she was on staff at this hospital, or maybe just because his desperation over the situation showed. He didn’t really care why, as long as they let him continue to stay.
Colton and Penelope had both been in and out, urging him to go home and sleep, but he couldn’t do that. Something in his eyes must have shown that because they didn’t push too hard, just continued to place food and coffee into his hands at regular intervals.
Her every breath seemed to be a struggle, the rise and fall of her chest uneven, the rattle in her lungs terrifying. He looked over her beautiful pale face, almost the same color as the sheet, but the sheet actually looked healthier. The grey cast to her skin tone hadn’t dissipated and that scared him. She lay there so still. Always so active, the stillness scared him the most of all.
He would give up use of his leg just to see those hazel eyes open and focused on him again. She’d said that she loved him on the way to the hospital. Had she always loved him? And what about Aaron? Knowing where her mindset had been since Aaron died, he was really scared that she’d just give up.
He stood and leaned to press his lips to the top of her head, taking in her essence of jasmine and pear. Even with all the aromas of medicine and disinfectants around, she still smelled like Julie. That tiny tidbit gave him the smallest morsel of hope. “You need to come back to me,” he whispered in her ear. “I need you here, Butterfly. Please, please, just wake up for me.”
The door opened, but he didn’t turn to see who it was. Honestly, he didn’t really care.
“Chris.” Colton’s rough voice carried over the hush of the room.
He didn’t look at him. He just kept watching Julie’s face for some sign of life.
“Chris,” he said, sterner now. “You won’t do her any good if you get sick, too. You need to get out of here for a little bit. Go home, take a shower, and take a short nap. I’ll stay with her. If there’s any change, I’ll call you and you can be back here in ten minutes.”
Finally, Chris looked at him. “I can’t. I wasn’t there when she needed me. I can’t leave her now. If I do, she may give up.” His voice cracked with emotion, but he didn’t care. “She can’t give up.”
Chapter 19
Julie took another photo of the old stone house, framing it perfectly so the rising sun reflected off the ridges of the white stone. The building was so beautiful. At least one hundred and fifty years old, it had an age and patina that builders just couldn’t replicate today. Add in the setting and she’d pretty much found Nirvana here.
She glanced up at the sky. The property was filled with huge, old cottonwood trees and bits of fluff floated around in the morning air reflecting the sunlight. If it wasn’t for the balmy temperature, she could have been convinced it was snowing. The perfection of it made her spin in a circle, soaking in the heat of the morning sun. She smiled as the hem of her dress twirled and danced around the tops of her knees.
The morning dew dampened her bare feet as she explored the old yard. She raised her camera, framing the tire swing within the photo of the house in the background. As she clicked the shutter, a man stepped out of the front door. She gasped and dropped the camera to the ground in shock.
“Aaron?” He stood on the porch looking just like she remembered, his tall, muscular form dressed in casual jeans and an oxford shirt rolled up at the sleeves. She could see the veins of his forearms from here. His glasses were perched on his nose and that dark lock of hair that she’d always loved fell carelessly over his forehead. How was he here? How was this possible?
She didn’t know, but she had so much she needed to tell him. She needed him to know how sorry she was. She ran up to the porch, but then skidded to a stop three feet away from him. She lifted a hand to touch him, but couldn’t. What if this was just another dream? The tears welled in her eyes and she didn’t have to move the last little bit toward him. He did it for her as he wrapped her up