And there it was. The real problem. Because I held onto the fear with a tight death grip. He’d hurt me once. Would he hurt me again?
Whitney waved a hand in front of my face. “Hello? Earth to Meghan.”
I blinked, realizing I had been staring into space for an uncomfortably long time. “Oh yeah, sure, that sounds great.”
I gave her a wave and hurried to my car before she could grill me any further.
I headed over to the hospital and made my way to the ward where Mrs. Hamilton was staying. I said good morning to the nurses on duty before going to her room.
She had been unconscious the last five days, so I was surprised to find her sitting up in bed, scooping scrambled eggs into her mouth. The left side of her face was slightly drooped, but it was not nearly as pronounced as it had been the day we discovered her in her backyard. All in all, she looked pretty good.
“Oh, um, sorry,” I stuttered, coming up short when I saw her.
Mrs. Hamilton looked up at me with clear eyes, her lips stretching into a smile. “You must be Meg. Adam said you were coming by to check on me. What a dear girl you are. Now come and have a seat and keep me company while I attempt to force-feed myself.” Her voice had a lovely tone, and I found myself immediately doing as she asked.
“Adam didn’t tell me you were awake,” I said, settling into the uncomfortable chair beside her bed.
“He was just as surprised as you were. I think his jaw hit the floor.” Mrs. Hamilton chuckled, but then she sobered. “I didn’t mean to be such a bother to the two of you.”
I reached out and covered her wrinkled hand with mine. I found myself warming instantly to this stranger whom I had only interacted with while she was unconscious. “You were no bother at all. Adam cares about you very much.”
She sniffed a little. “He’s such a wonderful boy. I wish my Daniel were more like him.” She said her son’s name with a note of bitterness. I didn’t know her, so I didn’t want to pry, and she didn’t elaborate.
I knew that Adam had finally got a hold of Mrs. Hamilton’s son several days ago, but he claimed to be out of town on business. Considering Adam said he hadn’t been able to hold down a job in years, we both knew he was lying. I only hoped he’d do the right thing eventually and come see his mother.
“Adam tells me you’ve been visiting every day. That’s awfully kind of you, Meg. Our boy tells me you’re his friend who has moved back to town. That you’re an artist. I’d love to see some of your work. His eyes absolutely sparkle when he talks about you. After that awful Chelsea, I worried he’d never be happy.” Mrs. Hamilton didn’t waste any time digging for the dirt. I could tell instantly that she was one of those women who knew everything about everyone but wasn’t invasive about it. She seemed to come from a place of concern and love for Adam, and that made my heart swell.
“It sounds like the two of you spent the morning gossiping about me,” I teased good-naturedly, laughing slightly so she knew I wasn’t upset.
Mrs. Hamilton tutted. “I don’t gossip, that’s so low class.”
I smothered my smile. “Of course. I’m sorry to imply you’d do something like that.”
Then it was Mrs. Hamilton’s turn to cackle in delight. “Of course, I gossip! What else is there for an old lady like me to do?”
She was a hoot, and I found myself enjoying her. I knew why Adam had taken such a protective role with her. She was like everyone’s sweet grandma.
“But to answer your question, yes, I’m an artist. I’m actually about to complete the mural in town for the bicentennial. When you’re out of here, Adam will have to take you to see it.”
Mrs. Hamilton pushed her fork through her eggs before putting the lid back on the plate. “Or you could take me. I’d like the artist to explain her work. It would be a thrill.”
“Oh.” I cleared my throat. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be in town. But if I can, I will.”
Mrs. Hamilton looked at me with shrewd eyes. You’d never know the woman had suffered from a stroke only five days