decent to put him in, even though the casket would be closed. She had promised the funeral parlor she would drop off a suit for him to wear, and as soon as she opened the closet door and looked at the clothes he would never wear again, she just stood there for a minute, sank to her knees, and sobbed.
While Lily slept that morning, which she still did most of the time, Bill went back to the house to take care of some things. He called Angie, his assistant in Denver, and gave her a list of calls to make for him. He had told her about the accident by e-mail, and she was horrified by the news, and anxious to do whatever she could. She adored Lily and was dedicated to Bill. He gave her the names of neurosurgeons all over the world that he wanted to check out, and he said he had no idea when they’d be coming home. It was too soon to tell.
And after Bill spoke to her, he called Penny in St. Bart’s. The accident had happened two days before, but he hadn’t had the time or the heart to call her. She wasn’t part of his family life, and although she had known Lily for two years, they weren’t close.
He was planning to leave Penny a voicemail, and thought it unlikely she would answer, and was surprised when she picked up. He hadn’t wanted to give her news like this in a text, and for a moment he wanted to hear her voice. He had called no one until then, except his assistant a few minutes before.
The moment she heard his voice, Penny could sense that something was wrong. She felt guilty for not having called him from St. Bart’s, but she had been intensely busy for the past week. For her, work always came first—it was a choice she had made with her life twenty years before. At forty-two, she had never married or had children and had no regrets. Her clients were her kids. Her business meant everything to her, and that suited Bill, who wasn’t prepared to give more than he had. Lily owned his heart. And there had never been serious room for anyone else in it, since his wife died.
“Something wrong?” She could hear instantly the somber tone of his voice when he said her name.
“Yeah, very much so,” he said, as tears filled his eyes and he cleared his throat. He didn’t want to get emotional with her, he just wanted to let her know, but it was comforting to hear her on the phone. They knew each other well after all. “Lily had an accident in Squaw.” He told her what had happened then, and Penny was horrified. He didn’t tell her the doctor had said she would never walk again—the rest was bad enough, and he didn’t believe it yet.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Do you want me to fly out? I was leaving tomorrow anyway. The opening went really well,” although it seemed irrelevant to both of them now, in the face of what he had said. She had been planning to stop in New York to see a client there on the way back, and another in Chicago, but said she was more than willing to come to California and drive to Lake Tahoe to be with him instead. He was touched by the offer, but it didn’t feel right to him. He wanted to focus on Lily and no one else. “Will she walk again?” Penny went right to the obvious question, and Bill sounded hard when he answered.
“Of course she will.” He had no intention of sharing Jessie’s prognosis with her. He thought it was wrong anyway. And he didn’t want Penny thinking of Lily that way—it would make it all too real. “I’ve got Angie looking up a list of neurosurgeons to consult. We want the best care we can get. This is a backwater town, although the surgeon is supposedly pretty good, she’s Harvard trained, but not as sophisticated as doctors in big cities. I want to take Lily for some other consultations when we leave here.” Penny could sense that there was something he wasn’t telling her. Bill had put on his toughest voice, and she wondered if they had given him bad news. If it was about Lily, he wouldn’t take it easily.
“That makes a lot of sense,” Penny
While Lily slept that morning, which she still did most of the time, Bill went back to the house to take care of some things. He called Angie, his assistant in Denver, and gave her a list of calls to make for him. He had told her about the accident by e-mail, and she was horrified by the news, and anxious to do whatever she could. She adored Lily and was dedicated to Bill. He gave her the names of neurosurgeons all over the world that he wanted to check out, and he said he had no idea when they’d be coming home. It was too soon to tell.
And after Bill spoke to her, he called Penny in St. Bart’s. The accident had happened two days before, but he hadn’t had the time or the heart to call her. She wasn’t part of his family life, and although she had known Lily for two years, they weren’t close.
He was planning to leave Penny a voicemail, and thought it unlikely she would answer, and was surprised when she picked up. He hadn’t wanted to give her news like this in a text, and for a moment he wanted to hear her voice. He had called no one until then, except his assistant a few minutes before.
The moment she heard his voice, Penny could sense that something was wrong. She felt guilty for not having called him from St. Bart’s, but she had been intensely busy for the past week. For her, work always came first—it was a choice she had made with her life twenty years before. At forty-two, she had never married or had children and had no regrets. Her clients were her kids. Her business meant everything to her, and that suited Bill, who wasn’t prepared to give more than he had. Lily owned his heart. And there had never been serious room for anyone else in it, since his wife died.
“Something wrong?” She could hear instantly the somber tone of his voice when he said her name.
“Yeah, very much so,” he said, as tears filled his eyes and he cleared his throat. He didn’t want to get emotional with her, he just wanted to let her know, but it was comforting to hear her on the phone. They knew each other well after all. “Lily had an accident in Squaw.” He told her what had happened then, and Penny was horrified. He didn’t tell her the doctor had said she would never walk again—the rest was bad enough, and he didn’t believe it yet.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Do you want me to fly out? I was leaving tomorrow anyway. The opening went really well,” although it seemed irrelevant to both of them now, in the face of what he had said. She had been planning to stop in New York to see a client there on the way back, and another in Chicago, but said she was more than willing to come to California and drive to Lake Tahoe to be with him instead. He was touched by the offer, but it didn’t feel right to him. He wanted to focus on Lily and no one else. “Will she walk again?” Penny went right to the obvious question, and Bill sounded hard when he answered.
“Of course she will.” He had no intention of sharing Jessie’s prognosis with her. He thought it was wrong anyway. And he didn’t want Penny thinking of Lily that way—it would make it all too real. “I’ve got Angie looking up a list of neurosurgeons to consult. We want the best care we can get. This is a backwater town, although the surgeon is supposedly pretty good, she’s Harvard trained, but not as sophisticated as doctors in big cities. I want to take Lily for some other consultations when we leave here.” Penny could sense that there was something he wasn’t telling her. Bill had put on his toughest voice, and she wondered if they had given him bad news. If it was about Lily, he wouldn’t take it easily.
“That makes a lot of sense,” Penny
Similar Books
