still here, he said.” And then her smile broadened.
“As if I’d leave,” Addie said, walking into the patient area. She found his name on the white board outside the drawn curtains and rather sheepishly peeked inside. He sat up in bed, blood splattered on his shirt and a big white bandage wrapped around his head. “Aw, Jake. God.”
“I know. Pretty dramatic, right? I have to stay the night. To make sure I don’t walk in my sleep.”
“Really?”
He laughed. “No, not really. To be sure I’m not brain damaged, probably.”
“Jake, what the heck happened?”
“I tried to move too many boxes and hit the gas instead of the brake, a few boxes fell forward and I upended the forklift. Kaboom. I was never very coordinated.” He smiled a lopsided smile. “Just to be sure I’m not delirious, the nurse said some pretty girl loves me.”
“And you assume it was me?”
“I assumed it was Jeannie, but I’m giving you a chance here. I could die before morning.”
She put a hand on his cheek. “I’ve always loved you, Jake. I was worried about the right kind of love. Then you crashed into the canned goods, and all at once I realized there are lots of kinds of love. And I feel them all. I’ve wasted so much time overthinking things! I don’t want to ever be without you. Not ever.”
“Then that’s how you will have it. You’re my girl. From now on.”
“Wow, that was easy.”
“It won’t always be easy,” he said. “Now we have to live up to it. I’m looking forward to that.”
“Jake, do you think if I promised to sit up all night, watching you, the doctor would let me take you home?”
“It’s worth a try,” he said, beaming.
* * *
Justine wasn’t expecting anyone when the doorbell rang the Saturday before Christmas. In fact, she was just about to hop in the shower—she’d been cleaning, organizing and cooking all day and looked a mess. The girls were off doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, and she used the time to straighten up the house and make a lasagna for dinner. Livvie had invited her boyfriend, Jared, and often when Jared came over he would bring a pal along, maybe for Amber to look over.
When she opened the door Scott stood there, his arms laden with gifts. “Scott,” she said, absently smoothing her hair. “This is unexpected.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said. “I’ll just leave these and go. Unless...”
She waited for him to finish. “Unless?”
“Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. Let me take these.” She took the packages, six of them, and put them under the tree.
“The girls aren’t here?” he asked. He stepped just inside the door.
“Shopping. They’ll be home before long but really, Scott. You can’t get in the habit of dropping in.”
“What about Addie?”
“She’s been looking after Jake full-time, though I don’t think he needs much looking after anymore. He hurt his head at work.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Scott said. “I just wanted you to know—Cat is gone. She’s not coming back.”
“Left the sinking ship, did she?” Justine said before she could stop herself.
“Not quite,” he said. “Though she did get away with a bundle. I told her it was over and that the next time she came around, I’d have to call the police. I believe she already has a record of some kind. She must. She left willingly, and she knows I’m not completely flat broke yet. She was working on me to go after you in court to try to get more money.”
“She’d have been disappointed. The courts would never side with you. Our settlement was by the book.”
“I made a mistake,” he said. “I admit it. She didn’t turn out to be the woman I thought she was.”
Justine looked at that thin scar at his hairline. “I’m sure that must have come as a surprise.”
“I’m sorry, Justine. You’ll never know how sorry. If you ever want to give me any kind of chance...”