Josh carefully laid me back against the pillows, but his hands still clasped mine.
“I’m calm.” I clung to his hands.
The nurse came in, pressed a few buttons on the IV pump, and looked at us. “Are you having any pain?”
“A bit, but you’re probably not asking me.” His laugh was strained.
She smiled. “Mr. Wiley, just keep her calm, okay?” I was only vaguely aware of being reclined, the overhead lights being dimmed. “I’m giving you some medicine that will probably make you sleepy.”
“I’m fine, really.”
“Claire, don’t be brave. Take the medicine. For me. Please.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
“Fine,” I murmured, watching as she injected something into my IV line.
She smiled and looked at Josh. “Calm.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.
“I’ve a request. A selfish one,” he whispered as he pushed the hair from my forehead.
“Oh?” I was already feeling pleasantly mellow.
“Can I stay?”
I patted the bed. “Yes.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at me. “I don’t know what hurts and what doesn’t.”
“You make it all better.” My words were thick.
He curled around me, his breath against my forehead. “I love you, Claire.”
I nodded, clutching his shirt and holding him close. I felt secure in his arms wrapped tightly around me, and slept without any dreams at all.
***
“Can you drink a little bit more, sweetie?”Mom was moving things around on my dinner tray absently, trying to find something to occupy herself.
Shannon sat dozing in the corner of the room. Despite my protests, she had arrived as soon as she could. She was anxious to get me, the kids, and Mom out of Texas forever. She and Arthur had given me her house, ignoring all of my protests.
“It’s the least I can do. After forcing your hand over the book, I feel like this is partly my fault. I want to do this. Let me buy you off a little.” She’d smiled as she cast a quick glance in my general direction. She’d had a hard time looking at me when she first arrived. “Besides, if you don’t take it, I’ll give it to your mom. Either way, it’s going to be yours.”
I’d shaken my head. “I think giving me a house in Hollywood is a little more than buying me off, Shannon.”
“I want to do this for you. For Christ’s sake, Claire. I can do it for you, so let me. Let me do one little thing to remove some stress, please.” She’d looked rather emotional then.
“Claire.” Mom’s voice had been gentle. “It would be great for us to have a place to go without it feeling temporary, or getting settled and then having to move on.” Mom had squeezed Shannon’s shoulder as she spoke. “It is very generous of you, Shannon. If she won’t take the house, I will.”
“Thank Arthur. The man has more savings than I’d ever imagined. As he pointed out, he can’t take it with him and we have no kids, so this is what we want to do instead.” She had smiled at me, then hugged me. “Okay?”
And I’d relented. I was overwhelmed with their generosity. Once I’d let myself accept their gift, I was unbelievably relieved to have a place to call home. I hoped I’d get released soon. I was ready to go home. Now. But finding a doctor that was willing to sign off on my release was a bigger challenge than anticipated.
Mom stared at me now, the cup held toward me in her hands, waiting.
I shook my head. “I’m done, Mom. Thanks, though.” I pushed it away, leaning back on the pillows as she gave me a long, worried look. “I’m fine.” I was just very tired, which didn’t make sense since I couldn’t seem to stay awake for more than a few hours at a time.
“Knock knock.” Mrs. Witt, my neighbor, stood in the doorway carrying a huge pot of mums. Shannon and Mom both jumped up, taking the mums from the frail-looking older woman and guiding her to the chair at my bedside.
“Oh, Mrs. Witt, you really shouldn’t have.” Mom smiled at the older woman and put the flowers on my bedside table.
Mrs. Witt came forward, patting my hand. “I won’t stay long. I just needed to see for myself that you are okay.”
I smiled and nodded. “I know I look a mess right now.”
She shook her head. “Oh, honey, you look a sight better than the last time I saw you.” Her face was pinched. “You okay? There was so much blood.” Her gnarled hand curled around mine, holding it firmly.
My mom put her hand on Mrs. Witt’s shoulder. “Janet, I don’t know how to thank you. If you hadn’t called for help—” Mom shuddered.
