Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(41)

Pulling in line with the other vehicles, she shut off the engine, jumped out of the SUV, and rushed to where her mother stood at the back of the ambulance telling the EMT that she and her daughter would meet them at the hospital.

As Nora nodded her agreement, she spotted Dad lying on the stretcher inside the ambulance, a paramedic monitoring his vitals. An oxygen mask covered Dad’s face, making it impossible for him to see her before the back doors were closed.

“Thanks for coming,” Mom told Nora as the ambulance pulled away. “I’ll lock the house up, then fill you in on the way to the hospital.”

Nora used to pride herself on her ability to stay calm in high-anxiety situations. Like the time Trevor was riding his bike and ran into the mailbox. There had been so much blood running down one side of his face, she’d thought he might have lost an eye. She had been alert and focused as she washed his face and then driven him to the doctor. The gash above his eyebrow had needed fifteen stitches. Ever since Trevor’s near drowning, though, she’d been a wreck. Just like she was right now—off-kilter, scared to death she might never see Dad again.

Once Mom disappeared inside the house, Nora walked back to her SUV and slid behind the wheel. She turned on the engine and put the hospital address into her navigation system.

It was a few minutes before Mom reappeared. After she climbed in and buckled up, Nora drove off. “Where did you find Dad?” Nora asked, her gaze fixated on the pitted lane ahead of her.

“An officer found him on the west side of the lake, sitting in some random boat tied to the dock.”

“Did the neighbors call you?”

“No. It’s a vacation home, and they weren’t there.”

Nora worked her way around the biggest rut, then glanced at Mom, who was wringing her hands.

“Why was Dad wearing an oxygen mask?”

“They said he was dehydrated and had hypothermia.” Mom’s voice trembled. “He didn’t want to leave the boat.” She shook her head. “It was bad. Your dad tried to fight them off.”

“Tried to fight who off?”

“The EMTs when they went to check his vitals. Once he was sedated, he stopped fighting them, but he was furious about being taken to the hospital.”

“If he didn’t want to go, didn’t he have a choice?”

“I insisted, and he finally gave in. He thought I was his mother and that we were in New Jersey at his childhood home. He couldn’t answer basic questions about what day or year it was. I’m worried he had a stroke.”

“He’s obviously getting worse, Mom,” Nora said as she turned onto the main road. “You’re going to need help taking care of him.”

“I won’t allow it.”

The stern tone in Mom’s voice took Nora by surprise.

“He’s not comfortable with strangers,” Mom said calmly after a moment. “I’ll be fine.”

“What if I moved to Whispering Pines so I could help you take care of Dad?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mom look at her with arched brows. “How would that be possible? You’re so busy as it is.”

A flush of adrenaline made Nora’s insides tingle. She wasn’t sure where the declaration had come from, but the idea took off, blossoming in her mind. When she and David first met, she used to talk about being a consultant. Her plan was to work from home, assess businesses, and then provide software solutions.

“Don’t worry,” Mom said. “We’ll be fine.”

“I’m serious. I could quit my job and start my own business.”

“I don’t feel it’s my place to steer you either way,” Mom said, “but if you did decide to move to Whispering Pines, you can all live in the main house. As you know, I’ve already decided to move into the cottage with Dad.”

Excitement rippled through her body. Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner . . . much sooner? She loved the main house. It was old and needed a new roof and a few updates, but it had so much charm: rustic wood ceilings with dark wood beams. Bed frames made of logs and ceiling-to-floor windows with stunning views of the lake and surrounding pine trees.

“This really might work,” Nora said.

“You can remodel the kitchen, do whatever you want. The place will be yours when we’re gone anyway.”

Nora didn’t want to think about her parents being gone someday. But the idea of living in the main house, across the lake from the cottage where she could help Mom out, was appealing, and she felt herself quickly warming to the idea. Her family would have plenty of room. David worked remotely, and he and the kids loved the lake house. It might be a win-win. “I’ll talk to David and see what he thinks.”

“What about your work at IMPACT?” Mom asked.

Nora kept her eyes on the road as she talked. “Work has been overwhelming lately.”

“I thought you enjoyed your job?”

“I did . . . I do.” Who was she kidding? “I really like the people there . . . and the work is satisfying . . . at least it was in the beginning.”

“But not any longer?”

“It’s complicated. Remember my trip to Paris?”

Mom nodded.

“Jane never showed up.”

“You went alone?”