“But is this the right time to force her to see all that? She’s got to be in high distress over Grace. Hell, she hasn’t even been back here since she left. I’m just not sure if forcing her to see all this now is a good idea. What if she loses it?”
“When would be the right time? And what else do we have but time. There’s fifty minutes of every hour where we’re just sitting around here with our thumbs up our asses. Grace has wanted this fixed since it happened. And if that’s how we’re spending our time in between visits, I know Grace wouldn’t complain.”
“I guess you’d know for sure.”
“Bet your ass I would.” Clint sighed and took a seat. “Listen, even when she does see the light, you’re going to have some hard work to do. But you’ve been fighting for a long time, and I know how much you love her. Any fool can see she still loves you; it’s written all over her face every time she looks at you. All we have to do is knock that wall down she’s got erected around her heart and you should be good to go.” Clint paused and pointed his finger in Jason’s face. “So long as you don’t screw it up again!”
“No, sir.”
“I’d suggest you make yourself a permanent fixture around here the next few days. Get in her face as much as possible.”
“Yep, got someone hired on for the next few weeks to take care of the ranch. Soon as I got back from seeing Grace the other night, I made arrangements. I plan to be here as much as possible.”
“I knew you were a smart man.” Clint laughed.
“Figured it was my best shot at getting her to see me. To talk to me. To let me explain. She’s not going anywhere, not with Grace laid up here,” Jason said, face reddening. “Shit, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“I know you didn’t. But it’s the truth.”
Jason sat down hard on a chair. “I didn’t realize you knew so much of what happened. I guess I should have figured Grace would have discussed it with you. And here I’ve been avoiding you for fear you were disgusted with me. Or planned to finish what you started that morning,” he said, referring to the morning of the wedding and Clint’s powerful right hook.
“I was at first, no denying it. But once you found out the truth, I couldn’t hold you fully accountable. Lila played a mean and dirty trick, and I’m sure she’ll play some more before it’s all said and done. Especially once she finds out Em is back in town.”
“I stay away from Lila as much as I can in a town this small. But she knows my habits, knows my haunts. You’d think a victim of stalking would know when she’s doing it herself.”
“Yeah, well, she’s a little touched in the head. Probably wouldn’t hurt her any to spend some time in the mental hospital. Some of those meds could help, I’m thinking.”
Jason laughed. “Do you know where they’re staying? Figured I’d get myself a room here so I’m not wasting time driving back and forth.”
“Some kind of suites place. I’m not sure, but I can find out from Hope when she gets here.”
“Thanks.” He looked over at Sadie. “Are you hungry, Buttercup?”
“Yep.”
“Let’s go.” Jason stood and held out his hand. “I guess Emily isn’t coming back anytime soon. So, we’ll go get lunch, and then I have no idea what we’ll do. But we’ll be back here around five. Maybe we can all get dinner together or order pizza and eat in here.”
“Sounds like a good plan. See you then.”
Clint watched them leave, a smile on his face. “I feel good about this Grace. I feel like this will be solved soon and they’ll be coming home.” Clint nodded his head, and when the alarm on his phone went off, his steps were a little lighter on his way to visit with his wife.
Chapter Twenty
“He just appeared?” Hope asked, eyes wide with incredulity.
“Yeah, out of the blue. He’s all ‘Hi, Emily. Long time no see. Let’s pretend the past didn’t happen.’ It was ridiculous.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Ignore him as much as possible. Then go home.”
“Sounds like he wants you back.”
“Surprise! Of course he does. He’s been spending all this time trying to get me back. Now I’m here, in his territory, so of course he’s going to try even harder. But it’s not going to work.”
“What if he’s sincere?”
Emily snorted. “Please.”
Hope rolled her eyes and changed the subject. “So, how’s Dad?”
“Hanging in there, honestly. He’s being a good sport about sharing the visiting times with us. I haven’t seen Tyler yet, but I imagine he’ll be arriving shortly. He said he had a lot of chores to get done today.”
“I’m sure between Mom and Sophie, he’s got to be boiling over with stress.”
“True. Sophie is planning to come here on Saturday with the boys.”
“How’s she feeling?”
“I don’t know. Haven’t seen or talked to her. Just been busy since we got here.” Emily glanced over her shoulder, and seeing nothing in her way, she changed lanes. Their exit was coming up, and she needed to get over to the far right lane. The traffic wasn’t cooperating though, as the big SUV next to her wouldn’t move. “Have you heard from Derek?” she asked after speeding up enough to squeeze between the two SUVs, earning a loud horn blast for her efforts from the SUV that was next to her.
“Yes, he was able to get everything mostly rescheduled. He said he’d have to do a few conference calls, but he’s on his way.”
“When does he arrive?”
“I’m not sure. He’s flying standby, so it’s anyone’s guess.” She played with the engagement ring on her finger. “He said he’d get his own rental since he’s not sure when he’ll arrive. He doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone.”
“It can’t hurt, though,” Emily said, maneuvering the car onto the exit ramp. “The more cars we have the better flexibility we have to get where we need to.” She took a right at the end of the ramp and quickly got into the left lane for the hospital.
