Page 93 of Angel In Armani

She woke when her phone rang. Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting the clock on her nightstand. Which said it was twelve p.m. Which couldn’t be right—it had been nearly seven p.m. when she’d gotten home. Holy crap. She couldn’t have slept for eighteen hours or so, could she?

But apparently she could, because the screen on her phone agreed with the clock. And told her it was Liza calling. She hit the button to take the call, still not quite believing she’d slept for so long. “Hey, Mom,” she said.

“Honey, were you sleeping?”

“I took a nap. What’s up?”

“Now, don’t be mad, but I’m at the hospital with your dad. He’s just out of surgery.”

“Surgery?” Sara said. Maybe she was still sleeping. Dreaming the conversation. She thumped her thigh, which did nothing but hurt. So she must be awake. “What surgery?” She rubbed her thigh, trying to make her brain work.

“Lucas found another opening,” Liza said. “He called us yesterday.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“We weren’t sure how you’d take it,” Liza said diplomatically. “Your dad wanted to go ahead, so we decided to tell you afterward.”

Sara fell back on her bed, brain whirling. Lucas had operated on her dad? “Did the surgery go okay?”

“Lucas says so,” Liza said. “But he also said it was early days. He said something about a trapped nerve. He had to reset the kneecap, so it’s going to take a while.”

“I—” She stopped, not knowing what to say. “Where’s Dad now?”

“Still in recovery. They said he’ll be down in a few hours but might be a bit groggy. Visiting hours start at four. Why don’t you come then? Lucas said he’d check in tomorrow morning.”

Which meant that Sara wasn’t going to run into him if she went this afternoon. “Okay, Mom. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me but okay. I’ll see you later.” Then she paused. “Is Dougal still at your place?” She’d left him there Sunday night, hoping he’d cheer her dad up.

“Yes. We fed him this morning and Nancy next door is going to walk him at lunchtime. So he’s fine.”

Her dad was kind of spaced out but he was sitting up in bed, the covers tented over his leg with a metal frame, when Sara arrived just after four. He managed a slightly stoned-looking smile as she came through the door. “Hey, honey.”

She leaned down to kiss his cheek. “How are you feeling?”

Sean nodded. “So far so good. He gives out the good stuff, your man.”

Sara shot a look at her mom, who mouthed morphine at her with a smile.

“Dr. Angelo isn’t my man,” she reminded Sean.

“Then you’re missing out,” Sean said. His eyes drifted closed a little. “He’s a good one, that one. Did he tell you, he said he fixed my leg?”

Sara felt her heart tighten, tears prickling. “So I hear. Why don’t you sleep for a bit, Dad?”

“Might just rest my eyes at that,” Sean agreed, eyes drifting shut. He promptly started snoring.

Liza shook her head at him fondly. “He never did do very well with painkillers. He’ll sleep awhile now. Why don’t you go get me a coffee or something? I don’t want to leave him just yet.”

“Okay.” Sara walked around the bed and gave her mom a quick kiss as well. “One coffee for the sneaky woman coming right up. Are you hungry?”

“I wouldn’t say no to a muffin,” Liza said. “It’s been a long day and the sandwich I had for lunch in the cafeteria was forgettable.”

“I think there’s a coffee cart outside the hospital,” Sara said. “I’ll see what they have. Call me if he wakes up or anything.”

“He’s pumped full of enough stuff to kill a horse,” her mom said. “So I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

Sara left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She looked up and down the corridor, trying to get her bearings. The ortho ward was quiet, just a series of private patient rooms leading off the corridor. The nurses’ station was about halfway down the row. On impulse, Sara headed toward it.

“Excuse me, is there a Sam Basara on the ward?” she asked when the nurse staffing the station looked up.

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