Mrs. Witt shook her head. “I didn’t know what was happening. I just got worried over Daniel’s car being parked down the street there, since I knew he shouldn’t be around. Then yours was home, and then another car went flying into your yard. That gunshot… Tiny and I moved as fast as we could.” She smiled at me.
I looked at my mother, aware that she was close to tears. Shannon was like a statue, her eyes glued to the floor.
“Mrs. Witt, can you tell me what happened? I don’t remember much…obviously.”
Mrs. Witt nodded. “I saw the young man, your Josh, run into the house yelling your name. By the time I got inside, you were on the floor. But you were talking to Daniel. You were so brave.”
I shook my head. If I’d kept my mouth shut, maybe none of this would have happened. No, it would have. Nothing I’d done had caused this. I wasn’t going to own any of this, or what had happened in the past. Not anymore.
Mrs. Witt continued. “You passed out and then Josh started talking to Daniel.”
My mother sat on the side of my bed. “What did he say?” she whispered.
“He asked Daniel not to hurt you anymore. He said that Natalie and Will needed their mother. Daniel was really mad, his face all red as he stared at Josh. I was afraid Daniel was going to kill your Mr. Wiley, but Daniel pointed the gun at you. And Josh moved, throwing himself over you. He pulled you under him and braced himself. Daniel stopped and…turned the gun…on himself.”
She paused. “Mr. Wiley checked for your pulse and carried you out of the kitchen, in case you woke up, I think. I told him I’d called for help. He said thank you. I went to stand by him in the yard. I didn’t know what else to do. He kept talking to you until we could hear the ambulance. He told you to be strong, to fight, that you had to. I told him you would. Then the ambulance was there. They were quick. Thank the good Lord for that.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Witt, for staying with him, for helping him,” I murmured.
She nodded. “I love you and your family, Claire. You know that. I wish I could have done something.”
“I’m so sorry you had to see that,” my mother said softly. Shannon looked at me, then Mrs. Witt, her face pale and guarded.
“It was horrible. I won’t say that it wasn’t.” Mrs. Witt smiled then. “But that’s all over and done with. And you shouldn’t think on it anymore.” She patted my hand then changed the subject. “I hear you’re moving to California. My Tiny will miss you, but my sister Rebecca is going to move in with me soon, so we’ll be able to take care of the brute together.”
I smiled. “I’m glad, Mrs. Witt. You look wonderful!”
“My new hip isn’t marathon-ready yet, but I’m getting there.”
Mom and Mrs. Witt continued talking. Mrs. Witt wanted to hear all about California and the move. I tried to listen, but felt exhausted suddenly.
Shannon came to sit by me, hugging me firmly before she sat at my feet.
I closed my eyes, the images Mrs. Witt had described playing out before me in my imagination. I tried to stay awake, but my body had other ideas and I fell into a deep sleep.
I must have slept for some time. I felt like someone had tried to glue my eyes shut; I couldn’t quite get them open.
“She’s fine, even if she doesn’t look so great right now. Nothing’s broken. She’s still a little sedated.” I could hear the nurse talking, but i
t sounded like I was at the bottom of a well.
Josh said something. I couldn’t make out what he said, but I heard his voice and I wanted to smile.
“She’s strong. I’m sure you all know that. Her injuries have been extensively photographed, as Ms. Hammell requested.”
“She is strong,” Josh said softly, kissing my cheek. I felt him take my hand and willed my own to squeeze back.
“Are you awake, then?” He leaned forward, whispering in my ear. “I felt that, you know.” His lips pressed against my forehead. I smiled, but my eyes refused to open. He laughed softly. “Do you feel horrible?”
I shook my head a little. “At least I’m beginning to feel. Not much, but a little something,” I mumbled. I managed to peek from beneath heavy lids at him, fighting to open them again. “No more pain meds, okay? I’m tired of feeling so out of it.”
“I was afraid you’d hurt too much, sweetie,” Mom said softly.
