Page 181 of Waiting For A Girl Like You
But it was time to admit the truth.
It was time to let Laura Jean go.
At least, that’s what his shrink would have said.
When she was alive, Laura Jean taught him to believe in the impossible, and it would be a disservice to her memory if he stopped now. He would remain Benjamin Fairweather on the outside, but on the inside, he would always be her Ben—the man tamed and conquered by a fierce woman who would forever hold his heart.
Grabbing the popcorn off the counter, he grinned as their song continued to play on the radio. It didn’t hurt to hear it like it once did, and as he passed the countertop jukebox on his way out of the kitchen, he cranked the volume higher, thinking he might ask his daughter to dance.
Chapter 43
“Can we leave now?”
Damon must have asked the same question at least a dozen times. Snuggled in Liam’s lap as they sat on a small corner hospital room chair, Jamison sincerely hoped the nurses would finally give him a straight answer.
“The doctor will be making his rounds momentarily,” the nurse said as she wheeled out her blood pressure cart. “He’ll let us know.”
“Has anyone checked on Holden lately?” Claudia asked from the second chair, Madison still asleep on her chest. “I thought I heard he was awake.”
“He has a concussion,” Liam told her. “But he’s being discharged into my dad’s care, and they’re getting ready to head back to the staging area.”
The phrase complete devastation had been uttered repeatedly. The fireball that swept over the land during Michael’s grand finale had taken out much of the forest and was still burning even now, hours later. Liam wanted to go with his father and Holden, but he refused to leave her, and neither she nor her dad felt comfortable leaving Damon and his sisters alone.
“If they let you out,” Ben said to Damon from his designated corner spot near the door, “do you want to get a hotel here for the night? Or do you want to take the plane with Claudia back to North Carolina? We have a second jet here, and it’s ready whenever you are. It can drop Emily in Houston first and then get you three back to Raleigh.”
Claudia paled at the mention of North Carolina. “Um, I mean… it would be good for Madi to sleep in her own bed, but…”
But she didn’t want to face returning to the home she shared with Parker. Wrapping her mind around what Claudia must be going through felt mentally impossible for Jamison. The entire world Claudia knew had been a lie.
“I don’t need to go to Houston,” Emily said, moving to Claudia’s side and taking her sister’s hand. “I’m going with Claudia and Madi to help them do whatever it is that you do after something like this.”
Jamison remembered those days and snuggled closer to Liam. It wouldn’t be overnight. Normalcy wouldn’t come in a week or even a month from now. After Toby, she could easily recall how it had taken them so long to process the full extent of the trauma they’d dealt with on that horrible day.
“Liam’s mom is pretty amazing,” Jamison told Claudia. “She’s a family therapist and is used to dealing with various cases. Some basic day-to-day things, and some—many, actually—more serious things as well. If you ever want to talk to her, just say the word, and I know Bernie will be more than happy to step in and help.”
Claudia rested her cheek on top of Madi’s head. “I think that sounds good,” she replied, openly crying as she spoke. “For me and Madi, and for…”
And for the baby.
The doctors had checked Claudia thoroughly. Bruce hadn’t lied—everything she’d been given while captive had been safe. The baby was strong and healthy, with an early summer due date in place.
Through quiet tears, Claudia smiled up at her sister. “And I think spending time with my bratty little sister sounds fantastic.”
“Who are you calling a brat?” Emily lifted Claudia’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, the move shocking everyone. The sisters never showed any type of affection. Ever. “Maybe this Dr. Bernie can fix us both.”
“Christ, Liam.” Damon reclined back on the hospital bed. “I hope your mom’s a miracle worker.”
“Howdy!” The young nurse who had been overly eager to treat Damon came into the room, her hips holding a little more sway to them and her lips a little more color after she’d applied some gloss. “Doc saysyou’re free to go. All the blood tests are coming back clear or on the decline. He wants you to take it easy for the next few days, and then you should start to feel normal.”
Damon smiled at the woman, a canine snagging his bottom lip. His hair had fallen forward into his eyes, and he knocked it back with a jerk of his head. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“A-a-anytime.” The nurse didn’t move, simply staring at Damon until snapping out of her trance when an alarm down the hall went off. “Uh, excuse me. I’ll be back with your paperwork in just a sec.”
“Stop flirting with the nurses,” Claudia admonished with a whisper.
“I wasn’t flirting.” Damon kicked off the covers, swinging his long legs over the edge of the bed. “All I did was smile.”
“Same thing,” Emily mumbled. “And you know it.”
