Page 38 of The Cottage on Plum Island
“That’s not my story to tell,” Sam informed him, carefully sliding off the chair. “Now, when are we moving me?”
“About that!” Harley lifted his index finger expressively. “There may be a slight change of plans or rather residence.”
“Meaning, you and Jennifer finally realized that the better option to set up a temporary care home for myself and Betty would be here,” Sam guessed. “It’s closer to the clinic and Daniella.” He grinned at thelook of surprise on Harley’s face. “It is also a more sterile environment than the building work environment at Beach Plum Cottage.”
“You heard me on the phone, didn’t you?” Harley shook his head.
“Yup!” Sam admitted, nodding in confirmation.
“Weren’t you the one that told me eavesdropping was not nice!” Harley raised an eyebrow.
“Says the man that eavesdropped on a private family matter while supposedly stuck in an attic.” Sam gave him a smug look. “Betty moving here for a few weeks is a much better plan.”
Harley, Liam, and Jennifer flopped onto Sam’s couch three hours later. Exhausted from moving all of the items Betty insisted she needed, which included her bed and nightstand, into Sam’s guest bedroom.
“You realize we have to move all that stuff back in a couple of weeks?” Liam pointed out.
“Let’s not think about that right now,” Jennifer suggested. “We have another appointment to get to in an hour.”
“Oh, right!” Liam drawled. “Can’t we just send him a text message?”
“You haven’t seen Andrew to give him your reply yet?” Harley looked at the Gains siblings in disbelief.
“Nope!” Liam shook his head. “We told him we were getting Betty sorted out and could only see him this afternoon.”
“And you wanted to put him through a little more torture,” Harley guessed. “That’s not nice.”
“Neither is abandoning your eleven-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, still recovering from heart surgery,” Liam stated.
“Okay.” Harley drew in a silent breath, trying to see the situation from their point of view and not Andrew, who was a father on edge because his child needed urgent help.
“We’d also like you to be there as our mediator,” Liam surprised Harley by saying and glanced at Jennifer. “Jen tells me you’ve been through the testing and bone marrow donation before?”
Harley’s head shot around and his eyes met Jennifer. They must’ve held a shadow of betrayal in them.
Her eyes flashed with hurt that he didn’t trust her as she said. “I didn’t tell him why you went through it.”
“I—“ Harley felt her shrink from him and knew he’d taken his first step to falling back into their old pattern of misunderstandings and goading each other. “It’s okay if you did.”
“It’s not my story to tell,” Jennifer repeated the words his uncle had said to him earlier about Andrew Gains.
Harley told Liam about Daniel and stood waiting for the look of pity that always filled the eyes of anyone who knew. Like when he told Jennifer, there was nothing but compassion in Liam’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Harley,” Liam said. “If you don’t want to get involved, I’ll understand.”
“No, this is going to sound weird,” Harley told them, “but I feel it’s almost as if I’m supposed to help you.”
“I can understand that,” Jennifer’s voice was soft.
“Me too,” Liam admitted and checked his watch. “Shoot, my watch has stopped.”
“What time are you supposed to meet Andrew?” Harley looked at his watch.
Jennifer glanced over his shoulder. “In ten minutes.”
“Let’s get moving,” Harley said, standing as someone knocked at the door. “Excuse me.”
He opened it to find Daniella with two nurses.
