Page 49 of Mending Hearts at the Cornish Country Hospital (The Cornish Country Hospital #6)

Eden had barely been able to speak by the time she got her father on the phone.

Drew wasn’t answering any of her calls and when the train got to Bodmin Parkway, she realised it was going to take her almost forty minutes to get back to the hospital, even if she got a cab straight away.

She couldn’t wait that long, not without knowing what Jesse might be capable of or being able to warn Drew that he was on his way.

Her father had been driving home from Port Tremellien and he’d been five minutes away when she’d spoken to him.

Teddie had gone swimming with her mother and Felix, and her father had promised he’d drive straight to the hospital and call her as soon as there was news.

The next fifteen minutes had been agonising.

Eden had burst into tears when she couldn’t get a taxi straight away, and the couple in front of her had eventually insisted she took theirs.

She’d cried again out of gratitude and worry, and had just started what she knew would be a painfully slow journey to Port Kara, when her father had finally called back.

‘Have you found them? Is Drew okay?’

‘He’s fine.’ Just those two words from her dad were enough for the tears to re-start, this time from relief.

‘Is Drew there? Can I speak to him?’ Eden desperately wanted to hear his voice, despite the fact that her crying might well drown him out.

She was terrified he’d meant every word of his message and that Jesse’s arrival had done nothing to change that.

Eden couldn’t bear to believe it was true, but either way she had to know, and she had to hear for herself that Drew was okay.

‘He isn’t here. Somehow, although God knows how he did it, he managed to talk Jesse out of whatever he’d turned up at the hospital planning to do, and now he’s taken him to see one of the hospital psychologists.

Or maybe it was a psychiatrist, I’m not really sure.

I’d have just left Jesse to the police if I’d been Drew, he’s a far better man than me.

’ Her father tutted, but then his voice seemed to change, relief replacing the earlier irritation.

‘Although that’s definitely a good thing, because it’s what you and Teddie deserve, a better man than me or Jesse. ’

‘Oh Dad, you’re nothing like Jesse.’ Eden’s heart ached for her father, but she was glad that he’d seen Drew for the person he was.

It was hard to explain just how special Drew was, people had to see it for themselves.

He could seem closed down and standoffish unless you got to know him but, once you did, there was so much below the surface.

Drew was a clever, articulate and incredibly kind man, and Eden had never met anyone like him.

‘I hope I’m not, but I’m still incredibly sorry for all the times I wasn’t there for you the way I should have been.’

‘You were there for me today.’ Eden wished she could hug her father, but that would have to wait.

Talking to Drew was something else that would have to wait too, but she was still desperate to know whether there was any chance he might have forgiven her.

‘Did Drew say anything, before he went with Jesse?’

‘He said he’d come to the house, as soon as he could be certain Jesse was going to be given the help he needs. I’m still not sure there’s any helping a man like Jesse, but I’ll take his word for it.’ Her father sighed. ‘Just come home, sweetheart, it’ll all be okay. You’ll see.’

‘I’m coming home, Dad.’ She nodded, despite the fact her father couldn’t see her.

She needed to get to Teddie, to hold him tight and promise him that whatever happened with his father she’d always keep him safe.

Except she wanted to give Teddie more than just safety, she wanted to give him the kind of family she’d pictured on the day they’d gone to the theme park with Drew.

But that was out of her control, because she knew if Drew couldn’t forgive her, the family she’d pictured would never look the way she wanted it to, and she’d have taken something from Teddie she could never get back.

* * *

Eden had no idea how many times she’d looked at her watch during the course of the afternoon, but it must have been hundreds.

She knew as well as anyone how stretched mental health services were and how long it might take for Jesse to be seen, let alone for any arrangements to be made for him to get the help he finally seemed to have accepted he needed.

She wanted to call Drew, but she knew his focus would be on Jesse, and although it was unbearable not knowing how things stood between them, that made her love him even more.

She’d almost given up hope of him turning up at all, when someone knocked on the door, just after nine o’clock.

Teddie was in bed, Felix had gone to the gym in Port Tremellien, and her parents were at a golf club dinner.

For a moment she wondered if something had gone wrong and it might be Jesse, but then she saw Drew through the pane of glass and her heart seemed to double its pace.

She’d been desperate to see him, and to hear what he had to say, but now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to open the door.

If he told her that nothing had changed since he’d sent the text, this would be the end of the line.

As scared as Eden was that she’d ruined things between them, she had to know for sure.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she opened the door.

‘I love you.’ The words escaped before she even had the chance to try and stop them and, for what felt like an eternity, Drew didn’t say anything in response. Then a broad smile spread across his face.

‘I love you too.’

‘In that case you’d better come in.’ Eden’s eyes filled with tears, but she was laughing too. This was not how she’d planned it, but then nothing between them had ever gone according to plan.

‘I thought you’d never ask.’ Drew followed her into the house and she turned to him as soon as they reached the kitchen. There was so much to say and this time she promised herself she was going to be completely honest.

‘I’m so sorry for not telling you about Sadie and Jesse, I just didn’t want you to think—’ He took hold of her hand, stopping her mid-flow.

‘You don’t have to apologise. I’m the one who should say sorry.

As soon as I met Jesse, I understood, but I should have got it even before then.

You told me how he twisted everything, until even you weren’t sure if you were the one who was lying.

It’s no wonder you didn’t want to tell me and have me questioning your motives.

I should have trusted you and I’m sorry. ’

‘You’ve been through a lot too and I promised you I’d never lie.

Even when I was doing it, I knew it was stupid, but I was scared of anything that might come between us.

Then Sadie called me and she was so worried about Jesse, I should have said no to going down there, but I kept thinking what would happen if this was the one time he followed through on his threat to hurt himself. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.’

‘How much you care about others is just one of the things I love about you.’ Drew widened his eyes, as if hearing the word love was a surprise to him. ‘I’m still getting used to admitting that’s how I feel, but I do. I’ve never met anyone like you.’

‘I could say the same about you.’ She moved closer to him. ‘We might both be a bit messed up by the stuff we’ve been through, but that kind of makes us a matching pair, don’t you think?’

Drew shook his head, a serious expression on his face, and for a moment her heart felt as though it had sunk through the floor, but then he smiled again. ‘I think a trio sounds better than a pair. Have you ever heard of the rule of three?’

Eden shook her head. ‘If it’s got anything to do with trigonometry, I’m warning you now that my brain will just shut down. There’s a reason it took me three attempts to pass GCSE maths.’

‘It’s got nothing to do with trigonometry, I promise.’ Drew laughed. ‘The rule states that three is the smallest odd number able to create a sense of completeness and balance. That’s exactly how I feel when I’m with you and Teddie.’

‘Me too.’ Eden couldn’t wait another second to show him how she felt.

Reaching up, she put her hands on either side of Drew’s face, pulling him down to kiss her.

Balance and completeness were exactly what she’d been searching for, without even knowing it.

Three might be odd, but it really was the perfect number.

She wouldn’t rule out the prospect of there eventually being four, or maybe even more than that.

But for now she was going to enjoy every moment of being a party of three, and for the first time in forever she had a feeling that the future would take care of itself.