Second Nature

Chapter 27

27 

Cade shifted to low gear and the Land Rover crawled up Stanton Hill to the inn. Lana and Jimi were on the porch waiting for them as they pulled up. Cade shut off the engine and Lana burst into tears. 

Now what? This had been a day for sobbing women.  

Since finding that his wounds had perfectly healed, Cade had been thinking of his sister. On the ride back, he'd asked Gen if she could heal Lana, and Gen said she didn't know. This was a delicate situation. He didn't want to get Lana's hopes up, but he wanted Gen to try. He touched the undamaged surface of his forearm. With Gen, the impossible seemed possible. 

He was halfway out of the vehicle as Lana flew down the porch stairs and threw her arms around his neck, laughing and crying. 

"What?" Cade laughed. "I'm glad to see you, too." 

Jimi was crying now, hurrying down the steps. Good grief. Was there some new kind of pollen in the air? 

"What's going on around here?" Cade said. "You win the lotto?" 

Lana shook her head, too overcome to speak. Then she scooped up Haven in her arms and spun around and around in circles. Haven squealed with delight. Cade's mind turned a somersault. Lana's cotton dress swirled up around her knees and his eyes beheld the miracle, but he already knew what had happened-you just don't twirl in circles on artificial legs. 

His whole world blurred behind a sheet of tears. Okay, it was a day for letting it all out. He and Jimi sobbed openly with joy. Then Cade hoisted Jimi over his head and twirled in circles, too, until they both tumbled to the grass, laughing and whooping and tussling like wrestlers, slapping each other on the back. 

Tripod charged down the porch steps and plowed into the two of them, barking and growling, wagging his tail furiously. Cade stared at the big dog. It jumped up and down, barking, turning in circles. It was a day for turning in circles. 

"You too?" he said. "Sit, boy." He held out his hand. "Shake."  

Tripod sat and extended his left paw, tail thumping the lawn. 

"Not that paw, the new one." Cade tapped the dog's regenerated right leg. "Gimme this paw, buddy." The dog held out its right paw and Cade shook it. "We're gonna have to change your name, huh, fella?" He let go of the paw and the dog held it up again. "Newpod," Cade said, pumping the handshake.  

Lana set Haven down. The girl's eyes shone with wonder greater than the thrill of every Christmas morning rolled into one.  

"Hey, you guys-watch!" Lana said. 

Everyone looked up at her. Lana took a running start on the lawn and launched into a roundhouse and two back handsprings. The fact that her routine ended with her on her butt, laughing, her summer dress tented over her head, would not have stopped Cade from giving her a 10, if he were the judge of gymnastic perfection. 

"So much for the subtle approach," Jimi said, wiping his eyes. "We've been talking about how to break the news to you without blowing your minds." 

Cade laughed. "Too late. I'll never be the same." 

The golden retriever barked and held out his regenerated paw to shake again. Haven shook his paw and knelt down to hug his neck.  

Gen had done all this, Cade thought. She had caused these miracles. He looked toward the Land Rover. "Gen?" 

Lana got up from the grass, plucking a twig from her hair. She and Haven called out at the same time. "Gen?"  

"Where is she?" Jimi said. 

A shadow fell across Cade's tear-streaked face. "She's gone."