Page 45 of Tides Of Your Love (Riviera Shores #3)

At the reception desk, I leaned forward. “Any update on Walter Wheaton?”

The nurse checked the screen. “He’s still being treated in the ER.”

I exhaled slowly and nodded, then turned back to the waiting room, found my chair, and prepared to wait.

An agonizing fifty-seven minutes later, a doctor stepped into the waiting area and called, “Walter Wheaton’s relative?”

I jolted upright. “That’s me. ”

“Mr. Wheaton experienced what we call atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. It means that his heart was beating too fast and irregularly, making it inefficient at circulating blood. That’s what caused him to lose consciousness.

We ran tests and administered IV medications, mainly beta-blockers, to slow his heart rate.

We also performed a controlled cardioversion under sedation.

So he’s now in an induced sleep to help stabilize his heart overnight. ”

“So, it wasn’t a heart attack?”

“No, but we’ll need to monitor him closely. If he remains stable, we’ll wake him in the morning.”

“Can I see him?”

“Briefly. A nurse will take you in.”

I followed the nurse as he led me into a ward just behind the ER.

Walter was in the room closest to the nurses’ station, one of three occupied beds in the unit.

A heart monitor beeped steadily beside him, blending with the soft chorus of beeps that came from the other beds, displaying lines and numbers I couldn’t decipher.

Oxygen tubing rested beneath his nose, and IV lines ran from his arm to a bag hanging nearby.

“Oh, Walter,” I whispered, placing a careful hand over his fingers, just above the IV line taped to the back of his hand.

“I’m here, and you’re going to be just fine. We’ve got a Scrabble match waiting, you know. And Owen ... he’ll be on his way soon. You can tell him exactly what you think of Westbridge taking him back after icing him out all this time. ”

I channeled my mother’s unwavering optimism. Walter will be fine. He will be. He had to be. Owen would never forgive himself if something happened.

“Miss?” another voice came from behind me.

I turned to find a nurse standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry, but he needs his rest now. You should go home—we’ll call if anything changes.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’ll be in the waiting area. Just call me if he needs me.”

Back in the waiting area, I sent an update to Simon and Owen.

Simon replied almost immediately. “Sounds like they have it under control. Why don’t you go home to rest or come here? Nicole left that casserole you love.”

“Maybe later, I want to be here for now. Don’t worry about me,” I texted back.

The message to Owen remained marked as ‘sent’ but not ‘delivered’ like the ones before it.

On my way back from the snacks and crappy coffee vending machine, my phone vibrated in my hand.

Ruby.

“Ruby, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot.”

“I’m at your house, where are you?”

“I’m at the hospital in Wayford. Walter had a heart incident. Not a heart attack,” I added quickly, as if saying it out loud would make a real difference.

“What? Oh, my God! I’m coming over.”

“No, don’t, Ruby. I’m just sitting here and—”

“So I’ll sit with you,” she interrupted. “Wait there. Oh, right, you’re there already. I’m coming. ”

Half an hour later, I spotted her rushing through the entrance, wobbling slightly on her high heels.

“Ruby,” I called.

“Oh, honey.” She hurried over and pulled me into a hug.

She was in her night out clothes and I was still in my work clothes, probably reeking by now.

I updated her, and we sat together in silence for a while. It was good to have her there.

“What is this shit?” Ruby asked, taking a sip from my almost untouched coffee. “I passed an open coffee shop on the way—I can get us real coffee.”

“No need, really. I’ll just have to pee all the time.”

“Yeah, and you do not want to use that toilet.”

I huffed out a tired laugh. “What about Evangeline and Daphne?”

“I called them on the way. Daphne was actually relieved to cancel entirely. She’s not very sociable these days.”

“Has she ever been?”

Ruby tilted her head, weighing her answer. “She used to be ... happier? Livelier? Like, normal. But years in that job—” she shook her head. “It’s not exactly happiness-conducive.”

We sat side by side, drawing quiet comfort from each other, until I noticed someone coming through the main entrance.

He looked around, spotted me, and walked over as I waved.

“How is he?” Finn stopped in front of us.

I gave him a brief update on everything I knew .

“He’s never had this problem. I make sure they bring me their annual check-up reports,” he said.

“They say he’s stable now, but they want to monitor him overnight. We’ll know more in the morning.”

“Will you let me know?”

“Of course. Thanks for stopping by.”

“Of course. Do you need anything? Can I get you anything?” he asked.

“No, no, we’re fine. Thank you so much.”

“Okay. Let me know if anything changes ... or if you need anything.”

“I will. Thanks, Finn.”

When he left and I sat back down, Ruby had a strange smile on her face.

“Isn’t that—”

“Yes, it is, and I told you already—it’s not true,” I cut her off. “He didn’t have an affair with his wife’s cousin.”

“I heard they’re more like sisters. So basically, he’s with his ex-wife’s sister now.”

I sighed and rested my head on her shoulder. “Oh, Ruby. Mind your own business.”

“Forbidden love. I need to know,” she teased, half-chuckling.

“Go ask him.”

“Nah. A man that looks like that—my knees went weak just sitting here, looking at him.”

If she was about to say he looked like Owen, she’d be glad we were already in a hospital.

“He reminds me—”

“Don’t say it,” I warned.

“I was going to say one of the Hemsworth brothers, but you’re thinking of Owen! I knew it!”

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.

“Where does it stand?” Ruby asked. “They said they wanted him back, but then what?”

“Then nothing,” I exhaled. “That was yesterday. He texted later to say he loved me. He has to give them his answer.”

“You’re uncharacteristically calm about it.”

“A. Do you see where we are? I have more urgent things to deal with. And B. I have a flight on standby.” I cracked a tired smile. “I think when you love someone, you have to trust them to figure out what they need. I want him to go for what’s right for him. Doesn’t mean it’s not terrifying.”

“You’re so wise, Rio,” Ruby exhaled theatrically.

“Or deeply sleep-deprived. One of the two.”

Half an hour later, I sent her home, promising I’d leave soon after.

I lied.

The last time I looked at the slowly ticking clock on the wall, it was two a.m. Exhaustion must have won after that, because the next thing I knew, every muscle ached from the odd position I’d slept in—and something warm and solid was beneath my head.