Читать книгу James Bravo's Shotgun Bride - Christine Rimmer - Страница 9

Chapter Three

They all popped to their feet at once—James, Addie, Carmen and Devin. And then they waited in a horrible, breath-held silence until the doctor, still in surgical scrubs with a matching cap on his head and a mask hanging around his neck, reached them and started speaking.

Addie watched his mouth move and tried to listen to what he was saying, but her heart was beating so damn loud and her blood made a whooshing sound as it spurted through her body and the words were really hard to understand.

But then Carm said, “Oh, thank God.”

And Addie put it together: he’d made it. PawPaw had survived the surgery.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, they all proceeded to a new waiting room, this one adjacent to the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit, which was five floors up from surgery and in another wing.

A nurse came out and led Addie and Carmen through automatic doors and down a hall to one of those rooms full of curtained cubicles. In this room, all the curtains were drawn back. There were twenty beds, two rows of ten, half of them with patients in them. Nurses, doctors and technicians moved between the beds and back and forth from the group of desks that formed a command center in the middle of the room. The nurse led them to the left side of the room, the third bed from the door. Addie clutched for Carm’s hand and when she got it, she held on tight.

Levi lay on the hospital bed with a tube down his throat and another in his nose. There were tubes and wires hooked to his chest, and more of them disappearing under the blankets. And there was an IV in the back of his hand and another in the crook of his arm. Both arms were strapped to the bed; Addie assumed that was to keep him from pulling out any of the complicated apparatus that hooked him up to the various machines. There was a ventilator by the bed. It wheezed softly as it pushed air in through the tube in his mouth.

He looked terrible, every line in his craggy face dug in deeper than before. But he did open his eyes briefly. It seemed he saw them, recognized them. But then a second later, his eyelids drooped shut. Together, still clutching each other’s hands, Addie and Carm moved closer, up to the head of the bed. Gently, so lightly, Addie dared to touch his pale forehead below the blue cap that covered his hair.

He groaned and opened his eyes again.

Carm touched his wiry upper arm at a rare spot where no tube or needle was stuck. “I’m here, PawPaw. We’re both here. You made it through your surgery and you’re going to get well.”

“We love you,” said Addie, biting back tears. “We love you so much.”

His red-rimmed blue eyes tracked—from Addie, to Carmen, back to Addie again. And then he tried to speak. “Aiff. Air aiff?”

Carm said, “Shh, don’t try to talk now. The tube’s in the way.”

But he wouldn’t shush. “Aiff? Ear? Aiff?” He tried to lift an arm, found it pinned to the bed and groaned in frustration.

Addie stroked his brow. “Shh, PawPaw. Don’t. You’ll only hurt your throat.”

The nurse who’d brought them in approached again. Addie and Carmen stepped back and the nurse bent close to Levi. “Easy, now, Levi. It’s okay. We’ll find out what you want and get it for you. I’ve got a pencil and a paper...” She pulled a small tablet and a pencil out of her pocket.

He nodded, making a harsh gargling sound around the tube.

“Is he left-handed?” she asked.

Carm said, “No, right-handed.”

The nurse eased the tablet under his right hand and wrapped his scarred, knotted old fingers around the pencil. He gripped it and scratched at the paper.

When he stopped, the nurse asked, “Is that it?”

Levi grunted a yes.

The nurse took the tablet and read, “Jane? You want to see Jane?”

Another grunt accompanied by a head shake.

Addie knew. “James,” she said bleakly. “You want James.”

More grunting, but this time with a nod. Her grandpa stared right at her, daring her to produce the man he demanded to see.

She turned away—and there was Carm, looking all innocent, giving a little “what can you do about it?” shrug.

“Fine,” Addie said and tried not to sound as fed up as she felt. “I’ll get him.”

Levi grunted again. To Addie, the sound was way too triumphant.

The nurse took her out and waited by the double doors.

Devin and James jumped to their feet again at the sight of her. She marched up to James, blew out a breath of pure frustration and said, “I’m sorry. He’s asking to see you.”

“Uh. Sure.”

“I hate to ask you to go in there.”

“I don’t mind. Honestly, I don’t.”

“It only encourages him in his ridiculous delusions.”

James held her eyes steadily. “Addie. Right now we just want him happy and calm, right?”

“Yeah. But what if you weren’t here?”

“But I am here.”

And you shouldn’t be. But she didn’t say that out loud. Because he’d been a lifesaver and she was so grateful to him it made an ache down in the heart of her. She turned to Devin. “Don’t be hurt that PawPaw didn’t ask for you. You know he thinks the world of you.”

“I’m not hurt.” Dev seemed to mean it. “I’m just glad he’s pulled through the surgery all right.” He clapped James on the shoulder. “Good luck, man.”

