Twin Pines Read online

  Bella bound up the steps and raced to her bedroom remembering that her coat was lying on the bed where she'd left it. She slipped into the outer garment as she raced back into the living room.

  Garrett was gone.

  CHAPTER THREE

  WHY HAD GARRETT GONE without telling her goodbye? It wouldn't have taken that long to wait for her. Reaching out to open the closet door, Bella stopped. There it was again--the instant betrayal of her heart. She didn't need a man to make her feel whole. She could do that herself. And she had. Here she was, three years after Scott died, making her own way, and quite successfully, too.

  Bella opened the door, took down a heavy knitted scarf, and wrapped it around her neck it to keep out the bitter cold. She snapped furry muffs over her ears because the temperature had hovered near zero all day. Now that the sun had set, the mercury in the thermometer would drop rapidly. The weather forecaster on the radio predicted twenty below by midnight. Just the thought of going outside made her shiver, and knowing her car; it probably wouldn't start. Walking was her only other option since she only lived a few blocks from work, but in this weather it made it seem much farther.

  She opened the door, and looking back into the apartment, snapped off the light.

  "Good, you're ready. I'm driving," Garrett said behind her.

  A warm glow blossomed within her as she whirled around. Garrett stood in the middle of the landing dressed in a lamb's wool lined, leather jacket. On his head was the ugliest stocking hat she'd ever seen. It reminded her of the picture on the front of "A Cat in the Hat," only Garrett's consisted of purple, yellow and bright turquoise splotches. He wore a scarf around his neck and matching gloves. Pea green, of all colors, and they clashed horribly with the hat. But he did look adorable in a mismatched kind of way.

  A slow smile pulled at her lips as she yanked the door shut. "Geez, Garrett! The clash from of all the colors you're wearing makes my eyes hurt. Where did you get that stuff?" Bella's words ended in a hoot of laughter.

  He rolled those dark blue eyes and chuckled. "Hey, I'm lucky I had this garb. I'm from Arizona, remember?" He reached up and touched the hat. "Grandmother gave this to me one year for Christmas when I went skiing in Colorado. I can't remember who gave me the gloves and scarf."

  "You'll freeze in those gloves," she said with a shake of her head. "For this bitter climate, you need lined leather. Knitted gloves stretch and the opening between the knitting make holes for the cold to seep in and it'll freeze your skin." She reached out and grasped each end of the scarf that hung over his shoulders. "And overlap the material at your throat and tuck the ends into your coat." She demonstrated with her scarf.

  His eyebrows rose. "Yes, ma'am."

  "Oh, knock it off. I'm trying to help you," she said in mock irritation. "And I want to say thanks for your offer." Bella smiled. "What made you think I needed a ride?"

  Averting his eyes he said, "When I brought Brandy back to your apartment, I saw your car at the curb. Its been snowing ever since so I just assumed your car was covered with snow." He looked back to her. "At least we won't have to scrape ice off the windows because mine is tucked away in the garage.

  Bella nodded then glanced down to the street. He was right. At least three inches of snow covered her car. "I need a new battery, too. It doesn't like to start when it gets this cold."

  "Shall we go?" As much as she guarded her independence, it felt great having Garrett here to ward off the loneliness.

  * * * *

  Following Bella's directions, Garrett steered his sport utility vehicle into the deserted parking lot in front of the hospital and conjoined nursing home. Two huge pine trees stood in front of the building nearly hiding the entrance. Bella felt a special warmth when she saw the pines, giving the nursing home its name, Twin Pines Care Center.

  The drive over was uneventful, but her arrival was not. "Where have you been? I thought you were coming right over. Mrs. Fortney is packing her clothes!" An indignant nurse, her face twisted in anger, greeted Bella.

  Bella took off her earmuffs and slipped them into her pocket as she stalled to give the nurse time to explain the problem.

  Garrett leaned forward slightly and took in the nurse's name badge. "Ms. Howard…you're the director of nursing?"

