A Husband for All Seasons

Chapter Three

Two days later, lying in his hospital bed, Chad heard a plane overhead that had apparently just lifted off from Columbus International Airport. The oval face of the clock on the wall opposite his bed registered the hour his parents’ plane should be leaving for Alabama, and he hoped they were on their way home. He breathed deeply, thankful for their understanding that he needed to be alone.

But he squirmed uncomfortably and a sense of inadequacy alarmed him when he realized how ill-equipped he was to deal with his biological parents. Neither Perry nor Lorene had come to see him since the day they’d discussed his birth with him. No doubt they were unsure of their welcome. Although he dreaded talking to Perry and Lorene, he would have liked to have seen more of Amy. She had become the most important person in his life, and he always felt like he was ten feet tall when she climbed on his lap, gave him a slobbery kiss, and said, “Chaddie, I lub you.” One of the nurses had told Chad this morning that Perry would be released soon, and he couldn’t let them go without making the effort of reconciliation.

He rang for a nurse to find out the number of Perry’s room, which was at the end of the same hall Chad was in. The nurse helped him put a robe around the hospital gown he still wore, and she walked beside him to Perry’s room.

“Please ring when you want to return to your room. The doctor wants us to watch you closely for a few more days.”

The door was ajar and Chad’s hand trembled as he lifted it to knock. Perry’s deep voice called, “Come in.”

Lorene and Amy were in the room, too, and he was glad to find the three of them together.

Perry was reclining in bed, entertaining Amy who sat beside him playing with a doll. Lorene was leaning back in the upholstered chair with her eyes closed.

“Why, Chad!” Perry spoke happily. “Come in.”

Lorene’s eyes popped open and she stood at once, started toward him, her face radiant, but checked herself.

“You look wonderful,” she said.

“That’s the way I feel, thanks to Perry.” He turned to his biological father. “And you must be doing all right, too. The nurse told me you’re scheduled to be discharged soon.”

“Yes. Our plane leaves at one o’clock tomorrow.”

“We’d like for you to go home with us. You and Perry could go to the same hospital for monitoring. It would mean a lot to us,” Lorene concluded slowly.

“I realize that, but I’ll tell you the same thing I told Mom and Dad. I have to sort out my future, and right now I can do that better alone. I’ll stay in Columbus for a while. I’ll try to come and visit you after that. I don’t know.”

Lorene’s lips parted in protest and Perry shook his head at her.

“We accept that. When you’re ready to talk, we’ll be waiting. Our past behavior doesn’t give us any right to interfere with your plans. We’ll be grateful for any part of your life you want to share with us. We don’t expect you to think of us as your parents, but we hope we can continue to be your friends.”

“I hope so, too,” Chad assured them in an apologetic tone. “It’s just that I’m a different person than I was two weeks ago.”

Lorene’s dark eyes searched his face, apparently looking for something she didn’t see. “Do you think you can ever forgive us?”

“I don’t know,” he said after a heart-wrenching pause. “I don’t know,” he repeated softly. His body trembled, whether from weakness or tension, he wasn’t sure. But Perry must have noticed.

“We’re grateful that you visited us today, but we won’t try to see you again before we leave, so let’s pray together.” He held out his hand. Chad took it and then picked up Amy’s tiny fingers, while Lorene took her place on the other side, gripping tightly the hand of her husband. Amy’s fingers wiggled under Chad’s touch, and he experienced a sense of belonging he had never known before.

“God,” Perry prayed. “None of us are the same as we were a few weeks ago, but we’re thankful that You never change. We are made in Your image. You breathed into us a living soul, which belongs to You eternally. For some reason You have upset Chad’s life, but I believe You still have great plans for him. Many people can play football, but there’s something that only he can do for You. Take control of his future as You have his past and help his parents and us to accept all of his decisions as Your will. Thank You for allowing me the privilege to give him life two times. Amen.”

Chad’s throat was too tight to say anything and unshed tears stung his eyes. He squeezed Perry’s hand before he released it to bend over the bed and give Amy a hug. He circled the bed and gathered Lorene into a warm embrace. He held her close for a few seconds before he turned and left the room, scurrying down the hallway as fast as he could, forgetting until he reached his room that he was supposed to call a nurse to accompany him.

