CHAPTER FIVE

 

"GLADYS, DO YOU WANT TO PRESS CHARGES?"

The room filled with the angry voices, everyone talking at once. The shrill sound of Sheriff Tucker whistling with two fingers in his mouth quieted the pandemonium. "That's better! I couldn't hear a damn thing. I need some answers." Once again, the sound of near hysterical voices drowned out his voice." Shaking his head, he walked toward Bella. "Maybe I'll take you down to the jail. I won't have this problem there."

"Wait a darn minute." Garrett walked up to the Sheriff, Amanda following him so closely that if he'd stopped suddenly, she would have careened into his backside. "I don't know what Miss Howard's trying to pull here, but I looked in that cabinet not more than an hour ago. It was empty. But when she unlocked it," Garrett nodded his head toward the nurse, "taa-daa--jewelry! Now, I don't recall seeing anything but her back as she opened the door."

Bella's heart did an erratic dance. Twisting around she stared at Garrett, her eyebrows raising with shock. "You think Amanda slipped the items into the cabinet?" she asked, her voice sounded hollow. An oppressive silence filled all the corners of the room like a thick fog, and encapsulated Bella in the indistinct mystery of the situation.

"You're telling me someone, uh...Miss Howard planted the watch and rings?" The Sheriff asked, his bushy eyebrows elevated his baggy eyelids, the look screamed amazed.

Garrett's crooked smile took on a sarcastic twist as he looked down at the top of the nurse's head. "I don't know who did this, but it's quite apparent someone did."

"I told you that Bella would never steal from me," Gladys Fortney declared, poking a thick finger into Judd's chest. "Now, you've got everyone upset."

"Me? What'd I do?"

"Why didn't you go home? Are you in cahoots with that nurse? And you called Sheriff Tucker after I asked you not to. Now, quit acting like an idiot."

"Mrs. Fortney, please!" The Sheriff slammed his palms down on the tabletop in front of him. "I'll ask you again--do you want to press charges against Mrs. Mann?"

Gladys closed her white-fringed eyes, shaking her head. "Of course not. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

Becky walked to Bella, giving her a friendly hug of triumph, and glared at Judd. "Mr. Fortney," Becky said, "I think you should work with Sheriff Tucker here to find out just who is responsible for these thefts." Her gaze switched to Judd Fortney. "You do think Bella is innocent, don't you Judd?

His lips curled in a sneer. "Hardly. I know she's behind this, and I'll prove it, too." He took Gladys' arm, pulling her toward the door. "Come on Gram. You're probably exhausted."

She shook her arm out of Judd's hand, glaring at him. Then she walked over to Bella. "I'm sorry for all this, darling." She leaned forward, kissing Bella on the cheek and whispered, "Don't worry about Judd. I'll take care of him."

"Thanks," Bella said, a windy sigh gusted through her lips.

"Well, I can't do any more around here," the Sheriff said. "Call me again if you need my services."

Amanda's eyes raked over the Sheriff with contempt and disbelief. "You can't be serious. I want Bella arrested!"

Sheriff Tucker shook his head. "Not if Gladys won't press charges."

"But, but someone took the jewelry!"

"That's true, but it wasn't Mrs. Mann. Mr. Brooks here says he saw the cabinet unlocked and empty tonight. He was with Bella here in this office, or just outside the door in the activities room. She didn't have the opportunity to hide the jewelry without being seen."

"No, Sheriff, that's not quite right. I did leave for say thirty minutes. There was a big scream fest down the hall when Judd arrived. I went down there to see what was happening."

"So…someone could have planted the stuff…"

"Sheriff, I need to speak to you," Amanda said, then took the Sheriff's arm and guided him out the door and toward her fish bowl office.

Bella, Becky and Garrett stood speechlessly in the middle of the room staring at each other. Bella's lips thinned in irritation. "God, Garrett, I don't understand what's going on. If you hadn't looked through the cabinets and found the little door unlocked and empty, I'd be in jail right now. Thanks!"

