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TWO
By the time Trudy Lynn reached the kitchen she was contrite enough to relate her whole conversation with Cody to her hosts. “And then I snapped at the poor guy and told him off. I always babble too much when I don’t know what to say. I feel terrible.”
“Don’t,” Becky said. “Sometimes the best way to show love is to disagree, especially when the other person is wrong. So, how did he take it?”
“I’m not sure. His mouth was still hanging open when I left him.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
Becky nodded sagely. “Sure. He’s a lot more likely to listen to sensible advice coming from someone like you.”
“He did say his family was getting on his nerves. I assumed he meant his father, but I suppose that could include you and Logan, too.”
“Probably. Right now, everything bothers Cody more than it normally would. He’s already gone through plenty.”
“What, exactly, is wrong with his leg? He said he won’t be able to go back to work. Is it that bad?”
“Could be. His knee was smashed. There’s a lot of scarring and stiffness. According to Dad, he’d have to regain a wide range of motion in order to be qualified to guide the kind of trip he loves. Might eventually have to undergo more surgery, too.”
“Oh, dear.” Thoughtful, Trudy Lynn glanced in the direction of the living room. “Now I feel even worse about the way I talked to him.”
Logan chimed in with a smile of encouragement. “Don’t worry. From what I’ve seen so far, Cody can take criticism as well as he can dish it out.”
“He certainly can dish it out.” Trudy Lynn gave Becky a pat of commiseration. “Like I said, it’s you I feel sorriest for. You’ll be stuck here with him.”
“Maybe. Logan had an idea. Until you told us how you stood up to my stubborn brother just now, I didn’t think it would work.”
Trudy Lynn took a step backward. “Whoa. I don’t like the sound of that. What kind of an idea?”
“A brilliant one.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Looking from Becky to Logan and back, she was struck by how in tune they seemed. Thoughts, expressions and actions meshed as perfectly as if they’d been married for decades instead of mere months.
“Tell you what,” Logan said with a smile, “I’ll go keep Cody occupied while you ladies discuss how we can all work together to help him through this.”
Watching him walk away, Trudy Lynn felt decidedly uneasy. Logan Malloy was not only her pastor, he was married to one of her dearest friends. It was going to be hard to deny either of them anything, even if she hated their idea. And they knew it.
Folding her arms across her chest, she raised an eyebrow at her hostess. “Okay. I can already hear the train whistles, so if you’re going to try to railroad me into doing something, let’s get it over with.”
“It’s just a thought,” Becky insisted. “We don’t expect you to commit yourself right away. All we ask is that you consider doing it.”
“Consider doing what?”
“Hiring Cody.”
Trudy Lynn’s glance darted in the direction of the living room. She lowered her voice. “To do what? He can’t even walk, can he?”
“Not without crutches. But we all know it’s bad for him to sit around and dwell on his problems. If he doesn’t get out and try to do something for himself soon, he may never regain his agility.”
“Okay. Bring him down to the river to visit and I’ll have Will entertain him with stories about the old days. That’ll be plenty distracting.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it will help. But I was thinking about a job.”
“I can’t hire him.” Trudy Lynn was adamant. “I can barely afford the staff I have—and they’re fully capable of doing any job I assign.”
“I understand. It’s all right.”
“No, it isn’t. Why don’t you beg or plead or yell at me or something?”
“I told you there was no pressure,” her friend said. “There isn’t. Logan and I will be glad to take care of Cody for as long as he needs us.”
“Even if he never walks on his own again?” It was almost a whisper.
“Yes,” Becky said. “Even then. I may not have known him when we were children because of my kidnapping but he’s still my brother. I’m not going to give up on him.”
“Wow.” Trudy Lynn gazed at her friend through misty eyes and gave her a brief hug before she spoke from the heart. “I wish I had a sister like you.”
As soon as Becky had finished arranging a platter of roast beef and had filled serving bowls with the rest of the meal, she picked up the two largest dishes and gestured to Trudy with a nod of her head. “Grab those mashed potatoes and bring them along, will you? I’ll come back for the gravy in a sec.”
“No problem. This bowl isn’t that heavy. I can carry the gravy boat, too.”
