Page 72 of Refuge for Ailsa

He smiled. “I’d already planned to.”

“Good. I’m still a little scared.”

“Maureen and Donovan are bringing me some clothes and something to sleep in. And sweetie?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

Her eyes closed gently and she whispered, “I love you too.”

CHAPTER11

The birds were singingand the sun was shining when Tavish woke the next morning, and he thought the worst of it was finally past them.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

It started out innocently enough. When the nurse brought her medicine in, she seemed to tense. He chalked that up to nervousness and wanting to get out of the hospital. But when her lunch appeared and she shrank back from the lady delivering it, he wondered what was going on in her head. Ailsa picked up her fork, poked around in the food, and whispered, “Do you think it’s okay to eat it?”

Tavish was alarmed. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Do you think she put something in it?”

What the hell?his brain screamed. “Who?”

“Bridget.”

Oh fuck, no. No, this can’t be happening.“Baby, she’s gone.”

“She was supposed to be gone before, but shewasn’t,” she hissed and sat there, glowering at him.

“That was when she’d been harassing us. This time she tried to kill you. She’s in prison. She won’t be getting out anytime soon, and never if I have any say. You don’t have to worry about her.”

“But what if she does? What if she escapes and?”

“Babe, that’s not gonna happen.”

“It happened before.”

“Yeah, and that’s because the justice system got sloppy. That’s not happening again.”

“How do you know? How do youknow?” Ailsa was getting louder and louder, and Tavish didn’t know what to do.

“I know. I’m going to court the day she’s arraigned, and I’m going to ask the judge to give her the harshest sentence possible. Do you want to go?”

“NO! I don’t want to beanywhere nearthat crazy bitch! You don’t understand, Tav. I saw me. I saw Halloween and Christmas. I saw you and our kids.” Tavish was completely confused. “I saw Eric, and he wanted to know why I hadn’t helped him, but I did. And I saw Mason. I saw him like he was before and I saw him… in his casket. I saw it all, Tav. She’ll try to kill me again. I know she will.”

“Babe, calm down.” Tavish leaned over and pressed the button on the call box. “You’ve got to calm down. She’s not here. She won’t be back. She’s going to prison.”

“But she’ll find me! She’ll find us! Maybe those weren’t my kids. Maybe they were hers with you!”

“Ailsa, that’s ridiculous. I’m not having anything to do with?”

“Sir, is there a problem?” a nurse asked as she hustled into the room.

“You! You’re her! You’re wearing a disguise, but I see you and I know it’s you! It’s you, Bridget! You stay away from me!” Ailsa’s eyes were wild.

“I need some help in here. Please,” he whispered to the nurse.