Gramps to follow up with a doctor in Anchorage.”
“What tests? And you didn’t think this was important enough to share with me? After you specifically asked me yesterday to help you out with this? We were going to be a ‘we’ where your gramps is concerned. Isn’t that what you said?”
Jonah stared into her eyes, and even in the dim light she could see the intensity shooting from their depths—pleading with her to listen. And there was some anger there, too, which she didn’t think she deserved, although she supposed she could dial it down a bit. She’d clearly gotten her message across.
She remained silent, waiting for his explanation.
“Yes, that is what I said. And that is what I want. Shay, I am sorry. I was on my way to see you... When we got home Gramps went into his room to take a nap. So I decided to jog up to the inn and talk to you in person.”
“A nap?” Shay repeated. “Caleb doesn’t nap.”
He pointed at his shoes.
Her eyes drifted down, taking in Jonah’s faded Yale blue t-shirt, gray shorts—and running shoes.
“I was doing that very thing when Bering pulled up behind me, stopped his pickup, and asked if I’d like to join him and some of the guys for breakfast. I agreed, thinking that I’d give you a call on the way over, but Bering didn’t have his phone with him. I’d left my cell phone behind—I don’t like to take it when I run—back in Chicago it’s the only time I have any peace. But, I was going to call you—” he paused and lifted one hand that held a phone, pointing at it with the other “—with Cricket’s phone.”
Shay stayed silent and admitted to herself that this all seemed plausible. The men in this town liked to gather together any chance they had—in packs—like playful dogs.
“I am sorry, okay? This town... It makes me crazy... How did you even know I was here anyway? I’ve only been in the place for maybe fifteen minutes—I haven’t even got my breakfast yet.”
Shay felt her temper deflating slowly like a sad helium balloon. “Okay. I know what it can be like here, with the gossip sometimes, and—”
“No, I should have called you—immediately. I forgot what this town can be like.”
Small-town life was something that had always bothered Jonah. Shay didn’t like the gossip either, hated when it turned cruel or nasty, but she loved this town, loved the support. The strong sense of community in Rankins was constant—something she felt all the time. She thrived on that—giving it as well as getting it. And knowing she could count on that support comforted her like a warm blanket.
“Do you forgive me?”
She exhaled a tired breath. “Yes, of course. And I’m sorry, too. I just want to figure out what’s going on with your gramps. This is really scaring me.”
His hand came up toward her shoulder and Shay anticipated his touch. But he lowered his arm instead, tucking the hand into his pocket.
“So, you’re admitting that you lost your temper?”
“Don’t push it, Jonah.”
He was grinning at her and Shay wished he would stop. A grinning Jonah had gotten her into deep trouble once upon a time. She immediately banished the memories.
If she were honest with herself, she knew she was going to be facing this situation with Caleb on her own now, at least until he consulted with the heart specialist.
Her brain began buzzing with possibilities, some of which she voiced aloud. “So, when are you returning to Chicago? Will you fly back and meet us in Anchorage for the appointment? I’ll have Tag fly us—or Cricket if need be. Do you think I should stay with Caleb at the house until then?”
“No, actually, um...I’m not leaving.”
“What?”