  The nurse's nostrils flared, "Yes, I am…Amanda How…"

  "I would suspect," he interrupted, "that someone in your position would have better people skills." Garrett pulled off his hat and said, "Why are you verbally attacking Bella?" Garrett glanced at his watch. "It's only been ten minutes from the time you called her."

  Amanda Howard crossed her arms over her flat chest glaring at Bella. "The nursing staff doesn't have time to mess around with upset residents. That's your job." She pointed her finger at Bella. "I've told you that I expect someone from your department on the floor during the weekend."

  Bella sighed, then returned her breath to a gentle cadence. She used a relaxation technique to gain control…and the director of nursing gave her plenty of practice. "Amanda," she said softly, we don't have a budget to support that many staff besides, what would that person do? My assistant, Nikki Cook is here on Saturday, and she's bored to death." Bella took off her coat and scarf, draping them over her arm.

  "Well, you won't know until you try." Amanda's lips pursed, giving them a pruney, aged look. Her nasty disposition had carved lines into her face making her look older than her years.

  "Actually," Bella drawled sweetly, "I suspect if I scheduled as heavy as you liked, it wouldn't satisfy you either. The next thing you'd insist would be my staff scheduled twenty-four hours a day, and I won't hear of either demand. A crisis doesn't happen very often and I'm only a few minutes away. Now, tell me exactly what upset Gladys?"

  Bella looked at Garrett…he was smiling.

  Amanda followed her gaze and glared at him. "Who is this?" She poked her index finger at him. His eyes widened at the nurse's rude behavior.

  Calmly, to defuse Amanda's irritation, Bella answered, "This is Garrett--a friend of mine. He drove me over here."

  Amanda rolled her eyes. "Well, I can't talk to you in front of him! This information is confidential. Come to my office," she ordered. "And you shouldn't drag your boyfriend to work. That makes our facility look cheap, and I don't like it!"

  Bella turned toward Garrett. "Do you want to wait? If not, I'll walk home, it's really not that far."

  "You aren't walking in bitter weather like this. I'll wait here until you finish talking to…her."

  "Thanks," Bella said softly, flashing him a fleeting smile. "We'll only be a minute."

  Bella followed Amanda past the nurses' station toward an office. Amanda's grating personality and brusque demeanor belittled the facility. They entered the office at the junction of two crossing hallways. The hall sides of the office were glass and she could look through them to see Garrett standing on the other side watching them.

  When the door closed, Amanda flew into an animated frenzy, throwing her arms into the air and whirling on Bella. "Gladys Fortney is the most influential woman in this area. I won't have her upset. I want you to do something about her missing items."

  Bella shook her head and closed her eyes. Not this again. When she opened them again, she nailed Amanda with triumphant daggers. "I can't do one damn thing about all the thefts around here. Maybe you should look at your staff. Some of the nurse assistants' have unsavory pasts."

  Amanda crossed her arms over her chest as Bella spoke. "That's not my concern. Patient care is." She pointed her finger in Bella's face and barked. "Do something."

  "Fine." What she really wanted to do was break the woman's finger off, but of course, she'd do no such thing, even if it was tempting. "I'll call the police and they can do an investigation. Would that satisfy you?"

  Amanda's shoulders dropped as she said, "No, I don't think we need to go that far. It would only put our problems under a magnifying glass with the community as the viewer."

  "Then I suppose we shoul
d work together to sort this out, don't you?"

  Amanda glared at her. "Go calm down, Gladys." She shouldered her way around Bella and flew out the door.

  Garrett paced the lobby trying to sort out all he knew about the tension at this facility. The administrator's report gave Bella the distinction of troublemaker. Could this be the reason for Amanda's over reaction? He hated conflict. For a successful facility, everyone had to work together and he suspected Amanda Howard had her own agenda.

  "I'm going down to see Mrs. Fortney," Bella said as she walked up behind him. "You can wait in my office if you like."

  He turned around. Bella's face was a pale canvas. Her eyes appeared huge and dark against her light skin. A sprinkling of freckles dusted her nose and spread across her cheeks.

  "Are you all right?" He tipped his head in the direction of the office. "I saw the way that bitch raged at you."

