Page 5 of Dale
I scream out while they take Dale on a stretcher toward the operating room. I also die a little inside when they say “wife.”
Wife?
Who’s wife?
Does Dale have a wife?
My knees give out and I fall suddenly toward the ground. I feel the hands of someone grab me just as the world fades to black.
Chapter Four
Natalia
“Is this Natalia White?”
I’m listening to the muffled voice that has rang on my phone. “This is she. Who’s calling?”
I have not gone by that name in five years and hearing it makes me get antsy.
“This is Nurse Mitchell from Grace Hospital. I’m calling on behalf of your husband, Dale White.”
My jaw hits the floor. “What happened to Dale?”
Leaving Dale was one of the hardest things I ever had to do but it was necessary. Hearing his name again after all of these years, has my heart beating very quickly.
“Dale was shot and requires surgery. We need you to come to the hospital and sign the paperwork for him to have the surgery done.”
“What?”
I haven’t been with Dale in over five years. Yes, we are still married but I never would have expected them to call me like this to make a decision for him.
“Mrs. White, we are needing you to come to the hospital to sign the necessary paperwork for him to get the surgery done. Could you please come to the hospital?”
“Yes, I will be there in three hours. I don’t live in town.”
I look down at my five-year-old son, Maverick, and smile at him. “Are you ready to go meet Daddy?”
Maverick’s green eyes sparkle with the light hitting them and he smiles at me. “Yes, Mommy! Let me go get packed.”
The drive to the hospital is long but it feels necessary to get my emotions in check. I’ve dated others to help get over Dale and I know he’s dated others as well. It was important for me to leave Dale like I did and when I did. Only I know the real reason why I left. Dale is going to flip out when he sees me again.
Once we are at the hospital, I swallow all of my nerves before getting Maverick out of his car seat. I’m clutching his hand while walking into the hospital and am immediately faced with the same leather-clad bikers who drove me away the first time. I can’t believe I have to see them again.
I smooth down my red hair and hope I don’t look like a complete mess before them seeing me.
“Hello,” I chime to get their attention.
“Natalia!” Chase greets me with his eyes narrowed. “I never thought I would see you again.”
I keep my tart response to myself. I could easily turn it around on him. I know he doesn’t like me but he doesn’t understand what happened. He doesn’t know about everything that happened in my and Dale’s marriage. He doesn’t know what I have been through the past five years with a young child who would constantly ask about his father.
He doesn’t know about the blame and shame I feel to this day about leaving the way I did.
“How is he?” I question and hold Maverick’s hand so he’s hiding behind my legs. I’m not trying to keep my son a secret, per se, but I’m hoping to get out of this whole situation as easily as possible.
Being with Dale again is something I couldn’t do.
“He’s about to be in surgery,” Colm fills me in with a disgusted look on his face. His eyes lighten as they are trained on Maverick.
