counter and pulled a cutting board out from beneath it. ‘You shouldn’t have done it.’
The man’s voice had gone suddenly serious. Chase turned back to the sink. ‘Done what?’
‘Taken the practice. You had no business moving way up here in the middle of nowhere. You were happy in Boston.’
‘I was, was I?’
‘You had friends,contacts, a social life. That’s where you should be. Not holed up in some wilderness babysitting a crippled old fart.’
Chase cocked his head. ‘You know, now that I think about it,
you’ve
got quite a bit of Mom in you too.’
‘Well, I know what she would’ve thought of all this.’
‘It’s not a life sentence for either of us, Dad. Once you’re out of that chair for good I can find a different practiceif I want.’
‘I know. And don’t think I don’t appreciate it. It’s just . . . Well, it kills me to think I’ve become such a burden.’
Chase regarded him over his shoulder. ‘Nice try, Dad, but you still have to do your exercises.’
‘Smart alec kid.’
With the salad completed, Allen buzzed his chair to the kitchen table and began unpacking the first of the boxes. ‘Any chance we can get to PresqueIsle this weekend? I’m nearly out of Sienna acrylic and I could use some more canvases.’
‘I suppose my hike around the lake can wait.’
Allen had finished emptying the first box and now sat staring into the second. ‘What’s all this?’
Wiping his hands, Chase came over. ‘Those are bird houses and that’s a feeder. Thought we might put them up in the yard.’
Allen reached in and held up the moose.‘And this?’
Chase took a moment, gazing down at it with the same sense of wonder he’d felt at first seeing it. ‘A patient gave me that today as payment for a consultation.’
His father turned the carving this way and that, scrutinising it with an artist’s eye. ‘He’s good.’
‘She.’
‘Oh?’ His bushy brows rose. ‘Unusual hobby for a woman. We should hire her to fix that ramp you built.’
Chase frowned.‘What’s wrong with my ramp?’
‘So, this woman carver . . . Anyone I know?’
‘No one you or anyone else knows, apparently.’
‘A lady of mystery, eh? Good looking?’
A red flag suddenly appeared on the field. ‘Didn’t really notice.’
‘Eligible age?’
Chase turned away. ‘Start the spaghetti, Dad, I’m hungry.’
Allen went back to studying the moose. ‘A mysterious stranger giving my son gifts. Andhere I was worried you wouldn’t meet anyone.’
Chapter 11
‘It’s me.’ Nolan stepped away from the hospital room door and moved to the opposite side of the hall. He could still see Tragg but had eliminated the chance of the man’s waking up and overhearing his conversation.
‘Where are you?’ Vanessa’s voice issued from his mobile phone.
‘A hospital in Conway. We had a slight accident.’
‘What! How bad?’
‘Bad enough. I’m fine and the van’s okaybut Tragg’s laid up. At least for a day or two. Concussion or something.’
‘What about the boys?’
‘That’s why I’m calling. They . . . got away.’
A heartbeat of silence. ‘I don’t believe it. How could –’
Nolan quickly gave her the details.
‘How’s Tragg taking it?’ she asked when he’d finished.
Nolan glanced back into the room and felt his throat tighten. Even bruised and unconscious the manhad a look that could turn his blood cold. ‘He doesn’t know yet. Hasn’t woken up since the kids took off.’
Vanessa blew out a breath through her teeth. ‘Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes right now.’
‘It’ll be okay. I got the licence plate number and company name off the truck they got on.’
‘So?’
‘It’s been less than an hour. If your uncle’s people can find out where it’s headed there’s a goodchance I can catch up to it.’
This time she laughed. ‘You’re kidding, right?’
Nolan clamped down to keep from swearing. ‘Will you just call Lazaro and see what you can find out?
The man’s voice had gone suddenly serious. Chase turned back to the sink. ‘Done what?’
‘Taken the practice. You had no business moving way up here in the middle of nowhere. You were happy in Boston.’
‘I was, was I?’
‘You had friends,contacts, a social life. That’s where you should be. Not holed up in some wilderness babysitting a crippled old fart.’
Chase cocked his head. ‘You know, now that I think about it,
you’ve
got quite a bit of Mom in you too.’
‘Well, I know what she would’ve thought of all this.’
‘It’s not a life sentence for either of us, Dad. Once you’re out of that chair for good I can find a different practiceif I want.’
‘I know. And don’t think I don’t appreciate it. It’s just . . . Well, it kills me to think I’ve become such a burden.’
Chase regarded him over his shoulder. ‘Nice try, Dad, but you still have to do your exercises.’
‘Smart alec kid.’
With the salad completed, Allen buzzed his chair to the kitchen table and began unpacking the first of the boxes. ‘Any chance we can get to PresqueIsle this weekend? I’m nearly out of Sienna acrylic and I could use some more canvases.’
‘I suppose my hike around the lake can wait.’
Allen had finished emptying the first box and now sat staring into the second. ‘What’s all this?’
Wiping his hands, Chase came over. ‘Those are bird houses and that’s a feeder. Thought we might put them up in the yard.’
Allen reached in and held up the moose.‘And this?’
Chase took a moment, gazing down at it with the same sense of wonder he’d felt at first seeing it. ‘A patient gave me that today as payment for a consultation.’
His father turned the carving this way and that, scrutinising it with an artist’s eye. ‘He’s good.’
‘She.’
‘Oh?’ His bushy brows rose. ‘Unusual hobby for a woman. We should hire her to fix that ramp you built.’
Chase frowned.‘What’s wrong with my ramp?’
‘So, this woman carver . . . Anyone I know?’
‘No one you or anyone else knows, apparently.’
‘A lady of mystery, eh? Good looking?’
A red flag suddenly appeared on the field. ‘Didn’t really notice.’
‘Eligible age?’
Chase turned away. ‘Start the spaghetti, Dad, I’m hungry.’
Allen went back to studying the moose. ‘A mysterious stranger giving my son gifts. Andhere I was worried you wouldn’t meet anyone.’
Chapter 11
‘It’s me.’ Nolan stepped away from the hospital room door and moved to the opposite side of the hall. He could still see Tragg but had eliminated the chance of the man’s waking up and overhearing his conversation.
‘Where are you?’ Vanessa’s voice issued from his mobile phone.
‘A hospital in Conway. We had a slight accident.’
‘What! How bad?’
‘Bad enough. I’m fine and the van’s okaybut Tragg’s laid up. At least for a day or two. Concussion or something.’
‘What about the boys?’
‘That’s why I’m calling. They . . . got away.’
A heartbeat of silence. ‘I don’t believe it. How could –’
Nolan quickly gave her the details.
‘How’s Tragg taking it?’ she asked when he’d finished.
Nolan glanced back into the room and felt his throat tighten. Even bruised and unconscious the manhad a look that could turn his blood cold. ‘He doesn’t know yet. Hasn’t woken up since the kids took off.’
Vanessa blew out a breath through her teeth. ‘Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes right now.’
‘It’ll be okay. I got the licence plate number and company name off the truck they got on.’
‘So?’
‘It’s been less than an hour. If your uncle’s people can find out where it’s headed there’s a goodchance I can catch up to it.’
This time she laughed. ‘You’re kidding, right?’
Nolan clamped down to keep from swearing. ‘Will you just call Lazaro and see what you can find out?
Similar Books
