Page 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

D ad had opened his eyes a couple of times, but he hadn’t come fully awake in the thirty minutes since he’d been rolled to his room.

He was connected to machines monitoring his blood pressure and pulse and other things Callan knew nothing about. A nurse who came in to check vitals told them the best thing for Dad was sleep, so Callan and his family had remained quiet. Funny how loud unspoken questions were, though.

Peri didn’t seem to be picking up on the tension.

Mom had settled onto a fake-leather loveseat pushed against the wall, and Hannah was perched on a guest chair. Peri had done her homework, papers shoved in a folder in her purple backpack, then spun on the doctor’s stool for a few minutes. When she tired of that, she settled in beside her grandmother. Nobody had thought to bring her anything to play with, but Mom handed over her cell phone so Peri could play games.

Callan didn’t love that she was on a screen, but what was he going to say? He didn’t have a better plan. The last thing his little girl needed was to be in this place. It had to be bringing back memories of her mother’s death. Peri needed emotional support. She needed conversation and understanding. But Mom was overwrought. Hannah was too worried about Dad and angry with Callan.

And Callan had no idea what to do.

Dad would know. That was the thing about Dad. He always had wisdom to share, and the older Callan got, the more he marveled at it.

Open your eyes, Dad. Be okay. I need you to be okay.

Dad was the best man Callan had ever known. The biggest and strongest and healthiest. Despite the fact that Callan was all grown up and should have a more realistic perception of his father, in a way he still saw him through little-boy eyes.

But the man lying on the hospital bed did not match the one in his memory.

Dad’s usually ruddy skin was pale and gray. His hair, also gray, was thinner than Callan remembered. The wrinkles Callan had thought made Dad look wise and distinguished had deepened and multiplied. The flimsy hospital gown revealed crepey skin interrupted by more gray, this in the form of chest hair.

Dad looked much older than his sixty-five years. He looked weak and vulnerable and sick, and it was terrifying.

Of course his parents wouldn’t always be with him. But the idea of their deaths felt like something out there, like faraway galaxies and the South Pole.

How had this happened? How had he missed it?

“Are we gonna eat soon?”

Peri’s question pulled his attention, but of course she hadn’t directed the question at him.

“Yes. Of course you need to eat.” Mom looked around as if a solution to the problem might present itself. None of them wanted to leave Dad’s room. Aside from the fact that he could wake up at any minute, the nurse had said a doctor would come by soon, and they needed to hear the results of his tests.

Mom started to push to her feet. “I’ll take you?—”

“I got it, Mom. Sit down.” He smiled at Peri, who regarded him suspiciously. “I’ll take care of it.”

Alyssa had texted once since Callan left her in the lobby by herself, letting him know she planned to stay and offering her help. Very kind considering how rude he’d been, especially after the whole darling thing. When they were in public together, they needed to keep up the ruse. He couldn’t ask her to deceive her family and then refuse to do the same with his own.

Even so, dropping the fiancée word hadn’t sat right. Thank God Alyssa had stopped him.

He didn’t have the brain power to know what to do. And though it would be easier if she’d gone to the hotel like he’d asked, he was glad she’d come. She’d tracked them to the right hospital—not that there were many options in Augusta. She’d gotten a ride here. And even though she was sitting in the waiting room all by herself, she'd stayed.

It meant a lot to him.

As he tapped a text, he hoped her offer to help had been sincere. He got an immediate thumbs-up.

“Come on, sweetie.” He held out his hand for his daughter, then waited patiently while she stared at it as if she didn’t know what he meant for her to do. If Mom had offered, or Dad, or Hannah, she’d have immediately taken the hand. But then they’d earned her trust.

Finally, her small, smooth palm slid against his, ice cold in the chilly air conditioning.

He should’ve thought of that. He should’ve asked for a blanket for her. She was always cold, just like her mother used to be.

They headed down the hall, meeting Alyssa near where they’d first seen each other. She was hiking her laptop bag over her shoulder. “Hey, you two. Any news?”

“Papi’s asleep,” Peri said.

“The doctor’s supposed to come give us an update soon,” Callan added.

“Then you need to stay.” Alyssa focused on Peri. “But somebody needs to get dinner. I mean, come on! How are you supposed to survive without food? Am I right or am I right?”

Peri almost smiled. “I’m starving.”