James made a low noise in his throat that could have meant anything and fell in beside Addie as she marched back to where the nurse waited to lead them through the double doors.

In CSICU, Carm stood by the bed holding Levi’s hand. His eyes were shut. But he must have heard their footsteps, because, with obvious effort, he opened them again and focused instantly in on James.

“Levi,” James said mildly. “See? I’m right here and I’m going nowhere.” Addie gasped and shot him a sharp look, but he kept his gaze on Levi as he softly added, “Rest now.”

Levi blinked a couple of times, as if to reassure himself that his old eyes and his drugged mind weren’t playing any tricks on him. Then, with a low, rough sound of pure satisfaction, he closed his eyes and didn’t open them again, though the three of them stood there for several more minutes. Finally, the nurse bustled over and whispered that it was time to go. They would be allowed back in for brief visits—no more than two of them at a time, please—for as long as Levi stayed in intensive care.

They filed back out to the waiting room, where Carmen went straight to Devin. She sagged against him. He gathered her in and stroked her hair as Addie told herself she was not, under any circumstances, going to sidle up close to James and hope that he might wrap those big arms around her.

James said, “I’ve got a room at the Marriott down the street. I figure we can take turns using it. For showers, naps, whatever.”

Carm beamed at him from her husband’s arms. “Great idea. Addie should go first. She looks dead on her feet.”

Addie sent her sister a quelling glance and asked James, “When did you have time to get a room at the Marriott?”

All twinkly blue eyes and easy charm, he coaxed, “Come on, don’t look so suspicious. I made a phone call when you two went in to see Levi. The Marriott had rooms available—you know, being a hotel and all? So I got us one.”

He’d done way more than she should have let him do and she needed to put an end to it. Immediately. “We have to talk.”

He frowned. “Now, Addie—”

“Go ahead,” said Carm with a shooing motion. “You two work it out. We’ll be right here.”

Addie so didn’t like the way Carm had shooed her—as if she and James had had some lovers’ spat they needed to resolve. But she could deal with her sister later. Now she and James had to get a few things straight.

She whirled and marched across the waiting room to a grouping of chairs along the other wall. When she got there, she dropped into one.

James took his sweet time following, but finally he sat down next to her. “What’s the problem now?”

She turned and met his beautiful eyes and said sincerely, “It’s enough—no, it’s too much, all you’ve done. And I thank you so much for everything. But my grandfather’s out of surgery now. You said yourself that you were only staying to see that he made it through all right. Well, he has. And Carm and Devin are here, to help me. You don’t need to stay anymore.”

He studied her face for several nerve-racking seconds. Then he shook his head. “I’ve reconsidered.”

Somehow she made herself ask him quietly, “Reconsidered what?”

“Levi wants me here. And he needs to have what he wants—at least until he’s out of the woods.”

“But he is out of the woods.”

“Addie. He’s almost eighty. He’s just been through major surgery. You know you want him relaxed and focused on getting well. You don’t want anything preying on his mind.”

Okay, that was true. She didn’t want PawPaw upset. But sometimes, well, people just didn’t get things the way they wanted them. “I can’t help it if he insists on lying to himself.” She blew out a hard breath. “Uh-uh. He needs to accept that he’s got it all wrong and get past his totally out-there assumption that you are the father of my baby. As long as you’re here, that’s not going to happen. As long as you’re here, he can tell himself his crazy-ass plan to marry us at gunpoint is working the same as it worked when he pulled it on Dev and Carmen.”

“So what if he tells himself his plan is working?”

She was gaping again. She’d been doing way too much of that recently. “What do you mean, so what? His plan is not working. It’s never going to work. You are not my baby’s daddy and PawPaw needs to learn to accept that.”

“And he will. When he’s ready. But he’s not ready now. All I’m saying is let me help. Let him believe what he needs to believe until he’s back on his feet.”

God. He was not only big and strong and kind and helpful, with that killer smile and those damn twinkly eyes. He not only looked good and smelled way too manly and tempting. He was also so calm and logical. And what he said actually seemed to make a bizarre kind of sense.

And she was so darn tired. She kept thinking of that room he’d taken at the Marriott. Of a shower and clean sheets and a few hours of much-needed sleep.

He leaned closer, filling her tipped-over world with his strength and his steadiness. “Come on, Addie.” His deep, smooth voice washed through her, so soothing, making her want to lean into him, to curl into a ball and cuddle up close. “Let me help you. I want to help you.”

“Why?”

The question seemed to hang in the charged air between them.

And then he actually answered it. “I like it, helping you. I honestly do. I like Levi and I want him to get well.”

“Even after what he did to you?”