I peered around the room, feeling momentarily disoriented. “I’d rather be hurting and lucid than foggy and disoriented. I don’t know what’s going on and it’s a little nerve-wracking. How are the kids?”
“Helen’s here. She’s with the children and Shannon at a hotel.” Josh’s thumb ran back and forth over my hand as he spoke.
“We haven’t told them much. We didn’t know what you’d want them to know,” Mom explained.
I looked at the ceiling, considering. “I need to tell them. They need to know that there was a terrible accident. That Daniel is gone. That’s all. That’s best, for now.”
My brother Joe shook his head. “Are you strong enough to tell them now? You don’t have to do it, you know.”
Mom glanced at Joe, then back at me. “Maybe you should give yourself some time first.”
I looked at Joe, confused and a bit bewildered. “They’re at a hotel? Why are they at a hotel?”
Josh rubbed a hand through his hair, casting a worried glance at me as Joe answered softly, “The house is a crime scene, Claire.”
It took a minute for me to grasp what Joe was saying. “Crime scene?” I looked at Josh. “Are you… You’re not in trouble, are you?”
Josh shook his head. “My lawyer has already spoken to the police. I’m free to come and go. Your neighbor, Mrs. Witt…she witnessed everything, poor woman. Everything will be…is fine.”
I felt my lower lip wobble as tears filled my eyes.
Joe said calmly, “You’ve been through some big-time scary shit. Give yourself some time to grieve and heal. Tomorrow you can file your report with Detective Parker and that will be the end of it. Josh is right, everything is fine.”
Josh was watching me the entire time Joe spoke. I chewed on my lip to stop it from trembling. Dr. Brock came in then, hindering any real conversation from continuing.
“Ready to go?” He was smiling as he walked across the room to stand before the x-ray box on the far wall. “I wanted to show you what kind of injuries we’re talking about.” He flipped on an x-ray light and slapped up the film.
Joe moved to stand before the box. “It’s amazing the arm didn’t break. What about the ribs?”
“Two of the three were broken before–see the re-growth in this area. Anyway, it’s possible that that prevented them from breaking again.” He turned to me. “All I know is you’re one tough woman. You should heal nicely. As far as the gunshot wound, the bullet went through the fleshy side of your abdomen, no real damage there. Of course, there’s some internal swelling and bruising, but that’s about it.”
Dr. Brock’s words were lost on me as I looked at Josh. He was listening to Dr. Brock carefully, his hand absentmindedly finding mine, grasping it firmly. I let my hand tighten around his.
I loved him. And I prayed that what had happened was finally over.
“Is there anything we need to be aware of, care-wise?” Joe asked very efficiently.
Dr. Brock looked at me, then Josh. “Claire, you’ve been through trauma, so shock, even post-traumatic stress disorder is a possibility. Physically? No. We had to do a pretty thorough examination for the police report. Everything will heal. Just take it easy.”
Mom smiled. “Good news.”
Dr. Brock nodded. “I’ll get your paperwork together and we’ll get you out of here pretty quickly.”
Joe followed Dr. Brock out of the room, asking questions as they went. Mom sat looking at me for a minute then kissed my forehead. “I’m going to get some coffee. Maybe Joe can get us out of here before midnight.” She left the room, smiling at Josh as she went.
I felt his eyes on me. I took a deep breath and met his gaze.
The bed shifted as he sat, one hand tilting up my chin. “I don’t know if what happened changes things. You’ve been through so much. Too much, really.” His words were faint. He rubbed a hand over his face before he continued. “What I’m trying to say is I’ll give you whatever you need. You have a home now, a place for you and the children to be…to heal. I’ll give you space, if that’s what you want.” He looked at me, touching my cheek lightly. “Whatever you need.”
I stared at him, shaking my head. “If your feelings have changed—”
He interrupted. “Nothing that happened could change the way I feel. But now I know that you’re more important to me than I can put into words.” His eyes closed briefly. “If you need space, to grieve or heal or…move on, you’ll have it. Whatever you need.”
