Chapter 1
Sylvie
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times,” the old man says with a familiar look of frustration on his weathered face. “I’m not talking about the war.”
“Big Daddy,” I mutter on a groan. “This is a Veterans Day celebration. No one is going to expect you to talk about the war.”
He grumbles under his breath, his hand clenching the armrests on his wheelchair as I direct him toward the common area in the long-term care facility I never wanted him to reside at.
“Then I’ll attend,” he replies, a stubborn tone in his voice that makes me smile.
Big Daddy, a.k.a. Theodore Davis, is one of two important people in my life, the other being my best friend, Faith Robbins. After moving from my hometown of Telluride eight years ago, I never looked back. I met Faith at the local bar and we became instant friends.
“There was so much pain,” Big Daddy says, his eyes glued to the Vietnam ball cap in his trembling hands.
I give his shoulder a light squeeze in commiseration.
It wasn’t until his stroke last year that details of the time he served in the war have slipped up. I don’t drill him for information or ask questions because I know that if he still had all his faculties, the man wouldn’t mention that time in his life at all. He joined the military at a young age to avoid working in the mines and the health problems that entailed, only to end up poisoned by Agent Orange in a country whose residents would rather see him dead than anything else.
“Big Daddy,” a woman in a floral housedress says as one of the nurses wheels her up and parks her beside my grandfather.
The hat in his hand is forgotten as he looks up at her, smiling. “Evelyn. We missed you at supper last night.”
The woman’s eyes sparkle at knowing she’d been missed. “Wasn’t feeling myself, so I was served in my room. Are you looking forward to today’s festivities?”
The man who was agitated earlier is nowhere to be found, and I have to roll my eyes when he reaches out and places a wrinkled hand on the arm of her wheelchair.
“As long as I’m close to you, nothing else matters.”
She gives a girlish chuckle, and the eye rolling doubles.
I’d probably swoon at seeing my grandfather flirt with someone if he didn’t do it with every woman he came across.
“Are you two ready for a fun day?”
I smile at Sunshine as she approaches.
“Hello, young lady. I was wondering when I was going to see you.” My grandfather reaches for Sunshine’s hand, holding it between both of his when she offers it.
“Oh yes,” the elderly lady responds. “I hear that those handsome guys from the motorbike club will be here. It’s always a good day when handsome men come around.”
I bite my lips to keep from laughing when Big Daddy grunts his displeasure. It seems this woman knows the full score and just how to get back at my grandfather for flirting with the nursing assistant.
Sunshine pats my grandfather’s hand with her free one before pulling away.
“They’ll be here shortly. Sylvie, can I speak with you briefly?”
I nod, patting Big Daddy on the shoulder before following Sunshine outside.
“Renee just wanted me to check with you about the schedule for today,” Sunshine says as we approach a long table already stacked high with paper goods and disposable cups for today’s events.
“The caterers are scheduled to be here in,” I look down at my cell phone screen, “ten minutes to set up lunch. Cerberus is coming?”
I do my best to hide my smile, but find the effort wasted because it’s impossible.
She smiles herself. “Ms. Penny isn’t the only one excited about those guys attending today.”
I force the smile from my face, a herculean task.