Page 47 of The Homemaker (The Chain of Lakes #1)
Chapter Forty-Five
Alice
Compassion is free. Loyalty comes with a price.
“There’s my guardian angel,” Hunter says from his hospital bed, wearing the most humbled expression I’ve ever seen on his weary, unshaven face.
Before I can answer, Vera wraps me in her outstretched arms and whispers, “Thank you so much.”
When she releases me, I smile past the lump in my throat and nod.
For an even bigger gut punch, Blair does the same thing. Only she’s too choked up to speak. When she releases me, she quickly blots her eyes.
My gaze remains glued to her until her smile fades a bit, and I realize I’m staring at her too long. Would they thank me if they knew what I did six hours ago in the basement with Murphy?
Would I still be a hero? Or a villain?
If I do what Murphy wants me to do—feel worthy and dream—then I have to accept my role in life again as more than just a series of fleeting moments that don’t mean anything. I have to be accountable.
I’m not ready for that.
“I feel a raise is in my future.” I tease, sliding into character with a smiley face, delivering each word like a well-rehearsed skit. It’s the art of living in an alternate universe.
They laugh, but Hunter cringes.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you laugh. I bet it hurts.” I stand next to his bed and squeeze his hand. Then I pull a book out of my handbag. “I thought you might like a story read to you.”
“Oh my gosh,” Blair says. “Mom, I think that’s our sign to grab dinner. I’ll call Murphy and tell him to meet us somewhere that’s not hospital cafeteria food.”
Vera sidles up to the other side of his bed and kisses his forehead before whispering, “I love you.”
He has hearts in his eyes for her, even after all these years. It melts my insides.
“Can you stay with him until we get back?” Vera asks.
“Of course.”
When they exit the room, I pull up a chair and sit next to his bed.
“We’re bound for life, now. It’s like you donated a kidney to me.”
I grin, shaking my head.
“If I tell you something, can you keep my secret?” he asks.
“I can.” I cross my legs and fold my hands in my lap.
“I saw you. ”
“Saw me?”
He glances past my shoulder, gaze unfocused. “I saw you giving me CPR. From above. Like I wasn’t in my body.”
My lips part to speak, but there are no words.
“You called me Chris.”
I immediately feel cold and lightheaded.
“Who is Chris?”
I blink a few times before shaking my head.
“I just told you something I’ve told no one else. And I never will because they already think I’m crazy. Give me something back. Tell me something you’ve never told anyone else.”
Wringing my hands together, I take a deep breath. “Chris was my fiancé. He died in a car accident. It was raining, and we started to hydroplane. The car flipped over the side of the bridge into the river. I got out. He died.”
He narrows his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“But I knew some of this.”
I stare at my hands. “Yes.” I lift my gaze. “But no one knows I was driving.”
The lines above the bridge of his nose deepen.
“I lowered my window before the car was fully underwater. And I unbuckled both of our seat belts. Then I went out first.” I wince just from the memories. They’re still there. Not as vivid, but not completely gone. “I thought he was right behind me.” My voice lowers to a whisper. “But he wasn’t.”
Hunter doesn’t rush to respond. Some things don’t need acknowledgment beyond a warm smile.
“Do you want me to read to you?”
“I’d love that,” he whispers with a smile .
I begin reading the first few pages of chapter fifteen, and just when I think Hunter has drifted off to sleep, he grins. He has a crush on the main character, Jessica Day, a sexy assassin in love with her psychiatrist. I resume reading:
She continued ironing his argyle socks. “You need to get laid. Normal people don’t think like you. When was the last time you had sex?” Jessica asked.
Luke ignored her. It was his usual MO when she tried to pry into his life.
“I bet you’re a missionary man. By the book: seven-point-five minutes of foreplay, thirty seconds of clitoral stimulation to get her lubed up, and exactly thirty-five thrusts until climax followed by ten minutes of spooning, a kiss on the cheek, and maybe even a gentlemanly ‘thank you’ before insisting she leave so you can get your necessary eight-point-five hours of sleep. ”
“She’s sexy and sassy as hell,” Hunter mumbles.
I grin and continue reading until he falls asleep, but this time I don’t wake him. Neither of us has anywhere to go or anything to do except wait for Vera and Blair to return.
Two hours later, they do just that. But this time, Murphy is with them.
I stand, straightening my dress and hiking my handbag over my shoulder.
“How long has he been asleep?” Vera whispers.
“Not long enough,” Hunter says, opening his eyes.
“How are you feeling?” Blair slides past me to hold her father’s hand.
“Like I might live.”
“Thanks for staying with him.” Vera squeezes my hand. “I think you should take some time off. Hunter won’t be going home for at least a week, and we’ll either be here with him or dealing with wedding plans. I can arrange to have someone water the garden.”
I can’t look at Murphy with the words “wedding plans” echoing in the room. So I smile at Vera. “Thanks.”
“You deserve it,” she replies.
“Who’s going to read to me?” Hunter asks, earning him scowls from both his wife and daughter.
I blow him a kiss. “Stay out of trouble. And be nice to the nurses.”
“Blair, I need to take a work call,” Murphy says, holding up his phone.
I don’t make eye contact with him as I shuffle out the door and make a beeline for the elevator.
Smack!
His hand darts through the closing doors to stop them. “Alice, are you running away from me?” He steps onto the elevator, tucking his phone in his pocket.
“Nope. Just excited to take a little time off.” I lean against the back wall, hugging my handbag to keep him at a safe distance.
“What are you going to do with your time off?”
“Shop for a dress to wear to your wedding. Since I’m basically family now, I’m sure I’ll be invited.”
His lips twist with a slow nod, hands casually tucked into his back jeans pockets. “Your optimism is outstanding.”
“Optimism?”
The doors open and I step past him. He follows me, keeping a few steps between us.
“Do you think she’s still going to marry me?”
“I think you have as good a chance as anyone.” The warm air whooshes past me when the automatic doors open to the parking lot .
“That would be quite something. She let two men go who probably adored her and never cheated on her, but you think she’ll keep me after what’s happened?”
Just as I reach the sidewalk, I turn. “You’re telling her?”
“Well, yes. I would never marry someone without being completely forthright with them. Would you?”
My stomach drops.
“Do you not want me to tell her?”
I shrug but shake my head at the same time. “I … I don’t know. Seems like a really bad time to lay this on her.”
“When would you suggest I mention it? At the wedding? Rehearsal dinner?”
I frown.
Murphy deflates. “I love you.”
I wait.
And wait.
“But?” I ask.
Murphy shakes his head slowly. “Alice, there’s no but. Those three words stand on their own without an explanation. I don’t need an excuse to love you.”
“You love her too.”
“I do.”
Every time we’re together, it gets harder to keep a brave face. He makes me want something real.
“You’ve loved her longer.”
“I’ve loved her for three years and four months. I’ve loved you for eight years and two months.”
I frown.
“Don’t give me that look. I knew the day your dad carried you out of my house that I might not ever see you again, but nothing would stop me from loving you for the rest of my life. ”
“You can’t marry her and love me.”
“I can.”
Damn him and his all-encompassing heart.
“Doesn’t mean I’m going to.”
I can’t stop thinking about Hunter, Vera, and Blair. They have me on a pedestal the way I used to have Murphy on one. The betrayal would be crushing.
“Then do it. Marry her and love me.”
He furrows his brow.
“Bye, Murphy.” I turn, gripping my keys and holding my breath to keep it together.
He doesn’t trust me, but they do. I never imagined wanting someone’s trust so much, but I do. I want the Morrisons to feel good about hiring me since they now have this overwhelming gratitude.