The mortal body was so fragile compared to an immortal’s. This wouldn’t be her last scare if she stayed with him. It was just the first of many until she finally lost him. Because she would. One trip to the hospital would be the last and she would be alone again. She didn’t think she could stand that.
“Just lie back for a bit and relax,” the doctor said, patting Paul’s arm. “Once the IVs are done, we’ll check you again and probably release you.”
“Your keys.”
Jeanne Louise glanced to the side to see the security guard beside her.
He told her where he’d parked the car as he handed her the keys, and then added, “Doris in reception said to ask you to come back out front and give us his personal information and health card number and everything.”
Jeanne Louise glanced to Paul to see him digging his wallet out of his jeans pocket with his good hand. When he passed it to her, she took it without comment, scooped a still sleeping Livy up again and left the room.
As she followed the security guard back to the emergency area it occurred to her that Paul had wanted to drive himself to the hospital. He’d even got annoyed that she’d insisted on driving him, calling it fussing and coddling again. After his upset with her the other day, his annoyance had almost made her let him drive himself. If she had, he’d probably be dead now. He’d have grown woozy and crashed and never made it to emergency in time. Her insisting had saved his life. Jeanne Louise suspected he wouldn’t thank her for it though. It was another example of her fussing and coddling and not letting him “be a man.”
“A mortal man,” she muttered under her breath. The problem wasn’t that he was a man, but that he was mortal. She was going to lose him, her mind screamed. If not today, then somewhere down the line and today’s panicked little journey had been the first of possibly many. Why? Because he was determined to prove he wasn’t weak so would take stupid chances.
Not that she thought that today’s accident was an effort on his part to prove his manliness. But he would insist on lifting things that were too heavy just to prove he was strong, and he would—
Jeanne Louise cut herself off abruptly as she realized what she was doing. She was building a case, painting the future, giving herself an excuse to get out. She didn’t need an excuse. The simple fact was, he was already lost to her. It was just a matter of when and how he actually went. She didn’t want to stand around and wait and watch for it to happen. She couldn’t bear repeated scares like tonight. Her heart couldn’t take this. And it would only get worse as she became more bonded to him, as he inveigled his way into her life and heart.
She had to get out, get away from him, and try to rebuild her life without him. She’d been content, enjoying what life had to offer. Surely she could be that way again and—
And what? Wait for another possible life mate to appear on the scene. Unless he was immortal, he could never be hers either.
Livy shifted sleepily against her, nestling her face against her neck, and Jeanne Louise closed her eyes briefly, her footsteps faltering. She wouldn’t be just leaving Paul, but Livy too. She’d come to love the little girl as much as she did the father, and the idea of giving them both up was gut wrenching, but she didn’t know what else to do. Staying would kill her . . . slowly.
Jeanne Louise sighed wearily and continued on to the emergency desk, then opened Paul’s wallet to find his health card. It flipped open to reveal a picture of a perfect, beautiful blonde. Jerri, his wife. He still carried her picture two and a half years later. How long would she carry his in her head?
Grimacing, she handed over his health card and answered Doris’s questions the best she could.
Paul shifted in his sleep, banged his hand against something and was abruptly awake. Opening his eyes, he peered around the living room and then sat up on the couch.
Jeanne Louise had settled him there with a snack and drink on returning from the hospital, and then had taken Livy back up to bed. Whether she’d returned or not, he couldn’t say. He’d fallen asleep shortly afterward, exhausted by the night’s events. Of course, the pain killers the doctor had given him had probably helped to knock him out.
Rubbing his face with his good hand, he listened briefly to the silence in the house and then stood and shuffled out of the living room and into the kitchen. He paused in the doorway though, when he saw Jeanne Louise seated at the dining room table, leafing through a magazine.
“You’re awake,” she offered a tense smile as she glanced his way. Standing, she moved into the kitchen, asking, “Are you hungry? I made bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. There’s coffee too.”
“Sounds good,” he admitted.
“Go sit down and I’ll bring it to you,” she suggested, grabbing the oven mitts and slipping them on before opening the oven to reveal the food warming inside.
Paul moved to the table and sat down. “How long have you been up?”
“I haven’t been to bed. Night walker, remember?” she said lightly, setting the food on top of the stove and fetching a plate to begin transferring a portion of each item to it. She then returned the rest of the food to the oven and took the time to fetch him a coffee and glass of juice as well.
Paul watched silently as she carried everything to the table on a tray. There was something wrong. He sensed that much. She was too wound up, her movements too jerky, and she was serving him like he was an invalid.
“Eat,” she said lightly. “You have to rebuild your blood.”
Paul picked up the fork she’d also provided and began to poke at the food. It looked and smelled delicious, but he was distracted with what was going on inside her head. “Is there—”
“I’m glad you’re awake,” she interrupted. “I didn’t want to leave while you were sleeping, but was hoping to get home before the sun was fully up.”
“Home?” he asked sharply, lowering the fork to the table again. His gaze focused and stayed on her, noting the way she was avoiding looking at him.
Jeanne Louise hesitated, avoiding his eyes, but then suddenly met his gaze and sighed. “You were right yesterday. This isn’t going to work.”
Paul sat back in his seat. Silent. Waiting.