“I bet your whole family is. I know it’s past my dinnertime.”

Callan hadn’t thought about food since he’d gotten the call, but the sun was setting outside, and it had been hours since lunch.

Alyssa lifted her gaze to him. “What sounds good?”

He shrugged. “Probably anything.”

“ You’ll eat anything. We know that.” To Peri, she said, “You’ve seen your dad eat. He’s like Pac-Man—a perfect eating machine. Are you like that too?”

Peri shrugged, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face.

“Just as I suspected.” Alyssa looked back at him. “I’m guessing your mother and your sister have more discerning tastes, and all things considered, they might be craving comfort food. There are a lot of options around here. If it’s okay with you, Peri and I will go find something awesome for us. Meanwhile, you let me know what you guys want, and we’ll pick it up on our way back.”

He’d only asked her to walk Peri down to the cafeteria to eat and take her mind off her grandfather for a minute. “Paris, you don’t have to?—”

“I don’t have to do diddly,” she said. “I want to have dinner with this cutie.” She held her hand out, palm up. “Keys?”

“If you’re sure.” When her only answer was wiggling fingers, he gave them to her.

“Let’s blow this popsicle stand.” Alyssa waggled her eyebrows at Peri.

His daughter giggled. Actually giggled.

He lowered to get eye-level with her. “Are you okay going with Alyssa for a little while?”

Her laugh died. “Maybe I should stay with Papi.”

“Papi’s just sleeping. He’ll wake up, be grouchy as a grizzly because he’s in the hospital, and insist we take him right home. You let me worry about him, and you get some dinner. Okay?”

She shrugged, but her expression brightened. She wanted to leave, and he couldn’t blame her.

“It’s a plan, then. I’ll call Alyssa if anything happens.”

“Promise?”

He pressed his palms to her smooth cheeks and kissed her forehead. “I promise.”

As they walked away, Alyssa called over her shoulder, “See ya later, crocodile!”

His daughter giggled. “That’s not it.”

“Whaddya mean?” Alyssa sounded perplexed, and amused, as they stepped onto the elevator.

He stared after them until the doors closed, amazed at how quickly Peri had warmed up to her.

Alyssa had already connected with her. As the oldest of five, she’d had plenty of experience with kids, but who knew that the woman who’d always seemed socially awkward could be such a natural with children?

His Paris kept surprising him.

* * *

Hannah was waiting for Callan outside the closed door to Dad’s room, arms crossed. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a long story.”

She stared at him, lips pressed closed. The fun, cheerful little sister who’d always been his biggest fan was none of the above today. “Not that long a story. It boils down to the fact that you have time for romance, but you don’t have time for your daughter.”

“It’s not…” He couldn’t tell her the truth, and he didn’t want to lie. “It’s not that.”

“Explain.”

“No offense, sis, but it’s none of?—”

“If you tell me it’s not my business, I’ll punch you in the nose.”

He made a show of looking around, trying to lighten the mood. “How are you going to reach? I don’t see any step stools around.”

“Fine. I’ll kick you in the shins.” Despite the forced banter, Hannah wasn’t kidding. “I’ve put my life on hold to help take care of your daughter. I deserve an answer.”

He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry. I can’t explain.”

Far from mollifying her, his words stirred her ire. “Are you telling me?—?”

“Shh.”

A nurse walking by gave them a dirty look.

Hannah lowered her voice. “Are you on an op?”

“Not…not officially.”

“What does that mean?”

“Alyssa was in trouble, and I stepped in. That’s all. There are dangerous people?—”

“Are they after you?” Fear flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by the irritation he was getting used to.

“They don’t know who I am. Alyssa needs help. I can’t abandon her.”

“You can’t abandon a grown-up woman, but you can abandon your daughter.”

“I’m not… I didn’t…”

The door beside them opened. “If you two are done," Mom said, "your dad’s waking up.”

Hannah waited until Mom had swiveled and returned to Dad’s side before muttering low, “We are not done.”

He was grateful for the reprieve.

Callan hovered out of the way while Mom and Hannah fussed over Dad. He figured his strong, no-nonsense father would put up with them for about ten minutes. He didn’t even last that long before he shot Callan a save me look.

“Why don’t you two figure out what you want for dinner so I can let Alyssa know?” Callan stepped close to the bed. “Give Dad a little space.”

