Secrets of the Heart Read online

  “Sometimes we can’t explain why God allows certain things to happen.”

  “Well, I sure hope Evelyn survives this ordeal so she can enjoy the rest of her life. She deserves it.”

  Heather gave Linda a reassuring smile. “She’ll be okay. Things will be tough for a while before they get better. From what you describe of Evelyn, I’m sure she’ll pull out of this okay.”

  “I sure hope so. Here ...” Linda stuck a manila folder toward here. “This is a copy of Evelyn’s hospital file. Mr. Robbins wanted me to give this to you so you’ll be familiar with her health before you start tomorrow.”

  Heather took the folder from Linda. “Okay, I’ll be sure to study it this afternoon.”

  Linda lowered her gaze to her watch. “If you want a quick tour of the grounds, I’ll be back in an hour to show you around. That’ll give us enough time just before dinner. Will that be enough time for you to settle in?”

  “That would be perfect,” Heather said as she slid off the bed and gained her feet.

  “Then I’ll see you in an hour.” Linda pointed to the wall next to the bed. “If you ever need anything, you can use the intercom to reach me or the butler, Reagan.”

  “Thanks, I should be fine for now.”

  “See you in a bit,” Linda said as she gently closed the door behind her.

  Heather stepped out onto the large balcony, admiring the tranquil view of the pristine ocean below. She could easily imagine herself living in a cozy home right on the beach, but even with her respectable salary, she could never enjoy the privileges of wealthy people like Michael, nor was it a priority. Heather’s parents were middle class hard working people who had raised her to live modestly within one’s means and to save money aside for those special occasions when one might want to splurge a little. While she appreciated the nicer things in life, she was completely happy living a simple life.

  The ha-ha-ha sound from a flock of seagulls to the right caught Heather’s attention as they swooned down from the afternoon sky, gliding inches above the shimmering water, searching for prey to eat. Heather’s head followed their deliberate hunt for food as they slipped silently to the left, her gaze stopping to admire the uncrowded shoreline as it curved outward toward the ocean, before vanishing around a bluff.

  Heather had heard about Crystal Cove’s breathtaking views and beautiful beaches, but rave comments by other people could never prepare her for the actual experience of being there. The cool breeze, the salty smell of the ocean, and the rugged shoreline brought a tranquil peace to Heather. She could see how Crystal Cove could be the perfect place to refresh the mind and find healing for the soul. But the only question that lingered in her mind was, how could God use her to bring healing to Michael and Evelyn’s lives?

  Chapter 6

  The afternoon passed quickly with Linda giving Heather a brief tour of the estate. She was introduced to the key members of the staff, Reagan the butler and Ms. Archer the chef. Everyone welcomed her with such genuine warmth and openness that Heather felt lucky to be part of the close knit staff, even if it was only temporary. As dinnertime neared, Heather changed her outfit and put the final finishing touches to her makeup. She gingerly dabbed a light layer of plum blush in the hollows of her cheeks and stepped back from the large gold framed bathroom mirror mounted above the marble counter vanity. The guest bathroom rivaled the size of an average master bathroom and was perfectly decorated with a fancy gold padded clawfoot tub and a large sitting area furnished with a French style chaise and marble top coffee table.

  Heather stole a glance at her watch. It was ten minutes before six and almost time for dinner. She had decided to ditch her traditional dark blue nursing scrub for a flowing black paisley slip dress, hoping to make a good first impression for her first meeting with Evelyn and especially her second encounter with Michael. Heather knew Allison wouldn’t have approved and would have scolded her for not maintaining her company professionalism at all times on the job. But Heather dismissed her thoughts of guilt. She had always been the good obedient employee, always on time, never late, and always putting in her one hundred and ten percent into every job. But this assignment was different. Even though Heather had been hired to provide round the clock care for Evelyn, she justified her evening attire by citing the fact her day shift ended at five and now she was on personal time, no longer bound by company dress policy.

