Hannah's List (Blossom Street #7)(40)

Despite his protests to the contrary, Harvey liked Sammy. He grumbled about how much the dog ate and that he brought fleas into the house, which wasn't true. Still, she saw Harvey place his hand on the dog's head and pat it. Sammy provided companionship when she wasn't around and he was a good watchdog, too. No squirrel had gotten into Harvey's backyard bird feeder since Sammy's arrival.

"Where's Harvey?" Macy asked, bending down to stroke his fur.

Sammy looked up at her with his doleful dark eyes.

"I'll bet he just forgot and locked the door," she reassured him. This had happened a couple of times already. When it did, Sammy wandered over to Macy's and set up residence on her porch. Unfortunately Snowball objected vigorously whenever Macy let him in the house. The cat apparently considered it his duty to maintain a dog-free zone.

Sammy rose and started down the steps. He paused halfway to look over his shoulder, as though urging her to follow.

"Okay, I'll come," she said.

Instead of heading for Harvey's front door as he usually did, Sammy led her to the backyard.

Macy saw Harvey's hat first. Harvey was never outside without his hat. Immediately, she felt a jolt of alarm. Increasing her pace, she trotted anxiously into his yard, clambering none too gracefully over the low picket fence.

"I should charge you with trespassing," Harvey mumbled.

Macy whirled around to find him sitting on a lawn chair. From his position she was sure he'd collapsed into it. The fact that he was in the chair without his hat told her he'd been too weak to retrieve it.

"Harvey," she cried, kneeling down in front of him, giving him his hat. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

He was deathly pale and seemed to have trouble breathing. Macy didn't know what to do. "I'm calling 9-1-1." She heard the panic in her voice despite her efforts to remain calm.

"Don't," he said, his breathing labored. He pressed one hand over his heart and held her forearm with the other.

"Harvey! Something's wrong with you."

"Is not," he argued. "Now leave me alone."

"I am not leaving you."

"Scat, girl. Get off my property."

"If I do that, then I'm calling emergency services." Harvey managed a grin. "You're an evil woman."

"Uh-huh." Macy sat cross-legged on the lawn. She pulled up a blade of grass as if she felt carefree and relaxed when her heart was actually beating at an alarming rate. "I'm staying here until I'm convinced you're all right."

Harvey muttered under his breath.

Sammy lay down next to Macy and focused his gaze on the old man. She could tell he was worried, too.

"I just met the most unpleasant person," Macy said, figuring that if she could distract Harvey he might agree to let her call for help.

"Anyone I know?"

"I doubt it." She made a face. "He got all nasty because I was a few minutes late."

Harvey grinned. "You're always late."

That was a gross overstatement. "Not true! I try to be on time." And she did. But the world seemed to conspire against her. Invariably something would delay her. Like today-- She couldn't leave the house while Lovie was crying. Besides, that man had asked to see pictures of her work. Then he had the audacity to complain because she'd taken the time to comply.

Despite her efforts, she'd been cursed with this proclivity for being late. If it wasn't one reason, it was another: a missing cat, an unexpected delivery, a desperate phone call from a friend. The timing was uncanny.

"He's such a pompous jerk."

"Who?"

"This doctor I met," she said, wondering why he still lingered in her mind.

"What kind of doctor is he?"

"A pediatrician who believes he's the center of the universe. He had a really wonderful wife, too."

"Had?"

"She died." Macy grew quiet. "I liked her so much. She had the most gentle, loving spirit."

Harvey snickered.

"Oh, come on, Harvey, haven't you ever met someone who's truly good? Someone you feel an instant camaraderie with?"

"No."

"Not even me?" she teased.

Harvey snickered again. "Hardly. You're lucky I put up with you."

"Am I really that difficult?" Okay, so she wasn't everyone's idea of the perfect neighbor--or girlfriend or employee. Macy tried to conform whenever possible, but she wasn't too successful at taking directions from others. She needed her freedom, always had. Her Grandma Lotty had called her a free spirit, but unfortunately, even free spirits needed money, which meant Macy had to work. Her problem, aside from a resistance to following orders, was the fact that she got bored if she had to do one thing for any length of time.

Painting murals, for instance. She'd tackle a project and would work on it intensively for a week. Once she was finished, she was finished; she never wanted to see that painting again. She'd be physically exhausted and mentally depleted. Two or three days would pass before she found the energy to accept another assignment. It was the same with knitting. She probably had a dozen half-completed projects lying around. The vest for Harvey was the current one, and she was determined to get it done by the fall.