by Tori Scott
"No, I want him to play with me," she said, pointing to Jason.
Jason turned around with a look of disbelief. "Me? No way. I'm not playing a little kid's game."
Melanie screwed her face up and worked out a few tears. "Please?" she whined.
Sandy rolled her eyes. Hunter coughed to disguise a laugh, and Jason turned bright red. He glared at Hunter. "What if one of my friends saw me? I'd never live it down."
"Son, what are the chances one of your friends is going to walk down the children's ward and open this particular door? I have a feeling you might as well give in. She looks like she can be pretty persuasive."
Jason mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Oh, hell," and flopped onto the chair beside the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't even know how to play this game."
Melanie stared at him, her amazement plain on her pixie face. "You don't? I thought everybody knew how to play Candy Land. I'll show you how, ok?"
As she began to explain how the game was played, Hunter and Sandy moved toward the far side of the room. For several minutes, they stood side by side as they watched their children, Sandy's hand nestled securely in Hunter's. She wondered if he even realized he held her hand as he watched his son.
The kids were soon absorbed in the game, Jason as much as Melanie. Occasionally one of them laughed, and Jason accused Melanie of cheating when he had to go back to the beginning. Both children seemed to have forgotten the adults were in the room.
Sandy felt more at ease than she had in days, in spite of the heat that spread through her from the feeling of Hunter’s hand wrapped around hers. She refused to read anything into the gesture, but she felt safe and secure anyway.
***
That afternoon set the pattern for the next few days.
Hunter came by in the morning after he'd dropped Jason off at school, bringing breakfast for Sandy and a new book or game for Melanie. If Sandy needed something from home, he and Jason brought it in the afternoon. Jason played games with Melanie, no longer complaining or worrying about his friends.
Between visits, Sandy found herself thinking far too much of the dark-haired man who had insinuated himself into their lives. He spoiled Melanie rotten, bringing her toys and books, candy and balloons. He tried to spoil Sandy as well, but she wasn't a small child whose affections were easily bought.
Since her her husband's death she’d learned she didn't need approval from a man in her life to make her feel whole. That had been her mother's need. She and Melanie were just fine on their own. And she intended to keep it that way.
The fourth day after the accident the doctors declared Melanie well enough to undergo the surgery needed to set her leg properly. It was scheduled for eight o'clock the next morning, and Sandy was suffering an anxiety attack over the thought of her baby being put through such an ordeal. Since the doctor's announcement just after lunch, she'd snapped at the nurses and orderlies, and once at Melanie herself. She couldn't go on like this. She had to get herself under control.
The smell of flowers permeated the hospital room and made her nauseous. The stacks of cards and painted signs from the child care center failed to cheer her up. The pile of toys accumulating in the closet annoyed her. She needed a break from this room, if only for a few minutes, but whenever she tried to leave, Melanie cried and begged her to stay.
She was holding on to her sanity by a thread. She kept repeating, "I can do this," like a mantra. It was no wonder when Hunter and Jason stepped through the door that afternoon, she was primed for a fight.
"How are we doing today?" Hunter asked with a wide smile.
"Oh, we're just dandy," Sandy replied, her voice loaded with sarcasm.
Hunter and Jason exchanged a wary look, then Jason slipped past her to say hello to Melanie. Hunter gave Sandy a long look. "Let’s go for a walk outside. You need a break."
She shook her head. "I can't. Melanie won't let me out of her sight."
"Sure she will. “Hey Melanie, I'm taking your Mom out for some fresh air to help her get rid of the grumpies. Jason will stay here and play a game with you, okay?"
"Okay," Melanie replied, already pulling Candy Land from its box. She didn't even look up to acknowledge their departure.
Sandy stared at her daughter in disbelief, then shook her head again and left the room. "I don't believe it. I haven't even been able to take a shower without her throwing a fit. You just tell her we're leaving and she doesn't object."
"She knows she can play on your sympathies. She's not so sure about mine," Hunter reminded her. "Besides, her best buddy is here to play with her."
