Lullaby for Two / Child's Play: Lullaby for Two. Cindi Myers

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СКАЧАТЬ through a lot. I’m just grateful Rafferty thinks the surgery was successful.”

      “Remember, the improvement will happen slowly.”

      “I know. I’ll be patient about it. I have no choice.”

      Tessa was close to Vince and she liked the sensation of her shoulder bumping his. Vince had always made her feel safe and protected and cared for. Until—

      Until he’d been silent and uncommunicative when he’d visited her in the hospital. Until he hadn’t objected to her going home with her father.

      She couldn’t help but lean over Sean and whisper in his little ear, “I hope you’re having sweet dreams, baby. You deserve good dreams from here on out.”

      Tessa could feel Vince’s gaze on her and she swallowed hard. Turning toward him, she said, “I’m sorry I’m so late. I had an emergency and then patients got backed up.”

      “You don’t have to apologize, Tessa. You don’t even have to be here.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Sorry, that didn’t come out the way it should have. I just mean…I cornered you in the recovery room today. I’m surprised you came back.”

      She admitted she cared about him, but she wasn’t going to tell him she couldn’t keep away. “Come on, let’s eat. There’s a taco salad there for me.”

      With a vinyl chair pulled near the recliner, they ate in the dimly lit room, the hospital noises outside the door seeming far away. A nurse came in to check on Sean and then departed once more.

      After Vince had downed the enchiladas and half of his soda, he said, “I’ll probably take Sean home late afternoon tomorrow. In the morning, the physical therapist is going to show me exercises for his wrist and thumb and fingers. It will be a few weeks before we can do anything with his shoulder.”

      “Are you nervous about taking him home?”

      “Not nervous. Just concerned he’ll need something and I won’t understand what it is.”

      “Would you like me to come over tomorrow evening? I could just check and make sure everything’s okay.”

      Vince studied her for a long time.

      “What?”

      “I’m going to owe you a few Texas T-bone dinners or a room full of flowers when this is all done.”

      “You don’t owe me anything.”

      Again he was silent for a few moments, then he asked, “Will you answer a question for me?”

      “Maybe. It depends on the question.”

      He shook his head and chuckled. “I should have known.” Then he sobered. “You said you care about me and Sean. Is that why you’re here?”

      “Does it matter? I help friends, Vince, and they help me. That’s the way small towns work. You know that.”

      “Maybe I’d forgotten, or maybe I just never experienced small-town life the way you have. When my dad was passed out on the living room floor, I don’t remember anybody helping.”

      She imagined him as a young boy, in a situation much too complicated for him to figure out on his own. “Did you ever ask for help?”

      “Hell no! It was a matter of pride for both me and Dad.”

      “So why are you accepting my help now?”

      His expression changed, going from serious to much lighter. “Because you have great taste in restaurants,” he joked, pointing to the crumpled bags on the floor beside his chair.

      “Vince.”

      With a sigh, he ran his hand through his already disheveled hair. “I knew you wouldn’t let that pass,” he grumbled. Finally he admitted, “I’m not sure. Probably because you care about Sean. You care about babies and you know what you’re doing. Since you’re a doctor, Sean needs you to watch out for him. I’ll never deprive him of that, pride or no pride. I guess I’m learning that by being a parent, I can’t let anything stand in the way of what’s best for him.”

      She knew that was the right answer, but maybe she’d wanted a different answer. Maybe she’d wanted him to say that he still felt connected to her on some level. Maybe she’d wanted him to admit that whatever was between them so many years ago wasn’t yet finished. Heck, she’d just admitted that to herself after their last kiss. She hadn’t wanted to consider it before. Denial was a great wall that could keep worries and complications at bay. The problem was—it was a wall that always crumbled.

      Right now she was tired, not just physically tired, but emotionally drained. She’d worried along with Vince this morning and she knew she was becoming entirely too invested in Sean’s welfare, not to mention Vince’s life. But that would soon end. Sean would be recuperating and then Vince would be leaving. So if she wanted to play Good Samaritan or friend, there was no harm in that.

      She wasn’t involved with Vince.

      Her salad only half-eaten, she settled the lid on it and stuffed it into the bag.

      “That wasn’t much of a supper,” he scolded.

      “It was enough. I’ve got to get going or Francesca and Emily will send out the search dogs.”

      “They don’t know where you are?”

      “Not exactly. I just told them I wouldn’t be home until late.”

      After Vince pushed himself up from the recliner, he took his empty bag and dumped it in the trash can. “Are you taking that home to finish it?”

      When she shook her head, he took the bag from her and tossed it into the can on top of his.

      “If you had your choice, which would you pick? Flowers or the steak dinner?” he joked.

      She rolled her eyes.

      “Humor me.”

      Would she choose the safety of flowers, or the complication of a dinner with Vince? That’s what he was really asking, wasn’t it?

      “I like flowers,” she decided, taking the safe route.

      “That’s good to know.” His gaze was trying to turn her inside out. Before it did, she moved toward the door.

      She stopped before exiting the room. “You can call my office tomorrow and let me know when you’re home. I’ll be there until after five.”

      “Will do.”

      The light was too dim to read his expression.

      As she murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” and left the room, she heard him call, “Drive safely.”

      She had taken safe roads up to this point in her life. Were safe roads really what she wanted?

      That was a question better left unanswered for now. That was a question that was better left unanswered СКАЧАТЬ