“What I need is you. I need you.” I put my hand to his cheek, desperate to reassure him. “To be with you. Not separated from you.”
He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. “That’s a bloody relief. I was lying. I don’t think I could give you space. I’m selfish, remember?”
I shook my head, staring into his eyes. “Selfish or not, I love you.”
He swallowed and his cheeks grew pink. “Do you, now?” His voice was rough.
“I do. I love you.”
His eyes were warm as he regarded me. His lips were a feather-light kiss on my cheeks, my ears, my chin, my forehead, my nose, and, ever so lightly, my lips. “And I love you.”
***
There was no further investigation into Daniel’s death. Mrs. Witt’s testimony removed any possibility of murder or manslaughter, even self-defense. Though Josh had denied any concerns over the matter, I knew he was relieved, though he still worried over the children’s reaction.
“I’m connected to the death of their father. I was there. I didn’t pull the trigger, but they will wonder if I could have stopped him from acting as he did.” His face was anguished as he spoke. I hurt with him.
I’d tried to reassure him. “They love you.”
But the press was a problem. With outrageous versions and some not-so-outrageous accounts quickly gracing the front pages of every tabloid magazine, headlining entertainment shows and radio sound-bites, it was hard to keep the details vague.
Will was sad, but accepted that Daniel had died in an accident, the same accident that had “banged up Mommy”. So much of his life had been without Daniel that I hoped Will’s adjustment might be easier.
Natalie was quick to piece together what happened, leading to a painful but honest conversation between the three of us. I ached for Natalie, but she seemed to have a clear understanding of what had happened and the role Daniel had played in it. Instead of feeling anger at Josh, she was sad for him. For all of us.
Natalie hugged Josh fiercely. “I can’t be mad at you for protecting Mom, Josh.”
“Thank you, Natalie. It means a great deal to me to know that.” He’d hugged her back with equal ferocity.
“If I am mad at anyone, it’s Dad. And there’s nothing I can do about that now. I don’t understand how he could do something like this. Any of it,” she whispered.
“I don’t think your father knew what he was doing, Nat. You’ve seen people get sick physically. Sometimes people’s minds get sick.” Josh had spoken haltingly, uncertain of what to say.
“Your dad would never
have done anything to hurt you guys,” I said to her in reassurance. I didn’t know whether I was telling the truth, but it seemed the kindest thing to say now that Daniel was gone.
I didn’t want her to hate her father. She knew the truth now and would have to learn to cope with it. We were going to counseling. Natalie had every right to her feelings, I knew that. I hoped that talking to someone might help her find peace. I knew that Mom, Josh, and I would all be there to help however we could.
For two weeks following the incident, our small Texas town was overrun by the media. From the local police chief to Mrs. Witt, everyone had their five-minute interview about me, my divorce, Daniel, and my newfound romance with Josh Wiley.
The kids and I refused any publicity, though my mother gave a brief public statement requesting that the media respect the children’s space and their right to grieve their father. Amazingly, this was observed, partly because our small town police force had no qualms about making it happen.
As soon as everything legal was behind us, we headed to California. The move to Los Angeles was quick. The house was perfect, and I had to admit it was nice to have a home.
My imagined board games on the terrace became a reality. Some evenings Josh would sing for us. Sometimes he’d sing just for me.
Josh set up Natalie’s room, complete with her own television and computer. He was fairly concerned about setting up parental controls, which I loved, and made sure they were functional before Natalie was allowed access.
Will wanted to turn his room into a pirate room “since we’re on the beach”. After Will and I designed what he wanted, I had hours of fun painting murals on his walls. He was very pleased, but insisted we call him Cap’n Will. We were happy to indulge him—most of the time.
Mom had the guest suite and the promise of freedom. Which she countered by insisting she’d keep the kids when I set off on my book tour in the fall.
She was quick to argue. “I want to do this. You guys need to make sure you make time for each other. It’s not like I’m changing dirty diapers and up all night, Claire. Your kids are easy, and I’m pretty sure we can handle it.”
Hollywood Ever After Page 26