Hannah looked like she wanted to argue, but Dad patted her hand resting on his chest. “I’m sorry I gave you a scare, Curlicue.”

She smiled at his old nickname for her, though it only lasted until she turned and joined Callan in front of the wall opposite the bed.

He took her hand and gave it a little I’m here squeeze. Hers was stiff in his, and then she squeezed back. She was angry with him, but she loved him.

They’d be okay as soon as he could figure out the Peri situation.

When Mom leaned in and whispered to Dad, Callan tugged his sister down onto the love seat. Their parents needed a little privacy.

A few minutes later, Mom stepped away. “Any chance your friend could get me some soup?”

“Of course. Hannah?”

He got their orders—Dad asked for a burger, which Mom didn’t find the slightest bit funny—and Callan texted Alyssa, who promised to stop at a deli on her way back, then asked,

It’ll be another forty-five minutes to an hour. That okay?

Sure. That works.

His task finished, he joined Dad near the head of the bed. Awake and sitting up, Dad looked marginally better. He had more color in his cheeks, and his eyes were clear and alert. His grip was strong in Callan’s hand. “How did you get here so fast?”

“Good luck and coincidence.” He tossed the words out like a soft pitch.

Dad’s brows lowered. “No such thing.”

“Yeah. I guess God knew I needed to be close.” He should’ve been here all along, though.

Dad looked around the room. “Where’s my granddaughter?”

“A friend of mine came. She took Peri to dinner.”

“She?”

“It’s a long story.”

Hannah muttered a little humph.

Callan ignored her. “I’m sorry, Dad. For everything.”

The weight of what had happened hit him. Dad could’ve died .

They could be discussing funeral arrangements.

They could be trying to figure out how to live lives without their family’s rock. The cornerstone.

“I should never have asked so much of you and Mom.” Callan’s voice cracked, and he clamped his lips closed against the emotion.

Dad looked past Callan. “Why don’t you two go for a walk.”

Hannah said, “But we’re waiting?—”

“Do you need anything?” Mom asked.

“Just a kiss from my love.”

She kissed him, then pressed a hand to his cheek. “You be good.”

Dad grinned. “I’ll try my best.”

Mom looked at Callan. “If the doctor comes, you call me immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mom hooked her arm around Hannah’s back and urged her out, closing the door behind them.

“I love them both,” Dad said, “but you’d think I was at death’s door.”

The words, spoken so flippantly, raised a flash of irritation. “Dad, you had a heart attack. They have a right to be worried.”

“I just meant…” He looked toward the door for a moment. “You’re right. I can’t imagine if it was your mother.”

“I asked too much of you. You shouldn’t be raising a child. You should be resting. And now you’re here because you took on my burden?—”

“Don’t say that.” Dad pushed the button to raise the head of his bed until he was sitting almost straight up. “My granddaughter is not a burden. She’s a blessing, an amazing blessing, and I’m not one bit sorry she’s in our lives.”

“I didn’t mean…” Callan raked his hand over his head. “Only that you two shouldn’t have to raise her.”

“You’re right, we shouldn’t. But don’t you go blaming her?—”

“—not her, me.”

“—or yourself for my heart attack. How much power do you think you have, anyway?”

Callan wasn’t sure how to answer that.

“You listen now, son. You are not so powerful that you can clog a man’s arteries. You are not so powerful that you can damage a man’s heart. Maybe you should remember who’s really in charge. Go look in the mirror in there”—he waved toward the bathroom—“and tell the man looking back at you the truth. That you’re not in control, and you’re not supposed to be.”

Callan hadn’t been scolded by his father in a long time. He tamped down on an adolescent desire to argue his point.

“Caring for Peri is taking a toll. That’s all I’m saying.”

“I’ve seen a lot of heart-healthy advice. I’m supposed to avoid donuts, not granddaughters.”

“I know that, but you have to admit?—”

“Don’t take on guilt that’s not yours to own. Don’t take responsibility for what you can’t control. Focus on what you can.”

That was the problem. No matter how hard Callan tried, he couldn’t control anything.

“Enough of that.” Dad’s tone shifted to playful. “Am I going to meet this girlfriend of yours?”

“She’s not a girlfriend, she’s?—”

“A girl and a friend.” He blew off Callan’s correction.