  Heather studied her reflection in the mirror, taking note of the toned down dramatic look she had created. She flashed a quick smile. The cream blush provided the perfect definition and shadow to her fair cheeks, and now she was ready for dinner. Heather snatched her special bottle of floral perfume off the counter and pumped two quick sprays at her neck before heading out the door.

  Heather headed down the long hall, admiring more colorful paintings by other famous artists before trodding slowly down the stairs, being careful not to trip in her black leather heels. She hesitated at the bottom of the stairs before making a quick right toward the large dining room, the hem of her dress flowing freely behind her.

  “There you are, Heather.” Linda approached her halfway down the hall, still dressed in the same outfit as earlier. “Come, I’d like you to meet some of the other staff here. I know you’ve already met Reagan earlier.” The tall gentleman gave her a smile.

  “And these are the twins, Alex and Max.” Linda had a playful smirk on her face. “They’re the grandsons of our cook, Miss Archer. I’d watch out for these two, they can be a handful.” Heather smiled and greeted them with a handshake before the boys quickly ran outside to play.

  Linda joined arms with Heather and gave her a smile as she escorted her toward the dining room. “You look lovely dear; you will have to tell me what brand of eye shadow you use. I love the way it makes your eyes pop.”

  “Thank you, Linda. It’s nothing special. I purchased it from a store in the mall.” Heather smiled back and followed closely as Linda gave her a more detailed tour of the spacious home. Linda took her through the massive library, an old room that had once been a ballroom a long time ago. She walked through the den with its large marble globe and even more breathtaking art. As they passed one large wooden door, Heather stopped momentarily.

  “What’s in there?” She paused for a moment outside.

  “Oh, that’s Mr. Robbins office. Ever since the kidnapping, no one’s allowed to disturb him when he’s inside. He keeps the doors shut, and sometimes he’s in there for the whole day before coming out to take a break.”

  “Does he work in there all day?

  Linda pulled her shoulders up. “No one knows. Sometimes I can swear I can hear him moaning and crying in there.”

  “Reagan is the only one he allows in there occasionally to clean up. But that’s it.”

  “It seems that’s his place of escape from the pain of the world.” Heather leaned her ear toward the door.

  “I just can’t understand why he would shut everyone out. I know he must be going through a lot emotionally after everything he’s been through. I know he needs help.” A sigh escaped Linda’s lips. “I’ve tried to comfort him, but it seems he just wants to be left alone. I really wish he would let me help him.”

  Heather could sense the extra compassion in Linda’s voice. “You really look out for him, don’t you? He’s lucky to have you working in his household.”

  Color flushed into Linda’s cheeks as her body stood ramrod straight. “I just feel bad for him, that’s all. Mr. Robbins is a good man. He’s too caught up in his sorrow to see things clearly. All he needs is a little help.”

  They continued along the corridor, and Heather admired the various styles of paintings as they continued strolling down the hall. Eventually, they made their way back into the dining room.

  “Good evening, Miss Parks.” Michael stood up from the table; his jaw dropped as his eyes gazed longingly at the nurse as if she were the only woman on earth.

  Heather gave him a smile. She couldn’t help feeling exposed and vulne
rable as his eyes traveled from her feet up to her face, studying every curve of her black dress. She felt a pang of insecurity as she wondered what thoughts ran through Michael’s head. Did he approve of her looks?

  “You look . . .” Michael hesitated before he sighed. “Nice.” His shoulders dropped lower. “But I think it’s more suited for when you’re off the premises. While you’re staying here, I think it’s best if you stick to a uniform at all times.”

  Heather felt the excitement drain from her body as disappointment set in. She had looked forward to this very moment, hoping to impress Michael and Evelyn, but now her only consolation was a scolding from Michael and blunt criticism. She watched Michael bite his lip as if he regretted the words that came out of his mouth.

  Heather felt a wave of shame rush over, reminding her of the time her father scolded her when she was five for sneaking into the cookie jar late at night.

  “I’m sorry for being inappropriate, Mr. Robbins. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.”

