Page 38 of Secret Love (The Single Dad Playbook #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

I’LL HAVE WHAT HE’S HAVING

TRU

We’ve talked so much more since I’ve been back at Henley’s, but it still hasn’t been easy. For the past two nights, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night and he hasn’t been in bed. I’ve found him in the living room watching old Mustangs games or just sitting in the dark.

But now that he’s let me in, I’m not scaring off easily. He had an appointment with Dr. Katie and that helped, but it’s not going to turn around overnight. I’m too worried about him to leave him alone again…not just about his recovery, but about his state of mind.

We’re driving to the hospital the morning of the surgery, and it’s still dark out. I glance over at Henley. He’s staring out the window and looks so sad.

“Hey,” I say quietly. We’re at a stoplight near the hospital and he turns to look at me. I clench the steering wheel. “I love you no matter what.”

He stares at me, his throat working as he swallows, and he reaches out and touches my face.

“I love you, Tru Seymour.”

The light turns and I just want to keep looking at him, but I look at the road.

“I’m sorry I’ve been a lot to handle.” His voice is scratchy and sleepy. “I’m afraid…”

I wait, my heart pounding with his words. When he doesn’t say anything else, I glance at him.

“I’m afraid it’s just gonna get worse,” he adds.

“The pain?”

“This darkness I’ve been feeling. I don’t want it to, but I can’t seem to snap out of it.”

“You don’t have to snap out of anything. You’re hurting, you’re uncertain of what comes next…it’s a lot to go through.”

“It’s pretty stupid when you think about it—it’s just a game.” He snorts and adjusts in his seat.

“Don’t say that. It’s not stupid at all. The game is your life.”

I pull into the hospital parking lot and go around to the entrance that they told us would be more private. A few guards are lined up as promised, and there’s a wheelchair waiting to take him inside.

I want to keep talking. When he’s opening up like this, I don’t want him thinking any of his feelings are foolish.

But his door is opened for him and everything moves quickly from there. He’s whisked away, with a nurse telling me she’ll come get me before he goes into surgery so I can see him. The exhaustion of the morning hits me when I reach the waiting room.

I feel little arms around me and startle, looking down into Gracie’s big eyes.

“Hey!” I say in surprise, hugging her back.

Bree, Cassidy, and Audrey aren’t far behind.

“Thought you might need this,” Bree says, holding out coffee and a pastry. “Wyndham and Greer send their love.”

“That’s so sweet. Thank you.” I hug them all and then take a sip of coffee. “Mmm, I’m usually at Luminary, so I forget how good Serendipity’s coffee is too. I did need this…”

“How’s he doing?” Bree asks.

“I’m worried about him.” I meet her eyes and both of us fight back tears.

“I am too,” she says. “Besides the girls, I don’t think I’ve ever understood what it’s like to be passionate about something until I started my business…and as much as I’m loving it, it’s not even close to how much Henley has loved football. And he’s really, really good at it.” Her voice cracks and I reach out and squeeze her hand. “I’ve resented football over the years, but I would’ve never wished this for him.”

“I keep hoping that it’s not over. That he’ll be fine after the surgery and?—”

She shakes her head, her face crumbling a little more. “It’s unlikely, you know…” She sniffs and wipes her face and the girls crowd around her, crying too. “I’m not making this any better, am I? We came to bring cheer and I’m bringing down the mood.” She tries to laugh.

The nurse comes out and her eyes widen when she sees the five of us.

“We have a few minutes. Would you like to come back now?” She directs the question to me.

“Yes.” I put my hand on Cassidy’s shoulder. “These are Henley’s daughters and his ex-wife. Can they come back to see him too?”

She pauses for a few beats and then nods. “We normally wouldn’t let so many people back, but we’re doing a lot of things we don’t normally do this morning.” She smiles warmly at the girls and motions for us to follow her. “There’s really only time to say hi though.”

I nod and we follow her to Henley’s room. His eyebrows lift when he sees all of us.

“Well, this is a nice surprise,” he says, smiling at them.

The girls are somber as they walk up to his bed.

“Mom says it’s so early we’re not even going to be late for school, but I don’t really think we should go to school when you’re having surgery,” Gracie says, her braids bouncing around with her impassioned words.

