Page 56 of Healed Hearts

“Have a good day, darlin’. We’ll see you soon. I’m going to get her ready, and we’ll head in,” Julian says, before dropping another kiss on my lips. It really doesn’t matter if they’re long-drawn-out sleepy morning kisses, or late night heated kisses that have us rutting against each in our lust, or soft domestic kisseslike this one—they all blow my mind and wreck my world. Every single time.

Wren reaches for me, so I take her from Julian, and she snuggles into me, tucking her face into my neck. “Love you, Holden,” she whispers against my skin. My arms tighten around her instinctively as Julian’s eyes collide with mine and all the air leaves my lungs in a rush. Holy shit, holy shit,holy shit.

“I love you too, pretty girl,” I choke out in a voice that sounds nothing like my own. Before I can even blink, I’m being pulled into Julian’s arms, his body wrapping protectively around us, pinning Wren between us. He lets out a shaky breath that I would have missed if he wasn’t so close. Kids are so pure. So fucking innocent, and this pure, innocent baby just knocked my entire world off its axis. Julian holds us in his arms until Wren gets squirmy, unhappy with being trapped, clearly not understanding the magnitude of what she just said.

Julian’s eyes are glassy when he pulls away, and stark fear shoots through my body as he clears his throat and takes a step back. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry? I love her too, and I won’t—can’t—take it back? Please don’t hate me? No words come, but it doesn’t matter because Julian’s lips tip up in a smile, and then he’s leaning in, stealing my breath with a soft, slow kiss that makes my heart pound and butterflies erupt in my stomach. We must have kissed a hundred times by now, and I don’t know if it’s what just happened or something else, but there’s a deeper level of emotion under it this time, making it feel brand new. Like the first time.

I’m a little dazed when he pulls away—my palms sweaty and my heart still fluttering like crazy. His voice is rough when he speaks. “Come on, baby girl. Come back to Daddy. We’ll see Holden soon, okay?”

She hesitates for a second, but reaches for him. I feel a little off-kilter when he takes her—an emptiness in my heart and myarms that I didn’t know it was possible for me to feel. I clear my throat. “I’ll see you two soon.”

Julian nods, but doesn’t speak directly to me. I try not to let that bother me or make me worry, but I can feel a little niggle of uncertainty form in my stomach. Julian turns, heading into the house, and I stare after them for a minute before ducking into my car and heading to the hospital.

It’s slow. And while ordinarily, I’d like that, today is not the day for it. Mostly because it’s been over two hours since I got here and there’s been no sign of Julian and Wren. I’m sitting at the nurses’ station, my eyes glued to the elevator doors, waiting for them to come through it. Hoping that they will. No dice.

I pull my phone out to check for the tenth time if I have any messages from him. Nothing. So I text him again, for the third time. I don’t want to be overbearing, but at the same time, what if something happened? What if they got in a wreck?

Me

Hey. Checking in again. Sorry to keep bothering you. Just worried.

I stare at my phone, willing it to go off, but it doesn’t. The elevator opens, and I sit up, but it’s not them. Hell, it’s not even a patient, but another nurse. I need something to do, or I’m going to lose my mind. Truly. I stand up and start organizing the desk in front of me, not that it really needs it, but I need something to keep my hands busy. I wish I had Ruby’s phone number so I could call her and see if she’s heard from Julian, but I don’t.

I don’t see how Roman and Beck handle this level of worry. I thought I was worried about Roman when he cut his hand and had to get stitches. I was a hot mess, worried out of my mind, but it has nothing on this. I glance at my phone again. Ugh. Still nothing. Every few seconds, I dart my eyes back to it, willing it to go off. It doesn’t.

I pick it back up and open my texts with Ro.

Me

I think I messed up.

His response, unlike Julian’s, is immediate.

Ro

I doubt it, but what happened?

Me

Wren told me she loved me this morning, and I told her I loved her too. I do, Ro. I wouldn’t lie about that.

Ro

I know that, Hold. So how did you mess up?

Me

I don’t quite know, only that Julian didn’t speak to me after, and he was supposed to be coming in this morning and he’s not here.

Ro

Hmm, do you want me to swing by and check on him?

I can’t ask him to do that, can I? Beck’s off work today, and they already don’t get enough time together. I don’t want to take away their precious time together, but I really am worried. Before I can spiral further, my phone vibrates and I jerk my eyes to it, hopeful that it’s Julian. Ugh.

Ro

I really don’t mind, Hold. Just let me know.

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