It was true. Melanie and Jason had been getting along beautifully. His belligerent attitude had seemed to disappear along with his long hair and various earrings. Melanie basked in the attention he gave her, even foregoing her usual bids for sympathy. When he was around, she showed the charming, happy personality she normally displayed. But as soon as he left again, it was like an alien being took over her body.
Hunter led her downstairs and through a side door into a lovely courtyard with a fountain and stone benches. A brick pathway wound in and around trees and flowers in full bloom. The air was so sweet it almost took her breath away after days of breathing the stale, antiseptic air of the hospital. "It's lovely," she sighed. "Let's walk for a bit, if that's all right."
"Sure. The exercise will do you good, relieve some of the stress."
They walked in companionable silence for several minutes before she began to worry that she should go back in case Melanie needed her.
"Relax. Jason knows my cell phone and pager numbers. He'll call if they need us." He slipped an arm around her shoulders and led her to a bench near the fountain. "Now, why don't you tell me what's got you so uptight?"
Sandy sat down, wringing her hands together. "It's the surgery. They've scheduled it for tomorrow morning and I'm scared. She's so little. What if something goes wrong?"
"Nothing's going to go wrong. You have confidence in the surgeon, right? Because if you don't, we can get a different one."
"No, that's okay. The surgeon is one of the best. He's done a lot of work for the Dallas Cowboys, and he came highly recommended. It's just that she’s so little."
"She'll be fine. I'll come sit with you in the morning."
"No." That’s the last thing she needed. She wanted time alone to sort out her thoughts, to make plans. "That's not necessary. You've got work to do. I'll be fine."
"I'm sure you will, but I'll be here anyway. Besides, I’m not working right now. A friend and I are in the process of starting a security company but it’s not off the ground yet. I have plenty of free time."
Sandy turned to look at him and realized his arm was still wrapped around her shoulders. She stiffened slightly, then forced herself to relax. "Why do you want to be here?"
Hunter gently took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up toward him. "It started out as guilt and a sense of responsibility, I guess. But it's become more than that. Now, I care." He brought his lips down and brushed them lightly, quickly, across hers. Without giving her time to react, he pulled back.
Sandy was left to wonder who he cared about. Her? Melanie? She had a sinking feeling she was in deeper trouble than she'd thought.
Let her think about that one. She'd been so prickly since the accident, Hunter looked forward to plucking out the sharp quills she put up as a defense. He wasn't going to rush her. He'd made that mistake with his wife, not taking time to get to know her before he'd taken her to his bed. Two months later Liz had informed him she was pregnant. They were married two weeks before he shipped out for an overseas assignment, and she'd cried hysterically when he'd told her he was leaving but couldn't tell her where he was going or how long he'd be gone. The day he'd left, her parents had to pry her arms from around his neck. It had been an embarrassing scene for all of them.
Sandy isn't like that, he told himself for the hundredth time. From what he'd seen, she was strong and indepen
dent, and more courageous than any woman he'd ever met. How many women could handle what she was going through right now entirely on her own? She never complained it was too much for her.
And she'd been kind and gracious to Jason, even though he didn't deserve it. He thought that was one reason his son seemed to be trying so hard with Melanie. Whatever the reason, he was damned glad to see Jason still had a soft side. He'd seen too little of it these past few months.
***
The next morning, Hunter walked into his kitchen to find Jason already dressed and eating breakfast. Most mornings he yelled several times before the kid finally dragged himself out of bed. "Anxious to get to school this morning?"
Jason looked up with a determined lift of his chin. "I'm not going to school today."
Hunter braced himself for a fight, then Jason continued.
"I want to go to the hospital with you. Please, Dad? I told Melanie I'd be there when she went to surgery, and I'd be waiting when she came out. I can't break my promise."
Hunter sighed. How did he fight a request like that? "You shouldn't have promised without asking me first, you know. But I guess it will be all right for you to miss one day of school. Just this once. Next time you talk to me before you make that kind of promise."
