Читать книгу Desire Collection: November Books 1 - 4 - Charlene Sands - Страница 24

Fourteen

Sofia hadn’t noticed the landing. She couldn’t have said if it was rough or smooth or perfect or a near-disaster. All she could think about was her children.

“Well?” Eric said when she hung up with her mom.

Sofia took a steadying breath, but it didn’t steady anything. Eric’s driver whipped the car around corners and ran red lights in true Chicago fashion and not even the seat belts could keep her from sliding all over the place. “She’s home with Addy. She said Addy’s drinking fluids from a bottle, which is good. She hasn’t thrown up in two hours.”

“Good,” Eric said encouragingly, rubbing his thumb along the side of her hand. He hadn’t let go of her since...well, since they’d gotten into the elevator to leave the hotel. She might not remember much about the flight or the middle-of-the-night landing, but she knew that Eric had been there.

Like he was right now. “And your dad’s still at the hospital with Eddy?”

She nodded, her head feeling like lead. It was three in the morning and panic was exhausting. If it weren’t for Eric, she had no idea how she would have made it.

“We’re almost there,” he said, all reassuring confidence. God, how she wished she could be reassured right now.

But she couldn’t. All she could do was stare out the windows as familiar Chicago streets whipped by.

If she hadn’t gone to St. Louis, then she would’ve been there when her babies got sick. She could’ve comforted them—and gotten them to the doctor sooner, at the very least. Her parents generally refused to go to the doctor unless things were dire because they didn’t want to waste money on something like a cold.

She hadn’t explained that to Eric because she wasn’t sure he’d understand. But the fact that her parents had decided to take Eddy to the emergency room terrified Sofia because it meant something was really wrong with her baby.

God, she should have been here for her children. And instead, what had she been doing?

Sleeping with Eric.

For the first time since David’s death, she had been a little bit selfish. She’d put herself first instead of putting her children first. And now?

Now she was racing to a hospital, hoping like hell she wasn’t too late.

She was going to be ill. That’s all there was to it. Because this was too familiar, this late-night mad dash to the hospital, hoping that she’d get there in time. Hoping no one would die.

“I found David,” she heard herself say.

She didn’t want to relive the worst day of her life, but the horrifying thought that it might not have been the worst day had her talking. “He got up. In the middle of the night. He’d had a headache all afternoon and it was getting worse, so he was going to take something. I was so pregnant I couldn’t sleep so when he didn’t come back to bed, I went looking for him. He was crumpled in the middle of the kitchen floor.”

Eric lifted her hand to his mouth. “What happened?”

“They said it was an aneurysm. He...” Her breath caught in her throat. Would this ever get easier? “He was gone by the time they got him to the hospital. It was the worst day of my life.”

“Oh, babe.” Undoing his seat belt, Eric scooted over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “This isn’t the same. Eddy’s sick but he’s not going to die. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“You don’t,” she said, willing herself to be numb. She couldn’t take any more pain. Please, she thought, please don’t let this be the worst day of my life. “No one does.”

“Sofia.” His tone was more commanding now and, when he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, she had no choice but to look him in the eye. Even in the dark car, she could see a fierceness to him that she hadn’t seen before. “This isn’t your fault.”

Of course she knew that. But her eyes watered anyway as she said, “I should have been here, Eric. I should have been with my kids when they were sick instead...”

Instead of being with you.

She didn’t say it out loud.

She didn’t have to.

Something in Eric’s eyes shifted and he looked like he might cry. Which was ridiculous. Why would he be upset over a sick kid? She was overreacting, of course. Mom guilt was a thing.

But Eric had no claims to her or her kids. They were friends, yeah—friends with some benefits, at least. She’d pulled him away from a huge business deal, though. She was putting his business at risk. And for what?

Before she could finish that thought, the car came to a screeching halt. Eric pulled away from her as she looked dumbly out the window. They were in front of the hospital.

“Let’s go.”

He helped her out of the car and then held on to her hand as they ran inside. “Which floor?”