“She’s bringing dinner. You can meet her if you want.”

Callan tried to make it sound as if he didn’t care one way or the other, but he had a feeling his father would adore Alyssa. And Alyssa would adore him. Dad was everything a father should be, everything her father hadn’t been.

He didn’t hate the idea of them meeting.

“Is she special to you?”

Callan needed to tell his father that yes, she was special to him. They needed to stay in character.

The problem was, if he said Alyssa was special to him, it wouldn’t be a lie.

But Hannah was right. Callan had no business starting up anything with a woman when he had a child he hadn’t figured out how to take care of.

“I’m guessing, based on your silence, the answer is yes.”

“It’s just that…”

That he didn’t know what he was doing. That he didn’t know how he could pursue Alyssa and care for his daughter. That he hadn’t realized until just this moment how badly he wanted to pursue Alyssa.

“She’s an old friend from college. Until Wednesday, I hadn’t seen her in years.”

“So this hasn’t been going on?—?”

“There’s nothing going on. And there’s not going to be.”

Dad’s gaze pierced through Callan’s armor. “Tell me about that.”

Typical Dad question. When it came to little things—weekend plans, short-term problems—Dad barely paid attention to what was going on. But he had a weird sixth sense with the things that weren’t so little .

“There’s nothing to tell.”

The slightest lifting of one eyebrow was the only indication Dad had picked up on Callan’s lie.

“It doesn’t matter what I think about Alyssa,” he said. “She’s in trouble, and I’m trying to help her out.”

Dad said nothing.

“I probably should’ve just let her figure it out herself, but I was worried. She was having dinner with a guy… She didn’t know who he was, and I thought… I shouldn’t have gotten involved.”

“Then why did you?”

“Because he’s dangerous, this man. And I didn’t want her to get hurt.”

“If she’d been a stranger, would you have gotten involved?”

Again, typical Dad, cutting right through his nonsense.

“You’re right. I have a child to take care of now. It was stupid.”

Dad smiled. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t say any of that. Unless I had a stroke nobody told me about.”

“That’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny.” Dad went quiet, giving Callan the opportunity to explain. But what was he supposed to say? After a moment, Dad continued. “I didn’t say what you did was stupid. You were raised to protect the vulnerable. I have no idea what the circumstances were, so I can’t say beyond that. But you’re a protector. You can’t stop being who you are.”

“I should be protecting my daughter.”

“Does it have to be one or the other?”

It did. Didn’t it?

“You have room in your heart for Peri.”

“She’s in my heart, Dad.” Did he really have to say it? Was he really so bad at showing it? “I love her.”

Dad gripped his hand again. “I know that, son. And you’re going to figure it out. Good men make good fathers.”

Did they? Did that mean Callan wasn’t a good man? Because he definitely wasn’t a good father.

He’d been too proud to ask for help before, but knowing what could’ve happened, knowing his father wouldn’t always be here, he realized how badly he needed Dad’s counsel.

“I want that, to be a good father. More than anything. How should I…?”

His words trailed when the door pushed open and a white-coated doctor stepped inside, followed by Mom and Hannah, who must’ve been hovering just outside.

The doctor’s hair was pulled back in a French twist, the elegant style contrasting with the fatigue that showed in bags beneath her eyes.

She introduced herself to everyone, then focused on Dad, explaining that he’d had a heart attack and would need to stay overnight in the hospital.

Predictably, Dad argued, but she just nodded patiently.

“I understand, Mr. Templeton. You seem like the kind of man who makes sacrifices for the sake of the people who love him.” She gestured to Callan and his family. “So I know you’ll do what’s best for your health, even if you don’t want to.”

He wasn’t the doctor’s first stubborn patient.

Dad grumbled, but how could he argue with that?

She gave them test results and numbers and levels of this and that, along with the care Dad would need when he was released.

Callan struggled to hang onto the details.

The point was, if Mom hadn’t realized what was happening and insisted he come to the hospital, Dad could have died.

If he had, Callan would have been crushed. But he would bury him knowing that Dad had loved him every minute of his life.

He thought of their narrow escape from Ghazi and his guards the night before.

If Callan had died, his daughter wouldn’t have the same assurance.

No matter how much he cared about his job and his career, no matter how drawn he felt to Alyssa, proving his love to Peri was more important than anything else he could do.