"I felt quite guilty pawing through those cabinets without you in the office, but, you're right, it was a stroke of luck. The way I figure this, someone had to plant the jewelry when I was out of this area. It happened at the same time Judd was hollering in his grandmother's room."

"That'd be a good distraction," Becky said. "I'm sure everyone in the building heard him and came running. The hall was full of residents and staff for a while."

"God, I thought it was bad around here before, but now, everyone will think I'm a thief!" The realization stabbed at her heart. All she'd ever wanted was to help these wonderful elderly people adjust; give them a home-like environment where they could spend the end of their lives being as productive as in their younger years.

She'd always treated the individuals who lived at the care center as she expected her parents to be treated if they were in the same situation. Now, she had to wonder about the security of her position.

"I think we'd better get out of here before something else happens." Garrett said. "You look tired."

Bella nodded her agreement. "I am, a little."

"And I should have been outta here an hour ago," Becky added, "my son will wonder what happened to me. And heaven forbid, he'll have all the groceries in the house devoured. When he gets home from basketball practice, he's famished."

"When is his first game?" Bella asked.

"The first Friday in January. Then I'll be busy following the team around on Friday and Saturday nights!"

"I'm planning on catching as many games as I can this year." Bella said.

"I'm glad to hear that. We need everyone we can get in the cheerin' section. That really helps."

Bella smiled and told Garrett, "I was the sports jock and Becky was the cheerleader."

Becky ducked her head and said, "Yeah, but you didn't get knocked-up and have to quit school."

Concern darkened Bella's eyes. "You're not still dwelling on that are you?"

Becky shrugged. "I feel somewhat beneath you. I'm a nurse and you're--"

"Wait one darn minute!" Bella interrupted. "You've worked hard, getting your GED then going on to nursing school. Your handsome son is one year from graduation. I'd say you've done quite well as a single mother."

"Yeah, you're right, but sometimes, I wonder what I could have been if I hadn't quit."

"Probably a nurse." Bella sat quietly, trying hard not to preach to her friend. Becky lacked self-confidence. Maybe the reason really was the circumstances of high school, but should one episode rule her whole life? Bella wanted to holler the well-used cliché, 'get a life,' but didn't. Right now, Bella was Becky's best, possibly only, friend.

It was dark and cold when she and Garrett walked outside. Snow covered the parking lot and wind whistled through a thick grove of evergreen trees, stinging their eyes with piercing flakes of snow. The whole town sat on the side of mountain. Houses and businesses alike lined the main street running through the town. A few massive, expensive homes sat higher on the peak, but much of Evergreen followed along three miles of highway twenty-five. Garrett opened the door for Bella then hurried around to the driver's side, sliding into the cold interior of the vehicle.

Bella leaned back into the contoured seat of Garrett's vehicle. She didn't feel like talking, so many thoughts rolled through her mind. Why had Amanda been so quick to think her guilty of stealing? Didn't she know by now that Bella wouldn't hurt nor compromise the residents?

Not only was this situation at work bothering her, Garrett Brooks was complicating her life, too. She hadn't thought, romantically, about another man since her husband's death. She couldn't tell him about her mixed-up feeling; feelings that she'd kept hidden for a long, long time. One moment she missed her husband like crazy and the next, she nearly hated him.

Bella scrutinized Garrett's profile. The light from an oncoming car illuminated his chiseled features making his face a study of sharp planes and deep hollows. A pang of guilt twisted painfully in her stomach. Surely, she wouldn't spend the rest of her life feeling guilty each time she felt attracted to a man. Gathering her courage she realized, where this man was concerned, she was in deep trouble. Garrett was far too perceptive for her peace of mind.

"You're so quiet. What are you thinking about?" Garrett quizzed. He navigated the snow-packed streets without turning his head in her direction.

Shrugging slightly she said, "Nothing in particular. It's been a long week and…and I dread returning to work Monday."

