by Dena Blake
The nurse nodded and led him out the door. As they stood there, Mary continued to stare at Shay as though afraid to touch her. The resemblance was clear, especially the sandy-blond hair color and brown eyes. However, Mary’s eyes were cold, even hard, not filled with the compassion usually present in Shay’s. Chloe had seen that similar look only once in Shay’s eyes, right before she’d left the beach house this morning. Her heart clenched. This was her fault.
“How did this happen?” Mary’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, demanding her attention.
She swiped a tear from her eye. “Her car was T-boned in an intersection.”
Mary’s expression didn’t change. “Someone ran a red light?”
“Seems that way.”
Unchanged, Mary moved closer and examined the bruises on Shay’s face. “Have you contacted her insurance?”
“Really? That’s what you’re thinking about right now?” Shay had told Chloe many times how cold her mother was, but she hadn’t been around her enough to experience her frigidness.
Mary squared her shoulders. “Well, someone’s going to have to pay for all this, as well as her rehab if she wakes up,” she said, her voice flat, emotionless.
If she wakes up? Chloe bolted out of the chair, went to the side of the bed, and took Shay’s hand. “She will wake up.” The thought that she wouldn’t hadn’t entered her mind.
“One can only hope.” Mary’s voice hadn’t changed at all. She was the same cold, unfeeling mother Shay had described to her.
Chloe restrained herself from barreling into her and shoving her out the door. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” You can march your ass right back out of here and never look back.
“That won’t be necessary. We’ll take her home with us. That’s where she belongs.”
“No. You will not.” The back of Chloe’s neck heated, and her heart raced. “In fact, I think you should go now.” She wouldn’t let Mary take her home. She would never put Shay back into the hands of someone who didn’t understand her, who had tried to kill her spirit and demeaned her so much she had no confidence at all. Shay wouldn’t be able to bear that fate. Neither of them would.
Mary had narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to say something when Fred poked his head just inside the door. “Mary, can I have a minute with her?”
Mary blew out a breath and reluctantly left the room as Fred entered. He immediately went to Shay’s bedside, took her hand, and kissed her on the cheek, something you would expect from any good parent. Chloe watched the tears well in his eyes and wondered how two people so different had managed to stay married this long. She couldn’t imagine the shit he had to put up with from Mary. She’d never had to experience such treatment with Shay. Their life had been perfect up until six months ago, and then it had exploded so quickly, she hadn’t had time to even comprehend how things were changing.
“The nurse said her prognosis looks good. She’ll have some recovery ahead of her once she wakes up.” He motioned to her broken leg. “Walking and anything she does with her left leg will be a challenge. They want to start physical therapy right away.” He smiled slightly. “Thankfully she’s resilient, like me.”
Shay had undergone surgery immediately to put in an internal plate and screws to properly align her broken femur. Fortunately the impact had been to the passenger side of the car, and she’d injured her head when it whipped back against the driver’s door window.
“I know you’ll take care of her.”
Apparently, Shay hadn’t told him the news. “I’ll make sure she gets the right care.” She didn’t want to be Shay’s caregiver, but she had no choice. Fred was a good father, Shay had told her about him, but her mother certainly didn’t mirror the same values as he or Shay did. Moments of disapproval and efforts to recondition her into the person her mother thought she should be had riddled her entire adolescence.
Shay had been strong, but that strength hadn’t come without pain. It hurt Chloe to think of what she’d been through because of her mother’s refusal to accept her as she was—a sweet, beautiful woman who happened to love women. Thankfully, the beautiful woman Chloe had fallen in love with had persevered. She wasn’t going to be in Shay’s life permanently anymore, but she still wanted to be there when she woke up. She would never consider leaving Shay in her mother’s care to recover, even if it meant putting her life with Erica, whatever that was, on hold.
Chapter Three
Jackson rushed into the hospital room, set his cup on the bedside table, and took Chloe into his arms. The warmth and love he gave her made half her worries fade away immediately. Being here alone had her mind spinning up all kinds of ridiculous scenarios.
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
“I didn’t see any sense in you being up here all night. There was nothing you could do.”
“Bullshit. I could’ve kept you company. Got you coffee. Rubbed your feet. All the things a big brother does.”
She chuckled at his humor. “Yes. You could’ve done all that.”
“Well, I’m here now.” He picked up the Starbucks cup from the bedside table and handed it to her. “Tell me what happened.”
She sank down into the recliner. “A truck hit her car in an intersection. The whole thing was my fault.” Chloe closed her eyes, reliving the event that had sent her on the road.
Jackson slid into the chair next to her. “The word ‘accident’ indicates that it wasn’t your fault.”
“She came to the beach house yesterday.” She hesitated as she took a sip of coffee and let the warmth run from her mouth to her belly and settle in.
“You had another fight?” he asked.
She nodded. “Erica was there.” Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t had anything to eat since Shay had left the beach house yesterday. The whole incident had made her appetite vanish.
“Oh. Now I see what you’re saying.” He took in a breath. “She couldn’t have thought you weren’t going to move on.”
