Leslie turned to her with wide eyes. "We need to talk!"
"About what?" Stephanie asked innocently.
Leslie gestured toward the door. "That man just kissed you, and you did not act shocked about it, which means you've kissed him before. Are you guys together?"
Stephanie's cheeks pinked just as Jake and an orderly walked in with a recliner. "Sit, Les."
"Thanks, Jake."
"Yep. Do you girls need anything else?"
"No."
He turned to Stephanie, "Call me if you need me."
"Okay."
Jake left, and Leslie settled beside Sam and grabbed her hand again. "Tell me about you and Jake. Like right now."
"We're together," she grimaced, suddenly tongue-tied.
"Stephanie! Talk to me! I can't believe this." Her voice dropped low. "You have wanted him forever. What happened?"
"I want to know the whole story too, please. Keep my mind occupied," Sam told her.
"I guess he finally figured out I liked him and that he liked me. And I found out why he left, but guys, something else happened." She stopped and looked toward the window to gather her thoughts before she turned back to her friends. "I found out I'm adopted."
Leslie's eyes widened. "Marlon and Cheryl."
"Aren't my biological parents. I had Sam look into it. Turns out I have a younger brother, and he's pretty freaking amazing."
"But you're upset."
"Yeah. They didn't tell me, and I found out a few weeks ago, but I've been feeling lost, I guess. I refused to see them, and I'm regretting that a little bit."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah."
"But I'm really happy about you and Jake. And you are blushing again. I know you aren't cleared for sex, but that didn't stop you from having fun, did it?"
"No, it did not." She waved her face with her hand, even causing Sam to giggle.
"How built is he under that lab coat?" Leslie asked.
"Greek god!" Stephanie answered without hesitation.
All three girls laughed out loud.
Chapter 23
"I can do this. I can do this." Stephanie repeated the mantra as she stood still stock-still, the crutches held under each arm. Her grip on the handles was so hard her knuckles lost their color.
"You absolutely can," Matt said from behind her.
"I'm sorry this is taking so long."
"I'm in no hurry here. Take your time."
"Okay," she breathed out. "I can do this."
"I got the X-rays back. I talked to your surgeon. If you fall, it shouldn't do further damage."
"That's not too comforting."
"Sorry. I'll shut up. My sister is always telling me to shut up."
Stephanie took a deep breath and slid the crutch forward. "Should I do both or slide my foot now? I've been on crutches before, but I'm feeling like an idiot right now."
"Do what feels better. Do both. See what works."
She shuffled her leg forward, and she swayed, his hands steadying her briefly before letting go. "Good job. Keep going."
"I can do this," she said again.
"Yes, you can."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement."
"I'm your biggest cheerleader! Well, Jake's probably the biggest. You're smiling right now, aren't you?"
She felt no need to deny it. "I am."
"Good. Now let's get you ready to maybe walk down the aisle."
"Seriously?"
"Yep." He hummed "Here Comes the Bride" from behind her, which made her giggle. "And remember, when you are tired, there is nothing wrong with wheeling it—no shame in that. There may be days when you just can't do the walking thing. And that's okay. When is Jake back from his business meeting out of town?"
Stephanie frowned. "A week."
"He will be so amazed at the progress you've made."
She nodded her head. "Let's do this!"
*******
Dylan gazed at his wife, who was sleeping on a bench in his hospital room, and immediately felt guilty. She probably thought he had died or was going to. She had already lived through one husband's passing, and she looked so pale. Someone had given her a blanket and pillow, and hopefully, she was getting some rest.
He turned toward his sister, who was sitting in a chair beside the bed. She had her legs tucked under her, her finger scrolling on her phone, and still had on her scrubs from her shift. And yes, another wave of guilt hit. She had been in the ER when he was brought in.
"Daisy?"
She looked at him, and man, he could tell she'd been crying. "Hey, big bro. How are you feeling?"
"I've been better."
"Are you in pain?"
"Yes, but I'm okay for now." He looked at Sam, then back to his sister. "How is she?" he asked softly.