A fine skiff of snow whipped through the air causing the streetlights to look hazy. She shivered, pulling her coat closer to her. The icy spectacle matched the feeling in her bones. Numbing fear. She was afraid about the problems at work and she was terrified to let Garrett close to her. Would she have felt different if her whole relationship with Scott hadn't been a lie? If he hadn't wiped out their saving account leaving her nearly destitute after his death. The old women living at the care center talked about their late husbands with such fondness, and she prayed she could be like that...someday.

Sharply turning the steering wheel, Garrett maneuvered the long driveway, his destination the garage. Once there, he killed the lights and switched off the ignition. "Hell of a day, huh?"

She flashed him a grin. "I wouldn't call it normal. This day has felt more like a week long."

Garrett walked around the front of the vehicle, then opened Bella's door. Taking his hand, she stepped out onto the aluminum running board and down onto the ground landing only inches from him. "You are a gallant gentleman, sir."

"And you are a sumptuous woman." Garrett reached out for her, pulling her into his arms.

"It feels ridiculous to be here laughing when I should be wailing about at work." Her mood took a sharp drop, but when she looked at Garrett, she felt her face pull into a silly perky smile. Oh geez…the way he was looking at her…would he kiss her? Her body tensed in anticipation. They looked at each other for the longest time, their smiles fading as the moment became serious. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. She wanted to lean forward and touch her lips to his just to ease the agony of the tension between them. Instead, she tilted up her face, feeling a strange tightening in her middle.

His mouth moved over hers; gently coaxing, filled with hunger. The tension of the day fell away, and she forgot everything except how to respond as a woman. She'd never thought of herself as an experienced kisser, and now...? The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention.

Garrett pulled his lips from hers. His expression, eyes half closed, lips full and pouty looked lusty then suddenly, he grinned devilishly at her. The nearness of him caused the sounds of the night to amplify; the wind whooshing through the trees sounded deafening. Could he hear her heart hammering in her chest over that sound?

Then, Garrett lowered his head again. His lips were soft, yet demanding as they captured hers. The light pressure of his mouth on hers was pleasant, but not overwhelming. Bella's back stiffened and she started to pull away, but Garrett, reached around her, took her by the shoulders pulling her deeper into his embrace. The movement pushed all thoughts from her mind. The taste of his tongue as it swept over her lips tantalized her to the very core. She surrendered into an explosion of desire camouflaging her fears and erased thoughts of anything except him. Bella became a quivering ball of desire. She wanted him to lift her to that secret realm where lovers liquefy into a pulsing pool of sensation.

Suddenly, she found herself at the imagined boundary that separated her from happiness. She felt her body freeze over and tighten. The pleasant feel of the kiss was over, and in its place-- no sensations at all.

Ever so slowly, Garrett separated his lips from hers and gently stroked her flushed cheek. He tilted his forehead against hers and said, "You aren't the only one who is afraid, you know. I'm afraid you'll capture my heart, and that might mean I could hurt you badly...very badly. Be careful Bella."

The threat in his words caused her throat to tightened making it difficult to swallow. She was afraid to ask him what he meant.

Garrett took her cold hand and led her into the warm entry. They walked together up the steps and stopped on the landing between the doors to their apartments. Garrett brushed a long strand of hair from her thick lashes then pulled her close. The embrace was more like a friend's comforting shoulder, than a romantic overture. "You have beautiful hair."

Bella shrugged. "Thanks." And nervously added, "It's the same color as my mother's." The thick wave of mahogany hair fell to her waist like a giant satin ribbon. The mane disguised Bella's thirty years. Her mother had urged her, repeatedly, to cut it and add a bit of class to her life. Bella had even arranged appointments at a local salon. But she wasn't ready to let go of it yet. Ever since her parents had moved to Arizona for the winter, Bella had missed her mother's nagging. Here it was, nearly Christmas and she missed them terribly. If she weren't so busy at the care center during the holidays, she would take a vacation to her parent's winter home.

Picking up a lock of hair, Bella pulled it toward her face and scrutinized it thoughtfully. Maybe her mother was right. "This mop has gotten out of hand. Ever since my husband died, I haven't thought about such things."

