Page 27 of The Hang Up
“They were roughhousing a little and they dislodged his PICC line—the dedicated catheter they use for delivering chemo drugs? Everything turned out fine, but it was scary for everyone.”
“I can imagine.”
“Anyway, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as I was concerned. After that, I kinda stopped trusting anyone else to watch Henry, so I took this job and we moved out here and now Ellie gets to stay with him all the time.”
“Wow,” she said, her green eyes brimming with compassion. “You sound like a very dedicated brother. And uncle.”
“I am,” he said, though he knew Ellie would probably say “overprotective” instead of “dedicated.” Not that she didn’t tell him every day how grateful she was, but he also knew she felt smothered sometimes.
Jason cleared his throat, not wanting to dwell on that. “Anyway, I guess I’m a bit guarded about sharing too much of their story. I tend to shield them a little, to give them some privacy after all they’ve been through. That’s why I didn’t bring it up earlier.”
“No, of course. I understand totally.” She grimaced, shaking her head. “I mean I can’t relate, of course—what a horrible thing to go through. But I can understand why you might be protective.”
Jason nodded and took another swig of tea, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Thanks. Anyway, sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“No,I’msorry—I should have asked questions instead of just assuming you were some sort of cheating jerk.”
He grinned. “I might be a jerk, but never a cheating one.”
“That’s good to know.” Miriam picked up her own teacup, her fingers delicate and graceful on the little handle. She took a small sip, then returned the cup to its saucer before speaking again. “I lost my dad a year ago. It wasn’t cancer, and obviously he wasn’t a child, but I think I can relate a little bit to the kind of worry you feel when someone you love has a major medical crisis. To the constant sense of fear and anxiety you feel in that situation.”
Jason watched her, touched by the realization that she probably didn’t share this story with everyone. That she’d chosen to tell him seemed to say something, though he wasn’t totally sure what. “How did he die?” Jason asked softly. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
“No, it’s okay.” Miriam set her teacup down and folded her hands on her desk again. “Mountain climbing. He’d just summited Middle Sister over in the Cascade Range when he fell into a crevasse and?—”
She broke off there, not needing to finish the sentence. As Jason knew all too well, those kinds of falls were almost always deadly, especially in Oregon’s unforgiving Cascades.
“I’m so sorry.”
“They say he died on impact.” Her throat rolled as she swallowed. “That he didn’t suffer, at least.”
“Still, I imagine that was terrible for you,” he said softly. “Middle Sister’s a tough one. He must have been a very good climber to have even attempted it.”
“He was.” She pressed her lips together, her eyes glittery with tears. “The best. He’d been climbing his whole life.”
“Was it comforting at all to know he died doing something he loved?”
Miriam shook her head, her jaw clenching tight before she spoke. “No. It really wasn’t. Not at all.” Jason watched as something that looked like rage flashed in those bright green eyes. “Some goddamn adrenaline rush was more important to him than keeping himself alive for his family? That’s not comforting at all.”
She reached for a tissue from the box on the corner of her desk and dabbed at her eyes. Jason said nothing, waiting for her to compose herself. Part of him wanted to reach out and touch her hand, but he sensed the gesture wouldn’t be welcomed. Not now, anyway.
At last, Miriam tossed the tissue aside and looked at him again. “Anyway, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. About the wife and kid, I mean. Sorry for being a bitch.”
“All things considered, it’s flattering.” He broke a cookie in half, scattering crumbs across her desk, but he scooped them into his palm and shoveled them in his mouth. “Actually, part of me likes the idea that maybe you were a tiny bit jealous.”
“Hmm,” she said, taking another sip of tea. She set down her cup and gave him a small smile. “Mostly I thought you were a jerk, but I suppose there was a little jealousy mixed in.”
“I see.” Jason grabbed another cookie and took a bite, sending a fresh waterfall of crumbs spilling down the front of his shirt. Miriam picked up her teacup again, watching him over the rim as he dusted crumbs off his shirt. “These cookies are kind of crumbly.”
“I suppose they are.” She set her cup back in the saucer. “Maybe if you bit into it over your plate instead of over your lap?”
“Huh. Yeah, I guess that would make sense.” He leaned forward again to grab another cookie. “I suppose I should brush up on my table manners before this Saturday.”
“What’s this Saturday?”
“Some fancy-schmancy dinner party with the Urban Trax executive team. We’re all going to Spoon for dinner.”
“Spoon?” Miriam frowned. “That’s like the hottest restaurant in town.”
