“Thanks. I’ll tell him. And I want to thank you for giving me the extra time in here with my uncle today.”
She smiled. “It’s no problem when everything’s quiet in here. Besides, I think he likes having you sit with him.”
The marshal sitting outside the cubicle didn’t look up from reading a newspaper as Callie walked out, and she didn’t stop to chat with him. She headed to the door and exited into the outside hallway before she stepped into the hallway that led to the family waiting room.
As usual, the room was nearly filled today. As she glanced around the area, her gaze came to rest on Seth, who was standing off to the side with a man and woman she’d never seen before. A boy who looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old stood next to Seth. The animated look on his face told her he was enjoying the conversation.
She walked over and stood next to Seth, but he didn’t appear to notice her presence for a few moments. “I think that’s a great idea, Michael. We need to let the church board know about this right away. We might even be able...” He stopped midsentence when he noticed Callie standing next to him. “Callie,” he said, “I didn’t hear you come in.” He pointed to the couple facing him. “These are my friends Michael and Glenda Bennett and their son, Jeremy, from church.”
She smiled at the couple and stuck out her hand. “And I’m Callie Lattimer. Do you have family in the unit?”
Michael shook his head. “Not really family. There’s an elderly lady who lives down the street from us. We keep an eye on her because her family lives in Missouri. She fell this morning, and the doctor has put her in the unit for now. We’re here to check on her.”
“Oh, I see.” Callie’s gaze drifted over them to the young boy standing next to his father. “And is this your son?”
The boy grinned and ducked his head. Seth reached out and grasped his shoulder. “This is Jeremy. He’s going to be the best quarterback Memphis has ever seen when he gets to high school.”
Jeremy’s face grew red. “Oh, Coach. You tell everybody that. I’m not as good as Freddie Coleman.”
Seth’s eyes widened. “You’re both great players, but you have to remember Freddie is two years older than you. I’m lucky to have both of you on my team.”
Callie turned to Seth. “You coach football?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It’s the youth league team for our church. I’m not kidding when I say that Jeremy has a real gift for playing football.”
Michael reached out and ruffled his son’s hair. “Seth has worked untold hours with him, and we really appreciate it.”
Glenda nodded. “Seth is great with the kids. We can’t figure out why some woman hasn’t already snatched him up. He’d make a great husband and a wonderful father. I’ve tried to fix him up with all my friends, but he’s never interested.”
Seth’s face turned red. “Glenda, I’ve told you I don’t have time for that.”
Callie glanced at Jeremy and saw the hero worship for Seth in his eyes, and her heart lurched. Glenda was right. Seth would make a wonderful father. She cleared her throat and turned to Seth. “The nurse said visitation is going to start in a few minutes. You can go in my place this time. They let me sit by his bed for a while this afternoon.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.