“Sweetie, I know you hate this, but remember what the doctor said. Sepsis is dangerous and not to be taken lightly. If you have a setback, it could keep you from rejoining your team permanently.”
He grimaced, his mom’s words slicing through him. That is not going to happen. As the vow moved through his mind for the hundredth time since he first became ill, he was torn between getting back to his physical peak and not overdoing it to the point of setting his recovery back.
Without looking at her, he gave a short nod, then stepped out into the yard. Just as the door was closing, he heard his mom call out. “Remind your father that Nancy is coming over!”
Tossing his hand up in a wave, he continued walking toward the garage where his father was wrestling with a ladder. “Hang on, Dad. Let me help.”
Nick Bell looked up and smiled his greeting toward Nolan. Whenever people saw them together, they always said, “You look just like your dad.” While some familial comparisons might bother others, Nolan had no problem with those words. His dad was tall and muscular, with whiskey-brown eyes and dark brown hair with hints of gray at the temple, still cut military short. Even in middle age, his father cut an imposing and handsome figure.
He watched a glimmer of hesitation pass through his dad’s eyes, but—wisely—Nick just nodded. Bending, Nolan easily lifted one end of the ladder while his dad carried the other. Walking toward the house, they leaned it against the gutter.
“Dad, why don’t you let me get up there and clean them out?”
“Nolan, I’m not sure that’s a good idea at this time.”
Huffing, he choked on his growl as his dad pierced him with a hard look.
“Son, I know you can do anything—or at least think you can. But you gotta play this smart. You don’t want to set back your recovery. I know you’re itching to get back with your team, and you can only do that if you fully recuperate .” Nick glanced toward the sliding glass door and lowered his voice. “Plus, your mom is trying not to worry, but I can see her staring at us.”
“Dad, don’t make me regret agreeing to recuperate here with you and Mom.”
“Cut us a little slack, Nolan. As tough as you are, you almost died from a ruptured appendix and then the subsequent infection. I know you don’t like to think of it that way, but that’s what the doctors told us.”
With his hands planted on his hips, he dropped his chin and stared at his feet for a minute, a mixture of emotions moving through him. Guilt that his parents had been so worried. Frustration that he hadn’t recognized the symptoms earlier and had tried to ignore them. Anger that he was unable to join his team on their latest mission. And bone-weary fatigue. Jesus, that’s what’s killing me. Feeling tired all the fuckin’ time. The doctors had told him that the fatigue was normal for someone who’d battled severe infection, and he’d slowly get back his strength.
“How about if you spot me on the ladder since your mom is always convinced that I’m going to fall off?”
Unable to keep the grin from his face, he agreed. Making sure the ladder stayed steady, he watched as his father climbed and then began spraying the hose down the gutter line to dislodge the leaves and debris.
His parents’ marriage was a good one, and they’d been together for over thirty years. His father had been in the Navy until Nolan was almost ten years old and then moved back to his grandparents’ hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. His father had taken over the family contracting business, and his mother helped. Now, in semi-retirement, his dad also volunteered for the fire department. His mom, desperate for something to do, had started working part-time as a secretary for his sister’s business. She seemed to enjoy the work, and it gave her a chance to get out of the house several days a week.
“By the way, I’m supposed to tell you that Nancy is joining us for lunch.”
He looked up in time to catch his dad’s smile. His sister, Nancy, was two years younger than Nolan and had stayed in the area after graduating from high school, attending a local college. She had trouble choosing a career but finally settled on a non-traditional route, becoming a private investigator and opening her own business.
“Good, good. Even though she lives here in town, it seems like we don’t see much of her.”
The continued spray of the hose drowned out any other chance for conversation, but that was fine with Nolan. His mind was still rolling with everything he needed to do, wanted to do, and couldn’t do.
It was not long before his dad had finished cleaning out the gutters on the back of the house, and his mom called them for lunch. Stepping inside the kitchen, he grinned at the sight of his sister. Nancy looked as much like their mother as he did their dad. Not overly tall, her figure was trim and her hair was light brown, her highlights blonde. With a quick, ready smile, she put people at ease, and he often wondered if this worked in her favor as a private investigator. No one suspected her of investigating them.
Soon, the four were seated around the table, his mom’s roast accompanied by carrots, potatoes, and gravy along with hot rolls being appreciated.
“Got anything new and interesting you’re working on?” he asked Nancy.
She licked her lips and swallowed, her gaze darting to his. “Actually, yes, something interesting has come up that goes beyond the divorce investigations that make up the bread-and-butter of my business.”
As Rita served the cobbler, Nolan focused his attention on his sister.
“I have a client who’s considering divorce, but she wants me to check on her husband’s financial situation before letting him know that she is filing for separation. She thinks he’s hiding money, and I’ve been looking into it. I’ve got a friend who’s a fraud accountant, and she looked over the initial records. It definitely looks like my client’s husband has some shady deals going on.”
Swallowing his bite of the cobbler, he had to resist rolling his eyes. As far as he knew, Nancy was a good private investigator, but even as a child, she loved the drama of telling a story. Glancing at his parents, he could see that she had their rapt attention. Looking back at her, he made a little circular motion with his fork indicating for her to continue. “Aaaand?”
“Okay, okay. Keep your pants on!” Nancy laughed, scraping the bottom of her cobbler dish. “You can’t expect me to talk and eat all at the same time.” Dropping her spoon into the now-empty dish, she said, “The interesting thing is all of this nefarious activity goes on in one of our favorite vacation spots.”
“Gatlinburg?”
Nodding, Nancy looked around at her family. “Yep. It’s hard for me to tell exactly what’s happening, but his wife suspects that he is laundering some money through one of the nearby casinos. And what’s even crazier is he runs one of the more popular wedding chapel venues there.”
“How are you investigating this?” their dad asked.
Nancy’s nose scrunched as she shook her head. “So far, I’ve just been going through the financial records that my client brings in. Or, rather, I have my friend look at them. I’ve been doing some digging, and it definitely needs further investigation. The trouble is that I’d like to visit and do some work right there but, unfortunately, I’m recognized in the area, so I wouldn’t be able to get very far.”