Читать книгу The Test of Love - Irene Brand - Страница 8

A snatch of song marked Connie Harmon’s progress as she jogged slowly along the driveway and into the New Life Center’s administration building. A tall, slender brunette, she bubbled with vigor and vitality. Most of her life, Connie’s gaiety had been spontaneous, but events of the past few months had dampened her spirits, and at times she’d had to force her cheerfulness. The chorus she sang today, “In my heart there rings a melody,” didn’t always reflect her true emotional state.

Before going down the hallway to her office, Connie paused in front of the foyer’s wide expanse of windows to gaze at a scene that never failed to soothe and inspire her. Brilliant snowbanks clung to the peaks of the Rocky Mountains several miles to the southwest, while on the lawn, a robin stiffened its legs and tugged purposefully on a worm in the row of yellow tulips, which were frosted by early-morning dew.

Continuing toward the reception room, Connie sang the refrain of “When It’s Springtime in the Rockies,” in her pleasing, soprano voice, attempting to keep her spirits high. She was scheduled to discuss monthly bills and accounts with her secretary, Kim Watson, and since her financial condition was usually discouraging, she wanted to get the task behind her.

Connie owned the New Life Center near Idaho Springs, in one of Colorado’s oldest historic districts. And though she operated on a hand-to-mouth budget, her financial condition was better than it had been when she’d opened the Center three years ago. Her college degree in physical therapy and psychology hadn’t equipped her to be an administrator—she’d had to learn that on her own, and it had been rough.

The phone rang as Connie walked in the door. She waved to Kim and moved toward the adjacent office, but the receptionist stopped Connie with an imperious shake of her head as she picked up the phone. Connie’s large blue eyes glimmered with amusement at Kim’s gesture, and her sensitive, well-formed mouth broke into a grin that spread over her finely chiseled features. Who was boss here anyway? But she and Kim had been best friends for years, and Connie was used to Kim ordering her around. So perched on the edge of the desk, she waited until Kim answered a query from a local boy about their gymnastic equipment.

Kim replaced the phone, her brown eyes flashing a message Connie couldn’t decipher until she scanned the note Kim scribbled on a scrap of paper. “A visitor is waiting in your office.”

Connie lifted her eyebrows, and Kim wrote, “Joseph Caldwell.”

“The Joseph Caldwell?” Connie mouthed silently.

Kim nodded, and Connie said quietly, “Why?”

The receptionist shook her head and wrote again. “He said that it was very important that he see you today, and he wouldn’t take, no, for an answer.”

What could Joseph Caldwell want so urgently from NLC? A well-known Colorado rancher, Caldwell often appeared on television as a spokesman for legislation to promote the rural interests of the state. Occasionally, he’d been a featured rider in rodeos at the state fair, and although she’d never seen him in person, whenever Connie saw him on television, she’d had the urge to learn more about him. Regardless of why he’d come today, Connie looked forward to meeting him.

When she entered her office, the man sitting in the visitor’s chair rose with effort and leaned on his cane. He was dressed in a tailored denim suit, a blue-plaid shirt and cowboy boots. A wide-brimmed white hat lay on a chair beside him.

Her visitor was a man of medium height, only a couple of inches taller than Connie, but he had broad shoulders and handled himself with dignity. His hair was light-brown, and steely gray eyes glistened above his high cheekbones. A wide, determined mouth and a straight nose indicated his strength of character.

“I’m Joseph Caldwell,” he said slowly, almost with a drawl.

Joseph Caldwell in the flesh was even more appealing than he appeared on TV, and with downcast eyes, Connie’s fingers fumbled with the papers on her desk, fearful that her visitor would detect her sudden interest. She’d heard it said that following a broken relationship, a person was apt to rebound quickly into another’s arms, and at the moment, Joseph’s arms seemed more than inviting.

Careful, she admonished herself as she again focused on her visitor’s remarks.

