Faith, Hope and Love. BEVERLY BARTON

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ loved her, he would be here. He’d promised. And she believed with all her heart and soul that Worth loved her as she did him. He’s just running a little late, that’s all. He’ll be here soon.

      For over a week she had suspected she might be pregnant. They hadn’t used any protection when they’d made love. And Faith’s monthly period was usually as regular as clockwork. This morning she had driven over to Greenville to a drugstore and bought a home pregnancy kit. She thought it best not to let the entire town of Whitewood find out about her condition—not until after she and Worth were married. She’d been excited at the thought of carrying Worth’s child, but then she’d wondered how he’d feel about having a baby so soon. After all, even she had planned for them to actually date a few months before they got married. Originally she’d thought a June wedding was ideal, but now they’d have to push up the date. Maybe a New Year’s wedding. Something simple at the church with only Jody and Margaret and perhaps the Dawsons.

      The Methodist church bells chimed the hour. Nine o’clock. How was it possible that she’d been here for a whole hour? Of course, she was so cold that her hands and feet felt numb. What had happened to Worth? Why was he an hour late? She knew that if he’d been detained, he would have contacted her. After all, it wouldn’t be that much trouble to get her home phone number. She was the only Faith Sheridan living in Whitewood. Oh, God, what if he’d had a wreck? No, she refused to consider the possibility. Worth was on his way here and would show up any minute now.

      Suddenly Faith looked through her moist eyes and noticed it was snowing. She sighed deeply and hugged herself, settling down on a bench to wait. When Worth arrived, their reunion would take place with snowflakes falling all around them. It would be like a scene from an old movie. Lovers reuniting in the town square on a snowy Christmas Eve.

      Time passed, but Faith wasn’t sure how much time. And when she heard Jody’s voice calling her, she tried to open her eyes, but couldn’t. Was she asleep? No, she couldn’t be asleep. She was in the square waiting for Worth. He would be here any minute now.

      Jody began shaking Faith as she repeated her name and said, “Wake up, Faithie, wake up. My God, how long have you been lying here on this bench, out in the snow? Come on, honey, let’s get you up on your feet. I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”

      “The hospital?” Faith managed to speak, but even to her own ears her voice sounded weak. “Why do I need to go to the hospital?”

      “Oh, honey, you’ve been sitting out here in the snow, waiting for that damn man for over four hours.”

      She felt Jody lifting her to her feet, then putting an arm around her and urging her to walk.

      “What—what time is it?” Faith asked.

      Before Jody could reply, the church bells rang out twelve times. Midnight. And Worth hadn’t shown up yet.

      “I can’t leave,” Faith said. “Worth might—”

      “Damn it, Faithie, he’s not coming. The guy’s a no-show.”

      As Jody led Faith to her car, she heard her friend grumbling, “Men! They love you until they’ve had you, then it’s on to the next woman. But don’t you worry, honey, we’ll be all right. You don’t need him. You’ll get by just fine without him.”

      “Worth,” Faith whispered. “Worth, where are you?”

      

      Worth Cordell woke from a drug-induced sleep in the ICU of an Atlanta hospital…or he assumed he was in Atlanta. He glanced around the meticulously sterile room. Pale-green walls. No windows. An array of tubes and wires hooking him to various machines. The quiet hum of nurses as they went about their duties within the intensive care facility.

      What the hell am I doing here? he asked himself.

      His brain was fuzzy. His body ached, but it was a medicated ache that told him his true pain was being masked by some high-powered medicine. Worth felt as if his right leg had been run over by an army tank.

      His right leg! Now he remembered. He’d been shot. He tried to raise himself up enough to look at his leg, to make sure it was still there. During his time in the Rangers he’d seen guys get their legs blown off and later in the hospital say they could feel their missing limb.

      A strong, feminine hand came down over Worth’s chest and gently eased his head down on the pillow. “Lie still, Mr. Cordell. Don’t try to move around. Not yet.”

      “Tell me something.” Worth looked squarely at the brown-eyed, middle-aged nurse.

      She glanced down at him and smiled. “What would you like to know?”

      “Is my leg still there?” he asked.

      “Your leg?” Her smiled widened. “Your leg is very much there and it’s healing nicely. We should be able to transfer you to a private room by this time tomorrow.”

      “Thanks.”

      “You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

      “I’m not sure. I’m a bit crazy-headed right now.”

      “Your mind will clear up once we reduce your medication. Now take it easy and—” she pointed to a series of buttons attached to the railing on his hospital bed “—if you need anything, just punch right here and one of us will check on you.”

      Worth nodded.

      The nurse paused at the doorway, glanced over her shoulder and said, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Cordell.”

      Merry Christmas?

      “Is today Christmas Day?” he asked.

      “Yes, it is.”

      “How long have I been in here?”

      “You were brought into the E.R. three days ago, on the twenty-second, and Dr. Winthrop did emergency surgery. He saved your life and your leg.”

      “I am in Atlanta, aren’t I?”

      “You’re in Piedmont Hospital and you’ve had visitors every day, but you probably don’t remember.”

      “Visitors?”

      “Your co-workers from the Dundee agency. A Mr. Sawyer, a Mr. Shea and a Ms. Evans.”

      “Oh, yeah, my co-workers.”

      Worth tried to remember exactly what had happened to him, but his memory was messed up. He’d been on an assignment, here in Atlanta, providing private security for some rock star in town for a Christmas concert. He could recall that much, but nothing about the particulars. When one of the guys from Dundee’s came back to the hospital, he’d find out the details.

      Lying there, his leg aching and his stomach rumbling—when had he eaten last?—he suddenly remembered that he’d had a very important date on Christmas Eve. Faith! He was supposed to have met her in Whitewood, South Carolina, at eight o’clock in the town square.

      Well, by now, she realized he wasn’t going to show up. She must have been really disappointed. Hell, he’d had every intention of meeting her. He’d owed her that СКАЧАТЬ