“So he’ll meet us at the hospital?”
“Yeah.” She sighed, glancing up at the massive brick structure that was the hospital. “Guess I better reserve him a room, he could get in in the middle of the night.”
“Oh,” Emily said, smiling slightly. “I already took care of that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got you two a room, in case he was able to make it. Figured you’d rather share a room with him than with us.”
Hope nodded. “Yeah.” She grinned. “Thank you. Hey, so what happened with the hotel, anyway?”
“Beats me. The clerk said it was canceled. But she got us a room at the Embassy Suites, and it’s still a Hilton property,” Emily said positively. “More geared toward families but still Hilton. And their breakfast is phenomenal.”
“Doesn’t matter to me, though I do appreciate you taking care of me and my silly idiosyncrasies. I’m just glad to be here and to be here before anything more tragic happens.”
“I know what you mean.”
“I was so scared, Em. So scared I’d be too late,” Hope said softly, gazing out the window and wiping a tear from her eye.
“You’re here now, put it away. We need positive thinking.”
“I know, you’re right. Damn.” Hope blew out a deep, cleansing breath. “I’m here, and it’s all going to be okay.”
“They won’t take her down for the tests until after your visit. Being her daughter, you might get a reaction out of her, too.”
“I hope so. Anything would be nice. I hate that they think she has no brain activity. Doesn’t that mean life support and then major decisions about taking her off?”
“She is on life support, Hope. She has machines and wires and all that. As far as taking her off, I have no idea how that works. But I doubt Dad would let that happen.”
“Me either. Not if there’s a chance.”
Emily nodded and took the exit for the hospital. “Are you hungry?�
�
“No. I couldn’t eat right now, anyway.”
“There’s a reasonable cafeteria in the hospital. Food isn’t terrible, surprisingly.”
“Where’s Sadie?”
“With Jason. He took her to lunch.”
“That’s nice. The hospital has to be boring for her.”
“Yeah, there’s only so much we can bring in to keep her occupied. Unfortunately, she has the attention span of a fruit fly.”
“I bet she was excited to see him.” Hope smiled.
“Yeah.” Emily nodded. “It was good to see. And I have to admit, he makes a pretty good father. He was very concerned about how she was doing and feeling.” Then she snorted. “Dad went all Mother Theresa on me while Jason was visiting with Mama G.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know how he keeps his opinions to himself usually and lets Mama G do the hard talks?”
“Yeah . . .”
“Well, he wasn’t holding anything back today.” Emily went into the conversation, doing her best to be as accurate as possible in the retelling.
“Well, that’s nothing you haven’t heard before from Mom, me, or Gina.”
“I know, but I guess I didn’t know he knew. And since when does he have an opinion on it?”
“I guess since now. But seriously, what are you going to do?”
“I told you. Ignore him as much as possible and then go home.”
“Doesn’t sound like Dad or Jason are going to let you go without a fight.”
“Nope, but I can handle it.” I hope, she added silently to herself.
“So, is the general consensus that Lila staged the whole thing, and since Jason was drunk, no one really blames him?”
“Pretty much. They think I should give him a pass.”
“You have to admit, it sounds plausible.”
“If it were anyone else, yes, I suppose it would. But it’s not, and I’m not, and here we are.” Emily banged her hand on the steering wheel. “I just wasn’t expecting it from Dad. And the worst part?”
“What?”
“The worst part was Jason showed up right after my angry outburst. After I’d just poured out how shattered I was. Like I wanted or needed him to hear that? Or Sadie, who was quietly watching television? I forgot she was even there. I can’t believe I lost control like that!”
“Oh shit,” Hope breathed. “What did you do?”
“I shrieked, apologized to Sadie, and then stormed out. Went outside for about a half hour and tried to find my happy place. Jason and Sadie left while I was outside.”
“Did you find your happy place?”
“No,” Emily admitted. “I imagine I won’t find it again until we get home to Boston.”
“That could be a while.”
Emily nodded. They drifted into silence until they reached the hospital. Clint was waiting for them in the waiting room, and Hope went straight to his arms. “Aw, Daddy,” she sighed against his chest.
“I’m glad you’re here. When you’re ready, you can go in to see her.”
“I thought I was ready, but it turns out I’m just a big chicken.”
Emily walked over and placed her hand on Hope’s back. “You’re not. This isn’t a moment you ever thought you’d have to face. Take some breaths, and when you’re ready, go in. They’ll wait until you visit. I’ll make sure of it.”
Hope nodded and continued to hold on to Clint. “I feel like I’ll crumble into pieces if I let go right now,” she whispered.
Emily could feel the tears brimming in her own eyes, and she wrapped her arms around everyone. “Group hug,” she choked out.
She recognized her brother’s cologne a second before she felt his arms come around them. “Family hug,” he corrected.
They stood together, wrapped in each other’s arms. After a few minutes, Hope broke free. “I guess I better get in there. Do you want to come with me, Ty?”
