Beach Winds Read Online Free Page B

hospitals and illness.
    “I see you have a visitor, Mr. Will. Are you family? The niece?”
    “ Grandniece, actually. Or great niece. Whichever it is. You’re Janet?”
    “ That’s me. It’s nice of you to come see him. He hasn’t had many visitors.”
    Frannie slid the chair back a few screeching inches to allow the nurse’s aide to pass. Janet pulled her own chair close in order to spoon the soft food into Will’s mouth. He choked and Frannie was alarmed. How did you help someone who was choking when their body was so frail? She was glad the nurse was there and the responsibility was hers.
    Frannie wanted out. More than that smell, it was t he faces, the waiting faces she’d passed in the hallway—the can-you-see-me faces—that weighed her down like she was dragging chains. Add to that, the inability to have a reasonable conversation with her uncle, as well as not knowing what to do, made her feel captive. Yet, she kept her butt in the chair and tried to keep her expression bland so he wouldn’t read the impatience that tied her up in knots. Had she taken her stomach medicine? A growing burning sensation, like banked coals not quite extinguished, warned her of worse to come.
    “ Should I leave? I don’t want to be in the way.”
    Janet looked at her as if the question were nonsense. She didn ’t waste words on an answer, but instead, turned back to Will with a spoonful of applesauce.
    “ Have another bite, Mr. Denman.”
    He sputtered and shook his head. She snuck a peek at her watch. How much longer? She looked up. His keen gaze, sharp despite the faded hazel color, was fastened upon her.
    He could afford a dedicated nurse ’s aide. She hadn’t considered correcting her mother when she’d made the remark about Uncle Will’s financial state. He wasn’t living only on his pension. That was a tidbit of info her darling mother didn’t need to know.
    “ I’ll be right back.” Janet left the room.
    Frannie searched her brain, desperate for light conversation—statements that didn’t require a response.
    “ I remember what you told me about the navy, and why you named the house Captain’s Walk .”
    He lips moved, but his words were garbled.
    “ Remember that day you called me? I didn’t know what to think. I never had much family, except for Mother and Dad, but you know that. Anyway, you told me you had been a chief petty officer. You said you named the house Captain’s Walk because it was the only deck you’d ever be captain of, right?”
    He gave a small nod, but he looked frustrated and that defeated look returned to his eyes.
    Frannie tried again. “Mrs. Blair said to say ‘hello’.
    No change in his expression.
    Try again, Frannie.
    “ Your handyman, Brian Donovan, made a repair to the house.” She saw something in his eyes. He was worried about his home. She added quickly, “A small repair. Nothing big. Loose lattice.” She hoped that hearing about his house and his handyman might give him comfort, but how exhausting it was to have this one-sided conversation. She was certain that inside his brain, he heard and responded, but they were powerless to breach the communication wall caused by his stroke.
    Desperate for something else to throw into the silence, she said, “I’m thinking of sprucing things up with a little paint. Inside, that is. If you don’t mind.”
    H e’d turned away and was now staring at a poster on the wall. A beach scene. Bright shades of pink, blue and turquoise. Typical beach colors.
    That smell swirled again.
    Frannie looked at Janet and said, “I guess I’ll go.”
    She rose and walked slowly to the door. Will continued staring at the poster.
    “ Get better, Uncle Will. I’ll come again soon.”
    He did nothing to indicate he’d heard her, or that he cared.
    Driving back to Emerald Isle , she decided it was too soon to sell his house even though, more likely than not, it would need to be sold. In fact, in this real estate market, it made sense to spend