"Sure, Dad. Are you almost ready to go? I don't want to be late."
"It's only six-thirty, but yeah, I'm ready whenever you are."
Jason jumped up and ran upstairs to get his jacket and backpack and was back downstairs before Hunter had a chance to drink his coffee. "Take your travel mug, Dad. We need to leave."
Resigned, he did as Jason suggested. He was beginning to wonder who this kid was. One minute he was as angry and mean as a bear with a sore paw, the next he was almost the caring, giving child he'd been before his mother's death. The bad moments still outweighed the good, unfortunately, but it was nice to know the good ones were still possible.
They entered Melanie's room to find her drunk. At least she acted drunk. She was weaving in the bed like a sailor after a night in port, telling her mother there were two of her. Sandy was struggling not to laugh while at the same time trying to keep her daughter in the bed.
"What's going on here?" Hunter asked. "Are they serving alcohol intravenously now, instead of just wiping it on the skin?"
"Oh, Hunter," Sandy said with a giggle. "She's been like this for about fifteen minutes. Whatever they gave her for a sedative has turned her into a drunken comedian. She's been carrying on non-stop."
"Well, it certainly seems to have her relaxed, so I guess it's working." He looked at Jason, who was grinning at Melanie. He couldn't believe it. His son was actually smiling. He hadn't seen that phenomenon in months.
He stepped back so Melanie could see Jason. "Melanie, look who else is here," he said.
"Jay-shun! You're heeeeerrrrre," Melanie yelled, almost falling over sideways in her excitement.
"Hey, squirt. You need to lay off the beer," Jason said as he went to stand beside the bed. He pulled a stuffed cat from behind his back and gave it to her. "I brought someone to keep you company when I'm not here."
"O-o-o-o. Shanks, Jayshun. Mine."
"Yeah, it's yours, squirt. I'll hold him for you while they fix your leg, then you can have him back, okay?"
"S'okay," Melanie agreed with a yawn. "I'm sleepy, Mom-m-y"
Sandy smiled at her sedated daughter, then helped her lie down. "Go ahead and take a nap, sweetheart. I'll be here when you wake up." She gave Melanie a kiss and brushed her curls back from her face. Moisture misted her eyes as she turned to Hunter.
"I don't think I can stand this," she said, her voice choked with unshed tears.
Hunter pulled her into his arms, not caring that Jason was looking on. "She'll be okay. The doctors know what they're doing. She's in a good hospital. She'll be back on her feet and riding that trike again before you know it." Realizing what he'd just said, he corrected himself. "Well, not that trike, but I'm going to buy her a new one."
Sandy pulled back and glared at him. "Don't you dare!"
"Why not?" He was taken aback by the venom in her voice.
"I can't take the risk of something like this ever happening again," Sandy argued. "No more tricycles."
"You can't keep her from riding again. It's like a horse. She needs to get back on so she doesn't develop a fear of it."
"I mean it, Hunter. Don't even think about it."
All he said was, "We'll see."
Sandy pulled herself out of his arms, ready for a fight. She had to make him understand this was her daughter, her decision. But before she could say a word, two orderlies pushed a gurney through the door. It was time. Her focus shifted from Hunter's interference back to her daughter. Melanie was sound asleep.
CHAPTER FOUR
Hunter paced the waiting room like a caged tiger while Jason stared out the window, biting on a fingernail. Sandy sat in a blue-vinyl wing chair, head back, staring at the ceiling. Hunter growled, "What's taking them so long?"
Jason turned around and went to the door, looking out at the empty hallway. "It's only been an hour, Dad. This stuff takes a while. You wouldn't want them to hurry and risk making a mistake, would you?" The quaver in his voice revealed his anxiety, despite his attempt to be matter-of-fact.
"My son, the philosopher," Hunter muttered as he continued pacing. "Knows everything. About everything."
Jason only smiled and returned to the window.