Daisy smiled sadly. "Not good, Dyl. She's been throwing up this morning, and last night she went to see Stephanie."
Dylan's brow furrowed. "That's good. I think. Dad?"
"I talked to him and had to tell Mary not to let him drive here in the snow. Call him when you can."
Dylan nodded and laid his head back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. "I'm sorry I worried everyone."
"I froze when you came in. Leslie was on shift too and took over for me until they got someone to cover."
"Jace and Damon?"
"Working on the kitchen. They're texting me a lot." She held up her phone.
"Drew?"
"Doesn't know. We haven't called Steve's parents. They didn't come because of the snow, so they don’t have a clue right now."
"Do you think he'll even care?"
Daisy stood, walked to the bed, and grabbed her brother's hand that wasn't in a cast. "Of course, he'll care. He loves you."
"I'm not sure of that."
"I think you guys need to go to family therapy."
Sam shifted in her sleep and whimpered.
"Daisy, she's having a nightmare."
She walked around and gently touched her shoulder until she woke with a sudden intake of air. Her eyes flitted around the room and landed on Dylan. "Hey, sweetheart."
"Dylan." She looked at Daisy. "Hi, sis."
"Hey, babe. Go see your man. I'm going to hunt down some food." She slipped on her shoes and quickly left the room.
Sam seemed tentative as she stood and rubbed a hand down her stomach before coming over to the bed. Dylan grabbed her hand. "Samantha, I'm all right."
"I know. I'll get there."
He squeezed her hand.
"I have to tell you something, and I didn't want to tell you this way. I wanted to make this big deal, but that's not happening, so." She stopped and sucked in a breath, turned his hand over in hers, and tapped on his palm. "I'm pregnant." She looked up at his face when he didn't say anything. He was staring at her stomach, and her hand went there instinctively.
"Samantha." A tear dropped down his cheek. "Oh my God, Samantha." He looked at her with a look that could only be described as being in awe. Dylan's love for his wife and his unborn child shone out of his sparkling blue eyes. "When are we due?"
"June."
He flashed a grin that coaxed a smile out of her. "Daisy said you were throwing up this morning. Is that why?"
"Mostly yes. This isn't helping, though."
"Hey guys," Daisy said as she re-entered the room. "I found donuts!"
Sam's eyes widened. "What do you have? I'm starving. Did you get milk?" she asked as she opened the box that Daisy had put at the end of the bed. "Oooh, Chocolate Milk would be better." She took a bite of a donut. Chocolate spread on the side of her mouth, and she groaned. "This is so good. Did they have the bacon ones?"
Daisy was staring at her. "I didn't ask. I didn't know I was supposed to."
"It's bacon. I feel as if you should know this, Dais."
Daisy looked at her, amused. "I am aware of your infatuation with bacon, but I didn't think about the bacon flavored donuts."
"Bacon on everything." She turned to he
r husband. "Dylan. We need bacon cheeseburgers for lunch."
"Would you like fries with that?"
"Was that even a real question?"
Dylan smiled.
"The cheese ones!"
"With bacon?" he asked rhetorically.
Sam pointed her second donut at him. "Now you're talking."
Daisy laughed. "What's the matter with you? Are you so sleep-deprived that you are loopy right now?"
Sam paused before she took a bite and chewed for a brief moment. "I'm very hungry right now, and I'm craving all the things." She bit off another piece of the sugary goodness and watched Daisy's face as her brain filtered through what was going on. Her eyes widened, and she looked at Sam's stomach and then back to Sam's face. Sam shrugged her shoulders.
"Sam?"
"Ready to be an aunt again?"
"Yes!" She walked around and engulfed Sam in a hug before turning to Dylan and hugging him gently in the bed. "Congratulations, you guys! I love you."
"What's going on?" Leslie asked as she entered with a bag of food in her hand.
"What's that?" Sam asked, and Daisy covered her laugh with her hand.
Leslie lifted the bag. "Damon's breakfast."
"Does it have bacon on it? And does he need it?"
"Yes and yes."
