The truth was that her very presence caused him a problem. Every time he looked at her he remembered that day two years ago when she’d refused his proposal. All this time he’d tried to tell himself he had dealt with that, but there was still something that puzzled him about her behavior that day. He doubted if he would ever bring full closure to his relationship with Callie until she decided to tell him her real reason.
He groaned and rubbed his hand down his face. What was he doing? It didn’t matter what her reason was. Their relationship was history, and he was glad. He’d moved on, and he needed to quit dwelling on the past. Instead, he needed to concentrate on finding out who wanted to kill Dan. That was the most important thing.
And the Midtown Mission just might provide the answers he needed.
SEVEN
The next afternoon, Callie sat beside her uncle’s bed in the Critical Care Unit and watched his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. She’d been at the hospital since Seth dropped her off early this morning, and she’d kept a silent vigil beside her uncle all day. Although he appeared to be breathing better, he still hadn’t regained consciousness. She covered his hand with one of hers and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with the other.
A nurse stopped outside the door where a deputy U.S. marshal sat and spoke with him a moment before she came into the room. She smiled at Callie, walked around the bed and checked the panel of instruments that displayed vital signs. After a moment she straightened and smiled again. “Everything looks good. He’s doing well.”
“Then why hasn’t he regained consciousness?” Callie asked.
“There’s no way of telling when he’ll wake up, but don’t give up. Keep talking to him like you’ve been doing. Sometimes patients who’ve been in comas tell us things that were said to them while they were unconscious.”
Callie’s eyes grew wide. “Do you think it’s possible he can hear me?”
“I don’t know, but it’s sure worth a try. Let him know you’re here.”
Callie grasped her uncle’s hand tighter and leaned forward until her mouth was closer to his ear. “Uncle Dan, it’s Callie. I’m here with you this morning. It’s a beautiful day. I wish you would hurry and come back to me so we can get on with our plans. That beach house in Hawaii is still waiting for us, and I would like to take you there. Maybe we can go for you to recover. Would you like to sit on the beach while you’re getting your strength back?”
The nurse gave a little chuckle. “Did you see what happened? When you started talking to him about going to Hawaii, his heart rate increased. I think he was giving you an answer. He wants to go as badly as you do.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she leaned forward to kiss her uncle’s cheek. “We’ll be on that plane to Hawaii as soon as you get well. I’m waiting for you.”
There was no other movement or change in his vitals, and in a few minutes Callie stood. The nurse who was in the process of straightening the covers on the bed glanced up. “Are you leaving?”
She shook her head. “No, I think I’ll go sit in the waiting room for a while. I’m expecting Detective Dawtry to come for me, and I know he’d like to see Uncle Dan while he’s here.”
The nurse glanced at her watch. “Family visitation starts in about five minutes. If he gets here in time, he can come in then.”