Ryan's Place - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,40

I remembered the problems I had when I was a kid.”

“You had a heart problem that required surgery?” Ryan asked, stunned.

Jamal nodded. “I was younger than Lamar is now, and I spent a lot of time in the hospital. My folks never explained much about what was going on, and I was too little to understand if they had. I wasn’t even in school yet, so I must have been three, maybe four years old. Once I had the surgery, I could do anything I wanted. Didn’t take me long to put all of the bad times out of my head. Years go by, and it’s like it happened to some other person, if you remember at all. Never crossed my mind that I could pass it along to a child of mine.”

“That’s perfectly normal,” Maggie reassured him, shooting a warning look at Ryan. “People don’t always consider all the genetic ramifications before having kids. They fall in love, get married and start a family. Unless they’ve had to confront a congenital illness all their lives, it’s the last thing on their minds. Letitia doesn’t blame you for Lamar being sick. Lamar certainly doesn’t blame you. If they don’t, how can you go on blaming yourself? And it’s time to forgive yourself, too, for being human and running out. The important thing is to be there for Lamar now.”

Jamal shook his head. “Letitia’s bound to be fit to be tied. That woman has a temper when she’s riled, and she has every right to be furious with me. She probably won’t let me anywhere near the boy.”

“You’re wrong,” Ryan said. “The only thing on her mind now is what’s best for Lamar, and he needs to see his daddy before he goes into surgery.”

Jamal seemed startled. “Thought you said he couldn’t have it, because they lost their insurance.”

Ryan carefully avoided Maggie’s gaze. “The shelter was able to help,” he explained. “The surgery’s this morning. If you’re willing, we can take you to see him. I know if I were a father, there’s nowhere else I’d be today.”

Maggie gave Jamal’s hand a squeeze. “Please. Lamar needs you. He’s scared. Having you there will go a long way toward reassuring him that everything’s going to turn out all right, especially once you tell him that you had the same surgery a long time ago.”

Jamal seemed to struggle with himself, but he finally nodded and pushed back from the table. “Take me to see my boy.”

Ryan paid the check and led the way back to the car. It was still early enough that they didn’t get tangled up in rush hour as they made their way to the children’s hospital where Lamar’s surgery was scheduled for eight o’clock. He pulled up at the front entrance.

“Maggie, why don’t you take him to Lamar’s room while I park the car? I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

She regarded him with a penetrating look. “You are coming in, though, aren’t you? Lamar will want to see you, too.”

“I’ll be there,” he said, overcoming his reluctance to give her the answer she was all but demanding.

She bent down to whisper in his ear. “Five minutes, Devaney. If you’re not there, I’m going to come looking for you.”

Ryan didn’t doubt for a second that she would do just that. “I gave you my word,” he said.

“And promises mean as much to you as they do to me?” she asked.

He gazed into her eyes. “I don’t make them unless I mean to keep them. If anyone knows the devastation of broken promises, it’s me.”

She rested her hand against his cheek. “I’ll see you inside, then.”

Ryan watched her walk away with Jamal.

“She’s a remarkable woman, isn’t she?” Jack noted.

“Yeah, she certainly is.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t let her get away.”

Ryan scowled. “Not you, too,” he protested. “Geez, if I get any more matchmaking advice from people who hang out at the pub, I’ll have to turn the place into a lonely-hearts club.”

“Not a bad idea,” Jack said. “And if there are any more out there like Maggie, send ’em my way.” He reached for his door handle. “I think I’ll catch a cab and head for home.”

“You’re not going to stick around to make sure I go inside?” Ryan inquired. “I thought maybe you’d nominate yourself to see to it I don’t let Maggie down.”

“If you let her down, you’re an idiot,” Jack said succinctly. “And frankly, if you’re that dumb, I don’t want to know about it. Right