“Your facility was recommended to me by my Denver surgeon. My left leg and hip were crushed in an automobile wreck six months ago.” He fixed her with a keen, unwavering glance. “Perhaps you’ve heard about the accident?”

Connie thought for a moment. “Yes. I do remember the accident was reported on the evening television news.”

“My wife was killed in the accident, and there was quite a lot of publicity.”

What kind of publicity would cause his voice to tremble slightly when he mentioned it? she thought. Local accidents didn’t usually cause a ripple in the news media unless the wreck was sensational, so what was unusual about the accident he mentioned?

“I’m sorry to hear about your loss.”

“It’s a miracle that I wasn’t killed too, and considering the physical suffering of the past few months, there have been times when I wished I had died, but I’m still alive and disabled. The surgeons have done all they can and suggested that I enroll in a rehabilitation program.”

“What do you know about our work here at NLC?” Connie asked, wondering if Joseph was the type to readily accept the strict regimen required at the Center.

“Not a thing,” he said, and added with a broad smile, “I’d never heard of the place until yesterday. But what difference does it make? My surgeon said that you could recommend a physical program to strengthen my thigh and leg. What else do I need to know?”

“Quite a lot. You see, Mr. Caldwell, NLC’s focus differs from most physical fitness centers. Our goal is to heal the mind and spirit as well as the body.”

He laughed shortly. “There’s nothing wrong with my mind and spirit. I have an injured limb. That’s all I want from you.”

Connie swiveled in her chair toward the cabinet behind her. She took out several pamphlets and handed them to Joseph, and when he refused to take them, she laid the booklets on the desk in front of him.

“I suggest you read those, Mr. Caldwell. You need to know the basic purpose of NLC before we can continue. I’ll be in the office working with my secretary, and I’ll talk with you again in a half hour.”

Joseph’s gray eyes hardened, and he glared at her. He hadn’t picked up the brochures before she left the office and closed the door behind her. Kim turned questioning eyes in her direction, but Connie shrugged her shoulders and said, “Let’s check through the bills we need to pay this month.”

They’d been working about three minutes when her office door opened abruptly. A sardonic grin spreading across his face, Joseph ripped the pamphlets she’d given him and dropped the pieces into the wastepaper container.

“No, thanks, Miss Harmon. I won’t accept your services. I had enough Bible training when I was a child to do me a lifetime. I’ll come here for physical training, but nothing else.”

“You apparently didn’t read enough to find out our application procedure, Mr. Caldwell. We have a limited clientele, and our staff decides who enrolls here. The patient doesn’t have the last word.”

Favoring his left leg, and leaning heavily on the cane, Joseph turned toward the door. “Then I’m sorry I bothered you, Miss Harmon.”

Well, that takes care of rebounding into his arms! she thought.

Either from anger or fatigue, Joseph’s body trembled as he walked down the hallway, and his leg buckled when he reached the foyer. If there hadn’t been a couch handy, he’d have collapsed on the floor. Stifling a groan, he rubbed his thigh, which felt as if it was on fire. What was he going to do? Had he been too hasty in rejecting NLC’s services? Joseph considered himself a man of integrity and truth, but he hadn’t been completely honest with Connie Harmon. His life had been out of sync long before Virginia’s death, and his injury and the unsettling incidents following the accident had shattered his peace of mind. Over the past six months, he didn’t know which had been the most painful—his physical wounds or his mental anguish. Where had he gone wrong with Virginia? What had happened to the marriage that had started out so promising?

When the throbbing in his leg lessened to a dull ache, Joseph stood and started toward the door, but he sat down again. He remembered what Dr. Melrose had said the day before. “Joseph, I can’t do anything more for you, but it is possible for you to be healed. You’re fretting about the circumstances of Virginia’s death, and that keeps you from concentrating on your recovery. Since you were driving, no doubt you feel guilty, and you’ll have to move beyond that before you’re physically well. I know a place that can help you.”

