Page 93 of Noah

"No," Charlie said. "I phoned his assistant, Alesia. She gave me the number."

"Ah." Brody hadn't talked about Alesia much. I knew he was friendly with someone at work, but I didn't know it was his assistant. I didn't even know he had an assistant.

"You work at the pub then I guess, hey," Charlie said.

"In a way. It's mine. I own it."

"Ah."

I looked at the floor. I had no idea what to talk about with these people. This was Brody's family. Before me sat two people who loved him. I raised my head. "I love him."

Brenda smiled at me. "Our Brody is very loveable. He has a big heart."

"I've noticed."

"He's hurting because of what happened between the two of you," Brenda said. "I'm hopeful you'll work it out. Brody deserves love in his life."

Truer words had never been spoken.

"I think he might have been on his way to see you, when—" Charlie looked at his hands. "Not that it's your fault. It isn't. It was an accident. But he'd come to a decision about you."

In an instant, the room was too hot, and I felt nauseous.

What decision?

"Do you know what that decision was?"

Charlie studied me. "I think Brody should tell you."

I ran my hands through my hair and leaned forward, my elbows propped on my knees. The tectonic plates in my mind were sliding back and forth, crashing into each other, making my brain feel as if it was going to buckle and crack open. Had Brody been on his way to end things for good? Or had been distracted because he was in love with me and wanted to tell me?

Two hours passed in silence. When a thump echoed throughout the room, we all jumped. It was a gurney. Brody was being rolled into the room. We all stood and watched as the battered, bruised, and casted body of the man we loved was deposited in the bed.

Charlie and I stood aside so Brenda could get close to her son. I moved the chair to the bedside so she could sit and hold Brody's hand. She wept as she pressed his knuckles to her forehead and then kissed each ridge of them. I wanted to touch him, but I could wait my turn.

With Brenda holding fierce to Brody's hand, Charlie and I went to sit on the couch. We rose again when a woman in green scrubs entered the room.

"I'm Dr. Weaver," she said. "I performed the surgery on Brody." Then she went on to list a litany of issues she'd had to deal with. I was thrilled to hear his life hadn't been in danger.

"It's the broken bones that are going to take some time to heal. I'm hopeful, he won't need physical therapy, but it is possible. He'll need home care for several weeks."

I imagined some random person coming to bathe and dress Brody. To cook his food. Do his laundry and any other number of errands. He'd hate having strangers in his home.

Plus, who would take care of his animals?

"I can stay with him," I blurted out before my brain caught up to my heart.

"Oh, that would be wonderful," Brenda replied as she peered up at me. There was such affection in her eyes that I wondered what Brody had told her about me.

"I'll let you work out the details," the doctor said. "We'll keep him here three nights, at least. We'll make sure he can get around on crutches before you take him home."

"Thank you," Charlie said, waited until the doctor left, then went to stand behind his mom. He rubbed her shoulders. "Mom, you must be exhausted. Let's get you home. Noah can take over." He looked at me. "I'll give you my number so you can call if anything changes."

"I won't leave his side," I replied.

After their words of love and encouragement, Charlie and Brenda left the room. I closed the door and went to sit in the chair at his bedside. I reached through the rail and held his hand.

"Hey, handsome," I started. Brody was unconscious but I wondered how much of what I was about to say might reach him. "The first time I saw you, I'm certain my soul reacted to your presence. I was aware of you and your every movement. My senses were tuned to you. Then our eyes met for the first time …." I squeezed his hand and smiled. "I think my heart knew it was in trouble that day. And for every day after that until I couldn't deny why it was aching so hard."

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