Page 34 of Texas Temptation

“I expect it was hard for him to be here, don’t you think?” she asked the older woman, feeling anxiety creep in. She prayed her son would be all right.

“He had to go to the hospital when he was called about Marissa and Vicki—to identify them. I don’t expect any experience with such a facility will ever be easy in the future. It will always hold memories of that horrible day,” Amelia said.

Jordan nodded. It made his coming and staying as long as he did even more special. She just couldn’t help wishing he’d stayed a little longer.

The rest of the morning seemed to drag by in a blur. She and Amelia talked desultorily. She leafed through magazines, paced to the window, and tried not to watch the clock.

Finally, the surgeon came out to report on the success of the operation. Jordan was allowed into the children’s recovery room to await Caleb’s return to consciousness. He had bandages over his left eye and looked so small and pale in the big bed her heart turned over.

She dialed Cade.

He answered on the first ring.

“Hi, it’s me. Caleb’s out of surgery. Every thing went well.”

Jordan burst into tears.

“Jordan?”

She tried to stop the tears, but the relief was so overwhelming, she couldn’t.

“Tell me,” he ordered.

“Everything is fine,” she repeated, trying to speak coherently.

What a ninny. She should have waited to call him, or at least waited to fall apart.

“I’ll be right there.”

He disconnected before she could protest.

A nurse stopped in, saw Jordan and came to check on her, rubbing her shoulder compassionately when she learned of the reason for the tears.

“It’s hard when they’re kids, isn’t it?” she said, offering a tissue. “But he’s going to be fine and better than before. Dr. Tamsin has a well-deserved reputation for doing outstanding work. Caleb won’t wake up for a while, and when he finally does, he’ll be groggy and ready to go back to sleep almost immediately. You have time to go for a cup of tea if you like.”

Jordan shook her head.

“I’ll wait here. Sorry to be a bother.”

“No bother. He’s a lucky boy to have a doting mother.”

The nurse patted her on the shoulder again, checked Caleb’s vital signs and moved on to the second occupied bed in the recovery room.

Jordan bunched up the tissue and watched her son sleep. He was going to be fine, his eyes fixed and able to track like everyone else. She was so relieved the ordeal was over.

Ten minutes later, Cade strode into the Recovery Room, heading straight for Jordan. She looked up, surprised.

“Cade, what are you doing here?”

He leaned over her.

“Are you all right? Is Caleb all right?”

She nodded, feeling the tears well in her eyes.

“I came as soon as I could. Traffic was a bear.”

He studied her for a moment, then looked at Caleb.

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