"I'm going to break through your pain, you know," Garrett said, his voice husky with desire. "Then I'll teach you how to feel again." He touched her cheek gently and smiled. "Have a good rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

He closed his door softly leaving Bella standing there shaking. Why did she have to find this man now? Her life was a complete mess and she was afraid Garrett was right when he said he could hurt her. Would he open the floodgates of her feelings then show her how it really felt to hurt?

* * * *

The next week crept past slowly. She hadn't seen anything of Garrett, and his apartment was silent every time she switched off the stereo. Each morning she dressed carefully in the event she came across him on the landing.

She stood in front of the oak-framed mirror beside her dresser. Her reflection showed a frightened look in her almond-shaped hazel eyes. She forced herself to narrow her gaze to regain that stern look to her appearance. This was her normal work expression, and it seemed to help her conceal the pain that tore at her daily. Try as she might, this week, her lips, full and pouting, betrayed the stern demeanor, and the harder she tried, the more beautiful her reflection became.

Bella wanted a slim, waif-like body, but she could never diet long enough to achieve that look. She was large-framed with long, gently rounded legs that accentuated the curve of her hips and in conjunction with her full bust line, only emphasized her narrow waist.

Bella tossed on her coat and opened the front door hoping to catch a glimpse of Garrett as she left for work, but he didn't appear. Maybe tonight she would knock on his door and offer him more cookies.

* * * *

Bella rushed down the corridor toward the staff dining room. Her cream-colored silk blouse moved softly across her tension knotted shoulders as the words Judd had spoken on the weekend played in her head. How could a man as attractive as Judd be so cantankerous?

Bella's mind spun with all the words she wished she'd told him, boy, was she going to let him have it the next time they ran into each other, and the way it had been going, she felt sure they would meet again.

She felt tired and short-tempered. It had been a long day with the admission of three new residents. Mrs. Randall was the last person she'd scheduled to interview. Bella was sure she would have to work late. She'd stopped by Lillian Randall's room, but the woman wasn't there. At the nurse's station, they told her she was out with family. The difference in families always surprised her. Jud Fortney was seldom around, only when his grandmother called in severe distress, and here was a new resident and she was out of the facility with loved ones. She wished she could bottle kindness. She'd dump the whole thing on Judd.

Bella wrapped her arms around herself as she walked through the bridge. The small amount of gloomy light filtering in through the windows warmed the air, but she felt cold to the bone. How could plants live here? She was more despondent and lonely than ever.

The din of voices and clattering dishes drifted from the cafeteria. Some of her fellow staff members sat quietly, fatigued expressions covered their faces, while others chatted freely with animation. Bella's mood fell somewhere in between. It only took a moment for the room to fall into silence as she entered. She looked around in disbelief. There was no question about it--they were ostracizing her.

"Bella. Over here!" Becky waved frantically, pointing to the empty chair beside her. Two steaming mugs of coffee sat before her.

This must be the way cattle feel as they head through a shoot, Bella thought. Suddenly, she felt her legs go out from under her and she pitched backward, falling. Trying to right herself, her hand smacked someone sitting at the table beside her. Strong hands came up under her arms stopping her fall. "Sorry, Bella. I was only trying to get your attention when I stuck my foot out, I didn't mean to trip you." Dr. Adam Roth offered. "Have a seat." He pulled out two chairs "I want to talk to you."

"I don't know if you should say that in this crowd. The people around here might take after you like a lynch mob," she said, her mouth tightening with indignation.

Adam kicked a chair in her direction. Looking around the room, Bella dropped. What was happening to all these men? It began on the weekend, Judd flipped-out and tried to have her framed for stealing his grandmother's jewelry, now Adam seemed peculiar. And she was right; nearly everyone was staring at her. "You really frightened me, you know." Her voice raged but came out a whisper.

"Sorry," he said insincerely. His mouth twitched nervously. "I wanted to tell you, I-I can't make our date tomorrow night."

Bella stared at him, her eyes wide. She couldn't quite miss his expression. It wasn't a real date anyway; Adam had offered to escort her to the gala. "Is this the same reason you didn't stop by my office with the assessments for your new resident?"

