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“As soon as the tests are done, Mrs. Copeland.”
Gram scowled. “Don’t you Mrs. Copeland me, Diedre. You’ve been eating my apple strudel for your whole life.”
“And thankful for it,” the nurse agreed. “I’ll happily break you out of here myself the minute the doctor gives the all clear.”
Gram sniffed. “There’s not a thing wrong with me.”
“Shouldn’t take long then.” With a cheerfully unrelenting smile, Diedre left.
“Making friends everywhere you go,” Lila said. She pulled a chair closer. Gram looked pale, despite the big talk. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“What’s going on? I told them not to call you.”
“As if Will would let you get away with that.”
Gram grumbled, her fingers curling into the edge of the blanket. “It wasn’t your morning to open.”
But Lila wished it had been. “I saw a few pictures. That must’ve been a real shock.”
Gram nodded, but didn’t elaborate.
Lila felt utterly helpless. “We’ll have it cleaned up before you get back.”
“Can you open today?”
“No, Gram.” She hated that there wasn’t a better answer. “Even if the police didn’t need to search for evidence.” Her grandmother covered her face, let out a frustrated groan. “We’ll need time to clean and get new supplies.”
“And you’d be smart to call the health inspector, just to avoid trouble,” Gram added, clearly resigned.
“Are there any event orders I need to figure out?” Between her grandmother and herself, they could rent space from another restaurant kitchen if necessary.
“No. The standing orders will understand.” She rolled her eyes. “Probably already heard about it. Or will soon.”
She had a good point. The island grapevine was a blessing at times. The less she had to talk about it, the better. “I’ll start making calls once we hit our normal opening time. I can cover expenses and salary.” There hadn’t been much to spend her money on while she’d been in Juliet’s employ.
Gram took hold of her hand and gave her a hard shake. “All of that’s under control. But don’t you dare try to hide any trouble from me. I’m stronger than you think.”
Lila thought Gram had never looked more fragile. “You’re the strongest woman I know.” She lifted her hand and gave it a kiss. “You’re the best, Gram.”
“I’ve got the best girl, that’s for sure.”
They were interrupted when Dr. Nyland came in with a suggested evaluation plan. He’d come to Brookwell a few years ago and seemed to get along well with the locals. After urging Gram to cooperate, Lila stepped into the hallway at the doctor’s request.
She checked her phone, but Travis hadn’t sent any messages yet.
A few minutes later, Dr. Nyland emerged. “She’s a pistol.”
Lila smiled. “What are you concerned about?”
“Shock mostly,” Dr. Nyland said. “Walk with me.”
Lila fell into step beside him. The man was in his forties, kind, pragmatic, and practical with a good sense of humor. “At her age, this was a terrible scare. When she came in she was trembling and couldn’t stop.”
Lila gulped, suddenly scared herself. “She seems steadier now.”
“Yes. A great sign,” Nyland agreed. “I want to keep her overnight at minimum,” he continued. “We’ll push fluids, run a few tests. She’s healthy, Lila, and I want to keep her that way.”
“Same.” She laced her fingers together. “How can I help?”
