Emily's Secret by Jill Jones

Author:Jill Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626814622
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2014-10-21T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

A young woman greeted them at the door. She wore a volunteer badge with her name, Margaret, printed on it. “We’ve been expecting you,” she said with a smile, but Alex detected a note of relief in her voice. “We have the residents gathered in the Community Room, all except your grandmother, of course. She has no idea about the party.”

Selena put the cake on the table, which was already laid with plates and napkins, forks and tea cups. Then she slipped out of the cape, revealing the slender yet curvaceous figure Alex had dreamed of for nights on end. He watched with growing desire as she moved gracefully about her party preparations. Careful, Hightower, he warned himself.

She separated three balloons from the rest of the bunch. “Tie these on the back of this chair,” she directed Alex. “We’ll transfer them to Gran’s wheelchair when she gets here.” She took the rest and gave each party guest a balloon, tying the bright, bobbing objects to wrists, wheelchairs, and walkers. She chatted and laughed with each resident, and he could tell she was no stranger to this place. Despite his conscious effort to control his feelings, Alex felt himself being swept along in a torrent of unbridled emotion.

“I think we’re ready, Margaret,” Selena said to the young woman.

The volunteer laughed. “If this wasn’t a surprise, I’d send you in after her. She’s bound to be hopping mad by now that I haven’t brought her to sit by the fireplace to read her paper.”

The others laughed knowingly. Even though it was the middle of summer, the nursing home kept a small fire going in the corner fireplace, and it was a favorite gathering place for residents, especially Selena’s grandmother. Matka was a favorite among those who lived in this restricted world, for often of a winter’s evening, she would sit by the fire and weave her storytelling magic as she once had beside the campfire when she was younger.

Selena grinned at Alex. “My grandmother is a true creature of habit. She always comes here at exactly the same time to read her newspaper, and she has a fit if she’s late.”

“You can blame it on me,” he answered.

Selena came to his side. “She’s going to love you,” she whispered. “She’s an incorrigible matchmaker. Don’t take that seriously, either.”

He placed his hand lightly in the small of her back. “Why not?”

At that moment the door swung open and Margaret wheeled Matka into the room. The woman looked like a miniature human being, so bent and gnarled was her body in the large wheelchair. “Surprise!” Selena cried, and the greeting was echoed by a chorus of elderly voices. The old woman, who had obviously been grumbling all the way down the hall, looked up in consternation.

“Now wha’s all this? Selena, is’t you?”

Selena ran to her grandmother and kissed her forehead. “Happy birthday, Gran!”

For a moment Matka said nothing. She looked around and saw the balloons and the cake and gifts on the table. Then she looked up at Selena.

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