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After an hour passed, I wondered if I should consider finding a place to stay. Maybe Niv planned to remain in the room with Harper and had forgotten I was out here.
An online search of area lodging yielded nothing, so I asked the first person I saw who looked like a hospital employee.
“There are guesthouses, but at this late hour…”
“Eliza?” I heard Niven say.
“Here,” I said when he didn’t spot me.
“Sorry for leaving you out here so long. Harper was groggy and was sure something had happened to the baby. I didn’t want to leave her.”
“Of course. I completely understand.” I felt like an idiot for thinking he’d forgotten me.
He pulled his key fob out and put it in my hand. “Go get some rest at the cottage. I’m sorry I dragged you all the way down here. I was so afraid?—”
His eyes filled with tears, and I embraced him. “Everything is all right now, and never apologize for wanting support from your family—sparse as we are.”
“Sparse.” He chuckled and wiped away his tears. “It’s you and me, pet.”
“And Harper and, soon, your baby. What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Appendicitis. As the surgeon explained, it’s much harder to diagnose during pregnancy. Something about the location of the pain, white blood cell count, and more that I can’t remember. It was Reverend Primrose who noticed Harper seemed off enough to believe an emergency-room visit was in order. Anyway, I’ve kept you long enough. Please rest, and we’ll talk about getting you home tomorrow.”
“Will do. I’ll not be far if you need me,” I repeated Levi’s words almost verbatim.
“Best get back in there.”
As I walked to where Niv said he’d left his car, I momentarily thought about driving to Shere rather than the cottage. According to the map app on my mobile, the time it would take to get to the cottage in Alfriston was almost as long as it would take to get to Shere. I could get a room at the same inn where I’d stayed before and maybe?—
I groaned. What was I doing? Trying to figure out how to see a man I’d met less than twenty-four hours ago? I was a lunatic.
Any news? Levi messaged, nearly startling me out of my skin. Was the man clairvoyant?
All is well. Mother, father, and baby are fine.
And how is Aunt Eliza?
I chuckled. Tired. Cranky. Lustful. Hanging in there, I responded, deciding the other three might be over the top.
Where are you?
Niv’s car. About to head to the cottage.
I watched the three dots pulsate, curious about what he’d say next.
Look up.
When I did, I saw his car stopped right in front of Niven’s. If the parking lot wasn’t nearly empty, I might’ve wondered how he knew which one it was. Then I realized I had my foot on the brake pedal, so the taillights were illuminated. I laughed and waved when I saw him walking toward me.
“Hi,” I said when he opened the door. “Have you been here the whole time?”
Levi shook his head. “I was halfway to Shere and didn’t feel right about leaving you here, so I turned around and came back.”
I looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling foolish. “Harper had her appendix removed, but she’s fine now.”
“Eliza?”
I shook my head. “I feel like…a teenage girl with a crush on a boy who’s way out of her league, but she still follows him around like a puppy dog.”