Those Christmas Angels (Angels Everywhere #5)(107)

“But now?” Harry prodded.

“Now I’m not sure we should be in such a rush. Let’s talk to the girls about it some more.”

“They’ll agree with me.”

“I agree with you, too, Harry. But why do we have to do it right this minute? It’s going to be hard on me to leave this house, you know.”

“I know. For me, too.” It would be even harder for him to leave Rosalie and his family.

“I’m going to call the administrator,” he said.

“Harry!” Rosalie gasped.

“If we change our minds, we’ll only be out a few hundred dollars.” Despite what Rosalie thought, Harry was convinced Mrs. Goldsmith hadn’t been lying. He believed someone else was interested in that unit. So he wanted to make the deposit immediately.

“A few hundred dollars?” Rosalie repeated in a stunned voice. “Since when have we ever had money to burn, Harry Alderwood?”

As children of the Depression, Harry and Rosalie had lived frugally. They’d budgeted their entire lives and saved ten percent of every dollar earned. Neither one wasted anything. Rosalie even kept those plastic bags from the grocery store. Young people these days didn’t know the value of a dollar. And credit cards! He’d seen more people get into financial trouble because of those cards.

“This will be money well invested,” Harry assured his wife.

Rosalie continued to look uncertain. “If you’re positive this is what you want—”

“It is,” Harry said, cutting her off. “You know, Rosalie, that angel was real.”

She frowned.

“I needed help. I collapsed and I couldn’t get up. I wouldn’t have managed without her.”

Her frown deepened. “You’re on a lot of medication.”

He realized this was the rationale Donna must have offered her mother when he’d heard the two of them discussing the incident. In fact, that conversation was what had prompted his youngest daughter to visit a day early. “All I know is that I was in trouble and I didn’t have my walker and then…I was back in bed.”

“Why didn’t you call me? If you needed help, I would’ve come right away.”

“I would have if I’d had the strength.” As he recalled, Harry had made an effort to rouse his wife, to no avail. Not that she could’ve helped him up or supported him on the walk into the bedroom.

Rosalie got to her feet. “I can see you’re determined, so go ahead and make that phone call,” she said. “We’ll both adjust. You’re right, Harry. If it was up to me, I’d put off the move indefinitely. We need to start making plans.”

Relief washed over him. As soon as his wife went back to her fussing and cleaning, Harry removed his wallet from his hip pocket—a procedure that left him short of breath—and took out the business card the administrator had given him.

Elizabeth Goldsmith.

He reached for the portable phone. They had three phones in the house, thanks to Lorraine. One in the bedroom, another in the kitchen and the third next to his recliner on the small end table.

Although it was a Saturday, the administrator had promised him she’d be available.

A woman with a pleasant voice answered the phone. “Liberty Orchard,” she said brightly. “How might I direct your call?”

“I’d like to speak with Elizabeth Goldsmith.”

“One moment, please.”

“Thank you.” Harry closed his eyes, afraid that if Rosalie looked his way, she might try to talk him into waiting, despite the fact that he’d made the best decision. The only decision.

“Elizabeth Goldsmith,” he heard half a minute later.

“Harry Alderwood,” he returned. He didn’t understand why people felt they had to announce their names when they answered the phone. He knew whom he’d called and presumably Elizabeth knew who she was. He’d noticed that it had become a common business practice in the last few years.

“Ah, yes, we spoke recently, didn’t we?” Elizabeth said.

“My wife, Rosalie, and I were by to see the facility a few days ago.”

“Ah, yes. You’re friends of Lucy Menard’s, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Harry got right to the point. “When we spoke, you confirmed that you had one unit open.”

“Yes.” Elizabeth paused. “But—”

He continued to speak, eager to get this done. “We discussed my giving you a check to secure that unit,” he said.

“Yes, I do recall that I urged you to make the deposit right away.”

He was well aware of that and had thought of little else since their meeting.

“I mentioned that there was only one unit open, didn’t I?” she went on.

“Yes.” Harry was beginning to worry just a bit.

“And I did mention that someone else had shown an interest?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, I’m afraid, Mr. Alderwood, that the first party came back the following day with a check.”

“You mean…the unit’s already been taken?” He could hear the stunned disbelief in his own voice.

“I’m afraid so. And unfortunately there was only the one.”