Page 46 of Roark
Tamika rolled her eyes but vowed to remain silent as she and Roark ushered the women inside.
The cottage needed renovating as well as cleaning work as a result of the fire, and after a spirited debate with Roark about who was going to pay for everything—she’d won—the contractors were scheduled to start work next Monday morning. She’d let him buy her clothes and she was staying at this gorgeous—or as her mother had just said, “fancy”—B&B free of charge. No way was she going to let him take on the price of the renovations to her parents’ home. Even if the insurance company hadn’t indicated they’d pay the claim, Tamika had a comfortable savings account she would’ve drawn from without hesitation.
“It’s just temporary,” Tamika reminded the two prickly women. “As soon as the repairs to the cottage are complete, you can move back in.”
Geoff had sent them to the hospital in a limousine this afternoon so her mother and Tuppence would have comfortable space during the twenty-minute ride back. Two black SUVs with armed guards rode with them. Tamika was glad to hear her mother talking so much, but a little worn by all the negativity and speculation in Sandra’s tone.
“Looks like royalty lives here,” Tuppence was saying as they moved into the parlor.
It was the closest room right off the foyer to the left, and she’d wanted them to sit down for a few minutes to catch their breath before going up the stairs to the rooms Dorianne had prepared for them.
“Not royalty,” Roark said as he helped Tuppence onto one of the floral couches. “My family owns the place but we rent it out, similar to the way you used to rent out your cottage, Mrs. Rayder.”
“Your family.” Her mother sat back on the end of the couch Tamika had taken her to, and Sandra stared across the room at Roark.
Tamika had noticed her looking at Roark this way in the hospital when he’d entered her room and Tamika had introduced him. Both she and Roark had wondered how her mother would react to hearing his name. Tamika had already told him and Pierce that her mother admitted to knowing Maxine Donovan had been sending her father letters, but her mother hadn’t mentioned anything about that conversation since that day over a week ago. And truthfully, Tamika had been afraid to push for more information, because her mother looked so fragile with bandages still covering the scars on her arms and neck.
“You’ve got a big family, don’t you?” Sandra asked Roark.
He stood next to the couch where Tuppence was sitting and nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I do.”
“Then you’re blessed,” she said. “Never forget how blessed you are to have a lot of people who love and care about you.”
“No, ma’am, I won’t.” Roark glanced at Tamika then, but she looked away from him because she didn’t want to see his subtle push for her to find out what her mother knew about their group of friends and any grudge one of them might be holding against the others.
While Tamika wanted to find out who was doing this, she wasn’t willing to risk her mother’s sanity for it, and something deep inside told her it was only going to take one more thing before Sandra went to the point of no return with her depression.
“Bet y’all have had some big parties here,” Tuppence said. She was short, so her feet didn’t touch the floor, and she looked around the room, eyes wide as she took everything in.
Each time Tamika stared at the woman, her heart warmed. Not only because Tuppence had helped save her mother’s life, but that she was still here with them also. The infection that had begun after her surgery had cleared up quickly, which was why she’d been released along with her mother. There’d been no drugs in Tuppence’s system, but traces of succinylcholine had been detected in her mother’s.
“Actually, we’ve never spent time here as a family,” Roark said and then frowned. “I don’t really know why not, but this is the first time any members of my family have been here.”
“Shame—this is a great room. A big ‘ole Christmas tree would look wonderful in that corner near the window. And all the presents spread out. The fireplace would be lit, and somebody could start singing Christmas carols.” There was a light in Tuppence’s eyes when she spoke. “You remember we talked about our favorite Christmas stories, Sandra. We sat in front of that little tree, the only size I could carry by myself, and just talked for hours.”
Sandra rolled her eyes. “You talked, Tuppence. I listened.” Because five months ago she hadn’t been in the mood to talk. Tamika hated that she hadn’t been here sooner, to help her mother get through her grief.
“Well, Dorianne has promised to cook a big dinner, so we’ll all sit together in the main dining room and it’ll be just like having a family dinner.” Roark’s announcement shocked Tamika a little, because in the time she’d been here with him, he hadn’t talked about this place with the adoration she saw in his eyes and heard in his tone now.
“Ah, that’s right. If you’d like, we can help you both upstairs to your rooms, where you can get some rest until its dinnertime.” Now that they were here, she wanted them to get as much rest as they could. Their healing was her number one priority at the moment.
“Is there a television in my room?” Sandra asked.
“Yes, Mama, there is. And it has all the premium channels, including one that runs classic Black movies, so you can settle down and watch some of your favorites.”
“I’d rather have a window than a television,” Tuppence began easing herself to the edge of the chair, attempting to get up on her own.
Roark was immediately at her side, wrapping an arm around her and taking her hand to ease her off the couch slowly. Sandra continued to stare at him. “There’s a huge window in your room, Ms. Gregory, and I’ll move the chair closer to it so you can sit and look outside.”
“I don’t know how many times I need to tell you to call me Tuppence, but yes, I’d like to sit in front of the window for a while. Seems like I’ve been laying down forever.”
As Roark moved past them with Tuppence, and Sandra lifted shaking fingers to cover her mouth.
“Are you alright, Mama?”
For a few seconds, Sandra didn’t answer. When Tamika kneeled down beside her and placed a hand on Sandra’s knee, her mother finally shook her head. “I’m fine.” Sandra cleared her throat. “Just need to take a nap.”
“Are you sure?” Tamika asked. “Does Roark remind you of someone?” His father maybe? The man she’d gone to school with and whose wife had been killed almost a month ago.