He made a condescending clicking sound against his teeth. "Oh, are things starting to go badly for you?"

Adam's smug smile ticked her off. "No," she snapped, but her heart felt like a crushed shell. "But why don't you answer one question for me before I leave your table."

"Shoot."

"Why is everyone blacklisting me?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You don't know?"

Bella shook her head and a few wisps of red hair escaped the bounds of the tight knot at the nape of her neck. "I really wish you'd tell me."

Adam's light colored gaze narrowed with distaste and he shook his head slightly as he offered, "I'm not ready for all the problems that could cause. Let's change the subject."

Adam had been her friend from childhood. Surely, that meant something to him. "Please tell me what's going on!" She demanded, defiantly raising her chin with pride.

He took a deep breath and studied her intently. "It all has to do with this abuse thing and the thefts. You're going to cause all of us to lose our jobs. Just drop the accusations and give it a rest, will ya? Everything will be back to normal before you know it." He covered her hand with his.

She jerked her hand out from under his. The pain in his eyes made her feel instinctively guilty, but sometimes, she wondered if he did that on purpose. He had a way of manipulating her, and he'd done so since they were children.

When they were in the third grade, Adam released the Science club's caged rabbits. He set them free in a vacant lot adjoining the schoolyard.

Upon discovery of the deed, Adam had second thoughts. The teacher had reprimanded him sternly earlier in the day for hiding her book bag that contained their weekly math test. The young boy feared expulsion from school and begged Bella to rescue him. He thought the teacher would be forgiving to the kind girl. He seemed so sincere that Bella confessed to the animal break out.

The teacher found Bella's prank delightful, but she still lost her recess privileges for a whole week.

"Bella...are you there?"

"Oh! I didn't mean to drift off like that."

"That's all right. Now, about what I said…"

She shook her head. "I'll have to think about this. There is a lot at stake here."

"Yeah, like my job. By the way, how are the plans for the gala going?"

"I'm getting a severe case of nerves about tomorrow night. Mr. Van Horn hasn't given me any of the information he promised. Have you seen him today?"

"No, but I did hear he was under the weather and stayed home." Adam wiggled his eyebrows humorously. The hospital administrator had a weakness for alcohol and now that he was retiring, the business held little importance to him.

"That's just great," she exclaimed. "We've worked for months to get this gala underway and now he's going to mess it up."

"Wing it, babe. You're good at that."

"I still have a speech to write and I need his information. Lucky me." Bella looked in Becky's direction. Becky scowled into her coffee. Becky was having a hard time understanding Bella's platonic non-relationship, friendship, whatever you wanted to call it, with Adam. Or, were they still friends at all. Becky didn't look very happy. That was all Bella needed. She felt like walking out the door and charging her absence to her sick day column on her time sheet. And it wasn't a lie. She felt bad. Right now, Becky could have Adam.

All Bella wanted was to flee from this doctor, the room and her miserable life.

She took a few steps in Becky's direction when Adam called back, "Still friends?"

She ignored his sarcastic question and kept on moving. She heard the snickers from other staff members in the room. How could he call himself her friend when he acted this way?

"I can't believe how awful this day has been." Bella slid into the chair kicking her shoes from her feet. She sighed as she reached for the cool coffee. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get away from Adam."

"I feel limp after that code, but we pulled the patient through." Becky placed her hand in the crook of her neck massaging the tight muscles.

"You were in ER for quite a while." She sipped her coffee silently. "What are you doing after work?"

"I have parent-teacher conference. I sure hope Jody's doin' better. What'd ya have in mind?"

"I need help finding something to wear to the gala tomorrow night. Now I don't have an escort. That's what Adam was dropping on me." Bella folded a straw paper into a tiny square. "Hey! He's available for you, Becky."

Heaving a sigh, Becky rolled her eyes at Bella.

"You sound like you have Bella Mann syndrome. You usually don't grumble like this."

"It's my turn to dislike men for a while. All 'cept my kid, he's different. I've raised him for seventeen years. He's turned into a great guy." The nurse laughed.

