Her Marine Next Door - Aliyah Burke Page 0,64
because the soldiers were everywhere. And plastic or not, it looked like his feet had taken a beating, before the rest of him had.
She brought over his boots and helped him into them, then escorted him to the front seat of her truck.
“I’ll be right back,” she said before closing the door on him.
One more trip inside and she was standing in the entryway to Cullen’s room. The hall light was on behind her, providing her with enough illumination to see, but it might not be enough for the child, so she turned on a lamp.
The shelves he’d put up were there, including some of the boy’s most prized possessions. She noticed the tool belt hanging from the bed footboard’s post. Murray was tucked against him as he slept, his lips parted slightly.
Once she packed a bag for him, she stood over the bed, doing her best not to drip on him. Those damn tears were back with a vengeance this time, and she ignored them as she reached over and gently placed a hand on the small of his back.
“Cullen,” she said, voice pitched low. “Cullen, I need you to wake up.”
He stirred but didn’t wake, so she swiped a blanket and put it over him before scooping him up in her arms. Keeping him as dry as she could, she held him close and made sure part of the blanket would keep the rain from him when they stepped outside.
The child sighed and snuggled closer to her. His soft, warm breath puffed against her neck. It all swarmed her, the scent of innocence, how it was holding a sleeping child in her arms.
Pull your shit together. Don’t stand here wallowing in your past grief.
Even so, she brushed a kiss over his head, swiped the bag, and headed up the hall to the front door. She shut it behind them and hurried to the truck, where she got Cullen strapped into the car seat.
As she climbed back behind the wheel, Parker glanced in her direction, and his eyes were still hazy.
“Almost there,” she said, not entirely positive the words weren’t for her instead of him.
She drove fast and screeched to a halt at the emergency room. Jumping out, she went inside and called for help. As they wheeled him inside, she went and parked the truck. This time, she held a three-year-old, his bag, and her own suitcase of demons dealing with the sudden and completely unexpected loss of her own son.
Cullen remained burrowed into her, embedding himself deeper beneath her skin all the while hacking swiftly at the scab that had taken so many years to form over her own wounds.
The waiting room was not only dry but warm, so she didn’t get further chilled from being out in the rain. Readjusting the shoulder strap of the bag, she went to the desk and stood, waiting with as much remaining patience as she had.
“They’re running some X-rays on him and when he’s done with that, we will have him back in exam three, and you can go sit with him, okay, hon?”
Skylar forced a smile. “Thank you.” This time, she’d brought him, as opposed to their first visit, when Parker had been the one to bring her.
Skimming the area, she picked a spot out of the way, not that they were busy, but she wanted Cullen to stay asleep. She wasn’t sure she knew what answers to give him. She sank into one of the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs, readjusted the body of the slumbering youngster, and exhaled slowly, her heart finally beginning to slow.
The army men. How the hell had those gotten there?
Although, were she honest with herself, she had a pretty good idea and right now, he slept in her arms. Cullen was getting far more inquisitive the more confident he got; her guess was he’d snooped and discovered the packages of soldiers. Chances were, her boy had been keeping himself occupied.
Cullen isn’t my boy. Didn’t matter how firm she was with herself; it was hard to convince her mind and heart when he lay there with her, tucked close and trusting her to keep him safe.
“Ma’am?” She glanced up to find the nurse before her. “I’ll take you to him now.”
“Thank you.” She rose and followed the petite redhead.
“Here you go.” She slid open the curtain and walked off, leaving Skylar alone with Parker, who lay on the bed scowling. A nurse sat stitching up his arm, and she could see his bandaged feet. He