He’d spent many hours thinking about Dr. Melrose’s recommendation, and he’d come to NLC this morning with a sense of anticipation. He was normally an even-tempered person, so why had he been so antagonistic toward Connie Harmon? Suddenly the answer was obvious. He’d experienced a physical attraction to her the minute she’d walked into the office, and he resented her because she’d sparked an emotional yearning he’d stifled for years. He had remained faithful to Virginia in spite of their problems, and after her death, he’d vowed to refrain from future involvement with women. Developing a romantic interest in Connie Harmon would be the worst thing that could happen to him now. Surely Dr. Melrose could recommend another facility that wasn’t operated by a young, attractive woman who had shattered his determination to avoid the opposite sex with one lovely smile.

Joseph struggled to his feet again and started toward the door. He stopped and looked down the hallway. Was NLC his last hope for healing—and for living a normal life? If he left, would he always be physically handicapped? Did a new life await him if he stayed? He stood at the crossroads. Which way should he go?

As they listened to his faltering footsteps, Kim and Connie exchanged glances. This wasn’t the first irate prospect they’d lost, but Connie knew that Joseph desperately needed their services. Unless he recovered his mobility, his ability to operate his ranch would be limited.

“Too bad!” Kim said, her brown eyes wretched. “He’s a man who needs some help.”

“But he’s apparently too proud to accept it. We can’t help those who won’t cooperate.” Drawing a deep breath, Connie said, “I’m not in the mood for bills, but we might as well ruin the whole morning. Do we have the money to pay our debts?”

“Cheer up,” Kim said, as she handed Connie a list of current expenditures and receipts. “We’ll be a few dollars in the black this month.”

Connie couldn’t keep her mind on their work, and she finally leaned back in the chair. “I’d heard that Mr. Caldwell was injured in an auto accident that also resulted in the death of his wife. Do you know anything else about it?”

“Actually, I heard more about it than I wanted to,” Kim said with a laugh. “When Virginia Caldwell was killed, Rose gave me a blow-by-blow description of everything that happened.”

Surprised, Connie asked, “Rose Nash? Our cook?”

Kim nodded.

“Why would she be interested?”

“She worked for Virginia Caldwell’s family, the Perrys, for several years, when Virginia and her brother, George, were children. She was hired as the cook, but I’ve gathered she did some baby-sitting, too. The Perrys were rich socialites and they were away from home quite a lot. She also knew Joseph after he and Virginia were married.”

“I try not to listen to gossip,” Connie said, “but since I’ve heard this much, I might as well learn what else you know. I’m curious about him, and also interested in why his surgeon suggested NLC when there are so many excellent health centers in Denver. Does Joseph need more than physical therapy?”

“Virginia’s death was caused by a blow to the head, but the authorities questioned whether she died from being struck during the accident, or from a fall she’d had earlier.”

“What do you mean?”

“According to Rose, Joseph found his wife unconscious and bleeding from a head wound, and he was taking her to the hospital when the accident occurred. There probably wouldn’t have been an investigation, except for the note Virginia had sent to her brother the day before her death. I don’t remember the exact words, but it was something like, ‘He’s got all of my money. I have nothing else to give him except my life. I’m afraid.’ George Perry jumped to the conclusion that she meant Joseph and he went to the police.”

“I can’t imagine how I missed all of that,” Connie said.

“It could have been that time when we were shorthanded. You were working long hours and didn’t have the time to read the newspapers.”

“Have those suspicions been authenticated?”

“Rose hasn’t mentioned it for several months, so I don’t know anything more than that.”

They started checking the accounts again, and they’d almost finished when a knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Kim invited.

Joseph Caldwell stood diffidently in the open door. “I was a bit hasty in my departure, Miss Harmon. Perhaps we should have that talk.”

Connie’s pulse quickened. She would have been disappointed to have had no further contact with this man. “By all means. Come in the office. Don’t interrupt me for phone calls, Kim.”

