Package Deal(50)

“Want me to ask?” Was that something he might be doing in the future?

“Not unless you plan to answer to Mr. Gardner. One of the nurses referred to you as my husband—after you left this morning. I wanted you to be able to come in, so I didn’t correct her.” Amanda turned back to Cecelia. “Oh! She did it again—her fingers moved. Where’s that buzzer?” She found it and rang for the nurse.

Minutes later, the doctor entered the room.“We’re going to lower her sedation level again, but probably not until tomorrow morning. If you want to go home, we’ll call you as soon as she wakes—or, you can come back here at eight in the morning. Which would you prefer?”

“I’m staying, Doctor. You can lower her sedation level anytime you like, but I’m not leaving. My daughter needs me. Just have the nurses bring me a blanket, like they did last night. I won’t get in their way.”

To his credit, the doctor did not argue. The nurse who had questioned Marcus brought in a foldout bed with a pillow and blanket. She said nothing to Amanda, who had returned to cupping Cecelia’s hand in hers.

He grinned. “I guess you told him.” Your husband? And you didn’t even object. Or maybe you’re warming to the idea? But now was not to the time to ask her about that. Not now. First, Cecelia had to get better.“Since you’re staying, would you like me to bring you a change of clothes, or anything?”

She shook her head. “They must have a shower here. I’ll use it later.” She swiveled in her chair. “I haven’t thanked you for letting the department know, for staying with me, and for—” her voice broke with emotion “—for coming back with food and—everything—oh, Marcus.” Her tears stopped her from saying more as she reached for him.

He put his arms around her, his heart full, wanting to do more, not sure what else he could do. “Hey, no need to thank me. I’m family, remember? Family sticks together. Whatever you need, just ask, okay?”

She nodded and blew her nose. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to try to find out why Cecelia ran into the street. Janet told me she heard her yell. She’s not sure, but she thinks that happened before Cecelia got hit by the car.”

“Did Janet say whether or not Cecelia saw the car?”

He shook his head. “Maybe that’s why she shouted because she saw it coming and knew it was going to hit her. When she wakes up, we’ll ask her. The cops, for sure, are going to want to know that.”

“I’d rather you ask her.”

“Let’s worry about that when the time comes. For now, I’m going home. I have some work to do.” He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

“You can do better than that.” Amanda lifted her face to meet his.

He kissed her on the lips.“Call me if you need anything—anytime.” His voice came out as a husky whisper. “Tonight or tomorrow.”He couldn’t imagine loving her more than he did right then.





Chapter 10



Carlton rubbed his palm against the greasy smudges on the inside of the car window. The woods surrounding him looked unfamiliar. “How did I get here?”

He opened the window, eager for fresh air. The cool breeze seemed to clear his head. The road seemed deserted. No cars passed by while he looked around, trying to get his bearings. His head pounded, and his tongue felt tacky, too large for his mouth.

Hung over, he opened the door and stepped into a mud puddle so deep, the water seeped over the top of his shoe and soaked his sock. He swore and climbed back into the car. He dimly recalled leaving Amanda’s house after Cecelia fled.

Carlton sat in his car on the deserted road. From the lack of homes or traffic, he figured he had to be out of town. Cecelia. Was that yesterday or earlier in the week? He looked at the local paper lying on the seat next to him trying to remember when he’d picked it up. He must have read it. It was open to an inside page. A grainy picture showed a little girl and the nearby article described a terrible pedestrian accident. Even though the picture wasn’t the best, he could tell it was Cecelia, his sweet Cecelia.

She had been hit by a car. That’s what the paper said. What it didn’t say was that he’d been with her, at her house, or that she’d fled from him. Maybe that was the screeching he’d heard as he’d left the neighborhood. She must have been badly hurt. The paper said she was in the hospital. But when had it happened? He couldn’t seem to get clear what day it was, how long he’d been out here on this partly-paved road with the mudholes on either side of the car.