Henley chuckles. “You’re not getting out of school on my account, peanut.”

“But if there were ever a time to miss school, this would be it,” Cassidy says, her eyes welling up.

“I agree.” Audrey sniffles.

“Hey, no tears, okay? You’re gonna break my heart and that’d be worse than any knee problem. Come here.” He holds his arms out and they fall into him, Gracie crying now too. “Hey, hey. Listen, it’s just a silly ole surgery, okay? No big deal.”

“But Mom says you might not play football again and that’s really sad,” Audrey says into his neck.

His mouth parts and his eyes meet mine and then Bree’s. She shifts next to me.

“I’m sorry, Hen. I shouldn’t have told them that until we know for sure,” Bree says.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s the truth.” He lifts Audrey’s chin and she stares up at him. “Life might look a little different, but we’ll still have each other, right?”

“Right,” she says.

“Will you still be able to pick me up?” Gracie asks, her little voice pitiful.

“Yes. Not right after surgery, but yes, peanut.”

“Girls, we don’t have much time. They’re gonna take Dad back any second to get him ready. Let Tru get in there,” Bree says. She shoots me an apologetic look.

I smile to let her know it’s not necessary. “I’m glad he got to see you this morning.” I squeeze Cassidy’s shoulder. “This is the happiest he’s looked all week.”

Henley reaches out for my hand and tugs me toward him. “I love you. I’m sorry I haven’t been?—”

I put my fingers on his lips and kiss his forehead. “No more apologies out of you, sir. You’re the best man I’ve ever known.”

The nurse comes in and raps on the door. “Okay, Mr. Ward, it’s time to take you back.”

“We love you. I'll be here when you wake up,” I promise.

“Love you, Daddy,” the girls say in unison and it makes us all laugh.

“I love you all so much.” He’s smiling as they roll him out of the room.

“I’m really glad you came. You made him so happy.” I put my arms around the girls and we huddle together. When we make our way out of the room and into the waiting room, Bowie, Weston, and Penn are in there. They stand up when they see us and hug everyone.

Rhodes walks in a minute later with a drink carrier filled with coffees and sets it down.

“Hey, let me in there too,” he says, and we do a huge group hug. “He'll be all right, you guys, but he's gonna need lots of these hugs when he’s home.”

“We're not going anywhere,” I say.

“Yeah,” the girls pipe up. “We're not going anywhere.”

“Except to school,” Bree reminds them, and they groan.

She assures them they’ll see Henley later, and they head out.

Sadie and Caleb stop by for a little bit too, and playing with Caleb is a nice distraction while we wait.

It’s almost two hours before the surgeon steps out.

“Tru Seymour?” she says.

I walk over to her. “That’s me. Hi.”

“I’m Dr. Cermak. Surgery went well. Henley’s waking up and asking for you. Dr. Grinstead said you’d want to see him right away.”

“I do. Thank you.”

She’s already turning to go through the doors, so I follow. I turn to look back at the guys, seeing all the questions they have, but Dr. Grinstead walks out and stays with them while I go to Henley.

Henley’s eyes are closed when we enter the room, but when I sit down next to him, they open and he looks at me groggily.

But then his face breaks out into the biggest smile.

I smile back in surprise and take his hand. “Hey, you look so much happier than I was expecting.”

“I am so happy to see you.” His words slur, but even as he talks, I can hear the smile in his voice. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known.” He lifts my hand up to his mouth to kiss it, but he misses. He laughs. “Oops. I dreamed about you.”

“You did? When you were in surgery?”

“Totally dreamed about you in surgery,” he says really fast…like he's trying to fight the slur.

I giggle and look back at the surgeon.

“He's feeling pretty good on those medicines, I think,” Dr. Cermak chuckles. She starts to say something else, but Henley jumps in.

“I dreamed we were getting married. We were getting married on the dock by the water with the candlestick in the library,” he says and then laughs.

When I’ve got my bearings back after laughing so hard, I say, “Well, that's funny since you haven't even asked me to marry you yet. Not that I expect you to yet.” I hold up my hand when he opens his mouth, but he starts nodding his head so fast.

