Life was destined to end, but I wasn’t ready to lose Pops. I wouldn’t ever be ready.
The tears flooding my eyes didn’t care that he wanted me to suck it up. One streaked across each cheek, leaving twin trails.
“Winnie. I’m okay.”
I let go of his hand to dry my face. “I know.”
“Like the doctor said, it’s time to clean up my diet and reduce stress.”
Pops was in such great shape for his age. He wasn’t overweight and didn’t get out of breath on our after-dinner walks. But I guess that didn’t matter to his clogged arteries. His cholesterol was too high and he had a high-pressure job. “It would be easier for you at home if you had help to keep up the house.”
“Pfft.” He waved it off. “The house isn’t a stress. But . . .”
“But, what?”
He studied the ceiling, his head sinking deeper into the pillows behind his shoulders. “Maybe it’s time for me to retire.”
“You love being the mayor.”
“I sure do, sweetheart. I sure do.” He gave me a sad smile. “But I’m old and being mayor is stressful. I feel like maybe I’ve done exactly what I needed to do. I’ve brought in the next generation to run this town. You included.”
I sniffled, catching another tear before it could fall. “Let’s start with your diet. I’m not ready for a new boss yet.”
He chuckled. “Deal.”
“Good morning.” A knock came at the door as a doctor stepped into the room. She wasn’t the same doctor who’d been here last night when Griffin and I had arrived, but I knew her face. “Hi, I’m Talia Eden.”
“Hi.” I straightened, standing to shake her hand. “I’m Winslow Covington.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Her blue eyes were the same bright blue color as her brother’s. Talia was as beautiful as Griffin was handsome. Her rich, brown hair was pulled into a long ponytail that swished between her shoulder blades as she walked over to Pops’s bedside. “How are you feeling today, Covie?”
“Good.”
She swung a stethoscope from around her neck and fitted it against his skin, under the collar of his gown. “Deep breath.”
He followed her orders as she delivered them until she was finished with her checkup. “How long do I have, Doc? Three months? Six?”
“That’s not funny,” I scolded.
Pops grinned. “I’ll be fine.”
“All of his vitals are strong,” Talia said. “Have you had any more chest pain?”
“Nope,” Pops answered.
“I’m going to keep you here for the day,” she told him. “Just to monitor everything. But if everything looks good by tomorrow morning, we’ll send you home.”
He nodded. “All right.”
“Do either of you have any questions for me?” she asked.
Pops shook his head.
I raised my hand.
“Oh Lord,” Pops mumbled with an eye roll.
“Questions are my specialty.” And I asked them without shame.
The first four had been in my head since arriving at the hospital last night. They came out of my mouth in a stream of word vomit. How do we prevent this from happening again? Is there medication he can take? Last night, the doctor mentioned diet changes. Do you have a list of foods to avoid?
Talia didn’t even blink. She listened to them all and immediately answered each one. “I’ll have the nurse bring in some pamphlets. They are fairly generic, but there are some good websites listed that provide much more information in detail.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled. “It was nice to finally meet you.”
“You too.”
Talia walked to the door, and the moment she opened it, two angry male voices drifted in from the hallway. She cleared her throat and the voices stopped.
Pops and I shared a look. We knew both of those voices.
I followed Talia to the hallway, finding Griffin standing just outside the door.
His arms were crossed and his eyes narrowed. Fury radiated off that wide chest as he glared down the hallway to where Frank was walking away.
“What’s going on? Why’s Frank leaving?”
Frank disappeared through the door to the stairwell without a backward glance.
“Let it go, Griff,” Talia said.
“It’s not okay.” Griff shook his head. “He undermined you. He went to your boss.”
“What?” I looked between the two of them, waiting for the explanation neither was giving. Why would Frank go to Talia’s boss?
“Please, drop it.” She walked over and put her arm on his shoulder. “I appreciate you getting riled up on my behalf, but it’s not necessary.”
Griff’s jaw clenched.
Talia laughed and punched his bicep. “I’ll see you later.”
“Fine,” he mumbled.
“Bye, Winslow.”
“Thanks for everything,” I said, waving as she walked down the hallway toward the nurses’ station. When she was out of earshot, I stepped closer to Griffin. “What’s wrong?”
“Frank found out that Talia was going to be Covie’s doctor today, so he went to her boss and requested someone else.”
“What?” Talia seemed perfectly competent. Young, but how many people thought the same about me in my position as chief? “Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s an asshole? I don’t know. While she was in there, he got in my face. Told me she wasn’t qualified to be his doctor.”
“I don’t understand. Why would he think that?”
“This is Talia’s first year of residency. She got out of med school and the senior physicians here agreed to bring her on. Get her the experience necessary. Because unlike Frank, they realize that if they don’t bring in some new doctors, there won’t be anyone to take their place when they retire. Talia knows and loves the community. She’s smart. She’s a good doctor.”
“You don’t have to defend her to me.” I stepped closer and put my hand on his forearm. “Frank was wrong to do that.”
He uncrossed his arms, snaking one around my waist to pull me close. “I just don’t want you to think that having her as Covie’s doctor would put him at risk. She knows that she has things to learn. She’ll call for help if she’s in over her head.”
“I’m not worried.”
“Sorry.” He blew out a long breath and wrapped his other arm around me. “How are you holding up?”
“Tired.” I yawned.
As I leaned into his chest, giving him my weight, exhaustion crept through my bones, like it had been waiting on the floor, ready to weave its way up my legs like a vine around a tree trunk. I breathed him in, taking comfort from that smell. “You smell good.”
He’d showered this morning and his clean soap lingered on his skin.
I probably smelled like antibacterial hand sanitizer and hospital air. “They’re going to keep Pops here until tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you head home? Get some rest?”
“That’s my plan. I wanted to wait and hear from the doctor—Talia—first.”