Chapter 4

He's a new one," Rosa said. "Refuses to leave his room—and his bed.It takes tall talking and firm nudging to get him to shift over to the chair long enough so I can change his linens."The nurse shook her head, her expression one of worried frustration as she nodded at the room at the end of the hall.

"What's his name?"Harley eyed the room with interest. She loved a challenge and refused to let the elderly residents give up on her watch.

"Mr. MacCallen.Showed up here with a suitcase full of books about the sea and the clothes on his back."Rosa pulled a cloth shopping bag from her shoulder and handed it to Harley."I picked him up a change of clothes and some toiletries with money from the general fund.Kind of odd that he had enough money for a private room but only had the one set of clothes with him." She shrugged. "He must be one of those who thinks as long as he covers his behind the one day, it doesn't matter if he has a fresh set of drawers for the next."

"Any family?"Harley pawed through the tote, checking Rosa's choices for the mysterious new resident.

"Far as I can tell, none. Poor fellow didn't even list an emergency contact. He refuses to answer questions about friends or family, just stares out the window until you give up and leave him alone." Her lips thinned into a grim line of determination as she patted Harley on the back."You know as well as I do that if we don't snap him out of it, he won't be with us very long."

Harley started toward the room."I know.I hate it when they give up and die of hopelessness."She quietly rapped on the door, waiting a polite few seconds before entering the room. "Good Morning Mr. MacCallen.My name is Harley, and I'm here to help you settle in."

The stone-faced old man lay curled on his side, blindly staring out the window.His bent frame took up the entire bed. In his prime, he must have been a huge man. His shoulder length hair was a glorious, almost sparkling white that only a lucky few inherited rather than the more common yellowish gray of advanced years.His beard was also snowy white, making Harley think that Mr. MacCallen would make a great Santa Claus if he had the round belly to go with the rest of the traditional features.

She rounded the bed so she could look him in the eyes as she pulled his purchases out of the bag. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a book with the most vivid pictures of the ocean lying open on the bedside table. Setting aside the tote of new clothes, she reverently picked up the book and poured over the pages."What a wonderful book. These are the best photographs I've ever seen. Look at the rich blues and greens of the ocean."

"Do ye like the sea?"

The deep rumbling voice startled her, nearly causing her to drop the book.She glanced up from the pages and found herself staring into the most vivid pair of blue eyes she had ever seen—be the person young or old. She smiled and nodded while slowly turning the pages. Care had to be taken so as not to send the old man retreating into his silence.

"Someday," she told him, "I am going to the ocean.Maybe even sail around for a few weeks just to enjoy it.I've always loved the sound of waves, and if the rivers and lakes give me chills, I can only imagine what the sea will do."

"Be careful about waiting for someday, lass.Afore ye know it, all the somedays of yer life will be gone."

Slowly pushing himself up to the edge of the bed, Mr. MacCallen pulled another book out of the drawer."This one shows the mighty ships that once rode upon the waves."He seemed to be sizing her up, watching her closely from beneath his snowy white brows. His eyes narrowed into calculating slits.

She stifled the urge to toss the book aside and run. What was wrong with her? He was a harmless old man. She opened the newest book he offered and studied its pages. "These look like the pirate ships that are always in the movies.I wonder what it would be like to sail on one of them?Do you think you could spend your life on a ship that size?"She perched on the edge of the chair and turned the book toward him so he could see the pages.

"Aye, lass, ye could spend a lifetime on the open waves if ye had a ship such as that one."He stretched and slowly turned the page, then tapped the next photo with a shaking finger. "This here's where the captain's quarters would be.See what a fine balcony was built so he would always have a view of the horizon?"

Harley leaned over the book. As she studied the picture, she almost swore she could hear the gulls crying out across the salty breeze.She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, imagining the wind's kiss against her face, the sun warming her skin, and the waves splashing against the ship's creaking hull.

"Ye must go to the sea, lass. I can tell by the look on yer face that ye are one of us."

Harley opened her eyes and grinned, determined to humor the man even though she found something about him quite unsettling."One of us, Mr. MacCallen?"

He didn't take her question well. Just frowned and shook his head as he sagged back onto the bed. "Never mind, lass. Ignore the rumblings of a tired old man."

Immediately sorry she had squelched his enthusiasm; Harley gently closed the book and studied his weary face. Maybe if he talked more about the sea, he would perk up again. "Did you spend yer life on the sea?" she asked him. "Tell me about yourself, Mr. MacCallen.Tell me about before you came to Pleasant Oaks."

"Some other time, lass. Leave me be now. I am tired." He turned his back to her and covered his eyes with his arm as he curled over onto his side.

Harley drew the light blanket up over his shoulders and tucked it around him.There was more to Mr. MacCallen than met the eye.It was almost palpable, as though some sort of energy pulsated out from him.He was an enigma sent for her to solve.

"That's fine, Mr. MacCallen. Have yourself a nice nap.Later this afternoon, I'll pop back in. We'll get you out of that bed and wander around the place a bit.It's not good for you to hole up in this room all the time."

MacCallen ignored her. He remained silent with his arm over his eyes.She could tell by the rise and fall of his chest that he'd heard her and wasn't asleep.She'd worked in the senior facility long enough to recognize she was politely being dismissed.

She glanced back at him one last time before closing the door. With a determined nod, she concluded that Mr. MacCallen would be her greatest challenge yet.