Worthy Opponents(37)

“That would be the Pitié-Salpêtrière, sir. It’s an excellent medical facility. He’ll get good care there. Is there anything we can do to help you while you’re here?”

“Not that I know of, but it’s good to know that I can call you.” Mike was relieved that the embassy people knew the hospital and it was a good one.

“I’m sorry about your son’s accident,” the young marine on the line said. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you and relieved to go home.” Mike couldn’t wait to get his son back to New York and have him checked out by doctors he knew.

He asked his secretary to cancel his appointments for the next few days and told her what was happening. And then he called Maureen back and told her what he was doing and where they’d be, and reassured her about the hospital.

Renee and Joe came into his office when they heard what had happened.

“Hopefully he’ll be okay when I get him back here. It could have been a lot worse.” And he hoped that Luke’s account was accurate and that there had been no head injury. Mike wouldn’t be completely reassured until he saw Zack and spoke to a doctor there. He hadn’t seen his son since he’d come home for two weeks at Christmas and then went back to continue the trip. Mike was sorry now he’d let him go back. Enough was enough.

He went home to pack then. By seven-thirty, he was ready, and he didn’t have to leave for the airport till nine, to check in at ten for the midnight flight. He lay down on his bed for a minute to unwind and try to calm down after hearing what had happened. He had never been as frightened in his life as when he answered Luke’s call. He realized now that Luke must have been crying. It must have been terrifying for him and Greg too. It was definitely time for the boys to come home. And he was grateful that Maureen was being calm. She already had an appointment for Zack with an orthopedist the day after their return.

Mike was lying on his bed thinking about all of it, and he didn’t even know why, but he wanted to call Spencer. There was no one he could talk to. Maureen had been sensible and efficient—she had always been good in a crisis and had handled many of them—but there was nothing warm and comforting about her, and all he wanted now was to hear the sound of Spencer’s voice, which seemed crazy even to him. He hardly knew her. He still had her cell phone number in his phone, and he gave in to the impulse and called her.

She answered as soon as she saw his name come up, sounding surprised.

“Hi, Mike, how are you?” she asked in her pleasant voice. She sounded happy to hear him.

“I’m sorry to call you. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. It’s not about business. I’m leaving for Paris tonight. I got a call two hours ago that my son was in a biking accident. He was hit by a bus, and it could have been a lot worse. He broke a leg and both wrists, but if that’s all it is, he’s damn lucky. He wasn’t even wearing a helmet. His friend says they don’t wear them in France.”

“That’s true, they don’t,” Spencer confirmed. “Or at least they didn’t the last time I was there. I’m so sorry. You must have been frantic when you heard. If I can do anything to help when he gets back, let me know.” He could hear her sons playing in the background, shouting and laughing.

“It sounds lively at your house,” he said, smiling.

“It’s crazy hour before they go to bed,” she explained.

“How’s the restoration coming at the store?”

“We’re almost finished. They did it sooner than expected. It’s looking good.”

“I’m happy to hear it.” There was something so soothing about her voice. He felt a little foolish calling her, but he was glad he had. “Everything else all right with you?”

“Yeah, just working on the store day and night to get it open again.” She sounded happy and relaxed.

“My daughter was very disappointed we didn’t make a deal. She wanted a big discount.” Spencer laughed at what he said.

“Tell her to come in and see me. I’ll see what I can do.”

“I’ll bring her in when she comes home. I went out to San Francisco to see her a few weeks ago. She has an internship out there and then she’ll be home for a month or six weeks before she goes back to school.” He wondered if Maureen would take them to Maine this summer without him. She had no summer plans so far, with everything changed between them. And he doubted that Zack would be able to go sailing now.

“Thank you for calling to tell me what happened to your son. Let me know if I can do anything,” she reminded him.

“He’s going to be very hampered with both wrists broken, so he can’t use crutches for the broken leg. It’s going to be a full-time job taking care of him. I’m just grateful it wasn’t worse. I nearly had a heart attack when his friend called. I called the embassy and they said he’s in an excellent hospital. I’ll feel better when I see him, but for now I’m feeling very lucky.”

“I’ll think good thoughts for you both tonight,” she reassured him, and it made him glad he had called her. She was the kind of woman who always seemed to have words of comfort. He had sensed that about her. “Try and sleep on the flight. It’s a short flight to Paris, only six hours, and you’ll have your hands full when you get there. Is anyone going with you to help you?” she asked, concerned.