"Don't worry so much about all of this. Give it a rest. It'll blow over. I want to go outside for a smoke," Becky said.

"I'm really sick of this topic. Can we change subjects?" Bella looked from the pack of cigarettes, to her friend, and back again. She'd tired of preaching the evils of tobacco. It seemed strange to her that health care facilities had the highest concentration of smokers, even though the medical staff worked first-hand with the unfortunate results of smoking.

"Chill, Bella! I've cut down--a lot."

A certified nurse assistant, dressed in her pale pink uniform, walked by with the coffeepot to return it to the warmer. Becky reached out her hand and stopped the woman, asking for a refill.

A tingling sensation came over her, causing Bella to look up. There was no mistaking the cold stare directed at her.

The frigid glare didn't go unnoticed by Becky, either. "I guess the rumors about you are spreading," she said after the woman walked away.

Bella leaned toward Becky, her interest growing. "What have you heard?"

Her voice a whisper, Becky turned her head toward Bella. "They're sayin' that you're sneakin' around to spy on them, and that you're lyin' about stolen property on the incident reports. It didn't help that they found Gladys' jewelry in your office, either. But the thing they're the maddest about is," her voice lowered even more, "they say you told Mr. Van Horn they're doin' it!"

Bella sighed. There was a ring of truth in the rumors. She was documenting complaints from the residents, noting missing property, and she'd notified the administrator. How could this information be public knowledge? The only person she'd told was Mr. Van Horn.

"Becky. You know about my concerns. As a matter-of-fact, we've discussed this. You agreed with me then. You even reported that CNA who yelled at Mrs. Colby."

"Everyone reports things to ya, Bella."

"Yes, that's true, but the only problem is, they won't stand behind me. Now, everyone thinks I'm just a troublemaker. Sometimes, I wonder about Mr. Van Horn. I think he's trying to sweep this under the rug. He'll retire and let someone else handle the problem."

"Well, don't tell anyone I'm helpin' ya."

"I think you're suspect anyway just because you're my friend. Hey, Beck, I've been thinking," Bella said in an attempt to change the subject. "Why don't you invite Adam to the dance? I know you're still hung-up on him. He canceled on me because of the stuff going on around here, but I'm sure he wouldn't hold that against you."

"I've got a date already. Why do ya keep pushin' Adam at me? He doesn't want me any more," she complained querulously. She couldn't conceal her irritation that Bella and Adam were old friends. "I think he's a great doctor. All I have to do is call him and he comes runnin' to help the residents. Why, he's the one that prescribed antibiotics for my cold patients this morning."

Bella shook her head. "Do you ever wonder about that? Why is it that the other doctor's on staff never write as many scripts as Adam?"

"That's because they aren't as compassionate."

There was no use in arguing methods and techniques with her. Becky closed her mind and nothing Bella could say would change her mind. Bella wanted to tell Becky that all she had to do was to quit pushing Adam for a permanent relationship. Becky couldn't end every date with him expecting an engagement ring. But Bella didn't want to argue with her today. "I still haven't seen Mr. Van Horn. I need to talk to him about the new administrator before my speech tomorrow night. How can I introduce someone I don't even know?"

"If I see him, I'll call ya," she said sincerely. "No idea what you're wearin'?" Becky quizzed. "The last time I remember ya being so secretive was when you and Scott got married. I almost died when ya walked down the aisle dressed like Marilyn Monroe in that glittering, form-fitting dress." The humor fell from her face and she gave Bella an odd look. "Oh! You're not wearin' that tomorrow night, are you?"

Bella laughed, remembering the shocked expression on Scott's face as she walked down the aisle. "No. Don't worry. I won't be so blatantly sexual. I really won't embarrass you. I just wish I knew what to wear. I bought black pumps to wear with my basic black dress, but it's too boring. Therefore, I had a different idea. That's why I wanted you to come over. I don't know if I'm brave enough to wear it."

"Uh, oh...this sounds like my Bella of old. What are ya up to?"

Before she could avoid answering, her pager began to vibrate at her side. She walked to the telephone through a sea of indignant faces.