  “No need to apologize. I’m sorry if I came across too strongly. It’s just that I’m used to giving orders all day, and sometimes I forget I’m not at work. I expect it’ll take a few days for you to learn how we do things around here.”

  A smile returned to Michael’s face. “Thank you for joining us for dinner.” Michael drew out his hand to the little girl sitting at the table. “Let me introduce you two. Heather, this is Evelyn.”

  Michael walked around the table and knelt on one knee next to Evelyn’s chair. “Honey, this is Heather, the nurse I was talking about. She’ll be taking care of you so you can get well faster.” Michael gave her a smile as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

  Heather smiled at the fair skinned girl with a pink and white bandana wrapped around her smooth head. Heather recognized the sickened look on Evelyn’s face, a look she had seen on the faces of other patients suffering through the same treatment, a look that always brought sorrow to her heart.

  Heather gave the girl an enthusiastic smile. “Hello Evelyn, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so many good things about you.”

  “Hello,” Evelyn answered with a raspy voice, her face showing little emotion.

  “How have you been feeling?”

  Evelyn’s forehead creased as she kept her gaze focused on her plate. “I feel terrible. I had to start on another round of chemotherapy and I feel sick.”

  Heather placed a reassuring hand on Evelyn’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know it must be awful having to suffer through it.”

  “I hate the stuff. Why can’t they make something that doesn’t make me sick?” Heather could sense the anger in her voice.

  “Believe me, Evelyn, I wish they could. But the doctors are doing the best they can with what medicines they know can help fight your cancer. Maybe someday, they’ll come up with one that doesn’t make you sick.” She placed a hand on Evelyn’s back and comforted her.

  “Well, I hope they come up with one soon because I’m getting tired of taking this stuff.” Evelyn smoothed a hand across the bandana as if it were her hair. “And looking ugly.”

  Heather gave her a smile. “You’re not ugly, Evelyn. It’s just a phase you’re going through. Someday, it will pass, and you’ll be back to living a normal life. Meanwhile, it’s my job to make sure you’re well taken care of.”

  “Well, I hope you’re a lot nicer than the last nurse that was here. That lady was a—”

  “Evelyn!” Michael narrowed his brows as he glared at his daughter.

  “What?” Evelyn threw her hands up in the air, “It’s the truth, that Miss Harrigan treated me like I was a soldier.” She saluted her father. “Yes, maam. That’s how she wanted me to address her. I told my father she must have been a sergeant in the military at some time in her career, but he wouldn’t believe me.” The corner of her lips turned down into a frown as she glared at her father.

  A smile formed on Heather’s lips. “I’m sure the woman meant well. It sounds like she made sure you got good medical care.”

  “Humph, not according to my book.” Evelyn placed her arms across her chest.

  “Your father tells me you like to paint. Maybe we can spend some time painting together.”

  Heather could see Evelyn’s faded blue eyes turn electric as the corner of her eyes lifted, the haggard expression on her face melting into a tepid smile.

  “You know how to paint?” Evelyn asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

  “Yes, I’ve been painting since I was ten, and I majored in art when I attended college.”

  “Didn’t I tell you?” Michael gave Evelyn a big smile. “You’re going to enjoy having Miss Parks here with you.”

  “Your father tells me that you like to oil paint.”

  “Well I paint sometimes, but I’m afraid I’m not very good. I started one of the beach here in Crystal Cove, but I just can’t get it right.” She scrunched up her nose.

  “Well, as I say, I was an art major, and I paint too; you know I might be able to help you with that painting.” Heather could sense a glimmer of excitement in Evelyn’s eyes.

  “Do you really think you could teach me how to paint? That would be awesome.”

  “Well perhaps tomorrow, after your studies with Miss Watson and your medication, we can paint together.”

  Evelyn rolled her eyes at the mention of the word studies.

