sorry if I inconvenienced you. I hope you feel better.”
Both Salvador and Sasha began making their way out of Ben’s room. Right when they reached the doorway, Ben said, “Hey, Salvador. Please don’t tell Corey you saw me. It won’t do nothing but upset him. I have no intentions of seeing him before I leave. So the less he knows, the better.”
Salvador’s face scrunched. The corners of his blue eyes slanted. “You’re a very selfish man, Ben. Let’s go Sasha.”
Walking in complete silence, Salvador pushed through the double doors of the fourth floor and descended the staircase. Dismounting the steps behind him, Sasha hated seeing Salvador so upset. Apparently, this Corey kid meant a lot to him.
Salvador flung open the door on the first floor and stepped outside. Clenching his teeth, he balled his fists. “I tell you…that Ben Haroldson is one old selfish bastard. The mere fact that he plans to leave Corey without giving him a reason why pisses me off.”
Sasha’s hand instinctively began caressing Salvador’s arm. “Maybe Ben has a good reason for not saying goodbye to his grandson.”
“I’m sorry. But there’s never a good reason to leave a child without giving them a proper explanation of why you’re doing so. I’d never just up and leave my family. Only punks leave their family like Ben is doing. Corey is upset. Ben’s daughter, Alyssa, is upset.”
“And you’re upset.” The way Salvador cared so much for this Corey kid spoke volumes, as far as Sasha was concerned. “While there’s nothing you can do to get Ben to change his mind, there is something you can do for Corey.”
“Like what?”
“Pray. I’ll pray with you.” Sasha grabbed Salvador’s hands. “Close your eyes.”
“I don’t know about this, Sasha. I’m not good at praying when I’m angry.”
“It’s okay. I’ll do the praying. All you have to do is close your eyes, and I’ll do the rest.” Salvador released a deep breath, then closed his eyes. Sasha closed her eyes, too. “Heavenly Father. We come to You and ask that You somehow get Ben to change his mind about seeing his grandson before he leaves. Lord, we ask that You help guide Ben to do what is right for both him and his grandson. Thank You for listening, God. Amen.” She opened her eyes.
Salvador’s right eye popped open, and then his left one. “Amen.” When she tried to ease her hands from his, he briefly held them tight. “That was a beautiful prayer, Sasha. I must admit, I feel calmer.”
“Prayer works.”
Finally, he released her hands. “Yeah. You may be right. How did you get here?”
“I caught a cab.”
“Well, if you don’t have anything planned, I’d love to take you to lunch.”
“Leslie cooked a huge brunch today. If I hadn’t ate so much, I’d take you up on your offer. Not only that, I need to go pick up a rental car so I’ll have something to drive while I’m here. If you can take me to get a rental, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
“Sure, no problem. I’ll take you.” Salvador and Sasha walked side by side in the hospital’s parking lot. Using his key fob, he popped the locks on his BMW SUV, opened the door for her, and she climbed inside.
He rounded the rear of the BMW, hopped in, stuck his key in the ignition. His hand gripping the steering wheel, Salvador looked at Sasha. All that male dominance and handsomeness made her female senses stir. Somebody as good looking as Salvador had to be special.
Salvador’s eyes seemed to hold a sheen of purpose. Pride. Dignity. “Don’t worry about picking up a rental car. You can borrow one of my mine.”
Is he for real? “Are you sure? I have insurance, and I hate imposing on people.”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure. Like I said before, you’re a Spaulding. Family to one of my closet friends.” Salvador’s blue eyes gleamed. When his tanned lips drew into a sexy smile, Sasha’s heart swirled. Dear Lord. He’s gorgeous.
Sasha hated depending on men. Even more, she hated that the man sitting beside her had just made her feel something sensual. “You know what…thanks for offering me your car…but I’ll just get a rental car.”
His blue eyes looked like glassy hand-blown art. “Okay, that’s fine. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stop and pick myself something up to eat real quick, and then I’ll take you to get the rental car.”
“Of course I don’t mind. I’m riding with you, so I’m on your schedule.”
“You are