"Sandy, do you want a cup of coffee?" He really needed to take a walk, burn off some of this nervous energy.
"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "You go ahead and get some, although you'd better make it decaf. You're wound tighter than a grandfather clock."
"How can you be so calm? I wondered about that when Melanie was hurt. You didn't fall apart like I expected. How come?"
"I don't know. I guess it's because of my job. I'm the one in charge, so I have to stay calm when one of the children gets hurt. With over two hundred children in our care, accidents happen."
She remembered one incident vividly that had taken all she possessed not to panic. One of girls in the school-aged group had slipped while climbing the ladder to the high diving board at the city pool. She'd fallen backwards and cracked her skull on the pavement. Sandy shivered as she thought about it.
"What are you thinking?" Hunter asked.
"Just remembering one of those accidents," she said. Jason listened, spell-bound, as she described the events of that awful afternoon.
"So, what did you do?" Jason asked. "I mean, weren't you scared?"
"Terrified. But I couldn't let it show. The other kids were already afraid, and the teachers in charge looked like they were going to faint. Luckily, the lifeguards were well trained, and an ambulance was there almost immediately since we were near the fire station. It was definitely not an experience I'd want to repeat."
Hunter's admiration for her kicked up a notch, as he suspected Jason's did. The boy looked at her with awe showing plainly on his face. There was no way Liz could have handled a situation like that. She would have gone to pieces.
They were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't hear the doctor come in. When he said, "Mrs. Morrow?" all three of them jumped.
Sandy was the first to ask, "How is she?" Hunter and Jason repeated the question before she’d finished.
"She came through the surgery with flying colors. We were able to set her leg so that she shouldn't have any lasting effects from this. She'll need some physical therapy after the cast is removed, but just to get those muscles built back up and keep them flexible. She should be ready to go home in another day or two."
This time, when the tears welled, Sandy was unable to hold them back. "Thank you. Thank you so much. When can I see her?"
"Someone will come get you in an hour or so and you can visit her in the recovery room."
Hunter shook the doctor's hand and expressed his thanks. Then, to his surprise, Jason did the same, although with a bl
ush and a stammer to go with the handshake. It was a very adult thing for the kid to do. His son was growing up. Hunter felt a swell of pride fill his chest.
After the doctor's exit, Hunter turned to Sandy. "Well, we knew everything would turn out fine, didn't we?"
Sandy shook her head and smiled. "You were as worried as Jason and I. Maybe more."
"Who, me? I wasn't worried. I told you those doctors knew what they were doing."
Jason rolled his eyes at Sandy and said, "Sure, Dad. Whatever you say." Then he patted his stomach. "Is anyone else hungry? I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Hunter pointed out, "but I could stand to eat something besides coffee-on-the-run. How about you, Sandy? Hungry?"
"I haven't eaten yet today, so I probably should. I'd better tell the nurses where we'll be, though. The cafeteria or one of the restaurants?"
"Let's try the deli in Building B. I'm already tired of the cafeteria food," Jason suggested.
"That sounds good. Definitely better than congealed eggs and rubber biscuits. I'll be right back." When she left, Hunter turned to Jason.
"Son, I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you."
Jason blushed and looked away, but he asked, "What for? I didn't do anything."
"Yes, you did. You've been courteous and polite with Sandy, and patient with Melanie." Hunter reached patted him on the back. "You've given me a glimpse of the man you'll be in a few years, and I like what I see." He could tell he was embarrassing Jason, so he dropped the subject.
"Dad, I just wanted to let you know..." Jason paused and took a deep breath, then continued in a rush. "I just wanted you to know that if you want to date Sandy, it's okay with me." As another blush stained his cheeks, he rushed from the waiting room before Hunter could say a word.
Well, that's a turnaround. Just a few days earlier his son had been furious when he'd held Sandy and tried to offer some support. Now the kid was giving him the go-ahead. He didn't know what had instigated the change, but he was grateful.