  Michael’s expression softened as he observed Evelyn’s enthusiasm. At the age of seven, she was the spitting image of her late mother. She had the same spunk and the same silky brown hair, at least when she wasn’t going through chemo. It seemed only just yesterday that he could remember cradling her delicate infant body in his arms as her baby blue eyes looked helplessly up at him. How could he forget the countless times he had helped change diapers, burped her, and bottle fed her when Carla wasn’t able to? Life had been much simpler and happier when he was first married, before his career had taken off and his business empire began to grow.

  Now it seemed his work consumed him, leaving him little time to spend with his family. But then his world turned upside down after Carla’s tragedy and Evelyn’s diagnosis of leukemia. He regretted the fact that it had taken a tragic lesson in life to learn the value of spending time with his family. And now that Evelyn needed him, he determined that she would be the main focus of his life. Nothing would stop him from being there for her and making up for all the years of neglect. He had no idea how much time she would have on this earth, but he intended to be there for as much of it as he could.

  Michael turned his attention to Heather. “I think that’s a great idea. I have to leave for a meeting in the morning after breakfast so if you’d like, we could go over your schedules then.”

  Heather smiled warmly at him. “I think that’s perfect. It’ll give me time to do inventory to see what we need from the store for our painting classes.”

  “Like real classes? Wow.” The frown on Evelyn’s face melted away as her cheeks pushed up into a grin.

  “My mom took me to an art class once when I was little, but after she saw what a mess I made all over my clothes, and she discouraged me from going back. I wish she were here to see how much better I can paint.” A sigh escaped Evelyn’s lips as Heather watched a frown form on the girl’s face. “She made me laugh. She could even make Daddy laugh too.” Evelyn looked over at her father. “She always smelled good too, and she had such long pretty hair. You know my hair used to be like that.” Wetness formed in Evelyn’s eyes. Michael reached out to touch her hand, but she pulled hers away.

  Michael pressed his lips together before taking a last bite of his crème brulee. “Your mother was a wonderful woman, Evelyn, and we all miss her greatly.” He glanced at his watch. “Wow, it’s almost eight and almost your bedtime, Evelyn. Please finish up your dessert so you can get ready for bed.”

  “But Daddy, I wanted to talk about what I wanted to paint with Heather.”

  “You can do that tomorrow,
Evelyn.” Michael’s voice remained firm.

  “But—”

  “I’m not going to debate about this, Evelyn.”

  Heather watched Evelyn’s forehead crease with frustration as she banged her fork down on the table.

  “Come now, dear. You know there’s no sense in arguing with your father.” Linda stood to her feet and walked behind Evelyn’s chair. “Besides, you have a big day tomorrow. Maybe you and Heather can paint down by the beach.”

  Evelyn smiled with an effort. “Yes, the beach. That would be nice.”

  Heather rose from her chair. “Here, Linda, let me help with Evelyn.”

  “Don’t worry about it, my dear. You just enjoy your dessert. You’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to take over. Just relax for tonight. You’ve had a long day with the drive and getting settled in.” Linda began wheeling Evelyn from the table.

  “Are you sure?” Heather placed her napkin on the table. She felt a nervous tension in her stomach at the thought of being alone with Michael.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Linda said as she passed Heather’s chair.

  Evelyn gave Heather a smile. “See ya in the morning.”

  From the corner of her eye, Heather could see Michael staring at her. As she turned, their eyes met for a brief second, and her heart fluttered momentarily. Her cheeks flushed with heat, and her automatic shyness kicked in as she quickly focused her gaze back to the dessert on her plate.

  Michael broke the uncomfortable silence. “Miss Parks, tell me, do you enjoy being a nurse?”

  Heather dug her spoon into the soft dessert and looked at him. “I love it. It fulfills my longing to help people and bring them hope in a world that has very little. I’m doing what I believe God has destined me to do.” She watched Michael clench his jaw in silence.

  “That’s a noble calling, Miss Parks. There are a lot of hurting people out there.” She could see his gaze skim over her lips, and she wondered what he was thinking as she slid the spoon from her lips.