Page 148 of Counting On You

Chase smiles kindly.

“I really want to,” I add, in case he thinks I’m not serious.

His gaze moves to his wife, lingering there, and then back to me. “That’s kind of you, Victoria. We appreciate the offer, but my wife’s a match. We’ve already prepared the papers.”

That’s a lucky coincidence. Finding a donor never happens so fast. A wave of relief pours through me, while at the same time I regard her intently. Even her eyes are the same color, which is probably nothing but a figment of my imagination. I seem to see parts of Kade everywhere, in everyone, in everything I pass and do.

“So you’re a registered nurse?” Laurie asks.

“I’ve been working in a nursing home for the past year.”

“Before that you worked in the ER?”

I nod, surprised that she’s familiar with my résumé.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” I take a deep breath and shake my head, fighting the urge to get up and leave. “It was my fault that we were discovered and consequently transferred. I shouldn’t have let him go.”

“What happened wasn’t your fault, Victoria,” Chase says. “We know Kade better than you do. If he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll chase it—come Heaven or Hell. He has the most stubborn mind.”

I soak up his words, but the consolation in them doesn’t quite reach my heart. “I want to help. I just don’t know how.”

“There is something you can do, which is the reason why we’ve been meaning to get in touch with you.” He leans back, hesitating.

“Yes?” I prompt.

“Laurie and I can’t be here all the time and we need someone we can trust. We’ve checked your credentials and feel that you’re the right person for the job, not least because I think you care about him as much as we do.”

“I don’t work here,” I mumble. “And even if I applied it would take forever to be transferred. And it might not even be to the intensive care unit.”

“Say that you want to and I’ll make it happen,” Chase says.

“You can make it happen?” I repeat, suddenly filled with excitement.

He nods gravely. “I’ll get it done by Monday. It goes without saying that you’ll get paid for your work and we’ll also take care of all living arrangements.”

“We trust you,” Laurie says. “We really do.”

“But you don’t know me.”

“Kade does,” Chase says. “We respect his choices.”

I regard him for a few moments. His expression is unreadable but there’s something in his eyes. Whatever differences the brothers had, I realize it never rattled their relationship. “How do you know that Kade trusted me?”

“He told me.” He leans back in his seat, and for the first time there’s the slightest hint of a smile. “Kade isn’t just my brother; we’ve been best friends forever. While we might not always see eye to eye, he still tells me everything, even when he knows I might not agree.” He cocks his head. “For a long time, we only had each other. Our past has made us stronger, has brought us closer together. So, what do you say?”

I don’t need any persuasion. Being near Kade is what I wanted. There’s no way I’d decline Chase’s offer. “Yes, on one condition though. I don’t want to get paid more than what I currently make.”

“Deal. Laurie will call you. If you need anything, here’s my personal number.” Chase pushes his card across the table and gets up. Laurie follows suit, shooting me a weak smile.

I take a deep breath and release it slowly as I get up. I reach out to shake their hands when Laurie wraps her arms around me, drawing me in the kind of hug that makes me like her even more.

“Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to all of us,” she whispers and pulls away.

I want to say that it means a lot to me, but my throat’s choked up and I can’t utter a word. So, I just not nod and watch them leave through the crowd.

It’s long after they’re gone and I’ve finished my second cup of coffee that I realize the magnitude of it all.

I’ll get to be near Kade without worrying about my job or any financial implications. I’ll get to take care of him. Talk to him.

I’ve read the reports of patients feeling and hearing but being trapped, incapable of communicating.

For the first time, a glimmer of hope flickers to life.

Maybe he’ll hear me.

Maybe he’ll know I’m there.

Even if Kade can’t hear me, I need to let him know how I feel about him.

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