The Contract (The Contract 1)

“She should be doing other things, traveling, having babies, making friends, not babysitting an old woman.”

“Why are you talking like this? You know Katharine would do anything for you. So would I.” I lifted her hand up and pressed a kiss to the thin skin. “Please, Penny, if she heard you . . .”

“I miss Burt.”

“I know,” I soothed. “You were married a long time. Of course, you miss him.”

“Forty years. We weren’t rich, but we had love.” She smiled softly. “I loved watching him cook. He was a chef—did you know that?”

“Yes, you told me.”

“I was a teacher. We had a good life. When he died, I didn’t know how I was going to carry on. But then, I found Katy. She became my reason.”

“She needed you.”

“She doesn’t need me anymore.”

“You’re wrong. She does.”

“Will you look after her?”

“Don’t. Don’t give in yet, Penny. Katharine—she’d be devastated.”

She shut her eyes as her shoulders sagged. “I’m just so tired.”

I panicked when I realized she wasn’t referring to wanting to go to bed. She was tired of life and being trapped in a body that no longer worked, with a mind that left her confused and forgetful.

I bent close, lowering my voice. “I’ll look after her. I promise. She won’t want for anything.” I could promise her that. I would make sure Katharine was all right. “Don’t give up. She does need you.”

Her eyes opened, her gaze drifting past me. “Can you give me that picture?”

I turned and handed her the picture to which she pointed. After coming clean about being married, Katharine brought her a picture of us on our wedding day, and one Tami had snapped when we were visiting. Katharine was holding her hand, Penny was tweaking her nose and laughing, and I sat beside them, smiling. We looked like a family.

She traced our faces. “She’s been my life since I lost Burt.”

“I know.”

“She is everything I knew she would be—smart, loving, strong.”

“I agree. Beautiful, too. Tough as nails. You had a lot to do with that, Penny.”

That made her smile. The first real one I’d seen tonight.

She stretched up and patted my cheek. “You’re a good boy.”

Those words made me chuckle. No one had ever said them to me.

“When you get older, Richard, you realize life is made up of moments. All sorts of them. Sad ones, good ones, and great ones. They make up the tapestry that is your life. Hold on to all of them—especially the great ones. They make the others easy to take.”

I covered her hand with mine. “Stay,” I urged. “For her. Give her more great moments, Penny.”

With a sigh, she nodded. “I want to go to bed now.”

Turning my face, I kissed her palm. “I’ll get Connie.”

She met my eyes, a fierce gaze that trapped and held mine. “Love, Richard. Make sure you surround her with love.”

I could only nod.

She tweaked my nose. That was what she did to Katharine—her way of saying, “I love you.”

My eyes stung all the way to the desk to get Connie.My phone vibrated on the wooden table and I picked it up, stifling a grin at the number. Golden Oaks. I wondered what Penny was asking Tami for now. Since our unsettling evening last week, she had wanted something daily, and I made sure she got it. I never told Katharine about our conversation. She was already plenty worried. Penny was obviously slowing down, and her mind giving out more often. She had been more like herself last night, but had fallen asleep as soon as I got her back to her room. I left her in her caregiver’s capable hands with a kiss on her downy cheek.

I declined the call, planning to return it when the meeting was over. I focused my attention back to Graham, who was pointing out a client’s desires for their next campaign, when my phone went off again. Glancing over, I saw it was Golden Oaks. A small pit of worry began in my stomach. Tami knew I would call her back. Why was she being so insistent?

I glanced up at Graham, who had paused his speaking.

“Do you need to take that, Richard?”

“I think it may be important.”

He nodded. “Five minute break, everyone.”

I accepted the call. “Tami?”

“Mr. VanRyan, I’m sorry to interrupt.” Her voice sent ripples of anxiety down my back. “I have some terrible news.”

I had no recollection of standing, but suddenly I was on my feet. “What happened?”

“Penny Johnson passed away about an hour ago.”

I shut my eyes against the sudden burn. I gripped my phone tighter, my voice thick. “Has my wife been told?”

“Yes. She was here this morning, and had only left a short time before I went in to check on Penny. I called her back.”

“Is she there now?”

“Yes. I tried to ask her about arrangements, but I can’t get her to talk. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I called you.”