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."Before he had a chance to answer, Chay saw the dust cloud kicking up down the road and knew that somewhere within it was an ambulance bringing his father home.Sure, he'd stay and take whatever his father handed him today.He was used to it.Several minutes later Leonard Ducheneaux emerged from the ambulance, and with help from Wenona on one side of him and Joanna on the other walked up the ramp, right on by Chay without saying a word, and on into his house.Then he sat himself down in the same recliner in which he'd sat for the last twenty years, put his feet up and asked to see the latest edition of Will Two Crows' newspaper.It was like he'd never been sick, never left his home.This was simply another day in the life of Leonard Ducheneaux.Another stubborn day like all the rest.Some things never changed, Chay thought as he handed the paper to his father."Thank you, Chayton," Leonard said.Chay blinked in surprise, staring down at his father, who simply opened the paper, picked up his reading glasses from the table next to his chair, and began to read."You're welcome, Dad," he replied.He was wrong.Some things did change, and as he looked over at Joanna brushing her tears away with the back of her hand he smiled.Change was better than he'd ever expected it to be.And for the first time in eighteen years he knew he desperately needed it in his life—that change to permanence he'd never wanted before."I had them put extra pepperoni on it," Chay said, sliding the plate with an extra-large piece of pizza on it across the table to Joanna.She slid it back at him.Her stomach was fine now, but the last thing she needed was something to upset it again.Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, she was off to Steele to take a look at Michael Red Elk's progress.He was coming along nicely, following all the rules she'd laid out and exercising.Then she had to drop in on Billy Begay in Flatrock to see how he was doing, managing his diabetes.It was tough going for a kid, but overall he was handling it pretty well.Much better than his dad, actually.So maybe the kid could be a good example for his father.Joanna could only hope."Sorry, but no pizza for me," she said, sliding back her chair and preparing to stand."I'm still eating bland." Chay was going home tomorrow.He'd already mentioned that, so there was no wondering about it this time.And in a way she was grateful for the flu, because she'd been able to keep him at an arm's length because of it."Look, I need to get up early—""I don't blame you," he interrupted."For what?""For avoiding me.But you've got to know, Joanna, that this isn't easy for me either.Coming home, seeing you.""Look, we had fun.We worked well together, we played well together.I knew from the start what it was, and I'm not complaining.And I wanted it as much as you did, Chay, so-""I love you," he said."And damn it, Joanna, it's been killing me, being separated from you."This was the moment she should have flown into his arms and confessed her love for him, too.But hearing the words she'd wanted to hear from him for so long hurt more than anything ever had before.Even more than the morning they'd made love for the last time and he'd said goodbye.She thought about their separate lives for a moment, and about Kimi, who desperately needed something other than separation.Maybe Chay turning his back on Kimi was what hurt Joanna the most, because she'd truly believed for a while that Chay was everything she wanted.But he couldn't be, not if he didn't honor his obligations.And while she might not be numbered among those obligations, Kimi certainly was."I love you, too, Chay," she admitted, almost sadly.Because she did, with all her heart."But that's not enough."Standing, she spun around to retreat to the sanctity of her curtained-off bedroom and nearly fell she was so lightheaded."Oh, my," she said, grabbing hold of the corner of the kitchenette table."Maybe I should have eaten some pizza after all." Suddenly Joanna's knees started to buckle under her and she pitched forward, but before she hit the floor Chay jumped up from his chair, scooped her up into his arms and whisked her to the bed."I really need a day off," she said, leaning her head against his chest.The last thing she heard was the steady, comforting beat of his heart."Her blood pressure's a little low, but other than that her vital signs are fine." Chay tossed his stethoscope over on the table next to the bed and took hold of Joanna's wrist to check her pulse for the tenth time in an hour.Normal, as always."She's dehydrated, and I'm guessing she hasn't eaten much for a few days."Macawi patted him on the shoulder as she scurried into the kitchenette."She's overworked.Maybe you should take her away someplace nice for a vacation.""She gave me the brush-off just before she fainted." He flinched, thinking about it.Hearing that she loved him, then hearing that it wasn't enough.He would have asked her why but she'd chosen that particular moment to black out.Now, almost an hour later, she was intermittently sleeping, occasionally waking, but mostly sleeping."And, believe me, if I thought Joanna would go, I'd take her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]