“Okay. Just be careful, it’s…”
Trudy Lynn didn’t hear the rest of Becky’s comment because her voice had been muted when she’d passed through the archway to the dining room. Oh, well. At least they were through talking about Cody’s problems. That was a relief.
Following her hostess, Trudy was surprised and happy to note that the injured man was up and about. Logan hovered close behind him, obviously ready to assist if Cody had difficulty managing his crutches in the crowded room. Dan and Carol Sue another of the Malloy’s friends from church, had already taken their seats on the opposite side of the beautifully set table and seemed engrossed in a private conversation.
Cody approached laboriously. Pausing to let him pass, Trudy Lynn smiled for his benefit. She knew she had to continue to treat him as if he were just like everyone else. The hardest part was subduing the tender feelings that welled up every time she looked into his eyes and read the depth of his suffering.
Still carrying the food she’d brought from the kitchen, she stepped back to give him extra room to pass. On the opposite side of the table, Becky gasped.
Scowling, Trudy Lynn gave her friend a questioning glance and mouthed, “What?” Was she still too close? She thought she’d allowed Cody adequate space to get by, even with his crutches, so why was Becky acting nervous?
Drawing back, Trudy felt her heel hit the base of the wall. The only way to get completely out of Cody’s path now would be to duck back into the kitchen. Regrettably, she’d sidled away from the doorway while trying to accommodate him. There was no easy exit.
She pressed her back against the wall as he started to pass and raised both arms, meaning only to carefully lift the potatoes and gravy out of harm’s way.
Becky shouted, “Be careful!”
Startled, Cody faltered.
Trudy Lynn followed her friend’s line of sight. If the pitcher and saucer of the gravy server had been one unit, the way she’d assumed they were, she’d have had everything under control. Unfortunately, they were two separate pieces. And the gravy-filled section was starting to slide!
She had only an instant to make a correction. Cody was too close! She had to protect him, even if that meant absorbing the worst of the mishap herself.
Dropping her arm, she pushed the leading edge of the saucer forward and gave it a quick flip. That wasn’t enough to right the shallow pitcher but it did alter its trajectory and keep its contents from showering the injured man.
Everyone was shouting. Trudy couldn’t use both hands to halt the spill because she was still holding the bowl of mashed potatoes. Her only recourse was to press the small pitcher against her chest and wait for rescue. Thankfully, the discussion in the kitchen had delayed the meal long enough to cool and thicken the gravy.
Cody quickly tucked one crutch under his arm and reached for the potatoes. “Here. Give me that.”
“Gladly.”
“Are you all right?”
She answered without looking at him. Now that she had a free hand she was focused on wiping globs of gravy off her bodice and catching them without dripping on the carpet. The task was daunting as well as disgustingly messy. “I’ve been better,” she said wryly. “How about you?”
“Never touched me. I hope that dress isn’t a favorite.”
“Actually, it was.” His undertone of mirth caused her to pause and look up. Amazingly, the corners of his mouth were starting to twitch into a smile. “I thought it matched my eyes.”
“Only if they’re part brown,” Cody replied. He inclined his head to study her more closely. “They are kind of brown, with specks of green and maybe a little blue. The right one looks irritated. Did you burn it just now?”
Trudy Lynn made a face. Considering the state she was already in there was no use keeping up any pretense of poise or refinement. “No. The gravy wasn’t that hot. If you must know, I jabbed myself in the eye with a mascara brush when I was getting ready to come over here.”
“Are you always this accident-prone?”
“Not usually. I did want to be entertaining tonight, though. How am I doing?”
“Pretty good, actually.”
The humor in Cody’s voice reflected his smile and warmed her heart. “Glad to hear it.” Her gaze briefly passed over the others and returned to him. “I’m sorry I made such a mess. If everyone will please excuse me, I think I’ll go see if I can salvage my dignity—and my dress.”
Her hostess had dashed to the kitchen for a handful of paper towels and was thrusting them at her. “Here. Blot.”
Trudy Lynn shook her head. “It’s too late for that. Just stand back so I can make a run for it before I start dripping on your floor.”
“I’m not worried about the carpet,” Becky said. “I’m worried about you. Want me to come help you get cleaned up?”
“No. Stay with your guests. And please don’t wait dinner for me. The way my clothes feel right now I’ll probably give up and go home anyway.”