Sam's shoulders deflated dramatically, and Daisy laughed.
"What's going on?" Leslie asked.
"She's having...cravings," Daisy answered her.
"Why are you...oh! OH!"
Sam smiled at her, and Leslie wrapped her arms around her, hugging her close. "Are you okay?" Sam asked her.
"I'm okay. Thanks for asking, and I'm so happy for you."
"Hi, I had a part in that too," Dylan said from the bed.
"Ewww," Daisy said, her face scrunching up.
Dylan snickered, then grimaced in pain. "It hurts to laugh." He watched Samantha's face fall. "Come here, sweetheart." She took his hand immediately, and he smiled at her. "I'm going to be okay. I can't help with the kitchen like I wanted to, but I guess I'm getting an extended vacation. You need to get a hold of Tony and let him take up the slack. He wants to give his two weeks' notice."
"I'll call him in a bit. I meant to yesterday." She gestured toward him. "I got distracted."
Daisy pushed a chair in Sam's direction. She sat down and laid her head on the side of the bed while Dylan ran his fingers through her hair.
"I'm going to take this to Damon and see if he will let me drive to Mom's to get Chloe, or at least get away from here."
"I'll walk with you," Daisy said. "I'm in the same boat. A neighbor is watching Hannah and Jackson."
They said their goodbyes, and Daisy got teary-eyed again before she left with Leslie, leaving Dylan and Sam alone.
The doctor came in and told them Dylan could go home in the morning, but he would be laid up for a while. His collarbone and arm were broken, along with a very bruised shoulder. Frozen ground, a soft landing it did not make.
Sam made it through the exam of her husband and burst into tears the moment the doctor left the room. "You could have died," she hiccupped.
"I didn't."
"I can't lose you."
"I'm here, sweetheart, and our family is growing, and right now, despite the pain I'm in, I'm happy. We will figure Drew out."
"Something tells me he won't be happy about me having a baby."
"Unfortunately, I agree with you. I'm going to take those pills now." He pointed to the pain medication Jeni had left earlier. "If you want to go to see Stephanie, that's fine. I'll text you when I wake up."
"I'll just hold your hand until you fall asleep."
"Sounds good."
*******
"Knock, knock," Sam said to Stephanie as she entered the room.
"Hey, girl." Stephanie was glad that Sam looked more with it than she had last night, but she still looked like she hadn't slept in days. "Have a seat." She pointed to the unoccupied recliner, and Sam sank into it.
"Dylan is asleep. We are supposed to go home in the morning."
"That's great. Put your feet up."
Sam pulled the lever and relaxed further. "I need to call Steve's parents."
"Yeah. Do they need to wait to bring Drew home?"
"I don't know. I have to tell them something, and I'm worried about it."
"Well, I've been avoiding my parents too."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't as thorough as I usually am."
Stephanie waved her hand. "Don't worry over that. Do you want to tell me what you need to talk to Steve's parents about? It's totally okay to be ambiguous with me if you aren't ready."
"Just that I'm pregnant."
Stephanie smiled. "You know, I wondered."
"You did?"
"You don't realize how often you touch your stomach. You are even doing it now. Did you get a chance to tell Dylan? Is he happy about it?"
"Yes."
"But Drew and your former in-laws don't know, and you're worried about their reaction."
Sam nodded. "Especially Drew. I think he'll think we are trying to replace him."
"He might," Stephanie answered honestly.
"Can I have the name of the family therapist?"
"Of course. I'll text you the information today."
"Enough about me. How are you?"
"Hurting a little. I walked on crutches today!" she beamed.
"That's fantastic!"
"I fell a few times, but I was improving at each pass. I go again Wednesday. Jake is out of town, and I want to walk to him when he walks through that door!"
"Hashtag Lofty Goals."
"Did you just say the word hashtag?"
Sam laughed.
"Let me guess, you're hashtag sorry, not sorry?"
"Yep." Sam laid her head back and reclined even farther.