Expecting to enter his room and crash emotionally, Chad cringed when he saw the man sitting beside his bed. Howard Crayton!

Bending an angry glance upon his agent, Chad demanded, “How did you get in here?”

Howard, a short, slender, wiry individual, vaulted out of the chair as if he was on a spring. He extended his hand.

“Meet your elder brother,” he said.

It took a few seconds for that comment to register, but when it did, Chad demanded angrily, “Did you sneak in here pretending to be my brother? Didn’t Dad tell you that I don’t want to talk now?”

“That he did, old buddy, but I’ve got offers for you that will far exceed your fondest dreams. Opportunities that would make a mummy want to talk.”

Chad’s hands shook, and he didn’t know whether the trembling was caused by weakness or anger.

“I’ve been searching around for ways to capitalize on your injury. You might get offers for endorsements. You’re the talk of the nation right now. I couldn’t wait to share this with you. We’re going to get rich, Chad.”

Stifling his anger, Chad leaned against the wall to support his trembling body. He wasn’t as strong as he had thought.

“Since you barged in here uninvited, sit down. If you remember there’s a clause in our contract stipulating that either of us can sever our association with a week’s notice. Forget capitalizing on my injury. It’s something I want to forget. I will not make any decisions until I can sort out what I think is best for me. If you don’t leave Columbus immediately, your one week’s notice starts today.”

Howard’s face took on a sickly pallor, and he dropped into the chair, deflated as a punctured balloon. “You can’t do that! Not after all I’ve done for you,” he said cautiously.

“What you’ve done for me! Do you have any other client who’s made as much money for you as I have?”

“Well…no.”

“I’m not emotionally competent to make any major decisions right now. I may get in touch with you in a few weeks, but it might be a year. I don’t know.”

“Yeah, man,” Howard said. “I got carried away with all the possibilities opening up for you, rather than thinking of all the doors that are closing. Sorry. I’ll take a plane out of here tonight.”

Although Chad had complained about spending a week in bed, the morning’s emotional trauma had drained him and bed looked good to him. He kicked off his slippers and stretched out on top of the sheets. He rested physically, but his mind was still active. What should he do now? Since he was being released from the hospital soon, he needed a place to live. He would have to stay in a hotel for a few days until he had time to find an apartment. Perhaps Vicky Lanham could give him some information about available apartments.

He had been airlifted to Columbus from eastern Ohio in a hospital gown and wrapped in a blanket. Fortunately his mother had bought him two sets of clothes before she left town. Once he was released in a few days, he could buy some more things. Then, after he was settled, he could call his housekeeper and ask her to ship his fall and winter clothes to him, if he decided to stay in Columbus.

The day before he was to be released from the hospital, Chad called the number Vicky had given him. Feeling fortunate to reach her on the first try, he said, “I’m going to be discharged tomorrow, but I intend to stay in Columbus for the time being. Do you have any suggestions about an apartment for rent?”

Vicky’s heart beat a little faster at his call and a warm glow flowed through her. Maybe God was giving her another opportunity to do His will.

“Give me time to ask some questions, and I’m sure I can suggest something. Is anyone picking you up tomorrow?”

“No, my parents are gone now. I’ll take a cab to a hotel and stay there until I find a place to live.”

“Actually, I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’ve got a car, so why don’t I pick you up and take you to a hotel? By that time, I may have located some vacant apartments for you to check out.”

“I shouldn’t impose on you. I can take a cab.”

“When will you be released?”

“Tomorrow morning, but I don’t know the time.”

“Your surgeon usually makes his rounds early, so I’ll guess midmorning. Stay put until I get there. Okay?”

“Okay,” Chad agreed, laughing. At this point, he could accept help from Vicky easier than from his own family.

When Vicky arrived at the hospital the next day, Chad was waiting in the lobby in a wheelchair. He wore navy-blue sweats, with an OSU ball cap perched jauntily on his head, a gift from the nurses who’d served him. No one would guess by looking at him that he had recently had a serious injury and a delicate operation. His firm and generous lips widened into a smile when he saw Vicky.

An orderly wheeled Chad to her car. He had to flex his long legs to fit into the front seat of her compact car. Vicky tossed the plastic bag holding his possessions into the backseat.