She moved toward her office and Joseph followed. Watching the graceful sway of her shoulders, Joseph knew his decision to return had been influenced more by his desire to associate with NLC’s proprietor than by the services the Center could provide. He could find another rehab facility, but where else would he find a woman whose presence gave him a reason, not only to recover physically, but perhaps even to live again? Momentarily, he was seized with the desire to hold Connie close and never let her go—a thought that amazed him so much that he stumbled and almost fell.

Connie turned immediately and grabbed his arm, a touch that electrified both of them, and for a moment, they stared incredulously into each other’s eyes.

Connie released his arm, and striving to ignore the intimate moment they’d just experienced, Joseph carefully lowered his body into the chair and stretched out his leg.

“I apologize for my rudeness earlier,” he said. “I’m not usually so short-tempered, but except for a few childhood illnesses I’ve never been sick, and for the past six months, I’ve been in and out of the hospital without gaining much help for my problem. That’s caused me to become irritable.”

“I understand,” she said.

“I’m only thirty-four years old, and it hurts my pride, as well as my hip, to move around like an old man. Dr. Melrose recommended you, saying you were my best chance for complete recovery.”

“I know Dr. Melrose well. He’s sent several patients to us, including his own son. He was pleased with his son’s progress.”

“I expected a conventional health center, not a religious spa,” Joseph said bitterly. “I don’t have time to go to worship services every day. I’ve been away from my ranch off and on for months, and with summer coming, I need to be at home. How long do you think this will take?”

“I’m not a miracle worker, and if you expect me to use some mysterious hocus-pocus to bring about your healing, you may as well leave. God is important in the healing process, but it takes exercise, rest, proper diet, as well as spiritual commitment, to achieve a complete cure, and that takes time.”

“I’ve just explained to you that I don’t have much time,” he said tersely, then he laughed. “We’re going in circles, Miss Harmon. Someone has to budge, and since I’m the one asking for help, I guess I’ll have to do it. What do you want me to do?”

“I’ll take you on a tour of our facilities so you can see what we have to offer. Our physician will give you a brief exam, and you can fill out an application. We’ll need a copy of your recent medical records, too. Our review board will study your case and decide if we can give you the help you need. If so, we’ll assign a personal trainer to work with you and help implement a daily exercise program.”

“Do you know how long it will take?”

“Lacking any medical details of your injury, except what I’ve observed, I’d guess at least three months.”

He shook his head and gritted his teeth, but he controlled his anger. “All summer!”

“We don’t make prisoners of our therapy patients, but we do expect them to stay here five days a week, and they go home on weekends if they’re able. Those who live at a distance often stay until their program is completed.”

“My ranch is a hundred miles from here, and I’d have to go home periodically to oversee the work. My sister lives nearby and checks on the place every few days, but there are some decisions she can’t make.”

“Let’s take a tour of the buildings now, and you can see what we have to offer. We have golf carts available for our patients to travel if they aren’t able to walk. Are you up to walking?”

He grunted painfully as he got out of the chair. “I walk as much as possible, but I’m slow, and after a short time, I have to stop to rest.”

“We can take all morning because I don’t have an appointment until this afternoon. Let’s go.”

They went first to the gymnasium, located near the administration building. In general, Connie stayed away from the gym as much as possible to avoid Ray Blazer, the manager of the exercise rooms, but since she found it expedient to dispense with unpleasant encounters as quickly as possible, she started the tour there.

The gym provided the best exercise machines available. She and Joseph paused at the door of the fitness room to observe, and avoid the walkers who circled the indoor walking track, either cooling down after workouts, or getting their adrenaline pumping before strenuous exercise.

One elderly woman waved to Connie and rushed on. Amusement spread across Joseph’s face as he observed the lady circling the track in a slow trot.

“Isn’t she a little old for this activity?” he asked.

“Not at all. Della Sinnet is in her eighties, but she’s a regular fixture around here,” Connie said. “Her home is in Colorado Springs, but she spends her winters in a warmer climate. She comes to NLC for several weeks each spring, and she challenges all of us with her vitality.”