"I want to go home, Sam, and I need to talk to my parents about the adoption and how I want them to move out of my house. I mean, how ungrateful will that sound? Thank you for picking up your entire life to be here and help me, but could you leave?"
"Tough one."
"And I need to know why she didn't let Emily see me when I was seventeen."
"She was in juvie, but she was a minor, and the records were sealed. I haven’t gotten to the bottom of that yet."
"I didn't see that part in the report."
"It's possible I forgot to put it in there. I'm already experiencing pregnancy brain. Which reminds me, I have to call Tony."
"The cop?"
"Yeah, I'm hiring him. He's quitting his job. Do you mind if I step out a sec to do that before I forget?"
"Sure."
Sam was back quickly and once again reclined back in the recliner and stared at the ceiling. "I miss your skylight."
"Same. The rain was comforting to me and helped me sleep. Do you want some candy?"
Sam's gaze swung in Stephanie's direction. "What kind?"
"Well, Jake keeps me supplied in Tootsie Rolls, which are my favorite, but I also have a bunch of candy Elizabeth brought me."
"Sweet." She stood and walked over to the candy bowl, picking out several before throwing them back in and carrying the entire bowl over. She sat back down, flipped the feet out, and set the bowl on her lap.
Stephanie laughed. "Sweet tooth today?"
"Yes! I'm craving sweets." She unrolled a piece of candy and popped it in her mouth with a small moan. "Where do I put my wrappers?"
"Back in the bowl?"
"Don't you dare!" Courtney exclaimed from the doorway. She walked in, grabbed a garbage can, and slid it toward Sam. "In the garbage can, please."
"Doing okay, Court?" Sam asked wearily.
"Yeah. Yes. Yes, I am. How's Dylan?"
"Hurting. He's asleep."
"Good, good, good."
"Where's Landon?"
"Something broke in the kitchen, and he's helping Jace and Damon."
Silence descended on the room.
"What?" Courtney asked when no one
said anything.
"You sure you're feeling okay?" Stephanie asked her.
"Tired. I'm tired. Tired."
Sam looked at Stephanie, watching Courtney folding the sheet back and forth on the unmade bed.
"This doesn't look right, does it?" she asked.
"I think it's fine."
"Oh, okay. Sure." She rubbed her forehead with one hand. The other still played with the sheet.
Sam put the bowl on the floor, leaned forward, and grabbed Courtney's hand. "What's going on, Courtney?"
"What?"
Sam glanced at Stephanie, and she discreetly shook her head.
"Nothing. Want some candy?" she asked and sat back in her chair.
"Later, maybe."
"Let me know."
"Okay."
"I swear I took my medicine," Courtney blurted.
"I believe you," Stephanie said.
"Landon would never let me forget. Nothing feels right today."
"That's okay."
"Can I lie down?"
"Yep."
"I didn't sleep last night. Landon even laid on the floor with me for a little while, and the only reason he's not here right now is that he knows I'm with you."
"Take a nap. I have a heating pad on my hip. I fell today with crutches."
"Nice! Well, you know."
"I do know. Thanks."
It didn't take long for Courtney to fall asleep, and Stephanie texted Landon.
She looked at Sam. "He said she hasn't slept much this week and not at all the last two nights, but yes, she's taken her meds."
"I hate that she still has bad days even with medication."
"Me too."
Sam stood and covered her with the blanket before deflating into the chair. "Is it terribly rude if I nap too?"
"Nope, go ahead. I'm feeling sleepy too. There are more blankets in that closet."
Sam took out blankets and handed one to Stephanie before she covered herself and reclined back. She was asleep in less than five minutes.
Stephanie's phone dinged with a text from Jake, and she couldn't stop the smile that blossomed across her cheeks with the message that simply said, "I miss you."
Chapter 24
Jake was home a day earlier than expected and was standing outside Stephanie's house. The trunk to Stephanie's parents' car was open, and the door opened as Marlon stepped out, holding a suitcase.
He paused briefly before continuing to the car, putting the suitcase in, and turning to Jake. "Hey, son. What's up?"
Broken Ties (The Healing Series Book 5) Page 17
