Orchard Valley Brides by Debbie Macomber Page A

directory.”
    â€œKincade and Robbins are flying in. They’ll be here by noon. I hate to ask my assistant, Ms. Emerich, to travel, but I may not have any choice. Advise the administration here that I’ll be holding a press conference this afternoon.” He rubbed the side of his jaw, his expression thoughtful. “While you’re at it, would you arrange to have a barber drop by sometime this morning? I’m going to need a decent haircut and a shave.”
    â€œRowdy, this is a hospital. ”
    â€œNot anymore,” he told her flatly.
    â€œI don’t have time to be running errands for you. In case you’ve forgotten, you’re not the only patient on this floor. I can’t allow you to disrupt the entire wing with camera crews and the like.”
    â€œThe excitement will do them good,” he told her, leafing through the Orchard Valley directory. “It’ll give your patients something to tell their families during visiting hours.”
    Norah was beginning to get irritated. “You’re not listening to me.”
    He went on as if she hadn’t spoken, his eyes narrowed and resolute. “I’m going to hold a press conference and if I can’t do it from here, I’ll find someplace I can.”
    â€œYou can’t be moved.”
    â€œDon’t bet on it.”
    Norah didn’t, not for an instant. Rowdy would havehis way, simply because he made it impossible to oppose him and win.
    Norah left him and reported what he’d told her to Karen Johnson. She was never quite sure what happened next. But before the morning ended, the hospital administrator, James Bolton, had visited Rowdy’s room. Norah had no way of knowing what was discussed, but she learned a little later that a number of reporters and two camera crews would be brought into Rowdy’s room early that same afternoon. Just as he’d predicted.
    Orchard Valley General Hospital had never seen anything like it. Charles Tomaselli, Steffie’s fiancé, showed up, and cornered Norah to ask if she could get him into the press conference.
    Norah shrugged. “I’ll try.” She did and when she came back with a yes, was rewarded with a thumbs-up from Charles.
    By two that afternoon, the ward looked more like a media carnival than a hospital.
    â€œDid you ever dream it’d come to this?” Karen asked her, leaning against the counter at the nurses’ station as she viewed the proceedings.
    Norah shook her head. She didn’t know if Rowdy had the physical stamina to withstand a lengthy interview. The news conference had been going on for nearly an hour, with no sign of ending anytime soon.
    Reporters were crammed inside his hospital room, spilling out into the hallway and jostling one another. Cameras flashed as microphones were thrust in Rowdy’s direction.
    Patients from the other rooms stood in their doorways,gawking, trying to find out what they could. Rumors washed like floods through the hospital corridors.
    At one point Norah heard the president was visiting. Someone else claimed royalty had arrived. Two other people were convinced they’d seen Elvis.
    From the corner of her eye, Norah saw Kincade, Rowdy’s corporate attorney. He seemed to be searching through the crowd, looking for someone. Intuitively, she realized what was happening. Rowdy had worn himself out.
    â€œExcuse me,” Norah said, thinking and acting quickly. Carrying a tray in one hand and a syringe in the other, she edged her way through the reporters and camera crews. The news staff reluctantly parted to make a path for her. She moved into the room, then held up one hand to shade her eyes from the blinding light. In an instant she saw that Kincade’s concerns were well-founded. Rowdy was pale and definitely growing weaker, although he struggled to disguise it.
    â€œYou’ll have to excuse me,” she said in her most businesslike voice. “This will just take