“I’ve seen her and been in with her. You haven’t yet. Go.” He motioned toward the door. “Have your time with her. I’ll visit after the tests are over.”
Hope nodded and walked out of the waiting room.
Emily launched herself into her brother’s arms, giving him a tight squeeze. “You’re here!” Emily said happily through her tears.
“Finally. Got up early to get the important chores done.”
“How’s Sophie?” Clint asked.
“She says she’s feeling good, but I know she’s exhausted.”
“Does she need anything?” Emily asked.
“Just for the baby to arrive,” Tyler said, grinning. “She just wants her body back, sleeping with a watermelon in your stomach doesn’t lend itself to a lot of rest. Or so I’m repeatedly told throughout the day when I suggest she rest.”
“She’s right, but your heart is in the right place.” Emily laughed.
They sat around chatting while Hope had her ten minutes with Grace. When she poked her head into the waiting room, the three of them jumped to their feet and followed her into the hallway. “They’re ready for her.” Hope motioned to Grace’s room.
They stood in the doorway of Grace’s room while the nurses prepared Grace to be moved.
“We’ll come tell you when she’s back,” one of the nurses told them. “She should be done in a couple hours.”
As she was wheeled down the hall and into the elevator, the four of them followed Grace with their eyes, praying the tests revealed what their hearts yearned for most. That she would come home with them soon.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier, Dad.”
Clint nodded and pulled Emily in for a hug. “I’m sorry for embarrassing you in front of him.”
“I need you to understand, though, that we’re not getting back together. It’s beyond repair, and when I no longer need to be here, Sadie and I are returning to Boston.”
“I hear you, but you need to understand that I don’t agree with your decision. I don’t want to make you any angrier, but I will not give up trying to persuade you to stay.”
“Well, so long as we understand each other.” Emily smiled.
“Indeed.” Clint smoothed a hand down Emily’s face. “Jason and Sadie are bringing pizza back with them this evening, and we’re gonna eat here before dispersing to our respective hotels.”
Nodding, Emily sat down at “her” table. “Sounds good.”
“I’m going to run out and do some errands while Grace is in testing. Call me if I’m not back by the time she’s done?”
“Sure, Dad. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Clint shook his head. “No, I just need a haircut. I’m going to pick up some toiletries. I don’t like what they have in the hotel. And see if I can find a couple more books to read.” He pulled on his button shirt. “Anything is better than sitting around here waiting. I think I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.”
“I’m just going to sit here and try to get some work done. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
Clint nodded his thanks and walked out of the waiting room.
Emily was deep in conversation with Phil when Hope and Tyler returned from lunch. She had designs spread all over the table and three chairs lined up by the table.
“No, Phil, I just don’t think that’s going to work. She hates pastels; it’s written clear as day on this order.”
“But maybe she doesn’t know she likes pastels. I’m telling you, we need something to soften up the room.”
“I agree, but we’re going to have to figure it out without the use of pastels.”
“What if we give her two options? One with pastels and one without? And we don’t even have to use a lot of pastels, just a pale yellow or green would go a long way to softening up that room.”
“I guess that would be okay, but we offer it as a last resort. You know if we offer it first, she’ll close her mind to it as soon as she sees the pastels and that’ll be the end of the present
ation.”
“Works for me.”
“I hate this room. Who designs a room with barely any windows? It’s a nightmare.”
“You can only add so many lamps to the room before it becomes too cluttered.”
“Exactly. Okay. Well, you come up with the design using pastels, and I’ll work on mine. We can talk later and compare notes.” Emily took a sip of her Pepsi. “Did you send out the acceptance letter?”
“Yeah, it went out with this morning’s mail run.”
“Have you heard from Jenny? How’s her project?”
“I haven’t, but I’m sure she’s working away on it.”
“Yeah. Okay, we can talk about the rest tomorrow. But this one is due tomorrow, so let’s get it done.”
“I love having a plan for my afternoon. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.” Emily hung up and eyed her siblings. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” Tyler snickered.
Hope shook her head and tried to hide her smile.
“What?” Emily asked again.
“It’s just you’ve turned this waiting room into a conference room-type place, your papers are everywhere, and have you seen your hair, Medusa?”
“What?!” Emily shrieked. She ran out of the room and straight to the bathroom. Between the wind and her hands, they were right. She looked like a nightmare. Doing her best to repair her hair, she returned to the waiting room. “Anything good to eat down there?”
“The usual hospital cafeteria fare,” Tyler replied. “I had a greasy cheeseburger with fries, and this one,” he said thumbing Hope, “had a nice healthy salad.”
Hope stuck her tongue out at him. “There’s a nice selection. You can pretty much find whatever you feel like.”
Emily nodded. “Okay, I guess I’ll go eat before I begin working on this project. I need some fortification. You guys need anything?”
“Nah,” they said in unison.
“Okay. Dad went out to run errands. He wants a call if we hear anything ahead of when we’re supposed to.”
Tyler saluted her. “We’ll be good soldiers and guard the situation. Never fear, fearless leader, we’ve got this!” he mocked.
Emily’s smile was tight. “Good. See you in a bit.”
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