“And miss my sister’s infamous cooking?” Cody asked, still smiling. “They tell me she’s been working on this meal all day.”
“I know. I can’t apologize enough for being such a klutz.” Starting to turn away she paused and stared directly at Cody. Careful to deliver her remarks with a straight face she added, “Even if my dress was okay I probably wouldn’t stay to eat. I don’t much care for roast beef and mashed potatoes without lots of gravy.”
She could hear him chuckling softly as she hurried from the room. Good. At least one positive thing had come out of the worst social disaster of her life.
Reaching the guest bathroom on the ground floor, Trudy Lynn heard a ruckus behind her. Poor Becky. It sounded as if there was more trouble brewing.
She was turning the knob to open the closed bathroom door when Cody’s strong, deep voice rose above the clamor.
“No!” he shouted. “Don’t open that door!”
What a strange thing to shout, Trudy Lynn mused. She knew Cody couldn’t be yelling at her. All the guests and their hosts were accounted for in the other room, so she certainly wouldn’t be intruding on anyone. The sooner she got her dress rinsed out and could assess the damage, the happier she’d be.
An odd clumping sound echoed in the hallway. Ignoring it, she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Her eyes widened. Her breath caught. She wasn’t alone.
An animal as big and furry as a black bear was napping on the floor. Before she could decide what to do, the creature opened its warm brown eyes, saw her, yawned and began to pant.
“You’re a dog?” Trudy whispered. Her voice rose as she realized she was right. “You’re a dog. What a relief!”
The animal apparently took her words as an invitation. It leaped to its feet with a lot more agility than she’d imagined anything that size could possess and in one lumbering, tail-wagging stride was crowding against her, clearly begging for attention.
Deciding to assert authority before the situation got out of control, she said, “Good boy. Settle down,” and tried to push the overly affectionate canine away.
Using her hands was a mistake. The dog took one whiff of the traces of gravy on her fingers and proceeded to lick them with a pink tongue as wide as her palm.
Trudy giggled. “Hey, that tickles.”
To her delight, the dog cocked its head and looked up at her as if it were in on the joke. Its nostrils twitched, sniffing the air. “Oh, no. Not the dress,” she said firmly. “If you want any more gravy you’ll have to wait till I bring you some in a dish.”
The impromptu training session was going quite well until Cody banged on the door.
“What?” Trudy Lynn called.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course.”
“Stand back. I’m coming in.”
The sound of his voice had already excited the dog so much it was spinning in circles. When he burst through the door, it raised on its hind legs and put its broad front feet on Trudy Lynn’s shoulders, bringing their faces nose-to-nose.
She twisted away. “Phew! Dog breath. Down boy.”
“Sailor. Stop that.” Cody gave the dog’s collar a tug. It landed on all four feet with a soft thump.
Once again, Trudy Lynn held out her hands to her new canine buddy and let him lick her fingers. “He wasn’t hurting anything. We were getting along fine till you showed up and distracted him.”
“Nonsense. Sailor only listens to me. I took him to obedience school, but he’s been a lot harder to manage since I got hurt.”
“I’m not surprised. You’ve probably been acting overly cautious and he’s sensing an opening to become the alpha dog. He’ll gladly be the boss if you let him.”
“You’re crazy. He knows I’m still in charge.” Cody tried to grab the dog’s collar again and was almost pulled off balance for his trouble. “Go on. Get out of here,” he told her gruffly. “I can handle this.”
“Oh really?” Forgetting her stained dress and disheveled appearance, Trudy Lynn faced him, hands fisted on her hips. “And who’s going to handle you when you wind up in a heap on the floor or break your leg all over again? It won’t be your dog’s fault if that happens. It’ll be yours.”
Sailor had left his arguing companions and was cavorting around the cramped room like a hamster in an exercise wheel. A very large hamster. In a very small wheel.
“Sailor. Get over here,” Cody demanded.
The dog looked at him as if to say, You’ve got to be kidding. I’m having too much fun.
Trudy Lynn stepped forward and calmly said, “Sailor?” She pointed to the floor at her feet. “Come here.” As soon as he obeyed she added, “Good boy. Sit.”
“Beginner’s luck,” Cody muttered.
