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Vi looked around for a chair. This conversation was not happening with her on the same bed as Rory, even if they were in a hospital. Settling into the uncomfortable plastic seat, she almost relented at his disappointed look. Instead, her spine ironed itself against the back of the chair. She folded her legs pretzel-style.
“Ankle still doing okay minus the boot?” Rory observed her warily.
Vi tilted her head, recognizing his ploy to help her relax with small talk. “Only hurts when I overdo it.”
A thin smile hovered around his drawn mouth. “Sounds about right. Paige filled me in on a couple of things. I hear you’re upset about a text I sent.”
The nonchalant way Rory said it made Vi’s eyes bulge. Every single insecurity she possessed shot to the surface with mob mentality. How dare he put this on her. Scrambling from the chair, she slapped her jeans pocket to find her keys. Coming here had been a mistake.
Sheets rustled. In one fluid motion, Rory moved to the edge of the bed, capturing her hands. “Hon, I have no idea what’s going on. Please calm down and talk to me so we can figure out what happened.”
Vi stared at his hands, then looked into his eyes. Compassion and determination whispered from the silvery depths. His feathery touch released her when she moved to sit down. She opened her mouth, then shut it. It was on him to explain.
“Tell me about Marvin’s visit.” Rory swung his legs off the side of the bed, eyeing the prosthetic lying on the window seat as if he might need it.
She took a deep breath, not able to talk about Marvin’s visit yet. “Is there an update from Tavo about how you came to be here?”
Rory settled back with a lingering look at the prosthetic. “He says I got hit on the head with a shovel they found nearby. Apparently, a campfire didn’t get extinguished. He suspects the illegals knew the fire was out of control and used my car as a getaway vehicle. I just got in the way.” Coughing, he twiddled a straw in a water cup on the portable table.
Vi pointed to the IV in his arm. “For hydration?”
Rory lifted a shoulder. “If there were pain meds in it, I’d feel a lot better than I do. At least Jesse brought me a pair of shorts. These gowns don’t cover much.” He picked at the thin fabric.
Vi itched to check out the back of his head, but she jammed her hands together, interlocking her fingers. No use getting cozy if this wasn’t going to end well.
“Tell me about your dad.” She forced the words past her clogged throat.
Though his gaze suggested he knew she was stalling, Rory answered readily enough. “Dad came through bypass surgery with a good report. Now he’ll tackle rehab like he does everything else. He hasn’t been himself since Christmas. We argued when I realized the tract of land he wanted for Peeps belonged to you. That’s when he keeled over.” What little color in Rory’s face vanished, leaving him pale and wan.
His pain pierced her defenses. “I’m so sorry.”
Rory sniffed, his eyes watering. “He’s got a lengthy recovery ahead, but—” He spoke with effort, each syllable raspier than the last. “—he’s still with us. Give me a minute.” He turned his head away from her.
Vi focused elsewhere, allowing Rory a measure of privacy. The washed-out eye color and lines around his mouth suggested fatigue. You need rest, babe.
Minutes later, he wiped his eyes on the sheet. “Sorry. The emotions caught up. We lost Mom suddenly, and I’m crying-like-a-baby-thankful it didn’t happen with Dad. Tell me about Marvin’s visit.”
Vi swallowed hard, then sketched the gist of it. She finished in a whisper, then looked down. Rory visibly winced during the telling.
“Vi, look at me.” His legs stopped shifting. “I never put two and two together. Dad works the financial end. I didn’t know the land we wanted for Peeps was yours.”
“How could you not know, Rory? You’ve been out to the house. Brush covers the far side, but it backs up to Peeps.”
“My navigational skills are terrible. Jess says I can’t find my way out of a paper bag.” The frustration in Rory’s voice convinced her. He’d been so dependent on the GPS when they were in San Antonio, it made a weird sort of sense.
“When it first came up, Jess and I planned to check it out. Then Manny’s funeral happened, and our look-see fell between the cracks. If I’d known, I would have nixed it from the get-go.” Ending on a cough, he drank more water, then pressed the call bell and asked for coffee.
When the nurse appeared, she said, “Mr. Spence, you need to lie flat. And no coffee.”
Rory grinned at her engagingly. “I’ll lie down once we’re done here. And I will have coffee. Please.” The last word sounded tacked on. More proof he wasn’t quite himself.
The nurse left, her shoes clicking with irritation.
Vi couldn’t resist a bit of teasing. “I don’t think she’s going to bring you coffee, Mr. Bossy.”
“Even if she doesn’t, Jess knows the drill. He’ll bring me coffee.” Rory leaned forward, his smug look replaced by earnestness. “As far as your inheritance goes, my only concern is getting your house remodeled the way you want it.”
His explanation about Marvin’s visit made Vi feel marginally better. Aside from enjoying the lake with her, Rory had never shown a smidge of personal interest in her land. The devious agenda didn’t fit with the man she knew.