“So you have patients of all ages,” Joseph said as he observed the activities—people on treadmills, stationary bikes, stair-steppers, rowers and skate machines. In spite of the busyness, the atmosphere appeared calm, for quiet, classical, inspirational music wafted through the rooms. Videos provided soothing scenes of sunsets, towering trees, placid lakes, tranquil oceans and animals playing with their little ones. The room conveyed a pleasant feeling of exercising in the great outdoors.

Joseph followed Connie into the free-weight room where men and women worked on the equipment, seemingly without effort. “It’ll be a long time before I’m ready for this equipment,” he muttered.

“Not as long as you might think,” Connie said. She beckoned to a young man, who was coaching a woman on the horizontal calf raise machine. He ignored Connie for several minutes as he continued his instructions, then he sauntered toward them. Ray Blazer was a good advertisement for his profession. He had the build of a wrestler, and he kept in shape by exercising two hours each day on the free-weight machines.

“Mr. Caldwell, this is Ray Blazer, manager of the gym and an expert on physical fitness. He’ll explain the various equipment to you. I’ll be on a treadmill while Ray gives you a tour of our exercise facilities.”

A patient stepped off a treadmill and moved to a modified leg stretch machine, so Connie got on the machine and adjusted it to her pace. She faced the weight room, so she’d know when Joseph was ready to leave. Ray moved from one machine to another explaining their various functions to Joseph.

Although Ray was an expert in his field, Connie wished he’d leave NLC. She’d been engaged to Ray until two months ago, and her disappointment in him still burned in her heart. When Ray came to the Center a year ago, it seemed the perfect situation—she could combine her work and romance. She’d thought she loved Ray, but when he disregarded her moral principles, which he’d known about before their engagement, she broke the engagement. But though she tried to avoid being alone with him, she couldn’t drop him from her staff, and it presented a problem.

When Joseph limped in her direction, Connie stepped off the treadmill. “I must sit down,” he muttered. “This leg gives me fits when I’m on it too long.”

“That’s understandable,” Connie said. “Let’s sit on the bench in front of the building, so we can enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.” He held the door open for her, then he eased onto the bench with a deep sigh and closed his eyes.

Joseph breathed heavily, and pain etched deep lines on his face. Sitting beside him, their shoulders touching, Connie had the urge to run her fingers through his finely textured hair, and to wipe away the pain reflected on his face—an emotion that surprised her so much, she leaped to her feet and leaned against the building. When Joseph opened his eyes, he said, “I might as well go home, accept the fact that I’m handicapped, and learn to live with it. I’ll never be able to manage those exercise machines.”

“It’s normal for you to feel like that. I pointed out Della Sinnet to you. She came to us using a walker soon after NLC opened. She’d had two hip replacements. None of us were optimistic about helping her, and there were days when she cried in frustration. After only a few minutes on the treadmill her body hurt so much she had to stop. But Della believed that ‘with God, all things are possible,’ and she kept at it. Slowly, we began to see progress, and the day that Della climbed Faith Mountain, we had a party.”

“Faith Mountain? I’ve never heard of it.”

Connie laughed. “Not many people have. It’s a hill on our property, several hundred feet higher in altitude than we are here, but it’s a steep climb to the top. When one of our patients is able to scale that hill, we know they’ve just about recovered.”

“If an eighty-year-old can make it, perhaps I can, too. I’m ready to continue the tour,” Joseph said, struggling to his feet.

They checked out the pool area and the aerobic room, where exercises were in progress, before they reached the cafeteria.

“It’s a little early, but let’s have lunch anyway. You’re our guest today, Joseph. Incidentally, we use first names at NLC.”

“All health foods, I suppose,” Joseph said, a twinkle in his gray eyes, as they entered a brightly decorated room that could seat fifty diners.

“All our meals are designed with health in mind, but we believe moderation is the key to good living, so the cooks provide occasional treats,” Connie said as she directed Joseph to a small table beside a window. “There’s a buffet in the evening, but we order from a menu for breakfast and lunch.”

