“I didn’t want to need another person so much that I couldn’t live without them. Do you understand?”
Hell yeah, he understood. More than she knew. “That will never happen, baby. You’ll never have to live without me.” Unable to resist another second, he kissed her. It was meant to be a soft one, just to reassure, but she held him to her. Her mouth, warm and moving against his, did a lot to ease his mind.
“I’m beginning to believe you’re okay,” Matt said, raising his head.
“I told you I was. They only kept me overnight because of the baby and…What? What’s that look?”
“Where did you get those flowers?”
“Oh. They’re from William. You know, from school.”
“Yeah. I know.” Damn the man. That’s the second time. “I just had a little talk with William in the hallway. I don’t think you’ll be getting any more flowers. At least not from him.” He said the last bit against her lips, then kissed her again long and hard.
When he pulled back, he took a second just to look at her. There were still things to say, to explain. “Abby, when I said it wasn’t working, I didn’t mean—”
“Time for a blood pressure check.”
Great. Chatty Cathy busted into the room, paused to give him a disgusted look, and then went about her work. He had no choice but to get out of her way.
“When can she go home?”
Nurse Ratched glared at him. “Dr. Henderson is making rounds down the hall.”
Matt returned to Abby’s side when the nurse moved out of his way.
“He should be here shortly. He’ll probably release you today,” she said to Abby, as if she had asked the question.
Abby’s brows pinched in worry. “Why don’t you get the kids, then come back for me?”
“You sure?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Matt kissed her head. “All right then. I’ll be back soon.”
“Matt?”
He paused and looked back.
“I l—”
“Raise your arm, hon.” The nurse went about removing the IV.
Matt winked at Abby from the door. “I know.” She loved him. He’d already known it, but still. He smiled all the way to the car.
—
Matt tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and waited for a light to change. He was more than anxious to get to the kids, picturing them scared and confused. I should have been here.
He and Vance pulled up in front of the student housing two blocks from the college campus. Abby’s Suburban was parked on the street. The large dent and busted taillight made him wince. Should have been here. He’d barely taken three steps when the front door of a tiny house flew open and Gracie and Jack barreled toward him.
Matt squatted down just in time to catch them and pull them in. A second later Charlie reached them, pushing his way in and almost toppling Matt onto his back. They were all talking at once about cars and crashes and Mommy.
“Mommy got cut wike me,” Charlie said, pointing to his forehead.
When they finally settled down enough to take a breath, Matt stood to introduce them to Vance. Then he saw Annie, standing rigidly on the sidewalk beside a young blond woman. Had he ever seen Annie without her neat braids? She looked younger, and lost. He took a few steps toward her and saw she was shaking with the effort not to cry.
“Annie.” He held out his hand and waited.
She took a tentative step forward, then another, and suddenly she was running toward him, her wild hair blowing out behind her. He went to his knees and caught her to his chest, feeling her little arms wrap around his neck, her legs around his waist. And his heart strained under the added weight of Annie’s sobs against his neck.
“Shh. It’s okay now. It’s okay.” She was hysterical and it was disconcerting to see her like this. He could barely understand her through the crying.
“Mommy was hurt. D-didn’t know where to f-find you.” Her words were choked and catching in her throat as she struggled to talk and suck in bits of air at the same time.
“I’m here now.” He held her tightly, rubbing her back and hating himself more every second. “It’s okay now. Mommy’s okay.”
He tried to wipe the hair out of the way so he could see her face. His little princess with the weight of the world on her shoulders, her heart so full of worry.
Her sobs and sniffles slowly subsided, but her grasp didn’t loosen. He stood with her still clinging to him and walked to the young woman who’d stepped up and helped when he wasn’t here.
“Hi. I’m Matt.”
She stuck out her hand. “I’m Meredith. The babysitter.”