sequences that I was working on for Zach, but the futility of that was too depressing. If I weren’t so tired after I finished eating, I could jump on tomorrow’s submission, but puzzles were the last thing on my mind at the moment.
Zach came in half an hour after I’d finished my meal.
“You look wiped out,” I said.
“I’m not used to this grind,” he admitted. “Sometimes I forget just how hard I used to work.”
As he rubbed his chest, I asked, “Is your scar hurting?”
“Truthfully, I think it’s all in my head.”
I hugged him. “Zach, I saw you on that hospital bed with bandages on your chest and tubes coming out of you. It wasn’t your imagination.”
“You know what I mean.” He looked over at the cart I’d been too tired to shove out the door. “What did you eat?”
“Chicken taco salad,” I answered. “Would you like me to order you something for dinner?”
“I’m too beat to care about eating right now. I think I’ll just grab a shower and go to bed.”
“I’m going to see Uncle Thomas tomorrow,” I blurted out.
“I know I’m not paying enough attention to you, but you don’t have to take off on me.”
“He’s been trying to call me for two days. He wants to see me, and for him, it sounds urgent.”
“Is there anything wrong?” Zach and Uncle Thomas got along incredibly well, and there were times when the three of us were together that
“He went to the doctor, but he swears there’s nothing wrong with him.”
“Then why the sudden urge for company? Should we go right now? I’m game if you are.”
I kissed him, and then I said, “Thanks for offering, but we’re both exhausted. I’m going to see him at lunch tomorrow, if you can spare me.”
Zach frowned, and then he said, “I could probably get away, too.”
“That’s crazy, and we both know it. I don’t need to stay here, but you do. You’ve got a case you have to work on.”
“Family comes first,” Zach said resolutely.
“I love you for saying it, but we both know what our priorities are. I won’t be gone long. You won’t even have a chance to miss me.”
“There you’re wrong,” he said as he hugged me tightly. “Now, if you’re sure you don’t want to go tonight, I’m going to hit the shower.”
“Go,” I said.
After I heard the water running, I ordered him a dinner of stir-fried beef tips, despite his earlier protest that he was too tired to eat. Once Zach smelled the food, I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist it any more than I could say no to a chocolate cupcake.
When the food arrived, he was still in the shower, and I was about to go get him when he came out wearing a robe.
“What smells so good?”
“Room service,” I answered.
“Savannah, I told you that I wasn’t hungry.”
“Then don’t eat it. I might peck at it a little myself, if you’re sure you aren’t going to have any.” I was full from my salad, so at least for the moment, I was bluffing.
Zach walked over and lifted off the lid. “Stir fry. That looks great. Maybe I’ll have a bite or two after all.”
He took the plate, along with a bottled water on ice, and moved to the window. “Care to join me?”
“Sure thing,” I said as I took a seat.
As Zach ate, he nodded a few times, but conversation was kept at a minimum. When he finished, I saw him looking longingly back at the cart. “Wasn’t there enough for you?” I asked.
“I was just thinking some dessert might be nice.”
I laughed. “I thought you were too tired to eat.”
“What can I say; I just got my second wind.”
“If you’re serious, we could always order something else.”
He clearly thought about it for a few seconds, then said, “No, I’d better not. You can if you want to, though.”
“Maybe later. Were you able to make any more progress after I left?”
“Nothing worth talking about. I need to let things percolate a little right now.”
“In other words, you don’t want to discuss it.”
“If you don’t mind,” Zach said a little apologetically. “You know how I get.”