When they were seated, she took two menus from the rack and handed one to him. “Our sandwiches are served on whole wheat or rye bread, and everything is low-cal as much as possible. If you want a hot meal, I’d recommend the pasta dishes.”

“Please order for me. I haven’t paid much attention to my diet for several months. I don’t care what I eat.”

“Very well. We’ll have the pasta and chicken, a vegetable salad with tarragon vinegar and a bowl of mixed fruit. Spring water for our beverage.”

A waitress soon placed their meals before them, and Joseph attacked his food as if he hadn’t eaten for a month, surprised that his appetite had returned. He couldn’t remember when he’d been hungry. Appraising Connie obliquely, he wondered how much her presence contributed to his enjoyment of the meal.

Questioning what had happened to her appetite, Connie picked at her pasta. Habitually, she never left a morsel of food on her plate, but Joseph’s keen, appraising glances unnerved her. Remembering that electric moment in the office, she wondered if he sensed the attraction between them also. Finally, she pushed the pasta and salad aside and nibbled on the mixed fruit.

When the silence became unbearable, she directed the conversation to Joseph’s ranch, and they talked amicably while they ate.

“I went to college, intending to study ophthalmology, but, after a year, I knew I couldn’t spend my life tied to an office. Ranching was what I loved, so I changed my major to agriculture, which pleased my father. He was nearing retirement age, and he wanted me to take over the ranch.”

As Joseph described the changes he’d made at the ranch since his father’s retirement, he seemed to forget his physical and emotional problems. They’d just finished eating when the kitchen door opened and a plump, graying woman in her fifties approached their table.

Remembering what Kim had told her, Connie hoped this encounter wouldn’t embarrass Joseph, but when Rose stopped beside them, Connie said, “Mr. Caldwell, this is our head cook, Rose Nash—the one responsible for the good meal we’ve enjoyed. Rose, this is Joseph Caldwell. He’s looking over our facility today.”

“Oh, I know Mr. Caldwell,” she said.

Joseph looked up quickly, and rose awkwardly to his feet. His face registered astonishment, but not guilt or displeasure, as he shook Rose’s hand.

“This is a surprise, Rose! I didn’t know what happened to you after Mr. Perry died. I’m glad to see you. You’re looking—” he hesitated “—fit.”

Rose threw back her head and laughed heartily. “Don’t you mean fat? I try to eat the food Connie prescribes, but I’d overindulged too long before I came to NLC. She hasn’t given up on me yet—I’ve only been here a year.”

“Sit down, Rose,” Connie invited. “You probably need a break.”

Rose took the chair between them, explaining, “Connie, I was employed by Mr. Caldwell’s in-laws for several years.”

“And I remember all the good food you served us,” Joseph said.

“Like that chocolate-pecan pie you liked so well?” Favoring Connie with a mischievous glance, Rose said, “I brought a big box of recipes from the Perry home. If I can find the directions for that pie, I’ll bake one for you.”

“That will definitely be a factor in my decision. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Connie listened silently while Joseph and Rose talked about the Perrys, and the childhood of Virginia and George, her brother. The conversation was lighthearted until Rose stood up. “Time for me to go back to work. It’s almost noon, and I’ll be busy. It’s good to see you again, Mr. Caldwell. I’m sorry you and George are having problems—you were always such good buddies.”

A somber expression clouded Joseph’s face, and he said stiffly, “I’m sorry, too, but I suppose he’s doing what he thinks is right.”

Leaving the dining room, Connie noticed that Joseph walked with increasing difficulty, and she pointed to a golf cart parked nearby. “Let’s take the rest of the tour on wheels, for I have an appointment in about an hour.”

She wanted to save his pride by suggesting the cart was for her benefit, but when he put his arm on her shoulder for added support as he eased into the seat, a little twinge of excitement flowed into her heart. It’s high time you get your emotions under control, she admonished herself sternly. But she wasn’t sure her heart received the message.