As she drove away from the hospital, Chad looked with interest at the majestic university buildings. Strangely enough, although he had been wishing he had died, it was good to breathe the fresh air and to feel the warmth of the sun on his face as it shone through the car window.

“It’s hard to believe that a month ago, my life was all figured out,” he said. “I thought I would be playing pro football for years. Now I’m at loose ends, hardly knowing what to do. I have an engineering degree, although I may have to take some refresher courses to catch up with changes in the field. My dad supported my dream of playing football, but he insisted that I train for a profession when my career was over. I couldn’t see much reason for it, but I guess he knew best.”

“You don’t know that you can’t play football, do you?” she queried in her soft, sweet voice.

“I haven’t talked to any league officials yet, but the surgeon advised against it. If I don’t hear anything within a few days, I’ll call, but I want to put off hearing the official’s decision as long as possible.”

While she drove, she found herself wishing that she could have known Chad before this injury messed up his life.

“I have a reservation at the University Plaza Hotel,” he said.

“That’s a good choice and close by. And I may have found an apartment for you. Do you want to check it out before you go to the hotel? It’s expensive, but I’m guessing that probably isn’t an issue with you.”

“I’m used to a simple lifestyle, so I’m not interested in anything too fancy.”

“Why don’t I drive by and let you look at the house and the neighborhood? It’s located in a Victorian home on Neil Avenue, not too far from the university. It’s a handy location for appointments at the hospital.”

“If you have the time, I’d like to see it.”

“When I was looking for an apartment for myself, I looked at this particular space, but it was too pricey for me. I met the landlady then, and was thrilled when I called and found out it was vacant again.”

“If we come to a bank before then, will you pull into an ATM so I can withdraw some cash? Fortunately, my wallet and other items I had in my pockets were sent to the OSU medical center with me.”

Vicky pulled into a branch bank and Chad withdrew five hundred dollars. She drove along High Street, where many of the businesses catered to college students. The street was congested, not only with vehicles, but with pedestrians, all with backpacks, heading for their classes.

Intent on her driving, Vicky kept her eyes straight ahead, which gave Chad an opportunity to watch her. He hadn’t really looked at Vicky at the hospital. Too intent on my own problems, he thought.

Tall and graceful, Vicky was worth a second look, although all he had noticed about her in the hospital were her compassionate, heavily lashed blue eyes. Now, he admired her brown hair tumbling to her shoulders in soft curly waves. Her smooth ivory skin glowed with rose undertones. She had a gentle but overwhelming beauty, and he was surprised he hadn’t noticed it before.

He didn’t want Vicky to catch him watching her, so when she took a right off High Street and drove to Neil Avenue, Chad turned his attention to the century-old houses.

The street was lined with large trees, and their foliage was a mixture of yellows, reds and greens. Chad was amazed at the change in the foliage since he’d entered the hospital. The football season had just been starting then, but the hint of fall was evident in the fading flowers and the occasional fallen leaves drifting downward to the street.

Constructed of brick and stone, most of the houses had three floors. He especially liked the rounded turrets on many of the residences.

He listened to Vicky’s comments as he squirmed uncomfortably in the limited space of her car.

“Several blocks of these houses were renovated a few years ago. The area is called Victorian Village. Some of the houses are one-family dwellings, but several have been turned into apartment buildings. I live in an apartment two blocks to the west.”

Vicky pulled over to the curb before a redbrick dwelling with a one-story stone porch across the front. A wide doorway was centered on the porch. A sign in front of the house indicated an apartment was for rent.

“The apartment is on the second floor of that house. The owner couldn’t afford the upkeep and taxes on the property after her husband died, so she had to rent part of the house or sell it. There’s only one apartment in this house, so you wouldn’t be bothered with a lot of noise.”

She pointed to a roofed stairway on the left side of the building. “That’s a private entrance to the apartment.”

“Do you suppose we could see it now?” he asked.

“We can ring the doorbell and find out if the landlady is at home.”

Vicky was out of the car and had opened his door before Chad had time to ease his body out of the vehicle.

He grinned up at her as she stood by the car’s open door. “I’ve never had a chauffeur before. I might have to give you a permanent job.”

“You’d better hire someone with a bigger car,” she answered. “I’ll push that seat backward before we leave here to give you more legroom.”