  "Good name for her, y'know. I think she takes pleasure in humiliating the staff in there." Her voice sounded tight and filled with pent-up frustration. "She has blinds to cover the windows, but she keeps them raised so she can see if there's a problem on the floor."

  "Bull!"

  Bella raised her auburn eyebrows at his exclamation.

  "I'm sorry, but that woman is evil. Think about it. Didn't you have someone in your class at school who liked to start trouble, then stood back and smiled smugly?"

  "Now that you mention it, I did," she laughed, "it was Amanda!" She motioned him to follow her, and they continued the conversation as they walked toward the nursing home.

  "Can you tell me what's going on?" Garrett asked

  She shrugged.

  "I understand--and I'm sorry that I asked. It's not fair of me to put you on the spot like that, but--"

  Bella remained silent.

  As they approached a set of closed doors, she pushed a button and they quietly swung open. "This bridge spans the street and connects the hospital and nursing home. We keep it closed after six o'clock."

  Garrett stood mesmerized looking at the overpass. A myriad of fragrant plants filled the area. Greenery sat on platforms with wheels for portability. Others hung from rustic macramé holders fastened to the ceiling. He whistled softly under his breath. "This look like a greenhouse in the middle of a blizzard! It is beautiful."

  "Garrett, it's hardly a blizzard out there. It snows like this nearly every day."

  "Every day?"

  Bella nodded. "You're in the mountains, what did you expect?"

  "I-I didn't think about it." His throat thickened. This wouldn't be like his ski trips to Colorado. There'd be little time for such activities. He had to get his job done and head back to Arizona before he froze to death.

  Flashing him a smile, the tension faded from Bella's face. "I'm glad you like this. The residents and I have this as our special project. In the summer, the maintenance men replace the glass with screen and the residents sit out here and enjoy the fresh, bug free air. It's their favorite spot."

  "Here?"

  She nodded.

  "I thought they'd like to be outside working in a garden."

  "No." She shook her head causing the long hair to gleam under the florescent lighting. "It's dangerous. The meds they take can make them burn easily."

  "Is there a congestion problem with staff going back and forth between the buildings?" How many other facilities had innovative ideas that no one at the home office knew anything about?

  "I like to think that it has a calming effect on everyone."

  Garrett visually scanned the area. He liked it too. "You've thought of everything. Your boss must love having you for an employee!"

  "Ha," she laughed, "I wouldn't say that…."

  As they exited the bridge and entered the nursing home, Bella added, "We allow the residents full run of the building, including the hospital. One woman makes daily rounds visiting all the patients."

  "That's nice," he added with a smile, but Bella rolled her eyes at him. "What?" he asked.

  "Sure it's great, except she goes back to her room and calls all her friends, who in turn spread the information to their friends!"

  "Oh, I see."

  "There's no solution at this point." Bella pointed to a large room shaped like a stop sign. "That's the activities room--the center hub of the nursing home. The set-up is much like a wagon wheel," she said, her voice became full with pride. "The design allows activities the main focus of the facility. The older nursing homes are patient care centered. We wanted something different. These people are old, not so ill they need critical care…they need to feel useful. So far, it's worked wonderfully."

  Garrett nodded. He didn't dare tell her he'd been skeptical when the architect had presented him with the blueprints. This was the first time he'd seen the finished product, and he was very impressed.

  "My office is right over there." Bella pointed to an area near, from what he could remember from the blueprints, was a huge patio area. "You can wait for me there." She turned and started to walk away.

  "Wait! Aren't you going to unlock the door?"

  Bella's hair swung around her body as she turned. "No, it's unlocked. I have all the activity supplies in a cabinet inside the office. It gives the residents access."

  He grinned at her and shook his head in wonder. "You really care about these people, don't you?"

  "Of course. They are my friends." She turned and walked down a hallway marked "Green." He'd have to ask her about the color notations at each hallway when she returned.

  * * * *

  Over an hour later, Bella rushed up to him and said, "Garrett…there you are. I'm afraid this is going to take a bit longer than I thought."