“Third.”

When the elevator doors closed behind them, Eric turned to her and cupped her face. “Take a deep breath, Sofia,” he said, his voice somewhere between soothing and commanding. Eric stroked her cheeks with his thumb. “In and out. Panic is contagious and we don’t want to upset him, do we?”

Her lungs—she wasn’t sure they’d worked right in hours. But she forced herself to breathe. It was a struggle, but Eric was right. If she rolled into that room hysterical and sobbing, it would only agitate Eddy. “I’m so sorry about the deal.”

This was exactly what she’d been afraid of—somehow, she’d ruin the deal and show him why it was a mistake to pretend she fit by his side.

God, what a mess.

“Sofia,” he said, laughter in his voice. “How could you think the deal means anything to me when you need me? When Eddy needs me? You and your children are so much more to me than that.”

Sofia’s breath caught in her throat. In any other circumstances, that would have been a statement so romantic it was practically a declaration. She mentally shook her head, though. He was just trying to make her feel better. Lord knew she needed all the help she could get right now.

The elevator dinged and they were on the pediatric floor. It took some doing but they found the right room and there was her father, sitting in the chair, looking tired and old. “Sofia,” he said, coming to his feet and pulling her into a hug that threatened to undo her all over again. “Everything is fine. He’s responding well but they’re keeping him sedated so he doesn’t pull out the IV. And there can only be one...”

She didn’t hear what her father was saying as she collapsed in the chair next to Eddy’s bed. The lump in her throat was huge and she was having trouble breathing again.

“There’s my serious little man,” Eric said, stepping around her. She saw him pull the blanket up and realized that he was covering the IV port in Eddy’s arm so she wouldn’t have to see it. Then she watched him smooth her baby’s hair away from his tiny little face. Even though he was unconscious, Eddy’s lips twitched into something that looked so much like a smile that it almost broke her heart.

Eric looked at her and she remembered she was supposed to be breathing. She held Eddy’s little hand in hers and said, “Mommy’s here, baby. Sorry it took so long, but I’m here now and you are doing such a good job.”

She was aware of Eric squeezing her shoulder, aware that her father was saying something to her. She nodded, even though she didn’t catch what he’d said. The room got quiet, except for the beeping of the machines and the roaring sound of her guilt.

Time lost all meaning as she watched his little chest rise and fall. Her son wore nothing but a diaper and he looked so small. So helpless.

She should have been here for him, not in Eric’s bed. She’d let her baby down and for what? If something happened to Eddy, she didn’t know how she’d ever forgive herself.

“Good morning,” a deep male voice rumbled from the doorway. “Ms. Bingham, correct?”

Sofia startled and hurriedly wiped tears away from her face. When she looked at the doctor, she startled again. “Wyatt? Robert Wyatt?”

Because it sure as hell looked like the boy who’d tried to cop a feel twenty years ago—except all grown up. The man before her was tall and broad, with dashing dark hair and bright blue eyes.

And a white lab coat with a stethoscope hanging out of his pocket.

What was going on?

“Dr. Wyatt, actually. Do I know you?” he said, staring at her. “Wait...”

She scrubbed at her face. How could this day get any stranger? The last person she wanted to see was Robert Wyatt—especially when she was a mess. “I’m sorry. I’m Sofia. I was a friend of Eric’s, back when we were kids.”

His eyes bulged in his head. “You’re the maid’s daughter, right?”

Embarrassment flashed down the back of her neck. Even after all this time, she was still the maid’s daughter. This weekend it’d been fun to pretend she could live in Eric’s world, but it was just that—pretend. Eric might not realize the truth but everyone else? All the other people who fit naturally into his world?

She’d always be just the maid’s daughter. She’d be a liability to him.

She eyed Wyatt, wondering if she should kick him again. But Wyatt beat her to the punch. “I owe you an apology, then.”

She was so surprised at that statement that all she could do was blink. “What?”

