This morning, Jacqueline had made her father’s breakfast andstayed while he showered and dressed for the day. Now she had him settled onthe couch in the living room.
“Okay, so the aide’s going to be here in a couple of hours. Doyou need anything before I go?”
“I don’t want a babysitter.”
“Well, I don’t want to come home in two days and find that you’vebeen lying on the floor the whole time I was gone. Since you won’t agree toaround-the-clock care, you’re going to let an aide come for a bit each day.She’ll help you get lunch and anything else you need. Then someone else will behere in the evening.”
Jacqueline had done as much work as she could do from home lastweek. But she couldn’t put off her trip to Kentucky any longer. She’d scheduledher meetings as tightly as possible. She’d spend the rest of today and most ofthe evening at the Louisville office. Tonight, she’d drive to Lexington, grabsome sleep at a hotel, then hit the office there early enough to catch theovernight road drivers before they went home, followed by a full day ofmeetings. If everything went smoothly, she’d be home by midday Wednesday.
She crossed to him and bent to kiss his cheek. “Dad, please, goalong with this for now. I don’t want to worry about you while I’m gone.”
“Be safe,” he grumbled.
“I’ll call you tonight.” Jacqueline grabbed her purse and left,closing the door decisively behind her. She hated leaving him like this, butshe didn’t have a choice.
As she backed her car into the street, she slipped on hersunglasses. She hadn’t felt this heartsick leaving since the days when she usedto have to leave Casey and Sean. Back then she’d told herself that she just hadto get used to traveling. So many of the other guys seemed happy to be awayfrom home, commenting on how free they felt being away from their wives. If shecomplained, she’d be labeled the emotional woman who couldn’t hack it on theroad.
In recent years, she hadn’t minded being away as much. Sean wasbusy with school, sports, and his friends during the week, and she had no oneelse to come home to. Today, leaving her dad felt lonely. But she didn’t have achoice, so she drove on, forcing her mind to the meetings she’d be steppingright into at the end of her three-hour drive.
*
Casey poured her third cup of coffee for the day and hoped itgave her the punch she needed to get through yet another new-clientconsultation. She wouldn’t complain about new business, but she usually triednot to schedule more than a couple of newcomers in one day. She had shoots atseveral different locations later this week, so when three new clients hadcalled last week, she’d put them all down for today. Typically, she liked alittle variety in her day—a nice mix of client interaction, editing, andbusywork that included answering emails and sending out contracts.
When the doorbell rang, she took another big swig of coffee, thenset her mug in the sink. But instead of the expected client, Teddy stood there,flanked by a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. Thebutterflies adorning her scrub top clashed with her irritated expression.
“Ms. Meadows?”
“Yes.”
“This is rather unorthodox, but I’m Mr. Knight’s home aide. Hesaid you were his daughter.”
“Really?” She glanced at Teddy and tried not to laugh at thepleading look in his eyes.
“He insisted I leave his house. We can’t force ourselves on ourclients.” She didn’t seem eager to question Teddy’s assertion of theirrelationship. “Ms. Knight didn’t answer her phone.” Teddy mumbled somethingthat sounded like “too busy for me,” but the woman went on as if she didn’thear him. “You aren’t listed on his emergency contacts, but I didn’t feel rightleaving him alone. He said you’d be home.”
“It’s okay.” She stepped out of the way. “Come in, Teddy.”
“And Ms. Knight?”
“I’ll contact her. Thank you.” Casey closed the door before thewoman could reconsider. She wasn’t certain what level of care Jacqueline hadrequested for Teddy, but this poor girl obviously didn’t have a clue what to doin the face of Teddy’s resistance.
“What’s going on?” she asked him.
“I don’t need someone to follow me around the house waiting towipe my ass.” He plopped down on her couch. She sat in a chair adjacent to him,angled forward, and rested her arms on her thighs.
Casey laughed. “I’m guessing those weren’t her instructions, soif that’s what she was doing, you definitely need to complain to the company.”
“Jacq thinks she can just run off and leave me with a completestranger.”
“She didn’t exactly run off. She’s working—”
“I didn’t expect you to defend her after she basically abandonedyou for years.”
“Teddy!” Casey sat up straighter, shocked both by his words andby the angry scowl on his face. “I’m sure she’s doing the best she can.”
“I’m a grown man. When I need help, I’ll ask for it.”
Casey nodded, not necessarily in agreement but to let him knowshe’d heard him. She understood his reluctance, but she had to give Jacquelinecredit for trying to solve a problem that Casey herself had been bringing toher for some time now.
“When’s she coming home?”
“Tonight.”
“Okay. I’m expecting a client for a consultation any minute now.But you can hang out here for a while. I’ll talk to Jacqueline, and we’ll comeup with a better solution.”
“The solution is to leave me the hell alone.”
Casey stood. “I’ll be in the studio if you need anything.”
She grabbed her cell and sent a quick text, letting Jacquelineknow Teddy was at her house and asking if they could speak later. Teddy’sattitude concerned her. Certainly, he’d had his grumpy days, but given hisrecent head injury, she wanted to double-check if the doctor had said to watchout for mood changes.
*
“I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have involved you,” Jacqueline said, inplace of a greeting, as Casey answered the phone. She could tell by the soundquality that Jacqueline had called from her car. She hunched her shoulder tohold the phone while she arranged seasoned, bone-in chicken breasts in a glassbaking