  "Anything I can do to help you?"

  She shook her head and sighed. "Thanks, but I don't even know what to do about this." They walked into her office and she dropped into the desk chair. Turning, she faced the file cabinet, opened the drawer and replaced a file. "Garrett. Are you sure you don't want to go back home? I don't know what to tell you…"

  He shook his head. The way she spoke his name caused his groin to tighten. He ignored the feeling. "Don't worry about it. Is it okay if I look around the building?"

  "Follow me, I'll show you where the dining room is located. Mrs. McTavish, our official hostess loves guests. She'll ply you with carrot cake."

  "Lead the way," he uttered. "I love sweets." Her special fragrance, like a mixture of flowers and vanilla were the sweets he thought of at that moment, and he wondered what she would think of him if she knew about the thoughts rushing through his head.

  Bella looked at him, her eyes wide. "After all those cookies you ate at my house, do you still have room?"

  He patted his trim waist. "Always, my dear, always!"

  Garrett and Bella walked back down the hall that led to the activities room. "This is where I leave you. Gladys must be wondering what happened to me. Enjoy your goodies."

  "Do what you have to do and don't worry about me. I saw some magazines I've wanted to read. Good luck in there." He waved with his free hand, and walked down the hall.

  As he entered the large room, it struck him that he'd not seen any residents out here. That bothered him. He walked over to her office door, pulling it open, and entered. A long cabinet filled an entire wall. He opened the doors one at a time. Sure enough, the shelves held games, videos, puzzles, and craft materials--everything to interest the residents. Opening the last door, inside, he found a smaller door that sported a shiny silver lock. Reaching out for the handle, he felt like the king of snoops, but he pulled it open anyway. Looking inside he didn't feel so bad for prying. It was empty.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  "LEAVE MY GRANDMOTHER'S THINGS ALONE." Venomous black anger filled the booming words hurled at Bella. Vibrations from the deep, menacing voice rumbled about the room, the tremors battering her body.

  The air rushing from her lungs made an obvious gasp, and her heart pounded wildly behind her full bosom. This was a familiar voice. She closed th
e drawer, spinning around. The atmosphere crackled with hostile static as Judd Fortney, Gladys' grandson glared at her from the doorway, his hands balled-up into fists resting at his hips and his face aglow with anger.

  Bella's knees turned to gelatin and her blood pounded wildly in her ears. "I-I--" she stammered, the shock of it all pulled all the moisture from her throat.

  "Shook up are you?" He glared at her. Bella could actually visualize his eyes throwing lightning at her! "Well, you should be shook-up. I just caught you stealing from my grandmother!"

  Judd continued into the room, his angular face was flushed and caused the veins at the sides of his neck to protrude. Bella's friend, Becky Roberts arrived at the door at the same time as Garrett, their eyes wide with astonished concern.

  "Bella…Judd, what's the problem? This commotion's gonna scare the residents." Becky said, pushing her way around Garrett.

  "I'd suggest you get the director of nurses in here," Judd commanded Becky. "I've caught the thief."

  Becky's curly, short hair bounced around her face and her rose-colored lips formed a perfect O of stunned shock. Hostile static crackled about the room. "Judd, surely--"

  "I know what I saw when I walked in here!"

  Gladys Fortney marched out of the bathroom. "What's going on?" she questioned, her voice filled with authority. "It sounds like a war zone." She walked over and stood beside Becky.

  "Gram, this woman," he whispered in a voice loud enough to be heard in the next county, "was pawing through you dresser drawers. I want her fired for stealing!"

  Gladys shook her head in disbelief. Her eyes reflected the deep, punishing pain her grandson was inflicting upon her by acting this way. "I'm sorry for all this Bella." She turned back to faced her grandson. "Juddson...I asked her to look for my missing jewelry. She was helping me at my request!"

  Judd's face paled, but his angry gaze never left Bella's and she didn't avert hers. Judd's hair and clothing were dripping wet from the melting snow and he tossed his wet coat haphazardly on the floor. "I told these people to get the nursing director…I want her here, now!"