James chuckled. “He’s a determined old guy. I admire that. I’m not crazy about his methods, but his intentions are good.”

She almost laughed. “What’s that they say about good intentions paving the road to hell?”

“Addie, lighten up.”

“You shouldn’t make excuses for him.”

“I’m not. And it’s not really all that complicated, or it doesn’t have to be. I’ll just hang around for a few days, help out however I can, until your grandfather’s better.”

“Define better.”

He dodged right on by that one. “Can’t we just play that by ear, see how he does?”

“I don’t...get what you get out of this. I really don’t. It’s not fair to you, to take advantage of you this way.”

His square jaw hardened. “Didn’t we already clear up the whole ‘taking advantage’ question when you finally let Walker and Rory help you out with the animals? No one is taking advantage of me. I’m doing what I want to do. And that is to be here and help out however I can. I like helping out.”

She really needed just to say it outright and she knew that she did. “You do get that you and me, that’s never going to happen, right? I’ve got a whole lot to deal with in my life right now, and a man is the last thing I need.”

He leaned even closer. Every nerve in her body went on red alert. “I do get that, Addie. Yes.” Something deep inside her ached with loss when he said that. Which was absurd. It was a simple fact and they needed to be on the same page about it. And then he smiled, so slow and sweet and tender. “Nothing is going to happen. Not unless you ask me real nice.”

Warmth slithered through her, followed immediately by annoyance. “Oh, very funny.”

“Was I funny?” he teased. “I didn’t mean to be funny...”

“This isn’t a joke.”

“And I wasn’t joking.” His voice was so serious. His eyes were not.

She decided she’d better just let it go. “Good, then. Hold that thought. And...well, you need to remember that I’m pregnant, James.” She thought of Brandon then, with a sharp ache of loss. Brandon, too thin, too pale, the light fading from his green eyes. She made herself put it right out there, blunt as you please. “I’m pregnant with my dead best friend’s baby.”

“I am very clear on that.” He took her hand. His was so warm and big and strong. It felt way too good and she should pull away.

But she didn’t.

Across the waiting area, Carm was watching her, a sly smile on her face.

That did it. Addie tried to jerk free.

But James held on. “Hey.”

“What?”

“I want to help and I think you could use the support. It doesn’t have to mean anything more than that.”

“But you know that it does. People...think we’re together. My grandpa is still sure of that. And Carm thinks so, too, and so does Dev.”

“So...?”

She did pull her hand from his then. “Do you need everything spelled out for you?”

He just wouldn’t give up. “Look at me. In my eyes.” The man was impossible.

She puffed out her cheeks with a hard breath. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Come on...”

“Fine.” She met that gorgeous blue gaze. “What?”

“It’s so simple. I want to be here and I don’t expect anything from you. Can’t you just take my word on that?”

Why not just let him stay?

He wanted to help and she liked having him here. She felt...safe and protected with him around. No, it couldn’t go anywhere. And yeah, the way he hovered over her, taking care of her, gave her family the wrong idea. But if it made PawPaw happy right now, if it took a load off his mind when he needed to be focused on getting well...

How could that be bad, really? How could that possibly hurt?

She groused, “You’re way too convincing.”

He seemed amused. “You mentioned that before.”

“Yeah, well, I’d hate to see you in court. You’re probably responsible for a whole bunch of murderers getting off scot-free.”

He gave her that smile of his, the one that warmed her up from her head to her toes and just about everywhere in between. “I’m in business and family law. Trusts and estates, real estate, asset protection. Not a single murderer ever got off because of me.”

“I am so relieved to hear it.”

He leaned closer. “So, then. Are you going to let me stay?”

She made a humphing sound. “Is there any way I can get rid of you?”

He pretended to think it over. “Nope. Give it up. There’s no way I’m leaving, not until I’m sure you don’t need me anymore.”

What if I never stop needing you? The crazy question just popped into her head.

And she quickly banished it. Because it really wasn’t a question of need. Uh-uh. Not at all. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need any man. She could take care of herself and her coming baby just fine on her own. They’d get through this rough patch, get her grandfather back on his feet, and her life would go back to the way it had always been.

James didn’t even wait for her to say he could stay, just went right on as though it was all settled—which, she supposed, it was. “I think your sister is right. You should get some rest. Let me take you to the hotel and get you settled in.”

“I hate to leave Carm and Dev here to deal with everything on their—”

“Shh.” He put a finger to her lips, so lightly, causing a bunch of silly butterflies to start flapping their wings low in her belly. “You’ll be right down the street. Carmen can call you if there’s any news.”

Addie gave in and confessed, “I am kind of tired...”

He took her hand again. “Come on. You’ll be rested and back here at the hospital before you know it.”

* * *