“I thought of that,” he says. “I thought of that in my dream…that I have not asked you yet. And so, will you please marry me? Tru. Trudi...uh, Trudi…Tru Seymour. Dammit. I wanted to say your middle name. Eloise!” He snaps his finger. “Trudi Eloise Seymour, will you please marry me on the dock by the water with the candlestick in the library?”

“I kind of feel like we're playing Clue instead of having a real proposal.” I lean in, unable to stop laughing. “Oh, how I love you, Henley Ward.” I lean in and kiss him.

“Are you avoiding my question?” he says, still grinning against my lips.

“I am avoiding your question,” I say emphatically. “Because I’d rather your proposal not be whenever you're on…whatever this is you're on.”

“But, I feel so good ,” he says. “So much love I can’t even express it all,” he slurs. “Tell her, Doctor, tell her I'm completely coherent.”

“You're coherent, all right, but I'm not sure proposals are the smartest option during this recovery time. How about we talk about how your surgery went?”

“I don't really want to talk about that,” Henley says. “It's not going to be good, is it? I'm thirty-six. I have a major ACL tear, and even though you're a genius doctor, I know it does not look good for me.”

“Sadly, you’re right…where football is concerned anyway,” Dr. Cermak says, “but it’s too soon to know that for sure. Let’s keep a positive outlook and we'll see how everything heals. I’d feel better if you stayed the night, but I know you're not wanting to.”

“No, I don't need to stay the night,” Henley says, staring at me. “I want to be in bed with my fiancée.” He grins his wide-open smile.

And I grin back in spite of myself.

Dr. Cermak chuckles. “This guy's a charmer,” she says, looking at me.

“Yes, he is.” I run my hands through Henley’s hair and then pat his scruffy cheek.

I can't believe that even in recovery from a major surgery that could be ending his career, this man is still managing to make me happier than I’ve ever been. I don't know how that's possible, but he does.

Even though this mood he’s in, or this high, I guess, will be fleeting. The gravity of what he’s facing had caught up with him before surgery and will again, but for now he's happy and I want to keep him that way.

“I’ll make sure he doesn't overdo it if you think he's okay to go home,” I tell Dr. Cermak and then look at Henley, “but I really think if Dr. Cermak wants you to stay, you should and I'll stay with you.”

“I'll sleep so much better in my bed, but I'll do whatever you think, Dr. Cermak.” Henley nods at Dr. Cermak then winks at me.

I try not to crack up.

“If you promise to let this lady take care of you when you get home and not be on your leg at all , I guess you can go home,” Dr. Cermak says.

“ Yes ,” Henley says, sounding like one of his girls when they get excited about something.

“All right. I will come back in a little bit with discharge instructions…it’s going to be really important that you follow them.” Dr. Cermak looks at me then. “And important that you make sure he does,” she reiterates.

“I will. And when I'm not there to do it, one of his daughters or teammates or family members or friends will fill in.”

“There was a full room out there with guys who seem willing.” Dr. Cermak smiles.

Dr. Grinstead comes in and he and Dr. Cermak nod at each other.

“Okay, great. Rest a little while and I will be back.” Dr. Cermak taps the end of the bed and walks out.

“Dr. Grinstead!” Henley sings.

Dr. Grinstead looks at him and then me in surprise, and I laugh.

“He’s feeling all the love right now,” I say.

“ So much love,” Henley says, beaming up at me.

The guys come in to say hi, and Henley is just as dreamy-eyed with them.

“I love you guys,” he says over and over. He points at Penn. “Even you. Especially you, pretty boy.”

Penn beams. “I knew you did.” He elbows Weston. “What did I say when we first became friends with these guys? I said I’m gonna win Henley Ward over if it’s the last thing I do.”

Everyone laughs.

“You’ve had my heart from day one. All of it,” Henley says, laughing along with everyone else. “And you and you and you and you.” He points to the rest of us.

“It’s a fucking love fest in here,” Rhodes says, wiping the tears from his face. “And I, for one, could not be happier about it. You’re gonna be just fine, Hen. We’ll make sure of it.”

“Damn straight, we will,” Bowie says.

They put their fists together and lift them up the way they do when they’re out on the field, and my heart nearly bursts with love and relief and gratitude.