Wisteria Island Read online

  Deciding that he couldn't take the temptation any longer, he went to grab a sandwich for lunch and see if he could just peek through the window of her office to make sure she wasn't preparing to jump off the roof of the building or something.

  After getting his sandwich, he walked back out onto the sidewalk and noticed Danielle coming out of her office door, locking it behind her. They stared at each other from across the street for a moment.

  "Hey!" he said, raising his hand up and smiling. She didn't smile back. Instead, she sauntered across the street and stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Tell you what?" he said, playing innocent.

  "Bennett, the residents of this island are some of the most difficult people I've ever dealt with. I started the day with Morty, who got mad because I wanted to put him on medication for his blood pressure. I had one woman who yelled at me because her knee hurts and I can't do anything about it. Another man came to talk to me about a rash in a place I won’t mention. Look, I’ve dealt with all kinds of patients in my career, but usually they actually want my help. They don’t fight me on every little thing."

  "Please don't tell me any more. I don't want to know." He hung his head. "Are you leaving?"

  "I don't know."

  Bennett sighed. "Please don't leave. You have to earn their trust. They'll settle down once you do."

  "What if I don't want to?"

  "What do I need to do to make this easier for you?"

  "Well, for one thing, I need an x-ray machine. It's very unsafe not to have one here."

  "Fine. I will get an x-ray machine."

  "And I need the authority to take some additional training on some holistic healing methods. Herbs, vitamins, things like that."

  "Done. Whatever you need."

  "And I need you to buy me a sandwich because I left my purse at the office."

  He laughed. "You don't need money here. Just go in there and order a sandwich."

  "This is the strangest place I've ever been in my life," she said, as she walked past him and into the sandwich shop.

  Danielle sat down for what seemed like the first time that day. She put her feet up on a nearby stool, leaned her head back, and sighed. She never expected her plate to be so full of patients, especially on her first day of working as the island nurse. Patient after patient saw her, many saying that they had waited weeks to get medical care because all the nurses kept leaving.

  Some residents were nice to her, like Mr. Jefferson, whom she’d met that day. He never stopped smiling and making jokes. He reminded her a lot of a patient she once had in the ICU. His name was Philip, and he was almost ninety-years old when she met him. For weeks, he was in a coma, but one day he just opened his eyes like nothing happened. He immediately started making jokes until they wheeled him out to a rehab facility one day. She’d missed his positive attitude so much after he was gone, and she often wondered how he was doing.

  There were other residents who weren’t so welcoming. Many were suspicious of her for reasons she didn’t understand. Wisteria Island felt a bit like a commune or some kind of secret club that she had to earn membership into, but she wasn’t sure how. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to stay there.

  “Hello?”

  She slowly stood up and walked out into the waiting area. There she found a tiny older woman. She looked like a miniature human being, like Danielle could pick her up and put her in the pocket of her medical jacket.

  “Hi. I’m Danielle Wright, the new nurse. And you are?”

  “Emmy Lou,” the woman said, her voice so tiny and squeaky. She was adorable with her little red hat, white blouse with lace neckline and cuffs and her red dress pants all ironed with the seam down the front. “Dressed to the nines” is what her grandmother would’ve called it.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Emmy Lou. What can I do for you today?”

  She smiled. “It’s not what you can do for me, sweetie. It’s what I can do for you.”

  “Pardon?”

  “I brought you something.” She reached into the tote bag she was holding and pulled out a small, round metal canister. It was definitely an older canister, like something you’d find at an antique store. “Here you go.”

  Danielle took the canister and smiled. She popped open the top to find a stack of what looked to be oatmeal raisin cookies. Thankfully, she was one of those people who loved them. In her experience, people either loved or hated oatmeal raisin cookies. They weren’t widely accepted like chocolate chip cookies. They were the outsiders of the cookie world. Rebels.

  “Thank you. They look amazing!”

  “They’re my mother’s recipe.”

  “You’re the first person to bring me a gift, so thank you.”

  Emmy Lou sighed. “I’m sorry not everyone here is so welcoming. Mind if I sit?”

  “Oh, of course. Please,” she said, pointing to the small row of chairs against the wall. She joined Emmy Lou, happy to be off of her feet for a while longer.

  “I’m ninety-six years old.”

  Danielle was shocked. “You are? Wow! You don’t look…”

  “That old?” she said, giggling.

  “I didn’t mean it that way…”

  Emmy Lou patted her knee. “No worries, my dear. I am old, and that’s a good thing. God has allowed me to live a long, happy life, although I’ve had my share of strife. Lost my husband when I was thirty years old and never remarried. Never had kids.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  She smiled. “I still miss him, you know. Even all these years later. They say grief gets better with time, but that’s not really true. It just changes and morphs, much like the water hitting a rock for years and years. The rock still stays there, but it’s ever changing. It never looks quite the same.”

  “How’s your health?”

  “Good, I suppose. I have creaky old bones, and I can’t work in my garden anymore, but I think I’m doing pretty good for an old lady. I enjoy going to church, reading a bit and watching my stories on TV.”