“I don’t know what she thought, but I didn’t want her to find out about my relation…whatever it is I have with Erica that way.” She shook her head. “Not the way I found out about her and Lila. I wanted to tell her.”
“She walked in on you having sex?” His voice rose, and an eyebrow flew up.
“No. Nothing like that. Erica moved some of her clothes in and had thrown Shay’s in a pile on the chair.”
Both his eyebrows rose this time. “You let Erica move in?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t let her. She just kind of did.”
“That was pretty presumptuous.”
She nodded. “It was.”
“Did you tell her it was?”
“Kind of, but not really. I guess.” She’d never been good at laying down the law with anyone, let alone someone with as strong a personality as Erica.
The ICU nurse came in, checked the level of the IV medication, and left just as silently as she’d arrived.
Jackson motioned with his chin to Shay. “How’s she doing?”
“The doctor says everything looks good, but they’re keeping her in a medically induced coma to protect her brain from swelling. They think she hit her head on the window during the impact.”
“What does that mean?”
“They’re keeping her on a ventilator and in a deep, unconscious state to give her brain time to heal. She has an injury that hasn’t responded to other medication.”
The look on his face mirrored her thoughts. It was serious. “Is that unusual?”
“They act like it’s standard procedure.” She walked over to the bed and took Shay’s hand. “The doctor said they should be able to bring her out of it in a few days.” She stared at the cut and bruises on the left side of her head. “Hopefully, everything will be okay.”
“I’m sure it will. You just need to be positive.”
“I’m trying, Jackson. It’s just not easy. There’s been so mu
ch shit between us lately that I haven’t been able to get past.” She turned and fell into his arms. “If she doesn’t recover from this, she’ll never know how sorry I am.” Or what an ass she’d been, not believing her, insisting she was lying about everything. So many things in her mind were uncertain now. Maybe it was all Lila. Maybe she’d seduced her when she was vulnerable. That wasn’t impossible since the same thing had happened to her with Erica.
“When she wakes up, you can tell her everything. She’s going to be all right.”
Chloe didn’t want anything in the world more than for Shay to come out of this unscathed, but she might not. She had no idea what she would do if she didn’t.
Another nurse came through the door. “Do you mind stepping out for a few minutes? I need to give her a bath.”
Jackson stood up and offered her his hand. “How about we go down to the cafeteria and get some food.”
Chloe didn’t move.
He took her hand from the bed rail and tugged her forward. “Come on. What good are you to her if you get sick?”
He was right. She needed to eat something, even if her appetite was gone. She reluctantly followed him out the door.
Chloe was only going to get a cup of soup. It was her go-to food when nothing sounded good, but Jackson pushed her to try a turkey sandwich as well. Now that she was eating it, she was glad he had. It had settled her stomach and didn’t taste half bad. Hospital food seemed to have improved since the last time she’d been there as a kid when her mom was admitted for minor surgery. Or maybe she’d changed.
“So, I’m going to pick up some clothes for you at the beach house. Do you want me to take some of your things back to the apartment?”
She drew her brows together. “I’m not moving back in there.”
“I know, but since you need to be here, it’s much more convenient than driving to the beach.”
“I guess you’re right. It is a lot closer.”
“Is there anything you’d like me to pick up at the apartment for Shay?”
“Oh my God, Ginger.” She’d totally forgotten about their cat. “She’s probably starving.”
Jackson covered her hand with his. “Don’t worry. I’ll get the cat and take her to my place. It’s only been a day. I’m sure she’s fine. She’s resilient and resourceful, like me.” He grinned.
She laughed. “She’s probably already eaten all the Cheerios in the pantry.” Their three-year-old calico had learned how to open the cabinets and doors in the apartment. They’d had to make sure she always had food in her dish to prevent her from scavenging daily.
“And the Fruit Loops.”
“Yes. Those too.” Fruit Loops were too sweet for Chloe, but they were Shay’s favorite.
“She’s probably riding out the sugar high as we speak.” He stood and picked up both their trays. “I’ll walk you back upstairs, and then I’ll go get her.”
* * *
Chloe’s mind had wandered from the comedy show she’d been watching on the TV bolted to the wall of Shay’s hospital room. The volume was low, and she was so tired she was having trouble keeping up with the captions on the bottom of the screen. The words just didn’t have the same zing when you couldn’t hear the feeling in them. The shows weren’t as funny when you had no one to laugh about them with either. It had been another long night of insomnia sleeping in the recliner next to Shay’s hospital bed.
She hoped the doctor would be in soon. The haze of worry and sadness she was stuck in was growing unbearable. Jackson had called a few times. Chloe’s parents had checked in as well. Thankfully, Shay’s parents hadn’t been back to press the matter of taking her home with them. She would ignore many battles with them at this point—visitation and status information—but she refused to lose a battle about her after-hospital care. She still didn’t know if she could handle it, but she wasn’t willing to go with the alternative.
“Chloe?” Her mother’s voice sang into the room as she opened the door.
She pushed forward in the recliner and scrubbed her face with her hands. “Hi, Mom.” She smiled as her dad followed her in. “Dad.”