Vicky timed her steps to his slower gait, but climbed the front steps before him and turned the old-fashioned bell in the center of the front door.

A woman opened the door on the first ring. She was a tall, bony woman, probably in her sixties. She had piercing, blue eyes, and her straight, iron-gray hair was cut short. She nodded to Vicky, apparently recognizing her, and then she turned questioning eyes on Chad.

“I called yesterday about your apartment. Would it be convenient for us to look at it now?” Vicky asked.

“You married?” the woman said, glancing from one to the other.

The comment discomfited Vicky, but before she could answer, Chad said, “No, ma’am. I’m the one who needs to rent an apartment. Vicky lives a few blocks from here.”

“Just checking,” the proprietor said. “I won’t have unmarried people living together in my house.”

“That suits me,” Chad said.

Mrs. Lashley had the reputation of being a plainspoken woman, but Vicky hadn’t expected such candor from her.

“Mrs. Lashley,” Vicky said. “This is Chad Reece—he’s from out of town.”

She nodded. “I could tell that from his slow, Southern drawl.”

Striving to hide her amusement, Vicky continued, “He’s been in OSU hospital and he needs a place to stay while he recuperates. He wants to be close to the hospital until his surgeon releases him.”

“I won’t take a lease for less than a year.”

Thinking that Mrs. Lashley didn’t need to rent the apartment as much as Vicky thought, Chad said, “If that’s the case, we won’t take any more of your time. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying. Thank you. Let’s go, Vicky.”

Mrs. Lashley followed them out on the porch, and they were halfway down the short walk when she said, “Well, I could lease it for six months.”

Chad turned and smiled. “Let me look at the apartment.”

Mrs. Lashley stood aside and they entered a wide entryway that ran the length of the residence. Coming inside out of brilliant sunlight, they were plunged into semidarkness. Wooden shutters covered windows that were curtained with white lace panels. Mrs. Lashley flipped a switch and a chandelier spread light on the stairway to the left of the hall. She walked sprightly up the wide walnut treads. Chad counted thirteen steps as he held on to the sturdy, carved handrail and slowly followed Mrs. Lashley and Vicky to the second floor.

“The apartment only takes up half of this floor,” Mrs. Lashley explained. “I have a daughter and grandchildren who visit from time to time. I keep the other rooms for them.”

At the top of the stairs, the hallway extended the length of the house as it did on the first floor. The two rooms on the left had been turned into a comfortable apartment, and Chad thought at once that it was the kind of retreat he needed. A partition divided one of the rooms into a bedroom and a bathroom with a claw-foot tub, a shower stall, a large marble pedestal sink and a toilet. The other room was a combination living room and dining area, with a small kitchenette off to the side. The rooms were sparsely furnished, but they suited Chad’s present needs.

Chad asked the price, which was less than his Pittsburgh apartment. Motioning Vicky to one side, he asked, “What do you think of it?”

A flash of humor crossed her face. “I’d snap it up in a hurry if I could afford it. You won’t find anything better than this unless you want to move into an expensive condo.”

He shook his head. “No, I think this will suit me just fine.”

He turned to Mrs. Lashley. “I’ll lease the apartment, and if I leave before the six months is over, I’ll pay you the full amount.” She had stipulated that he would need to pay two hundred dollars to hold the apartment until she checked his references. He took the money from his wallet and handed it to her and gave her the names of his lawyer, his accountant and his pastor in Pittsburgh.

“I’ll call in a few days to see when I can move in.”

Driving away from the Lashley home, Vicky said, “You made a good choice. The rooms are comfortable, and you’ll have an interesting landlady.”

Chuckling, Chad commented, “She seems that way. And this location will be perfect for my needs. The doctor doesn’t want me to drive until I see him again, so there’s no need to rent a car. But they told me at the hospital that the bus service is good, so I can explore Columbus while I recuperate.”

“The Lanham Taxi Service operates daily, too,” she suggested with a sly grin in his direction.

“I figure I’ll be calling on that service often, but I’ll try not to make a nuisance of myself.”

Vicky had learned the hard way not to push her company on a man, so when she left Chad at the hotel, she didn’t make any comment about seeing him again. Any overtures of friendship would have to come from him. She didn’t look back as she drove away.

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