Chapter 17

Owen checked his watch to make sure they still had plenty of time to decorate Benjamin's home before Harper's party. He'd spent some time with Carrie, Harper's mom, the night before. With her short dark hair and clear blue eyes, Harper was more like her than he remembered.

Benjamin was in his garage, wrapping Harper's birthday gift. Considering its size, he could be there for a while.

"Do you want me to blow up more balloons?" he asked Harper's mom.

Carrie placed a floral arrangement in the middle of the dining room table. "What you've done should be enough. Otherwise, everyone will be banging into the ribbons we've tied around the base of them." She flicked the pink and silver ribbons dangling from the ceiling on her way back to the kitchen. "It's really good of you to help with the decorations, Owen."

"I'm glad you called me." Climbing the ladder, he attached one end of the streamer roll to the wall before letting the rest of it unwind toward the floor. "Do you think Harper suspects anything?"

Carrie walked out of the kitchen with a large platter of cheese, crackers, and fruit. "As far as I know, she has no idea. She's expecting a quiet dinner tonight. I can't wait to see her reaction."

Owen just hoped Harper was okay with what Benjamin and Carrie had planned. She'd told them she didn't want a party with her friends. She was happy to have some quiet time with her family and celebrate with an enormous tub of ice cream for dessert. Her mom had bought the ice cream, but also invited a long list of friends.

When they stepped back to admire their work, Carrie looked around the room with a smile. "We've done a wonderful job, even if I say so myself."

Owen picked a plastic wrapper off the floor. "I'll second that. Do you want me to see if Benjamin's all right? He's been gone a long time."

"That'd be great," Carrie said. "Dad goes into his own world when he's in his workshop. He probably doesn't even know what the time is."

Owen knew it took Harper's granddad a lot longer than most people to get ready for anything. If he didn't come inside now, he'd never be ready for the party.

"I won't be long," he said to Carrie. Lifting his jacket off the coat stand, he walked outside. The large garage was a few feet from the house. Made from the same worn wooden siding as the house, it was the one place Benjamin could get to easily without asking anyone for help.

Harper's granddad had told him the kernel of independence made all the difference to his life. Even if he couldn't do a lot of things, he could still putter around in his garage, fixing the projects on his workbench.

Owen opened the side door and frowned. Benjamin hadn't turned on the lights and it was quiet. Too quiet for a man who relied on a walker to move around. "Benjamin?"

No answer.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he spotted Harper's granddad lying on the cold concrete floor, his body unnaturally still. For a moment, Owen was gripped by a paralyzing fear. Memories of holding his partner after he'd been shot raced through him.

The helplessness he'd felt surged back with an intensity that stole his breath. But, this time, he knew he couldn't freeze; Benjamin needed him.

Shaking off the shock, Owen's instincts kicked in. He rushed to Benjamin's side, checking his pulse. "Benjamin, can you hear me?" There was no movement, no sound, except for the faint, ragged edge of Benjamin's breathing. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Benjamin's eyes connected with his. The terror in his gaze tore at Owen's heart. "It's okay. I'll look after you."

With a pounding heart, Owen searched his pockets for his cell phone. When he couldn't find it, he held Benjamin's hand. "I've left my cell phone in the house. I'll be right back."

With no time to spare, he sprinted back to the house, threw open the front door, and rushed inside the kitchen.

Carrie's face turned white. "Is Dad okay?"

"He's lying on the floor in the garage and can't move." With a relieved sigh, he picked up his phone. "Do you know where Benjamin keeps his medication?"

"It's in the bathroom. I'll get it."

"Bring everything out to the garage," Owen yelled after her. While he was talking to the 9-1-1 operator, he grabbed the blankets on Benjamin's armchair and hurried outside.

By the time he'd made it back to the garage, the paramedics were on their way. "Help's coming, Benjamin. Stay with me." With the emergency operator giving him instructions, Owen checked Benjamin for more signs of another stroke.

Carrie burst into the garage with the medicines wrapped in a towel. She gave them to Owen, then dropped to her knees beside Benjamin. "Oh, Dad! Don't worry. You'll be okay." With trembling hands, she tucked the blankets more firmly around his frail body. "I forgot about the emergency call button around his neck. We could have pushed that." She looked up at Owen. "Should we give Dad more of his medication?"

He'd already asked the 9-1-1 operator about Benjamin's drugs. "The operator doesn't think that's a good idea. The paramedics will be here soon, and they'll decide what to do."