“How are you doing, honey?”
“I’m fine. Did you find out anything about Shay?”
“Your father talked to her doctor, and he agrees this is the best treatment,” her mother said as she crossed the room.
She looked at her father. “How long will they keep her like this?”
“A couple more days, max.” He smiled slightly. “The prognosis looks good.”
Relief washed over her. When it came to medicine, her dad didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.
Her mother took Shay’s wrist, checked her pulse, and laid it back on the bed. “We’re going to have her moved to a better room where she has dedicated care.”
Just the mention of that change had her on her feet standing next to her mother. “Why? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Of course not. We’re doing it because we have the power to, and we want her to have the best care. She’s our daughter-in-law.” Her mother wrapped her hand around her shoulder and squeezed. Having a cardiothoracic surgeon for a father and a psychologist for a mother had its perks.
“Right.” She hadn’t told her parents about any of the trouble they’d been having or about her decision to move out. From the start of their relationship, they’d taken Shay in and loved her like she was their own. She hadn’t wanted to disappoint them until she knew the break was a done deal, and she hadn’t had enough time to decide that yet.
Once the staff was called into action, the move happened swiftly. Chloe hadn’t had to do a thing except grab her bag and follow the crew of nurses and orderlies to the room. Shay had been moved to the VIP wing of the hospital that contained ten deluxe suites with the amenities of home and spectacular views. Furnished with a padded headboard and marble-topped bedside tables, this one seemed more like a five-star hotel suite than a hospital room.
Only the constant beep of the machines reminded her where they were. She just wanted Shay to wake up, so they could go back home. Home. Which home? The apartment or the beach? She thought the beach would be a more soothing atmosphere but didn’t know if Shay would agree to stay there after what had happened before the accident. In fact, she didn’t even know if Shay would allow her to care for her at all.
Her phone chirped, and she struggled to locate it. She finally found it in the bottom of her bag. She’d tossed it there last night after reading the gazzillionth text from Erica. The woman had a heart of stone. She’d wanted her to come home last night, but she wasn’t leaving Shay alone. She’d heard enough horror stories about bad things that had happened to patients left alone in hospitals. She wouldn’t abandon Shay to wake up in a strange place with strange people. Just the thought horrified her.
She looked at the screen. Multiple texts from Erica and one from Jackson. She skipped Erica’s and opened Jackson’s.
Picked up your clothes and got Ginger situated. I’m on my way back. Picking up food. What do you want?
Nothing for me. I’m not hungry.
Okay. Then I’ll pick.
No Thai.
That would stink up the whole room, and if she happened to feel like eating anything when he got here, spicy wouldn’t sit well on her stomach.
* * *
“I’m back,” he sang as he pushed through the door, hands full of food and drinks. “Sorry it took so long. Traffic was hell, and then I had to find you.”
She jumped up and pushed various items on the coffee table in front of the couch aside. “I forgot to tell you we moved.”
“Into the fancy wing. You must rate somehow.” He dropped the bag onto the table and handed her a drink. “Unsweet tea, right?”
She nodded and took the drink before she sat on the couch while Jackson unpacked the sandwiches and a bowl of her favorite potato soup from Panera Bread. He took off the lid and slid it across to her. It actually smelled really good, and her stomach gr
owled loudly.
He laughed as he fished a plastic spoon out of the bag and handed it to her. “I knew that would get you.”
And it did. She shoveled multiple spoonfuls into her mouth before she spoke again. “Thanks, Jackie. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“I also got you that turkey-avocado sandwich you like.” He took it out of the bag along with his and set it in front of her.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of eating the sandwich. The mixed emotions she’d been experiencing over the past couple of days had kept her gut unsettled. She hadn’t been able to eat much since the accident. “I’m not sure I can handle more than this right now.”
“No worries. We’ll put it in the fridge for later.”
She probably wouldn’t eat it, but he’d leave it just in case. “Have I told you lately what an awesome brother you are?”
“You don’t have to tell me. I already know.” He winked at her and then took a huge bite of his sandwich. “So, what are you gonna do, kid?” He reverted to what he always called her when they were talking about something serious. She’d never outgrow being his little sister.
“I honestly don’t know.” She took in a deep breath. “She may hate me when she wakes up, and I won’t have an option.”
“And if she doesn’t?” he said around the bite of sandwich in his mouth.
She contemplated the question they’d been dancing around for the past couple of days. “Then I’ll take her home and help her while she recuperates.”
A stray piece of avocado that had fallen from his sandwich caught his attention. He picked it up and placed it between the turkey and bread as he seemed to gather his thoughts. “Do you think you can do that after all that’s happened?”
She shrugged. “It’ll be a challenge, but she doesn’t have anyone besides her parents, and I’m not letting that happen.”
“I’ll help in any way I can.” He wadded up the paper from his sandwich and tossed it into the bag on the coffee table.
She smiled softly. “I know. Thanks.” Her brother was a huge goofball, but when it came to taking care of family, he was always there. No one could ask for a better big brother.
