Page 14 of One Golden Ring
“Who was that?” Derek asks.
“Someone from the lodge,” I tell him as I run to the door and start shoving my feet in my boots. “Your grandfather is there. He collapsed.”
We head out together without another word, pulling on our coats as we go.
Please let him be okay,I pray as we practically run along the drive and up to the lodge.
I’ve only known the man for a few hours and he’s already special to me. I can’t imagine what it would do to Derek to lose his grandfather without having the chance to say goodbye.
By the time we get to the lodge, I’m hoping we’ve beat the ambulance. What if they’ve already taken Michael?
Derek opens the door to the lodge himself and I feel a pang.
It’s warm inside, but very quiet. A group of people are crouched on the floor around a prone figure.
Please, please, please,I pray.
“Mr. Lockwood,” Maddie says, standing. “He’s awake now.”
“Is that my grandson?” a weak voice asks.
“Hey, Grandpa,” Derek says, his voice rich with a calm I know he doesn’t feel.
A lady in a housekeeping uniform moves to allow Derek room to join his grandfather.
“I’m so embarrassed,” Michael says. “Got a little lightheaded there. I forgot to eat breakfast. Guess I can’t get away with that at my age.”
It’s clearly the flimsy excuse of a sick man who doesn’t want to admit his weakness. But to Derek’s credit, he doesn’t bat an eye.
“Would you like me to help you onto the couch?” he offers.
“Oh, I can get up on my own,” Michael says making no effort to do so.
And there’s no need, because Derek takes hisgrandfather in his arms and lifts him effortlessly to the sofa, depositing him so gently it makes my heart ache.
Maddie appears at Michael’s side with a glass of water. She must have been in the lobby writing again today. Her laptop sits abandoned on one of the tables.
“Just tiny sips, okay?” she tells him, and I recognize her voice as the one that called us at the cabin. “The ambulance will be here soon.”
“Oh dear, no,” Michael says, looking horrified. “I don’t need an ambulance.”
“We’ll just let them check you out, Grandpa,” Derek says smoothly. “Since they’re already on their way. You know they don’t get enough calls up on the mountain for the young guys to get their training hours.”
It’s a clever way to let his grandfather save face and Michael frowns a bit but he doesn’t argue. He even takes a small sip of water.
“Back to work, everyone,” Margo announces loudly. “Let Michael catch his breath.”
“Sorry for the trouble,” Michael says sadly as everyone floats back to whatever they must have been doing before he collapsed.
I guess it’s early enough that it was only the staff out here to see him fall and not any of the guests. It’s a saving grace for the man in a way, that it happened while he was surrounded by friends.
But he lives on his own. I can’t imagine if something like this happened at his house and there was no one there to help him.
“You can’t keep working like this, Grandpa,” Dereksays as soon as we’re more or less alone with him. “It’s time for you to step back.”
“This place is my world,” Michael whispers. “And they need me.”
“Ineed you,” Derek tells him. “I wanted to ask your help with something. Darcy, can you give us a moment? Maybe go get something to eat?”
