Page 87 of Redemption

After I take a few swallows, I return my attention back to the nurse. “How soon can I get out of here?”

She chuckles. “A little impatient, Mr. Armstrong?”

“Beckett,” I insist.

“Beckett,” she repeats. “If you recall, you were shot tonight, and you lost a significant amount of blood. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake so he can come by and explain your injuries and what to expect from your recovery. How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst?”

“About a seven.” It’s probably more of a nine, but I don’t want to be heavily drugged.

“Okay. Well, it’s time for new pain meds, so after I take your vitals, we can get that taken care of.”

I tighten my grip on Presley’s hand when she starts to get up. “Where are you goin’?”

Pres leans down to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be right back. I just want to let everyone know you’re awake, and I figured this was a perfect time while Elena is checking your vitals.”

I’m guessing Elena is the nurse.

“Can’t you call? I don’t want you out of my sight, Pres.”

She smiles. “Relax, Beck. I’m not going far. They’re out in the waiting room.”

“Who’s they?”

“My parents, Clayton, and Colby. They’ve been here for hours waiting for an update. I’ll be just a few minutes.” She points a finger at me as she walks back toward the door. “Don’t be cranky with Elena. She’s been taking good care of you.”

“We’ll be just fine, honey. You go do what you need to do.” Elena laughs, typing something into the computer against the wall. When Presley leaves, she says, “You’re a lucky man. If the bullet would’ve been an inch to the left, it would’ve punctured your lung. Your guardian angel’s been lookin’ out for you.”

I scoff. “I highly doubt I have one of those.”

“Hmm.” Elena checks my temperature, blood pressure, and oxygen levels before going back to her computer to log the results, I’m guessing. When she’s done, she swivels on her stool and looks at me thoughtfully. “You look a lot like him, you know.”

I frown. “Who?”

“Your father.”

“You knew my father?”

She smiles fondly. “I knew David quite well. He was a good man.”

I chew on her words for a moment while I take her in. Elena’s probably in her late forties, maybe early fifties. She has kind eyes and a pretty face, and I could definitely see my dad being attracted to someone like her. But if they were dating, which I would assume based on how well she supposedly knew him, why in the hell would I have never met her?

She must see the questions running across my face because she speaks up again. “We were together for just about four years. Your dad knew I had no desire to ever get married again, but I loved him deeply. I would’ve happily spent the rest of my days with him.”

“But...”

“Why haven’t we met before?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“When you were hurt overseas, he said he needed some time to focus on you. We decided to take a break right before you returned home. We still talked regularly, but your dad thought it was best if I stayed away from the house until you were feelin’ better. You weren’t doin’ so well, and he didn’t want any distractions. Unfortunately, with him passing so soon after, you and I never got a chance to meet.”

“I don’t understand. Why would he keep your relationship a secret from me?”

Elena’s eyes flicker to the doorway. “I believe it had something to do with the pretty lady that just left. He was afraid if you saw how happy he and I were... it would remind you of another time in your life. He was worried your head wasn’t in a good place, and he didn’t want to make it worse.”

“That’s...”

“Ridiculous?” she offers. “I can see why you’d think that, but I didn’t think so. When you have kids, you’ll understand. My two are in their early twenties, but they’ll always be my babies. When they hurt, I hurt, and I’d go out of my way to make them feel better. Even if it meant sacrificing myself.”

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