Page 39 of Missing Marcus

“So you acted like a butthead?” Saint raised his brow.

“Yeah. I did. I didn’t stop there,” Knight admitted sheepishly.

His brother-in-law chuckled. “Of course, you didn’t.”

“I made sure she didn’t walk away without feeling the pain I felt.”

Saint leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “When I met your sister, she struggled with trusting a military man. When my ex showed up and I got shot, your sister jumped to some conclusions too. I don’t know Gabby, but it takes two to make a marriage work. Did you ever talk to her about how you felt?”

“No,” Knight admitted. “I didn’t want her to see me as some weak sap. Things grew worse after I went black ops. The things I saw…”

“It’s not weak to lean on your partner. It’s like your team. You trust them to have your back,” Saint emphasized.

Knight met his gaze. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I can’t tell you what to do. I know trust is something you and Bryanna struggle with. If your sister can learn to trust me, I’ve no doubt you can overcome it, too.”

“I think I’ll call the hospital and check on my wi-Gabby,” he stuttered.

Saint leaned back and stared at him. “You do what you think is best. If my wife and child lay in a hospital bed. I sure as hell wouldn’t be calling to check on her.”

“She doesn’t want to see me,” he defended himself.

Saint shook his head. “I guess that’s where we differ. My wife and I work as a team. If she doesn’t want to see me because I fucked up, I’d respect her decision. I, however, would stay close by so she knew if she needed me, she only needed to call my name. It’s how you earn trust, brother.”

“What if it’s too late?”

“There are no guarantees in life, but there’s a thing called forgiveness. You may have an uphill battle after what I’ve witnessed. Only you can decide if you want to fight for the life you want.” Saint rose from his chair and picked up the empty beer bottles, taking them into the kitchen.

Knight stood in indecision. He didn’t want to cause her more stress, yet he wanted to sit with her. Finally, he pulled out the keys to his truck and silently closed the front door to his sister’s home. Wondering how Bryanna conquered her trust issues, he slid into the driver’s seat and drove up the mountain.

When he arrived, he walked slowly into the emergency entrance, unsure if they moved his wife.

Two nurses were behind the nursing station. One charted while the other wrote assignments on a whiteboard. At hearing the doors slide open and close, she turned to greet him. “Hello, Knight. I’m Annabelle, Gabrielle’s nurse for this evening.”

“I wanted to check on my wi…Gabby. How’s she doing?” he asked quietly.

“I went in to take her vitals a while ago. She struggles to sleep, but her vitalsare staying stable.” Annabelle reported. “Do you want me to ask if she feels up to visitors?”

“Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, please. Tell her I won’t stay long,” he added.

The nurse nodded as she capped her marker and walked toward the cubicle from earlier. A minute later she reappeared.

“Go on back. She’s waiting for you. I must remind you, I’m watching her vitals at the desk. If they climb, I will ask you to leave,” Annabelle warned him sternly.

“I understand.” Knight walked toward the room, feeling his heart race knowing she agreed to see him.

Parting the curtain, he slid inside the area. The lights remained off, but the ones on the side cast a warm glow around her bed. She lay on her side facing him. The pillow bunched under her head and she gripped it tightly.

“Hey,” he whispered. “It’s late. You need to rest.”

“Why did you return?” she asked warily.

“I’m worried about you,” he confessed. “Why can’t you sleep?”

She met his gaze. “I don’t want you to contest the divorce. It’ll take months if we go through the legal process to establish custody. I want us to work something out. It appears we’ll be connected for at least eighteen years. We need to make the best of it for the baby. I don’t want us to fight nonstop,” she whispered quietly.

Knight sat beside her bed, refusing to disagree with her, afraid her vitals might spike and the feisty nurse outside promised to haul his ass out at the first indication of them rising.

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