  “Your stories?”

  She laughed. “I think you young folks call them soap operas.”

  “Ah, I see. So, what did you want to chat about today?”

  “I just wanted to welcome you here and say that I do hope you’ll stay with us. So many people need you here, even if they won’t admit it.”

  “Why is that, Emmy Lou? Why are some people so unwelcoming?”

  She sighed. “Lots of reasons, I guess. We keep getting nurses, and then they leave because they can’t handle the needs of our residents. There are some quirky people here, you know. People whose own families don’t want them around. I don’t have a family, so this was a godsend to me. Bennett is like the grandson I never had.”

  “I’m glad you had this option. You have no family at all?”

  “Well, I’ve got some great-nieces and great-nephews, but they have busy lives, you see.”

  That made Danielle sad, but not surprised. People often forgot about the older members of their families when it came time to take care of them. So many ended up in nursing homes or assisted living with no visitors. It was sad, and it angered her. She was always surprised how many people left their loved ones in the hospital, only occasionally checking in by phone.

  “So you enjoy living here then?”

  “Oh, I love it. This is a fun place to live. You’ll see.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I have a feeling that maybe you need this place too, Danielle.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Being almost a century old, you just pick up on things. I feel like you came here for a reason, and this island will heal you.”

  It was a comforting thought, but not one Danielle was buying into at the moment. The island would heal her?

  “Well, thank you for the cookies.”

  Emmy Lou stood up slowly and put her tote bag over her shoulder. “It was very nice to meet you,
but I’ve got a ladies’ church social to get to now.”

  “It was nice to meet you too.”

  As she watched Emmy Lou slowly toddle down the sidewalk, she bit into one of the cookies. As expected, they tasted like heaven.

  Chapter 6

  Danielle saw patient after patient during her first week on the island, getting to know each one as she went. Some were quite nice, like Emmy Lou. Others were downright mean, but she maintained her professionalism as best she could. Still, she missed her old life. Her simple life. Her familiar life.

  She missed her friends at the hospital, at least the ones she had left. The ones who hadn’t gossiped about her or relished in her downfall. The ones who hadn’t taken part in the demise of her career. They were few and far between.

  She missed her apartment and the view of the city. She missed her neighbor’s dog, Buddy, who would scratch at her door every morning, wanting a bite of the banana she put in her oatmeal. She even missed the commute to the hospital. Each morning, she’d stop at her favorite coffee shop, where they knew her well, and get her caramel latte with extra whipped cream.

  She missed the feeling of familiarity. The feeling of being included. The feeling of being needed in a way that allowed her to play the hero. The grief and loss were almost overwhelming to her, taking her breath away when she thought too hard about it all.

  Today was her day off, at least in theory. As the main medical professional on the island, she was always on call, but today was her catch-up day. She’d do her laundry and do some grocery shopping at the very least.

  She pulled the sheets off her bed and tossed them into the washing machine, the heavy door shutting with a loud thud. Just as she was about to turn the dial, her phone rang in the pocket of her baggy warm-up pants.

  “Hello?” she said, without even looking at the caller ID. She turned the dial on the washing machine and quickly exited the laundry room, shutting the door behind her.

  “Danielle? It’s me, Carla.”

  “Carla? How are you?” She hadn’t expected to hear from one of her previous work friends, but it was nice to hear a familiar voice that wasn’t her mother’s.

  “Are you okay? Where are you? Everybody is worried.”

  Danielle laughed under her breath. “Really? Everybody wasn’t worried about me while my fiancé was sleeping around and getting engaged to every woman he saw.”

  Carla sighed. “I told you I didn’t know, Danielle. Not until right before you found out.”

  “You knew for two entire weeks, Carla. We were friends, or at least I thought so.”

  “I didn’t know what to do! Richard is my friend too…”

  “Is? He is your friend? Seriously? How could you stay friends with him after what he did to me?”

  “I’ve known Richard for over ten years. We work together every day. Was I supposed to just stop speaking to him?”

  Danielle knew this was going nowhere good. “Carla, we’ve been over this a million times, and I don’t want to rehash it. Why are you calling me?”

  “We’ve been worried about you, like I said.”

  “We?”

  “The nursing staff, Dr. Milner, Eloise in the cafeteria and… Richard.”

  She felt anger welling up inside of her. “What?”

  “Richard is devastated by all of this, Danielle. He feels terrible.”

  “He should feel terrible. I worked for fifteen years to get to that position and earn the respect that I had. He destroyed that!” She walked out onto the back deck and sat down in a chair, her eyes fixed on the ocean waves. She had to do something to keep herself calm.

  “Would you consider coming back?”

  Danielle laughed loudly. “You can’t be serious!”

  “Richard says he needs you here. The ICU doesn’t run the same without you. Also, he broke off his engagements.”

  “So what? He still did what he did, and he has a baby on the way!”

  “He said he wants DNA testing…”

  “Oh my gosh, Carla! Why are you making this call for him?”

  She sighed. “I miss you. I need you back here.”

  “Well, I’m not coming back. Ever.”