The wait for the ambulance was the longest fifteen minutes of Owen's life. When the sound of sirens finally cut through the silence, relief washed over him, quickly followed by a new wave of concern for what was to come—for Benjamin, Harper, and Carrie.

The paramedics arrived and Owen appreciated their calm professionalism. As they worked to stabilize Benjamin, Carrie stood close to her dad, silently watching what was happening.

Owen called Harper, but she wasn't answering her phone. Instead of telling her everything that had happened in a message, he asked her to call him immediately.

"I'll pack some clothes and toiletries for Benjamin," he told Carrie as she followed her dad inside the ambulance. "Do you want Harper to bring anything to the hospital for you?"

Carrie's eyes filled with tears. "Ask her to pack an overnight bag for me. Can you bring her to Polson? She'll be upset and I don't want her driving."

"I'll drive her straight there. If you need anything else, just ask."

"Thank you. I'll try calling Harper on our way to Polson."

Owen nodded and moved out of the paramedic's way. "Do you know who's coming to her party?"

Carrie shook her head. "Not everyone. I'll text you the names of the people Dad told me about, but I know there are others."

"Don't worry. I'll figure out a way of letting everyone know what's happened." With a final glance at Benjamin's still body, Owen stepped back as the ambulance's back doors closed.

After it left for the hospital, Owen took a deep breath. Not only was Harper missing, but he also needed to let everyone know there wouldn't be a birthday party tonight.

With Benjamin's health failing, a missing granddaughter, a house full of food, and a mystery guest list, it could be a long night.

Harper wasglad Daniella had invited her to The Fairy Forest for a delicious birthday afternoon tea. They'd had a great time catching up with what was happening in their lives and talking about Daniella's wedding.

"What theme have you decided on?" Harper asked her friend. "The last time we talked, it was a toss-up between the Arabian nights and Cinderella."

Daniella put down her coffee mug. "Harrison isn't keen on having a theme. He thinks everyone will look as though they're going to a fancy dress costume party." She looked at Harper's surprised expression and laughed. "I know. My entire life revolves around creating fantasy events for my customers. Look at what I'm wearing, for Pete's sake."

Today's fairy dress was one of Harper's favorites. Pale pink tulle covered in sparkly diamante beads that glittered whenever Daniella moved. With shimmery wings and a small, bejeweled tiara sitting on her head, she looked like a beautiful fairy princess.

"You look amazing," Harper told her. "Maybe it's not the theme that Harrison's worried about. He might just want a more traditional wedding."

"That's what Owen thought, too. So, in honor of my husband-to-be, I came up with three themes for Harrison to choose from." Tapping her fingers against the top of the table, she created a drumroll. "And the winner was… French country chic."

Harper grinned. "That sounds fabulous. Do you have any props or decorations you can use?"

"That's why I'm glad you're here," Daniella told her. "I started going through my storage area, but it's full of all kinds of things. Can you help me look?"

Harper checked her watch. "Granddad told me not to come home until six o'clock. He's cooking an amazing dinner for me and Mom. I have plenty of time to give you my undivided attention."

Daniella grabbed hold of Harper's hand. "That's fantastic. I've put a few things aside that could be perfect."

"What about The Fairy Forest?" Harper laughed as they hurried into the main events room. "Doesn't someone need to look after the children who are here?"

Daniella waved to two teenagers dressed as fairies on the far side of the room. "My part-time staff are looking after everyone. They'll call me if anything happens." With a gleam in her eyes, Daniella led Harper across to two large wooden doors. "Welcome to the room where the magic begins."

To Harper, the storage room was like an Aladdin's cave of secret treasure. Most of the props were from movie sets and auction houses, each telling their own special story of the reason they were created.

Daniella walked around an enormous chandelier and stood in front of a set of shelves. "These are some pieces I think will work." She held up a pair of lanterns adorned with intricate metalwork. "I have a dozen of these. When they're turned on, their soft glow looks like fireflies dancing in the moonlight."

Harper's eyes widened. The lanterns were so pretty she couldn't believe Daniella wasn't already using them for events. "They'll be wonderful." She turned around and picked up a vintage plate. "What about your collection of mismatched crockery? They'd look amazing on the tables."

"I hadn't thought of that." Daniella took another plate off the pile that was sitting on a shelf. "I bought these at an auction last year. There are more than enough for what we'll need, and it would save having to rent any."

"There you go," Harper said as she ran her hand along the top of a wine barrel. "This room's awesome. There's so much you could use." As they foraged through long-forgotten boxes, Harper asked, "How are the rest of the wedding plans coming along?"