And Wyatt blushed. He blushed! Because of her! What the hell was going on? “Look, I know it was a long time ago and we were just kids and you probably don’t even remember it—”

“I remember you cornered me,” she said quietly.

He looked pained. “Like I said, I owe you an apology. What I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have tried to grab you. Although,” he added, shooting her a sheepish smile, “if I recall correctly, you got your revenge.”

This was the weirdest conversation she’d ever had. “This is all very well and good, but why are you here?” Because she didn’t want to rehash old memories with a boy she’d never liked. She just wanted her son to get better.

He looked at her in surprise. “Jenner called me. He said a friend’s baby was sick and he asked me to check things over. I just didn’t realize you were the friend in question.” As he spoke, he headed toward the computer terminal and logged in.

“Excuse me,” she said again, her head feeling heavy. “But are you even qualified to be in this room?”

“Hmm,” he said, looking over the file. Then he answered her question. “In addition to Wyatt Pharmaceuticals, I’m a pediatric surgeon. That’s why Jenner called me. Well,” he added, shooting a quick smile in her direction, “that and I owed him one. Or, more specifically, I owed you one, so I guess I still owe him one.” He chuckled. Sofia blinked, trying to follow that train of thought. Nope. She was still at the station.

“Now, about your son. Has anyone talked to you yet?” Wyatt asked. She shook her head slowly. “There has been a particularly nasty strain of the stomach flu going around. It hits hard but doesn’t last long. He’s responding well to treatment.” He moved to Eddy’s bedside, lightly touching his little body. “He’s going to be fine,” Wyatt said sympathetically. “There wasn’t anything anyone could have done differently.”

Now that was exactly the sort of bull line that was condescending and irritating. Of course she could have done things differently! She could have stayed home and taken care of her kids like she was supposed to and, in the process, not doomed Eric’s deal! She could have made sure that things hadn’t gotten to the point where Wyatt was offering her false platitudes of comfort!

“I never liked you,” she blurted out and then, mortified, she added, “I’m sorry. I haven’t slept and I’m very worried.”

Wyatt snorted. He didn’t even look offended. “I had that coming. But you don’t have to like me. You just have to trust me when I say that your son is going to make a full and—knowing kids—fast recovery. I’ll confer with the resident on duty before I leave but I’d be willing to bet he goes home tomorrow.”

Sofia tried to say something, but her words got blocked up in her throat as she stared down at Eddy. Please, please let Wyatt be right.

“Thank you for coming,” she finally got out. “I appreciate it.”

Wyatt didn’t reply for a long moment, which made her look up at him. “Thank you for accepting my apology. I must say, Jenner doesn’t call in favors for just anyone.” His smile warmed. “But I can see why he did. Take care, Sofia.”

And just like that, he was gone.

Sofia sat there in a state of shock for a long time. Alone. What the heck had Wyatt meant when he’d said he could see why Eric had called in a favor?

She wished Eric were here. She wanted him right then. He had risked so much for her. It didn’t make any sense because he was a billionaire and powerful and sexy and freaking great in bed and wonderful with her kids and apparently stupid enough to put huge deals in danger just for...

For her?

Idiot man.

She wanted to apologize for costing him the deal and making him waste his favors on her but she also wanted to bury her face against his chest and have him tell her it would be all right.

Hell, she didn’t know what she wanted. Not anymore. She’d gone into this wanting a good job to take care of her family. Nothing more.

But even that was a lie. Because she could have applied for any number of jobs. Instead, she’d shot for the moon. And why?

Because of Eric. Because she’d wanted something more. And for a glorious day and a half, she’d had it. He’d made her feel things, want things that she’d forgotten she’d even dreamed of. Love. Satisfaction.

Happiness.

For the first time since her husband had died, Sofia had dared to be a little selfish. And what had it gotten her?

Eddy was hooked up to an IV in the hospital. Addy was also sick at home and Sofia couldn’t even be there for her daughter because she was with Eddy. She might have done permanent damage to Eric’s business.

And Eric wasn’t here. Sofia wasn’t sure she’d ever felt so alone.

Where was he?