  “Danielle, please reconsider. You may never get an opportunity like this again. Running the ICU was your dream job. Don’t let all of this ruin that for you. Besides, they’re going to be filling your job if you don’t come back soon. I heard LaRusse talking about it this morning,” she said, lowering her voice at the end.

  LaRusse was the Human Resources Director at the hospital, and Danielle knew he was quick about filling vacant positions. She couldn’t blame him, given the fact that they were one of the largest hospitals in the region and needed a strong ICU.

  For some reason, the thought of her old job getting filled gave her a bit of anxiety she hadn’t expected. Maybe deep down she’d thought that no one could fill her shoes or that they’d spend months looking for a replacement. A part of her hadn’t let it go.

  “I would never work with Richard again.”

  “Between you and me, he’s being investigated by human resources right now. I don’t know how much longer he’ll keep his job.”

  Danielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath before blowing it out. “Listen, it was good to hear from you, but I have to go,” she said, ready to press end.

  “Wait! Will you just think about it? I know LaRusse has interviews starting Wednesday. Give it through the weekend and let me know, okay?”

  “Carla, it’s over. I’m sorry. I just can’t come back there.”

  There was a long moment of silence between them. “I really hate that this is how it worked out. Our patients were better because you were here.”

  “I’m sure LaRusse will find someone great. Now, I really have to go, okay?”

  “Okay. Bye, Danielle.”

  “Bye,” she said, ending the call before Carla could hear her choke up. She truly hated this whole situation.

  Danielle stared out into the ocean. It really was beautiful on Wisteria Island. It felt like she’d stepped back in time with the quaint streets and quiet lifestyle. Although wonderful for some people, she often found herself feeling antsy and lonely.

  Going from working in such a fast-paced environment to Wisteria Island was jarring. She didn’t know if she’d make it there long-term. Maybe she’d look for another position at a big hospital. Maybe she’d try Nashville or Tampa or the Caribbean or another country. As far away from Richard as possible was her motto.

  Then there was the stubborn part of her that hated that she’d let him take her favorite job away from her. Climbing up the ranks hadn’t been easy. He was still there, having his career and prestige, while she was dealing with an island of misfit old people who waffled between hating her and needing her. How had this happened? He’d made the mistakes, and she’d suffered the consequences. How was that even fair?

  Had she been too quick to leave? Had her pride caused her to run away? She was the victim in all of it, yet she’d lost the most.

  As she felt the hot tears stinging her face, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, allowing the ocean breeze to dry her face. Just as fast as it dried, she covered it in tears again. This was the most she’d cried since the day she found out what Richard had done. Maybe this was her moment of catharsis. Maybe there was hope she could start again.

  Bennett stared out over the water, paying special attention to a seagull that was constantly dive bombing into the water. For a moment, he felt kind of guilty that he was a human and able to order the delectable tuna melt that was in front of him, while the poor bird had to exert so much energy just to get lunch. Life wasn’t always fair.

  “Are you going to eat that or stare at that blasted bird all day?” Morty was sitting across from him, gorging himself on a large grilled chicken salad. Bennett liked to have lunch with the residents when he could, and Morty was among his favorite dates. He loved eating at the open-air cafe overlooking the beach. There was nothing better
than good food and a beautiful view of the ocean.

  “Don’t you think it’s unfair that birds have to work so hard to get their food while we just order from a menu?” Bennett asked, finally taking a bite of his food. Morty stared at him.

  “Have you been day-drinking?”

  Bennett laughed. “No. Just pondering life’s imponderables, I guess.”

  Morty rolled his eyes. “I learned a long time ago that one shouldn’t have such deep thoughts.” He leaned in and whispered, “It’ll give you digestive issues, if you know what I mean.”

  “Okay, let’s change the subject,” Bennett said, worried that he wouldn’t have an appetite before long.

  “Fine. Then let’s talk about that nurse you hired. What’s her deal?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, she tried to push pills on me, for one thing.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true, Morty.”

  He slapped his hand lightly on the table for effect. “It most certainly is true! But, besides that, she seems to hate it here. Her face is shaped into a permanent frown.”

  “I think she had something happen in her life before she came here.”

  Morty leaned across the table, a grin on his face. “Like what? You think maybe she’s a fugitive or something?”

  “No, I don’t,” Bennett said. “But you’d be a great gossip columnist.”

  “So what is it then?”

  Bennett chuckled. “I don’t know, and it’s none of our business, anyway. Don’t you dare press her about it either.”

  Morty took another bite of his food, crunching down on the crisp lettuce. Bennett felt like he was eating lunch with a very hungry rabbit. “You have a little crush, don’t you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Morty laughed and clapped his hands together several times. “I can always tell! You like her!”

  “I do not like her, at least not like that. She’s my employee.”

  “The heart wants what it wants,” Morty said, making the words into a song.

  “What would you know about that, anyway?”

  He smiled. “I’ve experienced a lot of love in my life, actually. But we’re talking about you. Why don’t you make a play for her? She’s cute, even if she made me mad.”