Page 42 of Hush

“Would you like to take a bath?” she asked.

“Can I watch a show?” Jaden asked.

“No,” Elise said as a rush of anger zipped through her. Where had Garrett been today? Didn’t he want to spend time with his son? Clearly, Poppy had more important things to do.

“I want Ben to come over,” he said.

“I know,” Elise replied, reaching for the box of ginger tummy-soother tea she used for times like this. Sometimes, he wouldn’t drink it, but she found if she added honey and a touch of lemon, then spooned it to him, he would get some down, and it would help.

“Can’t you call him?” Jaden asked.

Elise felt her insides clench. “Not right now.”

“You keep saying that,” Jaden said, kicking the cupboard.

Elise huffed a tight breath, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her strength. “Ben won’t be coming over anymore,” she said. “I know it’s hard for you—”

But Jaden had already fled from her side.

Alarmed, Elise hurried into the family room where Jaden was kicking apart his electric train set.

“I hate you,” he cried as pieces of track sprayed all across the room and bounced off the sliding glass door.

“Jaden,” Elise said sternly, stepping carefully over the train pieces in her stockinged feet to get to him. If she could just grasp him, hold him, she could make everything better.

Tears streamed down his red cheeks as he dove to his knees to rip apart what was left of the track.

It was then Elise realized Jaden wasn’t wearing his brace. Of course—she flashed back to the moment she’d seen him eating the chips—both fingers had been coated in cheese dust. Why hadn’t she registered it then?

Her mind flooded with fear. “Jaden,” she cried, lunging for him as his arms swung wildly, smacking apart a water tower, spewing parts everywhere. Jaden sprang toward the sliding glass door to escape her just as she tried to grab him so she only caught his lower half. Writhing and wild and suddenly unbalanced, Jaden fell forward, smacking his wrist on the sharp metal handle of the sliding glass door.

Elise heard the pop a split second before Jaden screamed.

Chapter 17

Ben

“Anything happen with that professor you were so smitten with?” Kelly asked as the two friends made their way to the locker room.

“I saw her a few times,” Ben said evasively.

“Huh,” Kelly said. “So, that’s it?”

Ben shrugged. “I’m not really into starting a relationship right now,” he lied, feeling his cheek twitch.

Ashley had sent several texts. The first one asked about what neighborhood she should consider living when she got the job, and another asked if snow tires were absolutely essential in winter.

To combat his fury, he had tried hitting the gym more often—working more hours. But nothing helped. Letting Elise think he’d cheated on her was eating at him, and coupled with the idea of Ashley living in the same town, working in the same hospital, sharing the patient load, was slowly killing him. But he knew if he fought Ashley, she would expose the devastating lies she had promised to keep quiet, and his world would be upended once more.

More than once, he had driven by Elise’s house, trying to work up the nerve to beg for forgiveness, to tell her the truth, but, each time, the fantasy ended with him gazing into her angry, hurt eyes. Last week, his nurse let him know Jaden’s care had been transferred to Sally Fitzgibbons, and while she wasn’t as sharp with wrists and shoulders the way he was, she would do fine with Jaden’s simple follow-up. But the idea of not being able to see them again, even as a physician, hit hard.

Ben’s pager buzzed from inside his gym bag as he returned from the shower. Quickly, he scooped it up and read the message code.

“What’s up?” Kelly asked from down the row.

“Looks like an emergency surgery,” Ben replied, hurrying into his clothes.

In less than two minutes, he was shouldering his bag and striding for the door, giving Kelly a high five on his way out. On the way down the hall, he called in, listening to the nurse rattle off the stats: seven-year old male with prior history of wrist fracture. Cause of injury: trauma to the wrist during an accident at home.

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