Daniella lifted a silver candelabra out of a box and placed it beside the lanterns. "Mostly good, I think. I'm meeting Emily next week to choose a dress. She's the fashion designer from Bozeman I told you about. Harrison's picked out his suit, but I'm still fretting over the guest list and the menu. It feels like a thousand tiny details are still floating around."

Harper reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Daniella's arm. "You're doing great, and it's all going to come together beautifully."

"Mom told me the same thing." Daniella's cell phone pinged, and she read the text. With a frown, she looked at Harper. "It's from Owen. He wants to know if I've seen you."

"I wonder why he didn't call me?" Harper took her phone out of her pocket. "I forgot to turn off the ‘Do Not Disturb' message." As soon as she turned it off, six messages appeared. They were all from Daniella's brother.

The last text made her breath catch. "Something's happened," she told Daniella as she quickly dialed Owen's number. "I hope Granddad's okay." With her mom staying with them, Harper hadn't worried too much about visiting The Fairy Forest. As long as she was home before dinner, her mom and granddad were happy for her to catch up with her friend.

Owen answered his phone almost immediately. "Harper, thank goodness. Have you talked to your mom?"

"No, I haven't," she replied, her voice trembling. "My phone was on ‘Do Not Disturb'. What's happened?"

Owen took a deep breath, and Harper braced herself for the possibility of bad news. "It's your granddad. He had a fall in his garage. An ambulance took him to the hospital in Polson. The paramedics think it could be another stroke."

"A stroke?" The world around Harper seemed to pause, the colors and textures of the treasures they'd found fading into a blur. Daniella must have noticed Harper's distress. She moved closer, her expression turning from curiosity to concern.

"If you want to go to the hospital, I'll pick you up."

"Thanks, Owen."

Daniella touched Harper's arm. "What's happened?"

"Granddad might've had another stroke," Harper told her friend as her mind raced through worst-case scenarios. "Owen's taking me to the hospital."

"Where are you now?" Owen asked.

"I'm at The Fairy Forest with Daniella." Harper picked up her jacket and bicycle helmet. "I could meet you out the front of the building."

"I'll be there in about five minutes." Owen sounded a lot calmer than Harper felt. "Leave your bicycle there," he added. "We'll pick it up later."

While she waited for Owen, Daniella stood beside her. "At least your granddad wasn't alone."

Harper bit her bottom lip. "He shouldn't have been in the garage. The physical therapist told him it was too dangerous."

Daniella frowned. "Because of what's in there?"

Harper shook her head. "Granddad and his friends make wooden toys for the children at The Welcome Center. It's okay when someone's with him, but he must've convinced Mom to let him go into the garage on his own. He could have hit his head on something when he fell."

Her heart rate kicked up a notch when she saw Owen's black truck approaching them. "Thanks for waiting with me, Daniella. I'll call you when I know what's happening."

Daniella hugged her. "That would be great."

As soon as Harper pulled on her seatbelt, Owen drove out of the parking lot. She'd never been so glad to see him. "Have you had an update from Mom?"

"Not yet. Can you let her know you're with me?"

Harper spoke to her mom, then tried to relax, but the ride to the hospital was a blur of silent prayers and unspoken fears. Owen filled her in on the pieces of information he had, but her thoughts were full of what-ifs and her heart ached with the possibility of losing her granddad.

Arriving at the hospital, Harper barely registered the world moving around her. Each step toward the emergency room felt heavier than the last. Her heart pounded against her chest with a force that threatened to overwhelm her.

The sight of her mom waiting outside the emergency department snapped her back into the present. After giving her a big hug, Harper wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Has any of the hospital staff spoken to you?"

Carrie nodded. "The neurologist saw me a few minutes ago. She thinks your granddad's had another stroke. He's having a CT scan and they've done some blood tests. We just have to wait until the results come back."

Harper fought back more tears. It had taken so long for her granddad to regain some mobility after his last stroke and she was terrified of what this meant. "Was Granddad able to talk to you?"

Carrie shook her head. "I'm sure he recognized me, but he couldn't speak or move."

Owen wrapped his arm around Harper's shoulders. "Let's find somewhere to sit."

"I'll stay here in case we can go in and see him," Carrie said softly. "Let me know where you're sitting and I'll get you."

Owen looked at the waiting area. "Why don't you come with us? There are some empty seats on the left-hand side. If we sit there, we'll be close to the emergency room."

Reluctantly, Carrie followed Harper and Owen across to the seats.

Harper looked at all the people sitting in the waiting area. If Polson Hospital was anything like the hospitals in New York City, they could be here for a while.