Page 97 of Eight Years Gone

The nurse sent her a small smile. “He needs a lot of TLC right now. We’re watching him closely.”

She nodded, accepting the nurse’s non-answer as they stopped by a partially closed sliding glass door.

“There are lots of tubes and monitors, which can be disconcerting, but you can hold his hand and talk to him. That will be good for him.”

Grace nodded as she stepped inside, listening to the quiet beeps and dings of the numerous machines. She fisted her trembling hands as she swallowed, staring at the wires and tubes everywhere.

“I’ll come get you in about ten minutes, honey,” the nurse said. “If you need anything, hit the button on the bed and ask for me—Charlotte.”

“Thank you, Charlotte.” She inhaled a deep breath as she took another step forward, studying the pale, battered man wrapped in casts and bandages as one of the machines breathed for him.

“Look at you,” she shuddered, horrified that this was her father.

She moved closer to the bed, pulling over a stool to sit next to him.

“Dad?” Hesitating as she touched his hand, terrified that she would somehow hurt him further, she carefully held his fingers. “I’m here.”

She cleared the tightness in her throat when her words came out as whispers. “It’s been so… This isn’t how we were supposed to see each other again.”

She settled more of his hand in hers. “The last night at the house… I said so many terrible things.”

She shook her head as she looked at his bruised and swollen face. Now wasn’t the time or place. “We’ll talk about that later—when you’re feeling better.”

She jumped when the blood pressure cuff tightened on his arm. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath. “It’s been so long since I’ve been in the city. I forgot how crazy the traffic can be.”

She shook her head again, sighing when nothing she said felt right. Their relationship had been stiff and strained for such a long time—even before Logan’s death.

Determined to do better, she gently cradled his hand in both of hers, willing him to feel her presence.

“I’ve been working with Aunt Maggie at the shop.”

She wrinkled her nose at her next poor attempt at a one-sided conversation. “I imagine you already know that. But maybe you don’t know that I run the business side of Simplicity. I finished school and got my business degree.”

She glanced toward the city lights through the big window. “We saw your new billboard in Scranton. It looks really good. All of your patients and colleagues will be waiting for you to get back to the clinic. So many people need you, Dad. You’re so good at what you do. No one knows what to do with hips and knees better than you.”

She looked out the window again. “I should tell you that Jagger’s back. I think I always knew that he would come—like an instinct, I guess.”

She stroked her father’s knuckles with her thumbs. “I know you never thought he was good enough, but maybe he’s always been too good for all of us. He could go anywhere and do anything, but he came home. He wants to be with me.”

Her gaze wandered to the machine monitoring her father’s heart, ensuring that her words weren’t upsetting him, even when she wasn’t certain he could hear her.

“He’s working with Todd at the dojang and for some super-exclusive security firm. We’re building a life together in Preston Valley.” She stared at her father again. “I love him, Dad. I always have. When you wake up, when you’re strong enough—”

The door slid open behind her.

She turned, surprised to see Jagger standing next to Charlotte.

He sent her a small, sad smile as he walked to stand by her side. “How are you doing?”

She shook her head, still waiting for the tears that wouldn’t come. “Look at him.”

He nodded, settling his hand on her shoulder. “We should let him rest.”

She hesitated before she nodded because she didn’t want to leave her dad when he needed her the most. “Okay.”

“You can come back and visit in the morning,” Charlotte added.

Grace opened her mouth to tell Charlotte she wasn’t going far, but she nodded again.

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