Page 50 of Stand By You
“She can ride with us,” Nick offered. “If you and Kohl want to go head, we’ll wait on her.”
Jillian nodded.
CHAPTER 16
Nick and Jillian,with Geneva in the back seat, pulled up in the Range Rover at the address in Richmond West just as Simons and Kohl were preparing to go into the house.
“I hope my poor baby is okay,” Geneva said through her tears. “My parents have been drugging him to keep him asleep.”
“I do too,” Jillian said as she opened the door and took off hobbling toward the front door that was barely hanging on the hinges from where it had been busted open.
“Travis!” she shouted as she crossed the threshold. “Travis! Are you here?”
“I’ve got him.” Simons appeared at the top of the stairs with a sleeping boy in his arms.
Jillian clasped her hands in a prayer position in front of her mouth to keep from crying and she stepped toward the stairs, waiting breathlessly as Simons came down, rubbing the boy’s back in an attempt to wake him.
A siren’s sound announced the EMTs’ arrival, and she stepped aside as the paramedics rushed in. Simons took Travis over to the couch and laid him down.
Jillian silently cried, watching the paramedics check Travis’ vitals, softly talking to one another. One of them leaned forwardand in a near whisper said, “Hey Travis, buddy. Can you hear us? Can you wake up for us?”
Travis coughed and then looked around, a bewildered look in his eyes until he saw Jillian. “Jilly,” he said and tried to sit up. “Where am I?”
She hobbled forward to kneel before him and the paramedics moved away so she could take his hands in hers. “It doesn’t matter,” she said through her tears. “You’re safe now.”
“Don’t cry, Jilly,” Travis said, and she hugged him, kissing his cheek, running her hands over him to make sure for herself that he wasn’t hurt.
“I’m never going to let you out of my sight again,” she whispered.
“Oh, Jilly,” Travis said. “Can’t a boy have some fun?”
“You call this fun?” she asked, amazed at his resiliency.
“Going to the zoo was so much fun,” Travis said. “The dinosaurs were amazing and the exotic birds.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed them,” she said. “But I think we’ll be spending the rest of the summer at home instead of going to Playland Day Camp.”
“If you say so,” Travis said. “But can Carlos come over?”
“Absolutely,” she said.
“Can I see him?” Geneva’s soft voice said came from behind her.
Jillian nodded, sniffing away her tears and she tried to get up, but staggered because of the boot. Nick stepped in and lifted her easily to a standing position. She turned and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Nick said, and they moved away, grabbing a tissue from the box on the end table by the sofa.
“Travis, this is your mother,” Jillian explained as Geneva knelt before him.
“My mother?” His eyes grew large, and he stared at her for the longest time, before reaching out and touching her cheek. “I remember you.”
“You do?” Geneva’s voice quivered.
“Uh-huh.” Travis smiled. “Where’ve you been for so long?”
“I was sick,” Geneva said, her voice catching in her throat. “But I’m all better now. I hope we can get to know one another. If your father is okay with it.”
“Daddy got remarried,” Travis said. “He’s on his honeymoon.”
