Page 65 of The Catcher
“You all have enough to deal with without my problems,” Hugh replied.
“That’s never stopped you from sharing before,” Noah said.
Hugh glanced up at the TV playing quietly in the corner. “I saw they caught that perp you were after. However, they had a different investigator being interviewed. I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”
Noah didn’t want to delve into the topic with his father at that moment. “Doc says you need to rest. Too much stress isn’t good. It can bring on panic attacks.”
“Oh nonsense,” Hugh dismissed, shaking his head.
Noah resisted the urge to push further on the Ashford Royale case, deciding the timing wasn’t right.
“Well, rest up,” Noah said, leaving the room.
“You’re going?”
“Yes.”
“Are Mia and Ethan here?” Hugh asked before Noah could exit.
“No,” Noah replied curtly.
“Too bad. I miss the kids, Noah. The doctor thinks that—” Hugh lamented before being cut off.
“I know what you told him, but the answer is still no. Unless you’ve changed your mind about telling me your involvement with the Ashfords?” Noah’s voice held a hint of frustration.
Hugh fell silent, his hesitation speaking volumes.
Noah left the room before his father could sayanything further, almost colliding with Maddie in the corridor.
“You leaving already?” Maddie asked, concern etched on her face.
“Doc says it’s panic attacks. Nothing more,” Noah informed her in a low voice.
“Panic attacks?” Maddie echoed, her brow furrowing with worry.
Noah nodded in confirmation.
Maddie glanced towards the room before turning her attention back to Noah. “All right. I guess with early dementia, that’s one more thing to worry about,” she murmured, her voice heavy with concern. “By the way, we’re still getting together on Sundays if you change your mind.”
He glanced at her.
“He asked me to ask you.”
“Of course he did, and my answer remains the same.”
Noah satin his Bronco outside the hospital, the weight of the evening’s events pressing down on him. He stared out into the darkness, lost in thought, as he grappled with conflicting emotions.
He didn’t want to keep Mia and Ethan away from their grandfather, but exposing them to someone associated with a family plagued by trouble in town made him uneasy. It was a difficult decision, but one he felt he had to make to keep his children safe.
As he prepared to leave, Noah shifted the Bronco into reverse, only to be startled by the warning alarm from his vehicle. Glancing at the rearview camera screen, he saw a car behind him. Naturally, he expected it to move out of the way. After all, no other vehicles were trying to exit the lot, and there was plenty of space.
“C’mon!” Noah muttered under his breath, growing impatient as the car remained stationary. Frustrated, he rolled down his window and said, “Hey buddy, you wanna move on!”
Still, there was no response, and the car didn’t budge. With a resigned sigh, Noah put his Bronco in park and stepped out. Making his way to the vehicle’s rear, he peered around, expecting to see a driver waiting or experiencing car trouble.
But as he reached the back of the sedan with tinted windows, it suddenly rolled away, leaving Noah with his hand raised in frustration.
“Of course!” he exclaimed, shaking his head in annoyance. With a shrug, he returned to his Bronco, dismissing the incident as he put it out of his mind. Starting the engine, he drove off into the night, leaving the hospital behind him.
